Adjourned.
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Joseph Frierson sings praises of Beloved Community Center, and asks why the police deemed that it was not a neutral location and they could not interview two NC A&T University students who alleged racial profiling.
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Charles Cherry asks District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny to explain a disparaging quote attributed to him in the Rhinoceros Times about Capt. James Hinson, a black officer who has accused the city of racism.
Matheny: "It’s a personnel record. We can’t talk about it…. Mr. Cherry: Nice suit, nice tie. Keep talking. You’re time is elapsing."
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Bellamy-Small asks attorney to address the statute cited by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
City Attorney Rita Danish states that earlier today she received a phone call from staff attorney Chris Brook indicating that the statute would be the basis of the lawsuit.
"The legal department would need to take a look at it and be prepared in event of a lawsuit," Danish says.
Bellamy-Small says she's going to vote in favor of the motion so she can bring it back up for reconsideration.
In fact, she votes against reopening the landfill. Predictably, the motion passes on a 4-3 vote. Mayor Bill Knight, at-large Councilman Danny Thompson, District 4 Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw and District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade vote in favor. Bellamy-Small, at-large Councilman Robbie Perkins and District 2 Councilman Jim Kee vote against.
Now, it's back to speakers from the floor with Leon Nutes taking the first slot. Bellamy-Small walks out.
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Thompson quotes former Environmental Services Director Jeryl Covington as saying that the city could operate the landfill for $23 per ton, in addition to closure costs.
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Perkins says he wants an opinion from the city attorney on the statute cited by Riggs.
"If we don't get that permit in four and a half years we are up a creek, and as Mr. Shaw says, 'We may as well dump it in the creek."
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Thompson: "I have to represent all the citizens of Greensboro."
Voice from gallery: “Where are they? Why are they not voicing their opinion?”
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Thompson: "I appreciate the discussion on this and I appreciate the vigor and the passion that those on both sides have on this issue."
Thompson cites an opinion column written by News & Record editorial editor Allen Johnson stating, "If there's a theme in all of this, it's not racism, but preventable waste and horrible long-term planning."
Thompson quotes remarks by former Mayor Carolyn Allen in the mid-1990s stating that the city needed to continue pursuing Phase 3 permits for the landfill, and adding: "It doesn't matter where you put it or attempt to put it; people are going to find it objectionable."
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Bellamy-Small: "The due diligence on this item has not been done. The cost factors all have not been considered. This whole vote is a sham. That needs to be the headline."
Kee: "I am not in favor of the city running a landfill at White Street. I am not in favor of a private company running the landfill at White Street…. We cannot get locked into a 15-year contract."
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Rev. Randall Keeney says his boss, Assisting Bishop Chip Marble, wrote a letter to the mayor council.
"He believes, and I concur, that what we're talking about is environmental and systemic racism."
"At what point do we stop selling the lives of black and Latino people to the highest bidder. The reality that 20 percent of your council can't even vote on this. Conflicts of interest? This is a sad, sad day."
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Gail Stroud: "We're talking about landlocking a district, but heck, you're landlocking an entire city. Where is Greensboro going to grow [with landfill open]?"
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Michael Roberto, to Mary Rakestraw: "There are just as many people I've talked to in District 4 who are opposed to this on council."
"Danny Thompson, I went to many meetings of people opposed to reopening the landfill where people said, 'Where is Danny Thompson?' Because you're an at large member."
"How would you feel if you knew that six children had terminal illnesses because of the reopening of the landfill."
"You need to really think about what you're doing because of lives that are on the line."
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Allison Riggs, speaking on behalf of Southern Coalition for Social Justice staff attorney Chris Brooks, says the council must consider NCGS 160A-325 before voting to reopen the White Street Landfill.
The statute reads, "The governing board of a city shall consider alternative sites and socioeconomic and demographic data and shall hold a public hearing prior to selecting or approving a site for a new sanitary landfill that receives residential solid waste that is located within one mile of an existing sanitary landfill within the State."
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Mary Louise Smith observes that the conservative majority of council appears to be interested in money, and asks why they wouldn't consider getting an estimate on the cost of operating the landfill publicly as opposed to going with one of the private vendors.
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Cheryl Hopkins: "The community discussion is about much more than where we bury our garbage. The reason for the resistance is because reopening the landfill is contrary to key values that make Greensboro a great place to live....
"What does a landfill four miles from downtown Greensboro say about green values?...
"Another value: caring about the welfare of all the people who live in our city. That’s certainly a Greensboro value....
"A vote to reopens the landfill divides our city. It betrays an us-vs.-them mentality among the council majority....
"A vote to reopen the landfill will go down in history as one of the worst public policy decisions of the past decade."
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Leon Nutes: "You hear us but don’t listen: On trash there is gold… other cities have their trash made into energy."
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Wade: "They're going to check the sediment in the pond in the next few weeks. I talked to the health department. They're also going to check for methane gas."
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Galen Oliver says he has a petition with the signatures of 760 who live near the landfill. He says that they don't want the landfill to reopen, but they recognize the direction of the council, and "instead of simply fighting and losing," the residents want council to complete promised road construction at Nealtown Road and Cone Boulevard, for the operation at White Street to be a waste-to-energy facility, for there to be no trucks brought in from White Street, and for help with improvements at Bessemer Shopping Center.
Oliver thanks Councilwoman Wade for bringing attention to the EH Glass landfill.
"That's the most dangerous landfill because it's unlined and it's unregulated."
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Bellamy-Small makes a motion to delay vote because, she says, the city has not done due diligence to compare the cost of the city operating the landfill itself and the private proposals.
The motion fails 3-4. Bellamy-Small, Perkins and Kee are on the losing side.
The mayor calls for a vote forgetting that the council has agreed to hear public comment.
Knight says there are 21 speakers. The council agrees that each will limit their comments to three minutes.
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Nancy Vaughan and Zack Matheny have been recused. Perkins is still on the dais despite questions raised about whether he might have a conflict of interest as well.
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Now, it's on to the landfill vote. Officially, it's a motion "to approve the further consideration of Advanced Disposal Services, Option 2; Waste Industries and Gate City Waste Services proposals for solid waste disposal." In reality, it's a vote to reopen the White Street Landfill.
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The funding request of $70,000 from the Interactive Resource Center is approved 8-1, with Wade voting in dissent.
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Former Greensboro police Capt. Charles Cherry says five police officers have filed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discrimination complaints against the Greensboro Police Department: himself, Joseph Pryor, AJ Blake, Deborah Thomas and Robert Reyes. Thomas and Reyes were fired in the past 10 days, Cherry said, and both have filed appeals to City Manager Rashad Young.
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Newton: "Our initial efforts to develop fundraising capacity were not very successful. We got some outside assistance."
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Councilwoman Trudy Wade is haggling with Newton over how much money the city has provided to the center.
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Newton: "We need to finish putting up the drapes and finish planting the grass. That's what we need the money for."
The Interactive Resource Center has moved in to its permanent location at East Washington Street.
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The Interactive Resource Center is requesting that council commit $70,000 to pay for renovations from funds that have already been allocated by the council.
Chair Bob Newton says the Interactive Resource Center will submit to a certified audit by the end of this fiscal year.
Photos of a volunteer work day at the center this past weekend here.
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Council unanimously approves a $1.5 million contract to Heitkamp to rehabilitate water lines in the Brice Street and Lindley Park neighborhoods, which is still in District 4 thanks to tonight's vote to reconsider the Rakestraw plan.
No questions for Water Resources Director Allan Williams.
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Council unanimously approves the new ordinance regulating mobile food vendors.
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A hot dog vendor with a business on Randleman Road called Doggone Good says, "We raise money. We give back to the community to help these kids stay focused."
He says he works closely with the city, and would like to be a member of the Randleman Road Business Association.
"It's the people's choice where they want to spend their money," he says.
The hot dog vendors says for under $5 dollars he offers an all-beef hot dog, a drink and potato chips. He says everybody can't afford to pay $13 for a meal in a restaurant.
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Surgeon: "I've bought food from some of the mobile food vendors, and their food is excellent.... The field becomes a little bit un-level. It's cheaper to operate in a parking lot. It's a whole lot more expensive to operate in a building where you have to pay for heating and gas."
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Ron Surgeon, Randleman Road Business Association, thanks staff for working with the merchants and praises Carruthers.
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Bellamy-Small: "The police is not going to make that a priority, and you know that."
Carruthers: "Limited resources is a problem."
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The ordinance revision proposed by staff would allow pushcart and motorized mobile food vendors to serve in areas zoned for central business (i.e. downtown), commercial-medium, commercial-high, light industrial and heavy industrial zoned.
Motorized mobile food vendors would also be allowed to serve on construction
Assistant City Attorney Tom Carruthers: "They're kind of the fish taco trucks you may have seen in LA that are very popular."
The ordinance would apply to businesses that serve the public "on a recurring basis." Nonprofits would be exempt.
"The issue came to city’s attention two years ago when the Randleman Road Business Association complained about unregulated grill sale and unregulated pushcart sales," Carruthers said, adding that there was a concern about “grill sales of cooked meat that was entirely unregulated and un-inspected by the county health department.”
The vendors used rolling nonprofit permits to sidestep health regulations. Carruthers said the public has come to expect that the health department has inspected mobile food vendors, which was not the case.
Carruthers said the vendors will be required to wear permits, so that police department can regulate them.
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Next: Council considers recommending its ordinance regulating mobile food vendors.
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Tijuana B. Hayes, chair of Community Resource Board, urges council to approve to the motion. In answer to Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw, she says that there are 1,700 homeless children in the Guilford County school system.
The council unanimously approves the motion.
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Perkins: "We’ve got one of the premier housing programs in the country and have had one. It’s evident when you drive around the country. We should be very proud."
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Council is now considering authorization to submit an annual action plan formula grant application to the US Department of Housing & Urban Development.
Sue Schwartz, interim director of the city's planning and community development department, said one of the startling findings of the report is that the number of low-income households in poverty doubled in Greensboro from 2000 to 2007.
"Demand is still there, and still great."
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The compromise motion to fund additional early voting sites for a reduced number of days passes 8-1, Bellamy-Small in dissent.
Closing remark from Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert: "Mr. Mayor, if I may, I will make a promise to this council: I will not ask you again; we will simply send you the bill."
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In response to a question from Rakestraw, Gilbert says that he can talk to the county about opening the parking lot under the courthouse so that people can ride the elevator up to the early-voting site.
Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Vaughan: "We may not get the whole apple, so I'll take half an apple."
District 2 Councilman Jim Kee: "I'm very encouraged by the motion that Councilman Matheny has put forward because I was afraid we were going to lose early voting altogether."
At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins says he'll support the compromise, too.
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Bellamy-Small: "I'm not voting for it because I believe we should totally fund all seven days."
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Matheny proposes a compromise to only fund additional early-voting sites for a reduced number of days.
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Gilbert says the elections office has never provided additional sites for early voting before primaries.
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Bellamy-Small: "This is not about fiscal responsibility. It’s about disenfranchising voters.... This year, if people didn’t value early voting, they sure enough are going to now."
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Bellamy-Small: “I think the big question here is, what is the price of democracy?”
Gilbert says the city could accommodate voters who need parking by allowing free parking at the Greene Street parking deck during the early-voting period.
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Wade says every council member wants early voting; it's just that some favor having only one site -- at the Old County Courthouse downtown.
Wade asks Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert if he thinks there's a problem handling curbside voting at the Old County Courthouse.
"The reporets I've gotten in the past, in general curbside voting is easier at the other sites," Gilbert says. "It's a question of convenience all the way around. It's easier at some of the other sites."
He adds, "We feel like we can probably accommodate them adequately."
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Bellamy-Small makes a motion to fund the five early voting sites.
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Sharon Hightower compares the price tag of $26,000 for early voting sites to the $600,000 cost of loose-leaf pickup, which is done for the convenience of the voters.
Gail Stroud compares the cost of early voting to $25,000 spent to install speed bumps in Councilwoman Trudy Wade's district.
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Charles Cherry: "We need to give the citizens every opportunity to vote. A lot of what the city council is doing is along racial lines…."
Cherry wants to address comments District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny made about the promotion of Capt. James Hinson.
Mayor Bill Knight and Matheny are running interference.
"You're a little belligerent, aren't you?"
Matheny: "Mr. Speedling, the speaker is belligerent."
Cherry: "Mr. Mayor, one more thing: Could you extend the time for speakers from the floor from three minutes. I have a lot of things I want to talk about."
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Goldie Wells: "I would ask you to please continue with our early voting…. It’s kind of inconvenient early voting at the courthouse. Going up those steps is a little difficult.”
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Rev. Clarence Shuford: "Have you looked downtown where you would have curbside voting? It is impractical."
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The speakers list for early voting looks similar to the speakers list for redistricting. And the same people will likely be speaking out later tonight against reopening the landfill.
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The city council is considering whether to have five early voting sites for this year's municipal election, as has been the practice in the past.
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Matheny: "You've got Mr. Gilbert here, and we've got five speakers. Let's just tackle it now."
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Break's over.
Mayor Bill Knight wants to delay a vote on early voting. Bellamy-Small has reservations.
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The council votes 7-2 to approve redistricting Plan E, submitted by Councilwoman Trudy Wade.
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Bellamy-Small: “I would like to ask that this entire proceeding tonight be put in the report that’s sent to the Justice Department.”
Sherman: "There's a large body of information. There will be information on total population, voting age population, voter registration.... yes, public comment's included in that packet."
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Michael Roberto, human relations commission member: "For the good of human relations in the city -- the police outside are just symptomatic of what’s going on here –- what’s going on here is the intransigence of the council to listen to the people....
"Table this and then you publish these maps and then you begin to have the kind of conversation that the citizens want."
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Teresa Sue Bratton says that it would make more sense, considering that District 4 is landlocked, for District 4 to move west. Is she talking about the Jordan Green Plan?
Matheny says he and Sherman have talked about allowing District 4 to go north by taking a precinct from District 3.
Matheny on why he doesn't favor moving Precinct FR3 from District 5 to District 4: "That’s become such a core of District 5. It’s not fair to just go in and pluck it out."
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Mary Rakestraw says she supports Plan E because "we’re talking about the variance and moving the fewest number of people."
"I thought I had a good one at 7 as far as the variance goes," she adds. "Plan E reduces it."
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Vaughan: "You do your redistricting after the Census. The process has been ugly."
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Sharon Hightower: "In looking at Plan E and listening to Allison Riggs, the attorney…. What I do see is that you lower the minority percentage from 72 percent to 70 percent, so it does seem like you’re watering down the minority voter."
"You’re biggest population variance was district 4 and 5. If you look at that, Councilwoman Bellamy-Small’s plan is the best."
"There is a possibility of retrogression with Plan E."
Mayor Pro Tem Vaughan says she doesn't think Plan E weakens the minority vote.
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Charles Cherry speaking. He gives his address as living in Greensboro
Cherry, shouting: "If there's someone in District 4 who is represented by Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw, I want your to request a recall vote."
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Former District 2 Greensboro City Councilwoman Goldie Wells: "This city is on the map as the place where the civil rights movement was born. And it’s going to be on the map again. You just raising Jane and Jim Crow just as…."
The crowd cheers.
Wells: "Nobody wants to come to a city that’s racially divided. Nobody wants to come to a city that has a landfill four miles from downtown."
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By consensus, the council agrees to allow public comment on Plan E, the plan proposed by Councilwoman Trudy Wade, to be considered for approval.
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Kee: “If we’re going to redistrict, why don’t we go with the plan that has the lowest variance.”
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Perkins: "If we did what we said we were going to do, we would open up a public hearing."
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The council votes 7-2 to consider Wade's motion to accept Plan E. Perkins says, wait a minute, we agreed to hear from the public after we had a plan on the table.
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Matheny: "The fact of this being a city council that is a charade, if you think you're innocent on this city council of playing a charade, a saint you are not. We are all at fault sometimes."
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Matheny: "The fact of involving other council members, we did. There was involvement from all parties."
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Matheny: "I think Dianne is a good district rep. I think she is a great district rep."
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Bellamy-Small: “It’s good to know that we do have recorded history.… At that time we did not have Rock Creek Dairy. We did not have some of the other economic development. At this time we don’t need to mall.”
“If you want to indict me for advocating for my district…. You all can take me all day long....
“This council has become the laughingstock of North Carolina. I serve on the North Carolina League of Municipalities. And they ask, 'What are you all doing?'
"I’m upset. I’m sorry. Because this has been made about me....
"I’m not campaigning because I’m not a candidate."
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Bellamy-Small is smiling now, and looking like she wants to speak.
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Bellamy-Small, 2008: "I think in fairness to district 1 because it does demand a lot of resources for it to have some of the wealth. It's as simple as that."
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Wade plays video from 2008 meeting showing Bellamy-Small stating, "Every other district has what would be termed economic generators... except for District 1."
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The motion to consider Bellamy-Small's substitute motion fails 7-2.
Councilwoman Wade makes a motion to consider Plan E, which is her own.
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At-large Councilman Danny Thompson: "I agree with her that the substitute motion that was made to do nothing and make minor modifications -- I guess that's Plan F now -- I heard a very convincing argument from Ms. Bellamy-Small that that wasn't the best plan."
Voice from the audience: "She didn't say that."
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Perkins: "Major changes in the [2008] plan were taking precincts at the Cardinal in the far west part of the city from District 4 and moving them to District 5."
Sherman: "That was one of the major changes."
Perkins: "We are where we are because of mistakes in process, and mistakes in judgment.... I talk to a lot of people, and I don't see a lot of trust up here....
Cheering for Perkins.... Knight bangs the gavel.
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Bellamy-Small says she doesn't want G56 to be moved from District 5 to District 1. She acknowledges that she did want the precinct moved into District 1 in 2008. Is this the reason, Bellamy-Small no longer wants Precinct G56?
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Matheny: "I would try to encourage Plan E."
Bellamy-Small has Plan C, which she submitted, shown on overhead screen.
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If the greatest variance is between District 5 and District 4, with District 5 having the highest population, why wouldn't you move a precinct from District 5 to District 4?
There must be a political reason.
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Matheny, referring to Steve Sherman: "The only map that you and I considered is a map that allowed me to move part of District 3 from the northern side to District 4, but we couldn't get the numbers right."
"I'm the only one that can really give up to District 4."
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Matheny: "If you look at the map, Mary's precinct, District 4, is landlocked. It's got to grow."
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Matheny says the last map adopted in 2008 was controversial, and then District 2 Councilwoman Goldie Wells fought him on it.
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Matheny: "I do apologize about not being here [at the last meeting]."
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Nancy Vaughan: "I don't think doing nothing is the right thing to do at this point."
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Vaughan: "I think C, D and E are much better plans than B.... I really think if you look at C, D and E dispassionately, I think you'll see that they're good plans."
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Vaughan: "It will move a thousand people. We just don't know what the variance will be."
Steve Sherman: "During the break I took plan A, the plan that was adopted in 2008, i took all of Jefferson 2 and moved it into District 1 and took all of Jefferson 1 and moved it into District 2. That impacts the population size for District 1 and District 2. However, the overall population variance is between District 4 and District 5, so it does not affect the variance."
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Bellamy-Small restates her motion as a substitute motion.
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Bellamy-Small makes the motion that the city keep the current plan, with the exception of moving Jef1 into District 2 and Jef2 into District 1 to mend split precincts.
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Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Vaughan makes a motion to reconsider the previously passed redistricting plan. Wade seconds the motion. It passes unanimously.
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Rebecca Klase, speaking on behalf of the League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad: "The current process has been tainted by the piecemeal plans that have been presented."
Klase says the league "recommends the continuation of Plan A, our currently approved plan, for the 2011 city council elections."
The league is calls for the establishment of a community nonpartisan board to analyze future [redistricting plans].
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Sharon Hightower, treasurer of the Greensboro NAACP, reading aloud from a letter from her organization: "There is reason to believe that the cost to notify the voters [that are being moved] would be larger than the cost to operate five early voting sites."
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Luther T. Falls Jr.: "The community is opposed to that. You have to listen to the community....
"There is an election pending in November as well. That's not directed to anyone. It's just a fact."
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Marilyn Baird: "No, I don't live in the city. I don't vote for city council. But I do own two properties in District 1."
Baird says she called Councilwoman Wade. Wade was at home and heard the message. She picked up the phone and informed Baird that she heard her and believed she was being threatened.
Baird says Wade called the police department and two plainclothes detectives came to interview her at work.
Baird to Wade: "Let me be clear here tonight. I did not threaten you. I did not threaten you. I don't need to threaten you to get my point across."
Baird says the police told her they listened to the tape and said they heard no threat.
Later, she says, a reporter approached her and said he had heard a rumor that she issued a bomb threat.
Baird: "Let me clear again: I did not issue a bomb threat to Trudy Wade."
"I feel it was maliciously done. There was no evidence on that recording that I threatened you."
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Matheny asks if there is anybody that spoke in opposition that resides in G31.
Lewis Brandon calls from gallery: "What's your point?"
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Marikay Abuzuaiter: "We are residents, taxpayers and voters of Greensboro… we operate businesses. We pay license fees. We purchase water. We work for large and small corporations…. We are a community. We are your community. We have tried to explain, tried to express through e-mails, phone calls that we do not want redistricting at this time…. We ask that you not redistrict at this time."
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Perkins: "I thank the speaker for coming and sharing her expertise, and I've learned a whole lot more tonight."
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Trudy Wade: "Do you represent the Department of Justice?"
Riggs: "Certainly not."
Wade: "And you don’t represent any of us up here?"
Riggs: "Certainly not."
Wade: "I’m kind of at loss at to why we keep asking legal questions of you. Who are you representing."
People in the gallery call out, "Us. All of us."
Half of the people in chambers stand.
Riggs responds that she represents Democracy at Home.
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Perkins: "Does the Department of Justice in their analysis look at the process that they use to arrive at the result?"
Riggs: "Absolutely they do."
Perkins asks if DOJ would be likely to find significance in the fact that the council appointed a liaison to lead the redistricting plan, and the council voted to exclude the input of an African-American council member.
"I would point that out in my comment letter," Riggs responded."
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Perkins asks Allison Riggs if she believes Plan D is retrogressive.
She responds that Plan D reduces the voting age minority population.
Perkins asks if any of the plans on the table tonight would pass muster with the Department of Justice.
Riggs said she hasn't had time to analyze the plans.
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Hayworth and Matheny concur that there were no proposed plans to discuss at the meeting.
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Hayworth reports that the overwhelming consensus of a neighborhood congress meeting at which Matheny presented redistricting plans, the overwhelming consensus was "disapproval in moving precincts just to satisfy an individual council member."
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Cyndy Hayworth, a candidate at-large for city council, is speaking. She is representing the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress.
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"There are significant reasons Plan B -- the Rakestraw plan voted upon at the last city council meeting -- is retrogressive. Plan B reduces the African-American voting age population in District 1 from nearly 71% to 66%. Alone, that significant reduction in voting age population may be enough to warrant a finding of retrogression. But when you pair that with the fact that Plan B moves high-performing African-American precincts out of District 1 and moves high-performing white precincts into the district, this is even more persuasive evidence of retrogression. In a jurisdiction where voter turnout is already low, this is significant. The moving of even one high-performing precinct can change the outcome of an election. If you change the political performance of a district such that minority voters have a diminished ability to elect the candidate of choice, you have created a retrogressive redistricting plan and the Department of Justice will object."
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Riggs' statement was too long for her to read in her allotted time, so others are reading additional portions.
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Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Vaughan: "There is absolutely no desire on the part of this council to extend our terms… I want everybody to rest assured that this is not a ploy to extend our terms an extra year or two."
Matheny and Rakestraw concur.
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Riggs said the council would only be allowed to delay an election if the population numbers were out of balance. The current plan is lawful, so the council may not delay the election.
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Allison Riggs, voting rights attorney, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, speaking....
"The city council does not have the authority to delay elections if you do not make a decision tonight."
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Wade asks Burroughs about Democracy at Home.
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First speaker: James Burroughs III, executive director of Democracy at Home....
Burroughs refers to the Rakestraw plan as “the stork plan because it simply arrived at the front door of councilwoman Mary Rakestraw," prompting laughter from the gallery.
"I hope that tonight's meeting is more than just for show."
He adds that he believes the votes are already lined up to approve Wade's Plan E.
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Perkins says a compromise would be to hold two public hearings.
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Wade supports Perkins' idea, but Bellamy-Small is not going along.
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At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins suggests that the council decide which plan they want to adopt, then let the public comment on it tonight before the final vote.
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The city attorney says the council can take action, including reconsidering the previous decision to adopt a redistricting plan.
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Twelve people are signed up to speak on redistricting.
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Wade: "Plan E has the lowest variance."
Gilbert says he has no preference among the plans other than that he wants to see split precincts reunited.
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Wade raises the question of whether reuniting the precincts would risk running afoul of the Justice Department because the land areas are not contiguous. Earlier, Gilbert has said (paraphrasing) you're talking about people, not dirt.
"I think the Justice Department would look favorably at that if they were looking at that."
Bellamy-Small asks Gilbert about the cost of moving precincts.
Gilbert: "The cost of moving is basically the cost of mailing each affected voter their new information.... You're looking at a cost of roughly 50 cents a card."
Gilbert, further: "Any time you change the redistricting you're going to get someone who doesn't get the word until they show up at the polls and they can't find the candidate they're looking for."
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Only one plan, Wade's Plan E, reunites split precincts.
"I do not think this business of following the interstate around the city makes any more sense than point contiguity, which involves precincts touching each other at an infinitesimal point."
Gilbert says that all the plans could be redrawn to reunite the split precinct.
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Guilford County Elections Director is speaking to council members to advocate unifying split precincts for the purpose of avoiding uncertainty and to avoid election tabulation errors.
"It is a real threat to the integrity of the process."
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District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny restates his remarks at a pair of public meetings, and asks Sherman to confirm.
Matheny: "I believe that I stated that there was a 9.2 percent variance, which means that technically there is no need for redistricting, but I could see the need for reducing the variance and I could see some council members wanting to redistrict."
Sherman said this is what he recalls Matheny saying.
District 1 Councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small asks Sherman to confirm that the citizens also said they wanted to minimize disruption.
Sherman: "At both of the meetings that i attended there was a strong sentiment on the part of the public that there should be no change."
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GIS Manager Steve Sherman is running through the various plans that have been submitted. First Plan A, which is the current plan that was adopted by the council in 2008.
Sherman's presentation does not identify the plans by which council members submitted them. For those who are curious, Plan B was submitted by Rakestraw, Plan C was submitted by Bellamy-Small, and plans D and E were submitted by District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade.
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Now for the public hearing on redistricting....
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Theresa Boney [sp]: "I'm self sufficient. I've got water; I've got sewer. I'm happy where I am."
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Robert Boney of Fleming Road: "The only thing we heard about is when they come out there and stuck a sign in the ground...."
Boney, who is accompanied by his wife, says that what Galanti said is not true, and that in fact he called Galanti and he is very opposed.
Robert Boney: "We moved out there to get away from city taxes. I'm going to be very honest with you: We cannot afford city taxes.... If I'm annexed into the city, I would be forced to move."
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The council votes 7-2 to accept revisions to staff's report on city-initiated annexations. Kee participates in the vote. The two dissenting votes come from District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade and District 4 Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw.
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City employee Steve Galanti says that the city will have to hire additional police officers, but additional funding will not be required because their salaries will be reallocated from existing resources.
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District 2 Councilman Jim Kee just called back in. He's participating by telephone. He was disconnected somehow. There are murmurs from the gallery of "not allowed," presumably based on a precedent set by the city attorney at the last meeting.
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The council is now hearing a report on six proposed city-initiated annexation. Five of the six are located on the east side of the city.
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Welcome. I'm live-blogging tonight's meeting of the Greensboro City Council. Feel free to shoot me questions or weigh in with your comments.
The big item on the agenda is a recommendation to narrow the list of companies considered to handle the city's solid waste to three that have proposed to reopen the White Street Landfill. A narrow majority of the council has already indicate that they favor this course of action, so tonight's vote is more of a formality than anything else.
Also significant is a public hearing on five redistricting plans. The agenda does include a recommendation that the council vote to adopt a plan tonight.
The plans are available for review here.
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