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Experience

I have served on the Carrboro Board of Alderman since 2009.

Other Boards and Commissions that I am currently on or have a been on:

  • Orange County Climate Change Committee
  • Environmental Advisory Board
  • Economic Sustainability Commission
  • Orange County Food Council
  • Family Success Alliance
  • Transportation Advisory Board
  • Affordable Housing Task Force
  • Historic Rogers Road Task Force
  • JOCCA
  • Recreations and Parks Commission
  • Chair of Local Living Economy Task Force
  • Appearance commission/ Neighborhood Preservation Commission

Some of my accomplishments while on the Board of Alderman include:

  •  Climate Change
    • Established greenhouse gas emissions goal for Carrboro; in line with what is socially just and what the science calls for and served on Climate Change Task Force to develop Community Action Plan
    • Spearheaded the creation of climate change action plans both for the municipality and for the community at large.
    • Pushed to have 10 year budget plan for implementing the plans to be reflected annually in budget proposals starting in FY 2019-2020
    • Got 30 local elected officials to sign letter asking the governor to veto fracking
    • Pushed for League of Municipalities to represent towns in Duke Energy rate cases and for Duke to establish LED street light rates
  • Equity
    • Served as leader on the Roger Rd. Task Force; after 30 years of suffering the landfill, we are now on the road to getting sewer for the Historic Rogers Rd. Community.
    • Originally introduced the idea of having the town do racial equity training.
    • Serving as a leader on making sure that our police force is accountable to town of Carrboro values. This included:
      • Discontinuing ‘license check’ police stops which were disproportionately affecting Latinos.
      • In response to representative of affected community, requested and saw through police force policy of issuing written consent when doing searches.
      • Pushed to de-prioritize minor drug infractions. 
      • Making sure police body worn camera policy was in line with Carrboro values before the state stepped in; thereafter I voted against the measure because accessibility to footage has been greatly diminished, a policy that has taken away a major function that police body worn cameras are supposed to provide.
      • Making sure that we are as clear as we can be with the affected Latino community on how we are still a safe environment even though we cannot use the word ‘sanctuary’.
  • Downtown access
    • Proponent of Carrboro Parking study.
    • Ongoing support for implementing the plan
    • Supportive of multimodal alternatives towards emancipating from car dependency in a manner that holds downtown businesses harmless.
  • Economic Development
    • Supportive of Local Living Economy Task Force Recommendations
    • Originally proposed affordable commercial space town needs, we are currently exploring such a space on Old 86.
    • Supportive of Southern Branch Library construction in downtown Carrboro
    • Supported South Green Project
  • Trash / Compost
    • Leading effort to save the town money and ghg emissions on trash collection.  This has been made possible because of the diversion of recyclables out of the waste stream, garbage containers are less then half filled every week so trash pick-up can now happen every other week.
    • Initiated process for exploration of a Carrboro composting program, that is currently being developed
  • Resolutions introduced:
    • Supporting Medicare For All
    • condemning HB2 legislators.
    • Money for people not for war
    • Resolution setting town standard for ghg emissions reductions
  • Assured a pump track for all biking levels at MLK Park and that the existing community gardens there receive infrastructure improvements and not lose their water.

My experiences are rooted locally and have produced tangible results spanning a spectrum that includes the economic, the community, social justice, and the environment. Other examples of my leadership outside of government have included:

  • Recognized in 2010 by Grist online blog as one of 40 people who are redefining green. https://grist.org/article/2010-04-22-sammy-slade-board-alderman-carrboro-earth-day-40-people/
  • Outreach coordinator for NC WARN, worked to build the people power to mitigate climate change, for economic justice and for democracy in NC by targeting the worlds largest electric utility holding company, North Carolina’s largest greenhouse gas polluter and biggest PAC in North Carolina: Duke Energy.
  • Chair of the Local Living Economy Task Force an advisory committee to the Board of Alderman that researched and recommended to the Board of Alderman actions to advance economic development of the kind that maximizes the community’s wellbeing through import substitution and supporting locally owned businesses.
  • Co-founded the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition and established the CCGC garden at Carrboro’s MLK Jr. Park. This involved the collaboration and coordination with Carrboro’s Parks and Rec., the Board of Aldermen, the Orange County Partnership for Young Children.
  • Co-founded the Carrboro Community Garden Coalition and established the CCGC garden at Carrboro’s MLK Jr. Park. This involved the collaboration and coordination with Carrboro’s Parks and Rec., the Board of Aldermen, the Orange County Partnership for Young Children.
  • Co-founded the Carrborogreenspace, which has accomplished many events and projects. These include, Walk In Tributary Theatre (through the WITT brought back to the community use of Carrboro’s historic Sparrow Pool), The Casa Grande Community Garden, The Farmer Appreciation Potluck, and the Urban Farm Tour. https://grist.org/article/bringing-farming-home/
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