Thursday, April 30, 2020

City Hall Update -- Week of May 4, 2020

City Hall Update – Week of May 4, 2020 Check out Livable Raleigh’s latest blog post: Raleigh: a city government without citizens at https://livableraleigh.com/category/blog/ You must sign up by 5pm Friday, May 1, to speak at the May 5 City Council meeting – this is an apparent change from previous process where you could sign up until one hour before meeting time. Here’s the link: https://raleighnc.gov/services/government/petition-address-city-council Calendar The meetings listed below appear on the City’s Events Calendar at www.raleighnc.gov At the time we finalized this update, it was not clear exactly how the meetings below will be held. Tuesday, May 5 1pm – City Council, virtual meeting, agenda includes -- Text Change TC-1-20: Parking Requirements, Building Height and Cottage Courts – Planning Commission requesting 90-day extension -- Text Change TC-16-19: Accessory Dwelling Development Option – Planning Commission requesting 90-day extension -- Text Change TC-17-19: Design Alternates – Planning Commission requesting 90-day extension -- Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-12-19: Kindley Street – Planning Commission recommends approval; staff recommends June 2 public hearing date -- Rezoning Z-28-19: 4915 Lead Mine Road. at the intersection of Town and Country Road and Lead Mine Road, approx. three-fourths a mile north of Glenwood and Lead Mine Road. (District A) – Planning Commission recommends approval; staff recommends June 2 public hearing date -- Rezoning Z-31-19: 5228 Needham Road, near the intersection of Blue Run Lane and Pine Drive at Buffaloe Road. – Planning Commission requests 120-day extension -- Rezoning Z-38-19: 2108 North New Hope Road, near the intersection of North New Hope Road and Skycrest Drive – Planning Commission recommends approval; staff recommends June 2 public hearing date -- Rezoning Z-50-19: 913 Method Road, approximately 700 feet north of its intersection with Western Boulevard (District D) – Planning Commission requesting 90-day extension -- Rezoning Z-54-19: Kelley Austin Drive. At the intersection of New Bern Ave and Kelley Austin Dr, immediately to the south of the I-440 / New Bern Ave interchange (District C) – Planning Commission recommends approval; staff recommends June 2 public hearing date -- Rezoning Z-5-20: New Bern Avenue. On the south side of New Bern Ave at King Charles Rd, approximately 0.25 miles east of Raleigh Blvd (District C) – Planning Commission recommends approval; staff recommends June 2 public hearing date -- Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Relinquishment Process -- Community Engagement - Consultant Selection and Contract for Services -- COVID-19 situation update 7pm – City Council, virtual meeting, agenda includes -- Annexation Petition- Gabriels Bend/Ebeneezer Contiguous- Inside ETJ -- Amendment to the FY 2019-20 Annual Action Plan -- Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-1-20: Swift Creek Watershed (District D) -- Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-11-19: West Morgan Street (District D) -- Rezoning Z-23-19: 13051 & 13055 Strickland Road (District E) -- Rezoning Z-39-19: 1031 North Rogers Lane, near the intersection of North Rogers Lane and New Bern Avenue (District C) -- Rezoning Case Z-1-20: 2634 Oberlin Road, on both sides of Greenway Avenue (District E) Wednesday, May 6 7:45am – RHDC Research Committee Thursday, May 7 10am – CAMPO Technical Coordinating Committee 3pm – Stormwater Management Advisory Commission 4pm – Art, Education, & Collections Commission 4:30pm – Appearance Commission 6pm – Parks Committee Friday, May 8 11:30am – Affordable Housing Bond Advisory Committee Conference Call, 800-719-7514 (code: 963878) Note: Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources extends all closures and program cancellations through at least May 31, 2020. # Surveys Please provide input to the City of Raleigh’s affordable housing bond survey: https://publicinput.com/housing-bond-2020 # Do you want to help stop the RDU quarry and save Umstead State Park? Click on the links below and make your voice heard: https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/protect-umstead-state-park-from-minings-dirt-noise-and-traffic?utm_medium=recruit&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=addup&tc=I1goq https://actionnetwork.org/letters/help-protect-umstead-state-park-request-that-deq-deny-the-new-rock-quarry-mining-application/ # Please stay safe and follow official government guidelines during this public health crisis. Your best sources of reliable information during the COVID-19 public health crisis are official government websites. COVID-19 information from Wake County: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19/Pages/default.aspx COVID-19 information from the City of Raleigh: https://raleighnc.gov/news/covid-19-information Resources for people experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NCRALEIGH/bulletins/2821263 Link to City Manager’s Weekly Report: https://raleighnc.gov/services/government/city-managers-weekly-report #
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

Friday, April 24, 2020

City Hall Update -- Week of April 27, 2020

City Hall Update – Week of April 27, 2020
NOTE:  DEADLINE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT TUESDAY’S PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING IS 5PM TODAY (FRIDAY, APRIL 24)
Persons who wish to speak during Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting must sign-up on the Planning Commission webpage, (https://raleighnc.gov/planning-commission). The sign-up period will open at 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 17 and close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday April 24.
Calendar
Tuesday, April 28
  • 9am – Planning Commission, virtual meeting will be broadcast live on RTN 11 (https://raleighnc.gov/services/communication-and-outreach/rtn-channel-11-and-video-services), the city’s website, (raleighnc.gov), and Youtube channel, (https://www.youtube.com/cityofraleigh), agenda includes
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-12-19 Kindley Street
  • Rezoning Z-54-19: Kelley Austin Drive. At the intersection of New Bern Ave and Kelley Austin Dr, immediately to the south of the I-440 / New Bern Ave interchange (District C)
  • Rezoning Z-28-19; 4915 Lead Mine Road. At the intersection of Town and Country Road and Lead Mine Road about three-fourths a mile north of Glenwood and Lead Mine Road. (District A)
  • Rezoning Z-5-20: New Bern Avenue. On the south side of New Bern Ave at King Charles Rd, approximately 0.25 miles east of Raleigh Blvd (District C)
  • Rezoning Z-38-19: 2108 North New Hope Road, near the intersection of North New Hope Road and Skycrest Drive
The following cases will not be discussed during the meeting:
  • Rezoning Z-31-19: 5228 Needham Road, near the intersection of Blue Run Lane and Pine Drive at Buffaloe Road
  • Rezoning Z-50-19: 913 Method Road, approximately 700 feet north of its intersection with Western Boulevard (District D)
  • Text Change: TC-16-19 Accessory Dwelling Development Option
  • Text Change: TC-17-19 Design Alternates
  • Text Change TC-1-20: Parking Requirements, Building Height and Cottage Courts


Thursday, April 30

#
Surveys

#
Please stay safe and follow official government guidelines during this public health crisis.
  • Your best sources of reliable information during the COVID-19 public health crisis are official government websites.
COVID-19 information from Wake County: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19/Pages/default.aspx
COVID-19 information from the City of Raleigh: https://raleighnc.gov/news/covid-19-information

#

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Friday, April 17, 2020

City Hall -- Update -- Week of April 20 -- special virtual council meeting on April 21

City Hall Update – Week of April 20, 2020
Special Meeting of the Raleigh City Council to be Held Virtually April 21, 2020


Calendar
Tuesday, April 21
  • 1pm – Raleigh City Council Virtual Meeting
The Raleigh City Council previously canceled their regular City Council meetings scheduled for April 21. A special meeting of the City Council has now been scheduled for that same day at 1 p.m. and will be held virtually. This special meeting will not include any public hearings or commenting. The Council will be discussing funding for the Federal CARES Act, small business program, budget and revenue status, and the UDO, specifically rezoning filing procedures and virtual neighborhood meetings.
This special meeting will be hosted by the City of Raleigh via Webex Events. The general public may view the meeting via the City’s website, YouTube, or RTN 11. Like last week’s City Council meetings, this special meeting will not be conducted in Council Chamber. Viewers will see speakers on their webcams and any PowerPoint presentations will be shared via the Webex platform.
Those without access to the channels listed above may listen to the meeting via telephone. For more information about this, or how to join the meeting, please contact Communications@raleighnc.gov or call 919-996-3100. For more information about the special meeting agenda, please contact the City Clerk’s office at 919-996-3040.
Wednesday, April 22
Friday, April 24
  • 11:30am – Affordable Housing Bond Advisory Committee Conference Call, 800-719-7514 (code: 963878)
#
Surveys

#
Livable Raleigh
Check out new blogs at www.LivableRaleigh.com in the past week:

  • Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bond: Pandemic Casualty or Bold Opportunity?

  • To collect (yard waste), or not to collect.  That is the question.
Please take a look and contact citycouncilmembers@raleighnc.gov to express your opinions
#
Please stay safe and follow official government guidelines during this public health crisis.
  • Your best sources of reliable information during the COVID-19 public health crisis are official government websites.
COVID-19 information from Wake County: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19/Pages/default.aspx
COVID-19 information from the City of Raleigh: https://raleighnc.gov/news/covid-19-information

#

Posted by at
Labels: , ,

Saturday, April 11, 2020

City Hall Update -- Week of April 13, 2020

City Hall Update – Week of April 13, 2020


Livable Raleigh
If you are not familiar with Livable Raleigh, please check them out at www.LivableRaleigh.com 
Several new blogs have been posted in the past week:
  • Show Me The Money!
  • N&O Reporter notes Citizen Engagement is Worse Under New Council
  • What's Happening to Citizen Engagement?
  • Delay April & May Council Meetings
Please take a look and contact citycouncilmembers@raleighnc.gov to express your opinions


Raleigh City Council’s April 7 “Virtual Meeting”
During this public health crisis and time of economic hardship, it’s important to acknowledge when things go right, but equally important to spotlight problems and inequities.
Raleigh’s City Council held a “virtual” meeting on April 7.  Many of the new Council majority publicly called it a “raging success.”  While the City can be applauded for investigating alternative ways to continue serving the community during difficult times, not everyone agreed that the meeting was a “raging success.”  
There were a number of people who signed up to speak remotely, either at the public comment period or during the public hearings, but it appeared that around 50% or more of the potential participants did NOT show up.  Why? We don’t know if those people simply changed their minds or if they experienced technical difficulties. Were they distracted by health issues or by economic concerns? Were they unaware of or uncomfortable with the alternative format?
The Council announced that they were deferring some of the more “controversial” public hearing items until May 5.  But it isn’t clear that public meetings will be allowed to take place at that date, so we could be facing the same issues with barriers to public engagement.  
And it also isn’t clear who is making decisions about which items are deemed “controversial.”  At the April 7 virtual meeting, all 11 agenda items were approved, even though one was heavily opposed by the North CAC, which voted 32 to 4 against it, and another did not have a CAC vote at all.
Without CAC or neighborhood meetings taking place to allow public input on rezoning requests, the Council should cease moving forward on these items until options for public engagement are back in place.
Many Raleigh residents would prefer that the Council focus now only on matters that directly relate to the COVID-19 crisis and routine governmental functions while delaying rezonings and new expenditures until after things are better controlled and we are able to return to what will be a new normal.  A new normal which will necessitate an austerity budget and some tough decisions about future expenditures.
Concerns about transparency in government decisions also have been raised.  At the April 7 meeting the Mayor announced a decision to defer holding a parks bond this Fall, but said plans would move forward for an Affordable Housing bond.  It’s not clear how or when this decision was reached. Was it a unilateral decision by the mayor? Shouldn’t there have been a public council vote?
Concerns about equal access to government have also been raised.  Recently the HomeBuilders Association (big supporters of most of the newly elected Council members) shared that they are setting up Zoom meetings with City staff to advocate for changes in the UDO.  Shouldn’t those meetings include representatives from the general public as well? Especially now that the City Council has abolished CACs, how is the public supposed to have an opportunity to make their voices heard?
To be fair, we do want to applaud the City Council for taking action to adjust water rates now that people are sheltering in place and using more water at home.  Special shout-out to Council member David Cox who forwarded constituent emails to staff on that matter, resulting in the change in policy.
We can also applaud City Council for allocating $100,000 to relief efforts.  However, $100,000 pales in comparison to the need. Surely we have more discretionary funds available to help our most vulnerable residents.  And while it is true that basic needs for shelter are typically the responsibility of the county, these are atypical times and we should be looking to augment the County’s support.
#
Calendar
The Raleigh City Council has cancelled all council meetings, council district meetings, council committee meetings, and boards and commissions through April 30.
Wednesday, April 15
  • 12n – CAMPO Executive Board Meeting via WEBEX
Friday, April 17
  • 11:30am – Affordable Housing Bond Advisory Committee Conference Call
#
Please stay safe and follow official government guidelines during this public health crisis.
  • Your best sources of reliable information during the COVID-19 public health crisis are official government websites.
COVID-19 information from Wake County: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19/Pages/default.aspx
COVID-19 information from the City of Raleigh: https://raleighnc.gov/news/covid-19-information

#

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

Friday, April 3, 2020

City Hall -- Week of April 6, 2020

City Hall – Week of April 6, 2020
Please stay safe and follow official government guidelines during this public health crisis.
  • Your best sources of reliable information during the COVID-19 public health crisis are official government websites.
COVID-19 information from Wake County: http://www.wakegov.com/covid19/Pages/default.aspx
COVID-19 information from the City of Raleigh: https://raleighnc.gov/news/covid-19-information

Raleigh City Council to be held virtually April 7, 2020
The State of North Carolina, Wake County, and the City of Raleigh have all declared States of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 virus. The County and the City of Raleigh also adopted a Proclamation of Emergency Restrictions, which is intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus by, among other things: requiring individuals to remain in their homes, except for certain essential activities, closing many businesses to the public, and prohibiting any gatherings which do not comply with its terms. Because of the risks to the public that would arise from continued in person meetings, the City is converting City Council meeting on April 7 to a remote electronic format for the duration of the State of Emergency.
The general public and employees who wish to view the meetings can watch via the regular channels – the City’s website, YouTube, or RTN 11 – but the meeting will look a bit different than usual. Instead of the Council Chamber, viewers will see speakers on their webcams and any PowerPoint presentations will be shared via the Webex platform. The meetings will take a little longer to allow for speakers to transition and other logistical aspects. We will evaluate these meetings and may explore applying similar tools to future meetings as needed. We are excited to test this process and we everyone’s patience as we navigate this new way of meeting.
Tuesday, April 7
  • 1pm – City Council Virtual Meeting, agenda includes
    • Rezoning Z-41-19: Millbrook and North Hills, northwest quadrant of the Millbrook Road and North Hills Drive intersection (District A)
    • COVID-19 Public Health Crisis - Situation Update
    • Small Business Update - Overview of Federal, State and Local Resources
    • Emergency Assistance - Families Residing in Hotels
    • Raleigh Water Rates – Temporary Tier-3 Threshold Adjustment
    • City Council Meeting Schedule
    • Report and recommendation of the Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board regarding Bond Referendum Project Recommendations
  • 7pm – City Council Virtual Meeting, agenda includes
The Following Previously Scheduled Public Hearings will be deferred to May 5 as identified by the District Council Member
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment CP-1-20 Swift Creek Watershed (District D)- To Be Deferred
  • Comprehensive Plan Amendment: CP-11-19 West Morgan Street (District D) - To Be Deferred
  • Rezoning Case Z-1-20: 2634 Oberlin Road, on both sides of Greenway Avenue (District E) - To Be Deferred
  • Rezoning Z-23-19: 13051 & 13055 Strickland Road (District E) - To Be Deferred
  • Rezoning Z-39-19: 1031 North Rogers Lane, near the intersection of North Rogers Lane and New Bern Avenue (District C) - To Be Deferred
Staff recommends the following public hearing be deferred due to new federal guidelines
  • Consolidated Plan on City Housing and Community Development - Defer to June 2
The following public hearings will be conducted during the April 7 Virtual Council meeting
  • Public Nuisance Abatement - Property Liens
  • Two-thirds General Obligation Bond Anticipation Note Sale
  • Street Name Change - SNC-01-2020 - Tryon Road (portion) - The Arts
  • Street Name Change - SNC-02-2020 - Tryon Road (portion) - Broomfield Hunter Lane
  • Rezoning Z-32-19: Sunnybrook Road, east side between its intersections with Carl Sandburg Court and Sungate Boulevard (District C)
  • Rezoning Z-44-19: Gresham Lake Road and Litchford Road, west of Nichols Road (District A)
  • Rezoning Z-45-19: W South Street. At the southwest quadrant of the intersection of W South St and S Saunders St, approximately 550 feet north of Western Blvd. (District D)
  • Rezoning Z-49-19: Rock Quarry Road & Sunnybrook Road (District C)
  • Rezoning Z-2-20: 1315 Jones Franklin Road, on its east side, 200 feet north of Penwood Drive (District D)
  • Rezoning Z-52-19: 1321 Jones Franklin Road, at the northeast corner of its intersection with Penwood Drive (District D)
  • Rezoning Z-3-20: 4102, 4108 Virtuous Street, south of the intersection of Jones Sausage Road and Generosity Court (District C)
Friday, April 10
#
Southeast Special Area Study ETJ Options Survey
#
Raleigh BRT:  Equitable Development Around Transit
#

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)