VOLUME 112, ISSUE 77
Town to increase say in gown’s affairs
LAW GIVES LOCAL OFFICIALS MORE SWAY IN UNC’S PROJECTS
BY TANNER SLAYDEN
STAFF WRITER
The Town of Chapel Hill will gain
more power over the University’s
planning projects starting Friday.
The Chapel Hill Town Council
decided Monday to accept the plan
ning staff’s interpretation of anew
state law that shifts the balance of
the area’s two main land owners
the Town and the University.
Congress
stipends
might be
discarded
Vote on resolution and bill
could affect Student Code
BY CARLY SALVADORE
STAFF WRITER
Student Congress will vote tonight on a resolu
tion and a bill that together could eliminate the
possibility of providing stipends for top Congress
officials.
Legislation will be introduced during the full
Congress meeting that, if approved, would tem
porarily eliminate the section of the Student Code
that allows for stipends for Congress officials. A
resolution that proposes a referendum to prohibit
the use of compensation also is on the agenda.
A main proponent of the reform is Rep. Kris
Wampler, who said the section of the Code violates
the Student Constitution, or Title I of the Code.
The debate seems to hinge on the interpretation
of specific words in the Code.
A section of Title II allows stipends for the
speaker and speaker pro tempore of Congress, but
a section of Title I— which student officials said
preempts all other portions of the Code prohib
its Congress members from receiving a “salary.”
Congress Speaker Charlie Anderson said that
he does not accept his stipend and that he voided
a check last week. Jennifer Orr, speaker pro tem,
also said she does not accept her stipend.
Wampler said he noticed the discrepancy when
he was working on the Code as part of the ongoing
efforts to update it.
He then contacted Joey Stansbury, outreach
coordinator for the Chapel Hill-based John William
Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.
Stansbury, a UNC alumnus, served as a member
of Student Congress and proposed an amendment
to the Student Constitution in 1994 that intended
to prevent Congress members from receiving sti
pends.
The revision was passed by Congress, but a mis
take in documentation led to a change in language
that neglected to include stipends and instead
included only salaries, Stansbury said.
“It appears from looking at the Constitution
currently that the language passed by Student
Congress (in 1994) was not accurately reflected in
the current version,” he said.
Aside from the fact that the speaker and
SEE STIPEND, PAGE 4
Rand’s power stymies student effort
BYCLEVE R. WOOTSON JR.
SENIOR WRITER
The N.C. House has over
whelmingly passed legislation
during its last four sessions that
would grant a student leader a
vote on the UNC system’s Board
of Governors
But in a process that repeat
edly frustrates student leaders
across the state, every time the
legislation gets to the Senate, it is
referred to the Rules Committee
where it dies, undebated.
The Senate leadership says
there has been adequate informal
debate on the issues enough,
at least, to reflect the whims of
members of the state Senate.
But others paint a different
picture of an issue that is con
sistently blocked by one senator
Cumberland County Democrat
Tony Rand.
“I believe that the bill would
pass the Senate with the same
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The two bodies will have to follow
local zoning regulations when devel
oping all projects that do not involve
buildings because of a technical cor
rection added to a bill meant to clari
fy city and county planning issues.
The law was written by a UNC
professor and was introduced as a
bill last year by Sen. Dan Clodfelter,
D-Mecklenburg.
When the words “and land”
I m
DTH/JUSTIN SMITH
Senate candidates Erskine Bowles (third from left) and Richard Burr (far left) participate in their first debate of the election season.
Bowles, a Democrat, served as chief of staff under President Clinton. Burr, a Republican, has served in Congress for 10 years.
Senate hopefuls cross paths
BY ERIC JOHNSON RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK
STAFF WRITER
Senate candidates Erskine Bowles and Richard Burr
squared off in their first formal debate Monday night, spar
ring over trade policy, job creation and national security.
Over the course of an hour, Bowles and Burr answered a
series of questions from moderator Carl Kasell, a National
Public Radio newscaster and North Carolina native.
“North Carolinians are worried,” Bowles said. “About jobs,
about health care, about the rising cost of prescription drugs
—and we’re all worried about our national security.”
He called for a focus on job training programs in the
state and tax incentives to encourage companies to locate in
North Carolina. “Richard and I both have a history on trade,”
Bowles said. “Times have changed, and I think I’ve figured
that out, and I don’t think Richard has.”
Speaking directly to Burr, Bowles said, “It’s little wonder
that the North Carolina Fair Trade Coalition said you have
betrayed North Carolina workers.”
SEE DEBATE, PAGE 4
sort of margin you see in the
House if it were to be brought up
I absolutely do,” said Amanda
Devore, president of the UNC
system Association of Student
Governments, who spent the first
weeks of her presidency trying to
lobby Rand.
“We understand that in a lot of
issues, Senator Rand does a lot of
great things for the (UNC system)
and for students. We just very
strongly disagree with him on this
issue and would like to have just a
hearing on this,” she said. “Let the
General Assembly decide.”
The BOG makes policy for
the UNC system’s 16 schools.
The body has 32 voting mem
bers l6 appointed by the N.C.
Senate, 16 by the House —and a
handful of other members. The
ASG president or a designee gets
a constitutionally mandated seat
on the board, but no vote.
Devore and her predecessors
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were added to the bill, local gov
ernments unexpectedly gained
authority over most land distur
bances. Previously, only buildings
were required to undergo review by
state municipalities.
“This law doesn’t just effect (the
University),” said Bruce Runberg,
associate vice chancellor for facili
ties planning and construction.
“There will be increased workload
HEAD TO HEAD
§
Tony Rand,
a Cumberland
County
Democrat, is
viewed as a
barrier to a
student vote
on the BOG.
have been asking the legislature
for that vote for years.
That’s where Rand comes in.
The powerful Rules Committee
chairman and member of the UNC-
Chapel Hill class of‘6l says the law
shouldn’t be changed, an opinion
shared by the Senate’s top legisla
tor, Marc Basnight, D-Dare.
The two hold considerable
sway among their peers and over
the legislation they debate.
Working on the Rules Committee
gives a legislator the power of influ
encing the flow of debate before a
single vote is cast. By assigning
for the town too. They are also a
public entity and have to follow .
zoning regulations that they didn’t
have to follow in the past.”
But some University land
will not be impacted by the law.
Projects zoned under the Office/
Institutional-4 zoning district do
not need town approval.
“What is considered in 01-4 is
what is known as the old campus,”
THE KEY ISSUES
Though Bowles and Burr tend to agree on some
issues, they also diverge often sometimes on
issues that directly affect university students.
* BOWLES: Questions the No Child Left Behind
Act, terming it an "unfunded federal mandate";
supports incentives for teachers and access to
technology for students throughout the state.
■ BURR: Urges federal partnership with state
education officials; advocates for more quality
teachers, parental involvement, school account
ability and the No Child Left Behind Act.
* BOWLES: Opposes same-sex marriage and
supports the Defense of Marriage Act but is
hesitant to support a constitutional amendment
to ban gay marriage: "I only want to change
the Constitution as a last resort."
■ BURR: Opposes same-sex marriage and
believes that a constitutional amendment will
probably be necessary. “I cannot think of any
institution more important to this country than
marriage being between a man and a woman."
bills to committees with powerful
Democrats such as Rand, Basnight,
the Senate president pro tern, can
seal a bill’s fate without ever allow
ing it to reach the floor.
Sen. Ham Horton, R-Forsyth,
said it is not unusual for legislative
leaders to hold up bills. Usually,
this stagnation happens to bills
proposed by the minority party.
“The Senate is predominantly
Democrat, right, and you have
to keep the Democrats voting in
number,” said Horton, the rank
ing minority member of the Rules
Committee.
Legislators and pundits agree
that giving leaders like Rand large
amounts of power is necessary for
the legislature to work, but some
complain that it also allows per
sonal preferences to hinder par
ticular pieces of legislation.
Rand said that hasn’t hap-
SEE RAND, PAGE 4
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Hispanic association kicks off week meant
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said Town Manager Cal Horton.
But the Horace Williams tract,
the future site of the Carolina
North property, is not 01-4 zoned
and will therefore be affected by
the new law, Horton said.
Planning Director Roger Waldon
said that even though Carolina North
is in the University’s Master Plan, it
will be subjected to the new rules
because only properties with a 01-4
zoning classification are exempt.
And it will cost the University
to comply with the new process,
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DTH/ALLISON MONEY
Freshman biology student Jackie Gilstrap flexes her wrist
to help keep her blood flowing during an American
Red Cross blood drive in Nash Hall on Monday
afternoon. Gilstrap gave blood for the first time on Monday after a
suitemate involved with ROTC convinced her to participate.
WEATHER
TODAY Heavy rain, H 74, L 60
WEDNESDAY Partly cloudy, H 72, L 52
THURSDAY Partly cloudy, H 75, L 53
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2004
Runberg said. “We are not sure at
this point... but there will be some
significant cost.”
Starting Friday, the University
will have to seek council approval
when it wants to build things like
parking lots and athletic fields.
“At first, (the University)
only had to deal with (Federal
Emergency Management Agency)
flood plains; now they have to deal
with our local regulations,” council
SEE LEGISLATION, PAGE 4
Locals
support
parking
lot plans
Public weighs in
on lots 2 and 5
BY JAKE POTTER
STAFF WRITER
Members of the community
voiced support for the develop
ment of a pair of downtown park
ing lots at Monday night’s meeting
of the Chapel Hill Town Council.
The Council Committee on
Lots 2 and 5 met earlier in the
afternoon with John Stainback,
a real estate consultant with
Stainback Public/Private Real
Estate LLC.
Stainback presented a schedule
for and financial analysis of the
plans for the proposed mixed-use
developments to be constructed at
lots 2 and 5. The lots are located
behind Spanky’s Restaurant and
across from University Square,
respectively.
Stainback, along with council
members, presented the schedule
and analysis to the public Monday
night, taking time to field ques
tions and receive advice.
“We are supportive of any
development that lives up to our
community’s goals,” said Aaron
Nelson, executive director of the
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber
of Commerce. “We have a sincere
interest to create the most success
ful project possible.”
Lynn Cane, a town resident,
added that the Town Council “has
taken seriously the importance of
parking in the downtown area. ...
I’m very encouraged.”
But some citizens thought the
financial plan was too complex.
David Godschalk, a retired
University professor and former
Town Council member, remained
skeptical. “I think this whole thing
needs a long public debate,” he
said.
Godschalk also cited traffic
and storm-water concerns as two
issues not addressed properly by
SEE LOTS 2&5, PAGE 4