[Durham INC] are whereas statements based on fact or opinion?

[M. W. Shiflett - Hotmail]

WHEREAS billboards are a blight on the land and represent a bankrupt means of communication; and

WHEREAS digital billboards with changeable lighted displays are especially obnoxious to the scenic environment, inimical to good urban planning, and create a distraction hazard to motor traffic on our roads and highways;


Who came up with this wording?  


Mike Shiflett


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pat Carstensen 
  To: inc listserv 
  Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 6:14 AM
  Subject: [Durham INC] DRAFT DRAFT Sept minutes


  I am resending the minutes, with the resolutions added, in preparation for next week's meeting.
  ---


  September Delegate Meeting

  First Presbyterian Church

  September 28, 2010



  Attending the meeting were:
  Delegates and Alternates

  Colonial Village – Freddie Estremera

  Colony Park – Don Lebkes

  Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen 

  Duke Park – Ian Kipp, Bill Anderson

  Falconbridge – Rosemarie Kitchin

  Golden Belt Neighborhood Association – DeDreana Freeman 

  Lochaven Hills – Josie McNeil (also representing Friends of West Point Park)

  Morehead Hill – Kacie Martin

  Northgate Park – Mike Shiflett

  Old Farm – David Harris

  Old North Durham – Peter Katz, Maria Sanchez

  Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller, Mike Woodard

  West Cornwallis Neighborhood Association – Bob Chapman

  Woodcroft – Mary Gibbs



  Visitors

  Darius Little – Organizing Chadsford subdivision

  Jim Wise – News and Observer

  Rickea Womack – Parks and Recreation, City of Durham

  Beverly B. Thompson – City of Durham

  Thomas Bonfield – City of Durham

  Michael M. Hughes, PE – City of Durham, Public Works

  Ed Venable – City of Durham, Public Works

  Lynwood D. Best – City of Durham, NIS

  Janet Warner – Friends of West Point Park



  Tom Miller opened the meeting.  Delegates and guests introduced themselves.  



  2010 Street Bond – The city has 680 miles of streets.  The $20M from earlier bonds resurfaced about ½ the backlog, but 1/5 (150 mi.) remains in poor/very poor condition.  $20M in bond will take care of these, and then new financial planning should make maintenance pay-as-you-go (should do about 33-34 miles of street per year).  Maintaining costs 1/3 of what it costs to re-build.  Right now, we can borrow at 2.79%, bid prices are down, and this will provide some jobs (all good things).  More information at DurhamOperationGreenlight.org.  One concern is that potholes slow cars down, and better streets make faster drivers – increasing needs for traffic calming.



  Mike Shiflett moved and Bill Anderson seconded a motion to have INC support the street bond.  See Appendix.



  Property at Black Meadow, next to West Point on the Eno – State has a tentative agreement to purchase the property to add to the state park.  In terms of the discussion to add West Point on the Eno to the state park, it is too early to say anything, but clearly we need to ensure continuity of community activities that take place at West Point.



  Parks and Recreation – Don’t forget the free concerts and other events: http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/parks/special_events.cfm.  Also Rickea passed out information on sliding fees and fee waivers: See http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/parks/brochures_forms_apps.cfm 



  Minutes – David moved that we approve the minutes.  Rosemarie seconded the motion, and it passed by voice vote.



  Billboards – Tom attended the Board of County Commissioners meeting to speak on INC’s opposition to change in the ordinance.  Since the industry reps withdrew the proposal, we can put this down as a success story.  Special thanks are due to Kelly Jarrett and John Schelp for their work on this issue.



  Legislative Agenda – We will first talk to city and county to see if there is traction on INC goals of getting permission to strengthen the overlay ordinance and bullet ownership (old resolutions, need to check with Melvin Whitley on the bullet one), as well as a moratorium on digital billboards and licensing managers hired by homeowner associations (possible new resolutions, see below).  



  Mike Shiflett moved and David Harris seconded a resolution on supporting legislation on managing homeowner associations and related issues (see Appendix).



  Pat Carstensen moved and David Harris seconded a resolution supporting legislation to have a moratorium on new digital billboards until the federal studies on their safety are completed (see Appendix).



  Future Meetings – We will have a “downtown panel” to talk about the vision for the area.



  Nominating Committee – David Harris will chair it.  Pat Carstensen, Mike Shiflett, and Fred Foster, Jr. on it.



  Traffic and Transportation Issues – We formed a committee with DeDreana as chair, and Pat, Peter, Mike and Rosemarie on it.  They will have a list of things to monitor next month.



  Neighborhood Reports

  ·      Golden Belt has a re-zoning that would knock down 12 homes to create a campus similar to TROSA.  Tom will meet with DeDreana to help the neighborhood.

  ·      David said that there seems to be an uptick recently in crime in some neighborhoods – related to what?

  ·      Trinity Park is still struggling with pollution from an old dry cleaning site.

  ·      Falconbridge is seeing real benefit of Neighborhood Watch – stopped an assault. 






  Appendix: Resolutions





  A RESOLUTION BY THE INTERNEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF DURHAM



  Durham Street Bonds



  WHEREAS the streets in the city of Durham are in need of repair and maintenance on city streets has been neglected and deferred for too long; and

  WHEREAS the poor condition of the streets impede the city’s renaissance and impact negatively on the community’s image; and

  WHEREAS current economic conditions and the general financial health of the city favor incurring modest debt to pay for long needed repairs;

  WHEREAS the city government has expressed its resolution to address future street repair needs on a reasonable schedule from annual revenues;

  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham through its delegates duly assembled that the citizens of Durham should support the proposed street repair bonds by voting “yes” in the referendum on the November 2, 2010 ballot.



  A RESOLUTION BY THE INTERNEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF DURHAM



  Community Association Managers



  WHEREAS increasingly new neighborhoods and residential development of every sort are made subject to a regime of restrictive covenants which provide for private government in the form of a mandatory community association; and

  WHEREAS these community associations are charged with the power to make and enforce rules substantially affecting the quality of life in the neighborhood and the may also levy dues and assessments and spend the same for the welfare of the neighborhood; and

  WHEREAS  these same associations must employ professional managers to assist and guide the association government in the execution of its lawful powers; and

  WHEREAS the managers employed are often entrusted with substantial sums of money belonging to association members; and

  WHEREAS the security and welfare of community associations, their members, and their property are dependent upon the integrity and competence of professional managers; and

  WHEREAS older neighborhoods without professional managers are affected by the security and welfare of their neighboring community associations;

  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham through its delegates duly assembled that:

  1)the InterNeighborhood Council urges the General Assembly of North Carolina to enact laws which require the licensure of professional community association managers and create minimum standards for their professional competence; and

  2)the laws so enacted should resemble in substantial measure House Bill H – 762 as it was introduced in the 2009 Session of the General Assembly.



  A RESOLUTION BY THE INTERNEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF DURHAM



  State-wide Billboard Moratorium



  WHEREAS billboards are a blight on the land and represent a bankrupt means of communication; and

  WHEREAS digital billboards with changeable lighted displays are especially obnoxious to the scenic environment, inimical to good urban planning, and create a distraction hazard to motor traffic on our roads and highways;

  NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham through its delegates duly assembled that:

  1)the InterNeighborhood Council urges the General Assembly of North Carolina to enact laws which impose a statewide moratorium on the erection of digital billboards until such time as they are determined to be no distraction to motorists and no threat to traffic safety; and

  2)the laws so enacted should resemble in substantial measure House Bill H – 2011 as it was introduced in the 2009 Session of the General Assembly;

  3)the laws so enacted should in no way interfere with the authority of the City and County of Durham to regulate and prohibit billboards as those jurisdiction currently do.









  _______________________________________________ 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
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/inc-list/attachments/20101022/e4b979c8/attachment.html>