[Durham INC] July Delegate meeting minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

Please let me know about additions or corrections.  Regards, pat


July
Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

First Presbyterian Church

July 26, 2011

 

Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Bay Pointe HOA – James Short

Cleveland + Holloway – Matt
Dudek

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen,
Ed Harrison 

Downing Creek – Rebecca Broad

Duke Park – Ian Kipp, Bill
Anderson

Falconbridge – Rosemarie Kitchin

Golden Belt – John Martin

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Magnolia Place – Darius Little

Northgate Park – Ian Pond

Old East Durham – Chloe’ Palenchar

Old Farm – David Harris

Old North Durham – Peter Katz

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan
Sewell 

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom
Miller

Woodcroft – Dan Ryan

 

 

Visitors 

Will Wilson – Durham Open Space
and Trails 

Jim Wise – N & O

Rukea Womack – City of Durham,
Parks and Recreation

Ellen Reckhow – Durham County

John White – Durham Chamber

Mike Woodard – Durham City
Council

Chandler Carr – DO Friends of
Transit

Dan Jewell – DO Transit

Beau Glenn – DO Transit

Damien Graham – Triangle Transit

Mark Ahrendsen – City of Durham

 

 

Tom Miller called the meeting to order, and members
introduced themselves.  David Harris moved to approve the May minutes. Peter Katz seconded the
motion, and the delegates voted to approve the minutes.  About 12 neighborhoods have paid their
2011 dues; please pay up.  

 

There was a presentation on the Transit Tax Referendum. Sources
of information:

·      
www.dchcmpo.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=35
(schedule of opportunities for public input)

·      
www.ourtransitfuture.com/index.php/ (maps,
etc.)

We have been talking for years about a transit system that
will maintain our quality of life with the projected growth in Durham County’s
population, direct that growth in smarter ways, give people more choices,
realize social justice, and provide good jobs (both from direct spending on the
system and from progressive companies being attracted to the area because “transit
is the new professional sports team.”)  The Transit Tax Referendum is
Durham taking the lead in turning all this talk into something real. There
are 3 parts to the transit plan:

 Bus expansion (1-3 years out) – This would add 25,000
more bus hours to our current 177,000 bus hours in the first year, and 50,000
by the third year.  Included would be more frequent buses (15 minute
frequency in major corridors), more Saturday and Sunday service, and more “reach”
(service to SW Durham and rural areas).  As the rail transit is added,
buses would come off some routes, but there would need to be even more service
to get people to the train.Commuter Rail to Wake County (6-8 years out) – Durham
would have 4 of the 12 stops, but about ½ the $645M cost since the existing
railroad already has some improvements in Wake County.  The stations would
be at West Durham (closer to Hillandale than the old plan, but still with
connection to Duke), Downtown (in the Durham Station area), RTP North, and
Triangle Metro (at NC 54 and Miami, with possible access to the airport if the
people mover to the planned new car rental center is extended).Light Rail Route (maybe 13 years out) – This is
wholly on new corridor so is the most expensive (Durham’s cost would be $1.05B,
and we can’t do it without state and federal help). There are lots of stations
that weren’t in the 1990’s plans; the stations include some greenfield and
re-development opportunities (LaSalle Street, for example).  Note that the
form of development around the new stations will be like an “amoeba” – with
density contours that are more like blobs than concentric circles.





 

 

Some neighborhoods had not had
an opportunity to discuss the resolution (See Appendix A) on bringing war dollars home.  Pat Carstensen moved and Rosemarie Kitchin seconded postponing the vote until August, and this
motion passed.

 

The Committee on Housing Enforcement, Boarded-up and
Abandoned Houses and Buildings reported that they are still working on
recommendations.  The difficulty of
collecting on liens means that they aren’t a very effective club.

 

Will Wilson introduced a
resolution (Appendix B) on the objectives of Urban Open Space Planning.   Given the way green space affects health (trees reduce
summer temperatures, for example), the Urban Open Space Plan needs to look at
aspects beyond the traditional consideration of aesthetics, recreation and
wildlife.  Will passed out some
graphs showing some of the health considerations.  We will discuss the item next month.  

 

The meeting then took up a
resolution on the Rights of Gay,
Lesbian, and Transgender People and Legislation Pending in the General Assembly.  Duke Park and other neighborhood
list-serves have had a lot of discussion of the issue.  Any resolution needs to be done before
the General Assembly comes back in September.  Ian Kipp said he would draft a specific resolution (see
Appendix C).  Ian moved and Susan
Sewell seconded having a resolution.

 

Neighborhood news and
announcements included:

·      
National Night Out –
August 2

·      
Dedication of Cash Point
at Penny’s Bend – July 26

·      
Dr. Seuss prints at Duke
Hospital:  http://ncartseveryday.org/2011/07/dr-seuss-is-at-duke-hospital/

 

The meeting adjourned.

 




Appendix A:  A Resolution
of the Inter-Neighborhood Council of Durham, NC Calling upon the US Government
and President Obama to Bring Our War Dollars Home Now 

 

Whereas, the economic
collapse has exhausted the financial resources at the local, county, state and
federal levels of the US; and 

 

Whereas, the US government
has spent well over 1 trillion dollars nationally on the wars and occupations
in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 (with North Carolina taxpayers’ share of
that total at $32.2 billion, and North Carolina’s share of the 2012 overall
military budget estimated at $15 billion); and 

 

Whereas, over 6,000 US
troops have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than 40,000 wounded,
with thousands more succumbing to trauma or suicide; and 

 

Whereas, hundreds of
thousands of civilian casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have damaged
U.S. credibility as an advocate for human rights, created a resource of
recruitment for enemies of the U.S., and generated social and political
instability and civil conflicts that cannot be solved by ongoing military
action; and

 

Whereas, billions of
taxpayer dollars are spent to prop up repressive regimes in the Middle East and
elsewhere around the world; and 

 

Whereas, funding for a
constructive economy that sustains high level educational services for K though
college, equal access to medical care, low cost housing, infrastructure repair,
environmental protections, and family financing throughout North Carolina,
especially in cities such as Durham, has been diverted to wars and occupations,
and 

 

Whereas, budget deficits,
largely due to war spending, have been used as a pretext to force reductions in
funding for these essential public services, and

 

Whereas, 2010 census data
shows that in North Carolina one out of every 4 children goes to bed hungry, 

 

Be it resolved that the
Inter-Neighborhood Council of Durham calls upon the US government and President
Obama to end the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our war
dollars home now. 

 

Now be it further resolved, that the Inter-Neighborhood
Council of Durham endorse and encourage informational events regarding the cost
of the wars and occupations to our community.

Appendix B:  Resolution on Urban Open Space Plan Objectives

Whereas, the Durham City and County Planning Department is undertaking the
development of an Urban Open Space Plan; and

 

Whereas, numerous environmental benefits result from the preservation and
protection of vegetated open space, including but not limited to reducing urban
temperatures and enhancing air quality, decreasing peak runoff volume through
short term storage and evapotranspiration, filtering pollutants through soils
and other media, providing visual relief for urban neighborhoods and the
community, and providing habitat for animal, bird and insect populations; and,
specifically

 

Whereas, Durham’s Urban Heat Island exceeds 10F, and in other cities air
conditioning associated with this elevated temperature accounts for 5-10% of
electrical energy costs and associated greenhouse gas emissions; and

 

Whereas, elevated urban temperatures combined with automotive emissions
reduces downtown air quality and surrounding downwind areas; leading to more
violations of air quality standards, and

 

Whereas, reduced air quality increases incidence of asthma and heart
attacks by as much as 15 to 20%, and

 

Whereas, satellite data of Durham County shows a clear connection between
tree coverage and temperature, and

 

Whereas, Durham County data shows that families earning $80,000/year live
in neighborhoods with 70% tree coverage, but neighborhoods of families earning
$20,000/year have just 20% tree coverage, and

 

Whereas, the presence of trees calms people in urban areas, reducing
aggression by 25%, and promotes positive child development, and

 

Whereas, all open space enhances the quality of life for its citizens and
promotes community investment, growth and development; promotes citizen
connections and multigenerational experiences and provides a more
pedestrian-friendly environment.

 

Whereas, the Comprehensive Plan specifically identifies urban open space
areas that may need further protection (particularly sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
and 10) and the Unified Development Ordinance, Trails and Greenways Master
Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Landscape Guidelines and a number of
other plans/guidelines that have already been adopted or are in process provide
some control and protection of open space in the City, a comprehensive urban
open space plan for the City is needed to provide proper guidance for further
decision making processes which may include possible acquisition/preservation
or development of those areas deemed important to Durham’s quality of life and
our environment.

 

Whereas, unlike traditional concepts of undeveloped open space, current
concepts of “urban open space” encompass broader environmental and urban design
aspects of both publicly and privately owned spaces, including but not limited
to community gardens; isolated roadside trees, bushes and plants; benches and
bus-stop shelter areas; areas of strategic wildlife habitat unrelated to
recreation; rivers, streams, and creek corridors, and creek/bridge crossings;
city and county-owned small natural areas and pocket parks, cemeteries and
small natural areas around libraries, schools, and hospitals; median plantings;
informal pedestrian paths following sewer and power line easements; stormwater
facilities and similar sites; owner-maintained gardens and entrances to and
parking areas of commercial/office properties; and plazas; and

 

Therefore, be it resolved that the InterNeighborhood
Council encourages the Durham City/County Planning Department carefully
consider the environmental health aspects of Durham’s Urban Open Space Plan, in
addition to the more traditional open space motivations. Of utmost importance
is the reduction of downtown temperatures, improvement of air quality, and
rectifying issues related to environmental health and socioeconomic equity. As
a part of this planning process, we urge the creation of an environmental
health survey detailing the above issues.

 




Appendix C:  Same Sex Marriage Resolution

 

WHEREAS, throughout its
history Durham has proved to be a progressive city in nearly every aspect of
its civic endeavor; and

 

WHEREAS, the City of Durham
has adopted and reaffirmed a policy of promoting equal rights and opportunities
for employees of Durham Government without regard to race, religion, age,
gender, disability, national origin, color, marital status, or sexual
orientation; and

 

WHEREAS, the Durham City
Council has shown its commitment to making Durham a welcoming community for gay
and lesbian residents by formally extending health care benefits to same sex
domestic partners of City employees and their legal dependents in 2002; and

 

WHEREAS, the Durham City
Council passed a resolution supporting marriage equality in 2009 and again, recently,
in 2011; and

 

WHEREAS, the North Carolina
General Assembly is considering Senate Bill 106 and House Bill 777 that would
place on the 2012 ballot a referendum to amend the North Carolina Constitution
to prohibit marriage between people of the same gender, and further prohibit
the recognition of any other form of domestic legal union; and

 

WHEREAS, the adoption of
such a Constitutional amendment is inconsistent with the City's commitment to
equal rights and opportunities for its residents and employees; could
invalidate the City of Durham’s domestic partner benefits; and could lead to
litigation;

 

WHEREAS, this diversity
of residents is found in, and is seen as a source of strength to, its
neighborhoods, represented by the Inter Neighborhood Council; and

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY
THE INTER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF DURHAM THAT:

1)   The INC opposes Senate Bill 106 and House Bill 777

 

2)   The INC reaffirms its commitment to equal rights and
opportunities for all residents of Durham, including the rights of same-sex
couples to share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and
commitments of civil marriage.

 




 		 	   		  
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