DPNA Meeting Minutes

Regular Monthly Meeting
January 8, 2004

Board Members Present: Carol Donin (President), Andrew Preiss (Vice President), Rob Dilworth (Secretary), Pam Camp (Treasurer), Esther Bent (At-Large Member), Daniel Kirk (At-Large Member), Peg Lanier (At-Large Member)

Neighbors Present: Peter Bent, Claire Doyle, Laura Hall, Lori Pistor, Barry Ragin, Tom Whiteside

Guest Speaker: Cora Cole-McFadden, Member of Durham's City Council (representative for Ward 1; see abbreviated resume and contact info. at http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/council/cole.cfm )

1. Treasurer's Report
Pam Campa reported that we currently have $3,500 in the DPNA's account. We earned approximately $1,100 from the sale of luminarias.

2. Cora Cole-McFadden

Summary of Cole-McFadden's Talk
Cora Cole-McFadden began by mentioning some good things about Durham, esp. the decrease in crime and gang activity, the city's commitment to positive activities for young people, and the city's emphasis on building neighborhoods. She repeatedly emphasized the importance of creating a good, safe, and positive environment for children. She also said that the city council is working hard to have more fiscal responsibility in the city but expressed this is a challenge. Because of the leadership of Bill Bell, the mayor, they're making progress, though. In the last year, Cole-McFadden thinks the city council has tried to get a handle on the contracting process. Because of the reduction in the number of representatives on the council (and lack of administrative support), it's hard for the council to address all the problems in the city. Because she's retired (the other council members have nine-to-five jobs), she feels obligated to be on as many committees as possible. She read a list of the committees on which she is a member, and it was impressive and lengthy. The councilwoman thinks that Eugene Brown and Diane Catotti will be good additions to the city council as at-large members. She expressed some concern about Charlene Montford, the director of the city's Department of Housing and Community Development, leaving for a job in Florida. She thinks Montford did good work. She also thinks that the loss of police officers (because they can earn higher salaries at other local municipalities) is a big concern. She, however, also expressed concern about the salaries of other city workers and wants to make sure that there are equitable increases in compensation for all city employees. She believes the human resources system within the city needs to be improved, and she expressed some concern, in general, about the leadership of Marcia Connor, the city manager.

Some Statements, Questions, and Responses
*Peter Bent mentioned that the renovation of Duke Park is very important to the neighborhood and emphasized that the park is a "gateway" to Durham's downtown. Cole-McFadden responded that she is concerned about the renovation, too. She also stated concern about the instablity of leadership in the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the fact that the maintenance of the parks is done by the Department of Facilities Management and not DPR. She also thinks that the assistant city manager who is in charge of overseeing DPR should be more accountable.

*Esther Bent asserted the oddity of the city paying consultants to assess the city's parks and so on. It seems more logical and fiscally responsible to just use the staff who already work for the city for these assessments and analyses.

*Barry Ragin stated that it seems like the city council will have to make a decision this year about whether the city manager should stay in her job or not. Cole-McFadden made no firm reponse to this statement. Barry also expressed the importance of traffic issues in the neighborhood and the problems at the Mangum-Markham interchange. Cole-McFadden expressed concern about the city's slow pace at resolving problems at the interchange.

*Tom Whiteside expressed concern about the city's general lack of fiscal responsibility.

*Cole-McFadden stated that if the number of members of the city council isn't expanded, they'll definitely need more administrative staff to deal with all the issues.

*Carol Donin praised the staff of Urban Forestry.

*Cole-McFadden finished her visit with a statement about the importance of honesty and integrity in public life.

3. Underground Storage Tank Problem
Claire Doyle mentioned that she had received a written response from a state public information officer to a query about two petroleum leaks at the Verizon facility on Markham. The response implied that the leaks were minor and have been resolved. (The public information officer's name is Chrystal Bartlett, and she can be reached at 919-733-4996 ext. 425. See also the North Carolina Division of Waste Management's Web site at http://www.wastenotnc.org/. )

4. Membership
There was a discussion about ways to increase membership and about whether to conduct neighborhood business at DPNA potlucks. The consensus was that potlucks should be primarily social. t 7 p.m.

 

Minutes of the December Monthly Meeting, December 11, 2003
Minutes of the November Monthly Meeting, November 13, 2003
The October DPNA meeting was the fall potlluck. No business was conducted.
Minutes of the September Monthly Meeting, September 11, 2003
Minutes of the August Monthly Meeting, August 14, 2003
The July DPNA meeting was the July 4th picnic. No business was conducted.
Minutes of June Monthly Meeting, June 12, 2003
Minutes of May Monthly Meeting, May 8, 2003
The April DPNA meeting was a potluck dinner. No business was conducted.
Minutes of March Monthly Meeting. Mar. 13, 2003
Minutes of Feb. Monthly Meeting to Discuss Duke Park Renovations Feb. 13, 2003
Minutes of Special Session to Discuss Duke Park Renovations Feb. 20, 2003