Hal Row's First Talk - CEG discussion about Ward Specific Voting - The Interview

Part 1 - Billy Sudderth gives his reasoning for the formation of the Citizens for Equity in Government and Joe Brannock begins the discussion about how the current voting structure came into existence.

Part 2 -  Joe Brannock continues on with the history lesson of what happened back in the 1960s that has led us to where we are today and Billy Sudderth talks about some of the political maneuvering that took place at that time

Part 3 - Billy Sudderth continues by talking about disenfranchisement and the lack of participation that he believes is a result of the system. Joe talks about the perceptions and how he is white, republican and young and Billy is black, a senior, and a Democrat and we need to cast off the labels to be able to move things forward. He talks about how 4 people on council made a decision that shut out citizen participation. There is no entry point into the pipeline of civic service.

Part 4 - Joe Brannock talks about council people representing the City of Hickory at the same time that they are directly elected by their ward. Citizens of Hickory don't vote on members of Congress from other districts and yet these representatives represent the welfare of the entire State of North Carolina. They give out contact numbers to sign the petition: Billy Sudderth 828-308-4669 / Joe Brannock: 828-455-3789

 1967 - How we got where we are today - November 11, 2011

1961 -- A lesson in Hickory's History - November 10, 2011

Hickory City Elections: The Results are in - November 9, 2011

Press Conference on Ward Voting Referendum -- September 20, 2011

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of June 7, 2011 -- Addendum on "The Newly Proposed Ward Boundary Map" - June 8, 2011

Big thanks to Hal and WHKY for having this educational interview on First Talk. I think he did an excellent job of hosting this interview and I believe that WHKY is now in the ball game when it comes to the discussion of this issue. All anyone has asked for is to be allowed to have a public forum to discuss the Direct Ward versus At-Large issue with the public and from there the chips shall fall where they may.

Tomorrow - Hal Row's First Talk - CEG discussion about Ward Specific Voting

Tomorrow morning on 1290 WHKY radio during Hal Row's First Talk program (Link to listen on the computer) there will be a discussion by the Citizens For Equity in Government about the issue of Ward specific voting. This issue has been addressed on this blog in the following articles:


1967 - How we got where we are today - November 11, 2011

1961 -- A lesson in Hickory's History - November 10, 2011

Hickory City Elections: The Results are in - November 9, 2011

Press Conference on Ward Voting Referendum -- September 20, 2011

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of June 7, 2011 -- Addendum on "The Newly Proposed Ward Boundary Map" - June 8, 2011

I hope that you will give Hal's program a listen in the morning and if you feel like calling in then do so. This is not a racial issue or about disgruntled people in Ridgeview. It is about whether the people of Hickory have a voice in making important decisions about how we elect our leaders. It was a conflict of interest to allow the City Council to determine how they would be elected 40 years ago and it was done without the consent of the electorate. All anyone who proposes going back to Direct Ward representation  is asking for is a fair hearing. All anyone is proposing is that Citizens of Hickory be allowed to determine how City Council will be elected. They tell people that they should exercise their right to vote, but then turn around and say, "but not on this issue."

It reminds me of the Second Bad News Bears Movie, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, when they are playing the game in the Astrodome and the people running the stadium don't want to allow them to finish the game when they start making a comeback against the team from Texas. The kids refuse to leave the field and finally the team starts chanting that they want to play and then the coach of the Bears picks it up and starts yelling "Let Them Play" and soon the people in the stadium pick up the chant until the authorities have no choice but to "Let Them Play."

All we are saying is "Let Them Vote." It is the American way. It is what the country is supposed to be all about. It is about fairness and opportunity. There are no guarantees of outcome and no one expects any. I think that is what scares our local leaders the most. They want to control outcomes. Let me ask you one simple question. Do you like being controlled?

Protesting is an exercise of the First Amendment - Silence DoGood

In my expansive internet readings, I’ve stumbled upon two new words that I simply have to share with you, learned readers. These two new words are political in nature describing, apparently for someone, new paradigms in political thought and expression. To what end they will be used in the future is quite beyond my grasp to comprehend, but I’ll tell you what they are.

Thugocracy: (thug-oc’ra-cy) “A system of government that follows no constitutional principles, propped up by union thugs, who make manufactured and transported goods more expensive, leading to a socialist/Marxist take over using force and the threat of force in which an illegal alien can circumvent the Constitution to become president of the United States elected by Ineptocrats.”

So, what do you think? Pretty cool so far huh? Of course, a quick and fast Google search of that word shows that it has been slathered across the web and certain media outlets by the likes of Glenn Beck, David Petraeus (talking about Iran), and appears on quite a few blogs with a rather, shall we say, slightly right orientation. And by slightly right, I mean if your middle of the road guy is Karl Rove. The other word, married to Thugocracy is

Ineptocracy: (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) “A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.”

(DoGood): If you think I might be making them up or just pulling them out of the air, the link where I found the definitions to the words can be found here: http://dancingczars.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/merriam-webster-says-thugocracy-and-ineptocracy-go-hand-in-hand/.


While there is a reference to Merriam Webster and no doubt an attempt at giving validity to the words, there is no link to Merriam Webster on that sight nor are those words listed or available on Merriam’s website in their on-line dictionary. In addition, both seem to have made an appearance in the previous decade. 2002 for Thugocracy and 2006 for Ineptocracy seems to be the first references for both.


But in the sense of both or either, it would appear that the words are used to describe those with a more liberalized political viewpoint. Contrived by those with a slightly less tolerant temprament for people who are poor, in a minority classification because of their skin pigmentation, or perhaps even, because they’re professed democrats.


Why did we need these words? I’m not really sure. The nexus of beginning puts them squarely within the Presidency of George W. Bush and the absolute control of both chambers of Congress by the Republican party. Given the obvious view of the writer as to the meaning of those words, it would appear they do not appear to be aimed at that administration or the party of ‘right’.


So in the interest of levity, I’d like to offer up some different words. Words that have been around for slightly longer than the two new ones proffered. Words that have quite a bit more meaning, for quite a few more people, and nations.

Democracy.
1.a. Government by the people; especially, rule of the majority.
   b. A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

2. A political unit that has a democratic government.

3. Capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States .

4. The common people especially when constituting the source of political authority.

5. The absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges.

(DoGood) - Notice that sentence contained under number 4 in the definition of Democracy? “The common people, especially when constituting the source of political authority.” But more about that in a bit.

Theocracy. First known to be used, 1622.
1. Government of a State by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.

2. A State governed by a Theocracy.


Oligarchy. First known to be used, 1542.
1. Government by the few.

2. A government in which a small group exercises control, especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.

3. An organization under oligarchic control.

(DoGood) - I’m going to stop there and explain why I wrote a piece a couple of months ago that wasn’t that well received, steeped in language and meaning that apparently had all the appeal of a dentists’ drill. So why am I making another trip to the dentist? Look at the words folks. We communicate in language. Look at how they compare to the new ones I shared with you. Someone wants to attack things that we have a right to engage in, in this country, and someone(s) wants to strip you of that ability and paint those rights as sedition, communism, socialism, and being a traitor. It even says that in Thugocracy, there is no adherence to Constitutional ideals. That gives me pause to wonder what Constitution it is that this writer is reading or referencing. I have little doubt that some of you may have already seen those two words before today. I likewise realize that some of you may even agree with the meaning they convey. That’s between you and your conscience. But if you read the definition of Ineptocracy and look at the definition of Democracy, you can see that the Ineptocracy pundit stands directly against those who believe in Democracy. I’m not going to ramble on, I know, tissues all around for that, but I’ll merely leave you with the following picture, also borrowed from that same website, as testament to what is being railed against.



I look at that banner and I see a plea to stop funding the rich, the affluent, and the military industrial complex and create jobs that pay a wage so that people can earn a decent and respectable living for themselves and their families. I don’t see a demand for handouts, welfare, or food stamps. How dare they!

The Dominoes are falling all around us -- MF Global is the Canary in the Coal Mine

Mathematical impossibilities and the current mega-leveraged markets. Get out of paper. The criminals who are running the economic markets look at us as rabble who are ripe for harvest. They are going to economically rape us. This interview between Warren Pollock and Independent Investment Banker Ann Barnhardt whose primary investments were in livestock and grain. She says it is a no-brainer to get out of the market, because there is no integrity in the market. You cannot react to these markets, because the market (CME) is not fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility.


‘Going Galt’: Hedge Broker Shuts Down Firm With Chilling Letter About the Market - The Blaze - Jonathon M. Seidl - November 18, 2011 - Ann Barnhardt describes herself as a an “an old-school commercial hedge broker specializing in CATTLE and GRAIN.” And she just shut down her business by delivering a passionate and chilling open letter posted on her website. “I could no longer tell my clients that their monies and positions were safe in the futures and options markets – because they are not,” she writes. And then she unloads:


"The Entire System Has Been Utterly Destroyed By The MF Global Collapse" - Presenting The First MF Global Casualty - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - November 17, 2011

Presented without comment, merely to confirm that the market as we know it, no longer exists.
BCM Has Ceased Operations (source)
Posted by Ann Barnhardt - November 17, AD 2011 10:27 AM MST

Dear Clients, Industry Colleagues and Friends of Barnhardt Capital Management,

It is with regret and unflinching moral certainty that I announce that Barnhardt Capital Management has ceased operations. After six years of operating as an independent introducing brokerage, and eight years of employment as a broker before that, I found myself, this morning, for the first time since I was 20 years old, watching the futures and options markets open not as a participant, but as a mere spectator.

The reason for my decision to pull the plug was excruciatingly simple: I could no longer tell my clients that their monies and positions were safe in the futures and options markets – because they are not. And this goes not just for my clients, but for every futures and options account in the United States. The entire system has been utterly destroyed by the MF Global collapse. Given this sad reality, I could not in good conscience take one more step as a commodity broker, soliciting trades that I knew were unsafe or holding funds that I knew to be in jeopardy.

The futures markets are very highly-leveraged and thus require an exceptionally firm base upon which to function. That base was the sacrosanct segregation of customer funds from clearing firm capital, with additional emergency financial backing provided by the exchanges themselves. Up until a few weeks ago, that base existed, and had worked flawlessly. Firms came and went, with some imploding in spectacular fashion. Whenever a firm failure happened, the customer funds were intact and the exchanges would step in to backstop everything and keep customers 100% liquid – even as their clearing firm collapsed and was quickly replaced by another firm within the system.

Everything changed just a few short weeks ago. A firm, led by a crony of the Obama regime, stole all of the non-margined cash held by customers of his firm. Let’s not sugar-coat this or make this crime seem “complex” and “abstract” by drowning ourselves in six-dollar words and uber-technical jargon. Jon Corzine STOLE the customer cash at MF Global. Knowing Jon Corzine, and knowing the abject lawlessness and contempt for humanity of the Marxist Obama regime and its cronies, this is not really a surprise. What was a surprise was the reaction of the exchanges and regulators. Their reaction has been to take a bad situation and make it orders of magnitude worse. Specifically, they froze customers out of their accounts WHILE THE MARKETS CONTINUED TO TRADE, refusing to even allow them to liquidate. This is unfathomable. The risk exposure precedent that has been set is completely intolerable and has destroyed the entire industry paradigm. No informed person can continue to engage these markets, and no moral person can continue to broker or facilitate customer engagement in what is now a massive game of Russian Roulette.

I have learned over the last week that MF Global is almost certainly the mere tip of the iceberg. There is massive industry-wide exposure to European sovereign junk debt. While other firms may not be as heavily leveraged as Corzine had MFG leveraged, and it is now thought that MFG’s leverage may have been in excess of 100:1, they are still suicidally leveraged and will likely stand massive, unmeetable collateral calls in the coming days and weeks as Europe inevitably collapses. I now suspect that the reason the Chicago Mercantile Exchange did not immediately step in to backstop the MFG implosion was because they knew and know that if they backstopped MFG, they would then be expected to backstop all of the other firms in the system when the failures began to cascade – and there simply isn’t that much money in the entire system. In short, the problem is a SYSTEMIC problem, not merely isolated to one firm.

Perhaps the most ominous dynamic that I have yet heard of in regards to this mess is that of the risk of potential CLAWBACK actions. For those who do not know, “clawback” is the process by which a bankruptcy trustee is legally permitted to re-seize assets that left a bankrupt entity in the time period immediately preceding the entity’s collapse. So, using the MF Global customers as an example, any funds that were withdrawn from MFG accounts in the run-up to the collapse, either because of suspicions the customer may have had about MFG from, say, watching the company’s bond yields rise sharply, or from purely organic day-to-day withdrawls, the bankruptcy trustee COULD initiate action to “clawback” those funds. As a hedge broker, this makes my blood run cold. Generally, as the markets move in favor of a hedge position and equity builds in a client’s account, that excess equity is sent back to the customer who then uses that equity to offset cash market transactions OR to pay down a revolving line of credit. Even the possibility that a customer could be penalized and additionally raped AGAIN via a clawback action after already having their customer funds stolen is simply villainous. While there has been no open indication of clawback actions being initiated by the MF Global trustee, I have been told that it is a possibility.

And so, to the very unpleasant crux of the matter. The futures and options markets are no longer viable. It is my recommendation that ALL customers withdraw from all of the markets as soon as possible so that they have the best chance of protecting themselves and their equity. The system is no longer functioning with integrity and is suicidally risk-laden. The rule of law is non-existent, instead replaced with godless, criminal political cronyism.

Remember, derivatives contracts are NOT NECESSARY in the commodities markets. The cash commodity itself is the underlying reality and is not dependent on the futures or options markets. Many people seem to have gotten that backwards over the past decades. From Abel the animal husbandman up until the year 1964, there were no cattle futures contracts at all, and no options contracts until 1984, and yet the cash cattle markets got along just fine.

Finally, I will not, under any circumstance, consider reforming and re-opening Barnhardt Capital Management, or any other iteration of a brokerage business, until Barack Obama has been removed from office AND the government of the United States has been sufficiently reformed and repopulated so as to engender my total and complete confidence in the government, its adherence to and enforcement of the rule of law, and in its competent and just regulatory oversight of any commodities markets that may reform. So long as the government remains criminal, it would serve no purpose whatsoever to attempt to rebuild the futures industry or my firm, because in a lawless environment, the same thievery and fraud would simply happen again, and the criminals would go unpunished, sheltered by the criminal oligarchy.

To my clients, who literally TO THE MAN agreed with my assessment of the situation, and were relieved to be exiting the markets, and many whom I now suspect stayed in the markets as long as they did only out of personal loyalty to me, I can only say thank you for the honor and pleasure of serving you over these last years, with some of my clients having been with me for over twelve years. I will continue to blog at Barnhardt.biz, which will be subtly re-skinned soon, and will continue my cattle marketing consultation business. I will still be here in the office, answering my phones, with the same phone numbers. Alas, my retirement came a few years earlier than I had anticipated, but there was no possible way to continue given the inevitability of the collapse of the global financial markets, the overthrow of our government, and the resulting collapse in the rule of law.

As for me, I can only echo the words of David:

“This is the Lord’s doing; and it is wonderful in our eyes.”

With Best Regards-
Ann Barnhardt

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- December 11, 2011

City of Hickory takes over operations at Airport - River Hawk Aviation OUT - December 8, 2011 - ... the tale of this sordid mess with River Hawk obtaining a transfer of contract through the previous operator Profile Aviation. The City had every right to cancel the contract and went against Aviation Legal Counsel's wishes in granting the transfer of lease to a company that had previously operated a couple of other FBO's into bankruptcy. City Officials had been informed of several issues, but chose to ignore the warning and proceed ahead with the transfer of contract in late 2007.

Now four years later we are back to square one. In taking over the airport can we be assured that it will be run competently? Will this reacquisition cost tax payers anything? With the harm to the viability of the airport that has been caused, will those who placed the city in this position admit fault? Have any lessons been learned here?


Banks’ Q4 Earnings: Look Out Below! - Barron's.com - Avi Salzman - December 5, 2011 - Banks’ trading and investment banking results are expected to be lousy again in the fourth quarter, and today Wells Fargo analyst Matt Burnell got out the axe and started cutting his expectations. Burnell slashed his fourth quarter EPS estimates for the banks by an average of about 10%. Burnell is also worried about bank performance for the next couple of years, and cut estimates for 2012 and 2013 by an average of 1% “due to our concerns over a continuation of similar risk aversion in the future.”


Gary Gensler: A U-Boat Sent into the CFTC? - MFG Facts - When Gary Gensler was nominated to head the CFTC, most Americans had never heard of him. Yet he had been cruising the inner Beltway of D.C. and halls of influence for years, under the radar of most.  Genlser succeeded Brooksley Born who was given a very rough time by the club of Summers, Rubin, Greenspan and others when she sounded alarm bells on the rapid and unregulated growth of off-exchange derivatives. Born sought at least transparency as they “could pose potentially serious dangers to our economy.” Although appointed by Clinton, she never got his support and resigned from her post. For more on her prescient warnings, view this fascinating PBS documentary.  As more collapses happen, the failure to regulate off exchange derivatives from CDO’s to re-purchase agreements are increasingly understood to be a prime source of financial collapse....


Contagion Catastrophe - Europe is closer than you think to bringing down the American—and, therefore, the global economy - National Journal - By Jim Tankersley  - December 2, 2011 - This is the worst-case scenario from Europe, and it just might come true: Italy defaults on its debts. Every major Italian bank collapses. Recession grips the eurozone. Sovereign defaults and bank failures ripple across the Continent. Saddled with bad loans to nations and lenders in Europe, American banks hemorrhage cash. Credit freezes in the United States. Multinational companies, unable to raise money, curb U.S. investment and hiring. Wall Street demands, but fails to get, new bailouts. The entire developed world plummets into recession and, quite possibly, depression. This, in contrast, is the placid warning that President Obama gave Americans about the threat: “If Europe is contracting,” he said on Monday, “then it’s much more difficult for us to create good jobs here at home.” There’s still a chance that Europeans, through some combination of fiscal and monetary action, can stop the crisis before it shatters the feeble U.S. recovery. But the worst case is so much worse than Obama’s description, and Washington has failed to prepare voters for the possibility. “The [potential] shock we’re talking about is of very large magnitude,” says Viral Acharya, a New York University professor who studies financial risk extensively. “If you’re just having an Armageddon coming your way, [America’s] buffers may not be adequate.”


Barack Obama is Destroying Our Economy on Purpose - Worldview Radio - Brannon Howse - March 9, 2011 : A pair of radical Columbia University professors by the name of Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven wrote an article in the radical magazine known as The Nation. The article was published on May 2, 1966 and laid out what is now known as the "Cloward-Piven Strategy". The plan calls for the destruction of capitalism in America by swelling the welfare rolls to the point of collapsing our economy and then implementing socialism by nationalizing many private institutions. Cloward and Piven studied Saul Alinsky just like Hillary Clinton and President Obama. Listen as Brannon and his guest James Simpson explain how Cloward and Piven inspired the creation of ACORN that Obama worked for as a community organizer. This interview must be e-mailed all over the country. Americans must awaken and understand the goal of these radicals and what is to come if they succeed. Time is of the essence. Obama is not over his head as some have claimed; he knows exactly what he is doing. Understand the Cloward-Piven Strategy, the rules of Saul Alinsky and their Cultural Marxist worldview and you will understand that what is occurring is not by mistake.
Download the MP3

Bob Chapman - SBG Report - Part 1 - December 10, 2011

Bob Chapman - SBG Report - Part 2 - December 10, 2011

City of Hickory takes over operations at Airport - River Hawk Aviation OUT

According to multiple sources, with the authorization of the Bankruptcy Judge in North Wilkesboro, as of midnight this morning, the City of Hickory has taken over the Fixed Based Operations at the Hickory Regional Airport. According to a source River Hawk Aviation has been cleaning out their offices. FBO Employees were informed a few days ago that the transfer was imminent.

According to sources, River Hawk has been in deep debt for some time and has had trouble meeting time requirements to pay their lease for many months. When listening to Hal Row's First Talk program, Hal spoke about an e-mail that had been sent to him by a lady named Laney. When Mayor Wright came on the radio that morning for the Monday Morning meeting with the Mayor, he gave the full name Laynay Humphrey. Laynay Humphrey who complained about the City building a Fuel farm that would compete against the existing FBO (River Hawk) is the wife of one of the brothers who are owners of the FBO. The Mayor had to have known who this e-mail was from. I did. Anyone who has paid attention to this mess did, but the general public didn't, because they have been kept in the dark and local media has been clueless about this issue and the problems at the airport. That is the sad state of what (little) we are getting from our local media.

Below is a presentation of Hal Row's show pertaining to this situation:



I will ask further questions to get to the bottom of this issue, but I have been told that information from the bankruptcy court shows River Hawk, with its one operation here in Hickory, to be several millions of dollars in debt. A Letter to the Editor written upon River Hawk's behalf appeared in the Hickory Daily Record just last Saturday. With legal proceedings winding down, the closed session minutes to meetings involving this issue should finally start to see the light of day.

The links below will tell the tale of this sordid mess with River Hawk obtaining a transfer of contract through the previous operator Profile Aviation. The City had every right to cancel the contract and went against Aviation Legal Counsel's wishes in granting the transfer of lease to a company that had previously operated a couple of other FBO's into bankruptcy. City Officials had been informed of several issues, but chose to ignore the warning and proceed ahead with the transfer of contract in late 2007.

Now four years later we are back to square one.  In taking over the airport can we be assured that it will be run competently? Will this reacquisition cost tax payers anything? With the harm to the viability of the airport that has been caused, will those who placed the city in this position admit fault? Have any lessons been learned here?


Mind Blowing - The City's Mismanagement of the Hickory Regional Airport - 9/30/2009

Do people even know? Hickory Airport Operators (River Hawk Aviation) in Bankruptcy - 6/18/2011

Will Hickory Airport Operators be forced to liquidate -- and why is no one talking about this?!?!? - 9/16/2011

Joe Brannock article in the Hickory Daily Record on December 9, 2011

Response to Riverhawk better able to handle general aviation

I take issue with Mr. Byer's Letter to the Editor (Riverhawk better able to handle general aviation; 12/3). While I agree in theory with much of what Mr. Byer says, I believe he is also misleading in the picture he paints regarding general avaition at the Hickory airport. Mr. Byer leads the readers to believe that it is the City that is driving Riverhawk, a private FBO, off the airport. This could not be further from the truth. He continues to lead the reader to believe a "redundant" City-owned fuel farm has been constructed at the airport and has placed the City of Hickory in direct competition with a private company, Riverhawk. This too is simply not true.

Since 2007, Riverhawk has been operating the FBO at the Hickory airport. Moreoever, they have been the exclusive operator at the Hickory airport. Never have they been in direct competition with the City or any other party for that matter. The Hickory airport houses only two fuel farms. Both of which are operated solely by Riverhawk. The City has proceeded with plans to construct it's own, City-owned and operated fuel farm. However, construction on that fuel farm has not yet begun and certainly has not had any negative impact on Riverhawk.

Why is this relevant? It's relevant because there is much that Mr. Byer has left out in his defense of Riverhawk Aviation. Riverhawk Aviation filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. For much of the 24 months, Riverhawk has been in default with the City regarding the concession fees it pays for operational rights at the airport. In addition, it is a matter of court record that several local pilots have submitted testimony to the bankruptcy court detailing Riverhawk's inability to fill fuel orders.

I am most definitely for free enterprise. I agree with Mr. Byer's theory that government entities should not compete against private businesses. However, that simply is not the case currently facing the City of Hickory and the operation of the FBO. While Riverhawk Aviation is most likely finished as the FBO provider at the Hickory airport, the City is in no way responsible for Riverhawk's decline.

Shame on Mr. Byer for perverting the issue by laying the inevitiable downfall of Riverhawk Aviation at the City of Hickory's feet. Mr. Byer wraps up his letter by stating that Riverhawk Aviation should be lauded for the vital role they have played in the economy and "treated as the valuable resource they are." I have a slightly different opinion. I submit that Riverhawk pay off it's debt to Hickory taxpayers, apologize for the mismanagement of our airport, and simply be on it's way.

Joe Brannock
Local Pilot
Member, 2006 City of Hickory Airport Taskforce

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 6, 2011

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

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

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

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 11/15/2011 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.

Invocation by Rev. Calvin Vaughn, Unifour Christian Fellowship Church

Oaths of Office Ceremony
Mayor Wright administered the oath of office to Ward 1 Alderman Brad Lail, Ward 2 Alderman Bruce Meisner, and Ward 3 Alderman Danny Seaver.

Election of Mayor Pro Tempore for Calendar Year 2012 Pursuant to NC General Statutes §260A-70 and Section 2-54 of the Hickory City Code - Alderman Danny Seaver was elected as Mayor Pro Tempore.


Appointment of a City Attorney for Calendar Year 2012 Pursuant to the Hickory City Code, Section 4.151 of the Charter - Attorney John W. Crone III was reappointed as City Attorney.


Special Presentations:
A. Proclamation – Declaring Thursday, December 15, 2011 as Bill of Rights Day in the City of Hickory (Presentation to Cliff Moone) – Mr. Moone was absent so this ceremony didn’t go forward.

B. Report – Special Council Meeting Held on November 29, 2011 to Tour Downtown Development and Historic Train Depot in City of Burlington, NC - Council Members Meisner, Guess, Fox, and Patton attended along with some city staff and HDDA's Connie Kincaid. The meeting with Burlington Officials
included the City Manager, a City Council member, Downtown Director, Planning Director, Parks and Recreation Director and several staff in Parks and Recreation that handle special events.

The visit included views of the Downtown amphitheater and historic train depot, a performing arts venue, a co-op grocery store, and a larger amphitheater in a local park. Downtown Burlington's Downtown Association is funded by a business improvement district (BID tax), which taxes downtown property owners $.016 per $100 assessed value. This allows for a $150,000 annual budget from the City (50% for staffing and 50% for grants and loan programs).

The Downtown Amphitheater was built in the 1970s as part of a urban renewal program. It seats approximately 200 people and is used approximately 35 to 40 times per year for weddings, plays, church events, and art classes. The limited size is a factor for usage. More concerts have been moved to the lawn behind the Train Depot.


The Council tored a local Co-Op Grocery store, which is located at theformer site of and A&P in downtown Burlington. The Co-Op grocery store has 2,000 shareholder investors.

Another public entertainment venue looked at was the old Paramount Theater, which is the former site of local theater. It was renovated in the 1990s and is owned by the City of Burlington. . It was funded with  CDBG Block Grant funds as well as city, county, arts council and private corporation dollars.
The site seats 390 people and is used as for community theater, concerts, and as a multipurpose facility. It is utilized 250 to 270 times annually.

One important part of the viability of Burlington's Downtown area  includes Lab Corp, a major downtown employer.

Another public entertainment venue is named "The Jimmy" after a former employee. It was finished in 2010. Its open space seating can accommodate 2,000 to 4,000 people. It is primarily a concert space and is located approximately 1 mile from Downtown.

What City officials took away from their visit with Burlington officials: Understand who you are and what size of events make sense of your community. Burlington Parks & Recreation handles all special events at each facility. City tax dollars fund most events. There is a Time limit of 11pm for all events. They prefer individual seating rather than concrete seating at the amphitheater. Off duty police officers are present at events and they use cameras to deter crime. Have tight control over the approval process for events. “If we had it to do over again, we’d put an open, above ground venue Downtown instead of the Amphitheater,” Harold Owen, City Manager


Next Steps: City officials have studied Roanoke, VA and Burlington, NC. The next stop is Chattanooga, TN to view their downtown redevelopment along the riverfront. The purpose of these trips is to learn new ways of enhancing our community through redevelopment, use of vacant buildings and maximizing public spaces to enhance our brand and for the benefit of the community.

The Hound believes that this was a highly disappointing presentation. I can understand Burlington's feelings about who they are. They are surrounded by a huge metropolitan overlay with gigantic entertainment centers and concert venues throughout their immediate area. Arenas in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro that seat 10,000 to 20,000 people and amphitheaters that seat 5,000 to 10,000 as well as a plethora of smaller venues. We have nothing even close to that within those drives except in Charlotte. We have plenty of these micro venues, such as at the SALT Block, CVCC, and L-R. And we have parks for people to stand around while music plays. We don't have a good venue to take advantage of our geographical location or our shopping marketplace and a glorified Yesterday's (the former club) doesn't fit the ticket either.

Sometimes I just don't think The City's bureaucratic administration gets "IT." I honestly don't think that they appreciate or respect this area and they don't understand what it is. They are too busy trying to tell us what it isn't. They are supposed to physically build this area up and instead we constantly get fluff when it comes to economic marketing and so much of an attitude of doing things on the cheap. What I saw pushed during this presentation was related to doing things on the cheap and making sure that you limit yourself. There is no vision of doing anything special. If this is your mindset and intent, then please, I beg you, don't do anything at all.

I don't want the city doing what they did at the Crawdads stadium a couple months ago or the mindset that I have seen displayed related to Hickory Alive. If this is the initiation of this process, then please, I am begging you to not throw away the tax payers money, because you are headed towards a monumental failure.

What I would like to see is a public-private partnership where the city helps a public-private agency secure financing that can allow for an amphitheater venue to be built and run by the agency, but the city would have no role other that ordinances and codes. The city would be paid back by this autonomous agency and that agency can look to grow as events and time warrant.

I like the idea of the Co-op grocery store, but I believe that this role can be fulfilled by a covered marketplace (ie indoor farmer's market). This would allow local corporate food purveyors to participate along side the local farmers and would allow for more of a variety of products to be sold. Local Restaurants could use this facility as much as individuals would. I believe that this would also get buy-in from Alex Lee if they saw the big picture of what such a venue would entail. I understand this because I understand food like 99.9% of the people in this area don't, because I am a real full spectrum chef; not just a cook, a salesman, or a marketer.

In closing, I would like the bureaucrats to understand that they need to broaden their horizons of understanding to include people who are experts in their field and not just other bureaucrats who limit themselves in endeavors of creativity. Entrepreneurs look how to make things happen. They don't look for ways to see why endeavors shouldn't be approached and actions shouldn't be taken. There may be some limitations to Hickory based on Geography. (ie we aren't going to be a World Class Beach resort), but by limiting ourselves, and our horizons, we only ensure that we are going to always be sucking hind (you know what).


Consent Agenda:
A. Accept and Enter Into Minutes Certification of Votes from November 8, 2011 Election From the Catawba County Board of Elections
Ward 1 Brad Lail 959 - (88.71%) - Write-In 122 – (11.29%)
Ward 2 Bruce Meisner - 968 (88.81%) - Write-In 122 – (11.19%)
Ward 3 Danny Seaver - 947 (89.68%) - Write-In 109 – (10.32%)

B. Approval of Community Relations Council Grant Recommendations for Fall 2011
Agency - Project Title – Amount – Requested Amount – Recommended by CRC
CVCC Foundation, Inc. - Multicultural Series - $1,500 - $1,000
Humane Society of CC - Spanish Information Brochures - $1,500 - $.00
Hickory Community Theater“ By a Black Hand” NC Black Repertory Company - $2,000 - $.00
Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry - Chronic Disease Program - $2,500 - $1,000
Women’s Resource Center Women’s Life - Transition Services - $1,500 - $1,000
Clinton’s Corner of Catawba Community Development Inc. - Expansion of the Mario A. Mitchell Summer and Saturday Academy (Parenting Academy) - $1,500 - $1,000
Centro Latino (CC Hispanic Ministry) - Neighbors in Need - $1,500 - $1,000
Council on Adolescents of Catawba County, Inc. - Health Education Resource Center - $1,250 - $1,000
Total requested by all agencies - $13,250 - Total recommended for funding by CRC $6,000

C. Resolution Authorizing Preparation of Assessment Rolls and Public Hearing on Preliminary Assessment Roll for Street Improvements Petition No. 01-11 (Curb and Gutter). A petition was made on March 23, 2011, approved by City Council on April 19, 2011, and the project was completed on August 29, 2011 (Authorized Public Hearing for December 20, 2011)

D. Call for Public Hearing to Consider Entering Into an Economic Development Incentive Agreement With Punker, LLC In The Form of a Grant for the Creation of 80 Jobs and a City Incentive Package Totaling Approximately $59,150.00 Over the Next Five Years (Authorized Public Hearing for December 20, 2011)

E. Change Order No. 6 to Contract with Pizzagalli Construction Company in the Amount of $37,360 for the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWWTP) Upgrade Project - The NEWWTP Upgrade Project was initiated in July, 2010 at a cost of $21,569,382.50 for a complete upgrade of the facility. The current contract amount for this project is $22,057,935.50 which includes previously approved Change Orders Nos. 1 – 5. This project was established with a contingency fund in order to address unforeseen expenses that may arise, and Change Order No. 6 consists of six items. The single largest items are $11,332 for revisions to the SCADA control system for the proposed facility at the influent lift station and $9,620 for modifications to the chlorine building that will improve safety features and air flow through the building in the event of a chlorine cylinder leak. Contract change orders total $525,913 or 2.38% of the original project contract. Revised contract total to date will be $22,095,295.50.

F. Acceptance of Bid and Award to Triangle Contractors, Inc. for the Moose Club Pump Station Demolition in the Amount of $15,842 - The Moose Club Pump Station serves the Cripple Creek Basin and the area in and around Glen Hilton Park. It is located adjacent to a Lakeland Park area of Northwest
Hickory. The pump station is in need of exterior renovations due to a failing roof over the wet well and corresponding odor issues. The roof has also degraded to the point that it could pose a safety risk if individuals were to get inside the fenced area. While this work is being done, the Public Utilities Dept. would like to repaint the station and tear down some adjacent structures so that the site is more appealing to the neighbors. The pump station is mechanically well kept. The roof will be replaced in a separate project. This project is not budgeted; therefore, the funds are proposed to be allocated from the Water
and Sewer Fund Capital Reserve.

G. Acceptance of Bid and Award to Brushy Mountain Builders, Inc. for the Water Treatment Facility Bolt Replacement Project in the Amount of $27,947.50 - The water treatment facility was last upgraded in the early 1990’s with an official startup in 1993. Components of this facility are now reaching 19 years of continuous service and require more extensive maintenance and replacement of 4,468 bolts located on the discharge pipe from the finish water filters to the clear wells. The bolts require replacement due to corrosion and the essential nature of their function to ensure reliability of the piping. This project is the first step necessary for rehabilitation of the pipe gallery including repainting of the piping and replacing some minor electrical components. The bolts/nuts/washers are being purchased separately ($12,102.13) and provided to the contractor in order to reduce the cost of the overall project. This project is budgeted, and .

H. Budget Ordinance Amendments
1. To budget $1,381 of Miscellaneous Revenue in the Fire Department Departmental Supply line item. These funds were received from Mountain Recycling, Inc. for the sale of salvaged metal from surplus Engine 14.
2. To budget a $600,000 check from the State of North Carolina Department of Commerce (One North Carolina Fund) in the Economic and Community Development Incentives line item. This check is a first partial payment for CheckFree Services Corporation (Fiserv). The City of Hickory will disburse this
money to the company and as stated in the Performance Agreement, the money will be used in accordance with Senate Bill 27, Page 247, and Section 31.
3. To appropriate $15,842 of Water and Sewer Capital Reserve to the Water and Sewer Maintenance Repair of Equipment line item. This appropriation is necessary to pay Triangle Contractors, Inc. for exterior renovations to the pump station due to a falling roof over the wet well. The roof will be replaced in a separate project to follow immediately after this one. This project includes painting the station structure that has become weathered and to remove the brick structures that are no longer in use. The exterior maintenance will improve the appearance of the Moose Club Pump Station.

Informational Items
A. Report of Alderman Hank Guess’s travel to attend the CityWorks(X)po in Roanoke, VA on October 27-29, 2011 (registration - $505; room - $246.30; per diem - $44.30)
B. Report of Alderwoman Sally Fox’s travel to attend the CityWorks(X)po in Roanoke, VA on October 27-29, 2011 (registration - $505; room $246.30; per diem - $44.30)
C. Report of City Manager Mick Berry’s travel to attend the CityWorks(X)po in Roanoke, VA on October 27-29, 2011 (registration - $505; room $246.30; per diem - $44.30)
D. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to attend the 2011 NCLM Annual Conference in Raleigh, NC on October 24-25, 2011 (registration - $277; room - $235.65; per diem - $34; mileage - $191.40; parking - $12)
E. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to attend the National League of Cities Congress of Cities in Phoenix, Arizona on November 8-13, 2011 (registration - $435; airfare - $349.80; room - $583.35; per diem - $284; mileage - $53.04)
F. Report of Mayor Wright’s travel to Boca Raton, Florida for an Economic Development Site Visit on November 3-4, 2011 (room - $124.32; airfare - $619.90; per diem - $115.46)

New Business - Public Hearings:
1. Ordinance Amending Hickory City Code Chapter 21, Section 21-13, “Use of Weapons” Regarding Firearms in City Parks - *Council voted 6 to 1 to approve Ordinance Amendment Exhibit 2 which complies with state law and allows concealed handguns in all park areas. A new state law passed in the last General Assembly Session will require the City of Hickory to amend its ordinance which bans firearms in city parks. Session Law 2011-268, which became effective December 1, 2011, amends Article 14, Chapter 14 of the General Statutes which pertains to various laws regarding the right to own, possess, or carry a firearm in North Carolina. Staff presented two concealed handgun permit ordinance options to the Parks and Recreation Commission at their November 8, 2011 meeting. The first ordinance, which Staff recommended to be endorsed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, prohibits concealed handguns in certain specified park areas. The second ordinance simply complies with state law and allows concealed handguns in all park areas. Six (6) Commission Members voted to endorse and recommend to City Council the first ordinance option. Four (4) Commission Members voted to endorse and recommend to City Council, the second ordinance option. Staff recommends approval of the local ordinance which prohibits concealed handguns in certain park areas. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on November 23, 2011.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 6, 2011 -- Addendum on Concealed Carry in Hickory Parks and Recreation Facilities


2. Fifth Amendment to Tower Lease with AT&T Wireless for City’s Tower Located at Public Services Facility - AT&T Wireless wishes to extend the current lease agreement for antenna space on the guyed-wire tower located at the Public Services Facility. The original tower lease with AT&T began in 1996. AT&T Wireless approached the City to extend the lease and requested a reduction in rent, which the City refused. They then requested an extension to the current agreement (expires in 2014) that would continue at the same rate (no increase). The new amendment will allow AT&T to continue leasing tower space for two additional five year extension terms upon expiration of the current lease terms. This would guarantee income at the current rate until 2019. Staff recommends approval. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on November 23, 2011. Jeff Brittain presentation. The City gave Unanimous Consent.


General Comments
Mayor Wright stated he liked the downtown market in Burlington, and he would like for people to have the ability to purchase groceries in downtown Hickory. Alder Fox stated that Burlington sold $20,000 worth of shares for the downtown market. Mayor Wright stated that when he attended the NCLM Conference in Phoenix, AZ, he saw a virtual supermarket where people go in one day, place their orders for grocery items, pay for them, and the groceries are delivered back to that location the next day. That process is not without cost either (combination of grants, other tax funding, stockholders, etc.). He stated he would like for the City to look at any such possibilities, because he didn’t feel that there is a way to encourage a full grocery store to locate downtown until they feel the circumstances are right.

Alder Patton stated she had the opportunity to attend the Choral Society Concert on Saturday afternoon, and she stated the City is truly blessed with arts and talent... the City supports the Arts Council and it is well worth it. Mayor Wright stated that it speaks well for our community, that with modest support, we are able to keep the Arts Center, the Science Center, the symphony, the Choral Society, etc.

Alderman Guess stated he attended the Exodus House Christmas Parade this past Saturday, and there was a good turnout with a lot of good food and fellowship. He was the

Closed Session Per NC General Statutes 143-318.11(a)(1)(5) to consult with the attorneys regarding the following: (Action on these items, if any, will occur in Open Session)

A. Approval of Closed Session Minutes of November 15, 2011 – NCGS §143-318.11(a)(1)
B. Discussion Regarding Potential Acquisition of Real Property – NCGS §143-318.11(a)(5)
No action was taken upon return to open session.

The Hounds Final Note : There were well over 100 people that showed up for this meeting. The vast majority showed up for the Concealed Carry Ordinance issue. While it is great that they showed up to support something that meant so much to them and it is a validation that standing up for ones rights is imperative towards the protection of those rights and liberties, it is disheartening to see these one issue advocates disappear as soon as their issue has been dealt with. As soon as the decision was rendered 3/4ths of the attendees flooded out immediately.

First, to file out so abruptly and noisily as the meeting continues is not good etiquette. I am not picking on the gun right's supporters. I have seen this countless times over the past three years. But, what people never look at is the big picture. You need to take interest in the body of work of our local governance. You need to pay attention to your neighbor's issue and look out for their interests. We need to look out for one another. One of the things I despise most in life is when I hear people tell me , "That doesn't effect me." It makes me cringe, because it is a selfish attitude and it shows ignorance, a lack of compassion, and a lack of understanding for the complexity of life.

Remember you deserve the government that you get and when the majority of society doesn't care, then why should we expect our representatives to care what we think? Why should they expect to be held accountable? And what do those who don't participate or only care about one issue have to complain about?