If more neighborhood associations are formed in Midway, it won't be with the help of the city government, with the possible exception of some individual City Council members.
That was the upshot of the main discussion at Monday night's council meeting, when neighborhood-association advocates asked the city for help in planning boundaries and identifying initial leaders.
Council Members Stacy Thurman, John Holloway and Sara Hicks, who sit on one side of the council table, were supportive; Council Members Logan Nance, Bruce Southworth and Kaye Nita Gallagher, who sit on the other side, said the city shouldn't be involved.
Thurman said neighborhood associations would give a greater voice to "parts of Midway that don't really have a voice or use their voice as much other parts," but Gallagher said, "I kind of think it's segregation, to a certain degree."
Mike Adams of Versailles, president of the countywide Council of Neighborhood Associations, said "The idea is to give people a voice, not segregate." Joyce Evans of Midway, a CONA board member, said "We don't feel like anyone has to belong to one association or another."
Southworth said, "I don't see anything on here that we need to do." Nance said, "If people want more governance, let them have more governance."
Evans distinguished between homeowners associations, which can be "about restricting what you can do with your property," and neighborhood associations, which are voluntary. Northridge Estates, with about 125 homes, has a homeowners' association that also functions as a neighborhood association; Campusgate has a neighborhood association that is inactive, Evans said.
Dottie Cordray of the Gayland subdivision in southwest Midway said it doesn't have a neighborhood association, contrary to a written report to the council, "but might be interested" in forming one. The subdivision has about 24 homes.
Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, "I've never seen the table so evenly divided" between the council members. He suggested that the council defer the matter until constituents could watch the discussion on Facebook, in a video created by a new recording device that produces a higher quality video than those on the Midway Streaming Government Meetings page. That page will still be used for the recordings, but the meetings won't be live-streamed, at least until more internet bandwidth becomes available.
In other business, the council:
That was the upshot of the main discussion at Monday night's council meeting, when neighborhood-association advocates asked the city for help in planning boundaries and identifying initial leaders.
Council Members Stacy Thurman, John Holloway and Sara Hicks, who sit on one side of the council table, were supportive; Council Members Logan Nance, Bruce Southworth and Kaye Nita Gallagher, who sit on the other side, said the city shouldn't be involved.
Thurman said neighborhood associations would give a greater voice to "parts of Midway that don't really have a voice or use their voice as much other parts," but Gallagher said, "I kind of think it's segregation, to a certain degree."
Mike Adams of Versailles, president of the countywide Council of Neighborhood Associations, said "The idea is to give people a voice, not segregate." Joyce Evans of Midway, a CONA board member, said "We don't feel like anyone has to belong to one association or another."
Southworth said, "I don't see anything on here that we need to do." Nance said, "If people want more governance, let them have more governance."
Evans distinguished between homeowners associations, which can be "about restricting what you can do with your property," and neighborhood associations, which are voluntary. Northridge Estates, with about 125 homes, has a homeowners' association that also functions as a neighborhood association; Campusgate has a neighborhood association that is inactive, Evans said.
Dottie Cordray of the Gayland subdivision in southwest Midway said it doesn't have a neighborhood association, contrary to a written report to the council, "but might be interested" in forming one. The subdivision has about 24 homes.
Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, "I've never seen the table so evenly divided" between the council members. He suggested that the council defer the matter until constituents could watch the discussion on Facebook, in a video created by a new recording device that produces a higher quality video than those on the Midway Streaming Government Meetings page. That page will still be used for the recordings, but the meetings won't be live-streamed, at least until more internet bandwidth becomes available.
In other business, the council:
- Heard first reading, without comment, of the ordinances it has worked out to crack down on blighted property. Vandegrift has said he wants second reading and passage at the council's next meeting, on Jan. 6.
- Voted to let Vandegrift proceed with drafting a budget amendment that would delay the sewer cleanout and repair project on the east side of town, buy a $72,000 backhoe (through a state-government price contract) to replace one that has broken down, and get some of the needed money from the streets and cemetery budget lines. Vandegrift said he expected to have first reading of the amendment Jan. 6.
- Approved an encroachment permit for White Dog Trading and Storage, which is building whiskey warehouses along Georgetown Road. Vandegrift said the company's retention basin would be a permanent water feature that "would literally beautify Midway Station."
- Heard Marcie Christensen, chair of the Greenspace Commitee of Midway Renaissance, report that the committee was being revived hopes to deal with a range of environmental and sustainability issues, and is "just a kind of think tank" that is interested in knowing what residents would like it to do.
- Approved an event permit for the Frozen Rails 5K/10K Run/Walk from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on New Year's Day. Organizers said they are expecting 300 to 400 runners, who will use West Bruen, South Turner and East Stephens streets (continuing out Spring Station Road for the 10K). The fourth annual event will raise money for the Midway Ministerial Association.
- Heard that the Iron Horse Half Marathon wants to stick to its new schedule of the Sunday morning of the Midway Fall Festival, about three weeks earlier than the old schedule, but no longer use Gratz Street, which could interfere with the festival and traffic to churches.
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