Calendar Details:
Monday, July 28
11:30 am - Transportation Committee, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport Tour. AGENDA: Lunch & Airport overview; tour
3:00 pm - City Manager's Evaluation, Room CH-14
5:00 pm - Dinner Briefing, Room 267
6:30 pm - Citizen's Forum and Business Meeting, Chamber
Agenda Notes:
Item #17: 2009 Annexation Qualifying Areas
Staff Resource:
Jonathan Wells, Planning Department, 704-336-4090 or jwells@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At their July 28th business meeting, Council will be asked to consider adoption of resolution of Intent and Annexation Reports for each of six areas that qualify for annexation in 2009. The Resolution of Intent will authorize staff to proceed with the next phase of the annexation process (including notification of affeced property owners and establishments of the dates for the public informational meeting and public hearing). The Annexation Reports describe how each area qualifies for annexation, the manner in which the City would extend services to each area, and the anticipated expenses and arevenues involved.
Agenda Item #44: CATS Transit Management Services
Staff Resource: James Zingale, 704-432-3324, jzingale@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its July 28 meeting, City Council will be asked to approve a professional services contract with McDonald Transit Associates Inc. to provide for the administration and management of day-to-day bus operations and maintenance at CATS' South Tryon and North Davidson Street facilities. The City engages the services of a transit management firm for direct supervision of bus operations and maintenance due to a conflict between federal and North Carolina law. Federal law requires public transit systems that receive federal funds to allow collective bargaining rights to employees necessary for operating bus systems. North Carolina state law forbids cities from contracting directly with labor organizations.
McDonald Transit Associates Inc. has served as the management contractor for bus operations and maintenance since June 2003, and implemented a number of measures resulting in lowering costs and increasing productivity during its initial 5-year tenure as CATS' management contractor including:
- Negotiating three work agreements with two labor unions representing more than 800 bus operators and mechanics. Changes in work rules have resulted in saving more than $400,000 since FY07.
- Simplifying operator work assignments resulting in an annual savings of $180,000. These improvements began in FY04.
- Increasing the fuel mileage from 3.4 mpg to over 4 mpg by reducing idling time and enhancing bus fleet performance.
- Decreasing the accident rate by almost half, from .8 preventable accidents in FY03 to .43 preventable accidents in FY08.
- Lowering mechanic's annual overtime costs by 33% over the five years.
- Providing bus service with 3,000 less hours of overtime in FY08 than in FY03 while service volume continues to increase.
- Revising its customer service training program resulting in a decrease of rude and discourteous complaints from 2.57 per 100,000 passengers in FY04 to 1.78 per 100,000 passengers in FY08, a 30% improvement.
- Competing in and winning four first place awards and the best overall system award at North Carolina's Public Transportation Association State Bus Rodeo all five years.
Staff is recommending McDonald following a competitive procurement process.
Agenda Item #61H: Shopton Road West Condemnation
Staff Resource:
Ron Kimble, 704-336-4169 – rkimble@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Mike Knox, 704-336-3479 - mknox@ci.charlotte.nc.us
We have continued to work with several of the 20 property owners located on Shopton Road West to try to reach a consensus alignment on the proposed new road in this 2005 annexation area. This issue was discussed in detail at your dinner briefing on June 9, 2008. Two alignments have been considered and 18 property owners have signed voluntary right-of-way donations for Option 1. Staff had prepared an Option 2 alignment at the request of Mr. DeLoach, one of two property owners unwilling to voluntarily commit right-of-way for the Option 1 alignment. Many property owners continue to be unwilling to sign for Option 2.
We have appraised the property that would be required to move forward to secure an Option 1 alignment. This process is contained and approved under the City's Non-System Residential Street Program (NSRP). The value of the property needed from Mr. DeLoach is $23,200 and the value of the property needed from Mr. Suttle is $4,675. Offers were made to each on Friday, July 18 and Mr. Suttle signed the offer. Mr. DeLoach rejected the offer, still preferring the Option 2 alignment if a new road must be constructed. Therefore, we have included a condemnation action on your July 28th agenda for this right-of-way need.
Staff has begun the Council directed review of the NSRP this month and plans to complete this review in early 2009. Recommended changes to the Program will be presented to City Council at that time.
Information Items:
Newell-Hickory Grove Road/Old Concord Road Rail Crossing Improvements
Staff Resource:
Mark Cole, 704-432-5244, mcole@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposes to construct a southbound left-turn lane from Old Concord Road onto Newell-Hickory Grove Road in Northeast Charlotte. These improvements were recommended by a 1997 Traffic Separation study that reviewed eight at-grade crossings along the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) corridor in Northeast Charlotte for potential safety and capacity improvements. The proposed improvements at this location would help to mitigate the increase in traffic on Old Concord Road as a result of the closing of the Rocky River Road crossing. All proposed improvements are within a 200-foot wide NCRR right-of-way corridor. All widening required along Old Concord Road to build the project is proposed to occur on the western side of the existing roadway, as dictated by the railroad, requiring the removal of 16 to 20 old growth trees that measure 24 inches in diameter and larger.
In January 2007, CDOT and NCDOT Rail Division executed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlined a variety of agreements related to several proposed railroad crossing improvement projects within the City of Charlotte. As part of this agreement, CDOT agreed to remove trees located along the west side of Old Concord Road within the construction limits. This year, CDOT began soliciting bids for the required tree removal. During this process, some residents owning property along Old Concord Road adjacent to the trees expressed concerns about the tree removal. As a result, CDOT has been working to address these concerns and explore potential ways to reduce the impact of the project on the trees. We will also prepare a letter to NCDOT and to NCRR asking that they reconsider allowing the widening to occur along the eastern (railroad) side of Old Concord Road in an effort to preserve as many of the old growth trees as possible.
Attached are two items; 1) a plan view of the proposed intersection improvements, and 2) photos of the project location indicating the trees to be removed as a result of the currently proposed project.
Murrayhill Road Sidewalk Project Update
Staff Resource:
Vivian Coleman, 704-353-0481, vcoleman@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On July 22, 2008, CDOT and the Engineering and Property Management Department held a public information meeting for the Murrayhill Road Sidewalk Project. The project is classified as a "Tier 3" in accordance with the Sidewalk Retrofit Policy (adopted in 2005). The overall goal of this category is to provide key connections to schools and parks by providing the most logical pedestrian network.
Proposed project limits are shown on the attached map and include:
As part of the "Tier 3" process, a public information meeting is required. The purpose of this meeting is to provide residents with information about the project and to receive their input. CDOT asked residents to provide feedback regarding design concerns. Fifty-five (55) residents representing those both for and against the project attended the July 22 meeting. Approximately 2,000 postcards were sent inviting owners of properties within a ¼ mile radius from the street. The Madison Park Homeowners Association website also provided information about the meeting. In addition, the HOA emailed 350 meeting reminders a week before the meeting.
At the meeting, staff made a presentation which described the Sidewalk Policy, the Tier 3 process, proposed project scope and design considerations for sidewalk placement. Residents asked many questions and provided comments. Prior to the meeting Ms. Judy Bratton asked staff to display a petition she submitted to the Manager's office. Staff had this petition on display although it is not recognized under the Sidewalk Policy. Nonetheless, staff will keep it as part of the file.
Over the next two weeks, City staff will be receiving public input on the project. After the August 6 submittal deadline, staff will develop a summary report of public input and make recommendations on the project scope and limits. We will advise the City Manager's office of the recommendation. At the end of August, we will send letters to those on the original notification distribution list describing the project. Project design is expected to begin in September.
CMPD Metro Station
Staff Resources:
Bruce Miller, 704-336-4469 or bemiller@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Natasha Warren, 704-336-3230 or nwarren@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The CMPD Metro Station project provides a new building at 1118 Beatties Ford Road for enhanced police services. Bids for this project were received on June 24, 2008. Randolph & Sons Builders, Inc. (RSB) was the apparent low bidder. RSB was declared non-responsive and non-responsible based on performance and documentation issues on past City projects.
The second low bidder, T. K. Browne Construction Co., Inc., was non-compliant with the SBO Program by not submitting the required Form 3 and failure to meet the SBO Good Faith Efforts.
The third low bidder, Ike's Construction Co., Inc. (Ike's), was non-compliant with the SBO Program. Ike's did not meet the SBO Goal at the time of bid and failed to meet the SBO Good Faith Efforts.
Based on the above and the increasing dollar amount with each bid, staff rejected all bids and will re-bid the project.
We expect to have the project on the August agenda for award which will allow the project to be completed within the schedule commitments that we have made to the community.
Brookshire Blvd. (NC 16)/Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. Area Roadway Improvements
Staff Resources:
Tim Gibbs, (704-336-3917), tgibbs@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Scott Putman, (704-336-7085), sputnam@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Veronica Wallace, (704-336-7401), vwallace@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At the June 17 District 2 meeting, citizens asked City staff to look into the possibility of extending both Couloak and Callabridge Commons drives from their respective ends to right-in and right-out connections to Brookshire Blvd. (NC 16) (see attached map). The City would need to request a hearing from the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Control Access Committee to ask that these connections be allowed. This committee meets in Raleigh periodically to determine when breaks should be allowed on facilities such as NC 16 that are not full freeways, but have freeway-like characteristics. CDOT staff has been before the Control Access Committee twice previously to ask for this connection, but the requests have been denied.
The right-in, right-out connection from NC 16 to Couloak and Callabridge Commons drives will be required when a bridge is built to take Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road over NC 16. This project ranks #53 in the Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO) 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan.
Traffic flow in the area has been analyzed and it has been determined that minimal relief would result from these improvements. We have concluded that other solutions, such as additional improvements to Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road and paving of the ramps at the I-485/Oakdale Road interchange would be a better use of scarce transportation resources.
At this time, the I-485/Oakdale interchange is not within the City Limits. Both Oakdale and Mt. Holly-Huntersville roads are State-maintained facilities, and neither they nor the City have funding budgeted for any additional area improvements. Developers were prepared to fund the connections when the City last made the request for a break in the controlled access on NC 16, and the request was denied by NCDOT.
We will continue to look at private sector mitigation as development occurs in the area and will focus on improving connectivity when reviewing new developments. CDOT will also work with MUMPO and NCDOT to expedite the ramp paving of the I-485/Oakdale interchange. This interchange project is in the current MUMPO Candidate Project List which asks NCDOT to include it in an upcoming Transportation Improvement Program. Therefore, CDOT staff does not feel that it would be prudent to go back to NCDOT to request a break in NC 16's access control until funding is available to allow for construction of the bridge that would take Mt Holly-Huntersville Road over NC 16.
