Agenda about the City Council meeting of February 18, 2014

This Agenda is about the Hickory City Council meeting that took place on the date listed above. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

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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. You can also look in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the Hickory Hound and (will soon) find the link to the past history of Hickory City Newsletters.

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

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  City Council Agenda - February 18, 2014

Invocation By Rev. David Roberts, Morning Star First Baptist Church


Special Presentations
A. Jeff Neuville, Business Development Committee – Presentation of Business Well Crafted Award to Mark Brown, Territory Sales Manager, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated

B. Presentation by Community Groups Requesting Appropriations from the City Council during the Next Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2014. The Council will not take action tonight. Action will be taken when the Council considers the City’s annual budget in May or June. These presentations are made so Council Members can ask questions or make comments about the requests. Presenters will be allotted no more than five (5) minutes to make their presentations to Council. Organization Presentation - By - Amount Requested
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation - Scott Millar  - $149,919.71
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation – Greater Hickory Classic  - Scott Millar -  $75,000
Children’s Advocacy & Protection Center - Deborah Johnson - $10,000
Habitat for Humanity - Mitzi Gellman - $7,816
Hickory Downtown Development Association - Margaret Huss Jackson - $65,000
Hickory Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau - Bebe Leitch - $25,000
SALT Block Foundation - Mark Sinclair - $100,000
United Arts Council of Catawba County - Alan Jackson - $40,010

Consent Agenda:
A. Approval to Issue a Pyrotechnic Display Permit to Hickory Crawdads. - Mark Seaman, General Manager of the Hickory Crawdads has submitted a request to obtain permission to have a public fireworks display on the following 2014 dates: April 11; May 23; June 6, 17, 27; July 4, 25; and August 8, 15, 22. The following would be rain out dates: April 12; May 24; June 7, 28; July 5, 26; and August 9, 16, 23. The North Carolina Fire Code requires a mandatory operational permit for the use and handling of pyrotechnic special effects material. The Fire Prevention Bureau shall review all required documentation. The Fire Prevention Bureau will also inspect the pyrotechnics display area prior to the event to ensure compliance with all guidelines and codes.

B. Approval to Issue a Pyrotechnic Display Permit to Hickory Motor Speedway. - Kevin Piercy, General Manager of the Hickory Motor Speedway has submitted a request to obtain permission to conduct public fireworks displays on the following 2014 dates: June 28; July 5, 26; and September 13. The following would be rain out dates: July 12 or 19; July 27 or August 2; and September 14, 27 or October 25. The North Carolina Fire Code requires a mandatory operational permit for the use and handling of pyrotechnic special effects material. The Fire Prevention Bureau shall review all required documentation. The Fire Prevention Bureau will also inspect the pyrotechnics display area prior to the event to ensure compliance with all guidelines and codes.

C. Approval of First Amendment to an Agreement between the Western Piedmont Council of Governments and the City of Hickory for Assistance in Supporting the Western Piedmont Stormwater Partnership. - Staff requests approval of the First Contract Amendment to revise the “Time of Performance” schedule in the current agreement between the City of Hickory and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) to implement the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Public Education program through the Western Piedmont Stormwater Partnership. The Time of Performance schedule would be revised such that all work would be completed during the period of January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2014.

D. Approval of Annual Auditing Contract with Martin Starnes & Associates in the Amount of $51,500. - The City of Hickory has utilized the services of Martin Starnes & Associates for the past five years with excellent results. The North Carolina Local Government Commission (LGC) does not require formal bid for auditing services due to the professional relationship formed between auditors and clients over an extended work history. The Secretary of the Local Government Commission approves all local government contracts and invoices for audit or audit-related work. The LGC requires approval of the auditing contract on an annual basis. Last year the City of Hickory approved a three year renewal contract with Martin Starnes & Associates. The annual renewal ending June 30, 2014 will be the second year of this contract. Staff requests approval to accept the renewal of the annual contract for auditing services with Martin Starnes & Associates for fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 in the amount of $51,500.

E. Citizens’ Advisory Committee Recommendations for Assistance through the City of Hickory’s Housing Programs. - The following requests were considered by the Citizens’ Advisory Committee at their regular meeting on February 6, 2014:
 Tillis and Lucille Rendleman, 131 5th Avenue SW, Hickory, were awarded a City of Hickory’s 
Housing Rehabilitation Loan. The Citizens’ Advisory Committee recommends approval for assistance not to exceed $10,000.00 for repairs to their house. Assistance would be in the form of a 3% interest loan for a 10 year period.

Funds are budgeted for these items through the City of Hickory’s former Rental Rehabilitation Program income received in FY 2012 and/or program income received through the City of Hickory’s Community Development Block Grant Program.

Each of the following applicants is being recommended for approval for assistance under the City of Hickory’s 2013 Urgent Repair Program. This program provides qualified low income citizens with assistance for emergency-related repairs not to exceed $5,400.
 Susan Nelson, 531 21st Avenue NE, Hickory,
 Mildred Williams, 29 7th Avenue SE, Hickory,


F. Special Event/Activities Application for Charity Chase Half Marathon, Bruce Felkins/Charity Chase President and Mandy Pitts/Charity Chase Vice President, Sunday, June 1, 2014 from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 13.1 miles in NE/NW Hickory with start on Main Avenue near Elk’s Lodge and finish in Union Square.

G. Special Event/Activities Application for National Day of Reason 2014 (Hickory, NC Rally), Gene Elliott, President, Hickory Humanist Alliance, Thursday, May 1, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Union Square Common.

H. Special Event/Activities Application for Taste of Hickory, Kirby Dodd, Gary Young, Mandy Pitts, Tri Chairs of local event to promote Taste. Well Crafted.; Lady Elks/Hickory Elks Club #1654 and City of Hickory, Life. Well Crafted. Brand. Sunday, May 18, 2014 from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium concourse at Winkler Park.

I. Special Event/Activities Application for Corporate Challenge, Angela Smith, Senior Recreation Programmer, Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Union Square.

J. Approval of Resolution of Tentative Award for Eastwood Subdivision Sanitary Sewer Lines. - The Public Utilities Department and Catawba County Environmental Health identified three areas as areas of concern in 1998 as a part of the future service areas for the City of Hickory Sanitary Sewer System. Staff originally applied for State Revolving Grant funds for completion of this project April 1, 1999. After a number of years, NCDENR Division of Water Quality and NC Construction Grants and Loans issued final approval of the Preliminary Engineers Report on May 10, 2010 and approved the project for funding through State Revolving Grant Funds in the amount of $2,946,042.99. The project consists of three identified concentrations of residential housing that have historical problematic septic systems within the existing City of Hickory ETJ and accessible to existing City of Hickory sanitary sewer lines. Eastwood Subdivision is the first component of the overall project to be bid and ready for award. This Resolution of Tentative Award is a required step for NCDENR-DWR Infrastructure Finance Section funded projects. Upon approval of the project bids by NCDENR- DWRIFS after receipt of this Resolution of Tentative Award and Engineer’s Bid Certification, a request for Bid Acceptance and Award will be sent to City Council for further action. Staff recommends City Council approval of this Resolution of Tentative Award for Eastwood Subdivision Sanitary Sewer Lines Project to Neill Grading and Construction, Inc.

K. Approval of Change Order Three to Jimmy R. Lynch & Sons for the Hickory-Catawba
Wastewater Treatment Plant (HCWWTP) Upgrade Project. - The City of Hickory Public Utilities Department initiated the HCWWTP Upgrade Project in February 2013. The current contract amount is $10,292,237.19 which includes previously approved Change Order 2. The project was established with a contingency fund in order to address unforeseen expenses that may arise. Change Order 3 consists of six (6) items with one (1) item being a deductive change from the project and five (5) items being added due to permitting or unforeseen construction issues. The single largest item that is included in this change order is $6,918.71 for payment of undercut of poor soils and replacement with stone in the area of the waste loading station. The only material change is for $940.50 for galvanizing the hoist rail to prevent dis-similar metal corrosion. The deductive item totals $1,485.00 for substitution of a NEMA 3R rated Switchgear in-lieu of the NEMA 12 Switchgear that was intended in the design. Contract Change Order 2 was previously approved for $11,532.76. Contract Change Order total to date would be $83,563.08, including Change Order 1, 2 and 3 or 0.82% of
the original project contract. Revised contract total to date will be $10,303,220.08. The City of Hickory and Catawba County will split all expense equally at 50% each according to the Contract. Staff requests Council approval of Change Order 3 to Jimmy  R. Lynch & Sons, Inc. in the amount of $10,982.89 for the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Plant (HCWWTP) Upgrade Project.

L. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 15.
1. To budget $3,000 from the Friends of the Library in the Departmental Supplies line item for the new teen area.

2. To appropriate $4,530 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) workbooks, shirts for graduation and other items needed for graduation. Funds are made available to the Police Department from the State and remain in General Fund Balance until appropriated.

3. To budget a $4,951 insurance claim payment in the Traffic Division M&R Traffic Signals line item. This insurance claim payment is for damage to a utility pole and traffic light signal that occurred on 01-13-14.


Informational Item
A. Special Meeting of the City Council which was scheduled and posted for February 11th
was cancelled due to weather and rescheduled to Friday, February 28, 2014.

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Resolution Confirming and Levying Assessments Along a portion of 10th Avenue NE – Petition No. 02-12 - The City Clerk received a petition from the owners of the properties along 10th Avenue NE to install curb and gutter along a portion of their street per Section 29-2 of the Hickory Code of Ordinances. The City Council adopted a Resolution Directing the Street Improvement Project be Undertaken on December 18, 2012 and the work was completed on June 24, 2013. The Preliminary Assessment Roll for Petition 02-12 has been prepared based on the curb and gutter constructed along 10th Avenue NE. Staff recommends that the Resolution Confirming and Levying Assessment be approved. Advertised  February 7, 2014.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Approval of a Resolution of Support for the Western Piedmont Council of Governments’ Investing in Manufacturing Communities Program Application and Presentation by Andrea Surratt on the IMCP Grant Investigation Manufacturing Community Partnership. - The Western Piedmont Council of Governments is leading the application process for the IMCP (Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership). It is a federal initiative designed to accelerate the resurgence of  manufacturing. It is a partnership of various federal cabinet departments/agencies. Through this challenge, 12 communities will be designated “Manufacturing Communities”. This designation provides:
 Preferred consideration for $1.3 billion in federal dollars and assistance
 A cabinet department/agency point of contact to help access federal economic development funding
 Branding and promotion under the “Manufacturing Community” designation
 Additional possible consideration for EDA Challenge Grants
The deadline for the application is March 14, 2014.

We will see more Layoffs - X22 Report

X22 Report - Episode 289 - February 13, 2014



National Debt leading to and endless cycle of negative growth. Mortgage companies are laying people off and closing. Mortgage applications, sales, and housing prices are in freefall. It is here. Young people can't find jobs.  The US unemployment rate has been manipulated and the unemployment rate, including long term unemployed and the birth-death ratio, is around 30% and massive layoffs are accelerating in all industry.

Companies are cutting costs. People don't have disposable income so sells are down. Companies are trimming the workforce. Sales just aren't there, because of the negative cycle. Retail Sales are down. 100+ days of cars are sitting on American Car lots. There is no way for these companies to sell their way out of the mess. Retail Stores are closing. Revenues aren't coming in, so taxes aren't paid by companies or employees. Governments can't service their debt.

The Fed needs to taper (raise interest rates - cut the cheap money, low interest rates), but they can't; because each time they start to the economy immediately begins to falter. The government has tried everything, but nothing has worked. We will have to see a reset of the system like we did with the Bretton-Woods agreement after World War II.

The Debt Limit has been suspended. As more debt is incurred, revenues will continue to falter. It will be an inverse relationship.

Governments are beginning to look at the confiscation of pensions. They have already stolen your Social Security money. They will do the same with you pension.

20 Signs That The Global Economic Crisis Is Starting To Catch Fire - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder, on February 13th, 2014 

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Blizzard - Hickory, North Carolina - February 12, 2014

Hound: Accumulating Snow began at 1pm. It began  snowing before that. Major snow has begun and is expected to intensify until 7pm. About 2 inches here so far. Should see close to 10 inches before it is all said and done. Wise people will stay in and stay safe unless it is their job or an emergency.

Local Weather Alert
Winter Storm Warning for Catawba, NC
until 6:00 PM EST, Thu., Feb 13, 2014
Other affected areas:
…
Iredell, NC; Davie, NC; Catawba, NC; Rowan, NC; Cleveland, NC; Lincoln, NC; Gaston, NC; Mecklenburg, NC; Cabarrus, NC
More
Issued by The National Weather Service
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Wed, Feb 12, 2014, 12:17 PM EST
Local Radar Map
Updated Feb 12, 2014, 5:40pm EST
Weather in Motion® | Enlarge Map
Get WeatherReady

Prepare for Winter Storms
Keep Safe During the Storm
Driving in Snow & Ice
Are You at Risk For Winter Storms?
Get Live Traffic Reports

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THURSDAY...

* LOCATIONS... THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

* HAZARDS... HEAVY SNOW... MIXING WITH SLEET AT TIMES TONIGHT.

* TIMING... SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVIER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. ONE FINAL ROUND OF HEAVY SHOW SHOWERS IS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS... SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 7 TO 11 INCHES... ALONG WITH A TRACE TO ONE TENTH INCH OF ICE.

* IMPACTS... THE HEAVY SNOW... MIXED WITH SOME SLEET AT TIMES IN SOUTHEAST SECTIONS... WILL MAKE TRAVEL TREACHEROUS... IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. THE ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY CREATE POWER OUTAGES... ESPECIALLY LATE TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

* TEMPERATURES... MAINLY IN THE UPPER 20S.

* WINDS... NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* VISIBILITY... ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES IN HEAVY SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... BE SURE TO TAKE ALONG YOUR CELL PHONE. WEAR A WARM COAT... GLOVES... AND BOOTS. KEEP A BLANKET... FLASHLIGHT... FOOD... AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

PLEASE REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS... AS WELL AS ANY DAMAGE TO TREES OR STRUCTURES... BY CALLING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT... 1... 800... 2 6 7... 8 1 0 1. LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH YOUR OBSERVATION AND THE SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE IT OCCURRED. YOU CAN ALSO POST YOUR REPORT TO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG FACEBOOK OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG NWSGSP.

&&
More Information

... MAJOR WINTER STORM TO SEVERELY IMPACT THE REGION TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO TO THE SOUTHEAST COASTAL WATERS WILL COMBINE WITH AN APPROACHING STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT TO CREATE WIDESPREAD HEAVY WINTRY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. PRECIPITATION WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM THE SOUTH THIS MORNING... THEN BECOME HEAVIER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. WIDESPREAD HEAVY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED... WITH HEAVY SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN DEVELOPING OVER THE LOWER PIEDMONT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL END FROM THE WEST THURSDAY MORNING AS A FINAL ROUND OF SNOW SHOWERS... POSSIBLY LINGERING INTO EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON EAST OF INTERSTATE 77.

The other side of the Duck Hunting Issue brought before Hickory City Council?

I frequently check out my Weblog stats related to this site and I came across some very interesting chatter related to the City Council meeting that occurred on January 21, 2014. At that meeting during Citizens Requesting to be Heard:

Ms. Catherine Scott, Regarding Hunting in between Geitner and Glenn Hilton Parks - Ms. Scott is worried about Domesticated Ducks being hunted in this area and asks that ordinances be established to stop this from an area apparently not covered by the city's codes and ordinances. (Click on the Link to listen to her presentation).

Hound Comment:
Mrs. Scott's presentation about the ducks along Lake Hickory was interesting. I don't think it is a safety issue as Mr. Guess believes, but Ms. Scott has a valid point about the ducks basically being baited and domesticated at this point, because people are hand feeding them. They are basically pets and deserve sanctuary in this particular area.

The Other Side From the Refuge Forum - Lake Hickory Duck Hunters

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You folks that hunt up that way need to be aware of the effort underway to possibly establish more stringent duck hunting regulations than those currently on the books. I suspect a public hearing might be the next step in this process, but there is clearly a faction up there that has gotten their feathers ruffled during this recent hunting season. There is a mention of visitors to a "park", but not sure what park they're talking about.

City Officials in Hickory eye regulations for hunting.

Tsmart, perhaps you can dig into this a little deeper and let us know what's behind the anti-duck hunting sentiment up there.
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Already got the scoop. It's been going on a few years now - just got worse this past season.

Hatley, and Tucker, and Bell has gotten calls in the past. Lake is building up, home owners don't like being woke up at 7:30 on Sat.

Mostly happening on Catawba side.
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The issue is:
There is a group (or two), that likes to set up at the mouth of Geitner park (or Glenn Hilton Park). They use 10 ga shot guns, and float hunt from a boat (close to residences). They are "technically" legal, being they float hunt.

Problem is, people don't like to be woke up at 7:00-7:30 on Saturdays to the sound of a 10 ga cannon.... and some of those people live in multi million dollar houses.

They call the Green Jeans, and the local PD - and of course they come and investigate. I know they were called 3 times this past season, and several the season before, and several the season before.

These rich home owners have pull.... and have brought the issue up at the Lake Hickory Home Owners Association meetings. And they have pull, and are now talking to the City Council...

So, it's just a matter of time, before money talks - and hunting is closed on Lake Hickory, and those fellas won't be able to kill park ducks flying into Geitner and Hilton park.

Sad thing is... there is some back water, and huntable spots others of us hunts. And this issue will probably close the whole place, and we'll all get the shaft.

Officer Tucker has kept me up to date (as much as he could) over the past couple years. He's checked the guys too, and they were legal... and they had a deaf ear to the warning about hunting so close to these houses.

So... here we are.
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This is what public duck hunting is coming to. More people in the sport and fewer and fewer places to hunt every year. And when you put people like Ms. Scott (see video) in front of uninformed council members that are sympathetic to her cause, the next thing you know
the place will be shut down for all duck hunting purposes.

I don't and never will hunt there but if I did, I'd have an army of support at the next meeting letting them know the "other" side of things. The main concern of council was for the "safety" of the residents and where the "BULLETS" were going . . . . This are the type of decision makers we're dealing with now and unless we hunters fight back, well, you all know what the end result will be.

T, you and some of the other guys that hunt there might want to get your mess together on this one.
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 My guess is the City and its attorney will quickly find out that the legislature currently have all environmental related ( includes wildlife resources) local ordinances under review in regards to being stricter than a state law/rule (where one exists) as well as a moratorium on any new ordinance while the existing are under review.

Many residents and local govts around the state are possibly in for a rude awakening when ordinances start going away rather than enacting new ones.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 9, 2014

42.3% of the people in Catawba County have a job - Hickory Hound - February 6, 2014

About Those 2.9 Million Jobs Lost In January... - Tyler Durden - February 9, 2014 - ...Of course, in keeping with the above "seasonal" transformation, what this means is that instead of having added a total of 3.290 million "statistical" jobs, the Bureau simply had to bump up the "fudge factor" to 3.357K or over, to match or beat the expectations. The difference between the 3.290MM and 3.357MM numbers? 2%.                    Which begs the question: why did whatever prompted the BLS to add just under 3.3 million "excel" jobs, not also prompt them to add another 57K jobs to the final adjustment number which was a minute fraction of the total fudge factor, and beat Wall Street estimates, reincarnating the narrative that the US economy is now back in "escape velocity" mode, it is "self-sustaining" and all those other spins and stories serious economists tell themselves to justify that QE has worked? Unless, it was specifically the intention of the BLS to not give such an impression.                        Whether the reason was precisely to give the Fed the loophole it needs to taper the taper in a few weeks time when the latest "economic recovery" thesis crashes and burns, will be uncovered over the next several months.                     Finally, for all those same very serious economists who lament the impact of the weather on the Establishment survey, and yet point to the surge in the Household Survey which "added" 638K seasonally-adjusted jobs, the unadjusted change there was a drop of 403K jobs. So there's that.

What Happened The Last Time The Unemployment Rate Dropped This Much - Tyler Durden- February 9, 2014 - ... Alas, that is the real reason why the labor force collapse continues and will continue even as America enters its next recession. Or depression.                  So what happens when one renormalizes the unemployment rate calculation and uses a 30 year average labor force participation rate as a constant instead of a variable to be plugged by the BLS to goalseek a desired result? This happens:

What the chart above shows is that the "real" unemployment rate in October 2009 was 11.2%. Where is it now? 11.1%.                 And there is your "Obama Recovery", when stripped of all the fancy veneer and TOTUSed propaganda, right there.


Low-Wage Hours At New Low As ObamaCare Fines Loom - Investor's Business Daily = Jed Graham - February 7, 2014 - Low-wage workers clocked the shortest workweek on record in December — even shorter than at the depth of the recession, new Labor Department data showed Friday.                        The figures underscore concerns about the ObamaCare employer insurance mandate's impact on the work hours and incomes of low-wage earners.                          It's impossible to know how much of the drop relates to ObamaCare, but there's good reason to suspect a strong connection. The workweek has been getting shorter in many of the same industries where anecdotes have piled up about employers cutting hours to evade the law's penalties.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/politics-obamacare/020714-689319-low-wage-workweek-hits-new-low-with-obamacare.htm#ixzz2stKu0BGr
Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook

» Obamacare: The Final Payment–Raiding the Assets of Low-Income and Poor Americans - Paul Craig Roberts - February 8, 2014 - The anonymous Obamacare expert, who provided us a year ago with the most complete account of Obamacare available, http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2013/02/03/obamacare-a-primer/ has returned with an explanation of estate recovery. Obamacare herds the poor into Medicaid which requires some enrollees to forfeit homes and other assets they might have to the state to cover the cost of their medical care. The research article below is meticulous and demonstrates that Obamacare was not enacted to serve the people...


Top Adviser To The Chinese Government Calls For A “Global Currency” To Replace The U.S. Dollar - End of the American Dream - Michael Snyder - February 6, 2014 - The former chief economist at the World Bank, Justin Yifu Lin, is advising the Chinese government that the time has come for a single global currency.  Lin, who is also a professor at Peking University, says that the U.S. dollar “is the root cause of global financial and economic crises” and that moving to a “global super-currency” will bring much needed stability to the global financial system.  And considering how recklessly the Federal Reserve has been pumping money into the global financial system and how recklessly the U.S. government has been going into debt, it is hard to argue with his logic.  Why would anyone want to trust the United States to continue to run things after how badly we have abused our position?  The United States has greatly benefited from having the de facto reserve currency of the planet for the past several decades, but now that era is coming to an end.  In fact, the central bank of China has already announced that it will no longer be stockpiling more U.S. dollars.  The rest of the world is getting tired of playing our game.  Our debt is wildly out of control and we are creating money as if there was no tomorrow.  As the rest of the world starts moving away from the U.S. dollar, global power is going to shift even more to the East, and that is going to have very serious consequences for ordinary Americans.           Sadly, most Americans don’t even realize what is happening.  These comments by a top adviser to the Chinese government should have made front page news all over the nation.  I had to go to China Daily to find the following excerpt…

42.3% of the people in Catawba County have a job

42.3% of the people in Catawba County have a job. That is an approximate number based upon the numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The spreadsheet is in the link below.

Spreadsheet of Catawba County Employment numbers January 1990 to December 2013

In 1990, when these official statistics began, over 58% of the people in Catawba County had a job. The current actual participation rate (Total Workforce/Population) is 45.6%. It has fallen from over 61% of Catawba County's residents being in the workforce in 1990 and 1991.

Look below at the past year and see how drastically the Labor Pool (Workforce) has fallen. At the same time, the officially unemployed has fallen from 8,584 to 5,141. With both falling, one can see how the conclusion is reached that those 3,400+ people are permanently unemployed and we are not seeing an employment recovery. We see 490 fewer people actually employed since July. Look at the two spreadsheets below. At the end of 2009, the number of employed in Catawba County settled around 65,000 and has stayed there ever since. And yet, the corrupted Unemployment Rate number has fallen from 15.1% in January 2010 to the current reported rate of 7.3%. This shows the U-3 unemployment rate statistic is irrelevant.

2013 Employment Numbers

September 2007 to July 2010 - When the downturn began, from the beginning to the end of this period, we see a workforce that begins at 75,900 and ends at 75,600 -- relatively the same. The number of employed falls by 6,714 people between July 2008 and July 2010. The employed percentage falls, while the participation rate remains virtually the same during the period. The unemployment rate rises drastically from 5.3% to a peak of 15.1% before settling in the high 13% range.

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There is no employment recovery and we may head down in the near future. I am almost certain that Catawba County lost population last year. Most people are not going to move here to do absolutely nothing, even people of retirement age. If they were working at all, they would be considered employed. All factors point to economic shrinkage in the area.

You are not going to get this information from the Politicians and Bureaucrats in the government. You are not going to get this information from the Social Workers at the Employment Security Commission. You aren't going to get this information from the Lit Majors at the newspaper. You'll have to come here. I might not be perfect, but I will lay the numbers out there for you. I'm not here to give you a feel good message. I'm here to prepare you for the road ahead.

The bottom line is that the number one priority needs to be fixing the dynamics of our local economy. I don't see that we are doing enough about rectifying that and the things that have been bandied about are not going to do that.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of February 4, 2014

I began video recording the City Council in 2012, because of my desire that the City do it on their own as any modern 21st century community began doing long ago. I had people tell me that they couldn't make it to the meetings, but they would like to see what is going on. I was also told by some council members that my summaries did not truly reflect the record, so having a video/audio recording cannot be misinterpreted.

So below is the City Council meeting. With each agenda item, you can click on the links and it will take you to that specific point in the meeting. You can always drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.

Agenda about the City Council meeting of February 4, 2014



Consent Agenda Unanimously Approved


New Business - Public Hearings
1. Resolution and Order for Petition of Moretz Mills, LLC to Close a Portion of E Avenue SE. - On December 6, 2013, Patrick, Harper & Dixon, Attorneys at Law, presented a petition on behalf of Moretz Mills LLC, one of the property owners of property abutting a portion of E Avenue SE, requested the City to abandon a portion of this right-of-way.

Hound: This Public Hearing was postponed til a later date to allow the parties involved in the agreement to come to a compromise. Time certain for the hearing will be March 4, 2014. The hearing was opened and closed and continued.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. (a) Request to Amend the Parking Ordinance for the Farmer’s Market to Include Last Year’s Ordinance #13-06, with a Time Change and Day. Change the Farmer’s Market No Parking hours from the current ordinance language which calls for Wednesdays from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM and Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. to the new hours for 2014 which includes Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays 6:20 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from April 16, 2014 through November 29, 2014 (excluding Saturday, October 11, 2014 which is Oktoberfest weekend) for the spaces south of Union Square on the north side of the parking lot road connecting the east and west parking lots as well as along the west parking lot to include the first three (3) angled parking spaces. Also, change the parking ordinance from the previous year from Monday from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., May 6, 2013 through October 7, 2013 to now include the new Thursday market evening covered by no parking hours of Thursdays 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from June 5, 2014 through August 28, 2014 in the west parking lot specifically to include the first three (3) angled parking spaces only. Previously, all of the west lot spaces were included for the Monday
market.

2013 Market Hours 2014 Market Hours Dates
Monday 4-7pm Thursday 5-8pm June 5 through August 28, 2014
Wednesday 10am-3pm Wed 10am-3pm April 16 through November 29, 2014
Saturday 8am-1pm Sat 8am-1pm April 16 through November 29, 2014

** Time change has been moved back to help with set up.

1. (b) Special Event/Activities Application for Downtown Hickory Farmers’ Market.

2. (a) Approval of an Agreement for Professional Services with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas in the amount of $288,000. - Staff requests approval of this agreement for Engineering Services with HDR Engineering, Inc. of the Carolinas to perform professional engineering services related to design on sanitary sewer infrastructure

2. (b) Capital Project Ordinance Number 2. - To budget a $288,000 transfer from the Water and Sewer Capital – Sewer Lines account to the Murray Basin Capital Project.

General Comments
(From Hickory Inc. Action Agenda)
Alderman Guess commented that recently Chief of Police Tom Adkins was named as the President of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. Not only is that an extinctive honor, but it helps the City of Hickory in a lot of different ways. He wanted to make that public announcement and congratulate Chief Adkins on that appointment.
Alderman Seaver commented now he is the Chief, Chief.
Mayor Wright commented that we are very fortunate. We have Mack McLeod who served as President of the Parks and Recreation Commission, and a lot of people who are very involved in leadership positions with the trade Associations for municipal staff. He commented that is quite a bit of benefit to the City. Some of that knowledge rubs off.
Alderman Seaver commented that is not counting some of the other cities that come and rob us of some of our folks.

Mayor Wright stated that on Friday the City unveiled proposals for Inspiring Spaces. We need to turn our population growth into a positive direction. We need to turn our job growth into a positive direction, and we have to grow one to grow the other. We called it, at that point, a start of dialogue. No decisions were made, no votes were taken. The dialogue has started. If his emails are an example we are going to have a vigorous dialogue, and that is good, because it is for the people, it is going to be paid for by the people, so we need to talk about it. We have had some conversations with some people across the State who have done similar things, and what we hear is positive. That upon embarking on these kind of ventures, the people started feeling better about themselves, and they get enthusiastic and good things happen. He commented that they solicit citizens input, the dialogue is open, and they welcome comments. He asked what we have on the City’s website. We have everything that has been presented to the public. Actually everything that has been presented to the public, is everything that has been presented to the Council too. If you want to learn more go to the City’s website. More information will be released there. It is a new day. We have hunkered down as long as we can, and now we have to start investing and make some good things happen.
Mayor Wright commented that the paper gave the City good coverage. That headline of what might cost the taxpayers $4,006 per foot was not the finest moment for the paper. However, the way that he answers that is this; you build a 5,000 square foot house that is 100 x 50, on average that is $500,000 dollars. You stand at the corner of that house and you look one way, and say, that cost $5,000 a foot. You look the other way, and say, that cost $10,000 a foot, and neither number means a thing. He hopes that we don’t hear too much about $4,006 a foot, unless someone will break it down by square foot, and even that is only meaningful if you understand what you are building.

Alderman Seaver commented that Hickory High was hosting St. Stephens in basketball tonight, so if you would like some further excitement go over to Hickory High.
Mayor Wright stated that they were not endorsing either team.
Alderman Seaver stated no, that is a good game.
Mayor Wright asked if there were any other comments, or if any one wanted to say anything further about Inspiring Spaces?
Alderman Seaver commented that we should aspire to inspire before we expire.

The Hound's Comment - Pretty sad that the Mayor still disrespects the HDR to the extent that he fusses about their headline of $4,000+ per square foot. The HDR did everything in their power to get him and the others re-elected. Where's the love? 

The headline does make a valid point, but in the end they'll do everything they can to help push this through too. Anyone that makes an investment looks at area costs. And please come out of your attention span stupor long enough to remember that the structure on Union Square was supposed to cost $285,000 and the amount they will admit to is right at $500,000.

$27 million for a beautification project focused once again on Downtown, which with the overruns we have seen in the current past could equal $50 million easily, after they told everyone that Inspiring Spaces wouldn't be focused on Downtown, certainly seems exorbitant for a city that has constantly told and shown through actions an unwillingness to invest in other parts of the city.  Lot of splainin to do here folks, but I'm sure they'll come up with somethin'. Won't they?

We aren't prescient folks. It has all been so transparent. We told you what was going to happen last year and now the chickens are ready to roost.