Jim Ward set the bar high during the Dec. 2 organizational meeting when it came to thanking his family for their support during the 16 years he served on Town Council. It was pointed out to me, archly, that I did not single out any family members in my generic thanks. So, here’s what I […]
All posts in category Town staff
We have to talk
Posted by Nancy Oates on December 14, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/12/14/we-have-to-talk/
The Council Show
At the election night party I attended last week, the wife of a supporter mentioned that she’d gotten so caught up in the excitement of the campaign that she might even tune into what she called “The Council Show.” Certainly campaign and post-election coverage in the popular press loads expectation that episodes of The Council […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on November 9, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/11/09/the-council-show/
The big money at stake
This election boils down to economic theory. One theory, held by the incumbents and a challenger who as an advisory board member voted in lockstep with them, aims to add enough luxury housing filled with high-wealth individuals that national chain stores will open branches in town. This group is banking on sales tax revenue and […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on November 2, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/11/02/the-big-money-at-stake/
Inspecting Inspections
Problems persist at the town’s Inspections Department. Despite nagging by the Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties, the response from the Planning and Sustainability Department, which oversees Inspections, has been sluggish. At the Oct. 19 Town Council meeting, Planning and Sustainability director Mary Jane Nirdlinger gave an update on progress in trying […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 26, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/10/26/inspecting-inspections/
Sparks fly over fire station talks
Last Wednesday night at its kickoff meeting, Town Council came that close to delivering what sportscasters would call an “explosive” performance as it debated whether to grant an amended Memo of Understanding to East West Partners in the exchange for land and a new fire station. In November 2013, the town put out a Request […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 21, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/09/21/sparks-fly-over-fire-station-talks/
Season opener
Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. public television will air the season opener of The Town Council Show. As season premieres go, this one may lack a little of the dramatic tension that keeps an audience riveted. But perhaps, given that the election season has also begun, a low-key start may be welcome. Here’s a […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 14, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/09/14/season-opener/
Lessons from Hulu founder
Even as Tropical Storm Ana showered Commencement festivities at regular intervals Sunday morning at Kenan Stadium, I would not have wanted to be anywhere else. Not only because of the joy of witnessing my daughter graduate, but because of the speech given by Carolina alumnus Jason Kilar, founder of Hulu. On the surface, Kilar looks […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 11, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/05/11/learn-from-kilar/
What our leaders hear
I give Roger Stancil a lot of credit for holding “listening sessions.” Over the past few months, Stancil, along with town ombudsman Jim Huegerich and Rae Buckley, the town’s organizational effectiveness coordinator, has been meeting with various special-interest groups to learn what the community thinks is going well with town operations and what could be […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 27, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/04/27/what-our-leaders-hear/
Who we want to be
Everybody lives somewhere, Lisa Sturtevant of the National Housing Conference in Washington, D.C., reminded the audience at Chapel Hill’s Affordable Housing Seminar on April 9. The seminar was the final in a series of four excellent sessions in which nationally recognized experts shared their insights into challenges and solutions to creating and preserving housing for […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 13, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/04/13/who-we-want-to-be/
Saving grace
On a recent Friday, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt tweeted that UNC was poised to make a Big Announcement about Northside, leaving us on tenterhooks all weekend. On Monday, the mayor and UNC Chancellor Carol Folt, along with some neighborhood and nonprofit dignitaries, took the stage and said UNC would lend $3 million interest-free for 10 years […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on March 16, 2015
http://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/03/16/saving-grace/