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

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.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of October 21, 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 October 21, 2014

Thoughts about the Hickory City Council meeting of October 21, 2014 

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Hound Notes: We see that Land Design is heavily involved in Inspiring Spaces, the Linear Park, the "Friends" Playground at Union Square, bond referendums, and city officials personal lives. Wow! How Neat!






Council Members Meisner and Patton were not in attendance

Invocation by Alderman Danny Seaver

Special Presentations
A. Friends of Hickory - (17 minute presentation) about a proposed park that will be built/located to the west of Union Square behind the Community One Bank. (Per Hickory Inc.) - Ms. Beth Watts Rogers, Ms. Allison Holtzman, and Mr. Adrian Holtzman presented to City Council a concept for a playscape to be located in the downtown area, and requested Council’s approval to move forward with their planning. The project is being developed by Land Design and Kompan.

Alderman Guess asks about the concerns about loss of parking behind Community One bank.
Alderman Guess asks about people crossing over the Thoroughfare Crosswalk to get from Union Square to the park.. and about other possibilities for this park's location.
Mrs. Rogers talks about asking for the Council's approval and coming back to go through a process with City Staff, Parks and Rec, the Council about Design, and then coming back with hard dollars.
Mayor Wright and City manager Berry talk about freeing up (parking) spots with the joint City-Transportation Insight parking lot.
City Manager Berry about Parking Perception issue Downtown.

(From) -- Newsletter about the City Council meeting of March 18, 2014

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.

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
A. Mr. Jim Bright, Tarheel Challenge Academy - (7 minute presentation) - (Per Hickory Inc.) - Mr. Jim Bright informed City Council of the Tarheel Challenge Academy located in Salemburg, North Carolina. The Academy is a quasi-military program for high school dropouts, or expellees. Mr. Bright discussed details of the program which has a 90 percent success rate.

B. Larry Pope -  (Per Hickory Inc.) addressed City Council on his concern of utilizing parking revenues for the parking lot that the City is going to enter into that was discussed at the last Council meeting. Mr. Pope expressed concerns of City Council’s use of funds that were designated for other projects. Mr. Pope also discussed the upcoming bond referendum and his concern of what the funds would be used for. He advised Council that he would be encouraging citizens to vote no in the upcoming referendum.
Mayor Wright's response to Larry Pope's address

Consent Agenda:

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Audit Report - Presentation by Tonya Marshall of Martin-Starnes - Unmodified (clean) opinion was given. The highest level that can be received. Compliant with State and Federal regulations. Report was prepared by City Staff. General Fund unassigned balance increased by $442,282. Revenues were $44.6 million and Expenditures were $41.2 million. Total General Fund is $34.3 million with unassigned of $13.5 million. (You can watch the video to see the rest of the presented numbers.)

2. Financial Report - Presentation Warren Wood- Warren Reiterated the info presented from Ms. Marshall. General Fund Balance percentage is 29.22%. City's total net assets increase by $744,274 to $206,607,874. There was no increase in the property tax base - $4.7 billion.
Link to 25% of the year summary.

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

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- June 5, 2011

US house price fall 'beats Great Depression slide - The Independent on Sunday - By Stephen Foley - June 1, 2011 - The ailing US housing market passed a grim milestone in the first quarter of this year, posting a further deterioration that means the fall in house prices is now greater than that suffered during the Great Depression...  The brief recovery in prices in 2009, spurred by government aid to first-time buyers, has now been entirely snuffed out, and the average American home now costs 33 per cent less than it did at the peak of the housing bubble in 2007. The peak-to-trough fall in house prices in the 1930s Depression was 31 per cent – and prices took 19 years to recover after that downturn... The latest Case-Shiller house price index was just one of a slew of disappointing economic data from the US yesterday, which suggested ebbing confidence in the recovery of the world's largest economy. The Chicago PMI manufacturing index showed a sharp slowdown in the pace of expansion in May, missing Wall Street forecasts and sending the index to its lowest since November 2009.



Why housing is in a depression - Commentary: New data says the double dip is even worse than the 1930s - Marketwatch - Brett Arends - June 1, 2011 - And the Case-Shiller data masks huge variations in housing markets. Prices have collapsed many suburbs, exurbs, rural areas, and in well-known disaster sites like Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Meanwhile the declines have been much milder in places like Manhattan or Boston. Some high-end real estate is actually selling well. The buyers have money... Is there a silver lining to this? Well, maybe... If you can get the financing, housing is now cheap. Really cheap. Capital Economics reckons housing is now 24% undervalued, and is the cheapest it’s been in thirty-five years... With mortgages rates on the floor, and inflation surely brewing down the road, housing in many parts of the country looks like a good deal. But you’ll have to be patient to see the biggest rewards. Capital Economics says, back in the Depression, it took 19 years for house prices to recover to their previous peaks.


Dreaded Double-Dip Is Here - Greg Hunter - USA Watchdog - June 1, 2011 - Another one of my favorite people to quote is economist John Williams of Shadowstats.com. He has been warning about a sinking economy for months and has been saying any good news is nothing more than “bottom bouncing.” In his most recent report, Williams said, “Most major economic reports in April disappointed consensus expectations and either were flat or negative for the month—including real retail sales, industrial production, housing starts and durable goods orders. Where first-quarter GDP growth slowed versus the fourth-quarter, the stage is set for the GDP to turn negative, again, sometime in the next two quarters, reflecting what would become an official double-dip recession.” Housing has been an unqualified disaster with housing starts and new home sales off 75% from the 2005 peak. Existing home sales are off nearly 30%, and of the homes that are sold, nearly 40% are foreclosures. Four in 10 homes sold as distressed properties do not signal a healthy economy—just the opposite... So, where are we headed? Well, all this bad news is going to push the Fed to print more money to keep the banks from going under. QE2 is supposed to end June 30, but the consensus of experts I quoted said it won’t be long before there is QE3. It will be either overt or covert, but it will be instituted. A double-dip in housing could start a daisy chain of very bad news for the big banks exposed to derivatives and residential real estate. (I wrote about this a few months back. Click here for the complete original post.) Williams agrees, and in his latest report he said, “The Federal Reserve is a private corporation owned by commercial banks or banking interests. The Fed’s primary job is not to generate sustainable economic growth, nor to contain inflation, but rather to keep the banking system sound and healthy. Accordingly QE1 and QE2 likely were targeted primarily at addressing systemic solvency issues, with the Fed using the weak economy as cover. As the systemic solvency crisis continues and/or intensifies, an overt or covert QE3 likely will be in place by third-quarter 2011, under the cover of a deteriorating economy. The broad inflation and economic outlooks discussed in Hyperinflation Special Report (2011) continue unabated.”...   Williams thinks there is going to be a “great collapse” between now and 2014. Yes, the dollar and the entire financial system could go down in a giant hyper-inflationary ball of fire. The buying power of the buck will be completely wiped out. Please keep in mind, more than $12 trillion in liquid assets are held outside of the U.S. A stampede out of the dollar could trigger a hyperinflationary event at any time. At the very least, count on increasing inflation in everything but housing.


Half of Last Month's New Jobs Came from a Single Employer — McDonald's - The Weekly Standard - Mark Hemingway - Jun 3, 2011 - According to the unemployment data released this morning, the economy added only 54,000 jobs, pushing the unemployment rate up to 9.1 percent. However, this report from MarketWatch suggests the data is much worse than that.... McDonald’s ran a big hiring day on April 19 — after the Labor Department’s April survey for the payrolls report was conducted — in which 62,000 jobs were added. That’s not a net number, of course, and seasonal adjustment will reduce the Hamburglar impact on payrolls. (In simpler terms — restaurants always staff up for the summer; the Labor Department makes allowance for this effect.) Morgan Stanley estimates McDonald’s hiring will boost the overall number by 25,000 to 30,000. The Labor Department won’t detail an exact McDonald’s figure — they won’t identify any company they survey — but there will be data in the report to give a rough estimate....    If Morgan Stanley is correct, about half of last month's job growth came from the venerable fast-food chain. That is hardly the sign of a healthy economy.



Offshoring has Destroyed the US Economy - Nobel Economist Michael Spence Says Globalism Is Costly For Americans - GlobalResearch.ca - by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts - May 31, 2011 - These are discouraging times, but once in a blue moon a bit of hope appears. I am pleased to report on the bit of hope delivered in March of 2011 by Michael Spence, a Nobel prize-winning economist, assisted by Sandile Hlatshwayo, a researcher at New York University. The two economists have taken a careful empirical look at jobs offshoring and concluded that it has ruined the income and employment prospects for most Americans...  All of this was over the heads of “free trade” ideologues, who threw accusations such as “protectionist” at Sir James, Roger Milliken, Herman Daly, Ralph Gomory, Charles McMillion, and myself. These “free trade” ideologues are economically incompetent.  They do not know that the justification for free trade is based on the principle of comparative advantage, which means that a country specializes in those economic activities in which it performs best and trades for those goods that other countries do best. Instead, the ideologues think that free trade means the freedom of capital to seek absolute advantage abroad in lowest factor cost.  In other words, the free trade incompetents have never read David Ricardo, who formalized the case for free trade...  Other economists, especially those high profile ones in high profile academic institutions, were bought and paid for. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28189.htm  In exchange for grants from offshoring corporations these hirelings invented “the New Economy,” in which everyone would prosper as a result of getting rid of “dirty fingernail jobs.”  The New Economy wouldn’t make anything, but it would lead the world in innovation and in financing what others did make.  The “new economists” were not sufficiently bright to realize that if a country didn’t make anything, it couldn’t innovate... To find a Nobel prize-winner documenting the high cost of globalism to developed economies is extraordinary. For the Council on Foreign Relations to publish it suggests that the Establishment, or some part of it, suspects that its hubris has run away with its fortunes, and that different thinking is needed to restore the US economy.


The Federal Reserve Cartel: The Eight Families - Global Research - Dean Henderson - June 1, 2011 - The Four Horsemen of Banking (Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) own the Four Horsemen of Oil (Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP and Chevron Texaco); in tandem with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays and other European old money behemoths. But their monopoly over the global economy does not end at the edge of the oil patch... According to company 10K filings to the SEC, the Four Horsemen of Banking are among the top ten stock holders of virtually every Fortune 500 corporation.[1]... So who then are the stockholders in these money center banks?... This information is guarded much more closely. My queries to bank regulatory agencies regarding stock ownership in the top 25 US bank holding companies were given Freedom of Information Act status, before being denied on “national security” grounds. This is rather ironic, since many of the bank’s stockholders reside in Europe.... One important repository for the wealth of the global oligarchy that owns these bank holding companies is US Trust Corporation - founded in 1853 and now owned by Bank of America. A recent US Trust Corporate Director and Honorary Trustee was Walter Rothschild. Other directors included Daniel Davison of JP Morgan Chase, Richard Tucker of Exxon Mobil, Daniel Roberts of Citigroup and Marshall Schwartz of Morgan Stanley. [2]...


Pinks Slips Coming For 450,000 State and Local Government Employees in 2012 - SHTFplan.com - Mac Salvo - May 26, 2011 - In June of 2010 we noted that well known financial sector analyst and the woman who blew the doors open on the 2008 mortgage crisis, Meredith Whitney, was forecasting that two million government employees would see their jobs cut over coming years because of fiscal problems....  It’s happening....   Over 300,000 jobs have been cut in fiscal year 2011, and that number is about to increase 50% going into 2012:


War Zones: As The Economy Dies, Murders, Shootings, Robberies And Looting Erupt All Over America - Before It's news - Wednesday, June 01, 2011 - As the U.S. economy falls apart and millions of Americans descend into despair we are seeing some really shocking things start to happen all over America.  The mainstream media keeps telling us that crime is under control, but they are also the ones that keep telling us that we are in the midst of an "economic recovery".  Unfortunately, the truth is that the economy is slowly dying.  Today, an all-time record 44 million Americans are on food stamps.  That number is 18 million higher than it was just four years ago.  When people can't get jobs and when people feel deprived they get desperate.  The incidents that you are about to see and read about below are very disturbing.  Many American communities are rapidly turning into war zones.  Sadly, it is mostly young people that are involved in the crimes and the violence that are now sweeping America....   Yesterday, I wrote an article entitled "18 Signs That Life In U.S. Public Schools Is Now Essentially Equivalent To Life In U.S. Prisons", and there were some readers that objected to the article because they said that the youth of today are so wild that if you don't use extreme measures they will just be completely out of control....    John Adams, the second president of the United States, once made the following statement: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."....    Today, we have an incredibly wicked and immoral government that is governing a population that cannot even agree on what "right and wrong" are anymore.


John Williams of ShadowStats.com - May 31, 2011

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of July 19, 2011

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

At 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.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 7/19/2011 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.

Invocation by Rev. Bob Thompson, Pastor, Corinth Reformed United Church of Christ

Special Presentations:
A. Presentation of Retiring Members of Volunteer Boards and Commissions - Mayor Wright presented awards to outgoing members of Hickory's Boards and Commissions.  Community Relations Council - David radke, Allen Mitchell Jr., Sherbia Jones, Alice Whitener. International Council - Dr. Marion Love. Parks and Recreation - Junior Hedrick. Public Housing Authority - Larry Pope, Citizens Advisory Committee - Agnes Wright, Library Advisory Board - Judy Ivester. Youth Council - Scott Hall,  Evan Denzer, Celia Clark, Kilby Church, Sarah Carter,  Morgan McCloud, Rebecca Sturgis, Haley Scott, Katie Keefer, Matthew Turner. (Sorry if I spelled some names wrong).

The Mayor reiterated that 200 people serve on various Boards and commissions, which is .5% of the Hickory Population of 40,010.

Consent Agenda:
 
A. Request to Approve Pyrotechnic Display Permit at L. P. Frans Stadium on September 9, 2011 (Rain Date – September 10, 2011) - The General Manager of the Hickory Crawdads Baseball Club has submitted a request to obtain permission to have a public fireworks display after the game on September 9, 2011, with a rain date of September 10, 2011. The North Carolina Fire Code requires a mandatory operational permit for the use and handling of pyrotechnic special effects materials. The Fire Inspection Bureau will inspect the pyrotechnics display area prior to the event to ensure compliance with all guidelines.

B. Amendment to Traffic Ordinance by Reducing the Speed Limit from 35 mph to 25 mph along 27th Avenue NE from the intersection with 13th Street NE west approximately 1,030 feet to the intersection with 11th Street NE, 26th Avenue NE from the intersection with 14th Street NE west approximately 1,740 feet to the dead end, 14th street NE from the intersection with 29th Avenue Drive NE south approximately 710 feet to the intersection with 26th Avenue NE, 11th Street NE from the intersection with 27th Avenue NE south approximately 340 feet to the intersection with 26th Avenue NE and 13th Street NE from the intersection with 29th Avenue Drive NE south approximately 880 feet to the intersection with 26th Avenue NE Under the City’s Traffic Calming Program, an application was received for a speed limit reduction along 27th Avenue NE, as indicated above, which primarily serves the Cloverdale residential area. Staff determined that a speed limit reduction from 35 mph to 25 mph would be acceptable, if the residents desired. The petition packages were received, were determined by Staff to be valid, and met the 75% signature requirement.

C. Amend the Traffic Ordinance by reducing the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph along FAIRWAY CT NE from the intersection with BLENDWOOD LN NE south approximately 180 feet to the Dead End, WHITNEY DR NE from the intersection with MARK DR NE west approximately 320 feet to the Dead End, BETH PL NE from the intersection with MARK DR NE west approximately 240 feet to the Dead End, JIMMY PL NE from the intersection with MARK DR NE east approximately 300 feet to the Dead End, ALEXANDER PL NE from the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE west approximately 150 feet to the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE, ANNETTE DR NE from the intersection with BROOKRIDGE DR NE east approximately 470 feet to the intersection with BETTY DR NE, WOODWINDS CT NE from the intersection with WOODWINDS DR NE west approximately 90 feet to the Dead End, RANDOLPH CT NE from the intersection with GLEN HOLLOW LN NE south approximately 90 feet to the Dead End, MAXWELL DR NE from the intersection with BROOKRIDGE DR NE west approximately 200 feet to the Dead End, GLEN HOLLOW CT NE from the intersection with GLEN HOLLOW LN NE south approximately 140 feet to the Dead End, HATHAWAY DR NE from the intersection with ELMHURST DR NE east approximately 240 feet to the Dead End, FLYNWOOD CT NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE north approximately 240 feet to the Dead End, PINECREST CT NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE east approximately 120 feet to the Dead End, TANGLEWOOD LN NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE west approximately 580 feet to the Dead End, RODEWAY CT NE from the intersection with TOUCHBERRY LN NE north approximately 280 feet to the Dead End, SHADOWOOD LN NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE west approximately 910 feet to the Dead End, ELMHURST DR NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE east approximately 2,650 feet to the Dead End, WOODWINDS DR NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE north approximately 2,530 feet to the Dead End, BROOKRIDGE DR NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE north approximately 2,640 feet to the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE, ALPINE CT NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE east approximately 140 feet to the Dead End, BERRYHILL CT NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE south approximately 400 feet to the Dead End, BETTY DR NE from the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE north approximately 860 feet to the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE, MARK DR NE from the intersection with STEVE IKERD DR NE north approximately 1,140 feet to the Dead End, BLENDWOOD LN NE from the intersection with BROOKRIDGE DR NE east approximately 1,090 feet to the Dead End, COULWOOD CT NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE north approximately 310 feet to the Dead End, FOXBORO LN NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE west approximately 870 feet to the Dead End, GLEN HOLLOW LN NE from the intersection with WOODWINDS DR NE east approximately 3,880 feet to the Dead End, HIDEAWAY CT NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE south approximately 280 feet to the Dead End, PINECREST DR NE from the intersection with WANDERING LN NE east approximately 7,640 feet to the intersection with WANDERING LN NE, STEVE IKERD DR NE from the intersection with BROOKRIDGE DR NE east approximately 4,900 feet to the intersection with SULPHUR SPRINGS RD NE, TOUCHBERRY LN NE from the intersection with PINECREST DR NE east approximately 610 feet to the Dead End, and WINTERFIELD CT NE from the intersection with ELMHURST DR NE east approximately 180 feet to the Dead End - Under the City’s Traffic Calming Program, an application was received for a speed limit reduction along Fairway Court NE, as indicated above, which primarily serves the Catawba Springs residential area. Staff determined that a speed limit reduction from 35 mph to 25 mph would be acceptable, if the residents desired. The petition packages were received, were determined by Staff to be valid, and met the 75% signature requirement.

D. Request by Hickory Fire Department Staff for Approval to Use Union Square on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. to Present the Pink Heals Tour 2011 National Event “Welcome to Hickory” Opening Ceremony

E. Citizens Advisory Committee Recommendations for Assistance Through the City of Hickory’s Housing Programs. The following applicants are being recommended for approval for assistance under the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Program:

• William Barkley and Lauren Weaver Amount not to exceed $6,500 - 3921 North Center Street
• Lamar Haggins Amount not to exceed $6,500 - 2330 11th Avenue NE
• Cody Watts and Lauren Clontz Amount not to exceed $5,000 - 2341 13th Street Drive NE
• Jacob Gee Amount not to exceed $10,000 - 239 5th Street SE
• Tamara Hendrix Amount not to exceed $10,000 - 718 4th Street SE
• Joyce Brown Amount not to exceed $2,500 - 242 8th Avenue Drive SW
• Carrie James Amount not to exceed $2,024 - 221 3rd Avenue Court SW

The following applicants are being recommended for approval for assistance under the City of Hickory’s 2010 Urgent Repair Program for amounts not to exceed $5,000:
• Roger Beaver 315 5th Avenue SE, Hickory
• Marcy Wilson 1507 11th Avenue SW, Hickory


F. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Community Ridge Day Care for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $1,900 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Community Ridge Daycare in the amount of $1,900 for the provision of low cost child care services for at risk children in order to enable parents to gain employment or attend school.


G. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Exodus Outreach Foundation, Inc. for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $8,200 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Exodus Outreach Foundation, Inc. in the amount of $8,200 for the provision of shelter, counseling and rehabilitation services to chronically dependent and homeless men and women.

H. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Hickory Soup Kitchen, Inc. for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $8,200 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Hickory Soup Kitchen in the amount of $8,200 for the provision of meals to the City’s homeless and/or low income population.

I. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Inter-Faith Housing Development Corporation for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $28,000 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Inter-Faith Housing Development Corporation in the amount of $28,000 for the provision of the First-Time Homebuyer Program which offers qualified applicants up to $10,000 in assistance with down payment and closing costs toward the purchase of a home located within the corporate city limits of Hickory.

J. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Aids Leadership Foothills Area Alliance, Inc. for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $8,200 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Aids Leadership Foothills Area Alliance, Inc. in the amount of $8,200 for the provision of quality services to people living with HIV/AIDS and HIV prevention education programs to the community at large.

K. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry, Inc. for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $8,200 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry, Inc. in the amount of $8,200 for the provision of a free clinic to assist needy and indigent persons with medical care they may otherwise not receive, including dental, medical and pharmacy services.

L. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Agreement with City of Refuge for FY 2011-2012 in the Amount of $8,200 - On January 26 and February 2, 2011, the City of Hickory Department of Planning and Development, under the auspices of the Community Development Block Grant Program, held two neighborhood meetings at Ridgeview Library and City Hall in order to grant non-profit organizations the opportunity to request funding for the upcoming year. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee reviewed the requests and approved funding for City of Refuge in the amount of $8,200 for the provision of after-school and summer enrichment programs for local children.

M. Offer by Parcheggio, LLC to Purchase City Property Located on 6th Street Drive NW (Portion of Lot 10, The Pines – PIN No. 3703-14-34-2296) in the Amount of $19,000 - This offer to purchase is from Parcheggio, LLC (or its assigns) for the city-owned vacant .32-acre lot located on 6th Street Drive NW (portion of Lot 10 in The Pines). This property was donated to the City to be used as a future park, but the City has no plans for the property. The property is zoned R-2 and has a restriction to be used as a future park; therefore, the buyers would be restricted to use the property as a park or vacant land. The tax value of the property is $33,700. Staff recommends acceptance of the offer to purchase from Parcheggio, LLC and authorization to advertise for upset bids.

N. First Amendment to Wastewater Operations and Treatment Contract With City of Claremont to Include Management Services as Operator in Responsible Charge of the Claremont Distribution and Collections Systems - Since approval of the original contract, Claremont Officials have expressed an interest in employing the services of the City of Hickory Public Utilities Department to provide for the operator in responsible charge of their distribution and collection systems. The City of Claremont does not have staff that possesses the required credentials. This contract will allow Hickory to expand its services, provide for a long-term solution for Claremont’s wastewater needs, and potentially provide for assistance with the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Facility Project. This contract modification will account for an additional amount of approximately $4,918 per month for 11 months annually. The City of Claremont will remain responsible for all capital expenditures and operation and maintenance of the distribution and collection system. The City of Hickory will not be required to hire additional staff.

O. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from Jeannie Poovey Jandrew and Husband, David Jandrew and Christopher Wayne Poovey to Glenn E. Link and Wife, Sylvia Diane Link in Oakwood Cemetery


P. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from Christopher Wayne Poovey to Jeannie Poovey Jandrew in Oakwood Cemetery

Q. Budget Ordinances
1. To budget a $7,000 insurance claim check from Victoria Fire and Casualty Co, Inc. in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of vehicle line item. This payment is for damage sustained to a Police vehicle on 04-28-11. Check was deposited on 07-05-11.
2. To budget a $2,811 insurance claim check from Trident Insurance Co, Inc. in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of vehicle line item. This payment is
for damage sustained to a Police vehicle on 06-19-11. Check was deposited on 07-01-11.

Informational Items:
A. Report of City Manager Berry’s attendance at the NC City and County Management Association Summer Seminar, June 22-25, 2011; registration - $225; hotel $665.67 ($181.59 reimbursed to City); mileage - $267.72; per diem - $42.50 (Exhibit IX.A.)


New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Change Order No. 4 to Contract with Pizzagalli Construction Company in the Amount of $121,480 for the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWWTP) Upgrade - The NEWWTP Upgrade Project was initiated in July, 2010 at a cost of $21,569,383 for a complete upgrade of the facility. The current contract amount for this project is $21,876,417 which includes previously approved Change Orders Nos. 1 – 3. This project was established with a contingency fund in order to address unforeseen expenses that may arise, and Change Order No. 4 consists of 5 items that were unforeseen during design and project bidding as follows:
1) Clarifier No. 3 Grading Changes and Handrail $10,643
2) Headworks Area Revisions $16,497
3) Oxidation Ditch VFD Building Base Slab Reinforcement $1,449
4) Additional 8-Inch Gravity Sanitary Sewer Line $15,393
5) Oxidation Ditch No. 1 Structural Revisions $77,498
Total $121,480

The revised contract total to date will be $21,997,897. 

Kevin Greer addressed the Council on this issue. The project is 70% complete. These are unforeseen circumstances that have had to be dealt with through construction.  The change had to made because this is a sludge transfer building that moves bio-solids from the plant to the compost facility. There is a lot of piping and power that comes through this facility. The building had to be moved and grading around the tank had to be reconfigured. There were negotiations with the contractors that saved over $1,600.

The Headworks building had to be changed, because there is a knot of rock in this area. They raised the building by 2 feet. negotiations with the contractors that saved over $2,500. The Oxidation Ditch had to be reconfigured, because the estimations of the beams were slightly off. There was too much steel in too tight a spot. The contractor originally wanted over $126,142 and through negotiations the City saved over $48,000.

The Mayor asked why the engineers didn't know that we needed 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" between those rods (when they drew up the designs)? Mr. Greer stated that in this project, on top of this tank, there are about 400 yards of concrete and just over 10,000 lb of steel. On paper this works out perfect, but when you get out in the field the bars bend down at an angle to tie all of this steel together. This has closed the spacing.

The Mayor stated that what we are paying them for are things that are encountered clearly... When they drew this, they had it. Mr. Greer reiterated the above answer. The Mayor then asked why the company concedes anything during negotiations. Mr. Greer talked about the constructors put in a "Claim for Delay," but the city wasn't going to allow it, because they are 10 months ahead of schedule. The constructors conceded and agreed. The balanced of the money was the change in concrete. Alderman Meisner asked if there were awards written into the contract for finishing early. Mr. Greer stated, "No Sir." As a municipality the city cannot offer a bonus for finishing early unless it is a design/build project to which manager Berry stated that would be if it did not go out for bid. Mr. Greer stated, "Correct."  Manager berry stated that State statute does allow you to do this in some circumstances when something needs to be done in a certain period of time. Mr. Greer stated that Wastewater facilities do not, but a compost facility would.

Alder Patton asked how much the rock issue alluded to has thrown this project off. Mr. Greer stated that some rock was accounted for and it has stayed within budget, but unsuitable soils has thrown the project off. Mayor Wright added that it is good that we have a good relationship with the constructors, but there is an old saying in the construction industry that the profit is in the change orders. And this one doesn't seem too far off. So far we are 1/4%. Mr. Greer stated that we are $428,000 off (projection) due to change orders, which is 1.98% of the overall project. This is still not bad. The state percentage is 5%. The Council Unanimously consented.


2. 2011 Proposed Congressional Redistricting Boundaries - The boundaries of North Carolina’s Congressional Districts are proposed to change, putting most of the City of Hickory in a new district. The General Assembly defines redistricting as the process of redrawing the districts from which public officials are elected. Members of the United States House of Representatives, the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Representatives are elected by the voters, who live in districts. The North Carolina General Assembly is required to redraw all of these districts following each decennial census due to population changes and the need to maintain equal representation. The most recent census was carried out in 2010, so districts will be redrawn in 2011. This presentation will offer the chance to discuss how the proposed boundaries affect the City of Hickory.

Andrea Surratt made the presentation.  She focused on the Congressional districts which is done in conjunction with the census. North Carolina grew by 1.5% between 2000-2010. The General Assembly assigned the task to a committee. The committee produces a bill that is voted on and the sent to the US Justice Depatment under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Once approved by the Justice Department it cannot be overturned by the Governor. The Maps are available at the General Assembly website. Congressional Districts 5, 10, and 11 are of interest (to Hickory). Ms. Surratt showed the details of the splitting of the districts.

The area along North Center Street and 8th Street NE now become part of District 5, instead of District 10. Those districts now change and must be balanced with 733,000 residents per district. There have been public hearings held and you can comment on the NCGA website. Senator Bob Rucco and Representative David Lewis lead the committee and will be receiving and discussing information through next week and from that point forward will take a vote. The District Map Viewer at the NCGA website shows the proposed boundaries. On the viewer you can click on tool boxes that allow you to vie US Congress, State senate, and House Districts.

Alderman Meisner stated that in a perfect world Hickory would have one representative and remain in one district.  It would give us a little more clout and afford us more representation, but it is understandable because we are in a party system and what they are doing is based on party. Alderman Seaver stated that you might have more clout to be in 3 districts. Mayor Wright stated that we are going to make more visits in Washington if this holds up. Alder Patton stated she doesn't think this is going to change and the Mayor concurred. Alder Fox stated that people are already confused with state Senate and all of the legislative boards  and this furthers that confusion in a climate where you don't have a lot of people voting anyway. She added that she wouldn't comment, because she feels that this will not change anyway.. The mayor stated that the State House is going to be complicated, because their are 100 districts scattered around 100 counties and we are a relatively populace county. when you read in the paper that representative such and such said (something) from Newton, people think that is their (Hickory) representative) and it is not. he added that he is going to look at the glass as half full when it comes to the Congressional race and we will have more people to ask to help us. Alderman Meisner stated that this is nothing new and we have been dealing with this for decades and it is something we are going to have to deal with. The Mayor stated that if their is any loss of clout it is a loss of clout within the district. Who knows, these things move in strange and mysterious ways.

The Hound discussed this issue thoroughly in my article:  
North Carolina Congressional Redistricting plan renders Hickory Irrelevant

In my opinion, the City is having the same power play played on them that they pulled on the citizens of Hickory a month ago. This type of gerrymandering is what our nation is now built upon and the reason that it isn't functioning well. Competition, which incumbents and status quoers are afraid of, is what is needed. They all want to qualify competition and game the system. 

Coldly and calculatingly doing everything politicos can to create the most advantageous conditions in which to run for reelection is not conducive for energy and/or idea generation, which is exactly what we need right now. The City can't take the moral high ground, because when they redrew the wards in Hickory "they just counted the numbers" and here goes the State of NC "Just counting the numbers." So our city officials checkmated themselves.  And Austin Allran, our Senate (hmm...hmmm) representative, as much as stated in the HDR that he didn't have a clue what was going on.

What is Allran doing down in Raleigh. He has held that position for nearly 26 years and been in Raleigh for over 30 and he doesn't have any idea what was going on? He told everybody to just get us a Republican majority and watch him work wonders. What has he done with that majority? Z-ro, Zip, Nada... He is either ineffective or clueless and I would presume it to be a combination of the two. No one in a governmental leadership position from Hickory had an idea about what was going on with this split of the City of Hickory. Where has Allran paid off for Hickory?

What Alderman Seaver fails to understand is this basically guarantees that no one from Hickory can get elected to the House of Representatives for the next decade and by that time, according to economic analysis, it looks as though we will be worse off than we are today. Surveys have stated that we will not begin recovering the jobs we have lost until 2021. Hickory's political clout is overwhelmed by this split of electoral population. Let's be frank, Congressman go where the vote are. There are 27,000 registered voters in Hickory Proper. This means that is split in two and that means 13,500 people are facing a swarm of 500,000 registered voters in the districts(extrapolating the numbers). The odds are long to begin with, having 2.7% of a delegation instead of around 5.5% is even worse and then when one looks at the split of the Metro it looks bad from another angle. Folks, this is not good.

I'm not like the Mayor. I am not going to attempt to psychologically outwit myself about whether a glass is half empty or half full. As a chef, would you think that would be relevant when I am cooking your food and eyeballing ingredients? I want to know exactly how much fluid is in that glass. If it is a 16 ounce glass does it have 8 ounces in it or not? That is what is relevant.

We need to get to knowing what the hell is going on around here and I honestly think that if people are too busy to be able to do there job as our representative, then they need to let someone else have a turn. This thing of people serving for generations is obviously not working.


Items not on the Agenda
The Council talked about The Zahra Baker Park Project for disabled children. Alderman Seaver stated that the Kiwanis have overreached and overshot their goal. This will allow to put in more equipment to help more disabled kids. They are going to have a swing that accommodates wheel chairs. They are still collecting money. Donations can be donated at the PlaygroundforZahra.org or mail a donation to the Kiwanis Foundation at P.O. Box 501, Hickory NC 28601. Mayor Wright stated that they are strongly encouraging donations to buy an engraved paver for $100. That shows community support. When they started this project they stated that this would be an all inclusive playground. There will be a surface that accommodates crutches and wheel chairs. It will make it easier for parents to get children close to the equipment. They are very happy with the progress. there will be further announcements.

Alder Patton spoke about the Community support and cooperation between The Farmers Market, The Cooperative Christian Ministry, and Tasteful Beans (Coffee Shop). The Farmer's market is donating leftover produce to CCM and it is being kept fresh through the help of tasteful beans allowing the use of their cooler. Alder Patton is excited about the collaborative effort between non profits and everyone here in Hickory and everyone wanting to make it better.

Alderman Guess spoke about the Martin Luther King Revitalizing the Dream Celebration held in Ridgeview that was tremendously attended. It was sponsored by the United way, The Young People of Integrity, Viewmont Baptist Church, and the Young Women of Distinction. He also mentioned Ted Ryan who was the City's first personnel director. The mayor lastly mentioned the passing of Gene Miller a former Principal at Hickory High School.

The Hound believes this is all good stuff. We need to do more of these charitable activities in the community and publicize them before and after the events take place. I am happy that something good can come from tragedy although I wish something like that never happened. The reason why we take care of children is because they are our future and our legacy.

As far as the farmer's market making donations, I think that is fantastic. Our nation wastes a lot of food and I am glad to see that some of that is be alleviated through a great cause.


The Hounds Closing thoughts: The reason why this newsletter came out late is because I have been dealing with a lot of "Stuff." My Grandmother who will be 97 on July 30th is living out her last days. So folks, I'm on my own and that can be overwhelming when someone who is the mentor that my Grandmother has been to me is dying. I have gone to visit her just about every day for the last month. It is my second time experiencing something such as this and I would never wish that I would have to again, but that is what makes life what it is.

The other reason is because I had some air conditioning problems here at the homestead. I scrambled around and got this place cooled down finally last night (whew!!!). Let's say a prayer and take care of people who don't have access to cooling devices. Sure would be nice to have a pool for the poor kids to use in this heat. Wouldn't It?!?