Newsletter about the City Council Meeting of January 6, 2009

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.

At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 1/6/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.

Invocation by Rev. Bill Garrard of St. Luke's United Methodist Church

Special Presentation:
Presentation of the Stormwater Advisory Committee’s Final Report - The SWAC met over a 12 month period, from 12/2007 to 12/2008, to look at the future needs, potential levels of service for the stormwater program, funding methods, and the regulatory requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Phase II program, that the City of Hickory is required to meet. In the final meeting, SWAC agreed with the proposed implementation plan of the committee’s Final Report.

The Hounds Take: I agree with the premise of taking care of run-off. Look at South Charlotte and the flatter regions of this state such as Raleigh and Wilmington. When it pours rain, we see the problems with these areas that don't have the proper infrastructure to support the flow of water over concrete and asphalt.

The last few years should have taught us that we must manage our water resources wisely. As the population continues to grow toward 60,000 people, in Hickory Proper in the next 20 years, we are going to have to become more efficient in our water usage.

Why not take advantage of this runoff? This water can be collected using man-made ponds, cisterns, and rain barrels. This greywater (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greywater) isn't potable, but with a little treatment it is suitable for use in irrigation and landscaping. The Europeans even use it to flush their toilets.

The Bottom line, as I have said, is that as the population continues to grow, we are going to have to become more efficient in the usage of water and we are going to have to manage the resource better. It would be much better to harness it at the source, than to let it run for miles and miles and miles unimpeded.

Consent Agenda:
Social Items - Petition from Timothy D. and Teresa P. Lail to Close a Portion of Riverside Drive Extension. Proclamation Declaring 12/14/2008 as “Bill Gibbs Day” in the City of Hickory for his 90th Birthday. Transfer Cemetery Lot From Harold Dean Travis and wife, Mary H. Travis to Robert W. Conley and wife, Charlotte, M. Conley in the Fairview Cemetery. Request From Hickory International Council for Use of Union Square for the 2009 International Spring Fest Event on Saturday 5/9/2009 from 7am to 8pm.

Approve Resolution of Support for the Carolina Thread Trail and Participation in Feasibility Study and Appointment of the City’s Steering Committee Representative.

Approve Resolution Terminating the Temporary Moratorium Placed on Development
Approvals For All Drinking Establishments, Discotheques, Nightclubs and Bars
set October 7, 2008.

Amendments to Traffic Ordinances
1) Reducing the Speed Limit From 35 mph to 25 mph Along 31st Avenue, NE and to Include 17th Street Lane, NE, 30th Avenue Court, NE, 31st Avenue Lane, NE, 30th Avenue Drive, NE, 17th Street Court, NE, 30th Avenue Place, NE, 18th Street, NE, 31st Avenue Drive, NE Serving Lawson’s Creek Subdivision as Indicated in the Ordinance.

2) Reducing the Speed Limit From 35 mph to 25 mph Along 21st Avenue, NW From the Intersection With North Center Street West Approximately 3,800 Feet to the Intersection With 8th Street Drive, NW and 21st Avenue Drive, NW From the Intersection With 21st Avenue, NW North Approximately 1,100 Feet to the Dead End

3) Reducing the Speed Limit From 35 mph to 25 mph Along 5th Street, NW From the Intersection With 4th Avenue, NW North Approximately 1,500 Feet to the Intersection With 7th Avenue, NW

4) Reducing the Speed Limit From 35 mph to 25 mph Along 12th Street, NE From a Point 200 Feet South of the Intersection With 18th Avenue, NE, Which is the Entrance to Huntington Woods Townhouses North Approximately 1,900 Feet to the Intersection With 21st Avenue, NE, 12th Street Place, NE From the Intersection With 12th Street, NE North Approximately 550 Feet to the Dead End, 18th Avenue, NE From the Intersection With 12th Street, NE East and West Approximately 1,030 Feet and 650 Feet Respectively to the Dead End

Budget Ordinance Amendments
Appropriate $687 of Local Government Revenue and budget in the Police Department Overtime line item. Transfer $4,200 of General Fund Contingency to the Western Piedmont Council of Government line item. to assist citizens in the surrounding counties with foreclosure counseling. Transfer $1,736 of General Fund Balance to the Brownfield Grant Project. Decrease General Fund Appropriated by $1,478 and increase the Fire Department Miscellaneous Restricted Government revenue by $1,478.

Transfer $2,897 from the General Fund to the Planning Department’s Demolitions Contracted Services. Budget $160 of Library donations to purchase a memorial book for Herman Carpenter ($25), an honor book for James R. Stephenson ($35), and a ($100) gift for large print books. Budget a $2,000 Library donation from the North Carolina Community Foundation, Inc. to the 2009 Big Read Program.

Transfer $2,000 from the General Fund to Parks and Recreation to pay the City of Hickory's portion of a feasibility study of the Carolina Thread Trail project. Transfer $865 from the General Fund Contingency to Planning and Development Departmental Supplies for printing and binders needed to make the notebooks for the Hickory By Choice and Land Development Code group.

Informational Items:
Report of Alderwoman Hoyle’s Travel to Orlando, FL from 11/10-16/2008 to
attend the NLC - 2008 Congress of Cities & Exposition – hotel - $1,468.98; airfare -
$369.50; registration - $1,010.00; per diem - $281.75; mileage - $60.84; taxi cab/shuttle -
$47.00 – Alderwoman Hoyle reimbursed the City $22.34 for parking

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Rezoning of the Property of Mountain View Baptist Church - 4266 River Road From Catawba County Residential-20 to City of Hickory Residential-2 - This 5.52 acre property is located at 4266 River Road and is located in Ward 4. The property was recently annexed into the City limits to enable the existing church to connect to the City’s water and sewer system. Churches are permitted uses in all residential districts. Unanimously Approved.

2. Rezoning of Property Located at 3617 Section House Road From Catawba County R-20 Residential to City of Hickory R-3 Residential - This 20.99 acre property is located at 3617 Section House Road and is located in Ward 3. If rezoned to R-3 Residential, the property could be developed for single and two-family residential structures with a maximum density of 3 units per acre. The Hickory Regional Planning Commission on December 3, 2008 voted unanimously for approval of the requested rezoning. Unanimously Approved.

3. Petition 08-12 – Rezoning of Property Located at 5100 Fleetwood Drive From R-
2 Residential to O&I-1 Office and Institutional - This 5.82 acre property is located at 5100 Fleetwood Drive and is located in Hickory’s extra-territorial jurisdiction. Hickory Fleetwood Properties, LLC plans to redevelop this property as a funeral home. The Hickory Regional Planning Commission on December 3, 2008 voted unanimously in favor of the requested rezoning. Unanimously Approved.

4. Petition 08-17 – Rezoning of Property Located at 2950 Sandy Ford Road From Catawba County R-20 Residential to City of Hickory R-2 Residential - This 1.2 acre property is located at 2950 Sandy Ford Road and is located in Ward 3. The property was recently annexed into the City limits. The Hickory Regional Planning Commission on December 3, 2008 voted unanimously for approval of the requested rezoning. Unanimously Approved.