Calendar:
   (See Below)

Information Items:
- City Involvement in Crossroads Charlotte
- Request for Update on SBE/MWBE Participation on the Arena
- Request for Investigation and Reinstatement on City Contract
- Sidewalk Program Review
- Confederate Flag in Elmwood Cemetery

Attachments:
- October and November Calendar
- SBE/MWBE Report through Sept. 2004
- Request for Investigation
- Transportation Committee Summary, 10-11-04

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Calendar:
Monday, October 18
   12:00 pm - Agenda Briefing, Room 280
     5:00 pm - Council Manager Dinner Briefing, Room CH-14
     6:00 pm - Zoning Meeting, Meeting Chamber

Wednesday, October 20
     3:30 pm - Economic Development and Planning Committee Meeting, Room 280  AGENDA: Midtown Square Redevelopment; Economic Development Strategic Plan

Thursday, October 21
    12:00 pm - Restructuring Government Committee Meeting, Room CH-14  AGENDA: Public Art; Multi-family Garbage Collection 
      6:00 pm - County's Environmental Public Forum, Meeting Chamber

Friday, October 22
      7:45 am - Planning Liaison Committee Meeting, 8th Floor

Information Items:
City Involvement in Crossroads Charlotte
Staff Resource: Denise Foreman, 704-336-3186

The Community Building Initiative (CBI) has been involved in a community initiative called Crossroads Charlotte. Some of you have been involved in some of the early steps of this initiative. CBI has worked to develop several scenarios that could describe Charlotte's future. They have asked the City to participate in the second phase of this initiative by putting together a group of 20 City representatives to work through a three-hour session.

At this session, our team would discuss the initiatives, our response to them and how our organization could impact them. Our team will be paired with teams from other organizations.

I have put together an initial list of employees that I think should participate in this process. I also think it would be helpful to engage the Mayor and City Council members in this and future steps of this initiative. The first three-hour session is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, 2004 from 12:00 pm until 5:00 pm. If you are interested in participating on the City's team, please contact Denise Foreman at 704-336-3186 by Friday, October 22.

Request for Update on SBE/MWBE Participation on the Arena
Staff Resource: Tiffany Capers, 704-336-3862

Please find attached a report detailing the SBE/MWBE participation on the Arena as of September 30, 2004. The current report indicates that SBE participation is just over 15%. A summary of participation by race/ethnicity gender (R/E/G) is included below for your information.

Ownership Category by R/E/G	Percent Participation
African American	4.1%
Asian American	0.1%
Hispanic American	1.1%
Native American	0.2%
Non-minority female	8.0%

Request for Investigation and Reinstatement on City Contract
Staff Resource: Tiffany Capers, 704-336-3862

In March 2004, the Small Business Development Program received a copy of a letter sent by Conmat Construction to Metrolina Minority Contractors Association. Conmat Construction was requesting an investigation of allegations of inappropriate conduct on the part of the City on the Old Statesville Road Widening Project and re-instatement on the Old Statesville Road Widening Project, a project from which Conmat Construction had been terminated. The focus of my review was to enable me to adequately and accurately respond to two allegations:

1. Inspectors with the City's Engineering & Property Management Department made disparaging remarks about Conmat Construction which resulted in the loss of other contracts; and

2. Inspectors with the City's Engineering & Property Management Department created an abusive work environment for Conmat Construction on the Old Statesville Road Widening Project and caused the wrongful termination of Conmat Construction.

Staff investigated the complaint by reviewing the notes and file materials, including photographs, of the City project inspectors and contacting representatives of the companies identified in the complaint on Conmat's behalf. Staff was unable to substantiate Conmat's allegations. The results of the investigation concerning these allegations and the response to Conmat Construction are attached.

Sidewalk Program Review
Staff Resource: Vivian Coleman, 704-353-0481

The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) has begun a complete review of the current ranking system for sidewalks and the public involvement process. The review will address the implementation of sidewalks only on residential streets through the Sidewalk Program. Sidewalks constructed by the Sidewalk Program on thoroughfares and sidewalks constructed by other CIP programs (such as the South Corridor Infrastructure Program, Area Plans or Neighborhood Improvement Program) will not be affected. The review will include an extensive evaluation of what other cities are doing in their sidewalk construction programs and their public involvement processes.

A technical team of staff members will be reviewing options for the program over the next couple of months and will be presenting options initially to a stakeholders group for their feedback. Stakeholders will include Charlotte residents, both in favor of and opposed to recent sidewalk projects, and representatives from a cross section of groups, such as the Metrolina Association for the Blind, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and other walking/health advocacy related groups. CDOT's goal is to examine all of the recent issues related to the Sidewalk Program and to provide options that consider both the public's concerns about sidewalks and also Charlotte's goal of becoming a more walkable community. A recommendation will be made to the City Council by late February 2005 and will include proposed revisions to the Sidewalk Policy and new processes for sidewalk prioritization and implementation.

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 has developed a collaborative process to facilitate constructive and civil community dialogue regarding the flying of the confederate flag in the Elmwood Cemetery.

CRC will host a public dialogue on October 19, 2004 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, Room 267. In addition to the public dialogue, the CRC will have a web page where citizens may share their input on this issue. The web page will be active from October 19 - December 1, 2004.

The CRC will use the input received through the website, mail, phone calls and public dialogue to develop recommendations/options for the City Manager, who could use them to develop policy on flags in public cemeteries, or to advise and make recommendations to the Charlotte City Council.