[Durham INC] DRAFT August minutes

Mon Sep 2 16:16:43 EDT 2013

Please let me know about any corrections or additions.  Thanks to Rosemarie Kitchin for covering the minutes when I was absent.  Regards, pat
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August Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of
Durham

NIS Conference Room, Golden Belt

August 27, 2013

Attending
the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Cleveland-Holloway – Jan Martell

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Downing Creek – Dick Ford

Duke Park – Bill Anderson

Eagles’ Pointe – Donna Rudolph

Falconbridge – Rosemarie Kitchin

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Northgate Park – Debra Hawkins,
Mike Shiflett

Old North Durham – Peter Katz,
John Martin

Trinity Park – Philip Azar

Woodcroft – Jose M. Sandoval,
Scott Carter

Visitors

Lynwood Best – City of Durham,
NIS

President John Martin called the
meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. and asked those present to introduce
themselves. 

The minutes from the July 12,
2013 meeting were approved after Rosemarie Kitchin moved to approve, and Dick
Ford seconded the motion. 

Postal Delivery: President Martin
recapped the most recent activity regarding the USPS carriers delivering
letters to new residents telling them they can no longer have delivery to their
door or porch. The upshot, after calls from activists and Senator Mike Woodard,
is that the Durham postmaster will have a stand-up meeting with the carriers
telling them to cease and desist from this practice. 

This report required no
action.  

Neighborhood Central Park Event: Deb
Hawkins has been working with Ann Alexander of Durham Central Park, gathering
information about requirements to hold an event in the Park (insurance, rental,
etc.) and the group working to organize the event. She has been collecting
insurance quotes: the lowest was $312. Rental was quoted at $150. President
Martin said he would prefer a venue without cost. 

Ms. Hawkins has to defer
her activity about this event because of family illness. After discussion, the
delegates decided to postpone the event until 2014, possibly on a late August
weekend.  

Mike Shiflett suggested
that INC return to its participation in Earth Day to raise awareness of INC in
Durham. Other delegates agreed this was a good idea. Phil Azar said every
neighborhood has at least one “green” activity that should be showcased during
Earth Day. Rosemarie Kitchin suggested partnering with Keep Durham
Beautiful.  

The delegates talked about
the successful Neighborhood Summits that INC held in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and
the organizations that could be recruited to participate in a similar event
(PACs, city departments, KDBeautiful) 

The group took no action
to move forward. 

Candidates’ Forum: INC is partnering with
the League of Women Voters for two candidates’ forums — the first at Durham
Main Library on Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., the second live on
Channel 8 (from the City Council Chambers) on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Co-chairs Dick
Ford and Don Lebkes are seeking questions pertinent to city matters (hard
services such as police, fire, street and building maintenance, traffic).
Candidates will not see the questions in advance.  

The League has a rule
about “empty chair” debates, so unopposed candidates (the Mayor Pro Tempore)
will be introduced only, and other candidates must have an opponent present to
participate in the debate.  

INC needs volunteers for
the events themselves.  

Action: Some delegates
submitted questions for the forum. 

Cleveland-Holloway Preservation Resolution: The INC exec committee approved the resolution in the event the City
moved forward before the next delegate meeting. Jan
Martell of Cleveland-Holloway told the delegates that Alternative “A”
had changed since the INC exec committee action. SEEDS is now part of Alternative
“A”. Discussion included 1) affected neighborhoods should take the lead on
resolutions rather than other “friendly” neighborhoods doing so 2) recently INC
has moved from general support to more specific resolutions 3) there is
historical precedent for specific resolutions (Dunbarton in the 1990s), 4) INC
should support one neighborhood on an issue, and allow that support to become
universal for all relevant neighborhoods. There was a consensus that
neighborhoods should write their own resolutions (or officially vote to support
a resolution prepared by another neighborhood or interested party). 

Action: Defer INC action
on Cleveland-Holloway Resolution until the September meeting when C-H will
present its approved resolution. 

Cell Towers: Donna
Rudolph of Eagle’s Pointe recapped the problem. In March, the city’s
director of planning was given responsibility for ruling on cell towers, while
those towers proposed in the county were to go through a review process.
Eagle’s Pointe wants decisions about cell towers (location, appearance, height)
1) made by elected officials 2) after more input by citizens BEFORE the
decision. That would put citizen input in front of staff or elected officials’
actions rather than only as an (expensive) appeal.  

Action: Eagle’s Pointe
will prepare a resolution, distributed it to the listserv so delegates can
bring it before their communities before the September meeting.  

Response to INC’s input about UDO:
The city manager sent the city’s response to the INC committee submission as a
PDF, which President Martin will send to the listserv.  

Action: none since the
committee members were not present at the INC meeting during the
discussion. 

Committee Reports: 

Public Spaces and Environmental Issues.  Deb Hawkins reported the
committee has been gathering data. It will give a report about how
neighborhoods can become involved. It will also investigate a possible event.
Ms. Hawkins reported that she is in contact with the Elon U’s kids’ positive
project and that this may be a possible partnership.  

Bike, Pedestrian and Transit. 
Was scheduled to meet at Alivia’s on
Wednesday, Aug. 18, according to chairman Scott Carter. Sidewalks are emerging
as a hot topic. For example, in Old North Durham there are old brick curbs and
gutters that are city assets. The City has been responsive to citizen requests
to preserve and maintain these walks, curbs and gutters.  Mike
Shiflett asked that INC request a presentation from the City about Durham
sidewalks and street maintenance in early 2014 (Jan/Feb meeting).  

•               
Nuisance Abatement: Chair Pete Katz reported
the committee needs more members. The topics for this committee are not limited
to “bad neighbor” areas but can be any citizen complaint.  

•               
Traffic Enforcement Committee: Chair
Phil Azar said the committee is working on a one-page document about this
topic. Enforcement is the most pertinent of the “three Es —education,
engineering, enforcement” – in the committee’s estimation. Other groups active
on this topic aren’t focusing on enforcement. So far, the committee hasn’t been
successful in getting regular attendance from a police department
representative. 

•               
Nominating Committee: INC
elections for calendar year 2014 officers will be held next month. The slate is
as follows: 

Scott Carter,
President 

Phil Azar, Vice-President 

Pat Carstensen,
Secretary 

Susan Sewell,
Treasurer 

Pete Katz, At-large 

Dick Ford, At-large 

John Martin, Past
President and Communications 

John Martin said other nominations are welcome.  

Neighborhood Reports and Other Announcements: 

·       Northgate Park has t-shirts for sale.  A
choice of two designs for the front, with sponsorship logos on the back. $10
for children’s, $15 for adults. 

·       Cross Counties,
Falconbridge, and Downing Creek are
still working on re-zoning at NC54 and Farrrington Road that goes to council
next week.

·       Don Lebkes raised the topic of homeless/intersection
solicitors. He discussed the recommendations of the Durham Homeless
Advisory Council and said the Council was re-looking at the rules about
solicitation to 1) lighten punishment for aggressive panhandling, and 2) allow
solicitors to approach the car if the driver/passenger acknowledge the
solicitors. Mr. Lebkes asked INC delegates to write the city and council
officials asking not to change the rules. Phil Azar asked that the group be
invited to come talk to INC. Mike Shiflett said he is part of the group and
explained the group’s approach and emphasized the key question is safety of
everyone involved.  

·       Lynwood Best announced a number of events: 1) Bull City Play Streets at
Holt Elementary School on Sept. 7, (http://ahealthieramerica.org/play-streets/find-a-play-street/durham-north-carolina/),
one of ten events (5 in 2013, 5 in 2014 funded by a grant), 2) a preview of Starting at the Finish Line, the Coach
Buehler Story, on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 5 and 7 p.m. at the Carolina Theatre
(http://www.coachbuehler.com/), and 3) The Landlords Training Workshop on Monday, Sept. 9, for
$10.  

The
meeting was adjourned shortly after 9 p.m.  

Appendix A: Resolution
on the Proposed Cleveland-Holloway Local Historic District

Whereas local historic
districts protect the uniqueness of our neighborhoods and our City, and

Whereas local historic
districts protect the economic and social diversity of our neighborhoods, and

Whereas the City has already
recognized Cleveland St. and Holloway St. as local historic districts, and

Whereas the City has
recognized five other local historic districts, and

Whereas the proposed expansion
is already recognized as a National Register historic district, and

Whereas this expansion has
been supported by the professional staff of the Durham City-County Planning
Department, and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission, and 

Whereas, 'Alternative A'
includes the entire National Register Historic District while 'Alternative B',
for no historically appropriate reason, excludes an entire city block in the
middle of the historic district,

Therefore,
be it resolved that the InterNeighborhood Council supports the expansion of the
Cleveland Holloway Local Historic District, "Alternative A," as
proposed by the Neighborhood, and supported by the Planning Department and the
Historic Preservation Commission, and urges the Durham City Council to approve
this expansion as soon as possible.  

Note: 
This is based on the following Old North Durham Neighborhood Association
Resolution on the Proposed Cleveland-Holloway Local Historic District

Whereas local historic
districts protect the uniqueness of our neighborhoods and our City, and

Whereas local historic
districts protect the economic and social diversity of our neighborhoods, and

Whereas the City has already
recognized Cleveland St. and Holloway St. as local historic districts, and

Whereas the City has
recognized five other local historic districts, and

Whereas the proposed expansion
is already recognized as a National Register historic district, and

Whereas this expansion has
been supported by the professional staff of the Durham City-County Planning
Department, and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission,

Therefore,
be it resolved that the Old North Durham Neighborhood Association supports the
expansion of the Cleveland Holloway Local Historic District, "Alternative
A," as proposed by the Neighborhood, and supported by the Planning
Department, and the Historic Preservation Commission, and urges the Durham City
Council to approve this expansion as soon as possible.  

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