The Easthom Page

The Chapel Hill Town Council has been getting an earful lately from citizens about density in town.  There is also a perception that the Council is on a spree of approving dense, mixed use developments more than ever before, and people are worried about when the next huge condo building is going to go in their neighborhood, or dominate their view as they drive down a major road.   

Council is in fact getting more development applications that are large and dense, and these definitely get reported in the newspaper.  We obviously get smaller applications, as well, but they’re seldom written about.  One could argue that these smaller applications are not newsworthy because they don’t affect many people, but that is not always the case.    An example is the smaller Fraley project on Homestead Road that would be a dramatic change to the area with its commercial/dense condos set within existing neighborhoods.     

I do not feel the council is on some quest to turn the village into a city.  We are trying to balance what comes from developers and what is best for the Town.   If the Town never accepted more homes/units, then the county and region could see more sprawl.  Sprawl destroys natural open space and contributes to significant traffic from everyone driving in and out of town for work or services.   

The smart way to accept density in some places is to balance.  I do not see a future of large dense projects lined up next to each other all up and down Martin Luther King Blvd or Raleigh Road, for example, just because the council might accept density on major corridors or downtown.   I think there is great value in preserving landscape and trees on parcels that have to abut denser buildings.  The vista should be balanced with green at every opportunity.   I hear a lot about East 54 and how that has really transformed the look and feel of the area.   What would happen if Glen Lennox across the street developed similarly?  Visitors to Chapel Hill who hadn’t been here in a while might have thought they were lost when coming down that road.  I accept density with great caution and feel the smartest way to accept any further density is to have an environmentally balanced vision.

I’ve already noticed two different newspaper articles about whether or not the mayors of those cities plan to run again or not.   For the politically aware, speculation has begun on who might run this year for mayor, or for council.   The deadline to file for municipal elections is only a short five months away.  It seems we are all taking a breather from the recent national and regional elections, yet municipal elections are just around the corner.

Since we have a little time before we know for sure who the candidates will be, I’d like to shed some light on what makes a good mayor or a good council member (in my opinion).  I think about these general things when I consider and vote for candidates for municipal office.     Disclaimer:   I may or may not fit the description of a good council member in your minds.  But AS a council member, I have a very informed opinion as to what works and what doesn’t.  Also, this is not an endorsement for anyone’s election, including my own.    

What makes a good mayor?  In my opinion, a good mayor has a good professional relationship with each council member. He or she has demonstrated this by meeting with them or talking with them individually to learn more of their desires and positions.   Being able to work as a team member and support other council members is integral to the successful mayor.    He or she is respectful of the council members’ opinions and allows sufficient time for them to make their point.  The good mayor does not push the council in a certain direction that is not consistent with the majority of the council’s position in order to further a personal agenda.  The good mayor is respected and probably generally liked by his/her fellow council members.

Meeting skills are extremely important. The good mayor has the ability to summarize the positions of the council and the citizens that spoke and move the council towards making a decision or taking some action (or deciding no action needed).   A mayor with institutional knowledge is extremely valuable when the discussion benefits from drawing in history or facts to shed some light.    Institutional knowledge is gained by having a history of working within the Town government or Town itself long enough to understand how things work.   The good mayor is patient and  looks at all different viewpoints, taking time to weigh the good with the bad of any decision.  Interestingly, the mayor must constantly juggle between being political and somewhat neutral, retaining professionalism and calm when presenting the consensus of the council.   The good mayor represents the Town professionally outside of Town, building and maintaining good relationships with neighboring governments.

Finally, a good mayor not only works well with other council members, but works well with the Town staff.  Respecting the staff and not attacking it, supporting and appreciating their work, and making suggestions for improvement for the benefit of the Town is important for the good mayor and the council. 

What makes a good council member?  A good council member (CM) works hard with their constituents by listening, recommending, empathizing, and ensuring they are truly “hearing” and understanding what the current opinions and issues are out there.    They then take those opinions to Town Hall and use those opinions to shape their own when a decision needs to be made.   The good CM recognizes that he or she serves as a voice of the people, and adequately represents those voices at the table.    

The good CM understands that sometimes their position is different from their colleagues, but they make their position known in public in a respectful manner.   Attacking other council members proves to be counterproductive.   The good CM works well with other council members outside of regular council meetings….and asks for help from his/her colleagues for prior history, facts, information, or anything that could help that CM make a good decision.   The good CM gives and takes, recognizing that not everything is going to go their way.  

Bill Thorpe was a “good council member.”  He knew his job was to reach out to people who might not otherwise approach a council member for issues that concern them, and he would try to help them to the extent he could.   Bill Thorpe would always ask for more information from someone speaking at a council meeting if they did not present such information themselves, out of his genuine interest in that person.   Bill would keep actively in touch with many different people in town about certain issues coming before the council, to make sure he knew how they were thinking so he could make better decisions.    And Bill would have no problem “reminding” the mayor of something he might have missed, advising a younger council member about the ways of the council in the past, and that the “little guy” in town must never be forgotten. 

Public service is not a right, but a privilege.  Holding public office can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life.   Being a good mayor or a good council member certainly comes by trial and error and by experience itself.   The bottom line is to never lose sight of what drew you to the position in the first place.  

Now is the time.  Now is the time to comment on Carolina North, the largest development to ever hit the Town of Chapel Hill.  The Town Council and UNC Trustees are meeting monthly to hash out a development agreement that will allow UNC flexibility and assurances in its development of Carolina North.   If we come to an agreement by June on how Carolina North will develop, we may be done for years in decision making on how things are done.    It’s time to wake up, and get active, and come to these meetings so that UNC can hear what you think.

If you have a concern about traffic from this massive development, air quality, the environment, etc., now is the time to comment!   If you live in the northern part of Chapel Hill, you may not be aware that UNC is proposing a new road from their project which would connect to Homestead Road and carry through along Weaver Dairy Extension.  This road would function as Martin Luther King Blvd. does with thousands of cars and transit and serve as a new outlet to I-40.  Others may not be aware that there has been discussion that significant transit improvements may come only after enough development has happened to warrant the need.  Parking lots first?  Buses second?   With the law school building being one of the first of Carolina North, there has been discussion about housing those graduate students.  What about the professors and their families?  Are all professors and other employees affiliated with Carolina North to live off site and commute in?  Will UNC participate in the Town’s Stormwater Management Program?  What about the mutual town/gown Carbon Reduction goals?   These are just a few of the many issues at hand necessitating public input. 

Please keep track of our meetings and when they occur on the Town’s website, www.townofchapelhill.org.   Click the left tab for “Carolina North Planning.”  Watch the newspapers as well for upcoming meetings.  All of the meetings of the council and UNC trustees are open for comment on anything related to the Carolina North project.   Let us know how you feel!  I appreciate and value the comments that have already been made.    We want the development to work well for both the University AND the Town.   Please voice your concerns now at these meetings, or for the next several years, hold your peace. I and the rest of the town council encourage you to attend and voice your opinions.   

Last night at roughly 1 a.m., during our regular business meeting, the Council adopted its process for seeking a candidate to fill the “vacancy” on the council due to the untimely and sad ( and,  I could go on……..) passing of my friend and council colleague Bill Thorpe.  At the beginning of our marathon meeting (which has become more common lately as I will allude to later) Mayor Kevin Foy read a proclamation for Bill Thorpe.  Bill’s family was there to receive a copy of it.  Before the meeting started, I hugged Bill’s wife for a very long time and told her how hard this was and must be and that I missed him terribly.   I thought seeing her and going through this whole event would leave me balling up there in my council seat and it was tough keeping myself in tact, but I did so.  Yet when I walked up to the dais to sit for the first time since Bill’s death,  I was overcome with emotion when I noticed Bill’s nameplate was gone.  The spot next to Ralph our attorney looked strangely bare.  The point of all of this is this:  Bill Thorpe didn’t just fill a seat.  The council will never “fill” the “spot” that Bill occupied.   We will simply find someone else to bring whatever THEY have to bring to the town council this upcoming year.   Whomever fills Bill’s physical seat will not be filling Bill’s shoes.  He was of his own kind.

I will be grateful for those that choose to apply for this position, because serving on the Town Council is not easy.  I will welcome them as a colleague and look forward to working with them.  However, before applying and/or accepting the job on the council for this year, it might help to realize what you are getting in to.  I’ve done a similar post in the past, but I’ve got another year under my belt and have spent 3 years at it now.  So here is a list of some things to consider:

1.  Do you work full time and have a family?   I ask this question because you need to realize that council meetings can run way into the next day, like our meeting last night.  Our meeting ended somewhere around 1:30 a.m.  So think about this:  If you have a business meeting on a Monday night, and you work all day on that Monday and see your family briefly for dinner then go to the 7 pm council meeting, you may be there working and thinking until 1:30 a.m.   Then if you have kids or a job that starts at 8 a.m. then you will be getting up at 6:30 a.m. to go to work for the whole next day, and each day thereafter if you work full time.  It is possible that you might have another night meeting on Wednesday that week.   Getting by on little sleep is difficult and if this happens and happens on a Monday, it sort of sets your week off in the tired mode…..and it’s not even Friday yet.  Prepare for that.   

I am not sure why these recent business meetings have been going on into the wee hours but want to explore this further and see how we can be more efficient in our time.  I find it difficult to be energetic on agenda items past 11 p.m. having spent all day working and fixing dinner and having kids to drive around.  I am going to raise this issue because for the last 3 years I’ve been on council we have had only a rare occasion that meetings have lasted so long, but now it’s becoming more routine.  It makes it very difficult to juggle everything and be so tired the next day.

If you work full time, you need to be your best at your work, too.  So maybe you could plan for some flexibility in your schedule on Tuesday mornings or Thursday mornings after council meetings. 

Be aware, too, that not all meetings are on the Monday or Wednesday that you see on television or see advertised as a “Town Council Meeting”.  There are committees that you serve on that could very well meet during the day and other committees meet on other nights of the week.  For instance, tonight after having been to our 1:30 a.m. meeting last night, and working today, I will go to a 6 p.m. meeting over in Carrboro for the Land Trust board I sit on.  Not that I don’t want to go, it’s just difficult.   The Land Trust doesn’t plan its schedule with the Town Council’s schedule on its mind, and it shouldn’t have to.

In addition to those meetings which you attend that are scheduled, be aware that there are extra meetings.   The Council member serving new this year must know that the Council and the University are having “special” meetings of the Town Council each month, or more frequently than that, to work on a Development Agreement for Carolina North.  Those are to be nightly meetings, as well.   Sometimes during budget season we’ll schedule an extra work session or two, and they occur frequently around 4 in the afternoon.  So plan on those in the spring.  There might be other additional meetings that I am not aware of.

Our agendas are very large at times.  I’ve weighed a couple of agendas that have come to us, for fun, and have gotten some weighing 11 pounds or more.   You have to figure out when to read these during your free time.    Getting through the agendas become a lot easier once you’ve been at it a while, because you may already know a lot of information that is presented.  But it takes a lot of time and thought and often very difficult personal decision making. 

Don’t like email?  Don’t apply for the council job (just kidding—-I’m just trying to make a point).   If you don’t check your email after several hours or a full day at work you may be surprised later to find a filled inbox that you have to get through related to council matters in some form or fashion.  Going on vacation?  Might want to put your vacation responder on so people know.

Decide what you want to do in a proactive way on the council.  It would be easy to sit up there and just vote on things as they come along in reactive mode, but most council members have areas that they really want to work on making changes and spend extra time on those issues that are important to them.  These are not always items on the agenda and things the public might see every day.

I am not trying to scare anyone off for applying for the position, but aim to present some cold hard reality about the amount of time and energy.   The Council member WILL be rewarded with the ability to have that “seat at the table”  (Bill Thorpe’s words) in deciding how to make Chapel Hill a better place.  Working hard for your community, in my opinion, is one of the most important things one can do in life.  It is truly a pleasure to serve, and to make a visible difference.  It feels great to help others in this way.  

I look forward to working with the next new council member who has chosen to make such a contribution.  The choice will undoubtedly be very difficult, and perhaps all candidates are good choices.    It will be quite an interesting year.  Good luck.

Bill Thorpe was not just my fellow colleague on the Chapel Hill Town Council, he was my friend. He was such a unique and caring person, and never hesitated to say exactly what he thought during our meetings. He and I experienced a campaign together, and got to know each other well during that time and especially right after when he and I went through “new council” orientation (although he was certainly no “new” member!). He said then that he wanted to go through it with me because things had probably changed since he was last on the council, and that didn’t want me to be alone in my endeavors! So Bill and I toured Public Works, Transit, and the Fire Stations with much interest and joviality.

A special memory is during that orientation when Bill and I were showed the “bucket” on a firetruck at the Fire Station on Weaver Dairy Road. We were offered a ride up, and Bill enthusiastically got on in. He had to convince me to get in that thing—-and we both were lifted almost 100 feet into the air and could basically see Raleigh! Given my fear of heights, Bill was the one who kept me very calm and joked along the way…..and he put his every trust in the fireman that stood with us in the bucket, which transferred over to me and made me feel better. Bill had taken his camera with him, and when we got back down, he made sure the fire man took a picture of us in that bucket. I am going to try and post it when I figure out how to do that! It is really a great picture. He had a calm way about him and an excellent sense of humor!

He had told me later that he was glad that “the mayor” had put us sitting next to each other on the council bench. He was not happy that we were not assigned to share the same office, but I assured him that I really wouldn’t spend much time in that office because I preferred to work at home and so it wouldn’t matter. He was okay with that. We had a great time sitting next to each other for those first two years, and unfortunately expressed his dismay to me again after the recent election that our places were moved and we were separated. He and I shared many a miniature conversation while sitting next to each other, and sometimes we didn’t even need to say anything but we would just look at each other when something raised our eyebrows—we both understood and were on the same page. I so much enjoyed his unique perspective and his sense of humor. He could look at things happening before the council in a far broader way than I, and when I would get upset about something, he always provided that sense of experience and perspective that helped me through.

Outside of the council meetings, he wanted to stay in touch. During the first two summer breaks he took the initiative and called me and said we needed to get together. He always picked the Cafe Carolina and Bakery in Meadowmont, and we would try to sit outside. During those lunches he would talk about recent council activities and how he interpreted the current political scene in light of the “council-manager form of government”. He always made me laugh about things with his sense of humor and his interpretations of events. He had a lot to say during those lunches! The last time I went to that Cafe was with him, so it will be hard when I go back there. This past summer, I was out of town a lot, and I hadn’t heard from him. I knew something was up. He was not feeling energetic and was trying to rest given his condition.

While on the council he would occasionally say “that’s the Bill Thorpe way of doing things,” or “that’s Bill Thorpe.” I know exactly what he meant. He would often coach me after a meeting, saying “that was great. You did a great job,” or very discreetly would tell me “maybe next time we should do it this way…”

One of the funnier things I remember about Bill’s statements actually occurred during his last council meeting in June. The council had just been through listening to petitions by a few citizens related to the council’s decisions on public financing, the budget, and the health care issue. Bill was very serious when he said this, but what he said was so true and I laughed about it. He said to the citizens in the audience: “Looks like to me that the political season has already opened up……I’m very busy trying to get Obama elected President of the United States, and I hope you’d hold off till after November, then start the season to run for town council, which starts NEXT year…. I say all that to say we have a lot before us tonight….this is strictly political….let’s wait till after November…..those who are interested in running for town council, let’s get by the election in November until we start….”

Bill called me “Laurie”, not because he didn’t know my name, but because he liked that better for me. I loved it that he called me that. I won’t forget Bill Thorpe. He was a true friend. He showed me the sense of history on the council and the Town, and a bit about life.

Who can help be inundated with reports about the speeches at the Democratic National Convention? I must admit I was pretty excited with the start of the convention. How does the national political scene affect us at home? Plenty.

North Carolina, according to the Obama campaign, is a state that very well could turn Blue in November (no surprise with this statement). Obama has visited here several times, and may indeed come back before November. If he does start to show some strong polling results here in the state before then (if he hasn’t already), he could pull US Senate candidate Kay Hagan right along with him. However, she is indeed holding her own right now against Elizabeth Dole. Having a democratic senator will mean big changes here in NC. Kay has such a large, strong constituency here in the state and she will work hard with every individual in mind, versus working in Washington with George Bush and special interest groups in mind as Dole has done. Dole needs to go on out with Bush, especially since she voted with him most of the time. She also is ranked in the bottom ten of all US Senators in effectiveness. Why on earth would we put her back in Washington for North Carolina? I consider myself a politically aware and engaged citizen (and elected official) and I cannot give you one example of anything she has done to make our lives better here.

Kay will bring positive change and it will be palpable on a local level. I’ve talked with Kay about it and I trust her. She invited me to participate in a conference call that included about ten people: state representatives and national ones, most notably US Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri. I highlighted some of the issues facing Orange County (as I was designated the conference call “rep” from Orange County) and was able to participate in a very lively conversation about what others are experiencing around the state and how Kay will work to solve the local problems. Sen. McCaskill was there to offer up the more global, senatorial experience and what it would take to get Kay elected here in NC. She is a great supporter of Kay, and also gave a speech at the convention in Denver.

Obama winning the national election is not a given, even though there is much excitement about it. Democratic supporters must work hard here on the grassroots level in NC as they always have to spread the word and encourage people to get out and vote.  This is the most important election of our time.  Change is so desperately needed, locally and nationally.   Please participate in the process and realize the importance of national politics and how it plays a part in our local lives.

Various news media have written not only about the “health care issue” of the town council, but have also reported on the “outcry” from citizens on the 11% tax increase and public financing of campaigns. While the council may have made a mistake on the health care ordinance, it is my opinion we made no mistake on the tax increase or on the public financing of campaigns.

It should also be noted that the council unanimously passed this budget. The voters in 2003 approved a bond referendum for the aquatics center and parks, and we had to build and move to a huge town operations center (we had no choice.) For the past three of the past five years it has been remarkable that we have had no tax increase, given that the these projects were well underway or near completion. We’ve even been able to maintain our AAA bond rating throughout all of these projects. But now, unfortunately, we have to pay for these. The voters made a choice in 2003, and now we have to make those payments on the debt. I believe this was the worst year for a tax increase, and our budgets should improve in the next several years. The voters essentially put some nice things on the credit card, and now the payments are due. I believe these projects will make the Town a better place.

As far as public financing of campaigns, the argument that this keeps incumbents in their seats is weak and unfounded. If anything, it opens doors to many more people to run for office. We will have to see how this goes. It is a pilot project for a city in North Carolina, and I’m proud Chapel Hill is the first.

I am really interested in the fact that the health care issue brought out both town council supporters and non-supporters to speak against a decision. That is fine! Not everyone is going to agree. The issue brought out both Republicans and Democrats. Municipal decisions are not partisan, but it is always interesting to take note of the background of those that speak to such issues as tax increases. An interesting fact is that some of those that have been the most outspoken, and continue to criticize and continue to threaten to put out petitions on other items other than health care, and continue to complain, are Republicans. It is just an interesting fact.

And as people continue to complain, I understand they are in part due to frustration with regional and national issues like gas prices and the price of private health care, etc. all compounded with the local issues. Even after the council rescinded the health care vote, a recent complaint has been: “Those council members are flip-floppers”. I guess those that complain that the council flip flopped on the health care issue should rather the ordinance stay the way it was.

Ironically, the lone initial vote and the most ardent opponent to the health care ordinance will have to quit receiving this health care benefit the Town is currently paying for him, citing “now is not the time for the council to be spending money on itself” .  It should be noted that not all council members actually receive the health care benefit.    Perhaps we should study this health care benefit issue further in the future. Instead of the Town paying for the benefit, perhaps a council member leaving after 2 terms would have the option of paying the total cost for the same insurance themselves…that way they avoid having to change health insurance companies and risk not getting insurance if they have a preexisting condition. However, I never want to bring back up the issue of the Town paying for continued coverage after 2 terms, at any percentage.

Call me cynical, but I think this issue has been completely overblown….the fire was indeed started but I think it is continuing to be fueled by a group of individuals who would love nothing more than to “stick it” to the council and pave the way for their candidates next year to run.

It just makes me want to run more.

On Monday night the council faced an agenda weighing 9.5 pounds with routine matters but apparently one hot item submerged in the consent agenda. That night my mind was mainly on saving the People’s Channel, passing a town budget (that was difficult and took months), holding Time Warner Cable accountable, and passing our test pilot public financing of council campaigns. Health care for the council was the hot item buried amidst everything else.

That’s no excuse for passing it. Before the meeting, I had not heard much about it from anyone. I don’t have health care with the Town and so the issue was not on my front burner. I am not sure of my future plans on running for Town Council again, either. I did receive a call from Sally Greene explaining why the Health Care Committee came up with the recommendation it did but heard very little if anything from any citizens out there. I was also aware that Orange County commissioners receive this same benefit, as do other municipalities across the country.

Yet since the meeting, I have certainly thought about this much more (understatement), and have heard from a huge number of citizens about how insensitive the council was in casting this vote for a “life time of health care”. Even though other governments do this for their elected officials, I regret my vote for the ordinance for Chapel Hill Town Council. I think this was bad timing and a mistake.

This is not a council that is intransigent, set in its ways and so selfish that it would not consider the town’s voices in its decision. I’m confident we will address this issue head on.

I hope we abolish this ordinance once and for all.

I will say that serving on the council has many costs that are not so apparent to the average citizen. For one, although it is listed as part time, it really isn’t. This council position as I have stated before, has cost me my career and has pulled me away from my family. I do not currently benefit from town health insurance, but I do get paid twice a month (a little over $400). For the amount of time spent, that works out to about $6 an hour. I did not choose to serve on council though for the money! That’s for sure. I know I can speak for all council members in that we want to make Chapel Hill a better place to live.

I agree that we should not fund council members’ health insurance after two terms. While this did not impact me personally, I regret the vote yet realize that this will be easy enough to change. The council needs to talk about this and abolish it.

I cannot express in words how deeply saddened I am about the loss of Eve Carson, student body president of UNC-Chapel Hill. The day was strange. I had been wondering about the identity of the woman who had been found slain on Hillcrest the day before, and when I heard that it was Eve Carson, it was so shocking that it sent chills. I could not and still cannot believe it. Obviously I am so saddened for her. I also think like a parent does. Simply put, it is a parent’s worst nightmare. They undoubtedly were so proud of her and all of her accomplishments to the University and the community and they loved her dearly. This act is surreal to me—-senseless, outrageous. How could it happen to her/how could it happen here? We all seek to understand, and I hope that the person that committed this crime is found out very quickly! It seems like writing about this is an understatement to how I feel. I am deeply, deeply saddened. Even though Eve’s life was short, she contributed to her community more than many people do in a life time. She was not selfish, and lived her life to the absolute fullest.

I can tell you our police department is working feverishly on solving this crime. Our police chief, Brian Curran is new in his position but not new to the police force or to Chapel Hill. He has done an absolute stellar job in all respects. I spoke with him recently about my memories of the jogger who was senselessly shot on Estes Drive over a decade ago (whose killer is up for parole soon). These events will never, never go away in our minds. But my feeling about Eve and what she stood for would be to keep on going and work hard for others. That seemed to be what she was all about. No one can bring her physically back, but we can keep her memory alive and carry out the work she was engaged in on campus and the community, and realize the essence of her and what she stood for at UNC and in Chapel Hill will last forever. It was a somber day in Chapel Hill and still is.

Two years in of a four year term, I feel inclined to provide a mid term report of what I’ve done, what’s in progress, and what I hope for the next two years. Also, a sense of what is like to be on the council! as a newcomer two years ago. So here we go.

What I ran on (not all inclusive):

Neighborhood Protection: During these two years I’ve worked hard to make sure that development has not adversely impacted neighborhoods. I continue to study what’s happening for Carolina North and advocated for the Town to participate in the Chancellor’s Leadership Advisory Committee a while ago. The participation allowed the Town to make its case for the policy of the Horace Williams Citizens Committee report, which is our guide and policy for neighborhood protection here. Also, I found it important for the Town in good faith to participate in the early process, to lay a foundation for hopefully good communication between town/gown as this project moves forward.

Additionally on neighborhood protection, I served as the council liasion to the Northern Area Task Force that provided detailed recommendations on how development should proceed in the northern area of Chapel Hill, with a primary goal of neighborhood protection in light of a great deal of forthcoming development. We met on Thursday nights and two Saturday mornings through the summer of 2007, on a tight schedule, to provide the necessary work for the council given a moratorium in place. Examples:

• Advocating to avoid cut through traffic for future mixed use developments on roads through neighborhoods such as through Northwoods.
• How to make existing neighborhoods walkable/bicycle/transit friendly to future and existing commercial, etc.
• Ensuring existing town services are not strained by the additional growth—that we have planned well in advance for the infrastructure to support future development in these areas.

Wireless Initiative: In Chapel Hill, we have the ability to bridge the digital divide and provide today’s ACCESS TO INFORMATION and EDUCATION that only the privileged have historically had (historically meaning the last 10 years of widespread subscriptions to internet providers). Unless you can pay over $50/month to Time Warner or BellSouth, etc. and own a computer with a wireless card, you will find it difficult to find information that can provide you with educational opportunities, instant news in the community, job opportunities, ability to pay bills online, etc. The benefit to government, which saves taxpayers money, is evident from other cities that have ubiquitous wireless coverage.

I have pushed this issue publicly and behind the scenes to try and get the community covered with wireless access. I have attended national meetings learning from other cities on how they’ve done it, and I have engaged with the School of Government and the University on the pros/cons of deploying a citywide network, and have had a great deal of support. Thankfully the town was on the brinking edge of replacing its fiberoptic traffic signal system, which means we will lay fiber along our traffic fiber to carry other forms of mass communication (i.e. wireless, video, or whatever we want, etc) and can have the ability to provide a “backbone” of hard infrastructure that lays the groundwork for town and community control of mass communication. Other cities would be very envious of our position, for they often have to do all of the backbone work by themselves and after the fact….fiber to the home, business, etc. can be expensive. Other cities are often indebted to some corporation in some form or fashion to provide the fiberoptic backbone.

I led a public forum on exploring wireless and have relegated the future work of this goal to the council on communications, which is the natural committee to continue studying and engaging in this important endeavor.

Remember when Alexander Bell invented the telephone? Remember when cellphones became all the rage? It’s time that not just VOICES, but INFORMATION becomes wireless and frees up people to access that information wherever they go.

Protection of Our Environment: As you can see from the previous post I am concerned about Duke Energy’s indiscriminate use of herbicides on trees in its easements, and how that affects our environment. This is an environmental quality issue, but also a safety issue because large swathes of dead trees are just waiting to catch fire in today’s drought. Duke Energy’s landscape management rep told me a couple of months ago that they had no plans to do anything to the large tree swaths that were herbicided and killed…..eventually they would fall down. Not only is this not aesthetically pleasing, but it could be a public danger for threat of fires. The corporate bottom line must not EVER infringe on the health, safety and welfare of our citizens.

I serve on the Triange J of Govt’s Regional Appearance Committee. I will help bring forward a program to Orange County that will allow champion trees, historic trees, etc. to be nominated for a special award that officially classifies them as such and places them on a GIS map for future protection! Wake County has had the Capital Trees Program become a great success…..not only are trees preserved and nominated for awards, but city ordinances for tree protection have evolved in the county to incorporate the protection of trees awarded by this program. This is very exciting! and hopefully awareness will be raised of the value that large trees have in our community for now and forever. They are worth preserving and we should make every effort to do so. The goal is for development to protect important trees and not proceed with mass cutting that makes development easier. Why cut down a 50 year old medium size beautiful tree and replace with a spriglet to ease the trucks moving through to create the development? It doesn’t make sense. The history and value of trees is as important as the history and value of stream beds.

The recent drought has really had the whole area concerned about our water supply and future demand. I think the council should be very careful in considering what future growth could do to our supply, and work closely with OWASA in its projections. Water supply is a basic need that must not be dwindled at the expense of dense development. Although density in some sections of town is desirable (like along major corridors), we must ensure the level of density and the pace of such development does not impact us adversely. UNC is one of the major users of our supply and we should make sure they continue to try to reduce their demand with efforts like their new water reclamation system.

Transit: As you know, council meets most often during the budget season. As our budget year approaches, transit is on my mind. We really need to think about expanding our services such that everyone in town can access a bus stop at 1/4 mile from their home. We should also expand our service to nights and weekends. Our EZ rider service needs an overhaul! and we must make sure that our citizens that use this service are finding it as convenient as ever. Hybrid buses are doing an excellent job, and I want to see future replacements of our buses to be in the hybrid form (if possible). Our Library here in town needs a more consistent and frequent route, and this is a priority as we expand it (a priority for me!). Additionally, I look forward to working with the results of our Long Range Transit Plan to decide how transit can be expanded in the future.

Our downtown is on the verge of becoming great. We should support the ongoing work of our Downtown Partnership in addressing the “real change for spare change” initiative. Additionally, as I said two years ago, it is very important to keep the Kidzu Museum downtown and we should support their efforts in finding a new locale downtown as their lease expires. Holiday free parking at our lots should be advertised more in advance next year and businesses be given a flier/poster to advertise this inside their establishments. A citizen wrote me with a great idea I’d like to institute for downtown: each council member should be assigned 8 or 9 businesses (downtown) to keep in touch with routinely to understand real-time concerns and help such businesses feel valued in our town. Downtown businesses are not all the council cares about, but they need our support right now while the perception and reality of parking difficulties exists. Perhaps we could rotate such assignments to businesses out of downtown, too. I think good contact and communication between businesses and the council is essential for a vibrant, sustainable economy.

Support Existing or New Business: I’d like to see the Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau work with the Town Council to let us know when new business is thinking about coming to our area so that we may have the opportunity to contact them and let them know that Chapel Hill is an excellent place to work and live. Such communication and formulating a good relationship from the start can show our support and work to rid some people’s perception that Chapel Hill is a difficult place to do business. Those in Chapel Hill that live here know that our property tax burden is great, and relief can be found by increasing our commercial tax base.

Town Gown Issues: Here we go. Carolina North is coming, whether we like it or not. Since the Town does not own the land and the University as owner wants to develop it, it is important to realize that it’s in the Town’s best interest (and the U’s) to make sure the development is good for everyone. The key is communication. The more the University and the Town can talk about the issues confronting us both, the better the outcome. I see no value in an adversarial relationship in which one side distrusts the other’s motives, for we all must live together and live with the results long term. A healthy tension is good, but it must not become negative—a reasonable and workable process engaged by the Town staff and policymakers (council); and University staff and decision makers (trustees/chancellor) will yield a mutually beneficial project longterm.

To Sum Up: I’ve left out a great amount of detail that you can always catch on the video streamlining of our council meetings. There is so much that we have all done over the last two years, and so much more work to be done in the next couple. And how has it been for me the last two years? What is it like to be on the council? One thing I’ve realized first hand (that I sort of suspected anyway), is that it takes a long time to get something done (usually). But the end result is that there have been many people studying the issue, public hearings/forums talking about the issue, staff time spent, etc. that we end up with a policy or decision that truly represents what the Town wants now and in the future and we feel good about that.

The council is a very unique dedicated group of individuals that really has worked now for years and years together—so the newcomer feels a little bit “green” and a bit unaccepted at first. But there is mutual respect on behalf of all of the council members and one quickly gets over that.

One of the things that I have despised in my professional career in dentistry is the “old boys network.” I don’t think we necessarily have that on the council, maybe we do, but I feel strongly that more women should run for political office. I am also hoping that some day soon a member of our Hispanic or Asian community should happen to run for office, or anyone from another culture/country. Diversity of ideas and experiences enhances our democratic process.

I’ve discovered that this council position is a perfect fit for me. I have to know what’s going on and feel strongly it is my responsibility to make sure that what happens in town is the best for every neighbor who has chosen this great place to live. I’ve been amazed at the professionalism and dedication of our town staff, to include our police, fire, public works, transit workers, etc. The people that make this town “tick” have my utmost respect and gratitude. If I could only pay them more! I’ll continue to work hard each budget year for our town employees…..without them, and without their commitment to many years with this town, we would not be the Chapel Hill we are today.

I’m not afraid of challenges that come forward and the pressures of the job. They do exist. I feel like the greatest challenge in the next 2 years is Carolina North and town/gown relations. But we have so much else we need to work on in town, that I also know that we must have a good balance and not be consumed by Carolina North. We need to pay attention to redevelopment in town and what exactly Transit Oriented Development means for development along our transit corridors. We need to pay close attention to the Orange Community Land Trust model and how the town can ensure the long term success of this important organization. We need to continue the work on our Downtown in a variety of ways (beginning with receipt of our upcoming economic development report by our EDD); streetscape enhancements; oversee Lot 5 development, etc. Our transit system will be challenged by future denser growth, and at the same time we all desire increased service on nights/weekends and to points of interest such as our Library. I think all future bus purchases should be hybrids but realize that costs could be prohibitive (hopefully not). Speaking of energy efficiency, we should continue to ensure that buildings are LEED silver at the minimum, and our whole town should strive for meeting the energy reduction goals set forth in our Carbon Reduction Project (CRED).

Serving on the council has been challenging, but the work can be very satisfying. The hard part is knowing that you will absolutely not make everyone happy with the decisions you make. Many times there are two good ways of doing things, but you have to choose the better one in your opinion. The bottom line is that we get elected to work hard on behalf of those who live here, and I try to do that using my best judgement. The first two years have been a pleasure and I look forward to at least another two.