[Durham INC] FW: DRAFT January Minutes

Mon Mar 23 06:38:33 EDT 2015

Reposting this for the meeting on TUesday

From: pats1717 at hotmail.com
To: inc-list at lists.deltaforce.net
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 08:32:37 -0500
Subject: [Durham INC] DRAFT January Minutes

As usual, please let me know about any additions or correctionsRegards, pat

January Delegate
Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

NIS Conference
Room, Golden Belt

January 27, 2015

Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Downing Creek – Dick Ford

Duke Park – Bill Anderson

Fairfield – Chris Brown

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Morehead Hill – Bruce Mitchell

Northgate Park – Debra Hawkins

Old Farm – David Harris

Old North Durham – Peter Katz

Stage Stop – Dolly Fehrenbacher

Trinity Park – Philip Azar

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan Sewell 

University Estates – JoAnn Comis

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller

Woodcroft – Jose Sandoval

Visitors 

Lynwood D. Best – City of Durham, NIS

John Killeen – City of Durham, NIS

Jim Wise – News and Observer 

Will Wilson – DOST 

Elise Kohn – NCNGN 

President Phil Azar opened the meeting and announced that
John Martin had heart surgery this week; appreciation and support to John were
expressed.  An Outreach Committee
report was added to the agenda.

Because of INC’s tabled high-speed internet resolution, we
invited Elise Kohn from North Carolina Next Generation Network (http://ncngn.net) to talk about the technology and
options.  When she was invited, she
didn’t know that the Google announcement would come today.  She has been involved nationally in
broadband networks and bridging the digital divide.  There is no physical North Carolina Next Generation Network.  What there is is a coordinated effort
of 6 cities and 4 universities in the Triangle and Triad to encourage private
sector providers to deliver ultra-fast bandwidth at highly affordable
prices.  In 2013 NCNGN issued an
RFP to private companies to build the desired networks, and in 2014 recommended
AT&T’s response as a master network development agreement; AT&T’s
response included community benefits like pre-wiring of multi-tenant
businesses, some lower speed connection for low-income housing, and service to
community centers. AT&T launched in the 5 communities where they already
had service in December, and is working in Durham.  Generally, where Google Fiber is already being done, having
competition has driven higher speeds, lower costs and new ideas.  With both AT&T and Google, we will
have to see how much they really do in less affluent areas, but both seem to be
making efforts in this direction, with AT&T’s promises about community
centers (tho they wouldn’t necessarily be in least wealthy areas) and Google
hiring Community Impact Managers (at least in other cities).  Even if the fiber goes to only to
affluent communities, lower wealth areas seem to be also getting lower costs
and higher speeds (but less then a gig). 
Time Warner is bundling more internet with the cable in some
multi-family buildings, so more people will have “enough,” making it harder for
Google or AT&T to get enough customers to make it worthwhile to serve the
apartment building.  We are looking
forward to “experiments” with taking advantage of the infrastructure, in terms
of both innovation and community inclusion.  Finally, a lot of delegates would like to address the
long-standing desire for buried electric power lines as long as trenches are
being dug for fibers.  

Members introduced themselves.  

Tom Miller moved to approve the November/ December minutes,
David Harris seconded and delegates voted to do this.

Susan Sewell reported as treasurer that there are
outstanding checks and bills (banner, hero event, etc.), but right we now have
$4238.87.  The time to pay dues is
now.   Deb Hawkins said that
the Park, Public Spaces and Environmental Issues Committee will need a small
amount of money to print off their environmental coloring sheetsfor kids, to
hand out at community events; she will submit a budget / request next month.

Reports

·     
Parks,
Public Spaces and Environmental Issues – There are only a few more days left
in Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association’s major donor drive if a neighborhood
wants to contribute; thanks to neighborhoods have also done so already.  Durham Mardi Gras (http://www.durhammardigras.com) is
fund-raising, if neighborhoods or individuals want to donate; Tuesday, Feb 17
is the big night.  

·     
Hero
Awards – The celebration will be February 15 at the Pit.  The committee is working through number
of people who will fit into the venue (maybe 150, unless good enough to be
outside).  Stay tuned on the
invites.  There are 29 individuals
getting 25 awards.  

·     
Zoning
and Development (cell towers) – Members of the committee met with Planning
and industry representatives 2 weeks ago. 
At the meeting, INC and industry explained their concerns with the
current draft of the UDO revisions. 
We got memo back from Planning on their understanding from the meeting.  A lot of things still open so we don’t
know what they will do.  Key
question is making sure there are Board of Adjustment hearings for
neighborhoods (including those in R-20 and RR in suburban areas) near proposed
towers.  Another draft is coming
out, and we will have to see what it is.

·     
Zoning
and Development (protest petitions) – For the last couple years, we have
fought proposals from the NC Legislature to take away the right to a protest
petition.  Yesterday morning, Tom
Miller was contacted by someone in the legislature working on protest petition
issue.  A protest petition is
triggered when property owners owning 5% of 100 foot ring (including corners)
around the property with the proposed re-zoning ask for it; with a protest
petition, the re-zoning takes 75% of the votes in the governing body to
pass.  What legislators are talking
about is changing the numbers to 20% of 100 feet, at which point 66% vote would
be required.  Getting 20% would be
hard because there are always things like Corps of Engineering land,
inattentive landlords, etc.  Would
the 66% be rounded up (if so in Durham would reduce our margin from 6 to 5 the
vote needed)?  If we made the
compromise, would the other side take it and go away, or come back for more
(like they do with billboards)? 
We’ll be watching this. 

·     
Communications
– Applause for Pakis Bessias for rescuing the list serve.  Going forward, we will look at what
needs to be done to improve the website.

·     
Outreach
– They had a list of neighborhoods that did National Night Out.  Anyone who has contacts in those
neighborhoods should let Dick and Don know.  They may need $150, not the $100 budgeted, for the
banner.  David Harris will work on
PACs with the Outreach Committee.

New Business

Because of Colony Park’s development issue, Don Lebkes has
been working a lot with Planning, which has been very helpful, but the
experience makes him think there must be a better way for neighborhoods.  He will be bringing a proposal to the
next meeting.

Neighborhood Reports

·     
Susan Sewell reported that TLNA has been in
negotiation with Guglhupf on parking, which has been a long-term problem, with
the neighborhood needing to call cops on parking in front of driveways, and so
on.  The solution to change a residential lot to commercial zoning, with a
development plan for only parking with full buffers and no building ever
allowed on the lot. Plus covenants on deed and additional agreement with
neighborhood. So the neighborhood will speak in support of the re-zoning
and hopes it will be step in solving the ongoing hassles of having a
neighboring commercial strip that is successful.

·     
Deb Hawkins reminded folks about upcoming Coffee
with Council meetings.  If you think
an ombudsman would help with Planning, this would be a good time to ask for it.

·     
Will Wilson said someone is planning a
conservation subdivision on Roxboro in northern Durham County.  It looks promising that this option,
which preserves natural areas by clustering the development, is finally being
tried.

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