Thursday, August 30, 2007
Gone paddlin'
I'm headed down to Oak Island this morning for 4-5 days of beach and kayaking so my blogging will likely be sparse or non-existent during that time. See you next week!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
A productive briefing session
Today's city council briefing session provided a lot of good information on upcoming issues as well as allowing the council to make a key decision regarding the gang unit requested by the police department. Here's a brief summary of the highlights of each of the issues that were on the agenda.
* GANG ISSUES
Police Chief Bellamy began the presentation by acknowledging that there are several GPD officers working on gang issues at the present time, not just the one that has been frequently cited by the media recently. He stated that "the foundation [for a good anti-gang program] is already present -- it just needs to be enhanced." He then informed us that Guilford County Schools has agreed to apply for available grant funding to implement the highly successful G.R.E.A.T program and that federal authorities were willing to assign one of their agents to the effort if Greensboro officially formed a gang unit.
Chief Bellamy estimated that 45% of the total crime in Greensboro is gang-related with certain categories such as assaults and murders even higher. Gangs are not new to Greensboro -- he dealt with them in the mid-80's when he was assigned to the Youth Division -- but their activity has exploded in recent years. He noted that the costs to implement Proposal 2 (in the $2 million range) were minute compared to the costs incurred by the community as a whole due to gang activity.
There was much council discussion about the need for such a unit and the fact that no matter which option we selected, current GPD officers would have to be reassigned from current squads and assignments to form this unit. Even with authorization to hire additional officers as outlined in Proposal 2, there would be a significant time delay to hire, train and equip those new officers. Thus the city council unanimously directed the police chief and city manager to proceed with BOTH proposals -- Proposal 1 to get the gang unit formed and to work immediately and Proposal 2 to include funding in the next budget to replenish the CRT and TSET squads and hire additional gang unit personnel. The mayor cautioned citizens not to expect the problem to suddenly disappear just because the gang unit is being formed -- it will take time for the education, intervention, and enforcement efforts to produce results, and this will not happen overnight.
* International Civil Rights Museum
Amelia Parker, Executive Director of the International Civil Rights Museum, Attorney Carole Bruce, and others presented an update on the status of funding for the museum. The current estimates for the entire project is just under $17 million. With $8,486,292 already spent, a one million dollar contingency, and confirmed outstanding pledges, approximately $8.5 million more is needed. The old Woolworths building is eligible for $5-6 million in historic tax credits and a private capital campaign is underway to raise another $2 million. A request was made that the city fund all or part of the remaining $1.5 million gap, and the mayor suggested exploring the use of some of the city's federal HUD or CDBG allocations for this purpose. With the voters already twice rejecting bond referendums to provide public funding for this project, this is going to be a very sticky issue to address.
* Downtown Streetscape Presentation
A citizens committee has been working with city staff since April 2005 to form recommendations related to the space between the curb and building faces in the downtown business district -- city sidewalks. In some spots, these sidewalks are a narrow two feet, in other spots, they are a spacious 15 feet. The wider sidewalks allow for amenities such as trees, street furniture and sidewalk cafes. Appropriate siting of trash receptacles and newspaper racks (the desire to assure public access while managing the unsightliness of numerous, mismatched receptacles) is also an issue. At this point, the committee's recommendations have been accepted as "voluntary guidelines" as new development occurs, but it is expected that some or all of the provisions will eventually become "regulations" in the appropriate section of the new Land Development Ordinance that is currently being written.
* Update on the Land Development Ordinance
Due to the great care and detailed analysis being done by the Citizens Advisory Committee, progress on the rewrite of the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) is moving more slowly than anticipated, and it is likely to be another year before the draft document is ready for public review. This is not a bad thing -- hopefully all the "bugs" will be ironed out during this intense process.
The planning staff reviewed "Module 2A" which addresses zoning districts and the standards applied to them. They are trying to make things simpler and more flexible. The current nine single-family residential categories are collapsed into three, and a sixth multi-family category is created to accommodate denser development around proposed transit centers. Some compatibility standards are added for existing neighborhoods while allowing for a greater choice of housing styles, ages and incomes in other residential districts. Three mixed-use zoning districts are proposed and can be applied to new development at the request of the developer. The current six commercial districts are consolidated into five and the three current office districts into one.
Retiring councilmember Tom Phillips cautioned that the new city council (who will be the ones deciding on the adoption of the final LDO) should review the document with a fine-tooth comb and not accept it incomplete and on faith as the previous council did with the Comprehensive Plan.
* New Street Design Standards
GDOT staff unveiled proposals to implement new street design standards after determining current standards are outdated and inflexible. They compared Greensboro's with several other cities of comparable size. Proposed standards for residential development provide for lower speeds in neighborhoods with narrower streets (26 feet instead of the current 30), link required street width to the density of the housing units, and promote safe and convenient pedestrian access. Design speeds, road widths and required right-of-way are reduced, a significant saving for developers who are required to build streets.
Factors considered for streets in commercial areas include the need to balance vehicle access with mobility, turn lanes and median breaks, convenient on-street parking, and pedestrian access. Design speeds were reduced for most categories as well.
Twelve homeowners' associations have submitted requests to the city to assume responsibility for the maintenance of their private streets. Seven have qualified for this based on specific criteria, two did not, and three are under review. Main factors in the evaluation is the physical condition and strength of the roadway along with being wide enough for city emergency vehicles and garbage trucks to maneuver.
* Recycling Program Changes
Materials Processing Costs (estimated savings of $350,000 annually): Effective July 1, 2007, city staff negotiated a 5-year contract extension with FCR, our recycled materials processor which reduced the processing fee from $61.29/ton to $20/ton (versus the $36/ton cost for garbage disposal). Rigid plastics such as plastic lawn furniture, 5-gallon buckets and laundry baskets will now be accepted as new recycling materials. Drop-off sites around the city will experience a makeover with new containers and signage.
Every Other Week Recycling (estimated savings of $150,000 annually): The vast majority of city residents do not fill their brown recycling cart every week and do not put it out to the curb every week. Beginning January 28, 2008, the city will begin recycling collection every other week. This will occur on the regular garbage collection day, just every other week instead of every week. A major education effort will begin in October with refrigerator magnets, mail-outs, and an interactive website. Citizens who feel this will not meet their needs may purchase additional brown containers at half-price from the city ($25-30 each) or utilize drop-off sites scattered throughout the city.
Modified Recycling Inspections (estimated savings of $65,000 annually): In 1994, the residue (trash contamination) rate was 50%; today it is less than 20%. More efficient use of inspectors' time can be made by inspecting full loads of recycled materials as they are dumped at the recovery facility. Since detailed records are kept of each truck's route, it will be easy to identify where additional education and inspections may be needed.
* Neighborhood Street Sign Toppers
The Fisher Park neighborhood requested that street sign toppers identifying their neighborhood be placed on existing street signs around their neighborhood; others have now expressed interest. City staff has recommended allowing this as long as the neighborhood covers all fabrication, installation and replacement costs for this, approximately $75 per sign. The city council agreed to proceed with a pilot program with Fisher Park.
WHEW! A very busy morning!
* GANG ISSUES
Police Chief Bellamy began the presentation by acknowledging that there are several GPD officers working on gang issues at the present time, not just the one that has been frequently cited by the media recently. He stated that "the foundation [for a good anti-gang program] is already present -- it just needs to be enhanced." He then informed us that Guilford County Schools has agreed to apply for available grant funding to implement the highly successful G.R.E.A.T program and that federal authorities were willing to assign one of their agents to the effort if Greensboro officially formed a gang unit.
Chief Bellamy estimated that 45% of the total crime in Greensboro is gang-related with certain categories such as assaults and murders even higher. Gangs are not new to Greensboro -- he dealt with them in the mid-80's when he was assigned to the Youth Division -- but their activity has exploded in recent years. He noted that the costs to implement Proposal 2 (in the $2 million range) were minute compared to the costs incurred by the community as a whole due to gang activity.
There was much council discussion about the need for such a unit and the fact that no matter which option we selected, current GPD officers would have to be reassigned from current squads and assignments to form this unit. Even with authorization to hire additional officers as outlined in Proposal 2, there would be a significant time delay to hire, train and equip those new officers. Thus the city council unanimously directed the police chief and city manager to proceed with BOTH proposals -- Proposal 1 to get the gang unit formed and to work immediately and Proposal 2 to include funding in the next budget to replenish the CRT and TSET squads and hire additional gang unit personnel. The mayor cautioned citizens not to expect the problem to suddenly disappear just because the gang unit is being formed -- it will take time for the education, intervention, and enforcement efforts to produce results, and this will not happen overnight.
* International Civil Rights Museum
Amelia Parker, Executive Director of the International Civil Rights Museum, Attorney Carole Bruce, and others presented an update on the status of funding for the museum. The current estimates for the entire project is just under $17 million. With $8,486,292 already spent, a one million dollar contingency, and confirmed outstanding pledges, approximately $8.5 million more is needed. The old Woolworths building is eligible for $5-6 million in historic tax credits and a private capital campaign is underway to raise another $2 million. A request was made that the city fund all or part of the remaining $1.5 million gap, and the mayor suggested exploring the use of some of the city's federal HUD or CDBG allocations for this purpose. With the voters already twice rejecting bond referendums to provide public funding for this project, this is going to be a very sticky issue to address.
* Downtown Streetscape Presentation
A citizens committee has been working with city staff since April 2005 to form recommendations related to the space between the curb and building faces in the downtown business district -- city sidewalks. In some spots, these sidewalks are a narrow two feet, in other spots, they are a spacious 15 feet. The wider sidewalks allow for amenities such as trees, street furniture and sidewalk cafes. Appropriate siting of trash receptacles and newspaper racks (the desire to assure public access while managing the unsightliness of numerous, mismatched receptacles) is also an issue. At this point, the committee's recommendations have been accepted as "voluntary guidelines" as new development occurs, but it is expected that some or all of the provisions will eventually become "regulations" in the appropriate section of the new Land Development Ordinance that is currently being written.
* Update on the Land Development Ordinance
Due to the great care and detailed analysis being done by the Citizens Advisory Committee, progress on the rewrite of the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) is moving more slowly than anticipated, and it is likely to be another year before the draft document is ready for public review. This is not a bad thing -- hopefully all the "bugs" will be ironed out during this intense process.
The planning staff reviewed "Module 2A" which addresses zoning districts and the standards applied to them. They are trying to make things simpler and more flexible. The current nine single-family residential categories are collapsed into three, and a sixth multi-family category is created to accommodate denser development around proposed transit centers. Some compatibility standards are added for existing neighborhoods while allowing for a greater choice of housing styles, ages and incomes in other residential districts. Three mixed-use zoning districts are proposed and can be applied to new development at the request of the developer. The current six commercial districts are consolidated into five and the three current office districts into one.
Retiring councilmember Tom Phillips cautioned that the new city council (who will be the ones deciding on the adoption of the final LDO) should review the document with a fine-tooth comb and not accept it incomplete and on faith as the previous council did with the Comprehensive Plan.
* New Street Design Standards
GDOT staff unveiled proposals to implement new street design standards after determining current standards are outdated and inflexible. They compared Greensboro's with several other cities of comparable size. Proposed standards for residential development provide for lower speeds in neighborhoods with narrower streets (26 feet instead of the current 30), link required street width to the density of the housing units, and promote safe and convenient pedestrian access. Design speeds, road widths and required right-of-way are reduced, a significant saving for developers who are required to build streets.
Factors considered for streets in commercial areas include the need to balance vehicle access with mobility, turn lanes and median breaks, convenient on-street parking, and pedestrian access. Design speeds were reduced for most categories as well.
Twelve homeowners' associations have submitted requests to the city to assume responsibility for the maintenance of their private streets. Seven have qualified for this based on specific criteria, two did not, and three are under review. Main factors in the evaluation is the physical condition and strength of the roadway along with being wide enough for city emergency vehicles and garbage trucks to maneuver.
* Recycling Program Changes
Materials Processing Costs (estimated savings of $350,000 annually): Effective July 1, 2007, city staff negotiated a 5-year contract extension with FCR, our recycled materials processor which reduced the processing fee from $61.29/ton to $20/ton (versus the $36/ton cost for garbage disposal). Rigid plastics such as plastic lawn furniture, 5-gallon buckets and laundry baskets will now be accepted as new recycling materials. Drop-off sites around the city will experience a makeover with new containers and signage.
Every Other Week Recycling (estimated savings of $150,000 annually): The vast majority of city residents do not fill their brown recycling cart every week and do not put it out to the curb every week. Beginning January 28, 2008, the city will begin recycling collection every other week. This will occur on the regular garbage collection day, just every other week instead of every week. A major education effort will begin in October with refrigerator magnets, mail-outs, and an interactive website. Citizens who feel this will not meet their needs may purchase additional brown containers at half-price from the city ($25-30 each) or utilize drop-off sites scattered throughout the city.
Modified Recycling Inspections (estimated savings of $65,000 annually): In 1994, the residue (trash contamination) rate was 50%; today it is less than 20%. More efficient use of inspectors' time can be made by inspecting full loads of recycled materials as they are dumped at the recovery facility. Since detailed records are kept of each truck's route, it will be easy to identify where additional education and inspections may be needed.
* Neighborhood Street Sign Toppers
The Fisher Park neighborhood requested that street sign toppers identifying their neighborhood be placed on existing street signs around their neighborhood; others have now expressed interest. City staff has recommended allowing this as long as the neighborhood covers all fabrication, installation and replacement costs for this, approximately $75 per sign. The city council agreed to proceed with a pilot program with Fisher Park.
WHEW! A very busy morning!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Guarino candidate questionnaire
Here is my completed candidate questionnarie I returned to Joe Guarino today:
Candidate Name: Sandy Carmany
1. What do you regard as the single most important function or purpose of city government?
1. What do you regard as the single most important function or purpose of city government?
The most important function of city government is to provide the basic city services and infrastructure needed for the health and welfare of its citizens – clean drinking water, sewer and wastewater treatment facilities, solid waste collection and disposal, fire and police protection, and a reliable network of streets for mobility. I cannot designate a single service as “most important,” just as one cannot say which is more important – one’s heart, brain, or lungs – all must be functioning well for one to be healthy.
2. What would be your specific plan or approach to attract new employers, and retain existing employers, in the City of Greensboro?
I would continue the same successful strategies we are currently following – 1) Maintain an attractive city with a high quality of life by providing efficient basic city services and infrastructure along with ample recreational and cultural opportunities, 2) Keep the cost of doing business low with a reasonable tax and fee structure, 3) Support efforts of our school system, community college, and colleges and universities to supply a well-educated workforce, 4) Provide advice and troubleshooting assistance through our economic development team headed by Assistant City Manager Ben Brown, 5) Supporting small business start-ups such as “Cheesecakes by Alex” with the Targeted Loan Pool, 6) Use the voter-approved $10 million bond to assist with public infrastructure development (water, sewer, roads) when appropriate to make sure the city has “shovel ready” sites for new businesses, both in new locations and redevelopment sites on existing corridors, and 7) Judiciously approve incentives on a case-by-case basis to “tip the scale” in the city’s favor when a desirable proposed business, the number of jobs, and their rate of pay justify the public investment.
3. What would be your specific plan to reduce crime in the City of Greensboro?
1) Continue to increase the number of authorized sworn personnel to meet the growing call load and investigative needs, 2) Create/strengthen specialized units to focus on specific areas of concern, such as gangs and traffic enforcement, 3) Strengthen the community policing focus and the abilities and effectiveness of neighborhood crime watches which put more “eyes on the street,” and 4) Continue/strengthen prevention efforts such as gang education/intervention programs and working with business owners to make their facilities less vulnerable/attractive to criminals (better lighting, adequate security systems and procedures, etc.)
4. Would you ever vote in favor of a tax increase?
My priorities in balancing the city’s budget is identifying more efficient ways of providing services, focusing on identified priorities and eliminating outdated or unneeded programs, charging appropriate fees for specialized services that recoup the cost of providing that service, and seeking grants – federal, state, and other – to offset costs (for example, EPA grants for the South Elm-Eugene brownfield redevelopment, state and federal grant funding for the HEAT bus service, etc.). After exploring all these options and finding that the need still exists for additional revenues to cover the provision of essential city services and infrastructure, then yes, I would (and have in the past) vote “yes” for a property tax increase rather than allow the city to deteriorate.
5. Are you going to seek or accept the endorsement of the Simpkins PAC?
Believing that voters have the right to be educated on my opinions and stances on a wide variety of issues, I attend candidate forums to which I am invited and respond to all candidate questionnaires (such as this one) and requests for interviews. If a particular constituency organization is satisfied with my straightforward responses to questions on issues important to them, it is certainly within their rights to endorse me. I do NOT make any promises or commitments to ANYONE in order to secure votes or endorsements. If the Simpkins PAC chooses to endorse me, yes, I would accept that endorsement. In past elections, this PAC sometimes HAS endorsed me and sometimes HAS NOT. I have been successful in getting elected both with and without this endorsement.
6. Are you going to seek or accept the support of TREBIC?
One clarification: TREBIC does NOT support or endorse candidates for election; some of its member organizations such as the realtors and the builders do endorse and/or support candidates. TREBIC facilitates the questionnaire and interview process for those various organizations so that candidates have only one questionnaire and interview on issues common to all those member organizations instead of multiple ones. TREBIC itself takes no official stances on candidates.
Believing that voters have the right to be educated on my opinions and stances on a wide variety of issues, I attend candidate forums to which I am invited and respond to all candidate questionnaires (such as this one) and requests for interviews. If particular constituency organizations are satisfied with my straightforward responses to questions on issues important to them, it is certainly within their rights to endorse me. I do NOT make any promises or commitments to ANYONE in order to secure votes or endorsements. I have been endorsed by the realtors’ and builders’ organizations -- as well as by the Sierra Club -- in past elections. Yes, I would accept support from the realtors, builders, and other member organizations of TREBIC.
7. Do you support same-sex domestic partner benefits for city employees?
No, and I do not support the provision of benefits to city employees’ domestic partners of the OPPOSITE gender either. The continued yearly growth in the cost to provide health insurance and other benefits for employees is one of the main factors forcing continued increases in the city budget. Those expensive benefits should be available only to those persons who have a legally recognized relationship with the employee in an effort to limit expenditures of city tax dollars.
8. What would be your specific plan to clean up the Greensboro Police Department?
A vast majority of our fine GPD officers have always performed their duties efficiently and appropriately and thus have no need of being “cleaned up.” I believe the problems involving a very small number of officers are being effectively addressed with most of those prior problems now resolved. This has been accomplished by 1) new directives adopted by the current police administration to remove ambiguities in some operating policies and procedures such as officers’ off-duty employment, 2) the return of disciplinary investigations to the Internal Affairs unit, 3) the reorganization of some GPD divisions and functions to insure proper oversight and chain-of-command review as mandated by nationally accepted professional standards, and 4) the opportunity for any GPD officer to request a review of any past personnel action concerning the officer he/she believed to be unfair and corrective action taken when documented to be appropriate. The GPD has high standards and expectations, and I fully expect the Chief of Police to thoroughly investigate all allegations of misconduct and take appropriate action when the facts show it to be warranted.
Weekly schedule
The first part of my week is busy, but with nothing on my schedule after Wednesday, I'm planning an escape to Oak Island for some sun and relaxation.
Today, Monday, August 27, I have my regular monthly one-on-one meeting with the city manager this afternoon followed by dinner at Delancey Street for an update on their program and activities.
The agenda for the council's briefing session on Tuesday, August 28 is a busy one. Items include presentations on the proposed gang unit, the International Civil Rights Museum, the Land Development Ordinance, and changes to the recycling program, among others.
The Greensboro Partnership's annual "State of the Community" luncheon will be held on Wednesday, August 29. This event always provides a good opportunity for networking and updates on progress being made in Guilford County.
After that, Oak Island, here I come!
Today, Monday, August 27, I have my regular monthly one-on-one meeting with the city manager this afternoon followed by dinner at Delancey Street for an update on their program and activities.
The agenda for the council's briefing session on Tuesday, August 28 is a busy one. Items include presentations on the proposed gang unit, the International Civil Rights Museum, the Land Development Ordinance, and changes to the recycling program, among others.
The Greensboro Partnership's annual "State of the Community" luncheon will be held on Wednesday, August 29. This event always provides a good opportunity for networking and updates on progress being made in Guilford County.
After that, Oak Island, here I come!
City Connections
The latest edition of City Connections reminds citizens of the mandatory water restrictions that begin today. I urge everyone to do their part in cutting back on our water consumption until our rainfall returns to normal. Besides, those fines are pretty hefty!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Greensboro Gang Unit options
I received a memo from Assistant City Manager Bob Morgan this afternoon that included a report from Assistant Police Chief D.K. Crotts outlining two proposals to be considered at Tuesday's briefing session regarding the possible establishment of a Gang Unit -- Sgt. G.M. Richey and Corporal E.G. Sigmon provided most of the input for the proposals. Following is a summary of the two proposals.
Proposal 1
Prevention: This component seeks to establish a prevention program in the schools such as G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education and Training) that could be taught by the School Resource Officer. The cost is minimal -- training for the instructors -- but would require a commitment of manpower and resources. Funding grants are a possibility. The school system would have to commit to the partnership.
Intervention: The Hope Project and Greensboro Parks and Recreation's Outreach person would serve as the core of this effort -- a team of three persons at a start-up cost of $150,000 would be needed to serve as the intake for at risk youth and develop a relationship with the youth and family. Another possibility would be a Summer Jobs program for at risk youth.
Enforcement: This proposal realigns two of the current Community Resource Teams (CRTs) and designates them as the Gang Unit in the Investigative Support Division on the Investigative Bureau. (The other two CRTs would remain in the Patrol Bureau with their geographic area doubled.) Proposed responsibilities include monitoring gang activity and disseminating information, providing assistance to detectives, working with the Hope Project and Outreach Person, and attending community meetings, among others.
PROS of this option include:
* No additional costs for personnel or vehicles
* Squads could use existing space at substations
CONS of this option include:
* Current vacancy issues in CRT are not addressed
* A decrease in CRT community response levels
* Decrease in overall ability of the TSET squads to address their mission
* Some costs for the Prevention and Intervention programs
Proposal 2
Prevention and Intervention: (same as Proposal 1)
Enforcement: Creation of two new squads (additional personnel) consisting of a sergeant a corporal, and six uniformed officers whose purposes would be to gather intelligence and disseminate information along with follow-up with prosecution of those engaged in criminal activity. Total start-up costs include salary and benefits plus equipment to the tune of $1,403,370.
PROS of this option include:
* Fully funds the prevention program
* Does not negatively impact the Community Resource Teams or the TSET function
* Does not exacerbate current manpower deficiencies
Proposal 1
Prevention: This component seeks to establish a prevention program in the schools such as G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education and Training) that could be taught by the School Resource Officer. The cost is minimal -- training for the instructors -- but would require a commitment of manpower and resources. Funding grants are a possibility. The school system would have to commit to the partnership.
Intervention: The Hope Project and Greensboro Parks and Recreation's Outreach person would serve as the core of this effort -- a team of three persons at a start-up cost of $150,000 would be needed to serve as the intake for at risk youth and develop a relationship with the youth and family. Another possibility would be a Summer Jobs program for at risk youth.
Enforcement: This proposal realigns two of the current Community Resource Teams (CRTs) and designates them as the Gang Unit in the Investigative Support Division on the Investigative Bureau. (The other two CRTs would remain in the Patrol Bureau with their geographic area doubled.) Proposed responsibilities include monitoring gang activity and disseminating information, providing assistance to detectives, working with the Hope Project and Outreach Person, and attending community meetings, among others.
PROS of this option include:
* No additional costs for personnel or vehicles
* Squads could use existing space at substations
CONS of this option include:
* Current vacancy issues in CRT are not addressed
* A decrease in CRT community response levels
* Decrease in overall ability of the TSET squads to address their mission
* Some costs for the Prevention and Intervention programs
Proposal 2
Prevention and Intervention: (same as Proposal 1)
Enforcement: Creation of two new squads (additional personnel) consisting of a sergeant a corporal, and six uniformed officers whose purposes would be to gather intelligence and disseminate information along with follow-up with prosecution of those engaged in criminal activity. Total start-up costs include salary and benefits plus equipment to the tune of $1,403,370.
PROS of this option include:
* Fully funds the prevention program
* Does not negatively impact the Community Resource Teams or the TSET function
* Does not exacerbate current manpower deficiencies
CONS include:
* Significant overall cost -- approaches $2 million when all training such as G.R.E.A.T is included (approaching 1-cent on the property tax rate which was NOT budgeted this year)
* Does not address additional space allocation needs
I appreciate the time and effort these officers have put into creating these proposals and I look forward to examining them in greater detail at Tuesday's meeting. We'll see where we go from here!
City Council meeting recap
[I have been trying to get this posted since Wednesday, but my DSL service has been frustratingly "off and on" for several days. After a lengthy telephone session with the BellSouth tech folks, I HOPE everything is fixed again. We'll see!]
The August 21, 2007 meeting of the Greensboro City Council was a busy one where we made several key decisions. It was a relief that there were no rezoning cases on the agenda for a change, leaving plenty of available time for discussions on a wider variety of issues. Following are some of the highlights of the various topics and issues we covered:
* A memorial resolution for the late Owen Lewis -- Owen was one of those active Greensboro citizens who generously shared his time and talents with many organizations through the years. He will be greatly missed.
* EPA Clean-up Grant -- Greensboro was one of the 300 winners of an EPA Brownfield Clean-up Grant out of 800 applicants nationwide. This $600,000 award will be used to remediate environmental contamination on the South Elm-Eugene site and get it ready for redevelopment.
* Change in zoning case procedures involving Comprehensive Plan amendments - In the past, requests for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan automatically proceeded to the City Council for a public hearing even when the applicable rezoning request was denied by the Zoning Commission. That will no longer occur unless the applicant appeals the zoning decision to the City Council.
* Approval of incentives for RF Micro Devices -- The city council unanimously approved the request for $1.2 million in an incentive grant to be paid out over five years if the company fulfills its obligation to create 300 new jobs and invest $103 million of their own money. RFMD is the city's third largest taxpayer, currently generating $1.8 million dollars per year in city tax revenue -- this new expansion will add to those figures.
* Bond action -- The city council extended the time period for issuance of the bonds approved by voters in 2000 for an additional three years. We judiciously delayed selling those bonds in the early 2000's (and proceeding with some of the approved projects authorized in them) due to the severe economic downturn at the time. "2/3 bonds" were also authorized to pay for repairs at War Memorial Stadium and repairs to various other city buildings.
* New GTA Bus Facility -- The city council authorized GTA to seek federal and state grants to build a new operations/maintenance/administrative facility, estimated at $20 million. Federal funding would cover 80% of the costs ($16 million), state 10% ($2 million) and local 10% ($2 million, which could be the value of the land, not necessarily cash). The current facility in downtown is badly over-crowded, with buses double- and triple-parked overnight.
* New fitness contract at the Sportsplex -- Due to a marriage, the current contract for fitness services fell into the "conflict of interest" category and had to be put out to bid. Hubney Fitness ("The Rush") was awarded a 15-year contract that will earn the city $400,000 during that time period. Upgrades to the facility and its equipment will begin in September; the city was able to purchase existing equipment at a bargain rate to distribute to other recreation centers in the city.
* Work authorized for replacement of the Lake Townsend Dam -- The city council established bond funding and approved the contract for the construction of a new raw water intake system at the Lake Townsend Dam, the first step in replacing the entire dam structure.
* Received notice that mandatory water restrictions will begin on Monday, August 27 -- Water Resources Director Allan Williams provided an in depth explanation of the current drought and its effects on the city water supply. (Jump to item #30 at the 3-hour 17-minute mark.) Due to the high daily usage -- one third of which appears to be from irrigation -- and the lack of substantial rain in the near future, mandatory restrictions are necessary to insure the safety of our water supply. Water purchases from Burlington and Reidsville have allowed us to postpone this action until this point. The main restriction at the "Level IIa is that lawn sprinkler systems may be operated only once a week; fines for violations begin at $100 and increase from there for subsequent violations.
* Prohibition of city employees serving on city boards and commissions -- Except as required by statute or ordinance, no city employee may serve on a city board or commission. Councilmembers felt it was important to restrict these appointments to city residents who are not employed by the city to avoid that potential for conflict of interest.
* Smoking ban in municipal buildings and vehicles -- The city council unanimously approved an ordinance to prohibit smoking inside any city-owned building or vehicle. This ordinance was made possible by a change in the state law approved earlier this summer and will take effect on January 1, 2008, the first date the new law allows for that action. Dr. Richard Rosen deserves special recognition for his tireless efforts to protect the public from secondhand smoke.
* "Cool Cities" resolution -- We unanimously adopted a resolution that authorized the mayor to sign the "U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement" as well as beginning the process to reduce the city's power consumption-- an inventory of our energy usage. City Manager Mitchell Johnson provided a long list of "green" practices Greensboro already uses. (Jump to item #35 at the one-hour forty-four minute mark.)
* Approval of fire prevention and protection fees -- The city council approved a new fee structure for fire inspections and fireworks, among others, that comes closer to recovering the actual cost of providing that service to the users of the service.
* Change of closed session procedures -- Closed sessions will now be scheduled at the conclusion of the "public hearings" portion of the agenda before the "business" items begin. This should resolve the dispute over where the proper place to adjourn the city council is -- in open or closed session.
* Discussion of equal district representation on city boards and commissions -- While not required anywhere in our ordinances, the city council has always made a concerted effort to have balanced representation from the five council districts on our boards and commissions. During the process to appoint replacements for some retiring board members, the mayor pointed out that one or more of those boards had disproportionate representation from one or more districts. We tabled some of those nominations until we can take a closer look at the statistics and figure out a way to "even things up" better.
[ By the way, there are current District 5 openings on the Human Relations Commission, Advisory Committee on Trees, Commission on the Status of Women, and the advisory council to the Greensboro Cultural Center and a seat on the Redevelopment Commission opening in December. Anyone residing in District 5 should contact me if they are interested in serving.]
The August 21, 2007 meeting of the Greensboro City Council was a busy one where we made several key decisions. It was a relief that there were no rezoning cases on the agenda for a change, leaving plenty of available time for discussions on a wider variety of issues. Following are some of the highlights of the various topics and issues we covered:
* A memorial resolution for the late Owen Lewis -- Owen was one of those active Greensboro citizens who generously shared his time and talents with many organizations through the years. He will be greatly missed.
* EPA Clean-up Grant -- Greensboro was one of the 300 winners of an EPA Brownfield Clean-up Grant out of 800 applicants nationwide. This $600,000 award will be used to remediate environmental contamination on the South Elm-Eugene site and get it ready for redevelopment.
* Change in zoning case procedures involving Comprehensive Plan amendments - In the past, requests for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan automatically proceeded to the City Council for a public hearing even when the applicable rezoning request was denied by the Zoning Commission. That will no longer occur unless the applicant appeals the zoning decision to the City Council.
* Approval of incentives for RF Micro Devices -- The city council unanimously approved the request for $1.2 million in an incentive grant to be paid out over five years if the company fulfills its obligation to create 300 new jobs and invest $103 million of their own money. RFMD is the city's third largest taxpayer, currently generating $1.8 million dollars per year in city tax revenue -- this new expansion will add to those figures.
* Bond action -- The city council extended the time period for issuance of the bonds approved by voters in 2000 for an additional three years. We judiciously delayed selling those bonds in the early 2000's (and proceeding with some of the approved projects authorized in them) due to the severe economic downturn at the time. "2/3 bonds" were also authorized to pay for repairs at War Memorial Stadium and repairs to various other city buildings.
* New GTA Bus Facility -- The city council authorized GTA to seek federal and state grants to build a new operations/maintenance/administrative facility, estimated at $20 million. Federal funding would cover 80% of the costs ($16 million), state 10% ($2 million) and local 10% ($2 million, which could be the value of the land, not necessarily cash). The current facility in downtown is badly over-crowded, with buses double- and triple-parked overnight.
* New fitness contract at the Sportsplex -- Due to a marriage, the current contract for fitness services fell into the "conflict of interest" category and had to be put out to bid. Hubney Fitness ("The Rush") was awarded a 15-year contract that will earn the city $400,000 during that time period. Upgrades to the facility and its equipment will begin in September; the city was able to purchase existing equipment at a bargain rate to distribute to other recreation centers in the city.
* Work authorized for replacement of the Lake Townsend Dam -- The city council established bond funding and approved the contract for the construction of a new raw water intake system at the Lake Townsend Dam, the first step in replacing the entire dam structure.
* Received notice that mandatory water restrictions will begin on Monday, August 27 -- Water Resources Director Allan Williams provided an in depth explanation of the current drought and its effects on the city water supply. (Jump to item #30 at the 3-hour 17-minute mark.) Due to the high daily usage -- one third of which appears to be from irrigation -- and the lack of substantial rain in the near future, mandatory restrictions are necessary to insure the safety of our water supply. Water purchases from Burlington and Reidsville have allowed us to postpone this action until this point. The main restriction at the "Level IIa is that lawn sprinkler systems may be operated only once a week; fines for violations begin at $100 and increase from there for subsequent violations.
* Prohibition of city employees serving on city boards and commissions -- Except as required by statute or ordinance, no city employee may serve on a city board or commission. Councilmembers felt it was important to restrict these appointments to city residents who are not employed by the city to avoid that potential for conflict of interest.
* Smoking ban in municipal buildings and vehicles -- The city council unanimously approved an ordinance to prohibit smoking inside any city-owned building or vehicle. This ordinance was made possible by a change in the state law approved earlier this summer and will take effect on January 1, 2008, the first date the new law allows for that action. Dr. Richard Rosen deserves special recognition for his tireless efforts to protect the public from secondhand smoke.
* "Cool Cities" resolution -- We unanimously adopted a resolution that authorized the mayor to sign the "U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement" as well as beginning the process to reduce the city's power consumption-- an inventory of our energy usage. City Manager Mitchell Johnson provided a long list of "green" practices Greensboro already uses. (Jump to item #35 at the one-hour forty-four minute mark.)
* Approval of fire prevention and protection fees -- The city council approved a new fee structure for fire inspections and fireworks, among others, that comes closer to recovering the actual cost of providing that service to the users of the service.
* Change of closed session procedures -- Closed sessions will now be scheduled at the conclusion of the "public hearings" portion of the agenda before the "business" items begin. This should resolve the dispute over where the proper place to adjourn the city council is -- in open or closed session.
* Discussion of equal district representation on city boards and commissions -- While not required anywhere in our ordinances, the city council has always made a concerted effort to have balanced representation from the five council districts on our boards and commissions. During the process to appoint replacements for some retiring board members, the mayor pointed out that one or more of those boards had disproportionate representation from one or more districts. We tabled some of those nominations until we can take a closer look at the statistics and figure out a way to "even things up" better.
[ By the way, there are current District 5 openings on the Human Relations Commission, Advisory Committee on Trees, Commission on the Status of Women, and the advisory council to the Greensboro Cultural Center and a seat on the Redevelopment Commission opening in December. Anyone residing in District 5 should contact me if they are interested in serving.]
* Police academy -- Councilmember Mike Barber suggested that police recruits for GPD be trained in GTCC's basic law enforcement classes instead of Greensboro operating its own training academy, saying it would save a lot of money to do so. We will receive a report comparing the two programs at our September briefing session. It has always been my impression that the GPD training academy is much more rigorous and detailed than the GTCC course -- it will be interesting to see how the two programs compare and which will better serve Greensboro's needs.
This was a busy, productive meeting!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A "Deluxe" thank you
The 300+ employees at the Deluxe facility on Farmington Drive hosted their 6th annual "thank you" lunch for the city's first responders -- firefighters, police, and EMS personnel. Each employee brought a covered dish to share, and the tables were decorated in a patriotic red, white and blue. While visiting there, I ran into the firefighters from Station 10 enjoying a quick bite before some had to rush off on a call as well as some of our GPD officers.
What a nice way for this business to recognize and thank our hardworking city employees -- thanks, Deluxe!
What a nice way for this business to recognize and thank our hardworking city employees -- thanks, Deluxe!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Just for fun
My friend Peggy sent me this one this morning -- frustratingly fun!
Try to out-smart your right foot
How smart is your right foot?
Just try this.
(It is from an orthopaedic surgeon.... It's pre-programmed in your brain...you will not be able to out-smart your foot.)
Without anyone watching you and while sitting where you are in front of the computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.
Told you so!!!
And there's nothing you can do about it.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Weekly schedule
This is a fairly busy week but not overwhelming. Thankfully I have some free time to work on various candidate questionnaires that I have received. Some of them are quite comprehensive and require quite a bit of thought and effort to complete.
This morning, Tuesday, August 14, I am attending a groundbreaking event for "Homes4NC" where builder Wade Jurney will be building a "dream home" in the Holden Crossing neighborhood and donating a portion of the proceeds to Homes4NC. Tonight I will be attending a meeting of one of the District 5 neighborhood crime watches.
I'm off to Raleigh on Wednesday morning, August 15 to attend the meeting of the Blue Ribbon Charter School Commission. This should be a lively meeting where we will actually begin formulating recommendations for changes in the state law and/or State Board of Education policies to fine tune and hopefully improve the charter school process and performance levels in the schools.
The official kick-off meeting for the Seamless Mobility Study will be hosted by PART on Thursday morning, August 16, and I will be bringing "greetings" to the city and county officials in attendance. The plan to be developed will identify efficiencies in transportation services throughout a multiple county region, both in transit and human services transportation programs, that will hopefully improve service while cutting costs and saving money.
I'll be out at Forest Oaks attending the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, August 17. I hope to see YOU out there enjoying this premier event. Let's hope for cooler weather-- who would have ever thought we'd consider temperatures in the 80's as "cool!"
This morning, Tuesday, August 14, I am attending a groundbreaking event for "Homes4NC" where builder Wade Jurney will be building a "dream home" in the Holden Crossing neighborhood and donating a portion of the proceeds to Homes4NC. Tonight I will be attending a meeting of one of the District 5 neighborhood crime watches.
I'm off to Raleigh on Wednesday morning, August 15 to attend the meeting of the Blue Ribbon Charter School Commission. This should be a lively meeting where we will actually begin formulating recommendations for changes in the state law and/or State Board of Education policies to fine tune and hopefully improve the charter school process and performance levels in the schools.
The official kick-off meeting for the Seamless Mobility Study will be hosted by PART on Thursday morning, August 16, and I will be bringing "greetings" to the city and county officials in attendance. The plan to be developed will identify efficiencies in transportation services throughout a multiple county region, both in transit and human services transportation programs, that will hopefully improve service while cutting costs and saving money.
I'll be out at Forest Oaks attending the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, August 17. I hope to see YOU out there enjoying this premier event. Let's hope for cooler weather-- who would have ever thought we'd consider temperatures in the 80's as "cool!"
Monday, August 13, 2007
No on-street handicapped parking spaces
I received an inquiry/complaint from a citizen about the lack of marked handicapped parking spaces downtown inspired by the recent News & Record article about downtown parking woes. Here is the logical explanation I received from GDOT staff this afternoon:
We get asked about providing on-street handicapped parking from time to time.[UPDATE] After sharing the above information with the citizen who made the initial inquiry, I continued a dialogue with city staff to try to improve the handicapped parking situation downtown. Here's the message I just found in my inbox that outlines some improvements -- many thanks to GDOT and their "yes" attitude in addressing this concern!
Currently, anyone with a handicapped sticker/placard can park
on-street in any marked parking space for an unlimited amount of time.
We do not designate handicapped spaces for on-street parking. Handicapped spaces are required to be 13’ wide, which is 5’ wider than the 8’ wide on-street parking stalls. Providing the 13’ wide on-street parking spaces for handicapped spots would be impractical and would severely impact and /or eliminate adjacent travel lanes.
There are no ADA requirements to provide accommodations for on-street handicapped spaces. ADA parking requirements are only applicable to off-street parking, which is accommodated in our decks and surface parking lots.
Sandy,
Adam and Jim forwarded me the message from (XXXX) concerning the handicapped spaces in our surface lots. We looked at this issue and have determined that several handicapped spaces can be added to our surface lots. We intend to have the new spaces added to the Elm/Greene and Elm/McGee lots at the same time that we add the new digital pay stations. That should be in October. If you need additional information please let me know. Thank you for your interest in this issue.
Michael CramerDepartment of Transportation Business / Operations Division Manager
City Connections
The latest edition of City Connections contains an update on Barber Park, HEAT, and a coming smoke-free ordinance.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Kammie's first visit to the beach
Fearless Kammie was absolutely delighted at her first encounter with the ocean and sand.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Greensboro Neighborhood Congress candidate forum
Kudos to the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress for their great handling of the candidates forum they sponsored last night at the Central Library -- it was one of the best I've attended in many years!
For those who were not present, here is my opening introductory statement:
I’m Sandy Carmany, a 34-year resident of East Hunter Hills and the District 5 representative for the past 16 years. I have been a strong advocate for neighborhoods and served as a voice for the average, everyday citizen.
I’m active on the regional level, promoting and coordinating cost-effective transportation opportunities with neighboring towns and counties through PART as well as working with the Triad Early Action Compact to improve our air quality.
My priorities for Greensboro are:
· Building strong neighborhoods by supporting safe housing programs such as RUCO, strengthening code enforcement, development of neighborhood plans and the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay, spearheading the High Point Road corridor study, facilitation of affordable housing, and enhancing community policing efforts
· Providing quality, efficient city services at the least cost to taxpayers
· Building and maintaining a reliable transportation system that includes pedestrian, bicycle, and transit options in addition to safe, uncongested streets
· Attracting new businesses and jobs
· Protecting our environment through recycling, energy conservation, and greenspace preservation
· Insuring adequate water and sewer capacity with continued conservation as well as new sources
· And most importantly -- remaining accessible and responsive to citizens.
With the retirement of three veteran councilmembers and the exciting prospect of new faces and new ideas, Greensboro is at a crucial point that demands experienced leadership with the expertise to spearhead continued progress in implementation of neighborhood-friendly parts of the comprehensive plan, in addition to providing better transportation choices and improved air quality. I offer myself as that experienced candidate with the time, energy, expertise and commitment to provide that strong leadership.
[UPDATE] The question and answer portion of the meeting proceeded smoothly with most candidates observing the one-minute response limit. I'll try to summarize the questions and my responses as best as I can remember them. I'll add any additional explanations or comments in brackets to distinguish them from what I actually said last night.
A question about the noise ordinance, how work on it has dragged out for three years with no adopted results at this point -- I fully support strengthening the noise ordinance to deal with issues such as the one Laura [in Ardmore Park] is enduring with a nearby noisy club. The delay in adopting new provisions is due to trying to get the details right. The proposed new ordinance set an acceptable decibel level at 55 -- a field test with a decibel meter found noise levels out on [Phil McDonald] Governmental Plaza around 53-54 which would have immediately put someone into violation anytime that person operated a lawnmower or weed eater. Subsequent changes went too far in the other direction, setting allowable levels at 70-75, as noisy or noisier than what is considered to be the airport noise cone area. We are trying to determine the correct numbers and get it right.
Crime statistics from a zone that includes portions of High Point Road and adjacent residential areas, what do you propose to do to address it? I observed that most of those crimes/arrests occurred in the retail, hotel/motel and business establishments included in that police zone with the rest being in the neighborhoods themselves. That is one of the reasons I have spearheaded efforts for the West Lee St.-High Point Road Corridor Study to revitalize and upgrade the area, hopefully helping to reduce many of those problems. The police Community Resource Teams are active in these neighborhoods and are frequently patrolling "undercover" in unmarked cars. [I successfully led the charge during the 2006-07 budget preparation to add an additional 32 police officers to the Greensboro Police Department.]
Empowering neighborhoods, equal representation on District 5 on city boards and commissions -- I am accessible to my constituents and attend every neighborhood association and crime watch meeting that I can. Some groups meet on city council meeting nights so I can't get to those but I am still always reachable by phone and email. I am adamant about having equal District 5 citizens on boards and commissions and guard those spots jealously. My biggest struggle there is to find enough people who are willing to give of their time and serve. [I send out emails to a "Neighborhood contacts" listserv I have established every time I have a District 5 opening asking for interested volunteers as well as bringing it up when I attend those neighborhood meetings.]
Is it time for a "strong mayor" form of government vs. the current council-manager system in Greensboro? No, I think our current system with the council firmly in control works well for us. I'm concerned about how a change would limit who would step up as a candidate for a full-time mayor's job. This system would require someone to quit or retire from his/her current career and/or employment in order to serve; I'm not sure how many people would be willing or able to do that. I think we are better off with the council [setting policy and direction] and those directives being carried out by a professionally-trained expert, the city manager.
Who's in charge of the city, the council or the manager? Definitely the city council who sets policy and strategic direction! I've served with three city managers during my tenure -- one who took control and sometimes caught councilmembers by surprise [by publicly announcing initiatives he had not discussed with city council beforehand], one who provided the information as requested by councilmembers and then often advocated for a particular solution or program [Former councilmember Robbie Perkins once joked that when that manager said "in my professional opinion..." you knew what was coming next.], and the current one who prepares the information as requested by councilmembers, lays it on the table and says "here are your options, what do YOU want to do?" [The newspaper reporter interpreted this as "defending" Mitchell Johnson, My intent was to offer a comparison between three different managers and illustrate that city council is clearly "calling the shots" with the current manager.]
Okay, for those who were present, did I omit any District 5 questions? If so, please let me know.
I was certainly puzzled by the reporter's observation that "the most tension of the forum" was between me and one opponent with the other one "caught in the middle" -- I certainly did not feel that was the case at all. While there were some definite differences on some issues, the three of us were polite and professional and even indicated agreement with another's comments on a couple of them. Someone called me earlier this morning to get details about this "big dust-up" to which I replied, "I don't have a clue -there wasn't one that I know of!" SIGH!
Again, many thanks to the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress for providing this opportunity to voice our issues and stances. Well done!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
National Night Out marathon
I managed to visit six of the National Night Out celebrations in District 5 neighborhoods last night - East Hunter Hills, Ardmore Park, Holden Village Townhomes (their first event), Adams Farm, Highland Park, and Lindley Park. It was great to meet and renew old acquaintances with so many people as well as see the renewed sense of camaraderie among neighbors. (Plus a lot of GREAT food!)
It just was not possible to get to all the other District 5 events in one evening, and I apologize to those I missed -- there just was not enough time. However, I am a frequent attendee at their regular meetings so I'm not a stranger to any of those neighborhoods and am well aware of their needs and concerns.
If you watched the WXII12's 11PM story highlighting Police Chief Bellamy last night, you saw my husband fixing his bowl of ice cream at Lindley Park and a glimpse of me in the background during the interview with Dyan Arkin, an active member of the neighborhood association.
It was a fun -- but HOT -- evening!
It just was not possible to get to all the other District 5 events in one evening, and I apologize to those I missed -- there just was not enough time. However, I am a frequent attendee at their regular meetings so I'm not a stranger to any of those neighborhoods and am well aware of their needs and concerns.
If you watched the WXII12's 11PM story highlighting Police Chief Bellamy last night, you saw my husband fixing his bowl of ice cream at Lindley Park and a glimpse of me in the background during the interview with Dyan Arkin, an active member of the neighborhood association.
It was a fun -- but HOT -- evening!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the Aycock Historic Neighborhood -- sounds like they will be getting a lot greener soon!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
My Leadership Experience
Here's a bit of personal information about me and my leadership experiences I am highlighting as part of my reelection campaign:
- 59-year-old Greensboro native and southwest Greensboro resident for 34 years
- Married for 39 years; three adult sons and eight (soon to be nine!) grandchildren
- District 5 councilmember – 16 years
- Chair of Greensboro Transportation Advisory Committee; service on the HEAT steering committee and SCAT task force
- Chair of Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART)
- Council liaison to War Memorial Commission (coliseum)
- Triad Early Action Compact -- vice chair
- Member of Heart of the Triad steering committee
- NC League of Municipalities Planning and Services Legislative Action Committee
- Leadership for Innovation Committee of the State Board of Education, advisor
- Blue Ribbon Charter Schools Commission of the State Board of Education
- Piedmont Triad Council of Governments -- Executive Committee member
- Piedmont Triad RPO
- Leadership Greensboro graduate
- Piedmont Triad Leadership Network graduate
- Women in Municipal Government
- PTA involvement includes four years as NC PTA state president and National PTA board member; 18 years at Jones Elementary, Hunter Elementary, Allen Middle School (Junior High at the time), and Smith High School; currently a consultant to the NC PTA Board of Directors
- NC-Moldova Partnership Committee
Mayoral blooper!
Mayor Keith Holliday gave everyone a big laugh at last night's meeting! (at the 4:36 point on the video).
Monday, August 06, 2007
Want to help with my city council campaign?
Here are ways you can help:
· Place my campaign sign in your yard – send me your name and address and one will be delivered and installed.
· Write a Letter to the Editor highlighting my accomplishments or expressing your support for me --
* News & Record -- PO Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or edpage@news-record.com
· Write a Letter to the Editor highlighting my accomplishments or expressing your support for me --
* News & Record -- PO Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or edpage@news-record.com
* The Rhino – 216 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401 or letters@rhinotimes.net
* Yes! Weekly – 5500 Adams Farm Lane, Greensboro, NC 27407 or letters@yesweekly.com
· Make a contribution to my campaign – please make checks payable to “Carmany for Council.” If your contribution is over $50, election law requires that you list your profession and place of employment for campaign reporting purposes.
· Ask your friends and neighbors in Greensboro City Council District 5 to VOTE FOR SANDY on October 9 (primary election) and November 6 (general election).
If you have questions or concerns, you can contact me at 1504 Larson Street, Greensboro, NC 27407 or by phone at 855-1538 or by email at scarmany@aol.com
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Weekly schedule
Sorry for the recent silence! Despite having no City Council-related meetings during the past week, I was SWAMPED with other obligations, including taking care of various constituents' needs, two trips to Raleigh for charter school meetings, babysitting grandchildren a number of times, preparing for three family birthdays in a 4-day time span, and a garden that is over-producing despite the small amount of rainfall. It was one of those "please stop the merry-go-round so I can catch my breath" sort of weeks.
I'll hit the ground running this week with the regular City Council meeting at 5:30PM on MONDAY, August 6 (moved to avoid conflicts with Tuesday night's National Night Out activities). The agenda has a number of rezoning cases on it that tend to cause lengthy meetings, but I have not received any contacts on any of them, pro or con, so maybe they will be routine and move fairly quickly. Although it is not listed, I assume we will probably have a closed session afterwards to discuss the recent EEOC developments that became public last week. (I am, of course, itching to jump in and share my two-cents worth on this issue here on this blog, but since we are dealing with a lawsuit and potential huge costs to city taxpayers, I will be prudent and remain silent for the moment.)
There are at least ten neighborhood groups in District 5 sponsoring National Night Out activities on Tuesday evening, August 7. I am mapping out a route that will hopefully allow me to stop in and visit with most, if not all, of these neighborhoods.
There are no official duties of Wednesday, August 8 on my calendar at this point, but it's Kammie's first birthday so there's some celebrating to be done. I can't believe she's already a year old!
It's off to Raleigh for a North Carolina League of Municipalities legislative policy committee meeting on Thursday, August 9. The big event for the day is the first candidate's forum -- sponsored by the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress at 7PM in the Nussbaum Room at the Central Library. Hope to see you there!
Family birthdays will finish out the week with grandson Scott on the 11th and son Mark on the 12th.
I'll hit the ground running this week with the regular City Council meeting at 5:30PM on MONDAY, August 6 (moved to avoid conflicts with Tuesday night's National Night Out activities). The agenda has a number of rezoning cases on it that tend to cause lengthy meetings, but I have not received any contacts on any of them, pro or con, so maybe they will be routine and move fairly quickly. Although it is not listed, I assume we will probably have a closed session afterwards to discuss the recent EEOC developments that became public last week. (I am, of course, itching to jump in and share my two-cents worth on this issue here on this blog, but since we are dealing with a lawsuit and potential huge costs to city taxpayers, I will be prudent and remain silent for the moment.)
There are at least ten neighborhood groups in District 5 sponsoring National Night Out activities on Tuesday evening, August 7. I am mapping out a route that will hopefully allow me to stop in and visit with most, if not all, of these neighborhoods.
There are no official duties of Wednesday, August 8 on my calendar at this point, but it's Kammie's first birthday so there's some celebrating to be done. I can't believe she's already a year old!
It's off to Raleigh for a North Carolina League of Municipalities legislative policy committee meeting on Thursday, August 9. The big event for the day is the first candidate's forum -- sponsored by the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress at 7PM in the Nussbaum Room at the Central Library. Hope to see you there!
Family birthdays will finish out the week with grandson Scott on the 11th and son Mark on the 12th.
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