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”.
Since the arrest of the Eve Carson murder suspects, local officials have said nary a word as to whether or not the two suspects arrested have any association with the taboo “G” word… gangs.
Local officials have been in public denial about gangs in southern Orange for years despite official public state information that gangs do thrive here. They have ignored repeated exposure by Squeeze the Pulp over the past few years of official statements by the state and the federal government talking about Orange County gangs.
Local officials in the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill have refused to initiate public information programs educating citizens about gangs and identifying marks, such as clothing or neck tattoos. Local schools will educate about the ills of tobacco smoking but not gangs. The town of Chapel Hill canceled an annual festival rather than face down criminal elements taking over the crowds. Do anything but face the issues.
In the wake of a recent spree of crimes, Carrboro police have charged four young men and a teenage girl in a series of African-American on Hispanic muggings in Durham and Orange County. They’re also investigating at least three additional suspects in a recent Carrboro robbery spree. According to police, all of the suspects may belong to a gang.
In the words of Police Captain Booker, ”When this thing keeps growing in numbers, it's hard not to look at it that way. It has grown to eight people that we're looking at. It is a very strong likelihood that additional charges will be lodged, and some of those charges may be on brand new suspects.”
No word from Alderman Joel Hall Broun who two years ago ridiculed then candidate Ms. Katrina Ryan for suggesting that Carrboro had a crime problem.
No word from obedient Carrboro peevish pet food purveyors who yapped about warnings of gang presence in support of Ms. Ryan.
No word on the police investigation into the trafficking of Orange Progressive Cool-Aid by the Boa and the Councilors.
See N&O Crime Spree Story.
The political celestial orchestra is in pre-election harmony in southern Orange.
First, big commish candidate, self-proclaimed long-time local time activist, Hillsborough resident, former OWASA director, former county planning board member, former chair of the local developers’ rights support group (the local Sierra Club, see Phictionary), former Federal Bureau of Prison employee, and AWOL environmental injustice activist, Bernadette Pelissier, calls for local laws that would force homeowners to retrofit water saving fixtures in order to sell a home. (Conveniently, Ms. Pelissier neglects to call for forced retrofitting on rental units owned by her bourgeoisie rentier friends.)
Now, the Carrboro Boa, replete with bourgeoisie rentiers, follows Ms. Pelissier’s tune with an “hallelujah chorus” for forced water conservation in Carrboro.
Speaking at the 18 March 2008 Boa meeting, OWASA utility manager generalist, Pat Davis, didn’t see controlling growth as the cornerstone of OWASA’s sustainable water management strategy of the future. No, the answer is conservation. Southern Orange residents should adopt a semi-arid lifestyle!
Alderman Joal Hall Broun took an ambivalent view, concerned that forced water fixture retrofitting would penalize the wrong people. She’s more interested in eliminating lawn irrigation in Carrboro. You may have a right to own dirt in Carrboro. But your right to have a lawn is in question.
“Widest margin” vote getter Alderman Jacquie Gist advocated for a continuation of the foisting of municipal responsibilities on homeowners’ associations (HOAs). Yes, according to Ms. Gist, HOAs should be responsible for enforcing Stage 3 water restrictions on their residents, not OWASA. Your neighborly water police can share their love by ratfinking you out to OWASA. In the words of Ms. Gist, ”Water is a public good that is owned and needed by all of us, and it comes under pressure as we experience growth.”
No word on whether or not Ms. Gist will ever grasp the connection between carrying capacity, lifestyle, and growth.
No word on when the first shipment of Joshua Trees will arrive in Carrboro.
In related business news, shares of Kohler went “into the toilet” in light trading.
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.
