Quality of Life

The City of Belmont sent out the September water bills and included an information flyer about the P & R Bond referendum on the November ballot.

The following is a transcript of the text of the flyer, our program does not allow us to replicate all the fancy bullet markings:

• The Belmont city Council voted unanimously to call for a $12 million Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum on November 6, 2007 to the the acquisition of land, the development of new recreation facilities, and the upgrading and development of existing  parks.
• The referendum ask Belmont citizens to give the City permission to uses a special type of financing for the projects — General Obligation (GO) bonds.
• GO bonds are the least costly financing option available for these projects.
• The deadline to register for the November 6, 2007 general election is October 12, 2007.
• Belmont polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Parks and Recreation in our community offers our citizens the opportunity to use their leisure time in the parks, on the playing fields, and through special events.

The Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan from 2003 notes the following points regarding recreation needs in Belmont:

• The City will need to acquire land for and develop one community park (20-30 acres), develop one neighborhood park (10-15 acres), and develop five mini parks (1-2 acres) to accomodate both existing and anticipated needs by the year 2013.
• The community park should be intensely developed to provide multiple fields such as youth baseball, adult softball, football, and soccer. This park should be a high priority.
• The neighborhood park should be developed on City-owned land with passive recreational amenities such as trails, picnic areas, and shelters.
• A mini park should be developed on City-owned riverfront land as a passive use facility.
• Park sites should be acquired in the northern, eastern, and southern parts of the City to provide facilities for underserved areas.
• General obligation bonds shouldbe used as the major funding source for the proposed park acquisition and development activities.

FINANCIAL FACTS ON BELMONT’S PARKS AND RECREATION BONDS 

• The Belmont City Council has voted unanimously to place a $12,000,000 parks and recreation bond issue before Belmont voters on November 6, 2007

• The projects included in the bond funding have been developed from a lengthy planning process that included strong citizen input.

• All Belmont polling locations will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

How will the City pay for the bond projects?

The City plans to borrow the money by selling general obligation (G.O.) bonds.

Why general obligation bonds?

G.O. bonds are the cheapest, fastest financing options available to the City for these projects. Because this type of bond pledges the city’s taxing authority as a commitment to repay the bonds, financial markets require less interest than other types of municipal borrowings.

How will the City pay back the bonds?

G.O. bonds can be paid back using revenue from any sources available to the City, including fees and taxes. Since the bond projects can be spread out over a number of years, the City has time to choose the best way to repay the debt. If approved, the bonds would be repaid over a 20-year period once issued.

How will the Parks and Recreation bonds affect the property tax rate?

The answer to this question depends on several factors: the growth in the tax base fro year to year, the dollar amount and time period in which the bonds are issued, and the availability of other revenue sources available  to help pay the bond debt. If the entire $12,000,000 bond amount were to be issued at one time, it would require a tax rate of 10.6 cents to generate the revenue that would be needed to pay the annual debt costs. since it is not in the City’s plan to issue the bonds at one time but, instead, to do so over several years, the tax implications would be significantly less and would be reduced even further by the continued growth of the tax base.

 Belmont is tightening some of its mandatory water use restrictions that resulted from the recent Stage 2 declaration.

Effective immediately, the watering of lawns is prohibited at all times. This includes not only the continued prohibition against any type of irrigation or sprinkler system, as banned under Stage 2, but now includes lawn watering with the use of a hand-held hose.

The watering of plants, shrubs, or trees may continue using a hand-held hose with a spring-loaded nozzle on the schedule of days and times specified in the Stage 2 regulations. Also banned are ornamental fountains.

Civil penalties for violating any of the mandatory water use rules will remain as for Stage 2: up to $100 for residential customers and $500 for commercial or industrial customers, with possible disconnection for continued violations.

The actions are in anticipation of a Stage 3 water restriction, which is likely to occur within the next few weeks.

For more information, call the Belmont City Hall at 704-825-5586.

Source Article

Does this mean the fountain at Stowe Park too?

What about the football field and baseball field at South Point?

Does that mean the folks out at Belle Meade and Reflection Pointe have to stop watering?

What if we all just put out signs that say, “Well Water Used For Irrigation”, does that count?

How water restrictions are decided:

Wondering who and what decides local water restrictions?

At their heart is Duke Energy, which manages the Catawba River reservoirs under a federal hydroelectric license that expires in 2008. In negotiating terms of a new license, Duke created a drought-response plan that’s getting its first test.

How it works

The plan is designed to stretch water supplies during a dry spell.Twenty-four local governments, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, belong to an advisory group that puts the plan into action. Each enacts its own water restrictions based on shared conservation goals.

Duke monitors three conditions: lake levels, for how much water is in its reservoirs; stream flows that feed the lakes; and the U.S. Drought Monitor.

As the drought drags on

The plan sets trigger points to respond to conditions.

At Stage 1, declared July 30, Duke reduced the amount of water released from its dams and closed some boat ramps as lake levels fell. Local water agencies asked customers to reduce water demand 3 percent to 5 percent.

At Stage 2, in effect Aug. 27, Duke further cut water releases, shutting down most of its hydro plants. Local governments set mandatory restrictions with a conservation goal of 5 percent to 10 percent.

More cuts to come?

Stage 3 awaits, probably later in October if no rain falls.Duke would further lower lake levels, especially at Lakes James and Norman, which hold most of the system’s water. Lake James could fall to as much as 15 feet below full pond in October. The winter months could take it still lower.

Municipal water users could face more restrictions to meet a Stage 3 conservation goal of 10 percent to 20 percent. The watering ban last week by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and several other cities is as harsh as it’s likely to get for homeowners. Charlotte-Mecklenburg says it would turn to cuts among large industrial and commercial customers.

Stage 4 would further clamp down, with a goal of cutting water use 20 percent to 30 percent.

If rain doesn’t come

The Catawba won’t run out of water. But lake levels could drop to the point that intakes for power plants, municipalities and industries can’t pump water.

The region’s conservation efforts are trying to prevent that.

At Lake Norman, for instance, the critical intake-covering level is 10 feet below full pond. The lake is now 6.5 feet below full. Since a lot of water depth is under the intake, the lake could be left with billions of gallons — all out of reach.

1. Former councilwoman, Jane Ray has withdrawn from the city council race. Reported by the County Board of Elections. No reason given –

We suspect that a recent meeting at a prominent citizen’s home prompted several people to reconsider their candidacies. With 10, now 9, running in the Belmont municipal election certain incumbents have a slight leg up with a dilution of votes available.

As of October 1, we haven’t seen the typical growth of candidate signs around town as in previous years. Maybe the the drought has kept down the weeds so to speak, hmmm?

One candidate, neighbor, Richard Turner, must have an axe to grind with someone. His recent letter to the editor of the Belmont Banner suggests that city staff need be more accountable to council, and of course, he’s just the one to be the best for the job.

2. When are the community forums that have been successful in the past? Oh, wait, Charlie Martin is already on council — no need for those now — just ask Charlie, he has all the facts.

3. Haven’t seen much about the Parks and Recreation Bonds either in the papers or in flyers or letters. While we feel that this is a good step for the department, it seems that the staff and recreation advisory council needs to get on the ball. 

There is a very quiet effort, led by a couple of incumbent council members to see that the bond question is defeated. Shades of a past election where a secret write-in campaign brought back the consumate politician/slumlord, Billy Joye. This campaign looks very, very similar.

4. Is development even an issue with the candidates for council? Or are they all on the payroll of a real estate company in some form or another?

Incumbents running for re-election: