Apparently, Carrboro Alderman Dan Coleman has fallen off the anger management wagon. In a recent letter to the editor he charged Chapel Hill News columnist Mark Zimmerman with spreading falsehoods. In simpler terms, Alderdan displayed his political sense of propriety by calling Mr. Zimmerman a “liar”. In AlderDan's words, ”It is no service to the community when Chapel Hill News columnists twist the facts to make political points (in Zimmerman's case a hackneyed screed on property rights as personal freedom).”

Pulpsters will remember that AlderDan had to undergo anger management re-grooming in 2007 during his electoral campaign debut. The infamous 911 call and the vehicular assault charge against a woman during a local high school athletic event are legendary. Like Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, this incident remains “that which must remain unspoken” for Chapelboro Progressives.

For the record, Mr. Zimmerman wrote a column detailing that the Carrboro Boa first considered limiting uses on certain flag lots and requiring Board of Adjustment or Board of Alderman approval or denial, at an 26 October 2010 Boa public hearing. (Flag lots are those in which one places a second house in the backyard of a preexisting housing lot.)

”Land owners in Carrboro with property large enough to split in two, but configured such that the second home would be behind the first may soon find that they may no longer create the 'flag lot' needed to provide access.”

AlderDan claimed this assertion to be absolutely false. In his words, “The truth is that town planning staff made a proposal that would have required the creation of ‘flag lots’ to receive public review. The Board of Aldermen sent staff back to the drawing board with no timetable set for further review of this proposal.” For AlderDan it's all about the power. Anything that extends his power as an elected official is good. After all, in his words, ”we have the important business of running the town.” These words were said right before taking the Summer off and canceling half of the Boa meetings thereafter.

The full truth is that the Boa has had multiple meetings on this flag lot issue, starting back in May when the phrase “flag lot” wasn’t even mentioned, They met again in June and September on this issue, as well as in October. Here’s how the town staff put it.

“As further explained in the staff memo, staff has further considered this matter since June 2010. As a result of further consideration, the attached draft ordinance has been expanded to further regulate the creation of flag lots along with the previously drafted language concerning minimum lot widths… If the draft ordinance is approved, then staff will bring back to the Board at a future meeting a request to create a new line item in the fee schedule related to this specific new type of subdivision. An exact fee is not yet decided, but is expected to be reduced from the existing fee for a typical Special Use Permit involving a major subdivision.”

Ah yes, when there’s not enough development going on due to the Great Recession, let’s just create some “makework” to keep the town staff fully employed. With the proposed amendment, the staff approval threshold level would be reduced from five lots to two lots.

Curiously, even Mayor Mark Chilton was at a loss at the October meeting as to how the Boa got onto “this topic”. According to Town staffer Ms. Patricia McGuire, It’s all about requiring staff review AND approval. You mustn’t have flag lots that go through staff certification, but not staff approval. A state statutory subdivision exemption provision was eliminating staff authority. The staff wants to jimmy the zoning standards to trump the statutory exemption created by the state legislature. Of course the town's outside contractor attorney also gets paid for this terribly necessary change to the town land use ordicnance. Nice to know no one's going hungry over at the Carrboro municipal corral.

The full truth is that the Boa is considering not only public review for discretionary flag lot approvals. Here’s the proposed change:

“Section 15-175.10. Flag Lots (b) The board of adjustment or board of aldermen, when approving subdivisions within their respective jurisdictions, may approve flag lots if they conclude that the access requirement set forth in Section 15-211 will be satisfied and such flag lot can be developed for purposes permissible in that district without creating any substantially adverse impact on adjoining developed properties.”

Staffer McGuire made it perfectly clear that the Board of Adjustment or the BOA could reject any new flag lot based on a number of findings either could make. Translation, Mr. Zimmerman is correct. The proposed ordinance is about more than just review, as AlderDan well knows. If you're not a friend and pal to AlderDan you may not get your flag lot. It's at his whim and discretion.

Why tell the full truth when AlderDan can extend Progressive authority over your life? In Mr. Zimmerman’s words, “It's encouraging that Alderman Coleman implies the proposal is dead, but it is not. If the Board's intent was to kill the idea, it should have asked staff not to continue working on it. They did not do so.”

Consistency has its merits. You don’t have to think or raise your blood pressure when a local Progressive governance board makes a decision. Usually it will be screwy. Usually it will be slanted. Usually it will come from hypocritical elected officials with a surfeit of hubris.

So there should be no surprise to learn that on 25 May 2010, the Carrboro Boa meddled in the water and sewer boundaries in the unincorporated community of Efland, North Carolina, miles and miles away from Carrboro.

The Boa objected to a proposal in a small-area plan for Efland that would allow water and sewer service to an area along Bowman Road. Mayor Mark Chilton said he would not be in favor of approving a plan to allow for mixed-use development in the area because of its alleged historical significance. Somehow allowing Efland redidents to have more water and sewer would destroy historical sites that are so historical, no one has bothered to mark them, much less preserve them.

Not to be outdone in folly, Alderman Dan Coleman felt that giving water & sewer to people who have failing septic fields and have lived in Orange County for longer than Mr. Coleman has been alive aren’t entitled to these municipal services. Why? According to the Eco-Marxist, county ED policy is skewed toward recruiting national chain retailers and not in shoring up the local economy. Apparently, Mr. Coleman has never visited Efland and is not aware that Efland essentially has no significant local retail economy to shore up. (See Carrboro Citizen Efland Quidnunc Story.)

Imagine if Efland residents came down to Carrboro town hall to discuss the development of the northern transition area in Carrboro. Only delusional Progressives could fail to appreciate the icy reception Messrs. Chilton and Coleman would give them.

If you want to know why local Progressive budgets are spinning out of control, then consider the tale of the Carrboro town clerk, Ms. Sarah Williamson. She has served as town clerk for Carrboro for 38 years. She knows where all the figurative bodies are buried from the corrupt, but legal practices that have filled Carrboro town hall for decades.

For FY 2008-2009, the town of Carrboro lists Ms. Williamson’s personnel expense as $101,712. That’s not bad compensation for someone without a collegiate degree. She has chosen to retire at the end of this fiscal year, June 30th. But she’s not really retiring from her town clerk position.

What? That’s right, she’s retiring from the town clerk position so she can collect her pension, one that is equivalent to her having saved and invested millions of dollars from her town salary over the past 38 years. (Talk about unsustainable business practices! See the full impending disaster story in the Atlantic.) But, after taking a five week vacation, she’s being hired back to be, you're so good you guessed it again, the town clerk.

By unanimous consent, the Carrboro governance board voted to hire Ms. Williamson to fulfill the position of town clerk at $46.00 per hour for 22.5 hours per week until 30 November 2010. That’s equal to a full time salary of $92,000 per year.

Which begs the question, if Ms. Williamson can professionally fulfill the non-strenuous position of town clerk in just 22.5 hours per week as a contractor, then why has the town of Carrboro paid her for 40 hours per week for decades?

“Progress” is a vector, a direction. It's not a goal or an accomplishment. Some progress is better for a democratic republic society with a tradition of individual freedoms as a whole, some is decidely not. It depends upon what one is progressing towards.

A very keen insight into the Progressive mindset of control was recently demonstrated at the 2010 legislative breakfast between the Carrboro governance board (the Boa) and the Orange County General Assembly delegation. If you think that Carrboro is weird now, then just wait until the Boa gets home rule.

According to the meeting notes, “Alderman Haven-O’Donnell brought up the issue of municipal home rule…Alderman Coleman proposed a model in which a municipality’s legislative delegation can approve local bills without having to go through the entire General Assembly.“

Home rule for Carrboro portends local income taxes (wanted by Alderman Lavelle), carbon reduction taxes or controls (wanted by Alderman Slade), local sales taxes (wanted by the whole board), restrictions on cars so as to drive you onto public transit (wanted by Aldermen Coleman and Gist), and a freedom to concentrate greater power to those imbued with the desire to issue resolutions on French fries and overseas military engagements while destroying their local economy.

If you thought that local Progressives can interfere and make your life miserable now, then just wait until they get home rule.

In most of North Carolina, elected officials are painfully aware of the record almost 12% unemployment rate. They’re painfully aware of the businesses that have shuttered never to return. They’re painfully aware that most private businesses didn’t raise wages last year, aren’t raising wages this year, and may not raise wages next year.

However, Orange County isn’t like the rest of North Carolina. Here, Progressives rule. Here, Progressives prattle on about a local living economy while living off the benefit of an extractive non-local economy. Here, the economic engine of UNC extracts taxes from the 99 other counties in the state.

Pulpsters may be dismayed but not surprised to learn that Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton doesn’t appreciate the effects of unemployment outside his town, doesn’t care about the businesses stupid enough not to suck off the government teat, and doesn’t care one hoot about securing town services at prices approximating that available in the private sector. After all, we’re talking about Progressives. Don’t pay what the market bears, pay what you think the market should bear. Never contract out a service that can be done more expensively by government bureaucrats, preferably by government bureaucrats with fat benefit packages.

All it took for Mr. Chilton to support raising wages in the greatest recession since the Great Depression was a report from a hired consultant (Springsted, Inc.). John Anzivino, Springsted senior vice president declared that 28 employees, (about 19% of the workforce) are paid less than the firm’s suggested minimum salary requirements. How did he come to this conclusion? By talking to the employees!

Each employee was given the opportunity to pimp and pump the value of their job. Springsted, a private firm that tells public employees what they want to hear, then compared Carrboro compensation to other public employers including state employees. OWASA employees, and Orange County employees. He didn’t bother to compare services to regional private employers offering the same services.

One can only wonder who directed Springsted to ignore the compensation paid private garbage collector versus public garbage collectors. That might have led to the obvious confirmation of numerous other studies showing that public employees received substantially more in benefits than their private counterparts.

Bottom line, the minimum wage should be increased to $11.82 per hour. Improving low-wage employee salary would cost the town $26,191 annually (about 0.5%). Bottom line across the board, Springsted recommends increasing the entire Carrboro payroll by $380,785 (about 5.5% of the total payroll). Almost an hour of discussion and nary a word about the private wage situation was uttered.

Showing his sense of social justice, Mr. Chilton said government workers deserve to earn a living wage. Apparently, what happens to private employer wages is of no concern to public employers.

No word on how much money Carrboro paid Sprinsted to raise the minimum wage while also paying the finance and human resources department payroll who are responsible for settign the minimum wage.

No word on why the $26,000 isn't coming from a reduction in wages of the top town staff members.

With the Carrboro governance board's (the Boa) pals’ residential and commercial real estate development plans in the proverbial toilet, the Boa must find new ways to snake into and meddle in other people’s affairs, all the while displaying the heights of their social enlightenment.

To wit, the Boa recently passed another don't-ask-us-to-pay-for-it town resolution changing someone else's behavior and not their own. UNC was asked to switch from burning coal to using natural gas. The resolution came from the presentation of a petition containing all of 25 signatures. In Carrboro, the “quality” of a petition signature was more important than the quantity. Witness how petitions having hundreds and hundreds of signatures are blithely ignored for they don't have enough quality.

What makes for quality? How about being a pal of a Boa member. If so, then you don’t need many signatures. If you are a development pal of the Boa members (as is Mr. Giles Blunden, working real estate development partner with Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton), all the better. Say 25 signatures will do nicely.

Mr. Blunden accuses UNC of “polluting the air and threatening the health of its neighbors and the wider community.” How? The emission of 320,000 metric tons of plant food (CO2) into the atmosphere by UNC is unacceptable. (Pulpsters note that is not all of UNC's plant food, just the part produced by burning coal.)

Apparently, Mr. Blunden will be happy if only about 200,000 metric tons of plant food is emitted (plus those pesky tons emitted by non-coal fossil fuels). That’s about the amount that would be emitted if UNC switches all of its coal fuel to natural gas. Mr. Blunden provides no evidence as to why 320,000 metric tons is threatening, but 200,000 tons is not.

If Mr. Blunden and his Veridia development pal, Mr. Chilton, raise the global warming flag, then they’ll have to again ignore scientific realities. Why? Sulfate aerosols formed from burning coal actually lower atmospheric temperatures compared to just burning natural gas. Oops.

But then, Mr. Blunden conveniently ignores that his estimates of plant food savings are based on older, inefficient combustion models. That’s right! The numbers touted by those wishing to pass gas over coal for power generation are based on 1995 AP-42 numbers from the EPA. For the record, a 2000 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, entitled “Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Generation of Electric Power in the United States”, estimates CO2 emissions not from actual empirical measurements at U.S. power plants, but from the reported amount and types of fuel consumed. The CO2 emissions are then calculated from estimates based on the EPA AP-42 tables.

Why does this matter? Unlike natural gas (NG), coal is a far more complex fuel to burn. One of the reasons that UNC get more plant food from burning coal instead of NG is that it’s more efficient to get an equal amount of heat energy (BTUs) from combusting NG than coal. In other words, you have to oxidize more carbon into CO2 with coal to get the same amount of BTUs that you can with NG.

However, if you burn coal more efficiently with more complex combustion technologies, then the plant food gap between NG and coal narrows. That’s why how you burn coal makes a difference. On the scale of existing efficiencies, UNC is about in the middle. Older coal burning plants operate at about 27% efficiency (producing about 1200 gCO2/kwh). The latest state of the art plants operate at about 45% efficiency (producing about 750 gCO2/kwh) or about 46% less plant food. The UNC co-generation plant operates at about 35% efficiency. (That's excluding the co-generation waste heat recovery.) Which means it’s about halfway between state of the art and the global average, or producing plant food at about 900 gCO2/kwh.

The reality is that UNC probably doesn’t produce nearly 320,000 metric tons of CO2 annually from its coal burning. That calculation is not based on the reality of 35% combustion efficiency, but on an older average efficiency set forth in the Fifth Edition EPA AP-42 numbers. Never fear, one should never let facts get in the way of ideology.

As to UNC threatening Mr. Blunden’s health, thank goodness the Boa ignored the Crawford Brown Report dealing with public health risks. Boa members might have mistakenly been exposed to scientific methodology. Again, one should never let facts get in the way of ideology. How progressive!

As North Carolina deals with record unemployment, it’s easy to see evidence of the economic cocoon that is southern Orange County. Fed by tax receipts mainly mined from the 99 other counties in the state, the “local economy” is sheltered from the reality of double digit unemployment seen across the rest of the Piedmont.

In most of North Carolina, not raising the salaries of municipal employees with so many private employees unemployed is not seen as a “sacrifice” or a “partnering” with the unfortunate unemployed town residents. Municipal employee positions can be reduced just like private business employee positions.

Here in Orange County the thought of slashing municipal employee positions is to be considered in the same vein as slashing the fat pensions of those employees. Just don't even think about it.

At a recent Carrboro town meeting, Manager Steve Stewart remarked that last year and this year are two of the toughest he’s faced in 32 years of drafting budgets. Translation, he can’t give automatic pay increases for no increase in performance. He can’t just fund new programs on rampant unsustainable growth. “We’ll be lucky just to continue to do what we’ve been doing. I don’t see that there’s any room for new programs or expansion unless we cut somewhere else or we look at a tax increase being imposed.” (See Carrboro Citizen Love Story.)

Mr. Stewart said that paying for the opening and staffing of the new fire station on Homestead Road and a mandatory increase in the rate the town pays into the employee retirement fund are the biggest fiscal challenges. Mr. Stewart didn’t say that both of these eventualities were obvious to those managers with financial acumen.

In reality, the fire station operations “problem” is more than paid for by the over $500,000 in new taxes that came rolling into town coffers from the hundreds of households forced into the town of Carrboro through the progressive Northeast Carrboro Annexation five years ago. However, instead of saving any of that money for the purpose intended by state legislators (paying for the increased municipal service burdens from the new residents), Mr. Stewart has been spending that money on other programs. Why? His job is to hide the profligate ways of the town’s governance board.

The employee retirement fund “problem” reflects more than a downturn in above-average economic returns for the state pension fund during a boom. It also reflects an aging population of municipal employees and the unsustainable nature of the largesse of the pension awarded.

Think not? Ask yourself, how much would the average Chapelboro municipal employee have to be paid to put enough money into a 401(k) plan in order to yield the annual return represented by three quarters of their retiring salary? The answer is that you would be paying municipal employees on a pay scale of which equivalent private employees can only dream.

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton displays his usual firm grasp of finances. “I feel like the town’s employees have been partners with the taxpayers in trying to deal with the recession. We need to find some way to make sure [the employees] are feeling the love.” (One can only assume that Mr. Chilton is referring to partnering with not only employed taxpayers but also unemployed taxpayers. By “unemployed”, the Pulp refers to those taxpayers not wishing to be unemployed, as opposed to the large body of willingly unemployed living in Carrboro.)

No word on whether or not Mr. Chilton and his fellow part-time elected officials will give up their Cadillac health care plans so as to benefit the employees they so love, not to mention foregoing their public servant salary for attending about thirty several hour meetings.

No word on whether or not Mr. Stewart will ever publish town employee salaries in amounts adjusted to reflect a 401(k) type retirement funding commonly forced on those dumb private business employees not on the municipal NCLM gravy train.

In most of North Carolina, municipal governance boards understand that architecture requires years of study, practical experience, and, oh yes, talent. If they are intelligent, then these boards refrain from micromanaging the architectural aesthetics of a private development, letting market forces provide an optimal balance of esthetics and costs.

However, Carrboro’s Boa might as well be on Pluto when it comes to recognizing their limitations, boldly going where only fools have gone before. Pulpsters shouldn’t be surprised that the Boa has added architectural aesthetics to the list of skills they can foil. Under newly imposed rules, the Boa must be presented with building aesthetics before approving any special use permit (SUP) or conditional use permit (CUP) project.

In its finest progressive traditions, the Boa continues to neuter the already “eunuch” experience of a private citizen trying to provide public service by sitting on a town advisory board. The Carrboro Appearance Commission (CAC), a citizen volunteer board, already looks at any project that doesn’t meet town “design standards” for exterior appearance. Apparently, the CAC review isn’t good enough for the Boa.

According to Alderman Dan Coleman, not an architect, (let’s be frank, not even gainfully employed through any visible occupation) the recent large development at 300 East Main Street needed more review than what mere CAC volunteers could provide. “The design of the building is one of the things that gets the most public attention. That’s why we felt, on projects of a certain scale, that we need to have the ability to respond to concerns raised by citizens.”

In 2009 Mr. Coleman successfully eliminated the Carrboro tradition of the advisory board members interviewing and giving recommendations on advisory board applicants. How progressive.

In 2009 Mr. Coleman successfully implemented term limits on free volunteers serving on an advisory board. (Of course, no term limits for Mr. Coleman and the rest of the Boa.) How progressive.

Mr. Coleman’s lofty opinion of his skill set should come as no surprise to Pulpsters. Neither should the fact that the Appearance Commission was against the Boa adopting this new supervisory role. In the words of Mr. Loren Brandford, a CAC member, “Such duplicate presentations are not a good use of the applicant’s or the Board of Aldermen’s time. It just means that everyone else has to do a little more work. If they want to vote themselves more work, that’s fine.”

Clearly Mr. Branford is unaware of how much time the Boa has on its hands. See (DTH Boa Appearance Story.)

One of the mantras of modern progressivism is that transparency in government is good. The more an ordinary citizen knows about their elected officials and their reasons for decisions, the quality of the decisions will be better. However, here in Orange County, transparency is clear as the Eno River after a red clay gullywasher.

No better example can be found than in Carrboro, home of palocracy and good political deals for good political friends. Last month the Pulp reported on the use of ARRA funds to build bike lanes in boonyville as opposed to Estes Road, the most heavily used dangerous road for bikers in Carrboro. Turns out that Carrboro government is throwing $1,800,000 for a Veridia bike lane to the benefit of more than an elected official, Mayor Mark Chilton.

Pulpsters can be forgiven for having missed the fact that the spouse of a former Carrboro official is now in business with Mr. Chilton. Yes, Ms. Bronwyn Merritt Dorosin, wife of former Carrboro Alderman Mark Dorosin, former owner of the bar “Hell”, is now a “broker in charge” at Community Realty, Mr. Chilton’s real estate sales business.

Pulpsters will remember that Mr. Dorosin voted to approve the eight acre, Carrboro coal camp vernacular 46 unit development, Pacifica. The Boa (including Mr. Dorosin) turned a $50,000 town sidewalk gift into a $500,000 Hanna sidewalk/street widening charade for Pacifica developers. Of course, that vote helped not only Mr. Dorosin, but also former Carrboro Alderman John Herrera. How? Both Mr. Herrera and Mr. Dorosin were employees of the Self Help Credit Union (SHCU) of Durham, North Carolina. This organization did the financing for Pacifica.

Pulpster should also remember that the Pacifica developers included not only Mr. Chilton’s “employee”, Mr. Thomas Whisnant, but also Mr. Giles Blunden. In turn, Mr. Blunden also happens to be involved in the Veridia development. (Will SHCU finance Veridia as well?)

The Pulp can’t tell you ALL of the financially interested parties in either the Pacifica development or the Veridia development. Why? Carrboro government doesn’t require financial transparency in real estate development approvals. That’s right. Only the conscience of those involved is the regulator for disclosure. Instead of requiring ALL parties getting benefit from a development to be listed (including all owners of business entities), Carrboro allows opaque, throwaway development corporations and limited liability companies to file applications without disclosing all who benefit. So much for the progressive beacon of Carrboro government.

Can you imagine why progressive Boa members don’t require complete financial transparency on real estate developments that they oversee? Perhaps they don't want you to know that Community Realty, Mr. Chilton's firm, is the premier listing company for Veridia.

Say, where is the local media on the financial transparency issue? That is when some of them aren't reviewing their loan from the town officials they are ostensibly watching. Anyone? Anyone?

In most of North Carolina, library systems are countywide, paid for by all county residents, open to all county residents.

However, things aren’t usually normal in Orange County. Here we have little political fiefdoms, each intent on spending your money like drunken sailors on shore leave.

Currently there are two separate library systems in Orange County. One is a county system (OCPL) that is available to all county residents. The main OCPL facility is a brand spanking new, 23,500 square feet, two story building at 137 W. Margaret Lane in Hillsborough with a small branch in Carrboro.

The new $8,000,000 facility was built at a time of great economic hardship. Official policy is to excuse the timing of such expenditures as being beneficial to economically stressed taxpayers. In the words of the North Carolina’s state librarian, Ms. Mary Boone, “We're all worried about the economy and our future well-being. During economic downturns, usage of public libraries always increases. That is very much the case this time; we're seeing a dramatic increase, and nationally library usage is at an all-time high.” (See CHN Hillsborough Library Story.)

The other system is the Chapel Hill public library (CHPL), the most per capita used library in the state. However, only 60% of the CHPL service is by Chapel Hill Residents. A large percentage of the CHPL service goes to benefit adjacent Carrboro residents. That burden is forcing Chapel Hill government to consider raising taxes by about $30.00 annually in order to pay for operating costs. Although Orange County provides money to Chapel Hill for the CHPL operations, it’s only about 11% of the CHPL operating budget while the outside Chapel HIll demand is 40% of the services.

Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton doesn't like being asked to pay for services used by his residents. When asked about meeting with Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, Mr. Chilton said, “I suppose we have to, although I do not look forward to it. I am no way – no how – never going to vote to put Carrboro into the same dysfunctional relationsip with either the County or Chapel Hill that the two of them already have with each other.” Mayor Chilton, an expert in dysfunctional relationships, prefers to create his own.

According to Mr. Chilton, Carrboro can't afford to pay for using Chapel Hill's library. Acording to Mr. Chilton, Chapel Hill and Orange County should open a branch on Franklin Street, “putting library services in walking distance of much of the population, including low-income people of color who might have difficulty getting to libraries farther out.” (See CHN Library Story.) Curiously, Mr. Chilton is unaware that low income people of color can take a free bus ride from their neighborhoods to the library which is a distance of about two miles. Apparently, the race card is still a trump card in Chapelboro.

Mr. Chilton conveniently forgets to mention that he has been seeking a $2,700,000 OCPL branch in Carrboro, to be located all of about two miles away from the CHPL facility. (See Chilton Coleman Guest Column.) This branch palace will bear additional operating costs to the county.

Meanwhile, Chapel Hill Councilor Lauren Easthom isn't happy. “I suppose it is dysfunctional that we’ve been paying for Carrboro’s use of the library all these years. Where’s Carrboro in the picture? Why is it always our burden?” (See Herald Sun CHPL Story.)

No word on whether or not Alderman Dan Coleman will offer to screen Carrboro residents using the CHPL facility - ”Are you from Carrboro?”

Even streetwalkers for Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton better look twice when doublecrossing the path that runs up behind “Friends of My Backyard” backyards.

For years, Carrboro has lectured its citizens on the need to increase permeable surfaces within the town. Impervious surfaces increase stormwater runoff, and thus, are bad. The most environmentally sensitive areas, local streams and stream buffers supposedly need the greatest protection. (You can pick yourself up off the floor now. Yes, Carrboro has placed its densest recent residential development, Winmore, smack alongside Bolin Creek.)

The recent proposal by the town to build a concrete “transportation corridor” aka a “greenway” (large enough to take a police patrol car) alongside Bolin Creek on the OWASA easement between Estes Drive and Homestead Road might have seemed odd. Such a plan was recommended by Greenways, Inc., the consulting firm that planned this transportation corridor.

It didn’t seem odd to Mr. Dave Otto, co-chair of that FOMBY group, Friends of Bolin Creek (FOBC) and political streetwalker par excellence for Mr. Chilton. He wrote a guest editorial for the Chapel Hill News praising the concrete corridor.

According to Mr. Otto, “The primary objection to the GWI plan seems to be harm of pavement to the natural environment. However, the “natural environment” that the proposed greenway will replace is the existing OWASA maintenance road which is badly eroded, deeply rutted and a quagmire following heavy rain. A concrete surface would actually stabilize erosion of the roadway. To simply leave the existing “natural” surface is not an acceptable solution. No surface of soil, crushed stone or Chapel Hill gravel in the riparian corridor will withstand periodic flooding.

Another argument for pavement is handicapped accessibility. Wheelchairs, walkers, even crutches cannot be used on the existing muddy and rutted OWASA road. Should the elderly and handicapped be denied access to one of the most beautiful areas in Carrboro? Is it appropriate to reserve this place for those privileged to live in adjacent neighborhoods or physically able to negotiate the rugged terrain?” (See CHN Otto editorial.)

The editorial was printed and presented in the name of Mr. Otto, calling him the chair of FOBC. Unfortunately, Mr. Otto was only FOBC co-chair. Even more unfortunately, his co-chair, Ms. Julie McClintock, was dead set against a concrete transportation corridor.

Hell hath no fury like a co-chair scorned.

Mr. Otto sent a mea culpa to FOBC members. He acknowledged Ms. McClintock as co-chair. He acknowledged they disagreed on the proposed greenway. He said, “When I submitted the article to the CHNews, I clearly stated ‘this piece represents my personal opinion…FoBC is split on these issues…’.” He added that a correction would be printed in the newspaper.

He did not, however, attach a copy of the cover communication for his guest editorial, a communication that should have made these facts clear.

Curiously the CHN correction was neither as prominent as the guest editorial, nor forthcoming as to how such a mistake happened. In the words of CHN editor Mark Schultz, “A column by Dave Otto about the greenway path last weekend should have identified him as a ‘co-chairman’ of Friends of Bolin Creek and said the column represented his personal opinion, not that of the group. We have a correction running tomorrow, but it's out of date. The Friends named Julie McClintock chair after we went to press. Dave is now vice chairman. Julie or someone from the group will provide a dissenting view in an upcoming issue.” (See CHN Correction.)

More curiously, as of this writing, the online editorial still lists Mr. Otto as the sole chair of FOBC.

In response to the Otto editorial, one Carrboro resident wrote Mr. Chilton. “Could someone please explain to me why it is even a consideration to change these woods? I could understand making them a little more accessible to the community, but to pave any part of them?”

Mr. Chilton responded in his typically disingenuous fashion. ”At this point, all we have done is committed ourselves to the notion that we will create a paved greenway connecting Homestead Road with Estes Drive Extension. Two short sections were approved and are funded: 1) from Wilson Park to Estes Drive Extension and along Estes Drive Extension to the railroad tracks and 2) from Homestead Road to Chapel Hill High.

Whether the other parts of the greenway will be near the creek, near Seawell School Road or somewhere in between has not been decided and will probably not be decided until some funding for that part of the project is identified. At present there is no foreseeable source of funding available within the next five years at least. Consequently, I anticipate that the community will continue to have a lively debate about the merits of the various possibilities.” (See Whetten Chilton Letters.)

Mr. Chilton failed to tell the writer that the reason a paved concrete transportation corridor was being planned (plans paid for by the writer’s tax dollars) was to use non-town moneys to build the greenway. These funds are not only foreseeable, but also identified.

Mr. Chilton is just as forthcoming as his fellow bon vivant, Mr. Otto. Greenways, the company advocating the concrete corridor, also happened to have advised neighboring Wake County on its greenways. According to the Wake County Open Space plans (which include greenways), unpaved crushed gravel greenways can provide handicap access. “Type 3: Multi-Use Unpaved Trail Development This designation would apply to corridors that are capable of supporting a broader range of uses. Greenway trail development, if it occurs along a stream, would be located outside of the floodway. A variety of surface materials could be used, but crushed gravel is the most likely. These trails can be used by pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians and persons with disabilities (ADA).”

The leadership “Gunfight at the FOMBY Corral” was bound to happen. Spurs were strapped on. Someone was going down.

About one week after the Otto editorial was published, the following notice was sent to FOBC members. “Effective Monday, January 11, [Dave Otto has] stepped down from Co-chair to Vice-chair of the Friends of Bolin Creek.” Mr. Otto was too slow on the draw for Ms. McClintock, who is now the sole chair, and vehemently opposed to a concrete corridor.

Will Mr. Chilton’s mother, purported FOMBY friend, prevent a showdown between her son, the mayor, and the gravelly FOMBY shootists, set on protecting their backyards? Stay tuned.

In most of southern Orange County “shovel ready” construction projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Obama administration stimulus spending ) were approved and contractors started being solicited before the municipal election of 2009 in November. In fact, in NCDOT Division 7 (which includes Chapel Hill and Carrboro), most of the projects were being solicited for contractors by mid-October.

Curiously, there was one notable project which was not ready, namely TIP #U-3100B. The project was confirmed in April 2009, but no contractor had been solicited. What is U-3100B? It’s a project for providing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transit accommodations on Old Fayetteville Road in Carrboro (SR 1107) from NC 54 up to the McDougle two school campus at Strowd Lane (SR 1106). About $1,800,000 will be used to provide bike lanes and sidewalks along Old Fayetteville Road. Currently this less than half mile stretch of road has only about 50 residences, if you include the connecting block on Carol Street.

Why spend $1,800,000 on a half mile bike lane on a road with so few residences? As always, the answer in Carrboro can be found by looking at pals of the Boa. Turns out that favored Boa developers Mr. Trip Overholt and Mr. Giles Blunden are busy evicting affordable home households in a trailer park off Old Fayetteville Road and replacing them with expensive, dense “smart growth” communalists in a development called “Veridia”. Veridia is located between NC 54 and Strowd Lane.

Imagine that? Of all the half mile sections of road in Carrboro that don’t have bike lanes (the far more densely traveled and populated Estes Drive between Greensboro Street and Seawell School Road comes to mind), the Boa picks the stretch that helps their pals. Sort of reminds astute Pulpsters of the $50,000 gift turned $500,000 sidewalk/street widening charade the Boa gave Mr. Blunden for developing 46 truly odd units in the just about eight acre, Carrboro coal camp vernacular development, Pacifica.

Can you imagine why Boa incumbents running for office in 2009 wouldn’t have wanted this project breaking ground and in the news in time for voters to be told? Say, where was the local media? Anyone? Anyone?

El Centro Latino (ECL) opened its doors in Carrboro about a decade ago in order to provide assistance to cheap immigrant labor needed to groom Chapelboros’ gardens and clean its bidets. At the opening was the former political spokesperson for MesoAmericans, former Carrboro Alderman, Mr. John Herrera.

After divorcing his native, American-born, citizenship-providing wife and establishing a new family, Mr. Herrera left Carrboro, giving up his sure-fire seat on the Carrboro Board of Alderman. Now it appears that he left just in time. ECL has announced that it is closing indefinitely due to financial difficulties. Apparently, Mr. Herrera was too busy moving to Apex to help ECL find more funds.

Apparently, Carrboro’s new Hispanic guero legislator, “Mr. Carrbobama” community organizer, Mr. William Samuel Slade has been too busy getting funds for himself to be able to devote time to help ECL get more funding. Yes, as yet another invisible income public official, Mr. Slade had to be installed in Mr. Herrera's vacant seat a few weeks early in order to keep his own doors open, exactly where those doors lead isn't public knowledge.

Pulpsters need not fear, ECL isn’t closing. Rather it’s going to hold a January 2010 public meeting to decide how to keep on going, regardless of whether or not its outlived its original purpose. ECL has asked people wanting information about the January meeting to e-mail eclcarrboro@gmail.com. (See DTH ECL Closing Story.)

No word on whether or not a full financial accounting of all moneys provided ECL will be provided at the January meeting.

No word on whether or not a full list of measurable accomplishments will be provided at the January meeting.

No word on a full accounting of the income taxes received by local governments due to the work of ECL will be provided at the January meeting.

In most of North Carolina, a majority of elected officials have children and send them to the local public school systems. It’s particularly true if they parade their environmental values on their sleeves. “I’m so green, my children walk or ride a bus to school”.

But Orange County isn’t like the rest of North Carolina. Here, elected officials just have to say warm and fuzzy things for a voting electorate that bathes in mediocrity and “unaccomplishment”, where local newspapers unabashedly take loans from the elected officials they cover. What makes the choice for private over public schools especially interesting is that Chapelboro public schools are considered among the best in the state. They're apparently just not good enough for the lecturing, resolution-spouting rulers of Carrboro.

For those Pulpsters wishing to keep score, here’s the latest table for the incoming Carrboro governance board. Many of these green wizards drive their children over 40 miles daily to private school. How progressive!

Could it be that Carrboro officials are concerned about their children attending Carrboro Elementary, which is now 24% Hispanic?

In the rest of North Carolina, when towns physically grow together, the respective municipal governments look at ways to share municipal services and, perhaps, even to merge. Witness Winston-Salem (formerly the towns of Winston and Salem), Fuquay-Varina (formerly the town of Fuquay and Varina), or Jonesville (formerly the towns of Jonesville and Arlington).

But Orange County isn't like the rest of North Carolina. Here town governance boards decide what they want, and residents must pay for it. No one looks at the effect on the incomes of town residents. If the “pony” wanted by town boards is “good”, then the boards get the pony, regardless of cost, regardless of what's happening to the income of town residents.

It should come as no surprise to Pulpsters that the net effect of duplicating redundant bureaucratic empires for delivering similar services in adjacent areas comes at a price. One of the elements inflating that price is the continuous growth in the number of municipal employees.

In the contest between the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, which have a commmon border of several miles, Carrboro is by far the winner in expanding its municipal employee base. In the past six years Carrboro has increased its number of FTEs (full time employee equivalents) about 15%, from 141 to 162. Meanwhile, Chapel Hill has only been able to increase its base only about 8%, from a little over 459 to a little over 497. Together, these two, intertwined towns (with a population less than 100,000) have about 660 FTEs.

Yes, what’s wrong with living in Carrboro after leaving office? Why do rulers impose their will on the town for years, and then up and leave? Why, when they leave, do they wait until after candidate filing periods close?

First, in 2005 then-Mayor Mike Nelson announces unexpectedly that he’s leaving Carrboro for Hillsborough at the end of his term, after over a decade of imposing irresponsible, financial mismanagement and shady land deals on Carrboro residents. No explanation is given.

Now Alderman John Herrera announces that after eight years in office and passage of the magnificent Carrboro pooperscooper ordinance, he too is leaving Carrboro. This time the greener grass is Holly Springs, over in Wake County. No explanation is given.

Curiously, Alderman Herrerra is pulling a Bill Strom move. He announces that he wouldn't run again prior to the opening of the candidate filing period, throwing his support to that self-described “Latino” candidate, well-known usufructer with an ill-defined employment history (yet again) and trustafarian, Mr. Sammy Slade. Yet, Mr. Herrera decides not to announce his move from Carrboro until after the candidate filing period ended.

Yes, once again, the Orange Progressive preference for appointment over election is in play. According to the recent change in the state laws controlling Carrboro governance, Mr. Herrera’s vacancy can be filled immediately by appointment from the current Boa. (See Carrboro Election Statute, created, yet again, at great cost to town taxpayers and at great reward to Carrboro's high-priced, meter-running, town attorney.)

No word on when current candidate, and BOA pal, Mr. Sammy Slade, will be appointed as the replacement for Mr. Herrera.

Why Mr. Slade? Because he's a pal of the board. Because the power of incumbency is mighty. It helped Alderman Dan Coleman win in spite of a hushed-up misreporting to police of an assault of a woman with his vehicle in Anderson Park.

No thought will be given to appointing the fourth highest vote getter for alderman in the 2007 municipal election, Ms. Katrina Ryan.

No word on when the last load of shame left town.

Mayor Chilton’s Letter Announcing Alderman Herrera’s Belated Resignation

Congratulations to Carrboro Alderman John Herrera on his recent remarriage. (A beautiful wedding ceremony it was, too!) John's new blended family has six (!) children and I received the news this afternoon that his new family is making a new home in Holly Springs, which necessitates his resignation from the Board of Aldermen. I want to say that although I will miss having John on the board (and in Carrboro), I know he is doing the best thing for his family and I wish him all the best. I am also confident that John will remain a leader in North Carolina and I look forward to hearing what he is up to next. Congratulations and thanks for your service, John.
From Mark Chilton

Alderman Herrera's Resignation Letter

Dear Mayor, Colleagues and staff: It is with mixed feelings that I am writing this short note to notify you that I am submitting my resignation to the Board of Alderman of Carrboro. Due to my new change of residence outside of the city limits. I just bought a house in Holly Springs, NC and I am in the process of moving. It has been a pleasure and an honor to have work with you and served this beautiful town a an Alderman and Mayor Pro-Term. The appreciation for community diversity and the progressive community values that Carrboro has, it is what makes us unique from most towns in North Carolina and in the United States. I am very proud and grateful for the opportunity that Carrboro granted me to be a public servant. I will continue following the new developments of Carrboro and will continue to pray that the Creator always grant you wisdom and knowledge to continue to lead and serve this great community of Carrboro. My most sincere greetings to all of you. If I can be of help in any capacity and I am able to help, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please let me know if there is an official protocol that I need to follow to do this. I will like to have had the chance to thank in a public meeting all the people of Carrboro for this unique opportunity.
Sincerely,
John A. Herrera

Two years ago there was a big brouhaha at Carrboro’s favorite hangout for the underemployed, Weaver Street Market lawn. All kinds of people without any visible vocation, such as Alderman Dan Coleman, spend hours each day at the Weave.

One of the lawn denizens was a convicted robbery felon, Mr. Bruce Thomas. He had the quaint habit of dancing wherever, whenever, and however, he felt like dancing. He even took to dancing with bricks in his hands…around children

The spectre of personal injury lawsuits forced the hand of Carr Mill Mall manager, Mr. Nathan Milian. His client, the owners of Carr Mill Mall exercized their personal property rights and banned Mr. Thomas from the Mall property, after nicely asking him to stop.

Ohh….the heat! Oh…the light! Ohh…the nonsense!

You would have thought that the Bill of Rights had been burned. All the loons showed up to protect Mr. Thomas’ right to dance with bricks.

Who did these Mall owners think they were? How dare they talk about property rights!

You can still see the silliness on YouTube for yourselves.

Among those flaunting the property rights of the Carr Mill Mall owners was none other than Alderman Coleman. (Look at about the two minute mark on the video, ”AlderDan” in all his AlderGlory!) Knowing that the Carrboro police wouldn't dare enforce trespass laws against a public official, even one who lies to them, Mr. Coleman fearlessly joined the dance-in on the Weave Lawn.

Anxious for publicity, AlderDan stuck his nose into Mr. Milian’s business. (See N&O Coleman Butts In Story.) He demanded that the Mall owners bow to public pressure. He got Mr. Milian to change the “Good Neighbor Rules” already posted by Mr. Milian, who had the nerve to ask for a ban on soliciting, loitering, sleeping on the benches, and unauthorized performances.

Yes, AlderDan was beaming at the press conference, announcing how he and Mayor Chilton had gotten Carr Mill Mall to cave. Dancers, musicians and other creative types no longer had to sign up to express themselves on the Weave lawn. (See Coleman Dances On Property Rights Story.)

Fast forward to August 2009.

He’s back! Yes, Mr. Thomas has returned to Carr Mill Mall. In fact he’s such a fixture there, Mr. Milian has again had to step in. This time Mr. Thomas is being asked to park across the street where employees park.

Why? In Mr. Milian’s words, “I haven’t seen [Mr. Thomas] dance in a long time. It’s at the point that he’s loitering. It’s the point at which you’re no longer conducting business. When he stays here all day, he’s not a customer.” One wonders how Mr. Milian is able to distinguish Mr. Thomas from among the many loiterers whiling away their employable hours contributing nothing substantive to the Carrboro economy.

Has AlderDan heard the word? Surely, he’s headed down to Mr. Milian’s office to protect Mr. Thomas’ right to loiter and right to park just like anyone else.

Not really. The Daily Tar Heel quotes Mr. Coleman as predicting that “He doesn’t expect board members to get involved. It’s private property. It’s up to their discretion how they manage their lot.” (See DTH Coleman Property Rights Activist Story.)

What a difference two years makes. A committed eco-marxist can blossom into a pliable eco-fascist.

The quintessential Carrboro candidate has filed for mayor in the upcoming 2009 municipal election. Mr./Ms. Amanda Ashley has filed for office, challenging the current mayor Mr. Mark Chilton, aka “Boss Hawg”. In the words of Mr./Ms. Ashley, he/she is a 53 year old ”translesbian feminist wiccan graphic artist”. (See Mr./Ms. Ashleys’ Myspace posting.)

Mr./Ms. Ashley is self-described as being “at a crossroads of actualization and truth”, dedicated to “slowly becoming a better witch” by getting “immersed in matrifocal political theory”.

Apparently, Mr./Ms. Ashley does not suffer from gender binary oppression, researches “herstory”, creates “lesbian boudoir art”, and works “to create the rise of a less automobile-oriented city planning system and a more gynocentric social system, not necessarily in that order.”

In most of North Carolina, municipal governance boards are prone at least to schedule a public hearing on the substance of a formal written appeal to a North Carolina US Senator before sending a substantive letter. Even the fig leaf of a minimal public notice, followed by a pre-arranged parade of prepped and perky pals is seen to be “good form”.

Who cares if the majority of citizens in the municipality agree with a governance board letter? Let them run for office if they want to stop over-reaching and unsubstantiated letter writing.

However, Orange County isn’t like most places in North Carolina. Here, not even a fig leaf is needed. It’s not that modesty is in abstentia. It's just that rulers wear “emperor’s clothing”, i.e., they never know they’re naked.

A classic example of the governance syndrome of “caput inflatus” can be seen in the recent doings of Alderman Dan Coleman. He recently sent a letter to US Senator Kay Hagan (D–NC), not as a private citizen, but as a Carrboro alderman speaking for the entire governance board. It read as follows:

“I am writing on behalf of the Mayor and Alderman of the Town of Carrboro Board to urge you to give your full backing to the public option for health insurance sought by President Obama.

Municipal governments in North Carolina are struggling with double-digit annual increases in health insurance costs while county social services are hard-pressed to meet the needs of the uninsured and under-insured. We desperately need your help to achieve needed reform.

It is our belief that the health care crisis in the United States will ultimately only be solved by a single-payer national system. We encourage you, for the sake of the citizens of North Carolina and the nation, to do all you can to achieve such a system.”

(Mr. Coleman forgot to mention that for working less than 100 hours a year he gets free healthcare from the citizens of Carrboro.)

(See Carrboro Citizen Coleman Care Story.)

Unfortunately, the town records show that the BOA never bothered to tell town citizens of their decision. They didn’t even bother with a public notice of any meeting discussing and deciding upon a town “healthcare position”.

Exactly when was that public hearing? So much for replacing the burned out bulb in the Carrboro beacon of “open government”.

Luckily, Senator Hagan is prone to lucid moments of governance and not merely being a bobblehead to fellow party members. Apparently, she wants to read any healthcare reform proposal in its details before signing on. Just calling a proposal “a public option” doesn’t seem to be enough.

How un-Carrboro can she get?

In most towns in North Carolina, having the state department of transportation (NCDOT) pay to expand a heavily used road and add bike lanes and sidewalks to boot would be considered a great deal. In most towns, government exists to serve the people, not to have people serve the government.

However, Orange County is different. Creating traffic bottlenecks to get people out of their cars is considered “enlightened government”. Your pain is town gain.

For the past six months the Carrboro governance board (BOA) has been in a micturation contest with NCDOT. The BOA wants what it wants and doesn’t see why NCDOT doesn’t change its statewide programs to suit Carrboro.

What does the BOA want? They want a major road leading from the rapidly growing Chatham County (Smith Level Road) to remain choked at two lanes. Just add bike lanes and sidewalks so that pedestrians and cyclists can watch the traffic jams safely.

What does NCDOT want? It wants to widen the road in anticipation of the road traffic projected over the next 25 years. The road is already crowded and slated to become more so. As an incentive, NCDOT would throw in sidewalks and bike lanes at the same time.

NCDOT has a program that can provide just sidewalks and bike lanes. Unfortunately, that Bicycles and Pedestrian Division can’t fund anything in Carrboro before 2011, and Carrboro may have to wait until 2017.

Immediate funds to improve Smith Level Road are available through another program called the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The catch is that the remaining available TIP money from the last approved cycle is for enhancing roadways for the dreaded car, and not solely for installing sidewalks and bike lanes. Unfortunately, NCDOT doesn't appreciate that the BOA values respect for its opinions and wants, no matter how zany, above all else.

In the petulant words of Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton, “[sidewalks and bike lanes] are not given the kind of weight or priority that roadway projects in other communities are given. I haven’t actually heard a reason why this can’t be part of the state TIP.” In other words, Mr. Chilton sees no reason why he shouldn't be accomodated, because, well, he's the mayor of Carrboro.

Unfortunately, Mr. Chilton knows that sidewalks and bike lanes can be funded by TIP. However it's up to the BOA to give NCDOT a priority listing for such a project. (Which begs the question, why didn't Mr. Chilton think enough of the sidewalks and bike lanes to include them in the currently funded TIP cycle?) Perhaps he has also forgotten that on 16 September 2008, he had the chance at a BOA meeting to add the Smith Level Road bike lanes and sidewalks to the town’s recommendations for the next funded TIP cycle (also 2011 to 2017). Too bad he didn't amend the list then to fund the sidewalk and bike lanes in the next TIP cycle, but then that would be showing subservience to routine, planning, and good governance.

As a public service, the Pulp offers to Mayor Chilton the following TIP link. Pulpsters can submit their own questions alongside those of the mayor.

Alderman Jackie Gist again most clearly reveals the creativity used by the BOA in addressing local transportation issues. If she can walk to her part-time job, why can’t you? “People will do what’s easiest for them to do. I would love to see it become a pain to drive a single occupancy vehicle because when it’s a pain in the neck people are going to change their behavior.” (See Chapel Hill News Road Story.)

Smugly pronouncing the BOA’s rejection of NCDOT aid, Alderman Dan Coleman states, “So the motion is, then, as “Mythbusters” put it, ‘We reject your reality and substitute our own'.” (Say, that doubles for a criminal defense too.)

That about sums up progressive governance in zany Orange County. Philosophy is based on an entertainment television show.

No word on when a resolution will be introduced to change the town name to “Cycleboro”.

Sometimes the velvet glove slips off the iron fist of local government. That happened at the Carrboro Planning Board on 4 June 2009.

The Carrboro Planning Board is a group of citizen volunteers that advises the Carrboro governance board (BOA) on town land development issues. Supposedly, the input from the planning board guides the BOA on how citizens feel about changes in the town’s land use.

As an example of “open and direct“ democracy, the planning board model is flawed. The weakness of the model is that it requires the BOA appoint a cross-section of views representing all diverse views held by residents in the town, and not just its pals. The planning board is loaded with citizens of a land use ideology that matches the BOA and not the citizenry of the town. In Carrboro the minority view is not legitimate, and thus, needn’t be considered, much less discussed.

However, even partisan planning board members were surprised by the fascismo move of the BOA. Over one week before the June 4th meeting, the agenda for the planning board meeting was circulated. A discussion of “farm issues” including a discussion of a text amendment proposal for accessory farm apartments was on the agenda.

At the opening of the June 4th meeting, a call was made as to any changes to the agenda. All were silent. Then much later, towards the end of the meeting, with citizens in attendance who came specifically to discuss the text amendment with the planning board, Ms. Patricia J. McGuire (town planner, member of the town's PZI “police squad”, and “open government expert”) announced that the planning board couldn’t talk about the text amendment.

Couldn’t talk about a scheduled agenda item? In an open government town? In a meeting of citizen volunteers? Yes, smiled Ms. McGuire. The BOA forbade it by legislative fiat.

How did a gag rule come into being with no one watching? Turns out, the deed was done at the very end of the 19 May 2009 meeting, After 10:30PM, in the last five minutes, after a long (over three hours) public hearing on Colleton Crossing, Alderman Dan Coleman brought up the text amendment issue, conveniently waiting for the audience to have cleared the room. Even the media had cleared the room to meet deadlines. Alderman Coleman didn't explain why he didn't raise the issue earlier in front of a town hall filled with citizens.

Mr. Coleman announced that he just happened to talk to the planning board head, Mr. Matthew Barton, prior to the May 19th BOA meeting. Peevishly, Mr. Coleman reported that Mr. Barton had the audacity to attend a meeting of farmers who had concerns of Carrboro town regulations without a BOA member in attendance.

To shut down further democracy in action, Mr. Coleman made a motion for the BOA to direct the planning board not to address farmer’s concerns until the BOA did. His reasons? First, BOA members should hear citizen comments and decide whether or not if the planning board should listen to citizens. The second reason is that Ms. Kille is “involved” with town planning board discussions. In other words, the planning board isn’t supposed to do any real work.

Alderman Joel Hall Broun was “uneasy” about Mr. Coleman's motion, but voted for it in her hurry to exit the meeting. Alderman Randee Haven O’Donnell thought that farmers going to the planning board before the BOA is “a circuitous route”. All normal land use matters go through the planning board before going to the BOA, so no explanation was given as to why this issue should not follow normal procedure. Alderman Lydia Lavelle displayed her trademark “level-headedness”, by ignoring the citizen volunteers.

In a cumbayah move, Alderman Coleman disparaged Ms. Kille as “an unreliable source”, despite the town having lost documents, conducted a kangaroo court trial at a BOA meeting, and generally revealing their penchant for iron-fisted control. Strange words coming from someone who wrote a book extolling the virtues of direct citizen democracy. But then the gag rule is more than just suppressing contrary views.

Politics is rearing its ugly head. With the Carrboro town election in November, it wouldn't do to have planning board members appear to be more responsive to town issues than incumbent aldermen. Questions would be raised. Why did the town spend so much money on attorneys? Why did Mayor Chilton kill even the consideration of a text amendment? Why did it take an “outsider” to propose a text amendment to the planning board?

Citizens are perplexed.

As quoted in the Chapel Hill Herald, Ms. Sharon Cook, planning board member and activist volunteer who introduced the text amendment that needed gagging, says, “It’s just very unusual in a government where we talk about openness and transparency to tell a board that you can’t talk about something.”

Those feelings are matched by town native Ms. Jennifer Ellis saying, “It sounds like they’re trying to hide something by not allowing the [planning] board to discuss something that’s one of the unique cultures of Carrboro.”

Town resident Ms. Meredith Carter adds, “It’s not even that uncomfortable of an issue. I can see it getting out of control easily by the aldermen becoming even more despotic in shutting down discussion on political issues with which they disagree.”

No word on when Alderman Coleman will introduce his latest book on direct democracy, ”GagPolitics”, as a companion to his bestseller, ”EcoPolitics”.

In most urban cities with dense growth farm animals have been excluded. Public health officials understand the link between humans and domestic animal diseases. They understand that bringing animal feces and people together causes communicable disease risk. However, in southern Orange County public health and safety is low down the pecking order when it comes to locavore chic.

What can be more satisfying than the sight of chickens in your neighbor’s urban postage stamp yard. Apparently the Chapel Hill and Carrboro governance boards are scratching new ground in raising the risk factor to humans in urban environments. They want their towns to be urban, but still want farm animals. In the words of Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton, ”I think the chickens around town help provide some food security to our community and are a good learning opportunity for children and adults.” (See Chapel Hill News Chicken Chic Story.)

The mayor is so right. Owning chickens affords Carrboro residents (even those not owning chickens) the “good learning opportunity” of being exposed to the following zoonoses, in this case, fowl diseases that are communicable to humans. The Carrboro BOA once again, as in the lonchera text amendment story, puts public health behind small town urban chic.

Here's a list excerpted from a University of Florida Pamphlet.

Avian Tuberculosis
Avian tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium avium which is closely related to the human and bovine tuberculosis bacteria. In humans, M. avium infections can cause local wound infections with swelling of regional lymph nodes. The infection is most severe in immunocompromised individuals. M. avium is spread by ingestion of food or water contaminated by feces from shedder birds.

While most Mycobacterium infections are treatable with antibiotics, M. avium infection is the exception. It's highly resistant to antibiotics. Surgical excision and lymph node removal are often necessary to eliminate infection.

Chlamydiosis
Chlamydia psittaci is an unusual bacteria-like organism that affects more than 100 avian species. Chlamydiosis is primarily transmitted by inhalation of contaminated fecal dust and is spread by carrier birds, which act as the main reservoirs for the disease. The organism is excreted in both the feces and nasal secretions. Shedding is sporadic and is usually induced by stress. A carrier state can persist for years. The organism survives drying, which facilitates oral spread and allows transmission on contaminated clothing and equipment. Chlamydiosis can be transmitted bird to bird, feces to bird, and bird to human. Human to human transmission can occur, mainly by exposure to patient's saliva.

Colibacillosis
Colibacillosis is caused by Escherichia coli infection. E. coli is a bacteria which normally inhabits the intestinal tract of all animals. There are a number of different strains, many species-specific. Not all strains are pathogenic. Humans with colibacillosis usually manifest diarrhea which may be complicated by other syndromes depending on the E. coli serotype. These complications may include fever, dysentery, shock, and purpura (multiple small purplish hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes).

The incubation period is 12 hours to 5 days, although 12-72 hours is most common. Transmission is via the fecal-oral route. Colibacillosis is often food- or water-borne.

Cryptococcosis
Certain fungi prefer to grow in soils enriched with avian manures. Cryptococcus neoformans is one of these. The incubation period is probably weeks. Infections are seen in many mammals, but occur most frequently in humans, horses, dogs, and cats.

Transmission of cryptococcosis is usually by inhalation of this yeast-like fungus, although it can occasionally occur by ingestion. Humans can pick up cryptococcosis from exposure to old pigeon nests or droppings. In humans, cryptococcosis is manifested as meningitis or meningoencephalitis, and it is usually preceded by pulmonary infection with cough, blood-tinged sputum, fever, and malaise. The course of the disease is usually chronic. There is usually fever, cough, chest pain, and spitting of blood from the respiratory tract, followed by headache, stiff neck and visual disturbances.

(Technically, this disease is avian-associated, and not a zoonotic disease. The reservoir is soil and not the birds.)

Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by protozoa of the genus Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidiosis normally causes respiratory problems in chickens and turkeys. It can also cause gastroenteritis and diarrhea. In humans, it causes abdominal pain, nausea, and watery diarrhea lasting 3-4 days. In immunocompromised people, it can cause severe, persistent diarrhea with associated malabsorption of nutrients and weight loss.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is caused by a RNA virus in the genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae. Outbreaks can occur in chickens. Abdominal distress and dysentery are the most obvious signs of exposure.

EEE is mosquito-borne. The virus circulates in a mosquito-bird cycle in which passerine birds (i.e., song birds such as swallows, starlings, jays, and finches) are the most common reservoir. The mosquitoes become infected and feed on birds, horses, and humans, further spreading the infection. In pheasants, initial infection is mosquito-borne, but additional dissemination occurs by pecking and cannibalism.

EEE usually affects persons under 15 or over 50 years of age. In adults there is a sudden onset of high fever, headache, vomiting, and lethargy, progressing rapidly to neck stiffness, convulsions, spasticity, delirium, tremors, stupor and coma. In children, EEE is typically manifested by fever, headaches and vomiting for 1-2 days. After an apparent recovery, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) is characterized by quick onset and great severity follows. Retardation or other permanent neurologic consequences are common in survivors.

Histoplasmosis
Histoplasma capsulatum is another soil reservoir issue. Histoplasmosis can affect humans, dogs and cats.

The incubation period is 7-14 days. Most cases in humans are asymptomatic. Disease may be manifested in three forms: acute pulmonary (most common), chronic cavitary pulmonary, and disseminated. The acute pulmonary form is influenza-like and lasts up to several weeks. It is characterized by chills, chest pain, nonproductive cough, fever, and malaise. The chronic form occurs in people over 40 and resembles tuberculosis. It is characterized by a productive cough, pus-like sputum (material expelled from the respiratory passages), weight loss, and shortness of breath. The disseminated form occurs in the very young or the elderly. Lesions include enlarged spleen and liver, and mucosal ulceration. The disseminated form of histoplasmosis can be fatal if not treated.

Transmission occurs by inhalation of spores produced by growth of the mold. Histoplasmosis is not a communicable disease. The reservoir is the soil, especially when enriched with droppings. Wet the area and wear a face mask or respirator when working in suspect surroundings. Spraying the soil with a formaldehyde solution has been used to kill the fungi. (Technically, this disease is avian-associated, and not a zoonotic disease. The reservoir is soil and not the birds.)

Salmonellosis
Salmonella bacterial infection is endemic to chickens in the USA. It’s why you take such care with raw egg preparations. Most animals are susceptible to salmonella infection. This bacterial disease has common clinical symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever. Infections can progress to dehydration, weakness, and sometimes, especially in the very young or very old, death. In severe cases there can be a high fever, septicemia (blood poisoning), headaches, and an enlarged painful spleen. Focal infections may occur in any organ, including heart, kidney, joints, meninges (membranes which surround and protect the brain and spinal cord), and the periosteum (fibrous membrane of connective tissue which closely surrounds all bones except at the joints).

The incubation period is 6-72 hours, although 12-36 hours is most common. Salmonella are transmitted by ingestion of food contaminated by fecal matter (fecal-oral route). Excretion of the bacteria commonly varies from a few days to weeks. In some instances (e.g., S. typhi, typhoid fever) infected persons can shed bacteria for life. S. enteriditis in avian fecal material is able to penetrate eggshells, and may be present in uncooked eggs.

While down on the farm chicken flocks are regularly tested for disease and their environs sanitized against disease propagation, within the more urban environs of southern Orange they can roam free from knowledgeable safe handling.

No word on what, if any, testing will be required for chicken flocks residing within town limits.

To avoid overkill, the Pulp is not going to report on the avian flu threat presented by chickens in close associations with urban living quarters. You can read more about this public health issue at the following sites, CDC and FAO.

In most North Carolina towns, the mayor, the town manager, the town attorney, and the town clerk would notice if their email didn’t have receive a copy of a general notice to the town email listserv notifying the media and the public of a town public meeting subject to state “sunshine” laws. Not so in Carrboro, where Mayor Mark Chilton, Town Manager Steve Stewart, Town Attorney Mike Brough, and Town Clerk Sarah Williamson all “forgot” to check on the local media notice of Town’s annual BOA and staff retreat. Apparently, the fact that it's an election year has nothing to do with the error. (Pulpsters should note that these meetings are not only attended by the local media, but also by interested citizens, some of whom might be considering a run for local office.)

According to Mr. Chilton, the Town had a problem sending official notification to anyone outside of Town Hall, beyond that is a piece of 8.5” by 11” paper stuck on a bulletin board in Town Hall. According to Mr. Chilton, that’s all that’s needed to comply with state law. (You can read the law below and decide for yourself.)

State law requires that the public be informed of the retreat. In particular state law requires, in part, that Carrboro send a written notice to the media. The law reads that such a notice should “… be mailed or delivered to each newspaper, wire service, radio station, and television station, which has filed a written request for notice with the clerk or secretary of the public body or with some other person designated by the public body. The public body shall also cause notice to be mailed or delivered to any person, in addition to the representatives of the media listed above, who has filed a written request with the clerk, secretary, or other person designated by the public body. This notice shall be posted and mailed or delivered at least 48 hours before the time of the meeting. The public body may require each newspaper, wire service, radio station, and television station submitting a written request for notice to renew the request annually. The public body shall charge a fee to persons other than the media, who request notice, of ten dollars ($10.00) per calendar year, and may require them to renew their requests quarterly.” (See NCGS § 143 318.12.)

How the notice snafu happened wasn’t fully explained. (See Carboro Citizen Story.) More importantly, how did the mayor, the town manager, the town attorney, and the town clerk each miss the fact that none of them received a copy of any email from the town IT department notifying the media or public of the meeting? If the Carrboro IT system doesn’t send these officials such a notice, then why not? If it does, then why did none of these people notice that no one came to the meeting? Why did that not seem strange?

One curious reaction to this “clerical error” is that of former Carrboro Alderman candidate and BOA pal Catherine DeVine, who said, “The town manager shouldn't have to apologize for meeting with the mayor and BOA without members of the press in attendance. They need this freedom when there's hard stuff to discuss out of the public eye.” Of course, the illegality of such an action is of little concern for Orange Progressives. After all, the “right” people are in charge. They only have your “best interests” in mind.

When the retreat started, Messrs. Brough, Chilton, and Stewart and Ms. Williamson all knew that no one from the local media was there. They knew that was an unprecedented occurrence for a town retreat, much less one held before an upcoming election and in a time of economic turmoil. Yet, they went ahead with the meeting anyway. This misfeasance begs the all important question, why was the meeting not adjourned? Why did they knowingly hold a meeting when even a UNC journalism student knows proper public notice wasn't given to the media?

In the world of southern Orange County, the easiest way to solve a problem is to “study” the problem and then, as a result of that study, declare it not to be a problem.

The Carrboro BOA maintains that high standard of problem solving in its latest pronouncement that parking is not really a problem, just one of perception. According to the BOA, demand does not exceed 85% of capacity in Carrboro. Thus, the merchant complaints are unfounded. Thus, the BOA can continue to strip parking from downtown infill projects. Thus, the town doesn’t need to build a parking garage. Thus, the endless minutes you spend circling the blocks in Carrboro’s business district are your problem, not theirs.

As reported in the the Chapel Hill News, Alderman Joal Hall Broun declared that the town should not encourage parking everywhere. ”We should ask ourselves how much do we want to encourage parking and how much of it do we not want to encourage.” Well said for someone who drives to every town meeting and has plenty of parking at town hall for her to do so.

However, Mayor Mark Chilton warned that the town may have to spend some money on parking. That’s not a problem for him as the town subsidizes UNC for a major part of the Chapel Hill Transit bus system. In fact, Carrboro pays far more per capita for that system than the town of Chapel Hill.

Curiously absent from the local media coverage is the mention of who actually conducted the study. The study was not conducted by a traffic engineering firm. The study was conducted by a UNC student group as part of a class exercise.

The non-certified engineers found that if you include the entire downtown area, then current parking demand does not exceed the ideal of 85% occupancy. However, they also found that current parking demand does exceed ideal occupancy in certain “subzones”, at specific times of day. They also found that demand is projected to increase with future developments. As pointed out repeatedly by the Pulp, the students found there will be a parking shortage in the sub-zone around the five story condo/hotel 300 E Main property after it’s developed.

Cherry-picking only the supportive findings from student project reports, that’s the sound progressive basis for making parking planning decisions in Carrboro.

In a fitting ending for a year of abysmally irresponsible government financial regulation, followed by panic federal government spending, Chapelboro governance boards want to join in. Wanting to chow down on the government “stimulus” spending being slopped into the federal government feed trough, the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are milking their wish list of important infrastructure pork projects.

Here are some of the vital infrastructure ($47,000,000+) projects that will save the USA economy by adding their fair portion, nationwide, of a $1,000,000,000,000 in national debt.

No word on how much debt will be created for the firstborn child of 2009 in the UNC hospital.

(See Herald Sun Feed Trough Story.)

A local Herald Sun guest columnist revealed the first cracks in the Orange Progressive/Anarchist (see Ruby Sinreich) façade. Ms. Michelle Lewis dared to suggest that “… one day the luxury of feeling different may have to succumb to the reality that boutique governments are just too expensive. If that day has come, then Carrboro citizens should petition the town to study the cost savings a merger would produce. I expect the savings would be considerable.” (See Herald Sun Chapelboro Editorial.)

Ms. Lewis dared to point out that “Despite its small size, Carrboro has its own government and all the fixed and variable costs that go along with it…. Carrboro's town officials have been trying to reduce the residential property tax burden by increasing the commercial tax base. Yet when you have only 6.4 square miles within which to work, it's hard to accomplish without creating intense commercial development and very tall buildings.”

As a palliative to local progressives, Ms. Lewis blamed the reluctance of one neighborhood, The Highlands, to be forced into Carrboro through a coercive involuntary annexation seizure as being due to a paltry couple of hundred dollars a year difference in Chapel Hill versus Carrboro town taxes. (Pulpsters should note how those more overtly concerned with promoting social equity over monetary considerations always manage to refer back justifying the actions of those with whom they disagree in terms of money, ignoring opposing social equity considerations.)

Ms. Lewis ignores the fact that the neighborhood in question was not part of the Carrboro social fabric, and some four years later, still isn’t part of that fabric. Likewise, she ignores that the BOA for four years has broken its promise to provide the annexed areas with promised enhanced fire protection. Pulpsters can note that the roads in that annexed neighborhood haven’t even been annexed, despite repeated assurances to the contrary by Alderman Jacquie Gist.

In typical local progressive fashion, Ms. Lewis offers no practical plan as to how the local Carrboro “boutique government” leaders and town staff will be paid off to accept a loss in money and power.

In the words of that great progressive reformer, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, “[powerful political office] is a f@#$ing valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

One of the favorite topics for local progressive politicians is ED, aka economic development. Operating in a vacuum, without practical for-profit business experience, local Orange Progressive governance boards talk on and on about the need for ED without producing tangible results. To show their serious intent, they have four salaried ED manager-bureaucrats, each dedicated to promoting local ED, at a cost to Pulpster locals of over $500,000 annually.

But what do these governance boards and their bureaucratic minions do for existing businesses not within the UNC economic penumbra? A classic example can be seen in the case of Furniture Follies, an uncommon for-profit business located in the Carrboro planning jurisdiction outside town limits, i.e., the second-class citizen zone where residents don’t elect those who control how their neighborhoods are used through land use regulation.

Located in a leased warehouse on N.C. 54, about a mile west of Carrboro Plaza, the Furniture Follies owner, Mr. Ridge Cook, made the mistake of not understanding that the town fire code could be interpreted to stop his customers from coming inside his store. Yes, according to the Carrboro town staff, the Carrboro fire code required that Mr. Cook install a sprinkler system in an isolated building located miles from the town center before customers could set foot in the dangerous used furniture store.

(Pulpsters should note building sprinkler systems are designed not to save people, but to save building structures and to stop the spread of fire. Curiously, the Carrboro fire code doesn’t require sprinkler systems in bars and restaurants where people smoke and drink, as opposed to isolated used furniture retail outlets.)

In looking at sprinkler systems, Mr. Cook found he had a problem besides cost. There wasn't enough water pressure at his isolated store site to run a sprinkler system.

In the spirit of an entrepreneur, Mr. Cook persevered. He jumped through the Carrboro non-pal business hoops. He talked to town bureaucrats. He attended BOA meetings. He asked for an amendment of the town's fire code to allow internal firewalls in lieu of sprinklers. (Local progressives are big on “in lieu of” provisions. These fudge factors allow inequitable application of town regulations.)

In what was an eternity for a small for-profit business, Mr. Cook got good news. The BOA finally agreed to change the fire code. The bad news for Mr. Cook was that the FILO (firewall-in-lieu-of) required Mr. Cook to install new plumbing and electrical service to each side of his leased store. As reported in the Herald Sun, Mr. Cook said, ”It's too late for us. We're going to sell it out. We have until Dec. 31 to clear out.”

Mr. Cook made the mistake of moving into Carrboro’s planning jurisdiction at his own expense. He should have moved in at taxpayer expense. He should have used of a low cost, taxpayer-subsidized, Carrboro revolving fund loan administered by Mr. James Harris, Carrboro's ED expert. If only he had used town money, then he would have been a BOA pal. As such, the BOA would have taken care of their pal, interpreting the fire codes differently, or at the very least changing the fire code rules expeditiously for his benefit.

Furniture Follies has closed its doors because of Carrboro fire code follies, another local ED success story.

Imagine the following scenario.

A person builds a garage in a town with zoning ordinances and inspections. A permit is obtained for the garage. It’s built under the gaze of town inspectors. As part of the garage plan, an apartment with plumbing is built on a second floor. All is done with no hiding of any fact from the town staff. Only one problem, the zoning isn’t supposed to allow garage apartments.

Now consider that this error isn’t discovered for ten years. No one complains.

The reasonable solution is to allow the apartment to be legal, regulate it, tax it, and move on.

Not in southern Orange, land of the palocracy, where reasonable solutions are reserved for pals. Here the powerful sue the weak for the sins of the mighty.

On 2 October 2008, the Carrboro planning board will consider such a mess, compounded with the burden imposed by town staff that a helpless, non-pal, non-resident must sub-divide their watershed farm against their will. The local media remains silent.

The Odious Barn Apartment on a Farm

Carrboro’s Developer Service Department aka (town planners, zoners, or inspectors - PZI) has the ability to tell people who don’t live in Carrboro how to live their lives. It’s called extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), a power to make second class citizens, approved by the General Assembly. Unfortunately, Ms. Marilyn Kille owns a 19.47 acre operating farm at 219 Old Fayetteville Road that falls within the clutches of the Carrboro ETJ. According to her, in 1997 she had a 3,600 square foot barn built in which an auxiliary apartment was included. The barn is for animals, not cumbayah circles. The apartment is for an animal caretaker, not a trustafarian.

In her words, “Extensive photos, receipts and other documentation, and the testimony of contractors support that the apartment was constructed at the same time the overall barn was constructed; and thus existed throughout the five-month inspection process and at the time of the final inspection. Specifically, all plumbing and electrical installations were embedded in the concrete floor poured in October 1997 and, thereafter, were readily visible during weekly inspections.”

The Slowly Grinding Wheels of Misjustice

Ten years went by with no problems.

Then without explanation, in 2007 the Developer Service Department alleges that the barn apartment was completed after the final inspection in late December 1997. That’s a no-no.

Ms. Kille responds by alleging that the Town had a personnel problem in 1997. Her barn was the first ever inspected by Town staff. She believes they made errors, alternatively applying the Residential and Commercial Codes in lieu of the Farm Building Code.

Sympathetic Carrboro officials, such as Town Manager Steve Stewart, showed their compassion by suing Ms. Kille alleging willful violation of the urban Residential Code (by a rural property).

Bureaucrats don’t make mistakes in progressive Southern Orange County.

The Bureaucratic Flim-Flam

In December 2007 the Town’s Planning Administrator and Associate Counsel acknowledged that the barn apartment could comply with the Residential Code via the text amendment process. Ms. Kille was told this change would be “a routine procedure”.

Ms. Kille responded by submitting a text amendment application on 2 January 2008,

On 15 January 2008 the Town refused to consider a text amendment. (Ms. Kille is not an Hispanic immigrant, and thus, can’t receive the special treatment afforded lonchera operators, see Pulp Lonchera Safety Story.)

The local court, which almost invariably backs the local municipal jurisdictions, a smart move for a locally elected judge, ordered that a solution be found by 26 August 2008.

The town now imposed the bait and switch. Instead of a simple text amendment, Ms. Kille would have to submit a Conditional Use Permit, the most onerous and costly application possible and subdivide her property, even though she doesn’t want to do so.

The Infamous Carrboro Hypocrisy

Carrboro spends a lot of energy developing position papers. Not what the Town will do, but what it wants to say it’s doing. (For instance, claim your growth is environmentally friendly while clear cutting the last mature hardwood forest in town). One such paper is the 20/20 long-range plan. Part of that plan calls for preserving remaining farms within Carrboro’s jurisdiction. The reality is that Carrboro is forcing Ms. Kille to subdivide her farm unnecessarily which will raise her taxes, an interesting farm preservation technique.

Ms. Kille contends that the barn apartment surrounded by the smell of manure is “critical to providing security and safety for and maintaining the well-being of my farm’s livestock”. She doesn’t understand why other farms outside Carrboro can have such apartments but she can’t without subdividing her property.

All Illegal Apartments Aren’t Created Equal

Ms. Kille notes that town officials have acknowledged that “innumerable illegal apartments are known to exist throughout the Town’s jurisdiction.” One can hardly walk down any street in older Carrboro without running into an illegal apartment. Yet no official explanation has been given as to why these illegal apartments aren’t shut down or brought into compliance.

In one instance of note, an illegal garage apartment (off Poplar Avenue) was brought to the attention of town officials, the response was not to sue or to impose subdivision, but to suggest that offended neighbors should go to the local (you guessed it) tax exempt, spread-the-love, Carrboro mediation center to get quiet enjoyment of their homes.

As posted in the Pulp in June 2008, Alderman John Hererra got mad when he stepped in dog turds on his lawn. Rather than talk to his neighbor, he decided to get a town ordinance passed so that the Carrboro police could talk to his neighbor instead.

Always willing to tell others how to live, the Boa responded by passing a civil pooperscooper ordinance on 7 October 2008. In the words of federal anarchist Mr. Herrera, “Most laws in this country are broken and that’s what they are made for.” Mr. Hererra is an expert on lawbreaking, as he advocates people break federal immigration law at will.

Speaking as a “town leader”, Mr. Hererra stated that he should “set the tone as to what’s rights and what’s wrong” as to acceptable public behavior in Carrboro.

Speaking with scatalogical certitude, Alderman Randee Haven O'Donnell wants the Boa to look next at ordinances to control cat feces in toddler sandboxes.

No word on whether the Boa will enforce federal pooperscooper laws.

In related business news, stock in Sparky’s Polishes went up sharply in early trading.

In a continuing series of incremental moves designed to shelter the end goal, the town of Carrboro edges closer to a de facto citizen’s “right to shelter” from their government. On 9 September 2008, the Boa adopted changing the town affordable housing policy to permit homeowners to seek emergency repair grants (not loans), from the town of Carrboro.

The first step in a right to shelter was the declaration of an affordable housing crisis. The Boa declared that the inability of “lower income” people to live near Carrboro median income residents was said to be creating an imbalanced society that hurt the town, not financially, but psychologically. For Boa purposes, someone making 80% of the median income is “lower income”, even if that person's income is ascendant, e.g., they are beginning their career path and will make more than medan income during the term of their occupancy, or they are trustafarians living off trust incomes without really having to work, or they have made life choices temporarily reducing a two income family status to a one income family status.

The second step in a right to shelter was the adoption of a zoning requirement (now 17%) for developers to provide for a percentage of smaller size housing in a development, the smaller housing being equated to less expensive housing for lower income residents.

The third step in a right to shelter was the funding of yet another tax exempt (read non-profit) non-governmental organization in southern Orange, the Orange Community Housing and Land Trust (OCHLT), to assist “lower income” (less than 80% of the median Orange County income) residents in finding housing.

The fourth step in a right to shelter was the funding of OCHLT to buy housing and to rehabilitate into managed lower income housing, the right to own the property being retained ultimately by OCHLT.

The fifth step in a right to shelter was the funding of OCHLT to oversee developer-built affordable housing.

The sixth step in a right to shelter was the adoption of a PILO (payment in lieu of) financial structure for developers whereby the developer could give money to the town instead of building lower income housing mixed in with higher income housing. Effectively the raison de etre of an affordable housing crisis had evaporated (the need to mix socio-economic classes), leaving only the solution to a different crisis (the need to create a right to municipally governed shelter).

The seventh step in a right to shelter was funneling of PILO moneys to OCHLT to buy yet more housing.

The current eighth step in a right to shelter is the granting of giveaways to lower income residents for housing repairs.

Under a cobbled together process that the Boa dare not have introduced in one fell swoop, government money funds an organization that can put people into housing they can’t afford to maintain, and then picks up the housing maintenance costs as well. As reported by the Daily Tar Heel, OCHLT executive director and 25% annual pay increase recipient, Robert Dowling, “What Carrboro is doing is recognizing that there is a need amongst low income people for funding to help make their homes habitable. With affordable housing, it’s not unusual for homes that are sold to lower-income people to fall into disrepair over time, because to maintain a home is expensive. It’s easier to get someone into a home … than it is to allow them to be successful in being a homeowner and maintaining the home.”

Under the adopted “process”, a resident simply asks the crack Carrboro Economic and Community Development department for a home maintenance grant, saying what the money will be used for and why they should get it. In the words of the ED head, Mr. James Harris, “We know about these situations but sometimes we just can’t do anything about it. All properties are priorities to somebody.”

Ultimately, the Boa will decide to whom to give money, apparently on a “case-by-are-they-my-voting-friends-case” basis, as there are no guidelines or objective criteria for determining who should get how much money.

No word on why the Boa didn’t offer low interest FEMA type loans for housing emergencies as opposed to outright giveaways that promote not maintaining one's home.

Pulp readers are aware of both the increase in seroius crime activity in southern Orange County and the denial of local public officials that crime is a problem, as robbery occurs openly on the UNC campus (as reported by the N & O}.

In the latest Opiate move (not in response to increased local crimes, but merely to remove unwarranted fear of local crime) the municipal governments of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough have banded together under a new public safety initiative called “Community Safety Partnership”. The program enrolls government employees to report suspicious activities or violations while performing their non-criminal enforcement roles. Even the water police, OWASA, are joining in, throwing in their fleet of meter readers.

On 9 September 2008 by Mayor Kevin Foy of Chapel Hill, Mayor Mark Chilton of Carrboro and Mayor Tom Stevens of Hillsborough announced the public safety program. Government employees are being charged notifying law enforcement if they come upon anything of a suspicious nature, an accident, or perhaps a citizen in trouble or need. Community Safety Partnership troops are undergoing training to report ”motor vehicle accidents, reckless/impaired drivers, crimes in progress, audible alarms, overcrowding of bars or restaurants, blocked or obstructed fire hydrants, damage to firefighting equipment, parking in fire lanes, illegal burning, environmental issues, other hazardous conditions and water main breaks.”

Stressing that there is no link between crime rates and the new program, Mayor Foy said in a town media release, “Our communities are safe places to live, and our crime levels are low; nevertheless, there is much we can do to create an environment free from crime and the fear of crime. Public servants who regularly work outside in the community in various capacities already are a great a resource and have potential to be even more helpful to residents.”

No word on when cameras will be installed outside every home to increase safety and the reporting of municipal violations by town citizens.

Summer can be the silly season for politicians. But in Carrboro, the Boa works relentlessly to polish its reputation for unequal enforcement of the law and the shredding of private property rights to aid its friends. First we had the intervention of the Boa into the ability of the owner of an apartment complex to control who can park on private property. (See Pulp Abbey Court Parking Story.)

Now we have Mayor Mark Chilton and Alderman Lydia Lavelle interfering with the right of another apartment complex owner to provide security for its tenants. Estes Park is an apartment complex of several hundred units located off Estes Drive in Carrboro. It backs up to a railroad right of way (located in Chapel Hill) that heads south into Carrboro. Estes Park residents expressed concern to the complex management about children playing around the railroad tracks behind the apartments. Management responded by building an eight foot high, chain link security fence topped with barb wire alongside the railroad right of way. The fence provides a barrier between the railroad right of way (referred to errorneously by Mr. Chilton as a “trail”) and the apartments. According to Estes Park manager Mr. Brummett, the fence was also designed to protect residents from “security issues” (translation, homeless people camping in municipally owned woods) that have migrated off the railroad tracks. Many Estes Park apartments have been broken into by homeless people. Also, at least one Estes Park resident was mugged by someone fleeing across the railroad tracks.

In most towns in North Carolina, such security measures would be no cause for government intervention. However, the Estes Park owners made the mistake of cutting off access to Carrboro usufructers and trespassers living in the Village West development.

Mayor Chilton expressed dismay at the perimeter fence because it blocks a “frequently used path for walkers and bikers between northern Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro”. Mayor Chilton has gone as far as to express concern over the new fence’s legality. He ignores the fact that plans are currently in the final stages for a sidewalk stretching from Estes Park to North Greensboro Street, a sidewalk that doesn’t include apartment complex land. (See Carrboro Citizen Fence Story.) In Mr. Chilton’s words, “The barbed wire, in particular, seems kind of hostile. This is not a prison camp or anything.”

Fueling Mayor Chilton and Alderman Lavelle’s efforts are the misleading class warfare statements of Carrboro’s usufructers. Although Estes Park apartments rent for only about $450 to $600 a month (a cost equal to about one half of a mortgage payment for an average Village West condominium, $154,754 in 2006) Village West resident Mr. James Coley wrote Mayor Chilton saying, “Can anyone really believe this is not partly about race and class?” (See Chapel Hill News Estes Park Fence Story. Also see N&O Estes Park Fence Story.)

Pulp readers are used to the convoluted logic of southern Orange. Village West owners have to look at the barbed wire fence. Unlike the Estes Park residents, on average, they don’t have English as a second language (ESL). They have higher incomes. They don’t have a barbed wire fence in their neighborhood. So they charge the Estes Park owners with race and class bias in order to be able to remove the unsightly eyesore and to be able to trespass across the homes of ESL, lower income residents.

The fence story has encroached into the world of the self-absorbed Friends of Bolin Creek (FOBC) “environmental” organization. (See Phictionary.) Reacting to the cutting of trees along the railroad right of way alongside the verdant backs of their suburban homes, FOBC members have also complained to Mr. Chilton. His response has been, “[t]hey cut down several trees for that stupid [e]stes [p]ark fence, [i] think. [c]hapel [h]ill also removed a few dead and downed trees recently.”

Once again Mr. Chilton is completely clueless. UNC has purchased about 8 acres in Carrboro/Chapel Hill for a new rail spur. The railroad is cleaning out its right of way all along Chapel Hill and Carrboro down to the new spur to be constructed.

The Carrboro Boa (see Phictionary) works hard to earn its reputation for unequal enforcement of the law and the shredding of private property rights to aid its friends. The latest example of such behavior is the intervention of the Boa into the ability of the owner of an apartment complex to control who can park on private property.

The “Trampling of Human Rights” Incident

Abbey Court is an apartment complex of about several hundred units located off NC 54 in Carrboro on Jones Ferry Road. Near to the complex is a makeshift day worker pickup location. The complex is also near a bus stop and has been used as an unofficial park-and-ride lot. The Abbey Court manager has been facing problems with cars in the complex that don’t belong to renters. In response, the manager started enforcing parking rules that included requiring official parking stickers issued by the complex and enforcing the parking rules by towing away offending vehicles.

In most towns in North Carolina, such enforcement would be no cause for government intervention. In this case the Abbey Court complex manager won't give parking stickers for cars with body damage. Moreover, they won’t give stickers to car owners who can't produce registration and other paperwork. However, the Abbey Court owners (Tar Heel Companies of North Carolina) made the mistake of enforcing its rules against illegal immigrants, the “cause célèbre” of ciudad del santuario (sanctuary town) Carrboro. Residents say the policy discriminates against the mostly Hispanic residents, some of them illegal immigrants, who can't comply. If only the residents had all been pasty white, impoverished Anglo US citizens, then the Boa could have ignored their plight.

Feeling emboldened by Boa support for illegal immigrants, Abbey Court residents took on the towing company hired by the Abbey Court owners. A resident threw a bottle at a tow truck removing a vehicle. More dramatically, a male visitor grabbed his daughter and stuck her in the back seat of his car, a car which had been hooked up already for towing. He wanted to keep it from getting towed using his daughter's physical endangerment to do so. Mayor Mark Chilton got a call about 10 p.m. on a Thursday evening from an Abbey Court resident. He and Alderwoman Jacquie Gist got up and went to Abbey Court immediately. According to Mr. Chilton, the driver unhooked the car with the endangered child, ”but only after demanding (and receiving) a $100 cash payment from the owner of the car.”

Mr. Brad Chandler (Chandler's Towing) disagreed with the Mayor’s version. According to Mr. Chandler, the tow truck operator had already hooked the white Nissan Sentra to his truck when the owner ran out of an apartment carrying a child in a car seat, a fact now confirmed . The child-endangering parent had been visiting someone at the complex. After the vehicle had been hooked up for a tow, the child-endangering parent opened the driver's door and snapped his child in to the back seat.

According to Mr. Chandler, ”We didn't hook to a vehicle that had a child in it. The people were outside screaming, 'Put the kid in the car, put the kid in the car.' ” Mr. Chandler said the tow truck driver requested payment because the car was violating the complex's vehicle policy.

Neither the Mayor nor the Carrboro police so much as warned the “muy macho” child-endangering parent regarding his use of a child to stop a tow truck. However, in finest southern Orange traditions, the Orange County Office of Human Rights and Relations is investigating the apartment complex owners and the towing company.

The Boa Strikes

In response to this incident, the Boa met in a highly unusual summer recess meeting on 31 July 2008. After much breast beating over the apartment complex owner’s exercise of control over a situation ignored by town officials, the chaotic state of parking at Abbey Court, the Boa was constrained by home rule to passing an ordinance limiting towing fees to $50 in Carrboro. The ordinance also limits retrieval fees to $100 and $20 a day for storage.

The “Trampling of Humans” Incident

On 4 August 2008, the carnage at Abbey Court continued with renters continuing to endanger towing truck operators who are complying with the law. Mr. Jesus Sanchez Basurto, 25, claimed he didn’t realize that a tow truck driver had put a boot on his car. He got into his car and tried to drive it away from the tow truck before it could hook up his car. When the car wouldn't move, Mr. Basurto opened his car door to see why the vehicle wasn't moving. He left the car in reverse. It lurched backward and ran up on the curb. Somehow he was pulled under his own car, and the car ran over his foot. The towing truck operator did nothing beyond having already put on the boot.

See Herald Sun Towing Story.

The ostensible story in the local media is simple. As reported, “The town of Carrboro may soon join its neighbor to the east in keeping campaign contributors – and the candidates who accept their money – on a short leash.” (See Herald Sun Campaign Contribution Story.) The Boa can limit contributions in Carrboro elections to $250 per person per candidate, down from the state limit of $4000. Also, now contributors giving only $50 must be identified, as elsewhere in the state. (The Boa didn’t get the as low as $1 limit it originally wanted.)

A local Orange Progressive politician also tells a simple story. According to former Green Party member, little blue choo line cutter, vehicular weapons expert, tax-exempt business profiteer, and Carrboro anarchist alderman Dan Coleman, ”Carrboro elections have in the past been and are currently very affordable, This measure [allowed by recently passed S488], if we enact it, will allow us to keep them that way.”

Unfortunately, there is no sign of any problem with campaign contributions in Carrboro elections, except the use of outside district moneys. (See Lavelle Big Spender Outside Influence Pulp story.) The only person spending more than $3000 in an election in 2007 was Alderman Lydia Lavelle.

State Senator Ellie Kinnaird, who filed S488 in March 2007, is reported as saying “I think both Carrboro and Chapel Hill, and Orange County, want to be leaders and they believe strongly in campaign finance reform. They don't want money to influence elections.” Unfortunately, Senator Kinnaird is clueless in that she can’t give an example of where money has influenced an Orange election, choosing to ignore the use of outside district moneys by Commish Mike Nelson in his 2006 election campaign.

In order to take advantage of SB 488, the Boa must hold a public hearing and enact an ordinance. If adopted, the contribution limit ordinance sunsets 60 days before the next election. A new limiting ordinance can be adopted between 150 days and 60 days before filing for that next election.

Here’s the real story.

In order to maintain power in Carrboro elections, the Boa asked their favorite state senator to file an anarchist bill that would have allowed the Boa incumbents to maintain power by limiting campaign contributions to as little as $1 per person per candidate. The Boa would have been able to lower the contribution disclosure limit down to $1. The Boa could have done so at any time, even in the middle of an election, as many times as the Boa wanted. That’s what seemed fair and reasonable to Senator Kinnaird and to the Boa.

Unfortunately for Senator Kinnaird and the Boa, there is a state representative with Carrboro constitutents who doesn’t drink Orange Progressive Cool-Aid, Representative Bill Faison. Mr. Faison is responsible for changing S488 from a carte blanche maintaining power tool for the Boa into a law that supposedly is needed for a “problem” that Mayor Mark Chilton acknowledged to Representative Faison doesn’t exist. Mr. Faison required the contribution floor be no lower than $250, removed the $1 campaign contribution disclosure power, removed the ability of the BOA to change the limit during the election, removed the ability of the Boa to change the limit more than once in an election cycle, and imposed a sunset provision requiring reenactment before each election cycle.

So why isn’t the story of the reining in of an abusive anarchist Boa bill told in the local media? The answer is quite simple and in keeping with local politics. Mr. Faison is not in the favored political circle for southern Orange. So he shouldn’t get favorable media coverage. Moreover, his truly progressive actions highlight the abusive nature of the original overreaching bill wanted by the favored faux progressive anarchist Boa politicians.

The real lesson from this story is that the absence of “home rule” power for Carrboro forced an unreasonable, overreaching, anarchists bill to be recrafted into a tolerable, more reasonable bill. (“Home rule” refers to the ability of a local municipal jurisdiction to define its own powers. North Carolina doesn't allow “home rule”, and thus, the Boa had to go to the General Assembly to get the powers set forth in S488. But for a moderate legislator from Orange County (Mr. Faison), Senator Kinnaird and Representatives Insko and Hackney would have rammed through the original anarchist bill.)

Carrboro rulers love to compare themselves to Paris, France. But the town with the mightily overblown “Paris of the Piedmont” moniker is more appropriately compared to the town of Boone. Both are in North Carolina. Both are subject to the same municipal rules and laws from the state legislature. Both are towns with a public university as the economic engine. Both are in the state designated category of towns between 10,000 and 50,000 in population and roughly the same size (Boone – 14,473 and Carrboro – 18,611). Both do not incorporate an electrical utility in town financials. Both have had a population increase over the past five years of about 7% to 8%. Both are “blue” towns politically, compared to the rest of the state.

What would happen if one compared the fiscal management of these two seemingly similar towns? Which financial indicators would be similar? Which would be dissimilar? Why?

Before diving into the facts, one must first do some calibrating. One big difference financially between Carrboro and Boone is that Carrboro uses a separate water and sewer utility organization (OWASA). However, Boone incorporates these utility financials into its budget. So any comparison should back out these utility line items.

In doing so, a Carrburban may note a difference with Boone even regarding the cost of water and sewer. A residence in Boone using 5000 gallons pays about $53.00 per month for water and sewer. That looks like a great bargain to a similar one in Carrboro paying (under the new proposed rates) about $73.00. So to start off, Carrburbans pay about 50% more for water and sewer than Booners.

Now here are the municipal financial statistics, with the Boone water & sewer revenues, expenses, and debt service removed.

First the town revenues are presented.

^ Per Capita Revenues ^ Boone 2007-2008 ^ Carrboro 2007-2008 ^ Percentage of Carrboro to Boone ^

At first blush the revenue comparison is about even, with Carrboro bringing in per capita total revenues of just 7% more in revenue than Boone. But how is that total revenue achieved?

Carrboro leans heavily on property taxes with $520 levied per capita versus $326 for Boone. Carrboro levies 60% more in property taxes per capita. Even more glaring, Carrboro performs rather poorly in generating sales tax revenues despite over a decade of funding over $1,000,000 to a dedicated economic development office. Carrboro collects sales taxes of $180 per capita versus $278 by Boone. Yes, Carrboro collects only 65% of the per capita sales taxes that Boone collects. Put another way, if Carrboro had sales tax revenues like Boone, then instead of raising $3,353,665, Carrboro would raise $5,177,775 in sales taxes.

So what about spending?

Carrboro excels in spending, outspending Boone by 33% per capita. Put another way, if Carrboro spent like Boone, the town budget would be reduced by over $3,000,000. Here are the comparative expenditures.

*Minus snow removal costs of over $600,000 for Boone.

Clearly, Carrboro relies more on debt to cover spending than Boone, spending $67 per capita on debt service versus $16 for Boone. Carrboro spends almost four times the amount of money per capita that Boone does on debt service. Moreover, Carrboro isn’t spending as much as Boone on public safety (85% of the amount Boone spends), but spending way more that Boone on transportation, spending over twice (245%) what Boone spends. Boone has lower debt AND a greenways trail. (See Boone Greenway Plan)

Specific expenditure categories reveal a different governance philosophy between the towns. For example, Carrboro is in a period of slowed growth, yet maintains a 14 member Planning and Zoning staff drawing $894,951 annually in salaries and wages. That’s opposed to Boone spending almost one half that ($487,391) for inspectors. Fire department salaries and wages in Carrboro are almost three times that of Boone ($1,563,310 versus $639,658). However, police department salaries and wages in Carrboro are only 24% more than Boone, despite Carrboro having a 29% larger population. Legal expenditures in Carrboro are almost twice that of Boone.

Perhaps the most outstanding difference is how much Carrboro spends on its governance board. Carrboro gives health care benefits to its mayor and aldermen. If you remain on the board long enough, those benefits are available even after you leave the board. Just the salary expenditures of the Carrboro Boa are almost three times that of Boone ($98,209 versus $36,900).

According to the “blue small university town” values reflected in the Boone budget, Carrboro simply overspends and spends unwisely. During their respective latest re-election campaigns Mayor Mark Chilton and Alderman Jacquie Gist confused a budget presentation award as being one for fiscal management. They think their above fiscal management record is meritorious.

Acts have consequences. Electing town officials on the basis of compatibility over competence, pals over performance costs you. Promoting such town officials to higher political office costs you even more.

After six years as an Carrboro alderman in which his most famous act is to ask for less meeting time, Alderman John Hererra steps into his first big issue other than addressing the concerns of “my people”, Hispanic immigrants. The “big issue” is turds on his lawn from his neighbor’s dogs. Alderman Herrerra found his sole slathered in pungent poo after mowing his lawn.

Rather than actually talking to his neighbors, and asking them to treat him fairly, he chose to use his progressive generalissimo powers as Alderman to force the law on his neighbors. So on 17 June 2008, he spoke at the BOA meeting. “I love dogs. I love animals, but I don’t like to step in poop!” He asked for a Carrboro pooperscoop law to help rid him of his manure minefield.

Always willing to tell others how to live, the Boa unanimously voted to spend staff time writing a pooperscooper ordinance. Mayor Mark Chilton advised all town residents, “Careful walking in the meantime.”

In related business news, stock in Sparky’s Polishes went up sharply in early trading.

No word on whether the Boa will enforce federal pooperscooper laws.

Last year, the Boa asked Senator Ellie Kinnaird and Representative Verla Insko to introduce legislation in March 2007 that would enable the Boa to strangle the rights of Carrburbans to make campaign contributions and to do so anonymously.

Representative Insko’s bill (H.465) and Senator Kinnaird’s bill (S.488) would have enabled the Boa to require the disclosure of any campaign contribution, no matter how small the amount. Even a one dollar contribution could have been required to be disclosed. Moreover, H.465 and S.488 enabled the Boa to limit campaign contributions to as little as one dollar as well.

Only after Ms. Sharon Cook and Ms. Katrina Ryan, candidates in the Carrboro 2007 municipal campaign for aldermen, raised an objection to these bills, were changes made in the legislation. S.488 was amended to raise the disclosure threshold to $20 in May 2007. In July 2007, S.488 was further modified only to require disclosure of instate residents who contributed more than $20. Out of state residents were excluded.

About this time alderman candidate and self-described “level-headed” establishment annexee Ms. Lydia Lavelle started revealing her campaign contributions. While publicly for S.488, Ms. Lavelle didn’t release publicly the names of her individual contributors of at least $20. Instead she stuck to the statewide mandate of $100. While publicly wringing her hands on the influence of money in Carrboro elections, Ms. Lavelle turned out to be the largest receiver and spender of money in the Carrboro 2007 election. Showing her concern for keeping local elections local, well over half of Ms. Lavelle’s listed individual campaign contributions came from those living outside Carrboro. See Pulp Lavelle Big Spender Outside Influence Story.

Neither H.465 or S.488 passed in the 2007 legislature.

However, a bill did pass the legislature that limited the campaign disclosure limit to $50 statewide (H.1743, SL 2007-391).

Fast forward to the short legislative session in May 2008. The Boa is pushing for S.488 to become law, again seeking to reduce the rights of Carrboro citizens with regards to any other North Carolina citizen.

In an effort to tighten the Boa coils on diversity of thought, biggest four color glossy mass mailer and outside influence receptacle Aldermen Lavelle and choo-choo line cutter, vehicular weapons expert, political anarchist, apology challenged perp, and anger management specialist Alderman Dan Coleman met with Ms. Cook recently and told her the following:
1) the $20 disclosure limit by town ordinance (as opposed to the $50 statewide limit) is no longer part of S.488, the only active bill that can be amended and passed in this short legislative session;
2) the express exclusion of out of state residents from the disclosure limit by town ordinance is required by “federal law”; and
3) the Board can by ordinance cap campaign contributions to any amount less than the current $4000 state limit at any time.

Unfortunately, the Aldermen's statements aren't all accurate. No house or senate bill (including S.488) currently active in the legislature has removed the $20 disclosure limit. Moreover, SL 2007-391 (formerly H.1743) removed the distinction between out of state and in state residents for statewide campaign disclosures (excluding the language regarding Carrboro that was in that bill). According to the committee chairman, members objected to this artificial distinction that gave out of state residents more rights than in state residents. Yet, Aldermen Coleman and Lavelle remain adamant about being forced by “federal law” to have an artifical distinction.

Moreover, Aldermen Coleman and Lavelle couldn’t provide any examples of any excessive campaign influencing in Carrboro regarding campaign contributions except by those few candidates (such as Alderman Lavelle) who brought in most of their campaign monies from outside Carrboro (as revealed by disclosed individual campaign contributions). S.488 doesn’t address the problem of out of Carrboro monies influencing Carrboro elections. The Boa ignores a real issue to address a speculative issue.

Discerning herpteologists see further reasons to beware the Boa constrictor mentality. S.488 allows the Boa to change campaign contribution and disclosure limits at any time and as often as it desires. The Boa can wait until after candidates have filed to slither about with these limits.

In a demonstration of superior urban financial acumen, the Carrboro Boa contracts with a private law firm to handle the spate of town legal problems generated by the reach of the Boa coils. Cost to citizens, several $100,000s each year. The Boa follows the lead of the Orange County commishes which do likewise.

As befitting palocracy government (see Phictionary), these legal tigers sip cocktails together beachside, yet spar ferociously in court over the weighty issues of which government gets more money from your pockets for developer pals.

Compare these legal costs to those of hayseed, rural Chatham County which just lost its staff attorney. Chatham commissioners paid their staff attorney $93,000 a year.

No word on why government legal costs aren’t fully detailed in town and county budget reports.

No word on why the Boa uses an attorney that isn’t located in Carrboro and doesn’t even live in Orange County.

See N&O Chatham Staff Story.

Roberson Square is the working name for a new project approved by the Boa at its 26 February 2008 meeting. It will sit where the old Andrews Rigsbee Hardware store stood on South Greensboro Street in the heart of the Carrboro historic district around Maple Avenue. The local media dutifully reported what was decided. A five story, mixed use building of 90,000 some square feet (sf) with parking and an affordable housing component (see Phictionary) was approved.

Astute observers saw a different picture, a picture of the Boa giving manna from heaven for another dense development. Roberson Square is a six floor (including a basement parking level) building with about 25,563 sf of parking for 65 spaces. Commercial/retail space will occupy about 32,000 sf. The remainder (about 34,000 sf) is residential. The Roberson Square ”virtual children” will play in the courtyard used by the ground floor businesses in lieu of real recreational facilities. This project is designed to retail at a nominal $250 per sf. The Carrboro Developer Service Department (aka town planning staff) orchestrated a plan to change the rules for Roberson Square.

According to the town planning staff, there’s no problem with Roberson Square being built (all 90,000 some sf) on the existing about .9 acre site without additional area logistical staging and construction parking. Supposedly, historic business district parking and traffic flow will not be adversely affected. More importantly, the infamous town zoning PILOs (”payments in lieu of”, see Phictionary) were brought out in full force. Town staff recommended granting the developer PILOs for a reduction in the need for parking spaces and PILOs for higher residential density (three additional housing units) because “affordable housing” is part of the project . (See Hot Orange PILO Virtual Affordable Housing Debate.).

Ordinarily, existing zoning laws would require a project of this magnitude to have 104 parking spaces, and not the approved 65 parking spaces. The 65 spaces require (even in the newly downsized parking space limits approved recently by the Boa, see story) 25,563 sf. If the 104 spaces the code “requires” had been applied, then an additional about 15,400 sf of the total project area (91,575 sf) would have been needed for parking and could not produce sales revenues for the developer. At a sales revenue value of $250 per sf, the Boa approval of reduced parking is worth about $3,800,000 to the developer. Although the Roberson Square project is designed to attract more people to the historic business district, less parking will be needed. Such is the genius of the Boa. Such is the “parking plan” of the Boa. (See Hot Orange Parking Values Story.)

Ordinarily, in order to get above normal zoning density approved by the Boa, the developer would have to build three additional housing units dedicated to be affordable. At a sales revenue value limited to about $200,000 each, the total developer sales revenue value for these three affordable units would be about $600,000 instead of the $1,350,000 value that would be realized at $250 per sf. Now, the developer only has to make a contribution to yet another tax-exempt, southern Orange organization, the Orange County Land Trust (OCLT), in order to market those three units at a higher value.

So what are the costs to the developer for these gifts?

Does the developer have to pay OCLT the difference between $1,350,000 and $600,000 (the additional revenues for the three units? No. Nobody really knows at this point. The Boa CUP approval didn’t spell that out.

Does the developer have to pay the town for the $3,800,000 of space freed from parking requirements? No. Nobody really knows at this point. The Boa CUP approval didn’t spell that out.

PILOs are the social engineering tool de jour in Carrboro. Astute observers anticipate a spate of local media puff pieces on how PILOs save the world. But if you’re not a stenographer, then the nuts and bolts of PILOs portends fatter profits for developers… with ordinary citizens getting the screws.

No word on whether or not Alderman Gist’s decision months ago to put her Maple Avenue home up for sale was triggered by her single street access to a main road, a limited access that must go past the construction and completion of Roberson Square.

In yet another display of palocracy (see Phictionary) at work, the Carrboro Boa is about to spend town money on rent for another coffee bar cum playpen cum office hangout.

Freelance web designer and Chapel Hill resident, Brian Russell, is in the process of applying for a Carrboro town revolving loan. Mr. Russell is husband to media darling, former Chapel Hill Planning Board member, Orange Politics blog censor, “dances with bricks” anarchist, Mayor Chilton backer, wannabe affordable housing bourgeoisie rentier, trustafarian disciple, and now real estate advertiser political analyst, Ruby Sinriech. He wants Carrboro to pay for the rent and furnishings for a “shared workplace for freelancers and other creative types”.

Carrboro’s crack ED guru, James Harris, is dying to lend him the money, public money for creating a private franchise empire. Mr. Harris, busy ignoring the closing of the Track & Field business (see Hot Orange Anemic Carrboro ED Story) spends his time getting this important not-yet-even-an–applied–loan story into the local media.

Mr. Russell sees no reason why the town shouldn’t enrich Carrboro historic business district landlords further, anticipating the new digs being built at 300 Main and Roberson Square.

No word on why Mr. Russell doesn’t get a real office, like most for-profit businesses, assuming Mr. Russell doesn't file for tax-exempt status for his business.

No word on why Mr. Russell can’t meet other creative types in the existing coffee bars in Carrboro.

No word on why Mr. Harris hasn’t contacted a well-capitalized business that already operates a network of coffee bars with internet access, “Starbucks”.

See Carrboro Citizen Anemic Carrboro ED Story.

In the summer of 2007, Carrboro alderman candidate and self-described “level-headed” establishment annexee Lydia Lavelle supported SB 488, a bill to limit campaign contributions in Carrboro to any amount desired by the Boa and to require naming individual contributors of at least $20, thereby making the dispensing of political retribution easier for Boa members and their surrogates. Ms. Lavelle is quoted as saying “I support the bill. If it can’t happen in this session, then I hope it can in the short session [2008].”

Almost four months after the November election, Ms. Lavelle hasn’t released publicly the names of her individual contributors of at least $20, as she advocated during the campaign. Instead she apparently prefers to stick to the statewide mandate of $100. It turns out the largest receiver and spender of money in the Carrboro election was none other than Ms. Lavelle.

Showing her concern for keeping local elections local, well over half of Ms. Lavelle’s listed individual campaign contributions came from those living outside Carrboro.

No word on whether or not Ms. Lavelle is among the critics of former US Senator Jessie Helms for his use of out of district money to win his elections.

No word on why the full cost of a four color, glossy, full page, mailer widely sent to thousands of Carrboro households doesn’t appear to be readily discernable in Ms. Lavelle’s campaign expenditure filings.

See Lavelle Campaign filings.

See Carrboro Citizen Campaign Bill Story.

Residential taxpayers find no shelter from the relentless Carrboro Boa facilitation of developers’ profits in “Keep It Weird” Carrboro. Local media “watchdogs” snore on.

Parking has been a mess in “Chapelboro” for years (See Poet Lariat - You Look for Parking All Night Long.) So why, all of the sudden, is the Boa anxious to get its coils around the “parking problem”? Supposedly this problem didn’t exist in the 2007 Carrboro municipal election, at least for every Carrboro candidate that won election. Why is parking in “walkable” Carrboro suddenly an emerging value? From whence does the groundswell come?

For answers, it’s like Watergate, just follow the money trail. Developer Boa friends are getting ready to break ground for the 300 Main Street project and the Alberta project. Cheek-to-jowl parking in Carrboro will become bunghole parking with the loss of spaces during construction of these projects. What’s more, the Boa has decreased, not increased, the number and the size of parking spaces (particularly publicly accessible spaces) that these projects must provide at the expense of the developer, on their sites.

In a more hum-drum town, the governance board might require a developer in a prime urban location, one in the heart of the commercial district, to provide adequate parking (private and public) in order to get a project approved. You make the demand. You service the demand. These not-so-cool governance boards might even require such a developer to purchase and to build parking off site from their project if there weren’t enough on-site parking spaces.

However, governance doesn’t work that way in Carrboro, where your tax money keeps Boa friends smiling. In Carrboro, it appears that a developer can even get the town to line them up a staging area for their construction project. There is no visible plan for construction staging for the substantial multi-story 300 Main Street project. Where will the project construction workers park? Where will materials be dropped off? Where will structural steel reside pending erection?

To the rescue comes Carrboro “Developer Service Department” co-manager and “anemic economic development” director, Mr. James Harris. He has told the Boa at its 12 February 2008 work session about “a potential new parking lot behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken where Rosemary and East Main streets meet”. The Boa eyes have been transfixed at the glowing image of 26 more diminutive parking spaces for their developer friends, at no cost to their friends. (That’s 26 newly downsized parking spaces thanks to Boa code changes reducing the area of a parking space.)

In keeping with the Carrboro town staff tradition of under-informing the public, Mr. Harris has said that these spaces would cost you about $100,000 to $200,000. However, that’s just for stormwater management. He adds that the site is in such bad condition that it can't be used as a parking lot now. Mr. Harris fails to give you the full bill for turning this “bad lot” into a real parking lot, albeit one hidden behind a fast food restaurant.

Veteran taxpayers feel the Boa squeeze coming. They remember the Hanna Street sidewalk.

When the Boa approved the Pacifica project submitted by their local developer friends, and in some cases, by their employees, the Hanna Street sidewalk improvements required by that project were only supposed to cost about $100,000, with half that cost ($50,000) being borne by the Pacifica developers. But in Carrboro, there are estimates for media consumption, estimates for Boa approval, and there is reality. The twain rarely meet.

The town manager (Mr. Steve Stewart) never has reported the entire final cost of the Hanna sidewalk (over at least $250,000) to the public. That butcher’s bill probably won’t include the time value of Carrboro Public Works personnel working on the project in addition to the payments to a private contractor. Moreover, Mr. Stewart hasn’t reported publicly whether or not that the Pacifica developers (one of who is an employee of dense developer, bourgeoisie mill house rentier, and Carrboro mayor, Mark Chilton) have actually presented the town with a check for half of the entire cost (now much more than $50,000), as promised and provided in the original Boa approvals for Pacifica.

This Harris proposed, just off Main Street town parking lot will be purchased at your expense with your tax dollars. But the lot isn’t ready for use by you now. Serendipitously, it just happens to sit across the street from the 300 Main Street project. So it stands ready to be used in the interim by the 300 Main Street developers as a staging area for their construction. It will stand ready after completion, through your tax subsidies, to serve the owners of 300 Main Street. It’s only natural. To the Boa, it’s only logical to let Boa friendly developer use an otherwise idle piece of land. Friends helping friends. Your taxes at work in Carrboro.

Speaking ambilingually (out of both sides of his mouth), Mayor Chilton wants the 300 Main Street and Alberta projects to collaborate with the town for free parking, without acknowledging that the Boa has reduced the parking spaces in town while approving these projects.

Mayor Chilton will take money from you to invest in more downtown parking spaces for his developer friends. He expects you to pick up part of the burden for parking in the historic business district. He doesn’t expect his developer friends to shoulder the entire burden, although they get the entire profit. He will not be handing you a return on your investment in the foreseeable future. A tax-exempt business expert, Mayor Chilton is quoted as saying that ”[Taxpayer subsidized parking for business and commercial/retail property owners] is about economic vitality as well as how [Boa developer friends will] bring in more businesses.”

Speaking in political tongues, Mayor Chilton is reported to say that Carrboro shouldn’t have as much free parking as Chapel Hill's downtown ”because that helps Carrboro stay competitive in terms of downtowns.”

Private school teacher, “friend of her back yard”, intuitive for-profit business expert, and Carrboro alderman, Randee Haven-O'Donnell revealed her deep concern for the lifestyle stresses of Carrboro’s struggling low wage employees by suggesting that they shouldn’t be able to park a car near their place of employment. If you work in Carrboro (and aren’t an owner or Boa friend), then you should ride in a van pool from park-and-ride lots to the six short-block long Carrboro “downtown”.

No word on the timing for transitioning the “developing” off Main Street town parking lot from a developer construction staging area into a town parking lot for the 300 Main Street owners.

No word on whether or not Alderman Haven O’Donnell will start riding in a van pool either to Boa meetings or to her employment.

No word from any alderman as to why business and property owners in the historic business district, those who reap the profits from that district, aren’t taxed with a business district tax to provide the solution to the parking problems they create.

See N&O Parking Discussion.

In a spins-for-grins accident, the Oscar Mayer tube steak mobile careened off US Route 15 highway outside Mansfield, Pennsylvania on 10 February 2008. No rolls were involved but the grill was damaged. The rest of the vehicle was none the wurst for wear.

In news to relish, the carbon loading representative for wieners will be ready to roll into Carrboro come “”Carrboro Wiener Dog Day”” in October. (SeeN&O Carrboro Wiener Dog Day Story.) On the plate will be the title of “biggest wiener”.

Although Carrboro is known to be full of little wieners on just about any day, that day should pack enough of them into Carrboro to take on the big dog, all 27 feet of it should the Carrboro Boa have the moxie to invite the big dog.

Available athletic fields are at a premium in southern Orange, particularly in Carrboro. Choo-choo line cutter, vehicular weapons expert, political anarchist, apology challenged perp, and anger management specialist Alderman Dan Coleman hit a Carrboro High track event volunteer with his car while she was directing traffic in Anderson Park last summer, and while he was dealing with the weighty public issue of getting his son to T-ball practice. (See Coleman's Crazy Call.) That’s acceptable conduct for a politician in Carrboro. Alderman Coleman received the endorsement of every sitting politician currently in the Boa (Phictionary).

Two soccer fields at Smith Middle are in such bad shape, that calling them athletic fields is possible only in “facts optional” Carrboro. Unfortunately, these fields fall within the Boa zoning purview. The commishes (Phictionary) proposed that the town of Carrboro help out on the field resurfacing costs (about $1,6000,000 plus) by waiving the town parks & recreation field reservation fees for those user groups contributing towards the resurfacing costs, waiving the town permit fees, and/or waiving the town engineering fees associated with the resurfacing.

Showing its infinitely progressive wisdom and its deep concern for Carrburbans who wish to use a field outside the driving habits of Alderman Coleman, the Boa told the commishes to pound sand, claiming that the commishes (not the city schools that own the fields) should have invested in improvements there a long time ago.

Serial political state job holder, Carrboro beaconeer, and somnambulant public meeting guru, Alderman Joel Hall Broun is quoted as saying ”I think [the cost of resurfacing] should just go back [to the commishes]. We don't have the money.”

No word on when Alderman Broun will figure out that she spent town resurfacing moneys for her political friends at 300 Main Street on the backyard KFC parking lot (See Residential Taxpayers Subsidizing Developer Parking, An Emerging Carrboro Value).

No word on whether or not the commishes will resurface the fields, then have the city schools turn around and charge the town of Carrboro for making the fields available to the public.

No word on whether or not the soccer fields will be converted into Carrboro park-and-ride lots for van pooling aldermen like Alderman Haven O’Donnell and those Carrburbans wishing to avoid the path of Alderman Coleman.

See N&O Dust Bowl Story.

With stunning duplicity, all of the winning candidates elected to the Boa last Fall discover a need for parking in the Carrboro historic business district. Only four months ago, Aldermen Joel Hall Broun, Dan Coleman, and Alderman (then candidate) Lydia Lavelle all said repeatedly in public forums that there was no problem with parking in the Carrboro historic business district. Bourgeoise mill house rentier, dense developer, and tax exempt expert Mayor Mark Chilton even ridiculed candidates in local political forums who begged to tell the reality.

Showing their respect for logical consistency, the Boa attended a retreat to ponder personal values, a Boa first, (see Poet Lariat - Boa Annual Tent Revival) and discovered that parking is a problem in the historic business district. (No word on whether or not “parking” is an emerging value in Carrboro.)

Now in a “dance with bricks” pirouette, the Boa wants a long term parking plan in place, most likely in place after they have approved the development plans of their political friends along Main Street, saving them the loss of profits from including adequate parking spaces.

Alderman Jacquie Gist leaped feet first into reality by saying that the new residential developments approved by the Boa in and near the district will force new residents to rely on parking on residential streets. (Translation, the Boa is approving residential development with insufficient parking allowances, a profit-enhancing move for its loyal local developer constituency.)

No word from Alderman Gist on how people visiting historic district businesses are supposed to park.

No word on apologies from Mayor Chilton now that he has reversed into the parking mess, perhaps awaiting the next election when all will be well again, at least until the vote is in.

See Carrboro Citizen Tent Revival Story.

=== January 2008 ===
Dense developer, blackbag campaign poster observer, and Carrboro mayor Mark Chilton advocates that Carrboro citizens help illegal mobile eateries by patronizing them over the weekend. Knowing that these eateries are operating in an illegal fashion, Mr. Chilton chooses to ignore their illegality and to ignore any enforcement of local public safety health laws, a curious position for a mayor and a North Carolina officer of the court anywhere but in “Keep It Weird” Carrboro. In the words of Mr. Chilton ”[a]t this point, if you are concerned about the taco trucks, you can probably best show your support by patronizing the trucks this weekend. May I recommend the pollo asado?”

The illegal mobile eateries responded to Mr. Chilton's amnesty by showing up for business as usual without regard for the public health and safety laws.

In an anarchistic display of the unequal enforcement of local public health and safety laws, Mr. Chilton responded Friday to a Carrboro Citizen story published the day before by saying, ”The Carrboro town staff is looking into the most efficient solution to this problem at the moment. I don't know exactly what that solution will be, but it seems like there ought to be a simple and inexpensive way for a taco truck to operate in downtown Carrboro. I'm not at all confidant that a zoning appeal to the Board of Adjustment is really the best thing for the taco truck owners to do.” Mr. Chilton advocated for the unequal treatment of businesses with regards to zoning appeal laws. No word on how established businesses feel about double standards proposed by Mr. Chilton.

Below is a copy of the memo received by Mr. Chilton from Carrboro Town staff.

“MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Mark Chilton and the Board of Aldermen FROM: Martin Roupe, Development Review Administrator DATE: January 25, 2008 SUBJECT: Additional Information on Violation Notices Pertaining to Mobile Food Vendors At the Manager’s request, I am writing to provide additional information about recently-issued violation notices pertaining to three (3) mobile food vendors as well as some historical information for reference. I am happy to answer any questions that may arise about this matter. As you may know, the Zoning Division (ZD) recently issued land use ordinance violation (LUOVIO) notices to three separate property owners in Carrboro (Johnny’s Sporting Goods, Fitch Lumber, and Cliff’s Meat Market). This action was taken in response to an anonymous complaint, which obligates the ZD to investigate the situation. As it was clear and evident that mobile food vendors were operating at the sites, little investigation was necessary, and so the ZD issued the LUOVIOs as a result of the complaint. Additional, related information is provided below:

LUO Section 15-149. The applicable LUO section states in part, “(c ) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing provisions, the following uses are specifically prohibited in all districts: (4) The use of any motor vehicle (as defined in Section 6‑1 of the Town Code), parked on a lot, as a structure in which, out of which, or from which any goods are sold or stored, any services performed, or other businesses conducted (as defined in Section 8‑1 of the Town Code) except that the following shall not be prohibited by this subdivision: (i) retail sales of goods and food products manufactured, created or produced by the seller, (ii) the sale of food products on town property by persons authorized by or acting on behalf of the town…” For the last several years, prior to my employment with the Town in fact, this section has been consistently interpreted to allow the sale of food out of vehicles in only limited circumstances primarily related to the Farmer’s Market, which is specifically covered by combination of 15-149©(4)(i)&(ii). Several people have approached the Town regarding the possibility of starting such an establishment and each inquirer was told that such use is not allowed under the LUO.

Additional History Regarding ZD’s Explanation to Inquirers and Practice. The ZD was generally aware that such establishments were or had been operating at certain locations around town, and when individuals interested in opening a similar establishment were told no, they often asked about the other similar businesses. The ZD consistently responded by informing the person that we operate under a complaint-driven system. We then asked whether the person wished to lodge a formal complaint and almost always were told no, they did not wish to lodge a formal complaint. On some occasions, though, formal complaints were lodged and the ZD did follow up and require that other similar businesses leave (within the past five or six years). Two specific examples include: a mobile food vendor operating alongside Estes Drive Extension (adjacent to the Adams Tract property) and a mobile food vendor operating alongside West Main Street on the Short Stop Mini-Market / Citgo Gas Station property (at 300 West Main Street). Since then, no other complaints have been lodged until the recent incident.

Possibility, In Some Cases, To Operate Outside a Vehicle. When individuals inquired about the possibility of operating as a mobile food vendor, the ZD consistently has mentioned that it is possible on some properties around town to conduct outdoor food sales as long as it is done outside of a vehicle (so long as the zoning district for the subject property allows outdoor food service and consumption, it is properly permitted for such a use, and the property owner grants permission). As a recent example, several months ago, the ZD reviewed and approved a ‘vegetable stand’ on the 300 East Main property. The vendor set up tables, outside of a vehicle, on which he placed his products for sale. Of note, the only property currently under discussion where such a use is allowed is Cliff’s Meat Market.

Anonymous Complaint. Note that it is the Town’s longstanding practice to accept and act upon anonymous complaints. While some cities require signed, written complaints before taking action on alleged violations, Carrboro has thus far not chosen to do so. It certainly is possible that this policy may be changed with respect to future actions, but staff needs to receive direction if that is the Board’s desire.

Possible Resolutions to Situation. Three (3) possible ways appear evident to resolve the matters currently under discussion, as further described below:

Mobile food vendors may leave the sites and possibly attempt to find an acceptable place to operate (i.e.: outside of a vehicle on an appropriate property or within a building);
Someone may file an appeal (for $250 filing fee) with the Board of Adjustment. Either one or a combination of the three letter recipients may choose to file an appeal within 30 days of receiving notice of the LUOVIO. This action will put the matter before the Board of Adjustment for further consideration and interpretation of the applicable LUO language. Note that filing an appeal also will ‘stay’ any further action on the part of the Town. In effect, in absence of clear threat to public health, safety, or welfare, the mobile food vendors would be able to continue operating until the Board of Adjustment renders a decision on the matter.

A LUO Text Amendment request may be filed by a citizen or the Board of Aldermen may direct staff to prepare a text amendment. Presumably such a text amendment would clarify where and when such land uses are acceptable and establish clear parameters for when permission for such a use should be granted. Obviously such an action involves an amount of time for item preparation and a public hearing.

Further Action On the Part of the Zoning Division. For your information, all the Zoning Division has done thus far is issue a letter to the respective property owners citing a LUOVIO and asking for voluntary action to bring the property into compliance with the LUO. While the letter does contain a stated ‘deadline’ by which time the vendors are expected to stop operating, it may be worth noting (so that everyone is clear with regard to where we are) that the ZD must issue a ‘final notice of violation,’ which specifically cites an exact civil penalty for inaction and timeline for imposing such penalty before any property owner or vendor will be directly subject to civil penalties, fines, etc.”

In keeping with Carrboro’s policy of financially supporting land developers and UNC, the BOA dedicated a new sewer line to OWASA. Built with Carrboro taxpayer money, the line runs up Bolin Creek, north of Homestead Road, servicing UNC’s “Carolina Commons” project and the private “Colleton Crossing” project. The BOA provided no final cost figures for the line. Local media didn't ask.

The ostensible reason for having to build the line was the annexation of the Northeast Area, although none of the residents in that area want to pay for the OWASA estimated hookup charges to that line of about $40,000 per home.

No official statements were issued tying the act of the BOA providing the sewer line free to the act of UNC submitting to a voluntary municipal annexation of its land to the BOA four years ago. That out-of-the blue voluntary annexation petition allowed the BOA not only to absorb the Winmore so-called “mixed use village” project (thereby avoiding the joint planning scrutiny by Orange County), it also allowed the BOA (under former Mayor Mike Nelson) to plan secretly the involuntary annexation of the Northeast Area.

An anonymous complaint asks Carrboro to enforce its rules against carbon loading trucks dispensing food in the parking lots of local establishments. BOA members react by injecting immigration issue and bemoaning “anonymous complaints”. No explanation is given or asked as to how the entire Carrboro town staff was blind to these trucks operating in the Carrboro downtown, one being located opposite the Weaver Street lawn party.

“Widest margin” Alderman Gist wants to know who ratted out the trucks. She’s writes to the Carrboro Citizen saying “I am very worried by the real possibility that hard working entrepreneurs who are adding to our community could be put out of business and have their livelihood threatened. It is un-American and certainly un-Carrboro. If Carrboro cannot offer a welcoming home to immigrants trying to achieve the American Dream then maybe I don’t know Carrboro as well as I think I do.” She doesn’t mention any concern for the health of residents eating food from these units, nor does she express concern for these entrepreneurs paying the same taxes that local restaurants pay.

The BOA provides no word on how Carrboro intends to prevent portable ptomaine palaces. An Orange County health inspector says they are permitted to sell food only if they work with an approved and inspected commissary. No BOA member asks if they do so.

See Carrboro Citizen Taco Truck story.

According to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average compensation of state and local government workers is far ahead of that for private workers.

The gap widens every year, rising by an average $1.02 an hour last year, $2.45 an hour over the past three years. State and local government workers now earn an average of $39.50 per hour in total compensation, over 50% more than private workers ($26.09 an hour). Private businesses are trimming pension benefits and asked employees to pay a greater share of medical costs.

When adjusted for inflation over the past seven years, 20,000,000 (excluding 2,700,000 federal) public employees received a 16% increase in compensation. State and local governments have more than $1 trillion in unfunded liabilities for pensions and retirement medical benefits for public employees.

No word from any managers of any of the Orange local governments as to why such comparisons aren't in their budget reports to elected officials.

FMI Bureau of Labor Statistics

In keeping with Carrboro’s policy of financially supporting land developers and UNC, the BOA dedicated a new sewer line to OWASA. Built with Carrboro taxpayer money, the line runs up Bolin Creek, north of Homestead Road, servicing UNC’s “Carolina Commons” project and the private “Colleton Crossing” project. The BOA provided no final cost figures for the line. Local media didn't ask.

The ostensible reason for having to build the line was the annexation of the Northeast Area, although none of the residents in that area want to pay for the OWASA estimated hookup charges to that line of about $40,000 per home.

No official statements were issued tying the act of the BOA providing the sewer line free to the act of UNC submitting to a voluntary municipal annexation of its land to the BOA four years ago. That out-of-the blue voluntary annexation petition allowed the BOA not only to absorb the Winmore so-called “mixed use village” project (thereby avoiding the joint planning scrutiny by Orange County), it also allowed the BOA (under former Mayor Mike Nelson) to plan secretly the involuntary annexation of the Northeast Area.

An anonymous complaint asks Carrboro to enforce its rules against carbon loading trucks dispensing food in the parking lots of local establishments. BOA members react by injecting immigration issue and bemoaning “anonymous complaints”. No explanation is given or asked as to how the entire Carrboro town staff was blind to these trucks operating in the Carrboro downtown, one being located opposite the Weaver Street lawn party.

“Widest margin” Alderman Gist wants to know who ratted out the trucks. She’s writes to the Carrboro Citizen saying “I am very worried by the real possibility that hard working entrepreneurs who are adding to our community could be put out of business and have their livelihood threatened. It is un-American and certainly un-Carrboro. If Carrboro cannot offer a welcoming home to immigrants trying to achieve the American Dream then maybe I don’t know Carrboro as well as I think I do.” She doesn’t mention any concern for the health of residents eating food from these units, nor does she express concern for these entrepreneurs paying the same taxes that local restaurants pay.

The BOA provides no word on how Carrboro intends to prevent portable ptomaine palaces. An Orange County health inspector says they are permitted to sell food only if they work with an approved and inspected commissary. No BOA member asks if they do so.

See Carrboro Citizen Taco Truck story.

Back to nature Pacifica resident, Rogers Road “Keep ‘Em Quiet” task force member, and photographer of “struggling laborers”, Susan Simone (Simone bio) asked the BOA to remove noisy cocks from Carrboro. She did not present any evidence of how loud or large the offending cock was. Nor was she asked to produce any facts by the BOA.

Although Ms. Simone moved into a communal “Appalachian Village” property that was clear cut from a mature woods and built next to an historic farm property, she objects to being disturbed by the sounds of farm animals. In keeping with “Keep it Weird” Carrboro attitudes, she is okay with feminine chickens residing in Carrboro, just not masculine chickens.

No word was provided as to whether or not Ms. Simone will “screech” about the nocturnal hooting of owls on the neighboring Adams Tract next. Ms. Simone was silent also as to how her requested animal noise control ordinances should apply to dogs barking. Will curs be excluded along with cocks, leaving Carrboro with only bitches and clucking hens?

See N&O Fowl story.