As we grow in population, we have to grow in infrastructure. Some of the current Town Council members don’t seem to understand that parallelism. That’s one reason voters elected four new representatives to council a couple weeks ago. But at last Monday night’s council meeting, one council member may have seen the light. At that […]
All posts in category Council Members
Council member’s U-turn
Posted by Nancy Oates on November 16, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/11/16/council-members-u-turn/
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
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/11/09/the-council-show/
A not-as-long goodbye
On 60 Minutes last night, President Obama talked about how he felt coming to the end of his legally allotted two terms and whether he wished he could serve a third. He said, as all incumbents do, that he was proud of what he had accomplished so far in office and that there was more […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 12, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/10/12/a-not-as-long-goodbye/
Ask, and get real answers
Someone needs to tell the town’s Planning Department staff that Chapel Hill already has an ordinance that governs bed-and-breakfasts. Oh, wait. Someone already has. Several someones, in fact — the former director of planning, the town attorney and multiple people in the community, including Chapel Hill Watch — going back more than 15 years. And […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on October 5, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/10/05/what-problem-is-solved/
How about yours?
Community members at last Monday’s Town Council meeting turned the “not in my backyard” philosophy on its head, asking instead, “Why not your backyard?” At the Sept. 21 meeting, developers presented their proposed plan for Amity Station, a tall apartment building on West Rosemary Street where Breadman’s sits now. The parcel is in the Northside […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on September 28, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/09/28/how-about-yours/
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
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/09/21/sparks-fly-over-fire-station-talks/
New faces in town races
Last week I put my money where my mouth is — $5, to be exact. I filed to run for a seat on Town Council. For the six years I’ve been writing Chapel Hill Watch, I’ve tuned in every Monday night during Town Council season and sat on my couch cheering on various council and […]
Posted by NancyDon on July 13, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/07/13/new-faces-in-town-races/
Getting to No*
Town Council doesn’t have the option of remaining silent in uncomfortable situations. Sometimes saying “no” can be extraordinarily difficult, far harder than not saying “yes.” Saying “no” can be more difficult still when you have a relationship or connection with the other party. What are the expectations? The personal responsibility? The implied agreement? What are […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 29, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/06/29/getting-to-no/
Off the radar?
My daughter and I set up our beach chairs on the top of the Wallace Parking Deck last Thursday night, nervously, given the lightning that flashed all around us. Meg McGurk, director of the Downtown Partnership, assured all of us who had gathered to watch “Wall-E” that staff had been monitoring the storm cells on […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 22, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/06/22/off-the-radar/
We haven’t made it yet
As I waited for the traffic light to change at the corner of Columbia and Franklin streets on Friday afternoon, a school bus pulled up beside me. A little kid stuck his head out the window and yelled, “Yay! We made it to summer!” Council members undoubtedly are looking ahead a couple weeks to the […]
Posted by Nancy Oates on June 15, 2015
https://chapelhillwatch.com/2015/06/15/we-havent-made-it-yet/