Calendar:  (May and June calendars are attached)

Agenda Notes:
-  Agenda Item #10: FY05 Consolidated Action Plan
-  Agenda Item #13: Alesanderana Road Alignment
-  Agenda Item #16K: Addendum to Appointments to Boards and Commissions
-  Agenda Item #42Q: Billy Graham Parkway/Wilkinson Boulevard Condemnation
-  Agenda Item #42Z: Andover Storm Water Project, Phase II - Easement Condemnation

Information Items:
-  Time Warner Cable Business Investment Grant
-  Request for Cultural Facilities Funding Information
-  2005 Annexation Media Coverage
-  Reports on Recent Fires
-  Housing Briefing - Affordable Housing 101
-  Colony Road Conversion for Bicycle Lanes
-  Eastland Mall Update
-  ICMA Webcast on Urban Forestry

Attachments:
-  May Calendar
-  June Calendar
-  Federal Funding for Housing
-  Alexanderana Rd. Alignment
-  Planning Commission Letter of Recommendation
-  Time Warner Business Investment Grant
-  Cultural Facilities Funding Report
-  Sweeden Rd. Chemical Fire
-  Quail Hill Rd. Fire
-  Housing Achievements
-  Housing Briefing 101 - power point show
-  Housing Glossary
-  Section 8 Housing - power point show
-  Colony Rd Conversion to Bike Lanes
-  Follow up Report--May 7, 2004

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Agenda Notes:
Agenda Item #10: FY05 Consolidated Action Plan
Staff Resource: Stanley Wilson, 704-336-3337

At the May 10, Council Meeting, City Council will be asked to take action on the Housing and Neighborhood Development Council Committee's recommendation to approve the FY05 Consolidated Action Plan (item #10). The Consolidated Plan is the City's annual application to receive federal funds for housing and community development activities.

The Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee received information about the FY05 Consolidated Action Plan at their meeting on April 21, 2004. Attached is information the Committee requested on the City's FY03 expenditures using funds from the four federal grant programs - Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Act (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA).

Agenda Item #13: Alexanderana Road Alignment
Staff Resources: Jim Humphrey, 704-336-3883 and Bob Cook, 704-336-8643

Attached is the Alexanderana Road Agenda Item. It was added late due to the need for the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization to take action on May 19. On Thursday, May 6, the Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) unanimously recommended an alignment that would closely follow the northern right of way of the I-485 project. One house would be taken.

This alignment was supported by citizens at the final public meeting. The TCC recommendation included a provision for staff to work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to see whether the alignment could be modified slightly to miss the house.

The Transportation Committee will consider this item at their meeting Monday afternoon and make a recommendation to Council that evening.

Agenda Item #16K: Addendum to Appointments to Boards and Commissions
Staff Resource: Brenda Freeze, 704-336-4516

An item has been added to Monday's agenda to include an appointment to the Planning Commission. The School Board has submitted the attached recommendation to replace Bernie Johnson, who is not eligible for reappointment.  

Attachment::Letter of Recommendation and Application.

Agenda Item #42Q: Billy Graham Parkway/Wilkinson Boulevard Condemnation
Staff Resource: Daryl Greenberg, 704-353-0474

Real Estate staff has requested that Item #42Q be removed from the agenda. Staff believes with more negotiation efforts they will be able to get this acquisition signed. Therefore, they would like to bring this item back on the May 24 Council Meeting.

Agenda Item 42Z: Andover Storm Water Project, Phase II - Easement Condemnation
Staff Resource: Tim Richards, 704-336-4555

The Monday, May 10 agenda includes a condemnation action for the Phase II Andover Road storm water project. Phase I of the project was completed last year, preventing further structural damage to homes that had been occurring near the original storm drain pipes. However, flooding occurred last spring in the Phase I area, which might have been averted if the downstream Phase II improvements had been in place. As a result, Phase II was accelerated in order to provide a fully functioning drainage system for the Andover Road area as soon as possible.

The Nelson/Meades property is a vacant lot adjacent to Briar Creek and partly within the regulated floodplain. The Floodplain Ordinance requires a Zoning Board of Adjustment action to make improvements in the creek, which has been scheduled for May 25. Since negotiations with the property owners have not been successful to this point, the condemnation has been scheduled to secure the easement prior to the ZBA action. Delay of the ZBA action would delay the construction of the Phase II improvements.

The easement is for the installation of two large drainage pipes as they discharge into Briar Creek. The easement will reduce the "buildable area" of the property, which is reflected in the certified, appraised value of the easement ($69,413). During negotiations with the property owners, the possibility of using additional property for construction staging was considered. The appraisal was modified to include the additional area and provide an option for the owners to consider ($91,725).

The property owners have not agreed to either amount. They are scheduled to meet with staff, along with their attorney Fountain Odom, on Monday afternoon. Their attorney has suggested that the City should buy the entire property. The staff cannot address that option until meeting with the owners and their attorney on Monday. An update will be provided Monday evening.

In addition to the owners of this property, other neighborhood residents have expressed concern about the aesthetics of the pipe outlet at Briar Creek. We intend to install trees and landscaping at the end of construction that will screen the pipe outlet.

Information Items:
Time Warner Cable Business Investment Grant
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396

In response to the article that appeared in the May 3, 2004 Charlotte Observer, we have attached information about the Business Investment Grant approved for Time Warner Cable.

 The record of information shows that City Council's decision to approve a Business Investment Grant for Time Warner Cable was not contingent upon any incentives from the State of North Carolina. The information also shows the significance of Time Warner Cable's fiscal and economic impact:
     -  The local direct economic impact of the 420 jobs created to date is estimated to be $74.3 million per year.
     -  The new local taxes generated by these jobs and $39 million investment is estimated to be $1.8 million per year (City: $683,000; County: $1,131,400)
      -  The local direct economic impact of the additional 350 jobs and $36 million investment announced on March 26, 2004 is estimated to be $61.9 million per year.
      -  The new local taxes that will be generated by these jobs and investment are estimated to be $1.5 million per year (City: $581,400; County: $954,200).

We have attached the information we provided to the Mayor and City Council on April 2, 2004 when The Charlotte Observer first contacted staff about this story. Also attached are the minutes and PowerPoint presentation from the July 22, 2002 Executive Session at which City Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate a Business Investment Grant with Time Warner Cable not to exceed $3 million.

Request for Cultural Facilities Funding Information
Staff Resource: Ruffin Hall, 704-336-3403

A Council member requested information regarding the arts and cultural facilities funding. The information is attached.

2005 Annexation Media Coverage
Staff Resource: Jonathan Wells, 704-336-4090

Planning staff has been notified that the Charlotte Observer plans on running a story on the 2005 annexation qualifying areas that were shared with City Council in the April 23 Council Manager Memo. Staff shared with the reporter that a summary report and service plans are now being prepared and will be presented to Council in July.

Area Name	Population	Acres	Dwelling Units
Caldwell	2,557	1,311.5	1,013
Withrow Downs	368	151.8	133
Mallard Creek Church East	2,211	1,112.9	1,224
Brookshire East	391	306.1	168
Brookshire West	1,973	1,125.5	860
Steele Creek North	1,799	976.1	754
Steele Creek South	7,748	3,910.5	3,177
Community House Road	459	257.5	165
Totals	17,506	9,151.9	7494

Reports on Recent Fires: 
Attached for your information are reports from Fire Chief Fincher's office on the chemical fire at Reagents Inc. Chemical Facility located at 4726 Sweeden Road and the three-alarm condominium fire at 7051 Quail Hill Road.

Housing Briefing - Affordable Housing 101
Staff Resource: Stanley Watkins, 704-336-3796

In April, City staff held briefings for City Council members on Charlotte's affordable housing policies. The housing briefing was requested during Council's February Retreat to help new Council members understand Charlotte's affordable housing needs and the City's goals and strategy for addressing the needs. The briefing included information on the local affordable housing needs; the City's housing goals and strategy; and the City's affordable housing policies.

(See the attached Affordable Housing 101 PowerPoint Presentation) As a follow up to the briefing, staff was asked to provide additional information relating to affordable housing. The status of the requested information is provided below:

Information Requested	Response
List of Housing Programs	See attached Major Housing Organizations Inventory Report
Listing of Housing Terminology	See attached Glossary of Terms
Description of Section 8	See attached Section 8 Voucher Program Presentation
Description of Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA)	See attached Major Housing Organizations Inventory Report
Status Report of City Housing Projects	See attached Major Housing Organizations Inventory Report
Status Report o local Community Development Corporations (include historical numbers)	See attached Affordable Housing Achievement Report
Information on Capital and Operating Costs for the City Neighborhood Development, CHA and CMHP	See attached Major Housing Organizations Inventory Report
Developer Incentives for Affordable Housing Development	Density Bonus for affordable housing is being discussed and considered by the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee.  The Committee's next meeting is May 19, 2004.

Council members attending the housing briefings: Susan Burgess, Patsy Kinsey, John Tabor and John Lassiter.

Colony Road Conversion for Bicycle Lanes
Staff Resource: Doreen Szymanski, 704-336-7527

At City Council retreat, staff was asked to conduct a post-analysis of the changes to Colony Road. As you may recall, the Charlotte Department of Transportation converted a four-lane, undivided road, with no left-turn lanes to a three-lane (including middle turn lane) road with two, four foot bike lanes. Attached is staff's recommendation. Staff has concluded that the changes have met the City's transportation and land use goals, with the following benefits:
     -  Travel speeds have been moderated.
     -  Only moderate congestion is occurring, and no detectable safety problems have developed.
     -  Travel lanes have been shifted away from the adjacent residences, providing pedestrians and homeowners an additional buffer and
      -  Bicycle lanes are now provided for the length of the corridor, supporting the City's commitment to providing alternative modes of travel.

Eastland Mall Update
Staff Resource: Saskia Thompson, 704-336-4947On Tuesday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 5, Eastland Mall convened and facilitated meetings regarding problems the Mall experiences with large crowds gathering on weekends.

 A representative from CMPD, CATS, and the City Manager's Office attended these meetings to serve as a resource. At each of the two meetings there were approximately 15-20 participants. The facilitator asked questions of the group designed to identify strategies the Mall, the City and County, the community, and local businesses can use to address this problem.

Mall management did not announce any new security measures it will put in place, and instead used the meetings as a forum for discussion only. The next step will be for the facilitator to compile the feedback from both meetings and distribute it back to the participants.

ICMA Webcast on Urban Forestry
Staff Resource: David Weekly, 704-336-4103

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is hosting an Urban Forestry Webcast on May 18, 2004 titled Seeing Green with Trees: The Economics and Environmental Benefits of Urban Forests. Laura Brewer and Nick Roberts of Engineering's Land Development Division will be included in the agenda for the webcast.

Highlighted in Land Development's portion of the webcast will be the results of the Urban Ecosystem Analysis performed in Mecklenburg County in 2001, and how this analysis is being used to project the future of the City's tree canopy over the next 10-30 years. On a smaller scale, we are also studying how much tree canopy the City's current Tree Ordinance is providing. The final analyses of these studies will be presented to the City Council.