I'm at the Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting tonight to hear the latest on the landfill and Rogers Road mitigation.  I'm spending a night outside the school district and talking about issues that won't help me get elected, so it must be important.  The attachment (link below) has a county manager proposal that closes the landfill in 2013, and also addresses some of the mitigation items requested by the community.  Looking forward to BoCC reaction -- are we going to finally do something for this community or push it further along the road? 

Homelessness in Chapel Hill is an issue that, unlike what happens in many communities, reaches headlines in our local media and often the agendas of our Town Council. However, as residents of Chapel Hill seek to safeguard business interests downtown, and as the worsening economic climate continues to find more and more in need, the topic has become increasingly contentious. In too many cases, our most needy citizens are seen as eyesores, barriers to business development and told to get out of town.

With local food pantries stretched to their limits and the current downtown shelter falling into decay, the Chapel Hill Town Council, after lengthy hearings and deliberations, approved the Inter-Faith Council (IFC) Men’s Community House Transitional Shelter Special Use Permit (SUP) in 2011 subject to the IFC satisfying several conditions, including the creation of a Good Neighbor Plan (GNP).

In just a few short hours the Chapel Hill 2020 process will officially kick off with a community meeting at East Chapel Hill High School. After an open house that introduces what the process will actually be, attendees will split off into small groups to try to develop a vision for the plan and to identify key themes that the plan should focus on. Each of these small groups will be led a facilitator from the Leadership Team (see my previous post What Exactly Is The Leadership Committee Anyway?). The discussion that emerges in each group will be also be recorded by a staff person. You can check out an agenda here. And keep in mind that childcare for children over the age of five will be provided for free by the YMCA and food will available for purchase from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro PTA.