Calendar:
Thursday, June 24
12:00 p.m. - Community Safety Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: CMGC Security Update; Towing Ordinance Sunset(time changed from 5 p.m.)
Friday, June 25
12:00 p.m. - Restructuring Government Committee Meeting, Room CH-14. AGENDA: 4-Year Term for Mayor and City Council(time changed from June 17)
Information Items:
Redevelopment of City Owned Land at Oaklawn and Statesville
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396
The City owns a 7.2 acre site at the corner of Oaklawn and Statesville Avenues. In 1998 the City committed this land to the Fairview Homes Hope VI project as a future site for retail, business or other community support activities. A market study, completed in 2003, recommends the development of a mixed-use project on the site to include 90 to 100 units of market rate housing and 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of retail.
Staff recommends marketing this site through a competitive process using a request for qualifications to qualify development teams, followed by a request for proposals from the qualified development teams.
The City Manager has referred this issue to Council's Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee for a recommendation to City Council on the proposed process and criteria to include in the request for qualifications.
HMSHost Buyout of Concourse 'E' Facilities
Staff Resource: T. J. Orr, 704-359-4006
In February 2002, the Airport opened the 5th or "E" Concourse. In order to have the necessary food, beverage and retail concessions on the E Concourse, which is heavily used, the City made the capital investment to build a Fox Sports Bar and Grill ("E Facilities") as well as a News and Gift Store on the "E" Concourse. Then, the City entered into an agreement with Host International, Inc. ("Host") to operate the "E" Facilities under a management agreement. The management agreement provides that the City will pay Host a flat management fee plus an incentive fee of 20% of net profits.
At the same time, Host operates the food and beverage and news and gift concessions in the rest of the airport. Regarding the rest of the airport concessions, Host paid all capital costs, owns the businesses outright, and pays the City a percentage of gross revenues for the right to do business in the airport.
The management agreement for the "E" Facilities permits Host to buyout the City's investment in the "E" Facilities and thereafter operate them upon the same terms and conditions as it operates the other concessions at the airport. In other words, after reimbursing the City for the City's cost to build the "E" Facilities, Host will own the facilities, and rather than receiving only a management fee and percentage of net profits, Host will be entitled to all of the revenue and will pay the City a percent of gross receipts.
Host has notified the City that it intends to buyout the City's investment in the "E" Facilities effective June 30, 2004. As a result, HMSHost will pay the City $1.25 million on June 30, 2004 and will immediately become the owner of the "E" Facilities.
Police Department Promotions
Staff Resource: Darrel Stephens, 704-336-2360
Chief Stephens has announced the promotions of four CMPD personnel to be effective on July 21.
Major K.D. Williams will be promoted to Deputy Chief to fill the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Deputy Chief Bob Schurmeier. Major Williams is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the FBI National Academy. In 25 years with CMPD, he has held a wide range of assignments including serving as the department's Planning Officer, Captain of the David Two District, and Special Investigations, including Vice and Narcotics and Criminal Intelligence. During his assignment to the Animal Control Bureau, Major Williams initiated many of the changes that have contributed to the professionalism and community outreach of the bureau. Major Williams currently heads the Internal Affairs Section. Upon his promotion, Williams will be assigned to CMPD's Administrative Division.
Capt. David Graham will be recommended to the Civil Service Board for promotion to Major. Capt. Graham has also held a variety of assignments including Internal Affairs and serving as Captain of the Baker One District. While assigned to Baker One, Capt. Graham worked with his officers on a new approach to domestic violence cases. That project was one of five finalists for the 2002 Herman Goldstein Award. Capt. Graham is currently the head of the Criminal Intelligence Section.
Sgt. Bruce Bellamy will be recommended for promotion to Captain. Bellamy has been with CMPD for thirteen years and has served in patrol as both an officer and a sergeant. He has been a sexual assault investigator and is currently assigned to Internal Affairs.
Officer Jeffrey Ojaniit will be recommended for promotion to Sergeant. Officer Ojaniit began his career with the Mecklenburg County Police in 1991. He has served in the Adam One District and is currently assigned to the HITS Unit.
Mayor and Council are invited to the promotional ceremony on July 21 at 2:00 pm at the Training Academy.
Lunch and Learn
Staff Resource: Tiffany Capers, 704-336-3862
The Small Business Development Program is sponsoring a Small Business Development Program Lunch and Learn Workshop on Wednesday, June 30, from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center on the eighth floor in Conference Room 801. This is an informational workshop for our certification department as part of our ongoing development and training for the staff of the Small Business Development Program.
The SBE Program certifies many engineering and architectural firms. The purpose of this workshop is to advance the certification staff's knowledge regarding the state of North Carolina licensing requirements for engineers, architects and their companies.
Joining us to share information for this workshop will be Ms. Cathe Evans, the Executive Director for the NC Board of Architecture and Mr. David Evans, Investigation Supervisor for The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. Both guests are from Raleigh, NC. A boxed lunch will be provided for all participants. For further information please call
704-336-2473.
Tree Removal along Shoreham Drive
Staff Resource: Daryl Hammock, 704-336-2167
Several property owners along Shoreham Drive have recently contacted Council members regarding the removal of trees along the center median of Shoreham Drive. A Storm Water project to correct flooding and street safety issues along Shoreham Drive will require the removal of some of the trees.
The drainage project for the Foxcroft-Ferncliff area is a high priority project due to street and home flooding and a long history of citizen requests for relief from the flooding. Several new drainage culverts have already been installed in the area; the current work replaces and upgrades three culverts along Shoreham Drive. Shoreham Drive is a divided street with a tree-lined stream in the median.
Tree preservation is always one of the multiple goals for drainage projects. The designers have taken special care to avoid and minimize disruption to trees in an attempt to preserve the character of the neighborhood. However, there are some trees that must be removed for the new culverts to be installed and some removed because of damaged roots. The City's Landscape Management Division has reviewed the plans to ensure that trees are protected as much as possible.
A Charlotte Observer editorial in January addressed the removal of trees for the Foxcroft-Ferncliff drainage improvements. A copy is attached (paper copy only). Although the article laments the loss of trees under such circumstances, it acknowledges the need for removal of trees to improve and upgrade infrastructure. The project will minimize the impact on trees through the following actions:
- Remove only those trees necessary for the construction or those that will not survive significant root damage.
- Install tree protection fencing during construction.
- Replant trees where possible to reestablish the tree canopy.
