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Vol. 4, Issue 38
September 23, 2011
Catch your City Governmentin action on Time Warner Cable Channel 8.
Durham City Council
The next council meeting
will be on October 3.
City Hall This Week -
New Show Begins
Tonight
City Council has
approved the
Fayetteville Street -
University Land Use
Update, a small area
plan for the Fayetteville
Street corridor from the
Stanford Warren Library
to the south end of the
North Carolina Central
University campus.
Aaron Cain explains
what the purpose of
the update is and how it
could affect the area
surrounding NCCU.
Despite the still struggling economy, the
numbers from
Durham’s year-end
financial report show
that the City was able
to come in on budget
yet again. One of the
primary reasons for
that is the City’s
98.75 percent property
tax collection rate. The
collections helped offset
the disappointing
revenue generated by
sales taxes. Budget
Director Bertha
Johnson talks about
those numbers and
what the financial
outlook is for next
year.
City Council has approved a license
agreement with the
North Carolina
Railroad and the
Norfolk Southern
Railway to install a
36-inch waterline along
West Main Street. The
waterline will
interconnect and run
parallel to existing
waterlines that cut
across the railroad’s
right-of-ways. It will
replace lines originally
installed in 1887 and
1901.
Also on this week’s City Hall This Week:
Deirdre Haj of the Full Frame Documentary
Film Festival explains
why the world-renowned
festival is renewing its
commitment to
downtown and the
Durham Convention
Center.
Mark Ahrendsen of the City Department of
Transportation offer
important information
on the upcoming
half-cent sales tax
referendum to support
transit improvements.
Tamara Hall, a future owner of a Habitat for
Humanity home,
explains what becoming
a homeowner means
to her and why she’s
grateful to City of
Durham employee
volunteers.
CityLife
It’s a fact. We expect
our streets to be
smooth, sidewalks to
be where we need
them, and stormwater
systems to drain
properly. But, when our
streets are bumpy, our
sidewalks lead to
nowhere, and our
storms pipes don’t
drain, we want to know
who to call. That would
be the City’s Public
Works Department,
which now has a new
leader. This month,
“CityLife” Host Beverly
B. Thompson is joined
by Marvin Williams,
the new director of the
City’s Public Works
Department, to give
an update on several
important street
repaving and sidewalk
projects that all
Durham residents will
want to know about as
well as to discuss the
big role property
owners play in keeping
the stormwater
drainage system up
and running.
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8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for City information and services. |
City Manager’s Report
Thomas J. Bonfield, Durham City Manager
Durham Hosts Harvard Avenue Ribbon Cutting Tomorrow
To celebrate the paving of Harvard Avenue and the completion of the successful 2011 paving season, the City of Durham will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Durham residents to learn more about local paving success and plans for the 2012 paving season. The event will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m.at the East Durham Recreation Center, 2615 Harvard Ave. Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell, City Manager Tom Bonfield, and Public Works Director Marvin Williams will commemorate the completion of the Harvard Avenue paving project and discuss accomplishments of this season’s street repaving efforts. Durham Hosts Free Paper Shredding and E-Waste Recycling Tomorrow
Once again, the City of Durham is offering a free event for residents and businesses to safely dispose of electronics and paper documents. Tomorrow, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City’s Solid Waste Management Department will hold a Paper Shredding and E-Waste Recycling event in the Sears parking lot at Northgate Mall, 1058 W. Club Blvd., Durham. The event is co-sponsored with Sonoco Recycling, Shimar Recycling, and Synergy. Rain Will Not Dampen Latino Festival
Due to rainy conditions today and tomorrow, Durham Parks and Recreation will move tomorrow’s Latino Festival from Rock Quarry Park, 701 Stadium Dr., to Edison Johnson Recreation Center, 500 W. Murray Ave. The time will remain the same, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Despite the weather, participants will enjoy a full day of exciting activities. Festival goers can expect performances by the Guillo Carias Trio, Rey Norteno, and Realeza de la Sierra. There will also be a Zumba demonstration, kids’ activities including arts and crafts by Home Depot, video games, and more. The outdoor activities including the soccer championship game, tennis demonstrations and volleyball games have been canceled. City Honor for International Stars
 One of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the ’70s, Earth Wind & Fire, performed on Sept. 18 at the Durham Performing Arts Center. In recognition of the band’s 40th anniversary world tour, Mayor William V. “Bill” Bell presented the Key to the City to the members of Earth, Wind & Fire. The group has amassed six Grammy® Awards and four American Music Awards® and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Free Health and Wellness Festival Tomorrow
Feed My Sheep, in partnership with the City of Durham Neighborhood Improvement Services Department and the Northeast Central Durham Livability Initiative’s Multifunctional Community Open Spaces Scheme, is hosting its Fall 2011 Health and Wellness Festival, which is free and open to all Durham residents, at the Holton Career and Resource Center, 401 N. Driver St. The health festival will offer various health screenings, including prostate cancer, oral cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and HIV. The festival will also provide attendees with information on a wide variety of medical topics including information on health insurance. Volunteers Needed for Durham’s “Big Sweep” Oct. 1
Residents ready to help clean up Durham should dig out their work gloves and boots and mark their calendars now for the annual North Carolina “Big Sweep,” coming to Durham on Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s event, coordinated by the City of Durham’s Stormwater Services Division with the Public Works Department, the Durham Soil & Water Conservation District, and Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. (KDB), will focus on removing litter from Durham’s streams, watersheds, streets, and parks. Durham residents, organizations or groups interested in volunteering for this year’s event should contact Jennifer Brooks at (919) 560-0558 or via e-mail. Volunteers can also register on KDB’s website. Durham’s Minority Enterprise Development Week Set For October 3-7
The City of Durham and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with multiple community agencies, will observe Minority Enterprise Development Week, Oct. 3-7. Special events include an awards luncheon; two seminars focusing on emerging markets; a multicultural business after-hours reception; a business trade fair; “Golf with a Minority Business Day;” and, new for this year, a “Meet the Purchasers” speed networking event. This year’s theme is “Emerging Industries and Markets: A Blueprint for Success.” The awards luncheon will feature guest speaker Brett Carter, president of Duke Energy North Carolina. Durham Offers Small Business Workshop Sept. 29 Applicants Sought for Retail and Professional Services and Building Improvement Grant Programs
Business owners interested in building improvements within the Downtown Development Tier or in targeted areas inside the city limits should take note of a first round for two grant opportunities now available through the City of Durham in fiscal year 2011-2012. The City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development is accepting applications for the Downtown Development Tier and targeted areas inside the city limits for Building Improvement Grants and Retail and Professional Services Grants. The deadline is October 7 to apply for these grant opportunities. Durham Seeks Home Energy Savings Program Applicants Emergency Management to Hold Public Meeting Regarding Updates to Hazard Mitigation Plan
Durham County Emergency Management will host a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Durham County Board of County Commissioners’ Chambers, 200 E. Main St., to discuss updates to the Durham County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The public is invited to comment on the draft hazard mitigation plan, created to outline the hazards faced by Durham County and the municipalities located within the county. City Hall Plaza, which provides access to City Hall, is closed to vehicular traffic until December 2011. All public entrances to City Hall are open. A drop-off location for residents with disabilities is located in the semi-circle next to City Hall (night deposit drop-off location) located on Mangum Street. A wheelchair lift is accessible from the Mangum Street drop-off for residents who wish to enter City Hall from the Annex level.
Parks and Recreation Notes
Edison Johnson Recreation and Aquatic Center is hosting a series of resident forums. The final meeting will be held at the 500 W. Murray Ave. facility from 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 25. Residents will be able to provide staff with feedback as well as share their ideas or concerns. Light refreshments will be served and childcare is available for youth ages 3-12.
Our Award Winning Ways
Durham 911 Center Receives International Re-Accreditation
The Durham Emergency Communication Center has been re-accredited for the third time as an Emergency Medical Dispatch Center of Excellence, the highest distinction awarded by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED). In 2005, the Durham Emergency Communication Center was the 99th center in the world to receive this distinction for its comprehensive implementation and compliance with the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). With scripted telephone instructions for CPR, airway obstruction relief, hemorrhage control, and childbirth assistance, the MPDS has been credited with helping save thousands of lives. Durham’s achievement of earning this re-accreditation award was voluntary and involved completing a detailed self-study and analysis. Beyond the Headlines Learn more about Durham by contacting the City’s Speaker Bureau, “Durham – Beyond the Headlines.” For information, visit the City’s website or call (919) 560-4123. Conservation at Work and Home
Inspect Your Home for Water-Wasting Leaks
 Dripping faucets and leaking pipes can have an astounding effect on your water bill. Steady drips and small leaks can waste as much as 50 to 100 gallons of water per day. Conducting periodic leak inspections can help you save money and water, and in some cases avoid water damage to your home. Inspecting your home for leaks is not difficult and takes very little time. 1. Locate and check your water meter. Write down the meter reading, wait as long as possible (at least a few hours) before using any water. Look at the meter reading again and see if there is a difference in the readings. Any change in the readings indicates unwanted water usage. 2. Check your toilets. Place about 10 drops of food coloring into your toilet tank. Wait 15-20 minutes without flushing the toilet. Any color in your bowl indicates that your toilet is leaking 3. Inspect valves and other plumbing fixtures. Verify that none of the valves in your system leak or drip. Check for leaks and drips in any device in your home that uses water. 4. Inspect irrigation systems, swimming pools and other areas on the exterior of your home. Visit DurhamSavesWater.org for detailed information on leak detection and how to read and better understand your water meter. Durham’s WaterSense Toilet Rebate Program Still in Effect
Durham’s toilet rebate program is still in effect and continues to help residents and businesses save water. The program is available to rental, multifamily, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers and offers additional rebates to customers who have already participated in the program. The program, sponsored by the City’s Water Management Department, offers rebates valued at $100 for qualified water customers who replace their existing toilets with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense-labeled, high-efficiency toilet models. For information and the rebate form, visitDurhamSavesWater.org. Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
Persons who require assistance should call (919) 560-4197, TTY (919) 560-1200 or e-mail ADA@durhamnc.govno later than 48 hours before the event. |
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