Wendell News Outlet

Board of Commissioners Friday Update

Friday, August 28, 2009

ITEM 1. UDO COMMITTEE CONTINUED TO MEET THIS WEEK

The UDO Committee continued to meet this week (on Wednesday and Friday) as it reviewed the draft Unified Development Ordinance.

The Planning staff continues to incorporate comments / corrections from the UDO Committee, as well as its own corrections, and preparing copies of the ordinance for distribution at Monday’s joint meeting.

ITEM 2. JOINT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS / PLANNING BOARD / UDO COMMITTEE MEETING – MONDAY, AUGUST 31^ST AT 6:00 P.M.

There will be a joint meeting with the Town Board, Planning Board and UDO Committee on Monday, August 31^st at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be at the Community Center. Craig Lewis, from the Lawrence Group, will be there to lead a discussion on the completed draft UDO.

ITEM 3. TOWN RECEIVES RURAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE GRANT (RBEG) FROM USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT FOR DOWNTOWN SIDEWALKS

The town has received notification (through an “Obligation of Funds” notification) that its application to USDA Rural Development for its Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program for downtown sidewalk improvements has been approved! As suggested by Rhonda Toppings of USDA (at the July 13^th meeting), the amount of the grant was increased from $75,000 to $97,137. At the July 13^th meeting, the Board adopted a resolution to accept the grant (if final approval was given), approve the Letter of Conditions and approve the matching funds in the amount of $52, 863.

The town’s application to the RBEG program was an effort to help fund a portion of the town’s Downtown Enhancement project, which cost was estimated at $328,400.

The next step will be to finalize a draft engineering agreement for the Board to consider.

ITEM 4. APPLICATION / PLAN REVIEW PROCESS FOR ARRA THIRD STREET / BUFFALO STREET SIDEWALK PROJECT CONTINUES

The Planning Department and other staff members have been working EXTREMELY hard to satisfy all of the requirements for plan reviews, revisions, temporary construction easements, etc. required so that the town can meet the September 1^st deadline for the ARRA Buffalo and Third Street sidewalk project. Hopefully, everything will be completed in time, and we will meet NC DOT’s requirements so that the project can move forward.

ITEM 5. PUBLIC SAFETY DAY HELD ON AUGUST 22^ND WAS A SUCCESS

The heavy rain caused the Public Safety Day to be shortened, but the event was a huge success! As a gauge of attendance, the Police Department reported that over 300 hot dogs were served. Thanks to the following agencies / groups who participated with personnel, as well as equipment and/or displays:

Wendell Fire Department

Eastern Wake Emergency Medical Services

Knightdale Police Department

Zebulon Police Department

Wake County Sheriff’s Department

NC Wildlife Commission

Safe Kids

NC National Guard

ABC Commission

Interact (resource for domestic violence victims)

NC Trucking Association

Operation Lifesaver (spoke about railroad safety)

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (gun safety education)

Boy Scouts

Also, several pieces of equipment were borrowed from the Garner Police Department, and we thank them for their assistance. There were numerous volunteers who gave of their time and businesses which sponsored the event, and we appreciate their contributions.

Additionally, thanks to all of the members of the Wendell Police Department who worked hard to plan, prepare, coordinate and execute the event.

ITEM 6. TRIANGLE TRANSIT BUS SERVICE SCHEDULED TO START SOON

The Zebulon/Wendell-Raleigh Express (ZWX) service will be starting in the very near future. Some of the preliminary site work has begun for the park-n-ride lot. The Public Works staff removed the fence at the Fourth Street / Oakwood Avenue today. The service should begin sometime during the first couple of weeks in October.

One of the next steps is marketing the route. The Triangle Transit marketing team will be working hard to create useful information to present to the public to get the word out about the routes and provide vital information to them (such as the schedule, routing, fare information, etc.). Additionally, Triangle Transit will be planning a kickoff event to coincide with the implementation of the route.

ITEM 7. OCTOBER 17^TH “GOVERNMENT MATTERS” EDUCATION FORUM (SPONSORED BY “KIDS VOTING”)

Kids Voting and the NC Museum of History are co-sponsoring an Educational Forum for Middle and High School Students on Saturday, October 17^th. Information on this event was placed at the elected officials’ seats at the September 24^th Board of Commissioners meeting. The groups are asking each town to set-up an information table in the lobby of the museum from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. that day. They would like for elected officials and other leaders in the town to be present to greet constituents and to answer questions. Please let the manager know if you are interested in participating in this event.

ITEM 8. OTHER

1. Town facilities will be closed on Monday, September 7^th for the Labor Day holiday.

2. The annual Wendell Movie Night will be on Friday, September 18^th. It will be held it in the same place as last year (at the bottom of the new side of the park). The rain site will be the Community Center.

3. The NC League of Municipalities will hold its annual conference in Greenville October 25-27. Registrations must be postmarked by September 18^th. Please contact Town Clerk Jonnie Driver by September 14^th if you are interested in attending the conference.

ITEM 9. UPCOMING EVENTS:

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

08/31 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

09/07 Town facilities closed for Labor Day holiday

09/14 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

09/21 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting for Public Hearing about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center (Regular Planning Board Meeting to follow)

09/28 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/12 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/17 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. “Government Matters” Education Forum @ NC History

10/19 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

10/25 – 10/27 NC League of Municipalities Annual Conference @ Greenville Convention Center

10/26 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

Dear Friends,

This week, the Triangle took two critical steps toward ensuring our high quality of life in the face of regional growth - one that will help protect our water supply, and one that will help build a regional mass transit system.

WakeUP Wake County commends Governor Bev Perdue for signing S 1020, which will protect and restore water quality and quantity in Falls Lake, and HB 148, which will allow regional authorities to plan and fund a public transit system in the Triangle. Gov. Perdue signed the Falls Lake bill into law on August 26. She signed the transit bill at a special ceremony in the state capitol on August 27.

WakeUP Wake County lobbied hard for these bills. A huge thank you to everyone who contacted or met with legislators in support of clean water and public transportation!

PROTECTING FALLS LAKE

The Falls Lake bill sets a new deadline of January 2011 for permanet rules to be developed to clean up and protect Falls Lake, provides credit to local governments, landowners, and others who reduce water pollution in the watershed before permanent rules are adopted, and adopts a sedimentation strategy for drinking water supply reservoirs.

We would like to recognize in particular the hard work of Wake Senator Josh Stein (D) and Wake Representative Jennifer Weiss (D) who led negotiations among area municipalities, elected officials, the homebuilders lobby, WakeUP and the NeuseRiver Foundation to reach a mutually agreeable solution on the Falls effort. The bill also enjoyed bi-partisan support of the entire Wake delegation, all of whom voted in favor of the bill.

DEVELOPING REGIONAL TRANSIT

The transit bill authorizes referenda in Triangle counties for a half cent sales tax to fund a transit system of expanded bus service and light rail, and authorizes other funding measures for transit. As the Triangle continues to grow, planning for transportation needs must be a top priority. A regional transit system will improve our quality of life, and help guide development in ways that will prevent sprawl, improve air quality, create jobs and improve our economy.

We would like to recognize and applaud the important bi-partisan leadership of Wake legislators Senator Richard Stevens (R) and Representative Deborah Ross (D), who were key bill sponsors of HB 148 in the General Assembly. The transit bill also enjoyed the bi-partisan support of most other Wake legislators who voted for the bill: Sen. Dan Blue (D), Sen. Neal Hunt (R), Sen. Josh Stein (D), Rep. Rosa Gill (D), Rep. Ty Harrell (D), Rep. Darren Jackson (D), Rep. Grier Martin (D), and Rep. Jennifer Weiss (D).

Click here to donate now to WakeUP so we can continue to be a strong voice for well-planned growth in Wake County!

Board of Commissioners Friday Update

Friday, August 21, 2009

ITEM 1. PUBLIC SAFETY DAY THIS SATURDAY

The Wendell Police Department (in partnership with the Wendell Fire Department and Eastern Wake Emergency Medical Services) will hold its inaugural Public Safety Day on Saturday, August 22^nd from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Hephzibah Baptist Church.

ITEM 2. UDO COMMITTEE MET WITH CRAIG LEWIS, OF THE LAWRENCE GROUP, ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 20^TH

The UDO Committee met with Craig Lewis, of the Lawrence Group, on Thursday, August 20^th. This was a good opportunity for the UDO Committee to try to work-through questions and concerns with the town’s consultant. The main focus of discussion involved the chapter about zoning. The next meeting of the UDO Committee will be on Wednesday, August 26^th at 10:00 a.m.

Mr. Lewis will also be in attendance at the joint meeting on August 31^st.

ITEM 3. JOINT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS / PLANNING BOARD / UDO COMMITTEE MEETING – MONDAY, AUGUST 31^ST AT 6:00 P.M.

There will be a joint meeting with the Town Board, Planning Board and UDO Committee on Monday, August 31^st at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be at the Community Center. The Lawrence Group will be at this meeting

ITEM 4. ACCEPTANCE OF ONE OF THREE FIELDS AT LAKE MYRA

Town staff recently accepted Field #1 at Lake Myra School, as per the town’s joint use agreement with Wake County Public Schools and Wake County (approved by the Town Board on March 10, 2008). Field #1 was sodded and is in better shape that Fields #2 and #3. Field #1 will be used by the elementary school for physical education, and the town will be able to use it during non-school hours. Fields #2 and #3 was seeded, and the school’s contractor and Wake County are working to get Fields #2 and #3 in good condition for acceptance and maintenance by the town. The condition of Fields #2 and #3 will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks.

ITEM 5. TRIANGLE TRANSIT BUS SERVICE SCHEDULED TO START MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14^TH

The Zebulon/Wendell-Raleigh Express (ZWX) service is tentatively set to start on Monday, September 14^th! This will be a valuable new service for our citizens.

One of the next steps is marketing the route. The Triangle Transit marketing team will be working hard to create useful information to present to the public to get the word out about the routes and provide vital information to them (such as the schedule, routing, fare information, etc.). Additionally, Triangle Transit will be planning a kickoff event to coincide with the implementation of the route.

ITEM 6. REPORT FROM THE SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC MEETING HELD ON MONDAY, AUGUST 17^TH

A public meeting regarding the Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Management Plan (or SCI Management Plan) was held on Monday, August 17, 2009. Town Manager David Bone attended the meeting.

The SCI Management Plan will be used to address the growth-related environmental impacts from water and wastewater projects constructed in the seven municipalities served by the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. It is intended to speed-up the review process for projects so that the same environmental issues can be reviewed holistically and comprehensively instead of revisiting the issues each time a project needs to be approved by the State.

The Town Board approved a “Resolution of Support and Commitment to Mitigative Measures to Address Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Associated with Water and Sewer Utility Projects” at its April 14, 2008 meeting.

ITEM 7. ARRA THIRD STREET / BUFFALO STREET SIDEWALK PROJECT

Planning Director Teresa Piner hand-delivered the design and paperwork for the ARRA Buffalo and Third Street sidewalk project to the NCDOT offices on Tuesday. Hopefully, the project will be approved prior to the September 1^st deadline.

ITEM 8. DROUGHT UPDATE

It seems like it has been raining a lot, but “Moderate Drought” conditions are starting to creep into the Triangle. For more information, click here.

The NC latest drought advisory map is available here.

ITEM 9. OTHER

1. Knightdale has posted the Information Technology Technician position from which Wendell will be served. Applications are currently being received.

2. The annual Wendell Movie Night will be on Friday, September 18^th. It will be held it in the same place as last year (at the bottom of the new side of the park). The rain site will be the Community Center.

3. The NC League of Municipalities will hold its annual conference in Greenville October 25-27. Registrations must be postmarked by September 18^th. Please contact Town Clerk Jonnie Driver by September 14^th if you are interested in attending the conference.

ITEM 10. UPCOMING EVENTS:

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

08/22 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wendell’s “Public Safety Day 2009” @ Hephzibah Baptist Church parking lot

08/24 6:30 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall
Note above time change

08/26 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/28 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/31 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

09/07 Town facilities closed for Labor Day holiday

09/14 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

09/21 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting for Public Hearing about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center (Regular Planning Board Meeting to follow)

09/28 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/12 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/19 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

10/25 – 10/27 NC League of Municipalities Annual Conference @ Greenville Convention Center

10/26 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

Board of Commissioners Friday Update

Friday, August 14, 2009

ITEM 1. UDO COMMITTEE MEETING – MONDAY, AUGUST 17^TH AT 6:00 P.M.

The next meeting of the UDO Committee will be on Monday, August 17^th at 6:00 p.m. As reported last week, now that the draft UDO has been complied into one draft document, the UDO Committee is working to clean-up typographical errors and inconsistencies prior to its joint meeting with the Town Board and Planning Board on August 31^st. To this end, the UDO Committee will be meeting every Wednesday and Friday for the remainder of August from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

ITEM 2. PLANNING BOARD MEETING – MONDAY, AUGUST 17^TH AT 7:00 P.M.

The Wendell Planning Board will have its regular meeting on Monday, August 17^th at 7:00 p.m. The agenda is at the bottom of the Friday Memo.

ITEM 3. SECONDARY AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC MEETING – MONDAY, AUGUST 17^TH AT 6:00 P.M.

A public meeting regarding the Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Management Plan (or SCI Management Plan) will be held on Monday, August 17, 2009. The plan will be used to address the growth-related environmental impacts from water and wastewater projects constructed in the seven municipalities served by the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. The meeting will be held at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant Training Facility located at 8500 Battlebridge Road in Raleigh) starting at 6:00 p.m. Oral and written comments will be accepted at the public meeting. Public comment can also be provided in writing or via e-mail.

The town manager is planning to attend the meeting.

ITEM 4. REPORT FROM THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 13^TH

NAPA Auto Parts submitted a variance request for property located at 3100 Wendell Boulevard for Section 38.574 of the Wendell Code of Ordinances as it relates to maximum allowed signage per parcel. The Board of Adjustment met about the case on Thursday, August 13^th. The Board of Adjustment approved the variance request.

ITEM 5. VOTE ON TRANSIT TAX

The Legislature gave final approval Monday to legislation allowing Triangle counties to raise the sales tax by 1/2-cent to pay for light rail and more buses. To read this article, click here.

However, because of the statewide sales-tax increase and the state of the economy, the News & Observer reported that Triangle transit advocates are likely to wait until late 2010 or 2011 to ask local voters for a similar hike that would generate $73 million a year for buses and light-rail trains. To read this article, click here.

ITEM 6. LAKE GLAD SEWER PROJECT UNDERWAY

The Lake Glad Road facility improvements project is underway. This merger project is being performed at the direction of the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department with construction observation by McKim & Creed. Overall, the project consists of electrical and piping improvements, an upgrade to the Jones Landing pump station, painting of the equipment building on Lake Glad, abandonment of the existing “above ground” 16 inch gravity sewer line, and installation of approximately 1,900 linear feet of 24 inch gravity sewer line along Lake Glad Road.

The following are progress highlights of the project:

• Demolition is approximately 95% complete;

• Surface preparation on the equipment building (scheduled to be painted) began;

• Installation of the 24-inch gravity sewer line along Lake Glad Road is expected to start soon.

ITEM 7. UPDATE ON ARRA THIRD STREET / BUFFALO STREET SIDEWALK PROJECT

Staff met with Tom Goodwin of Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates this week to review progress on the design of the project. The design work should be completed the first of next week, and the design will be delivered to NCDOT. From that point, the town will wait for the NCDOT and Federal Highway Administration to review the design work. Hopefully, the design can be reviewed and approved before the September 1^st deadline.

ITEM 8. OTHER

1. Josh Privette completed his volunteer summer internship this week. He begins his college education at NCSU next week. We wish him the best of luck.

2. Knightdale Mayor Russell Killen has requested an opportunity to speak to the Town Board about coordinating plans for greenway trails in hopes of having an inter-connected greenway network. Mayor Killen plans to attend the September 14^th Board of Commissioners meeting to speak on this subject.

3. A recognition ceremony for the Wendell teams which won their respective state championships [11/12 Girls Softball (Tar Heel); 9/10 Boys Baseball (SWAC) and 13/14 Boys Baseball (Tar Heel)] is being planned for the August 24^th Board of Commissioners meeting. The meeting will start early at 6:30 p.m.

4. The Wendell Police Department (in partnership with the Wendell Fire Department and Eastern Wake Emergency Medical Services) will hold its inaugural Public Safety Day on Saturday, August 22^nd from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Hephzibah Baptist Church.

5. The annual Wendell Movie Night will be on Friday, September 18^th. It will be held it in the same place as last year (at the bottom of the new side of the park). The rain site will be the Community Center.

6. The NC League of Municipalities will hold its annual conference in Greenville October 25-27.

ITEM 9. UPCOMING EVENTS:

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Public Meeting – SCI Management Plan w/CORPUD staff available for questions @ Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant, 8500 Battlebridge Rd., Raleigh

08/19 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/21 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/22 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wendell’s “Public Safety Day 2009” @ Hephzibah Baptist Church parking lot

08/24 6:30 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall
Note above time change

08/26 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/28 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/31 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

09/07 Town facilities closed for Labor Day holiday

09/14 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

09/21 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

09/28 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/05 7:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

10/12 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/19 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

10/25 – 10/27 NC League of Municipalities Annual Conference @ Greenville Convention Center

10/26 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

AGENDA

The Regular Meeting of the Wendell Planning Board

Monday, August 17, 2009 Wendell Courtroom

7:00 p.m. Wendell, North Carolina

1. Meeting Called to Order

• A quorum of seven members of the Planning Board is required before taking official action

2. Welcome and Recognition of Guests

3. Chairman and Board Members’ Comments

4. Adjustment and Approval of the Agenda

5. Public Comments:

• Individuals interested in speaking during the public comments time will need to sign up prior to the beginning of the meeting. The signup period will begin thirty (30) minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting and conclude at the beginning of the meeting.

• Each individual is limited to a time of three (3) minutes in which to express his or her concerns.

• Individuals making public comments are expected to be courteous to the Planning Board.

6. Approval of Minutes:

1. June 15, 2009 minutes

7. Action Taken at Previous Town Board Meetings

• Stormwater Ordinance

8. UDO Update

• Discussion of Planning Board procedures related to UDO

9. Discussion, Consideration, and Action on the Following Items:

A. Swearing In of New Members

2. Distribution of Introduction to Zoning books

3. Presentation by HardiPlank representative

10. Adjourn to Next Regularly Scheduled Meeting

Sam Laughery, Chairperson Lee Batson, Vice Chairperson

Dear Friends,

After seven months, the N.C. General Assembly finally adjourned, and in the flurry of legislative activity, two major gains were achieved for good growth planning in Wake County:

• Transit legislation passed the NC Senate and House! After weeks of waiting for the state budget to be approved, the Senate finally took up and passed HB 148, the Congestion Relief/Intermodal Fund bill. The House quickly concurred on the final bill, and it is on its way to a likely signature by Governor Bev Perdue. The legislation will permit Triangle counties to hold a referendum on funding a regional transit system (via a 1/2 cent sales tax increase), and will set up a state fund for transit. Click here for more details from the News&Observer. Next step: getting the transit referendum on the ballot....
  

Many thanks should go to the Wake County sponsors of the bill, including Senator Richard Stevens and Representative Deborah Ross, who took the lead on the transit bill. Please also thank all the Triangle Senators and Representatives who supported the bill, including: Senators Dan Blue, Neal Hunt and Josh Stein, and Representatives Rosa Gill, Ty Harrell, Darren Jackson, Grier Martin, and Jennifer Weiss (for email addresses, use this format: dan.blue@ncleg.net).

• Legislation to expedite Falls Lake cleanup approved by NC Senate and House! Thanks to the leadership and persistence of Wake legislators, Senator Josh Stein, Representative Jennifer Weiss, and Representative Grier Martin, Falls Lake will be cleaned up sooner that was proposed by the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). DENR missed its July 2009 deadline to develop rules (required guidelines) to start cleaning up polluted Falls Lake -- eastern Wake County's drinking water supply. Sen. Stein and Rep. Weiss led negotiations with area municipalities, elected officials, the homebuilders lobby, WakeUP and the NeuseRiver Foundation on the Falls effort. The outcome included: a new rules deadline of Jan. 2011, new measures to help control runoff from development that is filling up Falls Lake and its streams with mud and pollutants, and incentives to encourage faster action by developers and municipalities. The Falls Lake legislation passed both the NC Senate and House, and is on its way to Governor Bev Perdue for her approval. WakeUP considers this a victory, though we certainly will continue to advocate for Falls Lake during the rule-making stakeholder process.

Board of Commissioners Friday Update

Friday, August 7, 2009

ITEM 1. ADDITIONAL UDO COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Now that the draft UDO has been complied into one draft document, the UDO Committee is working to clean-up typographical errors and inconsistencies prior to its joint meeting with the Town Board and Planning Board on August 31st. To this end, the UDO Committee will be meeting every Wednesday and Friday for the remainder of August from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The next meeting will be Wednesday, August 12th in the conference room of town hall.

ITEM 2. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MEETING ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 13TH AT 6:00 P.M.
NAPA Auto Parts has submitted a variance request for property located at 3100 Wendell Boulevard for Section 38.574 of the Wendell Code of Ordinances as it relates to maximum allowed signage per parcel. The Board of Adjustment will meet to hear this case on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in the courtroom.

ITEM 3. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A.STATE BUDGET – The House and Senate approved a compromise budget that calls for substantial spending cuts and some $963 million in new or increased taxes. The most significant tax increase is a one-cent increase in the state sales tax, projected to raise approximately $800 million annually. As part of the revenue package, the General Assembly is reducing the share of beer and wine tax revenues going to cities and counties in 2009-2010. The municipal share, distributed in May 2010, will be reduced by two-thirds. The distribution formula for beer and wine tax revenue distribution will be adjusted for 2010-2011, and the funding level will be restored for the May 2011 distribution.
B.LOCAL OPTION TRANSIT TAX – A 37-9 Senate vote Wednesday appeared to clear the way for final action on HB 148 – Intermodal Transport Bill, a local-option legislation that could let Triangle counties pay for transit improvements with a half-cent sales tax increase, if voters approve. The legislation passed the House in April. It authorizes a sales tax for transit in every county except Mecklenburg, which already has a half-cent transit tax. The tax, if approved, is projected to generate $80 million to $90 million a year in Wake, Durham and Orange Counties for public transportation. The Senate was expected to give final approval Thursday and send it back to the House for concurrence on a minor change. For more information, click here.
C.CODE OF ETHICS LAW – House Bill 1452 (an act to require all cities, counties, local boards of education, unified governments, sanitary districts and consolidated city-counties to adopt a code of ethics for the governing board and to require the members of those governing boards to receive education on ethics laws applicable to local government officials) was recently signed. The bill is available here. Town Attorney Jim Cauley stated that he will provide the board with more guidance on this law in the near future.
D.ARCHER LODGE INCORPORATION – House Bill 641, a bill to allow the incorporation of Archer Lodge, was on the calendar for a vote on August 6th but was postponed to Monday, August 10th. It would require a referendum of the people on November 9, 2009. A copy of the bill’s history is available here.
E.HURRICANE INSURANCE PLAN FIX – The NC Senate has approved a fix for an underfunded coastal insurance plan that could have affected property coverage statewide. The Senate passed the proposal to beef up the Beach Plan 42-5 on Wednesday. The bill returns to the House, which earlier passed a largely similar version. The bill shifts some risk to all North Carolina homeowners, who could be forced to pay an extra premium if there is a disastrous storm season. (Rep. Jackson discussed this bill and situation in his Town Hall meeting in Wendell on July 28th.)

ITEM 4. PAVING PROGRESS
The paving on Main Street was completed on Wednesday, August 6th. This concludes the paving work. Some painting of parking spaces and other traffic control devices remains.

ITEM 5. DROUGHT UPDATE
An August 2nd News & Observer article reported that despite some recent rain, the Triangle area is in a “drought watch”. The article is available here. The latest Drought Advisory Map is available here.

ITEM 6. OTHER
A.Video from Rep. Darren Jackson’s July 28th town hall meeting in Wendell is available online at http://www.ewtv.org/.
B.A recognition ceremony for the Wendell teams which won their respective state championships [11/12 Girls Softball (Tar Heel); 9/10 Boys Baseball (SWAC) and 13/14 Boys Baseball (Tar Heel)] is being planned for the August 24th Board of Commissioners meeting. The meeting will start early at 6:30 p.m.
C.A public meeting regarding the Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Management Plan (or SCI Management Plan) will be held on Monday, August 17, 2009. The plan will be used to address the growth-related environmental impacts from water and wastewater projects constructed in the seven municipalities served by the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. The meeting will be held at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant Training Facility located at 8500 Battlebridge Road in Raleigh) starting at 6:00 p.m. Oral and written comments will be accepted at the public meeting. Public comment can also be provided in writing or via e-mail.
D.The Wendell Police Department (in partnership with the Wendell Fire Department and Eastern Wake Emergency Medical Services) will hold its inaugural Public Safety Day on Saturday, August 22nd from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Hephzibah Baptist Church.
E.The annual Wendell Movie Night will be on Friday, September 18th. It will be held it in the same place as last year (at the bottom of the new side of the park). The rain site will be the Community Center.
F.The NC League of Municipalities will hold its annual conference in Greenville October 25-27.

ITEM 7. UPCOMING EVENTS:

DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

08/10 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

08/12 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/13 6:00 p.m. Board of Adjustment Meeting @ Town Hall

08/14 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting @ Town Hall

08/17 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Public Meeting – SCI Management Plan w/CORPUD staff available for questions @ Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant, 8500 Battlebridge Rd., Raleigh

08/19 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/21 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/22 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wendell’s “Public Safety Day 2009” @ Hephzibah Baptist Church parking lot

08/24 6:30 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall
Note above time change

08/26 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/28 10:00 a.m. UDO Meeting @ Town Hall

08/31 6:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

09/07 Town facilities closed for Labor Day holiday

09/14 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall

09/21 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

09/28 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/05 7:00 p.m. Joint Town Board / Planning Board Meeting about the draft UDO @ Wendell Community Center

10/12 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting Town Hall

10/19 7:00 p.m. Planning Board Meeting Town Hall

10/25 – 10/27 NC League of Municipalities Annual Conference @ Greenville Convention Center

10/26 7:00 p.m. Board of Commissioners Meeting @ Town Hall