Ballantyne,NC – What will long city council meetings yield? The August 20th morning meeting started with talk of the next long agenda day for city council. Starting with a noon meeting, a 3:00 pm meeting, a dinner meeting, a regular meeting and a lastly a closed door meeting, Monday’s schedule will be a time of testing for some. This Monday, August 23rd, starting at noon there will be a Transit and Planning Committee meeting. How does the city attorney inform council members of important decisions? City Council member Warren Cooksey recently was informed of an important judicial ruling by the head of his apartment complex instead of the city attorney. Will the city attorney get a bonus soon? Will the city manager get a bonus? Both the city attorney and city manager generally do well on their yearly evaluation forms. Last year, while on the city council, Anthony Foxx talked about not giving the manager a bonus. City Council Member Warren Cooksey did suggest that there should be a warning given in January 2010. This was the suggested warning: “Due to budget constraints in 2010, there will be no bonus money given to the city attorney or city manager”. This warning was not given to either the manager or the attorney.
At the 5:00 pm dinner meeting there will be talk of the Federal Legislative Agenda Update. Holland & Night are the BR Lobbyists for the City of Charlotte. The city pays approximately $3,000 to this group to lobby on behalf of the city. Also under review is a package of stimulus money in the amount of $6.5 million for an energy grant project. The city is also working on distressed neighborhoods, air quality, various neighborhood projects and building efficiency. The city council adjusted their schedule recently on the tree ordinance. This public forum has been moved from the 23rd of August until September 13th. Also on the agenda are awards for the following: The Junior League, The Dilworth Home Owner’s Association and The American Cancer Society’s 2010 Promotion. In addition to all of the other activities, the city council will also have an updated group photo. Currently the photos of the city council show an empty seat for Susan Burgess. Susan Burgess’ son Jason Burgess is now on the council and will be present for his first official photo.
Zoning is another important part of the agenda. This includes: vacant apartments, Brantly Oaks and a voluntary annexation. The city plans annexation in parts of Mecklenburg County every two years. 2011 is the time to annex. In the western part of the county, Rhyne and Whitehall are scheduled to be annexed. In the eastern part of the county, Camp Stewart South. Camp Stewart South is rural and does not want to be annexed in part due to some chicken farmers’ worries. Currently in the City of Charlotte there is an active, working sheep farm. Perhaps a similar agreement can be had for these chicken farmers. Tim Morgan reminded all that annexation does actually pay for itself. Charlotte has only had one increase in property taxes in fifteen years due to the amount of land annexed during that same time period. The annexed areas get police services, $500 garbage roll-outs, sidewalks, water and sewer services with the annexation. The State of North Carolina stipulates that there must be a minimum of two people per acre before any area of land can be annexed. The city of Stallings did annex part of Mecklenburg County near Matthews. The city of Matthews had the idea to annex this area but did not annex fast enough. In addition to annexing every two years, all of the districts are redrawn after areas are annexed.
Recently, USA Today had an article on mortgage tax exemptions. Are these a good idea? Are cutting taxes bad? Also on the agenda for August 23rd is the Fair Housing Procedures. Are there perceived impediments to lack of access to affordable home ownership? Is education the key to solving this problem? Is there gatekeeping of protected classes? How many complaints of impediments to lack of access to affordable home ownership have there been in Charlotte in ten years (from January 2000 until 2010) ? There have been 225 complaints filed with the city during this time period. 14 are now pending, 39 have administrative closure, 164 have no cause and eight have finding of cause. Community input on this housing issue is important. A H.U.D. Fair Housing Report will be done on these Fair Housing Findings.
The City of Charlotte also has three bonds that will be voted on in the November 2010 election.
Street Improvement Bond – $ 156 million.
Neighborhood Improvement Bond.
Affordable Housing Bond.
Warren Cooksey is anxious to advertise and implore all to vote ‘yes’ for the affordable housing bond. Bonds will NOT equal a tax increase. If the bonds fail can the city use the “pay-go” fund method to get the work done?
The city now owns two vehicles to evacuate pets in case of an emergency. Where are these two vehicles? We do not want to play “musical plans” when it comes to potential zoning changes. Warren Cooksey most likely will vote ‘no’ on the subject of the Student Energy Plan. Also there will be a vote on the lead based paint reduction plan for the Waylon One Apartment Complex. The city council will also talk about the old city hall. Is there a frame or vision for future area plans? After the regular city council meeting there will be a closed session meeting. During this meeting, the city council will need to talk about the Charlotte Airport Projects. A roof repair and a tree save project are just some of the projects needed at the airport. Almost one square mile of trees had to be cleared when building the new runway. The Charlotte Airport funds it’s own projects. Also the council will discuss the new Ballantyne Commons Parkway sidewalk construction near J.M. Robinson Middle School. Another project is for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. The main police building on 600 East Trade Street will get a $519,000 remodel for internal affairs.
The city will be rejecting the bid from Cox and Schepp Construction for the remodel of the police station on providence road. The city will be accepting the bid from Camps Construction for the $3.2 million project. The bid from Cox and Schepp does not follow the small business enterprise guidelines. Camps Construction does have the bid and does have subs doing work as well. Goodwill Industries will be getting $200,000 for a project to help 750 young people.
C.A.T.S. will be getting a second transit center soon. This might be near ‘The Gateway’. Kimley Horne is being paid to do a study on this second transit center. Also being discussed on Monday will be the $793,000 Franklin Water Treatment Project. The city is paying Duke Energy to move a power line. Also being discussed is raw water reservation and it’s treatment. The city is overseeing a blast survey. This is on McKee Road near Hood Road. This is a gravity sewer line.
An upcoming event is on August 26th is the Southern Mecklenburg Republican Club Meeting at Harpers at Carolina Place Mall. Warren Cooksey will be helping with the event. More information at:
http://meckgop.ning.com/events/southern-mecklenburg-5
Susan J. Spaulding
Public Policy Writer
Ballantyne Scoop
Follow @susanjspaulding on twitter
You missed Warren’s point on the housing bonds. In response to the uproar over “affordable” or subsidized housing zoning issues; he said vote for the bonds if you want subsidized housing in your neighborhood. Once the bonds are approved, city leaders must decide where, not if the money is to be spent.
Another correction: it is not the case that I “recently was informed of an important judicial ruling by the head of his apartment complex instead of the city attorney.” Instead, I first learned of a change in state law affecting land use decisions from the head of the Charlotte Apartment Association, not the City Attorney’s office. Specifically, I’m referring to the General Assembly’s new law prohibiting discrimination against “affordable housing” in rezoning cases.
The City Attorney’s office had not told Council of the change because the relevant issue had not come up at a public meeting. In my opinion, waiting until then with this particular law could have been too late. Therefore, I’ve suggested that going forward we find a middle ground between a potentially unnecessary briefing regarding all new legislation affecting municipalities and the current practice of “just-in-time” notification.