[Durham INC] New "City Hall This Week" Begins Monday

[Blalock, Amy]

For Immediate Release: May 18, 2010


 


New "City Hall This Week" Begins Monday

New Episode Begins Airing Monday, May 24 on DTV8; All Previous Episodes
"On Demand" on the City's DTV8 Web Site

 

DURHAM, N.C. - The following highlights from the May 17, 2010 Durham
City Council meeting and other topics of interest will be featured in
the upcoming episode of "City Hall This Week."  The show will begin
airing on Monday, May 24 and will also be available to watch on-demand
at www.durhamnc.gov/dtv8/CityHallThisWeek.cfm. 

 

City Manager's Proposed $353.4 Million Budget Includes Modest Tax
Increase

City Manager Tom Bonfield presented the City Council with his proposed
$353.4 spending plan for FY 2010-2011.  The proposed budget includes a
1.19 cents property tax increase, which would raise the average annual
tax bill by $19.24.  Tom Bonfield explains why the City administration
believes the increase is needed on the upcoming episode of "City Hall
This Week."

 

Water and Sewer Rates Approved for FY2010-2011

The City Council approved new water and sewer rates for FY 2010-2011
leaving volume charges the same and adopting minor increases for service
charges.  The new rates will be implemented in the August and September
billings.  Don Greeley, director of the City's Water Management
Department, explains why those changes are needed and how they're
expected to affect water and sewer customers on the upcoming episode of
"City Hall This Week."

 

City Offers More Demolition Options

The City is offering several new options to property owners who need to
demolish structures that have been condemned.  The City Council approved
giving property owners a choice to have some or all of the demolition
costs forgiven.  Those include giving the property to the City, building
affordable housing on the property and receiving a certificate of
occupancy, or giving the property to a person or organization approved
by the City who will then build affordable housing on the property.  The
City's Neighborhood Improvement Services Department says the new options
will improve the tax value of the properties by providing an incentive
for owners and developers to build affordable houses on the vacant lots.

 

Other interviews featured on upcoming episode of "City Hall This Week":

*	Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director Kevin Dick
- Explains significant changes to the City's Economic Development
Incentive Policy for Capital Investment and Job Creation to help
businesses succeed and thrive in Durham.

 

*	Engineering and Stormwater Manager Ed Venable - Explains why an
Air Space Agreement is needed to build and operate the bicycle and
pedestrian bridge over I-40 as part of the American Tobacco Trail.

 

*	Transportation Department Planner Ellen Beckmann - Explains why
the City has put its support behind a series of recommendations
regarding the environmental impact of the East End Connector.

 

"City Hall This Week" is a news program dedicated to informing Durham
residents about what is going on inside Durham's City Hall.  Each
edition is taped on the first and third Tuesday of the month - the day
after City Council meetings.  It airs twice a day on Time Warner Cable
channel 8 through the week of the next City Council meeting.  For more
information, call the City's Office of Public Affairs at (919) 560-4123
or visit www.durhamnc.gov/dtv8. 

 

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