[Durham INC] DRAFT November/December minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

Please let me know about any additions or corrections.  Regards, pat
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November
Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

First Presbyterian Church

November 29, 2011

 

Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Bay Pointe – Kevin Fortin

Colonial Village NA – Jonathan
Jones

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Downing Creek – Dick Ford

Duke Park – Bill Anderson, Ian
Kipp

Falconbridge – Rosemarie Kitchin

Golden Belt – John Martin

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Northgate Park – Mike Shiflett

Old East Durham – Chloe’
Palenchar

Old Farm – Fred Foster

Old North Durham – Peter Katz

Old West Durham – Eric Heidt

Parkwood – Mike Brooks

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan
Sewell 

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom
Miller, Mike Woodard, Lorisa Seibel

Woodcroft – Scott and Heidi
Carter

 

 

Visitors 

Jim Wise – N & O

Donna Hudson – DPS 

 

 

John Martin called the meeting to order, and members
introduced themselves.  

 

Donna Hudson of Durham Public Schools gave an overview of
the proposals for student assignment, magnet programs and transportation.  There are some re-assignments from
schools that are over capacity to those that are under; new, changed and closed
magnets; a “linking” of elementary/middle/high school magnet programs and
changes in transportation policy to try to cut the amount we spend. “Linking”
means that a student who goes to an IB middle school, for example, would not have
to go to an IB high school, but would be pretty much guaranteed to get into the
IB program if she want to.  The
details are at http://www.dpsnc.net/about-dps/departments/student-assignment/magnet-student-assignment-proposal.  There will be public comment meetings
in early December, as well as a place to enter comments on the web.  Neighborhoods are urged to look at the
proposal.

 

In neighborhood reports

·      
Old North Durham – Peter Katz reported on
Old North Durham Park (the Parks and Rec plan looks good, fixing the drainage
and having a regulation-sized soccer field that is for the neighborhood, not
for leagues), the Duke Diet and Fitness Center (using the property for
stormwater detention for run-off from downtown is by far the cheapest plan; in
an ideal world, we could keep the building, but at least they are talking about
putting amenities there so the neighborhood won’t just have a big marshy hole
with ugly fencing) and Duke Beltway (the railroad is not budging off the price
they want for it, which is 3 times the funds we have available to buy it; we
will keep working on getting them to be realistic).

·      
Watts Hillandale and Old West Durham
– A recent zoning case showed that we still don’t have a zoning type that works
for commercial property that is a “real neighbor” of residential neighborhoods;
Neighborhood Commercial has a great statement of the intent of the zone and
very little that is really protective in the code.  On Hillandale Golf Course, there is an agreement in
principle for the city to get it as a gift and continue to have a place where
ordinary citizens can play.  Ninth
Street code update and re-zoning will go to Council on January 20 (with a
presentation to Council on December 8); the neighborhoods are basically
satisfied (someone will send details on what to say in comments to Council if
you want to support them), but worries about the complexity as other
neighborhoods need to deal with compact neighborhood planning. 

·      
Parkwood – They were massively
embezzled, but the Holiday Parade (the biggest one in Durham, 2PM on Sunday,
December 5) will go on due to generous donations of services since they don’t
have the $4-5K the parade usually costs. 
Developers of an up-scale apartment and condo area are looking at the
area behind the Gas House at Barbee and NC54; the biggest concern to the
neighborhood is not having more stormwater run-off coming into Parkwood.

 

The Parkwood report brought up the question of what the
legislature is doing on HOA manager licensing.  There is a new House Select Committee looking at the
question, and we will continue watching it.

 

John Martin brought up the idea of moving the meeting location to the NIS space at
Golden Belt.  There would be more
space, we wouldn’t need to fuss about the doorbell, but we might not be able to
have snacks.  John will continue
talking to NIS.  The January
meeting will be at the current location (First Pres).

 

Peter Katz talked about the INC website and list-serve. 
The information on the website tends to be a little dated, and we hope
to be updating information faster, and maybe having a Google calendar.  We are also always looking for
volunteers to help.

 

The committees on by-laws
change and neighborhood hero awards
will have proposals in January. 
One proposal on the issue of “abstains” on resolutions is to require a
quorum for the number of neighborhoods voting, but then require approval of 2/3
of those voting, not those present.

 

Once again, the Post
Office is telling homeowners they need to move their mailbox to the curb,
which they are not supposed to do according to postal regulations.  We are still trying to set up a meeting
with the head guy in Durham, but Jim Wise had a good article in the Durham
News and we have been talking to Congressman Price’s office.  If your neighborhood is having issues,
the congressman’s office is collecting complaints and you can add your 2¢ at https://forms.house.gov/price/webforms/contact_form.shtml.
  

 

Pat Carstensen and Richard Ford talked about 4 planning
activities:

·      
Updating the Comprehensive Plan – Final adoptions is
expected in March or April.  http://www.durhamnc.gov/Departments/Planning/Comp_Plan_Update.cfm


·      
Mixed Use – One concern is that the tools available
don’t really match the size of the problem / opportunity, and we really need to
understand the proposed vertically mixed use building type. http://durhamnc.gov/ich/cb/ccpd/Pages/Mixed-Use-Update.aspx


·      
County Strategic Plan – Now getting concrete stuff to
measure for the things to be tracked. http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/bocc/Strategic%5FPlan/


·      
Chapel Hill Comprehensive Plan – Worth keeping an eye
on because of the level of effort they are putting into it.

 

In the past, INC has done candidate forums, usually in partnership with other organizations
such as the League of Women Voters. 
Next year, we will have elections for School Board and Board of County
Commissioners.  Don Lebkes and Richard Ford will start a committee to look at what we can
do. 

 

Not operating completely within
Robert’s Rules of Order, we passed the Special Resolution (see appendix B) by
acclamation.

 

Tom Miller moved and Peter Katz
seconded that we approve the September and October minutes with the correction that it should not say Mike Shiflett
Mike Shiflett.  Bill Anderson moved
and John Martin seconded that we accept the treasurer’s report (Appendix A).  Both motions passed. 

 

Other announcements:

·      
The third meeting to
gather citizen input for the Traffic Separation Study to evaluate 18 public
railroad crossings through Durham will be Thursday December 1.  The options are to close roads, do
better marking/information, and do a grade separation. http://www.ncdot.gov/m/news/releases.html?news=rail


·      
Pat Carstensen will send
out a summary of who is doing Night of Lights when, based on responses by the
end of the week to the poll.

·      
Scott Carter will send
out information on a meeting to talk about a Farmers’ Market in South Durham.

 

The meeting adjourned.

 




Appendix A: Treasurer’s Report

INC’s current balance is: $3109.48

 

Dues have been paid by:

Fairfield 

Golden Belt

Morehead Hill

Cross-Counties

Old West

Parkwood

Burch Ave

Colony Park

Duke Park

WHHNA

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood

Long Meadow

Woodcroft

Trinity Park

Magnolia Place

Old North Durham

Northgate Park

Downing Creek

Falconbridge Community Association 

Old Farm

 

Please note: If you’re association
mailed a check this month it may not be reflected in the list until next
month.  If your neighborhood hasn’t paid yet, you can bring payment to the
monthly meeting for $25 (or more) or mail it to: 

1005 Morning Glory Ave, Durham NC
27701, care of John Martin.

 

Please let me know if you have any
questions or concerns.

 

 

 




Appendix
B:  Special Resolution

Resolved, that the Durham InterNeighborhood
Council expresses its deep appreciation to tom Miller for his services as
President during the last two years. 
It is further resolved that the INC is grateful for Tom’s participation
and leadership through the more than twenty-five years the INC has existed.  Without Tom’s intelligence, energy,
dedication, eloquence, and advocacy, the INC would not have become the
organization it is today.

 		 	   		  
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