Information Items
   - Airport Parking Information
   - Request for Information - Charlotte Trolley
   - Justice Assistance Grant
   - Passenger for Hire Permits - Initial Application and Renewal Procedures
   - Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary

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Airport Parking Information
Staff Resource: T. J. Orr, 704-359-4000

The airport's new 3,000-space parking deck will open May 1, 2005. In conjunction with the new deck opening, we intend to adjust some parking rates and facility names. Highlights of the changes are as follows:

   -  introduction of first 30 minutes free in the Hourly Deck
   -  the addition of a new Daily Deck with 3,000 spaces
   -  increasing rates in the remaining surfaces lots from $2.75 to $3.00
   -  changing the name Satellite to Long Term

The following chart summarizes the changes:

	Current Rate	New Rate
Hourly Deck	$.75 per half hour (free if you stay less than 15 minutes) $16 daily maximum	Free for the first 30 minutes.  $1 each additional half hour $16 daily maximum
Daily Deck (new deck	None	$1 per hour $6 daily maximum
Daily Surface Lot	$1 per hour $4 daily maximum	$1 per hour $6 daily maximum
Remote Lot	$2.75 per day	$3.00 per day
Long Term (formerly Satellite)	$2.75 per day	$3.00 per day
Curbside Valet	$19 per day	$19 per day

Request for Information - Charlotte Trolley
Staff Resources: Ruffin Hall, 704-336-3403 and Ron Tober, 704-336-7245

Attached is information requested by a Council member regarding the Charlotte Trolley, including the City's investment, property assessed values in the surrounding area, a map of the South End Municipal Service District (MSD) and trolley operating costs.

Recommendations for Promotion
Staff Resource: Darrel Stephens, 704-336-2360

Chief Stephens has submitted eight recommendations for promotion to the Civil Service Board. The officers recommended for promotion are:

Promotion to Major:
   Capt. Marc DeLuca
   Capt. Ken Miller

Promotion to Captain:
   Sgt. Andy Kornberg
   Sgt. David Poston

Promotion to Sergeant:
   Officer William Booth
   Officer Lorraine Ellis
   Officer Sean Mitchell
   Officer Nick Pellicone

The Civil Service Board has been asked to approve these promotions at its April 5 meeting. Upon their approval, the promotion ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 7 at 4:00 p.m. at the Training Academy. Mayor and Council are invited to attend.

Justice Assistance Grant
Staff Resource: Darrellyn Kiser, 704-336-7736

The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are eligible to apply for funds under the 2005 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). This program replaces the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant which has been eliminated in the federal budget.

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are eligible to apply for $1,059,152. Since both the City and the County have law enforcement responsibility in Mecklenburg County, through CMPD and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, the two governing bodies must agree on how the funds are shared. In the past, the City has taken 75% of the block grant funds and the County has taken 25%. We have agreed to the same funding allocation for the Jag Grant and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect on March 29. Under the agreement, the City would receive $794,364 and the County would receive $264,788.

The City will now apply for the funds. The funds will be used for expenses such as overtime, equipment and technology improvements, similar to the uses under the Local Law Enforcement Grant.

Passenger Vehicle for Hire Permits - Initial Application and Renewal Procedures
Staff Resource: Joe Vanderlip, 704-398-6793

Two taxicab drivers were arrested March 23-24, 2005, for alleged sexual assaults against women in separate incidents while operating their taxicabs. Both drivers had valid driver permits and had passed local, state, and national background checks. The two arrests were uncharacteristic of the 500-plus taxicab drivers operating in Charlotte. There has been one other driver arrested for this type of behavior in the past two years.

All prospective passenger-vehicle-for-hire (PVH) drivers and chauffeurs must apply for a PVH permit and provide a package of information that includes among other requirements, a list of all past criminal activity in the application, two fingerprint cards, copies of all court records, a drug test, and have no more than eight accrued points on their driver's license within the past two years.

New drivers are issued a 60-day temporary driver's permit upon successful review of the application and local records check. New drivers must also complete the City's two-day driver training course within that timeframe. Drivers are issued a permanent driver permit upon return of the fingerprint data and successful completion of the driver training course. Permanent driver permits must be renewed annually. Drivers submit a renewal application and must list any criminal charges since their last application.

Regarding cab appearances and rate structures: Charlotte currently has fifteen taxicab companies with operating certificates; all cabs have standardized paint schemes unique to their respective company. Taxicab rates of fare are standardized throughout the city. The PVH Board reviews and sets rates annually. All taxicabs have rate cards posted on the exterior and interior of each vehicle.

The Community Safety Committee is currently reviewing the PVH Ordinance. Staff is scheduling meetings with stakeholders to receive feedback regarding the ordinance. This information along with staff's recommendations for changes to the Ordinance will be presented to the Community Safety Committee over the next few months.

Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245

The Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) met on Wednesday, March 23 after last week's Council-Manager Memo was sent out. A summary of the meeting is as follows.

-  Review of Operating and Capital Programs Complete   The MTC completed its review of the FY2006-2007 Transit Operating Program and the FY2006-2010 Transit Capital Program. Both the Transit Operating and Capital Programs were approved as revised during the MTC's four month review of what CATS staff had proposed last December. The MTC approved the same transit programs and budget that City Council reviewed at its March 2nd Budget Retreat. 

The approval of the Transit Operating Program included the approval of a fare increase on CATS services to take effect in early October of this year.

The Transit Operating and Capital Programs will now be presented to the City Council and the Board of County Commissioners for approval in accordance with the provisions of the Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement. BOCC action is scheduled for April 19. City Council consideration of the transit programs and budget is in the process of being scheduled.

-  Approval of MTC Vice-Chair   The MTC also approved Mayor Kim Phillips of Huntersville for another one-year term as Vice Chair of the Commission.

-  North Corridor   The MTC heard an extensive briefing on the North Corridor alignment alternatives and station locations being proposed for analysis in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) now being prepared. This same briefing will be presented to City Council at the April 11 Dinner Briefing. The MTC is scheduled to approve the North Corridor alignment alternatives and station locations at its April 27 meeting.

The alignment alternatives include two different termini for the rail line, both in Iredell County/Mooresville. During the discussion on this item, MTC Chair Pat McCrory pressed the Mooresville representatives present on the need for Mooresville to develop a source of funding to cover the capital costs and on-going operating costs of the rail line if the they want the line to come into Mooresville and that a commitment on this funding will be needed by summer 2006.

-  Ridership Increase   Finally, CATS staff reported that ridership on the transit system continued to grow in February with a 13.5% increase over a year ago. Calendar variations between February 2005 and 2004 helped contribute to some of the increase. However, higher gasoline prices and improvements in transit service over the past several years are the primary drivers of the increase in transit usage CATS is experiencing. Year-to-date, ridership on CATS services was up 8.8% thru the end of February.