INC NEWS - Agenda for August 23 meeting

[pat carstensen]

AGENDA
InterNeighborhood Council of Durham
Monthly meeting on Tuesday August 23, 2005
7-9pm in the Community Room
HERALD-SUN Building (2828 Pickett Road)
Directions: http://www.durhamINC.org/meetings.html
Refreshments are provided

Welcome and Introductions (10 min)	    Bill Anderson, President

Colonial Village Junior Neighborhood Association (10 min)

Discussion Items (50 min)
q 2005 Legislative Session
Report on what was and wasn’t accomplished this year for Durham 
neighborhoods – may have some members of Durham delegation present
q UDO Resolution	UDO Committee
Approve INC statement for hearing August 29 (see below)
q Clarifying Bond Oversight	Cheryl Shiflett
What does oversight of bond funding mean (see below)


Updates  (20 min)

q Minutes and Treasurer’s Report            	Pat  / Randy
q Nominating Committee
q Yard Waste
q Neighborhood Hero Awards
q Other Updates or New Business

Announcements / Events (5 min)

q Next INC Delegate Meeting – Sept 27
q UDO Hearing – August 29
q Big Sweep – October 1
q TTA / Sierra Club Urban Hike – October 1

For additional information, contact Bill Anderson (688-4550 or 
TheOcean1 at aol.com)
To update information on your neighborhood, neighbors at durham-cvb.com or 
680-8328

"Only in the continuous encounter with other persons, does the person become 
and remain a person.
The place of this encounter is the community"
www.durhamINC.org


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Statement on UDO

INC has spent considerable time examining and discussing the UDO draft.  In 
general, we are enthusiastic about the UDO.  A framework that acknowledges 
that urban areas are not like the suburbs, tries to protect neighborhood 
character, and formalizes processes and requirements is an immense step 
ahead. We support passage of the UDO as quickly as possible to get its 
benefits – but there are a number of areas that need fixing first.   The 
details of our concerns are set forth in 45+ pages of comments.  Some 
specific areas of concern are:
1. We oppose shortening the notification interval from 14 days to 10 days.
2. We need to tighten up the regulation of driveways and front-yard parking.
3. The purposes and intents section of the ordinance needs to include 
protecting neighborhoods and the investments citizens have made in their own 
homes.
4. We need to make sure that no new destabilizing uses are introduced into 
long-established neighborhoods by the UDO.  We can improve both the 
restrictions on destabilizing uses and the incentives for stabilizing uses 
in neighborhoods.
5. We support the idea of Neighborhood Protection Overlays but have concerns 
about getting the details filled in.
6. We need to put sufficient resources into training the Planning Department 
and citizens to use the new ordinance, as well as planning to thoroughly 
review the UDO in 12-18 months.
7. We are concerned about high fees for requesting zoning changes, since 
these fees reinforce the idea that the processes belong to the developer.
8. (etc)

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Resolution on Bond Funds

Whereas

City of Durham staff followed a well-defined method for evaluating firms to 
design and oversee construction of the Walltown Park Recreation Center and 
made their recommendations based on points earned during the interview 
process, and

City Council then selected a different firm, based on unknown criteria, and

The Walltown Park Recreation Center will take about 20% of the Parks and Rec 
part of the 2005 Bond Referendum, and

INC has expressed support for a citizen oversight committee for bond 
spending, but did not specify details in the oversight processes and scope, 
and

INC has traditionally supported openness in government, use of well-defined 
decision processes, and respect for the professional work of staff and the 
efforts of citizen committees,

The InterNeighborhood Council of Durham resolves that language creating the 
Citizen Oversight Committee for Bond Spending needs to be precise in what 
the powers of the committee will be, what aspects of bond spending they will 
oversee, and what the consequences will be when the committee is displeased.