Ballantyne, NC – Susan Burgess, Charlotte City Council, said an emotional goodbye at last Monday’s council meeting. Councilman Burgess stepped down from Charlotte City Council due to health problems. The question now is, whom will the city choose to replace Susan Burgess? Two city council members recently flipped on which way to vote about giving money for the libraries. Warren Turner and Patsy Kinsey are now voting yes, to give money for the libraries. Harold Cogdell, Warren Turner’s predecessor, has lobbied Councilman Turner heavily about giving money for the libraries. Mr. Cogdell has called Councilman Turner almost constantly. The city did vote last Monday and they will be giving $1.4 million to the county for the libraries. The rumor is that there will be no libraries left open on the west side. The facts do not support this rumor. The Freedom Library is now open and the Beatties Ford Library will soon be open, both are on the west side of Charlotte. There are some interesting ways of helping the libraries. The city is giving “real” money to the libraries. The county is giving “fake” money to the libraries. The libraries “lost” 43% of their budget cut in the last round of changes. All of the regional libraries will stay open. Some of the neighborhood libraries are in jeopardy. Charlie Williams has been trying to keep open the Carmel Library open for several years. The public will be loosing the Carmel Branch no matter what happens. So far the county has raised 70% of the $8 million needed to keep most of the libraries open for the next year. Tim Morgan stated that towns are nervous that they will loose neighborhood branches of the library.
Peter Gilchrist is the District Attorney for Charlotte and is with the North Carolina Administrative Office of Courts. The N.C.A.O.C. does not have a lobbying group. Some are nervous that the District Attorney’s Office is not tracking the court system.
During the straw vote of the city council last Monday the city items discussed were: the disparity study, consolidating non-profit and library parking. Patrick Canon recused himself from the library parking vote due to the fact that he owns a company that handles the library parking. The city also talked about the housing trust fund. Warren Cooksey made a motion to use $1.4 million for this fund instead of for the libraries. There were two yes votes on this motion. Warren Cooksey and Andy Dulin. This measure did not pass.
Last Monday’s council meeting was abbreviated due to Susan Burgess’s health. The budget and the libraries dominated the meeting. One of the other items discussed was storm water rate fees. This item barely passed. The fees are going up by $.10 per month for everyone. Mayor Anthony Foxx canceled the rest of the items.
The city will soon talk about the locational housing policy and the neighborhood housing development. The city will be holding regional forums on this subject. The city will be talking about the quality of life study and the half-a-mile issue. In the northern part of Charlotte, District 2, there is an area that has several designations. Somehow the same area is a “Threatened Neighborhood” and a “Priority Green Area” at the same time. How is this possible? All neighborhoods are at least one of three designations. They are challenged, transitional or stable. The city will be talking about annexation and transportation as well. The public is invited to comment on the following: wedges in the city, the growth corridors and the activity centers. Two examples of activity centers are the main corner of Ballantyne and The Arboretum. These designations might soon replace the District Area Plans. Soon the city will talk about transit ordered development. The transit ordered development currently has capitol. The money for the T.O.D. can be used in wedges and in lower density developments. Charlotte has twenty-two lower density developments currently. Also this can be used for bus lines and light rail. The restructuring government committee met and will be reviewing utility rates and plans. Will the city will also be filling the vacant city council seat by June 14th ? One time it took over two months for the city to fill a vacant seat and in the 2004-2005 year it took over 1 month. There are five people on the city council who now say that they will vote to put Jason Burgess in to fill his mother, Susan Burgess’s vacant seat.
The city will also soon discuss the 2010 Plan. This plan includes special needs homes, ArrowStation Seniors Home and “Westinghouse” Mixed Housing Plans. Interest in the Charlottetown Terrace has gone away. Currently the city will be demolishing two commercial buildings: one on Wilkinson Boulevard and one in Wesley Heights.
Soon there will be a new shipping yard at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. This will be owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad. This new shipping yard will be 160 acres. This project is in Phase I. Currently, the intermodal yard is in North Davidson but will be moving to Charlotte Douglas. This new shipping yard will handle port, interstate, air, rail and highway shipping. This is similar to the system in place in Charlotte in the 1960’s and 1970’s when trucking was very big here in Charlotte, according to Tim Morgan. The current intermodal yard will “stay” in NoDa and unfortunately the city will not be able to free up this land. This entire project has been “in the works” since 1998.
This is a reminder for the public to attend the housing authority forum at Harrison United Methodist on Thursday, June 24th at 7:00 pm. Warren Cooksey will be one of the moderators.
Susan J. Spaulding
@susanjspaulading on twitter
