Newsletter about the City Council meeting of September 1, 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 9/1/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.

Invocation by Rev. Pat Pierce Retired from First Baptist Church

Alder Z. Anne Hoyle acted as Mayor Pro-Tem in place of Mayor Wright who was sick.

Special Presentations:
Presentation of the 13th Consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Hickory by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Deanna Rios addressed the Council and presented the plaque. The award is based upon work that was completed as of June 30, 2008. Alder Hoyle asked for and was presented a round of applause for what she stated as "rare" that this achievement has occurred so mant consecutive times.

Consent Agenda:
Transfer of Cemetery Lots in the Oakwood Cemetery From George Phillip Bogle and wife, Suzanne M. Bogle to A. L. Lutz and wife, Dorris Harris Lutz. Transfer of Cemetery Lots in the Oakwood Cemetery From William M. Litaker, Jr. and wife Paula J. Litaker to Betty Jean S. Smith. Transfer of Cemetery Lot in the Fairview Cemetery From Danny Moore and wife, Carla Moore, Carroll Moore and wife, Debbie Moore, Scottie Moore Blick and husband, Barry Blick, Carol Moore Hymer and husband, Robert Hymer, Elaine Moore Tucker, Linda S. Chapman, Joyce S. Gates and husband, Ken Gates, Jana Moore Lavender and husband, Gary Lavender, Ronnie Moore and wife, Imogene Moore, Pauline Moore and Doris Moore to Jerry Curtis Moore

Approval of Six Vacation Days as Prizes for City of Hickory’s United Way Participation Campaign - to be used as prizes for participation in our annual United Way Campaign, starting in September, 2009. To encourage participation, the City wants to offer participants a chance to win some vacation time based on their level of participation. The City is a strong supporter of the United Way and the campaign educates our workforce about the various programs and services that the United Way provides.

The Hounds Opinion has not Changed– The city wants to encourage participation in the United Way by having a raffle based on level of participation in the city’s United Way Campaign.

My thought is that the city may as well directly give the money to the United Way itself. With all that is going on with the Upper Tiers of United Way management, I am not a proponent. The United Way, a non-profit organization, is currently rife with mismanagement and greed. I really don’t think our city should be fostering donations to the United Way until they prove that their house is in order.

I also believe that this basically puts pressure on individuals to participate. We all have charities that we personally participate in and I do not believe that it should be a city’s prerogative to focus on one charitable organization over another.


Approve Quitclaim Deed From the City of Hickory to Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC For Property Located at 331 1st Avenue, NW - The City of Hickory owns a City parking lot located adjacent to Duke Energy’s former office building. It was discovered by City surveyors in October 2008 that Duke Energy’s office building was encroaching upon the City’s property at four points for several years. Duke Energy is in the process of selling this office building and desire to resolve the encroachment issue with the City to give buyer clear title. Not wanting to actually move the building, the other option to resolve this matter would be to quitclaim the 6 inch wide strip of property running the entire length of the building to Duke Energy.

Approve City of Hickory’s Offer to Purchase and Contract for Property Owned by Joyce Brown and Geraldine Shuford Located at 731 3rd Street Place, SW in the Amount of $42,599 - The purchase of this property would follow the Citizens’ Advisory Committee’s work plan and promote City Council’s goal of promoting affordable housing within Hickory. It would also comply with Habitat for Humanity’s Redevelopment Plan for the 8th Avenue Drive, SW area. The appraised value of the property is $42,600 and the house is vacant and would be demolished if purchased. The vacant lot would then be sold to Habitat for Humanity to provide new housing. The property will be purchased with Community Development Block Grant Funds.

Budget Ordinances
Budget a total of $175 of Library donations in the Library Books line item. Donations include $50 for honor books and $125 for memorial books.

Budget $176 of Miscellaneous Insurance Claims in the Fire Dept M&R Vehicles line item. This claim is for damages to Captain Allen Townsend's city vehicle that occurred while backing into parking area at Station 5 on 7/23/09. The check was issued from Trident Insurance Company of Texas on 8/3/09 and deposited in Miscellaneous Insurance Claims on 8/17/09.

Appropriate $1,820 of Local Government Revenue and budget in the Police Department Overtime line item. This is payment from Catawba County Mental Health for a portion of an Officers time spent when accompanying involuntary commitment patients during July, 2009.

Budget a $123 insurance claim check from Nationwide Insurance Company in the Water and Sewer Departmental line item for damage sustained to a fire hydrant on 04-29-09. The check from Nationwide is dated 07-17-09 and was deposited on 07-20-09.

Budget a $3,405 Insurance Claim check from Trident Insurance Company in the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of equipment line item. This is for damage sustained to the Police Department's U.P.S. (Uninterrupted Power Supply) System on 06-27-09. The check from Trident is dated 08-04-09 and was deposited on 08-08-09.

Appropriate $1,712 of Federal Revenue and to accept a $428 from General Fund Public Buildings Departmental Supplies to the transportation Bus Shelter capital project. This will provide funds to cover the cost of materials for five concrete pads to install at the five bus shelters purchased at the end of FY08-09. The FTA is funding this project at 80% ($1,712) with a local match of 20% ($428). The $428 comes from the transfer of $428 of Public Buildings Departmental Supplies (representing the 20% matching funds for the material costs) to the Bus Shelter Transportation Capital Project for five concrete pads that will be installed at the bus shelters purchased in FY09.


New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Hickory By Choice Review Process Update - City Manager Berry introduced the City's Planning Director Brian Frazier who addressed the Council about Hickory By Choice (HBC) 2030. Mr. Frazier stated that they (planning department) have been working diligently with Studio Cascade and the Advisory committee for months in updating HBC and revising the Land Development Code (LDC). They have been working on both vision and policy statements, as well as on an Economic and Demographic baseline.

To date they have held three public workshops and 8 separate advisory committee meetings. The next Public Workshop will be held on 10/25/2009 at Highland Recreation Center and the next advisory Committee meeting will be held on 10/9/2009 at the Ridgeview Library. On 9/22/2009 City Staff and the consultants will hold a meeting with the advisory committee at Patrick Beaver Library to discuss design.

Mr. Frazier stated that we are going to see some dramatic changes over the next few months. HBC was intended to be about Mixed Use. He showed the original map of HBC. He showed the original "Future Land Use map" and stated that the map ecompassed a lot of area, including areas that were outside of the city's Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). He stated that legally they are not allowed to plan for areas outside of the ETJ. What they have done, working with everyone, is they modified the map and it is trumped quite a bit. It makes a more definitive stament and allows the city to plan and focus more on events. It is a more realistic and legal map.

The advisory committee has reviewed a lot of information. He showed a traffic count map and a map showing traffic map changes from 2003 to 2007. They are relying on this info to plan for the future and analyze the current HBC. They are looking to see what needs to be ammended and revised to make HBC a more comprehensive plan with more elments than future land use and transportation. He next showed a commercial development map from 1999 to present. It showed the commercial corridors and centers.

They have been looking at the data. HBC was primarily about mixed use development (office, retail, and mixed use residential). How realistic is it to have and do we really need 15 mixed use centers? The Advisory Committee says that no we probably don't. We were trying to channel and funnel economic growth and development into those core areas, but instead of having a few, we ended up diffusing it into 15 areas. We got some scattered good growth and development in some areas and in other areas we got no growth and development at all. The last five meetings they have been addressing this.

The HBC advisory committee is looking at eliminating some centers and prioritizing the others for future development. Belle Hollow has been looked at. It is built out and they don't see any room for moderate to high density residential growth going in there. Let's be realistic with what we have. Some cores will be residential. many more will be commercial. The advisory committee wants to create a Central Business District around Union Square. It has never been addressed before, besides casually in HBC. Downtown needs to be put into a proper context. It was always considered one of those 15 core areas.

The Advisory committee is looking to do some realistic designation of the regional commercial areas along Highway 70 and Catawba Valley Boulevard. It is an elongated strip and we need to be realistic about what we are calling it and the boundaries of what that core happen to be. The Committee is proposing neighborhood mixed use and community commercial areas. They are looking to piggyback off of Operation No Vacancy to create revitalization corridors. They are looking at Highland Avenue, the One-way pairs in NW and SW Hickory, the 321 corridor, West hickory, and the Old Lenoir road area. Those areas are really hurting and we can see some redevelopment efforts for light industrial, warehousing, commercial, some retail, and possibly some professional office uses.

The current HBC has NC-1 areas that are fine. The Higher design standards within NC-1 areas, but what has happened is that there is the same type of zoning allowed in the corridors as the cores, so it creates a dumb bell effect between the cores. This has caused strip development. Some has been better than others. You want to target (development in the) centers.

Mr. Frazier wants to wrap this process up by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. He encourages the public to participate. He is optimistic about wrapping it up.

Alder Fox asked about the development of West (HWY) 70. She stated that she has been talking about this issue for 16 years. The people that live in that corridor are forced to drive to grocery stores or retail. She thinks there need to be a healthy discussion of West 70. You can't have one side healthy and the other side sagging. Mr. Frazier stated that he and Dave Leonetti had talked about it that very afternoon. They talked about making South Center Street all the way West to the city boundary a Revitalization Corridor. Alder Fox stated that people who get off (HWY 321) on HWY 70 see an area in decline. She said that we have some social problems that need to be addressed and it has to be by getting development in their. A lot of money was spent on the 4th street extension, as a gateway to Hickory, and that is not happening.

At the top right of this page is a link that will take you to Studio Cascades HBC 2030 website. There is a lot of good information on that site. Below are links to articles that relate to the past meetings.

Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 2nd Meeting
Why the original Hickory By Choice doesn't work
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 1st Meeting
Studio Cascade awarded contract at November 4, 2008 City Council meeting

The Hound is glad to see that this project has taken this shape. I think that we are seeing that the right moves are being made when it comes to this version of Hickory By Choice. The original process seemed to be stifling and controlling. Mr. Frazier kept talking about being realistic and does it not seem like they are being realistic this time?

You can go back and read my comments on the issue from the past. I will honestly say that I couldn't ask for more. Turning Union Square into a Central Business District is an excellent concept. If we do that and expand the boundaries and definition of Downtown, then we can truly move this city in a positive direction towards 2030. It would allow the concept of Downtown to breathe.

I am also on the same page with Sally Fox about the issue of Highway 70 West and that entire corridor. It is time to start moving the South side of the tracks forward. HBC has stifled growth on that side of town, because it does not encourage investment in those zones. By defining it and targeting it as an area of revitalization, it will organically move us in that direction. Mrs. Fox is correct, as much traffic travels that stretch of 321 and 70 as travel 90% of the rest of this city, it is embarrassing what out-of-towners see when they come up the ramp off of 321 and get onto 70. It creates a negative image from the get-go. It is time to address this issue.


2. Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant to Mitloop, LLC for Property Located at 66 Highway 321 NW in the Amount of $25,000 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings. Mitloop, LLC has applied for such a grant in the amount of $25,000 to assist in their renovation of a building located at 66 Highway 321 NW. The applicant plans to renovate the facility for use by a retail flooring company. Mitloop, LLC plans to invest approximately $123,000 to renovate the interior and $50,000 on exterior improvements. The Redevelopment Committee reviewed the application and recommends approval. Dave Leonetti addressed the Council it was a former warehouse and furniture showroom. The renovations include roof and skylight repair, new awnings, replacement of bay doors, repaint the exterior, structural repair of the entrance, and interior office upfits. The Council Unanimously approved.

3. Approve Vacant Building Revitalization Grant to Jojida, LLC for Property Located at 215 Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard, SE in the Amount of $11,625 - The Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program was established by City Council in September, 2008 whereby the program provides matching funds up to $25,000 for projects seeking to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings and the demolition of substandard buildings. The Property is part of the East Hickory Redevelopment Area. The estimated cost of demolition is $23,250. The building is structurally substandard and functionally obsolete. Demolition would be required to enable redevelopment of the area described in the original master plan. Dave Leonetti presented. This is the first application that recommends demolition of a substandard building. It's in a very prominent area. Alder Patton said it was a wonderful thing that we are reusing infrastructure rather than keep moving out and making this available available for redevelopment. Alderman Lail asked if this area is going Green. Mr. Leonetti said that D.H. Griffin is using the same specs as they do when they do minimum housing demolition. they will grade it level and so it with grass seed. This will create a larger site. Council Unanimously Approved.

The Hound is glad to see an actual plan of action coming to fruition when it comes to Operation No Vacancy. These buildings either need to be repaired or leveled. I understand that there is no easy solution to this issue. I was speaking with Jay Adams about it just last week. He told me that each property is characteristically unique and they will each have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Scott Millar told us at the last FEC meeting that just because a building is ugly doesn't mean that it isn't being put to use. Many of these dilapidated properties are being used for cheap storage. Jay and Kevin Spencer spoke of property owners that would be willing to give away property, because of prohibitive clean-up cost issues and taxes.

Common Sense tells me that if these properties are irreparably dilapidated, then they need to go. They are eye sores and they stand in the way of true economic development and viability within the city proper. As Brian Frazier stated in his HBC 2030 presentation above, Highland Avenue and Old 70 are full of these types of buildings. Dave Leonetti has it right when he states that it is easier to cobble these properties together into one big piece of property when it comes to marketing redevelopment.

I ask, how long are we going to allow these properties to rot before we deal with this problem? These properties are dragging property values down throughout the city. It is time to put our heads together and facilitate a logical solution to this problem. The longer we wait, the bigger the issue.


Norman Allen of Claremont addressed the Council about the fact that the Postal Service has a study going to possibly consolidate the Processing and Distribution Center in Conover with Greensboro's Operations. There are 200 jobs at stake and distribution of local mail would most likely become less efficient.

The Hound heard about this a month ago. It would not be good to lose 200 jobs, but the world is changing and this type of consolidation is a natural evolutionary process. Mail volume is dropping because of Postal rates, corporate package delivery, e-mail, and e-commerce. The more efficient those systems get; the less need there is for snail mail. Too bad we can't vie for this consolidated postal center, but since Hickory has deliberately chosen to not have a viable airport, we can only expect to lose out in this process.

Our High Schools versus the State of North Carolina Averages

Open and look at the jpeg file as you read below. It will give you a play-by-play of the thought process. Green is good and Red is bad.


From Education First NC School Report Cards - I think this goes a long way towards the point that I have been making. And it is just based on the numbers. What many people fail to understand is that educational attainment rankings are based upon "People 25 years and older who have obtained a four year degree." I never knew that until I started doing these studies. Drop-outs don't factor into that equation. In my opinion we rank low in that statistic because there are not the opportunities needed for people with at least a Bachelor's Degree, so they are leaving the area. That is deflating our numbers. To me it is an issue that seriously needs to be dealt with.

The following stats are from the 2007-2008 school year. Whether you agree with the premise of the report cards or not, what you find is that local High School scores in most cases aren't all that bad. The Hickory School District is having problems with English. That may be a socio-economic and cultural issue. It looks like most everyone is doing a bang up job with Algebra 1, 2, and Geometry with the exception of Bunker Hill. Biology looks like a sore subject throughout the Unifour, but there are bright spots with Bandys, Foard, and Patton. If we throw St. Stephens in with Hickory's District, then it doesn't look like any Physical Scientists will be coming from Hickory. But on the other hand, we see a lot of promise in the area of Physical Science in other parts of the Unifour. It certainly doesn't look like physics is being emphasized at all in our schools. Bandy's, Freedom, and West Caldwell are the only schools that look to have proficient physics programs. Most everyone looks to be achieving good results in Civics and Economics. The Hickory and Newton-Conover Districts don't seem to be emphasizing U.S. History. Again, I would assume that is a cultural issue.

I think this spreadsheet shows us what we need to see. There only seems to be one failing school. I'm not going to call it out, but it is glaring. I don't know why East Burke didn't submit any scores. Could someone let me know why. Bandys, Patton, and West Caldwell seem to really have it together and St Stephens seems to be doing pretty well. I certainly don't think anyone should hold their kids back from those schools. It seems that all of the schools have some idiosyncrasies and areas of weakness. Only one school, as I said, seems to be truly failing its mission.

To me this doesn't represent the statistics from an area of illiterates. I truly believe this shows that we aren't reaping the harvest of the seeds that we sow. We can see that there are bright spots and we are letting them slip right through our fingers. That is a subject we truly need to address. I am curious about what y'all get out of these numbers. Will you let me know your thoughts. How would y'all address these issues.

First Talk (WHKY) - Monday Morning meeting with the Mayor - 8/31/2009

Below is the question I was going to ask the Mayor, in full. The question was messed up by the phones:

The other day I was fortunate to be present and hear a presentation made by Taylor Dellinger of the Council of Governments and I also received a Newsletter that has his studies in it.

The stats in that Newsletter show that this decade, the 18 to 44 year old population in our metro grew by just 45 people, while the population older than that grew by 18,589. The population of 0 to 4 year olds has actually fallen by nearly 8%. To me, that shows that people of child bearing age have left the area.

Statistics show that this area has the worst personal income level of any area in the state and wage growth is in the bottom 5% in the nation.

People talk about our educational attainment levels being so low, but those stats only factor people 25 and older that have a four year degree, not anything about drop outs. I don’t condone dropping out, but it doesn’t factor into the equation.

We get stuck in this notion about Education, Education, Education. Test scores amongst high schoolers are actually pretty good in this area. As a person with two college degrees that is having a really hard time finding a job around here to match his skill set, I can tell you that without jobs, no level of education matters and that is the reason why we can’t retain our best and brightest and attract other young college educated people to the area. Because of Job Quality.

Mr. Mayor what are we going to do to attract industries to this area that will encourage the younger generations to take part in this community?

Here is the Audio Link of My Conversation with the Mayor on Hal Row's show

The Hickory Hound's 1st Anniversary

The Hound was launched on August 28, 2008. Since that time we have had 13,261 unique visitors. I have studied the issue and come up with an estimate that 1 out of 4 of those visitors resides in Hickory. That estimate would mean that 3,315 locals have looked at this blog.

Let's put that in perspective. That means that 1 out of every 12 people in Hickory have looked at this blog. That means that practically anywhere you go in this area, somebody knows about the Hickory Hound. Did you know that fewer than 5,000 voted in the city wide election two years ago? Did you know that only a little over 6,000 people voted in the city wide election four years ago, which included a Mayoral race.

People from all over the globe have looked at this blog and I think that is good for Hickory. Those visitors include people who were originally from here and want to check on home; people who reside here, but may be away at school, in the military, or some other venture; or people who might be researching the area to move here or possibly locate a business here. I have received messages from many different people who have happened upon this site and they are very much interested in our story.

The Hound has over 200 people who are on the various e-mail or message lists including Google Groups, Facebook, and Twitter. There I notify my frequently returning visitors of any new articles. Since last year, 203 articles have been introduced and I believe that I have been fair in those contributions. I have been chastised from all sides from time to time and I believe that says that the purpose is right on. Many times people have told me I am right on. Even when they tell me that they don't always agree with me, they say I have it right on most accounts. Hardly anyone has said that I don't have a clue.

Content wise, there have been 4 "10 Questions with ..." articles. I have not abandoned this idea and I look forward to expanding this over time. It's political season and people are posturing and preening, so right now it is hard to get polticos to participate. There have been 100 articles of Hickory Hound Commentary, 65 articles about Hickory City leadership, and 31 articles about Hickory City meetings. Many of the "Powers That Be" have had problems these articles, because this is where the criticism can be leveled. But, I believe that I have been fair in my assessments and when the evolutionary process of thought shows me to be wrong, I have admitted where I was wrong. It is obvious to many, that leaders in this area are not used to any level of criticism, whether judged to be fair or not, and they don't want anyone delving into their thought processes, especially when a negative light may be shed on their actions. I believe this blog has been a game changer in the area of accountability.

As we begin the second year of the Hound, I think people are starting to realize that we aren't going anywhere. The evolutionary process and this age of constant and rapid change may transform our mission, but my intent is to always make the Hound more accessible, more credible, and more integral to the needs of the people. This Blog is only about me to the extent of my opinions. I try to separate the facts from the opinion and I hope I do a good enough job of expressing the difference.

In the end, the Hickory Hound is about Hickory and its relationship to all of the people. It isn't just about Hickory's City Leadership or Hickory Proper's Citizens. It is about everyone who has a relationship with this city and this region and the effects that "Hickory" has on the world and the people based on Commerce, Governance, Politics, Action, and Quality of Life issues based upon "Hickory's" vitality, growth, and future. If you have never read The Objectives of the Hickory Hound, then I encourage you to do so. I believe we have adhered to these principles and this mission throughout the last year and we will continue to do so.

As we move forward, we will continue to gain more and more viewership, but I intend to have the same intent as day one. I am proud of how far we have come in the last year and I expect to see a lot more saturation in the near term. My intent is not to ruffle feathers, it is to move this area forward. I hope that you will continue to participate and that this Blog will be a source that you can continue to rely on to get information and depth of thought that just isn't available elsewhere. This is a community and I encourage you to participate and I appreciate any constructive comments you may offer.

Thank You,
James Thomas Shell

Head of the Atlanta Federal Reserve confirms Higher Unemployment Numbers

Real US unemployment rate at 16% by the head of the Atlanta Federal Reserve - As we await the local unemployment fiures which should come out today, I found the above story on Breitbart where the head of the Federal Reserve in Atlanta basically credits the U-6 unemployment number is correct.

Here is a quote on manufacturing from this article - Prior to the recession, he said, construction and manufacturing combined accounted for slightly more than 15 percent of employment. But during the recession, their job losses made up more than 40 percent of all US job losses. Here is a quote on Manufacturing from the same report -

"In my view, it is unlikely that we will see a return of jobs lost in certain sectors, such as manufacturing," he said.

As I have stated before. If we extrapolate this 16% actual National Unemployment Rate versus the reported 9.4% reported number and we carry that multiple out with our own reported 15.5% Hickory Metro Unemployment number, then we come up with am Unemployment rate of 26.38%.

The Head of the Federal Reserve (THE Decision Maker for Economic Activity in the Southeast) in Atlanta is telling us that 40% of all job losses came from the manufacturing sector. This should show our local officials and citizens that these jobs are not coming back and we are going to have to find something else to rebuild our economy on. It is time that our local leaders preach this from the pulpit to the masses, because I don't believe the Average Joe around here is wrapping their arms around this concept. We have to change our economy or we will always have these high unemployment numbers.

We have to build an economy, not based on desire, but based in reality. I believe in the long run that we are going to have to produce something in this country, but that will not come until this economy has completely bottomed out, which may be years with the lack of leadership we have seen throughout much of the country. What the Atlanta Head of the Fed is telling us, is that they aren't even worried about fighting for the manufacturing sector. They have thrown in the towel. We need to look towards what has been done in Texas. I truly believe that we will have to fix the economy, not in partnership with the government, but in spite it. Government is presenting obstacles, not solutions!!!

From the Charlotte Observer - Friday Afternoon 8/28/2009 - Jobless rates fall in most area counties
Catawba: 14.9 percent, down 0.6
This is good news, but how much of this is due to people's benefits running out. Also, a Jobless recovery is not a recovery. We are not in a recovery until businesses start hiring and unemployment gets significantly better, as in less than 10%.

Street Names, Wayfinding, and the Status Quo

Over the last year I have come to a much greater understanding of the nuances of this city. In many ways the more questions I ask; the more questions that it leads to. While in many ways that reflection has made me more anxious, it also makes me realize that the status quo cannot stand. We have to start addressing the issues that face this city sooner rather than later.

I remember going to the Hickory Daily Record website late last year and reading a message from Jay Adams about naming the streets. I have heard this issue stated many times before by people and my thoughts were that I was against it. I grew up here and I haven't ever had a problem getting around this city. But maybe there in lies a problem. I haven't wanted to change our street identification system, because it is something that I have grown accustomed to.

During the first Future Economy Council meeting back in March, I listened to some of the issues that Jay addressed and I was literally shocked. I agreed with much of what Jay was saying and I had always thought that we were polar opposites from reading his quotes in the HDR. In particular, he made one statement I profoundly agreed with when talking about the current economic mindset of this community…

(summarizing) 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.

At the end of that meeting, Jay came up to me and introduced himself and said he thought it was great that we were going to be on the same team for once. I agreed and we set up a meeting where we got together and vetted where we agree and disagree. That subsequent meeting ended up lasting for 4 hours.

What I told Jay, and tell most everyone else around here involved in these processes of Hickory's evolutionary development, is that we need to realize that we come at these issues from an principle of 80% agreement. We need to realize that and address the issues that we agree on first and figure out where we can compromise on the other issues where we don't agree. The issues where we hold vehement disagreements need to be resolved last. And when the public chooses which path to take on those areas where we are so different, then we need to live with the results and move on without holding grudges. I truly believe that in the past this community has gotten stuck in those areas where we have firm disagreements and thus let real issues rot and decay, because of the contentiousness over these issues.

Getting back to the Street Identification issue. I have reflected more on this issue and it is because of Jay. This is one of Jay's pet issues and I have to admit that after listening to him that he has moved me on the issue. As I have said, the current grid system works for me. But, is it worth getting locked into? Do I have a right to tell people that it works for me, so tough if it doesn't work for you?

We have all anecdotally dealt with trying to give people directions to get around the city. We have all heard horror stories associated with people getting around the city. Let's be realistic, we know that we have a bad reputation associated with our Street identification system. It is all over the internet. That is a problem and it is time that we face it. It is a big negative when trying to market this city for people to be talking about our city in the manner above. It is hard to quantify, but if you carry the above consequences out, then you can't help but come to the conclusion that it is hurting our property values and our economy, because people don't want to deal with it.

This is the number one reason why I have changed my mind on this issue. After further reflection and honestly listening to Jay, I do see where he is coming from. Jay (ACRES) markets and sells Real Estate. It diminishes and devalues the local Real Estate marketplace, whether right or wrong, when people say it is impossible (some say a nightmare) to get around Hickory. As for us, who are used to the grid system, it isn't about us. It is about people visiting the city, it's about potential new residents, it's about new customers, it's about people being able to efficiently get from point A to point B, and it's about not having to have those excruciatingly tough phone calls telling people how to get to your location. The best thing is that there is a compromise.

I heard Mandy Pitts on WHKY this morning addressing the Wayfinding issue. Last year and earlier this year, the Issue was addressed at two Council Meetings and in several Focus Groups. The issue was first addressed at the City Council Meeting of October 7, 2009. In that meeting Assistant City Manager Andrea Surratt addressed the council. She said that this subject was first brought to atention at the February 2008 retreat. She thoroughly discussed the issue as a way of reducing sign clutter, projecting community image, projecting consistency, and safety.

Here is a link to a wayfinding system in New York City. Wayfinding in NYC

As I stated at the time, if this project is developed in such a way to help businesses and organizations in every quadrant of our city, then I think it will be a wonderful thing. It would be a great benefit to the small businesses interspersed throughout our city. It also would collaterally help businesses near those destinations. So I really do think that this will be a great project for 21st century Hickory, if the focus is right.

The City did move forward on this plan, and at the City Council meeting on January 20, 2009 Ms Surratt made another presentation. this time a Contract was approved with Frazier Associates for Professional Services for the Wayfinding and Branding Project not to Exceed $73,850. You can follow the link above, but there was much debate about this issue. Here is a summarization of that debate:

Mr. Lail believes that this idea is excellent, but he had questions about the cost of the contract with Frazier and he also wondered aloud about the possibilities of finding a local firm to do this. Ms. Hoyle had questions about the timing of this expenditure during these uncertain economic times. Mr. Meisner asked if there was any way to pare this plan down. The Mayor, Mrs. Fox, and Mrs. Patton seemed to feel that it was time to move forward on this issue, because of aesthetics, mapping, and long-range planning. The deciding vote was 4-3 with the Mayor, Fox, Patton, and Seaver For and Lail, Hoyle, and Meisner against.

Here was the Hounds take:

I am 50-50 on this issue at the current time. I think that this needs to be done, but wonder about the timing during current circumstances. I can understand where both sides are coming from. It is hard to justify an expenditure, like this, at this point in time; but we really do need to work on the "Brand Identity" of this town. Go ahead and get this study done so that we can have a system and then we need to incrementally put it in place.

The major expense is going to be sign implementation. I also wondered, like Brad, whether it was smart to move ahead when the issue of Hickory by Choice is being readdressed by Studio Cascade during the same time frame. But, as Harry Hipps pointed out to me, "This stage is about art. It is about creating a logo. Studio Cascade's plan will come into play during the implementation phase when the signs are actually being placed. That has nothing to do with what the signs look like."

Harry Hipps participated in the focus group study of this issue and submitted an article on the Hound entitled - WAYFINDING - TRAFFIC AND GOVERNMENT. He had some very valid points in that article. He stated that this process could have been handled differently. He stated, "This is tailor made for citizen involvement."

First, we don't need a lot of interviews to determine what entities need a sign... Secondly, we will need different types of signs... so we know what we need as far as types of signs from this. Finally, the design of the logo itself, the colors, the images, etc...

What an opportunity this presents for citizen input. We could have a contest for someone to come up with the design. Local school art classes may be interested in trying out, graphic arts students at local colleges may want to try to be the winner so it would be a Resume enhancement for them. Local advertising agencies may try so they could get some bragging rights. Many people could then be focused on Hickory's image and what we are about and what we want to present to people. The artwork submissions could be submitted to a committee comprised of residents from our arts, engineering, academic, and other areas to narrow down the choices to be voted on by Council. This would generate more than artwork, it would generate participation in a City enterprise that is directly involved in defining who we are and what we want to be in this world.

When Council meets, few people attend or seem to care. It's a shame that participation and interest is so low. I think it is incumbent on the City government to do what it can to try to spark some interest from citizens and get us all working together for our common good. This would have been an opportunity to think outside the box.

I am glad that Mandy addressed the Wayfinding issue this morning, because I was starting to wonder what was going on. She said that a new logo has been developed that had several residents involved in its design. She also said that we are at the beginning of the process and there are still several steps left in the process. She said that the DOT still has to approve the design of many of the Wayfinding signs. She also reiterated that the project is being funded by the City Parking Fund, which was initially initiated to fund a new parking deck downtown.

The Hound hopes that the Wayfinding issue and Hickory By Choice are being tied in together. I also think this would be an opportune time to tie the Street Identification system in with this process. I liked Harry's proposal to get citizen's involved in the artistry and implementation of the Wayfinding system. I hope this happens where possible. In coming to the conclusion that it is time to start naming our streets, what better way to do that than to allow the citizens to name the streets and be integrally involved in the process.

If this were allowed to happen, then the Local Neighborhood Associations could begin working on the name Identifications of streets in their neighborhood or ward. We could have Naming Contests or sell Naming Rights to some streets to raise revenues. What I am proposing isn't a revolutionary, overnight adjustment; but rather an evolutionary, gradual compromise. We would still have the grid system, but we could put caps on the top of the old street signs with their new names on them. As the street signs aged and were replace, the old street signs would be replaced by signs with their new street name on them and would have the block number and city quadrant at the edge of the sign.

One thing that everyone has seen, over time, is that as our City has been further developed, the grid system has become more and more convoluted. "Street-Drive-Circle NE" obviously ain't working folks. I have heard that GPS Systems (like Tom-Tom) have a lot of trouble with their database when it comes to Hickory's Street Identification System. Let's move past the status quo and do something that I have come to the realization most of the people in this community want. Why fight it? Is it really worth fighting to hold onto the grid system, when so many people and so much evidence is pointing against it. Why be stubborn? Let's make the change. What do y'all think?

The Cruising on Hwy 70 Issue - I like this Kid's Moxy

Aaron Scott is a rising junior at Lenoir-Rhyne University. He contacted me a couple of weeks ago to begin a discussion about the Cruising issue, out on Highway 70, that takes place on Friday and Saturday Nights. I have been aware that this has been happening for years, but I do not understand the inner workings of what is taking place.

Aaron told me that what drew him to contact me was the fact that I have shown interest in the plight of the young people in our community. I don't think he will mind me sharing these words:

"Well over the summer I have been talking with citizens out in Hickory about trying to stop the cruise weekends on US-70 primarily ran by teenagers. I want to bring them off of the road and allow the local government to invest in businesses to revive them and offer new costumers. If you would please take the time to look over the two attachments I have sent you, and please give me some advice. I believe what you wrote in that article really gave me a confidence boost about stepping up to the plate to offer new ideas. When you view what the city of Hickory has been doing, I think of a Nicholas Machiavelli quote, "I do not wish to preserve the status quo; I want to overthrow it." If we fail to realize we must look forward, and keep our eyes down field, we will fall victim to old habits and customs. "If you ignore history and its teachings, you will fall victim of it."

I met Aaron last week at the Hickory City Council meeting and had an excellent conversation with him after the meeting. I explained to him that I don't think it is the City of Hickory's role to invest in businesses to provide a marketplace for these kids. I believe that these kids just being alive creates a marketplace of opportunities that aren't being taken advantage of.

I agree with his assertion that it is dangerous to have kids out riding up and down HWY 70 at all hours of the night, and for safety sake, we need to be proactive and put a stop to these planned cruises before something terrible happens. These are mostly High School kids who should be under some sort of supervision. State Laws say that they aren't supposed to be out past a certain time and we have all witnessed this occurring out at Wal-Mart around Midnight. We know eventually something bad will come from all of this. Why wait until a horrific incident takes place? Do something now!!!

But like Aaron, I want to come at this from a positive angle. As I said, this issue presents an opportunity for business owners in Hickory. Why don't these businesses offer incentives and discounts to get these kids to patronize their establishments. This is an excellent article - Winning the Profitable Teen Customer Demographic. The article states, "Some businesses might have an advantage if their services or products appeal to teenagers. Teens have disposable income and they like to spend it. If you can grab this demographic, you may find intensely loyal, enthusiastic customers."

Is that not what local businesses want, especially in these Economic times when they are struggling? Teens are also struggling in the current economic environment, but for the most part teens don't have the same obligations as adults, so they tend to have more money to spend freely than their parents. Although many of the underlying assumptions have changed, this article Teen Market to Surpass $200 Billion by 2011 states, "Teen spending money, accumulated through paying jobs, allowances from parents, 'as needed' money from parents, and monetary gifts, will increase an estimated 3.5% annually, raising the aggregate teen income 14.4%, from $79.7 billion in 2006 to $91.1 billion in 2011." Sounds like a market segment I would be going after.

I told Aaron that if he is truly interested in seeing this issue addressed, then he is going to have to be proactive. He needs to set up meetings with business owners and managers to talk about this issue and see where each party can collaborate on marketing strategies. I think everyone needs to realize that it is in this community's best interest to get these kids off the streets. Cruising is pointless. It wastes gas, it decreases safety, it increases liability, and these kids can't properly socialize while they are riding up and down the highway.

Well Aaron has been proactive. He has formed what he is calling the Ten Action Committee. Here are two messages he has sent me about events he has established to promote this Idea and Agenda:

T.A.C. at Hickory Dickory Dock

Every Weekend for a month.

With permission from Hickory Dickory Dock, the Teen Action Committee will start recruiting new Representatives on their premises. We will have a table set up on how to join, and what we stand for. Please drop by our table and let us know that you s...upport us. For more information please join our group to receive emails. "The Teen Action Committee is dedicated to provide teenagers an outlet to learn about one another, and to stand up for what they believe in. The committee is designed to establish individuals to be open minded, and it stands on bi-partisanship.

Host:Teen Action Committee

Time:8:00PM Friday, August 28th

Location:Hickory Dickory Dock

T.A.C. at the Hickory Crawdads

Come support us during an evening at the park. With permission from the Hickory Crawdads, the Teen Action Committee will start recruiting new Representatives on their premises. We will have a table set up on how to join, and what we stand for. Please drop by our table and let us know that you s...upport us. For more information please join our group to receive emails. "The Teen Action Committee is dedicated to provide teenagers an outlet to learn about one another, and to stand up for what they believe in. The committee is designed to establish individuals to be open minded, and it stands on bi-partisanship."

Host:Teen Action Committee

Time:7:00PM Tuesday, September 1st

Location:L.P. Franz Stadium

What the Hound would like to see - I think it is a great first step that the Crawdads are allowing Aaron to try to accomplish this goal. It would be great if Crawdad officials (or whoever it takes) would step up and make discounted tickets available to teens and free tickets available to teens for good behavior in school. We see empty seats available out there. Fill them up with some teens.

I would also like to see the City and the Crawdads support a concert series for teens on the weekends the Crawdads aren't playing and a concert series (or DJ) for the teens in the fall -- all at LP Franz Stadium. Why not use the Convention center occasionally for something like this? Use it to educate these kids and help build community pride, spirit, and participation. Let's start raising people to BE solid citizens, instead of casting them out on the streets and hoping for the best.

I think it is great that Hickory Dickory Dock has stepped forward. I hope some other restaurants will also step forward and support this mission. As I have stated, they stand to reap a good reward (money and a loyal customer base), if they do so. I know that some of these entities worry about controlling these kids, but there is little control out there on HWY 70. In my opinion, this would be a great Community Goodwill gesture for these businesses to step forward and at least attempt to make a go of this.

As a community we need to start thinking outside of the box on some real issues involving our citizens. We need to support our younger generation and be thankful that we have a go-getter like Aaron Scott in our midst. Let's support this kid. He is showing some real leadership in attempting to get this off the ground. Maybe if he leads others will follow and wouldn't this be a good feeling of success, as we attempt to change the fortunes of Hickory.