CCEC
Alerts
and
Bulletins
are
an
effort
to
keep
its
members
and
other
interested
parties
informed
of
specific
growth
and
development
planning
meetings
and
issues
within
Chatham
County.
CCEC BULLETIN:
7/02/08
WALKING THE WALK by TALKING THE TALK in Pittsboro
Chatham citizens now have a chance to literally “walk the walk” by “talking the talk” to folks in charge of planning Pittsboro’s pedestrian future.
Here’s the scoop. The Town of Pittsboro has received funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT)'s Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative to develop a Pedestrian Transportation Plan.
Planning began with a Steering Committee Meeting in March 2008. According to information from Greenways Incorporated, they are conducting fieldwork, evaluating the current conditions and gathering public input for the plan. The draft plan is to be developed over the summer with review in early September. Public input (through an online comment form, public workshops, and communication with the Steering Committee) is encouraged throughout the planning process.
So, let’s get in step! Become part of the process for creating a more walkable Pittsboro. First read all about it by clicking on (or cutting and pasting) this link: (http://www.greenways.com/downloads/PittsboroNewsletter.pdf) and looking at the two-page Newsletter.
Then its time to talk back by clicking on (or cutting and pasting) this link: (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XqI8V7nZFHe7cyTyuFpSOg_3d_3d) to complete a survey that will assist the planning team with their task. When you are finished, the survey will be sent automatically to the Pittsboro Town Planner.
Stay informed and continue to offer your thoughts and ideas as together we carve out a new path to a friendlier pedestrian future for Pittsboro.
CCEC BULLETIN:
6/29/08
StopNCAnnexation....We
have
been
following
the
efforts
of
Cathy
Heath
and
the StopNCAnnexation
forces
who
have
been
working
to
bring
REFORM
to
the
ANNEXATION
of
properties
across
County
lines
at
the
will
of
the
cities.
Chatham
County
has
found
itself
in
this
position
many
times
as
the
city
of
Cary
has
had
her
way
in
the
Eastern
part
of
our
County.
A
Moratorium
Bill
(HB2367)has
been
on
the
table
which
would
allow
for
further
debate
in
the
State
Legislature
at a
future
time.
Citizen
wishes
have
been
totally
denied
for
years
and
the
City
Lobbyists
who
have
recommended
a
modification
to
this
bill
appear
to
be
in a
position
to
kill
the
voices
of
the
people
once
again
on
Monday
or
Tuesday
of
next
week.
Please
take
a
look
at
this
up-to-date
report
WHICH
JUST
CAME
IN,
and
if
you
agree,
follow
through
with
your
opposition
to
this
watered
down
version
of
this
bill.
Contact
Joe
Hackney
at
joeh@ncleg.net
and
request
restoration
of
the
original
bill
and
a
"no"
vote
on
the
current
version
of
this
bill.
Chatham
Citizens
for
Effective
Communities,
Inc.
StopNCAnnexation
HB2367,
the
Moratorium
Bill,
which
is
now
the
"NOT
A
Moratorium"
Bill,is
on
the
House
schedule
for
Monday.
The
Monday
session
starts
at
7:00
pm.
The
word
going
around
is
that
it
is
expected
to
be
kept
short
so
the
'Not
a
Moratorium'Bill
could
be
pushed
over
to
Tuesday.
What
will
be
the
fate
of
HB2367?
Why
is
it's
fate
critical
to
the
annexation
reform
effort
as a
whole?
We
have
all
known
that
this
battle
for
meaningful
reform
was
going
to
be a
David
vs
Goliath
struggle
between
the
people
and
the
City
Lobbyists.
We
also
quickly
realized
that
the
Leadership
of
the
House
AND
Senate
are
resisting
the
citizens
calls
for
real
reform.
Whether
the
Leadership
has
decided
to
align
itself
with
the
City
Lobbyists
over
the
people,
or
not,
this
is
how
it
appears.
Speaker
Hackney
told
the
Asheville
Citizen-Times
that
"the
current
annexation
law
that
we
have
in
North
Carolina
has
been
good
for
North
Carolina."
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880509096&template=printart
It
sounds
like
he
was
quoting
the
Director
of
the
NCLM
to
me.
When
some
citizens
spoke
to
him
about
annexation
reform
at
the
2007
Rally
he
suggested
that
they
take
their
grievances
to
the
NC
League
of
Municipalities.
Was
he
telling
us
who
is
in
charge
of
The
Peoples
House
by
suggesting
this
course
of
action?
These
facts
have
made
the
fate
of
HB2367
a
critical
skirmish
in
this
battle
for
reform.
WE
must
push
back
hard
on
the
House
and
Senate
Leadership
as
to
what
is
happening
to
the
very
first
Bill
to
come
out
of
the
House
Annexation
Study
Committee.
WE
CAN
NOT
LET
WHAT
HAS
BEEN
DONE
TO
THIS
BILL
STAND!
When
this
Moratorium
Bill
went
into
the
Judiciary
II
Committee
is
was
intact.
When
it
came
out
it
was
a
toothless
sham.
It
doesn't
merit
the
Title
of a
Moratorium
Bill
because
it
is
NOT
a
moratorium
as
it
is.
WE
have
to
get
that
changed
before
it
is
voted
out
of
the
House.
Watch
this
short
video
of
the
Judiciary
II
meeting
where
the
teeth
were
pulled:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6481774485072155817&hl=en
There
was
no
discussion
of
the
true
impact
of
the
amendment.
It
was
not
explained
clearly.
The
Committee
was
told
that
the
proposed
amendment
would
"just
allow
the
cities
to
plan"
during
the
moratorium.
The
Committee
members
did
not
question
the
details
of
what
they
were
being
asked
to
vote
for.
The
amendment
was
rushed
through
to a
voice
vote.
Did
any
of
them
know
that
this
was
going
to
be
the
fate
of
the
Bill
ahead
of
time?
Can
we
blame
them
all
for
what
happened?
We
will
never
know
for
sure.
On
the
later
second
amendment
that
changed
the
moratorium
dates,
Rep.
Folwell
was
the
lone
no
vote.
But
this
we
do
know;
the
damage
to
the
Bill
must
be
reversed
before
the
Bill
is
passed
out
of
the
House.
If
not,
the
Bill
will
be a
victory
for
the
City
Lobbyists.
If
they
win
this
skirmish,
how
much
harder
will
it
be
to
stop
their
efforts
later
when
meaningful
reform
is
on
the
table?
Here
is
what
I
suggest
that
we,
the
people,
do:
Every
member
of
the
House
must
hear
from
all
of
us
immediately.
Every
email
should
copy
Speaker
Joe
Hackney.
What
we
say
should
be
concise
and
firm.
Contact
info: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/members/reports/room-phone.pl?Chamber=House&viewType=normal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Representative,
The
Judiciary
II
Committee
Subsitiute
for
HB2367
is a
gutted
Bill.
It
has
been
amended
to
where
it
is
no
longer
a
moratorium
at
all.
We
are
asking
you
to
restore
HB2367
to
'Version
I'.
This
version
was
overwhelmingly
voted
out
of
the
Finance
Committee
in a
bi-partisan
show
of
support
for
the
recommendations
of
the
House
Select
Committee
to
Study
Municipal
Annexation.
The
Judiciary
II
Committee
substitute
for
HB2367
is
NOT
a
moratorium.
The
House
Study
Committee
recommended
a
MORATORIUM.
We
the
people
want
a
moratorium.
Stand
up
and
make
this
right
when
it
comes
before
you
on
the
floor
of
the
House
next
week.
Thank
you,
GIVE CCEC A “HIGH $5”
Congratulations are in order. Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities (CCEC) has just turned FIVE years old.
If you consider yourself a friend of CCEC, this is the right time to congratulate us with a “High $5.” That’s just a dollar per year to honor each of our five years of efforts to engage, educate and empower citizens to enhance Chatham’s future.
Five years ago Chatham hit its “growth spurt” as a bumper crop of new residential developments blossomed. The handwriting on the walls of all these new homes spelled out a challenging future for citizens of a county whose rural character and natural resources were (and continue to be) under assault. To face these challenging times, CCEC, Inc. was born.
Citizen advocates formed a not-for-profit grass roots organization to champion planned growth that seeks to balance the realities of economic needs and environmental stewardship. CCEC became not only an advocate and “watch dog” on issues relating to balanced growth, but also a vehicle to inform, educate and empower citizens to work together through open government toward a more sustainable future for all.
CCEC reviews all development applications, offering suggestions for improvements, and attends all BOC and Planning Board meetings. With our technical expertise CCEC is able to respond to citizen requests to review specific development applications, represent citizens by speaking out with our findings and facilitate meetings with developers.
Volunteers that form the CCEC Board (there is no paid staff) give untold hours of their time and provide personal funding and gifts-in-kind to keep the ship afloat and direct it on its course toward that goal of a sustainable future for all. Beyond our own energy and means, we must depend on occasional contributions from fellow citizens who believe in our cause and support our mission. That’s where YOU, dear friend, come in.
In order to sustain and improve our ability to engage, educate and empower our fellow citizens to enhance Chatham’s future (maintain that sustainable quality of life for all), we ask for your assistance now. A “High $5” (a check for only $5) from EACH friend of CCEC will allow us to purchase needed supplies and equipment; pay for our website development, our email notices and other information resources; conduct citizen training programs and events and cover a host of other daily needs.
Your “High $5” along with that of other like-minded supporters can cover our immediate needs and launch CCEC into our next five years of service. You can help right now by mailing an affordable $5 contribution to: CCEC, Inc. PO Box 412 Pittsboro, NC 27312.
In a world and a county filled with economic and ecological challenges as never before, we have only begun to see the “tip of the (melting) iceberg.” Only by engaging one another across cultural, historical and ideological lines and forming community that embraces a vision for sustainable living can we hope to effectively enhance our cooperative future. Please help CCEC to remain one of the positive forces in Chatham leading us toward such a future. It’s a long road ahead, and we want to remain “ultra-marathoners.”
Thank you for your support!
CCEC, Inc. Board of Directors: Bob Eby, Joe Fraser, Rich Hayes, Loyse Hurley, John Graybeal, Gary Simpson, Caroline Siverson and Rita Spina
Monday Evening, May 19th, 2008, 6 P.M. in the Superior Courtroom, Pittsboro
It will be a busy night on Monday the 19th. The agenda includes 7 Public Hearings under the Board of Commissioners' Matters:
1. Chatham County Fiscal Year 2008-09 Budget:**
2. Request for Search Ring Approvals (proposed new cell towers)
3. Revision to Existing Conditional Use Permit for campground in Haw River Township - public comments
4. Revision to Conditional Use Permit for Polk Center - 2 yr. extension
5. Conditional Use B-1District - for Chatham Development Corp.
6. Conditional Use B-1Permit - for Boat Storage Facility
7. Moratorium Extension for Chatham County
Under Public Works:
1. Public Hearing on the Financing of the Western Transmission Lines
and then consideration of:
2. Southeast Chatham County Water District Contract
3. Water Intake Service Agreement with Cary and Apex
**Note: from the County Manager and Budget Office
Chatham County Invites Input on Proposed County Budget
Chatham County residents are invited to attend one of two upcoming public meetings to provide feedback on the proposed 2008-09 county budget. The meeting dates and times are:
“We are painfully aware of the need to keep any tax increase as low as possible for residents,” said County Manager Charlie Horne, “but we could not find a way to meet the most critical needs resulting from growth without proposing a 5.5 property tax increase.”
He added that the economic downturn is affecting county revenues at a time that the demands for services and facilities are on the increase. “We also must deal with the fact that 70% of our budget is mandated by the state or federal government.”
The proposed 5.5-cent tax increase would provide:
With K-12 education the largest category of funding (35% of the total), the proposed budget would fully fund school facilities in the county’s adopted Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The upcoming budget year includes nearly $1.35 million of CIP projects for schools across the county.
Other school expenses in the budget include a 5% increase in funding for other school facility needs, a 5% increase in local teacher salary supplements and a 7.3% increase in overall funding for school current expenses.
New non-school expenses in the proposed budget include:
The budget also provides increases in three to four fire district rates as well as increases in specified fees to better reflect the actual cost of providing services. Fee changes include a $10 increase in the annual Solid Waste Fee paid by residents living in unincorporated areas, with funds set aside to fund a new waste & recycling center.
Posted
by
Rita Spina
5/16/08
CCEC
BULLETIN
4/10/08
Public Hearing re: Renewal of Siler City Wastewater Discharge Permit (NPDES Permit - NC0026441)
Thursday, April 17th, 7 PM, Siler City, City Hall, Main Courtroom, 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City;
if you wish to speak, you must sign in at 6 PM.
The North Carolina Division of Water Quality/Point Source Branch (DWQ) is holding a PUBLIC HEARING on the renewal of the Siler City Wastewater Treatment Plant's Discharge Permit. This wastewater treatment plant discharges into the Rocky River via Loves Creek. 88% of the Rocky River flows through Chatham County and approximately 2/3rds of the river is below this treatment plant's discharge point. Over the past 5 years, the river has been showing increased levels of pollutants and signs of degradation. Several groups, including CCEC, have requested this hearing in an attempt to protect the river from further degradation.
In the meantime, Siler City is suffering from the loss of several industries and is facing an economic downturn. Costly restrictions on the treatment plant would further add to the economic burden for the town and could impact the remaining industries that discharge into the treatment plant.
The dilemma for all stakeholders in Chatham County is how can we best encourage sustainable industrial development in Siler City and at the same time enhance and protect the quality of the Rocky River?
As part of the process for the renewal of this discharge permit, DWQ will conduct this legal hearing,
CCEC
BULLETIN
3/06/08
ON
THE
ROAD
AGAIN:
CCEC-
Institute,
Inc.
Hosts
“Major
Corridor”
Meetings
There
is a
draft
proposal for
the
development
of
our
major
corridors
coming
before
the
Board
of
Commissioners
for
a
public
hearing
later
this
spring.
This
proposal
is
complex
and
will
affect
the
planning
and
zoning
along
our
major
corridors.
The
CCEC
Institute
is
teaming
up
with
County
Government
to
invite
citizens
to
learn
more
about
the
proposal
which
is
intended
to
manage
growth
along
seven
of
Chatham’s
major
roadways.
Meetings
will
be
held
during
March
at
three
different
locations
throughout
the
county.
The
purpose
of
the
sessions
is
not
to
discuss
whether
there
should
be
an
ordinance
since
that
has
already
been
established,
but
rather
to
provide
information about
these
proposals
and
address
questions
and
concerns
of
citizens.
The
proposal
is
currently
being
reviewed
by
the
Planning
Board,
and
these
timely
meetings
will
also
provide
an
opportunity
for
the
Planning
Board
to
consider
additional
citizen
input
before
the
plan
is
finalized.
Full
details
about
this
proposed
ordinance
can
be
found
on
the
County
web
site
www.chathamnc.org
Please
click
on
the
attached
PDF
for
details
about
these
meetings,
and
plan
on
participating
in
one
of
these
important
meetings
as
together
we
seek
to
find
the
best
solutions
to
the
challenges
facing
our
rapidly
growing
county.
This
critical
event
will
have
great
impact
on
the
identity
and
shape
of
Pittsboro
and
its
extraterritorial
area
(ETJ)
in
regards
to
land
use
and
smart
growth,
green
building,
economic
development,
preservation
of
heritage,
protection
of
natural
resources,
improvements
to
water
and
sewer,
sustainability
issues
and
much
more.
It
is
open
to
all
citizens
of
Chatham.
The
meeting
is
the
culmination
of
what
was
to
be a
citizen
driven
land
use
planning
process
to
update
Pittsboro’s
old
plan.
At a
cost
of
$50,000.00,
it
was
facilitated
by
staff
from
Triangle
J
Council
of
Governments,
but
garnered
little
support
or
involvement
by
the
majority
of
the
Town
Board.
A
few
meetings
brought
out
some
interested
citizens
and
a
contingent
from
the
developer
and
realtor
interests.
Citizens
at
that
time
called
for
Pittsboro
to
invest
in
its
historic
downtown
first
and
concentrate
any
new
commercial
development
near
Town
Center.
But
as
the
public
process
languished,
realtors
and
developers
formed
a
consortium
and
held
their
own
meetings.
As a
result,
a
different
vision
for
Pittsboro
will
be
put
forth
at
Thursday’s
meeting,
one
that
includes
commercial
sprawl
beyond
the
town,
and
a
new
highway
bypass
to
accommodate
major
commercial
developments.
There
is
also
much
talk
of
the
privatization
of
municipal
utilities
by
the
developer/realtor
interests
as a
“bail
out”
for
the
infrastructure
problems
that
have
plagued
Pittsboro
for
decades
(and
curtailed
much
development
because
of
the
need
for
moratoriums).
It
is
critical
that
citizens
now
become
involved
once
again
in
order
to
refocus
on
the
original
direction
of
the
earlier
meetings
and
balance
the
will
of
the
people
with
that
of
those
whose
bottom
line
is
to
profit
from
the
land
resources
of
the
community,
as
has
been
the
history
of
surrounding
counties
and
towns.
Over
the
years
as
CCEC
has
spoken
out
at
County
BOC
meetings
and
Public
Hearings,
fellow
citizens
have
felt
empowered
to
share
their
concerns
and
ideas
and
raise
their
voices
on
behalf
of
preservation
and
sustainability.
We
urge
our
neighbors
to
continue
this
grass
roots
activism
this
Thursday
evening
at
Pittsboro’s
Community
House.
