The Carrboro Board of Aldermen deliberated Tuesday over an amendment that would alter the Land Use Ordinance by instituting a new policy for citizen comment.
The amendment would affect how residents petition for protests.
"I refuse to vote for something that takes away any kind of local governance," said Jacquelyn Gist, Board of Aldermen member. "It takes away a powerful tool for people who are immediately impacted by a development that could swallow them up."
Gist was echoed by many of the other board members in her statement. The amendment, which would remove the protest provision from local government, would require a supermajority vote by board members to act on any community petitions, Lydia Lavelle, mayor of Carrboro, said.
Board members discussed how they could adopt the objected amendment while making it clear they were under orders from the N.C. General Assembly to adopt it.
Board of Aldermen member Damon Seils emphasized the clarity of the amendment's language while stressing the obligation they were under to add it.
"I think we do need to be careful about people being confused about what processes are available to them," Seils said.
The board held off on a decision, but will continue the discussion at a public hearing Dec. 17.
Other issues on the agenda included the Greene Tract, a tract of land originally set to be a landfill that is now under consideration for development. Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County jointly own the land. Development has been bogged down by logistical problems for the past 15 years.
