June 2006
Readers, writers and lovers of the written word, please join us at the 2nd Annual Carrboro Book Fair! Participating organizations include AK Press, Mineshaft Magazine, Parcell Press, Garrett County Press, Feral House, Daniel 13, Carolina Wren Press, John F. Blair, Crimethinc, SURGE, The People's Channel and others.
Readers will include:
11 AM: Bill Powers, author of the new novel "Love Is Strong As Death" and father of William Powers, below.
12 PM: Hannah Gill, author of "Going to Carolina del Norte: Narrating Mexican Migrant Experiences"
1 PM: Kim Arrington, founder of Greased Scalp Press and author of "The Lapis Dwellers"
2 PM: William Powers, author of the new book "Whispering in the Giant's Ear: A Frontline Chronicle from Bolivia's War on Globalization." Long the obscure “Tibet of South America,†Bolivia emerged as a world flashpoint during the four years William Powers lived there as an aid
worker.
3 PM: Ebony Golden, of Betty's Daughter Literary Press
4 PM David Carr
Storytelling sessions and child care for young ones from 11am to 2pm.
My, that seemed fast! And then there were three:
Three Finalists Announced for Town Manager
6/02/2006 - Today, the Chapel Hill Town Council announced its three finalists for the position of Town Manager. The three are Frank Ragan, Deputy City Manager of Community Services in Aurora, Colo.; Roger Lane Stancil, former City Manager in Fayetteville, N.C.; and Sean R. Stegall, Assistant City Manager in Elgin, Ill.
"We are very fortunate to have such qualified candidates," Mayor Kevin C. Foy said Friday. "Each of these people would do an excellent job in Chapel Hill, and I think the Council faces a tough choice."
The finalist candidates will be in Chapel Hill June 20-21 for interviews with the Town Council and Town Staff. The Council will hold a Public Forum at 7 p.m. June 21 in the Council Chamber of Town Hall. Candidates will make short presentations and take questions from the public and the Council. The Council will also receive feedback from the public about the finalists. The forum will be cablecast live on Government Cable 18.
Yesterday the Herald reported on WCOM's complaint that the Town of Carrboro was bogging them down by suggesting a public hearing on the proposal to run a flea market in their parking lot.
All WCOM station manager Chris Frank wanted to do was raise a little money for the community radio station.
But he says he dreams of a small community flea market are being derailed by a well-meaning -- but overly complicated -- town bureaucracy...
"It looks like the concerned staff wants to have a public hearing on our 'minor modification,' " Frank wrote in an e-mail Friday. "We can probably say 'so long' to a flea market this season. Heaven help the developer with a substantial project."
- heraldsun.com: Radio station's flea market faces snag, 6/5/06
We haven't had an open thread in a while. What's on your mind?
More threats of bix box development looming on our borders:
When M. Travis Blake first pitched the idea of Williams Corners -- a 500,000-square-foot, mixed-use development off U.S. 15-501 and Lystra Road -- residents in adjoining neighborhoods helped him persuade the Chatham County Commissioners to give their approval.
Now Blake is saying a Target or a Kohl's might be among the tenants when the development opens in late 2007. In an e-mail sent this week to residents of Wilders Ridge, an adjacent subdivision, Blake described changes that could be submitted soon for county approval...
Jamie Nunnelly, who received the e-mail, said Thursday she thinks Blake might have engaged in a bait-and-switch maneuver to gain local support.
"One of the things he said to us was, 'Would you rather work with me or would you like to see a big box development?' " Nunnelly said. "He said that to us more than once."
- heraldsun.com: Chatham big box store plan surfaces, 6/9/06
Sounds like a threat as well - as a false choice - to me. The article continues:
People keep e-mailing me about it, so I might as well blog it: on Friday the Chancellor of UNC wrote a letter to local elected officials pledging to not pursue the 17,000 parking spaces that were previously proposed for Carolina North, and to cooperate with the regional transit study in which UNC was already supposed to be a partner.
Coverage from WCHL (with audio clips, cool!), Chapel Hill Herald, and a mention in the News & Observer (scroll down).
I appreciate the Chancellor's affirmation that the community has some part to play in making Carolina North successful.
Just kidding! Thanks to Lance at BlueNC for posting a link to the "County Salaries in North Carolina 2006" report.
Sifting through it for Orange County information, I find:
Est. Pop'n 2005
Approx Valuation 2004-05 (millions)
Chair of Board of Commissioners
County Commissioner
County Manager
129,791
10,600
$15,407 + $3,300 travel
$111,807* + $2,700 travel
$148,633
* That BOC salary has to be a typo!
Board of elections Chair
Board of elections Member
Elections Director
Elections Specialist
$50 per meeting
$40 per meeting
$66,993
$37,364
County Clerk
Planning Director
IT Director
Social Services Director
Sheriff
$66,952
$86,323
$85,233
$97,726
$102,213
WCHL reports that education blogger David Warlick is conducting a "three-day workshop for teachers in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System." This sounds like a much better reaction than some communities which have responded to the prospect of teenagers blogging with terror and tried in vain to stop it. David is a real blogger and hopefully will be able to impart some blog culture as well as technical training. I look forward to seeing some great new blogs blossom from this effort.
The N & O reports that recently-annexed Carrboro residents have a little more time to respond to the town's survey requesting input on collective priorities.
And also this has me skeptical:
The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau will hold a public forum Thursday to discuss travel and tourism in Orange County and its towns and communities.
The News and Observer reports that the United Way of Chatham County has abruptly cut their funding to El Vinculo Hispano (The Hispanic Liaison). The United Way says that their move is because the organization has an overly high percentage of their budget dedicated to administrative costs. However, there seems to be ample evidence that the move is also motivated by a backlash to EVH's successful organization of immigrants rights rallies and advocacy in Siler City and Chatham County.
This seems like a good opportunity for the Commissioners to toss out the current plans which seem to be designed to to widen the north-south divide without increasing the amount of democratic representation for diverse ideas from across the county.
State law says no more than half of a board of commissioners can be elected at-large. But in a proposal the current board of commissioners endorsed in April, Chapel Hill Township would nominate two members; the rest of the county, in its district, would nominate one member; and four other commissioners would be elected at-large.
- heraldsun.com: Commission district plan violates N.C. law, 6/14/06
I must admit I'm confused since the current board is elected 100% at-large. Doesn't that violate the law they are citing?
I just received the following e-mail from UNC local relations director Linda Convissor. Development plan modifications can range from massive to minor, and the Town is required (by the OI-4 zoning regulation) to review and approve it in 120 days - less time than a typical special use permit.
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Many of you have expressed interest in our campus planning and the Town of Chapel Hill's review of our construction plans. I wanted to let you know that on June 12 we submitted an application for modification of the campus Development Plan to the Town. This followed the April 19 concept plan review by the Town Council.
Development Plan Modification 3 consists of several new projects while others are revisions to projects the Town has previously approved. The projects include pedestrian improvements, academic, research and office buildings, infrastructure and athletic facilities. There are three parking deck proposals that shift spaces but do not add any additional parking spaces beyond what the Town has previously approved.
For those of you following media politics, it has not been a good couple of weeks here in NC or in DC. The NC House moved a bill to the floor that would allow phone and cable companies to roll over communities and consumers and soon the NC Senate will do the same. Meanwhile, Congress passed a similar bill, The COPE Act, which would destroy community access television and turn the internet into a "whoever pays most, is seen most" commercial model. The death of community television and the internet? Could it get any worse?
Well, yes.
The FCC, under the leadership of Kevin Marin, from our good state, are about to change the rules about media ownership limits. Remember a couple of years ago when everyone from the NRA to Move On pulled together and stopped them? Seems they didn't hear us loud enough last time.
One week from now, Chapel Hill may have already hired it's new top executive. The Town Council is literally speeding through the process of selecting a new town manager.
Today the candidates will be touring Chapel Hill, on Tuesday and Wednesday they will be interviewed by the search committee and individual Council members, on Wednesday they will make presentations and tale questions at a public forum at Town Hall. Then on Friday and Saturday the Council has scheduled 12 hours of meetings to decide and make an offer to one lucky white guy. (I just noticed that the Council search committee is all men as well, hmm...)
While there is certainly a big gap to fill in our current manager's shoes, we have two very capable assistant town managers who can easily keep things afloat. I don't see the point of rushing this process just to get someone fully in place before our current manager leaves in September. It seems more important to me do it right than to do it fast.
I just got this by e-mail:
The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership has two available board positions beginning July 1, 2006.
The first is a Town of Chapel Hill appointed position. It is a three year term, running July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2009. Eligible applicants are downtown property owners that contribute to the Municipal Service District Tax.
Town Council will appoint this position on June 26, 2006.
The second is a CHDP board appointed position. It is a one-year term, running July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007. Anyone can apply for this position.
The Board will appoint this position in June 28, 2006.
To apply for either position – please go to www.chapelhilldowntownpartnership.com and link onto the link at the bottom of the page for the application. The application should be sent to the Town Clerk's office ASAP.
Maybe now you can in Chapel Hill.
By way of Kirk Ross of Exile on Jones Street and The Independent Weekly:
A few minutes ago the NC House passed H2324 which eliminates a term limit section on the office of Mayor of Chapel Hill from the town charter.
Anybody know anything about this?
Well I looked up H2324, and it says:
Short Title: Chapel Hill Charter Amendment.
Sponsors: Representatives Insko and Hackney (Primary Sponsors).
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CHARTER OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL TO REPEAL TERM LIMITS FOR THE OFFICE OF MAYOR.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. Section 2.1 of the Charter of the Town of Chapel Hill, being Chapter 473 of the 1975 Session Laws, as rewritten by Section 6 of Chapter 911 of the 1981 Session laws, reads as rewritten:
If you actually want people to read the (few) articles you are publishing online, it would help to not put flashing eyesores like this on the same page as the news.
You're letting the DTH make you look bad....
A few important decisions are hapenning this week...
74 acres north of Jones Ferry Road near Old Greensboro Highway will be permanently preserved to protect University Lake's watershed. That'll make a nice viewshed, too.
-OWASA to buy 74 acres at lake, 6/20/06
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board will selecting it's newest member today at 6pm.
-School board to pick a new member, 6/21/06
And of course the Chapel Hill Town Council hopes to hire a new manager this weekend. Here's a little more information about the three white men in the running. (Thanks to the Town of Chapel Hill for photos.)
Frank Ragan
Deputy City Manager of Community Services in Aurora, CO
Roger Lane Stancil
former City Manager in Fayetteville, NC
Sean R. Stegall
Assistant City Manager in Elgin, IL
I sent a slightly longer version of the following letter to the Chapel Hill Mayor and Council last week regarding the manager search, but I think that the points are pressing and critical no matter who is in charge.
. . .
In the past 15 years, technology has blossomed and sprouted many new forms of communication that we could never have imagined in the 1980's. And yet the current town practices regarding public engagement don't seem to have changed in decades.
The field of e-democracy (http://e-democracy.org/) was forged 12 years ago as a way to enable more participation and engagement in local government. This is but one of many ways the Town could enhance communication and information flow with and between residents. For a community that prides ourselves on being forward-thinking, we are way behind the times when it comes to open and accessible government.
Mayor Foy just announced during the Chapel Hill Town Council's business meeting that Roger Stancil has been offered and accepted the position of Town Manager.
On June 26, the last meeting of the Chapel Hill Town Council before their summer break, Council member Laurin Easthom brought a resolution called Establishment of Special Committee to Consider Development of Wireless Communication Network. This was a revisit of an earlier petition presented to council on June 12.
Easthom explained why she thought the new committee was a good idea. But she sounded the whole time like it wasn't going t happen. Then she said someone had told her before the meeting that the council wouldn't support it. That the council had already decided against it before their meeting but hadn't even talked to her about it.
What followed was the first substantial public discussion by the Town Council concerning municipal wireless networks in Chapel Hill.
Check out these two items that both appear on the WCHL website today. One story asks "Can hard news be found on blogs?" concluding with this ridiculous statement: "So the next time you read a blog online, remember that you could be getting information from a twelve-year-old rather than a professional."
As if in answer to their own question, they also have a report about the NC Legislature acting to remove term limits for the Mayor of Chapel Hill - a story we broke here on Orange Politics last week.
Now I've never claimed to be a journalist (although I am a professional, thankyouverymuch), but that doesn't mean my opinions aren't both informed and informative! It's just this kind of lumping the entire online world into some adolescent MySpace stereotype that will keep adults from being able to protect themselves and their children from what they see as the dangers of the Internet.
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