Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- March 30, 2014

North Carolina Had More Job Losses Than Any Other State - Wall Street Journal - Jonathan House - March 28, 2014 - North Carolina led the U.S. in job losses last month, a sign of stress for a state scaling back its support for its jobless residents.                    The Tar Heel State shed a seasonally adjusted 11,300 jobs in February from the prior month as it continues to grapple with the decline of its traditional manufacturing, tobacco and textile industries, according to new Labor Department figures released Friday.                     Employment increased in 33 states, while it decreased in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, payrolls rose 175,000 in February.                North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage point to 6.4%, one the nation’s largest declines, though the fall was primarily the result of a shrinking labor force. The number of people either working or looking for work declined by 64,000 people from February 2013, according to data from the North Carolina Department of Commerce.                     Some economists attribute North Carolina’s workforce exodus to the expiration in July of long-term unemployment benefits that require the unemployed to continue searching for jobs. A year ago, its unemployment rate stood at 8.6%.                         North Carolina’s employment data have been scrutinized closely since U.S. lawmakers let a federal program for long-term benefits expire Dec. 28.               So far there’s been no clear evidence that large numbers of people across the country are leaving the job market following the expiration of the federal benefits program. The nation’s labor force grew by more than half a million people in February and the unemployment rate ticked up to 6.7%.

Hickory Metro 2014 - Tied for 4th Most Miserable in the United States - March 25, 2014 - Gallup through Hickory Hound - March 25, 2014 - The Hound: From dead last in 2010 to 5th worst last year to tied with three cities for 4th worst this year. We aren't the worst in any category this year, but we skew towards the bottom in every category, which includes obesity, exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, smoking, stress, and the uninsured.

Is College A Waste Of Time And Money? - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - March 26th, 2014 - Are you thinking of going to college?  If so, please consider that decision very carefully.  You probably have lots of people telling you that an "education" is the key to your future and that you will never be able to get a "good job" unless you go to college.  And it is true that those that go to college do earn more on average than those that do not.  However, there is also a downside.  At most U.S. colleges, the quality of the education that you will receive is a joke, the goal of most colleges is to extract as much money from you and your parents as they possibly can, and there is a very good chance that there will not be a "good job" waiting for you once you graduate.  And unless you have someone that is willing to pay your tuition bills, you will probably be facing a lifetime of crippling student loan debt payments once you get out into the real world.  So is college a waste of time and money?  In the end, it really pays to listen to both sides of the debate.
Personally, I spent eight years at U.S. public universities, and I really enjoyed those times.
But would I trade my degrees today for the time and money that I spent to get them?
Absolutely...


Will the fixed-rate mortgage become extinct? - CNBC - Jeff Cox - March 26, 2014 - While homes will evolve considerably over the next 25 years, it is the way homes are purchased that will bear the heftiest transformation.                     As the current path progresses, mortgage financing will look worlds apart from its current form. The government won't be offering the same guarantees as it's been for generations, big banks won't have the same incentives to get in the business, and borrowing rates will be considerably higher as regulation continues to increase.                     Interviews with numerous pros in the business paint a picture of big changes to come—not all of them consumer-friendly. Most spring from a dual dynamic of the government seeking to avoid calamities like the one that triggered the financial crisis in 2008 and the industry trying to innovate and continue to profit in a more restrictive environment.                      "Even in normal times, we are going to see in all likelihood higher rates, particularly for less-than-stellar borrowers," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com, which provides consumers with information about the latest borrowing data and trends. "Anybody who's got a smaller down payment, some weakness in their credit history or isn't fully documented is going to face the hurdle of higher interest rates and potential limited credit availability."                   That may not sound like a terribly bad thing to some ears....


Pearson furniture plant closing in High Point; 86 jobs lost - WXII (Winston-Salem) - March 27, 2014 - The longtime Pearson Co. home furnishings plant on Progress Avenue will close later this year, the second plant in the area that will be closed by the company that took over the lines of bankrupt Furniture Brands International late last year.                           Heritage Home Group this week informed employees of the Pearson plant that the factory will close in stages through the end of August. The closure of the factory, founded under previous owners in 1942, will affect 86 local employees.                         “We regret to inform you that business circumstances will force us to close our Heritage Home Group Pearson Co. location. As required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 (WARN), this letter serves to give you 60 days’ advance notice of the closing,” according to a letter from Heritage Home Group, a copy of which was obtained by The High Point Enterprise.                   In January, Heritage Home Group announced it would close Thomasville Plant C and Thomasville Plant C-Area 100 in Davidson County, eliminating 84 jobs. The two plant closings in Thomasville also were blamed on adverse business conditions by Heritage Home Group executives.                            The plant closings by Heritage Home Group come as the company reportedly is being courted by High Point recruiters to relocate its corporate headquarters from its longtime home in St. Louis to here. The trade publication Furniture Today last week reported that Heritage Home Group intends to relocate its corporate office to High Point, though neither company officials nor city or High Point Market officials have publicly discussed or confirmed the move.                    Late last year, KPS Capital Partners announced the formation of a new company, Heritage Home Group, which acquired Furniture Brand International’s assets for $280 million. Furniture Brands’ holdings included Thomasville Furniture, Drexel Heritage, Broyhill, Lane, Henredon, Pearson, Hickory Chair, Lane Venture, Maitland-Smith and La Barge brands.

Paul Craig Roberts Interview on King World News - March 27, 2014 - Former US Treasury Official, Co-Founder of Reaganomics, Economist & Acclaimed Author - Dr. Paul Craig Roberts is an American economist, a columnist and recent author of “The Failure Of Laissez Faire Capitalism” -  Dr. Roberts speaks about the current situation in Ukraine and what it means to Global Dynamics and how that relates to Russia, the United States, and the Obama Administration.

NASA Predicts "Irreversible" COLLAPSE of Society
NASA has stated what we've all known for some time now. The inevitable will occur at some point in the future. When a society has accumulated too much debt and the wealth is in the hands of too few people, the world will turn upside down. Chaos will occur. Mass civil unrest will take place. Those prepared will fare best in this new era.

NASA Models Predict Total Societal Collapse: “Irreversible” - SHTFPlan.com - Mac Slavo - March 25th, 2014 -

Agenda about the City Council meeting of April 1, 2014

This Agenda is about the Hickory City Council meeting that took place on the date listed above. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

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. You can also look in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the Hickory Hound and (will soon) find the link to the past history of Hickory City Newsletters.

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

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

City Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center

City Council Agenda - April 1, 2014

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The Hound's Notes:
1) Consent Agenda "Item C". Looks like they are going to find a way to finance the renovation of the "Olde Hickory Mill" building. You can see this building off to the left when traveling south on Hwy 127 after passing the Railroad underpass.

Google Map Street View 
Google Map Satellite Overhead Shot
Department of Commerce - NC Rural Development - Building Reuse Grants

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Invocation by Rev. Charles Kyker, Pastor, Christ Church

Special Presentations
A. Proclamation for Fair Housing Month to Regina Jenkins, Realty Executives, on behalf of the Catawba Valley Association of Realtors

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. Matthew Church, Regarding Outside Rates for Water Fees

Consent Agenda:
A. Approval of a Proclamation for Arbor Day, April 26, 2014.

B. Call for Public Hearing – for Consideration of the Community Development Block Grant 2014 Annual Action Plan. (Authorize Public Hearing for April 15, 2014)

C. Authorizing a Resolution for the Rural Economic Development Division North Carolina Department of Commerce Building Reuse Program Project “Old Hickory Mill” Building Reuse Application.

D. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 21.
1. To budget a $25 Library donation in the Library Programming line item for Senior Bingo.

2. To transfer $7,500 from General Fund Contingency to the Economic Incentive line item. This transfer is to fund the first incentive payment of $7,500 to Turbotec per the incentive agreement.

3. To transfer a total of $55,000 from Water and Sewer Contingency to the Collection System line item ($20,000) and to the Distribution line items ($35,000). This transfer is necessary to cover overages in Overtime and Fuel expenses, caused by the 07-27-13 storm that FEMA will not reimburse.

4. To transfer $54,000 from Water and Sewer Contingency to the Sewer Treatment line item. This transfer is necessary to cover expenses for the remainder of the year for the treatment and processing of sanitary sewer that is transported to Conover from Hickory for treatment prior to discharge.

New Business - Public Hearings1. Consideration of Text Amendment (TA) 14-01 to the City’s Land Development Code. - On an annual basis the Planning and Development Services Department conducts a review of the City’s Land Development Code to determine if amendments are needed. During its current review staff has identified a number of recommended amendments to Articles 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 of the City’s Land
Development Code. Many of the proposed amendments to Articles 2 and 6 of the Land Development Code are required due to the passage of new or revised laws by the North Carolina General Assembly, while the remainder represent modifications staff believes will better serve development within the City of Hickory. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on March 21, and March 28, 2014.

2. Public Hearing to Install Curb and Gutter along a Portion of the West Side of the 600 Block of 8th Street Drive NW. - The City Clerk has received a petition from the owner of property along the west side of the 600 block of 8th Street Drive NW to install curb and gutter along a portion of their street as per Section 29-2 of the Hickory Code of Ordinances. The signature on the petition represent 100% of the property owners affected, and 100% of the property footage affected. Staff requests approval of the Resolution directing that the street improvement project be undertaken. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on March 21, 2014.

Hickory Metro 2014 - Tied for 4th Most Miserable in the United States

The Hound: From dead last in 2010 to 5th worst last year to tied with three cities for 4th worst this year. We aren't the worst in any category this year, but we skew towards the bottom in every category, which includes obesity, exercise, eating fruits and vegetables, smoking, stress, and the uninsured.

How do we work on fixing thour Health?
Platform for a 21st Century Hickory - an Agenda on Health and Wellness


(Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Updated 08:30 AM ET)

Provo-Orem, Utah, Leads U.S. Communities in Well-Being - San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., tops large communities - Gallup - Dan Witters

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Provo-Orem, Utah, has the highest Well-Being Index score (71.4) in the U.S. across 189 communities Gallup and Healthways surveyed in 2012-2013. Also in the top 10 are Boulder, Colo.; Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.

At 59.5, Huntington-Ashland, W.Va.-Ky.-Ohio, is the only community with a Well-Being Index score below 60. Huntington-Ashland also trailed all other metros in 2008, 2010, and 2011; its score of 58.1 in 2010 remains the lowest on record across five reporting periods spanning six years of data collection.

Charleston, W.Va., has the second-lowest score of 60.0. Redding, Calif.; Spartanburg, S.C.; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; and Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.; round out the bottom six -- with the last three communities tied with a score of 62.2. None of these metro areas are strangers to the bottom 10 list, with each community having appeared at least once on the list in a prior reporting period.

The regional breakdown in well-being scores is largely consistent with Gallup and Healthways state-level results, which find well-being generally higher in the Midwest and West, and lower in the South. West Virginia, which is home to at least a portion of the two lowest-rated metro areas (Huntington-Ashland and Charleston), ranked last in the nation for well-being among states for the fifth consecutive year in 2013. The state of California ranked 17^th in overall well-being in 2013, but nevertheless boasts three metros in the top 10 for 2012-2013.

The Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) described in this article are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In many cases, more than one city is included in the same MSA, and the same MSA can cross state borders (such as Huntington-Ashland). All reported MSAs encompass at least 300 completed surveys in 2012-2013, and Gallup has weighted each of these samples to ensure it is demographically representative of that MSA.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index score is an average of six sub-indexes, which individually examine life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities. The overall score and each of the six sub-index scores are calculated on a scale from 0 to 100, where a score of 100 represents the ideal. Gallup and Healthways have been tracking these measures daily since January 2008

Our Individual (Hickory-Lenoir-Marganton) Rankings:
Obesity - 28.7% of the people in our area. (Best: Boulder, Colorado 12.4% - Worst: Huntington, Ohio 39.5%)
Exercise - 48.1% of the people in our area. (Best: Anchorage, Alaska 62.3% - Worst: Lafayette, Louisiana 43.4%)
Eat Produce Frequently - 54.6% of the people in our area. (Best: Olympia, Washington 65.7%  - Worst: McAllen, Texas 46.7%) 
Smoke - 30.1% of the people in our area. (Best: Provo, Utah 7% - Worst: Charleston, Wesy Virginia 34.3%)
Daily Stress - 57.7% of the people in our area. (Best: Gainesville, Florida 48.5% - Worst: Naples, Florida 70.3%)
Uninsured - 23.2% of the people in our area. (Best: Springfield, Massachusetts 4.6% - Worst: McAllen, Texas 51.2%)


From 2013 - Hickory Metro - 5th Most Miserable in the United States - March 27, 2013
From 2010 - Hickory - The lowest well being in the United States of America - November 1, 2010

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- March 23, 2014

Dying Memphis Neighborhood Foretells Next U.S. Crisis: Mortgages - Bob Ivry - March 21, 2014 - ... Hope for advancement was that much tougher for most people to sustain after 2008. And just as the crisis was no accident but rather a tragic convergence of stupidity and poor oversight, so too were its consequences a result of calculation.                                Just about all the behavior by the biggest banks and their Washington regulators described in this book occurred after the 2008 financial crisis. The book is divided into seven chapters, each corresponding to one of Catholicism’s seven deadly sins.                            Wall Street’s seven sins -- size, secrecy, regulatory capture (when government supervisors identify more with the industry they police than with the people they’re supposed to protect), excessive pride, complexity, impunity, and a predatory greed -- risk the second avoidable economic cataclysm of the baby boom era...



The Federal Reserve Seems Quite Serious About Tapering – So What Comes Next? - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - March 19th, 2014 - Will this be the year when the Fed's quantitative easing program finally ends?  For a long time, many analysts were proclaiming that the Fed would never taper.  But then it started happening.  Then a lot of them started talking about how "the untaper" was right around the corner.  That hasn't happened either.  It looks like that under Janet Yellen the Fed is quite determined to bring the quantitative easing program to a close by the end of this year.  Up until now, the financial markets have been slow to react because there has been a belief that the Fed would reverse course on tapering the moment that the U.S. economy started to slow down again.  But even though the U.S. middle class is in horrible shape, and even though there are lots of signs that we are heading into another recession, the Fed has continued tapering.
Of course it is important to note that the Fed is still absolutely flooding the financial system with money even after the announcement of more tapering on Wednesday.  When you are talking about $55,000,000,000 a month, you are talking about a massive amount of money.  So the Fed is not exactly being hawkish.                                 But when Yellen told the press that quantitative easing could end completely this fall and that the Fed could actually start raising interest rates about six months after that, it really spooked the markets.                         The Dow was down 114 points on Wednesday, and the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries shot up to 2.77%.  The following is how CNBC described the reaction of the markets on Wednesday...


Nationwide Home Sales Collapse: There Is No Recovery and This Chart Proves It - SHTFPlan.com - Mac Slavo - March 20th, 2014 -Now may be the best time to buy a home. At least that’s what the majority of real estate agents in America will tell you if you ask them how the housing market is doing.                           They’ll cite various statistics and give you a “feel” for the market from their personal experiences to convince you this is the case. But if you’re paying attention, then it should be clear that there is, in fact, no recovery in the housing sector. And any gains we may have seen over the last few years are nothing short of a Federal Reserve fueled mirage, much like the stock market.
The following chart from Bank of America is indicative of some serious fundamental problems, not just with the housing market, but the broader economy as a whole...

Should Congress limit mortgage deduction? - Market Watch Wall Street Journal - John C. Weicher (Hudson Institute) - March 22, 2014 - There are easier ways to reduce one’s tax bill. But for many American taxpayers, this is the big one: the deduction for interest payments on home mortgages.                          Homeowners in the U.S. last year received a total of roughly $70 billion in federal tax breaks through the deduction. But discussions in Congress about a broad tax overhaul are heating up, and all sorts of tax deductions — including the mortgage-interest deduction — are being discussed by both parties.                          Supporters of the mortgage-interest deduction say it encourages homeownership and gives the middle class a better shot at financial security. The deduction helps middle-income purchasers by making their mortgage payments more affordable and by helping these families build equity in their homes.                          But critics say the deduction mainly benefits those with higher incomes. They say that it does nothing to help lower-income Americans who rent. In addition, they argue, in these tough budgetary times the government could put the forgone tax revenue to good use.                    So far, much of the discussion about changing the mortgage-interest deduction has focused on reducing its benefits for the wealthiest Americans. President Barack Obama has supported clipping the deduction for taxpayers in the top two tax brackets.                                More recently, Rep. Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican, proposed a tax-overhaul that would, among other things, lower the limit on home mortgages that qualify for the deductions to $500,000 of principal from the current $1 million.                        Arguing to keep the deduction in its current form is John C. Weicher, director of the Center for Housing and Financial Markets at the Hudson Institute. Bruce Katz, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, argues that the deduction needs to be revamped or replaced.

Walmart Now Has 6 Types Of Stores - Wall St. 24/7 - Paul Ausick - March 22, 2014 - With the launch last week of a gas station/convenience store, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) now offers customers six different store formats to choose from, ranging from the Supercenters of up to 260,000 square feet to the 15,000 square-foot Walmart Express stores. The enormous big-box stores still dominate the landscape, but over the past several years the company has been looking at smaller formats, as a way to extend Walmart’s brand footprint, pick up sales it is losing to smaller stores, and gain entry to markets in which they have previously been shut out...



Bay Area city votes for $12.30 minimum wage - California's minimum wage set to increase to $10 in 2016 - KCRA (Sacramento, CA) - March 19, 2014 - A San Francisco Bay Area city is on track to have the highest minimum wage in California.                           The Richmond City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday in favor of an ordinance that would raise minimum hourly pay in the city to $12.30 an hour by 2017.                            That would be nearly $2 more than San Francisco's current minimum wage, which is the highest in the region.                          The state minimum wage is set to increase to $10 an hour in January 2016.                       The Contra Costa Times reports that most of the 30 or so residents who spoke at the Richmond council meeting were in favor of raising the minimum wage.                   But at least one business owner said it would make it difficult for him to add jobs.


Best & Worst States to be a Taxpayer - Wallet Hub - John S Kiernan  - Economic mobility – that is, our ability to climb the proverbial ladder – has a strong correlation to where we live.  Children from Seattle whose families are in the 25^th percentile in terms of income, for example, end up at roughly the same economic stature as kids from the median family in Atlanta.
Why?  State and local taxes.  At least that’s what a group of Harvard and Berkeley researchers collaborating on The Equality of Opportunity Project have to say.  They “found a significant correlation between both measures of mobility and local tax rates.”                      Want to know which states have the most and least burdensome taxes?                          WalletHub analyzed how state and local tax rates compare to the national median in the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia.  We compared eight different types of taxation in order to determine:  1) Which states have the highest and lowest tax rates; 2) how those rates compare to the national median; 3) which states offer the most value in terms of low taxation and high cost-of-living adjusted income levels.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of March 18, 2014

I began video recording the City Council in 2012, because of my desire that the City do it on their own as any modern 21st century community began doing long ago. I had people tell me that they couldn't make it to the meetings, but they would like to see what is going on. I was also told by some council members that my summaries did not truly reflect the record, so having a video/audio recording cannot be misinterpreted.

So below is the City Council meeting. With each agenda item, you can click on the links and it will take you to that specific point in the meeting. You can always drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.

Agenda about the City Council meeting of March 18, 2014
- Go to this link if you would like more information about the Agenda items.

Highlighted Links below take you straight to that point in the video.



Special Presentations
A. Laurie Hoover of the Business Development Committee Presentation of the Business Well Crafted Award to John Teeter, Executive Vice President, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company
80 years of business and community support is honored with the “Business. Well Crafted.” award - Hickory Inc.

B. Proclamation for American Red Cross Month presented to Suzan Anderson, Community Chapter Executive, American Red Cross

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. Roger Young - Friends of Hickory, Specific Space for the Downtown Park - (from Hickory Inc.) -  presented to Council plans for a playground and park in the downtown area. He showed photos from three companies that they are currently working with on ideas for the playground. The estimated cost will be between $300,000 - $400,000, and they are planning fund raisers to come up with the money for the project. He requested Council’s permission to continue moving forward with this project on this location.

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Hound Notes:

1) This should not have been introduced under "Persons Requesting to be Heard". This should have been a Departmental Report. It is obvious that these people have an association with Hickory Inc. Mr. Young is an architect and president of a local construction agency. He says they have been in contact with the city. Public-Private partnerships are great, but proper records need to be kept of the Public side. This report lasted for over 15 minutes. Nothing wrong with citizens playing a role in a Departmental Report.

2) When would construction begin? It should not begin until all I's are dotted and T's are crossed on obligations. Construction should not start until 100% of the money necessary to fund such a project is accounted for. If you followed the "cart before the horse" folly that was the "Sails on the Square", it started as a $285,000 project and then a few weeks later grew to a $420,000 project and to this day we don't know what was actually spent on that project.

What's to say this group gets into this project and discovers they need a couple hundred thousand more dollars. Alderman Lail told us a couple years ago, that the City Council had screwed up, but they were in to deep, so they had to keep spending the money. Are we going to see a repeat here? No one questions that this group has honorable motives, but we need to ensure that their honor doesn't necessitate a public bailout if they get in too deep and can't find a way out.

3) What the heck is Council doing making a motion for them to move forward? There were no specifics presented here. There were some neat renderings and generalized proposals, but nothing concrete. I have never, in my years covering these meetings, seen Council have this kind of back and forth with people the way they have this group.

Certainly this group should move forward and do their thing. This, as Mr. Young describes, is a private venture and they are free to do whatever they want in the good ole USA, but when the public interest is involved, we better see transparency.

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B. Matthew Church - Regarding Outside Rates for Water Fees - (Postponed to April 1, 2014)

C. Dr. Ric Vandett - Regarding Homeless Veteran Stand Down - (From Hickory Inc.)  - spoke to Council regarding the Foothills Homeless Veterans Stand Down to be held on April 25, 2014 at the American Legion Fairgrounds from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event provides a number of services for the homeless and needy veterans including medical services, dental care, food, clothing, and various kinds of counseling to reach out to people in need. There are 12 counties that will be sending homeless and March 18, 2014 2 needy veterans. They registered over 200 homeless veterans at the event held last year. They are in need of volunteers. He requested Council’s support in the promotion of the event, and to invite them to come to the event. He also asked Council’s support in helping them locate a new place for Grace House to provide its ministry and for the Veterans Helping Veterans to meet.

Consent Agenda 

Informational Items

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Public Hearing to Amend 2012 and 2013 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plans.

2. Public Hearing to Consider an Economic Development Agreement with MAB American for the Development of City Owned Property at Cloninger Mill Road and NC. 127. 

Against
Steve Ivester - Raises several Concerns including empty Big Box Grocery stores and the purpose of this property in conjunction with the proposed park at this site.
Kathryn Greathouse - comes forward with anonymous offer of $900,000 to purchase the property and make it part of the proposed park.

For
John Argo - MAB American and Rick Maxian - Max Design Group - Grocery store will be an upscale affluent food store and the demographics in that area trend in that direction. 10 specialty shops would be developed in conjunction with the Food store.


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Hound Notes:

1) Looks like it is likely a Publix - In looking up Mr. Argo's, who spoke, profile on LinkedIn - Developed 2 million+ SF of retail space in 24 shopping centers (15 Publix anchored) in 5 states including the first Publix in the state of Alabama and market entries for Publix into Huntsville, Columbus, Albany, Montgomery, and Dothan. Purchased $75 million of real estate for development/redevelopment. Mr. Maxian is an architect out of Atlanta. 

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Rebuttal
Steve Ivester - Anonymous offer shouldn't be ignored

Council Deliberations
Alderman Lail and Meisner like the Economic Developent that goes along with the project and believe if the anonymous buyer/donor were serious (can't give the offer credence) that they would have come forward. Good for the neighborhoods and creates 200 jobs, construction, and tax revenue. Alderman Zagaroli concurred on growth and jobs. Alderman Meisner spoke about the help with developing the park and moving it forward.
Mayor Wright believes that the Council should take the offer a presented.

*** Council voted 6 to 1 in favor of selling the property to MAB American with only Mayor Wright voting no. 


3. Public Hearing to Consider an Economic Development Agreement with Cornerstone United Inc., and Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC for the Property Located at 1020 Main Ave. NW, Hickory. 
*** Council vote Unanimously to accept the agreement.


New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Approval of an Agreement to with the Town of Long View to Purchase Potable Water from the City of Hickory. 


2. Vote regarding the Resolution and Order for Petition of Moretz Mills, LLC to Close a Portion of E Avenue SE.  (Council voted 6 to 1 to close E Avenue after all criteria for closing are met. Alderman Seaver was the one no vote.)


General Comments
Mayor Wright commended the Lady Tornados for the great season that they had, and for playing themselves out of it in the first half, and playing themselves right back in in the second half.

Hound's Final Note
Besides the notes above, you can read my comments and see other details taken on the night of the meeting.
Thoughts about last night's Hickory City Council meeting - March 18, 2014

Public Information, North Carolina General Statute 132, and Hickory Inc.

I'm not going to get into the case with the police officer arrested in Hickory from the aspect of the alleged assault. What I do want you to look at is how Hickory Incorporated has a long history of playing games with information and not following the letter or spirit of the law when in comes to providing requested information to the public. Let's ask Ms. Dula if it is her decision not to provide the requested information? Who is making the call to ignore, delay, manipulate, and/or obfuscate public information requests?

TERMINATED: Police officer fired; clerk of court’s office, city violate public records laws - Hickory Daily Record - EVAN MATSUMOTO - March 19, 2014

NC General Statute 132:

§ 132-1.  "Public records" defined.

(a)        "Public record" or "public records" shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data-processing records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions. Agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions shall mean and include every public office, public officer or official (State or local, elected or appointed), institution, board, commission, bureau, council, department, authority or other unit of government of the State or of any county, unit, special district or other political subdivision of government.

(b)        The public records and public information compiled by the agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions are the property of the people. Therefore, it is the policy of this State that the people may obtain copies of their public records and public information free or at minimal cost unless otherwise specifically provided by law. As used herein, "minimal cost" shall mean the actual cost of reproducing the public record or public information. (1935, c. 265, s. 1; 1975, c. 787, s. 1; 1995, c. 388, s. 1.)

There are more rules when it comes to Public Information and you can read it in the link provided above, but the most important statement of the Statute above is that the information made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions is the property of the people.

When it comes to the purpose of the request and the timeliness of the fulfillment of the request.

 § 132-6.  Inspection and examination of records.
(a)        Every custodian of public records shall permit any record in the custodian's custody to be inspected and examined at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision by any person, and shall, as promptly as possible, furnish copies thereof upon payment of any fees as may be prescribed by law. As used herein, "custodian" does not mean an agency that holds the public records of other agencies solely for purposes of storage or safekeeping or solely to provide data processing.

(b)        No person requesting to inspect and examine public records, or to obtain copies thereof, shall be required to disclose the purpose or motive for the request.

(c)        No request to inspect, examine, or obtain copies of public records shall be denied on the grounds that confidential information is commingled with the requested nonconfidential information. If it is necessary to separate confidential from nonconfidential information in order to permit the inspection, examination, or copying of the public records, the public agency shall bear the cost of such separation on the following schedule:

Where have we seen this before?

A Well Crafted Run Around - August 5, 2013 

What if you made public information requests to the city government regarding a project for five months. Finally, you are invited to city hall to look at the information the city has put together. You are given a 500 page file of unorganized receipts, non-descript invoices, and confusing internal accounting spreadsheets. You have questions. You simply can't make sense of the information provided, so you ask questions and you are met with a wall.

Welcome to the party HDR... no turning back now! 

HDR turned back on Sunday March 23, 2014 in an OpEd Editorial

Thoughts about last night's Hickory City Council meeting - March 18, 2014

Agenda about the City Council meeting of March 18, 2014

Here are the topics of interest from last night's meeting:

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. Roger Young - Friends of Hickory, Specific Space for the Downtown Park - A few slides were shown and Mr. Young made a proposal for a park to be built on the parking lot adjacent to the Community One Bank west of Union Square. Mr. Young showed some neat looking renderings of ideas for what such a park would entail.

C. Dr. Ric Vandett - Regarding Homeless Veteran Stand Down - Dr. Vandett spoke about what comprised the stand down and asked the city to help promote the event. The Mayor said that they would look into promoting it through the City snippets. Dr. Vandett also addressed the council about his concerns related to the closure of Grace House in its current location.

This Stand Down is designed to provide homeless Veterans with medical services, dental care, food, clothing, education, tax assistance, employment counseling, eye care, haircuts, shoes, community resources, outdoor supplies, pastoral counseling, and fellowship.

3rd Annual Foothills Homeless Veterans Stand Down

When:

April 25, 2014 @ 8:00 am – 2:00 pm

View Full-Size Map

Add to Calendar Add to Google

Where: American Legion Fairgrounds
1127 U.S. 70
Hickory,NC 28602
USA

Contact:

Rick Vandett828-302-0293

Public Hearing #2 to Consider an Economic Development Agreement with MAB American for the Development of City Owned Property at Cloninger Mill Road and NC. 127. - Steve Ivester made some good points. It has always been his desire that the property not be developed commercially. It was announced that an anonymous citizen was willing to buy the property from the city for $900,000 and donate it back to the city to try and keep the 10 acres dedicated to the park in its entirety, instead of it being developed commercially.

Cloninger Mill Park - 3rd meeting - The Master Plan - 3/10/2009
Cloninger Mill Park - 2nd meeting - 2 Proposals - 1/15/2009
Cloninger Mill Park - 1st meeting - Preliminary Proposal

Public Hearing #3 - Piedmont Wagon Building - Economic Development Agreement with Cornerstone United Inc., and Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC - The bottom line is that the investors are getting a property tax grant that  allows the investors to not pay an estimated $6,000 a year over the next five years for creating 5 jobs. The other jobs are already in existence or are speculative. This has set a precedent and/or opportunity, depending upon how one looks at it, for other businesses to request to not have to pay property taxes for businesses in Hickory



Departmental Report #2 - Moretz Mills LLC vs Catawba Paper Box - to close E Avenue SE - In the Agenda, I was wrong in my speculation that the parties had come to an amicable agreement. I couldn't believe that after two additional weeks that no agreement could be reached. In reading the agenda I assumed that both parties had agreed to the conditions in the Agenda. The Council's decision, as stated in the Agenda, is that once the conditions have been met (and the City's Director of Public Services will determine when those conditions have been met) that E Avenue will be closed.  Those conditions include giving trucks enough room to maneuver off of F Avenue Dr and onto 7th street SE and taking a dip out of F Avenue Dr where Catawba Paper Box believes that Transfer Trucks could bottom out.

Fluoride in our water - HDR Editorial - Unedited - March 16, 2014

Below is a Letter to the Editor of the Hickory Daily Record that I submitted as a rebuttal to a local dentist's rebuttal of Wanda Arnold regarding fluoride in our Public Water System. This is only a controversial subject, because the dental industry in conjunction with government thought they knew what was best for society. Now they seem to be in too deep. I think this is an issue that needs further review and needs to be given more light, because there are communities across the United States that are moving away from fluoride in the public water supply.

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I read Dr. Salil Bhende's rebuttal to Wanda Arnold about fluoride in our water system. I don't doubt that Dr. Bhende believes he has the public's best interest at heart, but there are many studies over the last several decades that argue that putting fluoride in the public water system is not good.

Some fluoride might be good for our teeth, though it depends on the type according to many studies. Calcium fluoride in minute amounts applied topically to your teeth has been shown to harden teeth, but that is not what is being put in our water supply.

What is being put in our water supply is sodium fluoride. By putting it in our water supply, we are ingesting it every time we eat, drink, and even when we bathe. Is this substance good for every cell in our body?

Fluoride is a highly toxic substance. Read your toothpaste label. It tells you that if more than used for brushing is swallowed, that you should contact the Center for Poison Control. If it poses no known health risks, as the good Doctor states, then why would a toothpaste label state this?

This toxic stuff is bioaccumulating in our bodies over our lifetime. Harvard studies have shown that fluoride is adversely affecting children; definitely causing fluorosis of teeth and likely contributing to neurodevelopmental disabilities, such as Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder . Who is monitoring the implementation of this chemical into our water supply? What about when fluoride mixes with other substances? What are the side effects?

Dr. Bhende's alphabet soup of organizations definitely have recommended putting this chemical in, thus medicating, our water supply. What I can't separate out is the fact from the propaganda.

What I do know is that I suffer from hypothyroidism. The Thyroid Gland is part of our Human Endocrine System. The Endocrine System is your engine of metabolism. Many studies have shown that fluoride negatively affects the Endocrine System. Studies also show that this public H20 chemical cocktail is leading to many other issues, such as brittle bones. I'm no Doctor, but in the end I am responsible for my body and health. That is a Sovereign Conservative principle.

If you want fluoride, then there are ways to properly use it. I don't want sodium fluoride forced on me through my tap water.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- March 16, 2014

David A. Stockman Interview on King World News - Former Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (USOMB) under President Ronald Reagan. After leaving the White House, Stockman had a 20-year career on Wall Street where he joined Salomon Bros. He later became one of the original partners at New York-based private equity firm, The Blackstone Group.
King World News Interview - March 14, 2014


19 Signs That The U.S. Consumer Is Tapped Out - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - March 13th, 2014 - You can't get blood out of a rock.  Traditionally the United States has had a consumer-driven economy, but now years of declining incomes and rising debts are really starting to catch up with us.  In order to have an economy that is dependent on consumer spending, you need to have a large middle class.  Unfortunately, the U.S. middle class is steadily shrinking, and unless that trend is reversed we are going to see massive economic changes in this country.  For example, in poor neighborhoods all over America we are seeing bank branches, car dealerships and retail stores close down at an alarming rate.  If you didn't know better, you might be tempted to think that "Space Available" was the hottest new retailer in some areas of the nation.  On the other hand, if you live in San Francisco, New York City or Washington D.C., things are pretty good for the moment.  But as a whole, the condition of the U.S. consumer continues to decline.  Incomes are going down, the cost of living is going up, and debts are skyrocketing.  The following are 19 signs that the U.S. consumer is tapped out...                                #1 Real disposable income per capita continues to fall.  In the fourth quarter of 2012, it was sitting at $37,265.  By the time that the fourth quarter of 2013 had come around, it had dropped to $36,941.  That means that average Americans have less money to go shopping with than they did previously.                             #2 In January, real disposable income in the U.S. experienced the largest year over year decline that we have seen since 1974.                        #3 As disposable income decreases, major retailers are closing thousands of stores all over the country.  Some are even calling this "a retail apocalypse".

The end of restaurant tipping? - The argument that waiters and customers will be happier if all tip 0% - Wall Street Journal MarketWatch - Charles Passy - March 12, 2014 - Perhaps the policies at these establishments shouldn’t come as a surprise, since restaurant patrons are increasingly saying they don’t like to play the tipping game. A solid majority of Americans — 75% — say they tip less than the customary 20% when dining out, according to a new survey by vouchercloud.net, which researches consumer spending habits. Additionally, the website reports that 46% of Americans say they are tipping less in general than they did five years ago.                          Shutterstock.com

Scott Rosenberg, owner of Sushi Yasuda, another no-tip restaurant in New York, believes that diners are simply tired of the meal-ending ritual of “grading” a server and then doing the math based on that judgment. “The meal should be there for you to enjoy without doing this calculus,” says Scott Rosenberg.                                To be clear, such restaurants are still paying their waiters — and the customers are still paying for the service as part of the overall bill. When Scott Rosenberg did away with tipping some months back, he raised menu prices by 15% to cover costs.

How the safety net leaves out poor, unmarried men - MSNBC - Suzy Khimm - March 10, 2014 -
When the modern safety net was first conceived, poor single men often weren’t even on the agenda.
The first priority was the poor children and the women who were often their primary caregivers. The assumption was that single adults without dependent children didn’t need the extra government help. “We’ve always thought about men being able to pull themselves up by bootstraps, who’ve never needed support,” says Joe Jones, President and CEO of the Center for Urban Families in Baltimore. “Women and children are considered to be more vulnerable.”                      But it’s becoming increasingly clear that designing the safety net this way has ended up excluding a group that’s become increasingly at risk: poor, unmarried men. Lawmakers from both parties are now looking at policy changes that would help bring them in.                         In his 2015 budget released this week, President Obama included a new proposal to double the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless adults and non-custodial parents. The administration has framed the plan as a broad poverty-fighting measure that would help an estimated 13.5 million working Americans, about 55% of them male.....


Ted Cruz: GOP can repeal “every single word” of Obamacare in 2015 - MSNBC - Benjamin Landy - March 9, 2014 - While Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act appear increasingly quixotic – House Republicans voted last week for the 50th time to suspend or repeal the president’s signature health care law – Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz shows no signs of giving up.                           “You know what they say, ‘50th time is the charm,’” Obama joked. “Maybe when you hit your 50th repeal vote, you will win a prize.”                          Cruz isn’t laughing. He told ABC’s This Week on Sunday that Republicans still have a chance to repeal “every single word” of Obamacare in 2015.                           ABC host Jonathan Karl was incredulous. “We can acknowledge that that’s not going to happen while Barack Obama is president, right?”                          “If there’s one thing that unifies politicians of both parties, you know, their top priority is preserving their own hide,” Cruz responded. “And if enough congressional Democrats realize they either stand with Obamacare and lose, or they listen to the American people and have a chance at staying in office, that’s the one scenario we could do it in 2015. If not, we’ll do it in 2017.”                         Asked if he honestly believes President Obama would agree to repeal his most significant legislative accomplishment, Cruz shifted his attention to the media: “You know, what’s funny, Jon, is the media treats that as a bizarre proposition.”...


Kremlin: If The US Tries To Hurt Russia's Economy, Russia Will Target The Dollar - Testosterone Pit - March 15, 2014 - Another warning shot was fired before an all-out assault on the dollar system begins. This time, an official shot: Alexey Ulyukaev, Russia’s Minister of Economic Development and former Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank, fired it. It was a major escalation, Valentin Mândrăşescu, editor of The Voice of Russia’s Reality Check, told me from Moscow.                       Last time, it was Sergei Glazyev, an advisor to Vladimir Putin who’d fired the shot. But he wasn’t a government official. “Anonymous sources” at the Kremlin claimed he wasn’t speaking for the government. As Mândrăşescu reported in his excellent article, From Now On, No Compromises Are Possible For Russia:

From the economic point of view, everyone should get ready for tough actions from Moscow. Sergei Glazyev, the most hardline of Putin’s advisors, sketched the retaliation strategy: Drop the dollar, sell US Treasuries, encourage Russian companies to default on their dollar-denominated debts, and create an alternative currency system (reference currency) with the BRICS and hydrocarbon producers like Venezuela and Iran.

Unlike radical-sounding Glazyev, Ulyukaev is part of Dmitry Medvedev’s Cabinet. And as former Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, he doesn’t take currencies lightly. He told Rossia-24 news channel about possible retaliatory measures if Washington adds economic sanctions to the political sanctions. Moscow wouldn’t worry too much about political sanctions, he said, but if Washington tries to hurt Russia’s economy, Moscow would retaliate by targeting the US dollar.


The Tiger Awakens: China Warns of “Retaliatory Action” and “Unforeseeable Consequences” Over U.S. Monday Deadline - SHTFPlan.com - Mac Slavo - March 14th, 2014 - Yesterday Secretary of State and flip-flopper extraordinaire John Kerry advised Russia that Vladimir Putin has until Monday to pull back his forces from Ukraine. Failure to do so would lead to serious repercussions. Kerry was light on details, but we can assume he was talking about some sort of economic sanctions:...               
It’s quite obvious, based on Kerry’s statement, that the Obama Administration really has no idea what to do, as they are still talking through “various options,” something that probably should have been worked out well before President Obama began slinging rhetoric over the crisis.                       What the Obama administration assumes will happen is that they’ll force Russia into compliance by coming after their economy. Obama will hit the Late Night TV circuit to tout his success, we’ll all laugh about it, and then go on our merry way. Putin will be left embarrassed and laying in the fetal position sucking his thumb. At least that’s the plan.                            But two can play at that game and China, which has stood by Russia’s show of force in Europe since the get-go, has now upped the ante.                              It’s a brilliant move designed, once again, to show the world that President Obama and the United States are no longer running the show.


Warren Pollock - Monopoly Pricing and Empire (Labor Allocation & The Loss of Purchasing Power & Jobs)

Agenda about the City Council meeting of March 18, 2014

This Agenda is about the Hickory City Council meeting that took place on the date listed above. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

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. You can also look in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the Hickory Hound and (will soon) find the link to the past history of Hickory City Newsletters.

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

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

City Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center

City Council Agenda - March 18, 2014

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The Hound's Notes:
1) It looks like in Departmental Report 2 that Moretz Mills LLC has come to an amicable agreement with Catawba Paper Box over the closure of E Avenue SE. This issue was thoroughly discussed at the last City Council meeting on March 4, 2014. 

2) Public Hearing 2 is to consider an Economic Development Agreement with MAB American for the Development of City Owned Property on the Cloninger Mill proposed Park Site - I pointed to this in the Agenda for the past meeting:

2) Possible development of the property at the Cloninger Mill Proposed Park site? - I find item I of the Consent Agenda interesting. Economic Development Agreement with MAB American. Found this from Streetinsider.com - November 13, 2013 - Inland Real Estate Corporation (NYSE: IRC) announced that it has entered into a joint venture to develop grocery-anchored shopping centers in select markets throughout the southeastern United States with MAB American Retail Partners, LLC, an affiliate of Melbourne, Australia-based MAB Corporation. The five-year development program will target demographically strong metropolitan areas in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and could result in the construction of as many as 20 new grocery-anchored shopping centers with a total market value of as much as $325 million. MAB Corporation is a privately owned property development company and fund manager that has completed in excess of $2 billion in projects, including retail, office, multi-family and industrial, at locations throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
MAB Rosenthal - MAB American

If one looks at the links above and the Grocery Store sites created by MAB American, then one will see that there are no associations/partnerships with Whole Foods or Trader Joe's or what has been pontificated about as "Upscale" stores in the Hickory Daily Record. You see associations with Lowe's, Food Lion, and BiLo stores. Sorry to tell folks, they will take it the wrong way, but it needs to be said, Hickory can't support a Whole Foods. We are statistically the poorest metropolitan area in the State of North Carolina. That isn't putting Hickory down. That is stating a fact. We didn't support The Fresh Market on Hwy 127 in Viewmont.

In reverse engineering this, my thought is, and what I have been pontificating to others, is that it is going to be a Food Lion and they are looking to move from their current location on Hwy 127 in Viewmont to a new store. The Food Lions in the Eastern Part of the state are nicer. They've renovated the Food Lion on Springs Road. They can't renovate the Food Lion on 127. It's an old store. Food Lion can keep their current clients in NW Hickory, get people from that side of Cloninger Mill Road, and they will be able to get shoppers from Bethlehem.  A nicer Food Lion would not be a bad thing. I would support Food Lion or any other Grocery Store in this location. It brings more access to groceries in that area and the Cloninger Mill Park can be developed. That is a win-win for that area in my opinion.

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Invocation by Rev. Jay Robison, Pastor, Viewmont Baptist Church


Special Presentations
A. Laurie Hoover of the Business Development Committee Presentation of the Business Well Crafted Award to John Teeter, Executive Vice President, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company

B. Proclamation for American Red Cross Month presented to Suzan Anderson, Community Chapter Executive, American Red Cross

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. Roger Young - Friends of Hickory, Specific Space for the Downtown Park
B. Matthew Church - Regarding Outside Rates for Water Fees
C. Dr. Ric Vandett - Regarding Homeless Veteran Stand Down

Consent Agenda
A. Call for Public Hearing – for Consideration of Text Amendment (TA) 14-01 to the City’s Land Development Code. (Authorize Public Hearing for April 1, 2014)

B. Special Event/Activities Application for Symphony Under the Sails Spring/Fall Pops Concerts, Reggie Helton, Executive Director, Western Piedmont Symphony, Sails on the Square, April 27, 2014 and September 28, 2014 12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up).

C. Special Event/Activities Application for Symphony Under the Sails Summer Pops Concert, Reggie Helton, Executive Director, Western Piedmont Symphony, Sails on the Square, June 29, 2014 12:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up).

D. Special Event/Activities Application for Music Under the Sails Summer and Fall Friday Night Concerts, Mandy Pitts, Communications Director/Brand Manager, Sails on the Square, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 2014; June 6, 13, 20, 27, 2014; and September 5, 12, 19, 26, 2014, 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up).

E. Special Event/Activities Application for Swinging Under the Stars, Tony Eltora, Executive Director, Hickory Music Factory, Sails on the Square, May 25, 2014, 12:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up).

F. Special Event/Activities Application for Drum Circles, Tony Eltora, Executive Director, Hickory Music Factory, Sails on the Square, May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, and September 27, 2014, 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up)

G. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 18.
1. To budget a $2,000 donation from the Hickory Elks Lodge in the Parks and Recreation Departmental Supplies line item. This donation is for the 2014 EasterEgg Hunt which the City of Hickory Parks and Recreation Department coordinates annually.

2. To budget a total of $9,350 of donations from (Humana, ING Source, Lutheran Home, Catawba Regional Hospice, Home Instead Senior Care, Catawba Valley Medical Center, Carolinas Healthcare System, Gentiva, Bayada, Senior Information Resources, Catawba Valley Living, and Brookdale Senior Living) in the Parks and Recreation-Departmental Supplies line item. These donations are for the 2014 Easter Egg Hunt which the City of Hickory Parks and Recreation Department coordinates annually.

3. To budget a $3,025 insurance claim payment in the Traffic Division M&R Traffic Signals line item. This insurance claim payment is for storm damage to fiber optic trunk lines for the City Signals System.

4. To appropriate $7,500 of General Fund Balance (Funds reserved from the US Department of Justice) and budget in the Police Department Departmental Supplies line item. This amendment is necessary to purchase 16 gas masks for the Hickory Police Department Special Operations Team. The current gas masks are over 10 years old and no longer function for the team in case of a chemical threat. The new gas masks provide high protection in law enforcement or counter terrorism operations. They also protect against a range of CBRN (chemical, biological,radiological and nuclear) threats. Funds are made available to the Police Department from the US Department of Justice and remain in General Fund Balance until appropriated.

Informational Item
A. Report of City Manager Mick Berry’s travel to attend the North Carolina City County Management Association (NCCCMA) Winter Conference, in Durham, North Carolina, February 5-7, 2014 (registration - $350; room - $419.95; meal per diem - $51.25)
B. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to attend the North Carolina Metro Mayors Meeting, February 27-28, 2014 (registration - $125). Mayor Wright was unable to attend due to a conflict in scheduling. The registration fee was non-refundable.
C. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to attend National League of Cities – Congress of Cities, in Seattle, Washington, November 13-17, 2013 (registration - $765; room - $796.20; meal per diem - $190.25; airfare expense - $506.55; mileage reimbursement - $58.76).

D. The Buyer has cancelled the Offers to Purchase and Contracts for Properties Located at 1840 and 1845 Waterbury Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision, which had been approved on first reading on March 4, 2014.

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Public Hearing to Amend 2012 and 2013 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plans. - In April of each year, staff prepares an Annual Action Plan for its Community Development Block Grant allocation from the federal government. This plan has included a line item for constructing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in low to moderate income areas throughout the City. This amendment aims to increase the flexibility of staff to find infrastructure improvement projects that meet the objectives of the Community Development Block Grant Program. A public hearing is required to amend the Annual Action Plan. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on March 7, and March 18, 2014.

2. Public Hearing to Consider an Economic Development Agreement with MAB American for the Development of City Owned Property at Cloninger Mill Road and NC. 127. - North Carolina General Statute 158-7.1 permits the City to sell city-owned property for economic development purposes provided that the transaction will result in the creation of jobs and tax base. The property must be sold for at least market value. The statute permits the City Council to place restrictions on the
development of the property to ensure that future development meets the expectations of the Council. A public hearing is required prior to entering into a contract to develop the site. The property has been appraised for $890,000. The economic development agreement calls for a sales price of $900,000. All site plans and building elevations would need to be approved by City Council prior to
developing the site. The agreement would give the developer 12 months to begin work on the site, and 24 months to complete construction of the anchor tenant building. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on March 7, 2014.

3. Public Hearing to Consider an Economic Development Agreement with Cornerstone United Inc., and Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC for the Property Located at 1020 Main Ave. NW, Hickory.  - Cornerstone United, Inc. and Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC, two entities involved with the redevelopment of the historic Piedmont Wagon Building at 1020 Main Avenue NW, are requesting to enter into an economic development agreement in exchange for the creation of jobs, neighborhood reinvestment and additional tax base according to North Carolina General Statute 158-7.1.
Cornerstone United, Inc. is an international third party service contract administration company, with its corporate headquarters in Hickory, NC and operations in the U.S. and Canada. Cornerstone has been in business since 1973. The company intends to up-fit and equip the historic facility for office space at a cost in excess of two million four hundred thousand dollars ($2,400,000) with the improvements being constructed between December 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014. The company currently has 45 employees and has been located in a lease space that they have outgrown off of Tate Boulevard. They intend to create a minimum of five (5) new jobs with the potential to expand and create an additional thirty (30) jobs for a total of approximately 75-80 jobs over the next few
years. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on March 7, 2014.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Approval of an Agreement to with the Town of Long View to Purchase Potable Water from the City of Hickory. - The City of Hickory previously provided potable/palatable finished water to Long View for an extended period in the late 1990’ while Long View completed some necessary repairs and upgrades at their drinking water treatment facility. This agreement will allow Long View to close their water treatment facility and purchase all of their potable/palatable water from the City of Hickory’s distribution system. The initial water purchase rate will be $1.21 per 1,000 gallons. The
term of this agreement is for an initial term of 20 years with optional 10 year renewal periods. This agreement gives Long View the right to purchase up to 2.5 million gallons per day with options to expand this volume in the future if agreed to by the City of Hickory.

2. Vote regarding the Resolution and Order for Petition of Moretz Mills, LLC to Close a Portion of E Avenue SE. - The vote was deferred until a time certain at the public hearing held on March 4, 2014. Staff recommends adoption of the attached resolution closing E Avenue SE with the following conditions:
1. The City has been granted a transportation easement, at no cost to the City, over the shaded area located at the northwest corner of the intersection of 7th Street SE and F Avenue Drive SE, as shown on Exhibit A (the “Additional Right of Way”);
2. Moretz Mills, LLC, at its cost, completes construction of improvements, including grading and paving, according to the City of Hickory standards for a public street, in the Additional Right of Way and in shaded area in the northeast corner of the intersection of 7th Street SE and F Avenue Drive SE,
as shown on Exhibit A;
3. The Director of Public Services for the City of Hickory shall have the authority to determine whether the above conditions have been met. When the conditions have been met, the Director shall file a certificate with the Register of Deeds stating that the conditions of this Resolution have been met. The closing of the street will be effective when the certificate is recorded. Until that time, E Avenue SE shall remain open. Staff also recommends the City pursue the improvements to the intersection of F Avenue Drive SE as shown on the attached aerial photo (labeled “City Improvement”) and approve the following budget amendment:
General Fund Contingency 010-9900-608.90-01 - $5,150
Transportation-Paving Streets 010-5460-536.33-77 - $5,150