City Council members visit State Assembly


Henderson CC visit to Raleigh
Henderson City Council member Bobby Gupton, Lynn Harper, and Elissa Yount in the office of Rep. James Crawford

Henderson City Council members Bobby Gupton, Lynn Harper, and Elissa Yount, accompanied by City Manager Jerry Moss, visited with legislators yesterday in Raleigh.

The primary purpose of the trip was to rally support against SB 1507 which could restrict the City’s right to inspect houses and interfere with a planned Certificate of Occupancy ordinance.

The first visit was with Sen. Doug Berger.

Yount asked Berger about funding for the Orange-Breckenridge Street Project. Berger replied that he was “working diligently” on getting money.

When the conversation turned to issues of water and sewer in Henderson, Berger cautioned that “everyone wants a portion of bond money”, so much so that no one may be able to get support for bonds. He informed Council members that only $2 billion is available, and that issuing any more bonds could cost North Carolina its AAA bond status.

Berger noted that the AAA bond status makes North Carolina attractive to outside investment.

Berger stated that his priorities are clean water and schools when it comes to bonds.

Regarding SB 1507, Berger explained that the original compromise between landlords and tenants is not what passed the Senate. He said that the bill is still in committee because landlords compromised but tenant groups did not.

Council members then spoke to Rep. Lucy Allen and Rep. Margaret Dickson after a meeting of the House Commerce Committee.

Both Allen and Dickson serve on the committee, with Dickson as the chair.

The Commerce Committee is slated to review SB 1507 next week.

Yount and Harper iterated their desire that SB 1507 not be passed, and if it is passed, that the grandfather clause and provision for inspecting homes in “blighted or potentially blighted neighborhoods” be left intact.

“All we want is for the CO [Certificate of Occupancy] to be enforceable,” Yount said.

The grandfather clause allows local governments to leave minimum housing ordinances in place if they are passed or amended before October 1, 2007.

On the way to visit Rep. Michael Wray in his office, the Henderson group encountered Bill Rowe, the General Counsel for the North Carolina Justice Center. Rowe expressed the opinion that the Apartment Association of North Carolina is “thinking” about the bill and will “get back” to the Commerce Committee.

The Apartment Association of North Carolina introduced the legislation through Sen. Julia Boseman of New Hanover County.

In the meeting with Wray, Yount asked the legislator to follow up on grant requests made by the City to the Clean Water Trust Fund. The City has applied for grants of $400,000 and $900,000. It has applied for the 25% match required by the grants to the Golden Leaf Foundation.

Henderson CC visit to Raleigh
Rep. Michael Wray

Yount commented that Henderson has not seen “its fair share” of Golden Leaf money.

Wray agreed, stating that only two projects in the areas he represents have received Golden Leaf funds, one of which is the Embassy Block Foundation.

Wray agreed to follow up on the grant applications with the Clean Water Trust Fund’s new director, Richard Rogers, who assumes his position in the beginning of August.

When Harper reiterated Council concerns about SB 1507, Wray said that a challenge is that debate will be cut off on July 28. He said if the bill does not pass during the current Assembly session, it could pass in the short session.

Wray said he would speak to Dickson regarding the issue.

Henderson CC visit to Raleigh
City Manager Jerry Moss, Gupton, and Harper

Harper stated that [the Council] wants time to get the Certificate of Occupancy in order.

At that point, Berger joined the meeting.

When Harper mentioned the City’s sewer priorities, Wray stated that federal funds are “out there” for the purpose of sewer renovation. He said that the challenge is matching funds. He expressed the hope that US Reps. G.K. Butterfield and Bob Etheridge could help, “not that we can’t or won’t”.

In a general discussion of the state budget process, Berger remarked that $3.5 to $4 million had been earmarked for broadband Internet access.

Gupton asked whether the access was hard-wired or wireless.

Berger replied that incentives are put out and [you] see what companies will come out. He said that he did not know if wireless would work in Henderson.

A long discussion ensued over whether or not wireless Internet access is feasible for Vance County. In the end, Henderson City Council members expressed support for Internet access that would be the least expensive for residents and not necessarily the cheapest to install.

During the course of the discussion, it was mentioned that the I-CAN project bill was “dead”.

The last stop was with Rep. James Crawford.

Henderson CC visit to Raleigh
Yount (partial), Harper, and Rep. Crawford

Harper reiterated for Crawford the City’s stance on SB 1507.

Crawford announced that I-85 would be repaved from Granville to the Virginia line. He informed members that Garvey bonds would be used to finance the project.

Garvey bonds borrow money against states’ federal highway funds for large projects.

Yount praised House members on the “ethics stand” they have taken.

Crawford stated that he was “worried” about the state paying for election campaigns out of the General Fund.

Before the group left the Assembly, it was recognized in the House by Crawford and Wray.