Calendar Details:
Tuesday, May 27 Dinner Briefing
Staff Resource:
Brenda Freeze, 704-336-4516, bfreeze@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools failed to account for the Memorial Day Holiday when setting their calendar of meetings for 2008. Their regular meeting schedule is for the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. This means that they will be meeting in Room 267 immediately following Council's Dinner Briefing on the 27th.
This is the first time they have experienced a holiday falling on a Monday prior to their regular meeting day, which in this case caused a Council Meeting to fall on the fourth Tuesday of May.
In the interest of trying to work with them in this case, after the Dinner Briefing on Tuesday evening, May 27, it will be helpful if Mayor and Council can leave 267 as close to 6:30 as possible, and gather their papers, etc. and clear the tables when we leave the room. The Building Staff will not have time clear the room before the Board of Education comes in for their meeting.
CMS now understands that when setting their calendar for the coming year, whenever a holiday falls on a Monday, that everyone shifts their meeting one day later.
May 28 Budget Straw Votes
Staff Resource:
Ruffin Hall, 704-336-3403, rlhall@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Included in your packet is the agenda and budget adjustments information for the May 28 Straw Votes meeting. The meeting will be held at 12 p.m. in Room 267. Please contact Ruffin Hall with any questions.
Information Items:
Utilities Policy and Operations Review
Staff Resources:
Kim Eagle, Evaluation Manager, 704.336.5016, keagle@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Richard Woodcock, Deputy Director Neighborhood Development, 704.336.8572 rwoodcock@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At the Council Workshop on April 7, 2008, City Council requested the City Manager to perform a policy and operations review of Utilities. This review is designed to address the concerns raised and provide the data requested by City Council. The review includes findings which consider the nature of the various cost drivers and debt service for Utilities and their relation to water rates and recommendations to address those findings. The review begins with an Executive Summary and consists of overviews of Capital Investment Program and Policies, Financial Planning Models, Operating Budget and Resource Deployment and Citizen Service.
The review also includes a large number of detailed appendices if needed for additional information. We included a hard copy in your packet.
City of Charlotte Parking Deck Inspection Policy
Staff Resource:
Chad Huskins, 704-336-3215, chuskins@ci.charlotte.nc.us
In light of the recent failure of a Fairview Road office complex parking deck, Engineering & Property Management would like to make Council aware of our program ensuring the safety of the City's parking decks (CMGC Parking Deck, CMPD Parking Deck, Discovery Place Parking Deck, CATS Bus Facility Parking Deck, CATS Light Rail I-485 Parking Garage).
City staff performs visual condition assessments and preventative maintenance at each deck every six months. Additionally, decks are inspected by a consulting structural engineer every two years. Inspection reports summarize the assessment tasks performed, conclusions, and repair recommendations for each deck. Maintenance is bid and completed based on those engineering findings. The consultant engineer inspects work performed to ensure that all repair specifications are followed. Repairs are classified as to their importance and completed in that order.
CATS Receives Federal Grant
Staff Resource:
Jim Dougherty, 704-432-2585, jdougherty@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) a $1.2 million federal grant, under the Transit Security Grant Program, to enhance security and anti-terrorism preparedness and prevention at CATS facilities as well as provide additional security awareness training for employees. Facility enhancements made possible by this grant include enhancing the rail yard area lighting and detection alarms to warn of intruders at the South Boulevard Light Rail Complex.
The grant award, recognized by DHS as one of the best prepared documents from those submitted nationally, will also help purchase mobile explosion detection devices to use for random checks on the transit system or in the case of an incident or event. These devices can detect the presence of an explosive material or residue on a person or at a location, which would alert staff to take the necessary security precautions. CATS entire staff, along with several of the regions first responders, will go through security awareness training.
This funding also allows CATS to continue working with first responders in Charlotte by providing for the planning and staging of emergency drills and developing response guidebooks for responders and front line staff to use in the field.
Regional Air Quality Board and Clean Air Works Kickoff
Staff Resource:
Lavernia Stoneman, 704-336-3898, lstoneman@ci.charlotte.nc.us
For the past three years, the Charlotte Chamber, Mecklenburg County Air Quality, and CATS have worked together to increase the awareness of the voluntary regional air quality program called Clean Air Works. The program focuses on encouraging regional businesses and organizations to implement initiatives that get employees to reduce ozone pollution and vehicles miles traveled (VMT) during the ozone season. This year the Clean Air Work is receiving significant funding from the business community and along with private grants and will leveraging existing public initiatives conducted by the County and CATS. The Clean Air Works program is guided by a regional board with representatives from the business, governmental and public arena. The business community kicked off the start of the Clean Air Works program on May 15 at a special breakfast hosted by Piedmont Natural Gas. Last year the Clean Air Works achieved the following results:
- Reduced 2 million VMT
- Reduced nearly 190,000 pounds of NOx emissions
- Recruited 88 organizations across 8 counties
The City of Charlotte has participated in this voluntary ozone program for many years through the CATS' program and has participated in the Clean Air Works joint program which runs from May to September for the past three years. The program encourages City Employees to use alternate means of transportation, other than a Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV), on Ozone Action Days. These alternative choices include riding the bus/rail, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, telecommuting, or using flex time etc, to reduce emission levels on high ozone days. Each Key Business Unit will appoint a Clean Air Champion that will work with departmental employees promoting and tracking participation in the program. The kickoff for City Employees for the "Cutting Pollution When It Counts" will be at the First Friday event located in the lobby of the CMGC in the month of June.
Highlights from the 2007 program for the City include:
- Target NOx (Nitrous Oxides) reduction = 27.6 Pounds - Achieved 54.1 Pounds
- Target VOC(Volatile Organic Compounds) reduction = 33.1 Pounds - Achieved 103 Pounds
