Open mike reveals a lot about Stam

Stam is all smiles as he takes
away rights from NC citizens

A critical comment about Governor Perdue by Paul Stam reveals a lot about his character and whether he should represent Apex and NC. While in a closed budget meeting, but with an open microphone, Stam commented and others in the Legislature and Press heard about his view of the Governor after she issued an executive order to restore Federally based unemployment benefits to some 37,000 citizens...

His comment was reflected in a News and Observer story about the gaffe - "Either way, she's incompetent," he said. "We really need to crack on her for this. This is probably one of the worst things she's done."

He made this comment while on the job representing citizens of this area on June 3, 2011. He was in a Republican caucus discussing how to proceed with a budget the Republicans are forcing onto the citizens of NC that will severely damage the education process in the state.

Perhaps it is time to remove him from office since he clearly has no respect for others in the political process and is known to make condescending comments about state citizens. Read more...

This is not the first time Stam has been observed trashing politicians he serves with to further his narrow agenda. His methods often include making extreme comments about those he disagrees with to create maximum conflict in the press.

Stam also recently made an insulting comment about the State's new American Idol winner. When Scotty Macreery was  in the final stages of the Idol competition, Stam made a derogatory statement to a representative that had commented about Scotty's outstanding performance. Stam asked "is he a Terrier?" demonstrating how out of touch he is with the community he is supposed to be representing.

Apex officials eliminate coverage of elective abortions and regulate employees morals

The Apex Town Council recently took on the hot topic of regulating morality of women town employees and family members when Mayor Keith Weatherly quietly introduced an unadvertised item at the beginning of the January 19, 2010, Council meeting. The Mayor's fast tracked item was intended to eliminate coverage for elective abortions for employees and family members from Town provided health insurance. By slipping the item into the agenda, the Mayor virtually insured (no pun intended) the change would pass through the Council approval process without allowing community input on the change. This raises the question as to whether Mr. Weatherly should be allowed to continue as the Town's Mayor.

The Mayor introduced the change into the Council approval process after learning about past cases of elective abortions from his Cary friend Kent Misegades, also a director at the new Thales Academy and a founder of the controversial Cary Watchmen. Mayor Weatherly in effect decided it was appropriate for the Council to regulate employee morality and introduced the proposal to remove coverage from the Town provided insurance package that historically allowed women employees to have an elective abortion when needed. It was also done in a manner to not allow input from Town residents. Introducing the change in this manner the Mayor was able to fast track getting the change quietly added to the agenda with other items to pass on the night it was introduced. This avoided the accepted practice of advertising topics being considered by Town Council to area residents in advance of the voting process.

This controversial move has set off a storm of discussion in the surrounding area and has now led to other regional municipal groups debating insurance coverage of elective abortions and morality based issues. No other local municipalities deny similar coverage for employees to date. According to a recent News and Observer article on the Apex issue, there have only been three cases of Apex Town employees choosing to have an elective abortion. No information has been provided as to whether the choice of abortion made a difference to the health or well-being of the employees.

As noted in the February 6th, 2010, News and Observer article, "Apex's health insurance policy has for years afforded employees the benefit of having the procedure covered at a minimal out-of-pocket expense. During the past six years, three employees have claimed the benefit, town manager Bruce Radford said."

The proposal was quietly slipped into the meeting agenda as noted in the Council's minutes on the Town website...

Apex Town Council Meeting Minutes of January 19, 2010

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

Mayor Weatherly presented the Regular Meeting Agenda to be set prior to taking action; amendments: 1) Mayor Weatherly asked to discuss town employee health plan...

One of the Councilmen suggested putting the topic under the regular agenda items and the proposal was inserted in the regular agenda items section. When the topic later came up Mayor Weatherly presented the idea of removing elective abortions from the Town employee insurance plan as follows...

Presenter: Mayor Keith Weatherly

New Business # 04 – Add-on: Employee Health Plan

Mayor Weatherly had recently found Town of Apex employee health plan covered “elective abortions”, and understood it standard in most contracts, however, asked Council consider removing “elective abortions” from employee health plan, and not when it relates to health related issues. Human Resources Director Green stated this was correct; noted codes would indicate when abortion would be health related. Town is self funded, with Blue Cross and Blue Shield as administrator over the insurance coverage; BCBS advised the revision could be made to the Town’s contract to state the insurance coverage will no longer fund elective abortions and can have the coverage revision by February 1, 2010. With a brief discussion the following action was taken.

Action: Council Member Schulze made the motion to approve the omission of elective abortions from the town employee health plan. Council Member Gossage made the second to the motion. Motion carried unanimously.

End of New Business # 04

Read the January 19, 2010 Town Council Minutes. News and Observer February 6, 2010, report on the Apex issue from the News and Observer can be read here.

What's your view? Should the Town of Apex be in the business of excluding elective abortions and regulating decisions on health care for the women employees or family members covered by Town health insurance? Is this discriminatory toward women employees? Leave a comment to voice your decision.

Transparency - A step in the right direction by the Town of Apex

Check out the new "Transparency" link on the home page of the Apex town website. In response to a recent report slamming the town (Grade = "D") for not being open with information, the Town has made an attempt to give folks a page listing all sorts of information. Unfortunately they called it "Transparency" so folks will not have a clue about what the link provides (they could have called it "Information and Documents" or something meaningful). Too bad the Town Staff and IT department doesn't work with a cross-section of local residents on what is needed or how it should be shown to be useful!

Mayor Weatherly and the Town Staff were dragging their feet and initially resisted providing some information (salaries and other sensitive information) online but have at least now provided a link to some of the information residents should have easy access to. Read a comment on how communities in NC have been reacting to an initiative the John Locke Foundation launched in 2009 at NCTransparency.com, a website connecting North Carolina citizens with information available online from state agencies, school systems, and municipalities. The website is now routinely used by citizens and the media to get information previously difficult to access.

Read the John Locke Foundation findings on transparency of information in Apex and note how many areas were not available!

611 Olive Street - Move one house, add three more

Packin 'em in...

That's the deal according to plans for the lot at 611 Olive Street in the historic overlay district of Apex. Sarah Potter bought a small lot a couple of years back and tried to get the Town Planners to change the building ordinances to let her split the lot into two parts - but narrower than current rules permit. And to change the rules to let her move the old house already on the lot to the back just five feet from the edge of the lot.

Saving the old house is required under Town ordinances and tearing it down would force the builder to wait four years to build on the lot. In order to comply with the ordinance and move on with building on the lot, Mrs. Potter has devised a plan to build three more homes on the lot and slip around the Town's building rules.

The plan files with the Town would leave her room to build three more houses on the half-acre lot. Two "main" houses and two "accessory apartments". The accessory apartments would in essence be so called "mother-in-law" apartments or small residences under the control of the main residence owners. The idea of "accessory houses" came from an old concept of having servants quarters or small guest homes on a homeowners property from long ago.

The big issue is that Mrs. Potter has taken advantage of a little known North Carolina law that allows a builder to sub-divide a lot under two acres and cram relatively small houses onto it.

An even bigger issue is that this can and will totally change the look and feel of the lot in one of the town's older historic overlay areas and change the character of the neighborhood.

Town officials have long claimed that the character of these older neighborhoods will be protected and preserved but the Planning Department has refused to stop the builder from packing four homes onto this small lot. The department claims this is being done under a state law that lets a lot owner subdivide small lots and build homes and that the department can't stop the builder.

Take a drive by 611 Olive Street and see how one builder has decided to alter a neighborhood with no concern for the views of the neighbors and the character of the area. Voice your concerns to the Apex Town Council to stop this blatant abuse of the Town's stated objectives of preserving the character of older neighborhoods...

Town of Apex vs cars as billboards

An interesting debate has turned up in the 2009 political campaign for Apex Town Council.

A big fuss was made in the News and Observer (Van tiff reroutes Apex campaign) over Scott Lassiter having a van with his candidacy advertised on the side. By the Town's rules and sign folks this is considered as advertising and parking in public places for advertising is prohibited. According to the news article "The town quickly took notice. An Apex zoning official told Lassiter that parking his van on public streets would violate the town's sign ordinance, which requires company vehicles to be kept on private property. The rule prevents businesses from using the streets as free billboard space.".

Has Mr. Lassiter been singled out by other candidates and the media to harass him because he is running for one of the Town Council seats and might knock out one of Mayor Weatherly's "yes men" or "Town Council Sheep"? According to the Town Manager the van is legal and he can continue to use it for his campaign - but not if it is parked on public streets.

The new Gaston's Garage in Laura Duncan Village shopping center has had a minivan parked by the street in its corner parking space (photo top left) ever since the shop has opened - just across from the Apex Town Hall complex!

Another vehicle being used for a billboard is parked each day in the parking lot of the new Peak City Pharmacy in the Historic Downtown Apex. Another advertising wrapped vehicle was used by the Great American Bicycle Company previously located across from the historic Apex Depot in one of the new Salem Street shops until the business closed due to the depressed economy.

No Council Sheep in Apex

No more Council Sheep !

Another "sign" of excitement in the race for Town Council seats in Apex.

The view that Mayor Weatherly has a little band of "yes men" continues to be a topic of discussion around town as several seats open up for the Town Council.

If you believe the Council pushes through proposals and plans that are not in the best interest of the Town then get out and vote for new members for the Council. Now is your chance to change the perception that there are "council sheep" that go along with whatever the Planning Board and Planners bring for consideration...

Signs of discontent

Looks like the days of Mayor Weatherly's little band of "yes men" in Apex NC may be numbered. Lots of folks around town have discovered several of the Apex Town Council members mostly go along with whatever Weatherly wants when voting at Town Council meetings.

Maybe it's time to change some of the Town Council members to ones that think and vote for what their constituents want... ya think?

Paul Stam of Apex wants to limit information access

Paul Stam, representative from Apex, NC, is proposing to exempt Wake County and other communities from a requirement to advertise government meetings in newspapers. The plan would limit access to information about meetings to those with internet access and not allow notices to be accessible to many that rely on newspapers. His first attempt to exempt all government organizations from required advertising met significant opposition, so his latest effort aims to push through a new plan to exempt Wake and Mecklenburg counties.

The premise is that if people have access to the internet and routinely check community websites for such notices, that sufficient legal notice would be given and communities would not have to pay for advertisements outside their own websites. The proposal, if approved,  would have the effect of limiting public awareness about meetings affecting their own community and allow community planners and Town staff to push through plans with less involvement of local citizens. 

Local citizens need to be involved in government planning and need full access to information about public meetings and activities. Don't let Rep. Stam's effort to reduce availability to information about local government meetings - contact your Apex and state House and Senate representatives and let them know your views...

Read the entire article...

Bill draws opposition from newspapers

By Benjamin Niolet
ben.niolet@newsobserver.com

Posted: Wednesday, May. 06, 2009

RALEIGH - A bill that would save local governments some money has drawn opposition from the state's newspaper publishers, who say it would limit public access to information about government meetings.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Paul Stam, an Apex Republican, would give certain cities, towns and counties the ability to stop paying for newspaper advertisements to announce public hearings. Currently, all but a few municipalities in North Carolina are required to pay for the ads, which are in classified sections.

A bill to exempt all local governments met with resistance, so Stam is preparing to introduce a version this week that would apply to towns in Wake and Mecklenburg counties as well as other large cities and counties in the state.

Stam said the bill would give governments a break on an expense that is unnecessary since many towns, cities and counties can post the notices on their own Web sites.

Publishers and editors at The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer and other newspapers have lobbied against the bill, arguing that many people who read legal ads don't necessarily have Internet access.

“It's a little bit uncomfortable to be putting the message in the hands of the government who maybe stands to lose the most if enough people turn out in opposition to whatever the meeting's going to be about,” said John Bussian, a lobbyist for the N.C. Press Association.

The bill would require local governments wanting to make the switch to hold a public hearing and make a finding that there is sufficient Internet access.

Ad revenue declining

The bill comes at a time when advertising revenue for newspapers has been in sharp decline. N&O Publisher Orage Quarles III said legal ads represent a small percentage of the company's revenues. Quarles said newspapers are in the business of attracting people to their print paper and Web sites, and a city or county couldn't match the kind of traffic newspapers get.

Rick Thames, editor of The Charlotte Observer and president of the press association, said public notices should appear in a place where people are likely to run across them. The idea is similar to tacking up a sign up a public square.

“You can have an obscure Web site with little to no traffic, and you can post a notice there,” Thames said. “That doesn't mean the public is going to see it.”

Thames also said that allowing governments to stop advertisements would give officials leverage over news coverage.