Government
I went to the OCBoCC meeting on Monday about the transfer station. I came away more convinced than ever that locating a transfer station in a rural farming or residential area is a bad idea. I think a lot of good reasons for it being a bad idea were put forth, and as I took notes I realized that the OCBoCC all know most of these arguments and reasons not to do this, so rehashing it is not of any particular benefit. What I think has not been done yet is to put together an outline/timeline of an alternative that involves all of the potential players and describes the benefits with an end goal in mind.
So, rather than rehash, I thought I could take a stab at a plan for a plan. Obviously the outline below is a strawman (the 21st century equivalent of the back of a napkin) and needs refinement. A lot would need to happen and a lot could happen in parallel. I think you'll get the gist though.
First:
Convince yourselves and the community at large.
WTE makes sense looking down the road five to seven years when tipping fees increase and as the county grows.
Since May 2008 I count six posts relating to the County Comp Plan. The event calendar thread of Nov. 17 by far has generated the most comments -- 25 and counting. However, few of these comments actually debate the proposed comp plan -- which will guide growth and development in the county's planning jurisdiction for the next 20 years. Great interest is shown regarding the possible HW replacement airport being build in the county and in the funding of Kenan Stadium. The post from May 17 generated the most debate about the plan of any of the posts -- eight total.
I'm concerned this "evidence" accurately portrays the degree of disinterest in how County government intends to "plan" for our future.
the link below directs you to the Orange County Comprehensive Plan Coalition website
Via e-mail announcment:
CAROLINA NORTH
Public Education Session Nov. 19
Chapel Hill Development Proposal
7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19 * Chapel Hill Town Hall * 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
A Public Educational Session on Carolina North will be held in the Chapel Hill Town Council Chambers at 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. At the meeting, a Town representative will explain the review process, and a UNC-Chapel Hill representative will provide an overview of its development proposal and answer questions about its proposal for developing an academic, mixed-use campus. Upon request, with 5 days notice, the Communications and Public Affairs Department (968-2743) will provide an interpreter for the hearing impaired or any other needed type of auxiliary aid.
Carolina North is expected to cover about 250 acres of the Horace Williams Tract’s 1,000 acres and be built in phases over the next 50 years, as proposed. The property lies just to the north of Estes Drive adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The Nov. 19 session will focus on providing information about the regulatory tool that has been endorsed by the Town Council and University representatives as the preferred tool for guiding development at Carolina North: establishment of a Development Agreement with a base zoning district. The session is intended to provide information about the anticipated process to negotiate a Development Agreement and base zone, as well as the timeframe for those discussions. In addition, the University will present information about the Oct. 31, 2008, Carolina North Submission.
For more information, contact the Town of Chapel Hill Planning Department at (919) 968-2728 or
planning@townofchapelhill.org. Additional material is posted online at www.townofchapelhill.org/carolinanorth.
Date:
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - 2:00am
Location:
Chapel Hill Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
I was just reminded today is Veterans Day, so I immeadiately contacted my stepson who is an Iraq War Vet. Then I looked on OP to post a calendar event and saw that two very special events were taking place tonight, both topics of which I have strong personal and professional interest.
However, I was also disapointed that Vets Day was chosen as the day for these events. A lot of social injustice and other problems have been committed by our military, but I think it would be good to set aside this day as a day to focus on the justice needs of Vets, rather than -- or at least in addition to -- what these two events are about.
I am new to this Internet community and surprised that there appears to be no conversation about human service needs or human service programs in Orange County. We certainly seem to have many examples of both.
Last month Orange County government sponsored a day long retreat for the directors of all non-profit human service agencies that receive partial funding from the County. The purpose of the event was to facilitate discussion among non-profit leaders regarding the impact of the economic downturn on the non-profit sector and on the people it serves. The organizers hoped that non-profit leaders would discover new ways to anticipate future challenges and to collaborate on common goals. The meeting was facilitated by experts from the UNC School of Government.
I think this meeting was an example of excellent leadership from County goverment. Orange County makes a consideration financial contribution each year to non-profit human service agencies but, this retreat demonstrated a contribution beyond money.
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