Davidson’s Town Board holds its monthly work session Tuesday, April 24, at Town Hall, with an agenda that includes a presentation on the proposed 2012-13 town budget by Town Manager Leamon Brice and Finance Director Cindy Jones. Read the full story

Mayor John Woods (right) hands out Town of Davidson pins to the newest crop of graduates from the town's Civics 101. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Thirty-two Davidson residents wrapped up two months of training at Tuesday night’s Town Board meeting with a graduation ceremony for the latest Civics 101 citizens’ academy. The program is designed to boost civic involvement by helping residents learn how things work in town government.

Mayor John Woods handed out “Town of Davidson” pins to the graduates, who took either morning or evening classes. “We hope that we can further the knowledge of what makes Davidson Davidson,” the mayor said. “We are unique community.” Read the full story

Davidson’s Town Board adopted a new animal control ordinance Tuesday night that updates and consolidates existing rules and adds a new ban on “tethering” – the practice of chaining unattended dogs. The board also voted to renew the town’s contract with the City of Charlotte Animal Control for another year, approved master plan changes for the Exit 30-area Northeast Quadrant and River Run Phase 5 projects, and amended planning rules governing building facade design. Officials said the latter change was intended to help an unnamed developer considering a project in town. Read the full story

The Town of Davidson announced Monday, April 9, that a special meeting/closed session of the Town Board, which had been scheduled before Tuesday’s monthly board meeting, has been canceled.

The monthly meeting will begin as scheduled at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

The board is expected to vote on a variety of items, including adding $133,300 to the budget for new police cars, approving amendments to Section 9.2 of the planning ordinance, and seeking additional funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control to continue the Davidson Design for Life program, which is studying the impact of planning on public health. Read the full story

Updated 7:45 p.m.
Davidson’s Town Board will hold a 30-minute closed session before its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night, April 10. The topic has not been disclosed. The closed session begins at 5:30 p.m., and the board “anticipates” returning to open session at 6 p.m., according to an announcement Thursday. (UPDATE: On Monday 4/9/12 the board announced it was canceling the closed session.)

Tuesday’s meeting also will include public hearings on four planning and zoning amendments or projects: Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson’s Town Board on Tuesday agreed to reopen discussions about amending the town charter to lengthen the terms of the mayor and commissioners from the current two years to four, and stagger commissioners’ terms. Board members also appeared in consensus that voters should decide the change in a referendum this November.

Also at the board’s monthly work session, Police Chief Jeanne Miller outlined a proposed overhaul of the town animal control ordinance. Davidson has not reviewed the full ordinance since 1978, and it needs significant rewriting, Chief Miller said. Changes would seek to boost enforcement, improve an appeals process, and possibly ban tethering – tying dogs to fixed chains or ropes – a practice animal activists consider inhumane. The issue likely will come up for further discussion later this spring or summer. Read the full story

Updated Monday 7:13 a.m.
By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson’s Town Board this week plans to revive discussions of a proposed town charter amendment that would lengthen terms for the mayor and town commissioners. At its monthly work session Tuesday the board also is scheduled to hear presentations on the downtown rail station area plan, an economic development strategic plan being drafted by a consultant, and potential changes to the the town Animal Control Ordinance.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall, 216 S. Main St. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Chief executive David Auger says there’s a paradox in all the numbers coming out this week about the MI-Connection Communications System. The company owned by Davidson and Mooresville is in a growth spurt – adding customers and expanding revenues. But it’s restating this year’s budget and revenues downward and now needs another $1.1 million from the towns by June 30 to meet a shortfall.

“We’re seeing unprecedented growth, more than anything we’ve seen since MI-Connection came about,” Mr. Auger said Thursday. But, with the company now asking for more money, he said, “there’s a paradox.”

He offered several major reasons for the shortfall: Read the full story