Calendar:
Monday, January 23
1:30 pm - Budget Committee Meeting, Room 280 --CANCELED
4:00 pm - Governmental Affairs Committee Meeting, Room CH-14 AGENDA: Review Committee Work Plan; Review Draft 2006 Federal Legislative Agenda; Discuss 2006 Meeting Schedule
5:00 pm - Council Manager Dinner Briefing, Room 267
6:30 pm - Citizens' Forum, Meeting Chamber
7:00 pm - Council Meeting, Meeting Chamber
Tuesday, January 24
1:30 pm - Ad Hoc Advisory Group on the Environment, Room 278 AGENDA: Review Group's Charge and Purpose of an Environmental Policy Framework; Discuss and Review Options for Moving Forward on Environmental Policy; Determine Next Steps and Set Second Meeting (if needed prior to February 1 Retreat)
Wednesday, January 25
12:00 pm - Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting, Room 280 AGENDA: Johnston and Mecklenburg Mill Apartments Update; Preview of Upcoming Agenda Items
5:30 pm - Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting, Room 267
Thursday, January 26
12:00 pm - Homicide Task Force, Room CH-14
Agenda Notes:
Dinner Briefing Item #1: Fiscal Year 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
Staff Resource: Greg Gaskins, 704-336-5885 - ggaskins@ci.charlotte.nc.us
A full presentation of the fiscal year 2005 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) will be made at the January 23 dinner session. Copies of the presentation are attached for your information and review.
Agenda Item #10: Crisis Assistance Ministry Emergency Energy Assistance Request
Staff Resource: Stanley Watkins, 704-336-3796 - swatkins@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is Council agenda item #10, Crisis Assistance Ministry Emergency Energy Assistance Request. City Council is asked to:
A) Approve the City Manager's recommendation to provide $70,000 to Crisis Assistance Ministry for the Emergency Energy Assistance Program;
B) Waive the "workable plan" requirement; and
C) Approve a Budget Ordinance appropriating $70,000 in program income to fund this request.
Crisis Assistance Ministry has a City-funded program that assists low-income individuals in making utility payments (water, gas and electricity) when they have financial difficulty. However, Crisis Assistance Ministry projects a shortfall of $550,000 in the program this year, due to an increase of 60% - 70% in natural gas bills. Approval of this request will assist Crisis Assistance Ministry in providing energy assistance to low income clients this winter.
Addendum to Agenda - Item 12B - Additional Closed Session
Staff Resource: DeWitt F. McCarley, 704-336-4112 - dmccarley@ci.charlotte.nc.us
There will be an additional closed session on Monday night's agenda to consult with attorneys regarding the settlement of a judicial action. In your packet today is a memorandum from the City Attorney's Office with the background on this matter.
Agenda Item !3-B and C: Rosa Parks Place and Eastland Community Transit Centers
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245 - rtober@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Community Transit Center construction contracts for Eastland and Rosa Parks Place are scheduled for Council action at the January 23 meeting. These are CATS' first two major Community Transit Center projects to go to construction. The Council previously authorized the City Manager to execute a lease with Charlotte Eastland Mall LLC for the Eastland project site on September 26, 2005. The lease has now been fully executed as of December 20, 2005. The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners granted an easement to the City to allow construction of the Rosa Parks Place facility partially on County property on June 21, 2005.
Bids for construction contracts for these projects were opened on January 10, 2006. The apparent low bidder for the Eastland project is United Construction, Inc. for $2,856,075, and the apparent low bidder for the Rosa Parks Place project is Streamline LLC for $1,249,500.
The proposed DBE firms are: Hazel Holmes Trucking, Inc., Burris Plumbing, D's Trucking, MEKKI Modular Systems, ACS Pavement Marking, Inc., Burlington Construction, 7 Star Construction, and Merilla Manufacturing Company. CATS Civil Rights Officer has reviewed the bidder's good faith efforts and commitment to meet overall goal.
Both transit center projects offer essentially the same passenger amenities, including custom shelters, seating, integrated artwork, landscaping, driver facilities, space for on-site security, surveillance systems, and lighting. There are however significant differences in the layouts and site conditions that account for the difference in project costs. The Eastland project is being constructed "off-street" to avoid a potentially dangerous pedestrian crossing on Central Avenue by consolidating in-bound/out-bound connections. The Rosa Parks Place project is being built mostly "on-street", in "L-shaped" configuration almost entirely within City right-of-way along Beatties Ford Road and low-traffic Rosa Parks Place. Extreme topographic conditions at the
Eastland project site require over 8,000 cubic yards of fill to make up elevation differences to make the site useable. Other aspects of the Eastland project include accomplishing a portion of the Central Avenue Streetscape project while the transit center is being constructed for the sake of efficiency. This portion of the project's cost will be reimbursed to CATS via the City's Central Avenue streetscape project. Additionally, the Eastland project requires the demolition of significant volumes of existing asphalt and the rebuilding of an interior roadway to bus-weight standards. Finally, a pedestrian connection to the Eastland Mall is being constructed as a part of the project, but will be maintained by Eastland Mall as opposed to CATS.
The design of each facility was developed in project team meetings over a period of several years, and included the participation of community representatives and elected officials. Each project team included an artist selected by an artist selection panel with community representation.
The artists collaborated with project engineers and architects to achieve the final designs. The project team work included ongoing coordination with Central Avenue and Beatties Ford Road streetscape improvement initiatives. Public meetings and open houses were held in both project areas and the resulting designs reflect the consensus recommendations of the project teams.
The DBE compliance information was not available at the time the agenda was printed, so it is provided here:
Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise:
Established DBE goal: 10%
Committed DBE goal: 8%
The proposed DBE firms are: ACS Pavement Marking, Patti's Landscaping & Lawn Care, AOA Signs, and State Construction of the Carolinas LLC. CATS Civil Rights Officer has reviewed the bidder's good faith efforts and commitment to meet overall goal.
Eastland Community Transit Center
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise:
Established DBE goal: 12%
Committed DBE goal: 6%
Information Items:
City Funded Post Homeownership Counseling
Staff Resource: Stan Wilson, 704-336-3976 - swilson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
As the last part of a three part series entitled "Foreclosing On the American Dream," an article in the January 18, 2006 Charlotte Observer described a large reduction in City funding for counseling homeowners who may be facing foreclosure. The cited reduction in the Mortgage Default Counseling Program, from $361,000 to $170,000 representing a 53% reduction in City funding, was incorrect.
The actual change from 2001 to 2005 for Mortgage Default and Rental Delinquency Counseling was $186,000 to $170,000, representing a 9% reduction. The City contracted with United Family Services in 2001 for $361,000. However, the contract also funded (1) a core curriculum program covering life skills, and (2) a counseling program for renters. The City has since shifted these functions to another agency under our competitive contracting process.
In fiscal year 2006, the amount of the services contract with United Family Services is $170,000 and is devoted solely to Post-Ownership Counseling Services. Counseling Services include: avoiding late payments, foreclosure prevention, repayment plans, forbearance, negotiating with lenders and debt management. While funds targeted to assist with foreclosures have not been significantly reduced from 2001 levels, funding has not been increased to prevent the growth of foreclosures, due to budget reductions in Neighborhood Development.
Change in February Retreat Location
Staff Resource: Denise Foreman, 704-336-3186 - dforeman@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Holly Inn in Pinehurst is now unable to provide the conference and lodging space needed for the upcoming Mayor and Council Retreat. When the Retreat Planning Committee met on January 12, the Grandover Resort in Greensboro was selected as the Committee's second choice. Grandover is still able to meet both the lodging and conference needs for the retreat, although their available conference space is an interior space with no windows. Staff has confirmed the retreat arrangements with Grandover.
Other meeting details will remain as proposed in the draft agenda as presented to Council on January 17.
