Durham County Commissioners met in closed session this morning to discuss next steps in the controversy around a debated petition that could have affected commercial and residential development around Jordan Lake. County Attorney Lowell Siler told commissioners, essentially, that their hands are tied. If anyone wants to question a vote commissioners took last month to […]
Samiha Khanna
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Memo: Medlin finds Jordan Lake protest petition valid
A memo sent from Durham planning Director Steve Medlin to County Manager Mike Ruffin last Friday shows that Medlin changed his initial ruling and has found a debated protest petition regarding Jordan Lake is valid. The memo (PDF) was requested by the Indy and other media outlets and released Wednesday evening with personnel and other […]
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Designers draft plans for Rolling Hills, Southside
Durham residents have started cleaning up two neglected neighborhoods near downtownon paper, at least. Focus groups ranging from parents to clergy are working with designers and architects this week to imagine a new future for the ailing Rolling Hills and Southside, two communities separated by South Roxboro Street. They’ve talked about issues as specific as […]
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Durham county attorney cites statutes protecting memo
Durham County Attorney Lowell Siler cited four laws today protecting a memo sent Friday from planning Director Steve Medlin to County Manager Mike Ruffin that details the status of a debated protest petition. Siler responded to a request from the Indy for the document this afternoon, stating that four statutes related to confidential communications by […]
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Commissioners to meet on protest petition Thursday morning
Durham County Commissioner Becky Heron said today that commissioners are scheduled to meet with the planning department and county attorney at 10 a.m. Thursday to hear a report on the status of the Jordan Lake rezoning protest petition. Heron said the board will discuss the issue in closed session. The Acting Clerk to the Board […]
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Chair of police review panel draws a parallel to Planning Commission
This week, colleague Joe Schwartz and I reported on civilian oversight of the police in Chapel Hill and Durham. While Chapel Hill’s leaders are considering whether to create a panel of citizens to examine complaints against the police, Durham has had a similar board for more than 10 years. In an interview, Chairman David Harris […]
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Durham’s Civilian Police Review Board
For more than 10 years, a little-known group of Durham volunteers has been monitoring the city’s police department, fielding citizen complaints about excessive force and other alleged misconduct. But an examination of Durham’s Civilian Police Review Board shows a disheartening reality: The board itself holds little power. It can’t hear complaints unless the police department […]
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Durham schools ask for public input on new superintendent
Durham Public Schools is holding a public forum next month to gather input on the selection of the district’s new superintendent. The district’s current head, Car l Harris, has accepted a job with the U.S. Department of Education and will be leaving at the end of the year. The school board has already started the […]
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Heron, petitioners want answers; answers still not made public
Durham County Commissioner Becky Heron attempted to get some answers about a controversial petition aired at last night’s commissioners meeting. But her attempt was unsuccessful. County Attorney Lowell Siler recommended that the board talk about the petition in closed session, in large part due to the fact that petitioners could sue the county over the […]
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Orgs behind protest petition criticize county attorney’s ruling
The Southern Environmental Law Center and Haw River Assembly, two groups that filed a protest petition last month in an attempt to prevent changes to the protected area around Jordan Lake, responded this morning to the county’s final ruling that the petition was invalid. They criticized the county’s findings, its evaluation process and its statement […]