Information Items:
Hurricane Frances Follow Up
Staff Resources: Wayne Broome, 704-336-7616 and Jon Hannan, 704-336-4925
The remnants of Hurricane Frances have impacted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. Over the last 48 hours, there have been tornado watches and warnings, with several suspected touch downs; however, there has been no official confirmation of any touch downs. There have been no reports of injuries, and property damage has been moderate to minor and very isolated. There were two reports of damage at the 14900 block of Thomas Road and the 15000 block of York Road. Both locations are in the County.
Flooding has occurred along South Boulevard, North Tryon Street, and in several neighborhoods. Some streets were closed temporarily due to street flooding; however, there are no reports of closed streets at this time. Calls concerning tree damage in City right-of-way remain relatively normal. Staff is assessing possible impact of the storm on yard waste collection.
There are routine conference calls in place with the State, the National Weather Service, and with Western North Carolina counties to determine status and to receive updates on weather conditions. Conditions are improving and, by early to late evening, we should start to see normal weather.
The Governor has made a statewide declaration of disaster. This action would expedite any additional response and recovery efforts and would provide a uniform approach for any mutual aid request.
Assistance to Mountain Areas
In response to the weather emergencies, the North Carolina Office of Emergency Management has requested assistance from the Charlotte Fire Department. Fire is providing one Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) with a Hazardous Materials component (30 personnel) and a three- person Helicopter Rescue Team.
The USAR Team is being pre-deployed to Hickory. They will be housed there and tasked into western North Carolina as needs arise. The Helicopter Team will also report to Hickory, be paired with an Air National Guard Helicopter and moved to Asheville.
All assets and resources being deployed are more than duplicated here in Charlotte. The Fire Department remains ready for all emergencies and will continue to maintain full on-duty strength.
These missions are both State requested and authorized under contract. All costs for deployment and back-fill of personnel will be reimbursed.
Latino Recycling Initiative Kick-Off Event
Staff Resource: Wayman Pearson, 704-336-3410
On Saturday, September 25, 2004, Solid Waste Services, in partnership with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, will host a kick-off event for its recycling initiatives - Score a Goal by Recycling. The event will be held from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm at Sugaw Creek Park, 943 Sugar Creek Road. The event is designed to educate the Latino community on recycling, and serves as the formal introduction of the CURB IT! residential recycling program to the Latino community. The event will feature a free youth soccer clinic, face painting, recycling games, and other surprises. Recycling bins and information on how to recycle will also be distributed at the event. The event is free and open to the public.
Following the kick-off event, Solid Waste Services will spend 15 weeks touring the Latino community distributing information about the CURB IT! residential recycling program and encouraging the community to participate in the program. This campaign is a part of a larger initiative to increase recycling in the City's north collection zone.
Confederate Flag in Elmwood Cemetery
Staff Resource: Willie Ratchford, 704-336-2195
On July 26, 2004, City Council referred the Elmwood Cemetery Confederate Flag issue to the Community Relations Committee (CRC). CRC is developing a collaborative process to facilitate constructive and civil community dialogue regarding the flying of the confederate flag in the Elmwood Cemetery.
CRC plans to host a public meeting in October 2004 at the Government Center. CRC will provide publicity for the event and will work to generate interest in attendance among diverse groups in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. The public meeting will be structured as follows: the City Attorney will provide local legal context for the issue, and 2 historians will provide historical context on the flag. Meeting attendees will review information on what other municipalities across the country have done to address flying of confederate flags over publicly owned properties, including cemeteries. Attendees will be divided into small groups to discuss the confederate flag and will be asked for suggestions on what the City should do regarding the flag in Elmwood cemetery. The entire group will prioritize suggestions.
Based on the top 5 suggestions, the CRC Executive Committee and staff will develop a recommendation for the City Manager. The Manager would then be free to use these recommendations to develop policy regarding flags in public cemeteries or to advise and make recommendations to City Council.
Sidewalk Program Review
Staff Resource: Vivian Coleman, 704-353-0481
At the September 7 Council Workshop, staff informed you that the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun a review of the criteria and process used to implement sidewalks in neighborhoods. Below is additional information:
- The existing Sidewalk Program has been in place since the 1980's. The portion of funds going to neighborhood projects is through citizen request.
- Recently, several locations that have been high on our priority list (generally through safety or access to schools, parks or transit reasons) have received substantial opposition from affected property owners and/or neighborhood associations. Issues include how a location is prioritized, width of sidewalk and planting strip and how property owner opposition is weighed against neighborhood support and/or general need for the installation.
- CDOT staff will be looking at the program and recommend ways it may be improved. Those recommendations should come back to you early next year. CDOT will be involving some of the citizens involved in the controversial projects, such as Ms. Bratton who spoke last night at the Citizen's Forum.
- While the review is underway, locations where substantial support exists for the project will continue. In those locations where substantial disagreement exists, a decision on whether to proceed will be delayed pending the outcome of your discussions regarding revisions to the Program. Those citizens and neighborhoods affected by delays will be notified.
