June 2011

The Orange County Economic Development Commission still exists, I know this because I am a member of it! Yet the County is functioning as if the board has been disbanded even though it has taken no such action. This is the culmination of a dysfunctional history in Orange County Economic Development. But the part that really bothers me now is a closed session being held tonight by the county commissioners on the topic of economic development without input from citizens, citizens who were appointed by our elected officials to advise them on the diverse set of opinions held by residents of Orange County.

To me this sunsetting of the Orange County Economic Development Commission is a tactic to silence dissent. It's true there are many people on the Orange County Economic Development Commission who did not agree with the former director on policy or plans. It's true that many of our meetings were frustrating. But to subvert democracy when you no longer find it agreeable is wrong. I hope as we consider a new organization to represent us in economic development matters that we remember how the county has acted.

On June 27, the Chapel Hill Town Council will be providing recommendations to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee regarding the alignment of the proposed light rail line which will connect Chapel Hill with Durham, UNC Hospitals with Duke Hospital and downtown Durham. As a Meadowmont resident, I'm particularly interested in the choices of routing which involve Meadowmont, and I'm interested in what others in the local progressive community think about the options.

When the approval of the Meadowmont community was up before Town Council in 1995, one of its selling points, and presumably one of the reasons Roger Perry and East-West Partners were allowed to build at such high densities, was the reservation of a 50-foot wide mass-transit corridor (see also here). The corridor is still there, still free of development, and passes by the commercial area and rental apartments before making a turn behind the residences in the Cedars retirement community.

As part of a larger effort by North Carolina Republicans to restrict abortion coverage in the state (including HB 854: Abortion-Woman's Right to Know Act),  North Carolina House Bill 910 ("Gov't Health Plans/Limited Abortion Coverage"), sponsored by Rep. Stephen LaRoque of Lenoir County, would restrict abortion coverage under health plans offered by local governments to their employees. The bill would also limit abortion coverage under the state health plan for teachers and state employees.

Carrboro mayor Mark Chilton and Chapel Hill mayor Mark Kleinschmidt testified against the bill at the General Assembly on Wednesday, arguing that decisions about employment benefits for town employees should be left to the local governments.

A total of 21 seats are available in this year's municipal and school board elections. As incumbents and newcomers begin declaring their intentions, a quick summary of what we're in for is in order. Below is a list of the municipal and school board positions that will appear on local ballots in November.

El Centro Hispano and the Fair Jobs and Wages team of Orange County Justice United continue work to improve the work conditions for those in the informal job market in Orange County through a collaboration with the National Day Laborers Organizing Network (NDLON).The NDLON has facilitated the opening of at least 30 worker centers nationwide.

During this coming week (June 20-26th) the NDLON Legal Programs Director and the East Cast Field Coordinator will be in Orange County. They will be meeting with workers and officials and getting to know the community. They will be holding a large meeting with workers to provide information on how worker centers operate on Thursday.

A meeting of the Day Laborer Taskforce will be held on Saturday June 25th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at El Centro Hispano. During the meeting, a documentary on worker centers will be screened and those in attendance will have a chance to meet the NDLON staff and ask any questions.

An anti-lingering ordinance was passed in 2007 in response to neighborhood complaints of loitering and disorderliness at the intersection of Davie and Jones Ferry Roads in Carrboro (the Town of Carrboro Ordinance 5-20 can be viewed here starting on page 8). This intersection (and the Pantry located there) is one of the most popular sites in our community for the gathering of day laborers to meet potential employers.

Local organizations have raised concerns over this ordinance unfairly targeting minority residents and not being constitutional. In fact, the North Carolina ACLU raised such issues when the ordinance was being drafted. Concerns were also voiced on Orange Politics both before and after the ordinance was put in place.