[Durham INC] Savings
Nancy Cox
scrapping.nancy at verizon.net
Sat Mar 6 20:38:36 EST 2010
Have you ever been to the warehouse where the city and county put surplus
items? I can't recall if it was city or county, off of North Duke near DSA,
but there is a lot of good stuff - a treasure trove - so many non-profits
need stuff and could afford a nominal fee plus we could stop paying rent for
the warehouse space or open it up for other uses.
For the county - first look to restore old schools and to other buildings
before building new - Holloway comes to mind and the old BEST on
Hillsborough. Savings come from not having to buy land, lower materials
cost and the areas around schools will benefit.
Offer part-time employment and job-sharing -we are very lucky in this area
to have folks with great resumes but for a variety of reasons ( going back
to school, in area for short-time, starting a business, taking care of kids
or elders) don't want to work full-time. Typical cost savings with
part-time employees like not having to provide health insurance.
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Today's Topics:
1. NBC 17 story on electronic billboards (Kelly Jarrett)
2. Preservation Durham Leadership Lecture coming soon!
(Ellen Dagenhart)
3. budget woes (Randy Pickle)
4. NYTimes.com: Senator Bunning's Universe (annemguyton at yahoo.com)
5. Re: NYTimes.com: Senator Bunning's Universe (Kelly Jarrett, DISC)
6. Pictures of Cosmic Cantina murals & painted trash can lids
on Ninth... (John Schelp)
7. no ideas yet... (Randy Pickle)
8. Editorial: We hope the city and county will keep listening
to the residents (Herald-Sun); (John Schelp)
9. Re: no ideas yet... (Pat Carstensen)
10. Re: let's help the City with ideas... (scjdurham at aol.com)
11. Re: let's help the City with ideas... (Matthew Dudek)
12. Re: let's help the City with ideas... (Melissa Rooney)
13. P.S. School Impact Fees (Melissa Rooney)
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:24:58 -0500
From: Kelly Jarrett <kjj1 at duke.edu>
Subject: [Durham INC] NBC 17 story on electronic billboards
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org, owdNA <owdna at yahoogroups.com>
Message-ID: <4B914C7A.8080104 at duke.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
Recent story on electronic billboards from NBC 17:
NBC 17 story on electronic billboards
<http://durhamcounty.mync.com/site/durhamcounty/news/story/48928/proposed-du
rham-billboard-change-still-sparking-debate/>
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:35:49 -0500
From: Ellen Dagenhart <dagnhrt at mindspring.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] Preservation Durham Leadership Lecture coming
soon!
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org
Message-ID: <E1NncNC-0007t8-Tv at elasmtp-kukur.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; Format="flowed"
Preservation Durham Leadership Lecture
NOTE DATE CHANGE!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
12noon - 2pm
Presentation starts at 12.30pm
American Tobacco Campus, Bay 7
Cost: $40 (includes lunch)
This year's Leadership Lecture will feature preservation advocate,
teacher, consultant, and author Bill Schmickle and will debut
Preservation Durham's Places in Peril list. Mr. Schmickle has written
the go-to guide to neighborhood involvement in historic preservation
policy - The Politics of Historic Districts: A Primer for Grassroots
Preservation. These lessons apply not only to local historic
districts, landmarks, and demolition, but also to mastering the
political process at the local level. Schmickle holds a Ph.D. in
Political Science from Duke University.
This is the third lecture in a continuing series which featured
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley in 2007 and Donovan Rypkema last year.
Riley spoke to why preservation matters, Rypkema demonstrated why
preservation is protable, and Schmickle will show us how to advocate
for preservation eectively.
Places in Peril will cast a spotlight on important endangered
buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes. Protecting these imperiled
properties is at the heart of Preservation Durham's mission; to learn
more about this new initiative, please visit
<http://www.preservationdurham.org>www.preservationdurham.org.
To reserve your seat for this lecture and luncheon, please visit
preservationdurham.org/signup, call 919-682-3036, or email
<mailto:info at preservationdurham.org>info at preservationdurham.org.
Reservations must be made by March 24, 2010.
Preservation Partners
Anonymous in memory of John Hope Franklin
Susan F. and George Beischer
brandsavior
Capitol Broadcasting/American Tobacco Campus
City of Durham
Marion Stedman Covington Foundation
Ellen Dagenhart, Realtor
Isley Hawkins Architecture
Measurement Incorporated
Dr. Benjamin F. Speller, Jr.
The SunTrust Foundation
The Wilcox-Berteel Family Fund of the Triangle Community Foundation
Sponsors
Duke University Office of Durham and Regional Affairs
Kathy Carter & Fred Peterson
GlaxoSmithKline
Jane and George Goodridge
Ellen M. Dagenhart, ABR, e-Pro, GRI, SRES
MailTo:dagnhrt at mindspring.com
Marie Austin Realty, Durham, NC
1204 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705
http://www.marieaustin.com
Office 919-286-5611 FAX 919-286-2252 Cell 919-475-1719
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ellen-dagenhart/2/8a7/642
[]
Check it out! http://www.durham-nc.com/www.wheregreatthingshappen.com
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:18:29 -0500
From: Randy Pickle <rwpickle at gmail.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] budget woes
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID:
<52a833101003051218p52aa6acauc09549e9e5ef0717 at mail.gmail.com>
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Last year the gap was $40M+ and we made it work. There is no reason why the
reduction (daily as it would seem) of the current budget can't be reached
without tax increases.
In responding to Kelly's' thoughts that employees should not be part of this
reduction, it just doesn't work that way. To alleviate a position that there
is no one in, really does not get rid of a real person, it just removes a
paper job. So no one really looses anything. Most of the jobs last year were
paper jobs. The City has 2503 (give or take a couple) current employees.
Certainly not all of them are classified as good or exceptional (per their
own departmental evaluations). Is it possible all those are all good or
exceptional? In talking to various departments, they are not. It's the under
performing employees that I generally think of when it comes to
terminations. Other than a body, they generally are not missed... Will they
miss the job? They would have too answer that. In some cases, I think we
could replace some further up the ladder that are ineffective managers. Fear
is a great motivator...
Sure times are tough for some. I have a neighbor that lost his job here and
currently works in NJ. His wife and family still live here and his hopes are
to get back here to work once the economy kicks back in gear. But reduction
in force (RIF; what the military calls it) is common even in good economic
times. It has a way of keeping everyone on their toes and not getting into
that comfort zone that long-term employees tend to get into. So a RIF will
be part of the budget-ends-meeting. It's the way budgets work; good times
and especially bad.
On my idea of reduction of the fleet: I now now that the info I found on the
City website is a bit misleading. There are roughly 2100 units in the fleet
of equipment, but some of it is not a vehicle. That 2100 number includes
mowers, tamps, etc and the vehicle fleet is a little over 1300. So that idea
won't fly. Plus Fleet has a computer program that tracks usage and if a
vehicle is not being used it flags it for removal from a particular
department. So what will the $1M Fleet was told it might get this budget
season buy? 40 police vehicles with a little left over... Not enough for a
fire truck or a new garbage truck... This finding a dollar here and a dollar
there gets tougher when you look at the needs. Each year Fleet does a
utilization assessment to see where units are needed (either new or
replacement). So Fleet is on top of it. They are currently applying for a
grant to pay for half some "green" hybrid vehicles to add to the mass. These
will help with fuel (and purchase price if they can get the grant). Durham
was selected last year as one of the top 40 greenest fleets in the nation
(we were #34). So it appears Fleet is doing all it can. Employee wise it has
had the same number for the last 21 years Even though the fleet unit
numbers have doubled (from 1100 21 years ago).
Katie Kalb said it best a couple of years ago. She said she has done so much
with so little for so long she can now do a whole lot with nothing. That's
what we're headed I guess.
Send me your ideas and we'll see where they go.
RWP
27 Beverly
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 15:27:16 -0500
From: annemguyton at yahoo.com
Subject: [Durham INC] NYTimes.com: Senator Bunning's Universe
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID: <20100305203426.8A5F16C023 at rtpnet.rtpnet.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
This page was sent to you by: annemguyton at yahoo.com.
I think this editorial by Paul Krupman of the NY Times, winner of the Nobel
Prize in Economics, explains why it is not in the best interest of any
government body to reduce their work force. Anne Guyton
OPINION | March 05, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist: Senator Bunning's Universe
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Democratic and Republican debates over unemployment benefits and health care
show that the parties currently live in different universes, both
intellectually and morally.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/opinion/05krugman.html?emc=eta1
----------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS E-MAIL
This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This
Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to
help at nytimes.com.
NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018
Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:58:00 -0500
From: "Kelly Jarrett, DISC" <kjj1 at duke.edu>
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] NYTimes.com: Senator Bunning's Universe
To: annemguyton at yahoo.com
Cc: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID: <4B917058.4020102 at duke.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
Thanks for this, Anne. I agree with the economic and moral arguments
Krugman is making here.
annemguyton at yahoo.com wrote:
>
> The New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/>E-mail This
> *This page was sent to you by: * annemguyton at yahoo.com
>
> Message from sender:
> I think this editorial by Paul Krupman of the NY Times, winner of the
> Nobel Prize in Economics, explains why it is not in the best interest
> of any government body to reduce their work force. Anne Guyton
>
> *OPINION * | March 05, 2010
> * Op-Ed Columnist: Senator Bunning's Universe
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/opinion/05krugman.html?emc=eta1>*
> By PAUL KRUGMAN
> Democratic and Republican debates over unemployment benefits and
> health care show that the parties currently live in different
> universes, both intellectually and morally.
>
>
>
> Copyright 2010
> <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/copyright.html> The New
> York Times Company <http://www.nytco.com/> | Privacy Policy
> <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/privacy.html>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>
--
Dr. Kelly Jarrett
Sr. Program Coordinator
Duke Islamic Studies Center
2204 Erwin Road, Box 90402
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708
919/ 668-2143
kjj1 at duke.edu
http://www.jhfc.duke.edu/disc/
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 13:39:42 -0800 (PST)
From: John Schelp <bwatu at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] Pictures of Cosmic Cantina murals & painted
trash can lids on Ninth...
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org
Message-ID: <148045.63414.qm at web34304.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Town-gown-merchants working together...
The Old West Durham Neighborhood Association worked with NC School of
Science & Math students and Ninth Street merchants to paint the trash can
lids on Ninth Street and murals in the stairway to Cosmic.
Each student painted their own trash can lid. The bricks in the murals echo
the Erwin Cotton Mills -- along with sunflowers, poetry, a sunrise and the
rest.
Many thanks to the student painters, Carol at Vaguely Reminiscent for
contributing supplies for the projects and Bepi at 9th Street Dance for help
organizing the murals.
Here are pictures of the Cosmic Cantina murals and painted trash can lids on
Ninth... http://sites.google.com/site/painting9thstreet/pictures
One of the trash can lids has already made it to the Regulator's blog...
http://regulatorbookshop.blogspot.com/
I love this town.
have a wonderful weekend all,
John
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 02:07:08 -0500
From: Randy Pickle <rwpickle at gmail.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] no ideas yet...
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID:
<52a833101003052307q6d7d48c8q80f4e982faec305 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
So out of this collective bunch, you mean no one has any ideas of how the
City can reduce spending and save some money? That's hard to believe.
So you didn't like the idea of getting rid of some human assets. So let's
look at physical ones. Here's something that has been mentioned. Sell some
parks (we have 66 I believe). It shouldn't cause any alarm for those in
Northgate, Rockwood, Forest Hills (or any of the parks built in bottoms and
being mostly in a flood plain), but look at Duke Park. It's high and dry and
full of beautiful mature oaks. What a pretty subdivision that would be. And
there are others parks that are less desirable because of their location,
yet able to be sold and developed. And then there are yet other parks that
we can never come-out on selling because of the Federal funds used to buy
the land (this makes it more expensive to sell them; breaking even on their
sell would be lucky). How does getting rid of Duke Park sound? Hey, it's for
the greater good. Perhaps employees are looking better all the time...
Come on folks, this is where an idea might just make the ends meet. Instead
of posting ideas by a Pulitzer Prize winner (for his 3rd world economic
work; he thinks those getting unemployment checks stimulate the economy; I
doubt the 15 million plus people who are unemployed think that...),
brainstorm on some cost cutting measures. It all adds up! Maybe paying more
taxes is fine with you; it's not with me.
RWP
27 Beverly
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 03:10:16 -0800 (PST)
From: John Schelp <bwatu at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] Editorial: We hope the city and county will keep
listening to the residents (Herald-Sun);
To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org
Message-ID: <22342.41296.qm at web34308.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Editorial: We hope the city and county will keep listening to the residents
Herald-Sun, 06 March 2010
A "can of worms" or a raft of lawsuits: Either way, Durham's city and county
officials don't want any part of an argument over signs.
The Durham Planning Commission is poised to consider a text amendment that
would set the rules for digital billboards, and local businesses, perhaps
hopeful that there's a sea change in the city and county's strict and broad
rules for signs.
No dice, and that's due to both the threat of lawsuits ("Sign regulation in
general is a legal minefield," said Senior Assistant City Attorney Karen
Sindelar) and the spectre of political ousters. (The council has received
hundreds of e-mails from a neighborhood-based, well-organized campaign
opposing digital billboards and a poll from the Durham Convention Visitors
Bureau shows that 72 precent of residents like the strict sign rules.)
We hope the city and county will keep listening to the residents who have to
live with, near and beneath the signs.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com/
****
We need to reject the tired argument that the new billboards will be better
looking -- than the billboards the industry itself has allowed to
deteriorate. Few think big, bright electronic billboards, above the tree
tops on tall metal mono-poles, blinking more than 10,000 ads/day, is "better
looking."
****
Lights not out on billboards
By Jim Wise, Durham News, 06 March 2010
Most Durham citizens seem to support the current billboard law as is, but
the hot topic of electronic advertising along Durham's roadways has yet to
be decided.
"The ultimate policy is the governing bodies' policy," City-County Planning
Director Steve Medlin said this week.
Some members of the City Council and county commissioners favor leaving the
law alone. Others want more information.
"Let the process flow," said Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden.
The process has been flowing for more than a year and a half. In mid-2008,
Fairway Outdoor Advertising - the Georgia company that owns most of the
billboards in Durham County - asked that regulations in Durham's Unified
Development Ordinance be changed to allow moving, upgrading and digitizing
some of its signs.
The idea met a good bit of opposition, particularly the electronic-billboard
part.
"I can't think of anything more obnoxious," said Myers Sugg of the
Tuscaloosa-Lakewood neighborhood, during an InternNeighborhood Council
discussion.
"Please keep Durham beautiful and do not open the gate to ugly, wasteful
digital billboards," wrote Erin Kennedy, in an e-mail to City Council
members on behalf of the Colonial Village Neighborhood Association.
The InterNeighborhood Council, in a 2009 resolution opposing any change,
described billboards as "contribut[ing] to urban blight and decline" and
"inimical to purposes of good planning and urban design."
A poll commissioned by the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau last summer
found citizens in favor of leaving the current ordinance alone by a 9 to 1
margin.
Nevertheless, Medlin said that, besides Fairway, his department has heard
"numerous other inquiries" from local businesses, sign manufacturers and
advertising companies about relaxing restrictions on sizes, heights, number
and locations for signs.
"We as staff are simply looking for your guidance," he said to a committee
of council members and commissioners this week.
Fairway's request is scheduled for a public hearing by the Durham Planning
Commission, a citizens' advisory body, on April 13. Once the Planning
Commission makes a recommendation for approval or denial, the request goes
to the City Council and County Board of Commissioners.
"Those bodies are going to have to make their own decisions," Medlin said,
"and it can be different between the two."
Legal minefield
Council member Mike Woodard said discussing the request before it reaches
the governing bodies was "putting the cart before the horse," and
Cole-McFadden said she wanted more information before forming an opinion.
"I want to make sure it is an objective process," she said. "As an elected
official, I want to make certain I am open to everything that comes before
me."
Aesthetics and traffic safety have been the primary issues in citizen
objections, but InterNeighborhood Council President Tom Miller, an attorney,
has said the real issue is protecting a law that has effectively put
billboards on the way out of business in Durham. Revising the law could lead
the city and county into "a legal minefield," deputy city attorney Karen
Sindelar said this week.
"We have come through that minefield ... and prevailed," she said.
That was years ago. In 1984, the city passed a law banning billboards in
most locations and banning modifications to those protected by grandfather
clauses or other ordinances - including, ironically enough, the federal
Highway Beautification Act. As a result, the number of billboards has
declined by attrition.
Billboard firms sued the city as soon as the law went into effect, Sindelar
said. It took 10 years and more than $1 million to defend the law in court.
Its provisions are now part of the city and county's Unified Development
Ordinance. But tampering with any part of a currently defensible ordinance,
she said, risks opening the city and county to more challenges in court.
Kathy Everett-Perry of the County Attorney's Office said the current
ordinance could probably be updated in a legally defensible way, but City
Council member Diane Catotti advised caution. She reminded the committee
that the city is already dealing with a $30 million lawsuit stemming from
the Duke lacrosse incident of 2006.
"I do fear litigation," Catotti said. "It's a lengthy and costly process,"
and both the city attorney's office and the planning department may have to
cut staff to balance next year's budget.
"I'm not interested in opening this can of worms," Catotti said.
Source: http://www.thedurhamnews.com/news/
****
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 07:50:52 -0500
From: Pat Carstensen <pats1717 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] no ideas yet...
To: inc listserv <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
Message-ID: <SNT134-w6303BA43621697AE29779FD9370 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
My new line is that our ability to do things through government is as as
overcommitted as the Colorado River Water (plus with the deferred
maintenance, we have been doing the equivalent of mining non-replaceable
aquifer water). We hear over and over that there just isn't money for all
the things we feel we need to do. And in a lot of cases, it will cost a lot
of money up front to save some money over the long term (the concrete things
like making buildings more energy efficient and the less concrete things
like getting more kids working at grade level so they they're not such easy
prey for the gang recruiters).
One of the things I heard at the workshop last week was that citizens would
be willing to pitch in to do more for themselves (and it would be
neighborhood-building for neighbors to work together on some things), but
government makes it too hard. I think we need to think hard about what we
have learned from Community Oriented Policing and apply it more broadly.
For example, maybe Parks and Rec needs fewer doers and more people who can
organize the community to do stuff.
Regards, pat
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 02:07:08 -0500
From: rwpickle at gmail.com
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Subject: [Durham INC] no ideas yet...
So out of this collective bunch, you mean no one has any ideas of how the
City can reduce spending and save some money? That's hard to believe.
So you didn't like the idea of getting rid of some human assets. So let's
look at physical ones. Here's something that has been mentioned. Sell some
parks (we have 66 I believe). It shouldn't cause any alarm for those in
Northgate, Rockwood, Forest Hills (or any of the parks built in bottoms and
being mostly in a flood plain), but look at Duke Park. It's high and dry and
full of beautiful mature oaks. What a pretty subdivision that would be. And
there are others parks that are less desirable because of their location,
yet able to be sold and developed. And then there are yet other parks that
we can never come-out on selling because of the Federal funds used to buy
the land (this makes it more expensive to sell them; breaking even on their
sell would be lucky). How does getting rid of Duke Park sound? Hey, it's for
the greater good. Perhaps employees are looking better all the time...
Come on folks, this is where an idea might just make the ends meet. Instead
of posting ideas by a Pulitzer Prize winner (for his 3rd world economic
work; he thinks those getting unemployment checks stimulate the economy; I
doubt the 15 million plus people who are unemployed think that...),
brainstorm on some cost cutting measures. It all adds up! Maybe paying more
taxes is fine with you; it's not with me.
RWP
27 Beverly
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:17:25 -0500
From: scjdurham at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
To: rwpickle at gmail.com, inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID: <8CC8B5FA47A3D2C-3100-EB44 at webmail-m008.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format=flowed
Here's a novel idea. Let's raise occupancy taxes on hotel rooms, bring
back that prepared food tax, come up with some sort of entertainment
tax, etc.
A huge percentage of non-Durhamites come here to work and take their
money home to their municipality. But we pay to protect them when
they're here including police, fire, EMS and don't forget about the
road use going back and forth from their city to ours. They are very
welcome here but it would be nice if they paid their fair share.
Some of the above items would be listed under discretionary spending.
Folks can decide whether it's how they want to spend their excess $$ or
not.
Property taxes really hurt those on limited incomes, living on their
social security benefits, living on unemployment compensation or who
have just timed out their unemployment or simply can not secure a
higher paying job.
Food for thought.
Cheryl Shiflett
-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Pickle <rwpickle at gmail.com>
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Sent: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 2:17 am
Subject: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
to make the budget ends meet. I've been saying this everywhere I go.
Surely as a collective unit we can tell them where we see pork or come
up with some place to save some cash.
?
Here's my?3 ideas:
?
1) We have a fleet of new garbage trucks; they have yet to get the
massive graphics package that you regularly see on the trash can end of
the truck. So what... We all know it's a garbage truck. Leave the fancy
graphics off. Maybe that will even help with resale...
?
2) Fleet says we have 2100 units in service as a City; 500 are fire and
safety. Let's leave those alone. That still leaves us 1600 units. Let's
cut that by 25% (down to 1200 units). Between the fuel, maintenance,
and gift giving of them to other cities, that's bound to be a big
figure... Fleet told Budget they needed $7M this next year. When ask
how they came to that figure they were told the computer program they
use told them. Budget told them to tell the computer to figure out how
to pay for them since it was so smart and reduced it to $1M.
?
3) Employees... IBM laid off a 1000 workers recently. It's the fastest
way to make government leaner (and with less vehicles, that works out
as well). I personally would help add some of those employees to a list
(since I have found recently that?some seem to take their jobs for
granted). There's no tenure in government and some off the folks we
have working for us have fallen into a comfort zone where they just
think showing up enough. As far as I know, we still think of it as
work. And it's time to get back to it...
?
We started off the budget process with a $16M gap; at the neighborhood
Engagement Workshop we heard it was $13M; in the budget prep meetings
this week it's now down to $8+M. So we're getting there.
?
Send me your ideas (not your jokes about it all; be serious) and I'll
forward them on to their targeted individuals. Maybe someone out there
has just the idea that will make it all work. Otherwise get ready to
pay more in property taxes. They never seem to go down, only up... And
you have to pay them every year... So once they go up, we're stuck.
?
RWP
27 Beverly_______________________________________________
Durham INC Mailing List
list at durham-inc.org
http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 11:32:41 -0500
From: Matthew Dudek <matt.dudek at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
To: "scjdurham at aol.com" <scjdurham at aol.com>
Cc: "inc-list at durhaminc.org" <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
Message-ID: <619B0DC7-CEE5-45F8-80AA-D07A74E775FB at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed;
delsp=yes
Cheryl,
I think those ideas are great. I'm curious though, aren't there
property tax protections and support available for those on SSI and
limited incomes? I remember my grandparents took advantage of the STAR
program which I belive is a federal program.
Additionally, Durham has already cut a large number of employees these
past two years and further cuts will only be more counterproductive
without specifically looking at the performance of individual programs.
And finally, I believe Mr. Pickle was being facetious in suggesting we
sell off our parks, but this would only bring one time profits and we
would be selling valuable land at depressed values and in a bad market.
I think there have been few responses not because people don't care
about this issue, but because it is very complicated and can't be
solved by budget cuts without more information and a better
understanding of the full picture.
Sincerely,
Matt Dudek
502 mallard ave.
Cleveland-Holloway
On Mar 6, 2010, at 11:17 AM, scjdurham at aol.com wrote:
> Here's a novel idea. Let's raise occupancy taxes on hotel rooms,
> bring back that prepared food tax, come up with some sort of
> entertainment tax, etc.
>
> A huge percentage of non-Durhamites come here to work and take their
> money home to their municipality. But we pay to protect them when
> they're here including police, fire, EMS and don't forget about the
> road use going back and forth from their city to ours. They are
> very welcome here but it would be nice if they paid their fair share.
>
> Some of the above items would be listed under discretionary
> spending. Folks can decide whether it's how they want to spend
> their excess $$ or not.
>
> Property taxes really hurt those on limited incomes, living on their
> social security benefits, living on unemployment compensation or who
> have just timed out their unemployment or simply can not secure a
> higher paying job.
>
> Food for thought.
>
> Cheryl Shiflett
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Randy Pickle <rwpickle at gmail.com>
> To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
> Sent: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 2:17 am
> Subject: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
>
> to make the budget ends meet. I've been saying this everywhere I go.
> Surely as a collective unit we can tell them where we see pork or
> come up with some place to save some cash.
>
> Here's my 3 ideas:
>
> 1) We have a fleet of new garbage trucks; they have yet to get the
> massive graphics package that you regularly see on the trash can end
> of the truck. So what... We all know it's a garbage truck. Leave the
> fancy graphics off. Maybe that will even help with resale...
>
> 2) Fleet says we have 2100 units in service as a City; 500 are fire
> and safety. Let's leave those alone. That still leaves us 1600
> units. Let's cut that by 25% (down to 1200 units). Between the fuel,
> maintenance, and gift giving of them to other cities, that's bound
> to be a big figure... Fleet told Budget they needed $7M this next
> year. When ask how they came to that figure they were told the
> computer program they use told them. Budget told them to tell the
> computer to figure out how to pay for them since it was so smart and
> reduced it to $1M.
>
> 3) Employees... IBM laid off a 1000 workers recently. It's the
> fastest way to make government leaner (and with less vehicles, that
> works out as well). I personally would help add some of those
> employees to a list (since I have found recently that some seem to
> take their jobs for granted). There's no tenure in government and
> some off the folks we have working for us have fallen into a comfort
> zone where they just think showing up enough. As far as I know, we
> still think of it as work. And it's time to get back to it...
>
> We started off the budget process with a $16M gap; at the
> neighborhood Engagement Workshop we heard it was $13M; in the budget
> prep meetings this week it's now down to $8+M. So we're getting there.
>
> Send me your ideas (not your jokes about it all; be serious) and
> I'll forward them on to their targeted individuals. Maybe someone
> out there has just the idea that will make it all work. Otherwise
> get ready to pay more in property taxes. They never seem to go down,
> only up... And you have to pay them every year... So once they go
> up, we're stuck.
>
> RWP
> 27 Beverly_______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
------------------------------
Message: 12
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 08:35:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Message-ID: <320574.88972.qm at web113405.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I agree with Randy on this -- before raising any property taxes, we need to
consider the prepared food tax again, and again, and again -- this would
ensure that most of those who visit and utilize Durham pay into the pot (via
buying meals/coffee/snacks/etc. while here). In addition, the majority of
prepared food is bad for our health -- it is commonly known that even
restaurant salads are fattened up so they supposedly taste better to the
consumer.
I'm in favor of taxing hotel rooms too.
Entertainment taxes make me a little more wary -- there are so many things
the kids and I attend that have too many empty seats, and many
entertainers/artists/etc. don't get compensated nearly enough for their work
(some can't even cover expenses, but they keep doing it-- often gratis-- b/c
they love it).
--Melissa (Rooney)
________________________________
From: "scjdurham at aol.com" <scjdurham at aol.com>
To: rwpickle at gmail.com; inc-list at durhaminc.org
Sent: Sat, March 6, 2010 12:17:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
Here's a novel idea. Let's raise occupancy taxes on hotel rooms, bring back
that prepared food tax, come up with some sort of entertainment tax, etc.
A huge percentage of non-Durhamites come here to work and take their money
home to their municipality. But we pay to protect them when they're here
including police, fire, EMS and don't forget about the road use going back
and forth from their city to ours. They are very welcome here but it would
be nice if they paid their fair share.
Some of the above items would be listed under discretionary spending. Folks
can decide whether it's how they want to spend their excess $$ or not.
Property taxes really hurt those on limited incomes, living on their social
security benefits, living on unemployment compensation or who have just
timed out their unemployment or simply can not secure a higher paying job.
Food for thought.
Cheryl Shiflett
-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Pickle <rwpickle at gmail.com>
To: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Sent: Fri, Mar 5, 2010 2:17 am
Subject: [Durham INC] let's help the City with ideas...
to make the budget ends meet. I've been saying this everywhere I go. Surely
as a collective unit we can tell them where we see pork or come up with some
place to save some cash.
Here's my 3 ideas:
1) We have a fleet of new garbage trucks; they have yet to get the massive
graphics package that you regularly see on the trash can end of the truck.
So what... We all know it's a garbage truck. Leave the fancy graphics off.
Maybe that will even help with resale...
2) Fleet says we have 2100 units in service as a City; 500 are fire and
safety. Let's leave those alone. That still leaves us 1600 units. Let's cut
that by 25% (down to 1200 units). Between the fuel, maintenance, and gift
giving of them to other cities, that's bound to be a big figure... Fleet
told Budget they needed $7M this next year. When ask how they came to that
figure they were told the computer program they use told them. Budget told
them to tell the computer to figure out how to pay for them since it was so
smart and reduced it to $1M.
3) Employees... IBM laid off a 1000 workers recently. It's the fastest way
to make government leaner (and with less vehicles, that works out as well).
I personally would help add some of those employees to a list (since I have
found recently that some seem to take their jobs for granted). There's no
tenure in government and some off the folks we have working for us have
fallen into a comfort zone where they just think showing up enough. As far
as I know, we still think of it as work. And it's time to get back to it...
We started off the budget process with a $16M gap; at the neighborhood
Engagement Workshop we heard it was $13M; in the budget prep meetings this
week it's now down to $8+M. So we're getting there.
Send me your ideas (not your jokes about it all; be serious) and I'll
forward them on to their targeted individuals. Maybe someone out there has
just the idea that will make it all work. Otherwise get ready to pay more in
property taxes. They never seem to go down, only up... And you have to pay
them every year... So once they go up, we're stuck.
RWP
27 Beverly_______________________________________________
Durham INC Mailing List
list at durham-inc.org
http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
_______________________________________________
Durham INC Mailing List
list at durham-inc.org
http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 08:45:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Melissa Rooney <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Durham INC] P.S. School Impact Fees
To: inc listserv <inc-list at durhaminc.org>
Message-ID: <909215.9000.qm at web113416.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
And we should not stop fighting for the right to charge school impact fees
on new construction, as at least two other nearby counties are permitted to
do. The inequality in this is reason enough. But the fact that DPS is facing
even more drastic cuts this year than last year (see Durham News this past
week) should compel Durham to fight for this right even more.
Of course, development interests will continue to fight this tooth and
nail...but that's no reason to stop pursuing it.
Melissa (Rooney)
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