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Sunday, October 17, 2010

Time to break the Banksters

What Is MERS and What Role Does It Have in the Foreclosure Mess? (Hint: It Holds 60% of All Mortgages, But Has ZERO Employees) - (Washington Blog - October 13, 2010)

What is MERS? - Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems or "MERS" - It is the company created and owned by all of the big banks to process title to property in the U.S. Approximately 60% of the nation’s residential mortgages are recorded in the name of MERS.

Why was MERS created in the first place? In the mid-1990s mortgage bankers decided they did not want to pay recording fees for assigning mortgages anymore. This decision was driven by securitization—a process of pooling many mortgages into a trust and selling income from the trust to investors on Wall Street. Securitization, also sometimes called structured finance, usually required several successive mortgage assignments to different companies. To avoid paying county recording fees, mortgage bankers formed a plan to create one shell company that would pretend to own all the mortgages in the country—that way, the mortgage bankers would never have to record assignments since the same company would always “own” all the mortgages.


"At the Root of the Crisis We Find the Largest Financial Swindle in World History", Where "Counterfeit" Mortgages Were "Laundered" by the Banks - (Washingtons Blog - 10/12/2010)

The tidal wave of evidence showing that the giant banks have engaged in fraudulent foreclosure practices is so large that the attorneys general of up to 40 states are launching investigations.

People's homes are being taken when they didn't even hold a mortgage, and the big banks have been using "robo signers" to forge mortgage related documents. Indeed, even president Obama has been hit by robo signers (see this and this).

Its so blatant that foreclosure mills have published price lists for forging documents, including such gems as:
"Create Missing Intervening Assignment" $35
"Cure Defective Assignment" $12.95
"Recreate Entire Collateral File" $95

According to economist Max Wolff:
The securitization process worked by "packag(ing), sell(ing), repack(aging) and resell(ing) mortages making what was a small housing bubble, a gigantic (one) and making what became an American financial problem very much a global" one by selling mortgage bundles worldwide "without full disclosure of the lack of underlying assets or risks."

Buyers accepted them on good faith, failed in their due diligence, and rating agencies were negligent, even criminal, in overvaluing and endorsing junk assets that they knew were high-risk or toxic. "The whole process was corrupt at its core."

Indeed, there was fraud at every step of the mortgage process. The big banks intentionally signed up borrowers with insufficient income and assets, threw out the documentation because it would prove fraud, racked up loan fees and received short-term payments before all of the new borrowers ran out of money, and then laundered the bad loans into securitized instruments to sell to the suckers.

The banks created an intermediary called "MERS" to hold all of the documentation, in at attempt to shield the banks legally. But courts have held that this scheme doesn't fly, and that MERS doesn't have title to foreclose on houses. See this and this (and as Tyler Durden points out, MERS might have infected the commercial real estate market as well.)

Then there's the whole foreclosure scandal, where banks have forged and backdated documentation to try to prove they are entitled to foreclose. This is the part that is in the news right now. But because fraud was committed every step of the way - from mortgage origination and loan applications, to securitization, to MERS to foreclosures - it shows a fraudulent scheme, and not just sloppy paperwork.

The Hound's Take: Wall Street and the financial institutions in our country are who have gotten us into this mess that is an economic depression. We need to look back to the TARP fund and its passage by the Congress in the heat of the moment during the weeks following the wild rides of the stock market in the middle of September 2008.

What was done at that point in time has certainly not remedied the situation that we faced then and still face today. Please look at the Drudge Report where the top news of the day is Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke looking forward to the Federal Reserve purchasing United States Treasury Securities. This will not fix anything. This is monetizing the debt (devaluing the currency). This has never been attempted in this country before and in every country where this has been attempted it has lead to hyperinflation. If this Genie is let out of the bottle, the possibilities of controlling the valuation of our currency will be at serious risk.

What we see today is a serious systemic crisis based upon corruption. We need to go back and correct the mistakes that were made two years ago. That would be the best thing to do. We gave a few individuals way too much power and they have not acted in the American peoples interest. They have acted only in Wall Street's interest. We should not continue down this path of uncertainty. We need to correct the mistakes that have been made.

Let's look at the value of homes. Honestly,if we were evaluating how much a homeowner can sell their house for it is substantially less than what it was a few years ago. What is holding up this redefinition of market values? I believe it is collusion between the financial institutions and the government as a coordinated action. Governments at all levels do not want to see housing values fall, because this will have an effect on tax revenues and banks do not want to lower the value of assets that they have on the books. They don't want to write down these values and don't want to put these toxic assets on the market and accept the losses and purge the system of these assets that were overvalued because of the bubble economy related to real estate.

The bottom line is that the banks are insolvent and the sooner that we come to that conclusion, the sooner we are going to be able to get out of this depression. We need to break up the banks and decentralize the power concentrated on Wall Street through Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo,and Citibank. We need to force these megabanks to be broken up much the same as AT&T was broken up back in the late 1970s.

Most of the actions above, which were unethical, were perpetrated in the name of consolidation, which ultimately led to corruption caused by greed. Greed may be good for those at top of the food chain, but what we have seen is people have their lives ruined so that these scavengers at the top of the financial food chain could get bigger and bigger just for the sake of getting bigger and bigger. These people are narcissistic sociopaths who care nothing about the security of this nation and its people. They are out of control and it is time to reign them in and rectify this situation and make the people of this great nation whole again. There is nothing wrong with accumulating wealth, but when you do it through fraud and at the expense of innocent people, then it is wrong and you should be made to pay back these ill gotten gains. We know what the problems are and we need to fix them and we need the ensure that we never go back down this road again.

2nd wave of the Banking Meltdown is here


How can the United States avoid Bankruptcy?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

2nd wave of Banking Meltdown is here

MSNBC—Oct. 14, 2010—From the Dylan Ratigan Show. People are starting to fight back against mistreatment by mortgage lenders. And the extent of the housing mortgage mess is beginning to come to light.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Game, Set,...Match?

Death of a city - Gary, Indiana



Wall Street swimming in money while Main Street is swimming in Debt - The Sellout of America - Top 35 Financial Institutions will get $144 billion in bonuses - (Wall Street Journal - October 11, 2010)



Dollar fall sparks stability warnings
- (Financial Times - October 14, 2010)- Increasing expectations the Federal Reserve will pump more money into the US economy next month under a policy known as quantitative easing sent the dollar to new lows against the Chinese renminbi, Swiss franc and Australian dollar. It dropped to a 15-year low against the yen and an eight-month low against the euro.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

October Rant -- Honesty, Integrity, Honor, and Loyalty

I know that nothing is ever been perfect and there have always been problems in our society. Think back to the days of Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger. Those were iconic criminal figures of the Economic Depression of the 1930s. Most of us weren't alive then and so we don't really know if these people were looked up to or not, but there have certainly been movies made that glorified what they did -- sort of like a Robin Hood situation.

You have also seen several of these kinds of issues that have always involved politics. I think of Huey Long in Louisiana or Mayor Richard J. Daley in Chicago. These men were kingmakers and played a role in national politics as much as they did on the local scene. These men's legacies were formed around issues that involved corruption and near dictatorial powers. Their strength, it has been stated in so many words, was built on a foundation of unethical activity. The end always justified the means. Even when their personal actions did not overtly support this corruption, the men who they had put in positions of power formed the base which supported such activity.

Whatever happened to integrity? Did it not used to be part of the fabric of our society or is that just a myth. I look at the documents formed by our forefathers and the government that was instituted their by, did not that government bring us the principles of liberty and were they not founded upon personal integrity, self-reliance, and rugged individualism? It just does not seem right that such a magnificent foundation of principles should lead us to where we are today. How have we gotten to this point?

I am by no means perfect. I do not look to judge people by perfection. But, what I see today is a society that is always looking for someone else to solve their problems and the easy way out. We see a society that has given up on the ideals of excellence. Is that how we have gotten to this point?

In my line of work, I see a general lack of courtesy and manners on a daily basis. I see a true lack of respect between people who should be trying to help one another. The customer provides money and the employee provides a service. Both sides need one another and yet so many times they look at one another in an adversarial manner. One cannot exist without the other, but it seems many times that each look down at the other. They are both human, they're both going to make mistakes, and in the end it is the desire of both parties that each get what they want out of the process. How about some courtesy, some patience, some understanding, some respect? This should be true of all forms of business.

However, what we have seen develop is a game of one-upsmanship. Each party feeling that they are superior to the other party. You know it takes all of us to make a great society. If we respected one another's capabilities and tried to lift one another up, instead of building ourselves up by putting others down, then would the world not be a better place?

I am a chef by trade, I love cooking for people who enjoy good wholesome creative food, but honestly I have lost my desire to practice my profession in public. The people of this area limit the ability of top-notch talent to ply their trade, because they enjoy the process of eating and filling their gut with foods that they could just as easily prepare at home. They just don't seem to care about quality. It is about price, speed of service, portion size. I may be being too honest by stating that, but I am giving a generality about what I have witnessed over the last 25 years.

There are some people who do appreciate what I desire to deliver, but they are in the vast minority. Ten years ago this area was much more economically viable, because the companies in the area were more economically dynamic. We had people coming from all parts of the world to our area and those people respected the talents of creative people in this area. That is part of the race to the bottom that has been witnessed in our area. We have a lot to offer, but we don't have a lot to offer it to. We need to expand our horizons to the outside world, not close the area off to that world.

I really don't know how we're going to get out of this mess. There are forces that are working against solving the problems that we see in our area. And there are forces that are putting their futures at stake to try and rectify the inadequacies and negatives that have been perpetuated and put us in the vulnerable position that we are in today.

I spoke with a friend of mine who is in the real estate profession. I was talking to him about the Economic Depression that we're in and I was stating that I can't understand how people don't see that we are in an Economic Depression. He said that he believed that most people understand this, they just don't want to talk about it or deal with it -- they're scared. I asked about the real estate business and was he doing any business? He stated that he showed properties and he talked about properties, but he wasn't doing any business. He said everything is on hold. Life is on hold.

It is like we have stated on this blog before. You're either making positive progress or you are falling behind. Stagnation is falling behind. I do agree that this area has done things which will help "some" when things turn around, but what are we aggressively doing to turn things around? We have to do things to turn our economic prospects around without relying on external forces to come save the day. We are going to have to take some chances. The status quo in a period of malaise only helps to propagate that malaise.

I feel that it is incumbent upon the people of our community to look to themselves as problem solvers. If we look at the major issues that we are facing today, the common thread is that people are desiring unrealistic solutions from third-party sources. Instead of self-reliance as the principal, people are all too willing to accept charity from people who lack accountability. Who am I talking about? The GOVERNMENT.

Our government is a big problem. The people are going to have to demand accountability from the government. The government grows larger and larger and yet their accountability continues to dim. If the people continue to accept their current lot in this downward economic spiral, then they better prepare for the worst.

I do not know what the future holds, because honestly, I don't understand people. Why do people want to wait until a catastrophe arises until they take action. We have already seen a catastrophe take place with our economy and we have seen the inaction of the government and an ambivalence towards solving the problems that we face. Words, words, words... when we need action. And I may not be taking enough action, but I am acting. People can do something (anything) to help.

Integrity is all about being true to oneself and being honest with oneself. If one cannot get to the core of that general principle, then frankly there is nothing that can be done to help that individual. We need leaders, not sociopaths. The term used for those who serve in the government is “Public Servant.” The government as an entity is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around. That is the foundational principle upon which our government is based.

Corruption is at the root of our economic problems. What we see is systemic. Until we choose to call out those people who represent the forces of iniquity, then we will continue to spin our wheels forever. You better start learning and teaching you kids Mandarin. Taking the easy way out is no longer an option. The issues that we face are related to character. It is only about judging people to the extent of what is inherently right and wrong. If we are unwilling to call people out, because of who they are or some entity that they represent, then we are accomplices and enablers of whatever injustice these people are perpetrating.

We must represent and demand honesty, integrity, honor, and loyalty and we should never shrink in espousing these principles.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

REBUILDING & EMPOWERING FROM THE BOTTOM UP -- Citizens for Equity in Government

The Citizens for Equity in Government (CEG) in Hickory is a call for every resident of Hickory to join in a major effort to make Hickory a better city. Rebuilding and empowering the city requires an informed public that is willing to continually seek the truth and stand for justice for all people. We want to build a grassroots democratic culture where all are respected, all voices are heard, and where we work together so that the needs of all are met. Is that the Hickory you want? Let’s join together in Hickory and make it happen. This campaign is a continuation of decades of grassroots work and is an important step towards laying the foundations for a city where dignity and worth of all are affirmed and up held.

We at CEG stand for dignity, worth and potential of every person. We work with mainly the poor, most rejected, and most ejected and excluded. We try to do this work in such a way as to promote the welfare of all. We fully support the effort to save our children’s swimming pools.

Our struggle for justice involves issues of health, education, environment, and economics. Saving our children’s swimming pools is a starting point rather than an end.

At the recent workshops (hearings) held by the City of Hickory it was abundantly clear what type of Aquatic Program the citizens desired. It was also made clear by City Council member Hank Guess that “the City does not have money set aside for swimming pools and has to balance recreation needs with other city projects.”

Hearings, workshops, citizens’ suggestions and ideals!

We will continue our struggle on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:00 am at Ridgeview Recreation Center. Hear the Rev. Nelson Johnson of Greensboro, NC deliver the keynote address.

Hear what other citizens’ research exposes. But, most of all express yourself.

There will be food and fellowship for all.

Contact: Billy Sudderth (828) 308-4669

The Hound: This sounds great and it is my hope that an effort such as this can succeed in engaging all of the citizens of Hickory and enticing more people to participate in the decision making processes that take place in Hickory. This is not going to be an easy task. In my opinion there are forces that have long aligned to keep the average citizen out of the city's policy making apparatus.

What this is going to take is determination and perseverance. Far too many people believe that efforts such as these will be quickly and easily solved. They feel that going to one meeting or attending a few functions are going to gain attention and cause key decision makers to take notice and support whatever position the group is advocating. It unfortunately does not work that way.

It is a numbers game. The Powers that Be are only going to listen to you when they feel that it may have a direct effect (or reflection) on their status. They listen to the existing interests, because that is who brought them to the decision making table. If they feel that your movement could cause them to lose their position of status, then they will be moved to incorporate your interests into the decision making process. Unfortunately, the name of the game today is not right and/or wrong. Right and/or wrong is only going to come to the fore if a group such as "Citizens for Equity in Government" can become enough of a force to make the necessary changes to existing processes to incorporate such principles into the decision making process.

I congratulate Citizens for Equity in Government on their initial efforts. I do believe that we have seen progress on the Hickory City Pools issue. The efforts to squash the interests of the Ridgeview and West Hickory have failed miserably and this shows that when Advocacy groups do take an interest in city processes that they can make a difference. But, this issue is not solved until the goal is attained and the Pools issue is solved and then we move on from there to solve other issues. Just because you have gotten the tide to turn in your favor on this issue does not mean that you have won anything. You have to remain vigilant. There will be wins and losses along the way. That is how a Representative Democracy works. But, you are now in the game and your participation in Hickory City Governance is a most welcomed sight!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Future is Now -- Hickory Hound 30,000+ Unique Views

On Tuesday the Hound went over 30,000 unique views. I have been keeping up with the numbers and this is by far the fastest 5,000 unique view increment increase that we have seen since this blog began. It took 82 days to get those 5,000 views compared to the previous 5,000 increment (from 20k to 25k) that took 130 days. It is great to see that the Hound continues to gather momentum. It has been steady progress, of course with constant steps forward and steps back, but the trends show the slow, but we are seeing an exponential growth curve develop as we have moved forward.

I truly appreciate those who read and participate with the input of this blog. In my opinion, you give this community hope, because you care. It is discouraging when we see the challenges that we face in this community and the fact that some people just don't get it and others just don't care. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and that is what makes a great community, but when people are ambivalent they may as well be working against us.

Some people think that I am out there and I guess I am a little out there, but I'm a lot less crazy than some of you think. Below is an embedded video from Discovery Channel called "Next World -- the Future of Life on Earth." This video shows technology, much of which is already accessible in its beginning form, that will change life as we know it on earth. I have been around technology my entire life. I have told many of you about that before in other postings and in person.

The human brain does 100 trillion calculations per second, by 2050 a desktop computer will have the equivalent processing power of 9 billion brains. We're moving quickly towards where computer devices will have artificial intelligence. The machines that are derivatives of this technology will give us the capability of being superhuman in nature.

I was around computers when they took up the bottom floor a building to do the most rudimentary operations. Those computers were nothing compared to what Blackberries and iPhones can do today. Remember people’s vinyl collections of music and how much space that 100 albums would take up. Well, today's 160 GB iPod will hold 40,000 songs, so that's anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 albums and this will fit easily in your shirt pocket. That is how technology has evolved and expanded over the last 30 years.

What this video shows is the evolution of robotic technology. The video shows the melding of humans and machines. That is already taking place. Look at what has happened with smart phones and Blue Tooth technology.

This video shows Ray Kurzweil who is one of the leading futurists in the world. What we see from all of this is that humans in their ultimate form are very adaptive. Sometimes the exponential growth of the technology that surrounds us has proven to be faster than our minds can comprehend. What I want you to understand is that most of the technology that we are enjoying today was at one time thought to be impossible. So as one watches this video and has trouble comprehending or believing what they are seeing, they need to come to the realization that anything is possible if given enough time to develop. It is foolish to ever think or state that something can never happened -- never say never.

One recent example is an article that I read on ESPN.com today. Brent Musburger, who most of us know through his association as a media journalist and commentator, was stating that the use of steroids (performance enhancing drugs), when properly administered by physicians in a safe environment, should be acceptable for adult professional athletes. A lot of respondents went with standard line of today that that is an unacceptable idea. But, I understand exactly where Brent Musburger is coming from.

We are coming to an age when bionic prosthetic devices could be used when a human has a problem with the knee joint, hip joint, elbow, shoulder, ankle, vertebrae, etc... Eventually these devices could be better than the real thing. Would these not be construed as performance enhancing devices. Should they be banned or outlawed. What if an athlete tears up their knee and one of these devices could be installed as replacement. What would be wrong with that?

These are some of the ethical questions that are going to have to be answered in the very near future. We see this in this video when an exoskeleton is shown. We have already seen the use of predator drones on the battlefield. Soon we are going to see the ability to utilize robotic technology and exoskeleton technology in conjunction with humans on the battlefield. We must open our minds to the possibilities in order to gain an understanding of what we are facing. You can stick your head in the sand or you can join those of us who have an acceptance of all of this and help to make better decisions of the limitless possibilities, consequences, and challenges that we face.

This particular video runs a little over 40 minutes. Watch a little bit at a time and come back to it. I don't see how you can't find something such as this very interesting. Sure it isn't a comedy or drama to help you escape the pressures of day, but it is good to expand your horizons and understand the true characteristics of the world in which we live.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of October 5, 2010

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

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

You will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 10/5/2010 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below

Invocation by Rev. Ken McEahern

Consent Agenda:
A. Proclamation Declaring the Week of October 18 – 22, 2010 as “National Business Women’s Week” in the City of Hickory

B. Adopt Resolution Honoring the Memory of Patricia Ann McNair for Her Many Years of Community Contributions to the City of Hickory

C. Approval to Apply for 2010 United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Assessment Grant Program - The Planning and Development Department requests approval to file an application with
the 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Assessment Grant Program by October 15, 2010. The department’s intention is to apply for a $200,000.00 Hazardous Materials Grant and a $200,000.00 Petroleum Grant. The grants are 100% federally funded and require no local match. The US EPA Region IV Atlanta has encouraged the City to apply for the 2010 funding grant due to the success of the 2007 Brownfield Assessment Grant. There is no cost to apply.

D. Approval to Sole Source Neptune Radio Meters for the Public Utilities Department to Neptune Technology Group, Inc. - The Public Utilities Department requests sole sourcing radio read water meters to allow standardization of parts inventory, training and service. The hand held equipment currently used is Equinox, which is Neptune supported and will not allow other meters to work with them. HD Waterworks, Inc. is the only North Carolina representative for Neptune Technology Group, Inc. Permission is requested to sole source due to the fact that no other company can provide bids for this equipment..

E. Award Bid to Amick Equipment for the Purchase of Two (2) Replacement Automated Side Loaders in the Amount of $484,932.00 - The City of Hickory received five (5) bids with Amick Equipment meeting bid
specifications and being the low bidder at $242,466.00 for each unit for a total of $484,932.00. These new automated side loaders (refuse trucks) will replace units 3719 and 3750 and funds are budgeted for FY 2010-11.

F. Approve Contract Extension for Federal Government Grant Services with Marlowe and Company in the Amount of $56,250.00 The City’s current contract with Marlowe and Company expires September 30, 2010 which included assistance in preparing grants, lobbying members of Congress on federal issues affecting local governments and taking the City step by step through the federal appropriations request process. Monthly updates have been furnished to the City and have met to discuss the steps needed to begin the federal appropriation request process. Staff recommends extension of the contract with Marlowe and Company for fifteen months through December, 2011 in the amount of $3,750 per month for a total of $56,250.

G. Adopt Resolution and Approve Agreement with The Prudential Insurance Company of America Allowing City Employees to Contribute to the NC Deferred Compensation Plan (457) - The City of Hickory employees may currently participate in the NC 401K Plan as well as two (2) 457 plans. By adding the NC 457 plan, employees will have an additional option to save more tax deferred funds for retirement. Staff recommends Resolution adoption and approval of third-party agreement.

H. Budget Ordinance Amendments
1. To budget a $15 memorial donation in the Library Books line item for a children’s book.

2. To budget a total of $13,343 in the Recycling Division Non-Asset Inventory line item. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance awarded Hickory an $11,119 grant to upgrade one of the existing Recycling drop off centers. To transfer $2,224 from the Recycling Fuel and Motor Oil line item to the Recycling Division Non-Asset Inventory line item for the required local match. This upgrade will allow Hickory to collect and transport 3 different types of materials to the recycling facility with one trip.
3. To transfer $299 from the Police Department Maintenance and Repair of Buildings to the Firing Range Grant Project Specialized Equipment line item for additional concrete needed for the project.

4. To re-appropriate $580,159 of Water and Sewer Fund Balance and budget in the Water and Sewer Line account codes. This amendment is necessary for water and sewer utility relocation to meet the Department of Transportation (DOT) contract for the extensions on Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard from 7th Ave. NE to 8th Ave. NE. Funds were budgeted last fiscal year however they rolled into Fund Balance at year end. Therefore a re-appropriation of funds is necessary.


Informational Items:
A. Report of Mayor Wright’s Travel to Linville, NC to Attend the Future Forward Economic Alliance Meeting at the Grandfather Mountain Museum on September 21, 2010; mileage - $81.00

B. Report of Alderman Lail’s Travel to Chapel Hill, NC to Attend the Strategic Leadership – Setting Priorities, Getting Results Workshop at the School of Government from September 23 – 24, 2010; registration - $295.00

C. Report of Mayor Wright’s Travel to Asheville, NC to Attend the 2010 Metropolitan Mayors Fall Meeting from September 23 - 24, 2010; hotel/parking - $222.86; meals - $60.00; mileage - $75; registration - $100

D. Report of City Manager Berry’s Travel to Asheville, NC to Attend the 2010 Metropolitan Mayors Fall Meeting from September 23 – 24, 2010; hotel - $170.33; registration - $100

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Update on Revisions to Hickory By Choice 2030/Land Development Code - Since February 2009 the Advisory Committee and a variety of stakeholders have met numerous times and held five (5) public workshops, with one being scheduled for Monday, October 4. The current Hickory By Choice document is the City’s vision for the future and is over eleven (11) years old while the Land Development Code is a legally binding tool which implements the plan and has undergone numerous amendments since its conception in 2001 and has shown to be a cumbersome document and with the new revisions is planned to become a much more succinct and easy document to use. The Planning and Development Department with Studio Cascades and the Advisory Council have made significant changes to both documents and will advise City Council as to what steps still need to be accomplished for approval and adoption.

Brian Frazier made a brief introduction in which he introduced Bill Grimes of Studio Cascade. We have addressed this process many times over the past year two years, so some of this I will not go over because that would be redundant. Since February of 2009 a variety of stakeholders have participated in this process. The planning and development staff, a Council approved 16 member advisory committee, hundreds of citizens, the land-use development board, and the Chamber of Commerce have all participated.

The goal has been to revise the 1999 Hickory By Choice future land-use plan and the 2001 Council adopted Land Development Code. The advisory committee has met over a dozen times over the last 20 months. And there have been six public workshops. Hickory By Choice, has not been significantly altered or updated over the past 11 years. The new Hickory By Choice 2030 plan will be comprehensive and will have a number of elements including transportation, land use, public facilities, housing, economic development, the environment, and Parks and Recreation, which envisions community design and implementation. It is much more far-reaching than the plan, from 11 years ago.

The Land Development Code implemented in 2001 has seen many amendments over the course of the past several years. It has been a cumbersome document for city staff and planners and developers. The new code is much more user-friendly. Brian stated Hickory By Choice 2030 will serve as the vision for Hickory's future and act as a blueprint for growth. The Land Development Code will be the legally binding tool and law that well help to implement the vision (plan).

Bill Grimes took the podium and quickly described the trajectory of the planning process that got us to this point. He talked about amending the 1999 Hickory By Choice plan to reflect some rather significant changes in circumstances that have happened up until now. They're also trying to update code so that it becomes a consistent package.

He went over the six workshops. The first workshop was a vision workshop. The 1999 plan was somewhat abstract, because it was calling for the creation of pedestrianized centers. All of the daily needs of citizens would be provided by a 5 to 10 minute walk from where they lived. That wasn't necessarily an easy process to implement over the period up until now. So we needed to come back and take a look at that. The universal application of that process needed to be scaled back, but some important elements remained. The workshop in March of 2009 allowed us to reset our vision towards goals that can be accomplished over the next 20 years.

In April of 2009. We had a character workshop in which we tested how the community could have a walkable environment, as well as an economically prosperous one across the city. Some cases were studied, including Viewmont and Downtown. These were brought to the workshop. What they wanted to see is how those areas could work better for people who are pedestrians or riding a bicycle or shopkeepers. They were also looking at people who were wanting to invest or develop properties in these areas.

The third workshop looked at how policy could be transformed from 1999, which was focused on land use and transportation alone, into a policy that is appropriate for 2010, and ultimately 2030. The 1999 scope was being expanded as part of this process to look at housing and economic development in a wide range of other things. The second part of this workshop looked to the zoning and land-use regulation. They looked at different strategies and techniques for zoning and regulation of this development over the next 20 years.

There were several complex issues that were discovered from that previous workshop and so they had a charrette with the advisory committee to go through some different alternatives, which pointed us in the direction of the commercial corridors and centers that existed in Hickory.

There was a commercial centers and corridors workshop that was held in October 2009. This workshop asked citizens to characterize the commercial centers and corridors that exist in Hickory. Understanding that some centers and corridors are gonna be urban, and some will be suburban in character. How will standards be put in place that take both of these characteristics into account and place them in their proper context. Hickory By Choice 1999 did not look at this. This created a conflict that the planning department has had to deal with for the last 11 years. The LDC had both suburban and urban standards, but Hickory By Choice only dealt with urban issues. This was used as a jumping off point so that we could rectify this suburban urban issue.

In February 2010 a workshop was held to discuss the city's residential areas. The idea was to figure out a way to accommodate another 12,000 residents in the City of Hickory. New housing types were added to the equation. It is not always financially or fiscally feasible to grow by expansion, alone. One of the things they were hearing from the community is that there needs to be more diverse land-use within the city. This will help to accommodate additional population without expanding planning areas within the city limits.

Brian Frazier took back the podium and stated that this plan would better take into account the current economy and demographic trends and conditions. He stated that the planners always looked at development from an optimistic point of view and that is what they have been moving on. Has this plan taken longer to develop than they initially envisioned? Yes, but he stated that that was on him. Much of that is attributable to the fact that no changes have occurred in 11 years and they wanted to be more thoughtful and thorough in the process. He stated that this is the best time to plan -- during a down economy.

He reiterated that this is going to be a much more comprehensive plan. He stated, there are going to be about 10 different elements in this plan. He stated that this will include a smaller planning area in size. 11 years ago Hickory By Choice, looked at areas outside of Hickory's ETJ. It went beyond annexation agreements that Hickory had with Conover and Newton. Hickory got some negative blowback on that. This made Hickory look like the proverbial 800 pound gorilla.

This is shrunken, the planning area now where it is legal. This plan looks to develop fewer mixed-use centers. The previous plan at 15 or 16 of these centers, which diluted development in the area and ended up subconsciously encouraging strip development in the area. Brian calls this dumbbell development. This took the sense of place away from the proposed centers and placed it along the corridors between the centers. They are trying to bring development back to those centers and enable that walkability, which was the focus of the original Hickory By Choice.

Downtown will become a Central Business District and that will help downtown with its own set of design standards. They are looking at rehabilitation areas along some of the one-way pairs. This will coincide with "Operation No Vacancy" and the Brownfields to try and give a lift up for people who are willing to locate businesses within these areas.

They are also looking to change residential densities. This will be done through the Land Development Code. The goal of HBC 2030 is to be an economic development strategy. He stated that we do not have a plan that is tailored towards economic development. Updating the LDC was a priority. With the previous Hickory By Choice plan not being developed simultaneously with the LDC it meant that there was a disconnect between the two. With this HBC 2030 plan being done in association with the LDC, it means that they will be compatible from the starting line.

They are looking at various corridor studies and plans which will include Hwy 127 and old 70 which needs some work. He stated that he is working with the State on a Hwy 321 plan that will go from I-40 in the Hwy 70 corridor all the way up into Lenoir. They're looking to work with business owners along the Lenoir-Rhyne X. . The Brownfield sites in this area are prime for re-use for retail and office space that will be tailored towards the students and the faculty at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

He stated that he promised that the Land Development Code book would be smaller. The book has been reduced from over 400 pages to around 240 pages. City staff is working diligently to whittle this down and make it easier and more business friendly. He is trying to eliminate subjective interpretations and bring consistency. They are also trying to simplify land-use categories. He stated as an example that the categories should just be retail or manufacturing.

They are looking at a set of commercial corridor aesthetics so that there will be more of a sense of place. They're looking at beefing up design standards in looking at conditional zoning, which has recently been approved by the State of North Carolina legislature. They're looking at less onerous redevelopment standards. They're not looking to continue to perpetuate strip development. They are looking at simplifying design standards. They are trying to strike the proper balance between being pro-business and pro-neighborhood.

They are looking at expansion of preservation overlays to include Highland, Ridgeview Westmont, and Claremont, because these neighborhood protections were not afforded to them since the 2001 Land Development Code was instituted. They are looking to improve manufactured home standards and multi-family apartment standards. They're looking to improve transition zoning standards. They are looking to reduce permitted by right O&I uses to reduce the neighborhood creep.

He stated that this would reduce the turn around for businesses in the decision-making process involving the Planning Department. He stated that there will be more items that will be permitted by right under the new code. The number of days before an item is approved, should be reduced to between one and 10 days. Currently, many of these items have to go through the planning commission, which can take up to 30 days and then there can be another 30 days before you get your approval, which is up to 60 days.

They're working with the Business Development Committee and the Chamber of Commerce to get them on board. They're looking at flexible commercial and industrial redevelopment to try and make it easier through projects like the Brownfields and Operation No Vacancy to tailor the old buildings. This will not only help the business community, but it will help the residents, who will no longer have to drive by these empty buildings. This will improve the overall appearance and do a lot to solve the problems by being pro-neighborhood and pro-business.

Tonight's appearance before the Council was a courtesy to let the Council know what is going on here and to reintroduce Bill Grimes to the Council again. The first public hearing will be at the planning commission meeting on October 27. He hopes that this will be on the agenda for the Council in either December or January, and this will be ready for adoption by January of this upcoming year.

Alder Fox stated that this was an exciting courtesy (appearance). She stated that this needed to be done, and she believes that they have approached this in a very comprehensive way. The economy may the bad, but all of the plans that have been laid out a very exciting. Alder Patton added that the city has laid the infrastructure for future growth and this is the same thing from the planning side. They have laid the groundwork so that when the economy does come back, we'll not need to do anything because it will have been done. Alderman Lail asked if this would lead to a reconfiguration of the planning commission. Mr. Frazier stated that they have looked at that, but Hickory is one of the first cities that developed a regional planning commission in 1966 and this was an act of the Gen. assembly in Raleigh. The planning jurisdictional purview is within the ETJ -- that means the entire area surrounding Hickory. The ETJ will still be the same, it is just the playing area that will become smaller. Alderman Lail stated that he would like to get a walk-through prior to this coming before the city Council. He stated that he would like this to be a workshop.

Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 6th Meeting - (Unable to attend this meeting)
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 5th Meeting
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 4th Meeting
Hickory By Choice 2030 Workshop: 3rd Meeting - (Unable to attend this meeting)
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 wandered on August 17, what was going on with this rewrite of Hickory by Choice. I know that patience is a virtue, but with me sometimes that is a hard commodity to come by, especially in these difficult economic times. I pontificated at that time that the former document was such a myriad of mazes that that might be the reason that this was taking so long. Brian Frazier essentially inferred that was the problem.

I am excited about the prospects of a new era that this document could bring forth. In my opening remarks related to this project, I stated that the goal should be economic development -- that business didn't seem to be part of the equation of this process. Mr. Frazier has certainly turned that around, and I think that he has made that the key component that this document is designed around. Tough economic times, such as those that we are in, bring economics to the forefront. Such as what I was taught in business school, the three keys to the success of an enterprise are location, location, location...

We have to create the locations for businesses to thrive in the Hickory. One quarter of the city is completely full of businesses. One small segment of Highway 70, located near I-40 thrives. The rest of this town for the most part is in the dumps. I like the idea of these revitalization zones. My family's business interests have been negatively impacted by the abandonment of the South side of the tracks. That certainly brings this issue to a the forefront for me. But, I do not want this issue dealt with for my own personal interests. I want this issue dealt with, because it is what is best for the citizens of Hickory.

The members of the City Council and certain city staff know the position of where I come from. We need balance in Hickory. We do not have balance in Hickory. Let's put a map of Hickory on a table and place businesses on that map. If you did that, the table would most certainly fall over. There is no balance.

I think that Mr. Frazier has shown that he understands this. It is my hope that the key interests as far as business and development in our city begin to realize that this is a most certain problem. What has served their personal interests in the past just might not serve their best interests in the future. We need to develop this whole city and not just part of it. Where do the people that live on the south side of the tracks go to buy their groceries? Where do they go to the eat? Where do they go to shop? Where do they go to the doctor? Where do they go for any services? Why is all this stuff on the north side of the tracks? Most of us that have lived here know that it didn't used to be and it certainly doesn't have to be.

2. Update on Citizen Engagement - Assistant City Manager Andrea Surratt will update Council on the extensive activities of the City which engage residents.

Andrea Surratt made the presentation, but before she came to the podium. City Manager Berry had a few comments. He stated that at staff level they were looking at all the things that the city does to engage citizens. He stated that they were impressed with all of the things that the city is doing to engage the citizens. He has spoken with some of the City Council members about the possibilities of a neighborhood summit in the fall.

Ms. Surratt came to the podium (much of this was displayed in a PowerPoint presentation that I pieced together into a storyboard in the photograph below -- please click on the photo link to expand the photo so that you can read the bullet points to see the discussion). Ms. Surratt stated that they had not (ever) looked at the number of times that they engage the public, including across all departments, all times of the year, one-time events, events that happen once a month...

She went over the nine neighborhood organizations, the average attendance at these monthly meetings, business organizations that the city works with, the boards and commission's, never a college, citizens police Academy, the community emergency response teams as part of the fire department, the speakers bureau, special events, and communications and social media.

Ms. Surratt then went over the monthly estimate of hours related to citizen engagement, which is over 1100 hrs. and discussed the over 13,500 hours per year, which would equal six staff positions within the city.





***If you ever want to read larger (or smaller) text on any of these documents all you have to do is hold down the control button and press the plus (or minus) button on your computer to zoom in on the text (minus to zoom out). This can also be done with the photos, Then you can use the sliders at the bottom and right side of the browser page to ride up and down the page to read it (or look at the photo). Just thought I would throw that out there in case you think the text is too small (or big). I only do that so these documents don't take up so much space and as a way to differentiate between the subject matter.