Government
A few months ago, Chapel Hill invited volunteers to appear in a student-produced video aimed at recruiting more participants for town boards and commissions. Here is the result:
Click here to play if you do not see a video above.
The next meeting of the Historic Rogers Road Community Enhancement Plan Development and Monitoring Task Force (not to be confused with the Rogers Road Small Area Plan Task Force) has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m., July 17 at Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love on Rogers Road. Our favorite people will be there: County Commissioner Moses Carey and Solid Waste Director Gayle Wilson.
As a Rogers Road resident new to local government task forces, it quickly became clear to me that Moses Carey expected the members of this task force to "yes" all the issues put before them. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since "yes-sing" the county's agenda (and fabricating reports) is what happens at SWAB meetings. Hey! Not on this task force . . .
This just in from David Price's office:
GAO to Study Nuclear Fire Safety
Study Requested by Congressmen Price and Visclosky
WASHINGTON – Congressman David Price (D-NC) announced today that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted his request to conduct a review of the enforcement of fire safety standards at nuclear power plants throughout the country.
Price requested the study in May after hearing from local officials in his district who were concerned about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) vigilance in enforcing fire safety regulations. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), who is chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, concurred with Price that the GAO should undertake such a study, and he seconded Price's request in a letter to the agency in June.
Those interested in water quality may want to attend a Public Hearing for the Proposed Water Supply Nutrient Strategy for B. Everett Jordan Reservoir. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June July 12, at The Century Center.
This is one of three hearings being held by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. A good overview can be found in their public notice.
The proposed rules call for much more stringent discharge limits for phosphorus and nitrogen. As well as the regulations themselves, a major concern for local government is who pays for the improvements. As Mayor Chilton pointed out at a recent board meeting, the Corps of Engineers laid out the lake to take significant run off from more densely populated areas, those areas are already ahead of the curve on controlling run-off (as compared to others in the watershed), and we will not consume Jordan Lake water.
The proposed rules are here.
Ouch. The N & O blog has published some strongly-worded comments from Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson about this year's budget process, as well as an admission from Moses Carey that he planned it that way. On the one hand, this is Mike's first year on the Board of Commissioners, so maybe he just hasn't gotten the hang of how they do business. On the other hand, if he didn't have access to the budget in advance, how is the public supposed to be informed about what's going on?
After being told that Chairman Moses Carey and Vice Chairman Barry Jacobs were reviewing a draft work session for that night's meeting and that handouts on some of the topics would be distributed that night, Nelson wrote to Blackmon, Coffey and his fellow commissioners:
"With all due respect, we needed this information before now. I don't understand why I've had to ask for it. The public expects us to know what's going on and to come to these meetings prepared. How the hell can I come to this meeting prepared if I don't get the agenda until now?"
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