Calendar:
   (See Below)

Information Items:
   -  World Changers Program
   -  City of Charlotte Participation in Ozone Action Days
   -  SBE Loan Program Quarterly Update

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Calendar Detail:
Monday, June 5
       2:00 pm - Environment Committee Meeting, Room 280 AGENDA: Follow-up to Land Preservation Presentation; Briefing and Discussion: Energy and Resource Conservation
       4:00 pm - Governmental Affairs Committee Meeting, Room CH-14  AGENDA: Status of Short Session Legislation; Discuss Town Hall Day, June 7, 2006; Review GAC Notebook (please bring notebooks)
        5:00 pm - Council Workshop, Room 267
        7:30 pm - Citizens' Forum, Room 267

Wednesday, June 7
        NCLM Town Hall Day, Raleigh, NC

Friday, June 9
     12:00 pm - Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting, Room 280  AGENDA: (Will be distributed on Monday, June 5)

Information Items:
World Changers Program
Staff Resource: Stanley Wilson, 704-336-3337 - swilson@ci.charlotte.nc.us

The World Changers organization will partner with the City in its second community improvement program June 17 - 24. Approximately 125 World Changers youth volunteers will beautify and improve ten homes in the Reid Park community. Volunteers will provide painting, roofing, light yard work and other services to elderly residents.

Mayor and Council are invited to attend the kick-off event on June 20 from 12:00 until 1:00 PM. The kick-off event will be held at Amay James Recreation Center, located at 2415 Lester Street. Lunch will be provided.

City of Charlotte Participation in Ozone Action Days
Staff Resource: Julie Burch, 704-336-3187 - jburch@ci.charlotte.nc.us

For the third consecutive summer, the City is participating in an ozone reduction program to improve air quality. On designated high ozone days, City employees and City fleet/equipment users will be strongly encouraged to reduce pollution-causing activities. Voluntary efforts will focus on changing employee commuting modes and operating and fueling patterns for City equipment. Emergency or essential services will not be impacted. "Ozone Action Days", are color coded orange, red or purple by the North Carolina Department of Air Quality, depending on the severity of the pollution.

Clean Air Champions from City Key Business and Function will coordinate the City's program which will focus on fleet fueling, idling and new purchases as well as commuting options for employees in the following City locations:
     a. CMGC building
     b. Old City Hall
     c. Police Headquarters (excluding patrols, emergencies)
     d. Fire Headquarters (excluding fire stations, emergencies)
     e. Cameron Building
      f. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities - Brookshire Boulevard
     g. Airport

These locations contain the largest concentration of City employees with easy access to CATS, carpools or vanpools. However, other locations where employees choose to join the effort may also participate.

The City's efforts as an employer also tie into the region-wide "Clean Air Works!" campaign kicked off this week by the Regional Air Quality Board. Up to 50 major private employers, along with the City, Mecklenburg County, other local governments, and non-profit organizations such as UNCC, are participating.

Since 1999, the Charlotte region has experienced 114 days in which the ozone levels have reached high and unhealthy levels; fourteen days occurred last summer. Reported results of the City's air quality program in 2005 measured reductions up to 17.8 pounds of nitrous oxides and 87.6 pounds of volatile organic compounds on Ozone Action Days.

SBE Loan Program Quarterly Update
Staff Resources: Richard Bargoil, 704-336-2142 - rbargoil@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Dale Harrold, 704-409-5915 - dale.harrold@self-help.org

During the first quarter of 2006, Self-Help Credit Union approved 5 new loans totaling $396,225 to small businesses under the SBE Loan Fund. Since the inception of the fund in September 2003, 51 businesses have been approved for loans totaling $2,833,185 from Self Help under this program.

This represents 51 small businesses in the region whose financing needs have been met through the Fund that otherwise would not have acquired the financing necessary to start or continue their businesses. With an average loan size of $55,553, the Fund continues to serve small businesses, particularly minority and women-owned businesses, in need of non-conventional financing for working capital and equipment.

SBE Loan Fund Historical Data as of 3/31/06:
Loans closed	44 loans / $2,276,960
Loans pending closing	7 loans / $556,225
Grand Total loans closed and pending	51 loans / $2,833,185
Average loan amount	$55,553
Amount set-aside in collateral reserve account	$711,896
Minority-owned businesses	28 loans ($1,390,960 or 49%)
Women-owned businesses	27 loans ($1,496,225 or 52.8%)
Start-ups	34 loans ($1,019,560 or 35.9%)
Paid-off loans	8 loans ($346,000 or 12.2%)
Defaulted loans	1 loan ($4,368 loss to SBE reserve

SBE Loan Fund Current Portfolio Data as of 3/31/06:
Current principal balance	$1,391,893
Current SBE reserve amount	$354,146