Information Items:
Housing Charlotte 2007 Final Report
Staff Resource:
Stanley Watkins, Neighborhood Development, 704-336-3796, swatkins@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The Housing Charlotte Implementation Committee has released the final report of the Housing Charlotte 2007 initiative. The report provides recommendations for affordable housing in five areas: Education, Outreach and Advocacy; Rental Subsidies; Incentive-Based Inclusionary Housing Policies; Land Acquisition; and Dedicated Funding Source. A copy of the report is attached. It is also available at HousingCharlotte2007.org.
Bart Landess, Co-Chair of the Housing Charlotte 2007 Implementation Committee, presented the report to the Housing & Neighborhood Development Committee at their January 14 meeting. The Committee asked the City Manager to place the report on the March workshop agenda for full Council discussion.
One of the recommendations of the report is to find a community partner who can build more community support for affordable housing generally and the recommendations in the report in particular. As a result, the Implementation Committee has asked the Foundation For The Carolinas to convene meetings in the community regarding affordable housing and develop a process whereby the community will be more receptive to affordable housing.
The Housing Charlotte 2007 Implementation Committee was created as a result of the Housing Charlotte 2007 Affordable Housing Forum, which was held on February 22, 2007. At this one-day event, over 400 community leaders gathered to discuss affordable housing issues in the community. The Implementation Committee was created by the citizen group to provide recommendations on affordable housing policies, programs and ordinances for consideration by the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the general community. Sixty citizens consisting of business, non-profit and neighborhood interest comprised the Committee and sub-committees.
CATS Public Meeting Results for March 2009 Service Change
Staff Resource:
Larry Kopf, CATS, 704-432-0497, lkopf@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Background: The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) anticipates lower revenues as a result of current economic conditions. For FY09, sales tax revenue could be $7 million less than predicted and state assistance could be $2 million less than budgeted.
Administrative and other cost reductions, including a freeze on 21 CATS positions, are expected to reduce expenses by $6.83 million for FY09. It is projected that additional cost reductions are required and can only be achieved by trimming service. To that end, CATS engaged in a public meeting process to discuss service reductions with citizens.
CATS staff held 13 public meetings between November 20, 2008 and December 22, 2008 to discuss service adjustments with customers. A total of 199 customers attended the meetings and provided feedback. CATS staff subsequently reviewed public comments and made significant adjustments to several aspects of the service proposals.
Service Recommendations: Major recommendations include:
- Discontinuing service on six low ridership routes.
- Adjusting services on 11 routes to discontinue low ridership segments of those routes. The routes that would be adjusted include services in the SouthPark area, in the University area, in the South Boulevard area, in the Randolph Road area, in the Clanton Park area, in the North Mecklenburg area, and on Gold Rush.
- Adjusting the alignment of seven express services to provide a quicker trip through Uptown.
- Operating less frequently on two routes with lower ridership.
- Adjusting service frequency on the Lynx Blue Line to 10 minutes during weekday peak hours and 20 minutes on Sunday.
The service recommendations are projected to reduce expenses by $1.1 million in FY09, and 29 contract positions at the Bus Operating Division have already been frozen in anticipation of service adjustments. Annualized over a 12- month period the service adjustments are projected to reduce expenses by $4 million.
The following service adjustments were made based upon suggestions by customers:
- Retain Route 29 UNCC/SouthPark service between SouthPark and UNCC, with peak hour only service to the University Research Park. Low ridership late night trips would be discontinued.
- Retain mid-day service on route 77X North Mecklenburg Express, but shorten the mid-day route to terminate in Huntersville as opposed to Davidson.
- Retain Route 12 South Boulevard service for residents of the Pine Valley area.
- Retain peak hour only service on Route 25 Clanton Park for residents of the Crestridge/Broadview area. Connect Route 25 Clanton Park with Route 36 Mid-Town to result in one continuous route between Clanton Park and Presbyterian Hospital/Mid-Town, with connections to the Lynx Blue Line at the East/West Station.
- Retain the Route 30 Woodlawn Crosstown Connection to SouthPark by operating via Scaleybark Road. Route 59 Scaleybark would be discontinued as a separate route, with service provided along Scaleybark Road by the new route 30 alignment.
- Extend Route 2 Ashley Road along Mint Street to Summit Avenue to retain service along the segment of Mint Street between Summit Avenue and Morehead Street.
On Thursday, January 8, 2009 the revised recommendations were presented to the Transit Services Advisory Committee (TSAC). TSAC endorsed the recommendations unanimously. CATS staff will inform citizens, including public meeting attendees, of the recommended adjustments in preparation for implementation on March 2, 2009.
