Showing posts tagged “Durham City Council”
Samiha Khanna ·
3 Mar 2010, 4:43 PM ·
1 Comment
After a meeting of city and county elected officials, it doesn’t appear that the City Council or County Commissioners will be reconsidering the Durham’s 26-page ordinance on signage any time soon. When asked by Durham’s planning department whether it’s time to revisit the ordinance, Durham leaders vehemently answered, “No.”
“I personally am not in favor of opening the sign ordinance,” said City Councilwoman Diane Catotti, at Wednesday’s meeting of Durham’s Joint City-County Planning Committee, for which she is chairwoman. “I think it’s a lot cleaner in terms of litigation to support the sign ordinance in place. I do fear litigation. It’s a lengthy and costly process and I don’t think I have to remind any of you that the city has significant litigation still pending. I’ll just say ‘lacrosse.’”
Catotti commented that sign litigation is a prominent form of action taken against governments, and that Durham itself went through a nearly 10-year battle over a signage lawsuit from the 1980s and 1990s that cost the city nearly $1.5 million. Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, news, politics campaign contributions, City of Durham, Diane Catotti, Durham City Council, Durham County Commissioners, Durham JCCPC, Durham Planning Commission, Durham planning department, Durham politics, electronic billboards, Ellen Reckhow, Fairway, litigation, Patrick Byker, Steve Medlin, Unified Development Ordinance
Samiha Khanna ·
26 Feb 2010, 3:57 PM ·
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Several local politicos waited until the last minute to throw their names into the hat in Durham’s local and state elections. Candidates had until noon today to declare their intentions to run.
Several previously uncontested races now boast challengers, and in three offices—Durham District Attorney, Clerk of Court and N.C. House District 29—incumbent Democrats Tracey Cline, Archie Smith and Rep. Larry Hall face no challengers.
The rundown of today’s filings:
- Republican Laney Funderburk, of Glenmore Drive, has filed for N.C. Senate District 20, challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Floyd McKissick. Funderburk ran for Durham City Council in 2007.
- Republican Patricia Ladd of Shaw Road has filed against incumbent Democrat Rep. H.M. Mickey Michaux.
- Republican Larry Yarbrough of Duck Pointe Drive in Roxboro has filed for N.C. House District 55, facing incumbent Democrat Rep. Winkie Wilkins. Two other Democrats are also vying for Wilkins’ seat.
- Democrat Tony Butler of North Willowhaven Drive will face incumbent Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill in a Democratic primary. Roy Taylor, a Republican, also has filed for this office.
- In the Durham school board election, Regina Stanley-King of Wayne Circle has entered the race against Pastor Fredrick Davis for the District 2 seat. Stanley-King first ran for office in 2005, in an unsuccessful bid against veteran Howard Clement for a City Council seat.
For the full list, visit the Durham Board of Elections Web site.
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, education, news, politics 2010 elections, Archie Smith, Durham Board of Elections, Durham City Council, Durham County Sheriff, Durham politics, Durham school board, Howard Clement, Laney Funderburk, N.C. House, N.C. legislature, NC Senate, Pastor Fredrick Davis, Patricia Ladd, Regina Stanley-King, Rep. Larry Hall, Rep. Mickey Michaux, Rep. Winkie Wilkins, Sen. Floyd McKissick, Tony Butler, Tracey Cline, Worth Hill
Samiha Khanna ·
1 Feb 2010, 8:40 PM ·
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In his annual “State of the City” address, Bill Bell highlighted several of the same issues that were of top concern in last year’s update: transportation, jobs and crime reduction.
Bell highlighted declines in property and violent crime, efforts to make local transportation easier and more accessible–including the possibility of fare-free ridership–and what the city has done in the past year to improve the city’s 7-percent unemployment rate.
In his 28-minute speech, Bell also noted that as the city begins what many hope will be a year of economic recovery for Durham and the nation, this year’s budget process could be as challenging as last year’s. With revenue from the sales and occupancy taxes, as well as revenue from development permits and fees, on the decline, the city will face about a $15 million gap when the administration comes together this spring to examine the budget, Bell said.
“As with your household budget, when you spend more than you bring home, the city’s options are quite limited,” Bell told an audience at Durham City Hall. “The solution will be either a change in services, reduction in spending and services, or some type of revenue increases.”
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, news, politics Bill Bell, City of Durham, Durham City Council, Durham politics, economy, environment, jobs, unemployment
Samiha Khanna ·
13 Jan 2010, 1:22 PM ·
2 Comments
We published a story this morning about Reyn Bowman, the recently retired head of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. He was the first CEO and president of the organization and worked there 20 years.
Years ago, the board that governed his organization promised him one month’s pay for every year he stayed in his job. With his recent retirement, the bureau and Tourism Development Authority owe him $275,000. See Bowman’s contract and payout schedule >>
Meanwhile, the Bureau has faced some serious financial setbacks, and last year had to lay off five workers—three full-timers and two part-time job holders.
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, news, politics budget cuts, DCVB, Durham City Council, Durham County Commissioners, Durham politics, Reyn Bowman, Tourism Development Authority
Samiha Khanna ·
6 Jan 2010, 5:11 PM ·
1 Comment
An update to our story published this morning on Erick Daniels, a Durham man who served seven years in prison on a wrongful conviction:
According to a settlement demand Daniels and his mother filed with the City of Durham, the family is seeking $25 million for a flawed and incomplete investigation that caused Daniels to be convicted of armed robbery in 2001 at the age of 15. Daniels was tried and convicted as an adult and released in 2008 after a Durham superior court judge dismissed the charges.
An attorney submitted the settlement request to City Attorney Patrick Baker, and a city spokeswoman confirmed this week that Baker, City Manager Tom Bonfield and others will hold a closed session with City Council to discuss the matter. The issue could be resolved as early as Friday.
In addition, Daniels is seeking an official pardon from Gov. Bev Perdue to wipe his record clear and make him eligible for money from the state—up to $50,000 per year he was wrongfully imprisoned.
Since his 2008 release, Daniels has retreated from interviews, he said, because talking about prison is like living through it all over again. In an interview Wednesday, Daniels said that despite his name being cleared in 2008, he still lives with a stigma. He believes many out there still think he’s guilty, including members of the police department.
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, national, news, politics actual innocence, Bev Perdue, City of Durham, Durham City Council, Durham Police, Durham politics, Erick Daniels, innocence, legal pardon, negligence, Patrick Baker, Tom Bonfield, wrongful conviction
Samiha Khanna ·
10 Dec 2009, 6:05 PM ·
Comment
Long-time members of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People (and likely lots of newcomers) will be headed to White Rock Baptist Church, 3400 Fayetteville St. in Durham, shortly for the election of a chairperson for the 74-year-old organization.
Local leaders and bloggers have been busy looking forward to tonight, when the Rev. Melvin Whitley challenges 12-year incumbent Lavonia Allison for the position. Read the Indy story >>
The faceoff certainly has people talking (a lot more than they were about Durham’s fall municipal election). Here are some takes by people we interviewed, but who didn’t make it into Wednesday’s story:
“I’m supporting change for the Committee. I’d be comfortable with anyone but Lavonia.” — Chuck Watts, attorney and recent addition to the N.C. Board of Transportation
Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, news, politics Durham City Council, Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Durham County Commissioners, Durham politics, Lavonia Allison, Melvin Whitley, People's Alliance
Samiha Khanna ·
2 Dec 2009, 11:43 AM ·
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Durham city officials have set up an online survey for residents, City Council members, employees and other members of the community to gain insight on the city’s strengths, weaknesses and proposed priorities. Responses will be gathered through Friday, Dec. 18.
The results will be combined with feedback from other forums, such as Coffee with Council sessions in which residents meet with the city’s leadership, and presented in a strategic plan in June.
Those without online access can also fill out the survey in person. Forms are available at the city’s One Call desk in the lobby of City Hall at 101 City Hall Plaza downtown.
Durham, Durham County, news City of Durham, Durham City Council, Tom Bonfield
Samiha Khanna ·
27 Oct 2009, 5:18 PM ·
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Five Durham candidates filed pre-election campaign finance reports this week, and the lists of contributors didn’t include many surprises, but were interesting nonetheless. Candidates raising or spending more than $3,000 in their campaigns this fall were required to file pre-election reports.
Among the highlights: Mayor Bill Bell received contributions from Charles Wilson, of C.T. Wilson Construction, and long-time former Sheriff Roland Leary.
Bell contributed $100 to incumbent Mayor Pro-Tem Cora Cole-McFadden, who is running for City Council in Ward I against newcomer Donald Hughes. Cole-McFadden is seeking her third term on the Council. Her roll of contributors also included retired school board Chairwoman Kathryn Meyers, Steve Toler, a frequent consultant to city and county boards, and Virginia Bowman, CEO of Northgate Mall, and Steve Schewel, primary owner of the Independent Weekly newspaper. She also took contributions from Phail Wynn, an executive vice president at Duke University, and Charles Wilson Jr., CEO of C.T. Wilson Construction. Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, news 2009 Elections, allan polak, Bill Bell, Cora Cole-McFadden, darius little, donald hughes, Durham, Durham City Council, Howard Clement, Matt Drew, Mike Woodard, Steven Williams
Samiha Khanna ·
20 Oct 2009, 5:04 PM ·
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UPDATE: EMC has bought a 450,000-square-foot distribution center in Durham. Read more >>
Last night, Durham’s City Council voted to give EMC Corp. $1 million in economic-development incentives to build a new data center in Durham and bring 292 jobs to Durham, according to this morning’s reports by The Herald-Sun and The News & Observer.
Earlier this month, Durham County Commissioners agreed to grant the Massachusetts-based company specializing in data storage, security and management, $1.2 million in incentives and money for training if the company locates new jobs and facilities here. And in September, Governor Bev Perdue announced that the state would help lure EMC here, with as much as $7.4 million during the next nine years through a Job Development Investment Grant from the state. Add it all together, and it seems probable that EMC would choose Durham over sites in New York, Virginia, Washington and Canada that the company had announced it was also considering. Continue reading »
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, national, news, politics business, Durham City Council, Durham County, Durham County Commissioners, EMC Corp., incentives, news, RTP
Samiha Khanna ·
14 Oct 2009, 9:35 AM ·
6 Comments
A member of the Durham Planning Commission, a citizen board that advises city and county leaders, sent a letter late last night resigning her post. LaDawnna Summers, whose term was set to expire next June, sent the letter to the City Council, County Commissioners, fellow Commission members and Steve Medlin, planning director.
Summers cited two controversial cases on which city and county leaders went against the Planning Commission’s recommendations — Brightleaf Commons, a shopping center planned for U.S. 70 near Falls Lake, and the rezoning of Jordan Lake’s protective boundaries, which the county approved Monday.
In both cases, the 12-member Planning Commission recommended that elected officials deny the rezoning.
From Summers’ letter:
Cases like these create a tremendous financial burden which the tax payers will have to fund in order to clean up the environmental impact. Further, our neighboring counties rely upon these drinking water sources, as will our children one day soon. We are stewards of the land and water, and these are precious resources. In light of these cases, it has become clear to me that our development process is broken in Durham. This process resulted in an outcome which did not serve the people of Durham, and disregarded the wellbeing of our neighboring counties. I feel strongly that I can no longer be a part of this process, and so I am resigning from the Planning Commission.
Durham, Durham County, environment, news 751 Assemblage, Brightleaf Commons, development, Durham City Council, Durham County Commissioners, Durham Planning Commission, Falls Lake, jordan lake
