The Greensboro City Council is attempting to get a lot of work done before the holiday break.
Or maybe it’s before the official campaign season kicks off, when filing for the City Council election opens on Monday, Dec. 6.
The City Council has two special meetings, one work session and one regular meeting scheduled in the next two weeks.
The City Council has a special meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 29 beginning at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held almost entirely in closed session and is reportedly for the entire City Council to discuss the three candidates for city manager that were interviewed by councilmembers on Tuesday, Nov. 9 and Thursday, Nov. 11.
Those interviews were conducted by small groups of councilmembers rather than the entire nine-member City Council all at once. It’s difficult for nine people to conduct an employment interview of one person, particularly when you have one councilmember that attempts to dominate every meeting.
So the meeting on Nov. 29 is for the full City Council to get together, compare notes and perhaps reach a consensus on a candidate.
The City Council has also scheduled a virtual work session on Thursday, Dec. 2 with presentations on the Greensboro Housing Authority and Greensboro Police Department (GPD) incentives.
The presentations have not been posted, but the GPD incentive discussion is the result of a motion made by the Councilmember Hugh Holston, who was appointed to replace former City Councilmember Michelle Kennedy in September.
Holston, being new, evidently didn’t get the memo that the way this council handles issues is to appoint committee, task forces and commissions and hire outside consultants to study the matter.
Holston made a motion that Police Chief Brian James and Interim City Manager Chris Wilson develop a plan by December to bring the GPD, which currently has 111 unfilled positions, to being fully staffed in 18 to 24 months. There was a lot of griping by his fellow councilmembers about the motion, but Holston refused to be swayed and in the end the motion passed unanimously.
The only realistic way for the GPD to be fully staffed in 18 to 24 months is to recruit experienced police officers from other departments, and judging from the scanty information on the agenda that appears to be what will be recommended.
The City Council is also scheduled to hold a special meeting on Monday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber in City Hall for the purpose of holding a public hearing on an economic development project. No additional information has been released about the economic development project.
The regular first Tuesday of the month City Council meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7 beginning at 4:30 p.m. to discuss an economic incentive in closed session. The open session of the meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
The first meeting of the month is primarily devoted to holding a public forum.
Here’s some news for you of Christmas Cheer. Nuestros amigos at the Salvation Army have adopted Critical Race Theory as part of their new message. While you make your donation into the bell-ringers bucket, Caucasians are reminded to apologize for their behavior, and to repent of it.
When I see them on the street this December, I will apologize for leaving nothing in their bucket. What I will donate over the Christmas Holidays will be to my place of worship. I know where that money will be going.
The U.S. Salvation Army National Headquarters, 615 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314. Phone 703-299-0045. Col. Janet Munn is co-director of the International Social Justice Commission, & arranged for this affiliation. Mrs. Munn can be reached at Difference Makers Global Community, which does not have a published address or telephone. Website info on line. The Guilford County office is in High Point, their phone is 336-881-5400.