Street Light Enhancements Are On The Way For Many Neighborhoods in Sanford

 In the weeks ahead, Progress Energy will begin work on the first phase of the new city street lighting enhancement program.  Sanford is one of the first cities in our state committed to making lighting improvements of this type and on this scale. The goal is to raise street lighting levels throughout the city, and comply with the ASHTO (American Association of State Highway Transportation) lighting standards. This should almost double the amount of existing street lighting in our city.

There will be improvements in each Ward in Sanford.  East Sanford, Forrest Hills, Currie Drive and Martin Street are areas slated for improvements.  Areas were chosen by city staff on a worse case basis. 

The lighting will be a three part process:

• Areas marked Red (1) represents the first areas to be enhanced   
• Areas marked Green (2) represent areas pending fund availability and would be second.
• Areas marked Blue (3) represent areas pending fund availability after the second.
• State roads are in PURPLE. Request for enhancements on state roads have been submitted, however take 6 to 9 months for approval.

All areas are throughout the city are unique and will require different levels of funding depending on existing poles, etc.  It is believed that each Ward could receive approximately 90 lights if all goes well. 

This is the first year of many that will focus on street light enhancement.  Be patient, the plan is not to stop until every neighborhood is complete.  This project will take time.  

Improved street lighting is just one pieces of the puzzle that will help make our city a safer place to live.  If you have any questions on this issue please call City Manager Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

 

Tall Grass Along The Road Ways………Who Cuts What ……and When?

 

Have you ever driven past an area of our city and wondered why the grass was so tall, or why the city hasn’t mowed it?  If so, then you’re not alone. 

The city is responsible for all mowing along city streets and right of ways.  City crews have worked hard to mow on a more frequent basis. Compared to years past, I’d would have to say that the crews have done a pretty good job.  How much rain we receive is also a determining factor.  City buildings, Depot Park, sewer easements, green space owned by the city, flower beds, etc.  are all maintained by the city crews.  This also includes many of the flower beds along the highway bridges and underpasses of US Hwy 1 and Hwy 421.

The State Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for mowing state roads and highways.  DOT contracts this service out each year. The contractor mows road sides five times a year. This mowing begins in the spring and every 4 to 6 weeks the contractor is suppose to mow the required areas.  The first, third, and fourth mowing each year consist of just the road side areas.  The second and third mowing consist of the entire right of way owned by the state.  This means everything on both sides of the road, medians, etc.

In some areas the DOT scheduled mowing just does not seem to be frequent enough to keep our city looking as it should.  The city crews weed-eat around signs and flower beds. (the state does not weed-eat) Unfortunately, these flower beds and signs are usually surrounded by very tall grass.  This is not how the system is suppose to work.   I believe this schedule is proving itself to be an unacceptable answer to our mowing needs in certain areas inside the city limits.  

City staff is very aware of this problem. They are currently meeting with the state discusing how scheduling may be improved in these areas so they are cut more frequently. Several options are on the table. This problem should be solved before next years mowing season begins. 

How our city looks and is maintained is very important.  If there are areas that you believe need improvement in Sanford please call City Manager Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201, Councilman Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587 or any council member.

Problems With Any City Service?……… Who Are You Going To Call?

A few months ago, I received a phone call from a city resident concerning trash pick-up in the neighborhood.  As I rode through the neighborhood on the way to this persons house, I discovered the problem wasn’t the trash pick-up…..it was the container let down. 

I phones Larry Craig at the city who alerted Waste Management there was a problem on that route.  It took about 15 minutes and there were Waste Management employees there picking up the cans and any debris that may have fallen on the ground.  They drove the entire neighborhood to make sure it was corrected. I was later informed that the problem with their driver and/or truck had been resolved.  Problem solved.

The point is this…..Sometimes things are not quite right for one reason or another. Unfortunately, that is the case.  How the city responds to the problems is what’s important.  If you have any problems with Waste Management or any city service, please call any council member, the city manager, or the specific department ( streets, water, etc.) that can help correct your problem.  Large, small…..or even very small, please let us know.  We are all here to fix any problems you may have if at all possible. 

All phone numbers are available on the city web sight.  www.sanfordnc.net  on the left hand side just click phone directory.

Steve Brewer 919-770-9587    City Manager Hal Hegwer 919-775-8201

Rain & Wind From Tropical Storm Hanna Certainly Not Good….. But Not Too Bad

 

  

Tropical storm Hanna brought 5 to 7 inches of rain to the area early Sunday morning and wind gust up to 40 miles per hour. 

Some businesses prepared for the worse.  Payne Insurance lined sand bags along the front and rear of the building to prevent rising water from flooding their location.  All was well, because the water never reached the sand bags or the building.  Their neighbor, Wright Travel, also received no damage from rising water.  The water stopped just short of the entrance to their building.

The high winds and saturated ground caused a large oak tree to fall on the home of former Mayor Winston Hester.  No injuries were reported, however several large limbs crashed through one of the bedrooms in the home.  Phil Stone’s Tree Service was there early this morning to begin removing the tree from the house.

A dead pine tree fell across Carbonton Road.  Progress Energy crews were restoring power this morning to the residents in that area. It may be a few days before all the street lights are fully serviceable in that area.

The creek behind Riverburch Shopping Center was overflowing its banks this morning.  Mullins & Sherman Architects office on Carbonton Road had the pumps going.  The Pond at the Porches subdivision was as full as I”ve ever seen it.  Heritage Points pond was over flowing along with Carbonton Coves.

I’m not sure if the storm was the cause, however the train signal at Charlotte and Chatham was ringing and flashing all morning.  The only train in sight was the one in Depot Park. 

It appears that our area was spared from a great deal of damage from Hanna. We were lucky……this time. Hopefully, Hurricane Ike will stay far away from our area.  Our saturated ground needs no wind for quite a while.

Cole Street Parking Lot a Success – 2 Years Old This Month

It has been two years since the renovation of the Cole Street Parking Lot located on the corner of South Steele Street and Cole Street.

The lot was origanilly the sight of Steele Street Methodist Church.  The church moved to the corner of Curry Drive and Wicker Street (Hwy 42 west) in the 1970’s, and is now Saint Luke Methodist Church. 

The county acquired the property for additional parking for county offices located in the WilrikHotel building.  The county moved to the old hospital and the Wilrik building was purchased by Progress Energy and renovated in the early 90’s, the lot was no longer needed by the county. 

Downtown Sanford Inc. leased the lot from the county for additional parking in the downtown area.  The lot had very little traffic at that time for several different reasons.  Insufficient lighting was a major deterrent during evening hours. The lot being of gravel and dust, lack of handicap ramps, and no entrance on Steele Street, all contributed to the lots lack of use. 

In 2006 the lot was acquired from the county by the city council and the council voted to renovate the lot.  S.T. Wooten Corp. was awarded the contract for curbing and paving.  P.R. Faulk installed the new lighting.  The city crews landscaped the islands and other areas to complete the project.  The final cost was approximately $165,000 for the total make-over.  Approximately $125, 000. of this money was part of Downtown Sanford Inc.’s saved contingency fund from the special tax district.

Today the lot is an important part of our growing downtown area and has a great deal of traffic.  The county has also moved the Board of Elections and Emergency Management into the building across the street from the lot.  These new residents have more traffic than the previous tenants.  It’s great to see an project like this one be such a success. Hopefully, there will be many more successful projects in our near future.

If you have any questions on this issue please call David Montgomery at 919-775-8332 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

Sanford Herald Article Not Quite Correct Concerning Meeting Agendas

The front page article in The Sanford Herald today, “Council Debates Agenda Deadlines,” had an unfortunate error that could leave readers with the wrong impression. To be fair, after the long discussion on the issue, I could see how this misunderstanding could have happened.

The story stated, “The agendas are currently completed by 10 a.m. on the Mondays prior to the Law and Finance Committee meetings but are not made public until the council members receive them at the meetings.”  This is incorrect. 

The cut off  for submitting items for the Law & Finance agenda is 10 a.m. on Mondays.  This material must then be compiled, organized, and tweaked by the city clerk. Then reviewed by the city manager and city attorney, before the final multiple copies are printed. Items are sometimes being worked on and finalized the morning of the meeting.

It should be noted that the original request from Councilman Taylor was to have an agenda ready by Monday morning before the Wednesday meeting.  If an agenda is prepared for distribution on Monday, it must be available for the media, the public, and the council at that time. (See August 28th post titled City Meetings, Agandas, etc.”)

Below is The Herald article in its entirety.

Council Debates Agenda Deadlines City votes to not enforce deadlines before Law and Finance meetings
 By GORDON ANDERSON
 anderson@sanfordherald.com
  SANFORD — Members of the Sanford City Council ar­gued Tuesday about whether to publicly release the agenda for their bi-weekly Law and Finance Committee meetings earlier.
  By a vote of 5-2, with council­men Mike Stone and Charles Taylor dissenting, the council voted to continue making the agendas available the day of the meetings, at which council members discuss issues that will arise at regular meetings but do not take votes. Taylor had asked for the agendas to be made available two days before the meetings take place.
  The agendas are currently completed by 10 a.m. on the Mondays prior to the Law and Finance Committee meetings but are not made public until the council members receive them at the meetings.
  Councilman Steve Brewer said he was opposed to making the agendas public before the meetings because he wanted to be prepared to answer any ques­tions if his constituents call him about the issues.
  “I don’t want people calling me and asking me questions about something that I haven’t heard anything about,” he said, explaining that if the agendas were made public prior to the meetings, the media could potentially write stories about upcoming issues that council members hadn’t been able to learn about yet. “When are you going to start your information process? As far as I can tell, Law and Finance meetings are the beginning of that process.”
  Stone said he didn’t care if the media learned about council is­sues before the meetings.
  “My purpose in city govern­ment is getting information to the people,” he said. “I could care less if the media gets (the agendas). So what? The media’s job is also to get information out to the public.”
  In other business, the council voted to:
  ■ Permanently close a portion of Martin Street that is currently unused.
  ■ Award an administrative services contract worth $ 7,000 to Hobbs and Upchurch, a Southern Pines-based civil engineering and surveying firm, for services related to an upcoming capital project.
  ■ Approve the building of a new subdivision called Bar­rington Park along N.C. 87 at Commerce Drive. The subdivi­sion will be a residential-com­bill.

If you have any questions concerning this issue please call Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

 

Old Rescue Squad Building….Going, Going, Gone!

  

The demolition of the old Rescue Squad building on McIver Street is now complete. In just five days……now you see it…..now you don’t.  What a difference, and in just a few days. 

City staff secured the funding to purchase the buildings through a grant from the state.  This grant was awarded for the removal of blight in the East Sanford area. The demolition cost was approximately $25,000.

One more step in right direction, improving the appearance of our city. Bob Bridwell and the Community Development Department staff worked very hard on this project. Thank you all for your hard work, it is truely paying off.  All anyone has to do is look around and take notice. 

If you have any questions about this issue, please call Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

City Meetings, Agendas, and Informing the Public

The following is a follow up to the editorial titled; We need more detailed, timely city council agendas.
 This editorial ran in the Sanford Herald on Thursday, August 28^th, 2008. Hopefully, this will explain how and why some procedures are in place concerning meetings, agendas, etc. The bold print is from the paper. The follow up information is in regular print.

Maybe the Sanford City Coun­cil has become so used to disagreeing with Council­men Mike Stone and Charles Taylor, it’s become second nature, regardless of subject matter.
  It doesn’t make it any less baf­fling, however, that some council­men would argue against Taylor and Stone’s suggestion Wednesday of a deadline for agenda items to be submitted for the council’s twice­monthly agenda-setting Law and Finance meetings.

Before 1993, Law & Finance was originally a meeting of the Mayor and 3 council members.  These council members would set the agenda for the upcoming regular meeting. 

The decision was made to change the meeting to include all council members.  This allowed the city staff to bring ideas & concerns to the council that may need to be addressed.  The entire council, would then make decisions and form the regular council meeting agenda. 

There is a great deal of support data that is required and accompanies some issues. Sometimes this information is not completed until Wednesday morning. Law & Finance meetings are on the Wednesday before the regular council meeting. The city clerk gathers and organizes this information for the meeting.

  We’ve heard arguments in the past from some councilmen that the meetings shouldn’t be televised.
  That’s debatable. The argument (a poor one, we feel) is the council can’t be open and up front when discuss­ing what should go on the agenda for the council meeting, which is intended to be a very public and very open event.

The debate has been over for many months.  The meetings are on TV.  A point that should be mentioned is Law & Finance meetings are fact finding and discussion meeting. No voting on any issue is done then.

 In my opinion, TV cameras make some council members not speak as freely as they’d like at times.  I also feel that some council members are caught up in being on TV and posture to the cameras.  I have seen council members act as if they were speaking to the audience at meetings.  In reality, the council chambers were empty. The only people there were the council members, the city manager, the city attorney, clerk, and the staff member speaking.  

There is a great deal of  value in letting the citizens see the discussion process of Law & Finance, however, sometimes I feel that it does suppress some council members free thinking, and open conversation.  This same rule would apply to the regular meetings.

  But there shouldn’t even be a de­bate when it comes to doing every­thing possible to ensure a detailed, informative agenda that’s open to public scrutiny before all meetings.

Law & Finance is an information and discovery process for council.  The news paper gets the information at the same time that council does.  That day at the meeting. The information is placed at the council member’s seat in the council chamber.  

As previously stated; at times, the staff adds things to the Law & Finance meeting agenda at the last minute.  If an agenda was sent out Monday morning electronically, it would be possible that a council member could read an editorial about how they should react to an idea, before even having a chance to hear from the city staff.  That would not be beneficial to anyone.

 It’s true, the Law and Finance meet­ing is a time for open discussion, but the public has a right to know what will be discussed. The public — which is responsible for voting in each councilmember — should most certainly be aware of what will be discussed in these meetings … even if it’s a“preparation meeting.” 

The public gets the information the same time as the council and the media.  The fact finding meetings are televised and available on the City web site on the internet.  They are also reported on by the news paper.  There is NO action taken at these meetings.  They are not voting meetings.

 
  Currently Sanford City Council agendas — which are sent by mail, and not the electric kind — are sometimes slow in reaching the intended destinations. The Herald at times receives its Sanford agenda the day of or day after the meeting is held.

As discussed in the meeting held with the Editor of the Herald on Friday, August 22nd, 2008. Before this editorial was printed. The city is working on getting the regular meeting agenda out electronically.  It is important to note, this meeting was requested by a member of council trying to improve the way the city communicates and shares information with the media.  Getting the agenda and information out in a timely manner, and informing the citizens is an important issue.  This subject had been recently mentioned in an editorial in the Herald. 

  As for the city’s Web site, the most recent agenda on its site is Aug. 19.

Regular meetings agendas are the only agendas posted on the web site.  The last meeting was August 19^th.

           The most recent “minutes” from a meeting were published back on June 3.

This area could use some improvement. It does take a long time to type the long meeting minutes currently held by council. In a perfect world, correct minutes should follow meetings by about 21 days and be posted. They have to be submitted to council at the following meeting (2 weeks), then approved.  If there are no amendments they can be posted.  There are many other duties the City Clerk has to accomplish in addition to minutes of meetings.

   The meeting may be viewed, in its entirety, on the city web usually by the morning following the meeting.    

  This means John Doe isn’t finding out in time that the city is planning a zoning change in his neighborhood.

The city post signs in neighborhoods that inform the public of zoning changes, etc.  The neighbors are notified by mail.  A public notice is posted in the Herald.  Usually, the Herald post what will be discussed at the regular meeting the day of the meeting.

 A public hearing is held for all matters such as zoning, etc.  There is also a public comment period before the regular agenda at every regular meeting.  Before any voting takes place on issues.

  It means John Doe doesn’t have time to fill out the proper paperwork to be able to speak at the council meet­ings.

Anyone can sign up to speak at a council meeting. The law requires it be allowed once a month. The city allows it at every regular meeting. It is a good idea. Citizens can sign up with the city clerk 15 minutes before the meeting.  All anyone needs is their name and address.  This shouldn’t take too long, even if they print.  They will speak before the council begins the regular agenda.

  It means it will be another voice unheard.

This is a little dramatic……..don’t you think.

  The law states that TV cameras, recording devices and the public cannot be barred from open public meetings. It also states that coun­cils must give the public 48 hours of notice for meetings — regular or special — stating the time, place and purpose of the meeting. It does not state, however, that the agenda has to be detailed or even distributed …
  it can be simply posted on City Hall’s door to be legal.

  That means it’s our elected of­ficials job to make an effort when it comes to informing the public. That we have councilmen at odds over this very subject is the real head­scratcher here. The debate should be “how do we make the public more informed?” … “not how do we keep them in the dark?”

The debate is… how long it takes to gather the information and put it in the proper form before distribution.  After a Tuesday night meeting, a Monday morning cut-off would allow 3 days to have everything ready for an agenda for Law & Finance. 

There are many other things being worked on in the city besides meeting agendas. The reason regular agendas are able to be finalized in 2 days is because most of the preliminary work is gathered for discussion at the Law & Finance meeting.  This is released all in plain view of the public…….seen for the first time by the public, the media, and the council members in an unbiased manner.

 I believe the public should be informed.  I believe that council should be informed also.  Informing the public is not the issue.  How to plan for meetings, gather and prepare information, and how this information is presented to the council is the issue.

If the city council, the press, and the public learn what may, or may not be on the Law & Finance agenda all at the same time…… I believe that the public is being informed and in a fair manner.

As I mentioned before.  This is not an action taking meeting.  No voting on issues.  It is time for council to learn and ask questions…..all seen on TV and the internet. The regular meeting has been structured so citizens can speak on issues before any vote is taken.

The city council is a representative form of government.  Council members are elected to do a job.  They are to make decisions using their best judgment and ability.  I believe informing the public and allowing their input before decisions are made is being accomplished by the city council.

If you have questions please or call Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

Cable Problems In Sanford….Who Has Control?

 

It seems that every week I have a person speak to me concerning the local cable company.  Some questions are a little more complicated than others, but not very often. Most of the time, they are all basically the same.

The following questions are the ones that are asked the most.  

• Why doesn’t the City change cable companies?
• Why won’t you let some competition come to Sanford?
• Why is my bill so high compared to other towns?
• Why doesn’t the current company offer more?

The City has no control of the local cable company.  The cable company is a business that pays the City of Sanford for use of the city “right of ways”.  The revenue from this is approximately $150,000. each year.  The cable company also allows the city to broadcast on their cable network, and supplies a cable “back bone” between certain government buildings for the city and the county. 

The cable contract is non-exclusive.  This means that any cable company to can do business in the Sanford market.  This is very unlikely, because the Sanford market is so small.  It would be cost prohibitive for a traditional cable company to start from scratch and provide cable service.  remember…the city does not own the cable lines through out the city.  The current cable company owns them. There has been a bit of speculation that our current cable company may be purchased by a larger company.  At this time, this is pure speculation.

There are approximately 9000 cable customers in Sanford and Lee County. Windstream (Dish Network), and satellite companies like Direct TV are the only alternatives currently available in this market.  The addition of Internet service and Internet phone service has made consumers take a closer look at “bundling” services and trying other options. The local phone company now offers Dish Network along with Internet service for example.

The monthly fees charged by each cable company after any “special offers,”  are almost the same.  Most offer a “bundle” option for six, or twelve months. When the special pricing expires, the pricing structure differs only slightly. You can visit other companies web sites and view their price structure, contract requirements, etc.  Many companies group different items together for different reasons. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples.

The services are where you can find the most difference. Some offer more basic channels, DVR, sports channels, newer equipment, and more.  Larger companies have more influence when negotiating with providers such as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, etc. It makes since that if you lived in a larger market, then you would get more bang for your buck.

It is a shame that our current cable company cannot offer more.  They are upgrading all the time.  The service is much, much, better than it was three or four years ago.  Signal reliabilityhas has improved greatly.   There is still some problems with the Internet from time to time, but it seems to be getting better.  I would suggest calling the cable company if you have any problems.  The on site response time is much quicker than I expected. 

Bottom line is that the city has no more control over the cable company than they have over Progress Energy, Windstream, Alltel, Direct TV, or PSNC Energy.  We have none! Depending on the situation, they may or may not pay for easements on right of ways.  As far as services offered, pricing, and quality……..they have complete control.

If you have any questions on this issue, please call City Manager Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201, or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

Demolition and Property Cleanup in Sanford… How? When? Why? Who Pays for the Cleanup?

Video by Randall Yow from You Tube on East Sanford decay.

Condemned house on 7th Street in 2007

Same house as of August 21st, 2008

Corner of Ray Ave. & Seventh Street

 

 

Randall Yow has produced a five minute video on You Tube that shows several unsightly areas in East Sanford. He makes a point to show how nice areas like Depot Park, the old city hall, and the Kelly MarCom building on Charlotte are today. He then shows three properties that are in need of demolition or repair. He ask people to call the city manager and county manager. 

 

Some important question or information has been left out of this video.

 

• What is the history of each property? 
• Who is responsible for these properties?
• Who will pay for the cleanup of these properties?
• Why hasn’t Randall Yow called the governing bodies to discuss this issue? 

 

There are several houses in our city that have been condemned by Code Enforcement.  This doesn’t mean the building will be destroyed.  This means that currently minimum housing requirements have not been met and/or the property is unsafe. Most condemned buildings are refurbished. Buildings that cannot be refurbished begin the demolition process.

 

There is a lengthy, legal process the city must go through to demolish a property owners building.  A hearing is held through Code Enforcement.  Hopefully, the property owner will take care of the problem through voluntary demolition.  The city has been very successful with this approach.  If voluntary demolition is not an option, the City Council must vote to demolish and award the bid for demolition.  The property owner is informed of the Council’s decision. The building is demolished and the property is cleared of debris.  Keep in mind, from the very beginning, after each decision is made during the process, the property owner has a set period of time to respond.  That is what makes demolition a very lengthy process.

 

It is important to note that the house in the video was demolished on August 18th, 2008.  This house had been scheduled for demolition for some time.  Equipment problems suffered by the contractor delayed demolition.

 

There are two collection processes that city uses for demolition.  During voluntary demolition the city assist the owner in obtaining a contractor to demolish the building.  The property owner pays all fees for the demolition.  Forced demolition is paid for by the city.  A tax lien is placed on the property at the courthouse.  This helps assure the city will be reimbursed for the cost of demolition.

 

The McIver School building is privately owned by Sandra Wilson.  She is currently working with a group to restore portions of the building.  This group has an active soup kitchen that serves citizens on the weekends at that location.  It will take time to restore this old building.  Remember W.B. Wicker took years.  It also had grants, public-private partnerships, etc. to transform that property into a nice facility. McIver School will be a very slow process, and be very costly. The good news is that the process has begun.  The building is secure and is fenced in the front for safety.

 

In the case of the API building (old Roberts Company) on Market Street, the building collapsed into the street.  The city pushed the debris out of the street, back onto the property.  The owners were then contacted and advised of the situation.  The company is bankrupt. The final cleanup, and cost associated with the cleanup, may fall on the city and county. The legalities of this issue are complicated.  The city is working very hard to resolve the issue with this property.

 

I am very glad Mr. Yow is concerned about our city.  His heart is in the right place. He is just not aware of all that has been done, and is being done.  In 1995 Depot Park was an old parking lot with a junk pile, a rusty train, and a building in disrepair.  The old city hall and Kelly MarCom buildings were in disrepair before renovation. 

 

 

Progress is being made.  This progress is taking place faster than you think.  If you compared 2006 to 2008, you would see a great deal of improvement in our city on many fronts.  We still have a good ways to go. I can assure you….we are headed in the right direction.

If you have any questions about these issues, please call City Manager Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201, or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT

Pocket Park Named in Honor of Walter McNeil Jr.

Walter H. McNeil

 

The neighborhood “pocket park” on the corner of Martin Street and Pineland Street was officially named the W. H. McNeil Jr.Park by the Sanford City Council. The naming was in response to a request from the residents of the neighborhood.  These residents generated a petition during their National Night Out celebration and presented it last week to City Council.  The petition requested the park be named in honor of Councilman Walter H. McNeil for all his efforts in improving their neighborhood.

Walter McNeil has a long history of working to improve the city and his Ward.  He was appointed to the City Council in December 1980.  He filled the vacancy left by Rex McLeod who was appointed Mayor.  At that time, McNeil’s seat was at-large and for a two year term.  During his third or fourth term, the city was divided into the current Ward system and terms were extended to four years.  At the end of his current term, McNeil will have served the citizens of the City of Sanford for almost thirty-one years. 

The area where the park is located is one that McNeil has been working to improve for quite some time.  Crime is an important issue that has been at the forefront in the neighborhood.  No parking signs were installed in the areas where individuals would “hang out,” and new increased street lighting is to be installed in the very near future.   Community police, community watch, mobile police unit, National Night Out, etc. are all measures that were put in place to help deter crime in the area.  There is still room for improvement, but there is no doubt that the neighborhood is headed in the right direction.

There has been some discussion concerning the naming of this neighborhood pocket park.  I believe that you have to look at each situation individually, and consider each one on its own merits.  In this case, the neighbors wanted to name their neighborhood park.  It is great to see them want to take ownership and show pride in their neighborhood assets.  That’s what being a neighborhood is all about.

The fact that Walter McNeil is on the City Council, or is still alive should not matter.  Establishing a policy to try and make future Councils decisions for them is not the answer.  If they disagreed in later years they would just change the policy.  Council is elected to make decisions on issues as they arise and on their own merit, not to tell future Councils how to make decisions during their terms.

Naming a city asset in honor of an individual is a very important issue.  All the facts must be considered.  You must ask yourself, is this the right thing to do? In the end, each council member should look into their heart, and make their decision.  The dedicated, continuous service to the citizens of Sanford since 1980 clearly shows an individual that is well deserving of this honor.  I believe the right thing to do in this case was to honor the neighborhood residents request, and name their “pocket park“ the W.H. McNeil Jr. Park.

 

Eliminating Pole Signs

There are many challenges in making Sanford an aesthetically pleasing city.  Roadside litter is an obvious, on going concern.  City crews have worked hard on this issue. Hopefully, there will be a noticeable improvement with the additional inmate crews contracted to pick up roadside litter.  Litter is just one of many different items that have an impact on the appearance of our city.

The elimination of “pole signs” was another step in the right direction in improving our appearance.  The pictures above show the before sign and after sign view of each property. Two years ago, code enforcement began informing merchants with pole signs that this type signage was not allowed within the city limits. Although there are a few signs that show up here and there, most merchants understand and have complied with the ordinance.

Posters, playbills, advertisements, etc., nailed, stapled, or attached to utility poles are also no longer permitted.  One good rain and the nice poster becomes an eye soar.  City crews remove these type signs also. 

City Council is working hard to make Sanford an aesthetically pleasing city.  How aesthetically pleasing our city is will always be a challenge and a very important one.  We only have one chance to make a first impression, and first impressions are ever lasting.  New ideas to improve our appearance are continually being brought to the forefront. I believe this hard work is paying off.  Hopefully our appearance, and how we feel about our appearance, will continue to improve.

If you have any questions on this issue please call City Manager, Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

7th Birthday Brings a New Coat of Paint for Band Stand at Depot Park

It has been seven years since the completion and dedication of the Progress Energy Pavilion, then CP&L, band stand in Depot Park.  It’s hard to believe it was 1995 when Joni Martin made a presentation to the Sanford Rotary Club with the new idea.

I’ll have to admit that at the time I didn’t think there would ever be enough interest generated to make the idea become a reality.  Even after the construction began I had my doubts about how the area would be accepted, and the facility utilized, by the citizens of Sanford.  I never believed that the funds could be raised to build such a beautiful place.  I am very happy to say that I was wrong.  Depot Park, although taking a long time to complete, has indeed become the focal point of our downtown.

 This week the band stand is getting a much needed, new coat of paint.  After getting off to a slow start, the band stand gets quite a bit of use these days.  There is the Thursday Night Concert Series from May until September.  With the installation of a new sound system and movie screen, the new movie night in the park will be coming soon.  There are also many groups that utilize the band stand and have bands, choirs, cheerleading exhibitions, etc. throughout the year.   Downtown Sanford Incorporated (DSI) is in charge of all the scheduling and booking of the park.

There are many people that contributed to Depot Park and helped make it the success it is today.  It shows how a community can come together and make things happen.  There were many hours of planning and fund raising by the individuals on the Depot Park Committee.  The number of changes that had to be made due to the “unknown” was amazing.  It was indeed a challenge. The citizens of Sanford should be very thankful there are such dedicated people in the community.

Happy Birthday Depot Park, and thank you Joni Martin, Depot Park committee members, the city staff, and all the generous contributors for making our city a better place to live.  You are the ones that made it happen.

For more information about Depot park contact David Montgomery at 919-775-8332 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

Storms Temporarily Close Sanford Golf Course

Sanford Golf Course will be closed to regular play today. Maintenance crews are hard at work cleaning up debris from last nights severe thunderstorms.  There are several large pine trees that were snapped off at the top. Some are laying across fairways and around a few greens.  Large limbs, sticks,pine cones, etc. cover many areas on the course. 

As crews work on the course, this will not effect the approximately eighty children attending golf camp this week. They won’t let Mother Nature stand in the way of them improving their game.  It is great to see the youth of our community learning more about the game and having fun.

Hopefully, the course will be able to open Tuesday.  Please call the Sanford Golf Course at 919-775-8320 for more information.

NOTE: THE COURSE OPENED TUESDAY, AUGUST 12th AT 9AM.

Slowing Neighborhood Traffic

One of the many questions asked on National Night Out was how to slow down traffic in the neighborhood.  Depending on what type street you live on will depend on the method of speed control that may help.  This is an on going concern. The city has had some success in areas and is working in several others areas where citizens have reported excessive speeds.

One of the first steps is to conduct a traffic study of the area in question.  The city has a small device that is temporarily installed on the road itself.  This device counts the number vehicles coming and going each day, and the speed of those vehicles.  After reviewing the information from the traffic study, a plan for that particular street or area is developed. 

There are several different ways that you can attempt to slow traffic. Different situations dictate the success or failure in each case.  Some solutions are:

• Reduce the speed limit to a lower speed
• Post more signage and possibly highlight as a reminder
• Temporary signage to bring new awareness to the problem
• Speed humps or bumps (The city has considered but has not tried this.)
• Stop signs, to break up traffic flow
• Speed indicators are temporary devices that make you aware how fast you are going
• Police car decoy
• Police using radar

A neighborhood that has a great deal of thru traffic is the most challenging.  Winterlocken, located in the Long View Acres and West Landing subdivisions, and Gulf Street in the Rosemont McIver Park Historic District, are good examples.  These neighborhoods had an average vehicle speed of 5 to 10 miles per hour (mph) faster than the posted speed limit.  Unfortunately, at times there were a few vehicles traveling on in excess of 50 mph.  A speed indicator and a four way stop were chosen to help slow traffic on these streets.  Combined with police patrols, this seems to be slowing the traffic in these areas.

Carbonton Road, in the Kiwanis Park area, presented a different challenge.  This area has a speed limit change from 45 mph to 35 mph located on an incline.  Posting more signage, speed indicators and police using radar seem to be a winning combination that is slowing traffic on this stretch of road.   There are still some that choose to speed, but the majority of drivers are slowing down.

Neighborhoods such as Brentwood, Carbonton Heights, Westcroft, Bellaire, Planters Ridge, Muirfield, Westlake Downs, etc., have no main thoroughfare leading to other areas of the city. There is a limited amount of traffic in these type neighborhoods and most of the people driving too fast are the neighbors. Temporary signs and police patrol will help in these areas; however the neighbors may be the key.

It is impossible to have a police patrol in your area all the time.  Getting involved and discussing problem speeders with your neighbors may help solve some problems.  Community Watches can help with this problem too.  Many times in these areas it is a young neighborhood driver who is traveling too fast.  They either live close by or are visiting a friend.  Either way, someone in the neighborhood, usually knows who these individuals are and where they live or visit. You may need his or her parents contacted to help with the problem.  Children tend to play more in the streets in these areas and no one ever wants to see anyone get hurt. 

Our traffic flow is always changing. New streets and neighborhoods are increasing traffic volume.  As our city grows, so will traffic concerns.  The City Council and Police Department are continually working on different plans for problem areas.  If you have a concerns about an area please call Major Gray with the Sanford Police Department at 919-775-8346, or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

New Policies Help Save on Fuel

The City of Sanford is working hard to cut fuel consumption and save money.  Any unnecessary travel has been eliminated.  For example, if city personnel are traveling to Raleigh on city business, each   department is contacted to see if there is anything that needs to be dropped off, picked up, etc., in that area.  This is not just used for out of town travel. In town trips are also consolidated.

A propane injection system is currently being tested on one of the cities diesel pick-up trucks.  So far this has improved the fuel mileage for that vehicle by approximately 100%.  This looks very promising; however the cost of the injection system is close to $4000.00.  This is the test period of this project.  If successful, the city may consider installing this system on more of the fleet. Hopefully the price of these units will come down as different companies begin to grow into this new market.

To save additional money, the oil change interval has been extended from 3000 miles to 4000 miles on all vehicles, with the exception of the Police Departments patrol fleet.  These front line vehicles are used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  They require brake inspection and servicing every 3000 miles. A synthetic oil is also being tested in hopes of producing less ware on the engines of city vehicles.

The Police Department will be phasing out the V-8 engine, Ford Crown Victoria used for detective vehicles.  The new detective cars will be the V-6 engine, Chevrolet Impala.  These cars also cost $4000.00 less than the Crown Victoria.  In the past, front line patrol cars were moved to the detective unit or other city departments.  The new program will retire the V-8’s used by those departments and new fuel efficient V-6’s will be purchased.  The estimated savings from changing the current policy of “hand-me-downs,” combined with other new policies, is estimated to reduce fuel consumption by 20%.

Five vehicles were retired and not replaced this year. This saved money on the maintenance and insurance on these vehicles.  Instead of replacing these vehicles, a vehicle “pool” has been established at the city garage.  This “pool” allows departments that require transportation on an irregular basis to have access to a vehicle.  This also allows these vehicles to be used to their maximum potential.

The City will continue to look into bio-fuels, hybrids, ethanol, smaller vehicles, etc.  Smaller vehicles where practical, and early vehicle retirement represents a change in philosophy for the city concerning vehicles. Reducing consumption and saving money is the goal regardless of the price of fuel.   These new practices will not stop if the price of fuel becomes less expensive.  Hopefully, when the numbers come in, we’ll be able to show just how much money we’ve saved.  This is a great step in the right direction.

If you have any questions on this issue, please call City Manager, Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

 

National Night Out a Great Success!

Coordinator Elizabeth Smith with Chief Barber & firemen from Station #3

National Night Out in the Sanford was a great success.  Twenty-nine neighborhoods organized their own event, planed the great tasting food and beverage, and invited friends and neighbors to join in the fight against crime in their community. 

 

I enjoyed visiting several different sites.  From what I am told, all the sites had very good turn outs despite the 100 degree temperature, and everyone seemed to have a very good time. It’s nice to take time to see old friends and neighbors, and to meet some new ones too.  The world is such a busy place these days that we sometimes forget just what makes a neighborhood……..it’s our neighbors.

 

There were fire trucks, the Fire Chief and firemen that visited each site. The police mobile command post went to the new locations this year, and police officers, detectives, city staff, the Mayor, and Council members all taking part and visiting as many sites as possible. 

 

I was part of a very good question and answer session at an event on Valley Road.  The Police Chief explained how and why the city uses radar in certain areas rather than others to control speeders.  He also spoke about some new high tech equipment purchased this year that will help fight crime. How community policing works was discussed and more. 

 

All and all it was a great night.  Councilman Walter McNeill and City Clerk Bonnie White worked with the neighborhood organizers and made it a night to remember.  This was Sanford’s largest National Night Out since beginning the program.  We’ve gone from nine in 2006, to twenty-nine in 2008. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and for making the City of Sanford a safe place to live.

 

If you would like any additional information about the National Night Out program, please call City Clerk, Bonnie White at 919-775-8364 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

Crime by the Numbers

 Sanford Crime Index for the Past 10 years.  Based on 2007 population of 26,633

Offense	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Murder	5	7	1	1	6	4	2	6	2	3
Rape	7	12	4	10	10	14	10	9	9	5
Robbery	62	61	50	65	87	91	67	62	64	59
Aggravated Assault	92	99	71	80	107	87	101	70	48	48
Violent Crime	166	179	126	156	210	196	180	147	123	115
Burglary	616	547	283	521	573	532	538	397	373	429
Larceny	1,757	1,682	996	1,788	1,765	1,651	1,284	1,251	1,153	930
MV Theft	123	110	90	88	112	93	127	111	79	93
Property Crime	2,496	2,339	1,369	2,397	2,450	2,276	1,949	1,759	1,605	1,452
Index Crime Total	2,662	2,518	1,495	2,553	2,660	2,472	2,129	1,906	1,728	1,567

Statesville population 26,094
	Offense 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Murder 3 4 4 0 1 2 2 4 2 7 Rape 7 5 6 11 8 14 8 8 6 10 Robbery 88 74 66 88 49 86 60 72 100 84 Aggravated Assault 349 210 179 111 139 144 142 180 135 174 Violent Crime 447 293 255 210 197 246 212 264 243 275                       Burglary 401 404 331 322 334 296 489 616 777 650 Larceny 1,318 1,140 1,533 1,603 1,402 1,483 1,250 1,318 1,273 1,013 MV Theft 113 114 74 86 89 76 98 93 124 131 Property Crime 1,832 1,658 1,938 2,011 1,825 1,855 1,837 2,027 2,174 1,794                       Index Crime Total 2,279 1,951 2,193 2,221 2,022 2,101 2,049 2,291 2,417 2,069

Kinston population 22,962
	Offense 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Murder 1 2 2 6 4 5 4 3 5 1 Rape 13 12 17 10 18 12 8 8 9 12 Robbery 78 51 63 73 75 64 46 60 44 63 Aggravated Assault 185 187 157 293 179 179 197 218 179 214 Violent Crime 277 252 239 382 276 260 255 289 237 290                       Burglary 524 379 325 404 637 487 589 526 396 359 Larceny 1,647 1,552 1,461 1,562 1,649 1,674 1,594 1,688 1,396 995 MV Theft 102 66 78 107 92 70 114 100 93 53 Property Crime 2,273 1,997 1,864 2,073 2,378 2,231 2,297 2,314 1,885 1,407                       Index Crime Total 2,550 2,249 2,103 2,455 2,654 2,491 2,552 2,603 2,122 1,697

Each year the SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) releases the crime statistics for cities across the state.  These statistics are broken down into categories of violent crime and property crime. They are then broken down further in each of these categories.

When comparing crime statistics to other cities, it is important to use cities with the same population and density make-up as your own.  Population density is an important factor.  The more people you have living close together, and the more interaction, the better possibility of more crime. The SBI suggest the cities of Statesville and Kinston as likely comparisons for the City of Sanford. 

The City of Sanford’s crime index is a great deal lower now that in 1998.  This is a result of hard work from local law enforcement.  Any crime is too much crime.  Local law enforcement continues to work very hard make our city a safe place to live.  With our growing population this is not an easy task.  We thank them for the hard work they do for our community.

If you have any questions about this issue, please call The Sanford Police Department at 919-775-8346, or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587. The web site for this information is http://sbi2.jus.state.nc.us/crp/public/Default.htm click 2007 on the left hand side. Click index crime in the far right column. Click Agency Index Offenses at the bottom of the center column.  Choose the city you would like to view.

Starting a Community Watch

National Night Out is just a few days away. This is the perfect time to consider ways of make your neighborhood safer for you, and your neighbors.  A Community Watch is a great way to start. This is a Crime Prevention program that involves neighbors working with each other, and local law enforcement, to reduce crime in their neighborhood.  

A Community Watch is the same as a Citizen Alert, Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, or Community Watch.  The names may be different, but the idea is the same.  Neighbors watching out for each other. 

A Community Watch involves:

• Residents protecting themselves & their property by using common sense crime prevention practices. 
• Neighbors getting to know each other, watching out for each other, and acting on and reporting suspicious activities.
• Residents working with groups, community leaders, and law enforcement to make the entire community safe & free from crime.

A Community Watch is a great idea.  We all know law enforcement officers cannot be on every street and every corner. They need our help and participation to fight crime.   The people in the neighborhood are the ones that really know what’s going on on their street.  By getting involved, the residents become a key element in securing the safety of their neighborhood, and their neighbors.

Community watches are very successful.  The goal of a Community Watch is to make criminals aware that the neighbors are watching and they know what may look suspicious. That they will also quickly report any suspicious activity to the police.   

To Start a community Watch Program in your neighborhood:

• Contact the Police Department if you live inside the city limits.  Contact the Sheriff’s Department if you live outside the city limits. Ask for Crime Prevention or Community Police.
• Schedule a meeting with your neighbors.
• Invite the Community Police to speak at your first meeting to help get your program started.
• Contact every resident in your neighborhood and invite them to the meeting.  You can go door-to door, make phone calls, or mail out flyers. Do what ever it takes to inform everyone of the meeting.
• Hold your meeting.

Community Watch works when people get involved and stay involved.  Any crime is too much crime.  Help us improve our quality of life by making our community a safer place to live. 

For more information on this subject, please call the Sanford Police Department at 919-775-8346, or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.

“Pocket Parks” almost ready!

Martin St. and Pineland St.

Third St. and North St.

The first “pocket parks” in Sanford are taking shape.  City work crews are installing a special mulch, as an impact absorber, at the park located on Martin Street and Pineland Street. Equipment installation crews are finishing up the assembly process at the park located on Third Street and North Street. 

It’s great to see this idea finally taking shape.  The seed for the “pocket park” concept was planted at the National Congress of Cities Exposition, held in New Orleans, in 2007.  On display there were several vendors with displays of recreational equipment, and illustrations of various parks of different sizes, located throughout our nation.  This is when Council began seriously discussing the pros and cons of our city, and the roll it should play in parks and recreation. 

In early 2005, then Ward 2 council member Cornelia Olive did discuss putting up a basketball goal at the Third Street location.  Several neighbors had concerns that a basketball court at that location would not be a wise decision.  The county Recreation Department had removed several goals from other areas for various reasons.  The cost to resurface and prepare the court, etc. was also a deterrent.  This idea never went any further, however it did make Council think just a little about the lack of parks in our city.

Years ago, the City and County agreed that the County would handle all the parks and recreation for Lee County.  As the years passed, several parks were abandoned by the County and that property reverted back to the City.  The City also acquired several small lots through FEMA buy outs, land gifts to the City, land transfers from the County, etc. For one reason or another, most of these lots may not be sold. The City leases out some of this property.  The ones that are not leased are regularly maintained by the City. 

The decision was made to invest in our neighborhoods with a series of small parks.  These parks would be designed to accomodate younger children considered to be pre-teens.  In early 2008, the City Council moved $75,000 from a curb project on Steele Street to fund the first two “pocket parks.”  Additionally, several green space areas would receive park benches, etc. in other areas.

This will be a slow, learn as we go, process.  Anallyzing all the pros and cons of the first parks, so we may improve, if need be, on future parks.  Different areas may require a different concept.  Some areas may need more, and others just a little.  As with these first two parks, neighborhood imput will be very important. Investing more into nieghborhoods, and improving the quality of life in Sanford, is an important goal of City Council.  Hopefully, this will be another step in the right direction.

If you have any questions, please call City Manager, Hal Hegwer at 919-775-8201 or Steve Brewer at 919-770-9587.