Pubdate: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
Source: Herald-Sun, The (NC)
Copyright: 2002 The Herald-Sun
Contact:  http://www.herald-sun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428
Author: Susan Broili

ALDERMEN ADD REHAB LIKE TROSA TO AGENDA

CARRBORO -- Attracting a rehabilitation program to help people with drug 
problems and subsequently reduce crime will be one of the new items the 
Carrboro Board of Alderman voted to look at this year.

At a retreat Monday, the aldermen decided to add to their priorities this 
and other items for consideration -- including reducing the number of times 
they meet each month.

"Crime is connected to substance abuse," Alderman Jacquie Gist said. "It's 
a public health problem that becomes a crime problem.

"I know some really good people who have been hooked on crack. I'd love to 
see them have some alternatives."

Gist proposed that the board look at developing a strategy to attract a 
TROSA-like "de-tox/rehabilitation" program in Carrboro.

"TROSA is a beautiful model," Gist said.

Located in Durham, Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers has 
developed a number of businesses that serve as vocational schools to help 
substance abusers get clean and become self-sufficient. These businesses 
include brickwork, moving, landscaping, construction, a frame shop and an 
auto body shop.

Gist said she also planned to draft a resolution asking the General 
Assembly to decriminalize certain drugs, particularly marijuana.

"I personally support de-criminalization of all drugs and go to a treatment 
model," Gist said.

The aldermen have passed resolutions in the past, such as proposing a 
moratorium on the death penalty, that call for a change in state law, Gist 
said.

The board voted to have an economic development retreat, which will include 
a look at Alderman John Herrera's suggestion that the board try to come up 
with a fast-track review process for developers that meet town community goals.

"I've heard complaints from developers about the amount of time it takes to 
get approval for a project," Herrera said.

Aldermen discussed the possibility of making such a sped-up approval 
contingent on a developer meeting such conditions as allocating a certain 
percentage of affordable housing units.

Speeding up the process could help attract more businesses downtown, too, 
the aldermen said.

Aldermen will also look at developing a tenants' bill of rights, possibly 
by way of a licensing process for landlords.

"State law is not very supportive of tenants," Herrera said.

"Municipalities do have the power to make sure these folks are getting what 
they paid for . that things get fixed in a reasonable amount of time," he 
said. "This might help us get rid of the slum landlords."

Gist said she would be supportive of this because many people, especially 
recent immigrants, were paying substantial rents for sub-standard housing 
but were afraid to complain.

The town would have to take into account the increased staff time to 
administer such a licensing requirement and charge a substantial licensing 
fee to cover this cost, Alderman Diana McDuffee said.

The board would also have to consider whether landlords would -- or could 
- -- pass this cost on to tenants, Alderman Alex Zaffron said.

Other new proposals, added to the agenda, include having a sister city in 
Mexico, naming a major road after Martin Luther King Jr. and developing a 
new logo that better communicates the town's cultural aspects.

"The big 'C' has got to go," Herrera said of the current logo.

Herrera also advocated reducing the number of monthly meetings for the board.

Fewer meetings would give aldermen more time to spend in the community and 
would also make it more possible for others, including different ethnic 
groups and people who work two jobs, to participate in town government, 
Herrera said.

And, the reduced number of meetings, proposed as three, instead of four, 
per month, would force the board to be more effective, or as Alderman Mark 
Dorosin put it: "We're like this fish that grows to whatever the size of 
the tank is. If you give us time, we'll take it."

Herrera pointed out that other town boards, such as Chapel Hill's, meet 
twice a month. But Mayor Mike Nelson said that these were official meetings 
and that these boards also had other work sessions throughout the month.

Nelson also said that he did not think that fewer meetings would work 
because the board tried having three meetings a month for two years, but 
voted, in November, to change it back to four times.

"It just wasn't working out for us," Nelson said.

McDuffee said she had found it more difficult to meet three times because 
the meetings ran later and affected her work day the next day. Others also 
said that aldermen found that they were too tired to make important 
decisions near the end of these long meetings.

But in a 4-to-2 vote Monday, aldermen decided to look again at reducing the 
number of monthly meetings.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens