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 9/1/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.
Invocation by Rev. Pat Pierce Retired from First Baptist Church
Alder Z. Anne Hoyle acted as Mayor Pro-Tem in place of Mayor Wright who was sick.
Special Presentations:
Presentation of the 13th Consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Hickory by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Deanna Rios addressed the Council and presented the plaque. The award is based upon work that was completed as of June 30, 2008. Alder Hoyle asked for and was presented a round of applause for what she stated as "rare" that this achievement has occurred so mant consecutive times.
Consent Agenda:
Transfer of Cemetery Lots in the Oakwood Cemetery From George Phillip Bogle and wife, Suzanne M. Bogle to A. L. Lutz and wife, Dorris Harris Lutz. Transfer of Cemetery Lots in the Oakwood Cemetery From William M. Litaker, Jr. and wife Paula J. Litaker to Betty Jean S. Smith. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in the Fairview Cemetery From Danny Moore and wife, Carla Moore, Carroll Moore and wife, Debbie Moore, Scottie Moore Blick and husband, Barry Blick, Carol Moore Hymer and husband, Robert Hymer, Elaine Moore Tucker, Linda S. Chapman, Joyce S. Gates and husband, Ken Gates, Jana Moore Lavender and husband, Gary Lavender, Ronnie Moore and wife, Imogene Moore, Pauline Moore and Doris Moore to Jerry Curtis Moore
Approval of Six Vacation Days as Prizes for City of Hickory’s United Way Participation Campaign - to be used as prizes for participation in our annual United Way Campaign, starting in September, 2009. To encourage participation, the City wants to offer participants a chance to win some vacation time based on their level of participation. The City is a strong supporter of the United Way and the campaign educates our workforce about the various programs and services that the United Way provides.
The Hounds Opinion has not Changed– The city wants to encourage participation in the United Way by having a raffle based on level of participation in the city’s United Way Campaign.My thought is that the city may as well directly give the money to the United Way itself. With all that is going on with the Upper Tiers of United Way management, I am not a proponent. The United Way, a non-profit organization, is currently rife with mismanagement and greed. I really don’t think our city should be fostering donations to the United Way until they prove that their house is in order.
I also believe that this basically puts pressure on individuals to participate. We all have charities that we personally participate in and I do not believe that it should be a city’s prerogative to focus on one charitable organization over another.
Approve Quitclaim Deed From the City of Hickory to Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC For Property Located at 331 1st Avenue, NW - The City of Hickory owns a City parking lot located adjacent to Duke Energy’s former office building. It was discovered by City surveyors in October 2008 that Duke Energy’s office building was encroaching upon the City’s property at four points for several years. Duke Energy is in the process of selling this office building and desire to resolve the encroachment issue with the City to give buyer clear title. Not wanting to actually move the building, the other option to resolve this matter would be to quitclaim the 6 inch wide strip of property running the entire length of the building to Duke Energy.
Approve City of Hickory’s Offer to Purchase and Contract for Property Owned by Joyce Brown and Geraldine Shuford Located at 731 3rd Street Place, SW in the Amount of $42,599 - The purchase of this property would follow the Citizens’ Advisory Committee’s work plan and promote City Council’s goal of promoting affordable housing within Hickory. It would also comply with Habitat for Humanity’s Redevelopment Plan for the 8th Avenue Drive, SW area. The appraised value of the property is $42,600 and the house is vacant and would be demolished if purchased. The vacant lot would then be sold to Habitat for Humanity to provide new housing. The property will be purchased with Community Development Block Grant Funds.
Budget Ordinances
Budget a total of $175 of Library donations in the Library Books line item. Donations include $50 for honor books and $125 for memorial books.
Budget $176 of Miscellaneous Insurance Claims in the Fire Dept M&R Vehicles line item. This claim is for damages to Captain Allen Townsend's city vehicle that occurred while backing into parking area at Station 5 on 7/23/09. The check was issued from Trident Insurance Company of Texas on 8/3/09 and deposited in Miscellaneous Insurance Claims on 8/17/09.
Appropriate $1,820 of Local Government Revenue and budget in the Police Department Overtime line item. This is payment from Catawba County Mental Health for a portion of an Officers time spent when accompanying involuntary commitment patients during July, 2009.
Budget a $123 insurance claim check from Nationwide Insurance Company in the Water and Sewer Departmental line item for damage sustained to a fire hydrant on 04-29-09. The check from Nationwide is dated 07-17-09 and was deposited on 07-20-09.
Budget a $3,405 Insurance Claim check from Trident Insurance Company in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of equipment line item. This is for damage sustained to the Police Department's U.P.S. (Uninterrupted Power Supply) System on 06-27-09. The check from Trident is dated 08-04-09 and was deposited on 08-08-09.
Appropriate $1,712 of Federal Revenue and to accept a $428 from General Fund Public Buildings Departmental Supplies to the transportation Bus Shelter capital project. This will provide funds to cover the cost of materials for five concrete pads to install at the five bus shelters purchased at the end of FY08-09. The FTA is funding this project at 80% ($1,712) with a local match of 20% ($428). The $428 comes from the transfer of $428 of Public Buildings Departmental Supplies (representing the 20% matching funds for the material costs) to the Bus Shelter Transportation Capital Project for five concrete pads that will be installed at the bus shelters purchased in FY09.
New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Hickory By Choice Review Process Update - City Manager Berry introduced the City's Planning Director Brian Frazier who addressed the Council about Hickory By Choice (HBC) 2030. Mr. Frazier stated that they (planning department) have been working diligently with Studio Cascade and the Advisory committee for months in updating HBC and revising the Land Development Code (LDC). They have been working on both vision and policy statements, as well as on an Economic and Demographic baseline.
To date they have held three public workshops and 8 separate advisory committee meetings. The next Public Workshop will be held on 10/25/2009 at Highland Recreation Center and the next advisory Committee meeting will be held on 10/9/2009 at the Ridgeview Library. On 9/22/2009 City Staff and the consultants will hold a meeting with the advisory committee at Patrick Beaver Library to discuss design.
Mr. Frazier stated that we are going to see some dramatic changes over the next few months. HBC was intended to be about Mixed Use. He showed the original map of HBC. He showed the original "Future Land Use map" and stated that the map ecompassed a lot of area, including areas that were outside of the city's Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). He stated that legally they are not allowed to plan for areas outside of the ETJ. What they have done, working with everyone, is they modified the map and it is trumped quite a bit. It makes a more definitive stament and allows the city to plan and focus more on events. It is a more realistic and legal map.
The advisory committee has reviewed a lot of information. He showed a traffic count map and a map showing traffic map changes from 2003 to 2007. They are relying on this info to plan for the future and analyze the current HBC. They are looking to see what needs to be ammended and revised to make HBC a more comprehensive plan with more elments than future land use and transportation. He next showed a commercial development map from 1999 to present. It showed the commercial corridors and centers.
They have been looking at the data. HBC was primarily about mixed use development (office, retail, and mixed use residential). How realistic is it to have and do we really need 15 mixed use centers? The Advisory Committee says that no we probably don't. We were trying to channel and funnel economic growth and development into those core areas, but instead of having a few, we ended up diffusing it into 15 areas. We got some scattered good growth and development in some areas and in other areas we got no growth and development at all. The last five meetings they have been addressing this.
The HBC advisory committee is looking at eliminating some centers and prioritizing the others for future development. Belle Hollow has been looked at. It is built out and they don't see any room for moderate to high density residential growth going in there. Let's be realistic with what we have. Some cores will be residential. many more will be commercial. The advisory committee wants to create a Central Business District around Union Square. It has never been addressed before, besides casually in HBC. Downtown needs to be put into a proper context. It was always considered one of those 15 core areas.
The Advisory committee is looking to do some realistic designation of the regional commercial areas along Highway 70 and Catawba Valley Boulevard. It is an elongated strip and we need to be realistic about what we are calling it and the boundaries of what that core happen to be. The Committee is proposing neighborhood mixed use and community commercial areas. They are looking to piggyback off of Operation No Vacancy to create revitalization corridors. They are looking at Highland Avenue, the One-way pairs in NW and SW Hickory, the 321 corridor, West hickory, and the Old Lenoir road area. Those areas are really hurting and we can see some redevelopment efforts for light industrial, warehousing, commercial, some retail, and possibly some professional office uses.
The current HBC has NC-1 areas that are fine. The Higher design standards within NC-1 areas, but what has happened is that there is the same type of zoning allowed in the corridors as the cores, so it creates a dumb bell effect between the cores. This has caused strip development. Some has been better than others. You want to target (development in the) centers.
Mr. Frazier wants to wrap this process up by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. He encourages the public to participate. He is optimistic about wrapping it up.
Alder Fox asked about the development of West (HWY) 70. She stated that she has been talking about this issue for 16 years. The people that live in that corridor are forced to drive to grocery stores or retail. She thinks there need to be a healthy discussion of West 70. You can't have one side healthy and the other side sagging. Mr. Frazier stated that he and Dave Leonetti had talked about it that very afternoon. They talked about making South Center Street all the way West to the city boundary a Revitalization Corridor. Alder Fox stated that people who get off (HWY 321) on HWY 70 see an area in decline. She said that we have some social problems that need to be addressed and it has to be by getting development in their. A lot of money was spent on the 4th street extension, as a gateway to Hickory, and that is not happening.
At the top right of this page is a link that will take you to Studio Cascades HBC 2030 website. There is a lot of good information on that site. Below are links to articles that relate to the past meetings.
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 2nd Meeting
Why the original Hickory By Choice doesn't work
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 1st Meeting
Studio Cascade awarded contract at November 4, 2008 City Council meeting
The Hound is glad to see that this project has taken this shape. I think that we are seeing that the right moves are being made when it comes to this version of Hickory By Choice. The original process seemed to be stifling and controlling. Mr. Frazier kept talking about being realistic and does it not seem like they are being realistic this time?
You can go back and read my comments on the issue from the past. I will honestly say that I couldn't ask for more. Turning Union Square into a Central Business District is an excellent concept. If we do that and expand the boundaries and definition of Downtown, then we can truly move this city in a positive direction towards 2030. It would allow the concept of Downtown to breathe.
I am also on the same page with Sally Fox about the issue of Highway 70 West and that entire corridor. It is time to start moving the South side of the tracks forward. HBC has stifled growth on that side of town, because it does not encourage investment in those zones. By defining it and targeting it as an area of revitalization, it will organically move us in that direction. Mrs. Fox is correct, as much traffic travels that stretch of 321 and 70 as travel 90% of the rest of this city, it is embarrassing what out-of-towners see when they come up the ramp off of 321 and get onto 70. It creates a negative image from the get-go. It is time to address this issue.
2. Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant to Mitloop, LLC for Property Located at 66 Highway 321 NW in the Amount of $25,000 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings. Mitloop, LLC has applied for such a grant in the amount of $25,000 to assist in their renovation of a building located at 66 Highway 321 NW. The applicant plans to renovate the facility for use by a retail flooring company. Mitloop, LLC plans to invest approximately $123,000 to renovate the interior and $50,000 on exterior improvements. The Redevelopment Committee reviewed the application and recommends approval. Dave Leonetti addressed the Council it was a former warehouse and furniture showroom. The renovations include roof and skylight repair, new awnings, replacement of bay doors, repaint the exterior, structural repair of the entrance, and interior office upfits. The Council Unanimously approved.
3. Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant to Jojida, LLC for Property Located at 215 Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard, SE in the Amount of $11,625 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings and the demolition of substandard buildings. The Property is part of the East Hickory Redevelopment Area. The estimated cost of demolition is $23,250. The building is structurally substandard and functionally obsolete. Demolition would be required to enable redevelopment of the area described in the original master plan. Dave Leonetti presented. This is the first application that recommends demolition of a substandard building. It's in a very prominent area. Alder Patton said it was a wonderful thing that we are reusing infrastructure rather than keep moving out and making this available available for redevelopment. Alderman Lail asked if this area is going Green. Mr. Leonetti said that D.H. Griffin is using the same specs as they do when they do minimum housing demolition. they will grade it level and so it with grass seed. This will create a larger site. Council Unanimously Approved.
The Hound is glad to see an actual plan of action coming to fruition when it comes to Operation No Vacancy. These buildings either need to be repaired or leveled. I understand that there is no easy solution to this issue. I was speaking with Jay Adams about it just last week. He told me that each property is characteristically unique and they will each have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Scott Millar told us at the last FEC meeting that just because a building is ugly doesn't mean that it isn't being put to use. Many of these dilapidated properties are being used for cheap storage. Jay and Kevin Spencer spoke of property owners that would be willing to give away property, because of prohibitive clean-up cost issues and taxes.
Common Sense tells me that if these properties are irreparably dilapidated, then they need to go. They are eye sores and they stand in the way of true economic development and viability within the city proper. As Brian Frazier stated in his HBC 2030 presentation above, Highland Avenue and Old 70 are full of these types of buildings. Dave Leonetti has it right when he states that it is easier to cobble these properties together into one big piece of property when it comes to marketing redevelopment.
I ask, how long are we going to allow these properties to rot before we deal with this problem? These properties are dragging property values down throughout the city. It is time to put our heads together and facilitate a logical solution to this problem. The longer we wait, the bigger the issue.
Norman Allen of Claremont addressed the Council about the fact that the Postal Service has a study going to possibly consolidate the Processing and Distribution Center in Conover with Greensboro's Operations. There are 200 jobs at stake and distribution of local mail would most likely become less efficient.
The Hound heard about this a month ago. It would not be good to lose 200 jobs, but the world is changing and this type of consolidation is a natural evolutionary process. Mail volume is dropping because of Postal rates, corporate package delivery, e-mail, and e-commerce. The more efficient those systems get; the less need there is for snail mail. Too bad we can't vie for this consolidated postal center, but since Hickory has deliberately chosen to not have a viable airport, we can only expect to lose out in this process.
2 comments:
I am disspointed that you have taken a broad brush approach to the United Way. The local chapter works hard and does a lot to for the community. To include them with the issues in Charolotte is short sited and not up to your usual standards.
In my opinion, it isn't about the United Way. It is about employees with the City of Hickory. If they want to give, then it should be up to them to think about that on their own. It should not have anything to do with their occupation.
Unfortunately, This is the same thing that the United way does throughout the Country. People do feel pressured to give. I also said the same thing last year about the United Way and their practices. I don't think any charitable organization should have anything to do with a person's occupation or paycheck. I am not trying to broadbrush it. maybe the picture makes you think so. If someone wants to give to the UW, then by all means they should do so. I just think it should be taken out of the workplace.
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