Information Items:
Federal Legislative Update
Resource:
Boyd Cauble, City Manager's Office, 704-336-2009, bcauble@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Holland & Knight will have representatives at the July 27, 2009 City Council Dinner Meeting to update the Mayor and City Council on the status of our federal legislative items. Attached is a legislative update from Holland & Knight on the bills that Congress is presently working on, plus a general overview on how they see legislation and the federal appropriations bills progressing in the next three months.
44,000 Prescription Discount Cards Distributed at Kick-off
Resource:
Kim McMillan, Corporate Communications, 704-336-2643, kmcmillan@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The City of Charlotte launched its Prescription Discount Card Program July 8 to help provide residents some relief from the high cost of prescription drugs. The city is making prescription drug discount cards available to city residents for free through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer residents average savings of 20 percent off the full retail price of commonly prescribed drugs. The discount cards may be used by all residents in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and has no restrictions based on residents' age, income level, or existing health coverage. The card can be used when purchasing prescription drugs at more than 100 pharmacies in the city and throughout the County, as well as at more than 59,000 participating retail pharmacies across the country. There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee of any kind and city residents and their family members can use the card any time their prescriptions are not covered by insurance.
Cards are available to the public at no cost at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center lobby information racks (600 E. Fourth Street); Charlotte Transportation Center Pass and Information Office (310 E. Trade Street); Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (301 Billingsley Road) and Mecklenburg County Veterans Services (Hal Marshall Service Center, 700 N. Tryon Street).
The public can also download a card from http://newsroom.charmeck.org. Residents may call a toll-free customer care line at 888-620-1749 or visit www.caremark.com/nlc for assistance with the program, to locate a pharmacy or request information in Spanish.
The discount card program is administered by CVS Caremark and accepted at numerous retailers across the country.
Utilities Biosolids Program Achieves ISO 14001 Certification
Resource:
Doug Bean, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, 704-391-5070, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Utilities received official notification June 24 that its Environmental Management Division Biosolids Program achieved the International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 certification. Biosolids—the solids treated and tested from wastewater—are beneficially and safely recycled as fertilizer on local farmers' fields for pasture silage or other non-human consumption purposes. This was a collaborative effort between Utilities and its biosolids disposal contractor, Synagro, that involved developing an extensive Environmental Management System for our biosolids program. ISO 14001 certification verifies that Utilities has implemented and complies with processes to protect the environment, improve continuously and minimize potential risks.
Seeking ISO 14001 in the Environmental Management Division has been a voluntary self-improvement tool. Mallard Creek Water Reclamation Facility was the first work group at Utilities and the City to receive certification, and other teams in the division will follow. This milestone completes the related Environment Focus Area Plan measure six months ahead of schedule and helps advance our department goal of operating a "best in class" biosolids program.
