Agenda about the City Council meeting of September 16, 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:

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

City Council Agenda - September 16, 2014


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 The Hound's Notes:   
1) The Notes pertaining to the individual items are below.
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Invocation by Rev. Whit Malone, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church


Special Presentations
A. Proclamation for National Rehabilitation Month to Maureen McMahon, Administrative - Director of Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, Frye Regional Medical Center

Persons Requesting to Be Heard

Consent Agenda:
A. Approval of a Resolution to Declare 8,114 Surplus Discarded Library Materials so that these Materials may be given to the Friends of the Library to be sold at the Friends October 2014 Book Sale and/or at the “Corner Book Store” at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library. - The sale of donated and discarded books is the primary fundraising activity of the Friends of the Library and discarded library materials comprise a significant portion of their inventory. The sale of these items ultimately benefits the library, and is an appropriate means of disposing of unneeded materials. - Public Notice advertised on August 29, 2014 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

B. Request to Amend the Speed Limit Ordinance for Pebble Creek Subdivision to be 25 mph Throughout the Entire Subdivision. - The Traffic Division has received all necessary paperwork from residents within the subdivision in regards to the Traffic Calming Guidelines and have found the residents to be in compliance with the guidelines. Currently all roadways within the Pebble Creek Subdivision (6th Street NE, 5th Street Court NE, and 30th Avenue Court NE) have the default speed limit of 35 mph. Staff recommends amending the speed limit in the Pebble Creek Subdivision including (6th Street NE, 5th Street Court NE, and 30th Avenue Court NE) by lowering the speed limit to 25 mph.

C. Approve the Acceptance of a Grant to Assist in Funding the Purchase of Bulletproof Vests for Police Officers. - The Bureau of Justice Assistance/Bulletproof Vest Partnership program has approved the purchase of 45 vests in the amount of $31,075, ($14,874.73 in Federal Funds and a
required Local match of $16,200.27). The City of Hickory local match has been placed in the Police Department’s annual operating budget. Life expectancy of each vest is approximately five years. The Police Department recommends acceptance of this grant to receive up to 50 percent funding to purchase bulletproof vests for police officers.

D. Approval to Acknowledge Receipt of a T-2C Buckeye to the National Naval Aviation Museum Standard Loan Agreement. - The City of Hickory/Hickory Regional Airport has on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) certain retired aircraft and artifacts located at the Hickory Regional Airport and on display by the Hickory Aviation Museum. The Hickory Regional Airport has participated in and has had on loan property from the NNAM for over fifteen (15) years. The Hickory Aviation Museum has received a T-2C Buckeye aircraft to add to its display at the Hickory Regional Airport from the Department of Navy, and it is now being added to the City’s loan agreement with the Navy. Staff recommends the acknowledgement of receipt and addition of aircraft T-2C Buckeye to the current Loan Agreement with the National Naval Aviation Museum.

E. Approve the Acceptance of the 2014 Justice Assistance Grant in the Amount of $23,359. -  City of Hickory has received notification to receive $23,359 under the 2014 Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG). The JAG program is a formula-based grant through the Office of Justice  Programs/Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) that utilizes Uniform Crime Reporting statistics of all law enforcement agencies to determine eligibility for direct federal grant awards. There is no match required. Hickory Police Department recommends using grant funds from the Justice Assistance Grant to purchase equipment for the Special Operations Team and medical equipment for each officer. Hickory Police Department recommends acceptance of the 2014 JAG Grant in the amount of $23,359.

F. Approval of a Community Appearance Grant for Non-Residential Property for Property Located at 107 and 109 Government Avenue SW, owned by Rahe Bryce, LLC, in the amount of $4,800. - City Council created the Community Appearance Grant program in 1999 to provide economic incentives for property owners to improve the general appearance of their property. The Community Appearance Commission reviews applications for the grant program and forwards a recommendation of approval or denial to City Council. The grants are designed as a reimbursement grant in which the City of Hickory will match the applicant on a 50/50 basis. The maximum grant amount from the City of Hickory is $5,000. The applicant, Rahe Bryce, LLC has provided two bids for replacement of the storefront windows and doors of the two tenant spaces on the front façade of the building. The bids quoted $9,600 and $10,550.40, qualifies for a $4,800 grant. The Community Appearance Commission unanimously voted, at their August 25, 2014 regular meeting, to recommend funding of the requested grant in the amount of $4,800.

Hound Notes: Apparently this is the building where Berndt's is located.

G. Approval to Apply for Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant from the US Environment Protection Agency in the Amount of $200,000. - The Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant provides grants of up to $200,000 to develop a plan for a small area that contains multiple known or suspect Brownfield sites. These plans will typically focus on a neighborhood or district. The plan will focus on the cleanup and reuse of one or more catalyst sites. The City’s grant application would focus on an area in the vicinity of US 70 between US 321 and South Center Street. Grant funding will result in the completion of a comprehensive small area plan for the redevelopment and eventual cleanup of the project area. This will include extensive community involvement to ascertain the concerns and issues most important to neighborhood residents and business owners. Funds will be used to conduct market analyses to determine reuse options for properties in the area. The plan will discuss needed land use changes and infrastructure improvements necessary to spur redevelopment and cleanup of Brownfield sites. There is no required match to apply for the grant. Staff recommends that City Council authorize staff to apply for the Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant in the amount of $200,000.

Hound Notes : A rumor was given to me that Hickory Inc. is getting ready to (want to) make something happen at the Old Sky City Complex. Now, given that the track record on the Hound is only about 90%, there's a 10% chance that this isn't what this is all about. You also have the old Joan's Fabric Building right here in this foot print. Please remember that across the street from all of this, that Catawba Mall was sold to the people that own U-Haul and the German Schnitzel House was also sold.

H. Special Events/Activities Application for Christmas Tree Lighting in Downtown Hickory, Mandy Pitts, Communications Director and Brand Manager, City of Hickory, Friday, November 21, 2014 from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The Sails on the Square in Downtown Hickory.

I. Special Events/Activities Application for Hickory Youth Council/Stand Up Speak Out, David Leonetti, City of Hickory, Thursday, October 2, 2014 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Union Square.

J. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 6.
1. To budget an $800 Friends of the Library donation in the Library Supplies line item to purchase prizes for the Senior Bingo program.
2. To budget a $90 donation from Mountain Recycling in the Historic Preservation Commission line item. The funds are from recycling the old historic sign post.
3. To transfer $2,202 from General Fund Contingency to the Economic and Community Development Non-Asset Inventory line item. This transfer is necessary for the purchase of a decibel meter in order to enforce the city industrial and commercial noise ordinance.
4. To budget a $500,000 North Carolina Department of Commerce Building Reuse Grant in the Economic and Community Development Incentives line item. This grant is for OHM Holdings, LLC to use toward the redevelopment of Lyerly Millfor Transportation Insight. The City of Hickory and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments made application to the Department of Commerce on behalf of OHM Holdings, LLC. The City of Hickory will be the pass-through agency for the grant.

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Consideration of Text Amendment (TA) 14-02 to the City’s Land Development Code. - The proposed amendments to the City’s Land Development Code retains a business’s ability to utilize temporary out-of-doors sales, but limits such sales to properties where the businesses are located. The proposed amendments would make temporary sales an accessory use to the primary business located on a particular property. Hickory Regional Planning Commission considered the proposed amendments during an advertised public hearing on August 27, 2014, and voted (5-2) to recommend to City Council approval of the proposed Land Development Code text amendments. Staff concurs with the recommendation. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on September 5, 2014, and September 12, 2014.


New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Acceptance of Funds from the State of North Carolina for a Building Reuse Grant on Behalf of OHM Holdings for the Transportation Insight project at Lyerly Mill. - The City of Hickory and the Western Piedmont Council of Governments made application to the Department of Commerce on behalf of OHM Holdings for a Building Reuse Grant in the amount of $500,000. The City of Hickory will be the pass-through agency for the grant. The grant award is based upon the creation of 50 new jobs on top of the base of 167 full time jobs at the time of the grant and for the rehabilitation of the building known as Lyerly Mill. The reuse of this 38,250 square foot building located at 56 3rd Street SE, which was originally constructed in 1930, will be for the new corporate headquarters for  Transportation Insight, LLC. The total amount of eligible investment in the building is $3,525,347 which qualifies the applicant for the full $500,000 for a total project costs of $4,025,347. This is not the full investment in the overall project, but merely reflects what is eligible for the grant. The Department of Commerce will reimburse 50 percent of eligible expenditures up to the total grant amount. Staff requests acceptance of the NC Department of Commerce Building Reuse Grant in the amount of $500,000 for OHM Holdings, LLC to be used toward the redevelopment of Lyerly Mill for Transportation Insight.

2. Approval of New Scoring Criteria for Considering Grant Proposal under the City’s Community Appearance and Landscape Grant Programs. - Since the Community Appearance and Landscape Grant program’s inception in 1999, grant proposals have been reviewed based upon a few broad eligibility standards that afford the Commission little to no opportunity to judge the merits of each individual proposal. The Community Appearance Commission has experienced a high volume of grant requests, which has resulted in the exhaustion of all grant funds within the first few months of the fiscal year. The Community Appearance Commission recognized this as being a problem, and has developed a set criteria that would be utilized in scoring all grant proposals that come before the Commission for review. The intent of the scoring criteria is to provide the Commission with a clear set of items to review proposals against, and to help ensure the most worthy projects are funded to ensure public funds are expended in the most prudent manner. The Community Appearance Commission unanimously voted August 25, 2014 approval of the grant scoring criteria.

Hound Notes: What needs to happen is that a grant recipient should be eligible for a City grant one time in five years and if people find ways to game the system, then Hickory Inc. needs to be proactive about stopping such practices. Grants should be promoted better and they shouldn't be tools of political capital for the local Powers That Be.


3. Adoption of a Resolution Approving the City of Hickory’s financing Terms for the Hickory Metro Convention Center Parking Deck. - The Hickory Metro Convention Center is owned by the City of Hickory, and the City will be financing the parking deck project. A public hearing was held on September 2, 2014 to provide citizens and City staff an opportunity to discuss the upcoming financing for the parking deck project. Request for bank proposals were submitted to First Citizens, Bank of America, PNC Bank, BB&T, and Wells Fargo. The City of Hickory received one financing proposal from BB&T. A Resolution was prepared to disclose the financing terms proposed by BB&T. The financing amount shall not exceed $3,000,000, the annual interest rate shall not exceed 2.94%, and the financing term shall not exceed fifteen years from closing. The City has selected the semi-annual payment schedule with payments being due in April and October of each year. The City intends that the adoption of the Resolution will be a declaration of the City’s official intent to reimburse expenditures for the project that is to be financed from the proceeds of the BB&T financing. Staff recommends adoption of a Resolution approving the City of Hickory’s financing terms for the Hickory Metro Convention Center Parking Deck Project.

My personal Obamacare Insurance Fiasco - September 10, 2014

I received a bill from Catawba Valley Medical Center Group on Monday and I knew something had to be up. I've had Blue Cross Blue Shield Individual insurance for over 10 years. I went and looked at my bank account and found out they stopped drafting the money in May.

In December, I knew I needed to do something. It looked like I couldn't keep my old policy. In the middle of looking into the Affordable Care Act policy, the government decided to allow people to keep their individual policies. Well, you could keep it, but they didn't put a price tag on it at that time. My premium to keep my old policy was going to rise 17% and it was costing enough already.

I went to a local provider and filled out the paperwork and the agent attempted to get me into the system. He's actually cross his fingers and had a ritual to superstitiously get the exchange to accept my information and submit the policy. It took a week for the information to go through and I delivered a check a couple days before Christmas.

So I had an Obamacare insurance policy. Well, I apparently had one for 4 months. Looking back on it, I kept getting a bill each month for the same amount I was paying for the policy. I figured it was a glitch and they would get it straightened out. Eventually, I stopped getting those notices and the last time I looked they were still drafting my account.

Well, to be honest, I'm not living and breathing to look at my bank account. I've got a general idea of how much money is there and since it hasn't been growing over the last several years, it is depressing to look at, so I only check it when I need to and lately I haven't needed to. I haven't looked at it in detail anyway... let's put it that way.

So, as I said, because I received this bill I had to look at my account in detail and to my surprise the last time BCBS drafted my account was in April. So, I've been without insurance from May to Present and didn't even have a clue...

The following is my call to BCBS to find out what was going on... and apparently the left hand (Obama's exchange) doesn't have a clue (or relation) to what the right hand (BCBS) is doing. You should listen. It is quite entertaining.

and I already had concerns -  The Health Care Fiasco on a personal level - November 27, 2014

Catawba Valley Medical Center and the Doctors

Dear Citizens of Catawba County:

Did you know that your FREEDOM to choose your own physician in Catawba County has just been lost? Did you know that the your elected officials,the Catawba County Commissioners, through their appointed board, the unelected Trustees for Catawba Valley Medical Center, have removed your choice of physician?

This means Catawba Valley Medical Center hospital(CVMC) has abruptly closed their equipment and schedules to physicians who have helped build their reputation and are responsible for the quality of care at CVMC. If you care about your health and wellness this should frighten you!

This arbitrary and capricious move by the hospital administration and the Board's denying of your RIGHT to have your doctor care for you in OUR PUBLIC hospital is a terrible mistake, perhaps in some cases it could be fatal. This decision was made without consulting or informing the medical staff who are responsible for the quality and credentialing of all the medical staff. One of the most sacred and important relationships regarding your health is your relationship with your doctor. The doctor-patient relationship is under attack by your local elected officials!

Don't wait until the next emergency strikes for you or one of your loved ones. It might be too late or fatal. Contact your elected officials today; those who answer to you the voters. CVMC is your hospital. Your taxes built it and keep it running. Ask the county commissioners how and why they allowed your FREEDOM of choice to be torn from your grasp?

Ask the candidates where they stand on this critical issue regarding the health and wellness of your family and everyone who lives and works in the Catawba Valley. Profits should never come before patient safety and health. Remember, the people who make these decisions should be held accountable and answer to you.

Wake up Hickory! Wake up Conover and Newton! The British are coming, at least their medical system is coming!!!

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This message was sent to me by a local Doctor. I don't think he will mind if I add the following in relation to their communicating this issue to me:

I don't know if you have heard about the medical blow-up at Catawba Valley Medical Center? They started their own cardiology group and as of September 1st they have cut out the rest of the doctors in the area from being allowed to use the hospital equipment (i.e. no procedures like cardiac caths, EKGs, etc.). The cardiologists and a few others are affected, for now. This is big and very important for the health of the county. Losing the right to choose your own doctor is at stake. It maybe a done deal and no chance to reverse, but I think if people of the county get up in arms that could change. I think it would be good for your blog to break this news story?

20140908 - Monday Morning Meeting with the Mayor

The following is the interview of Mayor Rudy Wright on 1290 WHKYam Radio's First talk program with Hal Row.

WHKY does not archive these programs and make them available to the public, so I am putting this important public interview up under Fair Use guidelines.

Segment 1 - This segment is about the Hickory Jaycees no longer supporting Hickory Alive next year. The Mayor doesn't address the issue. He does talk about the reduced hours for Oktoberfest.

Segment 2 - More on the events Downtown. Mayor talks about kids Downtown. "Youth, 15 and over, and kids, 14 and under, are running loose over an eight block area." "Children are running loose."

Segment 3 - Hal talks about the street layout mess in Hickory and some things a friend brought up. Talks about Highland at Lenoir-Rhyne and Clement Boulevard. Hal asks about the Bond Referendum.

Segment 4 -  Hal and the Mayor talk about the Professional Senior Golf tournament getting ready to take place here in Hickory and the City's involvement. Hal talks about another person that believes that we need to get serious about speeding in Hickory.

Listen and fill free to comment.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- September 7, 2014

Fed Says Growth Lifts the Affluent, Leaving Behind Everyone Else - News York Times - BINYAMIN APPELBAUM - September 4, 2014 - Economic growth since the Great Recession has improved the fortunes of the most affluent Americans even as the incomes and wealth of most American families continue to decline, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.                     For the most affluent 10 percent of American families, average incomes rose by 10 percent from 2010 to 2013. For the rest of the population, average incomes were flat or falling.                         The least affluent families had the largest declines. Average incomes dropped by 8 percent for the bottom 20 percent of families, the Fed reported in its triennial Survey of Consumer Finances, one of the most comprehensive sources of data on the financial health of American families.                        The new report, broadly consistent with other data on the aftermath of the Great Recession, underscores why so many Americans think the economy remains in poor health. While the pie has grown, most people are getting smaller slices.                        The result is that wealth also is increasingly concentrated. While overall wealth barely changed during the survey period, the money sloshed from the bottom toward the top. For the top 10 percent of families, ranked by income, estimated average wealth increased by 2 percent to $3.3 million. For the bottom 20 percent of families, average wealth sharply declined by 21 percent to $65,000.                      There is growing evidence that inequality may be weighing on economic growth by keeping money disproportionately in the hands of those who already have so much they are less inclined to spend it...

If The Economy Is Recovering, Why Is The Labor Force Participation Rate At A 36 Year Low? - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - September 7th, 2014- Should we be concerned that the percentage of Americans that are either working or looking for work is the lowest that it has been in 36 years?  In August, an all-time record high 92,269,000 Americans 16 years of age and older did not "participate in the labor force".  And when you throw in the people that are considered to be "in the labor force" but are not currently employed, that pushes the total of working age Americans that do not have jobs to well over 100 million.  Yes, it may be hard to believe, but there are more than 100 million working age Americans that are not employed right now.  Needless to say, this is not a sign of a healthy economy, and it is a huge reason why dependence on the government has soared to absolutely unprecedented levels.  When people can't take care of themselves, they need someone else to take care of them.  If the percentage of people in the labor force continues to decline like it has been, what is that going to mean for the future of our society?                     The chart below shows the changes in the civilian labor force participation rate since 1980.  As you can see, the rate steadily rose between 1980 and 2000, but since then it has generally been declining.  In particular, this decline has greatly accelerated since the beginning of the last recession...

How to Protect Your Wealth from Fed Monetary Policy - The Daily Reckoning - Dave Gonigam - September 5, 2014 - "This is the biggest redistribution of wealth from the middle class and the poor to the rich ever,” said Stanley Druckenmiller a year ago. Mr. Druckenmiller is a hedge fund legend. He was George Soros’ right-hand man for 12 years. The “this” he referred to was the Federal Reserve’s perpetual easy-money policy since the Panic of 2008. Druckenmiller offered up one of the most candid admissions you’ll ever hear from the power elite...

A Lie That Serves The Rich - the truth about the American economy - Paul Craig Roberts, John Titus, and Dave Kranzler - September 4, 2014 - The labor force participation rate has declined from 66.5% in 2007 prior to the last downturn to 62.7% today. This decline in the participation rate is difficult to reconcile with the alleged economic recovery that began in June 2009 and supposedly continues today. Normally a recovery from recession results in a rise in the labor force participation rate.                               The Obama regime, economists, and the financial presstitutes have explained this decline in the participation rate as the result of retirements by the baby boomers, those 55 and older. In this five to six minute video, John Titus shows that in actual fact the government’s own employment data show that baby boomers have been entering the work force at record rates and are responsible for raising the labor force participation rate above where it would otherwise be. http://www.tubechop.com/watch/3544087                     It is not retirees who are pushing down the participation rate, but those in the 16-19 age group whose participation rate has fallen by 10.4%, those in the 22-14 age group whose participation rate has fallen by 5.4%, and those in the 24-54 age group whose participation rate is down 2.5%.                         The offshoring of US manufacturing and tradable professional service jobs has resulted in an economy that can only create new jobs in lowly paid, increasingly part-time nontradable domestic service jobs, such as waitresses, bartenders, retail clerks, and ambulatory health care workers. These are not jobs that can support an independent existence. However, these jobs can supplement retirement incomes that have been hurt by many years of the Federal Reserve’s policy of zero or negative interest rates. Those who were counting on interest earnings on their savings to supplement their retirement and Social Security incomes have reentered the labor force in order to fill the gaps in their budgets created by the Fed’s policy. Unlike the young who lack savings and retirement incomes, the baby boomers’ economic lives are not totally dependent on the lowly-paid, part-time, no-benefits domestic service jobs.                           Lies are told in order to make the system look acceptable so that the status quo can be continued. Offshoring America’s jobs benefits the wealthy. The lower labor costs raise corporate profits, and shareholders’ capital gains and performance bonuses of corporate executives rise with the profits. The wealthy are benefitting from the fact that the US economy no longer can create enough livable jobs to keep up with the growth in the working age population.                      The clear hard fact is that the US economy is being run for the sole benefit of a few rich people.



Economy in Severe Trouble-John Williams - USA Watchdog - By Greg Hunter - September 1, 2014 - John Williams of Shadowstats.com is forecasting a possible dollar sell-off by the end of 2014. Williams predicts this will trigger the beginning of hyperinflation. Are we on track for this prediction? Williams contends, “Everything the Fed has been doing to pump this extraordinary amount of liquidity into the system, since the panic of 2008, has been aimed at propping up the banks. . . . The banks are still in trouble. From here on in, it’s going to get worse, and as it does, the Fed is going to have to pump more liquidity into the system. . . . They will use the poor economy as a political shield. As the economy turns down . . . the Fed has to do more, and all these factors will come together in a great confluence, and that will give us selling pressure in the U.S. dollar. With this selling pressure, there will be upside pressure on commodity prices, and that will be the early trigger for hyperinflation.”                           On the issue of bank bail-ins, will they happen? Williams says, “Nope, the Fed’s basic mandate is to keep the banking system afloat. I can’t envision a Fed that would want to see people losing their money because of what it does to the banking system. The problem with depositors bailing out the banks is that it encourages bank runs. It’s the run on the banks that the central banks have to avoid. . . . I doubt they would take actions that would trigger a big run on the banks.” So, instead, Williams says the Fed will just keep printing money to keep the banks afloat.                            Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with economist John Williams.




Chiquita's Tax Inversion Deal Could Be In Trouble - The Huffington Post - Alexander C. Kaufman - September 7, 2014 - Banana giant Chiquita Brands International’s plan to move to Ireland to dodge U.S. taxes may be in trouble.                               Institutional Shareholder Services, an influential firm that advises investors, urged shareholders to vote against Chiquita’s plan to merge with Irish rival Fyffes. Instead, the company should accept a joint takeover bid by two Brazilian firms, ISS said in an analysis on Friday.                          Chiquita rejected the $625 million offer from orange juice behemoth Cutrale Group and investment bank Safra Group last month, and reaffirmed its plan to create the world’s largest banana company by merging with Fyffes. The combined company, dubbed ChiquitaFyffes PLC, would be headquartered in low-tax Ireland.                      Charlotte, N.C.-based Chiquita could face boycotts over its plan to split to Ireland in the so-called tax inversion deal. Tax inversions occur when a larger American company merges with a smaller foreign firm and moves overseas to skirt U.S. corporate taxes, which are among the highest in the world.                     The tactic, which has become increasingly popular over the last year, is facing intense political backlash as several high-ranking senators and the White House are exploring legal options to make inversions more difficult.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of September 2, 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.


Thoughts about the Hickory City Council meeting - September 2, 2014

Agenda about the City Council meeting of September 2, 2014






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 The Hound's Notes: Please utilize the Agenda and Thoughts links to get further details about this meeting. The Agenda link is a detailed program that comes out before the meeting. It is directly related to the Hickory Inc.'s Agenda that is put out at their website on the Friday before the meeting and I try to include notes about items of interest. I put out Thoughts about the meeting as soon as possible following the meeting. There you will get a general summation of what happened during the meeting and some commentary. Of course, the longer the duration of the meeting, the longer it takes to collect the information and thoughts. I'm not going to haphazardly throw the info out there.

Like a friend pointed out yesterday. People look at what I do on the Hound and think, 'anybody can do that'... 'I can do that'... and over the subsequent 6 years, people and groups have come and they have gone, because this is work. I'm not doing this for fun. This isn't an endeavor of a lazy person or something that can be done at an arms length or with half-hearted interest. One might say that I am misguided, but I am doing this because I care.

A typical week with a Hickory City Council meeting means that I get home from work after a busy Friday evening and download Hickory Inc.'s Agenda, which comes out in PDF form. Cut, Paste, and Edit takes a couple hours and I try to read and assimilate the information while doing all of that. Total processing time is 2 to 3 hours depending on the length of the Agenda. Then on Tuesday night I go to the meeting. I've talked to people to get their thoughts about the Agenda and all that entails before attending the meeting. I leave home between 6 and 6:30pm to be there for the 7pm meeting. 

A meeting lasts on average about 1 1/2 hours, but vary greatly. I've been to a meeting that lasted 30 minutes and I've been to a meeting that lasted 3 hours. On a bell curve, I'd say that 90% last between 1hr15min and 1hr45min.

When the meeting is over, I speak to some of the people who have attended to get their thoughts and see if they match what I have witnessed. I pretty much don't have relations with the Council these days. They treat me as a pariah, but they've pretty much turned me off with what I've seen over time anyway. They like to co-opt people and I was never able to be co-opted, so you get an opinion that isn't tainted by feeling that you have to tip toe around your friends. That doesn't mean I'm out to get this Council or the Hickory Bureaucracy. It means that I am observing what goes on, giving my opinion on the matters, and relaying that to you.

So, I get home after 9pm and try to de-tune. I might make a phone call or two and then I try to put the information down in thoughts. I go back and watch the video and/or listen to the audio. It takes a few hours to put all that down. This week we had an 1 1/2 hour meeting. I was home around 9:15pm. I couldn't really de-tune and I did talk to someone about the meeting. I started putting the info down and I couldn't get in the mood. I went to the store. I came back and still couldn't do it, so I started the next day and worked on and off through other obligations, so I presented the Thoughts the next evening.

Then, there is the matter of the video presentation. I worked with a group to try to get Hickory Inc. to put video out on Charter Cable and the Internet. We got the Internet, but we never got the Cable. Mr. Burton and others have received the benefit of that work, that has brought accountability to the process. He also was able to speak at the beginning of the meeting. Again, he can thank the people I worked with, who helped to make that happen... and thank you Alder Jill Patton and former Alder Sally Fox for their cooperation. See how good things happen when we work together for the good of the community, instead of the 'my way or the highway' mindset we have seen so often. 

People can actually see the proceedings. I appreciate Hickory Inc. finally seeing the light, but I can't rest until it is done right. Not 'My way or the Highway.' The information belongs to the public, why hide behind the curtain.
  
(To be continued)
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Invocation by Danny Seaver

Special Presentation of Recognition of Sherman Stinson, Public Services for the Herman Drake Award - Moved to a later date.

Persons Requesting to be Heard
Bill Burton, President of Sipe Construction, addressed the Council about the rejection of the Vacant Building Occupancy grant that was voted againt 6 to 1 at the previous City Council meeting. He asked for reconsideration. After further information, and a discussion during Matters not on the Agenda, the Council voted to approve the grant unanimously.

Consent Agenda:

Informational Item
A. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to North Carolina League of Municipalities General Government Legislative Action Committee Meeting

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Resolution and Order for Petition of BHM Holdings, LLC to Close an Unopened Portion of 4th Street NE.

2. Resolution and Order for Petition of William H. Rogers, and wife Linda Rogers; and Terah L. Harris and wife, Karen P. Harris to Close an Unopened Portion of 20th Avenue NE.

3. Consideration of the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.

4. Review and Presentation of the Financing Concept for the Hickory Metro Convention Center Parking Deck. 

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Approve the Construction Contract with Matthews Construction Company, in the amount of $2,576,000 to construct the Parking Deck Structure and Associated Improvements for the Hickory Metro Convention Center Parking Deck.

2. Lyerly Mill Redevelopment Update

3. Award Construction Contract to Dane Construction, Inc., for the Replacement of the 46th Avenue NE Bridge in the amount of $942,202.05.  

4. (a) Approve Interlocal Agreement between the City of Hickory and Catawba County for the Development of Business Park 1764.
(b) Approve an Agreement between the City of Hickory, Catawba County, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) regarding 1764 Park Project.

5. Approve an Amendment to the Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant Agreement with Shuford Mills, LLC

6. Approval of a Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant with The Block 108, LLC for Property Located at 108 South Center Street. 


General Comments:
Alderman Seaver requested that the citizens of Hickory keep thoughts and prayers for the families that were impacted by the terrible tragedy on Sunday evening.
Alderman Lail moved, seconded by Alderman Seaver to observe a moment of silence for the families involved in this tragedy. The motion carried unanimously.
Alderman Guess advised that the ceremony planned for the 9/11 Remembrance was shown as 9:00 a.m. in the City Snippets and in fact it had been changed to 6:00 p.m.

Thoughts about the Hickory City Council meeting - September 2, 2014

1) The meeting started out with the President of Sipe Construction, Bill Burton, speaking during Persons Requesting to be Heard. There was a misunderstanding about the details of the occupancy requirement attached to Hickory Inc.'s vacant building grant of $9,917. That was when Alderman Lail made a motion to move this issue to the end of the meeting during during Matters not on the Agenda.

During Persons requesting to be Heard, Mr Burton stated that Lenoir-Rhyne (LR) will occupy (lease) the entire building for their nursing program. LR has had an issue with moving forward with the program, because a key person, in the accreditation process, who was to have been associated the program ended up not taking the job. That is the reason why there will be a delay in the implementation of the program of one year, but LR is paying the lease and thus by most definitions are occupying the building.

During Matters not on the Agenda, Alderman Lail stated that if he had the information that Mr Burton had presented this night, at the past meeting, that he would have voted differently, Alderman Zagaroli and Alder Patton concurred, subsequently a motion was made and seconded and then the entire council voted unanimously to award the grant to Sipe Construction.

Hound Notes: Whether you are for or against all of the incentives, the man met his obligations and should be paid. Glad the misunderstanding was corrected.

2)The Council went through the formalities in having the public hearing associated with the Convention Center Parking Deck. City Manager Berry presented the information. He mentioned that the interest rate will be 2.94% over 15 years. This parking deck will add 157 parking spaces to what are already available. The actual financing agreement will be voted upon at a later date.

3) The Council then went through the formalities in awarding the bid to Matthews Construction to build the parking deck. City of Hickory is responsible for the facility. Matthews was the low responsible bid of $2,567,000.

4) Chuck Hanson went over the site plan for the Transportation Insight site. Mr. Hanson's main point of discussion was the infrastructure that will be associated with the site. The main issue seemed to be with a parking lot that will be associated with the building and stormwater drainage associated with that parking lot. He talked about being good stewards for downstream infrastructure on our (City) property. Water retention is taking place on this property. He spoke about Main Avenue Way and that it has no curb and gutter or sidewalk along it. He says that this is the time to upgrade this side of Main Avenue Way from 3rd St back over to Hwy 127. There is going to be a left turn lane created into the property from Hwy 127.

5) Pictures were shown of the 46th Avenue NE Bridge in the amount of $942,202.05. The  contingency in the project budget for a total amount of $1,035,000.

24 foot pipe was washed out. Rock wall and corrugated pipe ended up collapsing into the waterway. Potential (of repeat) will be lessened by not putting the pipe back and by replacing it with a bridge. Contractor will begin making things happen 15 days after contract is awarded. Should take 8 months to complete. FEMA will reimburse after the bridge is completed and audited. It would have cost more to put the roadway back in the original condition than to design it this way.+

6) Covenants involving the 1764 project - page 338 of the City Council Agenda Packet

New agreement between city of Hickory, Catawba County puts conditions on park 1764 - Hickory Daily Record - Scott J. Bryan - September 3, 2014



7)  Shuford Mills, LLC received a Vacant Building Demolition Grant in the amount of $20,000 in January 2014 to assist in the demolition of the former AA Shuford Mill located at 1360 Highland Avenue NE. They have requested a 120 day extension in order to save a portion of the original exterior wall. Saving this portion of the wall will require additional construction work and additional time to complete.

Hound Notes: I have been by this property twice. I thought this column would run the entire length of the old building. It doesn't even run a block. I don't understand why Shuford Mills got this grant. It comes down to skin in the game. You had two members of the family serve on the Inspiring Spaces Committee. You had legislation passed that allowed them to save money by allowing them to bury the demolished structures on the property footprint. That was supposed to be the Economic Incentive to demolish the structure the way I understood it. I'm sure they will get more money when they develop the property.

6) The Block 108, LLC has applied for a Vacant Building Revitalization Grant in the amount of $30,000 to assist in the renovation of a former mill building located at 108 South Center Street. The applicant plans to invest approximately $763,900 in real property improvement to rehabilitate the facility for use as an office for a general contractor, a motorcycle restoration business, office uses, a salon, and seven “loft” style apartments. In accordance to the program guidelines, all approvals must be in place before the applicant begins work on a project. Significant construction activity on the project has already begun. The roof work that represents a large portion of the project is already nearly complete.

The Council unanimously awarded this grant though City Staff did not recommend it, because the LLC did not apply for it in a timely fashion according to Dave Leonetti. The Business Development Committee did recommend the grant. Alder Patton stated that "We are pushing success stories and this is a success story"... Alderman Zagaroli, "He has made vast improvements."

Hound Notes: I just remember how Ray Hunt, the former owner of this building, was treated about this property a few years ago. The Council is falling all over themselves to help the "right people". I have seen people have their properties bought for 10¢ on the dollar or less to see others turn around and remodel with Hickory Inc. incentives (MERKA). Must be nice.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of April 20, 2010 - Ray Hunt speaks during Persons Requesting to be Heard