In follow up to the dinner briefing on Division Wrecker Services on August 27, 2007, Business Support Services/Procurement Service Division (BSS/PSD) has finalized the Recommendations and Supporting Documentation Books for Council review. These books were developed by the Evaluation Team which is comprised of representatives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Neighborhood Development/Code Enforcement Division (CED) and Business Support Services/Procurement Service Division (BSS/PSD).
The book includes information on the following aspects of the Division Wrecker Services project to include:
- procurement process;
- evaluation process;
- summary of proposals;
- recommendations;
- disqualification information;
- services, fees and payment information;
- contract modifications;
- survey information; and
- a map of wrecker divisions.
Copies of the books will be available for review in the Council Library on Friday, September 14, 2007. Final recommendations for contract awards will be made at the September 24, 2007 Council meeting. Award of these contracts is historically controversial. Staff expects that contract award will be contested.
Attached is the August 2007 monthly report on the South Corridor Light Rail Project. As the report shows, we are on track to open the line for revenue service on November 26, 2007 and within the Full Funding Grant Agreement of $462.7 million.
On September 6, 2007, CATS submitted its formal Request to Enter Preliminary Engineering (PE) for the Northeast Corridor to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Request included the Northeast Corridor New Starts report submission. For FTA approval to enter PE, applicants must demonstrate the following: completion of alternatives analysis and scoping; technical capability to carry out PE; FTA acceptance of the Baseline Alternative; and an overall medium rating on the FTA New Starts criteria.
CATS staff has worked with FTA over the past several months to meet these requirements, including development of the Project Management Plan and a review of the capital cost estimate by the FTA Project Management Oversight Consultant. In June, CATS sent FTA the Land Use criteria submission prepared by CMPC staff and consultant. During August, CATS staff worked with its financial consultant to complete the financial submission related to the Local Financial Commitment criteria.
On August 31, 2007, CATS received a letter from the North Carolina Department of Transportation in support of the Northeast Corridor project, including a commitment to fund 25% of the cost of preliminary engineering. We hope to have FTA's approval to enter preliminary engineering by the end of October.
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued on August 9 to procure consultant services to complete preliminary engineering. Responses are due September 19. Interviews and final selection are scheduled to occur in October, with award in November 2007. Additionally, CATS retains an option for the purchase of up to 16 vehicles from Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. CATS is currently working with Siemens to identify the terms and conditions to exercise the option at the appropriate time.
On September 24, 2007, CATS' contractor NuStats, LLC will begin Origin-Destination data collection for the CATS Before and After Study. As required by the Full Funding Grant Agreement, this work will document ridership and travel patterns on the existing transit system prior to the opening of the LYNX Blue Line, the "Before" portion of the Before and After Study. Two years after the opening of the LYNX Blue Line, another survey will be conducted to collect the "After" data. City Council approved the contract for this work on June 11, 2007.
Printed survey questionnaires will be distributed to customers who board CATS' fixed route bus
services between September 24, 2007-October 26, 2007. Survey staff will work in teams to count customer boardings and to distribute printed surveys to riders.
CATS will post Rider's Alerts on all CATS fixed bus routes to notify customers of the upcoming survey. A copy of the survey is attached for your information.
During the June 25th dinner presentation, staff discussed several topics related to developing the NASCAR Hall of Fame. One of the issues was the possibility of "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) certification of the project as a "green" building. Although many aspects of the project would earn LEED points if a certification were sought, the funds to seek the additional points necessary to get certified were not included in the project budget, and those additional designs have not been incorporated into the architect's work. Staff recommended that the City not seek certification due to the schedule and cost implications for the project, recognizing that many elements of the project meet LEED standards. As a follow up to that discussion, the attached handout has been developed to address the issue in a question and answer format.
City Engineering & Property Management staff is looking at policy options for green buildings and will be bringing recommendations forward to the City Council early next year.
Attached is a report from the Charlotte Department of Transportation which describes the goals, policies and practices of the Sidewalk Program and how projects are evaluated for curb and gutter.
Council is invited to attend a luncheon on October 3, 2007 from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the Lee S. Dukes Water Treatment Plant. The Environmental Management System Protection Division will recognize the 2006 winners for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Award for Environmental Excellence in Industry. This award is in recognition of the environmental stewardship demonstrated by industrial businesses. This is the tenth year Utilities has given this award. These businesses will also be acknowledged in The Charlotte Observer and The Business Journal.
Please RSVP to Yer Lee at (704) 391-5143 by September 21, 2007.
