Island Gazette, Wednesday, February 14, 2007: “A Policy of Smoke and Mirrors”
“It’s bad enough that the majority of town council has shown no faith in the power of a comprehensive master plan that, if done properly, could pull us all together and create consensus among us. But to add insult to injury, the anti-planning majority on council is trying to pull the wool over out eyes about it’s true motives.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, January 24, 2007: “Council Highlights: Fact or Fiction?”
“Checked your water bill lately? If so perhaps you noticed the accompanying newsletter titled Town Council Highlights for 2006. At first glance this appears to be a newsletter promoting our new council’s first-year accomplishments. If that were the case, it would certainly be of public interest, and worth the effort and expense of publication. But is that the case? We took a closer look at these claims and we thought we would share just a small portion of what we found.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, December 6, 2006: “Can you say Transparent Government?”
“During the last campaign we heard a lot from our new councilmen about transparent government and representation for all citizens and view points. According to Bill Clark, Jerry Johnson, and Alan Gilbert, they were to be our saviors. They were all about fairness and a voice for everyone. Their administration was to be void of backroom deals and personal agenda. It was to be an administration that would respect and represent all citizens…”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, November 15, 2006: “Report Card”
“After one year in office, how do our new Councilmen’s promises measure up? The following are direct quotes of promises made during their campaign. Do your own checklist and see if you feel they have made good on their to you and our community.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, October 11, 2006: “Spin vs. Substance”
“Citizens for Carolina Beach (CFCB) is a nonprofit organization formed on behalf of the community for the purpose of addressing issues of concern within our local government and community. Our goal is to provide the citizens with fact-based information that will inspire a common sense approach to problem solving and expose poor decision-making within our town administration. We do not “attack”, we simply reflect the concerns of taxpayers.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, October 4, 2006: “Unnecessary Delays”
“Last year our town completed an update of our 1997 Land Use Plan (old plan). That update is referred to as the 2005 Carolina Beach CAMA Land Use Plan (2005 LUP or new plan). Despite the long and costly process our town recently went through to complete the update, and the fact that the old plan is outdated and in serious need of replacement, the updated plan has yet to be adopted by the current administration. In the mean time, the implementation of numerous actions and policies identified in the new plan go unrealized.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, September 27, 2006: “Taxpayer Blues”
“Our town economy is in decline, businesses are closing, developers are looking elsewhere, retailers are reporting poor summer sales, DOT grants are in jeopardy, and hundreds of thousands of dollars due our town by Kure Beach remains uncollected. In the meantime our water, sewer, and stormwater systems are in need of upgrades, lift station #1 needs replacement, our roads and sidewalks need improvement, and the condition of our CBD continues to deteriorate, with no revitalization or master plan in sight.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, September 20, 2006: “A Town without Leaders?”
“It should come as no surprise that many in our community are disappointed in the state of our town and the disarray of our planning process. All one has to do is attend a Council or Planning and Zoning (P&Z) meeting to experience confusion, disorder, and misinformation. Quite frankly, both our town government and our planning process have become little more than a source of laughter, or perhaps anger, depending on one’s vantage point.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, September 13, 2006: “Who’s Minding the Store?”
“One of the fundamental duties of our elected officials is to manage town funds and citizens’ tax dollars. Responsible management of our town assets is essential to all aspects of our community, particularly as we grow and expand our infrastructure and service commitment. Are our town leaders doing their job when they prefer to sit back and point to problems rather than actively pursue resolutions?”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, September 6, 2006: “Protect our Wetlands!”
“In our coastal community, one of the most precious natural resources is our wetlands...
Unfortunately, in an effort to address complaints from a small group of residents, some members of Town Council appear poised to sacrifice portions of our town’s wetlands… Our wetland areas and scenic vistas benefit the entire community, not just a select few in any given neighborhood.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, August 30, 2006: “Where’s the Plan?”
“Planning, as we can see from the quotations above, became a central issue in the most recent election. Yet, with a new majority on Council, where does the Town of Carolina Beach currently stand in its planning process?”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, August 23, 2006: “Out of Step with the Law”
“The intent of a LUP is to provide a general vision for the community. Once created, a LUP is a resource that town staff, elected officials, planning boards, and citizens alike, can look to as a general idea of the community’s vision regarding the town’s development and welfare. The key phrase here is general vision. A LUP is not intended to be an ordinance or a master town plan, nor is it intended to be specific enough in nature to supplant the zoning ordinance. A LUP’s only purpose is to provide a general community vision.”
Island Gazette, Wednesday, August 16, 2006: “Bad Decision—Bad Government”
“Since their election, Councilmen Alan Gilbert, Bill Clark, and Jerry Johnson have appointed three new P&Z Commissioners. All three appointees have been PACE members, an organization of which Alan Gilbert and Jim Rees are founding members. Are our new Councilmen really acting in the community’s best interest when they limit board appointments to people within a particular organization or mindset.”