NC Part 2: More effort is necessary

I didn’t think I’d miss information technology. IT is over-rated. How we fool ourselves.

My lovely (lightweight) IT notebook failed to boot.

After a brief (few days of) meltdown, ranting and general bad temper, I got over myself, pulled out paper and pen and got on with it. I blame the humid heat and the fact when I woke up my hand was still fanning air on my face …for my temper, not the boot failure.

I also discovered a recording App. It provided endless entertainment in the insomniac hours as my body clock failed to adjust to changing time zones every week. More later.

Wilmington (even hotter than Chapel Hill, despite the odd downpour) is home to the office of Cape Fear Community Land Trust. Cape Fear is a popular coastal plain tourist destination, home to population of 42,715 and a median household income of $49,898.00. Rental market is highly priced.

Started 10 years ago (relatively young), with support from the City of Wilmington, the Land Trust has build 8 homes in partnership, owning the land, purchased and renovated three for rental and is poised to hear about a major partnership development on a derelict site which will provide more rental homes.

The current model is to use bank loans to purchase and renovate property for rent, under the Community Reinvestment Act. Rentals are more the immediate need at community level, but also support the Land Trust income.

Executive Director Paul Stavovy has worked in housing for 20 years, and still does. Time is in short supply and co-ordinating funding is time consuming. With only one part-time member of staff (himself) and 11 board members, the Trust has focused on bank loans as the vehicle for finance, with plans to expand into sponsorship this year. Although a non-profit organization, it accesses loans in a traditional fashion and performs well as a business.

The CLTs are shaped by the background of their Boards and their CEOs. Cape Fear is led by a self employed entrepreneur in Paul; if one mechanism takes too long or is too unwieldy, in true entrepreneur fashion another way has been found to do the same thing.

Paul admits that back office help is now required (especially if expansion is on the books), and the office will be getting additional help in the not so distant future. His 20 hours a week do not go far – though I suspect he does over and above from the enthusiasm he shows for the vision of the Cape Fear Trust.

We did a short driving tour in Paul’s Silverado around the downtown Wilmington neighbourhood. It became somewhat longer than expected.

….As thud, thud, thud and a front tyre deflated (almost instantly). Paul did not miss a beat, confidently finding all necessary tools (turns out he was searching for them as he’d not had to change a tyre on this vehicle). And they were well hidden. All over the place. At times it did appear he was being eaten by a hungry Silverado…it’s a big vehicle.

I borrowed his daughters mini sized umbrella and sat helpfully on the pavement, thankful I wasn’t being asked to maneuver a Chevy  tyre half my size, assuring a passerby I did not have a spare cigarette (nor was in need of one) and wondering what the gods of fortune had in store for me tomorrow.

And the recording App? Hilarious. IT may be over-rated but it’s entertaining. “I’m having a good time chewing things on Mars”…did I really say that?

And I know I didn’t say ” This room has a Conservation Board, they won’t kill you”… This recording app is definitely taking more of an effort to be creative than I am…