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Two recently-released reports chock-full of stats are now online for the good folks of Guilford County to peruse.

The 2006-07 Citizen Performance Report shows survey info from a group of regular citizens (and 87 percent of respondents feel that life is good here!), along with figures such as child support payment levels, incentives offered to businesses and crime rates/public safety.

Then there's the Service Efforts & Accomplishments Report. It's a dense 105-page document that, in eight chapters, covers embracing diversity, creating a more prosperous community, ensuring public safety and others. We'll get to that right after we polish off that pot of coffee.

Really. That's kind of our thing.

Going back to the citizen report, that will be the subject of several upcoming forums, where you could win a $50 gas card for attending and giving your feedback. We know that government meeting stuff can be dry. But a gas card?

Which, if you live within five miles of the meeting locations, and walk to the forum, may well be worth it.

The forums will be held at 7 p.m. at the following dates and locations. Call 641-3242 for information:

High Point
Aug. 5, Macedonia Family Resource Center, 401 Lake Ave.

Oak Ridge
Aug. 6, Oak Ridge Town Hall, 8315 Linville Road

Greensboro
Aug. 12, Greensboro Public Library, 219 North Church St.

Aug. 13 Guilford County Center barn kitchen 3309 Burlington Road

Over their past few meetings, Guilford County Commissioners have looked at whether the sheriff’s office should get a light plane.

What would have been an administrative decision has turned into hours of conversation.
The Department of Justice would buy the plane, and the money from sheriff’s office confiscations would pay for the aircraft’s operation. Alamance, Davidson, Randolph and Rockingham counties would all use the plane to do stuff such as search for missing people and look for marijuana fields.

Commissioners Melvin “Skip” Alston and Bruce Davis were concerned with the $1 million insurance policy on the aircraft. They thought it was too small, and spent about an hour Thursday on that and other concerns.
“If this crashed, and it killed two to three people,” Alston said, “there’s a possibility for us to be held liable.”

If the sheriff’s office crashed a car and killed some people, the county could be held liable too, Commissioner Linda Shaw noted.

So the wonks here at ‘Scoop checked into some accident rates.

In the last 10 years there’s been one recorded crash with the plane, a light two-seater called a Savannah VG. Both the passengers survived, said Dick Knapinski, spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Nationwide, 50 law enforcement officers died in traffic-related accidents in 2007, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

A free plane from the feds with a good safety record, paid for by money taken from bad guys?

Sounds like a deal.

Not to Alston.

“This is a not a tool, it’s a toy for the sheriff’s department to use,” he said.

The vote passed 8-3, with Alston, Davis and Carolyn Coleman voting no.

GREENSBORO - Guilford County Commissioners approved $952,500 in incentives tonight for FedEx Ground to locate a southeastern United States shipping hub in Kernersville.
The company said that it would settle on a location within two months. Guilford County is in competition with locations in Tennessee and South Carolina for the hub.
Commissioners Steve Arnold and Billy Yow voted against the incentives in a 9-2 vote.
The incentives would be paid over the first three years that the company pays property taxes. Over that time the county would receive a property tax revenue gain of $585,934. The incentives are only paid to the company after meeting certain hiring and investment requirements.
The project, if located in Kernersville, would be the first in Triad Business Park. FedEx said it would expect to add 259 new jobs by 2014, which breaks down into 109 full-time jobs paying an average of $40,584 a year, and 150 part-time jobs paying an average of $14,878 annually.
Though the address for the potential project belongs to Kernersville, the land for the area is in Guilford County.

Get more on this story in Friday's News & Record.

Hey folks!

When the Guilford County Commissioners make their decision on the FedEx incentives tonight, we'll post an update here on the website.

Or, you can watch the meeting live on the 'web or on cable channel 13.

Those closely reading the N&R's extensive coverage of the recent review into the Greensboro police might have noticed a certain person was absent from the coverage: City Manager Mitchell Johnson, who came back from a two-week vacation just long enough to hear the report.

Well, he was back Tuesday, and wasted no time affirming his commitment to change in the PD.

The $249,000 consultant report commissioned by city council made more than 100 recommendations for changes within the department, including adding additional staff and changing promotional practices.

“I wanted council to know in no uncertain terms that I intend to move forward with the implementation of this report,” Johnson told council members Tuesday night.

City staff will review the report, consider other ideas for how to resolve certain issues, evaluate the financial feasibility of the changes, and provide a revised list of priorities to city council, Johnson said.

Johnson said he was proud of the police department.

“This will be a long process. There is a lot of very good information in the report,” he said.

City council got into a late night debate about potential changes to the city's sidewalk cafe policies.

It seems that a downtown martini bar owner asked that he be allowed to run his outdoor cafe as late as he runs his business.

The issue prompted an array of questions. Is it bad to have people out on the sidewalks late on weekends? Does it cause more crime? Are there safety risks?

The debate swirled just long enough for Councilman Robbie Perkins to suggest a field trip.

Why doesn't everyone come see for themselves by having a night out downtown? he asked. Say, July 26, starting at midnight?

City Attorney Terry Wood, who is always watching council's back, duly reminded him that any gathering of 5 or more council members constituted an open meeting. Council should expect a trail of reporters.

We here at Scoop are in favor of a council member pub crawl, for all of-age Greensboro residents. We prefer gin and tonic with a twist of lime.

Put it on Perkins' tab.

Earlier today, Guilford County Commissioners Chairman Kirk Perkins gave us a little insight into his thinking on almost $1 million in incentives that FedEx Ground is seeking Thursday.

"It's about putting out the welcome mat," he said, referring to incentives. Though he wasn't committing to any yes votes on the money, he said that while a tax rebate might be the issue (a company doesn't see a dime until they meet hiring and investment minimums, then pay their taxes), the show of support from a local government may be the tipping point for getting a business here.

"They want to be welcomed and embraced," Perkins said.

Continue reading "Incentives, FedEx and the unlikely link to RF Micro" »

There are occasions -- we here at Scoop fully admit -- when we feel like members of the Peanut's cast in the classroom, trying to understand the teacher. Often we sit there in the audience of government meetings, mouths agape, hearing little more than confusing, squawking noises coming from those on the dais.

Tuesday night at city council, the reporters weren't the only folks in a haze.

Mayor Yvonne Johnson attended the meeting "telephonically" (she listened over the phone, since she was in Texas visiting family.) But every time she offered some comment, it came out painfully muddled.

When she was voicing her support for an incentive request, it came out something like, "Whunh wunhch waah wunh waaa."

Looks like council might have to reconsider their telephone attendance policy -- unless someone can get a better connection.

If you live in Guilford County Districts 1 or 6, then you may wonder where your commissioner has been for the past few days. They're here, in Kansas City, Mo.

So are At Large Commissioners Paul Gibson and John Parks, and County Manager David McNeill.

We know they hit the National Association of Counties conference from a note in McNeill's weekly update, a rundown of odds and ends in county government that the manager logs.

Greensboro City Council will be asked for $1 million worth of economic incentives Tuesday night for a proposed retirement community.

Council members have said it's a good project in a good location. But the issue has also brought to life an ethical debate among council members.

Kisco Senior Living, which has senior housing facilities in six states, is looking for a new location in North Carolina. They already run two complexes -- Heritage Greens and Abbotswood at Irving Park -- in Greensboro. Now they are looking to develop the former Pilot Life headquarters at 5300 High Point Road into a new facility.

They're asking for help to get city water and sewer services out to the site. They want a $1 million grant over four years.

For the benefit, they will invest $98 million in renovations of existing buildings and will create 125 jobs with an average salary of $30,600, according to information provided by the city.

Council has been looking for a good reason to spend economic development dollars. And several council members say this would be good development on a site that has been unused for years.

But Councilman Mike Barber has raised issues about the way the issue was brought to council.

Councilman Robbie Perkins represents the land owner, Lincoln Financial Group, and would get a commission if the sale is approved. It was Perkins who introduced the potential buyer to the city's new assistant city manager for economic development, Jim Westmoreland.

Westmoreland brought the issue to city council in a closed session. Perkins sat out. Some council members first learned about the request, and Perkin's involvement, that evening.

Barber asked that council be made aware of possible incentive requests, and any council members involvement, as soon as the issue reaches a city leader's desk.

Barber requested a closer look at the ethical issues. Perhaps he will get his chance Tuesday night.