Citizen Will

Category: Government

  • Filling Bill’s Seat, Not His Shoes…

    Councilmember Laurin Easthom sketches out the scope of work required to diligently discharge a Council member’s civic responsibilities. As she notes, agendas can weigh in at 11 lbs. Meetings are more frequently going until 1am. Preparation takes hours and hours. And the work expands well beyond what most folks usually see – liaising with other […]

  • Carolina North Development Agreement: Dr. Owens Responds

    Dr. David Owens, Gladys Hall Coates Professor of Public Law and Government at UNC and advisor to Council on the development agreement process, has responded to my Oct. 14th. Will, Roger Stancil passed your queries along to me. You asked if the Council is in some way bound to follow this approach should they determine […]

  • Water Grab: Can’t Happen Here?

    John McCain really stepped in it out West. When he suggested sending more of Colorado’s precious water south to Arizona, a broad spectrum of citizens rose up to condemn him. Water, it appears, is precious, no matter what a Coloradan’s political stripe. Our own multi-governmental OWASA (Orange Water and Sewer Authority) has suggested we borrow […]

  • Carolina North Development Agreement Public Hearing Oct. 15th

    Tomorrow the Town Council will hold a public hearing describing the basic framework for managing Carolina North’s development over the next couple decades. This is the second meeting discussing the framework. The first was Sept. 25th. Unfortunately, I was the only citizen not directly involved – as either a representative of the Town, UNC or […]

  • Passing Gas

    One problem I’ve had in trying to change the way our Town does business is that the issues I’m trying to address – higher energy costs, revenues drying up, development policy that drives diversity from our community, financial instability – haven’t reached a level of concern for the greater community. I’m a proactive guy, work […]

  • Trash Talk: Will We Stand United?

    A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, […]

  • Selecting/Electing the Next Councilmember

    Due to the unfortunate passing of Councilmember Bill Thorpe a seat has opened on the Town Council. I met Bill when we ran for Council in 2005. Many folks who knew Bill have lovingly weighed in on his work on behalf of our community, his wry sense of humor, his particular practice of governance. Fellow […]

  • Twisting the Zoning Pretzel

    Tonight I asked the Council, once again, to reconsider cutting corners in the zoning process to push their “dense” development agenda. Just as in this Spring’s approval of the new TC-3 zoning district (A Matter of Process: Greenbridge and Council’s Devolving Standard of Public Review), the Council is trying to slide through a far-reaching zoning […]

  • Trash Transfer Site: And then there were seven?

    Quick reminder about tonight’s Board of Commissioner’s working session on siting the Orange County trash transfer station – 5:30PM at the Southern Human Services Center [MAP] (agenda). I continue to be concerned about the process – including the criteria – but hold out hope that a good result will eventually be crafted. More on tonight’s […]

  • Joining the Air Force – Authority

    As noted by Chapel Hill News Editor Mark Schultz here [OrangeChat] and here [N&O], I’ve asked the Orange County Board of Commissioners to consider appointing me to the new UNC Airport Authority (more on that here [UNC News] and here [N&O]). Dear Commissioners, I’m asking for an appointment to UNC’s new Airport Authority. As a […]

  • Mt. Bolus Rocks the Vote

    Just got back from the Chapel Hill Library where, at roughly 7:15pm, my wife and I were the 83rd and 84th voters in today’s primary run-off. Heard from a few folks throughout the day that turnout was abysmal. One of the poll-workers told us that there were only 324 early votes STATEWIDE! Ellie and I […]

  • Election 2007: Friends of Affordable Housing Questionnaire

    X-Posted from my campaign website. I hadn’t heard of this organization prior to this election but they appear to have been active for the last 10 years. Friends of Affordable Housing is a non-partisan Political Action Committee that has been active in selective elections within Orange County during the last 10 year. The organization was […]

  • Tracey Coleman on Rogers Road: Most Popular Video To Date

    At 1460 hits, this video is by and far the most popular one I’ve posted on youTube. No surprise to me as Tracey did an incredibly eloquent presentation on the flawed Solid Waste Advisory Board’s search for a new trash transfer site.

  • Election 2007: League Of Women Voters Forum

    A big thank you to the local chapter of the League of Women Voters for an excellent forum this evening. Vicki Boyer, who occasionally posts on OrangePolitics kept the show moving along with a variety of audience questions. Unlike the Sierra Club forum, the environmental and social justice issues surrounding our neighbors out on Rogers […]

  • Visions of Avalon

    Last night there was an unfortunate and possibly gang-related incident at Rosemary Street’s Visions nightclub. At approximately 1:00 a.m. this morning officers responded to a report of gun shots at Visions Night Club located at 136 E. Rosemary Street. Multiple shots were reportedly fired from a handgun by an unidentified black male suspect after a […]