Agenda about the City Council meeting of March 4, 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.

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. 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 Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center
  City Council Agenda - March 4, 2014

The Hound's Notes:
1) Special  Presentation B is about the Inspiring Spaces Initiative - Hickory Inc. went to Charlotte on Friday. John Tinkelenberg of the Hickory Daily Record did a special report on this "Retreat". Here is a link to the report  - Uncertainty still blankets Inspiring Spaces initiative.

2) Possible development of the property at the Cloninger Mill Proposed Park site? - I find item I of the Consent Agenda interesting. Economic Development Agreement with MAB American.
Found this from Streetinsider.com - November 13, 2014 - Inland Real Estate Corporation (NYSE: IRC) announced that it has entered into a joint venture to develop grocery-anchored shopping centers in select markets throughout the southeastern United States with MAB American Retail Partners, LLC, an affiliate of Melbourne, Australia-based MAB Corporation. The five-year development program will target demographically strong metropolitan areas in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and could result in the construction of as many as 20 new grocery-anchored shopping centers with a total market value of as much as $325 million. MAB Corporation is a privately owned property development company and fund manager that has completed in excess of $2 billion in projects, including retail, office, multi-family and industrial, at locations throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

MAB Rosenthal - MAB American



Invocation by Susan Smith Walker, Assistant Pastor, Exodus Missionary Outreach Church


Special Presentations
A. Presentation of FY 2014-2015 Board and Commission Work Plans. Presenters will be allotted no more than five (5) minutes to make their presentations to Council.
Board/Commission Presenter
1. Library Advisory Board Kathy Ivey
2. Citizens’ Advisory Committee Mike Holland
3. Community Appearance Commission Steve Bowman
4. Community Relations Council Neal Orgain
5. Hickory International Council Hani Nassar
6. Hickory Regional Planning Commission Brian Frazier
7. Hickory Youth Council Toni Abernathy
8. Historic Preservation Commission Larry Triplett
9. Parks and Recreation Commission Tony Wood
10. Public Art Commission Brian Frazier
11. Recycling Advisory Board Norm Meres
12. Business Development Committee Alan Jackson

B. Inspiring Spaces Committee Update

Consent Agenda:
A. Special Event/Activities Application for Cornerstone Cares 5K Run/Walk, Allison Crouse, Executive Assistant, Cornerstone Health Care, Saturday, April 5, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Union Square, Downtown Hickory, Sails on the Square.

B. Special Event/Activities Application for Hickory Oktoberfest 2014, Connie Kincaid, Executive Director, Hickory Downtown Development Association, October 9, 2014 at 6:00 a.m. to October 12, 2014 at 11:00 p.m. (times include set-up and clean-up). Staff recommends approval with public safety stipulation that the event closes at 10:00 p.m. and alcohol sales stop at 9:30 p.m.

C. Acceptance of Offers to Purchase and Contracts for Properties Located at 1840 and 1845 Waterbury Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. - Staff requests consideration of Offers to Purchase and Contracts for properties located at 1840 and 1845 Waterbury Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. The properties were originally purchased by the City because they were on the route of the proposed Southern Cross-Town Thoroughfare. The route for the future thoroughfare has since been amended, and the properties are no longer needed. Tax value for 1840 Waterbury Court is $27,600, and 1845 Waterbury Court is $27,300. Ioan Aron, and wife Carmen Aron are interested in purchasing these lots in order to construct single family dwellings. They are offering $15,000 per lot.
Notice of Upset Bid was advertised on February 7, 2014 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area. No upset bids were received for the properties.

D. Acceptance of Offer to Purchase and Contract for Property Located at 1747 Whitewater Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. - Staff requests consideration of an Offer to Purchase and Contract for property located at 1747 Whitewater Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. The property was originally purchased by the City because it was on the route of the proposed Southern Cross-Town Thoroughfare. The route for the future thoroughfare has since been amended, and the property is no longer needed. Tax value for 1747 Whitewater Court is $29,700. Mark Schudde is interested in purchasing the lot because it is adjacent to his home. He is offering $16,500 for the lot. Notice of Upset Bid was advertised on February 7, 2014 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area. No upset bids were received for the properties.

E. Acceptance of an Offer to Purchase and Contract for Properties Located at 11 3rd Street SE, 17 3rd Street SE, 21 3rd Street SE, and 27 3rd Street SE, the City owns 10.7143% Interest in the Lots - Staff requests consideration of the Offer to Purchase and Contract for properties located at 11 3rd Street SE, 17 3rd Street SE, 21 3rd Street SE, and 27 3rd Street SE. The Patrick Beaver Memorial Library was one of eight beneficiaries of the will of George L. Lylerly, Jr. In July 2009, the trustee presented the beneficiaries with the option to accept an $8,000 offer to purchase the property or the option to approve the distribution of the property. Council rejected the offer to purchase and approved the distribution of the property from the trust at the July 21, 2009 Council meeting. The City of Hickory was conveyed a 10.7143% interest in the lots. Tax values for the properties are as follows: 11 3rd Street SE, $8,500; 17 3rd Street NE, $9,700; 21 3rd Street SE, $11,900; and 27 3rd Street SE, $12,600. In January 2013, staff received an offer to purchase the property for $44,386 from Prism Commercial Real Estate on behalf of the buyer, Tony Jarrett. All eight owners of the property must consent to the offer to purchase. The City’s share will be $4,755.65.
Notice of Upset Bid was advertised on February 7, 2014 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area. No upset bids were received for the properties.

F. Approval of the Contract for J.W. Grading to Demolish Structures Deemed to be Unsafe or Uninhabitable by the Police Department Code Enforcement Unit. - Since the creation of the Police Department Code Enforcement Unit in July of 2008 the unit has been responsible for approximately 190 demolitions with only three of these going before the City Council. Although demolitions by the city are not carried out on a regular basis J.W. Grading would provide the most cost effective solution for any potential demolitions. The lowest bidder for the city contract is J.W. Grading with a bid of $2.23 per square foot. Staff requests approval of the demolition contract to J.W. Grading.

G. Call for Public Hearing – to Amend 2012 and 2013 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plans. (Authorize Public Hearing for March 18, 2014)

H. Certificate of Sufficiency and Preliminary Resolution Relative to Street Improvements along a Portion of 627 8th Street Drive NW – Petition No. 01-14 (Authorize Public Hearing for April 1, 2014)

I. Call for Public Hearing – to Consider Economic Development Agreement with MAB American for the Development of City Owned Property at Cloninger Mill Road and NC 127. (Authorize Public Hearing for March 18, 2014)

J. Call for Public Hearing – To Consider Economic Development Agreement with Cornerstone United Inc., and Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC for the Property Located at 1020 Main Ave. NW, Hickory. (Authorize Public Hearing for March 18, 2014)

K. Acceptance of an Offer of Dedication of Public Street Right-of-Way (14th Avenue NE, formerly Austin’s View). - The City has been presented with an offer of dedication for a portion of 14th Avenue NE. The section of roadway was previously constructed and inspected. However, the City was not able to assume maintenance of the street because the right-of-way for the street was never dedicated. The street and the larger residential development are now under new ownership and have formally dedicated the street right-of-way, and provided an offer for public dedication. These actions were done so by the recordation of a dedication and closure plat, which is recorded in Plat Book 73, at Page 90 of the Catawba County Registry.
The North Carolina General Statutes, as well as the City’s Land Development Code, require that street rights-of-way offered for dedication be officially accepted for public use by resolution of the elected governing body. Staff recommends City Council approve the resolution accepting the offer of dedication for the segment of 14th Avenue NE, as shown on Plat Book 73, at Page 90 of the Catawba County Registry.

L. Approval of the 2014 Loan Agreement with the National Museum of the United States Air Force. - The City has taken part in the US Air Force’s Static Display Program for many years whereby certain aircraft are on loan to the City for display by the Hickory Aviation Museum. There are no City budgetary requirements under this agreement. The Hickory Regional Airport currently has on loan two aircraft that fall under this agreement. Staff requests approval of the 2014 Loan Agreement with the National Museum of the United States Air Force under their Static Display Program.

M. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 16.
1. To budget a $5,596 insurance claim payment in the Traffic Division M&R Traffic Signals line item. This insurance claim payment is for damage to a signal box at 4th St. NW and 2nd Ave. NW on January 13, 2014.
2. To appropriate $20,000 of General Fund Contingency and transfer to the Airports Other Professional Services line item. These funds are needed to cover the ongoing legal fees related to the former FBO’s (Fixed Based Operator’s) bankruptcy.

N. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 17.
1. To transfer $193,000 of General Fund-Appropriated Fund Balance to the Stormwater Fund’s Contracted Services line item. This transfer is needed to pay for storm drain cleaning and repair under 7th St. SE. The 96 inch storm drain pipe under 7th St. SE became filled with debris material and approximately 25 feet of the pipe has been damaged as a result of poor maintenance of the upstream property's drainage system. The repair to the damaged section of the pipe will include installing a concrete gunite lining. The NCDOT (North Carolina Department of Transportation) has informed the upstream property owner that drainage system failure must be addressed at once.

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.
This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on January 10, January 17, January 24, and January 31, 2014. An additional advertisement for the continuation of the public hearing was published February 21, 2014.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of February 18, 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
- Go to this link if you would like more information about the Agenda items.

Highlighted Links below take you straight to that point in the video.




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

(From the City Website) -  Mr. Jeff Neuville of the Business Development Committee (BDC) commented that the BDC recognizes businesses that have been in our town for 75 years or more. He recognized the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. In 1910, 34 years before Coca-Cola became a registered trademark, the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated laid down their roots in Hickory. In 1937, the company built at their current location, near downtown Hickory. From the beginning the company has been a family business, dedicated to its employees and community. The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated is a licensed bottler for the Coca-Cola Company based in Atlanta. The company was the exclusive bottler for a six county area, and packages and distributes many beverages to over 11 States. They are the largest independent bottler of Coca-Cola products. For 104 years the business has flourished and provided jobs for Hickory residents. They also strive to being involved in the community with the focus on maintaining a hometown touch, the result is remarkable. More employee base, with over 100 employees in the Hickory area. The business helps communities in many ways, in addition to regular donations to local charities, employees helped with the construction of the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground, with more than 40 employees volunteering time during the construction, and the company also donated drinks for the opening. Employees have also painted houses in the community, and regularly host coat and can drives. The company has a stewardship committee that focuses entirely on ways to reach out to the community. The Coca-Cola brand is ubiquitous in American culture, as American as apple pie, and as American as an All American City. We are proud that this iconic brand and company has called Hickory home for over 100 years. He asked Mr. Mark Brown, Territory Sales Manager, and Mr. Mike Watson, District Sales Manager, to the podium, and thanked them for being a part of our community, and presented them with the City’s Business Well Crafted Award.

Mr. Mark Brown thanked the Business Development Committee for honoring them. He commented think about the experience of a Coca-Cola bottle, and a lot of folks can probably think back years ago, drinking that little iconic glass bottle, and they experience that they had, the family they were with, the community that they were in. It is awesome to say that you work for the most recognizable brand in the world, not many people can say that. They are excited to be a part of this, and thanked everyone for the honor. He thanked everyone for allowing them to be a part of this community, they enjoy this community. It is actually a central hub for this area. Their home office is in Charlotte, North Carolina. They get the opportunity to show off the community a lot of times with their Vice Presidents and Presidents for the company. They will actually be in Hickory on Thursday, to show off this great community.

Mayor Wright commented that he is sure that there are not too many people who could remember buying those little bottles for six cents, and if you took the bottle back you got a penny back. That was a lot of motivation for the kids to go out and find those Coca-Cola bottles.

B. Presentation by Community Groups Requesting Appropriations from the City Council during the Next Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2014.

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


Persons Requesting to Be Heard

Larry Pope - (From the City Website) - Mr. Larry Pope addressed Council concerning two matters. He commented that as he listened to all of the reports from the various groups who had spoken prior to him coming to the podium, he was almost at the point of changing his mind about what he wanted to talk about. What he is concerned about, is equally as important as what others have spoken about. Even though the bubble has been enlarged, and has been filled with wonderful things that are happening in our City, as usually, he has things that are not as positive, as a citizen of this great City. Inspiring Spaces is a project that is being worked on and been discussed, and there has been trips made by our City Council, and others, looking at various locations and various things. This afternoon he got off the public bus to go to the bank, right before 5:00 p.m., and as he walked down Union Square, he started thinking, it is very frustrating as a citizen who has had restrooms, that were built with taxpayer’s money on Union Square, that is not open unless there are events going on downtown, involving beer gardens, or other events at different times of the year. He hopes, and he has asked in the past, that great consideration be given to reopening those restrooms, keeping them clean, and keeping them available for citizens who might want to go to the restroom without going into an establishment and spending their money to eat or drink. He knows that there has been problems, but he also knows that there are ways to solve some of the problems that have existed in the past. When we spend an estimated $40,000 on Inspiring Spaces from Lenoir Rhyne College to 6th Street SW, NW, to build a walking trail, and other events; where are people that are going to use those trails as they visit the community, going to have a place to go to powder their nose, if their nose needs to be powdered? He knows that there has been given consideration on the problems that those restrooms, in the past experienced. But he says now is time for a change and there can be a change.

 Mr. Pope stated that under Title Two, of the American’s with Disabilities Act Section 504, it is incumbent of this City to provide information that he is going to ask for, and he wants it to go in the minutes of this meeting as part of the agenda packet. He would like to have the name, the address, physical address of every City Employee at Public Works, City Police Department, and any other employees employed by this City who travel our streets on a daily basis. The other thing that he is requesting is he wants to know, in writing, in the past three years from tonight back three years what workshops were provided to City employees, the names of those City employees that attended the workshops and what those workshops were for, and who provided the workshops as the instructor, during the period that the employee attended them. He has had a situation to happen, that it makes it imperative that this information be given to him, and that he has an opportunity to look at the training of City employees, because he knows that there are a lot of things as a citizen of this City with a disability, that he runs across on a daily, weekly basis, and he is told that no matter what it is not safe. That the City has to be made aware of it, and they have “X” number of days to correct whatever the problem is. He said in response to that, what happens, are you notified after injury occurs to a citizen. Before the injury occurs you have City employees that should be trained to recognize barriers that exist on our sidewalks. He is making a formal request under Title Two of ADA for that information.
 
Mayor Wright asked staff to see what information that Mr. Pope has requested is required to be presented to him under the public records act, to the extent that is required, let’s make it available to him.

Consent Agenda

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Resolution Confirming and Levying Assessments Along a portion of 10th Avenue NE – Petition No. 02-12 - Chuck Hansen presentation

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.

Hound: Not much went on other than the Status Quo at this meeting. The appropriations presentations were the same as every year.

An Addendum to Reality

I appreciated this awesome e-mail response to Land of the Greed and the Home of the Slaves - I will keep the author Anonymous, but I agree with what was stated and wanted to share it. There is a lot of thought and intellect put into this response and it will fly over 90%+ of this community's heads.



Dear Thom,

It’s always darkest before the dawn. No more posting in the middle of the night!

I think you might be getting off on the wrong track when you say that “working class” people are at the mercy of the “white collar” people. This divisionary tactic is one we must not fall for. We are all in this together and we have to be careful that we do not encourage division between classes, races, religions, age groups, etc. We need to recognize the real enemy: the international cabal of the corrupt banksters, the corporatocracy, the oligarchy, whatever name you want to use. No matter how you name them, they are still corrupt gangsters outside of the law who do whatever they like and whose power needs to be utterly broken.

This relatively small group of people intends to destroy the world country by country by gaining total control of the populations and then remaking the world according to their own plans and they have been stealthily working at it for many years. Remember that these people are not Americans, no matter what their passport might say. They are motivated only by power and control. Their immediate concern is to crush all competition and they have no moral compass to distinguish right and wrong. Their goal is a “new world order,” which they intend to control for their own benefit. The people will truly be slaves, as you said.

All media is controlled by them through just a handful of corporations: television, radio, print, and film. Through the media they have been able to brainwash Americans with their propaganda and through poisoning our water, food and environment they have made us weaker and less able to resist. But something has blossomed fairly recently that has caused them concern and slowed their plans: the Internet. The internet gave rise to the alternative media and people can learn the truth for the first time. The global cabal want to control the internet too and will do everything in their power to obtain this control. This is where we must stop them and this is where you have been playing an important part, Thom.

I know your focus is local, right here in Hickory and that is what we need; but Hickory’s economic problems can be traced back to these people and you must never let your readers forget this. Their jobs were destroyed by a combination of technology and NAFTA.

Several experts say that today we have the technology to give every person in the world the basic things they need to live a decent life. The global elite is controlling the technology and they intend to use it for themselves and to their benefit only. We have the technology to enable people to work only a few days a week if it were allowed to flower. They want one world government controlled by them and a max of 2 million people on the planet.

What can we do? Keep exposing the FED cartel and boycott their banks. Boycott the news networks and do everything we can to use and protect the Internet and keep it free. Support a strong military for defense only and speak out when you see it used aggressively abroad to destabilize nations. Make your home and car as self-sustainable as possible. Put no faith in the political system as we know both sides of the aisle, all branches and all levels have been co-opted by the global elite. When you keep it real (as you said), you will know that you can’t believe anything they tell you and you will have to do your own research.

Here in Hickory we need information about what’s really going on and I depend on the Hickory Hound to supply the information. I want to see the maps, drawings, renderings of Inspiring Spaces as well as information about the costs. Your recording of the Council meetings got things started, but now you can scale back and just make comments on parts that concern you. It looks like a lot of work and you could use your energy elsewhere. I’m really pleased to see the changes in the HDR now that we have a new editor and he has hired two new reporters. He promised more election coverage and it seems he is trying to carry through. Considering who owns the paper, he probably has to walk a fine line, but he wants to do a good job.

What we need is a critical mass of people who understand what’s going on behind the scenes and simply don’t fall for the standard explanations they are given. You have played an important part in waking me up. Primary elections are coming up soon and we need more information about who is running. Greg Brannon was a Constitutionalist who recently was brought to court on corruption charges from an incident in the past. No matter what they say, I feel he was deliberately knocked out of the race by the powers that be. They are very much afraid of the “Tea Party” and continue to seek to destroy it. It’s things like this we need to expose.

Have a good week and get some sleep!

Land of the Greed and the Home of the Slaves

The every man for themselves economy created has been fomented by the Merkin Oligarchy. Michael Douglas in the movie Wall Street said that "Greed is Good" and I swear to God that this is a Creed that many of the people at the top in this country have chosen to live by.

I guess if you're driving a luxury car, living in a luxury house, and have a detached white collar job with some security and decision making authority, then you think everything is hunky-dory and what is everyone complaining about. There are a lot of us out here that have been on a steady economic slide downwards with stagnant incomes and ever increasing expenses who are at the mercy of you white collar folks... and you folks never seem to suffer the consequences of your bad decisions like the rest of us do. If you think I'm lazy come say it to my face. If you think I've caused my problems, then please come say it to my face. Whomever you believe is not worthy, say it to their face. If you don't really want to know how I am, then don't ask.

I've still got to put together my State of Hickory 2014 and it has been hard to put together, because it isn't fun to talk about. My lone surviving grandparent had a stroke back in January and she isn't getting better. To be honest, I haven't gotten used to my other grandmother not being around, because she was basically my lifeline basically up until she died. My mother isn't in great shape and she has been helping my grandmother, which isn't easy on her... and no, we don't want anyone's help, because we know they want a ton of money. They basically want to take what little we have left.

I'm sick of it all to be frank and I've decided that besides work, I don't want much of anything to do with anyone in this community. I'll take care of my house, the best I can, and get by the best I can, but I expect every year from here on out to be worse than the last, not because I want it to be, but because of the way this place is. I have a cloud that hangs over me that makes me wonder at what point I lose everything.

I'm up here at 4am thinking about life. I'm not up because of some physical or mental disorder. I'm up because I can't get thoughts out of my mind -- all of the bad. And you will be happy to know that the stress exudes from my soul. How does someone who never wins and never gets what they want enjoy life?

We have people at the top of this community that want to tell us that our message isn't positive enough. I think we have too many sales people running this community. When they tell me this story about how great things are, they don't come off as convincing... they come off as full of it -- and I think the more vulgar term is more appropriate. I don't have confidence in these people. Sales people are only interested in selling things... making commissions... a quick fix... junkies. I'm not a junky - The Greed.

I want to see us build an economy here. I want to see some stability... security... ecosystem... progress... quality of life. I wish I could be a leader, a crusader, but this area doesn't create leaders. It chews those kinds of people up and spits them out. No one wants cutting edge, pioneer types of people here. Control freaks want people they can control, don't allow competition, and repress everything around them including themselves. If you step out, they will try to cage you. - The Slaves.

Personally, I'm going to tell it like I see it. If you don't like it, then go get blitzed or whatever you need to do to escape reality, because keeping it Real is the only thing helping me to survive at this point. So you have two options. Come cuss me out or leave me alone, because I'm not you. I'm me.

Lessons Never Learned

I looked at the Hickory Daily Record poll related to the Glorified Sidewalk along Main Avenue and the Railroad track that they are proposing to spend $27.5 million on. I told you during the election that Hickory Inc. is going to raise your taxes. They said so on May 21, 2013 at the Hickory City Council meeting..

Here are some points:

1) Remember that the Mayor said that the number being talked about was $80 million for beautification -- He said it at a Democrat meeting. I think he thought they would be receptive, because that's how the Fox News disciples think. Republicans automatically against spending money. Democrats automatically for spending money.

2) Look at the chart above. Former Alder Sally Fox said let's raise taxes now and let's fund Inspiring Spaces now. I appreciated her courage and her honesty. The others hemmed and hawed, because they were running for re-election. I think Sally knew she wasn't going to run. Those that were going to run knew that in Hickory, NC that they could not run on a tax increase. They wanted to keep it as hush-hush as possible. They should have been pushed on their obvious scheme. I tried. Oh well!

On that night, City Manager Mick Berry is saying they will need 1.5 cents for expected losses of Revenue and Operational Increases. They need at least 1-cent to repave the roads. And he talks about a three-pronged Economic Competitiveness plan and proposes that they need 4-cents for Hickory's portion of Innovate Catawba's Sites and Building plan plus Redevelopment plus Inspiring Spaces.

Here's the kicker. Mr. Berry lowballed his estimates. Look at those numbers:

4-cents for Hickory's portion of Innovate Catawba's Sites and Building plan plus Redevelopment plus Inspiring Spaces. He proposes $20 million for all of that. Now Hickory Inc. has come forward and they are asking for $27.5 million for just one project of one portion of their Economic Competitiveness plan. Do you see that this doesn't add up?

So, how much does that increase that "necessary" property tax increase? Absolutely more than 4-cents. And please remember that on their last project, they said that the Structure on Union Square was going to cost $285,000 and it ended up costing (what they will admit to) nearly $500,000. If they say this project is going to cost $27.5 million, then how much is it really going to cost?

You can see that to do what is proposed, your property tax is going up by at least 10-cents per $100.

3) Andrea Surratt, who has been in charge of this process, initially said that this plan was about jobs and population growth, but the only things we have heard mentioned are revitalized infrastructure.  I have been told that the Inspiring Spaces Advisory Committee had no input on this Main Street Project and they were surprised when City Staff came forward with it and yet we are told back on July 9, 2013 that the advisory committee is prioritizing the projects.

I am going through my files to pinpoint the remark. At one point, during the beginning of this process and along the time the structure on Union Square was being completed, Ms. Surratt said that this (Inspiring Spaces Project)  wasn't about Downtown; that Downtown had just been focused on with "the Sails" project. They were looking to redevelop and uplift other areas of the city -- this link points to where she said something along those lines - Highland Recreation Center meeting about Inspiring Spaces - November 13, 2012. 

What do you call this project? It is yet another focus on Downtown. I will be magnanimous by saying this was disingenuous.

The Hound:  Most of the RINOs, the DINOs, and the TPINOs all got together and re-elected the Status Quo back in November. These people don't understand the constructs and principles of their parties. It's just about a convenience and the contest. Everyone forgets about the governance part. 

I've heard people grousing and grumbling around here for years about the lack of direction, but they don't do anything to change their circumstances. Frankly, I'm tired of it. I've spent a lot of time over the years pointing out pure and simple reality. The bottom line is there is no accountability around here and there is a lot of nasty, lowball, petty politics. It sure isn't the stomping grounds of intellectuals, that's for sure.

It doesn't matter if 80% of the people are against it, these people, as far as I can tell, are going to build this sidewalk no matter what; just like they did their "Sails on the Square". Whether they pass the bond referendum or not, they are going to build this $27.5 million sidewalk. If the referendum does not pass, then they will have to do it piece meal. That means a little bit at a time for you devout worshipers of party politics. Taxes are going up no matter what.

If changing the way things are is Liberal, then I am guilty. If maintaining the Status Quo and doing the same things over and over again and hoping for a better result is Conservative, then I want nothing to do with it. We gave you a platform to get this whole community moving and it was rejected. You voted for "We're gonna do whatever we want and if you don't like it tough." Enjoy.

P.S. And I don't hate Hickory. The things I love are my family, God, loyal friends, freshness, fresh food, the ocean, mountain streams, underdogs, selflessness, hardworking ordinary people, justice, honor, integrity, intellectuality...

And I hate everything that is the opposite of that.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 23, 2014

X22 Report - Current Economic Collapse News Brief – Episode 297 - February 22, 2014


The Hickory Daily Record - February 22, 2014
What do you think about the city of Hickory’s $27.5 million proposal to build a park / walking trail on Main Avenue as part of its Inspiring Spaces project?

Great idea. I’m fine with raising property taxes to fund it. 15.9% 
Let’s scale it down first. 6.6% 
We could find better uses for the money. 70.4% 
I don’t care at all about new parks. 7.1% 


Is the housing recovery losing steam? - Fortune/CNN.com - By Christopher Matthews - February 19, 2014 - The latest data suggest that the promised construction boom may not materialize...                    But Wednesday morning the Census Bureau released data showing that, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, only 880,000 new homes had begun construction in January, 16% below the revised December estimate of 1,048,000 and 2% below the January 2013 rate of 898,000...

Expert Warns of Hyperinflation: “The American Way Of Life Will Be Destroyed” - SHTFPlan.com - Mac Slavo - February 17th, 2014 -If there’s one thing that’s certain about what’s happening in the world right now  it’s that uncertainty is pervading every aspect of the global economy. From fabricated employment statistics and consumer spending reports to obscene levels of debt and a failing domestic monetary policy, the writing is on the wall.                According to top Casey Research analyst Marin Katusa, who has met with energy ministers and business leaders in over 100 countries, it’s only a matter of time before the world’s reserve currency goes the way of the German Reichsmark and Zimbabwe Dollar.                 What we’re talking about here is nothing short of an outright collapse of our banking system, hyperinflation of the US dollar, and a complete destruction of the world as we have come to know it. This is a must-watch for those trying to understand what’s happening with the economic landscape, how to position yourself for an unprecedented paradigm shift in how Americans live their lives, what to expect as this crisis unfolds, and how to find opportunities when everyone else is in panic mode.


29 Percent Of All U.S. Adults Under The Age Of 35 Are Living With Their Parents - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - February 19th, 2014 - Why are so many young adults in America living with their parents?  According to a stunning Gallup survey that was recently released, nearly three out of every ten adults in the United States under the age of 35 are still living at home with Mom and Dad.  This closely lines up with a Pew Research Center analysis of Census data that looked at a younger sample of Americans which found that 36 percent of Americans 18 to 31 years old were still living with their parents.  That was the highest level that had ever been recorded.  Overall, approximately 25 million U.S. adults are currently living at home with their parents according to Time Magazine.  So what is causing all of this?  Well, there are certainly a lot of factors.  Overwhelming student loan debt, a depressing lack of jobs and the high cost of living are all definitely playing a role.  But many would argue that what we are witnessing goes far beyond temporary economic conditions.  There are many that believe that we have fundamentally failed our young people and have neglected to equip them with the skills and values that they need to be successful in the real world.                  More Americans than ever before seem to be living in a state of "perpetual adolescence".  As Gallup noted, one of the keys to adulthood is to be able to establish independence from your parents...


Gold Even More Bullish Under Yellen Than Bernanke or Greenspan! 

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 16, 2014

Poll: Americans have little faith in government - Associated Press - CHARLES BABINGTON and JENNIFER AGIESTA — January 2, 2014 - Americans enter 2014 with a profoundly negative view of their government, expressing little hope that elected officials can or will solve the nation's biggest problems, a new poll finds.                          Half say America's system of democracy needs either "a lot of changes" or a complete overhaul, according to the poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Just 1 in 20 says it works well and needs no changes.                   Americans, who have a reputation for optimism, have a sharply pessimistic take on their government after years of disappointment in Washington.                        The percentage of Americans saying the nation is heading in the right direction hasn't topped 50 in about a decade. In the new poll, 70 percent lack confidence in the government's ability "to make progress on the important problems and issues facing the country in 2014."...                   On the economy, an area historically driven by the private sector, the poll finds a clear public desire for active government. Fifty-seven percent of Americans say "we need a strong government to handle today's complex economic problems."
Even among those who say "the less government the better," 31 percent feel the nation needs a strong government to handle those complex problems.                      Americans don't feel terribly optimistic about their own economic opportunities. Although 49 percent say their standard of living surpasses their parents', most are broadly pessimistic about the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. And they are mixed on whether people like them have a good chance to improve their standard of living.                          Few are hopeful that the pieces are in place for the government to improve. About half are pessimistic about the country's ability to produce strong leaders generally. And 61 percent are pessimistic about the system of government overall and the way leaders are chosen...


The Return of Mercantilism - Azizonomics - John Aziz - January 10, 2013


David Stockman - King World News Interview - February 13, 2014 - David Stockman was the head of the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan Administration. In this interview he addresses the manipulation of the Money Markets by the Fed and how these artificial manipulations, such as Quantitative Easing, are going to have and will continue to have a resoundingly bad effect on World Money Markets. (King World News Interview)



Factory Production in U.S. Falls by Most Since 2009 - Bloomberg - Jeanna Smialek - February 14, 2014 - Factory production in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in January by the most since May 2009, adding to evidence severe winter weather weighed on the economy.                       The 0.8 percent decrease at manufacturers followed a revised 0.3 percent gain the prior month that was weaker than initially reported, figures from the Federal Reserve showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 0.1 percent advance. Total industrial production dropped 0.3 percent even as utility output climbed the most in almost a year.
Assembly lines slowed last month as colder weather tempered production, the Fed said, showing a pause in the momentum of an industry that’s helped bolster the economy. A pickup in capital spending and faster hiring that drives consumer purchases will be needed to spur production gains.



No Janet Yellen, The Economy Is NOT “Getting Better” - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - February 11th, 2014 - On Tuesday, new Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen went before Congress and confidently declared that "the economic recovery gained greater traction in the second half of last year" and that "substantial progress has been made in restoring the economy to health".  This resulted in glowing headlines throughout the mainstream media such as this one from USA Today: "Yellen: Economy is improving at moderate pace".  Sadly, tens of millions of Americans are going to believe what the mainstream media is telling them.  But it isn't the truth.  As you will see below, there are all sorts of signs that the economy is taking a turn for the worse.  And when the next great economic crisis does strike, most Americans will be completely and totally unprepared because they trusted our "leaders" when they told us that everything would be just fine...
 
-Prominent retailers are closing hundreds of stores all over the United States.  Things have gotten so bad that some are calling this a "retail apocalypse"...

• JC Penney, which lost $586 million in three months in 2013, is planning to close 33 stores in 19 states and lay off 2,000 people. JC Penney’s stock has lost 84 percent of its value since February 2012.
• Sears has decided to shut down its flagship store in Downtown Chicago, and it has closed 300 stores in the United States since 2010. Stock analyst Brian Sozzi noted that Sear’s inventory levels have fallen by 23.7 percent since 2006. He also noted that Sears had $4.4 billion in cash and equivalents in 2005 but $609 million in cash and equivalents in 2012. Sozzi, who calls himself a guerrilla analyst, has a blog full of disturbing pictures of empty Sears stores.
• Macy’s, one of the few retail success stories, is planning to close five stores and eliminate 2,500 jobs.
• Radio Shack is preparing to close 500 stores, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• Best Buy recently closed 50 stores and eliminated 950 jobs at stores in Canada.
• Target announced plans to eliminate 475 jobs and not fill 700 empty positions to reduce costs.
• Aeropostale is planning to close 175 stores.
• Blockbuster has closed down all of its stores.

The US Participation Rate Is At A 35 Year Low: This Is How It Looks Broken Down By State - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - February 14, 2014 - After years of being roundly ignored by the mainstream media, and certainly by self-important economists, the issue of labor force participation is suddenly up front and center, especially now that the Fed itself finds itself scrambling to explain the humiliation of hitting its 6.5% unemployment "forward guidance" threshold without proceeding to tighten as it said it would initially when it launched QEternity in December 2012.                    Incidentally, we predicted precisely this when we said in December 2012 that "using a simple forecast, based on LTM trends across all key employment metrics reveals something very troubling, for the Fed and stocks that is: the 6.5% unemployment rate will be breached in July 2013! Now granted that is simply idiotic, and there is no way that the US economy could possibly recover that fast, but that is precisely what is implied based on the ongoing collapse in the Labor Force Participation, and the concurrent plunge in the Labor Force Participation rate, which has been the biggest marginal driver for the unemployment rate, far more than the number of people who have jobs, or are unemployed (readers can recreate our calculation on their own in 10 minutes with excel)."
Granted, we were off by six months, but we were spot on about the reason why the unemployment threshold number was hit so quickly, instead of as the Fed has originally predicted, some time in 2015/2016.

We will see more Layoffs - X22 Report - Hickory Hound - February 13, 2014
X22 Report - Episode 289 - February 13, 2014