The following is the interview of Mayor Rudy Wright on 1290 WHKYam Radio's First talk program with Hal Row.
WHKY does not archive these programs and make them available to the public, so I am putting this important public interview up under Fair Use guidelines.
The Mayor talks about Transportation Insights move to the Old Lyerly Mill Building. He gives his reasoning for wanting to have the bond referendum, but gets into no specifics. He does talk about a $40 million referendum costing the person who owns a $100,000 house an an additional $80 per year if it were to pass. He does believe there will be a referendum this year. He talks about the lack of population growth in the community.
Listen and fill free to comment.
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Tuesday, May 6, 2014
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3 comments:
I did attend a "citizens briefing" on April 29 at the administrative center. There was a Power-Point presentation and a pitch by Mick Berry and his staff for a bond referendum. He said that if it didn't pass, they would have to go to Plan B. When I asked him, "What is Plan B?" he declined to answer. This isn't generally how I make decisions. I like to look at ALL the options first before prioritizing them. I do not think we are receiving enough information to make an informed decision. "Just trust us that this is best for Hickory," does not give me the warm fuzzies." It's more like "Daddy knows best."
The most important thing they have going for them in my own mind is the fact that while the national government is falling apart before our eyes, we should try to keep as much of our money and our investments as close to home as possible.
Plan B is that they are going to do this Piece Meal. The first project is the linear park and they are going to do it whether you like it or not. Just like with that structure on Union Square, they know best. They will accept no alternative ideas and they don't want any input from the citizens. And you'll never know how much it actually costs.
Within the next few years, they are going to come back and tell the people of Hickory that the Sails Fabric needs to be replaced/enhanced to a more permanent solution. That fabric only lasts 7 to 10 years according to the company that makes it. And that is going to mean an additional investment of how many hundreds of thousands of dollars??????????????????????????
Remember where you heard that first. And thank you for being someone who asks questions in public Wanda. That is what people need to do. Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
Rudy's been talking about transparency. What a joke.
I'm not sure how relevant this is to this post, but thinking of future repairs to the sails--I have been observing the paving on Union Square and it is falling apart. I have little knowledge of this material, which looks like a gravel aggregate, but it gives a poor impression when it is in disrepair and detracts from the other efforts to beautify. The Farmer's Market is undoubtedly hard on the surface as farmers set up their stalls and take them down. When was this paving installed? Would brick pavers have been longer lasting? If money is limited, keeping what you already own presentable and in top repair is more important than installing new. The effort to beautify through plantings and flowers is much appreciated. I hope the care of the beds has been included in the budget.
One of my first impressions of Hickory was how well homeowners kept their properties litter-free. When I learned of Hickory's trash collection policies, I could understand why. This is money well spent. This is why I also favor projects that renovate the old vacant factories or tear down unusable buildings. Appearances city-wide are what make the most difference in a first impression.
As far as young people staying in this area, we must have jobs for all of our graduates. We have the affordable housing. If we provide solid jobs and an affordable place to live, young people will stay and businesses (like fresh-air dining) that cater to them will come behind. The programs that CVCC and area businesses are currently working on is the place to invest as much money as we can.
I still am not convinced that $40 million in inspiring spaces will bring that many more businesses to our city. I would have more faith that a city investment in a ready to occupy factory building would attract more, as long as the city doesn't remain in the business of development longer than it takes to spark a revival.
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