Tuesday evening Assistant Town Manager Candace Davis updated the Wake Forest commissioners and mayor on the latest recommendations for the 14 current advisory boards. Under the plan still being developed, the 14 will shrink to nine, doing away with the cemetery and senior center boards and merging other boards.
Most of the conversation Tuesday centered on how many of the members of the youth in government board will be assigned to each future board and whether they should vote on financial matters. There appeared to be agreement that the ninth- and tenth-graders should not vote on money matters, though it also appeared the town board preferred the youth be restricted to the upper classes.
A suggestion by Commissioner Chad Sary that each youth member be assigned a current advisory board member as a mentor appeared to be a good addition to the plan.
There will be a varying number of youth on the different boards.
For example, the Historic Preservation Commission was established by a town ordinance and operates public hearings, some quasi-judicial, as well as setting standards for the town’s historic district and historic houses in other parts of town. Senior Planner Michelle Michael said the commission already has two ex officio seats available for experts in the field; adding three youth ex officio members would be unwieldy. “There are many voices already around that table.” The settlement has been to cut out one of the ex officio experts and add two youth ex officio members.
Davis said she would be back to the town board later this fall with the expectation that the changes will be made official before 2021.
Public Art Commission Chairman Elizabeth Hayes gave a short report by telephone, The commission has applied for an National Endowment for the Arts grant that would provide funding for a consultant to work with the community in designing the Northeast Community Plan with at least one art work to be installed in that community. The grant would also commission markers in the shape of a leaf to reflect the town and Downtown Wake Forest logos. The final part of the grant would be a commission for an artist to design and install a large colorful crosswalk on East Elm Avenue between The Forks and the Renaissance Centre parking lot.
The commission also will be working with Wake Forest Downtown to commission and install crosswalk designs for the Underpass intersection.
The commission has plans to install two sculptures. One, Dancing in the Moonlight by Jordan Parah, will be at the Renaissance Centre, and the other, Freedom: Homage to Harriet Tubman by Vandorn Hinnant, will be in the Smith Creek Soccer Center.
Senior Planner Patrick Reidy unveiled the dashboard for zoning enforcement violations which is now on the town’s website. See the article in this issue.
Tilda Caudle with the Northeast Community Coalition had written to Mayor Jones, proposing a NECC garden. The organization has had a neighborhood garden for three years on a small site provided by Spring Street Christian Church. It is small and soon will be unavailable. Since 2017 it has fed over 300 residents.
Caudle asked that NECC partner with the town and be able to use a vacant lot next to 508 North Taylor Street for at least five years. They were awarded a $7,000 grant from CARES funding through Wake County to buy tools and materials for a new garden plot.
Town Manager Kip Padgett said the garden would be “a good use for that property” and said he would draw up a license for that use.
The town also received two plaques. One was presented by Matthew Sells with the North Carolina League of Municipalities to the Wake Forest Police Department for its successful review. The review assessed the department’s adherence to best practices, court decisions and policies and procedures relating to high liability activities in law enforcement. The areas evaluated were policy, training, supervision, performance management, review and revision and legal counsel review. The plaque was presented to Police Chief Jeff Leonard.
“Chief Leonard and the entire Wake Forest Police Department recognize and prioritize the importance of meeting best practices,” Selves said. “The department is a fine example of professionalism and excellence in reducing risks for the agency and its officers.”
The second plaque, the 2020 Marvin Collins Award, was presented to Planning Director Courtney Tanner for the town’s new transportation plan which used a new technology, praised for being easy to understand and easy to use.
#
