DAILY JOURNAL - DECEMBER 14, 2011

MEET "DOWNTOWN RALEIGH'S" NEW MAYOR

LOW PERFORMING WILBURN STARTS WITH 80% NEW TEACHERS AND NEW PRINCIPALS - AND ACADEMIC GROWTH

RALEIGH GROWS - DON'T WORRY MCFARLANE WILL "FIX" THAT

CONVENTION CENTER GIVEAWAYS - ESPECIALLY TO BRUCE LIGHTNER

MEMO TO WEEKS: SHOW THEM BRAGG STREET AS WELL

ONLY FROM "ARTS" ADVOCATES: KEEP LIGHT + TIME IN PLACE

SUSAN "THE SINGING CPA"' EVANS' NEW ASSOCIATES

CINDY SHELDON BECOMES HOME BUILDERS PRESIDENT

SCHULZE TAKES PRO-TEM POSITION IN APEX

MORRISVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE FUNDED PRIVATELY

RED HAT GETS RALEIGH MONEY - AS LONG AS THEY STAY DOWNTOWN

THANK GOODNESS IT WASN'T DOWNTOWN

Or this might actually be a problem.

RALEIGH WIDE OPEN:

RALEIGH -- One person is dead after a shooting near the intersection of Capital and Crabtree Boulevards. It happened Monday around 9 p.m.

Police say the victim has been identified as 18-year-old Francisco Aurelio Kelly of Rocky Mount. Three other juveniles, including a 15-year-old male, a 15-year-old female and a 14-year-old female, were transported to WakeMed with gunshot wounds that are not life-threatening. If you have information into this shooting, you are asked to call Raleigh police at (919) 996-3555.

Related link

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH WIDE OPEN

Raleigh, N.C. — A Monday morning shooting at a downtown Raleigh barbershop left one man dead, police said.

Officers responded to the shooting at Total Styles and Cuts, 203 E. Cabarrus St., at about 9:15 a.m. and found a man dead inside the shop, police said.

His identity was withheld, pending notification of relatives.

A week ago, a store owner was stabbed during a robbery of his men's clothing outlet on South Wilmington Street, about three blocks from the site of Monday's shooting.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8105836/

WRAL - Monday, August 9, 2010

Still not close enough to King Charles "I care about minorities, I really do" Meeker the Resegregationist's downtown Fayetteville Street Mecca for him to do anything about it.

Now if the criminals would shoot someone on Fayetteville Street, then that would be a different story....

King Charles, we don't need to hear your rhetoric about caring for the other downtown community made up of Raleigh's poor and minorities, we can see it in your investments for your "Livable Streets" and the rest of downtown Raleigh which because of the lack of your support remains "Unlivable."

AND MITCH SILVER, KING CHARLES?

So Meeker, want to play the carpetbagger card? Mitch's been on a tear to change every square inch of Raleigh, dump millions into downtown Raleigh wasteful projects and put trains all over the place.

How long has he lived here? Does he really know Raleigh? Did he go to school here?

Did you?

One other thing King Charles, in your quest to dump millions into downtown Raleigh the African American community seems to have missed out. Seems like all the money has been spent on Fayetteville Street where white intellectuals like yourself can sit around and drink expensive coffees and talk about how much you care about black folks and have black friends and maybe even a favorite professional black basketball player.


Mitch Silver Bio
Mitchell J. Silver, AICP

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director,

Raleigh, NC, Department of City Planning, July 2005 to present

Hired as Raleigh’s fourth planning director in 2005 to create a vibrant 21st century city. Led the effort to transition Raleigh from a mid-size city to a central city in a fast growing metropolitan region. Responsible for guiding current and long range planning, neighborhood and strategic planning, historic preservation, and the City’s data and urban design center. Within the first year, introduced a new planning and development philosophy, spearheaded zoning changes to allow more residential density downtown, acquainted the city to public realm and streamlined the planning review process to provide greater predictability. Helped reach consensus on key projects including the new Downtown Marriott Hotel, the Hillsborough Street Revitalization plan and the RBC Plaza tower. Led the comprehensive plan update with an emphasis on regional cooperation, innovation and creativity, environmental stewardship and mass transit. Serves as the department’s spokesperson and media contact. In 2007, named one of the 24 most influential people in Downtown Raleigh. In 2008, named “Distinguished Leader of the Year” by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Class.

GOT AN IDEA ON HOW TO WASTE MORE MONEY IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH?

Got a great idea for Moore Square Park?
What do you like about the Park today?
What would you like to see in the future?

Bring your big – and not so big – ideas to the Moore Square Park Community

Open Call for Ideas

Wednesday, June 17, 20094:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. drop in anytime
Marbles Kids Museum 201 E. Hargett Street
Refreshments will be served

Saturday, June 27, 200912:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. drop in anytime
Chavis Community Center 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Light lunch will be served

Same meeting, different locations for your convenience

There will be activities and displays for all ages and perspectives:
Presentation to kick off the day on the Open Call Process and Moore Square Park Historic and current large-scale maps and images of the Park

Write a post card from the year 2030 about your visit to the Park
Participate in a tour of the Park
Work at tables with facilitators and drafters to translate your ideas onto Park site plans (participants also have the option to work on their ideas off site and bring them to one of the Open Calls)
Discuss your ideas with the City of Raleigh Planning and Parks & Recreation staff
Raleigh’s first-ever design competition starts with you!

Join us for the Open Call for Ideas.

Your ideas will help competitors design a Park that meets the needs and dreams of the community.To register (not required, but helps with planning), for more information or to post your comments: www.raleighnc.gov/greatplacesMooreSquare or call 919-807-8480

Future planned web developments: Community big – and not so big – ideas on Facebook and Flickr.

Check back often!

HERE COMES THE NEXT BUDGET BUSTER FOR DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

An Amphitheater down by the convention center.

Related link.

SIR WALTER WALLY

Sir Walter Wally saw his shadow today.

After having Wally held close to his ear, Mayor Meeker announced six more million dollars for downtown Raleigh. (Don't get your hopes up Bragg Street.)

As if we could be so lucky......

(Of course this is satire, Mayor Meeker would never come this cheap.)

DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS NOT CASHING IN ON MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC INVESTMENT DOWNTOWN?

Sciolino said souring food costs and a lack of promised convention center traffic took a toll on his restaurant. “It’s become an insurmountable equation,” Sciolino said.

Comments made by Joe Sciolino of Joe's Restaurant at the corner of Dawson and Martin in downtown Raleigh in a WRAL News interview.

RALEIGH ARTS COMMISSION WANTS TO SPEND AT LEAST $1.13 MILLION FOR PUBLIC ART AT NEW CLARENCE LIGHTNER PUBLIC SAFETY CENTER ..... FOR STARTERS

The economy's in the tank. Raleigh has just significantly raised taxes and fees on Raleigh residents with Mayor Meeker seeking further increases, crime is soaring and basic police protection services remain underfunded.

So what do you do?

Well of course, blow more money on sprucing up downtown Raleigh.

Raleigh's Arts Commission has proposed that "half of one percent of expenditures of capital improvement municipal projects (involving public buildings, parks and streetscapes) to the creation and development of public art.

The additional millions required to meet this proposal is staggering.

Just think how many more Light + Time Towers could "grace" Raleigh under this proposal.

For the new (not voted on) Clarence Lightner Public Safety Center new art would run $1.13 million under this proposal.

Maybe if their lucky, the residents on Bragg Street and Tarboro Road can get the nets changed on their basketball courts.

Raleigh's Budget and Economic Development Committee was scheduled to meet this morning to discuss this proposal. Let's hope this idea was properly flushed.

Of course I would not be surprised if they don't find a way to blame the homebuilders for lacking the funds to put more beautiful art like Light + Time around Raleigh.

IS PEDER ZANE OF THE N&O HAVING SEX WITH DOWNTOWN RALEIGH?

Cue the music.

Related Story (N&O - April 13, 2008)

Okay, let's "strip-bare" this story. I suspect we can reach climax quick enough.

From the N&O Lifestyles section.

First the title: Raleigh rising.

Next the subtitle: As arts, dining and entertainment options expand bit by bit, downtown throbs with a glorious sense of possibility. (emphasis added)

I feel dirty already.

If we have any of Raleigh's finest still left on the force, can some of you run down to Fayetteville Street and make sure he's not doing anything indecent.

I think he and downtown need to get a room. I'm sure our Mayor would recommend this one.

On a more serious note, beyond Zane's obvious attempts to sex-up downtown Raleigh, is the fact that he has partaken of way too much flavor-aid on this infatuation with downtown Raleigh. I've never heard anyone put "Raleigh's Renaissance" in such overt sexual overtones though.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

It pains this Carolina grad to give props, but kudos to Duke Student Abby Alger for rightly pointing out how Durham will dump millions into DPAC while neglecting true problems and the lower class in downtown Durham.

It's the same frustration we feel with "Downtown First" Mayor Meeker's virtual neglect of anything beyond livable streets. Not much bragging that Raleigh can do on Bragg Street or Tarboro Road.

I guess Meeks is not up to making Bragg Street and Tarboro Road "livable."

Thanks Abby.

SPEAK UP WAKEUP!

Growth Matters has an excellent post on the latest move by the NC Association of County Commissioners.

The NC Association of County Commissioners, in their failed efforts to impose transfer taxes on an already tough real estate market, now wants to bypass voters. They will push to allow county governing bodies to impose all sorts of new taxes without seeking voter approval.

In essence Meeker has followed this principle with the array of downtown projects and the millions in debt he has saddled Raleigh residents. Raleigh residents were not allowed to voice their opinion on the Convention Center, City Plaza or the Fayetteville Street makeover. The latest? $226 million for a public safety center that he is now trying to hand off the costs to the federal government.

SO WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE WAKEUP? ARE YOU FOR STRIPPING CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT?

IS THIS CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN?

SPEAK UP WAKEUP!

CRITICAL? THESE ARE A FEW OF MAYOR MEEKER'S FAVORITE THINGS.

Cue the music.

If Raleigh was putting forward a bond package for this spring, would any of this make the list? Of course Mayor Meeker could put the Public Safety Center up for a vote, but that would be out of fashion for him. Meeks is at least smart enough to know that City Plazas, Convention Centers and Fayetteville Street makeovers would all be resoundingly rejected in light of real needs for Raleigh.

Go ahead and throw the Ferris Wheel in as well. It's all a waste of money.

__________________________________

Prepared by and for more information: Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs Department, 996-3000

December 16, 2008

RALEIGH IDENTIFIES PROJECTS
FIT FOR FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDING

The City of Raleigh has real projects that could be addressed immediately to create jobs with aid from the financial stimulus plan being crafted by President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team.

At a press conference today in City Hall, Mayor Charles Meeker said that the City of Raleigh is actively seeking its share of the stimulus package to improve its infrastructure, environment and economy. He said that 44 projects have been identified as designed, permitted and ready to implement in six to 12 months.

While the Mayor said the amount of the new administration’s proposed stimulus package has not been announced, it must be significant if it is to improve the severe economic situation. “Raleigh has one-tenth of one percent of the nation’s population,” he said. “Given that, our portion of the stimulus package should be significant.”

What is known is that the Obama transition team is seeking to mold a package that tracks the incoming administration’s policy ideas, puts people to work immediately, enhances sustainability and includes long-term benefits to the nation.

Mayor Meeker pointed out that, not only will these projects bring immediate economic stimulus and benefit to the residents, they fill the Obama Administration’s priorities.

Mayor Meeker featured four sustainability projects plus the $226 million Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center project that is being designed for LEED gold certification. The energy savings designed into the 16-story, 305,000- square-foot facility come to 15 percent or $600,000 annually. The facility will be designed in the fall of 2009.

The four sustainability projects total $4,725,179. A solar LED lighting project would upgrade the illumination in seven City facilities, including the Avery Upchurch Government Complex Parking Deck and perimeter, the Performing Arts Center Deck and perimeter, Cedar Hills Park, Lions Park, Walnut Creek Softball Complex, Millbrook Exchange Park and Marsh Creek lower lot. The project can be implemented in the next six to 12 months at a total cost $1,258,300.

Another of the sustainability initiatives would put solar thermal water heating into 11 City facilities at a cost of $466,879. The project could be started in the first quarter of 2009 and completed within four to six months.

The third sustainable offering is the Photo Voltaic Solar Array Project at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant that would generate renewable energy at a cost of $2.5 million. The City is evaluating three separate proposals from private developers that have been submitted to Progress Energy and the City for renewable energy. The project would produce from one to three megawatts of renewable energy. It would be located on City-owned land at the wastewater treatment plant and would be in support of Progress Energy’s efforts to meet its Renewable Energy and Efficiency Portfolio requirements through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.

The fourth sustainable project featured by Mayor Meeker was a green house gases inventory and emissions reduction strategy for a cost of up to $500,000.

Mayor Meeker said that the City of Raleigh has been placing the highest priority on sustainability for the past several years and these projects would further its effort to be the South’s most sustainable city. The Mayor referred to being the world’s first LED city, silver LEED certification for the training building at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Raleigh Convention Center, and the conversion of the City’s fleet to hybrids, plug-ins or alternative fuel vehicles as but a few examples of Raleigh’s abiding commitment to sustainability.

The 39 other projects listed are more traditional such as the construction of facilities, greenway extensions, and park, transportation, sewer, stormwater and technology improvements.

For a listing and descriptions of all of the proposed projects, visit the City of Raleigh website at www.raleighnc.gov.

IS RALEIGH'S MILLION DOLLAR MINT GOING UNDER?

It would appear there's something to the rumors.

VarmintBites reports the chef, pastry chef and operations director have left or will be leaving soon.

Who's going to pay back Raleigh? Related Story (See Page 16)

RALEIGH: WASTE ON THE MOVE

So the City of Raleigh’s Arts Commission in partnership with CAT launched Art-On-The-Move on September 22, 2007. Photos from the News & Observer at the time featured City Councilman Russ Stephenson smashing a bottle of water on the side of a CAT bus (in the middle of the drought).

So where do Raleigh’s priorities stand as it relates to mass transit? Apparently more-so with decorating buses rather than decorating bus stops with benches and shelters.

According to the Raleigh Arts Commission, public funds are used for this project and the honorariums paid for the project (12 at $1,000 a piece) come from public funds.

Other costs with the project include:

12 sets of bus wrap graphics, digital transfer with protective laminate: $7,168.32
Installation of 12 wraps, onsite at CAT: $4,560.00
Honorariums: $12,000
Total: $23,728.32

After making an inquiry with the City of Raleigh on bus stops, I received this timely and thorough response from Transit Administrator David Eatman:

The City of Raleigh has 1450 bus stops that are served daily by Capital Area Transit (CAT) buses. Of the 1450 stops 36 are currently equipped with shelters and 259 have benches available.

CAT currently has just over 100 stops that are without passenger amenities that meet the Raleigh Transit Authority policy for the placement of benches and shelters. The policy states that bus stops must have 25 boardings per day to qualify for a shelter and 10 boardings per day to qualify for a bench, this policy may be waived at locations used by seniors or persons with disabilities. With the obvious need for quality facilities that provide a safe and comfortable place for transit patrons, the Transit Program has embarked on an aggressive campaign to install these facilities as quickly as possible. This will result in the installation of approximately 40 new shelters and 75 new benches, some of which have already been completed.

In support of this effort, the transit program has submitted 20 engineered site plans to NCDOT in order to receive easements for the placement of our first round of shelters in Southeast and Southwest Raleigh. The majority of the bus stops meeting the passenger amenity standard lie within NCDOT right of way. Our next effort will concentrate on heavily utilized stops in North Raleigh, including Wake Forest Road and Capital Boulevard.

I could go on and on about the fact that apparently the bus service is so low that the stops don’t meet the low standards of 25 boardings per day for a shelter or 10 boardings for a bench.

Still what about the others that meet the guidelines that have been neglected for so long? The passion for benches sure doesn’t seem to match the fevered intensity to spend $14.8 million for City Plaza – now does it?

Now Mayor Meeker is seeking a regressive sales tax increase and increased vehicle registration fees for you guessed it – more buses.

Is this really how we need to spend transit oriented funds? For artwork on grungy buses? Is that part of that great concept that makes Raleigh a “world-class city?”

Not as much money as this Raleigh gem, but it sure does give it a run for the money.

Final note – the picture is from Morgan Street right near the “Hope in Government HQ.” Guess folks weren’t taking the bus down there to volunteer huh?

FAYETTEVILLE STREET CLOSED TO ATTRACT BUSINESS

Who knew we would spend millions of dollars in downtown Raleigh to open Fayetteville Street to attract visitors and we would have to CLOSE Fayetteville Street to do it?

Related Link

OUR DING-A-LING

RELATED STORY

IT'S NOT LIKE THEY TORE DOWN THE SHIMMER WALL OR PUT GRAFFITI ON THE SIDE OF THE MINT RESTAURANT

So should we care? It only made the national news and has been on Drudge all day.

Related Story

Tell me once again about the hundreds of millions spent within a few blocks in downtown Raleigh and priorities........

WHAT WILL SOLVE THE ATTRITION OF RALEIGH POLICE OFFICERS?

Chris Hayes at Red Clay Citizen has an excellent post on the issue of Raleigh law enforcement and the turnover facing the department.

You can tell a lot about the priorities of Boylan Mayor Meeker by looking at where his enthusiasm lies.

How will this problem be solved? Only by a rash of crimes to hit Fayetteville Street that threaten the crown jewel of Meeker & Co.

You see, Boylan Mayor Meeker believes in a livable street. Unfortunately that leaves out those seeking a livable city to fend for themselves by hiring security firms for their local neighborhoods.

RALEIGH'S NEW CONVENTION CENTER WILL CREATE 1000 NEW JOBS

Well, not the new one, but the old one planners wanted to build in 1992 when Raleigh voters said no by a 58% to 42% margin. Though given the scale of the new building and the massive public spending spent over the last several years in downtown Raleigh, one would assume 1000 new jobs would be a floor and not a ceiling for job creation.

From the RALEIGH MEANS BUSINESS COMMITTEE:

"A new Raleigh convention center is a sound economic investment. It will create 1,000 new jobs, generate more than $50 million a year in new visitor spending and $3 million in new tax revenues."

Job creation is welcome. We welcome you working here. Our Mayor and Councillors Koopman, Stephenson and McFarlane would prefer you find somewhere else to live however.