Danville City Council – LIVE! (11/18/2014)

Editor’s Note: This article is now complete.

SouthsideCentral is LIVE! at City Hall for tonight’s Danville City Council meeting and we’ve got the only LIVE! coverage. Be sure to refresh this page for the latest photos, commentary and happenings. We’ll clean up the article in the editing process when we get home.

We’ve got a light agenda tonight with rezoning requests that should pass easily. One is for the mobile home park beside Golden Skillet on Piney Forest Rd., one is for putting a dumpster across from the Golden Leaf Bistro for their use, and the last is for mini-storage buildings off Goodyear Boulevard. We’ve also got a resolution to put “In God We Trust” inside the council’s chambers.

The meeting starts at 7PM. Danville Comcast cable subscribers can watch on RiverCity TV (Channel 10) or LIVE! on the city’s website.

Committee for Appointments has met.

We’re underway. Good crowd tonight.

Jerry Dooley, interim CEO of Danville Regional Medical Center will speak first in the public comment section. Davis Montgomery from Duke Energy will speak next.

Dooley is also interim CEO at Martinsville’s Lifepoint hospital in Martinsville. He makes his speech saying that the top priority is putting the management team together and that all DRMC projects will continue. It’s very clear that he has no interest in becoming the permanent CEO. Sherman Saunders says that he and Gary Miller (vice mayor) have met with Lifepoint management. Hmm.

Davis Montgomery is next. He’s here for his monthly update on the coal ash spill.

North Carolina regulators have established the plan to have the Eden coal ash cleared out by 2019. It will be moved by rail and could start by May 2015.

Sonja Ingram speaks next. She’s talking about the pending demolition of the Jefferson Ave. houses from the last meeting. She’s also asking council to consider a policy change to avoid demolishing historic houses.

C.B. Maddox talks about the Jefferson Ave. houses. He lives right beside the houses on the chopping block.

Lee Vogler asks Deputy City Manager Ken Larking on the status of the houses. He says an appeal is in progress so the owners have 3 to 4 to assemble their case for saving the houses. John Gilstrap asks how long this compliance enforcement has been going on. Larking says 10 years at least, but with different property owners. Gilstrap asks what six more months would hurt? Larking says “Sooner or later, you have to make a decision.”

Maddox points out that if a house is torn down, the vacant lot comes with a $24k tax lien. Fred Shanks points out the money issue to the city. Alonzo Jones asks if city staff can get better communication with the proposed planners.

Steven Wilson speaks next. He lives on Main St. He says he made offers on both properties but was rejected.

He said that he’s one of the “people who is willing to put $100K in these houses” as he owns four historic houses already. He’s making a good point. You can’t buy houses with the current owners won’t sell and they let the house fall apart. He says there are plenty of people who would be to Danville for an historic house, but not for a golf course house.

Shawn Davis speaks next. He owns a house on Sutherlin Ave.

He said his house should have been condemned before he bought it, and he’s fixed it up now.

Ann & Dave Clark speak next. They found a historic house in Danville based on a historical house website. It had been rehabilitated.

I’m starting to reevaluate my opinion on this issue. I’m swinging towards the preservation efforts.

Fred Meder speaks next.

He’s entertaining and speaks for preservation.

Kevin Mull speaks next. He moved from the UK to Danville.

Dan Latham speaks next.

Gus Dyer speaks next and flies through his qualifications. His speech says something like “look at the character of the people who have spoken tonight”. Well, Lah Dee Dah.

Cara Burton speaks next. Not about the Confederate flag though.

Oh no, not that. And she has a prop. I’ll recap her speech later tonight.

The public comment section is done. 80 minutes. Ugh.

City Attorney Clarke Whitfield says that City Council doesn’t have the authority to issue a moratorium as the City Code is written now. James Buckner speaks! Heh. Gary Miller asks if council could pass a resolution that would have authority. Whitfield says that they can pass a resolution, but it would have no legal authority. Whitfield sticks with his legal opinion.

Recess!

We’re back in session. Speed mode is coming.

The crowd has cleared out.

The mobile home park is rezoned as commercial, the mini-storage area is rezoned, the Golden Leaf Bistro gets their dumpster across the street.

The city will buy the land beside Dan River Church (or the Plaza Cinema for us old people) for a big parking lot for the Riverwalk Trail.

Lillie Jones, hello! The city is funding the Comprehensive Services Act tonight. We heart Lillie.

Around the horn time. James Buckner endorses the West End and GW football. No-Shave November! Larry Campbell mentions the support for the motto. We’ll add more when we get home tonight.