All posts for the month May, 2012

Signs of ill will

You know those times when everything seems poised for success, then some hours later, relationships have frayed, the evening is in shambles, and everyone goes to bed angry? Town council had one of those nights last night. When the meeting opened, everyone seemed in fine fettle. In talking about the proposed downtown business incubator, council […]

Tax increase

I told you so. Not that I like rubbing anyone’s nose in bad decisions, but going ahead with the library renovation without thinking through what we would have to give up to make it happen was a bad decision you could smell before you stepped in it. On the last lap of what was a […]

Pile on the public hearings

Stock up on the popcorn. Tonight’s public hearing will likely be a two-bagger. First up, St. Paul’s AME Church wants to build a village on Purefoy Road, across from Phoenix Place, to serve the Rogers Road community. The proposed mixed-use development on a 20-acre parcel would consist of a church, a health center, a cultural […]

Phone tree of health

Nancy and I have decided to implement a new phone system, inspired by the Town of Chapel Hill phone system. I’ll set it up so that my phone automatically directs a caller to my message center, which will inform the caller that if I can’t answer, the caller should contact Nancy. At the same time, […]

Towing the law

At tonight’s meeting, Town Council intends to fix a law of unintended consequences. In February, council enacted a law governing tow trucks and included a stipulation that a sign in the tow-truck enforced parking lot include a phone number that would be answered immediately by the towing company. A month later council passed a misguided […]

Rich no more

Soon we won’t have Penny Rich to kick around anymore. In yesterday’s primary, Rich edged out county commissioner incumbent Pam Hemminger and came in second behind Mark Dorosin. Because no Republican candidate is running for a seat on the Board of County Commissioners, Rich and Dorosin will fill the two open seats come December. A […]

Election deadline nears

If you haven’t made up your mind about whom to vote for, you’re running out of time. Tomorrow, May 8, is Election Day, and you have many decision to make. Don’t go into the voting booth unprepared. Access a sample ballot online at the Orange County website: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/precincts.asp. You’ll need to know your precinct (and […]

To your health

As the town’s money guy, Ken Pennoyer clicked his way through his PowerPoint slides last night, giving an overview of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013 (which begins July 1, 2012). One of the bright spots centered on the town’s reduction in health care costs for its employees. The high cost of health care […]