news-record.com

A work session and a commissioners meeting are ahead for county commissioners.

A $115 million jail construction plan will be discussed at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Old County Courthouse, 301 West Market St .

The meeting comes mostly at the urging of Commissioners Carolyn Coleman  and Bruce Davis , who pushed the idea earlier this month to review spending plans for the jail.

Commissioners had established a jail construction review committee, headed by Commissioner Paul Gibson, to handle details of jail construction and then bring those to the commissioners for official approval. The commissioners work session supplanted the committee’s authority, which riled some on the board to object to the unusual procedure.

“The way I see it is a committee doing their  due diligence,” said Commissioner Billy Yow.
Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston said that he planned to open the meeting, but would let Gibson carry out the agenda.

Here is the Thursday agenda for the commissioners regular meeting, in which they'll discuss the latest version of an incentive plan.

Talks are already on for who will be the next chairman and vice chairman on the Board of Commissioners.

And it sure appears like Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston and Vice Chairman Steve Arnold will be at it again.

"It’s just done. It’s worked out. They wouldn't be talking about it if it weren't worked out," Commissioner Billy Yow said Monday.

Alston and Arnold both said Monday that they haven't decided whether they want the top spots again. Other commissioners aren't saying positively whether they are lining up to support the duo, but some say they would go for the idea. No clear majoirty has emerged publicly to support them, though.

Alston said he's still debating with himself over whether he wants the post again.

"Some people have talked about that possibility," Alston said.

"I think the commissioners, they feel that we’ve done a good job," he said. "But it’s just a question of whether we, Steve and I, want to."

Arnold said he believes that Alston wants to maintain his position.

"I do think that Skip wants to be chairman again, and he certanly has the support to do that," Arnold said.

Does he want to be vice chairman again?

"I think I may be vice chairman," Arnold said. "We haven’t had a great deal of time to talk about it."

Commissioner Kirk Perkins was noncommittal on his support.

"They have not stepped forward officially, and they may have enough support that nobody  would challenge," Perkins said. "This is September, and  December is a long way away politically."

Commissioners will likely make a decision for chairman and vice chairman in late November or December.

But we couldn't get a solid yes out of Perkins to keep the regime in place.

"I don’t think I’ve ever made a decision this early," said Carolyn Coleman, who was also elusive.

Nope, this has nothing to do with long-term movie deals or a football team.

It's the roadmap for the county's next set plan to build new schools, emergency bases, fund new infrastructure and finish off some ongoing projects.

The Guilford County Capital Investment Plan, 2009-2010 (proposed).

"There are just some choices that have to be made over the next few years," said Michael Halford, the county's budget manager, "and we'll see how all these moving parts will get  together."

With about a half-billion in projects underway, and another half billion that may lie ahead, it looks like there's going to be plenty of moving parts.

Commissioners got their first crack at the CIP this past Thursday. Some highlights:

• Ongoing projects, such as the approved bonds for the $115 million county jail complex or $467 million for county schools are included in the plan.
• New money would go to Guilford Technical Community College, which expects $366  million in new expenses. The plan includes $16.5  million for an expanded aviation building and millions more for new or renovated training facilities for dental, continuing education, business, emergency services, hospitality, general classrooms, land and support facilities to go with those expansions at campuses in High Point, Greensboro and Jamestown.
• Emergency services would receive $67.5 million  to build or replace three EMS stations across the county, combine EMS and city fire service at four existing bases and spend $65 million  to upgrade the county’s communication system, a shared expense with Greensboro.
• Proposed legislature in the General Assembly could change the age for juvenile offenders, meaning that more room would be needed at the county’s juvenile detention center. An expansion and related staff for that would cost $11.3 million  through 2019 .

This is the most comprehensive update, Halford said, in at least five years.

"Voter just approved  a good amount of  bonds," he said, of the large figure. "And we’re a big county and we have a big school system. This is the bones of the organization."

The following two groups aren’t connected in any way, except that I ran across information about them at roughly the same time.

First up, the Northern Guilford County Conservative Republican Club held its first meeting recently. The Northwest Observer carried a brief on the group last week:

“The goal of the PAC is to help get conservative Republicans elected,” says Summerfield resident Don Wendelken, who is vice chairman of the group. Wendelken says he and chairman Marcus Kindley “started in Summerfield to draw people in to help them get active. Our goal is to get them involved as much as possible in the election process and once we establish a good groundswell, if you will, in that area, we plan to try to expand to the northeast part of the county.”

Click here for that story.

Kindley is the former chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party and has twice put himself forward as a candidate to lead the North Carolina GOP. (He apparently still owns the NCGOPCHAIRMAN.COM url.) Most recently he was one of the organizers of a bus trip to Washington, D.C. for the Tea Party protest (Click here.)

Click here for the group’s campaign finance filing, which lists it as the Northern Guilford County Conservative Republican Club. And click here for a news release from Kindley describing their first gathering.

-=-=-=-=-

Next up, the Associated Press takes note of the new Wake Up America group, which is lead in part by state Sen. Andrew Brock. From the story:
 

Leaders of a new conservative-leaning political organization based in North Carolina unveiled a TV commercial Monday it hopes will become the first many designed to influence state and local politics nationwide.

Wake Up America also unveiled a Web site that also airs the ad critical of Democratic-elected leaders for approving a budget this year with higher taxes. It also mentions a series of pleas and convictions for corruption-related crimes by Democrats, including former House Speaker Jim Black to ex-U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance.

Click here for the full story. The group's website is: www.wakeupame­rica.com

The group is a 527, which means it files its disclosures with the IRS. On its organizational form, the purpose of the organization is listed as, “To be a conduit of information and strong body of citizens in the form of a non-partisan conservative movement to counter the unsound policies of Congress government institutions and agencies political parties and industry that are leading to the transformation of America from a free enterprise economy to a government-based economy.” Click here for the IRS's disclosure page.

The story notes that the group is bankrolled by Raleigh businessman Will Head, who put up $30,000 to air the commercials. Head doesn't show up on a quick search of SBOE filings as a donor to North Carolina political candidates.

For those who are curious, Wake Up America put its first ad up on YouTube:

Just as an observation: While it touts itself as a "non-partisan conservative movement," that video and the website certainly seem to target Democrats. Granted the Democrats are the ones in power right now, but asking "Are state Democrats the most politically corrupt in America?" doesn't feel terribly nonpartisan.

Also worth noting: The commercial's tagline says the group is rescuing America "from radical socialism," which is the epithet of choice conservatives have been throwing at pretty much any Obama administration policy with which they take issue.

One of Scoop's favorite times of year.

Auction time.

There's one tomorrow morning at 3309 Burlington Road - go pick up an old police cruiser, some tools or a bike.

Or a couple of bird feeders. Or some bags of grout. Check out the full list here.

Eddie said he's got dibs on the '87 Beechcraft motorhome.

For some reason, the county surplus auction always reminds me of this movie.

Guilford County has a few meetings coming up this week, and two could help guide the future of economic development policy in the county for years to come.

It all begins tomorrow with a work session for commissioners to take up the county's latest economic development policy proposal.

This would not supplant the current policy, but instead be an alternative policy, if approved. But some commissioners and others have critiqued the plan.

After the Wednesday work session, commissioners meet Thursday.

The big potential news here is a possible incentive - one that would use the current plan requiring job addition and investment standards - could go to a company called Ameritox after commissioners hold a public hearing on the idea at 5:30 p.m.

But before all of that, the commissioners will hold a work session on a space study at 3:30 p.m. that could cost millions but also save county staff time and money. We'll have more on that as time goes on and the presentation on the plan goes before commissioners.

On the City Council agenda next week: cleaning up downtown and handing over cash to businesses.

What: Greensboro City Council meeting.

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St., Greensboro.

Watch it: Time Warner Channel 13 or www.greensboro-nc.gov/citygovernment/council.

How to speak: Sign up before the meeting. Speakers have up to three minutes for items not on the agenda. The speakers-from-the-floor section is limited to 30 minutes.

On the agenda: City Council members will considering giving economic development incentives to three companies. Ameritox Ltd. is asking for $358,140 to improve an existing facility on either Gallimore Dairy Road or Creekridge Road. The company plans to created 228 new jobs.

-- The council will also consider giving a $1 million economic incentive grant for Pierre A and Carolyn E. Goria and Sears McConnell Properties LLC for sewer infrastructure and transportation improvements at the McConnell Center corporate park in east Greensboro. The improvements would get the site ready for businesses to use. The grant will be funded with voter-approved economic development bonds.

-- DDC Investments is asking the city to approved up to a $500,000 economic incentive grant for to improve infrastructure at 300 South Chimney Rock Road to make the site shovel-ready for an industrial facility. Bond money would fund the grant.

--City Council members will identify areas that are under consideration for future annexation by the city.

-- City Council will consider removing a noise ordinance exemption for the downtown area.

-- Council members will also consider banning panhandling within 20 feet of an ATM, any commercial establishment, private residence, an outdoor cafe or a parking lot, and while under the influence of an alcohol or an illegal substance.

Election season can be a hassle. Event schedules to juggle, moola to raise, and – oh, those pesky opponents gumming up the City Council speakers from the floor section.

This twice-monthly public comment person at council meetings has always been an attractive spot for folks with a message. You get the (mostly) undivided attention of council members and city staff.

Plus all viewers of Government Cable Access Channel. 13 and the folks in the City Council chambers.

Sometimes the spot is so popular, the mayor lets the 30-minute speaking slot stretch an hour or two.

“They get all this press. It really isn’t fair. They are showing them on Channel 13. I don’t really think it is right for them to come here and take that time,” Councilwoman Goldie Wells said Wednesday, when a spontaneous discussion about the speakers from the floor came up during a council briefing.

In recent weeks the candidate free-for-all that has sometimes gotten a bit heated, council members said, with exchanges between opponents and sitting members.

The council considered cutting off the speakers at the 30-minute mark, to keep meetings more orderly and concise, since there is no legal or easy way to block any particular person from the public forum.

Meanwhile Mayor Yvonne Johnson vowed to cut off the confrontational behavior – and she asked council members to do their part by not talking back.
 

With 13 candidates from four races at the Guilford Unity Effort forum Tuesday night, it was impossible to get every intriguing detail into the next day’s paper.

So here are some things you may have missed if you didn’t attend.

Big plans and campaign promises

Every candidate wants a better Greensboro. But how the heck do you get there? Here are some unique ideas candidates raised at:

Joseph Rahenkamp, candidate for District 4 and a retired firefighter, said he would like to see an elected police and fire commissioner is the city.

Candidate for District 3 Jay Ovittore promised to get a light rail system between Raleigh and Greensboro.

Ben Holder, candidate for District 1, pledged to get more city records online and easily accessible to residents.

Meet your next mayor

Incumbent Mayor Yvonne Johnson and challenger Bill Knight rounded out the evening of questions.

One query from the audience asked them to say what one asset made him or her stand out. Here’s what they said:

Johnson: One of my greatest assets is my commitment to public service.

Knight: My years of business experience.

Grace under pressure

Ben Holder, candidate for District 1, had a heckler Tuesday night.

A middle-aged gentleman shouted “bully” at Holder after he reached for the microphone, which the candidates were sharing as they answered the moderators’ questions.

Holder, who has heckled on occasion, didn’t blink as security shuffled the man out of the Greensboro Historical Museum auditorium

“Those who have known me for a long time just saw a huge change in my personality,” Holder said.

MIA

The forum – the first and perhaps the only public session for all the candidates before the primary – had two notable absentees: incumbents Mary Rakestraw and Zack Matheny.

Both informed organizers they could not attend late Tuesday afternoon.

Rakestraw, who is the current City Council at-large candidate who is running for District 4, said she had a scheduling conflict with the Landlords Association meeting. She sent along husband Frank, with her apologies.

Matheny, who is defending his District 3 seat, begged off, saying he was suffering from a stomach bug. He offered to take questions via email.

Deepest apologies

Scoop sends a sincere apology to William “Mike” Martin, candidate for District 4, for calling him Mr. Williams -- more than once – during the forum.

To make it up to you, we’ll grant you one verbal do-over. It’s the least we can do.

Next up

Candidates from the at-large, District 2 and District 5 races will face off Sept. 22 at the Greensboro Historical Museum, beginning at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Bring your questions for the candidates.
 

The Greensboro Neighborhood Congress is hosting a public financing discussion this weekend.

Here's everything you need to know:

• Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause of North Carolina, and Josh Glasser, director of the Common Cause Local Public Financing Project, will speak in support of public financing. Becki Gray, John Locke Foundation's Vice President for Outreach, will present the opposing view.
• Where and When: Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Nussbaum Room of the Greensboro Central Library. 

For more information, contact Donna Newton at 336-851-2748.