advisory committee for War Memorial Stadium

In a December 9 memo to the Greensboro City Council, city manager Ed Kitchen wrote,

As you recall, we are moving forward with plans for future repairs and potential renovations to War Memorial Stadium. We have solicited bids for services from architectural firms and will soon select a firm to assist with this effort. I am appointing a committee of stakeholders to help select the firm and advise throughout the process. Others may be added, but the committee will include representatives of the Aycock neighborhood, Bluford neighborhood, NCA&T, Greensboro College, the P&R Commission, Preservation Greensboro, and the VFW Post. As soon as we have acceptances from the individuals, I will provide you a list of the names.

Earlier this year I worked with a similar group of stakeholders to recommend future uses for the stadium. David Hoggard was on that ad hoc committee, too.

I'm eager to find out who Mr. Kitchen will extend invitations to, because I'd like to get one. I enjoyed working with this group, and want to keep doing it. I've already started getting calls from interested parties offering advice on the subject.

There was some other good news for northeast Greensboro in that memo:

In response to Council and community concerns about panhandling and other problems impacting the business and residential community in the Bessemer/Summit area, our Police Department conducted a targeted enforcement program in that area this summer. Attached is a report on the successful results of that effort. If you have questions, please contact Chief Wray or Assistant Chief Bellamy.

I didn't get a copy of the report Kitchen mentions, but I'd like to see it. As a pretty frequent shopper at both the Northeast Shopping Center and the Summit Shopping Center -- both at the intersection of Summit and Bessemer -- I'd agree that the police program was quite successful. I just hope that the panhandlers won't return now that the targeted enforcement program is finished.

One last odd little thing about the memo: it was cc'd to the news media (newspapers, TV), to the Chamber of Commerce, and to TREBIC (the Triad Real Estate and Builders Coalition).

That means that established business and real estate interests get the direct line on the city manager's weekly updates to Council -- but not, for example, the Greensboro Housing Coalition, the Concerned Citizens of Northeast Greensboro, or the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress. Why the special treatment of the Chamber and TREBIC? That bugs me.