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 […]
Signs of ill will
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 31, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/31/signs-of-ill-will/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 22, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/22/tax-increase/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 21, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/21/pile-on-the-public-hearings/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 14, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/14/towing-the-law/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 9, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/09/rich-no-more/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 7, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/07/election-deadline-nears/
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 […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on May 1, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/05/01/to-your-health/
Elections bought and paid for
Tonight’s Town Council meeting includes several interesting nuggets, not the least of which is a proposal to extend the taxpayer-financed elections program, known as Voter Owned Elections, set to expire on July 1, 2012. VOE, which the General Assembly signed into law in 2007, authorizes the town to give taxpayer-generated revenue to candidates running for […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 30, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/04/30/elections-bought-and-paid-for/
Hailing the chief
A local TV station broadcast the arrival of Air Force One on Tuesday and live-streamed the coverage to the giant video screens at Carmichael Arena, where a near deliriously happy SRO crowd in Carmichael and an overflow crowd in Woollen Gym watched President Obama step onto the tarmac and shake hands with various political leaders, […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 27, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/04/27/hailing-the-chief/
Timing
Gene Pease put it in a nutshell last night. In response to the concept plan review for Carolina Flats presented by Florida developer Russ Greer of Progressive Capital Group, Pease said, “Your timing is lousy.” After Greer and Scott Radway presented the “back of the envelope” plan, as Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt called it, and a […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on April 24, 2012
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2012/04/24/timing/