April 2014
Solid Waste Tax District Public Hearing tonight 4/1/14 in Hillsborough.
I attended the public hearing on 3/18. Here are my
observations based upon what others have said.
1.
The main problem is that the county had a good
funding system which has been called into question. Many speakers supported the
fee system and feared that a tax district would cost them more.
2.
People with open land, forest or agricultural
land should be using the Present Use Value Program ( and other conservation
incentives) so their tax valuation should not be high. The majority of people
should pay less in tax than in the old fee since only a relative few have
higher assessed properties.
This
recycling issue has been under consideration by the commissioners for a full
year now. We are no closer to a clear resolution than we were last April.
This piece originally ran in the Daily Tar Heel as a guest editorial on April 1st.
I believe everyone should vote, and I believe voting should be easy and convenient. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the recent direction that we are going in North Carolina. Last year, the N.C. General Assembly severely restricted the ability of residents to vote. It cut the number of days of early voting, limited the ability of out-of-state students to cast ballots and did away with one-stop registration during early voting.
Welcome to the open thread for the Carrboro Board of Aldermen Special Election candidate forum happening on April 6, 2014. Comments on this post will open at that time.
There are three candidates for one seat:
- Bethany Chaney
- Talal Asad
- Theresa Watson
You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2014/forums/cboa.
We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.
Sample Ballots for the May Primary can be viewed at NCSBE.gov . Gary Kahn
Budgets and facilities planning will top the agendas of many of Orange County's public bodies this week. The Chapel Hill Town Council will receive an update from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools on facilities planning, while both the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education and the County Commission will work on priorities for upcoming budget years. The County Commission will also hear an update on the County Manager's proposed capital investment plan.
Some of the other events around the county will include a Rosemary Imagined Review Committee meeting, a Justice United forum on the influence of ALEC and an input session on the Southern Branch Library siting.
Here are the highlights:
Welcome to the open thread for the Orange County School Board candidate forum happening on April 13, 2014. Comments on this post will open at that time.
There are six candidates for four seats:
- Greg Andrews - did not respond to our invitations to participate
- Tom Carr - declined to participate in our forum
- Donna Coffey
- Michael Hood
- Brenda Stephens - declined to participate in our forum
- Rosa Williams
You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2014/forums/ocboe.
We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.
Though it's a short week at many government offices across Orange County, the county's public bodies are staying busy. Both the Chapel Hill Town County and the county school board will consider their budgets for the next fiscal year, while the Carrboro Board of Alderpersons will tackle parking. The Hillsborough Town Board will consider two specific projects, while the County Commission will consider its 2014 legislative agenda and discuss rural curbside recycling again.
Here's the summary:
CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERPERSONS
Regular Meeting: Tuesday, April 15th, 7:30pm, Carrboro Town Hall
I recently filled out the INDY Candidate Questionnaire and I wanted to go ahead and start sharing my answers. When they asked what I would do to build a just community in the Triangle, this is how I responded:
This election year, Orange County voters will select a register of deeds from 3 candidates: Deborah Brooks, the current register of deeds; Mark Chilton, former mayor of Carrboro; and Sara Stephens, former deputy register of deeds. The register of deeds is the custodian of many of the county’s public records, including those relating to births, deaths, military discharges, marriage, and property transfers.
In lieu of holding a candidate forum for the register of deeds race, we sent the candidates 7 questions and asked them to respond to each question in 200 words or less. The answers we received from them appear below. They have not been edited in any way.
Thanks so much to the Chapel Hill News for recognizing the good work of OrangePolitics and our recent leadership transition. Fortunately (or unfortunately, perhaps) the online version does not include my 1999 campaign headshot! Alert reader John Rees snapped a photo of it though.
Here's our Storify from the Orange County Democratic Party's forum for sheriff candidates.
Hogan Farms Precinct and the Orange County Democratic Party proudly presents:
State of Conflict: North Carolina, a documentary produced by Bill Moyers
at the Varsity Theatre (123 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill)
Sunday, April 27th from 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Following the movie, there will be a 30-minute discussion led by Thomas Mills, local political consultant and editor of the PoliticsNC blog.
In lieu of admissions, a suggested donation of $5 will support the Orange County Democratic Party and its efforts to turn North Carolina blue.
Date:
Sunday, April 27, 2014 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Location:
Varsity Theatre (123 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill)
The Orange-Chatham Group of the Sierra Club issued endorsements in some of the upcoming Orange County primary races last night. Their picks were Barry Jacobs and Mark Marcoplos for the Orange County Board of Commissioners and Bethany Chaney for the Carrboro Board of Aldermen. Here's more from the Sierra Club press release:
The INDY also asked about roadblocks/checkpoints and potential racial profiling. Here are my thoughts on the matter:
If
checkpoints are being manipulated to racially profile drivers, then that is a
gross misuse of a tool which is a public good and such actions have no place in
my administration. Checkpoints are
instituted to keep people from hurting themselves and others, not as an
instrument of racial oppression or intimidation. I would welcome review of the department’s documentation
for checkpoints by organizations such as the ACLU because I am committed to
justice and transparency.
Though many of Orange County's public bodies will be taking a break from regular meetings this week, there's still plenty going on. The Carrboro Alderfolks will reivew its priorities of projects to receive transit tax funds and get an update on the work to extend to sewer service to the Rogers Road community. Chapel Hill will take on the budget, the reorganization of the town's advisory boards and the porposed zoning changes for the Ephesus-Fordham project. The council will also hold a hearing on a stormwater management plan.
Thursday, WCHL will hold its annual community forum, while the polls opens for the first day of early voting.
We'll also be holding our last two online candidate forums--one on Wednesday evening for the 6 candidates running for sheriff, and another on Sunday for the 5 Democratic candidates in this year's primary for the Board of County Commissioners.
Here's the summary:
CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERPERSONS
Campus and community leaders will gather at NC Hillel this Thursday, April 24th, at 3:30pm, to celebrate the first day of early voting in this year's May primary election. UNC Chancellor Carol Folt, NC Hillel Executive Director Ari Gauss, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, and UNC Student Body President Andrew Powell will make brief remarks before casting their ballots.
North Carolina Hillel was selected as a new early voting site by the Orange County Board of Elections for this year's May primary following concerns about the accessibility and availability of previously used early voting sites on and near the UNC campus. We hope you can join us on Thursday!
Early voting begins on April 24th and concludes on May 3rd. In addition to NC Hillel, four other sites across Orange County will be open for early voting. For more information about early voting locations and hours, please visit the Orange County Board of Elections website at http://www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/documents/earlyvotingsites.pdf.
Date:
Thursday, April 24, 2014 - 3:30pm to 4:00pm
Location:
North Carolina Hillel, 210 West Cameron Ave., Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Our theme this year is "Weaving Communities: histories, homes, lives." We'll be featuring oral history performances on Northside and Rogers Rd history, presenting community honors for all this year's successes, and providing a preview of our new history exhibit. And of course, we will be enjoying kids' games and festivities, music, dancing, and of course, delicious food (support from Mama Dips, Vimala's, Bread and Butter, Open Eye, and our grillmaster Calvin).
Come celebrate the end of the school year, the coming of spring, and the community we are ALL a part of Saturday, May 3rd!
Whether you can come for the entire event or just 20 minutes. come join us. This is an incredible gathering of folks from all corners of Chapel Hill/Carrboro, from the university, and beyond. We have so much to be thankful for, and so much to celebrate.
Thanks to each and every one of you, for your contributions to the Center and the community overall. We hope to see you here!
Contact jacob@jacksoncenter.info for more information.
Date:
Saturday, May 3, 2014 - 11:00am
Location:
St. Joseph CME (510 W. Rosemary) and the Jackson Center (512 W. Rosemary)
Campus and community leaders will gather at North Carolina Hillel this Thursday, April 24th, at 3:30pm, to celebrate the first day of early voting in this year's May primary election. UNC Chancellor Carol Folt, NC Hillel Executive Director Ari Gauss, Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, and UNC Student Body President Andrew Powell will make brief remarks before casting their ballots.
When
the INDY asked me what were my thoughts on the budget of the Sheriff’s office,
this is how I responded:
That
the sheriff’s department is not as efficient and up-to-date technologically as
it could be is one place where efficiency is compromised and money is
wasted. After the various reforms I
intend to make within the administration and upgrades to the technology, we
should see less money spent on various (often duplicated) administrative
tasks.
Public information meetings on the proposed Glen Lennox Development Agreement are scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, in Room A of the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive.
Participants will receive information about the Draft Glen Lennox Development Agreement and have an opportunity to ask questions and give input. The community comments that are gathered will be shared with the Town Council in advance of its work session on May 5.
The format of these two meetings will be identical; the purpose of holding two meetings is to provide multiple opportunities for participants to attend and provide their input.
If adopted by Council, the agreement will guide future development of the Glen Lennox apartment and commercial property, an area bound by NC 54 on the south, Brandon Road to the north, Hamilton Road to the east, and US 15-501 to the west.
The portion of the neighborhood that is addressed by the draft development agreement is referred to as the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C (CD-8C).
A development agreement is a unique planning tool useful for large projects that will be built over a period of up to 20 years. It provides the developer a level of certainty about what it can build and what mitigation measures will be required, if agreement is reached. It also provides the Town with the opportunity to look at the long-term horizon and make sure it fits with the Town's comprehensive planning efforts and local policies.
Questions? Send them to developmentagreement@townofchapelhill.org.
Date:
Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Location:
Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill (Meeting Room A)
Public information meetings on the proposed Glen Lennox Development Agreement are scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, in Room A of the Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive.
Participants will receive information about the Draft Glen Lennox Development Agreement and have an opportunity to ask questions and give input. The community comments that are gathered will be shared with the Town Council in advance of its work session on May 5.
The format of these two meetings will be identical; the purpose of holding two meetings is to provide multiple opportunities for participants to attend and provide their input.
If adopted by Council, the agreement will guide future development of the Glen Lennox apartment and commercial property, an area bound by NC 54 on the south, Brandon Road to the north, Hamilton Road to the east, and US 15-501 to the west.
The portion of the neighborhood that is addressed by the draft development agreement is referred to as the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C (CD-8C).
A development agreement is a unique planning tool useful for large projects that will be built over a period of up to 20 years. It provides the developer a level of certainty about what it can build and what mitigation measures will be required, if agreement is reached. It also provides the Town with the opportunity to look at the long-term horizon and make sure it fits with the Town's comprehensive planning efforts and local policies.
Questions? Send them to developmentagreement@townofchapelhill.org.
Date:
Wednesday, April 30, 2014 - 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Location:
Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill (Meeting Room A)
Last evening my son and I attended a forum at Culbreth Middle School about teacher pay. There were a number of panels. First teachers spoke (including one of my son's teachers from Carrboro High School). They shared stories about how hard it was to make it on teacher pay especially since their salaries have been frozen at the same pay scale step since 2007. State statistics show that an unusually high number of teachers are leaving for other states or are quitting the profession. High school and middle school students talked about their teachers and how sad it was that many of their teachers have decided to leave. Aaron Nelson spoke for the local business community. He mentioned the positive impact a good school system has on the economy and that they support paying more for education. Finally the local superintendent, 3 state reps and 1 state senator spoke about the budgets and politics. A pleasant surprise was that one rep was a Republican from Guilford/ Greensboro who supports increased pay for all teachers.
I firmly believe that having a sheriff’s office that is up
to speed with standard training and technology is a huge priority. This is because an office that has an
under-trained staff under performs. It also
puts the lives of the deputies and the public at risk. As it presently stands, the deputies at the
Orange County Sheriff’s Office do not have adequate training. There may be individuals who are more trained
than others, but as a group they must have more and better training all-around. I worked for the Orange County Sheriff’s
Office and I now work for Carrboro Police Department, and let me say that the
difference is night and day.
Welcome to the open thread for the Orange County Sheriff candidate forum taking place on April 23, 2014. Comments on this post will open at that time.
There are six candidates for one seat:
- Charles Blackwood
- Andy Cagle
- David Caldwell
- Larry Faucette
- Buddy Parker
- Keith Webster
You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2014/forums/ocsheriff.
We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.
As Sheriff of Orange County I would convert the current Sheriff’s Office fleet to propane auto gas. Fully implemented to the Sheriff’s Office fleet this will save $600,000.00 to $800.000.00 over a period of four years. This extends the vehicle’s oil life reducing oil usage and cost. Propane’s low-emission profile will help the Sheriff’s Office significantly reduce its carbon footprint. Fewer greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions reduce negative health effects from time spent idling at traffic stops, accidents, and crime scenes. “The bottom line is that green is a great thing,” and the best part is, I have found a way to implement this plan at no cost to the citizens of orange county.
Andy Cagle
Tonight, the Chapel Hill Town Council is receiving public comment on the Ephesus-Fordham redevelopment plan after public comment was delayed from Monday's meeting due to a lack of time.
I was at Monday's Council meeting in the hopes of speaking in support of the plan. Unfortunately, I'm unable to be at the meeting tonight where public comment is still underway at the time of this post. Because I can't be there to speak tonight, I'm posting here the email I sent to members of the Town Council expressing my support for the plan.
As of 9am today, early voting in the May 2014 primary election is underway. That means it's time for the annual OrangePolitics endorsement thread where we ask you, if you feel so inclined, to share with the community who you are voting for (or would vote for) and why.
Here is our list of all of the candidates with links to their websites and social media. You can also review all the information about this year's races that we have here on OP, including:
As always, this is a special-rules post. The rules: Only write who you're voting for (and why, if you like). You may also list the people you would vote for if you lived in their districts. Do not refer in any way to to any candidates you are not supporting. If you don't follow the rules, your comment will be removed. You're free to critique the candidates through comments on other posts or by posting your own blog entry. In fact, you're warmly invited to do so!
Fare-free
transit service is a key amenity in our community. As a result of the Orange County Bus and Rail Investment Plan that Orange County
voters passed in 2012, we are seeing improvements to our service with more to
come. We ask Brian Litchfield, Chapel Hill Transit Director, some questions
about those improvements and other issues surrounding transit in our community.
Take a look and then share what you would like to see.
Q & A With Brian Litchfield,
Director of Chapel Hill Transit
Thank you for this opportunity
and I appreciate you sharing information about some of the initiatives Chapel
Hill Transit currently has underway via OrangePolitics. First, let me offer a quick overview of
Chapel Hill Transit.
Welcome to the open thread for the Orange County Board of Commissioners candidate forum happening on April 27, 2014. Comments on this post will open at that time. This forum is for candidates running in the Democratic primaries for the County Commission.
There are three separate races for one seat each:
District 1
District 2
At Large
- Bonnie Hauser
- Barry Jacobs
You can observe the forum at http://orangepolitics.org/elections-2014/forums/ocbocc.
We hope you'll use this open thread to post your thoughts and reactions. Also, if you want to propose additional discussion topics, you can reach the editors during the forum via Twitter, Facebook, or the contact page. The forum moderator will have final say in question selection.
Early vote stats Can be viewed at co.orange.nc.us Gary Kahn.
The Town of Chapel Hill will hold public information meetings related to the proposed mixed use development on the east side of U.S. 15-501 South across from Southern Village. The meetings are scheduled for noon to 1:30 pm on Wednesday, May 7, and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15, in Room B of the Chapel Hill Public Library.
Residents will hear from the Town and the development team on several topics including design, transportation, housing strategies and the environment. Both meetings will follow the same format and topics, so residents can choose the more convenient day to attend.
Obey Creek is a 124-acre property under consideration for a proposed mixed use development. It is one of two potential developments using a new development agreement process.
Obey Creek is within Area 6: U.S. 15-501 South, one of six future focus areas outlined in Chapel Hill 2020, the community's comprehensive plan. Future focus areas are portions of Chapel Hill most likely to change in the future due to vacant land, underdeveloped sites, and their locations along transportation and transit corridors. In total, these areas represent about 24 percent of the land in Chapel Hill, and they do not include the predominately single-family areas and neighborhoods of Chapel Hill. The town’s other focus areas are Area 1: Downtown Chapel Hill; Area 2: North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/I-40; Area 3: South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Homestead Road to Estes Drive; Area 4: Highway 54; and Area 5: Ephesus-Fordham.
For more information on the Obey Creek Development Agreement process, visit http://www.townofchapelhill.org/obeycreek.
Questions? Email developmentagreement@townofchapelhill.org with “Obey Creek” in the subject line.
Date:
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Location:
Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill (Meeting Room B)
The Town of Chapel Hill will hold public information meetings related to the proposed mixed use development on the east side of U.S. 15-501 South across from Southern Village. The meetings are scheduled for noon to 1:30 pm on Wednesday, May 7, and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15, in Room B of the Chapel Hill Public Library.
Residents will hear from the Town and the development team on several topics including design, transportation, housing strategies and the environment. Both meetings will follow the same format and topics, so residents can choose the more convenient day to attend.
Obey Creek is a 124-acre property under consideration for a proposed mixed use development. It is one of two potential developments using a new development agreement process.
Obey Creek is within Area 6: U.S. 15-501 South, one of six future focus areas outlined in Chapel Hill 2020, the community's comprehensive plan. Future focus areas are portions of Chapel Hill most likely to change in the future due to vacant land, underdeveloped sites, and their locations along transportation and transit corridors. In total, these areas represent about 24 percent of the land in Chapel Hill, and they do not include the predominately single-family areas and neighborhoods of Chapel Hill. The town’s other focus areas are Area 1: Downtown Chapel Hill; Area 2: North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/I-40; Area 3: South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Homestead Road to Estes Drive; Area 4: Highway 54; and Area 5: Ephesus-Fordham.
For more information on the Obey Creek Development Agreement process, visit http://www.townofchapelhill.org/obeycreek.
Questions? Email developmentagreement@townofchapelhill.org with “Obey Creek” in the subject line.
Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Location:
Chapel Hill Public Library, 100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill (Meeting Room B)
The OP editors will hold their May editors meeting at Bread & Butter from 11am-1pm on Sunday, May 4th. Join us!
Date:
Sunday, May 4, 2014 - 11:00am to 1:00pm
Location:
Bread & Butter, 503 W Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill
While the Carrboro Alderfolks take a break this week, the Chapel Hill Town Council will consider the proposed Timber Hollow expansion and open a public hearing on the town’s bike place. Tuesday evening, all three school boards will meet to discuss a potential bond issuance schedule and to review charter school enrollment and funding, after the County Commission meets with the Department of Social Services to get an overview of the county’s anti-poverty programs. In Hillsborough, the Town Board will work on priorities for the fiscal year 2015 budget.
Here’s the full summary:
CARRBORO BOARD OF ALDERPERSONS
There is no meeting scheduled this week. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, May 13th.
CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
Regular Meeting: Monday, April 28th, 7pm, Southern Human Services Center
The first quarter finance reports for the May primary election are in at the Board of Elections, and there are quite a few interesting things to take note of in these finance reports.
Here's the breakdown by each office:
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