Agenda Notes:
- Recognition of West Charlotte High School Basketball Team
Information Items:
- USBGC Awards Utilities Building with Gold LEED Certification
- Regional Group Secures Initial Funding for Biodiesel Pilot
- Stimulus Funding for Summer Youth Employment and Training
- Major Water Pipe Tie-In on Morehead Street Update - March 19
- Charlotte Regional Partnership Return on Investment Report
- CMPD Minority and Women Recruitment Open House - March 21
- Wallace Composting Facility Update
- Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Attachments:
- Stimulus Funding for Youth Employment
- Major Pipe Tie-In
- Charlotte Regional Partnership Report
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Recognition of West Charlotte High School Girls Basketball Team
Staff Resource:
Dennis Marstall, Mayor's Office, 704-336-3980, dmarstall@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At Thursday's Zoning Meeting, Council will recognize the West Charlotte High School girl's basketball team. The team recently won the NCHSAA State Championship.
Also, City staff was contacted Monday with a request for a parade during the coming weekend to celebrate championship. CDOT and CMPD developed a plan to accommodate this Saturday March 21. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. in the school parking lot and follow a route around the school's neighborhood. The parade will proceed southbound on Senior Drive to LaSalle Street, left onto Beatties Ford Road, left onto Keller Avenue, left onto Senior Drive and back to the school. Traffic will be diverted around the parade route and impact to the area should be minimal.
USGBC Awards Utilities Building with Gold LEED Certification
Staff Resource:
Doug Bean, Utilities, 704-391-5070, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
After a lengthy review process, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities was notified March 14 that its Environmental Services Facility has achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level. This is the first LEED-certified building in Charlotte City government and the only gold-certified public facility in Mecklenburg County.
The Environmental Services Facility houses 80 employees in the Environmental Management and Laboratory Services divisions of Utilities. The building features significant day lighting; water and energy efficiencies that reduce operational costs; sustainable site design with storm water controls; and a variety of sustainable and local products and materials. LEED certification at a lab facility is particularly challenging, and this is one of very few lab buildings nationwide achieving certification. The building also received The Charlotte Business Journal's "Green Commercial New Construction Project Award" in 2008.
Utilities staff looks forward to planning an event to formally announce the certification and dedicate the building. Staff will communicate that date to Council once details have been finalized.
Regional Group Secures Initial Funding for Biodiesel Pilot
Staff Resource:
Doug Bean, Utilities, 704-391-5070, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities and its partners have received $99,850 in grant funding from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina toward the design of a pilot system to convert brown grease to biodiesel. The project's goal is to turn a waste product into a useful fuel, while helping to reduce sanitary sewer overflows.
Partners include the Centralina Council of Governments through its Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition program, UNC Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Appalachian State University and the Catawba County Utilities and Engineering Department. The group continues to pursue additional funding from the North Carolina Green Business Fund and is preparing a full proposal due April 6.
Stimulus Funding for Summer Youth Employment & Training
Staff Resource:
Brad Richardson, Neighborhood and Economic Development, 704-336-3857, brichardson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
We have received notification from the North Carolina Department of Commerce & Workforce Development that $1.6 million will be coming to Charlotte for Summer Youth Employment & Training. The City contracts with the Workforce Development Board for the expenditure of these funds. On April 13, City Council will be asked to amend the City's contract with the WDB to include a scope of services and objectives for this program, and to appropriate these new funds.
The Workforce Development Board (WDB) is accepting proposals to train and employ Workforce Investment Act (WIA) eligible youth, ages 16-24 in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The RFP is being made available on the WDB website (www.charlotteworks.org) with a deadline of April 3. A copy of the RFP is attached.
Organizations that have indicated an intention to apply for this funding include the Urban League, Goodwill and Arbor E&T. The WDB is expected to approve contracts with service providers at their April 23 board meeting.
The stimulus legislation requires the funds be focused on providing summer jobs and employment training to WIA eligible youth, which are defined as low income, with at least one of the following barriers to employment:
- Deficient in basic literacy skills
- School dropout
- Homeless, runaway, or foster child
- Pregnant or parenting
- Ex-offender
- Is an individual (including a youth with a disability) who requires additional assistance to complete an educational program, or to secure and hold employment.
Staff is working with the WDB on the following areas:
- Ensuring a broad distribution of the RFP to community organizations that work with youth and young adults;
- Coordinating the stimulus grants with the City's current youth employment to ensure efficient delivery of services; and,
- Developing a public sector jobs program that includes jobs from the City and County.
Our current understanding is that the funds expire on June 30, 2010.
Major Water Pipe Tie-in on Morehead Street Update-March 19
Staff Resource:
Doug Bean, Utilities, 704-391-5070, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The planned tie-in for this weekend on Morehead Street will begin on Thursday, March 19 at 9:00 p.m. and continue through Sunday night at the latest. This work was originally scheduled to begin several weeks ago but was postponed due to weather conditions.
Attached is the letter that will be mailed out to four thousand customers in the area. We are also emailing community contacts and sending a press release to reporters. This important connection will enhance water service in the center city.
No customers will be without water service. Some customers in the southern parts of Uptown, Dilworth, Elizabeth, and South End areas may experience slightly lower than usual water pressure. Test shutdowns of this pipe have had no impact on water pressure, so this notice is simply precautionary. The Charlotte Fire Department will be notified to ensure proper fire protection.
Updates will be posted at www.cmutilties.com (click on News & Updates). Customers with questions or issues are also encouraged to call 311 (or 704-336-7600).
Charlotte Regional Partnership Return on Investment Report
Staff Resource:
Tom Flynn, Neighborhood and Economic Development, 704-432-1396, tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is the Charlotte Regional Partnership's Return on Investment Report for Mecklenburg County for the first six months of FY2009.
CMPD Minority and Women Recruitment Open House-March 21
Staff Resource:
Captain Gerald Smith, CMPD, 704-432-1662, gsmith@cmpd.org
CMPD will host a Recruitment Open House on Saturday, March 21, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Police & Fire Training Academy, 1770 Shopton Rd. As the largest police agency between Washington, DC and Atlanta, we expect to draw a large number of people interested in policing careers. Outreach efforts have been made in both English and Spanish.
Throughout the day those attending will be able to tour the academy and see what a typical day of recruit training is like. There will be live demonstrations by the SWAT Team, by the defensive tactics instructors, at the range, and at the driving pad. Members of CMPD's Executive and Command Staffs, patrol officers, recruiters, academy instructors, and detectives will be on hand to answer questions about the many opportunities as a career officer in a metropolitan police department. The Police Cadet and Explorer programs will also be featured.
Visitors can also learn about civilian careers in communications and Animal Care & Control from current employees in both areas. CMPD volunteers will offer information about our volunteer program and assist with the day's events.
Wallace Composting Facility Update
Staff Resources:
Julie Burch, City Manager's Office, 704-336-3187, jburch@ci.charlotte.nc.us
DeWitt F. McCarley, City Attorney, 704-336-4112, dmccarley@ci.charlotte.nc.us;
S. Mujeeb Shah-Khan, City Attorney's Office, 704-336-5803, mshah-khan@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Since the January 30, 2009 report in the Council-Manager Memo, several developments have occurred with respect to the Wallace Composting Facility.
Administrative Appeal and Permit Renewal Update
As noted in the January 30 report, the Wallace Family, owners of the Wallace Composting Facility, challenged a November 12, 2008 Compliance Order and Administrative Penalty issued by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources ("NCDENR") by appealing to an Administrative Law Judge.
On January 12, 2009, Council unanimously voted to authorize the City Attorney to move to intervene on the City's behalf in the Wallaces' appeal. On January 16, 2009, the City Attorney's Office filed a Motion to Intervene as a party to the case, which was opposed by both the Wallaces and NCDENR. On February 9, 2009, the City filed an Amended Motion to Intervene seeking to intervene in the case as a non-party. In the Amended Motion to Intervene, the City asked the Administrative Law Judge to allow it: (1) to be copied on all discovery requests and responses by the parties; (2) to receive notices of all depositions to be conducted by the parties and to be able to attend the depositions; (3) to conduct discovery of the Wallaces; (4) to attend and participate in the Mediated Settlement Conference; and (5) to submit a brief and supporting materials at the contested case hearing. Again, both the Wallaces and NCDENR opposed the City's Amended Motion. On March 3, 2009, Administrative Law Judge Selina Brooks issued an order giving the City a very limited right to intervene in the administrative appeal as a non-party. The City is permitted to be involved as a "friend of the court" and will be able to file a brief with the Administrative Law Judge prior to the hearing on the Wallaces' appeal. However, Judge Brooks denied the City's other requests in the Amended Motion to Intervene.
While the hearing on the administrative appeal had been scheduled to begin during the week of April 6, Judge Brooks has chosen to push the trial date back a minimum of 60 days. The trial will take place no earlier than June 1, 2009. The parties will participate in a mediated settlement conference by April 30, 2009, which will give the Wallaces and NCDENR an opportunity to discuss settlement options for the administrative appeal.
Staff continues to believe that the Wallaces' appeal has impacted the permit renewal process for the Wallace Composting Facility's Large, Type III Solid Waste Composting Facility Permit. Since the appeal, NCDENR has not acted on the permit renewal application. We believe that no action will take place until the conclusion of the appeal. During this time, the Wallace Composting Facility continues to legally operate under the now-expired permit issued by NCDENR.
Odor Study
Last summer, the City contracted with Brown and Caldwell, an engineering firm, to perform an odor study of Wallace Family Composting Facility. Brown and Caldwell is in the process of revising their report to the City. We expect that the final report will be available by mid-April.
Staff will keep you up-to-date on further developments.
Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Staff Resource:
Keith Parker, CATS, 704-336-3855, kparker@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its meeting on Wednesday, February 25, 2009, the MTC had no action items on the agenda, but received information briefings on the following:
FY2010 and FY2011 Transit Operating Program: CATS staff provided information on the proposed FY2010 and FY2011 Transit Operating Program. In accordance with the MTC's fare policy, a fare increase will take effect July 2011. The Operating Revenue has been reduced by $7 million. The new Operating Reserve, a draw from the Fund Balance of $10 million, will be implemented next year as a contingency against adverse circumstances and to provide stability of service. Through December 2008, the half-cent transit sales tax was down 8.5 percent in comparison to the same period in 2007. Due to the current economy, the reduction of sales taxes and the unemployment rate, the FY09 mid-year expense budget reflects an $8 million reduction.
A summary of the FY2009 (Mid Year Estimate) and the FY2010-2011 Proposed Transit Operating Program is as follows:
