Agenda Notes:
Agenda Item #44: Resolution Endorsing a Bicycle Planning Grant for the City of Charlotte
Staff Resource: Ken Tippette, 704-336-2278
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is conducting a matching grant program to encourage the development of comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plans for North Carolina municipalities. This is the second year of the program. The City of Charlotte received a grant to pursue a pedestrian plan in early 2004.
Currently, the City has an aggressive Bicycle Program implementing the initial bicycle plan adopted in 1999. A recommendation of that plan was that the bicycle plan be updated every three years. If the City is successful in its grant application, the funding will be used to update the existing plan and to expand the plan to include additional features not addressed in the original plan, such as routing, connections to greenways and off-street opportunities.
To be eligible for consideration of the NCDOT matching grant, a Council resolution endorsing the bicycle plan is required. The Council resolution is scheduled for the December 13, 2004 Council Business Meeting.
Information Items:
Amendment One Self-Financing Bonds and Special Obligation Bonds
Staff Resources: Ron Kimble, 704-336-4169 and Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396
North Carolina now has two new tools that make us more competitive in creating jobs, growing the tax base and redeveloping land. Attached is a memo outlining the new Amendment One Self-Financing Bonds and Special Obligation Bonds, as well as the actual legislation under which they were enacted.
As indicated, we will be bringing this forward for discussion with City Council early in 2005 so that a framework for their usage can be developed prior to any projects formally coming forward.
BizHub Update
Staff Resource: Ron Kimble, 704-336-4169
The City Manager's Office and the Economic Development Division's staff have been working with our partners to strengthen the BizHub model. The need for this is caused by:
1) Charlotte Chamber concerns about competition between their membership recruitment efforts and the BizHub's affiliate program.
2) Renewed interest by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library in keeping the Small Business Information Center (SBIC) at the Main Library.
We are discussing a number of topics concerning the BizHub with the Charlotte Chamber, Central Piedmont Community College, Mecklenburg County Public Library and the BizHub. Topics included in this discussion include the following:
1) Board Representation and Appointment: Discussing an option that would have all the partners, including Mayor and Council, appoint representatives to the Board.
2) Funding Model: Discussing a funding model that relies on corporate and partner sponsorship to help fund the BizHub. This would eliminate the affiliate fee structure. Other sources of funding would come from the primary partners referenced above, as well as the possibility of Federal funding.
3) Location: Discussing a structure that integrates the SBIC with the BizHub while maintaining it at the Main Library. The SBIC primarily serves early stage start-up entrepreneurs that are thinking of starting a business. The remainder of the BizHub (educational, technical, financial and government procurement) would be located in the Professional Services Building at CPCC. This would primarily serve established small businesses looking for expertise and resources to improve and grow their business.
4) Website: Identifying possible overlaps between the Chamber's small business website (SmallBusinessCharlotte.org) and the BizHub's planned site (Interim website: BizHub.org)
Our goal is to make recommendations to City Council on a revised and stronger BizHub by late-January 2005.
