Agenda Notes:
The Clerk's Office is required to publish the statutorily required notices at least 10 days prior to the date of the public hearings for annexations in order for the hearings to be held. This time, the public notice requirements were not met. The advertisements have been placed for a February 25 public hearing. Staff requests that Council defer the public hearings on the voluntary annexations until February 25.
The status of the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) along the LYNX Blue Line continues to improve. This is the result of the overall system becoming more stable while customers continue to get more acquainted with the operation of the TVMs. Two software releases designed to reduce system errors and add functionality (e.g. round trip fare) are scheduled for release within the next two weeks.
City Council will be asked at its meeting on February 11 to authorize the City Manager to exercise the contract option that allows for the purchase of up to an additional 10 TVMs.
Two of the original three spare TVMs have been installed at the I-485 station to better handle customer demand. These spare machines will need to be replaced along with the possibility of adding additional TVMs when and where a demonstrated need is identified. The delivery time for the TVMs is approximately six months.
Additionally, Council will be asked to approve the purchase of spare TVM parts in the amount of $139,720.82. These spare parts will help reduce TVM down time, especially important with only one spare machine currently in inventory. Many of these spare parts are subject to the same six-month delivery time.
CATS began full fare enforcement on Monday, February 4. The first day recorded 41 citations and one arrest. Riders of the LYNX service have seen an increased frequency of ticket checking by Fare Inspectors, Police and other CATS personnel. Customers found without a pass or an expired pass receive a $50 civil citation and are escorted off at the next station. If a customer indicates that the Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) was not working, the Fare Inspectors and Police are able to confirm when TVMs are not operational.
There are four median maintenance and ground maintenance agenda items on the February 11, 2008 agenda. Two items (items # 24 & #26) contain contracts that are renewals of current contracts and two items contain new contracts (items #23 & #25).
When originally bid, these contracts were all for less than $100,000. The City's new procurement policy clarifies that in determining which contracts require Council approval, staff must include all contract extension and renewal options that the vendor or the City has a right to exercise, or that the City anticipates entering into. Thus, Council approval will be sought for a one year $65,000 service contract if it contains two, one year renewal options. Applying this standard, Council will start to see more renewals and extensions with a dollar value of less than $100,000 appear on the agenda.
To encourage more SBE participation and to better manage the contracts, Landscape Management has divided the contracted work into 11 median maintenance contracts and eight grounds maintenance contracts based on geography.
Information items:
As you prepare your itinerary for the March 8-12 NLC meeting in D.C., please be aware of two group events we are working to finalize for Council.
- Monday, March 10, we will have a dinner briefing by our Washington consultants, Holland & Knight to discuss the status of last year's accomplishments and our 2008 legislative requests. This information will be important for our meetings with our Congressional Delegation.
- Wednesday, March 12, we are coordinating a breakfast meeting on Capitol Hill with our Congressional offices. A breakfast meeting, including a question and answer session, with our Congressional members and staff will minimize the logistical challenges of going to each of our member's offices. We will try to arrange individual meetings for key representatives unable to attend the breakfast meeting.
Holland & Knight is canvassing the offices of our Delegation to determine their availability. We received a warm reception from key Congressional staff to Council's legislative package. Holland & Knight will be able to give Council preliminary feedback and highlight challenges and issues that ultimately determine the responses to our requests for "earmarks."
Friday, February 1, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and Duke Energy staff met again with N.C. Green Industry Council representatives to continue discussing ways we can communicate water-wise landscaping and conservation information to the public during the drought. We also addressed ways the landscape industry, the City, Duke Energy and the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group might partner and combine resources to encourage responsible watering and recommended ordinance improvements associated with irrigation system efficiency.
The Green Industry representatives have accepted an invitation to speak at this month's meeting of the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group, which represents about two dozen cities and significant water users in the basin, to describe the economic impact of the drought and restrictions on the landscape industry.
The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and other sources confirm that without supplementary rainfall, allowing one day per week of lawn watering would not sustain newly installed turf in a drought. Meanwhile, our water usage data shows that allowing one day per week of spray irrigation for lawn watering adds up to 25 million extra gallons used per day. These factors, along with Governor Easley's appeal that communities reduce water usage by 50 percent, weighed into the decision to tighten water restrictions last September from two days per week irrigation to zero days per week.
While Utilities staff does not support a request to allow lawn watering or more variances at this time, staff is reminding the public that tree farms, nurseries and even turf growers may still water their product unrestricted on their own property, and citizens are currently permitted to hand-water and drip-irrigate plants, trees and shrubs. Utilities staff remains committed to strong communication and long-term partnering with the N.C. Green Industry Council.
The attached answers questions from the January 28 Council meeting.
At approximately 6:30 this morning, February 6, Bus #870 Route 22 was stopped at a red light on W.T. Harris Boulevard, waiting to make a left turn onto Medical Plaza Drive. The bus operator stated when the arrow turned green she proceeded to make the left turn. A van heading west on W.T. Harris Boulevard made contact with the CATS bus at the front right corner of the bus.
Two passengers in the van were transported to CMC-University. The passenger in the van was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver of the van was treated for his injuries. Two passengers were aboard the bus. One claimed neck and back injuries and was taken to CMC-University. The bus operator was interviewed by CMPD and transported for a drug and alcohol test, which is standard procedure after a CATS accident involving injuries.
The bus operator has been with the Bus Operations Division for 18 years and has had no preventable accidents in over 10 years.
CMPD is investigating the accident. CATS is cooperating with police and will conduct its own internal investigation of the accident.
Attached is the latest edition of the City Bonds Report, a compilation of updates concerning bond related projects. Additional information and a map highlighting all active bond projects are available at
http://citybonds.charmeck.org.
