Budget also on agenda with new cuts, possible new waste fee

The Town Board work session on Tuesday, May 27, will include public workshops on two planning initiatives, as well as more discussions about the 2008-2009 town budget. At the meeting’s 6 p.m. start, the board invites citizen comment on the proposed N.C. 73/ Davidson-Concord Road Area Plan. Then at 7:30, citizens will have a chance to comment on the $7 million proposal to renovate the Davidson IB Middle School and construct at town recreation center.

N.C. 73 PLAN: The towns of Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville have held three public workshops and other meetings and hired a consultant to help guide planning in the N.C. 73 area, which is under intense development pressure. Davidson is in the midst of a year-long moratorium on new development in the area, which will expire this July. The town now has a draft of the plan completed and is starting to consider amendments to the planning ordinance. The plan proposes a series of mixed-use “nodes” as well as a new roads and greenways along N.C. 73 and Davidson-Concord Road.

RECREATION CENTER/IB SCHOOL: Plans for the recreation center project were unveiled in a presentation at the Town Board’s meeting earlier this month. (See May 14, 2008, “Town, CMS consider joint IB School project”)

BUDGET: After the IB School session, at around 8 p.m., the Town board will continue its discussions of next year’s budget. The town manager is proposing to revise the nearly completed budget to reduce borrowing this year. Instead, the town would consider a bond issue to pay for a long list of major projects.

Download a copy of the latest draft budget below. The Town Manager has revised the document since the May 13 public hearing, trimming money from many departments and eliminating loans for all but two projects: a new fire station on the east side of town ($850,000) and Davidson’s share of funds that would helpput a new roundabout at Davidson-Concord Road/East Rocky River Road (about $150,000).

Besides cutting budget requests in most departments, the budget for next year also may include a new household solid waste fee. (The budget already includes an increase in the town’s automobile use fee.) In a memo to the board, Town Manager Leamon Brice will ask the board to consider the new fee as way of handling the cost of providing solid waste pickups in town, which will rise $104,000 next year, both because of a rate increase and because of the addition of new homes.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Davidson Town Hall, 216 S. Main St.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

May 14, 2008, “Town, CMS consider joint IB School project”

May 14, 2008, “Manager’s proposal: Bonds for big needs”

Jan. 30, 2008, “Towns to show draft of N.C. 73 plan”

LINKS/DOCUMENTS

Town of Davidson page on the N.C. 73/Davidson-Concord planning process

May 22, 2008 draft of the 2008-2009 budget, which the board will look at Tuesday. (Requires free Adobe Reader software)