The town can’t afford to keep the larger library open as many hours a week as the pre-renovated space without raising taxes or cutting other services. From the beginning the plan for funding the increased operating costs was to raise taxes, but the economy hasn’t exactly bounced back. Now state laws are hitting some of [...]
All posts in category Council Members
Budget busters
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 10, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/06/10/budget-busters/
Invite them where?
I listened to a panel discussion on WCHL yesterday afternoon as I drove around doing errands in the rain. Local residents who held various leadership roles in Chapel Hill and Carrboro talked about their vision for the town. One comment in particular stuck with me. Delores Bailey, executive director of Empowerment, said she would like [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 29, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/04/29/invite-them-where/
Time trial
Town Council meets next on Wednesday this week, so you’ve got a couple extra days to get your thoughts in order. You’ll need extra time to prepare to address council in the future, if council members adopt new council meeting procedures designed to shorten council meetings. Part of the proposal to trim the butt-in-seat time [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 8, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/04/08/time-trial/
A new day
This morning, RAM Development announced it planned to convert all 140 condominums at 140 West into workforce housing. RAM chairman Peter Cummings said the idea came to him like an epiphany as he was driving along West Rosemary Street one afternoon. “I saw this bright light,” he said. “Maybe it was a sign from Heaven, [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 1, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/04/01/a-new-day/
Save Del Snow
If you had told me six months ago that someday I would lead the cheering section for Planning Board chair Del Snow, I would have called you crazy. And now look. After Town Council’s Feb. 27 vote approving Bicycle Apartments, Snow wrote a letter to council questioning why council members didn’t postpone the vote until [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 6, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/03/06/save-del-snow/
Our anti-social Town Council
There’s nothing in the town’s bylaws that says Town Council members have to be socially responsible. Or that they must exercise foresight in their decision making. Or that they should do their best to make certain the social fabric of our community is kept intact. But it sure would be nice. The council extravagantly funds [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 4, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/03/04/our-anti-social-town-council/
Whose fair share?
Turns out 123 West Franklin’s parking spaces and grassy courtyard weren’t for the public after all. In trying to defend its miserly contribution to affordable housing in the face of several council members’ criticism, developer Cousins Properties pointed to the courtyard green space and the pool of 150 to 200 metered spaces in its parking [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 12, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/02/12/whose-fair-share/
Mayor backs Planning Board
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt addressed the Planning Board meeting last night to clear the air over the brouhaha ignited when former council member Penny Rich wrote an official letter in her role as an Orange County commissioner to Kleinschmidt asking him to fire Del Snow as chair of the Planning Board. His timing forced us to [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on February 6, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/02/06/mayor-backs-planning-board/
And the answer is …
After last Wednesday’s marathon student-bashing that pushed a couple concept reviews off the agenda, tonight’s meeting portends to be something of a sleeper. Nothing nefarious slipped into the Consent Agenda – even the resolution to amend the town manager’s authority to enter into contracts turns out to extend the authority to department heads, not concentrate [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 28, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/01/28/greene-piece/
Greene-lash
Laurin Easthom announced last night that she will not run for re-election in the fall. Oddly, she used her announcement as a twisted rationale for voting against a new voice on council. Her logic: A new voice on council would be good, just not now, and not until you’ve gone through the hazing process of [...]
Posted by Nancy Oates on January 24, 2013
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2013/01/24/greene-lash/