Calendar:
Monday, November 14
1:30 pm - Budget Committee Meeting – CANCELLED
3:00 pm - Transportation Committee Meeting, Room 280 AGENDA: Transportation Action Plan Update; Urban Street Design Guidelines
5:00 pm - Council Manager Dinner Briefing, Room 267
7:00 pm - Council Business Meeting, Meeting Chamber
Wednesday, November 16
3:30 pm - Economic Development and Planning Committee Meeting, Room CH-14 AGENDA: Growth Impact on Schools; Cultural Facilities Plan Affiliate Building Programs and Operating Proformas; Cultural Facilities Plan Financial Framework; Other Cities' Funding of Cultural Facilities
5:30 pm - Metropolitan Transit Committee Meeting, Room 267
7:00 pm - MUMPO Meeting, Room 267
Thursday, November 17
12:00 pm - Restructuring Government Committee Meeting, Room CH-14 AGENDA: City Manager/City Attorney Annual Evaluation Process; Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Access Committee
3:00 pm - New Council Orientation, Room 266
Agenda Notes:
Dinner Briefing: National League of Cities Conference Update
Staff Resources: Saskia Thompson, 704-336-4947 - sthompson@ci.charlotte.nc.us Denise Foreman, 704-336-3186 - dforeman@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At the Manager's request, staff will present a brief update on NLC Conference planning activities to date at the start of the Dinner Briefing on Monday, November 14. Council will hear what events are planned and how the City will be highlighted during the annual Congress of Cities Conference to be held in Charlotte this December.
Item #17: Charlotte Housing Authority Interlocal Agreement - Brevard/Caldwell Connector
Staff Resource: Phil Reiger, 704-336-4896 - preiger@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Upon advisement of the City Attorney's Office, approval of agenda item #17 requires City Council to approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an interlocal agreement with the Charlotte Housing Authority. Attached is a copy of the resolution.
Agenda Item #28: Validity Determination of Farrel Corporation Privilege License Defense
Staff Resource: Mujeeb Shah-Khan, 704-336-5803 - mshah-khan@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Staff has chosen to pull Consent II Agenda Item #28 from the November 14, 2005 Agenda. This will allow Farrel Corporation to submit additional information which will allow the City
Attorney's Office and the City/County Tax Collector's Office to make a recommendation on their defense, or resolve the matter without need for Council action.
Information Items:
NCDOT Review of Subdivision Streets in the ETJ
Staff Resource: Danny Pleasant, 704-336-3879 - dpleasant@ci.charlotte.nc.us
As indicated to you in the November 4 memo, we are continuing to work with NCDOT to resolve problems with subdivision plan/plat reviews. We worked together with NCDOT staff on October 31 and November 2 in an intensive review of specific developments. That effort reviewed more than seventy projects. Most were found in compliance with state standards. Fifteen were identified as having deficiencies.
Of those, streets in nine subdivisions have culvert designs that require review by NCDOT staff in Raleigh. City staff followed up with the NCDOT Deputy Division Engineer to determine whether he obtained agreement from the Raleigh office to expedite the review process. To date we have not heard whether he gained that commitment.
Within three days after NCDOT confirms the results of the intensive subdivision plat/plan review, City staff will notify affected developers of the results. We will let them know whether their plans either meet NCDOT standards or have deficiencies. We will identify for them which deficiencies should be addressed either through the City's Subdivision Administrator or through the NCDOT. On November 2, we asked NCDOT representatives to notify developers with deficiencies and outline conditions under which they could obtain record plat approval. We have not heard whether that has occurred.
Property Issues at 5400 Hovis Road
Staff Resource: Deputy Chief Pete Key, 704-336-8565 - hkey@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Charlotte Fire Department has responded to three intentionally set structure fires at 5400 Hovis Road since September 4, 2005. Two of these were multi-alarm incidents resulting in more than $175,000 in estimated damages. There were no serious injuries at these fires, but the condition of the structure, formerly the site of the Creative Dyeing Company, is deemed to be unsafe.
The Fire Investigation Task Force and the Fire Prevention Bureau have gathered various City and County agencies to address the public safety concerns at the site. The immediate goal is to have a joint inspection to assess the concerns about the property. With the Charlotte Fire Department taking the lead, representatives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the City Attorney's Office, and Mecklenburg County Land Use and Environmental Services Agency will inspect the site and evaluate what must be done to clean it up.
FY-06 First Quarter Economic Development Report
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396 - tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is the First Quarter Economic Development Report to the Mayor and City Council.
Rental Security Deposit Guarantee Pilot Program
Staff Resource: Stanley Wilson, 704-336-3337 - swilson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Charlotte Apartment Association and Crisis Assistance Ministry have asked the City to participate in a Rental Deposit Guarantee Pilot Program. One of the primary issues faced by Crisis Assistance Ministry (CAM) clients is the lack of sufficient funds to pay both the rent for the first month and the required security deposit.
Under the proposed pilot, Charlotte Apartment Association (CAA) members would waive the security deposit for renters referred by CAM. In return, CAM would guarantee the payment of a security deposit in cases where the renter defaults on the lease. The one-year pilot is envisioned to serve 300 working families with an average security deposit guarantee of $500. The forecasted renter default rate is 10% or 30 families.
The requested City of Charlotte role would be to pay CAM the security deposits in cases where the renter defaults on the lease, up to a maximum of $15,000. After one-year, the program would be evaluated for expansion to other landlords throughout the community.
Neighborhood Development staff has reviewed the program with the CAA and CAM and believes the pilot has merit. The topic of "Low Rental Occupancy Program" was referred to the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee at the February Council retreat. The Committee will talk about low rental occupancy (of existing market rate rental units) at its next meeting on November 22. Since the program requested by CAA and Crisis Assistance relates to helping clients obtain rental housing, the Committee will be asked to consider it and make a recommendation to Council.
