CARRBORO – Carrboro Aldermen will consider creating a downtown parking plan when the board meets Tuesday.
Town staffers say it could cost approximately $100,000 to hire a consultant to help draft the plan, which would examine the availability of residential and business parking around the downtown area and outline ways to manage the town’s supply of parking.
The board will also consider whether or not to continue to partner with Orange County to provide residential recycling pick-up once funding runs out for the current curbside service in June of 2014.
In addition, the aldermen may take a stance on a plan put forward by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board to move Spanish dual language students out of Carrboro Elementary. The plan drew fire from parents at last week’s school board meeting. Two of the seven aldermen spoke publicly against it and pledged to bring the issue before the board for a vote.
The board meets at 7:30 p.m. in Carrboro Town Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/aldermen-to-create-downtown-parking-plan/CARRBORO – The Board of Aldermen will consider spending $40,000 to create a Cultural Arts and Entertainment District in Carrboro.
The town is partnering with the ArtsCenter on the project and the Strowd Roses Foundation will also commit about $10,000 in funding.
In addition, the aldermen will meet with the ArtsCenter’s board of directors to discuss plans for developing a new facility.
The board meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Carrboro Town Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/boa-to-consider-cultural-arts-and-entertainment-district/CARRBORO – Carrboro Aldermen meet Tuesday to continue a discussion on how to regulate construction that impacts public streets and sidewalks.
The board is considering a requirement that some projects have a construction management plan endorsed by the town before development gets underway.
The plan would detail acceptable noise levels and hours of operation, as well as what streets construction vehicles should use and where equipment should be stored.
The board will also designate October as “Carrboro Walk and Bike to School Month.” The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in Carrboro Town Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/how-does-construction-impact-your-driving-and-walking-in-carrboro/CARRBORO – The Board of Aldermen will approve their budget Tuesday, and they’ll take a look at how transit tax money might be put to use in Carrboro.
Under next year’s budget the municipal tax rate will stay the same for the fifth year in a row, and town employees will receive a 1.9 percent cost-of-living pay raise.
Aldermen will also consider transit system improvement projects to submit to Triangle Transit for possible funding from the ½ cent sales tax that went into effect earlier this year. Improvements could range from bus shelter construction to sidewalk expansion along major roads.
The board meets at 7:30 Tuesday in Carrboro Town Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/aldermen-to-approve-budget-review-transit-tax-plan/CARRBORO - Carrboro aldermen want to hear your opinions on the 2013-2014 budget plan at Tuesday’s public hearing.
The town faces increased costs to haul trash to Durham once the county landfill closes, as well as rising employee health care costs, but Town Manager David Andrews says revenue projections are slightly up, suggesting the economic recovery may be taking hold in Carrboro.
After the public hearing, the board will weigh the pros and cons of installing an ATM in the Town Commons and consider putting up temporary traffic calming devices on Oak Drive.
Aldermen will also offer comments on the draft Orange County Library strategic plan released last week, and review the progress of the Rogers Road task force.
The board meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Carrboro Town Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/carrboro-aldermen-hear-budget-concerns-tuesday/
CARRBORO – Carrboro Aldermen will hash out the details of next year’s budget when the board meets Tuesday.
Board members will consider a variety of plans that could add or subtract from the bottom line, including a proposal to spend $48,000 on a housing stipend for some low-income town employees.
Other proposals call for expanding the Carrboro Music Festival and Carrboro Film Festival to two-day events, or spending $30,000 to assess the town’s options for recycling and solid waste disposal.
The board will also discuss reducing minimum parking requirements for new developments, or requiring that parking spaces be sold or rented separately. Supporters of “unbundling” say this could lower the cost of housing and encourage more residents to use public transportation.
The board meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in CarrboroTown Hall.
http://chapelboro.com/news/local-government/aldermen-take-their-turn-at-budget-talks-tuesday/
CHAPEL HILL- Orange County Commissioners weren’t favorably impressed with any of the possible library locations they reviewed Tuesday night, and they say they want to rethink the criteria used to select them.
“It seems to me that we need to think into the future and not build yesterday’s library,” said Commissioner Penny Rich. “That’s why I’m concerned about some of these studies that were done years ago. We know that libraries have changed drastically.”
In December, Carrboro Aldermen put forward three potential sites for the southern branch of the Orange County Public Library: one at Town Hall, one adjacent to the Westwood Cemetery, and one next to a park on Hillsborough Road.
“You have a fire station, you have the government services at Town Hall, also parking and the famer’s market complex,” said Director of Asset Management Services Jeff Thompson. “It would, in fact, be a very complicated development. It would be expensive as well.”
Orange County staff favored the Hillsborough Road site, suggesting the county could collaborate with Carrboro on a land swap that would put the library near the entrance to the Martin Luther King Jr Park.
“There is an enhanced opportunity for synergy between a park and a library facility that includes shared programming, infrastructure and the like,” said Thompson.
But that idea rankled some who say Carrboro doesn’t need to try to duplicate Chapel Hill’s newly expanded library, which is just down the road, also located in a park.
Chair Barry Jacobs urged the board to rethink the design guidelines that call for a 20,000 square foot, free-standing library.
“I do think it is critical to consider the relationship of this library to the Chapel Hill library. If you have an excellent, comprehensive library less than four miles away, we don’t need a 20,000 square foot library in Carrboro,” said Jacobs. “And the more you say that, the more you set up the expectation among people for something I don’t think the county should provide.”
Carrboro Alderman Randee Haven-O’Donnell told the board that town leaders want to look for new sites, with an eye towards to bringing a smaller library downtown. County commissioners agreed.
“Well, since we have been asked by the Board of Aldermen to consider other sites, I think we need to tell them we are quite willing to wait and see what other possibilities there might be,” said Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier. “I have felt with these three sites that surely there must be more options.”
“Parking is a major issue for me in siting this library, because there are a great number of people who will need to use this library that will not be on bus routes, will not be close enough to walk, and will not be close enough to bike,” said McKee. “So I have a real concern with placing a library downtown where I know there are parking issues.”
In the end, commissioners agreed to wait for feedback from Carrboro officials and invited the aldermen to join them for a presentation on the Orange County Library’s strategic plan.
CARRBORO- Carrboro leaders are looking to lure tourism dollars by hiring professionals to market the town’s unique brand of cool.
The Board of Aldermen on Tuesday will consider negotiating a contract with local marketing firm The Splinter Group to develop a campaign to promote Carrboro.
The campaign will cost the town $18,000 during this fiscal year and could extend into next year.
The board will also review a $40 million dollar list of capital improvement projects. Sidewalks, greenways, road resurfacing and new vehicles top the list of big ticket items the town will invest in during the next five years.
The board meets at 7:30 p.m at Carrboro Town Hall. For a link to the full agenda, click here.
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