Here are two press releases concerning the Triad's air quality. Hooray!
TRIAD REGION CLEARS ANOTHER OZONE MILESTONE
GREENSBORO, NOVEMBER 27, 3006 – The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Triad has cleared another milestone in meeting the federal clean air ozone standard.
EPA says the Triad is on track to attain the federal 8-hour ground level ozone standard by its deadline of December 31, 2007.
The Triad Air Quality Early Action Compact has managed the effort to bring the region into attainment. Eleven Triad counties and more than twenty-five municipalities formed the EAC in December 2002.
Dan Besse, Winston-Salem city council member and Sandy Carmany, Greensboro city council member are the chair and co-chair of the EAC which is staffed by the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments.
The EAC has worked with local governments and area businesses to develop strategies to reduce ozone. Ozone is caused primarily by vehicle congestion and emissions from stationary sources such as manufacturing. For examples of short and long-term actions that are reducing ozone in the Triad go to http://www.ptcog.org/airquality.html.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Early Smog Reductions in 14 U.S. Communities
Release date: 11/27/2006
Contact Information: John Millett, (202) 564-4355 / millett.john@epa.gov(11/27/06)
Fourteen communities across the United States remain ahead of schedule in the effort to reduce ground-level ozone -- or smog -- as part of a program that encourages steps to protect air quality. The progress these areas have made under EPA's Early Actions Compacts program puts them on track to meet clean air requirements one to two years sooner than required.
Early Action Compacts provide a strong incentive for state and local governments, civic leaders and business interests to develop innovative, cost-effective strategies for improving ozone air quality in ways that are tailored to individual communities. Fifteen additional Early Action Compact areas already meet the 8-hour ozone standard, but chose to join the compact to ensure that they stay in attainment while continuing voluntary steps to protect the health and quality of life in their communities.
Today's final rule changes the date Clean Air Act Requirements would take effect for 13 Early Action Compacts from Dec. 31, 2006 to April 15, 2008 and to July 1, 2007 for the Denver area. If all these areas meet the 8-hour standard for ground-level ozone by Dec. 31, 2007, which they are on track to do, they will be designated as in attainment. The areas are: Frederick County/Winchester, Va.; Roanoke area, Va.; Washington County/Hagerstown, Md.; Berkeley & Jefferson Counties, W.Va.; Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir area, N.C.; Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point area, N.C.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.; Columbia area, S.C.; Chattanooga area, Tenn./Ga.; Nashville area, Tenn.; Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol area, Tenn.; San Antonio area, Texas; and Denver-Boulder-Greeley-Ft. Collins-Love area, Colo.
Information on the rule: epa.gov/oar/eac/
Fact sheet: epa.gov/oar/eac/fs20061122eac.html
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Weekly schedule
The first part of this week is busy with official meetings and duties, but the rest of it is fairly light. That will give me some time to start tackling my Christmas shopping list since I was NOT one of those early-bird shoppers battling the crowds last Friday and Saturday.
On Monday, November 27 I had my regular monthly one-on-one meetings with City Manager Mitchell Johnson. Neither of us had any particularly pressing issues so that meeting was relatively brief.
I attended the presentation meeting of the proposed Spring Garden Street Pedestrian Overlay District that grew out of the Lindley Park Neighborhood Plan. About a dozen citizens attended, evenly split between property owners actually affected by the proposed standards and nearby interested residents. Planning staff has worked closely with all concerned to develop a flexible plan to encourage new development to cater more to pedestrian traffic in the area. This proposal will go through a series of public hearings with final adoption by the city council expected in March or April 2007.
The regular monthly council briefing session will begin at 8:30AM on Tuesday, November 28. The agenda includes an update on first quarter revenues, a discussion on the South Elm Street Redevelopment Plan, a discussion of options for city council terms, an update on the noise ordinance, and a brief overview of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
There is likely to be some lively debate on the city council term issue -- we will discuss whether or not to change from two-year terms to four-year terms, whether the terms should be staggered (under the current system, it is possible to elect nine totally new people all at one time, probably not a good thing for the city due to a lack of experience and the tremendous learning curve), whether there should be term limits, etc. I personally favor a switch to four-year staggered terms for councilmembers and keeping the two-year term for the mayor position -- having to campaign and run for election every other year really detracts from concentrating on good government decisions when "silly season" comes around so frequently, not to mention the campaign expense. We'll have to see if there is any agreement to make changes or if we should just leave things as they now stand.
I plan to attend the grand opening of the Center City Park on Friday, December 1 (rain, please stay away!) and participate in the Jaycees' Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 2. Otherwise, the rest of the week will be taken up with reading various reports and background materials as well as responding to the usual citizen inquiries and complaints.
On Monday, November 27 I had my regular monthly one-on-one meetings with City Manager Mitchell Johnson. Neither of us had any particularly pressing issues so that meeting was relatively brief.
I attended the presentation meeting of the proposed Spring Garden Street Pedestrian Overlay District that grew out of the Lindley Park Neighborhood Plan. About a dozen citizens attended, evenly split between property owners actually affected by the proposed standards and nearby interested residents. Planning staff has worked closely with all concerned to develop a flexible plan to encourage new development to cater more to pedestrian traffic in the area. This proposal will go through a series of public hearings with final adoption by the city council expected in March or April 2007.
The regular monthly council briefing session will begin at 8:30AM on Tuesday, November 28. The agenda includes an update on first quarter revenues, a discussion on the South Elm Street Redevelopment Plan, a discussion of options for city council terms, an update on the noise ordinance, and a brief overview of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
There is likely to be some lively debate on the city council term issue -- we will discuss whether or not to change from two-year terms to four-year terms, whether the terms should be staggered (under the current system, it is possible to elect nine totally new people all at one time, probably not a good thing for the city due to a lack of experience and the tremendous learning curve), whether there should be term limits, etc. I personally favor a switch to four-year staggered terms for councilmembers and keeping the two-year term for the mayor position -- having to campaign and run for election every other year really detracts from concentrating on good government decisions when "silly season" comes around so frequently, not to mention the campaign expense. We'll have to see if there is any agreement to make changes or if we should just leave things as they now stand.
I plan to attend the grand opening of the Center City Park on Friday, December 1 (rain, please stay away!) and participate in the Jaycees' Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 2. Otherwise, the rest of the week will be taken up with reading various reports and background materials as well as responding to the usual citizen inquiries and complaints.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
On our best behavior
Between the comment in yesterday's print edition of the News & Record ("The juiciest issue isn't on the agenda...") and today's front-page NON-story report on last night's city council meeting complete with photos, I'm guessing there was great disappointment that World War III didn't break out with councilmembers publicly arguing about who leaked the RMA report.
C'mon, get real! This is the CITY COUNCIL, not the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS! {big smile}
On a more serious note, what can city councilmembers in reality say or do in this matter? We have no authority to discipline one of our own -- that power lies in the hands of you, the voters. Hopefully the identification of the source document has provided the city (i.e., taxpayers) and us individual councilmembers some level of protection in the event any of the persons named in the report decides to sue for breach of confidentiality or libel, but I don't expect much more than that.
Given that Councilmember Bellamy-Small has stated in a memo that she will not respond to our questions, we recognize there's no need to waste our (or your) time trying to force a public discussion. So I anticipate that we will continue to proceed as we did last night, taking care of the city's business in a professional manner and moving on.
C'mon, get real! This is the CITY COUNCIL, not the COUNTY COMMISSIONERS! {big smile}
On a more serious note, what can city councilmembers in reality say or do in this matter? We have no authority to discipline one of our own -- that power lies in the hands of you, the voters. Hopefully the identification of the source document has provided the city (i.e., taxpayers) and us individual councilmembers some level of protection in the event any of the persons named in the report decides to sue for breach of confidentiality or libel, but I don't expect much more than that.
Given that Councilmember Bellamy-Small has stated in a memo that she will not respond to our questions, we recognize there's no need to waste our (or your) time trying to force a public discussion. So I anticipate that we will continue to proceed as we did last night, taking care of the city's business in a professional manner and moving on.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Weekly schedule
Due to several hours of"grandmothering" yesterday and today's lunch-and-bridge-with-the-girls date and a lengthy conference call on charter school renewal requests, I am just now getting around to posting my weekly schedule.
I only have four official obligations, and they all fall on Tuesday, November 21. It looks like I'll be running all day long.
The day will begin bright and early with an informal meeting of the local people and organizations who have been involved in our Sister City relationship, educational, humanitarian, and cultural contacts with Moldova. The statewide committee that guides these efforts is being revamped plus the US ambassador to Moldova will be visiting North Carolina in early January. We have some planning to do!
Then I will zip across town to IHOP to meet with a city council member from District Heights, Maryland who is in town on business. He has read this blog and wants to meet me and chat about city governance and policy issues.
After that, I'll be scooting over to Grandover to attend the political leaders' luncheon hosted by TREBIC to share updates and hear concerns.
Tuesday evening brings a regular city council meeting with a fairly light agenda. Adoption of the PODS ordinance, approval of funding for Center City Park maintenance, and certification of the bond referendum results are the main items of business.
The rest of the week will be spent preparing for Thanksgiving (all the family is coming over to our place for the feast), pigging out on Thanksgiving, and recovering from Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I only have four official obligations, and they all fall on Tuesday, November 21. It looks like I'll be running all day long.
The day will begin bright and early with an informal meeting of the local people and organizations who have been involved in our Sister City relationship, educational, humanitarian, and cultural contacts with Moldova. The statewide committee that guides these efforts is being revamped plus the US ambassador to Moldova will be visiting North Carolina in early January. We have some planning to do!
Then I will zip across town to IHOP to meet with a city council member from District Heights, Maryland who is in town on business. He has read this blog and wants to meet me and chat about city governance and policy issues.
After that, I'll be scooting over to Grandover to attend the political leaders' luncheon hosted by TREBIC to share updates and hear concerns.
Tuesday evening brings a regular city council meeting with a fairly light agenda. Adoption of the PODS ordinance, approval of funding for Center City Park maintenance, and certification of the bond referendum results are the main items of business.
The rest of the week will be spent preparing for Thanksgiving (all the family is coming over to our place for the feast), pigging out on Thanksgiving, and recovering from Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Friday, November 17, 2006
Transportation updates
There were no action items on the TAC (Transportation Advisory Committee) agenda Wednesday, but committee members received plenty of good information in the reports and updates that were presented.
* Steven DeWitt, Chief Engineer for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, noted that North Carolina is one of the few states on the eastern seaboard that does not currently have toll roads, but shared photos of an old plank road in the early 1900's that was the longest one in the nation at the time. Transportation funding is in a crisis nationally and statewide -- the Federal Highway Trust Fund may be in a deficit situation by 2009, and NCDOT has lost 50% of its buying power over the last several years due to inflation, declining revenues, and rising construction costs.
The gasoline tax is a very unpopular way to generate money for critical transportation needs, and there is a need to identify new ways such as user taxes based on the number of miles you drive your vehicle as well as to reexamine older methods such as toll roads. Mr. DeWitt cautioned that money collected from tolls is not "magic money." There is often a gap between the amount the tolls will generate and the cost of constructing and maintaining the road itself that must be covered through other sources such as bonds and/or public-private partnerships -- tolls usually cover about 70% of the costs. In addition to the actual congestion-relief need for a new road and the usual environmental concerns, planners must also consider the financial/business factors for a toll road and develop a deliberate business plan. Not all needed roads would make good toll road candidates because of this business model consideration.
He then reviewed likely toll road projects in North Carolina with the first one likely to be the outer loop around Raleigh. They would like to keep traffic moving by collecting the tolls electronically through transponders on vehicles whose owners have set up a debit account for this purpose but realize they may have to use the old-fashioned toll booths until motorists become comfortable with the technology.
TAC members noted that no one really likes toll roads, but if it means the difference in getting a badly needed road or not having it at all, most people would grudgingly support toll roads. Greensboro needs to have some serious discussion and debate on whether we should pursue this option. As one NC State business major observed during one of Mr. DeWitt's classes, "Your business strategy must be a challenge -- nobody likes you, but you are better than nothing!"
* The draft 2007-13 MTIP (Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program) is ready for public review and comment. For the first time ever, some of the maps and documents have been produced in Spanish.
* Libby James, Public Transportation Manager of GTA, presented an update on current operations. FY (fiscal year) 2006 ridership showed over 3 million passenger trips, an 11% increase over FY 2005. Average weekday boardings in the first quarter of FY2007 have increased to 11,000 per week, a 10% increase over FY2006.
FY2006 SCAT ridership was up 8% from FY2005, and first quarter FY2007 figures show an additional 4% increase.
The HEAT service carried 49,620 riders between the August 8, 2006 kick-off and November 11; eligible students have used their IDs to ride GTA regular fixed-route buses 75,464 times during that same period.
Between these three services, that's a lot of cars NOT on our city streets!
The new South Town Connector Service has not reached its projected ridership (actual 73 passengers vs. the 122 projected), and adjustments may be made to the route, including service all the way to Four Seasons Mall, to increase its usage. 30-minute all-day service will begin on all the other fixed routes beginning January 1, 2007.
The GTA Board adopted the new GTA fare structure at its October meeting with one slight change from the task force recommendations. The second 10-cent hike in fares originally proposed to take effect on July 1, 2007 will be delayed until July 1, 2008 to avoid two price increases within six months of each other. They also established "Bus Stop Standards" for the 1500+ bus stops in the city; an inventory is currently underway to determine each stop's compliance with those standards and the necessary improvements that may have to be made.
* A teaser -- NC Board of Transportation chairman Doug Galyon announced that Greensboro has won a national transportation award, but we won't say what until it is officially presented at a future city council meeting. Stay tuned!
* Steven DeWitt, Chief Engineer for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, noted that North Carolina is one of the few states on the eastern seaboard that does not currently have toll roads, but shared photos of an old plank road in the early 1900's that was the longest one in the nation at the time. Transportation funding is in a crisis nationally and statewide -- the Federal Highway Trust Fund may be in a deficit situation by 2009, and NCDOT has lost 50% of its buying power over the last several years due to inflation, declining revenues, and rising construction costs.
The gasoline tax is a very unpopular way to generate money for critical transportation needs, and there is a need to identify new ways such as user taxes based on the number of miles you drive your vehicle as well as to reexamine older methods such as toll roads. Mr. DeWitt cautioned that money collected from tolls is not "magic money." There is often a gap between the amount the tolls will generate and the cost of constructing and maintaining the road itself that must be covered through other sources such as bonds and/or public-private partnerships -- tolls usually cover about 70% of the costs. In addition to the actual congestion-relief need for a new road and the usual environmental concerns, planners must also consider the financial/business factors for a toll road and develop a deliberate business plan. Not all needed roads would make good toll road candidates because of this business model consideration.
He then reviewed likely toll road projects in North Carolina with the first one likely to be the outer loop around Raleigh. They would like to keep traffic moving by collecting the tolls electronically through transponders on vehicles whose owners have set up a debit account for this purpose but realize they may have to use the old-fashioned toll booths until motorists become comfortable with the technology.
TAC members noted that no one really likes toll roads, but if it means the difference in getting a badly needed road or not having it at all, most people would grudgingly support toll roads. Greensboro needs to have some serious discussion and debate on whether we should pursue this option. As one NC State business major observed during one of Mr. DeWitt's classes, "Your business strategy must be a challenge -- nobody likes you, but you are better than nothing!"
* The draft 2007-13 MTIP (Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program) is ready for public review and comment. For the first time ever, some of the maps and documents have been produced in Spanish.
* Libby James, Public Transportation Manager of GTA, presented an update on current operations. FY (fiscal year) 2006 ridership showed over 3 million passenger trips, an 11% increase over FY 2005. Average weekday boardings in the first quarter of FY2007 have increased to 11,000 per week, a 10% increase over FY2006.
FY2006 SCAT ridership was up 8% from FY2005, and first quarter FY2007 figures show an additional 4% increase.
The HEAT service carried 49,620 riders between the August 8, 2006 kick-off and November 11; eligible students have used their IDs to ride GTA regular fixed-route buses 75,464 times during that same period.
Between these three services, that's a lot of cars NOT on our city streets!
The new South Town Connector Service has not reached its projected ridership (actual 73 passengers vs. the 122 projected), and adjustments may be made to the route, including service all the way to Four Seasons Mall, to increase its usage. 30-minute all-day service will begin on all the other fixed routes beginning January 1, 2007.
The GTA Board adopted the new GTA fare structure at its October meeting with one slight change from the task force recommendations. The second 10-cent hike in fares originally proposed to take effect on July 1, 2007 will be delayed until July 1, 2008 to avoid two price increases within six months of each other. They also established "Bus Stop Standards" for the 1500+ bus stops in the city; an inventory is currently underway to determine each stop's compliance with those standards and the necessary improvements that may have to be made.
* A teaser -- NC Board of Transportation chairman Doug Galyon announced that Greensboro has won a national transportation award, but we won't say what until it is officially presented at a future city council meeting. Stay tuned!
City holiday schedule changes
The following news release was sent out to remind citizens of the changes in the city's normal operating schedule for the Thanksgiving holidays. Those with Thursday garbage service should pay particular attention --put your trash out a day early this week (Wednesday)!
CITY OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
GREENSBORO, NC - City of Greensboro offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24 in observance of Thanksgiving. The following services and facilities will operate on a holiday schedule:
· No garbage, recycling, bulk trash, yard waste, and appliance services will take place on Thursday, November 23. Thursday’s garbage collection will take place on Wednesday, November 22. Friday’s collection will take place as normal.
· The White Street Landfill and the Solid Waste Transfer Station will both be closed on Thursday, November 23. Regular hours will resume Friday, November 24.
· All branches of the Greensboro Public Library will be closed Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24. Regular hours resume Saturday, November 25.
· The Greensboro Historical Museum will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24. Regular hours resume Saturday, November 25.
· The Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) will not operate on Thursday, November 23. Regular service will resume on Friday, November 24.
For more information on any City service, call 373-CITY (2489).
CITY OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
GREENSBORO, NC - City of Greensboro offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24 in observance of Thanksgiving. The following services and facilities will operate on a holiday schedule:
· No garbage, recycling, bulk trash, yard waste, and appliance services will take place on Thursday, November 23. Thursday’s garbage collection will take place on Wednesday, November 22. Friday’s collection will take place as normal.
· The White Street Landfill and the Solid Waste Transfer Station will both be closed on Thursday, November 23. Regular hours will resume Friday, November 24.
· All branches of the Greensboro Public Library will be closed Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24. Regular hours resume Saturday, November 25.
· The Greensboro Historical Museum will be closed on Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24. Regular hours resume Saturday, November 25.
· The Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) will not operate on Thursday, November 23. Regular service will resume on Friday, November 24.
For more information on any City service, call 373-CITY (2489).
Monday, November 13, 2006
City Connections
The latest edition of City Connections contains good information about a variety of topics.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Weekly schedule
The first part of this week is going to be very busy with most of my official obligations centering on transportation issues.
I'll be traveling to Lexington on Monday morning, November 13 to participate in the dedication ceremony for our newest park-and-ride lot in Davidson County. In the afternoon, I plan to attend the public meeting for the design of the proposed new interchange for US29 and Reedy Fork Parkway. Then it's back to the Coliseum to bring official greetings from the city to the Southern Baptist Convention.
On Tuesday, November 14 I will be testifying at a public hearing held at the GTCC east campus on behalf of Greensboro's state-funded transportation needs to be hopefully included in the 2007-13 STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program). Later that evening I hope to attend the East Hunter Hills Community Crime Watch meeting.
City councilmembers have been invited to participate in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Greensboro's new garbage transfer station on Wednesday morning, November 15. I will be chairing the regular monthly meeting of the TAC (Transportation Advisory Committee) meeting that afternoon. Items of interest on that agenda include updates from the Turnpike Authority on potential projects here in the Triad, the MTIP (local portion of the statewide transportation plan), the BiPed Plan, and specific road projects.
Thursday and Friday are clear at this point, but something always seems to pop up so I'm not counting on them as free days. I hope to attend a concert at Ambleside Gallery Saturday evening, November 18 featuring three musicians from Moldova.
Busy week, considering there are no official city council meetings on the schedule!
I'll be traveling to Lexington on Monday morning, November 13 to participate in the dedication ceremony for our newest park-and-ride lot in Davidson County. In the afternoon, I plan to attend the public meeting for the design of the proposed new interchange for US29 and Reedy Fork Parkway. Then it's back to the Coliseum to bring official greetings from the city to the Southern Baptist Convention.
On Tuesday, November 14 I will be testifying at a public hearing held at the GTCC east campus on behalf of Greensboro's state-funded transportation needs to be hopefully included in the 2007-13 STIP (State Transportation Improvement Program). Later that evening I hope to attend the East Hunter Hills Community Crime Watch meeting.
City councilmembers have been invited to participate in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Greensboro's new garbage transfer station on Wednesday morning, November 15. I will be chairing the regular monthly meeting of the TAC (Transportation Advisory Committee) meeting that afternoon. Items of interest on that agenda include updates from the Turnpike Authority on potential projects here in the Triad, the MTIP (local portion of the statewide transportation plan), the BiPed Plan, and specific road projects.
Thursday and Friday are clear at this point, but something always seems to pop up so I'm not counting on them as free days. I hope to attend a concert at Ambleside Gallery Saturday evening, November 18 featuring three musicians from Moldova.
Busy week, considering there are no official city council meetings on the schedule!
Oak Island sunset
My brother emailed me this poignant photo of yesterday's sunset at Oak Island and the stark soon-to-totally-disappear remnants of the once-loved Long Beach Pier.
I have happier memories of the pier during its heyday.
I have happier memories of the pier during its heyday.
Now the storm of change is taking it away, but not those fond memories.
(Early) Christmas cactus
My Christmas cactus obviously loved its summer residency in my outdoor greenhouse and rewarded me with these lovely blooms earlier than expected. This shot doesn't capture the lovely pink "throats" of the blossoms.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Too early!
When the radio signal from my favorite Greensboro station (WMAG) faded as I entered Raleigh this morning on my way to my Charter Schools Advisory Committee meeting, I switched over to Raleigh's easy-listening station, Sunny 93.9. I could not believe they have already switched over to playing ONLY Christmas holiday music.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the carols and other holiday season favorites, but not in early November on a 70+ degree day! But this is way too early for me -- why not wait until at least the day after Thanksgiving?
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the carols and other holiday season favorites, but not in early November on a 70+ degree day! But this is way too early for me -- why not wait until at least the day after Thanksgiving?
The people have spoken...
...but the needs have not disappeared.
Greensboro voters approved only five of the bond referendum questions offered on the "menu" of possible projects -- fire stations, libraries, parks and recreation, economic development, and the Greensboro Historical Museum. My assessment of the results indicates that voters for the most part decided to stick with "the basics" and declined to authorize projects that might fall more into the "enhancement" category.
Some of those proposals that were to repair serious maintenance and/or structural problems, however, MUST be addressed even though voters were not willing to authorize bond financing for them. Those include the following:
* Public building renovation -- new roofs, installing heating and cooling systems, and improving energy efficiency in a number of city-owned buildings. These projects are "deferred maintenance" items that dropped out of the city budget the past several years as city council struggled to avoid tax increases with a depressed economy and stagnant tax revenues. I predict we will have no choice but to include some of these critical items in our upcoming 2007-08 budget, funded with "pay-as-you-go" tax dollars.
* War Memorial Auditorium -- While it is obvious the innovative proposal to upgrade this aging facility to performing arts center status and remedy the serious acoustical and sight-line problems will have to be shelved for now, Coliseum Director Matt Brown noted in an email today that he hopes to immediately address a couple of urgent maintenance needs as well as honor a moral obligation to improve conditions for disabled patrons. No funding source has been identified for those items which include --
1. installing concrete wheelchair ramps at the west entrance/exit doors walkway as well as at the steps near the Storage building driveway,
2. installing hands-free sensor doors at the East and West entrance/exit doors,
3. converting more handicap seating options at the orchestra level,
4. purchasing new infra-red assisted hearing devices,
5. talking with Siemens to get the WMA included in our Energy Performance Contract where we could possibly replace all the non-theatrical lighting and install new bathroom plumbing fixtures if energy savings can be shown,
6. asking the City for funding ($197,000) the replacement of the Backstage HVAC air-handling Units ASAP. (It was reported at the last War Memorial Commission meeting that metal shavings have appeared in the lubricant, a warning sign of potential failure of those units.), and
7. possibly installing an elevator (s?) to provide access to the restroom facilities and seating area on the upper level of the auditorium for disabled patrons.
* War Memorial Stadium -- Structural problems that have been identified are not going to disappear and are likely to worsen over time. I share David Wharton's dismay and the sadness of David Hoggard at this defeat and absolutely cannot believe the general public really intends to let this honored war memorial crumble. This is one where I most need YOUR input for a viable solution -- how should the city council address this pressing need, noting that a prior "bare bones" proposal was also rejected in a previous referendum?
Answers, please!
Greensboro voters approved only five of the bond referendum questions offered on the "menu" of possible projects -- fire stations, libraries, parks and recreation, economic development, and the Greensboro Historical Museum. My assessment of the results indicates that voters for the most part decided to stick with "the basics" and declined to authorize projects that might fall more into the "enhancement" category.
Some of those proposals that were to repair serious maintenance and/or structural problems, however, MUST be addressed even though voters were not willing to authorize bond financing for them. Those include the following:
* Public building renovation -- new roofs, installing heating and cooling systems, and improving energy efficiency in a number of city-owned buildings. These projects are "deferred maintenance" items that dropped out of the city budget the past several years as city council struggled to avoid tax increases with a depressed economy and stagnant tax revenues. I predict we will have no choice but to include some of these critical items in our upcoming 2007-08 budget, funded with "pay-as-you-go" tax dollars.
* War Memorial Auditorium -- While it is obvious the innovative proposal to upgrade this aging facility to performing arts center status and remedy the serious acoustical and sight-line problems will have to be shelved for now, Coliseum Director Matt Brown noted in an email today that he hopes to immediately address a couple of urgent maintenance needs as well as honor a moral obligation to improve conditions for disabled patrons. No funding source has been identified for those items which include --
1. installing concrete wheelchair ramps at the west entrance/exit doors walkway as well as at the steps near the Storage building driveway,
2. installing hands-free sensor doors at the East and West entrance/exit doors,
3. converting more handicap seating options at the orchestra level,
4. purchasing new infra-red assisted hearing devices,
5. talking with Siemens to get the WMA included in our Energy Performance Contract where we could possibly replace all the non-theatrical lighting and install new bathroom plumbing fixtures if energy savings can be shown,
6. asking the City for funding ($197,000) the replacement of the Backstage HVAC air-handling Units ASAP. (It was reported at the last War Memorial Commission meeting that metal shavings have appeared in the lubricant, a warning sign of potential failure of those units.), and
7. possibly installing an elevator (s?) to provide access to the restroom facilities and seating area on the upper level of the auditorium for disabled patrons.
* War Memorial Stadium -- Structural problems that have been identified are not going to disappear and are likely to worsen over time. I share David Wharton's dismay and the sadness of David Hoggard at this defeat and absolutely cannot believe the general public really intends to let this honored war memorial crumble. This is one where I most need YOUR input for a viable solution -- how should the city council address this pressing need, noting that a prior "bare bones" proposal was also rejected in a previous referendum?
Answers, please!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
A new way of filing lawsuits?
I received a phone call from City Attorney Linda Miles shortly after 5PM this evening to alert me to the lawsuit filed against the city by Nicole Pettiford alleging mistreatment by some members of the Greensboro Police Department. I responded to her that I was already aware of it, having heard it on TV and reading it online at the News & Record website. That's when she said, "That's great! The city has not yet been served with a copy of the lawsuit, but all the media outlets have been provided copies of it."
Is this the way we can expect the legal system to function from here on out -- in the court of public opinion rather than in the courtroom?
Is this the way we can expect the legal system to function from here on out -- in the court of public opinion rather than in the courtroom?
Training her right
Due to a last minute "Mom, can you babysit little Kammie for us Wednesday morning" phone call from my son, the little darling (who reached the three-months-old benchmark today) accompanied me to a PART finance committee meeting this morning. I figured I might as well let her see early on how things work!
As we committee members (Mayor Joines of Winston-Salem, Mayor Williams of Rural Hall, Randolph Commissioner Darryl Frye, Rockingham Commissioner David Isley and me) responded to executive director Brent McKinney's presentation, she quietly snoozed away for the entire two-hour meeting. I guess she has already learned well -- isn't that what most citizens do during governmental discussions? {smile}
As we committee members (Mayor Joines of Winston-Salem, Mayor Williams of Rural Hall, Randolph Commissioner Darryl Frye, Rockingham Commissioner David Isley and me) responded to executive director Brent McKinney's presentation, she quietly snoozed away for the entire two-hour meeting. I guess she has already learned well -- isn't that what most citizens do during governmental discussions? {smile}
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
RMA report leak source document identified
In a closed session this evening, we city councilmembers received the report on the forensic investigation that compared the leaked copy of the RMA report that was posted on the Internet with all the legitimate copies of that report that were previously in the hands of city staff and councilmembers. (This forensic investigation was made possible by the posting of the leaked RMA report on the Internet by persons unknown.) The chart depicting 30+ of the comparison points between the Internet copy and those legitimate copies indicates that the copy coded "K-11" which belonged to Councilmember Dianne Bellamy-Small is the source document of the copy that appeared on the Internet.
Once we councilmembers received this information, we adjourned the closed session since we were no longer dealing with a personnel issue (all of those persons having been cleared through this forensic investigation) and returned to open session to address the issues presented by "one of our own." We approved two resolutions,
-- one to make the entire report public:
Council resolution # 1
The Greensboro City Council authorizes the City Manager to release, in full, the forensic document report completed by Durward C. Matheny, a third party authorized by Risk Management Associates, Inc. (RMA) at the request of the City Council. The purpose of this report was to determine the origin of the public release of RMA’s investigative report of December 2005. The copy examined was downloaded directly from the internet by the forensic examiner.
A majority of the City Council approved this action in order to maintain the public trust in the ongoing investigative process and to fulfill the commitment to openness and transparency, as legally appropriate, by this City Council.
11-7-06
-- and one to express our concerns about the damage that unauthorized leak has caused.
Council resolution # 2
The City Council hereby resolves that:
1. The public release of the RMA Report represents a serious breach of confidentiality that undermines the trust among Council members that must be maintained in order to create public policy;
2. The public release of the RMA Report is a breach of the confidentiality assured to those interviewed under the Gardner Garrity process of personnel law.
3. The public release of the RMA Report has eroded the credibility of both the City Council and the City staff and diverted attention from the important work being done to identify and address the issues of concern in our police department;
4. Numerous people who had access to the RMA report have been under scrutiny for having released the report.
5.The public release of the RMA Report has exposed and potentially endangered some of the individuals mentioned in the report;
6. The public release of the RMA Report seriously compromises the ability of the City, as well as the State of North Carolina, going forward to investigate and address governance issues within the department; and
7. The Public release of the RMA Report is not consistent with the City of Greensboro’s core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect.
By this action tonight, the City Council wants citizens to understand the results of the unauthorized release of the RMA investigative report and its context in the larger investigative process. The intention is to bring closure to this sidebar issue so the focus can return to resolving problems relating to operation of the Police Department.
11-7-06
Amen! That's one issue resolved, let's hope the SBI investigation is finished soon so we can reach resolution on the entire police investigation issues as well.
Once we councilmembers received this information, we adjourned the closed session since we were no longer dealing with a personnel issue (all of those persons having been cleared through this forensic investigation) and returned to open session to address the issues presented by "one of our own." We approved two resolutions,
-- one to make the entire report public:
Council resolution # 1
The Greensboro City Council authorizes the City Manager to release, in full, the forensic document report completed by Durward C. Matheny, a third party authorized by Risk Management Associates, Inc. (RMA) at the request of the City Council. The purpose of this report was to determine the origin of the public release of RMA’s investigative report of December 2005. The copy examined was downloaded directly from the internet by the forensic examiner.
A majority of the City Council approved this action in order to maintain the public trust in the ongoing investigative process and to fulfill the commitment to openness and transparency, as legally appropriate, by this City Council.
11-7-06
-- and one to express our concerns about the damage that unauthorized leak has caused.
Council resolution # 2
The City Council hereby resolves that:
1. The public release of the RMA Report represents a serious breach of confidentiality that undermines the trust among Council members that must be maintained in order to create public policy;
2. The public release of the RMA Report is a breach of the confidentiality assured to those interviewed under the Gardner Garrity process of personnel law.
3. The public release of the RMA Report has eroded the credibility of both the City Council and the City staff and diverted attention from the important work being done to identify and address the issues of concern in our police department;
4. Numerous people who had access to the RMA report have been under scrutiny for having released the report.
5.The public release of the RMA Report has exposed and potentially endangered some of the individuals mentioned in the report;
6. The public release of the RMA Report seriously compromises the ability of the City, as well as the State of North Carolina, going forward to investigate and address governance issues within the department; and
7. The Public release of the RMA Report is not consistent with the City of Greensboro’s core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect.
By this action tonight, the City Council wants citizens to understand the results of the unauthorized release of the RMA investigative report and its context in the larger investigative process. The intention is to bring closure to this sidebar issue so the focus can return to resolving problems relating to operation of the Police Department.
11-7-06
Amen! That's one issue resolved, let's hope the SBI investigation is finished soon so we can reach resolution on the entire police investigation issues as well.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Comment format change
I'm tired of dealing with anonymous commenters who hide behind their anonymity to put forward sometimes ridiculous accusations against various people. Thus I have changed my comments settings, and future commenters will have to register in order to comment on this blog. Hopefully that will help foster a bit more responsibility when comments are submitted. (I have belatedly noted that many of you wiser, more experienced bloggers placed this requirement on your blogs long ago.)
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Weekly schedule
This week is going to be a whole lot busier than the past one, although not as bad as some I have had.
I plan to attend the Community Watch meeting for the Rolling Roads neighborhood on Monday evening, November 6.
Of course I will go vote on Tuesday, November 7 and will be anxiously awaiting the returns that night to see how the eleven city bonds fare. I hope you will join me in voting for them and help move Greensboro forward.
Our regular city council meeting takes place at 5:30PM that evening, and I hope the agenda moves quickly enough that I can scoot over to the courthouse and see the results before they turn out the lights over there. There are a number of rezonings (one across Pinecroft Road from Four Seasons Mall that could get interesting) and we will vote on strengthening the ordinance prohibiting the parking of cars for sale in front of other people's residences.
The regular monthly PART meeting that would have been held on Wednesday, November 8 has been cancelled for lack of urgent business, but the finance subcommittee of which I am a part will meet to discuss future funding options. I get to relax the rest of the afternoon and play a round of Charity League bridge.
I'm off to Raleigh on Thursday, November 9 to chair the Charter Schools Advisory Committee meeting. We will be hearing requests for grade expansions and/or enrollment increases from a number of schools as well as receive the renewal self-study reports from fifteen schools whose charters are up for renewal. That means I'm going to have a lot of reading and reviewing to do over the next week to decide which ones, if any, will need to prepare corrective action plans before a final renewal recommendation is made.
That's it for the week, at least as far as I know now. Something extra always seems to pop up unexpectedly.
I plan to attend the Community Watch meeting for the Rolling Roads neighborhood on Monday evening, November 6.
Of course I will go vote on Tuesday, November 7 and will be anxiously awaiting the returns that night to see how the eleven city bonds fare. I hope you will join me in voting for them and help move Greensboro forward.
Our regular city council meeting takes place at 5:30PM that evening, and I hope the agenda moves quickly enough that I can scoot over to the courthouse and see the results before they turn out the lights over there. There are a number of rezonings (one across Pinecroft Road from Four Seasons Mall that could get interesting) and we will vote on strengthening the ordinance prohibiting the parking of cars for sale in front of other people's residences.
The regular monthly PART meeting that would have been held on Wednesday, November 8 has been cancelled for lack of urgent business, but the finance subcommittee of which I am a part will meet to discuss future funding options. I get to relax the rest of the afternoon and play a round of Charity League bridge.
I'm off to Raleigh on Thursday, November 9 to chair the Charter Schools Advisory Committee meeting. We will be hearing requests for grade expansions and/or enrollment increases from a number of schools as well as receive the renewal self-study reports from fifteen schools whose charters are up for renewal. That means I'm going to have a lot of reading and reviewing to do over the next week to decide which ones, if any, will need to prepare corrective action plans before a final renewal recommendation is made.
That's it for the week, at least as far as I know now. Something extra always seems to pop up unexpectedly.
Untrue allegations
The Troublemaker alleges that the city council directed City Manager Mitchell Johnson to remove City Attorney Linda Miles from the David Wray case and that she has been asked to leave official meetings when this matter is brought up.
This rumor is absolutely incorrect and not true -- Troublemaker obviously got hold of some bad information.
This rumor is absolutely incorrect and not true -- Troublemaker obviously got hold of some bad information.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Away
I'm off to Raleigh for two days of meetings so I probably will not have time to moderate any more comments on this blog until Sunday or later. Be patient, I shall return.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Coliseum update
Numerous items were reported at today's War Memorial Commission (advisory committee to the Coliseum) meeting.
Retiring commission member and former chairman Dick Grubar was presented with a framed photo of the coliseum complex in thanks for his many years of dedicated service on the commission.
Financial Manager Jerome Fletcher presented the first quarter financial statement that indicated we are right on target with the 2006-07 budget projections, actually $18,000+ on the positive side as of September 30.
Matt Brown presented the Centerplate report for manager Jay Kudla who was busy overseeing five simultaneous catering events that were occurring in the facility at the time. Quoted directly from that report: "A stronger than expected October, which accounted for $170,000 in food and beverage revenue, has pushed us over the $750,000 year-to-date mark..." $53,000 of that amount was earned from various A&T Homecoming events hosted at the coliseum.
I asked Matt to explain the funding formula that is used to calculate the coliseum's commission on Centerplate's catering and concessions sales each year:
* For the first $1 million in sales, the coliseum receives a 23% commission,
* For the next $1.5 million in sales, the coliseum receives a 35% commission, and
* Once sales pass the $2.5 million mark, the coliseum's commission jumps to 60%. This point was reached last fiscal year during the Men's ACC Basketball Tournament, resulting in a significant amount of extra revenues for the coliseum's bottom line.
Matt also noted that a positive with having Centerplate as our concessions/catering provider is they are able to bring in well-trained chefs and managers from their other facilities as the need arises to handle big events here. This practice also provides great opportunities for their employees based here in Greensboro -- catering manager Mary Ellen Smith traveled to New Orleans to assist with the reopening of the Superdome earlier this fall.
Scott Johnson reported on booking activity -- consumer and family shows are holding steady, spaces for the new car show in early February are sold out, and concert tours are still few and far between. Tickets for Disney's High School Musical (one of the hottest shows out there right now aimed at the "tweens" age group) on December 27 and Dancing with the Stars Live on January 27 will go on sale soon. Over 2,000 people are expected to walk through the Holiday Market scheduled this weekend in the Special Events Center.
A new LED sign to be placed near the Lee Street/Coliseum Boulevard intersection has arrived and will be installed shortly. A potential problem with one of the chillers that cools the buildings has been found -- metal shavings were found in the oil -- and further testing will be done to determine the extent of this potentially expensive problem.
Matt Brown informed us of a new general liability insurance policy he was able to negotiate that provides greater coverage for $20,000/year less than the old policy. He foresees further savings if this same firm can offer a similar good deal on our property insurance.
Negotiations are underway for a new ticketing contract, and final details are being worked out on the Siemens energy performance contract -- legal, engineering, and financial auditing reviews are being finalized. Once that step is complete, the proposal will be put out for public bids, the city council will be asked to approve a contract, the Local Government Commission will review and hopefully approve the deal, after which the actual energy-efficient improvements can finally be financed and performed.
Dialog between the potential hockey team owner for Greensboro, possible teams, and the ECHL is continuing. Matt predicted a final decision to be made no later than mid-January. Keep your fingers crossed!
Matt noted that he and Communications Director Andrew Brown have been on the "chicken circuit" explaining the proposed War Memorial Auditorium and Swim Center bonds. In response to timelines if the auditorium bond is approved, 19 months of construction beginning in December 2007 would hopefully result in a grand reopening in October 2009, the building's 5oth anniversary. What a way to celebrate that milestone! It could be several years before the Swim Center would be constructed, depending on the timing of the sale of any authorized bonds.
Finally, in response to a commission member's question about the recent controversy about Norfolk Southern's claims to the 100-foot right-of-way on all their rail lines, we learned the coliseum is in good shape with the parking lot at the corner of Lee and Chapman streets. A $1,000/year lease was negotiated with the railroad at the time of construction so we are safe on that issue.
Retiring commission member and former chairman Dick Grubar was presented with a framed photo of the coliseum complex in thanks for his many years of dedicated service on the commission.
Financial Manager Jerome Fletcher presented the first quarter financial statement that indicated we are right on target with the 2006-07 budget projections, actually $18,000+ on the positive side as of September 30.
Matt Brown presented the Centerplate report for manager Jay Kudla who was busy overseeing five simultaneous catering events that were occurring in the facility at the time. Quoted directly from that report: "A stronger than expected October, which accounted for $170,000 in food and beverage revenue, has pushed us over the $750,000 year-to-date mark..." $53,000 of that amount was earned from various A&T Homecoming events hosted at the coliseum.
I asked Matt to explain the funding formula that is used to calculate the coliseum's commission on Centerplate's catering and concessions sales each year:
* For the first $1 million in sales, the coliseum receives a 23% commission,
* For the next $1.5 million in sales, the coliseum receives a 35% commission, and
* Once sales pass the $2.5 million mark, the coliseum's commission jumps to 60%. This point was reached last fiscal year during the Men's ACC Basketball Tournament, resulting in a significant amount of extra revenues for the coliseum's bottom line.
Matt also noted that a positive with having Centerplate as our concessions/catering provider is they are able to bring in well-trained chefs and managers from their other facilities as the need arises to handle big events here. This practice also provides great opportunities for their employees based here in Greensboro -- catering manager Mary Ellen Smith traveled to New Orleans to assist with the reopening of the Superdome earlier this fall.
Scott Johnson reported on booking activity -- consumer and family shows are holding steady, spaces for the new car show in early February are sold out, and concert tours are still few and far between. Tickets for Disney's High School Musical (one of the hottest shows out there right now aimed at the "tweens" age group) on December 27 and Dancing with the Stars Live on January 27 will go on sale soon. Over 2,000 people are expected to walk through the Holiday Market scheduled this weekend in the Special Events Center.
A new LED sign to be placed near the Lee Street/Coliseum Boulevard intersection has arrived and will be installed shortly. A potential problem with one of the chillers that cools the buildings has been found -- metal shavings were found in the oil -- and further testing will be done to determine the extent of this potentially expensive problem.
Matt Brown informed us of a new general liability insurance policy he was able to negotiate that provides greater coverage for $20,000/year less than the old policy. He foresees further savings if this same firm can offer a similar good deal on our property insurance.
Negotiations are underway for a new ticketing contract, and final details are being worked out on the Siemens energy performance contract -- legal, engineering, and financial auditing reviews are being finalized. Once that step is complete, the proposal will be put out for public bids, the city council will be asked to approve a contract, the Local Government Commission will review and hopefully approve the deal, after which the actual energy-efficient improvements can finally be financed and performed.
Dialog between the potential hockey team owner for Greensboro, possible teams, and the ECHL is continuing. Matt predicted a final decision to be made no later than mid-January. Keep your fingers crossed!
Matt noted that he and Communications Director Andrew Brown have been on the "chicken circuit" explaining the proposed War Memorial Auditorium and Swim Center bonds. In response to timelines if the auditorium bond is approved, 19 months of construction beginning in December 2007 would hopefully result in a grand reopening in October 2009, the building's 5oth anniversary. What a way to celebrate that milestone! It could be several years before the Swim Center would be constructed, depending on the timing of the sale of any authorized bonds.
Finally, in response to a commission member's question about the recent controversy about Norfolk Southern's claims to the 100-foot right-of-way on all their rail lines, we learned the coliseum is in good shape with the parking lot at the corner of Lee and Chapman streets. A $1,000/year lease was negotiated with the railroad at the time of construction so we are safe on that issue.
And he has a good sense of humor
City Manager Mitchell Johnson attended today's meeting of the War Memorial Commission (advisory committee to the Coliseum) as he sometimes does when his schedule permits. When the subject of major maintenance items or equipment replacement came up, one commission member asked if the coliseum regularly budgets money into a capital reserve fund to save up for unexpected high cost repairs/replacements, commonly known as a "sinking fund."
Without blinking an eye, Mitch quickly responded, "No sinking fund, just a sinking FEELING!"
After the laughter died down, he did explain how the city tries to anticipate these items and work them into our Capital Improvements Program budget when possible.
Without blinking an eye, Mitch quickly responded, "No sinking fund, just a sinking FEELING!"
After the laughter died down, he did explain how the city tries to anticipate these items and work them into our Capital Improvements Program budget when possible.
Did he really say that?
In the article entitled "Council Overrules Staff on Vehicle Signs" on page 14 of the November 2 edition of The Rhinoceros Times, editor John Hammer states the following:
"Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson proposed that the city only allow minority owned firms to bid on some city contracts at the Greensboro City Council briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the council conference room."
He goes on to report that "..not a single councilmember batted an eye..."
HUH? I was present for that entire briefing session and was alert and wide awake the whole time. I heard no such serious proposal from the city manager or anyone else. I've been wracking my brain to figure out where on earth Hammer came up with this one. The only possibility I can even remotely link it to is Mitch's response to a councilmember's question of "How can we increase minority participation in city contracts?" where he MAY have offered that option in an off-hand, non-serious response.
That's why there was no city council reaction to something that has been ruled illegal by the Supreme Court -- either it was never proposed in the first place or everyone except Hammer recognized it as a quip.
Just another example of "All the rumors fit to print." Sigh!
"Greensboro City Manager Mitch Johnson proposed that the city only allow minority owned firms to bid on some city contracts at the Greensboro City Council briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the council conference room."
He goes on to report that "..not a single councilmember batted an eye..."
HUH? I was present for that entire briefing session and was alert and wide awake the whole time. I heard no such serious proposal from the city manager or anyone else. I've been wracking my brain to figure out where on earth Hammer came up with this one. The only possibility I can even remotely link it to is Mitch's response to a councilmember's question of "How can we increase minority participation in city contracts?" where he MAY have offered that option in an off-hand, non-serious response.
That's why there was no city council reaction to something that has been ruled illegal by the Supreme Court -- either it was never proposed in the first place or everyone except Hammer recognized it as a quip.
Just another example of "All the rumors fit to print." Sigh!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Grammy's goblins
I had visits this Halloween evening from four extra special goblins -- my grandkids.
Little Kammie is too young to partake of the goodies (although her Dad let her gum a "twizzler stick" for a quick taste) so she had to make do with her own sweet fist.
Grandsons Scott and William Christopher looked fiendish in their outfits --
We filled them full of candy and sent them home for their parents to deal with as they bounce off the walls full of sugar energy. Grandparents' revenge!
while their sister Erin was an elegant witch (you can see that my daughter-in-law is a great seamstress). She's going to have a time getting all the gunk out of her hair!
We sent them home full of candy and let their parents enjoy all the fun watching them "bounce off the walls" with all that sugar energy. Grandparents' revenge!
Little Kammie is too young to partake of the goodies (although her Dad let her gum a "twizzler stick" for a quick taste) so she had to make do with her own sweet fist.
Grandsons Scott and William Christopher looked fiendish in their outfits --
We filled them full of candy and sent them home for their parents to deal with as they bounce off the walls full of sugar energy. Grandparents' revenge!
while their sister Erin was an elegant witch (you can see that my daughter-in-law is a great seamstress). She's going to have a time getting all the gunk out of her hair!
We sent them home full of candy and let their parents enjoy all the fun watching them "bounce off the walls" with all that sugar energy. Grandparents' revenge!
The city manager explains
For those who have been speculating why the city manager did what he did in the David Wray situation, here is an explanation in Mitchel Johnson's own words to city employees.
I recently had an opportunity to talk to some new employees’ about our core values: Honesty, Integrity, Stewardship and Respect. I have done this presentation many times, but because of the many issues that we are dealing with right now, I am not sure I have ever felt as strongly about the importance of those values in our organization.
I can remember the dialogue that we had many years ago when we decided that those four words did the best job of describing what we, as a City, cared about. While at the time I felt the words definitely described the organization I wanted to be a part of, I could not have imagined just how important they would become. These few words represent values that when violated damage us all, and destroy the public’s trust. Most importantly, they are the values for which we should be willing to “fall on our sword.”
When I discussed the core values with the new employees, the discussion turned to the issues we are dealing with in the Police Department. After I discussed the general outline of the issues and where we are in the process, one of the employees asked me an excellent question; “When someone asks me (the employee) what is going on, what should I tell them?” I told the employee to tell the person to be patient and to allow the system to work, and not make any judgments based on what they might see or read in the media because the media does not have access to the information they would need to fully and accurately report the issues.
Since that meeting, I have thought about the discussion and my brief answer and realized that while I have spoken and written about the issues in parts and in response to media questions, I have not outlined for our organization what happened and how I dealt with it. I have decided to do just that, so that my short answer above has context. I am not providing this information to defend my actions or those of the organization because I believe that our efforts to date are entirely appropriate and necessary. At the same time, I understand that until more of the information is available, people may not understand why we have done what we have done. But as the old saying goes, “The referee cannot listen to the crowd or the players, but must make the call based on what he believes to be right.” My efforts have always been to allow that to happen. So how does this all tie in with the core values?
Our first core value is honesty. We are not just concerned with accuracy or a carefully worded statement, but fully complete accuracy about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how did we find ourselves in this situation.
The purpose of the initial investigation was to determine a very simple question: “Was the former Chief David Wray providing fully accurate information to the City Manager’s office, our elected leadership and the citizens?” The resulting answer provided by the investigation can be summed up as “No.”
I can tell you that in June of 2005, based on the information provided to me by Wray, I was led to believe that we had an officer that was involved in an on-going drug operation. I also believed at that time that there was no accuracy to the concern being voiced that there was a photo lineup book of officers that was used on multiple occasions in an attempt to get informants to identify officers as involved in wrongdoing (which has been commonly described as a black book). Then Wray told me that he did not know what document people could be talking about, and I believed him. I believed that we were being completely forthright when we told the public that there was an on-going multi-jurisdictional investigation, which would have been compromised if the department had taken any overt action to investigate or discipline an officer who was implicated in the larger multi-jurisdictional investigation.
Based on my absolute trust that this information was complete and accurate, I gave my own personal assurances to leaders of the community that the actions of our Police Department were appropriate and well founded.
In the next few months I was approached by several officers of various ranks and backgrounds (some of which, like me, had strongly supported the selection of Wray to lead the department) who were concerned about certain actions of Wray's administration. These concerns included such things as administrative procedures, the handling of our training academy, and the lack of trust and confidence in the fairness of the decisions being made. In addition, I was contacted by representatives of the SBI about concerns regarding questionable investigative techniques and processes of the Special Intelligence unit with regard to investigations of officers.
I then found myself in a situation where I felt I needed to take an exceptional course of action. On the one hand, I had the plausible information provided to me by Wray, which justified his actions. On the other hand, I had a group of officers who clearly made the professional decision to “fall on their sword” to communicate their concerns about a Department they had invested their life in and for which they felt a great deal of pride. I took no personnel action based on the information provided, but decided to take the exceptional step of asking members of our staff to investigate these claims and furthermore to obtain consulting support from individuals who had the background and expertise in Police administration. The purpose of seeking third-party expertise was to understand what was appropriate and was not appropriate in the normal course of Police administration, and more specifically in the investigations of officers. RMA was selected to perform this task because of its expertise. I removed myself from the investigative process, but gave clear direction that I wanted to know the truth.
Clearly, this situation was testing our core values. We must trust that our officers are being honest regarding their actions. Officers are given extraordinary powers that can result in the restraint of the liberty of our citizens. Honesty by officers is imperative to ensure those powers are not being abused. It is important that the Police Chief set this example for the rest of the officers.
I cannot go into every detail, but the RMA investigation revealed that the information that my predecessor and I received from Wray regarding those key issues discussed above were simply not consistent with what a reasonable person would conclude to be a complete and accurate depiction of the facts. Furthermore, many of the concerns raised by the officers appeared to be valid and that raised concerns about our core value of integrity.
After I reviewed the RMA report, I decided that I had to ask Wray to explain the differences between what I had been told by him and the documented information in the report. Rather than respond to my questions, Wray instead resigned.
Once a new Interim Chief was selected, I turned all of the documents developed by RMA and the staff over to him with the direction to review and to determine to the best of his ability the accuracy of the conclusions of both reports. Furthermore, I requested that the Interim Chief take whatever actions were necessary to address the issues if he believed the information was credible.
The result was a decision approximately one week later by Interim Chief Bellamy to launch an internal Police investigation. He stated to me that he intended to follow the Departmental policies for the investigation of possible administrative violations by officers of the Department. In addition, my office and the Chief’s office committed to take every precaution to ensure that the investigation would be thorough, fair and complete, and that if information was uncovered that could possibly result in a criminal violation, we would request the assistance of the SBI so that no one could accuse our officers of trying to cover up any wrongdoing. In other words, we committed at the outset in January of 2006 to do this thoroughly, and to allow the appropriate systems of checks and balances to work. Only then will any and all actions be taken that are appropriate as a result of the outcome of the investigations.
I did not feel that it would take this long, but the simple truth is that the investigation is requiring this amount of time and effort. I will not apologize for allowing people to do their job to the fullest of their ability. At this time, the administrative investigation is largely complete. However, during the investigation, information was developed that indicated the possibility of criminal violations, and the SBI was called in. At this time the SBI investigation is still underway. An Affidavit recently filed in Court by James Coman, Senior Deputy Attorney General, has stated that the SBI investigation will likely take three more months to complete. As of late September, the SBI had interviewed in excess of 70 people, reviewed hundreds of documents and listened to in excess of 50 recordings.
We are not at the end of this process but there are a few things that I ask all of you to keep in mind as we continue to follow this situation to its conclusion.
1.) We must allow the system to work. Even though I know that there is strong criticism about the length of time it has taken, we owe it to every officer to ensure that the process is fair and based on appropriate standards. Those people who are not a part of the actual investigative process must not assume that they know the facts of the situation, regardless of what they may have read, or what they may have “heard from reliable sources.” Unless you are a part of the investigation, you do not know all of the facts, nor should you. I have left this process in the hands of those people who are charged by law to handle it. I respect and trust the decisions that they will make. If a decision is appealed, it will be my duty to review the decision. Furthermore, the investigation by the SBI is the responsibility of the SBI and the North Carolina Attorney General. While the Greensboro Police department will assist the efforts of the SBI as requested, any decisions coming out of the SBI investigation are their decision and theirs alone.
2.) In total, these investigations have involved much less than 2% of the total sworn department. For anyone to characterize the situation we are dealing with as existing “throughout the department” or in some way as being typical of the Department is just plain wrong. While this investigation has focused on specific issues, it would be completely unrealistic if we did not believe that we will always have incidents when officers have violated administrative regulations and/or, on rare occasions, even committed criminal offenses. They are human and make mistakes. Making sure that the system works and that the results are fair and unbiased is the job of the departmental leadership and ultimately the City Manager and Council. The men and women of our Department do their job day in and day out with great care and professionalism, and they deserve our respect. Please make every effort to let them know you support them and believe in them. If anything we should all be thankful that when our core values are threatened, officers are willing to come forward to ask that it be addressed. This gives me great comfort for the future of our Department.
3.) As your Manager I will do everything I can to follow our core values and I expect each of us to do the same.
4.) This whole unfortunate saga is not about any particular individual. It is about our core beliefs and maintaining the integrity of our Police Department, and therefore our legal system, for the good of the officers who dedicate their lives to the care of this community and the citizens who must trust those officers.
I will try to provide further information as it is appropriate but I felt these things needed to be said.
I recently had an opportunity to talk to some new employees’ about our core values: Honesty, Integrity, Stewardship and Respect. I have done this presentation many times, but because of the many issues that we are dealing with right now, I am not sure I have ever felt as strongly about the importance of those values in our organization.
I can remember the dialogue that we had many years ago when we decided that those four words did the best job of describing what we, as a City, cared about. While at the time I felt the words definitely described the organization I wanted to be a part of, I could not have imagined just how important they would become. These few words represent values that when violated damage us all, and destroy the public’s trust. Most importantly, they are the values for which we should be willing to “fall on our sword.”
When I discussed the core values with the new employees, the discussion turned to the issues we are dealing with in the Police Department. After I discussed the general outline of the issues and where we are in the process, one of the employees asked me an excellent question; “When someone asks me (the employee) what is going on, what should I tell them?” I told the employee to tell the person to be patient and to allow the system to work, and not make any judgments based on what they might see or read in the media because the media does not have access to the information they would need to fully and accurately report the issues.
Since that meeting, I have thought about the discussion and my brief answer and realized that while I have spoken and written about the issues in parts and in response to media questions, I have not outlined for our organization what happened and how I dealt with it. I have decided to do just that, so that my short answer above has context. I am not providing this information to defend my actions or those of the organization because I believe that our efforts to date are entirely appropriate and necessary. At the same time, I understand that until more of the information is available, people may not understand why we have done what we have done. But as the old saying goes, “The referee cannot listen to the crowd or the players, but must make the call based on what he believes to be right.” My efforts have always been to allow that to happen. So how does this all tie in with the core values?
Our first core value is honesty. We are not just concerned with accuracy or a carefully worded statement, but fully complete accuracy about what we are doing, why we are doing it and how did we find ourselves in this situation.
The purpose of the initial investigation was to determine a very simple question: “Was the former Chief David Wray providing fully accurate information to the City Manager’s office, our elected leadership and the citizens?” The resulting answer provided by the investigation can be summed up as “No.”
I can tell you that in June of 2005, based on the information provided to me by Wray, I was led to believe that we had an officer that was involved in an on-going drug operation. I also believed at that time that there was no accuracy to the concern being voiced that there was a photo lineup book of officers that was used on multiple occasions in an attempt to get informants to identify officers as involved in wrongdoing (which has been commonly described as a black book). Then Wray told me that he did not know what document people could be talking about, and I believed him. I believed that we were being completely forthright when we told the public that there was an on-going multi-jurisdictional investigation, which would have been compromised if the department had taken any overt action to investigate or discipline an officer who was implicated in the larger multi-jurisdictional investigation.
Based on my absolute trust that this information was complete and accurate, I gave my own personal assurances to leaders of the community that the actions of our Police Department were appropriate and well founded.
In the next few months I was approached by several officers of various ranks and backgrounds (some of which, like me, had strongly supported the selection of Wray to lead the department) who were concerned about certain actions of Wray's administration. These concerns included such things as administrative procedures, the handling of our training academy, and the lack of trust and confidence in the fairness of the decisions being made. In addition, I was contacted by representatives of the SBI about concerns regarding questionable investigative techniques and processes of the Special Intelligence unit with regard to investigations of officers.
I then found myself in a situation where I felt I needed to take an exceptional course of action. On the one hand, I had the plausible information provided to me by Wray, which justified his actions. On the other hand, I had a group of officers who clearly made the professional decision to “fall on their sword” to communicate their concerns about a Department they had invested their life in and for which they felt a great deal of pride. I took no personnel action based on the information provided, but decided to take the exceptional step of asking members of our staff to investigate these claims and furthermore to obtain consulting support from individuals who had the background and expertise in Police administration. The purpose of seeking third-party expertise was to understand what was appropriate and was not appropriate in the normal course of Police administration, and more specifically in the investigations of officers. RMA was selected to perform this task because of its expertise. I removed myself from the investigative process, but gave clear direction that I wanted to know the truth.
Clearly, this situation was testing our core values. We must trust that our officers are being honest regarding their actions. Officers are given extraordinary powers that can result in the restraint of the liberty of our citizens. Honesty by officers is imperative to ensure those powers are not being abused. It is important that the Police Chief set this example for the rest of the officers.
I cannot go into every detail, but the RMA investigation revealed that the information that my predecessor and I received from Wray regarding those key issues discussed above were simply not consistent with what a reasonable person would conclude to be a complete and accurate depiction of the facts. Furthermore, many of the concerns raised by the officers appeared to be valid and that raised concerns about our core value of integrity.
After I reviewed the RMA report, I decided that I had to ask Wray to explain the differences between what I had been told by him and the documented information in the report. Rather than respond to my questions, Wray instead resigned.
Once a new Interim Chief was selected, I turned all of the documents developed by RMA and the staff over to him with the direction to review and to determine to the best of his ability the accuracy of the conclusions of both reports. Furthermore, I requested that the Interim Chief take whatever actions were necessary to address the issues if he believed the information was credible.
The result was a decision approximately one week later by Interim Chief Bellamy to launch an internal Police investigation. He stated to me that he intended to follow the Departmental policies for the investigation of possible administrative violations by officers of the Department. In addition, my office and the Chief’s office committed to take every precaution to ensure that the investigation would be thorough, fair and complete, and that if information was uncovered that could possibly result in a criminal violation, we would request the assistance of the SBI so that no one could accuse our officers of trying to cover up any wrongdoing. In other words, we committed at the outset in January of 2006 to do this thoroughly, and to allow the appropriate systems of checks and balances to work. Only then will any and all actions be taken that are appropriate as a result of the outcome of the investigations.
I did not feel that it would take this long, but the simple truth is that the investigation is requiring this amount of time and effort. I will not apologize for allowing people to do their job to the fullest of their ability. At this time, the administrative investigation is largely complete. However, during the investigation, information was developed that indicated the possibility of criminal violations, and the SBI was called in. At this time the SBI investigation is still underway. An Affidavit recently filed in Court by James Coman, Senior Deputy Attorney General, has stated that the SBI investigation will likely take three more months to complete. As of late September, the SBI had interviewed in excess of 70 people, reviewed hundreds of documents and listened to in excess of 50 recordings.
We are not at the end of this process but there are a few things that I ask all of you to keep in mind as we continue to follow this situation to its conclusion.
1.) We must allow the system to work. Even though I know that there is strong criticism about the length of time it has taken, we owe it to every officer to ensure that the process is fair and based on appropriate standards. Those people who are not a part of the actual investigative process must not assume that they know the facts of the situation, regardless of what they may have read, or what they may have “heard from reliable sources.” Unless you are a part of the investigation, you do not know all of the facts, nor should you. I have left this process in the hands of those people who are charged by law to handle it. I respect and trust the decisions that they will make. If a decision is appealed, it will be my duty to review the decision. Furthermore, the investigation by the SBI is the responsibility of the SBI and the North Carolina Attorney General. While the Greensboro Police department will assist the efforts of the SBI as requested, any decisions coming out of the SBI investigation are their decision and theirs alone.
2.) In total, these investigations have involved much less than 2% of the total sworn department. For anyone to characterize the situation we are dealing with as existing “throughout the department” or in some way as being typical of the Department is just plain wrong. While this investigation has focused on specific issues, it would be completely unrealistic if we did not believe that we will always have incidents when officers have violated administrative regulations and/or, on rare occasions, even committed criminal offenses. They are human and make mistakes. Making sure that the system works and that the results are fair and unbiased is the job of the departmental leadership and ultimately the City Manager and Council. The men and women of our Department do their job day in and day out with great care and professionalism, and they deserve our respect. Please make every effort to let them know you support them and believe in them. If anything we should all be thankful that when our core values are threatened, officers are willing to come forward to ask that it be addressed. This gives me great comfort for the future of our Department.
3.) As your Manager I will do everything I can to follow our core values and I expect each of us to do the same.
4.) This whole unfortunate saga is not about any particular individual. It is about our core beliefs and maintaining the integrity of our Police Department, and therefore our legal system, for the good of the officers who dedicate their lives to the care of this community and the citizens who must trust those officers.
I will try to provide further information as it is appropriate but I felt these things needed to be said.
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