Agenda Notes:
Charlotte Ballpark Site Selection Committee Report
Staff Resource: Ron Kimble, 704-336-4169
Attached is the Charlotte Ballpark Site Selection Committee Report that will be on your agenda for Monday, April 25, 2005. Hard copies have been provided to Mayor and City Council. Other copies may be obtained by printing the attached file.
Information items:
Public Auction at 219 Archdale Drive
Staff Resource: Mark Newbold, 704-336-2406
On Friday, April 22 at 11:00 am there will be a public auction of this property. This address, a motel most recently called the Royal Inn and Suites, has been the scene of frequent illegal activity including drug sales, prostitution and violent crime. On February 1, 2005, the Police Attorney and others met with the owners to inform them that we planned to initiate a nuisance abatement action on the property. Subsequently, the owners have closed the business and scheduled the auction.
Residents in the nearby Montclair South neighborhood are concerned that new owners will continue to operate the same type of business and have organized a protest. During the auction, they plan to hold signs stating their opposition to any other hotel/motel use of the site. They have obtained permission to do this from the management of the Carvel Seafood Restaurant which is adjacent to 219 Archdale Drive.
The Police Department will have officers at the site to monitor the situation.
Staff Resource: Wayne Broome, 704-336-7616
On March 18, the National Weather Service designated Charlotte-Mecklenburg a StormReady community. This designation recognizes that the community is prepared to save lives during severe weather through better planning, education and awareness. This preparedness effort has the potential to reduce property damage and personal injuries, as well as the possibility to save lives through greater awareness. Receiving the designation does not mean Charlotte-Mecklenburg is storm proof; however, it indicates our community is better prepared when severe weather strikes. In order to be recognized, a community must:
- Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
- Have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts
- Have multiple ways to alert the public in case of severe weather
- Create a system that monitors local weather conditions
- Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars
- Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and conducting emergency exercises.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg joins 882 StormReady communities throughout the United States.
National Traffic Signal Report Card
Staff Resource: Elizabeth Babson, 704-336-3916
Today, The National Transportation Operations Coalition released the first ever National Traffic Signal Report Card, which is intended to provide a national assessment of the country's traffic signal timing and maintenance practices. The National Transportation Operations Coalition, which is a group of associations including Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Institute of Transportation Engineers, American Public Works Association and ITS America, sent out self-assessment surveys last fall to state and local agencies across the country. The City of Charlotte participated in this survey. A total of 378 local agencies and 49 states responded to this survey, grading themselves in five different areas. The assessment was not just about traffic signals turning green, yellow and red, but was also intended to evaluate issues that can affect overall signal system efficiency like the age of traffic signal control equipment, the presence of coordinated traffic signal operations, the frequency in which existing traffic signals are retimed and the methodologies employed in retiming traffic signals.
While official results of the National Report Card will not be known until after the national news conference in Washington, DC today, it is expected that nationally the "Grade" on the country's report card will leave much room for improvement in all survey areas. Because Charlotte was a participant in the survey, we were sent the City's individual grade, which is 88.5 out of a possible score of 100. We believe this will rank very well when compared to other scores both nationally and locally. This score is a reflection of continued city and state efforts to increase funding for replacement of obsolete traffic signal equipment and traffic signal timing and retiming practices within our local jurisdiction.
More detailed information on the results of this national survey and exactly where Charlotte ranks in comparison to other state and local agencies should be available in the next several weeks.
Mayor's Bike To Breakfast Ride
Staff Resource: Ken Tippette, 704-336-2278
All members of City Council are invited to bring a bicycle and helmet to join Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory as he leads the annual Mayor's Bike to Breakfast Ride. The ride will begin at 7:30 am on Friday, April 29, 2005, at the Dowd YMCA, 400 East Morehead Street. Mayor McCrory will lead all participants on a bike ride to a free breakfast at Wachovia Plaza in Uptown Charlotte. This year's event will be further highlighted by awarding selected recipients 50 bicycles as part of BICYCLING magazine's BIKE TOWN project. Local media is invited and, at this time, we anticipate North Carolina Public Television to cover this event. Come join the Mayor on this popular event of the BIKE!Charlotte week of activities promoting awareness of the bicycle as a healthy, efficient and environmentally friendly transportation alternative.
