[Durham INC] Draft Nov/December minutes

[Pat Carstensen]

I am resending in advance of the meeting on Tuesday.  Thanks, pat



November/December Delegate Meeting of the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham

Via Zoom

December 7, 2021


Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Bragtown – Vannessa Mason Evans

Burch Avenue – Richard Ziglar

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Forest Hills – Sarah Morris

Leesville Road Coalition – Steven Knill

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Merrick-Moore – Bonita Green

Morehead Hill – Rochelle Araujo

Northgate Park -- Keith Cochran

Trinity Park – Philip Azar

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller


Guests

Annette Smith -- Durham Parks and Recreation, Durham Parks Foundation

Will Wilson -- Past President of INC

Lisa Miller – City/County Planning

Laura Stroud – ECWA

Lee Gans – Bull City Tenants United


President Bonita Green called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone; those present introduced themselves.  There were no adjustments to the agenda.  Tom moved to approve the minutes of the last meeting, Keith seconded and this was passed.


Update from Planning Staff on Comprehensive Plan – Lisa Miller had sent responses to questions that had been gathered (see below).  The Planning Department is doing engagement around the draft “place type” map and descriptions, which give guidance to planners and others about how the community should develop over the next 20 years.  The “place types” go beyond uses to try to capture character and things like water needs.  Like the current Future Land Use Map, it is a vision to help evaluate proposed changes in zoning; we hope there will be fewer requests to change the land use map.  It may require some new zoning uses.   Planning is using engagement ambassadors and has developed an engagement toolkit.  There will also be a series of 6 community engagements sessions, targeted toward people who have not been involved in the past.  Finally there is a digital interactive map that anyone can use to provide update about specific places and an opportunity to comment on the descriptions of different place types.   They also have community working groups generating policy ideas.   For more details:

  *   English-language engagement site: https://durham.mysocialpinpoint.com/comprehensiveplan

  *   Direct link to the interactive map: https://webgis.durhamnc.gov/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bb67e6da4a6743ecb3033392622be014

  *   Toolkit: https://durham.mysocialpinpoint.com/comprehensiveplan/residenttoolkit

  *   Registration link for the December 16 community meeting: http://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ck1ceQE9S5OQzXWMyS8ulA

  *   Registration link for the January 12 community meeting (the last of the 6): http://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mPpS6QClQSymyM-9pFQIFw

  *   Answers to INC questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oqHWYdLRqgc43UWSN_Qj_EDtL_RxmVbbIQqFsc4RBXo/edit?invite=CJTM45QN

Recognizing we could manage growth better, they are looking at clearer polity in the plan.  We are moving away from the tier system and going back to an urban growth boundary, with some minor differences to the old line between urban and suburban tiers.  Future Growth Areas are areas where growth should not occur until significant investment in infrastructure.  The current draft map still shows the compact areas around the former Light Rail stations, but they want to hear from the community about what should go there.


Presentation on Creek Watchers Program - Laura Stroud talked about Creek Watchers, a community-based participatory research project that is intended to result in concrete actions.  They will be collecting data on storm-water (run-off from impervious surfaces) and illicit discharge, to help understand their impacts on water quality in our water bodies.  Storm-water can have significant equity aspects.  Creek Watchers is about increasing community participation, including reporting of localized flooding and illicit discharge (anything but storm-water in the storm-water system).  They have collected some reports of hot spots of localized flooding, but it isn’t clear how much these spots are where the flooding is worst or where the reporting is easiest; more data would help figure out remedies.  Many of the illicit discharge are unintentional, like leaves in the gutter or accidentally spilled oil.  They are looking to train 28 Creek Watchers who will report occurrences and do observations.  More information:

  *   On the program and a guide to reporting concerns: https://www.ellerbecreek.org/creekwatchers.html

  *   To report localized flooding: https://durhamnc.gov/704/DrainageFlooding-Information

  *   To report illicit discharge: https://durhamnc.gov/FormCenter/Public-Works-14/Stormwater-Pollution-Reporting-Form-62

  *   Creek Watchers RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy6omYhLZLbsdWfj50Z7Khoxv9tTd5-rD52O4rWe0JX_RV7g/viewform


Bull City Tenants United – Lee Gans talked about their work addressing some of the problems tenants are facing; City Council is considering an ordinance that would give tenants tools they need to address these problems.  The five areas in the ordinance are laid out in:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dbL0KL65p_uEd5arIwt1kGQQ55Upm1FMgHBCZeiqpoc/edit?usp=sharing

Bylaws Revision Update – Phil has a draft document laying out the changes, which he will send to the Bylaws Committee; then Bonita will forward a finalized version of the document to delegates to review.  Tom is still working on the nibbling details of getting the bylaws in line with all the legalities.


Neighborhood Reports and Announcements

  *   Watts Hospital Hillandale was the victim of ACH fraud, of someone with their account number taking money from their account with wire transfer.  ACH is an automated clearing house for banking transactions.  It is the modern version of “wire transfers.”  In Watts-Hillandale’s case someone set up fake ACH transfers from their bank account and in three transactions in fairly quick succession they pulled more than $4,000 from the WHHNA account.  Personal accounts have that 60 days to discover and report the fraud, but business accounts do not.   WHHNA was fortunate that their bank was willing to restore their funds.  Please check your accounts very regularly.  More information:  https://bif-law.com/lawyer/2016/06/22/Business-Law/What-Can-Business-Owners-do-to-Prevent-Loss-from-ACH-Bank-Fraud-_bl25488.htm

  *   The parade is December 18th.


 Adjourn


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