New Format for Business Agenda
Staff Resource: Julie Burch, 704-336-3187
Starting with Monday night's document, Council will notice a new simplified format for the agenda. Staff is working to keep all but the most complex agenda items to one page and making extensive use of bullets and short sentences to capture key points. If more detail is necessary, information will be contained in an attachment. Also effective with this agenda, attachments will be available on the City's web site so they will be more readily available to the public.
The agenda is an important decision-making tool for the Council. We hope these changes will make it easier to read and understand. We welcome your feedback.
Legislative Commissions on Transportation Begin Work
Staff Resource: Jim Humphrey, 704-336-3883 and
Boyd Cauble, 704-336-2009
At last month's City Council Retreat, we informed you that two important Legislative Commissions would soon be appointed to look at transportation funding. <Attached is a listing of members> of each group. Both groups have met to begin their work.
The Highway Trust Fund Study Committee is looking at all aspects of the Highway Trust Fund, the State's primary source for funding new construction. A few examples include the status of previously authorized projects, statewide transportation needs, the Equity Formula and feasibility of adding projects to the list of eligible projects. The Committee is to complete its work by November 1, 2004.
The <Blue Ribbon Commission >to look at Urban Mobility Needs was authorized by the Governor's NC Moving Ahead Initiative. Its charge is to study the following matters:
- Innovative financing approaches to mitigate urban congestion;
- Local revenue options which would give urban areas more control over their regional mobility future;
- Any other urban transportation issues if approved by the co-chairs or recommended by the Secretary of Transportation and approved by the co-chairs.
The Blue Ribbon Commission is to report findings and recommendations to the 2005 General Assembly.
After we have assembled real examples of the lack of State attention to our transportation problems, we will attempt to educate the study groups about the needs for change in administration and/or funding. We will also enlist the Chamber in lobbying for changes in urban planning and funding. We propose to inform our Delegation members about how to better address our congestion and transportation needs, especially as it relates to our air quality problems and future restrictions on growth.
Finally, we will create a matrix that can be used by the Urban Coalition to emphasize to their delegations the inadequacies highlighted in our area. This is the first attempt to mobilize the metropolitan areas of the state to address severe urban traffic problems.
Proposed Levee/Floodwall Policy
Staff Resource: Tim Richards, 704-336-4555
City Council received a briefing about the proposed Levee/Floodwall Policy at their February 23 Dinner Meeting. The presentation suggested bringing the policy before Council on March 22 for approval.
Based on requests from citizens in an area proposing a levee, staff is pulling the item and will be engaged in additional public input. Any significant revisions to the proposed policy will be taken back to the Storm Water Advisory Committee for review before bringing back to Council.
Media Request on Stop the Killing/The Crusade
Staff Resource: Ruffiin Hall, 704-336-3403
On Monday, March 15 the Budget Office received a media request regarding one of the City's Financial Partners, Stop the Killing/The Crusade. The reporter requested the official organizational name, the amount of City funds contributed and financial information. Due to the large number of pages, copies of the information are available in the Budget Office.
