Fixing Hickory - “What Will Catawba County’s Economic Climate and Demographics Look Like in 2020”?

Presentation by Taylor Dellinger of the Western Piedmont Council of Government during the Intra-City on 10/1/2009.

This is not the Hickory Economic Perspective. This is a look at the future. What do we want to see in the year 2020. Taylor went over projections that have been laid out by the state, local planners, and the Department of Commerce. They are projections for the purpose of planning and discussion.

Taylor mentioned a Quote from John Glenn -

People are afraid of the future, of the unknown. If a man faces up to it, and takes the dare of the future, he can have some control over his destiny. That’s an exciting idea to me, better than waiting with everybody else to see what’s going to happen.

from Charles Kettering -

“My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there”

John Buchan -

We can pay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves.

Abraham Lincoln -

The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.

Tennessee Williams -

“The future is called 'perhaps,' which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the important thing is not to allow that to scare you.”

Taylor states that decisions that are made today can effect the community 5, 10, or 15 years down the road. Think about decisions made 5 or 10 years ago and how they are having an effect on what we see today. Think about the decisions to be made in the next year or two and how they may effect the community 5, 10, or 15 years down the road.

Taylor states that what he is showing is not data, which are the present and the past. These are projections. These are possible outcomes, not the outcome. Based on the status quo and demographers see going on with population, employment, education, or industry, this is the best guess for today. They can be wrong. State projections for population, done in 1990, look like they will be 15% to 20% off. These are guesses.

Population for the year 2010, shows an estimate from the State that Catawba County will have a population of 159,000. Taylor believes that estimate will be a little high. The census for the year 2020, shows a Catawba County population estimate of 180,175. That would be growth of 16%. The number is based on birth rates, death rates, and in migration.

The Unifour (Hickory MSA) population numbers show an estimate of 361,000 for 2010 and the projection for 2020 would take us to 410,000. This number includes Catawba, Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties.

Catawba County should have the highest growth rate of any of the counties in the Metro area, through the year 2020. The State shows a growth rate of 1.3% per year between 2008 and 2020. Population projections, for the state, are expected to be around 1.8%. A lot of this will depend on in migration - people moving into the area. In the 1990's we saw rapid population growth, spurred by job growth. Without job growth, the population growth will be less. The two are clearly related.

The fastest growing part of the state is the Piedmont Crescent between Charlotte and Raleigh. There has also been rapid growth in Wilmington and somewhat in Asheville. The largest metro areas have been growing rapidly. Catawba County has been growing rapidly compared to the rest our MSA.

Where is the growth likely to occur? Most of the housing growth appears to be located along the Catawba River, because of quality of life issues. Local Planners (WPCOG) use Track Analysis Zones, where land is divided up along roads and calculations of current population numbers and employment numbers are factored in. Then the planning staffs of the 28 local governments, in the region, are asked about their expectations of what they expect to happen in the future (such as 2035), in terms of housing growth and employment growth.

Southeast Catawba County looks to have the greatest opportunity for growth. Taylor surmises that this is because of the opening of four lane Highway 16 to Charlotte, which will be finished right along Anderson Mountain Road. Another factor includes the proximity to Lake Norman. After Hwy 16 is opened, it will only take approximately 35-40 minutes to get to uptown Charlotte or 20 to 25 minutes to Charlotte's outer loop. That opens up an opportunity for people to live in this area of Catawba County and work in Mecklenburg County.

There are many jobs that are starting to locate along the 321 corridor, near the Target Distribution Center. We also expect to see employment growth develop around the Eco-Complex. Housing growth associated with these developments is expected to take place around the Mountain View area. Housing Growth will not take place around the southern part of the county, because it is mainly zoned business, industrial, and commercial.

Population Density is currently (2007) around Hickory, Newton, and Conover. The future shows that growth will mainly take place in Northeast Hickory, Mountain View, and Newton.

Age Demographic distribution shows that the 65+ age demographic is growing more rapidly than any other population sector in the metro. Baby Boomers are getting older and more retirees are moving into the area. What we really need to see is balance.

Taylor's charts showed that the fastest growing ethnic population was Hispanics from 2000 to 2007. The State is showing that from 2008 to 2013 this trend will continue.

Job distribution numbers show that in 1990, 56% of jobs were in Manufacturing, 20% services. As of 2009, Manufacturing was down to 28%, services 47%. We are transitioning to a service based economy. manufacturing will still be important to the area. 2016 estimates show manufacturing at 21% and service sector jobs at 53%. All of this follows the national trend. Right now we have 143,000 jobs in our region and projections show 155,000 to 157,000 jobs, in the region, by 2016.

Possible Jobs and Industries of the future were talked about and Taylor said that he encourages everyone to look at the WPCOG report titled Western Piedmont Industrial Growth Analysis Update 2009.

Taylor next talked about where future employment will occur. In 2007, jobs were located near the strong retail service hub related to Valley Hills Mall and Wal-Mart in Hickory. There is also a little growth along Hwy 321, Hwy 127, and Conover-Claremont. Future employment growth will occur in Southeast Catawba County and it looks to be service related. Hwy 70 and Fairgrove Church Road look like they will continue growing for the foreseeable future. Many people in this region of the county are currently working out of their homes.

The Hickory Hound has delved into all of these issues going back to last year:
This Ain't Podunkville Anymore

There are many factors at play in these tumultuous times, but I have learned during my life, that most of the time your life is predestined by the decisions that you make. You may find this totally irrelevant, but 20 years ago and then 10 years ago, I made decisions to make Hickory my home for life so that I could be near my family and the comfort of the familiar surroundings it afforded. You know, a lot of people tell me that that was a mistake and honestly it probably was, but I am here and I want things to get better. Hickory has to start laying out a game plan towards prosperity or there will be none.

What you cannot see, because I don't have access to Taylor's maps so I can post them, is that there is Economic and Population growth happening down Grace Chapel Road, out towards St. Stephens and Springs road, in Mountain View and South of there, east through Conover, Claremont, and Catawba, and out towards Sherrill's Ford and in the Southeastern part of the county. What one can also see is the Big Black Hole of growth in the Proper boundaries of the City of Hickory. Why is that?

Hickory has to be the driver of the region, but what we are seeing is that commercially only the Valley Hills Mall-WalMart area and a little slice of Viewmont are growing within Hickory Proper. We need to see other parts of Hickory become viable again or we will continue to see the "Black Hole" implosion in the City of Hickory that has been going on for years.

You can't ignore these entry points into Hickory that show blight and are increasingly becoming saturated with what looks to be gang activity. It will eventually completely destroy this city.

When one comes into Hickory at the junction of Hwy 321 and Hwy 70, then one sees rundown areas accessibly in view. When a person travels down Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard towards Lenoir-Rhyne University and views Highland Avenue, then once again their vision is submersed in blight. Isn't it time that we see some action on this issue? Do we really need to hear why we can't fix these areas? Is it that we can't or is it that we won't? Because if we don't start dealing with these issues, they will soon begin dealing with us!!!

Fixing Hickory - Education Matters and Workforce Development

Dr. Garrett Hinshaw began his presentation by talking about Education Matters. He stated that it's about changing our future twenty years from now, when we have a prepared workforce that is attractive to the diversity of industry that we need to bring into Catawba County.

We have to have systematic changes in our today, so that we can provide options so that individuals have an opportunity to succeed. That is what Education Matters is about. This will help our economy transition. This is something that we can focus on.

The components of education matter is assessing the workforce by doing quantitative and qualitative analysis of industries in this area. Next, they talked about partnerships in the community between business, government, and education. Critical thinking and problem solving are key components of 21st century job skills. The goal is to have graduates that are ready to work, employable, have a good work ethic, and they understand the dynamics of what it takes to be successful here in Catawba County.

Tracy Hall, of the Champions of Education, next addressed the group. She has worked in the Hickory Public Schools. This is a partnership between education, business, and government. This is about changing the culture in our community that states dropping out of school is no longer an option. Students who graduate will have a future rate portfolio that will indicate that students have 21st Century skills that are in demanded in the workplace. Attendance records, writing samples, and community service work are included. Students will be tested on national career readiness certification skills. Following the first year, they will have a report that will assess where they are in the project.

Catawba County Government and Municipalities will continue to promote parental involvement in schools, create economic incentive agreements, help review portfolios to make sure that "Education Matters" has all of the parts and pieces they need, encourage High School diplomas, and continue financial support.

The benefit to employers is that they will have a better prepared workforce with National Certification, better workforce advancement, more loyal-productive employees, and reduce employee turnover. She further went in the three levels of certification that employers can qualify for (Gold-Silver-Bronze).

What can employers do? Help students visualize their future and make them more aware of the opportunities available in the area. Help by mentoring students and participants - like leadership 2000, sponsor scholarships for teachers. Businesses can come out for career days in the schools, share job experiences and expectations at all levels, and hire graduates. Let students come to the work site to see what you do, so they can have an idea where they might fit in to see if it is a place they might feel comfortable working. This will help students see that they have a path and opportunity here in Catawba County. Ms. Hall showed businesses that have signed up.
This can help students that don't have a voice (mentor) or guidance to keep them in a path, while also keeping kids who need job experience.

Joyce Watson next addressed the conference. She is the Human Resources Development Director at CVCC. She talked about the Career Readiness Certification. She talked about the Key Train and Work Keys program. We have a documented workforce of 834 people that have proven that they can do applied math, locate information, and read for information. That is accessible to employers. The program was started in 2006.

Shurtape Industries was instrumental in making this happen. 236 Shurtape employees have been certified and now Hickory Springs is participating in the program. If these employees fail this program then remediation is available, if needed. She then showed the qualification levels of this program - (Gold-Silver-Bronze).

Mrs. Watson then went into some of the specifics of the test. The work keys test takes about 45 minutes for each test. They test two times a month on Saturdays at the end of the month and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the middle of the month. They also test independently with companies. The test is very strict and can't be let out of their site. These tests help companies identify employees ability to "do things" and/or "do other things" - Trainability. This helps companies assess where employees may need remediation.

There is a charge to this test. So far, they have been able, with the help of the Workforce Development Board and a $2,000 gift from Wal-Mart, to not have very many people at all have to pay. If you make over $416/a week there is a charge. This is a voluntary program. This is used as a pre-employment profiling measure so that employees can see what they need. This is sometimes employer driven. We need to have a "Proven" workforce and this is a nationally recognized portable credential.

Dr. Hinshaw stated that we are trying to dust off tools. This is not CVCC driven or local schools driven, Catawba County Government driven, or Business driven. It is a partnership. "They (Leaders) are trying to figure out what do we have access to? to help change the economic conditions of our area and insulate Catawba County from allowing this (economically) to happen to us again. Who wants to sit though and go through what we have gone through since the year 2000 again? Not me."

When there aren't any jobs out there, it is frustrating for us (CVCC). Students wonder, "Are they going to be able to get a job when they get out?" We (area leaders) have to take some very risky types of actions in order to move this system forward. This is not something that is going to happen by itself. If you want to stay the same, then keep doing what we have been doing. We have to open our minds up to the opportunities that are presenting themselves and not arbitrarily say no this will never work. You're not going to tell me how to do this. Give it a try and figure out what we can do with this to catapult us forward. This can set us apart. This will give us a unique selling point that can attract businesses.

Dr. Hinshaw stated that when they did the Quantitative and Qualitative analysis, about a year ago, the key component is that business executives told him what skillsets they needed and these skillsets are going to be integrated into the public schools. When they implement there Graduate guarantee in 2012, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are going to be at the top of the list. Teammanship and working with group projects, working with real world projects, bringing it into the classroom, that is what we have to have. We can't rely on textbooks to solve our issues. Environment and technology are changing so fast. This (education) is a continuum that never stops.

*** Companies can apply for grants to help pay for the Work Keys Training.

*** The cost is $30 per person and $150 for a proctor. They can only test 30 people at a time. they have to have 2 proctors, if they go over 30 test takers.

The Hickory Hound has traded E-mail correspondence with Lamar Mitchell and I now feel comfortable that we better and more fully understand one another's positions. He understands that he was not the focus of what I was addressing and now I understand more fully the focus of his mission.

I think that everyone can see that all of these functions are important to move our workforce, community, and culture forward into the future. This can't be a crutch for Hickory's current industries and business to prop themselves up on for statistical reflection. This is about changing the paradigm of our entire area's culture of intellect and thus Quality of Life. Everyone has a role to play.

Dr. Hinshaw said some excellent things during this presentation. No one can argue with any point that he made. I think CVCC is in excellent hands with someone that moves us in a direction of excellence and this moves us closer to a goal of excellence without casting off those who are caught in the vises of the old paradigm and lack of educational expectations of Old Hickory. It was what he said, and not the way he said it, that made me feel that if Hinshaw is leading the way, then we are going somewhere.

Opinions Matter - 15,000 Unique Visitors

This week we went over the 15,000 unique visitors mark on this blog. We have seen a lot of growth and I have been happy with the progress that we have made and I look forward to this site continuing to grow.

I would like to address the issue of the opinions that I share with the viewers of this blog. This blog is meant to be a blog of advocacy. I study issues and then I try to state my opinion on those issue and bring understanding as to how I interpret those issues.

When someone disagrees with me, then I do want them to let me know. Sometimes I am vitriolic and/or sardonic when I see things happening that totally go against the grain of justice and what is right or best for this community, especially when I feel that it is a myopic or self-serving view or action. But, if one feels that I am misinterpreting an issue or action then my e-mail is readily available or many of you see me in public and can address me there. I am always willing to listen. No one can legitimately state that I am not willing to meet with them and listen to their grievance toward me.

One word that I constantly hear is the word Credibility. The definition of Credibility is the capability of being believed. I can assure you that I do my homework on the issues that are addressed on this blog. I don't just make the stuff up that goes on here. I spend 30 to 40 hours a week on this. I meet with people constantly that help me to shape the direction of the issues we address. This has been a truly educational and life changing experience for myself and the game changers that help me with this project.

Since I have started this blog, I have had many people thank me for what this blog represents, but I have also had some people thoroughly chastise me and rail against some of the issues and context of what we propose and write about. Sometimes I believe our local media outlets have had there content and coverage of issues unduly influenced by such pressures. People cry about our local paper, but such constraints are the reason that we don't see relevant content and ideas addressed there. They are tired of having there toes stomped on by people who won't even tolerate constructive criticism.

That is the reason why I have been wary of accepting any money for advertising on this blog from local sources. I don't want the possibility of anyone telling me that they would yank financial support, because I addressed such and such in a manner that they don't like or an associated party doesn't like.

You see, I have never been a part of the club and frankly I am not looking to join in with any social groups here in this town, unless they are open and accepting of people who come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse ideas and opinions. I am thoroughly ashamed of the caste system that I have seen on display in many parts of this city. It is my opinion, that this caste system has played a major role in the economic implosion that we have been experiencing and until the status quo goes and we start moving away from the old ways, then I feel that we are going to continue spinning our wheels, instead of moving towards the progress that we all claim to want to see.

Creativity is fostered from people who have differing points of view and if one cannot function and communicate with others who have differing opinions and come from different backgrounds, then one will never be able to grow mentally or spiritually. If you want change, then put your money (and/or influence) where your mouth is!!!

***By the way, several parties are aggressively pursuing a means to have a Town Hall meeting in which all of the candidates for the upcoming election will be invited to speak with the public about where they stand on the city's issues and what they propose to do should they be elected to Hickory's City Council in the upcoming Election. We will be informing people early next week if this is a go or not. Remember that this upcoming week each candidate will be on First talk with Hal Row on WHKY at 8am. His show comes on at 7:05am on Monday through Friday.

***I will be working further on the Hickory Revitalization Conference I attended last week. Next up will be Champions of Education - Education Matters and the Address by Dr. Garrett Hinshaw about what CVCC is doing to help change the culture in this area.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of October 6, 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 10/6/2009 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below.

Invocation by Rev. Bob Thompson of Corinth Reformed Church of Christ

Special Presentations:
A. Presentation of Proclamation to Deputy Fire Chief, Steve Moore Declaring the Week of October 4 – 10, 2009 as “Fire Prevention Week” in the City of Hickory.
In this proclamation the Mayor pointed out that 3,000 people die each year as a result of homefires and burns, 200,000 people were received at emergency rooms for burns, and for children Thermal Burns exceed Scalds nearly 2 to 1. No fire death has occurred in 15 years in the City of Hickory.

B. Presentation of Beautification Awards by the Community Appearance Commission Presented by Steve Bowman, Chair of the Community Appearance Commission.
Awards were given to homes at 811 14th Ave NW, 412 6th st NW, Viewmont Baptist Church, Atriax Group, a renovation at the corner of 3rd ave & 5th st NE, and the Moretz Sports complex at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

C. Presentation of the Certificate of Distinction to the City of Hickory by the International City/County Management Association Center for Performance Measurement. The ICMA Center for Performance Measurement’s Certificate Program recognizes local governments that have made an exceptional commitment to integrating performance measurement into their management practices. This is the first year the City of Hickory has applied for this certificate. Hickory is among 18 jurisdictions being recognized for this achievement. Other recipients include Albany, Oregon; Cartersville, Georgia; Corvallis, Oregon; Eugene, Oregon; Fishers, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado; High Point, North Carolina; Mesa, Arizona; North Las Vegas, Nevada; Palm Bay, Florida; Palm Coast Florida; Peoria, Arizona; San Francisco, California; Sarasota County, Florida; Shoreline, Washington; Suwanee, Georgia; and University Place, Washington.

D. Presentation of “Education Matters” by Lamar Mitchell, Director of Catawba County Champions of Education. Followed With the City of Hickory’s Existing Hiring Policies Relating to Education Requirements by Organizational Development Coordinator, Claudia Main. Mr. Mitchell stated that the U.S, is the only industrialized county where kids are less likely to graduate from High School than their parents. The 2007 measure of jobs that we had shows that 34% of the jobs required less than a GED. Earnings potential correlates with education. More Educational Attainment should equal people making more money and people should be able to contribute more to our tax base and to the community overall, as opposed to a drain. Department of Commerce projections to the year 2017 show that the gretest increase in jobs will be in industries that require college educations or greater.

Unemployment correlates with education level. In 2008, estimate were that 41,000 students would not graduate. That translates to a reduction of earnings of $7.5 billion, reduced state tax revenues by $711 million, and increased the state's medicaid costs by $155 million. Drop-outs live fewer year than graduates, are more likely to be incarcerated in prison, and are more likely to use social services.

This is a partnership between education, business, and government. This is about changing the culture in our community that dropping out of school is no longer an option. Students who graduate will have a future rate portfolio that will indicate that students have 21st Century skills that are in demaded in the workplace. Attendance records, Writing samples, and community service work are included. Students will be tested on national career readiness certification skills.

Claudia Main, of the City of Hickory, presented how the city's policies align with Education Matters. Staff does recommend applying for the Gold certification. The city believe that education does improve ones quality of life and helps employees offer better service to the community.

Since the mid 90s. The city does require applicants to possess the minimum of a GED. As far as parental involvement, they provide vacation time to allow parents to participate in school events with their children. Human and Capital resources include tuition assistance for all levels of education. The city works with schools to provide many resources to the schools, both academically and culturally. All City Departments have interns. The Libraries offer lifelong learning opportunities for everyone. Hickory's Youth Council works with 9-12 grade youth. The city encourages employees to tutor, mentor, and volunteer in the community. City staff does recommend applying for the gold certification with Education matters.

Alder Hoyle asked about city employees who do not have a GED, will they be terminated? City Manager stated that when the policy was introduced in the mid-90s that everyone was grandfathered in, but the city does encourage and afford those employees to go back, when the time is right, to obtain their GED and some have gone on further. Mayor Wright asked if the GED is universally accepted as the equivalent of a High School Diploma and this was affirmed. Mayor Wright stated that personally did not believe this should be the case. Council gave Unanimous Consent.

The Hound believes in education - I like a lot of the substance of what Mr. Mitchell is addressing here when he talks about Work Keys and mentoring, but it seems to me that when he talks about a partnership between government, business and education, isn't he leaving the most important element out of the equation. It seems to me that the parents and the children are being left out of the loop.

We keep hearing about the statistics on this issue, but we aren't hearing about what created those statistics. Last week in Raleigh, the Economic Adviser of the Centennial Campus talked about how most kids come into 6th grade motivated and somewhere between 6th and 8th grade some are getting lost in the system. Many times by the time they get to 10th grade they are lost. We better start figuring out why and how we are going to address that problem.

I have heard nothing about the issues the vulnerable young individuals face. This is getting passed down from generation to generation. If the parent dropped out, is the child not most likely to follow the same path? If the parent does not value education, then is this not being passed on to the child? Are there drugs, violence, and abuse in the home? Does this program address any of those dire circumstances that are prevalent in many drop outs homes?

I thought Mrs. Main's presentation of what the City does about this issue is more encompassing in addressing this issue and I would suggest that the "Education Matters" campaign needs to add a few pages to their playbook to ensure that their mission is truly successful.

I would also like to see education truly matter and the leaders of this area start taking the issue of underemployment seriously. How can a college graduate justify staying in this area to get paid $20,000 a year working what equates to menial labor? There is a lot of that going on in this area and it is time that leaders open their eyes, because apparently the MaGoos can't see that that is a major component of the Brain Drain we see in this area.



VII. Consent Agenda:
Voluntary Contiguous Annexation of the Property of Kirk and Debra Hobart Located at 976 30th Avenue Drive, NW (Authorize Public Hearing for October 20, 2009)

Approve Application by West Hickory/Westmont Neighborhood Association for a Neighborhood Matching Implementation Grant in the Amount of $1,500 The Neighborhood Matching Implementation Grant was developed by City Council to provide a neighborhood with a $2,500 matching grant to implement a recommendation in their neighborhood plan or in one of the City’s Master Plans. The neighborhood is one of the oldest in the City and has applied for a $1,500 matching grant to use in the renovation of the pulpit and altar of Houk’s Chapel which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Designated Local Historic Landmark.

Amendment to Traffic Ordinance by Reducing The Speed Limit from 35 Mph to 25 Mph Along 24th Avenue NE From 23rd Avenue Drive NE to 24th Street Lane NC, 23rd Avenue Drive NE From 24th Street NE to 24th Street Lane NE and 24th Street Lane NE From 23rd Street Drive NE to 23rd Avenue Drive NE Under the City’s Traffic Calming Program an application was received for a speed limit reduction along the indicated streets above. Staff determined that a speed limit reduction from 35 mph to 25 mph would be acceptable, if the residents desired. The petition packages were received and were determined by Staff to be valid and met the 75% signature requirement.

Accept Grant From the Department of Energy in the Amount of $209,300 for the Purchase and Installation of New Energy Efficient Lighting and Retrofit Materials for Fourteen City-Owned Properties - City Council previously approved Staff to apply for this grant on May 19, 2009 and on September 11, 2009 City staff received notification of the grant award in the amount of $209,300. The City facilities that will receive the new lighting will be the Water Filtration Plant, Henry Fork Waste Treatment Plant, Brown Penn Recreation Center/Gym, Ridgeview Recreation Center/Gym, Neill Clark Main Building, Neill Clark Gym, Westmont Recreation Center/Gym, Whitener Municipal Building (Council Chambers and Drive-thru Building), Hickory Police Headquarters and Fire Stations 2, 4, 5 & 6. The project is estimated to reduce electrical lighting energy cost by 30-35% once the facilities are completely renovated with the new energy efficient lighting materials. The Department of Energy has benchmarked this project to be completed in one year. All work will be performed in-house utilizing certified/licensed staff. Staff recommends acceptance of Grant.

Approve Request by the Coworker Appreciation Day Committee for Eight Days of Vacation Time - The Coworker Appreciation Day Committee is requesting eight days of vacation time to be used as door prizes for Coworker Appreciation Day scheduled for October 17, 2009 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. For the past couple years, City Council has approved eight days, with five of those days used as the grand prize and the other three days as additional door prizes.

Approval to Submit Application for a Factory Mutual Global Fire Prevention Grant for Digital Cameras and Camera Related Equipment - Factory Mutual Global offers a grant program to fire departments for equipment to be used for fire/arson prevention and investigation. The City’s Fire Department requests to apply for said grant for the purchase of digital cameras and camera related equipment. This is a no match funds grant, but sometimes only partial funding of a request is awarded; with a typical award not exceeding $3,000. The camera equipment that would be purchased would cost $3,195 and would be assigned to the full time fire inspectors/investigators for use during code enforcement or investigation activities.

Approve Landscape Incentive Grant to TS Properties of Hickory Located at 1811 North Center Street in the Amount of $2,500 - TS Properties of Hickory owns property located at 1811 North Center Street and has applied for a Landscape Incentive Grant in the amount of $2,500 to remove the existing plantings surrounding the building and replace them with smaller plants and shrubs that require less maintenance. The project is estimated to cost $5,027.99. The Community Appearance Commission reviewed the application and on September 21, 2009 found it met the criteria and unanimously approved the grant application.

Contract For Services With Stephen F. Austin For Preparation of the City of Hickory’s Five Year Consolidated Plan and One Year Annual Update, as Required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, in the Amount Not to Exceed $7,500

The City of Hickory receives funding from the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program. As a recipient of these funds, the City is required to submit a Five-Year Consolidated Plan; a five-year strategic plan for providing services and assistance to low to moderate income residents within the corporate city limits. Mr. Austin has previously prepared the City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plans and proposes to prepare FY 2010-2014 plan at a cost not to exceed $7,500.

Approval to Apply for a Fire Fighters Fire Prevention and Safety Grant Through the Department of Homeland Security for Smoke Detectors - The 2009 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant will allow the Hickory Fire Department to acquire smoke detectors for residents of Hickory who are unable to obtain them on their own so as to provide a higher level of awareness of the hazards and risks in residential homes. Applications for the grant must be received by October 23, 2009. Fire departments serving areas with a population between 20,000 and 50,000, inclusive, must match the Federal grant funds with an amount of non-federal funds equal to ten percent of the total project cost. Award decisions for the FY 2009 program will be completed on or before September 30, 2010.

Budget Ordinance Amendments - To budget a total of $55 of Library donations in the Library Books line item. Donations include a $30 memorial book and a $25 honor book.

To re-appropriate a total of $5,960 of General Fund Balance and budget in the Library Department's Computer Equipment line item. The Library budgeted funds in FY08-09 for the ITG Handheld Inventory Device; however, budgeted funds rolled into Fund Balance at year end and therefore a re-appropriation is necessary.

To appropriate $55,176 of General Fund Balance and transfer it to the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grant project. This appropriation represents the City of Hickory’s year 1 local match for the multiyear grant. Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grant was awarded by the Department of Homeland Security to fully staff the City of Hickory 2nd Ladder Company. The grant period is from 04-30-09 until 04-29-14 and the City of Hickory began the project July 1, 2009.

To appropriate $30,153 of General Fund Balance and transfer it to the Airport’s AIP 23 grant project. This grant is funded at 95% Federal ($1,145,824), 2.5% State ($30,153) and 2.5% Local ($30,153). This appropriation represents the City of Hickory’s 2.5% local match of a $1,206,130 total project cost that will rehabilitate Taxiway "A" enabling the primary taxiway to handle larger aircraft and require less maintenance. The last repaving occurred over 30 years ago with Federal grant funds. The normal life span of a runway and taxiway paving is between 15 and 20 years depending on usage.

Grant Project Ordinances
1. To budget a $209,300 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant from the Department of Energy in several Department Maintenance and Repair of Buildings operational line items. This grant is 100% federally funded and requires no local matching funds from the City. Grant funds are for the purchase and installation of new energy efficient lighting and retrofit materials for fourteen City facilities. The project is estimated to reduce electrical lighting energy costs by 30-35% once facilities are completely renovated with the new energy efficiency lighting materials. The project is to be completed in a one year timeframe with a close out date of September 3, 2010.

1. To budget a $64,653 FY2009 Edward Byrne Memorial Assistance Grant award through the Justice Assistance Grant (J.A.G.) program. The City of Hickory and Catawba County have received approval to receive a combined allocation of $64,563 under the 2009 Justice Assistance Grant program. This grant requires no local matching funds from the City. Catawba County is eligible for a direct award of $16,403 which will fund the purchase of 8-800 MHz radios. The City of Hickory is eligible for a direct award of $48,250 which will provide funds to purchase workout equipment, speed measuring devices, shotguns, tasers, helmets, and a scope.

1. To accept and budget a $55,176 transfer of General Fund Balance and to budget the $2,476,210 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grant project. The $55,176 transfer of General Fund Balance represents the City of Hickory’s year 1 local match for the multi-year grant. Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grant was awarded by the Department of Homeland Security to fully staff the City of Hickory’s 2nd Ladder Company. The grant period is from 04-30-09 until 04-29-14 and the City of Hickory began the project July 1, 2009.

1. To accept and budget a $30,153 transfer of General Fund Balance to the Airport’s AIP 23 grant project. This grant is funded at 95% Federal ($1,145,824), 2.5% State ($30,153) and 2.5% Local ($30,153). This transfer represents the City of Hickory’s 2.5% local match of a $1,206,130 total project cost that will rehabilitate Taxiway "A" enabling the primary taxiway to handle larger aircraft and require less maintenance. The last repaving occurred over 30 years ago with Federal grant funds. The normal life span of a runway and taxiway paving is between 15 and 20 years depending on usage.

Items Removed from Consent Agenda
Award Bid to Armstrong Ford For The Purchase of Nine Specialized Police Packaged Emergency Vehicles in the Amount of $205,956 Armstrong Ford was the lowest bidder for nine 2010 Ford Crown Victoria specialized police packaged emergency vehicles in the amount of $22,884 per vehicle for a total bid of $205,956 The Hickory Police Department has funds budgeted for these vehicles in the FY 2009-10 CIP and staff recommends Council award the bid to Armstrong Ford. Chief Tom Adkins came to the podium and spoke about the possibility of Green Vehicles. The city has two electric vehicles, non-patrol officers use 6-cylinder vehicles, and a 4 cylinder vehicle is used as a travel vehicle.

The Crown Victoria meets the needs of the officer on the street. Maintenance costs are higher for front wheel drive vehicles. The Crown Victoria suits technology needs. The alternator in these vehicles supports that use (computers, radars, etc.). Manager Berry stated that these vehicles are better than alternatives, such as a Dodge Charger. The technology of Green Vehicles just isn't there yet. The Mayor stated that his Prius would not be a good police car. The Council gave Unanimous Consent.

Adopt Resolution in Opposition to Loss of Jobs at Hickory Mail Processing and Distribution Center - The U.S. Postal Service is conducting an Area Mail Processing (AMP) study of mail processing at the Hickory Processing and Distribution Center for possible consolidation of certain operations into the Greensboro Processing Distribution Center that could result in the further loss of jobs and shifting all outgoing mail from the 286 region to be processed in Greensboro. As the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir MSA has lost 43,262 jobs since the year 2000; 12,298 in the last 12 months and holds an unemployment rate of 15.1 percent, it is not time for further loss and important the U.S. Postal Service consider these factors during the ongoing AMP study. Mike Bennett came to the podium and gave an overview of this issue. This goes back to August (HDR Article). A letter was sent to the majority of the cities in the 286 zip code area to pass a similar resolution. The Mayor stated the loss of these jobs becomes a compunding thing and he has asked the post office to find some other way to get the efficiency that they seek. The Council gave Unanimous Consent.

The Hound talked about this when it first came up - This is the death nail. Every time the city issues one of these resolutions it is like the dreaded vote of confidence. What actually is being effectively done to ensure that these jobs stay here? We heard nothing, so I assume nothing is being done by our local government other than a letter writing campaign.

We didn't hear anything about actual actions of negotiations taking place, so you can assume that these jobs are gone. What is really sad is that we didn't see this happening until now. Oh well, par for the course. I hope these people are given an option to at least relocate to the facility in Greensboro.

New Business - Public Hearings:
1. Consider Amendment of City of Hickory Code of Ordinances, Chapter 31, Article
1, Section 31-13 “Location and Ownership of Water Meters” - This amendment revises Chapter 31, Section 31-13 of the Hickory City Code as required by North Carolina House Bill 2499 Drought/Water Management Recommendations. Said Bill mandates that local government water systems require separate meters for all newly installed in-ground irrigation systems, effective July 1, 2009. This revision will have minimal financial affect on the Public Utilities Operation and will benefit the customer so that no sewer charges are applied to such meters, but they will have the expense of a separate water meter. Kevin Greer made the presentation - The State Bill addresses drought issues - This is for newly installed systems. It doesn't affect old systems. Hickory has had the practice of asking whether customers were putting irrigation systems in. You aren't charged a sewer fee for water that utilizes the irrigation tap. So this saves the customer money. This will mostly effect customers outside the city. This will cost customers $910 in Hickory or $820 in Catawba County.

Alderman Lail asked whether professional irrigation contractors always put in separate meters? Mr. Greer stated that inside the city they do, but outside the city there is no carrot to make the homeowner want a separate meter. Alder Fox stated that if you garden that your bill can be astronomical, because you have to pay sewer (on top of water). Mr. Greer said it isn't uncommon to see a 4,000 gallon per month use during the summer for those who use water for irrigation or gardening.

B. Departmental Reports:
1. Approve Assignment and Assumption of Lease Between the City of Hickory, Profile Aviation Center, Inc. and RC Enterprises, LLC - This Assignment and Assumption of Lease pertains to a Lease Agreement dated April 27, 1992 made with Moose Holding Company and McClure Aircraft, Inc. for a certain tract of land, aircraft hangar and other improvements located at the Hickory Regional Airport. Moose Holding Company became the sole tenant under the Lease in November, 2006 and subsequently assigned its entire interest in the Lease to Profile Aviation. Profile Aviation desires to assign its right, title and interest in the Lease to RC Enterprises, LLC who agrees to assume and be bound by all of the provisions of the Lease, including the performance of all the obligations, terms, covenants and agreements outlined in the Lease Agreement. The City accepts RC Enterprises, LLC as Tenant under the Lease upon the express condition that Profile shall remain liable for the prompt payment of the rent and the keeping and performance of all conditions and covenants of the Lease by the Tenant to be kept and performed.
Attorney Crone made the presentation and stated that this is separate from the city's original concession agreement (That has been assigned to River Hawk). Alder Patton asked about the merger between Profile and River Hawk, does Atty. Crone mean River Hawk? Atty. Crone stated that the City's lease is with Profile. The Mayor asked what the City is giving up? Atty Crone ataed the city wasn't giving up anything. Manager Berry stated that the city has increaded the lease on this property substantially and it has an escalator on it. The Council gave Unanimous Consent.

The Hound is knows that this is the hangar that the Forestry airplane is supposed to be being housed in and it isn't. As I stated many times in my report last week, I surely hope that our city at some point figures out the valuable asset sitting over there. I know at one time past leaders in this area were at the forefront of Aviation development. I'd surely like to know what happened.

2. Award Bid and Approve Contract With Maymead, Inc. for Construction of Clement Boulevard Connector Project in the Amount of $1,982,238 - Bids on the construction of the Clement Boulevard Connector Project were advertised and open with three bids being received. The low bidder was Maymead, Inc. at $1,982,238 which includes a corrected $16,200 math error made on the original bid form. The final contract amount will be adjusted in accordance with the unit prices and contract conditions when the work has been completed. Staff estimates unit price and contract conditions to be within 5% of the bid price. Bids are valid for 60 days and will expire on October 30, 2009. Due to time constraints and the start of construction, Staff requests two readings be held on October 6, 2009.

To appropriate $120,995 of the General Fund and transfer it to the Clement Boulevard Connector Project. This appropriation is necessary to provide sufficient funds to pay Maymead, Inc. for construction of the Clement Boulevard Connector. Roadway construction is anticipated to begin in October. Due to time constraints and the start of construction, Staff requests two readings be held on October 6, 2009. (Capital Budget Ordinance) - Accept a $120,995 transfer of General Fund Balance to the Clement Boulevard Connector Project to provide sufficient funds to pay Maymead, Inc. for construction phase of the Clement Boulevard Connector.

Chuck Hanson gave the specifics and stated that the project has a 6 month time frame. It is an asphalt paving project an railroad crossing project. Dual left hand turn lanes will be built at night. Other works will be worked on after morning traffic and before evening rush hour traffic. some will also take pave at night. He will keep in touch with Mandy Pitts to provide information to the public. Alderman Meisner asked about the low number of bids. Mr. Hanson stated that this was mainly a paving project? Mr. Hanson said there isn't a whole lot of grading. Paving contractors are going with prime contractors. This is a different mix. Graders will sub to them. Alderman Lail asked about inhouse inspections? Mr. Hanson said it would be a combination. There was further discussion about lighting and landscaping. Alder Patton asked about consequences for contractors running over the allotted time frame. Mr. Hanson stated there would be penalties. Alder Fox stated her that it is bothersome that we could not bury the electrical wires. Alder Patton stated that it would be easier to incorporate putting the lines underground originally than to try to go back later and do this. City Manager Berry stated that this was originally discussed, but the council had decided that it was necessary to not do this to move the project forward. Burying the lines` can add 25%, 50%, or 100% to a project.

City Manager Berry stated that after 4 years this project is coming in on target at around $2.5 million. All of the following amendments were unanimously consented to.

a. Approve Contract Amendment No. 4 with Kimley-Horne and Associates, Inc. for the Clement Boulevard Connector Signal Design Project in the Amount of $5,000 - This Amendment is needed due to changes in the Clement Boulevard Connector construction drawings so as to meet current NCDOT specification for traffic signal design. The design changes are required as a result of changes in signal standards from the time of the original signal design. Revisions to the plans must be completed before receiving final approval from NCDOT. Staff recommends approval and requests two readings be held on October 6, 2009 due to starting of construction. (Capital budget Ordinance) - To accept a $8,494 transfer of General Fund Balance to the Clement Boulevard Connector Project Engineering line item. This appropriation is necessary to provide sufficient funds to pay Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. $5,000 for the signal design revisions and to provide an additional $3,494 for overages in this line item. Changes to the drawings are required to meet current North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) specifications for traffic signal design.

b. Approve Contract with Froehling & Robertson, Inc. for Construction Materials Testing Services Regarding the Clement Boulevard Connector Project in the Amount of $36,945 - The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requires testing of construction materials to verify compliance with the plans and specifications of the Clement Boulevard Connector Project. Construction materials testing must begin when the roadway construction begins in October, 2009. The total amount of $36,945 is based on unit prices for various testing services and the final contract amount will be adjusted in accordance with the unit prices and services rendered when the roadway construction has been completed. Staff recommends approval and requests two readings be held on October 6, 2009 due to starting of construction. (Capital Budget Amendment) To accept a $28,109 transfer of the General Fund to the Clement Boulevard Connector Project Miscellaneous account. This appropriation is necessary to provide sufficient funds to pay Froehling & Robertson, Inc. $36,495 for testing of construction materials for the Clement Boulevard Connector project. The testing of construction materials is to verify compliance with the projects plans and specifications.

Adopt Resolution for Authorization of Retirement Incentive Program - Due to current economic conditions, City Staff requests consideration of adopting a Retirement Incentive Program. Said program will be offered to coworkers who are eligible to retire through the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement system by March 1, 2010. Over the past few years, the City has eliminated more than 70 positions without layoffs and implemented a hiring freeze this year, which has helped with the current conditions. There are approximately 90 coworkers who meet the requirements for consideration and who will be offered a cash incentive of up to six months salary, depending upon when they choose to retire. Retirement must occur between January 1, 2010 and March 1, 2010. Retirement participants may receive City-paid individual health insurance for the same amount of time should they meet the eligibility requirements. Cost savings to the City will be achieved by leaving some or all of the positions vacant and the vacancies will also provide opportunities for reorganization and restructuring. The number of participants in the program will not be known until December 1, 2009, the deadline for employee participation. The program will be paid out of FY 2009-10 and the savings will be seen in FY 2010-11.
Warren Wood made the presentation. He stated that the economic downturn started showing last October and continued through the year. Alders lail and Hoyle along with Mayor Wright are on the audit committee. Staff has worked on a plan to address the inevitable of what will be happening through 2010-11. They creating a structurally balanced budget through cuts and restructuring. This voluntary retirement proposal is just one piece to a larger plan that will culminate with the 2010-11 plan.

The things they are seeing. The unemployment rate is very high in the Metro area. They have seen a decline in every major source of revenue. Building permit activity is down 50% since last year and even more when compared to ltwo years ago. They are keeping a close eye on the State of North Carolina. Six or Seven years ago, the State took around $3 million of local money that they never gave back. The state is going to face major difficulties with their budget and the City is worried about this happening again. that could be a budget buster by itself.

What do they hope to achieve? If an employee leaves, then the position will be filled by a person that doesn't make as much and/or positions will be consolidated and/or eliminated. It is not a silver bullet, but it is very important to the overall plan. he doesn't think the city has done this before, but the city over the last six years, the city has eliminated 71 positions through attrition.

Claudia Main came to the podium and stated that this program is completely voluntary. It will start March 1, 2010 and must be declared by December 1, 2010. To participate, the employee must retire on January 1, February 1, or March 1, 2011. Employees, who retire on their earliest eligibility date, will receive six months of their annual base salary and six months of city paid individual city health insurance, unless they are medicare eligible. Employees, who retire one month after their earliest eligibility date, will receive five months of their annual base salary and five months of city paid individual city healthcare. Employees, who retire on two months after their earliest eligibility date, will receive four months of their annual base salary and four months of city paid individual city health insurance. Currently ninety employees are eligible. the city believes that 20 people will participate based upon studies.

The Hound believes that this shows the city's admittance that the long-term prospects of city revenues do not look good. What other companies are doing this? Companies like the Domestic Auto makers, GE, 3M, Corning, and Norfolk-Southern are trimming payrolls to get leaner. Warren Wood has essentially been telling us since the beginning of the year that tax revenue projections look bleak for the foreseeable future. I appreciate the honesty and wish that our elected officials would level with the people so that they can prepare for what lies ahead. Hickory is going to have to be innovative and creative going forward to move out of the bottom of economic realities and prognostications. That will entail collaboration between public and private entities in creating opportunities for local area businesses and our citizens.

Lake Hickory Assessment Update - Assistant Public Services Director Kevin Greer will update Council on the recently completed lake and reservoir assessment done by the Environmental Services Section of the NC Divisio n of Water Quality. Kevin Greer made the presentation. He stated that there is a lag before data is crunched. These reports come out every five years. The 2005 report comes from data from 2003. that sample data was accumulated from May to September of 2002. There was a drought and the Lake got a non-rated status. there were taste and odor complaints.

In January 2006, Lake Rhodhiss was cited as primary concern. Lake Hickory and Lake Rhodhiss are small and connected. In August 2009, the 2008 basinwide assessment for Lake Hickory was that there were no exceedences in any criteria analyzed. Samples were taken from May to September 2007. This happened even with the drought occurring. Mr. Greer attributes this to better management of the Lake and River system. This is directly attributable to improvements in Lake Rhodhiss. there have also been improvements made in stormwater runoff and erosion control.

Rhodhiss remains impaired. By 2012 it is required to have P&D levels that are supportive. This is part of the upper stem of Lake Hickory and Lake Rhodhiss is causing sediment issues in Lake Hickory. Alder Fox asked how much longer can Lake Rhodhiss go on impaired before someone else steps in and starts managing the Lake? Mr. Greer stated that 2012 would be the year. The feds would step in. They give a window of time. They have to be able to accommodate all of the entities that are coming into the lake.

Fixing Hickory - The Appalachian State Partnership

I call this the Fixing Hickory Conference, because that was what was talked about. Danny Hearn said it was time to focus in and create an Economic Stimulus Plan for this area. What is the counties vision for the next few years?

Government, Business, and Education have been going in different directions, because they all have different expectations and needs? We need to sit down and figure out the five top priorities, narrow our focus, and what we need to do to achieve those. Then we can all get behind those and have a greater chance to succeed. We must have partnerships and collaboration in order to succeed.

Appalachian State University at Hickory and the Regional Community Colleges Establish the Greater Hickory Partnership - “To support and enhance the region’s educational attainment and economic development by offering degree and non-degree programs in targeted areas of study as needed and requested by regional businesses and learners of all ages.”

What are the Partnerships Initial Goals? What are the Partnership’s Components? Organizational Chart; Locations; Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs; Current and Future Economic Impact on the Hickory Metro region. In addition:
The Success of the NC Center for Engineering Technologies

Dr Jane Everson, Director, Greater Hickory Partnership made a brief introduction and
introduced Dr. Tom Fisher, who is the head of Appalachian State's Office of Extension and Distance Education. He stated that ASU's efforts, in this area, go back over 50 years. He sated that Hickory is at the center of their efforts (Hwy 321 & Interstate 40). ASU offers degree and certificate program in Hickory at the ASU center. There are 18 locations where they make offerings.

Through community efforts, facilities are being built to give ASU the opportunity to offer full-time, day-time programming that builds upon Associates Degrees in Arts and Sciences offered at the community colleges. What they are offering now are the programs offered at Boone. They are sensitive to offering programs, in the community, where there is demand for jobs (demand driven).

Currently, ASU has 1,500 students off campus with 700 located at the facilities in Hickory. The student gets the same degree off campus that they would receive on campus. That is important to ASU, the community, and to the students. A person does not receive an asterisk, that receives an off sight education from ASU.

Successful strategies include Site Based Programs, with people-to-people contact. This helps with the exchange of ideas. The facilities are critical, because of changing times. Technology is being used to help give access to students and faculty. They are looking for these capacities to grow.

ASU has been at the forefront of working with local community college partners. They are looking to partner with ten local community colleges to build a relationship to ensure that there is a match between what they offer and what ASU delivers. That doesn't mean they have a closed mind towards new offerings.

Dr. Everson continued on with the presentation. She talked about proposals of some of the things that ASU partnership will offer this year and perhaps in future years. She stated that there would be some things that would be talked about today that they don't have the answers to. They want to hear about these pressing issues and they will work on them to make sure that they come to reality.

The specific objective is to expand the offerings in Hickory. Part of that growth is dependent on the community's dedication to changing the culture of learning in the area. Students must recognize the opportunity to go to a local community college and transfer to one of the Universities in the UNC system. That pipeline must be built by the community.

Currently Programming wise, the local ASU centers in the area, offers eleven of face-to-face programs at the four facilities in this area. Six of these are available in Hickory. 429 junior-seniors are located in this region. that is huge growth in the last three years and a huge opportunity to keep them in this area.

It is expected that ASU will be growing its undergraduate program offerings in the local area. In a strategic way, they will be gathering data to identify what population of academically prepared students could enroll in new and different degree programs that would be offered by ASU here in the area. Data will be gathered to identify what community college students are academically preparing for, what types of disciplines are they pursuing, and how can ASU best match that with what they offer. If ASU cannot offer these programs, they will match them with what other UNC system schools offer.

ASU will continue to offer graduate programs. Over the past fifty years, this has been ASU's high growth area. More graduate students are pursuing their degrees off-campus than on the Boone campus.That will continue to be an area of delivery from ASU, but it will continue to move from site-to-site so that the area doesn't become saturated.

Face-to-Face is the preferred method of instruction, but it does not necessarily mean chalkboard instruction. The ASU center has some of the highest technology available at these facilities compared to anywhere in the UNC system. There is high quality faculty and technology. There is a wide variety of online web based teleconferencing going on.

The most important emphasis is on the Partnership created earlier this year. In March, the local community colleges and ASU signed an agreement. This a huge acknowledgment to ensure that everyone is working together. What is seen, is that the communities are marketing, collaborating, and working together. It doesn't matter where the program is - the individual sites. It is important that citizens have the ability to access ASU's programs in the region.

The average age of students in the partbership is 32 to 33 years old. They will continue to look at the needs of working age adults, but begin to also look at the needs to look at younger adults.

Dr. Everson reports to Dr. Fisher who reports to the Provost of ASU. This creates a direct pipeline towards the communication of educational needs. Seven ASU employees are currently living and working in the area. They have roots in the area. There is a local Regional Advisory Council has met once and will meet twice per year. many of these people have a prior relationship with Appalachian.

ASU will be working with a company out of Boston called Eduventures to work with the three local community colleges to survey students to understand what they studied, what courses they took, and what programs they would like to finish. And then specifically what ASU programs offered in this area appeal to them and what does not. ASU is looking at academic qualifications. motivations, and find out what they are looking for. At the same time they will meet with business and industry to do the same. This should be ready by Spring 2010. This will help articulate degrees wanted and needed in the area.

A Strategic marketing plan is being created with Gotham Images to find out what is working well and what is not working and how to engage local students in addressing and targeting students of the region. Dr. Everson's goal is to have billboards and marketing materials available by Spring 2010.

Dr. Everson next addressed the possibilities of a Millennial campus in Hickory. There is a lot of opportunity and excitement about the potential. The North Carolina Center for Engineering Technology, located in Hickory and led by Dr. Sid Connor, would be allowed to be exempt from the Umstead Act. This would allow the center to work with business and industry. It would allow private industry to use the centers equipment and facilities and it would allow the center to go inside of these businesses and provide services. That is the primary motivation behind then development of a Millennial Campus.

The proposal has been submitted, but has been delayed in being presented to the Board of Trustees and the UNC Board of Governors until some of the mechanics can be worked out and some of the language about ASU's involvement in this area. It will be a slow moving process to get to what we see at the Centennial Campus in Raleigh.

Programming not offered by ASU, will be offered by other schools and their online programs. The University of North Carolina Online is provided by the center. The ASU center has successfully marketed programs by UNCC, Winston-Salem State, Western Carolina, and Lenoir-Rhyne. Mountain State University also offers a couple of hybrid programs at the center.

There was a question and answer session that followed:

Looking at the capacity of the University. Looking at what a university can do as far as building buildings and growing facilities and being an economic driver. How close are you to filling your current capacity to grow? (Dr. Everson's answer) - The ASU center is close to filling its current capacity. she has had talks with CVCC's President Dr. Garrett Hinshaw about possible expansion and additional classrooms. That will help to grow according to ASU's plan. Burke and Caldwell facilities are still highly underutilized.

As far as a real university presence, there are a number of faculty who want to live and work in this area. They is designated office space for the faculty in the area and one department is considering hiring a permanent professor dedicated to teaching one of the programs in this area.

(Dr. Fisher) Growth will depend on student demand and preparation. The UNC system and Community Colleges have decided they don't need to be duplicating programs. The ASU center offers Junior and Senior coursework in the degrees and disciplines that ASU has. The objective is to match up the preparation that students get at the Community College with what ASU offers.

Strategic plan for creating an Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economics what relation could that have with ASU's Energy Center and Catawba County's Eco-Complex? (Dr. Fisher) John Pine, who came from LSU, has been working at the Energy Center. ASU has been trying to identify stimulus money that will enable the school to partner with community colleges and build on green jobs and green energy pipelines. There seems to be a lot of confusion about where the money is. They haven't gotten any yet. (Dr. Everson) Some of these conversation are being held with Sid Connor... part of the reality is to find people who can create and identify opportunities above and beyond what ASU offers as a university... but they haven't quite figured out how to get all of this into the pipelines.

Bill Parrish of the SBTDC came forward and discussed the mission of that organization. It is a statewide program.

There was a further discussion brought forward about Bricks and Mortar (Building Buildings). They have been reliant upon the civic, elected, and business community to put the resources together. ASU Partnership is a community initiative that is new in this state. Dr. Fisher stated that he had not seen that (Building Buildings) discussed anywhere. The community is the catalyst to make things happen.

A couple of further notes:
*** There is a difference between an NC State and an ASU. At NCSU, engagement takes another step. ASU isn't a research institution. It is a teaching institution. Generally, they won't have the same technological resources to happen. The Millennial Campus would be a baby step in that direction. ASU won't become a research intensive institution.

*** The cost of attendance off campus is about Half of what it is on campus in Boone. This is a new population and there isn't a lot of research available on them. This is in the beginning stage - the second year. They are still learning.

*** ASU cannot be everything to everybody. They don't have all of the answers and can't meet all the needs. They do what they do best. They are creating new programs where their are needs. They are a very good comprehensive regional university.

The Hound thinks this is awesome. Everybody has to pitch in. This isn't about Bricks and Mortar and infrastructure. The UNC Higher Education System is not going to be able to reinflate the Real Estate bubble in this area and the UNC-Hickory fantasy wasn't going to achieve that either. This is about changing the culture in this area. This is about educating people so that they increase their capacities of intelligence to a level that will make them better individuals, who are self-reliant, and thus able to contribute more to this community in the long run.

This is in the beginning stages, but at least the first step has been taken. There are so many problems in this community where the first step is never taken, so those problems will continue to persist. People shouldn't fuss, because things aren't happening at the rate of change they want them to happen. I am a product of the UNC system (UNC-Wilmington). UNC-Wilmington was established in 1947 as Wilmington College. It did not become UNC-Wilmington until 1969. Look where it is 40 years later. Look at how it has grown and become part of the fabric of Southeastern North Carolina. We can see that happen with Appalachian State's presence here.

I have spoken about all of this before - Do we need a UNC-Hickory? The citizens of this community are going to have to stop looking elsewhere for answers and realize that the answers are all around us. I personally want to say Kudos to those who have brought this process this far along and state that I am happy with where we are today on this issue.

Building a Relationship with NC State's Centennial campus

On Wednesday, September 30, 2009, I travelled with a group of Hickory Professionals and citizens to NC State's Centennial Campus. I came away from the experience, as I am sure many others did, realizing that it is imperative that we establish a foundational relationship with NC State if we expect to continue hosting jobs in the manufacturing sector. And this community is going to have to get serious about this relationship.

We arrived at the campus around 10:15am and were taken to the Monteith Research Center where we went into a huge conference room. During the opening statement we were told that Catawba County had hosted Centennial campus officials recently to discuss Technologies, Discoveries, and R&D that might be manufactured in Catawba County. The Partnership would possibly be with the Manufacturing Solutions Center on Highway 70 at the old Ryan's Steak House. There could be partnerships, ties, and referrals between the two. There may even be an office on the Centennial Campus. Appalachian State's Millennial Campus could possibly be built in Catawba County because there is no room to build it in Boone. Each University in the UNC system is permitted to build this type of campus and they don't have to be located at that University.

Dennis Kekas gave us an overview of what Centennial campus is all about. NC State has over 33,000 students. The campus was started 25 years ago. The entire college of Engineering, the 4th largest in the nation at 8,400 students, will be brought to the Centennial Campus. The Textile College is currently located on this campus, as well as the College of Veterinary Medicine. There are appropriated buildings paid for by tax payer revenues, University buildings built through the issuance of bonds, suite buildings built through public-private partnerships, and Private Developer buildings that revert back to the University after a number of years.

The Campus encompasses 1,250 acres. The Centennial campus was designed to create exceptions the Umstead Act. The Umstead Act is North Carolina General Statute Legislation that was designed to keep the State from competing unfairly with Private Enterprises. Centennial Campus Ground Rents flow into a trust fund to keep funds perpetuating infrastructure. In 2007, it was ranked the #1 research park in the world, but it is part of the fabric of NC State University. This model focuses on clusters and partnering.

Mr. Kekas went over a lot of technology involved in this campus and its various projects.

Genevieve Garland, Director of Marketing and Business Development, gave us a tour of the Nonwoven Research Center. This was a brief tour where we learned about research into nonwoven textiles being done on the centennial campus. Dan St. Louis stated that this research has a direct impact on what is being done in Catawba county at the Manufacturing Solutions Center. Lab Techs from the State run the machines, but companies bring scientist and technicians and tell them exactly what they want the technicians to do. The Center also helps companies with product development. Nonwovens are generally used in medicine, cosmetics, and hygiene products; but there are other uses such as filters. Companies she mentioned were Exxon, Johnson & Johnson, and Proctor & Gamble. Green, Sustainable, and Reusable materials can be used in all of these products.

Next, we learned about two sectors of the Green Economy that Centennial Campus is working hard to develop with Public-Private Partnerships

Mark Johnson, Professor of Materials Science Engineering, gave a detailed explanation of the smart Grid. There is a direct connection between the University and Long Term Economic Development and Growth. What this program has done is develop people. The problem is connecting energy resources. The Smart Grid updates a century old technology. The current power grids value is over $1 trillion. New technology needs to be injected into an electrical grid that really has changed very little over 100 years.

Currently, the power lines aren't networked to the electrical control station. One of the necessities in creating a more efficient electrical grid is to have the electrical user (House, business, etc.) be able to communicate with the electrical control station. This creates a network multiplier effect, where it is easier to share the electrical power. This is called the FREEDM system (Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems Center). Instead of having a centralized generation system, it will become a distributive (sharing) system. NC State is a National Science Foundation Gen-III Engineering Research Center.

There will be a lot of opportunities in development and manufacturing of these technologies. One of the issues that Dr. Johnson addressed was the fact that energy can't be stored, so we need this interactivity so that the central stations aren't overproducing energy. The result of that overproduction, of course, leads to waste. One of his summations is that electric cars will be used to store energy in their batteries, which will also help efficiency of the power grid. He stated that estimates say we are losing 50% of our generated power. 15% of our energy capital is going to satisfy 1% of time, to keep the system reliable.

Wade Fulghum, North Carolina Solar Center, Program Manager in Economic Development, gave a presentation about Solar Technology. The aim is to increase the deployment of renewable energy towards a sustainable economy. Climate Change is one of the drivers of the economy.

How do energy sources and types compare and what can we do to address these issues. Global demand needs 17 terawatts of new energy by 2020 to maintain the way we are living. Solar can generate 60 terawatts by this time. Mr. Fulghum went over an array of Federal and State credits that have been instituted this year to induce people to use solar. (Solar Center Wins NC Green Business Fund Award).

Tom White, Director of the Economic Development Partnership addressed us about the Economics of the Centennial Campus and the various partnerships that have been created with Private Industry. Mr. White talked about Clusters (and Cluster Development) and stated that they do work. That is what the Centennial campus is based upon. He mentioned Glaxo-Smith-Kline and the Research Triangle Park. He talked about dislocated workers learning new skills.

There is a middle school on the Centennial Campus and these students are performing internships on campus. Those students can take what they learn back to the classroom. He stated that, by in large, kids enter the 6th grade fairly well motivated. They make positive or negative decisions about their personal education before they get to High School.

Deutsche Bank is placing an IT center in Cary and they want to be able to utilize NC State's Brain Power. Credit Suisse and Fidelity Investments already have this kind of relationship with the School. He was talking about thousands of jobs being created. He also stated they are looking into developing Cluster relationships with Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies. A lot of innovation is coming from NC State and companies are buying these start-ups. He stated that Catawba County has all of the institutional mechanisms with the WPCOG and our Community Colleges to create this environment.

Next, we went on a tour of the Biotechnology Training and Education Center (BTEC). We took a tour of the facility and saw how students train using standard practices that they will utilize when they enter the biotech workforce. The facility practices research and development, but does not do actual research and development. Except for the ventilation system, the set up is the same as you would find in modern industry, except on a smaller scale.

Our last presentation of the day was delivered by Buster Knox, Director of the Industrial Extension Services at NC State University. The IES has been in existence since 1955. They want to create an economic impact with businesses in North Carolina. They do a lot of on-site facilitation and demonstration of "Best Practices." Two concepts of manufacturing he mentioned that IES tries to help companies implement are Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma.

Mr. Knox stated that all companies want to achieve better cost, better quality, and better delivery. He stated that companies need to take care of their people and become involved with the community. They are currently doing events called "Manufacturing Matters."

What the Hound learned from this experience. The people at NC State want to partner with us. They want to help us. They seemed very open and enthusiastic about the prospect of facilitating a partnership in this area in any way that they can. Mr. Kekas says we should do a SWOT analysis and figure out how a Cluster Development can work for us.

If we look at this logically, we can see that we have a plethora of options, because of the UNC higher education system. Having the ASU presence helps to efficiently facilitate a lot of options, but we aren't locked into what ASU currently offers. We can look at whomever offers whatever and go from there. I am sure there are graduates of most, if not all, of the Campuses in the UNC system, and all we need to do is reach out and create partnerships that will grow moving forward.

The people that attended these events, evaluated these processes over the following 2 days and I will continue forward with articles about those meetings held at CVCC, last Thursday and Friday, over the next few days.

All is not Lost - Catawba County Intra-City Visit and Economic Revitalization Conference

There is Human capital in this area that can make the difference. We have to give people the tools to achieve our dreams.

I am going to write down the specifics about this three day event over the next couple of days, but I want the average people who read this blog to understand that their are a lot of people in this community that care about the plight of this community. There are people like myself who are dismayed about what they see, some of them are clueless about the paradigms and prerequisites they have set forth in addressing the Malaise, but in the end I believe those people can be brought to the table of openness, knowledge, and comprehensive understanding.

I know that what I saw and heard over the last three days has helped me on the context of some issues. I will readily admit that I don't have all of the answers and I am willing to listen to anyone.

I never had a preference for Kool-Aid and I believe that some of our local leaders are trying to force feed us Kool-Aid and it is really upsetting a lot of people in this community. I promise you, not one presentation that was made during these three days was from a purveyor of Kool-Aid. So over the next few days as I go over the summary of notes, contexts, and messages that were presented during this event, I think that you will see that there is a way out of this economic mess that we are in.

I am going to go over the events of the last three days chronologically and this will show you the people who are difference makers and will play a vital role in this community's renaissance, the valuable things that they said over the past three days, and the relevance of what was said to the plight of today versus what we have to do to achieve the vision of tomorrow that we all want to see.