Protest Petitions, the City Council and TREBIC

Keith Brown has been doing some excellent work in advancing the protest petition issue.  Protest petitions are a vehicle for citizens to challenge development proposals affecting their respective neighborhoods.  A law passed over three decades ago exempted Greensboro from protest petitions even though they are legal throughout much of the rest of the state. 

Keith recently posted regarding a Mark Binker article in which Senator Phil Berger was quoted.   Berger said that it would be helpful if the Greensboro City Council would pass a resolution requesting that the city once again be subject to protest petitions.

This needs to be a high-priority item of business for the City Council to tackle.  The council should pass this resolution.

Unfortunately, I am advised that TREBIC sent a communication to our state legislators today, using ample bold-faced type, urging them to refrain from advancing the protest petitions proposal for Greensboro.  (Bubba has the details.)

Concern has recently been expressed regarding the new development approved on Horsepen Creek Road.  Perhaps it is time to level the playing field a bit, and increase the level of accountability to the community that otherwise politically influential interests should have to demonstrate.

Comments

[hugh]

Interesting comment from a N&R LTTE thread today about changing the way property is rezoned in the city:

" droopy dog [TypeKey Profile Page] said:

Mr. Harman,

THere is a group of people in the area called coalition of concerned citizens. Along with your rules the zoning board should adopt we are trying to get the City of Greensboro to comply with a North Carolina General Statute called Protest Petitions. The process of having Protest Petitions is done by every other city in this state but Greensboro back in 1971 exempted themselves from this NC General Statute. If you click on my name in this blog it will go to our web site. It would be great to get more people like yourself on board please let us know.
In regards to the Horse Pen Creek Road ridiculous development I would like to leave with you a Political Action Committee that Roy "North Carolinians for pay offs to Greensboro City Council members" Carroll has and who are the lucky recipients here they are:

I would like everyone to see just how developers work in Greensboro with the TREBIC CARTEL on your side, this is called Greensboro politics

here is the Roy ” North Carolinians for pay offs to Greensboro CIty Council Members PAC”Carroll recipients in 2007:

10/16/2007 DIANE BELLAMY-SMALL
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTION Check $1000.00 $1000.00

10/16/2007 ROBBIE PERKINS
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTION Check $1000.00 $1000.00

10/16/2007 SANDRA ANDERSON GROAT
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTION Check $1000.00 $1000.00

10/16/2007 TRUDY WADE
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTION Check $1000.00 $1000.00

10/16/2007 YVONNE JOHNSON
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTIONS Check $1000.00 $1000.00

10/16/2007 ZACK METHENY
GREENSBORO, NC
Operating Expense CONTRIBUTION Check $1000.00 $1000.00

11/01/2007 GOLDIE WELLS
GREENSBORO, NC
Contribution to Candidate or Political Committee CONTRIBUTION NCGL1 Check $1000.00 $1000.00

01/13/2007 SANDRA ANDERSON GROAT
Refund/Reimbursment to the Committee CANDIDATE LOST ORIGINAL CHECK NCGL1 Check $1000.00 $0.00 , she lost the $1,000 check and only got $965.00 on next go round.

Note the only ones not on this list is Mary Rakestraw and Mike Barber.

This is what is wrong with all the Greensboro City Council members not a shred of ethics whatsoever in taking this PAC money."
http://tinyurl.com/6o3tzo

[keith]

Joe,
thanks for the post, I will try to comment as much as possible. Thursday will make a lot of things clearer in Raleigh. Will keep you posted.

[Joe Guarino]

Hugh, thanks for that excerpt. It is clear that development interests have been attempting to influence local governmental decision-making with their campaign contributions for quite some time. In fact, the cadre of elected officials representing these interests seems to form almost a political party unto themselves.

Keith, good luck with your efforts. You are swimming against the tide, but this is an effort worth undertaking.

[Brenda Bowers]

Perhaps if Keith isn't successful we the people can get a referendum to put it on the ballot. Is that possible? We simply must get a handle on these people. BB

[Joe Guarino]

I agree, Brenda. That would be a good idea.

[keith]

I think that the long session is the best for this to pass. But I agree that the Greensboro City Council needs to have a resolution on this issue before the long session starts that is around 6 and a half months. But can't let them delay delay delay and they think this will be swept under the rug, wishful thinking.

[Joe Guarino]

Keith, I agree, it may be tough to get this done during the short session. But you are right-- the City Council should act promptly.

[Brenda Bowers]

The City Council can be controlled as was seen by the handicapped people and the SCAT bus situation. No way did the City Council want to give in but the people just kept coming to meetings and coming to meetings and finally the Council gave in. BB