Raleigh Public Record (https://theraleighcommons.org/raleighpublicrecord/topics/news/city-council/page/38/)
The two-month comment period for the rewrite of Raleigh’s zoning code closes Monday. Some community leaders say they are still struggling to digest the technical document. The Unified Development Ordinance has been in the works for more than a year and puts the conceptual vision of Raleigh into law, as laid out in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
A whitewater park planned for the Neuse River in Raleigh could become a reality, assuming a nonprofit can get environmental approvals and raise enough money to cover the $2.8 million price tag. Last month the Raleigh City Council unanimously voted in favor of design plans outlining the park on the Neuse River, right below the Falls Lake Dam.
While Raleigh residents may not feel the effects of cuts in the 2011-12 proposed budget, the same can’t be said for city employees. The $634.9 million budget is a 2.5 percent increase from last year, with no tax increase. But at a cost: Cuts and reductions in city personnel.
Downtown Raleigh visitors could soon see advertisements in the city’s parking decks, but they won’t see higher parking rates. The City Council’s Budget and Economic Development Committee Tuesday approved two recommendations from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance aimed at increasing the city’s parking revenue. The full Council still has to approve the changes.
Some City Council members Tuesday questioned the increasing cost of the city’s software system after recently agreeing to spend another $500,000 on the $30 million project.
Residents whose homes were destroyed in the April 16 tornado could have access to city funding for repairs. The City Council’s Budget and Economic Development Committee unanimously approved a measure Monday to provide $400,000 for low and moderate-income residents who have exhausted all other avenues of financial assistance.
Raleigh taxi drivers are threatening to strike if the city does not correct issues forcing cab drivers to work for less than minimum wage. Carrying posters and American flags, members of the North Carolina Taxi Workers Alliance (NCTWA) urged the Raleigh City Council Tuesday to move forward with recommendations presented at their April 5 meeting.
City Manager Russell Allen’s proposed budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year is $635 million, a 2.5 percent increase from this year. Although there were no layoffs, the budget proposal eliminates positions. It also features cuts and reductions for the third consecutive year, reducing employee pay increases and benefits, cutting operational expenses, altering the maintenance schedule, delaying equipment purchases and minimizing pay-as-you-go capital investment.
The Raleigh City Council recently approved an amendment to the Percent for Art program that would now include streetscape improvements as eligible capital projects. The amendment will take affect July 1. The work on the Hillsborough Street roundabout would be an example of a project that would be eligible for the program, had the ordinance change been passed three years ago.
As student housing continues to be a hot topic, the Raleigh City Council approved a measure Tuesday to have the Planning Department to work with the city attorney to address the issue through the new zoning code, also known as the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Photo: Many students live in houses on Maiden Lane, just off Hillsborough Street. By twbuckner.
