Yet another controversy over the use of Durham city funds by private firms came to a head at Monday night's City Council meeting as the landlords of Phoenix Crossing Shopping Center denied mistreating their tenants.
Phoenix Crossing, owned by Larry and Denise Hester, drew attention from city officials when The Herald-Sun of Durham reported that three tenants - Trin-B'ago Caribbean Restaurant, Back to Health Inc. and The Oil Well, Inc., a fragrant oil, incense and soap store - accused the Hesters of not advertising, maintaining or cleaning up around the 45,500-square-foot shopping center.
The tenants brought their complaints to the Jan. 9 council meeting, since the center was partially financed by a city loan requiring the Hesters to properly manage the facility.
The Hesters appeared at last night's council meeting, attacking both The Herald-Sun and City Council for blowing the charges out of proportion.
Denise Hester said the complex was already being evaluated by city staff when the council ordered another round of inspections.
"The council's request was actually a call for a second round of inspections," Hester said. "I have to ask you, where does it end?"
Hester also said that the tenants themselves were required to fix some of the problems they complained about, and the 20 other tenants chose not to complain.
City Manager Marcia Conner informed the Hesters that they will receive a letter notifying them of municipal regulations they have violated and specifying a time period in which they must correct the cited problems.
If the problems are not fixed in the allotted time span, the city may default on the loan.
The council also considered imposing a fee on anyone who wants to conduct business on sidewalks. Some Durham residents at the meeting complained of the disheveled appearance of people selling newspapers on sidewalks and street corners.
However, such fees could be a nuisance for established businesses, such as restaurants with tables set up on sidewalks.
The council ultimately voted to require anyone engaging in sales or solicitation on sidewalks to obtain a permit, though no fee would be required.
In addition, the council took comments from the public concerning the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Of the 21 speakers from the crowd, most called for more city funds to improve housing by enacting a stronger housing code, appointing more housing code inspectors and working toward more affordable housing in lower-income neighborhoods.
Many speakers desired the creation of a "Neighborhood College" that would educate citizens on how to utilize local government services more effectively. Such programs have already been implemented in other North Carolina communities, including Raleigh.
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