CEGs Hickory City Council Checklist - 2/19/2013

CEGs first 5 proposals for a more representative City Council

CEG's HDR Letter to the Editor - Unedited Version - from 10/10/12

✓ 1) Move time for citizens requesting to be heard to the top of the agenda at City council meetings. As of tonight February 19, 2012, we have accomplished this objective. The Council should be thanked for doing the right thing.

2) Demand that council members take conflict of interest matters more seriously. The Mayor did recuse himself at a City Council meeting a month ago. Once again the right thing to do and he is to be commended. We do need to make policies that will clean up this area going into the future.

1/2✓ 3)Record and broadcast City Council meetings via Charter Cable and the internet. The meetings, as those who follow the Hound understand, are already available on Youtube. You will see when I get the Broadcast of this February 19th meeting up that the City Manager and some of the Council wanted to pretend and belittle these broadcasts of the meetings, it only made them look silly. You have to weigh desires with reality. Does the public care about a Hollywood production? And is a Hollywood production possible and feasible?

I have only been recording the meetings to force the issue. I am not doing this for ego sake. I was asked to do this by others and they provided the support, because they want this issue moved forward. This is about trust and accountability as Cliff Moone said on this night and I have said before. This isn't about vanity. This should have happened years ago and a desire to fly under the radar is the only reason why it hasn't.

It is a good first step that the audio of the meetings along with Power Point presentations are going up, as has been put forth on the Hound for a while now. I haven't wanted to have a relation with the City, at this point, to go through the steps to procure these Power Points, so I have taken the pictures and post the photos for you. I see how the Hickory Daily Record's relationship with the city can compromise their coverage and why would I want to follow suit? I am not saying this to call out the HDR. I am only pointing to the obvious. In yesterday's paper, the HDR reported some cost numbers the City had put forward related to Video. There were no questions asked to verify the authenticity of those cost numbers, so those numbers are meaningless. They seem to have been pulled out of the air in much the same way that the numbers were pulled out of the air about the Structure on Union Square. And the HDR didn't question those numbers either. We won't be playing that game.

Video is obviously nowhere near as hard as they are making it out to be. The City Manager and a few on Council wanted to talk about the quality of such video presentations. They seemed to insinuate that I am using a flip phone and my quality is cheesy. I have attempted to be inconspicuous and disturb the proceedings as little as possible and still get the audience the information and a feel for the meetings.

The City Manager and Council want to monopolize the presentation of information to the people. The information that belongs to the people, not Mick Berry or Jill Patton. The fact is that I am using a Sony Bloggie High Definition Camera capable of 1920x1080p broadcasts at 30 frames per second. I have to reduce the quality through rendering to 720x480p at 24 frames per second to reduce the size of the files for upload onto Youtube. Not only to reduce upload time, but also to reduce download time. These cameras are 12 megapixel quality. If I want to shoot somebody's nosehair, I have that capability. The fact of the matter is that this video rendering still is a 500 megabyte file for 1 hours worth of video and the upload of that one hour's video takes approximately three hours. The issues involve bandwidth and upload speed. Maybe, as I have stated before, the City ought to be working on that 21st century infrastructure issue.

It was obvious to anyone other than a layman that the Council didn't have a clue about what they were talking about pertaining to this issue. We hope, going forward, that they will evolve on this issue as they did on the Citizen Input issue. 
 
✓ 4) Restore citizen’s right to request that items be removed from the consent agenda. As of tonight February 19, 2012, we have accomplished this objective. The Council should be thanked for doing the right thing. All of the handwringing over this issue last May, only to come full circle back to where we started. If money is time and time is money, then let's quit wasting time and get this community moving forward again.

5) Make “working agendas” available by Wednesday of each week before a City council meeting to give citizens time to be aware and prepare for meetings. This should happen also. Most people aren't going to look at the Agenda when it comes out on Friday evening. They have worked all week and they are looking to get home and chill out over the weekend. They are more worried about Friday dinner than a City Council Agenda. They say that Corporate Entities like to put out information on Friday Evenings for this very reason, especially negative information; because they know that people won't do anything over the weekend.

 

*** The City Council Meeting lasted for 3 hours last night. It will take a couple hours to get it ready and several hours to upload it. I will upload it in sections with the Newsletter coming out the day after the video is out. Thank You for your patience and your support.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 17, 2013

Retail sales growth slows as higher taxes kick in - Reuters - By Lucia Mutikani - February 13, 2013 - Retail sales barely rose in January as tax increases and higher gasoline prices restrained spending, setting up the economy for only modest growth in the first quarter.                      The Commerce Department said on Wednesday retail sales edged up 0.1 percent after a 0.5 percent rise in December.                       The small increase suggested the expiration of a 2 percent payroll tax cut on January 1 and higher tax rates for wealthier Americans were hurting the economy.                          Still, economists said consumer spending was unlikely to buckle given rising home values, moderate job growth and rallying stock market prices. Stocks have surged in recent months partly on stronger than expected corporate earnings...                     Consumer spending growth is expected to pull back from the fourth-quarter's clip as households adjust to smaller paychecks and gasoline prices march higher. Prices at the pump have increased 30 cents a gallon so far this year.                           Estimates for consumer spending growth in the first quarter currently range between 0.7 percent and 1.8 percent.                           While some economists were encouraged that consumers had maintained purchases despite a reduction in their disposable incomes, they cautioned sales could remain weak over the next months.                    "By no means are we completely out of the woods when it comes to the impact of higher taxes," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York. "Evidence from past episodes suggests it could take up to two quarters for spending to fully adjust to new tax realities."                        A softer pace of consumer spending is expected to limit GDP growth to a 1.8 percent rate this quarter, according to a Reuters poll of economists. For the year as a whole, economists expect growth of just 2.3 percent.


Mortimer Zuckerman: By Any Measure, the Jobs Disaster Continues - Wall Street Journal through Zero Hedge -  - February 15, 2013 - Jobs! President Obama has set a record. In his speech to Congress on Tuesday, he uttered the word "jobs" more than in any of his previous four State of the Union addresses. His 45 mentions were more than double the references to any of the other policy ambitions encapsulated in his speech by such words as health, education, immigration, guns, deficit, debt, energy, climate, economy, Afghanistan, wage, spend or tax (the runner-up).                     If only the president's record on unemployment were as good.                       After four years America remains in a jobs depression as great as the Great Depression. But the crisis isn't seen in that light because the country isn't confronted daily by scenes of despair like the 1930s photographs of bread lines and soup kitchens and thousands of men (very few women then) waiting all day outside a factory in a forlorn quest for work.                      But the jobless are still in the millions across the land, little changed in their total since the 1930s: 12.3 million today officially fully unemployed compared with 12.8 million in 1933 at the depth of the Depression.                     Yes, the U.S. population is much larger now, but 12 million out of work still means 12 million lives devastated. And that number masks the true vastness of the modern disaster.                       The jobless today are much less visible than they were in the 1930s because relief is organized differently. Today in the "recovery," the millions are being assisted, out of sight, by government checks, unemployment checks, Social Security disability checks and food stamps.                       More than 48 million Americans are in the food-stamp program—an almost incredible record. That is 15% of the total population compared with the 7.9% participation in food stamps from 1970-2000. Then there are the more than 11 million Americans who are collecting Social Security checks to compensate for disability, also a record. Half have signed on since President Obama came to office. In 1992, there was one person on disability for every 35 workers; today it is one for every 16.


U.S. Stocks Fall as Wal-Mart Tumbles Amid Economic Data - Bloomberg BusinessWeek - Lu Wang and Leslie Picker - February 15, 2013 - The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell, snapping three days of gains, as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. tumbled and investors weighed economic data.                 Wal-Mart slipped 2.2 percent amid the worst sales start of a month in seven years. Agilent Technologies Inc. fell 5.2 percent after cutting its full-year forecast. CBS Corp. climbed 4 percent after forecasting growth in licensing fees and an increase in its share buybacks. MeadWestvaco Corp. rallied 13 percent after Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management LP took a stake in the packaging company.                       The S&P 500 fell 0.1 percent to 1,519.79 at 4 p.m. in New York. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 8.37 points, or 0.1 percent, to 13,981.76. About 6.7 billion shares traded hands on U.S. exchanges, 9.7 percent above the three-month average, as options on stocks, equity indexes and exchange-traded products were set to expire. The market is closed Feb. 18 for Presidents Day.                        Wal-Mart’s sales slowdown “is a sign that the consumer is not as ready to come back as maybe Wall Street was hoping,” Terry L. Morris, who helps oversee about $2.6 billion at Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based National Penn Investors Trust Co., said by phone. “Maybe the market is a little ahead of itself at assuming better growth than what’s actually there.” ...                    Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, dropped $1.52 to $69.30. Sales slumped this month as payroll-tax increases hit shoppers already battling a slow economy, according to internal e-mails obtained by Bloomberg News. The numbers “are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Wal-Mart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives. 


Dying Dollar? Why US Currency Is in Danger - CNBC through Yahoo - Jeff Cox – February 14, 2013 - The U.S dollar is shrinking as a percentage of the world's currency supply, raising concerns that the greenback is about to see its long run as the world's premier denomination come to an end.                 When compared to its peers, the dollar has drifted to a 15-year low, according to the International Monetary Fund, indicating that more countries are willing to use other currencies to do business...                                        "If the dollar loses status as the world's most reliable currency the United States will lose the right to print money to pay its debt. It will be forced to pay this debt," Bove said. "The ratings agencies are already arguing that the government's debt may be too highly rated. Plus, the United States Congress, in both its houses, as well as the president are demonstrating a total lack of fiscal credibility."                                 Bove is not the only one sounding the reserve currency alarm, though the issue has fallen off the front pages as hopes for a sustained U.S. recovery have taken hold and the stock market has surged to near-record highs...                            The dollar's seemingly precarious status is why Pento remains bullish on gold and believes the dollar's demise as the premier reserve currency could end even sooner than Bove predicts -- perhaps by 2015.
"Five to 10 years -- that would be an outlier," he said. "I would say 2015, 2016, that would be the time when it becomes a particularly salient issue. When we're spending 30 to 50 percent of our revenue on debt service payments, we enter into a bond market crisis. The dollar starts to drop along with bond prices. That would set off the whole thing."
     

Stop Freaking Out About The Sequester -  Business Insider - James Pethokoukis, American Enterprise Institute - February 15, 2013 - he past four years have seen a level of US government spending and debt unmatched outside of World War Two. The early 1980s period is the only contender. From 2009-2012, spending as a share of output averaged 24.4%. During that same period, annual budget deficits averaged 9.1% of GDP. From 1982-1985, federal spending averaged 22.9% of output, annual budget deficits 4.9%.                       Yet despite all that spending and debt, the US has actually been experiencing a period of sharp fiscal consolidation since the end of the Great Recession (reflected in the above chart). Economist Mike Darda of MKM Partners:

Despite a widely held view to the contrary, there has been a passive fiscal tightening under way for three years in the U.S. Although the federal spending/GDP ratio exploded during the recession, it peaked near the business cycle trough in mid-2009 and began to recede in 2010. There has been no net growth in total federal expenditures since mid-2010. As a result, the U.S. fiscal deficit has fallen to about 6.5% of GDP from a peak of 10.4% in late 2009.

America's financial downfall: Citizens now desperately raiding 401(k) plans to pay bills long before retirement - Natural News.com - JD Hayes - February 17, 2013 - Is chronic, slow economic growth and rising poverty the new normal for America and Americans? Unfortunately, for an increasing number of people, the answer is yes.                         According to recent reports, a large and growing portion of American workers who are having trouble making ends meet because of rising costs are being forced to raid their retirement accounts for non-retirement needs, "raising broad questions about the effectiveness of one of the most important savings vehicles for old age," The Boston Globe said.                        In fact, more than one in four - a staggering 25 percent of workers - with 401(k) and similar retirement savings accounts are now using them to pay current bills, new data indicates.                          The monetary figure is alarming: A quarter of the $293 billion deposited in such accounts each year is now being drained via loans, withdrawals and out-right cash-outs, "undermining already shaky retirement security for millions of Americans," the paper said.



The Dangerous Partnership Between Big Business and Government - againstcronycapitalism.org - February 14, 2013 - It looks like people are getting hip to how insidious and incestuous crony capitalism is.                   Big business and big government work hand in glove. From GE to GM to Goldman Sachs to Bank of America to Berkshire Hathaway to Monsanto to Barr Labs everyone is feeding at the taxpayer trough.  Add in the giant media conglomerations and one has an unholy alliance which would make Darth Vader proud.                      “Come to the dark side, big business. We shall rule the universe together.”...                  


Fewer bees a threat to world's almond supply - USA Today - February 16, 2013 - In an almond orchard in California's Central Valley, bee inspector Neil Trent pried open a buzzing hive and pulled out a frame to see if it was at least two-thirds covered with bees.                          Trent has hopped from orchard to orchard this month, making sure enough bees were in each hive provided by beekeepers. Not enough bees covering a frame indicates an unhealthy hive — and fewer working bees to pollinate the almond bloom, which starts next week across hundreds of thousands of acres (hectares) stretching from Red Bluff to Bakersfield.                         "The bloom will come and go quickly," said Trent, who works for the Bakersfield-based bee broker Scientific Ag Co. "The question is: Will the almond seeds get set? It depends if you have enough of a workforce of bees."                             That has growers concerned as nomadic beekeepers from across the country converge on the state with their semi-trucks, delivering billions of bees to the orchards for the annual pollination. Most almond trees depend on bees to transfer pollen from the flower of one tree variety to the flower of another variety before fertilization, which leads to the development of seeds...                        Since it was recognized in 2006, colony collapse disorder has destroyed colonies at a rate of about 30% a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that, losses were about 15% a year from pests and diseases. No one has determined its cause, but most researchers point to a combination of factors, including pesticide contamination, poor nutrition and bee diseases.
                       This year, experts say, the die-off has been as high as 40% to 50% for some beekeepers.                             "We have smaller populations in the hives and higher winter losses," said Eric Mussen, a bee specialist at the entomology department of University of California, Davis. "Bees across the country are not in as good a shape as last year. When you stress them far enough, the bees just give in."

There Will Be No Economic Recovery. Prepare Yourself Accordingly. -  Stefan Molyneux

 

The State of Hickory 2013

Survival

Here we are for the fifth consecutive year attempting to characterize where Hickory's Economy and Culture are at moving through the year 2013. Once again we look at where we have been and where the trends show us heading. I have spent the past year speaking with people from across the cultural and socio-economic strata of our area and I will relate to you the collective story that comes forward from my perspective.

This past year was another year of stagnation in this community. The economy relatively did not grow in anything other than an anecdotal way.. Sure there have been a few businesses that moved to the area, but for every business venture created there have been an equal number or more that are no longer with us.

It seems that the new types of businesses that have come into existence in our community are the "Thrift" types of businesses. I am not saying that this is good or bad. I am just pointing out that there are many businesses that sell second hand, close out, overstocked or consignment goods in our community. They have always been here, but they are prevalent in the community to a greater degree than ever. Why have we seen a proliferation of such businesses?

In the current economy people are obviously looking to cut out waste, cut costs, and stretch dollars. Not too long ago people would throw possessions away without a second thought. Now people will look to sell items/assets that they no longer need and take the money obtained to buy things that they currently need. People are being forced to take a long look at their finances and decide what are necessities and what are extras.

Such a mindset might be wise in the long run, but it does not bode well for the short term prospects of an economy. As many of you know, I work as a Chef. During the Boom years people threw Grand Parties at my Aunt's Restaurant and functions we catered to. Whether Private or Corporate Affairs, people asked for the finest foods to be served in the finest settings under the finest of circumstances. It wasn't unusual for people to spend thousands of dollars on a party. Those types of extravaganzas have died out for the most part in this community. They were actually one of the first victims of this downturn.

As this community has aged what we have seen in Restaurant and Hospitality is more older people sharing or ordering half portions. Customers demand even greater service, but ticket/cover averages are way down. In the restaurant business, we are seeing people working harder to try to maintain income at the same time that costs have sky rocketed. I am sure that this is the same in most businesses and this is not an optimistic climate. It is about hanging on. It is about Survival. What is most stressful is to have the feeling that the worst is yet to come.

The Calm before the Storm

Have you ever been in a Hurricane? I have been in a couple.

I'm not talking about sitting hundreds of miles inland. I am talking about being a mile or so from the shoreline. You see the thing forming out in the Atlantic and it starts creeping your way. You can't get all distraught about it, but you have to pay attention. You have to remain vigilant. It can turn away, but there comes a point where you know that you are going to have to deal with it. You'll have to batten down and make sure you have provisions. You'll have people fretting like it is the end of the world and others acting like it's just going to be a shower. There is always a surreal anticipation that accompanies every storm.

Much like those Hurricanes, there seems to be an eerie calm in this community. It's like living in a different dimension. The world seems to go about it's business as if things are OK while you can see and sense that they aren't. Eventually, Interest Rates will have to Rise and when they do the Federal Government will not be able to service the interest on the $16 trillion (and growing by leaps and bounds) debt and will be forced to accelerate the money printing or go ahead and default, which will mean the end of the current dollar. Whichever happens, you will understand that the complacency that has gone on for years cannot be sustained on this mirage. A million times Zero Equals?

In this community, we have acted as though if we just don't make any substantial expenditures, then everything will work out when the economy turns around. What people have taken for granted is that this is a normal business cycle and eventually it will turn around. I am going to tell you. and I have told you for years, this is not normal... this is the new normal. You can cut your costs to zero, and we are to the point of cutting into the bone, but it doesn't mean you are going to make a penny to save a penny. In order to grow an economy you have to invest in it. Where do you invest? You invest in real people. You invest in the middle class.

The community isn't making anything off of the investments it has sitting in T-Bills and other Money Market instruments. As a matter of fact much of this money is being used against us. It is being utilized by the hyenas on Wall Street to off shore our jobs and build up China's economy and this is only exacerbated by the Federal Government's debt to China. Go on the internet and look at the Financial Capitals in China (Shanghai and Hong Kong) or the Middle East (Dubai). Go look at the videos. You see 100 times the development there that you do in any of the American cities. Check out the modern structures they are building off of the debt of our economy.

My cousin lives in South Charlotte. I hear about Charlotte's problems. In the couple times I have had a chance to get to Charlotte over the last year, it is easy to see that it is continuing to grow. New projects are happening currently even if not at the pace they were in the '90s and '00s. The key is that they have continued to take ownership of their economy and they are not complacent. It is called Grow or Die... Move Forward or Die.


And/Both

I can see the realities as well as anyone. There is currently no velocity to our local economy. This malaise has fed off of itself. Our local economy is devouring itself. The reality is that income is stagnant, but there is inflation in the pipeline. As a community we need to help people understand the necessity to hedge against the realities of inflation, while preparing and attuning themselves towards opportunities.

To hedge against the current economic realities, which will in the aggregate only get worse, we need to lighten the load and become as mobile as possible. If you can voluntarily sell an asset today, then you might get something out of it. If you don't have the income to pay your bills and you find yourself in a bind; you might just be forced to liquidate that asset in the future and you will get a lot less, to nothing, for it. Also, in an inflationary environment that asset is going to lose value compared to the currency, especially if it isn't a necessity. Having no major debt will increase your quality of life. You can take a load off your shoulders by reducing expenses. If you are having a tough time meeting your mortgage payments and it is causing you anxiety, then you should try to sell your house. If you can't sell it, then there is nothing wrong with walking away from it. There is no reason to be forced into playing a losing hand.

By the same token, I believe that one of the major reasons you should stay out of debt to become more mobile is that you might want to leave this community. If the people at the top of the food chain in Hickory aren't willing to reinvest in their ecosystem, then it is time to get out of their way and let them have it. That is what the young people (the millennials) are doing. As I have pointed to on this blog, the younger generations have chosen to go where the money is. They don't seem to care about having possessions that weigh them down or to live in houses and have mortgages that weigh them down. If they don't like it here, they are more than willing to go there. Maybe there is a lot to learn from that paradigm. You don't have to accept the Race to the Bottom. You don't have to accept failure.

Failure

I understood at a young age that no one was going to help me.... as a matter of fact people were going to stand in my way and be impediments towards my success... That if I fail it isn't on them, It is on me, because part of my task is to move these impediments out of the way.

You have people in  this life that actually make an effort and then you have impediments. These people who impede progress don't understand the obstacles that they create. They believe that they are operating with the best of intentions. They believe that they are seeking the greater good... what will be the best result for the most people. But, the reality is that they are living in denial. God determines what is best for the greater good... not any man.

Non-performance is the very definition of failure. We have had a non-performing local economy for more than a decade. I think most people will admit the realities of the local economy. The only time you hear about sunshine and lollipops is when some of the local elected officials, bureaucrats, and marketing gurus want to put a happy face on everything. Call it issues, problems, or challenges, but the reality is the same thing and semantics isn't going to change the cold hard reality.

The frustrations of many in this community come from the fact that they bring forward ideas and constantly and summarily the ideas are shot down by the local entrenched establishment. This year we came forward with the Referendum on Ward specific voting and we lost, because the establishment rallied their mind-numbed minion through what amounted to be scare tactics and ignorant innuendo. It is what it is. You learn and move forward.

...And the South side of the City of Hickory continues to fall apart. Last year I talked about actions speaking louder than words. This year we see that Actions have spoken louder than words. It is more than obvious after five years that none of the local establishment is going to do anything to uplift the areas of Hickory that have fallen on hard times. They are stuck on a notion that this will happen naturally... Some Day.

We are not going to see policies directed towards these areas of need. No capital is coming from altruistic principles. I ask where is the fundamental pride in this community? Pride through action and not words. The fundamental pride that it took to build this community and took to maintain this community for over 100 years!!!

Accepting Failure

I have heard it said by people of the greatest means in our community. Most of them tell their children that they shouldn't look to come back here after they graduate from college and the only kids that do come back here are the ones that have a path laid out for them through a family business. If you can't encourage your children to invest in Hickory and you aren't willing to invest in Hickory, then why do you think anyone else would want to invest in Hickory?

I have heard the saying "Winners never quit and quitters never win." The truth of the matter is that Winners know when to quit. We are getting down to the quick. We have lost and lost and lost and been beat down and been treated like outsiders, when this community is as much or more our birthright as those who have usurped control. Nobody has asked for anything other than a chance... an opportunity... and we are treated like second class citizens in the city where many of us were born and even more of us were raised. You want us gone, then why don't you help us leave and you can have the place to yourselves to continue doing the same ole, same ole, since many don't want to work together to make this community better.

I can't accept failure. It eats at me to live through this stagnation. To work hard just to survive with no mind that anything is going to get better. That is the reason I think and share my thoughts with the public. First of all it is therapeutic to tell this story and second of all it needs to be said by somebody. I am doing nothing wrong by telling the public how I feel and what I am observing. This isn't personal unless you want to make it personal.

The Same Ole Same Ole

You can go back and look at the previous State of Hickory messages that I have released over the last 4+ years. I have heard that some of the issues discussed on this blog are preposterous, but if you go back and read the articles, then you see that we have been a lot closer to right than wrong.

In the end, I'll leave you a thought to the wise. I wouldn't be as worried about this forum and it's message, or my message, as much as when I might choose to walk away, because at that point you will know that I have decided that this is a lost cause and it isn't worth my time. I've seen a lot of people do that over the last few years. It's becoming a trend.


The State of Hickory, North Carolina 2009 - I told you in this 2009 message, "We are losing many of our best and brightest young people in this area, because of the lack of opportunity."... "We cannot afford to turn this area into a retirement village."... "The Strategy has to be jobs." 

Ted Abernathy of the Southern Growth Policies Board has been brought into Catawba County to study the issues we face and construct policies that can get our community moving forward again. One of his leading recommendations is that we are going to have to reset our Manufacturing base towards Modern realities. The Western Piedmont Council of Governments statistics confirmed both the loss of our younger generations and the exacerbated aging of the local populous.

When I wrote about these issues 4 years ago it was taboo. We had not gone into the depths of jobs losses that neared 15% U-3 unemployment by the Summer of 2009. Locals thought they had seen the worst of it when I released this State of Hickory message. We still have not recovered to the levels we were at when this message was released.


The State of Hickory - January 2010 - I told you in this 2010 message, "The idea of an Economic and Science Fair is sound. Local businesses and government can sponsor the event. We just need to get the ball going and get the word out so that folks can get started."

We have seen the formation of the Edison Project, in which Entrepreneurs submit business proposals and have mentors help them formulate plans and then come forward in a contest that awards money to the three best plans as voted on by an audience that attends the event. I take no credit in this endeavor. It is a success and that is what makes me happy. Opportunities granted... Results achieved.

"I really would like to see a point-counterpoint discussion of issues done in the Hickory Daily Record and on Hal Row's First Talk show. We need a lively and vigorous discussion of the issues and these are truly the only media forums devoted to this area. Give everyone the topics and/or questions ahead of time and let them really think about it and then let's truly go into some depth on pertinent issues. Frankly, I am sick of hearing the same ole talking points bandied about over and over and over again by the same ole usual suspects. You want to sell some papers? You want to sell some ad time? Free and Effective Content. Let's Go."

We got this with the referendum. We had several discussions and back and forth and an actual in studio debate. I can live with how the referendum vote turned out when we saw an actual real Democratic process play out for once in this community.


The State Of Hickory 2011 - I told you in this 2011 message, Trying to evolve towards modern realities - ... What I related was that we had not modernized our manufacturing structure. We had rested on our laurels and expected the future to come to us. And what we found out is that evolution did come to us, and it was a harsh reality, because we were not prepared for it. I honestly believe that we have taken more than the initial steps over the last couple of years to address many of these issues, but we cannot stop here; because if we stop, then we are going to end up right back where we were or worse.

Once again we look at what Ted Abernathy has brought to the table and it confirms the Hound's findings. I don't come up with this stuff off the top of my head. This is called research and listening.


"Economic Realities - Currently manufacturing only makes up 28% of the workforce of Catawba County. Back in 1990 manufacturing made up 56% of our workforce. The median household income for Catawba County was $40,536 as of the 2000 census. The American Community Survey shows that median household income, as of 2009, is $41,116. This means that over a nine-year period the county only saw a growth in income for households of 1.43%. Over that same time, the Consumer Price Index in the United States grew by 23%. This means that to keep up with the cost of living, the year 2000 household income of $40,536 should be $49,950.38. What happened to that $8,834? Could you not use that money today?"

"Hickory's loss of Relevance - The people who long for what Hickory was, can't understand that we can't get back to what Hickory was demographically or structurally. Their longing for what we were is destroying our future. It is destroying our capacity to change. They are longing for that furniture and textile world. We can do more manufacturing, but it is going to have to be high tech manufacturing or unique craftsmanship. We won’t be building crate furniture or producing everyday textiles."

The State Of Hickory 2012 - "Skin in the game - Conover put skin in the game with the Conover Station Project. While the City of Hickory has touted the Brownfield grants as a way to revitalize unused, blighted properties, Conover has already taken action with the revitalization of the Warlong building by retrofitting this old building towards modern realities and concerns. This building looks to be a new, modern center of economic activity in Conover. In my opinion this will end up being Conover's new Downtown with several new sites of Economic Commerce, like the Manufacturing Solutions Center, surrounding this building. Where the City of Hickory and its power brokers have demanded that Union Square must be Hickory's Downtown, Conover has decided to take a more realistic and open minded approach towards the realities of the future."

Conover and City Manager Donald Duncan have received State and national attention with what they have done with the Conover Station and this year they have moved forward with the addition of the Manufacturing Solutions Center at this site. They have taken calculated risks that look to pay off handsomely in the near term and the future. Conover is a local community moving forward and finding ways to make things happen.


"Action speaks louder than words - Look at the way Hickory is laid out. Look at its old manufacturing structures. Hickory has not been strategically designed. It is a mess the way that Hickory has been laid out and there are people who want to keep moving forward in such a fashion. That is unreasonable. As we heard at the entrepreneurial summit a few weeks ago, there has never been a normal. We have to create the future. If we do not create the future, it will be created for us by external forces. We have so much to gain by joining together in a process of structured goals and development. Sure, these plans should be able to be reassessed, but to not have plans is to set yourself up to have others determine your future!"

Scott Millar said it in the Hickory Daily Record this past weekend. We lack inventory when it comes to structures for modern manufacturing. We need buildings with ceilings that are 30+ feet high that can easily be adapted and expanded. The Old Manufactuting buildings around here have 10 to 12 foot ceilings and they are locked in and can't be easily retrofitted and/or expanded. A few of those old buildings might be salvageable for nostalgic purposes, but while they are sitting around unoccupied and while we are going through a period of no growth, then we need to encourage that some of these buildings be taken down. Some of that property would be worth more without the building and would be a lot easier to develop. We need to get to moving down that path. The sooner the better.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 10, 2013

Bert Dohmen to Moneynews: Phony Inflation Numbers Mask Recession - Money News -  - Dan Weil and Kathleen Walter - February 7, 2013 - To Bert Dohmen, editor of the Wellington Letter and founder of Dohmen Capital Research Institute, the 0.1 percent contraction in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter is more than a blip on the economy’s recovery path. It proves the economy isn’t even in recovery mode, he says.                         “We are already in a recession,” he tells Newsmax TV in an exclusive interview. “We got into a recession last year. If you factor in the actual rate of inflation instead of the phony CPI [consumer price index] or GDP deflator that the government uses, the economy has been in a recession overall.”                      The CPI rose 1.7 percent in 2012. The GDP price deflator gained 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter.                     

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To Bert Dohmen, editor of the Wellington Letter and founder of Dohmen Capital Research Institute, the 0.1 percent contraction in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter is more than a blip on the economy’s recovery path. It proves the economy isn’t even in recovery mode, he says.                      “We are already in a recession,” he tells Newsmax TV in an exclusive interview. “We got into a recession last year. If you factor in the actual rate of inflation instead of the phony CPI [consumer price index] or GDP deflator that the government uses, the economy has been in a recession overall.”                 The CPI rose 1.7 percent in 2012. The GDP price deflator gained 1.3 percent in the fourth quarter.                 “If you calculate the CPI now as it was calculated in 1980, then inflation is actually around 9 percent,” Dohmen says.                       “What happens is that when inflation starts rising, they change the measure of inflation. They change the basket. So the published inflation rate currently has nothing to do with reality.”

US Trade Deficit Drops To Lowest Since January 2010 As Crude Imports Plunge To 1997 Levels - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden on February 8, 2013 - Following November's massive trade deficit surge, when the final print of $48.7 billion was far worse than the $41.3 billion expected, it was only (il)logical that the December trade number would reverse this trend to the other extreme, which it did with the December trade balance plunging from a revised $48.6 billion to a tiny $38.5 billion - the lowest deficit since January 2010, and the biggest beat to expectations of $46 billion since February 2009.                      The deficit was the result of December exports which were $3.9 billion more than the $182.5 billion in November, and imports some $6.2 billion less than November's total $231.1 billion. Broken down by category, the goods deficit decreased $9.4 billion from November to $56.2 billion, and the services surplus increased $0.7 billion from November to $17.7 billion. A key driver of this move was a spike in Petroleum exports which shrunk the Petroleum product trade gap to the smallest it has been since August 2009 as the US imported the least amount of crude oil since February 1997. Whether this is due to rising domestic production, or just the ongoing collapse in end demand (which is to the US economy as electricity is China's traditional "8%" GDP) remains unclear.


So Who Is Lying (More)? - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden on 02/08/2013 - Overnight China reported great trade data which saw exports and imports soar by more than 20% each compared to 2012. Of course, when one adjusts for January calendar effects the "rise" was virtually non-existent but that was too much work for the Shanghai Composite algos. A few hours later, the US did the same, reporting even better trade data which saw the trade deficit plunge the most in nearly three years. So far so good: we just have one question - who is lying more. Because unlike all other sole-sourced economic manipulated data which is solely a function of some excel goal seek model and various spreadsheets, bilateral trade has to foot. One country's net exports have to equal its countepart's net imports and vice versa.                    Which is why we compiled the net trade data between the US and China, which was trumpeted earlier to have surpassed a $300 billion ($315 billion to be exact) deficit. At least as reported by the US side. The same "data", when reported from the perspective of China amounts to a surplus of some $219 billion, a difference of $96 billion!                              In other words, either China is massively underreporting its net exports to the US or the US is boosting its net imports figure.                                 Or, just as plausibly, both nations are simply pulling numbers out of thin air - numbers which have a massive impact on both nations' respective GDP prints, which is data that, at least in the Old Normal, used to matter.


Productivity Falls at 2%, Most in Nearly Two Years - Money News - February 7, 2013 - U.S. worker productivity shrank in the final three months of 2012 although the decline was caused by temporary factors.                          Productivity contracted at an annual rate of 2 percent in the October-December quarter, the biggest drop since the first quarter of 2011, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Productivity had risen at a 3.2 percent rate in the July-September quarter.                  Labor costs rose at a 4.5 percent rate in the fourth quarter, the fastest gain since the first quarter of 2012....                     The trend in productivity has been weak for the past two years. For all of 2012, productivity rose by just 1 percent following an even smaller 0.7 percent rise in 2011. Those gains were less than half the average growth that companies saw in 2009 and 2010, shortly after many laid off workers to cut costs during the Great Recession. And it's below the long-run growth of 2.2 percent a year dating back to 1947.                      Companies may ultimately need to hire more workers if they see only modest gains in productivity and more demand for their products.                      Economists predict worker productivity will be weak through 2013. Higher productivity is typical during and after a recession, they note. Companies tend to shed workers in the face of falling demand and increase output from a smaller work force. Once the economy starts to grow, demand rises and companies eventually must add workers if they want to keep up.                  For all of 2012, labor costs were up a modest 0.7 percent. That compared to a gain of 2 percent in 2011 and a decline of 1 percent in 2010. Labor costs were rising more rapidly before the Great Recession, which triggered millions of layoffs and reduced workers' bargaining power....

CBO: Spending cuts and tax increases slowing growth - CNN Money - Jeanne Sahadi - February 5, 2013 - The looming $85 billion in spending cuts coupled with new tax increases will slow economic growth considerably this year.                    But the economy is likely to pick up steam in 2014, pushing unemployment down and setting the stage for a rise in interest rates and inflation.

Those are key takeaways from the annual budget and economic outlook released Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan scorekeeper for lawmakers.                   Deficits: The CBO estimates that this year's deficit will fall to $845 billion, or 5.3% of the size of the economy, in part because of the so-called sequester -- the blunt, automatic spending cuts across defense and nondefense programs set to take effect March 1.                     If that happens, 2013 would mark the first time since 2008 that the annual deficit comes in below $1 trillion.               And the downward trend would continue for the next two years, when the deficit in 2015 falls to 2.4% of GDP.                 But then deficits would start to go up again. The CBO lays out the reasons -- "an aging population, rising health care costs, an expansion of federal subsidies for health insurance and growing interest payments on the federal debt."                  Debt: For the decade, the CBO expects the country to add $7 trillion in debt. By 2023, the debt held by the public would rise to 77% of GDP up from 76% today. That's the largest percentage since 1950 and almost double the 39% average over the past 40 years.                             Debt could rise to 87% of GDP by 2023 if Congress makes legislative changes that undo planned spending cuts or tax increases.


Jim Rogers on Fed Easing? ‘This is going to end very very badly’ - The American Pen Currency - Kurt Wallace - February 6, 2013 - Jim Rogers of Rogers International Commodities Index (RICI)  joins Open Currency Update with Kurt Wallace for Fed Easing? ‘This is going to end very very badly’. Jim discusses Germany’s repatriation of  gold and the questionable response of an 8 year timeline by the United States to return the gold. He weighs in on Fed Easing and the effects on those who invested properly vs. those who benefit from printing money. He also give us a sneak preview of his new book Street Smarts: Adventures on the Road and in the Markets where he details his thought process on investing and what he learned from his successes and mistakes. Audio



Will Japan's "Attempted" Reflation Succeed And Will It Spill Over Into Full-Fledged Currency War? - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - February 7, 2013 -  Yesterday we presented a simplistic analysis of why for Japan "This Time Won't Be Different", a preliminary observation so far validated by the just announced Japanese December current account deficit which was not only nearly double the expected 144.2 billion yen, printing at some 264.1 billion yen, but was only the first back-to-back monthly current account deficit since 1985....


Are we throwing in the towel on American workers? - CNN Money - Nina Easton - February 7, 2013 -  ...The tech companies got their wish list with a bipartisan bill that raises the cap on H-1B visas from 65,000 to 115,00—a number that could go as high as 300,000 in future years if those visas are filled fast enough. Which is possible, since the pent-up demand to hire talented foreigners is huge. Smith predicts a repeat of 2008, when the allotment of visas was gobbled up on the first day. "In our industry a lot of companies didn't exist or were much smaller back then," he notes.                          From the point of view of the tech companies, the increase makes urgent sense. Why shouldn't U.S. companies -- rather than their competitors -- be able to reap the talent rewards of all those foreign students graduating from American universities? (Foreigners with post-graduate degrees will be exempted from all caps under the proposal.) And why should we encourage high-tech firms to move operations to, say, Canada because our immigration rules are too strict?                      The senators sponsoring the bill -- including Republicans Orrin Hatch and Marco Rubio, and Democrats Amy Klochubar and Chris Coons -- say the reforms will help grow the economy. "It'll help us attract more highly skilled workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math," said Rubio, "which will help our unemployed, underemployed or underpaid American workers find better jobs."              Okay, but how are we enabling those unemployed and underemployed Americans to fill those jobs themselves? The bill includes a $1,000-per-visa fee that will fund a program to help states produce more students with science and math skills. But that's for future workers. Moreover, the fund seemed tossed in as an after-thought -- when its intent should be at the center of an urgent national conversation...


DHS Purchases 21.6 Million More Rounds of Ammunition - Federal agency has now acquired enough bullets to wage 30 year war - Infowars.com - February 7, 2013 - ...

A solicitation posted yesterday on the Fed Bid website details how the bullets are required for the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico.                   The solicitation asks for 10 million pistol cartridge .40 caliber 165 Grain, jacketed Hollow point bullets (100 quantities of 100,000 rounds) and 10 million 9mm 115 grain jacketed hollow point bullets (100 quantities of 100,000 rounds).                       The document also lists a requirement for 1.6 million pistol cartridge 9mm ball bullets (40 quantities of 40,000 rounds)....                    While Americans are being browbeaten with rhetoric about the necessity to give up semi-automatic firearms in the name of preventing school shootings, the federal government is arming itself to the teeth with both ammunition and guns. Last September, the DHS purchased no less than 7,000 fully automatic assault rifles, labeling them “Personal Defense Weapons.”

US Economy Contracts - More Cuts Will Mean Even Less Growth - John Weeks

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of February 5, 2013

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 2/5/2012 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below:

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

City Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center

All materials and maps for this meeting are provide at this link: 

 City Council Agenda - February 5, 2013 - (33MB PDF)






Invocation by Rev. Charles Kyker, Pastor Christ Church

Special Presentations
A. (3:30) Presentation of Deputy City Clerk Sarah Prencipe and Administration of Oath of Office

B. (5:25) Presentation by Mr. Mack McLeod, Parks and Recreation Director, Zahra Baker Playground - The Playground is featured in the Playword Systems product catalog featuring public playgrounds including school, public park, community private, and inclusive playgrounds. Mack  showed slides related to the playground and read information provided about the playground in the catalog. The Zahra Playground is listed as an inclusive playground. Mack passed out the catalogs to City Council members. 375,000 of these catalogs are being distributed.


(11:55) - The Mayor made a motion to allow Citizens to address items on the agenda.

 (12:20) - the minutes of the Subcommittee on Citizen Input are approved.

Consent Agenda: (13:20)
A. Approval of a Transfer of a Cemetery Deed from Leslie Jo Stogner to Michael F. Gallagher in Oakwood Cemetery

B. Request Acceptance of the Fire House Subs Public Safety Foundation Grant for Two Thermal Imaging Cameras, in the amount of $14,200. - The City of Hickory Fire Department identified a grant process that had not been utilized for some time in the department. Captain Todd Frizsell developed and wrote a grant which was submitted on November 19, 2012. The Fire House Subs Public Safety Foundation notified Captain Frizsell on January 2, 2013 that the Hickory Fire Department had received the grant for the two thermal imaging cameras, which are valued at $14,200. These cameras will be used on engine companies as a tool that will allow firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke and darkness. These cameras will help firefighters find victims, locate hotspots, and recognize potential structural dangers.

C. Request Approval to Submit a Proposal for Funding Smoke Alarms, Carbon Monoxide Alarms, Safe T Elements through the Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Fire Fighters Fire Prevention and Safety Grant for 2012. - The City of Hickory Fire Department request approval to submit a grant to the 2012 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant process for acquiring smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, Safe T elements, and a part-time position to continue one of the department’s life safety programs. The grant request is for $59,205, of which 10% matching funds, $5,920, is expected to be provided by the City. These matching funds will be taken from the fire department’s Departmental Supply line item account. The alarm program offers residents of Hickory a means to obtain alarms; it also provides an opportunity for the department to provide a higher level of awareness of the hazards and risks in residential occupancies.

D. Special Event/Activities Application for Hickory’s Oktoberfest 2013, Connie Kincaid, Hickory Downtown Development Association, from October 11 – 13, 2013 from blocks with the boundaries of 3rd Street NW, Government Avenue SW, Center Street and 2nd Avenue NW.

E. Special Event/Activities Application for Charity Chase Half Marathon, Mandy Pitts, Charity Chase Half Marathon Committee Co-Chair, on June 1, 2013, 4:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 13.1 miles in Hickory with start and finish on Main Avenue between 3rd Street and 4th Street NW.

F. Special Event/Activities Application for Hickory Youth Council Anti-Bullying Concert, David Leonetti, Community Development Manager, on April 26, 2013, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Union Square. Various teen bands will be performing.

G. Proclamation for Entrepreneurship Week, February 16-23, 2013.

H. Approval of a Request from the Hickory Metro Sports Commission to Relocate the Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame to Highland Recreation Center at Stanford Park. - The Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame is organized and managed by the Hickory Metro Sports Commission. The Hall of Fame, which inducted its first class in 2001, was originally located at Catawba Valley Community College and is presently housed at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. The Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame currently has 52 members displayed and has outgrown its current location. The Hickory Metro Sports Commission’s Board of Directors, request the City of Hickory’s permission to relocate the Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame to Highland Recreation Center. The Hickory Metro Sports Commission would provide all plaques and signage, with Parks and Recreation staff only being responsible for installation of the plaques. The Parks and Recreation Commission considered and approved the requests at their January 8, 2013 meeting.

I. Call for a Public Hearing – Contiguous Voluntary Annexation of 2.88 Acres of Street Right-of-Way located at 13th Avenue Drive SE and 21st Street Lane SE, Hickory. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

J. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-01 for the Property Located at 330 21st Street SE. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

K. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-02 for the Property Located at 526 17th Street NW. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

L. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-03 for the Properties Located at 1425 3rd Street Place NE, adjacent vacant lot, and 339-345 14th Avenue NE. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

M. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-04 for the Property Located at 2206 Tate Boulevard SE. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

N. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-05 for the Properties Located at 3661 16th Street NE, 3703 16th Street NE, and 1515 Cloninger Mill Road. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

O. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-06 for the Property Located at the Northeast Corner of the Intersection of Cloninger Mill Road NE and North Center Street (NC 127). (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

P. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-07 for the Property Located at the Southeast Corner of 29th Avenue Drive NE and 16th Street NE. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

Q. Call for a Public Hearing – For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-08 for the Property Located at 2633 Springs Road NE. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 19, 2013)

R. Approval of an Inter-Local Contract for Cooperative Purchasing through the Houston- Galveston Area Council (HGAC) located in Houston, Texas.- The Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC), located in Houston, Texas, has provided participating municipalities throughout North Carolina and the United States the opportunity to purchase items through an inter-local contract of cooperative purchasing. The HGAC has provided products awarded by virtue of a public competitive bid process for over 30 years. They specialize in products utilized by public safety, public works, and communications. Their process gives government entities access to volume purchasing and discounts.

S. Resolution Approving an Installment Financing Contract and a Deed of Trust on the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Plant with PNC Bank for $9.9 Million @ 2.27% Interest For a Term of 15 Years.

T. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 12.
1. To budget $390 of Library donations from several donors in the Library Books line item.
2. To budget a $2,000 Library donation from Friends of the Library in the Programming line item ($1,000) and in the Audio Visual line item ($1,000).
3. To appropriate $2,873 of General Fund Balance (Funds reserved from the State of North Carolina Un-Authorized Substance Tax revenue) and budget in the Police Department's Departmental Supplies line item. This amendment is necessary to purchase DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) T-shirts for the students who are completing the DARE programs in the Hickory City School System. Funds are made available to the Police Department from the State and remain in General Fund Balance until appropriated.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. (14:25) Approval of Historic Preservation Fund Grant Application for (former) Ridgeview Public Library in the amount of $13,579. - As a Certified Local Government, the City of Hickory and nonprofits within the city are eligible to apply for grants from the State of North Carolina to undertake a variety of different projects to advance historic preservation in communities throughout the State. Inter-Faith Housing Development Corporation plans to apply for a grant to assist in their restoration of the (former) Ridgeview Public Library for use as a community meeting space and history center. The estimated project cost is $22,632. The grant request is for $13,579 with the additional $9,053 in local match funds coming from Inter-faith Housing Development Corporation funds. No additional funding from the City of Hickory is required for the grant project. However, City approval is required for the application to move forward because the project is located within the City’s jurisdiction.

2. (27:45) Approval of Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant Agreement for LNBC, LLC in the Amount of $20,000. - City Council established the Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant program on September 16, 2008. The program was modified in late 2011 and provides funding up to $20,000 to projects seeking to demolish deteriorated commercial and industrial buildings. LNBC, LLC has applied for a Vacant Building Revitalization Grant in the amount of $20,000 to assist in the demolition of the former Regency Motel located at 483 Hwy 70 SW. After demolition, the applicant will market the property for future development. The Business Development Committee reviewed the application and voted to recommend approval at their January 16, 2013 meeting.

 

3. (33:05) Approval and Acceptance of Bid and Award of Construction Contract to Advanced Development Concepts, LLC (ADC) for the Horseford Creek 20-Inch Waterline Replacement/Relocation Project (COH-PPUD 13-004) in the amount of $579,845. - The Public Utilities Division annually identifies infrastructure in need of replacement or rehabilitation, as appropriate, as a component of the Department’s sustainability programs. The Horseford Creek waterline is a 20-inch waterline which was installed in the early 1950’s. This waterline is one of the main water transmission mains for the City of Hickory as this waterline serves two elevated water storage tanks that serve a large portion of the City of Hickory Public Utilities Division’s service area. Staff recommends acceptance of bid and award of the construction contract to Advanced Development Concepts, LLC (ADC) in the amount of $579,845 for the Horseford Creek 20-Inch waterline replacement/relocation project. This is a budgeted project in FY 12-13 Capital
Budget for the Public Utilities Division.

4. (41:30) Quarterly Financial Report

● Resolution Approving an Installment Financing Contract and a Deed of Trust on the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Plant with PNC Bank for $9.9 Million @ 2.27% Interest For a Term of 15 Years. Second Reading is required to meet Local Government Commissions’ timeline for approval.

Citizens Requesting to be Heard
(56:05) Jimmy Davis says he is glad to see something done for the Ridgeview community and asks questions about the expansion of the current Ridgeview Library. He wants to know when that will be back to the forefront. He wants to know who is going to get the contracts to do the work on the Old Ridgeview Library. He wants the monies to be kept local.


The Hound - Not really much to say about this meeting. Warren's presentation shows that the Hickory community is still basically at a standstill. We can see that the Real Estate/Property Depression is not improving. We can see that the promotion/talking point of low property taxes is what is continuing to be touted, but it is obvious that this has not improved the community. We all know that the decimation of our manufacturing base is what has created the existing conditions. Private Enterprise is what will have to bring that back, but government (especially local) is going to have to create the conditions necessary to help facilitate the necessary conditions and processes to move forward towards a manufacturing renaissance.