News-Record.com

News is flying into my desk here at the Daily Planet at a right smart clip about beleaguered Greensboro City Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellemy-Small. Let me try to catch you up:

1. This statement, proportedly from Bellamy-Small, appears about half-way down (at the 6:06 p.m. Feb. 28 time mark) on this WFMY Web site.

2. Evidently, the Pulpit Forum had a press conference this morning. Strangely, the newsroom didn't know about it. I'm following up.

3. The newspaper just received this statement from Luther Falls Jr., who lost to Bellamy-Small by 50 votes in the 2005 election:

"I join with the Pulpit Forum NAACP to denounce the recall request of Councilmember Diane (sic) Bellamy Small (sic) by Councilmember Florence Gatten. I strongly feel that the citizens of District 1 should decide who should represent them through the electoral process this year in the fall 2007. I, Luther Falls Jr., will be announcing my intentions in the next few weeks about whether or not I will be offering myself as a choice for the citizens of District 1 in this year's city elections."

More to come.

I'm sorting through the City Council's e-mails (public record) about this week's T. Dianne Bellamy-Small-related events. In case you missed it, fellow Councilwoman Florence Gatten called for Bellamy-Small's resignation, citing everything from rudeness to contempt for the law.

Then the Pulpit Forum criticized Gatten, calling her actions a "political lynching campaign."

As you might imagine, the board has received a slew of e-mails this week (25) related to this issue. Below is an interesting exchange between a citizen (who goes by S. Curtis) and Gatten:

S. Curtis: "I do not think it appropriate for you as a city council member to be calling for the resignation of the council member from my district, Ms. Bellamy-Small. She was duly elected by the voters and you have no legitimate power to override the majority vote who selected this councilwoman."

Gatten: "Thank you for taking the time to communicate with me via email. As an at large member of council it is my responsibility to speak out and to represent all of the people of Greensboro. I was also duly elected. Does it not concern you that your council member has evidenced a clear disrespect for the law and for law enforcement agents? It is part of a pattern of behavior that the community is unwilling to support. Do you support speeding in the city? Acting rudely to a police officer? Filing a complaint against a rookie cop? Leaking legally protected personnel information or being responsible for it being leaked thus endangering people's lives?

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect that."

Scoop will be down Wednesday afternoon while some people smarter than I move our blogs to a new server.

I'm told that this is a good thing, and that the blogs should look the same after the switch and you won't need to change your bookmarks.

Thanks in advance for your patience.

Guilford County commissioners might ask the General Assembly for permission to raise the sales tax rate by a penny.

Check our story in today's paper.

The proceeds could be used to build schools or pay down debt, but raising the sales tax is always controversial.

Should commissioners move this thing forward? Or should they kill it?

Last night, Lex Alexander tried to cover a meeting of the Pulpit Forum to discuss issues surrounding City Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small. I say "tried" because he and other members of the media were kicked out.

But he was given this statement from Bellamy-Small, dated March 4.

Some highlights:

• On the office spat: She defends her demand for the corner desk by criticizing the council member who originally asked for more office space (She doesn't specifically name Mike Barber, but he's the one who pushed for the new space). She also said this (unnamed) member doesn't use his city desk as much as she does. "If his request cost $40,000, surely I could have the right to identify which desk I wanted to work from without a new rule being put in place," she wrote.
• On the police stop: "I never made a complaint. I simply voiced my concerns to his superiors."
• On the bus pass give-away: She said she gave them to the homeless, to a cancer patient, to GTCC students and to "people I saw standing the rain or the hot sun waiting for the bus ... Maybe the question should be asked, who else on the council does the kinds of things I have been doing."

GREENSBORO - A city attorney who was part of internal investigations into the police department has taken a job with the City of Winston-Salem.

Blair Carr, 45, will become one of three assistant city attorneys, handling legal issues related to stormwater, solid waste and the coliseum.

Carr, who lives in Winston-Salem, will start her new job April 2 and will earn $75,000. She credited the training she received in Greensboro with landing her the new job.

Besides the police investigation, Carr worked on cases involving zoning and sexually-oriented business in Greensboro. Her salary in Greensboro is $91,600.

"Blair is a very talented lawyer who will be greatly missed," said council member Mike Barber, also an attorney. "Winston-Salem is getting a great lawyer."

Tim Bellamy is Greensboro's new police chief.

More here.

The city's press release:

GREENSBORO, NC (March 22, 2007) - City Manager Mitch Johnson today announced the selection of Interim Chief of Police Tim Bellamy as the new Chief of the Greensboro Police Department. Bellamy is a 24-year veteran of the department and has served as Interim Chief since January 9, 2006. His appointment becomes effective today, at an annual salary of $121,500.

In announcing the decision at a press conference this morning, Johnson said, "Tim Bellamy is absolutely the right man at the right time for the Greensboro Police Department. He brings a unique blend of talents that are vital to the organization. The entire selection committee felt strongly that Tim was the outstanding candidate due to his knowledge of the department, his quiet, strong leadership, and his effectiveness at bringing diverse individuals together to form working teams."

Johnson further noted that Bellamy proved himself in his interim role time and again with his steady, calm approach that brought together and re-focused the department on moving forward. Bellamy's attention to the men and women who serve the Greensboro Police Department and the community each day has helped unify the department and accelerated the healing process following months of turmoil in the wake of the previous chief's resignation in January 2006.

Johnson also thanked the Greensboro community for its role in the selection process. The community was invited to be part of the process through a series of meetings held last fall, during which citizens were asked for their input on the qualities the new chief should have and the type of police department they wanted. Their overwhelming response was that the new chief and the department be closely involved with the community and continue community policing efforts.

In order to achieve these goals, Bellamy has developed the theme "Policing for Greensboro's Communities" and has set priorities of rebuilding trust and confidence in the police force, and developing partnerships within the City organization and in the community. His leadership will also focus on accountability for all members of the department, reducing gun and domestic violence, and addressing youth issues.

Bellamy is from Hallsboro, North Carolina. He has a BS in Criminal Justice from Elizabeth City State University, and a Master's in Liberal Studies from UNCG. He began his career with the Greensboro Police Department in 1983 and rose through the ranks becoming Assistant Chief in 2003.

Bellamy is a graduate of the 214th session of the FBI National Academy, and the 102nd Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville Administrative Officers Course. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the North Carolina State Law Enforcement Officers Association.

"I am honored to have been selected as the next chief of the Greensboro Police Department," Bellamy said. "It is my vision to guide the department based on the philosophy of 'Policing for Greensboro's Communities.' My goal is for Greensboro to have a police department that provides professional police services to our citizens, thereby earning and maintaining the trust of Greensboro citizens."

County Commissioner Linda Shaw will apparently be spending some time in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

She has been appointed to the GOP committee arranging the party's 2008 National Convention.

Click here for the release. (pdf)

We reported today that former Pleasant Garden Mayor Bill Wright is in line to become the next chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party.

More about Wright in this 2006 campaign-season story and at his old campaign Web site.

Republicans I interviewed seemed optimistic that the low-key Wright could help the party in Guilford, where GOP voters are outnumbered by Democrats. Wright has run for town, county and state legislative office, gaining election experience that new GOP candidates might find helpful.

Of course, it's all about winning elections, and 2008 offers a bevy of state and local contests.

Particularly interesting will be the county commissioner races: six seats are up for grabs, including both at-large seats. Republicans came close to winning those countywide posts in 2004 (Roger Cotten and Trudy Wade lost to Democrats Paul Gibson and John Parks) and would dearly like to take those seats and assume control of the board.

A couple of tidbits related to Greensboro's budget talks:

1) City staffers are proposing higher prices on business licenses. As it stands, $1,200 is the most any business pays, regardless of how big they are or how much business they do. That's lower than all the state's big cities (Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville) and most of the medium sized ones (Wilson, Cary, Salisbury, Greenville).

The city aims to raise the cap to $10,000, which is what Charlotte and Winston-Salem charge. Raleigh's maximum is $20,000.

It's much, much more complicated than all that. Most businesses will pay more under the proposal, based on their size and their gross receipts and what they do. The money managers estimate they'll bring in $548,000 more a year.

2) The city also is talking about transferring ownership of Hagan Stone Park to the county. We'll see what these guys have to say about that.

3) And speaking of "we'll see" situations ... The city may ask Guilford County Schools to pay for crossing guards ($396,000 a year). Like the Hagan Stone deal, this is more of a shifting of responsibilities than a slashing of services. But seems like I'll pay for the park and the guards either way - whether its through my county taxes or my city taxes.

This whole thing with Dwayne Crawford up in Summerfield took me back to fall of 2005, when Crawford was trying for a first term on the town council.

He won, but by just 10 votes over incumbent Jane Doggett. There was a recount and everything.

He said then he wasn't concerned that his apparent victory would be reversed, and it wasn't.

"I've been sleeping very well," he said.

The rest of the council will discuss replacing Crawford during a special called meeting on Thursday.

Remember Greensboro's Comprehensive Plan?

Well, it may be comprehensive but that doesn't mean anyone should actually have to pay attention to the thing. From H1195 filed today:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Greensboro City Council and the Greensboro Zoning Commission are not required to make findings of fact as to whether their respective decisions are in compliance with the City's comprehensive plan when either body votes on a zoning request.

Update: Hoggard has a few thoughts.