A summary of decisions made by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners:
The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners met in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Government Center on Tuesday, March 15, 2005. The meeting was televised live on The Government Channel, cable 16 and rebroadcast on WTVI at Midnight. The meeting was scheduled for re-telecast on channel 16 March 16 at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., March 18 at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and March 19 at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. It also airs at various times on GOV-TV, Time-Warner Digital Cable Channel 232.
PROCLAMATIONS AND AWARDS.
The Board of County Commissioners recognized the Gerald G. Fox Employee of the Year and the runner-up. Mary Cousart, DSS Quality and Training Specialist, is the Employee of the Year for 2004, and Captain Lawrence Calvin of the Sheriff's Office is the runner-up. This honor, sponsored by the Charlotte Chamber, selects one County employee nominated by their peers as demonstrating the best in local government service.
The Board recognized six volunteer firefighters who received distinguished service awards at the 54th annual banquet of the Mecklenburg County Volunteer Firemen's Association. They are Tim McDonald, Ben Reagan, Steve Sanders, Don Pusso, Don Bobbitt, and Kirk Killian.
The Board proclaimed 2005 as The Year of Languages, March 2005 as Women's History Month, and March 2005 as Professional Social Work Month.
PUBLIC APPEARANCE.
The following people addressed the Board: Phra Achan Dhammarato, Bhikkhu, an American Buddhist monk, on holding morality talks in schools; Jack Stratton on child protective services.
APPOINTMENTS.
The Board made the following appointments: Lauren Blackburn to the Bicycle Committee; Damon Bidencope, Kenneth Friedman, David Fuller, Kenneth Hammond, Alan Turner, and Doug Wynne to the Board of Equalization and Review.
COMMUNICATING BOARD PRIORITIES.
As part of the County Manager's Report, Harry Jones showed a five-minute video communicating the Board's priorities for the coming year. These priorities will serve as the basis for the Manager and Board to identify the choices and consequences in building next year's County budget. The video will be repeated on the Government Channel, Time Warner Cable Channel 16 and GOV-TV, digital cable channel 232. More information about the FY2005-06 budget process and the priorities set by the Board is available on the Web site http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/County+Managers+Office/SOI/
WATERFOWL FEEDING ORDINANCE.
The Board approved an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of waterfowl on County property. This is one of the strategies the Board endorsed earlier in the year as part of a pilot to remove geese from Freedom Park. The ordinance calls for a citation of $20 for anyone who feeds geese or ducks on County property.
NEW WEST PARK PROJECT.
The Board authorized the County staff to negotiate and execute a contract with LandDesign, a landscape architect firm, to begin design development for the New West Park in Third Ward. In November, voters approved $69 million in park bonds, of which $9 million is targeted to do grading and landscaping to stabilize the 8 acres purchased by the County in Third Ward for a large urban park. No funds have been identified yet to develop the park.
BUDGET WORKSHOP SCHEDULE.
The Board added a budget workshop, on March 29, to address funding and policy matters as part of building next year's budget. On March 8, the County Manager identified a $35 million gap between projected revenues at the current property tax rate and the cost of continuing to provide current services next year. The Board's workshops will allow time to discuss the major drivers of the budget.
