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VOLUME ill, ISSUE 37 fPI; Jfc - Brk& t jiitii HL DTH FILE PHOTO ASG President Jonathan Ducote would get a vote on the BOG under an N.C. House bill. Former worker appeals ruling BY ESHANTHI RANASINGHE STAFF WRITER A former UNC employee has continued her three-year discrim ination case against the University by filing an appeal to uphold the favorable ruling of an administra tive law judge. Bobbie Sanders accused the University of discriminating against her based on age and gen der in June 2000, when she was passed over for a promotion that instead was given to a younger, male applicant. One year after she filed the claim, the case went to court, and Sammie Chess, the administrative law judge, ruled in favor of Sanders. Chess also recommended that the University hire Sanders for the position and give her retroactive pay for the time that had passed. But the decision was reversed by the State Personnel Commission —a ruling that a Chatham County judge later also upheld. The commission first ruled that the University conducted “pretex tual interviews” in which Sanders didn’t participate. Sanders appealed the commis sion’s ruling April 9, asking the court to uphold Chess’ ruling instead. Representatives from UNC and the state commission did not return phone calls Tuesday. Sanders’ appeal claims that the members of the commission acted improperly when they amended their ruling twice and took too long to produce a decision. The commission issued the two amended decisions more than one month after Sanders filed an appeal of other parts of the deci sion. Issuing a decision after the one month deadline has passed can force the commission to review the case again. Sanders’ appeal states that the late amendments were “belated backdoor efforts” by UNC to change the ruling. The appeal also cites a letter from UNC to a commission staff member. The letter states: “Both amend ments requested by the University were substantive reversals of fun damental meaning of the Final Decision. To characterize these bold alterations as mere ‘clerical errors’ would be akin to a judge reversing a jury’s finding of‘guilty’ to ‘not guilty’ and justifying it by calling it a clerical error.” In February, Sanders lost her job at UNC, and a month later, she filed another petition with the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, stating that the layoff was a reac tion to her discrimination case. Sanders’ former supervisor, Peter Schledorn, also was laid off at the same time. Schledorn was a witness in Sanders' case and also has filed a complaint alleging retaliation for being a part of Sanders’ case. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. INSIDE KEEP OFF THE GRASS Students might not be allowed onto Kenan Stadium field after Graduation ceremony. PAGE 3 Serving the students and the University community since 1893 Shf Sailg (Htur Heel * House OKs student vote BY ALEXANDRA DODSON STAFF WRITER The 32 votes on the UNC-system Board of Governors might increase in number to 33 thanks to a bill passed over whelmingly Tuesday in the N.C. House that would add a student vote to the BOG. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Alma Adams and Earl Jones, both Guilford Democrats, could grant voting rights on the BOG to the president of the UNC-sys tem Association of Student Governments. After a 96-17 vote, the bill will be turned over to the N.C. Senate for debate, where Adams said she expects it to meet some opposition. COUNCIL IDENTIFIES BUDGET PRIORITIES Chapel Hill Town Council members will receive the town manager’s 2003-04 budget proposal tonight, kicking off the budgeting season. But all the council members also bring their own top issues to the table. fi3 ICjI Flicka Bateman • No new taxes • Maintaining commercial trash pickup • Funding and personnel for public safety ~ ■ 1^ Mark Kleinschmidt • Fire and police • No new property taxes • Municipal employee pay raise • Garbage collection Town prepares to draw budget Most council members want better services without a taoc increase BY NICK EBERLEIN STAFF WRITER The showdown on local allocations and tax policy in Chapel Hill will commence Monday, five days after Town Manager Cal Horton presents his recommended budget to the mayor and the Chapel Hill Town Council. Although the final budget will not come to a vote until June 9, the Monday meeting will be the first official fiscal debate among council members this season. Council members warned that even after the managers budget is presented, it still might be a long struggle to determine, and eventually vote on, practical agenda items. “It’s too early for any of us to be sitting on a specific line item right now,” said council member Bill Strom. “There’s lots more con versation that needs to be done.” The council’s final public hearing before Chemical spill closes Hillsborough St. Apartment complex trash releases gases BY DAVID ALLEN STAFF WRITER Residents of Town House Apartments awakened to the sight of firefighters, police officers and a hazardous material team blocking all Hillsborough Street traffic Tuesday morning. The entire length of Hillsborough Street from Airport Road to Rosemary Street was blocked for nearly three hours as officials treated the area for a hazardous chemical spill. As garbage collectors were emptying www.dailytarheel.coni The House has. passed a similar bill three times in the past, but each time it failed to come to a vote in the Senate. The ASG president has had a seat on the governing body for the 16-campus UNC system since 1991. But as of yet, the student leader only has been allowed speaking power with which to represent the student perspective. “The bill comes on behalf of 175,000 voting constituents: students,” Adams said. “It has at its core fair, equal repre sentation. “Students are, after all, the primary beneficiaries of the BOG. Without them there would be no BOG and no universi- Mayor Pro Tern Pat Evans • Human services • Funding to promote downtown business • Better pay for municipal employees 3S W ( JfifZ Bill Strom • A CHFD training officer • Restore CIP funds • Maintain level of public service; no cutbacks to existing programs Dorothy Verkerk • Rejuvenate CIP funds • Conduct an emissions audit • Construct and maintain pedestrian walkways it starts finance negotiations will be held today. Chapel Hill enters this year’s proceedings under demanding circumstances. Gov. Mike Easley withheld state funds earmarked for local governments last year because of North Carolina’s large deficit, causing an unfavor able tax increase. Bill Stockard, assistant to the town man ager, said Easley’s action has put the council in the precarious position of “having to play catch-up with last year’s budget” as mem bers compare notes on the coming fiscal year. Although the town is set to receive its accustomed funds from the state this year, Chapel Hill’s coffers still will be unable to cover each council member’s comprehensive wish list, which likely will foster a good deal of debate regarding the town's smaller-tick et items. the Town House Apartments trash bin at 8:27 a.m., a caustic substance contained in a garbage bag spilled and emitted a white cloud of gases, said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Bosworth. The chemical turned out to be a household acid that reacted when spilled, he said at the scene. Two garbage collectors showed symp toms of inhalation of the substance and received medical treatment immediate ly. They were released before 11:30 a.m., he said. ty system.” She added that if college-aged men and women are stationed overseas, fighting with major weapons, operating dangerous machinery and making life-and-death decisions, then their peers are capable of voting with the BOG. Adams said that without a right to vote on the board, students are not being repre sented properly. “A place at the table with a voice and no vote isn’t really a voice at all.” But Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, said he opposes the bill, saying that students deserve a voice and need to be heard but that they are merely consumers of the uni versity system. Mayor Kevin Foy • Money for CIP • Construction of bicycle and pedestrian roadways • Adequate funding and personnel for CHPD • No new taxes • Town employee pay raises • Fund Capital Improvement Projects t jiH Hi Jim Ward • No new taxes in 2003- 04 budget • Rejuvenate Capital Improvement Projects • Public safety To overcome last year’s financial loss, Chapel Hill was forced to draw money out of the town’s Capital Improvements Program. Council member Dorothy Verkerk said that “meant we had to gut our (CIP).” Mayor Kevin Foy acknowledged that replenishing the CIP is a top priority of the council but said he hopes it can be done without repeating last year’s decision to increase property taxes. A year ago, the tax rate went up an addi tional 5 cents per SIOO. Foy added that the council would like to see a pay raise given to town employees but that this issue does not have the consensus the proposed moratorium on tax increases does. “The 31/2 percent wage increase for town employees (last year) I thought that was SEE BUDGET, PAGE 8 Bosworth said that workers were for tunate there were no injuries and that the incident should serve as a “wake-up call" for the fire department to be on the lookout for future prevention of these hazards. With all foot and motor vehicle traf fic, including the A bus, diverted around the scene, many students had trouble getting to class on time. A regional HazMat team from the Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene and donned chem ical suits to clean up the mess. SEE SPILL, PAGE 8 SPORTS HEARTBREAKER Tar Heels drop 5-4 thriller to Eton on 12th inning game winning home run. PAGE 12 Ed Harrison - “jp Edith Wiggins • Adequate funding and personnel for CHFD • CHPD funding, personnel •Preservation of the Northside neighborhood ' K Ai’Tl *-? ' DTH/SHILPI PAUL Muriatic acid, a hazardous chemical, spilled out of a trash bag in front of Town House Apartments. WEATHER TODAY Sunny, High 72, Low 37 THURSDAY Partly Cloudy, High 70, Low 48 FRIDAY Rain, High 66, Low 52 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2003 Just as average consumers do not vote on the board of directors of a major cor poration, Stam said, student consumers should not vote on the BOG. He also said faculty, students and administrators should work within a sep aration of powers, all concentrating on their own spheres of responsibility. Adams said she is pleased with the bill’s passage, adding that it moves one step clos er to adding a fresh outlook on the BOG. “I think you can learn from students,” she said. “I think that’s a constituency point of view we need.” SEE STUDENT VOTE, PAGE 8 Road debate nears closure Town, UNC differ on widening plan BY JOHN FRANK CITY EDITOR Chancellor James Moeser said Tuesday that he is working on a compromise that will end more than 14 years of gridlock concern ing the widening of South Columbia Street. The University and UNC Hospitals have argued for a four lane expansion of South Columbia Street between N.C. 54 Bypass and Manning Drive. Hospital officials are concerned that traffic could delay ambulances and patients accessing the hospital’s facilities. However, the plan already approved by the Chapel Hill Town Council and backed by area resi dents plans to widen the road only enough to add bicycle lanes, left hand turn lanes and sidewalks. Addressing the issue at a com munity forum Tuesday morning, Moeser said he and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy have met recent ly to discuss the issue and see the “opportunity for middle ground.” Moeser said one trade-off under consideration calls for narrowing Columbia Street north of Manning Drive and widening the portion of the road that leads to the hospital. Town officials and residents have expressed concern that widening the road will make traf fic in the area more dangerous. Despite the plan’s approval, the project has been delayed by the N.C. Department of Transportation until the town and the University come together on a solution that suits both parties. “We have chosen not to move forward because we feel the University and hospital system has a role in the process,” said Gene Conti, chief deputy secretary of NCDOT, during the panel discus sion at the forum. “We are trying to to be the heavy-handed author ity of the past.” Moeser and Foy’s comments on town-gown relations came during the first hours of an all-day forum SEE STREET, PAGE 8
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