This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.
At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.
At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.
Here is a summary of the agenda of the 3/17/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.
Invocation by Rev. Kathy Johnson of the Greater Shekinah Glory Church (I thought this was a very inspiring and well thought out poem so I am sharing it at the link).
Consent Agenda:
Social - Proclamation – The Community Appearance Commission Requests that 4/25/2009 be Proclaimed as “Arbor Day” in the City of Hickory and celebrating Arbor Day in Hickory by giving out trees to citizens. This will be the seventh year that the City will officially celebrate Arbor Day and which will be held in conjunction with the Earth Day celebration at the SALT Block. The City of Hickory has been recognized as a Tree City USA since 2005 and by proclaiming April 25, 2009 as Arbor Day in Hickory, the City will be fulfilling one of its requirements for Tree City USA status.
Proclamation - Declaring 5/2/2009 as “Adult Life Programs’ Day” in the City of Hickory
Request From the Hickory American Legion Post 48 and Barb Hammond Smith VFW Post 1957 for the Use of Union Square for the Veteran’s Memorial Service to be Held on Sunday, May 24, 2009 From 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Business - Voluntary Non-Contiguous Annexation of the Property Owned by Claude Ray Shrum Located at the End of Timberland Hills Drive (Authorize Public Hearing for April 7, 2009)
Vacant Building Revitalization Grant to HPG Facility, LLC for the Property Located at 542 Main Avenue, S.E. in the Amount of $25,000.00 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008. The program provides matching funds up to $25,000.00 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings. The applicant plans to renovate this facility into a retail self storage facility, which will have both outdoor and indoor units. HPG Facility, LLC plans to invest approximately $606,000.00 in the construction of the storage units. It has been determined by staff that $84,194.00 of the construction costs are eligible for the grant funding, thereby exceeding the $50,000.00 required amount to obtain the maximum grant amount. The Redevelopment Committee reviewed the application and recommends approval.
Community Appearance Grant to River Holding, LLC for the Property Located at 25 2nd Street, NW in the Amount of $5,000.00 - Hickory Community Appearance Commission approved the application. The grant request provides for an update to the property, which includes remodeling the front, side and back exterior areas of the building.
Approval of Citizens’ Advisory Committee Recommendations for Assistance Through the City of Hickory’s Housing Programs
Recommendation for approval for assistance under the City's First-Time Homebuyers Assistance Loan Program - Christy Short 2705 N Center Street #78, Hickory Approved for up to $6,500.00
Recommendation for approval for assistance under the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program - Junie Rinehardt 815 8th Street Place, SE, Hickory Approved for up to $5,000.00
Transfer Cemetery Lot in Fairview Cemetery from Doris Byrd Hall f/k/a Doris Beard Heir of Pauline B. Hedrick and husband, Morris Ray Hall to Jerry Shook
Budget Ordinance Amendments
Social - Budget $25 Library donation from Cardinal Book Club for the purchase of a child’s book. Budget $1,500 of Springfest donations from Beaver Family Foundation Inc. ($500) and MDI ($1,000) in the International Council line item for the International Springfest event.
Accept and budget a total of $6,200 in donations for the Unifour Senior Games which is coordinated by the City of Hickory's Park and Recreation Department. Donations include State Employees Credit Union ($600), Humana ($1,000), Tenent/Frye Regional Medical Center ($500), Catawba Valley Medical Center ($1,000), Catawba Valley Community College ($1,000), Carolina Orthopedic Specialists ($500), Western Piedmont Council of Governments ($1,000), Hickory Orthopedic Specials ($100) and Catawba Valley USBC Association ($500).
Business - Appropriate $276 for Police Department Overtime. Appropriate $10,077 of Miscellaneous Insurance Claims from Nationwide Insurance Company for repair of a damaged Police Vehicle. Appropriate $18,905 of General Fund for security glass to enhance security for the Records, Desk and Magistrate areas. This appropriation represents a part of the remaining Police State Reimbursement balances from previous years (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007) that have been rolled into Fund balance at year-end. Budget $50 of Airport property rental revenue from the use of the multipurpose room towards the purchase of new tables for the room.
Development - Budget $7,502 of Community Development funds for housing rehabilitation and administration for HOME funds. Transfer $185,698 from the General Fund for annual routine repair and replacement projects for City facilities including: HVAC work, roof repair/replacement, painting, structural repairs and grounds renovations. City staff does an evaluation and prioritization annually of repair and replacement needs, and this work is a result of that evaluation.
Informational Items:
Mayor Wright Attended the 2008 NCLM Centennial Conference in Charlotte, NC From October 11 – 14, 2008; registration - $360.00
New Business - Public Hearings:
1 & 2) Resolutions Confirming and Levying Assessment Along a Portion of 2nd St Pl, SE– No. 03-07 & No. 04-07 - The City Clerk received a petition from the owners of property along 2nd St Pl, SE to install curb, gutter, and sidewalk along a portion of their street as per Section 29-2 of the Hickory Code of Ordinances. The City Council adopted a Resolution Directing that Street Improvement Project be Undertaken. Unanimous Consent of Council.
Notes about the Council - This was a very light agenda and the meeting lasted less than 20 minutes start to finish. Alders Meisner and Hoyle weren't present. Mayor Wright made mention of the salary reports that were in the Hickory Daily Record. He said he didn't see anything the city should be ashamed about and he is proud of the way that the city's staff has managed the tax payer's money. I think it would be fair to surmise that he was a little agitated by City Manager Berry's picture being on the front of Sunday's paper.
Alderman Seaver made mention that Hickory High's Key Club took first place in every major category at the district convention in Durham. This was out of over 240 clubs in North and South Carolina.
The Hound's Notes: Here are a few of the ironies in this whole Public Pay issue being outed.... 1) I hear Public Officials always talking about their pay versus other people's pay (Example Athletes). I don't hear the athletes squawking about their income being made public.... 2)The public salaries are a lot better than most of the private sector salaries in this area. Why not be happy about your job stability and your overall picture versus what other industries are doing around here..... 3)Now you know what that, "there out to get me" feeling feels like. The people in the private sector have been feeling that for years. 4)Many of the same people that have been shouting about the government being too secretive and not transparent just found out what transparency is all about and they don't like it. 5)These same people that scream about protecting and utilizing the 1st amendment are now shouting down someone for doing just that. 6)People that say that they won't have anything to do with the HDR, because of this article, are commenting all over the Hickory Daily Record Website.
I can go on. There are so many ironies. Most of the comments I have seen, on the HDR website, I construe to be from teachers. I know some great people who are teachers. They are humans just like the rest of us and I understand them being upset, but I think they must understand that this really doesn't matter in the end. Why do you need to justify what you make. Frankly, I think what teachers are making is about just right.
I support education. Education is about the students. We need to get all of this other stuff out of the classrooms. We need to get politics, salaries, and social junk out of the classroom. We need to get back to basics. We need to support teachers and students by giving them a non-hostile work environment. No bullies, thugs, or clowns disrupting classes.....We need to rethink the way that students are being taught. We need to move students in the direction towards creative based knowledge education or trade education at an earlier age.....These young people are our future. They are the machines that will make our lives better or worse as we grow older. We can keep fueling their minds with junk or we can start developing them in more creative/productive manners.....Once we get past this "It's all about me" attitude and figure out that we are all in this together, then maybe we can get this community and this country headed back in the right direction again.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
The Future is Now
Click the Link to Check out Catawba County Chamber of Commerce President Danny Hearn's article in the Hickory Daily Record on Sunday, March 15, 2009 entitled Future Economy Council Ahead of the Curve (unpublished on the Web).
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Harry Hipps and I discussed our thoughts about issues involving the Future Economy Council. Of course, we want to be transparent, open, and honest about how issues directly impact this community’s future. We will inform and make everyone aware of the different types of dynamics that may be happening in our world and how quickly these impacts may change the world as we know it. We are living in exponential times and that is a scary proposition, but these challenges must be met head-on or our community will continue to fall further and further behind.
Yes, this is overwhelming to many people. The indigenous inhabitants of this area remember when the population was half the size that it is now. Now we are part of a global experience that scares many of our citizens. But, we cannot stop that change!!!
As Dr. Jane Everson defined, our community must become “nimble,” especially during these drastically changing times. These times will require a lot of creative and critical thinking. Most of our citizens are wary of this type of rapid change and suffering Anxiety at the thought of having to adjust to such a different world. Such change can lead to fight or flight syndrome and it will be the Future Economy Council’s responsibility to help adjust our citizenry’s mode of thinking.
Why are people so scared and reluctant to address these issues of change? Why be scared when you are powerless to stop it? If you can’t beat it, join it. The exponential rate of change is not stopping. Some of us have come to that understanding and embraced this new world, but some people remain in a state of denial.
The number one issue our area faces is the jobs issue. People must come to the realization that careers will no longer be determined by specific tasks. Employment will be determined by broader generalities. You will have to define yourself by the strength of your skill-sets. Whatever you are good at and your niche and interests will determine your career. These manifestations of your unique, and in many ways inherent, skill-sets will determine what you can do.
It will be important to increase the education of the workforce to achieve the flexibility, malleability, and diversity that any industry needs to move forward. The bottom line is that we are going to have to get the basics (reading, writing, and arithmetic) down before we can move to the levels of critical thinking that we need to move forward in this exponentially changing world.
The overwhelming nature of the change that is ahead can make people feel lost, but does that really matter? We have to work on giving young people a firm foundation of values and principles, to establish their well-being. Young people lose their identity when they’re morality is not built upon substance. The result is that they turn to ways of escape from stress. They start drinking and using drugs, which leads to bad consequences that put them behind at a young age. Many times these young people have developed into something that they really don’t understand.
It is debatable how developed that young people are after they graduate from high school or college. We all know that there is development, but at what critical level? The basic mindset may be established, but when these young people advance to the next stage of development, many times they regress to a stage that they are more comfortable with. Many people of our younger generation become accepting of mediocrity. But, what they have to understand is that nothing ever stands still. You are either progressing or you are regressing. Education and attainment of knowledge only end after you leave this life.
I believe that was what Jay Adams was getting at, at this meeting, when talking about the current economic mindset of the local community… (summarizing) that over the last nine years we have become lean and that has in many ways put us in a strong position, but we have also adapted down and become accepting of this extreme level of cost containment at the expense of growth. In my opinion that is an acceptance of mediocrity, because if we aren’t willing to take chances and make some riskier investments in this community, then we will never get back to experiencing dynamic economic growth. Cheap Begets Cheap!!!
One of the main issues that our nation faces is that we have been shielding people from the consequences of their actions. Most people fail due to their own actions, yet we have created moral hazards that encourage the least common denominators in society. We cannot sustain this current way of thinking. We aren’t growing the economy, we are punishing everyone that creates growth in the economy, and we are encouraging the worst of the lot.
The worst part of our system is that our Government is constantly riding roughshod over the little guy. They don’t go after the powerful special interests, unions, agencies, or corporations; but they are systematically nickel and diming small businesses out of existence by creating a nasty regulatory environment and barriers to entry for upstart entrepreneurs. Not only that, but government in all forms is eating up the world’s capital pool, by bellying up to the trough and borrowing money to spend on gluttonous, wasteful expenditures. This is being done at the expense of capitalism and the free market.
Our culture is not going to accept the government crowding out our way of life. We are going to see Black Markets and fraud spring up, if the government continues down this path. That will delegitimize our society, because people will begin bartering and trading goods and services to keep the money away from the government. You will also see professionals get desperate and play with the bills and the books. Why should we criminalize our citizens, by creating more and more regulations that cannot be understood or adhered to? Look at the tax laws that are already on the books. Do you think that system is working?
Did you see today where the Chinese government asked for assurances and guarantees that the United States would meet its debt obligations? What will the implications of that be? What will that mean to our freedom?
We want creativity. That creativity will lead to progress. Creativity will not come without incentives. We cannot afford to kill the incentives towards growth. Yet, this monolithic character called Social Government has the ability to destroy the individuality needed to inspire creativity. That is what happened in the Soviet Union and in Maoist China. Those countries suffered through decades of darkness.
It is understandable that people are apprehensive about what the human race is currently experiencing. We must advance ourselves, both as individuals and as a community, but neither should be done at the expense of the other. What is happening is more than a change in lifestyle. It is a redefinition of life itself. That is a frightening concept, but we cannot stop it, nor should we try to stop it. For trying to stop what this world is now experiencing could lead to cataclysmic consequences for mankind.
We cannot afford to run and hide, either at the local level or at the world level. We have everything to gain by participating in the global community, but we must prepare ourselves to be successful in such a world. That is what Harry Hipps and I hope this “Futures Economy Council” can do; establish the creation of a road map of preparation to help Catawba County, as well as the region, move successfully forward into the future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harry Hipps and I discussed our thoughts about issues involving the Future Economy Council. Of course, we want to be transparent, open, and honest about how issues directly impact this community’s future. We will inform and make everyone aware of the different types of dynamics that may be happening in our world and how quickly these impacts may change the world as we know it. We are living in exponential times and that is a scary proposition, but these challenges must be met head-on or our community will continue to fall further and further behind.
Yes, this is overwhelming to many people. The indigenous inhabitants of this area remember when the population was half the size that it is now. Now we are part of a global experience that scares many of our citizens. But, we cannot stop that change!!!
As Dr. Jane Everson defined, our community must become “nimble,” especially during these drastically changing times. These times will require a lot of creative and critical thinking. Most of our citizens are wary of this type of rapid change and suffering Anxiety at the thought of having to adjust to such a different world. Such change can lead to fight or flight syndrome and it will be the Future Economy Council’s responsibility to help adjust our citizenry’s mode of thinking.
Why are people so scared and reluctant to address these issues of change? Why be scared when you are powerless to stop it? If you can’t beat it, join it. The exponential rate of change is not stopping. Some of us have come to that understanding and embraced this new world, but some people remain in a state of denial.
The number one issue our area faces is the jobs issue. People must come to the realization that careers will no longer be determined by specific tasks. Employment will be determined by broader generalities. You will have to define yourself by the strength of your skill-sets. Whatever you are good at and your niche and interests will determine your career. These manifestations of your unique, and in many ways inherent, skill-sets will determine what you can do.
It will be important to increase the education of the workforce to achieve the flexibility, malleability, and diversity that any industry needs to move forward. The bottom line is that we are going to have to get the basics (reading, writing, and arithmetic) down before we can move to the levels of critical thinking that we need to move forward in this exponentially changing world.
The overwhelming nature of the change that is ahead can make people feel lost, but does that really matter? We have to work on giving young people a firm foundation of values and principles, to establish their well-being. Young people lose their identity when they’re morality is not built upon substance. The result is that they turn to ways of escape from stress. They start drinking and using drugs, which leads to bad consequences that put them behind at a young age. Many times these young people have developed into something that they really don’t understand.
It is debatable how developed that young people are after they graduate from high school or college. We all know that there is development, but at what critical level? The basic mindset may be established, but when these young people advance to the next stage of development, many times they regress to a stage that they are more comfortable with. Many people of our younger generation become accepting of mediocrity. But, what they have to understand is that nothing ever stands still. You are either progressing or you are regressing. Education and attainment of knowledge only end after you leave this life.
I believe that was what Jay Adams was getting at, at this meeting, when talking about the current economic mindset of the local community… (summarizing) that over the last nine years we have become lean and that has in many ways put us in a strong position, but we have also adapted down and become accepting of this extreme level of cost containment at the expense of growth. In my opinion that is an acceptance of mediocrity, because if we aren’t willing to take chances and make some riskier investments in this community, then we will never get back to experiencing dynamic economic growth. Cheap Begets Cheap!!!
One of the main issues that our nation faces is that we have been shielding people from the consequences of their actions. Most people fail due to their own actions, yet we have created moral hazards that encourage the least common denominators in society. We cannot sustain this current way of thinking. We aren’t growing the economy, we are punishing everyone that creates growth in the economy, and we are encouraging the worst of the lot.
The worst part of our system is that our Government is constantly riding roughshod over the little guy. They don’t go after the powerful special interests, unions, agencies, or corporations; but they are systematically nickel and diming small businesses out of existence by creating a nasty regulatory environment and barriers to entry for upstart entrepreneurs. Not only that, but government in all forms is eating up the world’s capital pool, by bellying up to the trough and borrowing money to spend on gluttonous, wasteful expenditures. This is being done at the expense of capitalism and the free market.
Our culture is not going to accept the government crowding out our way of life. We are going to see Black Markets and fraud spring up, if the government continues down this path. That will delegitimize our society, because people will begin bartering and trading goods and services to keep the money away from the government. You will also see professionals get desperate and play with the bills and the books. Why should we criminalize our citizens, by creating more and more regulations that cannot be understood or adhered to? Look at the tax laws that are already on the books. Do you think that system is working?
Did you see today where the Chinese government asked for assurances and guarantees that the United States would meet its debt obligations? What will the implications of that be? What will that mean to our freedom?
We want creativity. That creativity will lead to progress. Creativity will not come without incentives. We cannot afford to kill the incentives towards growth. Yet, this monolithic character called Social Government has the ability to destroy the individuality needed to inspire creativity. That is what happened in the Soviet Union and in Maoist China. Those countries suffered through decades of darkness.
It is understandable that people are apprehensive about what the human race is currently experiencing. We must advance ourselves, both as individuals and as a community, but neither should be done at the expense of the other. What is happening is more than a change in lifestyle. It is a redefinition of life itself. That is a frightening concept, but we cannot stop it, nor should we try to stop it. For trying to stop what this world is now experiencing could lead to cataclysmic consequences for mankind.
We cannot afford to run and hide, either at the local level or at the world level. We have everything to gain by participating in the global community, but we must prepare ourselves to be successful in such a world. That is what Harry Hipps and I hope this “Futures Economy Council” can do; establish the creation of a road map of preparation to help Catawba County, as well as the region, move successfully forward into the future.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time to Start Transforming Catawba County
This morning, March 12, 2009, I was privileged to attend a meeting with some of the most important decision makers in this area. The meeting about Transformative Leadership is exactly what I feel needs to take place to move this area forward and get us ahead of the curve economically.
Danny Hearn started the presentation by showing us this video called Did You Know 3.0
Mr. Hearn explained that he is in the same position as us. He is a student of futurism and he is here to learn, not teach. He told us a story of a local area that dealt with this subject and how they basically ended the discussion shortly after the process began, because they were uncomfortable about the direction in which the subject was being taken.
Mr. Hearn briefly addressed the economy of the area and the current economic development happenings and opportunities that are taking place in the area. He spoke about the direction that we can take with this new Future Economy Council. As far as Community Events (and involvement), he spoke of creating a dialogue with the community, creating Futures Institutes for/with the Local Community Colleges, developing 21st Century Learning Webs, and establishing what will be known as Communiversities.
Some of the issues that were brought up by others were that we need to assess the strengths, assets, flaws, liabilities, and gaps that are currently present in our community. We need to develop an asset map and if we are honest and fully acknowledge our faults, then those issues will be easier to address. We are basically suffering from the structure of what this community has been, which has been closed "Process" oriented. We need to move more towards an open ended "Thinking" structure.
The Hound: I am going to compose a more thorough article this evening, which I hope to release some time tomorrow, that will show what this is all about and why I personally feel that this is one of the most important developments in the history of our local area. Folks, we need to be honest with ourselves. This area has always been self-reliant. There is not going to be any substantial money coming from Raleigh or Washington. We are going to have to take charge and make these changes ourselves.
Let's be honest, our area is suffering from the complacency and the false sense of security that was instituted long ago. After years of malaise, we must realize that we now have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. The future is here and we must control it or it will most assuredly control us. We can face this together and turn it around. If we don't, this community will continue to wither.
I hope that you will all join me and the others in embracing this concept. We look forward to addressing the key issues, instituting creative processes, and making the changes that will be necessary to get this community ahead of the curve and make it one that we can all be proud of.
Danny Hearn started the presentation by showing us this video called Did You Know 3.0
Mr. Hearn explained that he is in the same position as us. He is a student of futurism and he is here to learn, not teach. He told us a story of a local area that dealt with this subject and how they basically ended the discussion shortly after the process began, because they were uncomfortable about the direction in which the subject was being taken.
Mr. Hearn briefly addressed the economy of the area and the current economic development happenings and opportunities that are taking place in the area. He spoke about the direction that we can take with this new Future Economy Council. As far as Community Events (and involvement), he spoke of creating a dialogue with the community, creating Futures Institutes for/with the Local Community Colleges, developing 21st Century Learning Webs, and establishing what will be known as Communiversities.
Some of the issues that were brought up by others were that we need to assess the strengths, assets, flaws, liabilities, and gaps that are currently present in our community. We need to develop an asset map and if we are honest and fully acknowledge our faults, then those issues will be easier to address. We are basically suffering from the structure of what this community has been, which has been closed "Process" oriented. We need to move more towards an open ended "Thinking" structure.
The Hound: I am going to compose a more thorough article this evening, which I hope to release some time tomorrow, that will show what this is all about and why I personally feel that this is one of the most important developments in the history of our local area. Folks, we need to be honest with ourselves. This area has always been self-reliant. There is not going to be any substantial money coming from Raleigh or Washington. We are going to have to take charge and make these changes ourselves.
Let's be honest, our area is suffering from the complacency and the false sense of security that was instituted long ago. After years of malaise, we must realize that we now have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. The future is here and we must control it or it will most assuredly control us. We can face this together and turn it around. If we don't, this community will continue to wither.
I hope that you will all join me and the others in embracing this concept. We look forward to addressing the key issues, instituting creative processes, and making the changes that will be necessary to get this community ahead of the curve and make it one that we can all be proud of.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Cloninger Mill Park - 3rd meeting - The Master Plan - 3/10/2009
You can go back and read my excerpts from the first meeting that was held September 24, 2008 here (1st Cloninger Mill Park Meeting) and the second meeting on January 15, 2009 meeting here (2nd Cloninger Mill Park Meeting).
Here are Links to pictures and schematics that were presented at the Master Plan meeting along with my previous Google photo of the property (a couple aren't 100% focused, but you can see the end result):
My Google aerial photo of the property
Black and White Aerial Map
Final Master Plan photos 1 / 2 / 3
Site Analysis (1/15/2009) / Slope analysis / Soil Analysis / Site Photos
I can honestly say that everything that I have seen Site Solutions propose about this park has been A+. They listened to what the people of the neighborhoods had to say and they fully balanced it with what the needs of the community mandate.
Mr. Derek Williams made the presentation during this joint presentation to the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission. He initially gave an overview of what had been discussed during the previous two meetings.
Further comments were that this area had originally been zoned R-1 and R-3, so this park does fall within those guidelines. Summarizing, he stated that Site Solutions took into account all of the buffers set forth in guidelines in dealing with the neighboring areas. He believes that Cloninger Mill Road will be expanded to 4 or 5 lanes in the future. Utilities abound near the property that are adequate for the park and its needs. There is a 12 foot setback along the perimeter of the property adjacent to the residential property, a 40 foot setback along the shores of Lake Hickory, and there is a 110 foot "right of way" associated with Cloninger Mill Road.
The local Neighborhoods didn't want parking on the east side of the park, but that just wasn't feasible. There is a FEMA floodway restriction that restricts development along the creek in the center of the park. Mr. Williams said, at this meeting in the question and answer session, that his personal preference would have been to have one road in and out of the park, but with the creek running down the center of the property it just wasn't feasible without incurring great cost and ecological damage to the property. At this site, what you have is two mountains and a valley between. 80% of the sight consists of slopes of greater than 10%. That is part of what gives the site its unique character. The natural features must be preserved.
There would be no way to give people access to the whole park without the two entrances. Site Solutions reduced the parking on the East side and increased the size of the parking on the West side to 50 spaces to address the neighborhood concerns. There will now be a playground and restrooms next to the West parking lot along with a picnic shelter area. East side parking will now be reduced to 25 spaces, which will also have a grassy area attached for excess overflow parking if needed.
Mr. Williams also stated that there would be a fence placed at the Northeastern Corner of the Park, so that outsiders wouldn't have access to the private boat dock that resides there. The closest building to any neighbors is 450 feet away from neighbors at Old Mill Landing. The closest trail is 150 feet from residential property lines. The plans call for natural buffers to limit the removal of natural vegetation along the outside lines of the park.
The order of magnitude estimated cost of the park is $2.9 million. The initial development phase is suggested to be along the western side of the park, near Cloninger Mill Road. The Parking Lot, Playground, Picnic Shelter, and some trails would be built during this initial phase. The park is suggested to have a Grist Mill theme, because of the former mill located there. There are monies that are available to help fund the park. Site Solutions feels that they put the city in a good position to go after that money.
Discussion by Council and Commission : Councilman Brad Lail asked about Order of Magnitude. Order of magnitude gives a good general idea of the costs of the park, but it is not detailed. It was stated that the DOT traffic count along Cloninger Mill Road is right inside of 20,000 cars per day. Mr. Williams stated that the developers want to maintain existing trails to the greatest extent possible, because it has less of an ecological impact. The trails can be done incrementally. The city can pick one major piece and move forward from there.
Mayor Wright asked about the residential lots available to raise funds. It was stated by Mack McLeod that there are 8 or 9 lots available for $27,000 a piece. The Mayor said that the real value comes with the commercial property (on the west side). The Mayor stated that the people who bought residential property, in the area, knew that there was a proposed park to be built on this site when they bought their homes. Bruce Meisner said the property was zoned residential and the city could have sold the whole east side for residential development. Mr. McLeod stated that this park was proposed in 1979. Mr. Meisner asked about Quadrant Park Funds. Mr. McLeod stated that some of those funds were used during this process.
Brad Lail stated that he sees two routes, the free market approach where someone brings the city a proposal and the other route where the city decides what would fit best on the property. Mr. Meisner mentioned a proposal from 6 or 7 years ago that was brought to the city. Summarizing, it was a scaled down version of the Ballantyne properties (located in Charlotte). Mr. Meisner stated that most of this property is located across from Commercial property that is already there.
Sally Fox asked if they must accept the commercial property as part of the proposal. Summarizing, City Manager Mick Berry said that it was a semantical issue and that it would be up to council to decide all issues pertaining to the commercial property's development. Mr. Meisner stated that the City Council would have total control over that commercial property. Mr. Lail agreed. The Mayor said they could even decide to make it part of the park. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted to accept the plan and forward it to City Council.
The Hound really likes this plan. I think that every issue was addressed thoughtfully and carefully by Site Solutions. I will say that without enabling the sale of the commercial property, then this park should not be moved forward. Council members must recognize that these are serious times when it comes to money issues. The city will profit off of the sale of that commercial property, the tax revenue generated by its value, and any sales taxes should their be retail or hospitality ventures on that property. We cannot afford to throw that opportunity away.
If the impending sale of the commercial property becomes an issue, then I don't believe the property should be developed on the public's dime. I think that either this is developed into a constructive venture with all of the amenities and safety concerns that Site Solutions has addressed or it is time to lock down the property and get people off of it for safety reasons. This is city owned property that is already basically being used as a haphazard park. Let's see this happen the right way instead of the simple way or the cheap way.
Here are Links to pictures and schematics that were presented at the Master Plan meeting along with my previous Google photo of the property (a couple aren't 100% focused, but you can see the end result):
My Google aerial photo of the property
Black and White Aerial Map
Final Master Plan photos 1 / 2 / 3
Site Analysis (1/15/2009) / Slope analysis / Soil Analysis / Site Photos
I can honestly say that everything that I have seen Site Solutions propose about this park has been A+. They listened to what the people of the neighborhoods had to say and they fully balanced it with what the needs of the community mandate.
Mr. Derek Williams made the presentation during this joint presentation to the City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission. He initially gave an overview of what had been discussed during the previous two meetings.
Further comments were that this area had originally been zoned R-1 and R-3, so this park does fall within those guidelines. Summarizing, he stated that Site Solutions took into account all of the buffers set forth in guidelines in dealing with the neighboring areas. He believes that Cloninger Mill Road will be expanded to 4 or 5 lanes in the future. Utilities abound near the property that are adequate for the park and its needs. There is a 12 foot setback along the perimeter of the property adjacent to the residential property, a 40 foot setback along the shores of Lake Hickory, and there is a 110 foot "right of way" associated with Cloninger Mill Road.
The local Neighborhoods didn't want parking on the east side of the park, but that just wasn't feasible. There is a FEMA floodway restriction that restricts development along the creek in the center of the park. Mr. Williams said, at this meeting in the question and answer session, that his personal preference would have been to have one road in and out of the park, but with the creek running down the center of the property it just wasn't feasible without incurring great cost and ecological damage to the property. At this site, what you have is two mountains and a valley between. 80% of the sight consists of slopes of greater than 10%. That is part of what gives the site its unique character. The natural features must be preserved.
There would be no way to give people access to the whole park without the two entrances. Site Solutions reduced the parking on the East side and increased the size of the parking on the West side to 50 spaces to address the neighborhood concerns. There will now be a playground and restrooms next to the West parking lot along with a picnic shelter area. East side parking will now be reduced to 25 spaces, which will also have a grassy area attached for excess overflow parking if needed.
Mr. Williams also stated that there would be a fence placed at the Northeastern Corner of the Park, so that outsiders wouldn't have access to the private boat dock that resides there. The closest building to any neighbors is 450 feet away from neighbors at Old Mill Landing. The closest trail is 150 feet from residential property lines. The plans call for natural buffers to limit the removal of natural vegetation along the outside lines of the park.
The order of magnitude estimated cost of the park is $2.9 million. The initial development phase is suggested to be along the western side of the park, near Cloninger Mill Road. The Parking Lot, Playground, Picnic Shelter, and some trails would be built during this initial phase. The park is suggested to have a Grist Mill theme, because of the former mill located there. There are monies that are available to help fund the park. Site Solutions feels that they put the city in a good position to go after that money.
Discussion by Council and Commission : Councilman Brad Lail asked about Order of Magnitude. Order of magnitude gives a good general idea of the costs of the park, but it is not detailed. It was stated that the DOT traffic count along Cloninger Mill Road is right inside of 20,000 cars per day. Mr. Williams stated that the developers want to maintain existing trails to the greatest extent possible, because it has less of an ecological impact. The trails can be done incrementally. The city can pick one major piece and move forward from there.
Mayor Wright asked about the residential lots available to raise funds. It was stated by Mack McLeod that there are 8 or 9 lots available for $27,000 a piece. The Mayor said that the real value comes with the commercial property (on the west side). The Mayor stated that the people who bought residential property, in the area, knew that there was a proposed park to be built on this site when they bought their homes. Bruce Meisner said the property was zoned residential and the city could have sold the whole east side for residential development. Mr. McLeod stated that this park was proposed in 1979. Mr. Meisner asked about Quadrant Park Funds. Mr. McLeod stated that some of those funds were used during this process.
Brad Lail stated that he sees two routes, the free market approach where someone brings the city a proposal and the other route where the city decides what would fit best on the property. Mr. Meisner mentioned a proposal from 6 or 7 years ago that was brought to the city. Summarizing, it was a scaled down version of the Ballantyne properties (located in Charlotte). Mr. Meisner stated that most of this property is located across from Commercial property that is already there.
Sally Fox asked if they must accept the commercial property as part of the proposal. Summarizing, City Manager Mick Berry said that it was a semantical issue and that it would be up to council to decide all issues pertaining to the commercial property's development. Mr. Meisner stated that the City Council would have total control over that commercial property. Mr. Lail agreed. The Mayor said they could even decide to make it part of the park. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted to accept the plan and forward it to City Council.
The Hound really likes this plan. I think that every issue was addressed thoughtfully and carefully by Site Solutions. I will say that without enabling the sale of the commercial property, then this park should not be moved forward. Council members must recognize that these are serious times when it comes to money issues. The city will profit off of the sale of that commercial property, the tax revenue generated by its value, and any sales taxes should their be retail or hospitality ventures on that property. We cannot afford to throw that opportunity away.
If the impending sale of the commercial property becomes an issue, then I don't believe the property should be developed on the public's dime. I think that either this is developed into a constructive venture with all of the amenities and safety concerns that Site Solutions has addressed or it is time to lock down the property and get people off of it for safety reasons. This is city owned property that is already basically being used as a haphazard park. Let's see this happen the right way instead of the simple way or the cheap way.
Friday, March 6, 2009
12 Steps to Fixing Our Nation's Financial Woes
This is a recognition that our Nation faces serious personal and national economic-financial issues. These twelve steps are integral to putting "We the People" back on the right path to fixing our financial problems. These Twelve Steps are derived and adopted from the original Twelve Step Program published by Alcoholics Anonymous. I truly believe that many people in this country have dependency issues when it comes to debt financing as related to materialism:
1) We must admit we are powerless over our material wants and needs and that our spending has taken over our lives and imperiled our future. Some people spend money as a way of raising their personal self-esteem. They have done this at the expense of their future economic viability. It is important to realize that those materialistic desires will never fill an empty soul.
3) We must make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. To me this means that we have to realize that life isn't just about us as individuals. Each one of us have wants, needs, and desires. We have to learn that we cannot enslave others to fulfill our desires. We are all subject to the variables of life that relate to all of us as individual beings. That is one of the hardest aspects of life that we as individuals have to learn to accept, because we aren't going to ever be fulfilled. Life isn't about fulfillment, it is about acceptance of what the force conjures up though fate. You have to accept that things happen for a reason.
4) We must search ourselves and fearlessly and fairly evaluate our personal morality. Are you a good person or are you a bad person? Do you go out of your way to help others or hurt others? We are all sinners. None of us are perfect. We all have good and bad days, but we must realize that our actions have consequences to those that surround us and their actions have consequences to those that surround them. My personal actions can set off a wave of negative consequences that can have far reaching negative implications that we do not realize when we are stuck on ourselves as individuals. The opposite can also ring true. A positive attitude can also spread throughout a community and society. You will truly reap the harvest of the seeds that you sow.
5) We must admit to God, to ourselves, and other human beings the exact nature of our wrongs. No one is perfect, but the harder that we try to strive towards perfection, the closer we will come to achieving it. If we don't try, then we will never come close. It is alright to make mistakes, but those that do not admit or live in a state of denial about their errant ways will be doomed to repeat them.
6) We must be entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. We can't put off solving our problems. We must deal with them today. Procrastination only leads to more procrastination. Once we assess our lives and accept our transgressions, then it is time to remove them from our lives.
7) We must humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings. When we feel powerless and overwhelmed about our transgressions, then we need to pray or meditate and reach within ourselves for the willpower needed to keep from submitting to our weaknesses. That self-reflection will help one realize that they can attain inner-peace over time. The longer that you can remove yourself from the weaknesses, the easier they will become to deal with, but at some point they must be dealt with head on.
8) We must make a list of all people we have harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all. If we have financially taken advantage of others, then we must admit to them what we have done and do our best to make amends. This will help to clear a guilty conscious. If we owe creditors, then we must be upfront in our dealings with them. 99% of the time they will be willing to work with you, so will family and friends. If you are in dire straights, don't rob Peter to pay Paul. Tell your friends up front that you are in dire straights. I am sure that if they can help you, they will. But don't set up a timeline to pay them back, because if you don't meet it and they then need the money, it will put a strain on your friendship.
9) We must make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. If telling the truth to someone you care about will hurt them, then it is best to keep it to yourself. This goes for finances, as well as any other type of interpersonal dealings. If you borrowed money from a friend and blew it on something frivolous, then it's best to leave that out of the equation. Just be up front that you blew their money and that you will do everything in your power to make it up to them in the future. It may put a strain on your friendship, but you might not lose that friendship.
10) Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. When you fall off the wagon, then face it head on and deal with it, otherwise you will end up back at ground zero or worse.
11) We must seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His Will for us and the power to carry that out. We can't lose sight of what we are doing by getting our personal finances and social lives back in order. Many times these vices snowball until they careen out of control. We must be honest with ourselves, because many times these self-inflicted wounds are forgotten once they heal. The emotional scars are there for a reason. Embrace them and learn from them. A meaningful life comes from making sure that those bad experiences are lessons that aren't constantly repeated.
12) Once we conquer our demons and realize a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, then we shall try to carry this message forward to others who may have a similar problem, and practice these principles in all our affairs. You have gone through all of this for a reason. Don't be embarassed about it. Teach and tell others about the hole that you dug for yourself. It goes back to the morality issue. Lead by example and others around you will do the same. If we all become self-reliant and at the same time charitable, then this world will surely be better for it.
In no way am I wanting to stir up a religious debate, but this is a moral issue. We have created a lot of moral hazard by telling people that it is ok to live beyond their means and that the Nanny State will bail them out when they get in trouble.. There is no way out of the bind that the government has put us in, but we as individuals need to learn about Self-Preservation and the role that it plays in Liberty and Personal Freedom.
Take Charge Folks, this game is nowhere close to over. We will restore this country back to its glory!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Harry Hipps Commentary on City Government
The City Council Meeting of 3-3-09 was a great meeting that showed our City government at it's best and worst. First I'll comment on the best. The announcement of the agreement between ASU and Hickory to enhance educational opportunities here is great news. Sadly we have a large uneducated and undereducated population here. It affects our quality of life and is a drag on the economic development we can get here. Thankfully our leadership has correctly identified this as a vital area of needed improvement and this is great news for Hickory.
More of the positive things going on were highlighted with the committee reports, especially the presentations on Parks and Recreation and the Libraries. These folks are well focused on what we have now, trends for the future and showed a passionate and professional approach towards their areas. We are blessed to have citizens like this working for the betterment of Hickory.
The John Locke Foundation recently announced that Hickory had fallen from the 2nd highest in terms of taxation for a City our size to 13th. Spending what we need within a budget that is based on reasonable economic assumptions, being careful with debt and City investments are great principles to follow in City finances and this has been done very well. Kudos to all.
All was not perfect of course. The Appearance Committee gives out trees for Arbor Day to support Hickory's image as a tree friendly area, which most would support. After that they seemed to be fixated on downtown which seems to be characteristic of Council as a whole. To be fair, it's difficult to address some of the ugly, blighted areas of town within this committee since it involves economic vitality, specific landlords, and their concerns (or lack of concern) and a host of issues too large for an Appearance Committee. But it seemed at times that they are flailing around for a purpose and downtown is what's easiest to latch onto.
The final issue was what really showed the weakness of the overall approach to governance with respect to discretionary spending. As the Mayor pointed out, most of the budget goes to water and sewer services, fire, police, etc. After taking care of core services there isn't a large percentage of the budget that can be used for discretionary spending ($70 million out of an $80 million budget goes towards Water, Sewer, Sanitation, and Security) .
At virtually every Council meeting there are small amounts given for various projects. Some of these, such as facades for arts organizations, landscaping or building improvements for charitable organizations (such as the Salvation Army) are probably a good use of these funds since the community as a whole benefits from arts and we owe compassion to our needy. But, in my opinion, there are too many small scale grants that use City money for private interests. Not only is this unfair to the businesses that aren't as well connected politically, but it is getting in the way of larger, more important projects.
This was clear at the Council meeting when the prospect of putting some electrical lines underground was discussed. Duke Power is proposing splitting the cost 50/50 with the City to bury some power lines. This has been a much discussed desire of many citizens for a long time now. It would be a maximum of $300,000 per year for three years. Even at this large cost, only a couple of miles of lines would be done. Duke Power would be concerned with the lines that are most prone to being downed by trees and safety concerns, whereas the City is more concerned with the aesthetics of the lines. The lines done would be at or less than one percent of the lines in the City (I believe new construction will bury lines for future use).
The total cost of the entire City would be tremendous. A reasonable view is that this type of project will be very long term if ever. In addition, there are sewer lines in Hickory that are 100 years old. This is a ticking time bomb. At some point large expenditures are coming. My question is this: why are we piddling with small scale spending, like shrubs and windows for certain area businesses, when we need to start looking seriously at our infrastructure? We complain about the federal government spending so much on earmarks and pork barrel projects and then do it here.
We need to come up with larger scale plans for our infrastructure as well as larger scale development for some of our blighted areas, and stop the nickel and dimeing. There are pressing needs that are becoming more urgent. We need some serious thinking about our priorities. While raising taxes to pay for things is always an option, I believe we need to stop the trickle of small ticket items and think about the big needs we have.
The good, the bad, and the ugly - what a meeting.
More of the positive things going on were highlighted with the committee reports, especially the presentations on Parks and Recreation and the Libraries. These folks are well focused on what we have now, trends for the future and showed a passionate and professional approach towards their areas. We are blessed to have citizens like this working for the betterment of Hickory.
The John Locke Foundation recently announced that Hickory had fallen from the 2nd highest in terms of taxation for a City our size to 13th. Spending what we need within a budget that is based on reasonable economic assumptions, being careful with debt and City investments are great principles to follow in City finances and this has been done very well. Kudos to all.
All was not perfect of course. The Appearance Committee gives out trees for Arbor Day to support Hickory's image as a tree friendly area, which most would support. After that they seemed to be fixated on downtown which seems to be characteristic of Council as a whole. To be fair, it's difficult to address some of the ugly, blighted areas of town within this committee since it involves economic vitality, specific landlords, and their concerns (or lack of concern) and a host of issues too large for an Appearance Committee. But it seemed at times that they are flailing around for a purpose and downtown is what's easiest to latch onto.
The final issue was what really showed the weakness of the overall approach to governance with respect to discretionary spending. As the Mayor pointed out, most of the budget goes to water and sewer services, fire, police, etc. After taking care of core services there isn't a large percentage of the budget that can be used for discretionary spending ($70 million out of an $80 million budget goes towards Water, Sewer, Sanitation, and Security) .
At virtually every Council meeting there are small amounts given for various projects. Some of these, such as facades for arts organizations, landscaping or building improvements for charitable organizations (such as the Salvation Army) are probably a good use of these funds since the community as a whole benefits from arts and we owe compassion to our needy. But, in my opinion, there are too many small scale grants that use City money for private interests. Not only is this unfair to the businesses that aren't as well connected politically, but it is getting in the way of larger, more important projects.
This was clear at the Council meeting when the prospect of putting some electrical lines underground was discussed. Duke Power is proposing splitting the cost 50/50 with the City to bury some power lines. This has been a much discussed desire of many citizens for a long time now. It would be a maximum of $300,000 per year for three years. Even at this large cost, only a couple of miles of lines would be done. Duke Power would be concerned with the lines that are most prone to being downed by trees and safety concerns, whereas the City is more concerned with the aesthetics of the lines. The lines done would be at or less than one percent of the lines in the City (I believe new construction will bury lines for future use).
The total cost of the entire City would be tremendous. A reasonable view is that this type of project will be very long term if ever. In addition, there are sewer lines in Hickory that are 100 years old. This is a ticking time bomb. At some point large expenditures are coming. My question is this: why are we piddling with small scale spending, like shrubs and windows for certain area businesses, when we need to start looking seriously at our infrastructure? We complain about the federal government spending so much on earmarks and pork barrel projects and then do it here.
We need to come up with larger scale plans for our infrastructure as well as larger scale development for some of our blighted areas, and stop the nickel and dimeing. There are pressing needs that are becoming more urgent. We need some serious thinking about our priorities. While raising taxes to pay for things is always an option, I believe we need to stop the trickle of small ticket items and think about the big needs we have.
The good, the bad, and the ugly - what a meeting.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of March 3, 2009
This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.
At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.
At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.
Here is a summary of the agenda of the 3/3/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.
Invocation by Cindy Jordan, Director of Spiritual Care Catawba Valley Medical Center
Special Presentations:
A. Presentation of FY 2009-2010 Board and Commission Work Plans Board / Commission Presenter - The Mayor stated that this was one of his favorite meetings of the year when we get to learn what our civilian volunteers are doing. Only 1 out of every 200 of our citizens participate on one of these boards.
1. Animal Control Advisory Board - Lt. Reed Baer 1) wants to increase the advertising of the Spay and Neuter program. City will help contribute to the cost of the procedure. 2) Coordinate with Catawba County Humane Society to get citzens to contact the Humane society - helps reduce animal control man hours 3) Animal Control Ordinance enforcement is meeting requirements. 4) Cost effective measures to deal with stray animals. Shelter costs are currently $71,756 they will rise to $97,894. A new medical program is responsible for the rise to try and get more animals adopted. Currently the shelter is averaging 210 animals being taken care of each day.5) Sponsor 2 rabies clinics this year to get animal vaccinated at a reduced cost.
(The Hound would like to see people have to obtain a license in order to breed animals. The fee should be equal to the cost of spaying and neutering any animals. We need to get control of the stray animal population in this community. It is inhumane to let animals breed and not take care of them.)
2. Citizens’ Advisory Committee Ms. Yvonne Setzer - Todd Hefner presentation. Trying to create affordable housing for the Green Park, Kenworth, Ridgeview, and West Hickory Neighborhoods. Currently working on a $3.92 million block grant.
3. Community Appearance Commission Ms. Jennifer Helton - presentation made by another lady 1) Funding for Downtown grants for aesthetic improvements. 2) New program being developed called "Friends of Downtown Hickory" 3) Continue funding of litter pick-up (currently 250 to 300 bags per month). 4) Graffiti Removal Matching Program. 5) Arbor Day Tree Celebration 6) Funding for Litter Education 7) Beautification (The Hound is just wondering why the Community Appearance Commission only has interests in Downtown. Here we go again. This community has more areas that need their appearance developed other than Downtown Hickory. By Gosh here we go with this graffiti issue through the back door. This area talks trash about the bad karma coming from Raleigh and Washington constantly, yet here they go doing the same exact thing. I can tell you that the Hound represents this community as a whole and I think that it is time that others start doing the same, instead of looking out towards their little niche, clique interests).
4. Community Relations Council Ms. Lisa Miller - Overall plan costs $17,000. Hallmark Grant Program. Connect, Improve, and Encourage community relations. Multi- Cultural Human Relations Events.
(The Hound believes in Community Relations, but this presentation left a lot to be desired. We need some specifics in a tight budget era. What do you do?)
5. Hickory Regional Planning Commission Mr. Brian Frazier - Revision of Hickory by Choice and the Land-Use Development plan.
6. Hickory Youth Council Mr. Alec Patterson - Promote community and general public knowledge in the hearts and minds of our youth. Requesting $3,600 for general uses, programs, and a possible Summer retreat. (The Hound Knows this is a good Investment, because we need kids to be more civic minded.)
7. Historic Preservation Commission Ms. Clem Geitner - No presentation
8. International Council Mr. Hani Nassar - Spoke about Springfest, Second language in schools. Having a hard time with financial goals due to the economy. Developing a guide for newcomers. Want to work with the public appearance commisiion to create some international signs in other parts of the city besides downtown. The Council proposes events such as movies at the Carolina Thetre featuring special Foreign Films. Want to work on a Speakers Bureau, a new brochure, and a website with a newcomer's guide.
9. Library Advisory Board Ms. Judy Ivester -Asked for no money. The Library is a focal point of the community. Technology plays a big role in and outside of the library. Last year their were 145,000 computer patrons. The computers allow for the use of a virtual library. Offers real time records. Last year the library counted on average 37,000 patrons per month and this year the number has risen to 39,000. This summer the library expects 41,000 people per month. Last summer it was not unusual to have 300 children show up for a children's program. The library is looking to increase and improve technology, customer service, and programming. Mrs. Ivester further discussed "The Big Read." (The Hound believes. Mrs. Ivester had the best presentation of the evening and she was spot on in her assessment. The Library is going to be more critical as a center of knowledge as we move forward.)
10. Parks and Recreation Commission Mr. Gary Stafford - Mr. Stafford went over the list of goals in the order of importance as 1) Support completion of phase 2 of the Ridgeview Recreation Project. 2) Development of the Clonionger Mill Park plan 3) Support 2005 Green Ways and Trails Master plan. The last significant investment in the Green Way plan was from 15 years ago. 4) Create a Dog Park 5) Develop a Community Garden 6) Create a City Endowment to support Parks 7) Create a Henry Fork Ampitheater 8) Create a Sandy Pine's Park from capital obtained by selling residential property at the Cloninger Mill Park site 9) Create a Park Ranger Program for the Hickory Park System. (The Hound liked this presentation also. It was brief and to the point, but I support everything they said and I liked the priority assessment.)
11. Public Art Commission Mr. Phil Barringer - Mr. Barringer showed the Art on the Bench project and how it was implemented. He addressed the focal project for the upcoming year, which will be a permanent fire sculpture created by an esyablished artist, local potter, and local citizens. It should be completed in the 2010-2011 timeframe.
12. Recycling Advisory Board Mr. Jeffrey Wright - Chuck Hansen presentation. Campaign to reach the Hickory City School System. All schools will participate in recycling. 600 Businesses participate. Looking to expand convenience centers to other areas. Currently just in NE and SW Hickory. Address and evaluate the recycling commodity issue. Looking towards recycling pallets, oil filters, flourescent lamps, and ballasts. Recyclables are down 14% since 2005, but this isn't necessarily bad -- due to improved recycling.
Consent Agenda:
Social Interest -- Call for Special Joint Meeting With Hickory City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission to be Held at the Highland Recreation Center’s Community Room on Tuesday 3/10/2009 at 11:30 a.m. to discuss Park Cloninger Mill Property Site Development.
Authorize Public Hearing about Curb & Gutter along a Portion of 2nd St Pl SE for March 17, 2009
Request From the Hickory Downtown Development Association for the Use of Union Square for the Hickory Alive Event to be Held on June 5, 12, 19, 26 and July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2009 from 3:30pm–12am
Request From the Hickory Downtown Development Association for use of Union Square for the Swingin’ Under the Stars Event to be Held on 5/24/2009 From 4pm–12am.
Approval to Discard Surplus Library Children’s Materials to the Salvation Army for Distribution to the Family Shelter and Boys and Girls Club - 60 picture books
Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Anna Wallace. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Susan S. Steiger. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Joyce Sheffield. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Iva Rhyne.
Business -- Approval to Purchase 5 Specialized Police Package Emergency Vehicles From Armstrong Ford in the Amount of $110,420.00
Approve Change Order With Ronny Turner Construction Co., Inc. for Additional Work on the Clement Boulevard Connector Water Line Modifications Project in the Amount of $8,700.00
Budget Ordinance Amendments -- Budget a $1,400 donation from Klingspor Abrasives for the International Springfest event. Budget $1,200 of State Revenue from the North Carolina Humanities Council for the Big Read 2009 program. Budget a $10,000 donation from Catawba Valley Community College for the Big Read 2009 program. Budget a $50 Library donation from Ms. Hacker for an honor book. Transfer $5,400 of General Fund to the transportation capital bus shelter project for the purchase of 5 additional bus shelters as part of the West Hickory and Ridgeview Redevelopment plans. The total cost of the project is $27,000 which FTA is funding at 80% ($21,600) with a local match of 20% ($5,400).
New Business - Departmental Reports:
1) Hickory City Council to Elect a Temporary Chairman to Preside Over the 3/17/2009 City Council Meeting Due to the Absence of Both the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore - Mayor Wright, Alderlady Hoyle, and Alderman Meisner will be out of town, so Alderlady Fox will preside over the 3/17/2009 meeting. Council Agreed Unanimously.
2. Consideration to Participate in the Duke Energy Carolinas Underground Utilities Conversion Pilot Program - The North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved a pilot program for three North Carolina municipalities to convert overhead power lines to underground. The program is a 50/50 match of up to 0.5% of Duke Energy’s gross receipts in the City, which translates into approximately $301,000.00 per year for a total of approximately $903,000.00. The City and Duke Energy would each contribute approximately $900,000.00 during the 3-year program for a total of $1.8 million.
The program funds can be used for planning, designing and construction of power lines from overhead to underground, but will not cover for the conversion of phone, cable or other overhead wires. The cost of conversion can range from $350,000.00 to $3,000,000.00 per mile based on the type of facility and whether it is urban, suburban, or rural. It is difficult to determine exactly how many miles of power lines will be buried should the City choose to participate in the program. This project is consistent with the Hickory by Choice Future Land Use and Transportation Plan. In order to be considered as part of the program, the City must respond to Duke Energy by March 31, 2009. If selected, Council would need to increase property tax by .75 cents on July 1, 2009, to fund its share of this project.
Discussion - The Council discussed the aspect of the costs involved versus the aesthetics. City manager Berry pointed out that the areas where you see a lot of lines is where it is going to cost more money. Mr. Berry said that Duke has to follow the rules of the utility Commission (so their hands are tied in their choices to a certain extent). The Mayor says that there will be other options besides tax funding. Manager Berry says that the Budget is a serious concern on this issue. They are worried about balancing the budget. Basically the options are General Fund or raise taxes. The Mayor said that he was sure that their would be some sort of courtship process before we got to the stage of needing to accept or reject the program. Ms. Hoyle seemed to believe that this isn't feasible under current economic circumstances. The Council voted to take the next step in the exploration process, but not commit to the project as this time.
Bob Vollinger requested to be heard on this issue. He is in favor of burying and consolidating overhead lines. He believes it is in the public's best interest. It helps reduce costs, increases reliability, and increases safety.
The Hound would love for all of these lines to go underground but that is unfortunately not feasible. I think participating in this program is a good idea. The city is interested in aesthetics, while Duke Power is interested in reliability. I am sure that there will be negotiations before any of this goes forward. Mayor Wright asked about power line mileage and the number brought up was 300 miles -- Chuck Hansen said, "At Least." Folks that would mean that it would cost at least $105 million to put these wires in the ground by my calculation and it will cost more than that due to some of the more complex areas. It is going to take a long time to get these wires in the ground. Maybe that is where we should focus our energy when asking for Federal Block Grant monies going into the future. (I changed the cost number once, because I doubted my calculation. I couldn't believe that it would cost $105 million to bury these lines, but after rechecking that number, I have found that that is the correct number.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mayor announced that a Document was signed today creating the Appalachian State University regional partnership Greater Hickory Metro. It will increase the opportunities for higher education in this community. This will unify the branding and marketing of the Higher Education center. We are now in a position to have a better educated population. The employees of the Higher Education Center will now be employees of Appalachian State.
The Mayor hopes the Vision will be realized for Lenoir-Rhyne University. We will support L-R in accomplishing their lofty agenda. The Mayor believes that in the next 8 years that we will have a lot of opportunities in both public and private education in this area. Charlotte Observer Article about this.
At the bottom right of this page under main information links is a Hickory's Local Government link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the bottom of the page you will see the future dates for meetings scheduled for this year.
At the top of the page, if you click on the “Documents” link, you will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.
Here is a summary of the agenda of the 3/3/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.
Invocation by Cindy Jordan, Director of Spiritual Care Catawba Valley Medical Center
Special Presentations:
A. Presentation of FY 2009-2010 Board and Commission Work Plans Board / Commission Presenter - The Mayor stated that this was one of his favorite meetings of the year when we get to learn what our civilian volunteers are doing. Only 1 out of every 200 of our citizens participate on one of these boards.
1. Animal Control Advisory Board - Lt. Reed Baer 1) wants to increase the advertising of the Spay and Neuter program. City will help contribute to the cost of the procedure. 2) Coordinate with Catawba County Humane Society to get citzens to contact the Humane society - helps reduce animal control man hours 3) Animal Control Ordinance enforcement is meeting requirements. 4) Cost effective measures to deal with stray animals. Shelter costs are currently $71,756 they will rise to $97,894. A new medical program is responsible for the rise to try and get more animals adopted. Currently the shelter is averaging 210 animals being taken care of each day.5) Sponsor 2 rabies clinics this year to get animal vaccinated at a reduced cost.
(The Hound would like to see people have to obtain a license in order to breed animals. The fee should be equal to the cost of spaying and neutering any animals. We need to get control of the stray animal population in this community. It is inhumane to let animals breed and not take care of them.)
2. Citizens’ Advisory Committee Ms. Yvonne Setzer - Todd Hefner presentation. Trying to create affordable housing for the Green Park, Kenworth, Ridgeview, and West Hickory Neighborhoods. Currently working on a $3.92 million block grant.
3. Community Appearance Commission Ms. Jennifer Helton - presentation made by another lady 1) Funding for Downtown grants for aesthetic improvements. 2) New program being developed called "Friends of Downtown Hickory" 3) Continue funding of litter pick-up (currently 250 to 300 bags per month). 4) Graffiti Removal Matching Program. 5) Arbor Day Tree Celebration 6) Funding for Litter Education 7) Beautification (The Hound is just wondering why the Community Appearance Commission only has interests in Downtown. Here we go again. This community has more areas that need their appearance developed other than Downtown Hickory. By Gosh here we go with this graffiti issue through the back door. This area talks trash about the bad karma coming from Raleigh and Washington constantly, yet here they go doing the same exact thing. I can tell you that the Hound represents this community as a whole and I think that it is time that others start doing the same, instead of looking out towards their little niche, clique interests).
4. Community Relations Council Ms. Lisa Miller - Overall plan costs $17,000. Hallmark Grant Program. Connect, Improve, and Encourage community relations. Multi- Cultural Human Relations Events.
(The Hound believes in Community Relations, but this presentation left a lot to be desired. We need some specifics in a tight budget era. What do you do?)
5. Hickory Regional Planning Commission Mr. Brian Frazier - Revision of Hickory by Choice and the Land-Use Development plan.
6. Hickory Youth Council Mr. Alec Patterson - Promote community and general public knowledge in the hearts and minds of our youth. Requesting $3,600 for general uses, programs, and a possible Summer retreat. (The Hound Knows this is a good Investment, because we need kids to be more civic minded.)
7. Historic Preservation Commission Ms. Clem Geitner - No presentation
8. International Council Mr. Hani Nassar - Spoke about Springfest, Second language in schools. Having a hard time with financial goals due to the economy. Developing a guide for newcomers. Want to work with the public appearance commisiion to create some international signs in other parts of the city besides downtown. The Council proposes events such as movies at the Carolina Thetre featuring special Foreign Films. Want to work on a Speakers Bureau, a new brochure, and a website with a newcomer's guide.
9. Library Advisory Board Ms. Judy Ivester -Asked for no money. The Library is a focal point of the community. Technology plays a big role in and outside of the library. Last year their were 145,000 computer patrons. The computers allow for the use of a virtual library. Offers real time records. Last year the library counted on average 37,000 patrons per month and this year the number has risen to 39,000. This summer the library expects 41,000 people per month. Last summer it was not unusual to have 300 children show up for a children's program. The library is looking to increase and improve technology, customer service, and programming. Mrs. Ivester further discussed "The Big Read." (The Hound believes. Mrs. Ivester had the best presentation of the evening and she was spot on in her assessment. The Library is going to be more critical as a center of knowledge as we move forward.)
10. Parks and Recreation Commission Mr. Gary Stafford - Mr. Stafford went over the list of goals in the order of importance as 1) Support completion of phase 2 of the Ridgeview Recreation Project. 2) Development of the Clonionger Mill Park plan 3) Support 2005 Green Ways and Trails Master plan. The last significant investment in the Green Way plan was from 15 years ago. 4) Create a Dog Park 5) Develop a Community Garden 6) Create a City Endowment to support Parks 7) Create a Henry Fork Ampitheater 8) Create a Sandy Pine's Park from capital obtained by selling residential property at the Cloninger Mill Park site 9) Create a Park Ranger Program for the Hickory Park System. (The Hound liked this presentation also. It was brief and to the point, but I support everything they said and I liked the priority assessment.)
11. Public Art Commission Mr. Phil Barringer - Mr. Barringer showed the Art on the Bench project and how it was implemented. He addressed the focal project for the upcoming year, which will be a permanent fire sculpture created by an esyablished artist, local potter, and local citizens. It should be completed in the 2010-2011 timeframe.
12. Recycling Advisory Board Mr. Jeffrey Wright - Chuck Hansen presentation. Campaign to reach the Hickory City School System. All schools will participate in recycling. 600 Businesses participate. Looking to expand convenience centers to other areas. Currently just in NE and SW Hickory. Address and evaluate the recycling commodity issue. Looking towards recycling pallets, oil filters, flourescent lamps, and ballasts. Recyclables are down 14% since 2005, but this isn't necessarily bad -- due to improved recycling.
Consent Agenda:
Social Interest -- Call for Special Joint Meeting With Hickory City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission to be Held at the Highland Recreation Center’s Community Room on Tuesday 3/10/2009 at 11:30 a.m. to discuss Park Cloninger Mill Property Site Development.
Authorize Public Hearing about Curb & Gutter along a Portion of 2nd St Pl SE for March 17, 2009
Request From the Hickory Downtown Development Association for the Use of Union Square for the Hickory Alive Event to be Held on June 5, 12, 19, 26 and July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2009 from 3:30pm–12am
Request From the Hickory Downtown Development Association for use of Union Square for the Swingin’ Under the Stars Event to be Held on 5/24/2009 From 4pm–12am.
Approval to Discard Surplus Library Children’s Materials to the Salvation Army for Distribution to the Family Shelter and Boys and Girls Club - 60 picture books
Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Anna Wallace. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Susan S. Steiger. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Joyce Sheffield. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in Oakwood Cemetery From Estate of Louise Rowe Starnes to Iva Rhyne.
Business -- Approval to Purchase 5 Specialized Police Package Emergency Vehicles From Armstrong Ford in the Amount of $110,420.00
Approve Change Order With Ronny Turner Construction Co., Inc. for Additional Work on the Clement Boulevard Connector Water Line Modifications Project in the Amount of $8,700.00
Budget Ordinance Amendments -- Budget a $1,400 donation from Klingspor Abrasives for the International Springfest event. Budget $1,200 of State Revenue from the North Carolina Humanities Council for the Big Read 2009 program. Budget a $10,000 donation from Catawba Valley Community College for the Big Read 2009 program. Budget a $50 Library donation from Ms. Hacker for an honor book. Transfer $5,400 of General Fund to the transportation capital bus shelter project for the purchase of 5 additional bus shelters as part of the West Hickory and Ridgeview Redevelopment plans. The total cost of the project is $27,000 which FTA is funding at 80% ($21,600) with a local match of 20% ($5,400).
New Business - Departmental Reports:
1) Hickory City Council to Elect a Temporary Chairman to Preside Over the 3/17/2009 City Council Meeting Due to the Absence of Both the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore - Mayor Wright, Alderlady Hoyle, and Alderman Meisner will be out of town, so Alderlady Fox will preside over the 3/17/2009 meeting. Council Agreed Unanimously.
2. Consideration to Participate in the Duke Energy Carolinas Underground Utilities Conversion Pilot Program - The North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved a pilot program for three North Carolina municipalities to convert overhead power lines to underground. The program is a 50/50 match of up to 0.5% of Duke Energy’s gross receipts in the City, which translates into approximately $301,000.00 per year for a total of approximately $903,000.00. The City and Duke Energy would each contribute approximately $900,000.00 during the 3-year program for a total of $1.8 million.
The program funds can be used for planning, designing and construction of power lines from overhead to underground, but will not cover for the conversion of phone, cable or other overhead wires. The cost of conversion can range from $350,000.00 to $3,000,000.00 per mile based on the type of facility and whether it is urban, suburban, or rural. It is difficult to determine exactly how many miles of power lines will be buried should the City choose to participate in the program. This project is consistent with the Hickory by Choice Future Land Use and Transportation Plan. In order to be considered as part of the program, the City must respond to Duke Energy by March 31, 2009. If selected, Council would need to increase property tax by .75 cents on July 1, 2009, to fund its share of this project.
Discussion - The Council discussed the aspect of the costs involved versus the aesthetics. City manager Berry pointed out that the areas where you see a lot of lines is where it is going to cost more money. Mr. Berry said that Duke has to follow the rules of the utility Commission (so their hands are tied in their choices to a certain extent). The Mayor says that there will be other options besides tax funding. Manager Berry says that the Budget is a serious concern on this issue. They are worried about balancing the budget. Basically the options are General Fund or raise taxes. The Mayor said that he was sure that their would be some sort of courtship process before we got to the stage of needing to accept or reject the program. Ms. Hoyle seemed to believe that this isn't feasible under current economic circumstances. The Council voted to take the next step in the exploration process, but not commit to the project as this time.
Bob Vollinger requested to be heard on this issue. He is in favor of burying and consolidating overhead lines. He believes it is in the public's best interest. It helps reduce costs, increases reliability, and increases safety.
The Hound would love for all of these lines to go underground but that is unfortunately not feasible. I think participating in this program is a good idea. The city is interested in aesthetics, while Duke Power is interested in reliability. I am sure that there will be negotiations before any of this goes forward. Mayor Wright asked about power line mileage and the number brought up was 300 miles -- Chuck Hansen said, "At Least." Folks that would mean that it would cost at least $105 million to put these wires in the ground by my calculation and it will cost more than that due to some of the more complex areas. It is going to take a long time to get these wires in the ground. Maybe that is where we should focus our energy when asking for Federal Block Grant monies going into the future. (I changed the cost number once, because I doubted my calculation. I couldn't believe that it would cost $105 million to bury these lines, but after rechecking that number, I have found that that is the correct number.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mayor announced that a Document was signed today creating the Appalachian State University regional partnership Greater Hickory Metro. It will increase the opportunities for higher education in this community. This will unify the branding and marketing of the Higher Education center. We are now in a position to have a better educated population. The employees of the Higher Education Center will now be employees of Appalachian State.
The Mayor hopes the Vision will be realized for Lenoir-Rhyne University. We will support L-R in accomplishing their lofty agenda. The Mayor believes that in the next 8 years that we will have a lot of opportunities in both public and private education in this area. Charlotte Observer Article about this.
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