Friends of Bolin Creek Carrboro Aldermen Candidate Questionnaire
The answers have been edited to be more concise. Please click here to read the complete, unedited responses (PDF).
Climate Change
Question: Within Carrboro’s Climate Action Plan, please identify three actions you believe its local government can take? Place in priority order.
Steve Friedman
- Encourage businesses to reduce their use of single-use plastic bags and bottles.
- Provide incentives for current residences to convert their primary energy sources to renewable solutions. Also, require that all new development use renewable solutions as part of their master plan.
- Help to drive a diversity of businesses in Carrboro so that residents can work where they live. Reducing traffic and enhancing public transit.
Lydia Lavelle
- Replace all of the Town’s lighting including leased street lights with LED lighting; replace light switches with occupancy sensors and replace bulbs that are on 24/7 fixtures.
- Analyze and upfit our town buildings so they are more energy efficient.
- Support alternative means of transportation, advocating forthe North/South Bus Rapid Transit, and funding Chapel Hill Transit.
Damon Seils
- Implementing the Community Climate Action Plan by using participatory-democracy strategies and reducing inequities.
- Enhance public transit service, including implementation of Chapel Hill Transit’s Short Range Transit Plan and North-South Bus Rapid Transit Project.
- Begin a comprehensive organics collection and composting program by implementing the backyard composting program and develop a neighborhood-level communication network to support future steps in Community Climate Action Plan implementation.
Sammy Slade
- Support Carrboro’s building facilities energy efficiency assessment with an eye towards upgrading to net-positive.
- Fleet replacement
- Converting streetlights to LED
Because the municipality only generates 2% of town wide emissions we have a Community Climate Action Plan:
- Green Neighborhood Program
- Further support Walking, Biking and Transit
- Pursue Community Solar programs
Susan Romaine
- Promote denser, mixed use development providing more connectivity for bicyclists, walkers, and transit users alike.
- Promote installation of solar panels and batteries on all town buildings – including the new public library.
- Add new members to Carrboro’s Environmental Advisory Board, to speed up the implementation of other climate action plans including charging stations, LED lighting, composting, recycling, and weatherization.
Bolin Forest
Question: Will you, as an elected official, support initiatives to preserve and conserve the private portions to ensure Bolin Forest is protected as one contiguous forest?
Steve Friedman: Yes
Lydia Lavelle: Yes
Damon Seils: Yes
Sammy Slade: Yes
Susan Romaine: Yes
Tree Canopy
Question: What are your ideas about how to protect and expand the tree canopy in Carrboro?
Steve Friedman
Protecting the tree canopy must be part of the conversation in every development effort. I think that there is a lack of understanding among developers that the role of the canopy plays and it is incumbent upon the elected officials to ensure that this conservation is incorporated into all development.
Lydia Lavelle
Carrboro’s current tree canopy ordinance is a fairly strong one. To continue to have these strong tree canopy laws, we need to be constantly vigilant in tracking and responding to attempts by the General Assembly to scale back tree canopy requirements.
The Town Energy and Climate Protection Climate Action Plan suggests performing an inventory of trees, and developing and implementing a tree plan for public land and performing a tree canopy analysis and developing a community forestry master plan.
Damon Seils
We can improve tree canopy protection through zoning that encourages compact forms of development primarily within the urban core.
Among other changes, updating our ordinances has added new protections for individual trees and tree stands; provided techniques for planting to increase the likelihood of tree survival; and increased shading requirements for parking areas.
Sammy Slade
We need to identify all opportunities for preservation of trees; for urban areas we need to create a tree canopy plan so that we can then accept payments in-lieu from developers; we also need to increase our street rights-of-way so that we can have municipally maintained canopy trees along all of our streets.
Susan Romaine
I would like Carrboro adopt a tree protection ordinance similar to Chapel Hill’s, identifying tree canopy as a resource to be considered during development. , I would consider a proposal that Carrboro developers plant a tree for every one that is cut down.
Flooding
Question: To reduce flooding, will you support Friends of Bolin Creek’s call to protect Bolin Forest and Bolin Creek, as well as our other forests and waterways, ensuring paved paths are kept away from sensitive forest and creek areas?
Steve Friedman
As the development of a greenway becomes more of a reality, many Morgan Creek neighborhood residents are unhappy that this is happening and are upset that the town has not communicated their plans more directly. There is concern about paving an area that serves its purpose without paving. There are also concerns about maintenance and added traffic. I believe that all sensitive areas should be protected while still maintaining accessibility for all residents to use and enjoy.
Lydia Lavelle
I would like to see a greenway path along Bolin Creek through the UNC property, and believe there is a way to accomplish this with proper placement and path surface.
Damon Seils
We should avoid exacerbating flooding and doing further harm to ecologically disturbed areas. We should complete critical stream restoration on Morgan Creek adjacent to the public works facility, among other stormwater-related projects. We should also seek sources of funding to resume activities related to the 2012 Bolin Creek watershed restoration plan.
Sammy Slade
I have and will continue to protect natural surfaces and woodland delicate ecosystem preservation. In addition my work on climate action is geared at addressing the other root cause of worsening floods. The environment has always been my number one issue.If and when these are at odds I will need to weigh the information and make a decision on the wellbeing of our overall ecosystem.
Susan Romaine
Yes, as a Carrboro Alderman, I will work to stop the continued paving of sensitive forest and creek areas. That said, I would at least consider pervious surfaces that may be suitable along Bolin Creek.
Stormwater Utility
What aspects of Carrboro’s stormwater program is most important to accomplish in the next three-to-five years?
Steve Friedman
Our funding priorities should be focused on efforts that conserve existing water supplies. Development and growth should not strain our current water capabilities and priority should be given to those projects that adhere to this. Additionally, we must ensure that the maintenance of our pipelines is upheld in order to ensure consistent delivery and eliminate expensive overhauls.
Lydia Lavelle
I support the proposal for a neighborhood “Rain Ready” pilot project in the upper Toms Creek watershed. We should prioritize support for flood mitigation resilience, and inspections of private stormwater control measures. I also asked that we consider the effect of potential stormwater rate increases. We should also publicize public options for homeowners experiencing stormwater issues that would alow them to stay in thier homes.
Damon Seils
Staff and the stormwater advisory commission need to complete their prioritization of projects so that the board can build a capital program around their recommendations. Other immediate priorities should include Morgan Creek stream restoration, and obtaining FEMA funds to acquire or elevate certain homes along Tom’s Creek. Finally, the board should decide soon whether to authorize an expansion of the utility’s services and programs (which would require more revenue.) For example, the utility could build capacity to implement the 2012 Bolin Creek watershed restoration plan.
Sammy Slade
All Stormwater Control Measures need to be inspected to assure that they are working properly to control stormwater runoff. If the pilot ‘Rain-Ready’ program is proven viable, it can be expanded to all neighborhoods to maximize stormwater management and energy efficiency. The utility will have generated sufficient funding for capital improvements and better upkeep of our stormwater infrastructure.
Susan Romaine
I would ensure that our Stormwater Enterprise Fund is fully funded to repair, upgrade, and modernize our town’s current stormwater infrastructure; ensure our water is clean; and keep development in line with our current stormwater management capabilities. I would also advocate for increased use of green infrastructure such as rain gardens (i.e., at McDougle Middle School), native plants, and green alleys
Sustainable Development
- What is your vision for environmentally responsible development within our community?
- What policy and ordinance changes are needed to attain your vision?
- What is your position on Carrboro’s site-specific, flexible zoning district efforts?
Steve Friedman
My goal is to preserve the natural areas of Carrboro and make downtown denser and as the need for more development occurs look to grow the downtown outwards rather than put development outside of town. In the future, I would like to see mixed-use developments that incorporate dense housing with commercial space.
Lydia Lavelle
I believe being environmentally responsible means combining actions, policies, values, and efforts by individuals and communities to maintain and protect the natural world, and the quality of life within it.
Northern Carrboro should be developed with appropriate density clustered on transportation corridors, and we need to upgrade infrastructure to encourage alternative transportation. We need to continue to educate regarding composting and continue to grow our community gardens. Additionally, I envision continued efforts toward recycling with enhanced attention to reduction (in both consumption and packaging). I hope our future sees us being more responsible with our own trash. Our urban boundary, I believe, has minimized sprawl as well as protected our watershed, and I would not support efforts to change that boundary. Our buffers with regard to our creeks and waterways and our
I still support the creation of the FLX district for the many reasons articulated during the adoption process.
Damon Seils
In general, environmentally responsible development is development that is compact, walkable, and transit-oriented. Such development should incorporate affordable housing and include a diversity of housing types, especially “missing middle” and other multifamily housing. Decisions about long-term growth and development should be guided by a community-driven comprehensive plan.
The FLX zoning classification was completed in 2016, and I voted in favor of adding this classification to the Land Use Ordinance
Sammy Slade
My vision is that we transform culturally in a manner that would allow for self (including each other)-care. An environmentally responsible development would be accessible to the least wealthy among us and well integrated with our ecosystem.
Firstly, we need to implement our climate action plans with the urgency of an emergency.
Second, we need to maximize localization of our economy; specifically we need a sustained campaign to promote a locally owned and accountable economy
Third, we need to assure that the comprehensive plan that is currently being developed will be contextualized by our regional carrying capacity (water, power generation, waste, food, environmental relationships, climate emergency crisis). Zoning that maximizes walking, biking and transit friendly development and reduces sprawl must be pursued. Higher density mixed use along transit corridors needs to be accomplished in a manner that maximizes integration with nature and is affordable.
In principle I support efforts for high density mixed use in north Carrboro to minimize sprawl and maximize car emancipation.
Susan Romaine
We should preserve our rurar buffer and it incumbent upon our locally elected officials to develop land inside the buffer very thoughtfully and strategically.
The town needs to build more housing, and especially affordable housing, to ensure we continue to have a diversity of socioeconomic income levels
I favor developments in downtown that are set back from the street (and perhaps 4 to 5 stories), allowing for more trees, flower beds, benches, and sidewalks along the street front; and also allows for more land to be set aside for urban parks and more housing to be built accessible to transit.
I recommend the FLX zone be tested in another area, as a pilot, before it is applied to a very unique and environmentally sensitive area such as Meadow Flats. I think the town should also consider waiting to use FLX zoning until after a comprehensive plan has been adopted.
Town Growth
Questions:
- Please share your philosophy on the pace and costs of Carrboro’s growth.
- Do you believe it is possible for development to pay for itself? If so, how?
Steve Friedman
We have to recognize that we can’t control demand and therefore have to make accommodation for the residents that want to move here. However, this growth will strain our resources and new development must not only cover the costs of initial infrastructure but also be done in a sustainable way so as not to strain our environmental resources. Mixed use development is optimal in these situations to help broaden the tax base and ensure that not only are residential properties developed (which often cause the greatest strain on a town) but that there are environmentally responsible businesses to support them as well.
Lydia Lavelle
Carrboro’s projected slow growth could continue to result in an increased tax burden on our citizens. Most town revenue is generated from residential property tax, commercial property tax, and sales tax. Ways to address this tax burden are to dramatically cut services (not yet a realistic option in our demanding community) or to generate more revenue. Therefore, our Board has made a concerted effort toward encouraging and approving commercial projects in recent years, particularly those that generate sales tax.
I believe that commercial development financially pays for itself. Depending on where residential development occurs, how it is built, and what type of families it accommodates (such as school age children), residential development may not be as financially beneficial. Intangibles, such as being an inclusive and welcoming community, or acting on town goals and values, may require greater financial investment by the community at large.
Damon Seils
I find it useful to acknowledge that development and redevelopment are happening now and will continue to happen, and that the community—through ordinances, plans, policies, and advocacy—has the opportunity and responsibility to shape how that development happens, consistent with our goals and values. Compact, walkable, transit-oriented (re)development can “pay for itself” in that it is the best approach to promoting livability, affordability, and environmental sustainability.
Sammy Slade
I have outlined why growth is unsustainable. Until conditions change the task is to manage growth to minimize its externalized costs. Developments that happen where public infrastructure already exists are cheaper: another reason why infill and going up instead of out is important.
If the question is about tax money supporting a new investment and the development over time paying back that cost, yes, given enough time the development will pay for itself. If the question is about the costs of a new development relative to the externalities (which typically are never accounted for) I am beginning to believe, no.
Susan Romaine
The Board has shown tremendous restraint in approving just one property tax hike since 2010 – earmarked for affordable housing. Yet there has been some deferred maintenance (i.e., stormwater infrastructure, roads, Public Works Department, Town Hall) which will need to be addressed in the near future through a tax increase or bond referendum.
Large single family home developments typically do not pay for themselves. But infill development and redevelopment are more likely to reap a net positive in property tax. Commercial and industrial development often pays for itself because there are no additional costs for schools.
Sustainable Transportation
Questions:
- Identify three ways local government can decrease automobile travel and emissions generated by gasoline-powered vehicles?
- What is your position on e-scooters and Segways on town streets?
Steve Friedman
- Provide preferred parking and charging stations for electric vehicles.
- Make Carrboro more pedestrian friendly to encourage residents from the outer neighborhoods to walk into town.
- Continue to promote our public transit to outer neighborhoods to offer a viable solution to their car.
While I believe the marketplace is strongly supportive of scooters, I think we also would need some responsible training to make sure pedestrian traffic and scooter traffic work in a complementary fashion, not at odds with each other.
Lydia Lavelle
One is to continue to support our transit systems. Second it to advocate for ways the Town can reduce it’s gasoline powered vehicles. Third is to improve the Town’s infrastructure to make it safer and easier for people in Carrboro to walk and bike.
I believe scooters are a convenient way to create accessibility in a town that encourages alternative forms of transportation. Ultimately, we would want to protect the safety of riders, pedestrians, and drivers, and make certain scooters are appropriately parked when not in use.
Damon Seils
Local governments can (1) continue expanding Chapel Hill Transit service, and identifying opportunities to transition the fleet to electric vehicles; (2) continue expanding regional transit service, and (3) invest in sidewalks and bicycle facilities in a way that emphasizes the safety and comfort of pedestrians and cyclists.
With regard to scooter and bike share programs, we can take cues from experiences in other communities. I am interested in the example set by the City of Durham and finding out how their policies are working.
Sammy Slade
- Transportation Demand Management programs.
- Maximizing infrastructure for walkers, bikers and transit.
- Higher density mixed use development.
Roads are major public infrastructure investments they should be accessible by everyone independent of their preferred mode of transportation.
Susan Romaine
Broadly speaking, I’d like to see smart, thoughtful, multi-use development providing more connectivity for walkers, bicyclists, and transit users. Specifically, let’s leverage state and federal funding to pave more sidewalks. Let’s get more bicyclists off of busy streets and onto greenways. Let’s offer more evening and weekend bus service. . Finally, I would like to see the Town transition to paid parking in the downtown area to serve as a disincentive for driving cars.
With sensible protections in place, I would like to see Carrboro embrace the idea of e-scooters and Segways as a form of clean and green transportation with limited parking requirements.
Biking and Bike Plan
Questions:
- What aspect of Carrboro’s new Bike Plan would you prioritize? Why?
- What should we do to take Carrboro to the next level in terms of biking?
- How should Carrboro prioritize bike boulevards among competing bike projects?
- How should Carrboro balance the needs of bicyclists with the needs of citizen desiring high frequency bus service?
Steve Friedman
I support bike connectivity but not at the expense of damaging existing trees and forests. We should seek ways to provide that connectivity using existing roads and greenways.
I support protected bike lanes and safer streets for both pedestrians and bikes. While we are a dense town there is room for both cars and bikes to co-exist and as we make Carrboro even more bike-friendly we will see an uptick in cyclists using the roads. Public transit will be a key component to this as both cyclists and pedestrians will need to make use of the service.
Creating high-frequency bus service helps to alleviate the traffic strain on our roads which will provide for better conditions for cyclists.
Lydia Lavelle
I love a vision statement that was proposed at one of the Steering Committee meetings: “Envisioning Carrboro as a place where biking is accessible, safe, and convenient for everyone between the ages of 8 to 80.” I also believe the discussion of an equity focus on high areas of need is extremely importantas well as the emphasis on neighborhood accessways.
Increasing the total Bicycle Network Mileage to Total Road Network Mileage, Bicycle Education in Schools, and having a Bike Plan that is Current and is Being Implemented are areas of concentation to move from Silver to Gold status.
A proposed neighborhood connector map shown to Steering Committee members illustrating possible locations of bike boulevards looks promising. I look forward to receiving the draft plan and learning more.
Damon Seils
I support designing the plan around what community members who ride or wish to ride bicycles have identified as high-stress areas and making those areas safer. Buffered, protected, and/or separated bicycle lanes and paths—both in the urban core and in places that connect neighborhoods—would take us to the next level, whether or not they are identified as “bike boulevards.”
I see supporting the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and supporting the needs of transit users as complementary efforts rather than efforts to balance competing needs.
Sammy Slade
We need to prioritize the whole plan, we are in a climate emergency and that means that we cannot afford to continue with our dependency on cars. We need high comfort bike facilities because when people feel safe on their bikes they are more likely to bike and to bike often. Bike lanes that are physically separate from cars are key for many parts of town
We are currently pursuing gold bicycle-friendly-community designation, the next level for us to pursue immediately after gold is platinum.
Alternatives analysis of competing bike projects should be done to assess greenhouse gas emission reduction impact alongside other values as identified by the community
The needs of bicyclists and the needs of citizen desiring high frequency bus service are not mutually exclusive and both are necessary if we are to address the climate emergency!
Susan Romaine
As a long-time resident of Lake Hogan Farms, I would prioritize more bicycle safety and connectivity in the northern neighborhoods.
I’d recommend certain improvements to bring home the gold. These include: separated space for bicyclists along busy corridors such as East Main Street, and North and South Greensboro;
bicycle boulevards, similar to those recently added to Cobblestone, but with better communication with neighbors as to their purpose and added safety benefits; and
separated paths, trails, and greenways, for which the community clearly shows a strong preference.
Bike Boulevards offer a simple, affordable way to add connectivity through low traffic and low speed neighborhoods. Bike boulevards offer many short-term advantages: they are less controversial and hence more easily approved by the Board of Aldermen, and their cost is minimal compared to the many benefits.
I think we need to closely examine ridership. To what extent are new greenways, trails and other improvements encouraging more bicyclists? To what extent is weekend/evening and higher frequency bus service increasing ridership? At a time when the town’s cost for stormwater management, health insurance/retirement for town employees, and climate action are skyrocketing, new bicycle improvements and transit services should produce a significant jump in ridership to justify additional tax dollars.
Coal Clean-Up and Energy Use
Questions:
- Will you advocate for the careful monitoring and cleanup of the coal-ash deposit?
- How do you plan to help advocate for the shutdown of UNC’s coal- fired power plant on Cameron Avenue?
- What do you see as the future of electricity generation in Carrboro and Chapel Hill?
Steve Friedman
Yes, this is a critical environmental issue.
We have to put forth a proposal for how we think UNC can do better. I believe we have enough open space in Carrboro to put in solar that can be used by commercial, residential, and government. Carrboro Plaza, Public Works, and the downtown parking structure are three places that would be ideal for such an initiative.
Lydia Lavelle
I would first have to study and get up to speed on the coal ash issue
Our BOA supports the conversion of UNC’s power plant to clean energy as soon as possible, but I do not believe the Board has officially taken action on this.
Carrboro has a goal to be a carbon-free town. To work to decrease carbon emissions, our town’s electric power grid will likely need to increase.We want to replace our direct fossil fuel use (gasoline) with electricity where we can.We want to encourage and pursue geothermal heating and cooling, and getting off natural gas and oil where possible. We support solar options in our town and need to let the General Assembly know our concerns.
Damon Seils
I would gladly advocate for a transition to renewable energy production throughout the state, including the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.
In Carrboro, our focus should be on speeding the transition to renewable energy for residential and commercial users
We remain hamstrung by the state in developing community-owned utilities. As we advocate for legislative change, we can promote initiatives to reduce consumption and homeowners associations to remove restrictions on solar technologies.
Sammy Slade
Yes, to the extent appropriate for Carrboro.
I am in contact with UNC Democratic Socialists and have offered to work with them on developing a resolution for the BOA to pass formalizing our wish that the University move away from fossil fuels by shutting down the plant. The University is failing in its commitment to stop burning coal.
Duke Energy’s charter needs to be revoked for being the largest ghg emitter in our state. In its place we need distributed owned and generating renewables.
Susan Romaine
Yes, I will certainly be a strong advocate for the clean-up
To ensure UNC transitions away from dangerous fossil fuels toward clean energy with all deliberate speed, I would hold their feet to the fire by setting targeted dates for reaching specific milestones – and then hold regular hearings before Chapel Hill Town Council and Carrboro Board of Aldermen for a report on progress.
Ordinance Implementation
Questions:
- Please comment on how effective you see the implementation of rules (to address water quality, stormwater management, impervious surface limits, stream buffers, steep slopes, and tree canopy).
- If elected, what changes, if any, will you advocate for?
- How should Carrboro enforce its town ordinances, for example people dropping trees not on their property along Bolin Creek or bikers using prohibited sections of the Adams Preserve?
Steve Friedman
In my opinion, there are two things at play here, legislation and enforcement. When the BOA takes the input from all stakeholders and enacts legislation designed to prevent the devastation of our forests and the proper management of our water they are able to enforce it from the perspective of not approving any development or zoning that infringes upon that. It is part of the development of a long-range comprehensive plan. I think the BOA tends to put the effects of climate change in it’s thinking when it comes to the growth of the town and I would certainly maintain that lens by discouraging the destruction of wildlife and trees. The enforcement of bikes in the Adams Tract or the unlawful felling of trees must be dealt with swiftly and immediately so as to clearly signify to others that penalties are assessed for breaking the law. The saying “What you allow will continue” applies and we should firmly enforce what we allow.
Lydia Lavelle
The great majority of such rules are followed. However, there are times when this is not the case.
Carrboro has recognized there may be areas where proactive monitoring by the town to see if laws are being followed may be helpful. One example that we have discussed is implementing town inspections of private stormwater control measures. However, proactive monitoring of town ordinances would carry with it budgetary and staff capacity considerations. It is not a perfect system.
Most towns respond to ordinance violations on a complaint driven basis. In other words, the town does not regularly make sure that every person or property owner is following every ordinance in the town. Once alerted, the town investigates and can impose fines and penalties for violations of ordinances, or secure an injunction and order of abatement. I believe tracking and remedying violations of local ordinances is a challenge for most local governments, given staff capacity. A further challenge is that when a complaint of a violation comes to the town, it often takes investigation to determine who has jurisdiction over the complaint (sometimes the violation should be addressed by the County, the State, or even federal authorities). As with most interactions with an administrative or legal system, this often
Damon Seils
In the development review process—where most of the board’s exposure to these rules occurs—staff, advisory boards, and elected officials work systematically to ensure local standards are met. Carrboro has strong standards for water quality and other protections. I support the town continuing to strengthen rules where possible.
As with enforcement of most local rules, the system is complaint-based. It is important for the town to be notified when rules are violated, whether along Bolin Creek, on the Adams tract, or in other areas.
Sammy Slade
Generally, we are effective in applying our rules. One area that needs improvement is when we waive canopy requirements for downtown developments because developers are allowed to request relief too late in the process.
Developers must set aside ‘primary constraints’ (stream buffers, steep slopes, and tree canopy). When a developer has set aside primary constraints equivalent to 40% open space requirement, they are allowed to encroach into primary constraint areas. I will advocate for preservation of all primary constraints on a property independent of meeting 40% open space requirement.
Also I will advocate that developers seek relief before they begin a permitting process because I believe the Board of Alderman is more likely to adhere to our rules when staff and developer resources have not been heavily invested into a development approval process
Town of Carrboro unfortunately does not have the capacity to actively enforce rules; instead we rely on citizen complaints. When we do receive complaints I believe that we must act in an expedited fashion and adhering to written processes that guarantee fairness.
Susan Romaine
I am not familiar enough with Carrboro’s state and local ordinances to comment on their effectiveness.
The western and northern areas of Carrboro are where there is still opportunity to grow in terms of available land. Growth to the west will have a direct impact on water quality since it is in the University Lake watershed, and abuts one of Carrboro’s largest intact natural areas. Growth to the north will disturb mature forests and seasonal wetlands. Managing development in those areas will require great caution and rigorous enforcement of all state and local ordinances as well as the informed advice of our local environmental experts.
Carrboro should always enforce its own ordinances. We may need to get creative about how violations to certain ordinances are identified given the limited resources of our police department. For example, public education around the ordinances may need to be ramped up and occasional cameras may need to be installed in more remote sections of town where suspected violations are occurring. Carrboro’s most valuable resources for fighting climate change are our trees and wetlands, and special outreach efforts to local property owners and real estate developers should be adopted to encourage the preservation of these resources.
Town Advisory Boards’ Role
Questions:
- What weight do you believe recommendations/feedback from advisory boards should figure into work by town staff?
- What weight do you believe recommendations/feedback from advisory boards should figure into decisions made by elected officials?
- How will you work to expand participation in town advisory boards to include more neighborhoods being represented and greater diversity?
- How else can Carrboro expand citizen participation to ensure all voices are heard equally?
Steve Friedman
Our best resource is an active citizen population and the advisory boards play an important role as they are often comprised of residents who are experts in their field or passionate about a topic. Oftentimes they have more practical knowledge than the Board members and therefore their input should be weighed heavily in the decision making process. Additionally, if we are to make our government more inclusive of the residents, allowing them to have a hand in the process is critical. Those who wish to advise our town, deserve that opportunity. An important part of my platform is the need to encourage more participation, more open meetings, more access to public information. Developing that ongoing outreach to our residents will create a more participatory government and one that represents the views of all of Carrboro which is essential for us to be the inclusive town we strive to be.
Lydia Lavelle
The work of advisory boards is helpful, and I know is valued and appreciated by town staff.
Likewise, this work should be valued, appreciated, and receive consideration by elected officials. That said, advisory boards are looking at one domain; staff and elected officials are balancing all the interconnections.
If meetings are at night, single parents or night workers find attendance difficult. If meetings are by day, many traditional schedule workers cannot participate. We have considered exploring technology to allow people to attend virtually when necessary, but this implicates access and logistical issues. In recent years, we have been more diligent about making advisory board agendas and meeting minutes available on our website for interested community members. We will continue to advertise and encourage people to apply to serve on our boards, and do what we can to make these meetings accessible to them.
Going directly into neighborhood hubs and meeting spaces is one way to inform and engage people who live there to get involved with local government. We should work through neighborhood list-serves and continue to work with programs such as NextDoor and social media to get the word out about town matters.
We are always open to further suggestions on how to increase outreach.
Damon Seils
I take seriously the work of the advisory boards and the importance of considering their recommendations.
The responsibility of increasing diversity is always a work in progress. Recently, the staff helped standardize recruitment and operating policies for advisory boards. We also can view partnerships with community groups as a way to generate interest in advisory boards, and use experiences with individual projects and initiatives to foster interest from communities who historically have not been included
Sammy Slade
I believe advisory boards need to be clear about who they are advising.
Town staff should consider advise from advisory boards.
Also, I am wary of when town staff gatekeep advise from advisory boards to the Board of Alderman.
I give enormous value to the work done by advisory boards in advising the Board of Alderman. The Board of Alderman would not be able to review the range of issues that we do without their help
Our Community Climate Action Plan has a Neighborhood engagement component, I believe that as neighbors are engaged at their neighborhood level they will have more opportunities of engagement with advisory boards and that can lead to joining a board.
To increase diversity, the Board of Alderman factors in diversity of candidates for appointment at the time of making appointments. I believe that it is also the role of Alderman to recruit applicants that will make our boards more diverse.
A main principle towards expanding citizen participation is to have major questions debated actively by the board in public meetings that the community at large can know about. Depending on the significance of the issue there should also be opportunity for input by the community during public hearings or through drop in sessions or at tabling during events with a lot of foot traffic.
Susan Romaine
Comprised of independent-minded citizens with unique perspectives, expertise, and backgrounds, the advisory boards should be given considerable weight in the decision-making process. Indeed, the broader the representation on the boards, the greater the weight
To increase participation on advisory boards, I would explore ways for members to participate remotely through video conferencing, for example. I would also consider offering free day care and transportation. To expand citizen participation even further, I believe the Town needs to undertake a periodic, rigorous review of its entire recruitment process to more clearly identify the demographics of who is currently sitting on advisory boards – and who is left out. Targeted strategies can then be put into place for slowly adding more diversity to the advisory board.
As part of this strategy, it must be made clear to potential applicants that the advisory boards offer a no judgement zone where all opinions matter.
Meadow Flats
Question: As an elected official, what weight will you give for using all available tools to conserve special tracts of land such as Meadow Flats?
Steve Friedman
Meadow Flats is a unique tract and should be treated as such. Through strong advocacy for this land, the development appears to have stagnated and the environmental value has been realized. While we can’t stop the growth of our area and have to accept that development will occur, it should not come at the expense of lands that are an exceptional habitat.
Lydia Lavelle
Carrboro is getting ready to undertake a lengthy process that will result in the town’s first Comprehensive Plan, an exercise that is long overdue. This process will identify where and how Carrboro wants to grow. This view will be long-term, informed by future public and private infrastructure, implementation steps and costs, and climate change and equity considerations. This plan will have many elements, including elements related to conservation and the environment. Through this planning process, areas of special ecological consideration must be identified and given due consideration.
Damon Seils
Carrboro has strong standards for environmental protection and has not been shy about seeking new tools to strengthen those protections. Where tools are available and appropriate, the town should use them. Where other entities, such as neighboring property owners and other community members, are able to take action that the town cannot take to conserve valued areas, they should do so.
Sammy Slade
I give a lot of weight to conserving sensitive parts of Meadow Flats that may be vulnerable to development and that are of significance to the integrity of longstanding climate change research. I am for the preservation of upland wetlands that have been designated by the North Carolina Heritage Program as exceptional. I have been asking for town staff to come back to us with standards for protection that go beyond the army corp. of engineers which only recognizes wetlands that are part of ‘navigable waters’.
I am not in favor of continuation of the current process without involving the community in generating new designs that account for changed understandings and conditions that have been generated by both concerned citizens and the developer
Susan Romaine
Meadow Flats is not only a treasured natural heritage site, it sits adjacent to the Duke Forest Blackwood Division, an important site for climate change and air quality research. The best possible outcome for Meadow Flats is if sufficient funding were pooled (from say, Duke Forest, the Town and County, and various environmental groups) to purchase the land and set it aside in a conservancy. That said, I would not close the door on development in other parts of the FLX posing less risk to the Meadow Flats. A very similar clash between preservation of an environmentally sensitive area and mixed-use development is occurring around the 164 acres in the Greene Tract, with its hardwood forests, walking trails, streams, and wildlife. This time, three jurisdictions – Orange County, Town of Chapel Hill, and Town of Carrboro – are struggling to find just the right balance in building much-needed affordable housing while preserving an important ecological community. If elected to the Board, I would love to have the opportunity to lend my voice to that conversation.
What value do Carrboro’s advisory boards have in this process?
Steve Friedman
Carrboro’s advisory boards are the first line of defense in ensuring these areas are maintained as without their input and expertise the “loudest voice in the room” may in fact be the people who have the most to gain from it financially. As stated earlier, the advisory boards must be comprised of experts in their fields and their recommendations must be given the highest of priority as they are the voice of the community.
Lydia Lavelle
Carrboro’s advisory boards play a critical role in providing recommendations to the Board of Aldermen, particularly in technical areas where the expertise of advisory board members is beneficial. However, the ultimate decision makers are the elected board members. BOA members consider and value the recommendations of all of the advisory boards, but need to balance those recommendations, and make their decisions in the overall best interest of the town.
Damon Seils
The advisory boards, especially the Environmental Advisory Board and the Northern Transition Area Advisory Committee, have been active and influential in shaping both the FLX zoning classification and the proposed development project at Old NC 86 and Eubanks Road. Advice from the advisory boards and input from the broader community are important to me as an elected official and a former advisory board member, and they strengthen the overall development review process.
Sammy Slade
The town’s advisory boards provide a lot of value in this process. Through the EAB a lot of the issues of this property have been brought to light and have served to mobilize the community and give second thoughts to the Board of Alderman and the developers.
Susan Romaine
The Northern Transition Area Advisory Board holds a unique position in making recommendations to the Town about the proposed 31-acre Flex District zoning development. While Carrboro controls the planning process, members of the NTAAB are not residents of the Town nor can they vote in our municipal elections. What’s more, the Orange County Board of Commissioners is keeping a distance from the planning process, canceling a series of scheduled meetings with the NTAAB dating back to 2016. For these reasons, the NTAAB feels that it is left without adequate representation among locally elected officials at a time when key decisions are being made about the future of the FLX. As a resident of nearby Lake Hogan Farms, I believe that I am uniquely positioned to bring to the Board’s decision-making process more of a voice from the northern transition area and the surrounding northern neighborhoods at a time when it is especially needed.