Changes to the William S. Lee Act
Staff Resource: Tom Flynn, 704-432-1395 - tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The General Assembly recently ratified changes to the William S. Lee Act, an economic development tool and tax credit program offered to corporations and investors for investments in new jobs, machinery and equipment and worker training.
Under this legislation, the state's tier structure for economically distressed and non-distressed counties would change from five to three, and enhanced credits would be available in economically distressed counties, agrarian zones and urban progress zones.
The major effects for Charlotte are as follows:
- An urban progress zone will replace the state development zone. It will be smaller and more narrowly focused on urban poverty areas. Companies locating within an urban progress zone are eligible for job creation credits of $1,750 per job, compared with $750 per job outside of the zone. We expect to bring the proposed urban progress zone for Council consideration in late 2006.
- The list of eligible industries was expanded to include, among other things, headquarters, research and development, and motorsports, which will benefit Charlotte and the region. In order to have these additional industries added, we supported reducing the amount for which a company would qualify in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg.
Staff and the North Carolina League of Municipalities were able to negotiate significant changes to the initial legislation proposed by the Department of Commerce, and we believe the approved version will help Charlotte remain competitive with its peer cities.
Once signed by Governor Easley, the bill becomes effective January 1, 2007 and sunsets January 1, 2011.
Construction activity to increase on South Boulevard north of Woodlawn Road
Staff Resource: Bong Vang, 704-432-0414 - bvang@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Resurfacing of South Boulevard between Woodlawn Road and Bland Street will begin in late August. As part of the City's takeover of South Boulevard from the State, this resurfacing work will put the finishing touches on the South Corridor infrastructure work from Woodlawn Road north to Bland Street. This resurfacing activity is expected to take 6-8 weeks.
Beginning Sunday night, August 27, there will be one or more lane closures on South Boulevard from Woodlawn Road to Bland Street as crews resurface the road. Lane closures will be in place on a nightly basis from 8:00 pm - 6:00 am and move as multiple crews progress up the road. At least one lane of traffic will be open in each direction around the construction zones. The nighttime work was scheduled to alleviate congestion problems anticipated during the day, as well as minimize impacts to businesses. South Corridor construction staff will continue to monitor traffic and accommodate the businesses in the area.
Other efforts to reduce impact to motorists and businesses in the area include:
- Placing message boards at key locations along South Boulevard to alert motorists and businesses of upcoming activity
- Visits to businesses with driveways adjacent to repair areas to explain work and answer specific questions
- Directional signage between Woodlawn and I-277
- Dissemination of CDOT Road Closure Notice (including all lane impacts on South Boulevard north of Woodlawn Road)
Staff will continue to update Council as construction progresses and milestones are achieved. For more information about South Corridor Light Rail and Infrastructure Projects, visit www.charlottefuture.com
UNC-Charlotte Shuttle Service Effective August 21, 2006
Staff Resource: Jim Zingale, 704-432-3324 - jzingale@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On Monday, August 21, 2004, the Charlotte Area Transit System will begin operating shuttle service on the UNC-Charlotte campus under a contract approved by Council in July. Three shuttle routes will operate from approximately 7:30 am until 6:30 pm Monday through Friday. At the University's request, the service will be fare free with the operating cost of the service reimbursed to CATS by UNC-Charlotte. Service will be provided by five 30-foot buses, and will operate every ten minutes with connections to existing CATS services Route 11 North Tryon and Route 29 UNCC/Southpark.
