Calendar Details:
Monday, December 15
3:30pm - Environment Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Citizen Pledge for the Environment; Water Rate Stabilization Options; FY2010/2011 Focus Area Plan; 2009 Meeting Schedule and Work Plan
5:00pm - Zoning Dinner Meeting, CH-14
6:00pm - Zoning Meeting, Chamber
Wednesday, December 17
3:30pm - Economic Development & Planning Committee Meeting, Room CH-14. AGENDA: FY2010/FY2011 Focus Area Plan; North Tryon Redevelopment Request for Proposal
5:30pm - Metropolitan Transit Commission, Room 267
Thursday, December 18
12:00pm - Community Safety Committee Meeting, Room 280. AGENDA: Rental Property Ordinance; Draft-Focus Area Plan; 2009 Meeting Schedule
Information Items:
Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon
Resource:
Dave Christopher, CDOT, 704-336-3889, dchristopher@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The fourth annual Thunder Road Marathon will be held on Saturday, December 13. The event also hosts a ½ marathon and a 5K. Expected attendance will be twice as large as last year with 8000 runners for the three races. The route map and timelines are attached.
All affected neighborhood associations and businesses have been briefed on the expected traffic delays. City staff met with the event promoters and a Charlotte Observer representative to promote pre-event coverage. Event information will be broadcast on the Government Channel. Race delay signs have been posted along the route. Also, the Geo-Notify System will be engaged to provide telephone notification to individual households in areas adjacent to and along the race course.
BusinessFirst Charlotte Billboard Campaign
Resource:
Brad Richardson, ED, 704-336-3857, brichardson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Next week, BusinessFirst Charlotte, the City's business retention partnership with the Charlotte Chamber, will begin a four-week billboard campaign to encourage more local businesses to participate in the initiative. This opportunity, which was made available as a trade agreement with the Chamber and Adams Outdoor advertising, provides brand awareness for the program at no cost to the City.
This billboard campaign kicks-off of our 2009 marketing plan which will also include public service announcements and a coordinated web presence to provide outreach and services to an increasing number of businesses in Charlotte. The billboards feature our tagline "How's Business? We really want to know." and directs businesses to the BusinessFirst Charlotte website to learn more about the program and request a visit.
Since August 2006, City staff and Chamber volunteers have personally interviewed over 700 businesses to discuss the Charlotte business climate and solve business problems. This information is collected and analyzed to help prioritize work programs for the Chamber and the City.
Streetcar Economic Impact and Funding Options Study: Preliminary Findings
Resource:
Peter Zeiler, ED, 704-332-2989, pzeiler@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On July 28, 2008, Council approved a contract with Bay Area Economics (BAE) to conduct an economic development and financial feasibility study for the purposes of constructing the proposed streetcar system. That same RCA approved the formation of an advisory task force to help guide the efforts related to the streetcar system.
On October 28, 2008 Council received a briefing from BAE on the scope of work and methodology for the economic development and financial feasibility study. BAE reviewed work completed to date and outlined pending work.
On Thursday, December 11, BAE presented their preliminary findings of the study to the Streetcar Advisory Committee and to the Growth Strategy Steering Team. BAE will submit their draft report by close of business December 12, 2008. The draft report will be reviewed by staff in Economic Development, Planning Commission and other departments. A final report reflecting staff commentary will be prepared and delivered by BAE in the first or second week of January 2009, depending on the amount and nature of commentary received. BAE will make a presentation of the final report at a Council dinner briefing shortly thereafter. A copy of the BAE Powerpoint presentation is attached.
21st Century Transportation Committee Final Report
Resource:
Boyd Cauble, City Manager's Office, 704-336-2009, bcauble@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On Wednesday, December 10, the 21st Century Transportation Committee adopted a final "draft" report which will be presented to the 2009 Legislature after a few suggested comments made by the Committee are incorporated into the report.
Attached are sections of the report which describe the committee proceedings; findings and recommendations; committee authorization; and committee membership. Brad Wilson, Chairman of the Committee, stated that the report is a framework to begin addressing the highway funding shortfall by providing the Legislature with a realistic "menu" of additional revenues which the Legislature can debate. Several committee members highlighted what they considered shortfalls of the report: not addressing the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) organizational problems, not requiring land use to be incorporated into planning for transit and roads, and not dealing with regional inequities in the suggested revenue alternatives.
The funding option menu (see page 7 in attached summary) includes:
- Eliminate transfers from the Highway Trust Fund
- Increase Highway Use Tax
- Create a Vehicle Miles Traveled fee (VMT)
- Increase Vehicle Registration Fees
- Implement registration fee based upon weight
- Issue bonds
- Seek special federal funding
- Authorize Local Option Sales Tax
- Index Fees
- Expand Tolls
- Create Differential Fuel Tax Rates
- Dedicate funding for intermodal projects
- Revise intermodal legislation
In addition to funding options, the 21st Century Committee recommended several policy changes which deserve further consideration (see page 9 in attached summary):
- Mobility and connectivity
- Preservation of existing infrastructure
- Safety
- Performance and accountability
- Increased cooperation and collaboration at all levels of government
- Additional consideration of conservation, alternative energy, less dependence on petroleum and reduced congestion
- In urban areas, more land use planning and more federal stimulus funding
If Council members wish to review the complete report, please notify Dennis Marstall at 704-336-3980 or dmarstall@ci.charlotte.nc.us
CATS Public Meeting Schedule for Spring 2009 Service Change
Resource:
Larry Kopf, CATS, 704-432-0497, lkopf@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) anticipates lower revenues as a result of current economic conditions. For FY09, sales tax revenue could be $7 million less than budget, and state assistance could be $2 million less than budget.
Administrative and other cost reductions, including a freeze on 21 City of Charlotte positions, are expected to reduce expenses by $6.83 million for FY09. It is projected that additional cost reductions are required and can only be achieved by trimming service. To that end, CATS is engaged in a public meeting process to discuss service reductions with citizens.
Major proposals related to service include:
- Discontinuing service on five low ridership routes.
- Adjusting services on eleven routes to discontinue low ridership segments of those routes. The routes that would be adjusted include services in the Southpark area, in the University area, in the South Boulevard area, in the Randolph Road area, in the Clanton Park area, in the North Mecklenburg area, and on Gold Rush.
- Adjusting the alignment of seven express services to provide a quicker trip through Uptown.
- Operating less frequently on two routes with lower ridership.
- Adjusting service frequency on the Lynx Blue Line to ten minutes during weekday peak hours and twenty minutes on Sunday.
The proposed service adjustments are projected to reduce expenses by $1.1 million in FY09 if implemented by March 2, 2009, and 29 contract positions at the Bus Operating Division have already been frozen in anticipation of service adjustments. Annualized over a twelve month period the service adjustments are projected to reduce expenses by $4 million.
Details pertaining to the service proposals and a list of the public meeting schedule are attached.
