By Beth Mechum
Staff Writer
The Carrboro Board of Aldermen has decided to leave John Herrera’s vacant aldermen seat open until the November election. The decision was made Tuesday night at Town Hall during the board’s first meeting since its summer break.
The board is required by law to appoint a new member, but there is no specific time limit provided. As a compromise, Mayor Mark Chilton proposed the board immediately seat the highest non-incumbent vote-getter in November’s Aldermen election.
Herrera had nearly completed his second term as the first Latino immigrant elected in Carrboro when his recent move to Holly Springs forced him to resign. He had already stated he did not plan to run for re-election.
Board member Randee Haven O’Donnell will take over his duties as mayor pro-tem.
Also at the meeting, the board heard two options for proposed modifications to the Head Start Building on Hargraves Street in the Northside neighborhood.
The first option involves making accommodations to the internal structure, including making the bathrooms smaller, taking out the kitchen and adding a nursery and community room.
The second option is to add a second floor, which would serve as an assembly room with some storage space. This option would cost $500,000 and would be preferred if enough money is raised.
Chilton said he used to live in that neighborhood and has seen firsthand what the school means to the community.
“It’s been a tremendous resource for families in our community, especially lower-income families in our community, and has provided a resource that no other school in our community has provided,†he said.
The board approved both options, which will be submitted for formal review and approval through the plan review process.
In other action:
• The town will no longer post completed advisory-board applications on the town’s website due to concerns over privacy. The applications are still considered a matter of public record.
• Michael Krasnov was appointed to one of the two vacant seats on the Transportation Advisory Board.
• The Carrboro police department will begin using an updated wrecker policy, which means they will be searching for a new service to handle the town’s wrecker services. This is to ensure the wrecker provider will meet all the town’s wrecker needs. According to Police Chief Carolyn Hutchinson, the department has a list of five or six companies it is considering.
*The BOA adopted an ordinance to allow neighbors to appeal the granting of permits for goats. In June, the board adopted an ordinance to make a limited exception to the town’s livestock and wild-animals code for fainting goats in response to Carrboro resident Marianne Prince’s request in early April.