Upcoming Raleigh Events
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Transportation and Transit Committee Meeting
Transportation and Transit Committee Meeting
Growth and Natural Resources Committee Meeting
Growth and Natural Resources Committee Meeting
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Councilor Branch District C Meeting
Councilor Branch District C Meeting
Election Reform Petition Signing Event
Election Reform Petition Signing Event
Councilor Black’s District A Meeting
Councilor Black’s District A Meeting
Downtown South Quarterly Public Meeting
Downtown South Quarterly Public Meeting
Biltmore Hills Park Tennis Improvements Open House
Biltmore Hills Park Tennis Improvements Open House
Hospitality Industry Preparedness Education Session
Hospitality Industry Preparedness Education Session
Southwest Raleigh Community Engagement Meeting — Virtual
Southwest Raleigh Community Engagement Meeting — Virtual
DDNA (District D Neighborhood Alliance)
DDNA (District D Neighborhood Alliance)
Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities Meeting
Neuse River Park Public Workshop – Draft Concept Plan
Neuse River Park Public Workshop – Draft Concept Plan
Read up on our latest news…
INDYWeek Best of the Triangle 2023
In this time of unprecedented attacks on fundamental human rights and bodily autonomy, we believe INDY’s readers have made an excellent choice, naming Planned Parenthood – Orange / Chatham “BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUP” in the Triangle.
Raleigh is North Carolina’s first city to join the Network of Biophilic Cities
I urge our city leadership – elected and employed – to review the website for the Network of Biophilic Cities and make decisions with these values in mind.
Councilors Melton, Forte & Branch betray the people to serve Baldwin
ALL voters should remember this betrayal when next year’s election comes around. All four of the councilors who voted to restrict the time of the speakers have made it known they plan to run for re-election. What the four of them all said at this meeting is that voters CANNOT TRUST them to honor the commitments they make to the people of Raleigh.
December 12, 2023 City Council Meeting
Highlights Despite previously guaranteeing 3 minutes per speaker at Public Comments and establishing a special meeting to accommodate that, Mayor Baldwin instituted a one-minute limit per speaker because 108 people had signed up to speak. Four councilors voted for...
Meaningful engagement involves listening, hearing & taking action
Listening sessions with no action eventually lead to lack of resident belief that resident needs are indeed being heeded which results in demoralization of residents, or perhaps that is the intent.
Raleigh City Manager quietly receives whopping 10% pay increase
As an over 50 year resident of Raleigh, I write in opposition to the action taken yesterday afternoon by the council to give a mid-year raise to the city manager of a whopping 10% to her already $323,977 annual salary. As a taxpayer and Raleigh resident, this huge mid-fiscal year raise, while our city’s public safety and first responder workforce are in critical need of human resources and competitive compensation, along with the embarrassing lack of action for a year on the highly public and negatively media focused parade permitting process is embarrassing at the very least while sending very negative, questionable signals to city employees and the public of what the Mayor, City Manager and Council value most.
Save our parades
Wouldn’t you like to be seen as the heroes who saved our parades, rather than the Grinches who canceled them. Please direct staff to allow vehicles.
December 5, 2023 City Council Meetings
Highlights from December 5, 2023 Council Meetings
The UDO opens a Pandora’s Box
In my view, the UDO adopted in 2013, perhaps inadvertently, opens a back door to undercut the zoning rules.
Sloppy reporting leads to confused Raleigh residents
In the recent N&O article “Missing Middle, median income and more: The housing jargon you need to know” a mistake was made in the description of missing middle housing. The article conflated housing types with housing prices.
Density does NOT create affordability
You could have negotiated to include the same number of 56 affordable units as a community benefit for the increased entitlement given to the applicant while allowing them to benefit financially from 154 additional market rate units. Maybe even go crazy and ask them to increase from 56 to 60 affordable units while still gaining 250 units at market rate. A WIN-WIN for everyone.
Benefits of affordable housing extend beyond providing a roof over one’s head
Ultimately, the transformative capacity of affordable housing extends beyond providing a roof over one’s head. It acts as a catalyst for community wide improvements, positively impacting crime rates, mental health, incarceration rates and childhood learning. This isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential and it’s a key requirement for a thriving community.
Former Planning Director Mitch Silver is back – now as a lobbyist paid to undercut Raleigh’s planning rules.
Speaking before Council Tuesday, Nov 7, Mitchell Silver repeated a false claim he previously made at the Planning Commission – that the Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood cannot have Transition Area protection from 30-40 story buildings without first completing an expensive city-mandated Area Plan. But when a Councilor asked city staff if Silver’s Area Plan requirement was true, the simple answer was ‘No’.
Raleigh is underreporting noise complaints to the residents and the media
I am here tonight to talk about noise. In Glenwood South we have been very suspect about the numbers being reported by the city. And we were right to be suspect as we now have evidence that the city has downplayed and grossly under-reported noise complaint calls. Every citizen and every news outlet who unwittingly reported the city provided incorrect statistics to the public should be outraged.
NOVEMBER 21, 2023 CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Highlights from the November 21, 2023 Work Session and Afternoon Session
BRT Must Benefit New Bern residents as Promised and NOT Displace them
Counselors: You are the responsible party. The ability and duty are yours. YOU are the key players in insuring that the history of Raleigh, its culture, its communities, its monuments, and its traditions survive for the benefit, edification, and pleasure of future generations.
The Christmas Parade that should have been.
If this work can start now and be completed before March, why wasn’t it started last December and completed in time for this year’s parades? There’s been no answer.
Event Materials – Don’t Break Raleigh’s Transit Promises
If you weren’t able to attend our Community Conversation on November 16, 2023 for the discussion of Raleigh’s BRT Promises, the video and slides are now available on our “Community Conversations” page where you can find all of our previous events as well.
Show the Voters Where You Stand
One year into the terms of the four newly elected Councilors, and with Mayor Pro Tem Branch having filed to run for Mayor, I offer the following thoughts. By now, even our new Councilors own the positions by which Raleigh is currently governed. Your current record and what you do to distinguish yourself over the coming year will determine your perception by the voters in the election one year from now.
November 14, 2023 City Council Meetings
Highlights from the November 14 City Council meeting.