Wendell News Outlet

Board of Commissioners Friday Update

Friday, July 24, 2009

ITEM 1. WENDELL POLICE DEPARTMENT IN CHARITY SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND

The Wendell Police Department will be involved in a Charity Softball Tournament on July 25, 2009 at Zebulon Community Park (which is by the old armory). All money donated and raised will be given to the 200 Club of Wake County, an organization dedicated to providing immediate financial help for the spouse and children of police officers, sheriff deputies, firemen, EMS squad members and NCSHP serving in Wake County who lose their life in the line of duty. The event was originally scheduled for March but was rescheduled.

The opening ceremony for the tournament will be at 9:00 a.m. The Wendell Police Department team will play at 10:00 a.m. and again at either 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 noon.

ITEM 2. TRIANGLE TRANSIT AGREEMENT DELAYED

At its July 13^th meeting, the Board of Commissioners reviewed a draft of an interlocal agreement with Triangle Transit for the provision an express bus service. It was anticipated that the final draft would be considered at the July 27^th meeting; however, town staff is waiting for a final version of the interlocal agreement from Triangle Transit. Hopefully, the agreement will be ready for full consideration by the Town Board at the August 10^th meeting.

ITEM 3. TOWN HALL MEETING WITH REP. DARREN JACKSON ON TUESDAY, JULY 28^TH

Rep. Darren Jackson will hold a town hall meeting in the Wendell Courtroom on Tuesday, July 28^th at 7:00 p.m. Rep. Jackson held a similar event in Knightdale in June. At that meeting, he asked for public input about the State budget and other legislative issues.

ITEM 4. MEETING WITH THE MARKETING FOCUS GROUP – THURSDAY, JULY 30^TH

The Wendell Economic Development Web Page/Branding Focus Group meeting is scheduled to meet at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 30^th at the Community Center. One of the main goals of the Focus Group is to assimilate past town marketing efforts (including logo design, video marketing, photographs, defining community appeal, etc.) into a new marketing effort.

The focus group will meet with Holland Consulting 2-3 times over the next 90 days. Holland Consulting wants to ensure that past efforts at logo design, video marketing, photographs, defining community appeal, etc, are articulated to its team by individuals who have spearheaded these efforts in the past. Through this effort, Holland Consulting will work with a web page development firm to develop a web-based marketing tool that will serve to present the town’s economic development “assets” to potential investors and regional partners, and will develop preliminary “branding” strategies to help sell the town to investors interested in the region.

ITEM 5. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – ANNEXATION

On Wednesday, July 22^nd, the House passed HB 524 – Annexation – Omnibus Changes by a vote of 89-27. The House approved an amendment, made by Rep. Dollar, allowing up to one year to obtain the signatures necessary to call for a petition on city-initiated annexations.

HB 524 without the referendum provision would make for far fewer and more difficult annexations, especially for smaller towns and cities. With the referendum requirement, the legislation will lead to the effective elimination of annexation as a tool to manage this state growth and provide needed services in this state's urban areas.

Rep. Darren Jackson supported municipalities by voting against the bill.

ITEM 6. PAVING PROGRESS

No paving was performed this week due to concerns about potential rainfall. The resurfacing work is scheduled to continue next week.

ITEM 7. SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

A public meeting regarding the Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Management Plan (or SCI Management Plan) will be held on August 17, 2009. The plan will be used to address the growth-related environmental impacts from water and wastewater projects constructed in the seven municipalities served by the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. Utilization of the SCI Management Plan will reduce City construction project costs by eliminating expensive duplication in future environmental documents and will allow all interested parties easy one-stop access to regional environmental mitigation efforts.

CORPUD staff will be available at the August 17^th public meeting (which will be held at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant Training Facility located at 8500 Battlebridge Road in Raleigh) to answer public questions at 6:00 pm and will provide a brief presentation and roundtable discussion opportunity at 7:00 pm. Oral and written comments will also be accepted at the public meeting. Public comment can also be provided via e-mail to Ruth Swanek at ruth.swanek@ch2m.com or Kenneth Waldroup at kenneth.waldroup@ci.raleigh.nc.us or via U.S. Mail to the same C/O the City of Raleigh, Public Utilities Department, P. O. Box 590 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602.

ITEM 8. UDO CONSIDERATION

Two special called meetings are tentatively planned for the evaluation and consideration of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for the Town of Wendell. Both of these meetings are scheduled to be joint meetings between the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Board. The meetings are planned as follows:

31-Aug-09		Joint Meeting Plan/Town Bd. w/Lawrence Group			Community Center		6-9 pm
5-Oct-09		Close Public Comment Period/joint Public Hearing w/ Lawrence Group			Community Center		7-9 pm

A vote by the Planning Board is tentatively scheduled to take place at the regularly-scheduled October 19^th Planning Board meeting. A vote by the Board of Commissioners is tentatively scheduled to take place at the regularly-scheduled October 26^th Board of Commissioners meeting.

ITEM 9. DROUGHT UPDATE

Dry conditions continue to spread across the state. The number of counties in the “Abnormally Dry” category jumped from 63 to 76 this week. Areas included in the “Abnormally Dry” category basically include the entire coastal plain and Piedmont areas, as well as part of the mountains. The latest Drought Advisory Map is available at http://www.ncdrought.org/.

ITEM 10. OTHER

1. The town received official notification this week of the acceptance of the Wendell Boulevard Historic District into the National Register of Historic Places.

2. The Wendell Police Department (in partnership with the Wendell Fire Department and Eastern Wake Emergency Medical Services) will hold its inaugural Public Safety Day on Saturday, August 22^nd from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Hephzibah Baptist Church.

3. The annual Wendell Movie Night will be on Friday, September 18. It will be held it in the same place as last year (at the bottom of the new side of the park). The rain site will be the Community Center.

4. The NC League of Municipalities will hold its annual conference in Greenville October 25-27.

ITEM 11. UPCOMING EVENTS:

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

07/27 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

07/28 7:00 p.m. Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Darren Jackson @ Town Hall

08/03 6:00 p.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/10 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Public Meeting – SCI Management Plan w/CORPUD staff available for questions @ Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant, 8500 Battlebridge Rd., Raleigh

08/22 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wendell’s “Public Safety Day 2009” @ Hephzibah Baptist Church parking lot

08/24 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

08/31 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

09/07 Town facilities closed for Labor Day holiday

09/14 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

09/21 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

09/28 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/05 7:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

10/12 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/19 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

10/25 – 10/27 NC League of Municipalities Annual Conference @ Greenville Convention Center

10/26 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

posted by Administrator  # 9:53 PM