Ben Brooks

News

Manager Considers Property Tax Raise

By Ben Brooks | April 24

Orange County Manager John Link told county commissioners Monday night that he is preparing the 2002-03 budget with the "worst-case scenario" in mind. Link presented a contingency plan Monday night as part of his 2002-03 county budget proposal. The county has created the plan to offset the $3.1 million officials expect the state to withhold to deal with its own budgetary problems. The contingency plan, which would only be enacted if the state withholds the funds, would cut or postpone projects that would have a minimal impact on the county's day-to-day operations.

News

11 Acres Hold Up Tract Decision

By Ben Brooks | April 16

Local officials, stumped by what to do with 11 acres of the 109-acre Greene Tract, plan to ask the Chapel Hill Town Council for a 60-day extension on the project. The Greene Tract, which is jointly owned by the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, is located north of Homestead Road near the Orange County Regional Landfill.

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Council Finalizes Licensing

By Ben Brooks | April 9

The Chapel Hill Town Council voted Monday night to pass a rental licensing ordinance with one amendment, which aims to ensure that renters will have access to all landlords currently in violation of town housing codes. Rental licensing is a policy designed to increase landlord accountability by making contact information and complaint records available to renters through an online database that will be maintained by the town. The council attached an additional amendment to the ordinance, which will take effect Jan.

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Town May Up Prices To Park

By Ben Brooks | April 3

People looking for parking in downtown Chapel Hill might soon have to bring along extra cash. On March 1, the Town Council listened to a proposal developed by town staff that would raise public parking rates at all town parking spaces, the first increase in almost 10 years. Should the proposal be passed, hourly meter rates would be increased from the current hourly rate of $1 to $1.25.

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Council Mulls Replacements For Halloween

By Ben Brooks | March 27

Imagine Oct. 31 with the streets of Chapel Hill devoid of partyers. Although it might seem like an unlikely event to those who have participated in Franklin Street revelry in the past, it's an idea being entertained by some local officials. Chapel Hill Town Manager Cal Horton issued a memorandum for the Town Council's consideration Monday containing seven options for managing the 2002 Halloween celebration. The options ranged all the way from a town-sponsored event to total elimination of the festivities.

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Council Sees Presentations On Ordinance

By Ben Brooks | March 20

Chapel Hill Town Council members spent the majority of their Monday meeting discussing ways to revamp the town's development ordinance to better manage stormwater and minimize water pollution. Roger Waldon, Chapel Hill Planning Department director, and members of his staff focused on major issues during the first in a series of presentations about the working draft of the town's proposed development ordinance.

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Town Council Continues Talks On Parking Lot

By Ben Brooks | March 6

The Chapel Hill Town Council decided Monday to keep open the option of using a design contest as one possible method in determining the future design of an existing parking lot. Katherine Shields, speaking on behalf of the UNC Student Environmental Action Coalition, asked the council for $5,000 to conduct a design contest for Town Parking Lot No.

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Council Debates UNC Police Jurisdiction

By Ben Brooks | February 27

An agreement described as a "no-brainer" by two local police chiefs was not approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday night. The council moved to have the issue addressed at a later meeting when the public would be allowed to make comments on the issue. The proposed agreement between the town of Chapel Hill and UNC would extend the jurisdiction of the University police into off-campus areas of the town under specific circumstances. The jurisdiction would only be extended for those crimes that occur on campus.

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Town Council Begins Public Facilities Ordinance Talks

By Ben Brooks | February 20

The Chapel Hill Town Council got the ball rolling Monday night on a proposal that could limit development in the area in an effort to minimize school overcrowding. The Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance would affect schools in both the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City and the Orange County school systems. The measure must be approved by the two districts' school boards, the council, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen and the Orange County Board of Commissioners before going into effect. Both school boards already have given a nod to the proposal.

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Meadowmont School to Draw From Larger Area

By Ben Brooks | February 6

With nearly all of Meadowmont's commercial and residential properties in place, local school officials now are addressing the educational needs of the neighborhood. Mixed-use communities like Meadowmont that concentrate growth by combining residential areas with commercial space are becoming more prevalent in and around Chapel Hill. Steve Scroggs, assistant superintendent for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said the new school, commonly referred to as Elementary School No.