Council Manager Memo # 70 - Oct. 17, 2008

Calendar Details:
   (See Below)

Information Items:
- Street Car Advisory Committee
- Mentor of the Year Luncheon - October 21
- Centers, Corridors and Wedges Public Workshops
- Proper Disposal of Leaves
- Trailblazing Signs to the US National Whitewater Center

Attachments:
- City Council Follow up Report 10-17-08
- Transportation Committee Summary 9-22-08
- October & November Calendars

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Calendar Details:
Monday, October 20
        1:30 pm - Environment Committee, Room 280: Proposed Revisions to Tree Ordinance, FY 2010/2011 Focus Area Plan Kick-Off Discussion; Pledge for Environmental Initiatives, Water
Revenue Stabilization Options
       3:00 pm - City Attorney's Evaluation, Room 280
       5:00pm - Council-Manager Dinner, CH-14
       6:00pm - Zoning Meeting, Meeting Chamber

Wednesday, October 22
       5:30 pm - Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting, Room 267

 

Information Items:
Street Car Advisory Committee
Resource:
       Curt Walton, 704-336-5019, cwalton@ci.charlotte.nc.us

City Council has authorized me to appoint a 12-member advisory committee to advise Council
on the street car project. I appreciate the suggestions I received from Council members of
people to serve on this committee, as well as expressions of interest I received from the community. Those suggestions have allowed an equal balance of four members to be appointed each
from the Beatties Ford, Trade Street and Central Avenue/Eastland corridors. If Council ultimately
makes the decision to consider a street car project along the Beatties Ford, Trade Street and Central Avenue corridors, the citizen's committee will advise Council on how best to implement such as project.

On October 27, 2008, the consultant that is assessing the economic development potential of the street car corridor will be updating Council at the dinner meeting relative to the status of the study.
The study is not scheduled to be completed until the end of 2008 or early 2009. The street car advisory committee has been invited to meet with the consultant earlier that day, as well as to receive an orientation to the street car project currently included in the 2030 plan. Following that meeting, the Committee is not likely to meet again until after Council receives the economic impact report of the potential street car project, which will probably be in January.

Name	Company or Association	Title
Dr. Ron Carter, Chair	Johnson C. Smith University	President
Steven Burke	Presbyterian Hospital	Vice President, Real Estate & Construction
Clay Grubb	Grubb Properties	President
Ed Holland	Friendship Missionary Baptist Ch.	Administrator
Diane Langevin	Winterfield Neighborhood Assoc.	President
Mattie Marshall	Historic Washington Heights	Neighborhood Rep.
Clay McCullough	Morningside Neighborhood Assoc.	Board of Directors
Cheryl Myers	Charlotte Center City Partners	Sr. Vice President of Planning & Development
Jim Palermo	Johnson and Wales University	Executive in Residence
John Schwaller	Third Ward Neighborhood Assoc.	President
Michael R. Smith	Central Ave/Eastway area resident	Neighborhood Rep.

Mentor of the Year Luncheon - Tuesday, October 21
Resource:
       Dennis Marstall, 704-336-3980, dmarstall@ci.charlotte.nc.us

 The Mayor's Mentoring Alliance will be holding the 2008 Mentor of the Year Award at the Hilton Charlotte Center City on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 from Noon to 1:30 p.m.  Carolina Panthers
player Muhsin Muhammad will be the keynote speaker and Tonia Bendickson from WBTV will
be the Emcee.  There were 21 nominees for the Mentor of the Year Award this year with the Award recipient remaining a secret until the luncheon. 

In addition to the Mentor of the Year Award, the luncheon will also celebrate Charlotte as a 100
Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise.  Charlotte has been recognized by America's Promise with this distinction since the award's inception in 2006.  We are one of only
44 cities to have received the 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition three years in
a row. 

If you would like to attend the luncheon on the 21st, please contact Dennis Marstall at
(704) 336-3980, dmarstall@ci.charlotte.nc.us or Tracy Swett at (704) 336-3184, tswett@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

Centers, Corridors and Wedges Public Workshops
Resource:
       Laura Harmon, 704-336-4565, lharmon@ci.charlotte.nc.us

Planning staff has been working with an interdepartmental team on the update of the Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework. The original Centers and Corridors document
focused on the integration of land use and transportation. The updated framework expands into
other aspects of planning and development and also provides recommendations for Wedges.
Please contact us if you would like a hard copy of the document or the document can be found online .

Public workshops on the updated document will be held on the following dates:

Date/Time	Facility	Address
Tuesday, October 21, 6 pm	Victory Christian Center	6916 Old Pineville Road
Thursday, October 23, 6 pm	Northside Baptist Church	333 Jeremiah Boulevard
Thursday, October 30, 6 pm	First Baptist Church	301 Davidson Street

In addition to the public meetings, we are developing a web based survey to allow people to provide feedback on the update to Centers, Corridors and Wedges. We will work with an advisory group in November to address issues raised at the public workshops and through the survey.

Proper Disposal of Leaves
Resources:
       Victoria Garland, 704-336-3410, vgarland@ci.charlotte.nc.us
       Jennifer Krupowicz, 704-432-0970, jkrupowicz@ci.charlotte.nc.us

Council members and City staff have recently received questions from citizens and local reporters regarding management of leaves and other yard waste.

Charlotte's Storm Water Quality Ordinance prohibits disposal of anything, including yard waste, down storm drains or in creeks. If left in storm drains or creeks, the untreated yard waste decomposes in our surface waters, super-fertilizes the water, becomes toxic to the aquatic community, contributes to stream blockages and smothers vegetation stabilizing the banks.

Proper disposal methods include placing:

• Leaves in untied plastic bags.
• Bags at curb for pickup each week. Solid Waste Services will collect waste via their normal routes.

Solid Waste Services uses automated vehicle location technology, which allows them to monitor collection and alter operations to support any anticipated increase in yard waste.

Education is the first step in taking action against improperly disposed yard waste, including blowing leaves to the curb. Solid Waste Services and Storm Water Services utilize the following educational vehicles to encourage residents against blowing leaves to the curb and on the proper way to dispose of leaves: 

• Utility bill inserts.
• Landscaper workshops.
• Fact sheets on yard care and yard waste, available in English and Spanish and distributed at public events.
• Speakers' bureau presentations made to HOAs, church groups, gardening clubs, etc.
• The Citizens' Guide to Pollution Prevention publication.
• Storm Water Services website http://stormwater.charmeck.org
• Solid Waste Services website http://curbit.charmeck.org
• Seasonal and website education regarding proper preparation for the disposal of leaves and weekly collections.
• Advertisements in English and Spanish publications.

Trailblazing Signs to the US National Whitewater Center
Resource:
       Tim Gibbs, 704-336-3917, tgibbs@ci.charlotte.nc.us

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) installed temporary signs this week along Interstate 85 at the Sam Wilson Road exit (EXIT 29) directing motorists to the US National Whitewater Center.  

NCDOT has requested $150,000 from the General Assembly for larger, permanent overhead signs to replace the temporary signs. Funding would come from legislative discretionary funds and will require a letter from a Charlotte-area legislator requesting release of the funds. NCDOT has asked Whitewater Center officials to contact their legislative representatives to ask for the endorsement letter.