Monday, March 24
3:30 pm - Transportation Committee, Room 280. AGENDA: Final Recommendation of Focus Area Plan; Parking Collaborative and Wayfinding - Update; Charlotte Region Fast Lanes Study - Phase 2
5:00 pm - Council Dinner, Room 267
6:30 pm - Citizens' Forum and Council meeting, Chamber
Wednesday, March 26
3:00 pm - Budget Retreat, Room 267
Information Items:
As part of its discussion about the issue of foreclosures and impact on Charlotte neighborhoods, the Housing and Neighborhood Development Committee plans to tour selected neighborhoods where the foreclosure rate is high. Today the Committee set the date for Tuesday, April 1, 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. All Council members are invited to participate. Additional details will be provided as logistics for the tour are worked out.
On April 10, 2008, Charlotte Center City Partners will host its annual Center City Vision Awards. The Vision Awards acknowledge the remarkable achievement and contributions of individuals, businesses, and organizations that help make our urban core more memorable and vibrant. Center City Partners will be honoring former Mayor Harvey Gantt as the 2008 Vision Award Recipient.
The City of Charlotte has purchased a table for the evening and the City Council member, City Manager and KBEs are invited to attend. The event will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Please see the attached invitation for more details. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Emily Westbrook,
ewestbrook@ci.charlotte.nc.us or 704.432.2076, by Tuesday, April 1, 2008.
Attached is a memo from City Engineer Jeb Blackwell. The memo contains the results of City Arborist Don McSween's investigation of the tree that fell onto a car on East Boulevard during heavy winds on March 9th.
On Thursday, March 27, 2008 a group of officials representing the Transit Planning Board (TPB) will visit from Atlanta. The TPB is a partnership that is charged with establishing and maintaining a seamless, integrated transit network for the Atlanta region. The TPB was created by a joint resolution of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA).
The TPB is led by a 19 member board of directors made up of County Commission Chairpersons, the DeKalb County CEO, the Mayor of Atlanta, the Chairpersons of the Boards of MARTA, GDOT and GRTA, the MARTA General Manager/CEO, and appointees of the Governor of Georgia.
The group visiting on March 27th will include several County Commission Chairs, Board appointees from the governor's office, members of the MARTA Board and staff, members of the Georgia DOT Board and staff, the Chair and director of the ARC, the GRTA Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce members and private business people. A tentative list of attendees is attached.
The group will be greeted by Mayor McCrory, Chairwoman Roberts, and Natalie English with the Charlotte Chamber. They will hear presentations from staff on the development of the 2025 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Transit/Land Use Plan and the 2030 Corridor System Plan and the positive impact on land use and economic development. They will also ride the LYNX Blue Line. The group's overall itinerary is attached.
Residents in the Windsor Park neighborhood have been using radar guns to monitor speeding issues in their neighborhood. CMPD supports the use of the radar and the efforts of the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association to be proactive in working with the Eastway Division to address the speeding issues.
While taking a class on FCC issues, one of the sergeants in the Eastway Division sent an e-mail to the FCC inquiring whether the radar being used in Windsor Park was properly licensed. The sergeant named two residents who were operating the radar guns and incorrectly identified one of them as Vincent Frisina.
The e-mail generated an investigation by the FCC. The investigation revealed that the particular model of radar being used in Windsor Park did not require a license and that no violations of FCC rules had occurred. The investigation was closed.
CMPD investigated the actions of the sergeant who generated the e-mail to the FCC. CMPD's Computer Technology Section attempted to retrieve the e-mail from the system but was unsuccessful. The FCC would not provide the e-mail to CMPD, but did after some period of time provide it to Mr. Frisina who, in turn, provided it to CMPD.
Chief Stephens apologized to Mr. Frisina, telling him that the sergeant should not have sent the e-mail to the FCC and that he regretted both the e-mail and the subsequent FCC investigation. Sending the e-mail did not violate any departmental policy, rule or regulation. Mr. Frisina filed an Internal Affairs compliant alleging a violation of North Carolina Statute 14-226-2. That allegation was thoroughly investigated and Mr. Frisina was advised of the completion of the investigation in accordance with the procedures established by the North Carolina Personnel Privacy statutes.
