One LIVE! meeting done (I wish I could have stayed longer…) and now we move to the Danville City Council meeting for more LIVE! coverage. Tonight’s meeting was postponed from the normal Tuesday because of the National Night Out ceremonies. The meeting starts at 7PM and you’ll want to refresh the page often. That way, you’ll get the latest happenings, photos and commentary on tonight’s meeting. As usual, I’ll clean up the article once I get home and probably add some bonus content. There will be a note above once I’ve completed the article tonight.
Hey, you won’t have to pay anything to read it here as it’s happening!
We’re getting ready to go.
Looks like we’re going to get some pushback on banning skateboarding in the JTI Fountain Plaza. James Buckner is circulating photos of some other ideas he’s seen in other cities. All present except for Buddy Rawley.
Harold Garrison takes the public comment section podium. He talks about economic development towards companies in the northeast due to higher taxes. He also slams the Monument St. project saying it’s not going to happen. Moving on the Job Busts and hitting on them hard. Council is quite silent but paying close attention. Garrison keeps hammering on the use of consultants. Now calling horsecrap that the area was never close in getting that Chinese paper plant. He goes a little off base on property taxes but goes back on track with another slam on keeping municipal elections in May. Now calling horsecrap on the often used comparison between Greenville SC and Danville and blows that up with statistics. Garrison is on fire. Moving on the delinquent property taxes issue. Garrison’s final topic is city waste. No comments nor offers for council if they had questions. Interesting lack of that offer by the mayor. Wow. Total wow.
Harold Garrison speaks to the council.
On to business section now:
Skateboarding ordinance dies due to lack of a second. James Buckner will go to Parliamentary Procedures 101. Everything else passes the first readings.
Speed Round in the new business (with everything passing first reading and no debate) and the around the horn session comes next.
Around the horn session: Lots of praise for David Wilson and the National Night Out happenings. John Gilstrap challenges Harold Garrison’s point about the Greenville comparisons. Lee Vogler uses his alphabetically-last position to strategically talk about this issue of city retirees getting the bonus that’s now possible under the new guidelines. The only person left to respond is the mayor who gets the last words and he sorta agrees that the issue should be discussed by council.
They need to randomly mix up the around the horn session order.
Overall, a rather dead meeting except for Harold Garrison’s speech. I’m already hearing some feedback from city government in response to Garrison’s speech. We’ll keep an eye to see how that progresses.
That’s all we’ve got from here! More coming up on SouthsideCentral!
The skateboarding ban deserves pushback, particularly with the supposed rationale being damage to the bricks that WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OH SO WONDEROUS AND DURABLE and the request coming from the Chief of Police. That’s horse crap right there.
On banning skateboarding…..Can’t police, as needed, enforce normal laws about endangering the public, etc., without banning an entire activity? All poor Danville needs is another law running off folks young or old.
maybe the city should fix the skatepark at dan daniel then the skateboarders would have somewhere to go. the skate park is in horrible shape and I know if my son were to get hurt skating there I would sure as heck sue the city for not taking proper care
Yeah, maybe Southside Central could just go over to the skate park and take some photos. He might be amused/interested. It’s definitely showing some age and wear. I agree with a little perspective please…..it’s one thing if the city offers a place to safely skateboard. I can see an ordinance in that case. But if the city doesn’t offer such a facility, I do have some sympathy for the skateboarders.
The skatepark should be more centralized and easily accessible- period. Virtually the only way to get there is to drive and most people who would use it – don’t have a license. You either have to drive all the way to Dan Daniel or walk/bike/ skate there via the Riverwalk Trail.
Mr. Garrison raised some good points, and some not accurate points, severa of thel good points I have raised (to no avail) in the past. It is good to have folks who do the extent of research that he has. He clearly cares about our City more than many. That said, I believe we (Council) have tried to do the best we can to improve the quality of life (and increase revenues without raising actual tax rates) in our City…and some mistakes have been made. But, I believe, for then most part, the decisions land on the positive side. There may be news of bad decisions coming in the near future…mistakes we made based on bad information, but new and additional vetting procedures hopefully will correct that. As with any elected body, if it does not, the citizens should vote us out.
why not just ban kids all together from these areas of the city, since the police hate them anyway…? Skateboarders are bad and bike riders are good in police chiefs eyes.. teach the kids that we don’t like them so when they grow up they will move away too. And while at it why not grab 1/2 a million from taxpayer pockets to put cameras up downtown to spy on people and turn this into creepy town.
I agree with Travis regarding the skate park. It is way out of place for the skateboarders. But, if you have one, you should take are of it. If you are going to let people ride bikes in the area you should allow skate boarding-but with rules. Bikers and boarders should have rules. If damage to the fountain wall is considered a major problem then limit riders from close proximity to it. You could even find a section somewhere in the district and create a skateboard park. Tricks are for the skate park, not the JTI Fountain Plaza. As for the bricks, well, they are going to be broken by things-someone could drop something and break them. It is a chance the planners took and we are responsible for the upkeep. The Fountain is a nice gift, but it will be a gift that keeps on giving-upkeep. Regarding council, reading that there may be news of bad decisions coming in the near future sounds like a warning that they know something we don’t know yet. No doubt we will find it an expensive event. As for the new City Council member going to Parliamentary Procedures 101-no surprise! But that’s ok…there is a least one councilman who will tell him how to do it.
I think the bad news that is impending probably involves the City on the hook for some major repayments to the Tobacco Commission with no prospect of repayment on the horizon.
Mr. Shanks,
Thanks for your honesty.
The one thing that I do agree with Garrison about: Please stop the City staff from comparisons to Greenville. To be honest, the Roanoke region doesn’t even compare to Greenville in 2014. Greenville has really seen a lot of progressive movement in the last 10 years in all areas of life.
Bring BMW here and we can be like greenville
Regarding Greenville, there is some misconception. The only comparison to Danville was intended to be this:
Greenville 25 years ago vs. Danville today.
I dont think those folks in City government or on Council have made that distinction as clear as it needs to be.
Absolutely, Greenville today is in a league of its own, in terms of small cities.
There are a lot of things that aren’t made as clear as they need to be.
Yeah, as humans we sometimes don’t communicate as well as we should. I think most, if not all, of us on Council would prefer the opportunity to respond to concerns instead of letting them fester.
Ain’t that the truth Fred, ain’t that the truth…
Let get those flags flying like every other city.Memorial day come and gone,,,,,,,,flag day come and gone,,,,,,,,,,,,4th of july come and gone,,,,,,,,,,,
It’s funny that you say that. I’m hearing of a flag issue that I need to work on.
I’ve only got a Big Board of 13 pending articles. Ugh.
They will be up for the Legacy Run August 18.
Thank you Fred, if there is anything I can do to help just say.I am sure Tony T and I will be doing some PGR flags too.
Thank James Buckner. He’s the one who kept pushing for it more than anyone but a few of us kept at it, as well.
No flags out in Chatham on Memorial Day or 4th of July.