Pittsboro Journal

Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 13:27:43 -0400
From: Tom West
Subject: Sally Kost frequently sought to fiddle with meeting minutes.

Seems like Chatham Coalition member and Chatham County Commission chairman has a problem with what she says being put in the public record.

Sally Kost frequently sought to fiddle with meeting minutes.

You can read the entire article in Cary news at http://www.carynews.com/2010/06/19/18690/joint-committee-record-gets-a.html

Below are some pertinent points

“The minutes are the official documentation of meeting bodies,” said Cary Councilman Erv Portman, a committee member. “It’s important they reflect what was said and not what someone might have thought they said.”

Switching to verbatim minutes makes it nearly impossible to challenge accuracy. The change will bring a more accurate reflection of the meetings.

Since the committee began regularly meeting again a year ago, Kost has suggested comprehensive edits to the minutes for at least four meetings: June 1, 2009, Aug. 31, 2009, March 18, 2010 and April 15, 2010.

In December, the committee had an extensive discussion over the Aug. 31 minutes. Kost said she wanted to clarify several points of the conversation, leading Rowland to prepare a special set of verbatim minutes.

In the preliminary minutes for the August meeting, Kost is reported as saying that the county would work on design standards and an overlay district for the area after the land use plan is adopted. In the December review, Kost said, “I never said that. I didn’t say it’s after the land use is adopted because I think they need to be concurrent and  it’s probably a point we need to discuss.”

But in Rowland’s verbatim minutes of the August meeting, Kost said: “One of the things that we were going to propose is perhaps we direct staff to start working – once we have a land use plan – to work on design standards and then have an overlay for this area.”

The comment stayed in the approved minutes.

After the April 15 meeting, Kost wanted to delete this from the preliminary minutes: “Kost said that she wanted to make a decision after absorbing the better information,” referring to new data on environmental impact of a proposed development near Jordan Lake. Kost says she’s concerned that the switch to verbatim minutes will create a larger workload for staff.

Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:24:59 -0400
From: Mari Trosclair
Subject: Chickens in the neighborhood

The requests from home buyers to be able to raise chickens or goats in neighborhoods has greatly increased in the last few years.  Some developers have recorded covenants to allow chickens (rarely allow a rooster) to broaden their buying pool and many neighborhoods have amended their covenants to allow chickens.

If your neighborhood allows chickens, is considering chickens or has already changed the covenants to do so, I would like to get your feedback on the pros or cons in your experience.

Thanks in advance.

Mari Trosclair, Realtor, Broker, GRI, ePro, ABR
Piedmont Preferred Realty, Inc.
http://www.HiddenCoast.com
919.619.2236  Fax: 919.287.2609

Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:26:22 -0400
From: Jeff Lane
Subject:  It prevents politicians from back tracking when they’re caught in lies

The problem with Verbatim Minutes is that it prevents politicians from back tracking when they’re caught in lies (or mis-statements as they like to call them).

Personally, I applaud the use of verbatim minute keeping, and really, I think they should video the meetings and post them publically (with exceptions for the rules regarding closed door meetings) for anyone in the county to view and consider…

Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 08:40:13 -0400
From: Lindsay Hickling
Subject: Arthritis Exercise Program

Are you interested in taking control of your arthritis with exercise?

The Council On Aging is looking for those people who interested in the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program which is an 8 week program to help control arthritis symptoms. Class will begin Tuesday July 13 from 6:00-7:00 pm and will be held on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for 8 weeks by certified Arthritis Foundation Instructors. The classes  are free to the public and will be held at the Eastern Chatham Senior Center in Pittsboro. If you would like more information, contact Brett Moraes at (919) 542-4512. Class size is limited, so please call to reserve your space.

Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 08:32:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: kristie0916
Subject: Youth Football & Cheerleading

East Chatham Chargers are looking for youths ages 13-15 to help form a Prep Football Team and Cheer Squad to represent the East Chatham Chargers. We are 6 football players short of being able to declare a team.

We are looking for 13-15 year olds(any size or weight) or any 12 year olds >155lbs. We definitely would like to field a 13-15 Team if there are interested players.  This is a great feeder program for the Northwood Football Team and we would like to continue the tradition of our athletes moving on to High School Football.  The Board would like applications to be sent in for a head count as soon as possible, no money for now only due once a team has been declared ($80).

All other age groups (5/6, 7/8, 9/10 & 11/12) are still open also.  Practice begins on Aug. 2nd.

Any questions, as always, contact Joe Atwater. (jatwater2@nc.rr.com) or 919-357-8815

Visit our website – eastchathamchargers.com

Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 07:10:32 -0400
From: Lee – Computer Therapy, Inc
Subject: Chatham County Bookmobile

From: Jim Brooking
Subject: Chatham Bookmobile Services Terminated

I must admit that I over the past 15 years I have only visited the bookmobile on a handful of occasions.  I do not even know the routes and schedules.  Where is that posted?

However, I will tell you that growing up in a rural coastal community, I distinctly recall that our county bookmobile came at 10 AM on Tuesdays.  I was only able to take advantage of that service during the summer months while on summer vacation.  However, there were at least 5 families that took advantage of this service on my street of 10 houses.

I for one think that this service should be supported and would be willing to pay a nominal fee for its use.  I think it is far more useful than a sidewalk from Cole Park that goes to nothing at the county line, and maybe some of the fuel being used for the infrequently used CHAPEL HILL BUS could be rerouted to something that provided a greater benefit to more people.

Additionally, could not the same county mechanics that maintain the other county vehicles not take care of the care and maintenance on this vehicle?

What do you think?

Lee Pollard
President
Computer Therapy, Inc.

Date: Sun, 4 Jul 2010 10:50:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: toni constant
Subject: Grand Opening Party for the Pittsboro Center for Natural Medicine July 17th

Grand Opening Festival of the Pittsboro Center for Natural Medicine Saturday, July 17 starting at 3:00pm and ending when the dancing stops.

A holistic community health care resource and event center. We are a collection of healthcare practitioners striving to support a healthy and vibrant community by providing services, education, workshops and events geared toward encouraging vital and active lifestyles in an effort to promote maximum health and wellness.
Please join us on our beautiful lawn July 17th 3:00 on.
There will be activities for the kids (from 3:00-5:00),
Live music from local artists, and dancing, along with
local delicious food, baked goods from our gluten free bakery and drink.
We are located at 175 E. Salisbury Street
in Pittsboro (entrance on Thompson Street, just beyond
Clapp’s Carwash).
Please bring a gluten free dish to share.
A grand time will be had by all!!

Date: Sun, 4 Jul 2010 09:45:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: Trace and Patricia Swayze
Subject: Cell phone reception.

In responce to Robin Hill.

You are correct some cell boosters do not work very well if at all in some situations. Before purchasing you should read the info provided by the manufacturer and they list the cell service they do work with. Like any type of antenna booster, some work great some do not, but it is most of the time very effective if installed properly and you read the manual.

I have experimented with several different types and found if you buy cheap you get cheap, but remember you have 30 days to try the product and if it does not do the job send it back. . So do not judge the product untill you have gone thru the process of elimination as I have and I have several installed and working fine.and they have different levels of quality and the one I use has  auto carrier inhancement and security built in.

Did you ever stop to think about the cell phone being the problem? Yes your phone may be inexpensive and so too is the antenna built into it but some of the more expensive ones do not work well either.[example: the new I-pad has recept ion issues]    You can’t always blame your carrier and it is not fair to condem cell boosters, maybe your phone is the real problem. I have Verizon and do not see any more or less reception than I was getting with anyone else and I travel many miles a day and know where my phone works and does’nt work. So before jumping to conclusions about the boosters or Verizon ask yourself, could it be my phone that is the problem?

Trace Â

–
Trace and Trish Swayze
Connections Audio Video
{919} 542-1407
email
connectionsav@embarqmail.com

web site
connectionsaudiovideo.com

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:07:13 -0500
From: Tom Glendinning
Subject: Verbatim Minutes

While I appreciate the argument to keep all officials of a deliberative body accountable, minutes have a specific role in recording the business of assemblies.

The standards for minutes are:
1.    the kind of meeting, regular, special, adjourned regular, adjourned special
2.    the name of the society or assembly
3.    the date, time and place
4.    the fact of the presence of the chairman and secretary, or substitutes
5.    reading of the minutes of the previous meeting, with amendments
6.    all main motions, wording of all business brought to the body and its disposition
7.    secondary motions not lost or withdrawn
8.    all notices of motions
9.    all points of order and appeals with dispositions
10.    the hour of adjournment – last paragraph

Other rules are:
11.    name of seconder should not be entered into the minutes unless ordered by the assembly
12.    the number of votes on each side and establishment of a quorum
13.    proceedings of the committee of the whole not entered into minutes
14.    questions considered informally entered into minutes as under regular rules, as in debate
15.    a committee report of great importance or of import to the legislative history of a measure (can be ordered into the minutes by the assembly “to be entered into the minutes”
16.    name and subject of a guest speaker, without summary

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th edition (RONR)

The minutes are instruments of record.  As such they should reflect the identity of the body, the business conducted, and date, place, and time of call to order and time of adjournment.  Discussion is not a matter of record except as listed above.  If the minutes are to be published, speakers on each side of an issue should be recorded along with an abstract of the text of each address, called proceedings.

Corrections to minutes are made before adoption or approval.  Once approved and entered, they may be modified by a motion to “Amend Something Previously Adopted.”

As a parliamentarian of more than twenty years, I appreciate the record afforded by minutes.  More importantly, I appreciate brevity of both meetings and minutes.  Long meetings border on disrespect for the time and intelligence of participants and audience.  Information necessary for deliberation should be available beforehand to all participants/officals.  The county website offers information to citizens, most of the time.  Access is not guaranteed all the time.

More detail than most want to know, I am sure, but I err on the side of proper procedure.  Since the proceedings are recorded digitally, those digital recordings should serve as sufficient record of what was said.  The accurate recording of written minutes is the responsibility of the secretary and the officals adopting them.  Minutes are signed by the secretary, not the president/chairman, unless the assembly so orders.

A summary of rules of order as modified by the county commission would be an interesting and necessary record.  The body is governed by Robert’s Rules (RONR) but, obviously practices some variations on it.  Any changes in rules should have been recorded as they impact each and every committee and board operating in the county.  “Usual and customary” practice does not cover procedure unless amendments to bylaws have been adopted by a two thirds vote.  In this case, the new rules should have been published under “special rules” of the body.

Tom Glendinning
American Institute of Parliamentarians Region V

Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:44:25 -0400
From: Shannon
Subject: Problems with Verizon Signal

I live on the Pittsboro side of Bynum and my Verizon signal started falling off a few months ago. Now it bounces all over the board: from no bars to 4 or 5 bars in the same space in my house. I’m wondering if anyone else near the Haw River 15-501 area have noticed the same thing — Verizon tells me there is a tower about 1/2 mile from the 15-501/Haw bridge so I’m trying to figure out if the problem is the tower. They already replaced my phone and that didn’t help. Any input from those who are in the area would be helpful. Thanks! ~ Shannon

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:54:56 -0400
From: Mark Brumsey
Subject: Fleas

Fleas are attracted to heat (your dog). Biggest shallow pan you have  (think big pie plan and then bigger if you can) Hand a light bulb over  pan, even a gooseneck lamp. Apply layer of oil – used motor oil is ideal (of Gulf oil spill residue!). Fleas jump towrd light and fall into oil and are no more.
John Dykers
Don’t step in oil pan!

Use soapy water rather than oil as the surface tension is nil and the fleas will sink in it also.  I use a small amount of dish washing detergent in a pan of water when flea combing cats.  Much less chance of damage if spilled.

Mark

Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:13:21 -0400
From: Jim Brooking
Subject: Chatham Bookmobile Services Terminated

I have not seen any notices posted about the termination of Bookmobile services. I first got wind of this early in June, and saw in a flyer handed out at the Bookmobile on Wednesday, June 29, that June 30 would be its last day of service.
Apparently the coup de grace was administered sometime after the Commissioners’ June 3 meeting.  There was an extended discussion of Bookmobile services and patronage at this meeting (minutes can be seen at http://www.chathamnc.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=13352 on page 16), including information I believe to be untrue, namely that the “the Chatham County vehicle had declined since the 1970s”. I understand the current vehicle was purchased in 2002. As a diesel-powered vehicle, I would think it has many years of useful life to give.

A number of avid readers and enthusiastic patrons of the Bookmobile are disappointed and disconcerted that a decision to terminate this service was made without wider discussion and community input. Comments in the linked minutes above from the Commissioners and indeed from the Library Director seem to indicate unfamiliarity with the Bookmobile’s attraction, the community it serves, and the prospects of replacing Bookmobile services by the new Chatham Community Library when (or if) it opens in September.

The economies of retiring the Bookmobile may or may not be attractive from a budgetary standpoint. However, let me ask about the wisdom of requiring having dozens of individuals drive their vehicles weekly on a 20-30 mile round trip from North Chatham to the new library (after it opens) vs. a single vehicle driving a round trip from its home base to north Chatham once a week. Yes, the county saves some diesel fuel costs, but the rest of us incur higher fuel costs and contribute more air pollutants and incur the per-mile costs for driving everywhere.<br>

The speed and stealth, if I may use the word, with which this cancellation of a valuable service was executed seems more consistent with the Bunkey Morgan regime than with the “open, deliberative, green” policies promised us as voters when the Chatham Coalition was seeking our votes.

Two points I would like to have seen addressed, but have not as yet:

What alternatives were considered? A fee for a library card? Discount on fuel, or biofuel donation? Advance notice to individual and organizational patrons, with perhaps a suggestion of what sort of fees we might cough up to keep the Bookmobile running?

Current patrons, left in the lurch until the promised September opening of the new library, have one option in Chatham County: the Pittsboro Memorial Library, with its meager supply of old books in poor condition. Or of course, we could also add 40 miles to the round trip and drive to Siler City, Or Goldston to one of the two remaining library branches. What was the urgent financial crisis that mandated the termination of the Bookmobile 2-3 months (if one is optimistic about the opening of the new library) before ANY viable alternative is available. Some of us will, I am certain, be checking on the Chapel Hill Public Library, despite its $60/year non-resident fee. I am confident that most of us would rather pay that fee to Chatham County to get our Bookmobile back, but that option was not made available.

Meanwhile, for anyone who would like to put in a word to the Commissioners regarding the Bookmobile’s termination, their contact information (emails and phones) is at
http://www.chathamnc.org/Index.aspx?page=34

Jim Brooking
2-3 Books/Week Reader and Bookmobile Patron (no more)

Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 12:51:50 -0400
From: Davenport & Winkleperry
Subject: Hello & Introductions…

Greetings everyone!

I kept being told that I should join this chatlist, so here I am. My name is Emma Cabrera, and I own the new “steampunk” art gallery, Davenport & Winkleperry, in downtown Pittsboro. I’m really excited about being in town, and I’m looking forward to being involved in the community.  Presently, I’m in the gallery all of the time, so I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to make it into all of the other businesses in downtown to say hello, so hopefully my virtual hello will be enough… Hello!

We’re gearing up for a next monthly art reception on Saturday July 3rd, so if you’re looking for something to do tomorrow from 5pm to 8pm, feel free to stop in and say hello.

Thanks & I look forward to meeting everyone at some point! – Emma

Davenport & Winkleperry
“Purveyors of Fine Art & What-not”
18A East Salisbury Street
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 533-6178

davenportandwinkleperry@gmail.com
www.davenportandwinkleperry.com

Date: Fri, 2 Jul 2010 09:59:10 -0400
From: Cindra Kerscher
Subject: New Location

Cindra Kerscher, Massage Therapist & Fertility Coach, formerly at the Spa at Bell House, has recently joined the Pittsboro Center for Natural Medicine. Her new office is located at 175 E Salisbury Street in downtown Pittsboro. She can be reached at 919-444-4141 or cindrakerscher@gmail.com. For more information about Cindra’s practice, visit www.bodyandbirthmassage.com. And please feel free to stop by the center anytime Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, for a tour.

Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 12:11:35 -0400
From: Parker Stockdale
Subject: Courthouse restoration and statue

I too hope the courthouse is restored to exactly the way it looked before the fire.  As for the Confederate memorial, it had better stay right where it is.  Whatever one thinks of the motivations of the Confederacy, many brave men answered the call to fight for their homeland.   Let us remember that more North Carolinians than any other state volunteered for service and our losses were proportionate.  It was the band of the 26th North Carolina Infantry that played the last music that many Virginian’s heard on July 3, 1863 at Gettysburg.  I had a relative in Company C, 117th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but regardless of where the sentiments of anyone’s dead relatives lay, Confederate memorials are eloquent and an essential part of our history and add much to the delicious, rich fabric of our beloved state.  Parker Stockdale.

Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 08:31:54 -0400
From: Jeannette Beranger
Subject: RE: HVAC advice

I would not recommend Burke and Burke in Siler City. We were told to try them out so we decided to schedule a maintenance visit with them this week. We took a day out of work to meet the tech for an 11 am appointment. When no one showed by 1 pm I called the office and they said they had the appointment on the schedule but that one of the tech’s called in to be out of work that day. (Could they have called to tell us this????????) The secretary said that she would try and get someone else to come that day and would call me back. By 2:30 I called the office again and no one would pick up the phone. It’s two days later I’ve had no call back and certainly no one to look at our system. Very unprofessional company in my book and one that won’t get my business.

Jeannette