Calendar Details:
Monday, February 2
4:00pm - Governmental Affairs Committee, Room 280. AGENDA: Recommendations approved by Joint Study Commission on Annexation, Update on Federal Stimulus Package, Advance Discussion on NLC Washington Trip-March 14-18
Thursday, February 5
7:30am – 8:30pm - City Council Retreat, U.S. National Whitewater Center
Friday, February 6
7:30am – adjournment City Council Retreat, U.S. National Whitewater Center
Information Items:
CDOT Pavement Condition Overview
Staff Resources:
Jim Schumacher, City Manager's Office, 704-336-3656, jschumacher@ci.charlotte.nc.us,
Layton Lamb, CDOT, 704-336-5128, llamb@ci.charlotte.nc.us
In preparation for the City Council Retreat on February 5 & 6, the Transportation Committee, during its January 26, 2009 meeting, asked staff to re-circulate the CDOT Pavement Condition presentation, which is attached. Layton Lamb, Streets Superintendant, made this presentation to the City Council on November 10, 2008.
BusinessFirst Charlotte 2008 Annual Report
Staff Resource:
Emily Westbrook, Economic Development, 704-432-2076, ewestbrook@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Attached is the BusinessFirst Charlotte 2008 Annual Report. This report was presented at the BusinessFirst Charlotte Annual Meeting on Thursday, January 29. BusinessFirst Charlotte is the City's business retention partnership with the Charlotte Chamber.
Neighborhood Training and Grant Opportunities
Staff Resource:
Cynthia Woods, Neighborhood Development, 704-336-2646, cwoods@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Workshop opportunities will be offered by the Neighborhood Development Department's Community University (CU) during February. All workshops are free and open to Charlotte residents. For a list of classes or to register, visit http://neighborhoods.charmeck.org and click on the "Community University" link on the left column. A neighborhood capacity building program, Community University provides quality workshops to help improve and maintain the strength and vitality of neighborhood organizations. The courses are intended to engage, inform and equip participants with the training and assistance needed to help them improve and maintain their communities. During FY08, approximately 300 residents from more than 80 neighborhoods have utilized CU classes. More than 500 citizens from 90 neighborhoods have attended CU classes customized for their neighborhoods.
The next Neighborhood Matching Grants program application deadline is March 16. Organizations interested in applying must send a representative to one of the pre-application workshops listed on our website, http://neighborhoods.charmeck.org. Neighborhood organizations, business associations, and community development corporations may apply for up to $25,000 in matching grant funds to help complete neighborhood projects. An established organization may be eligible if located in an area with a median household income up to $64,219. In FY08, 35 grants were approved, totaling $242,003.85.
Attached are copies of the Community University Winter/Spring 2009 brochure and the Neighborhood Matching Grants postcard.
Gang of One Grant Application
Staff Resource:
Fran Cook, CMPD, 704-336-7331, fcook@cmpd.org
CMPD and four of its community partners are applying for a grant from the Governor's Crime Commission to fund a comprehensive approach to street gang prevention and intervention. This project will assist CMPD in reducing the criminal activity associated with gangs through youth-focused prevention and intervention programs.
The City of Charlotte will be the primary applicant for the grant. If the application is approved, the City will distribute funds to the partnering agencies who will each sign a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their role in the project and their commitment to providing the required 25% match for the funds they received. Half of the match must be paid in cash; the other half can be covered through in-kind work.
The partners and their respective roles in the initiative are as follows:
CMPD/Gang of One:
$203,559
Personnel: Intervention Manager
Programs: Truancy/Safe Neighborhoods. Dangers involved with Gangs (DIG) and Racing 2 Inspire, Stimulate, Educate (RISE)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: $157,500
Personnel: Assistant Program Director for No Easy Walk
Program: No Easy Walk-program expansion and publication of curriculum
Weed and Seed: $54,654
Personnel: Truancy Prevention Coordinator
Programs: Truancy Court
Center for Community Transitions (formerly ECO): $54,273
Personnel: Youth Gang Case Manager
Program: Juvenile Reentry Program
Partners in Out-of-School Time: $28,502
Programs: Middle School Matters (addition to No Easy Walk) and summer camp
New Phases of Southwest Water Main Begin in February
Staff Resource:
Doug Bean, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities, 704-391-5070, dbean@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Two new sections of the Southwest Water Main are expected to begin construction in February. The Southwest Water Main (Phase B2) is a 48-inch pipe being installed beside Steele Creek Road between Byrum Drive and Shopton Road West. Crews are installing pipe on Phase B1 along Airport Drive and should begin on Steele Creek Road in late February. The attached newsletter will notify customers along the project route. A public meeting was held in October.
Two public meetings were held in January to discuss the construction of Southwest Water Main (Phase C). This section of pipe will be installed parallel to Steele Creek Road between Shopton Road West and South Tryon. Construction activity will begin in February.
Inspectors are continuously updating customers through newsletters, postcards, and door hangers. When complete, this large water transmission main will carry drinking water to homes and businesses across southern and western Mecklenburg County and enhance the city's overall water distribution network.
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 December 17, 2008 Follow Up Report from the City Attorney's Office, several developments have occurred with respect to the Wallace Composting Facility.
Annexation
On January 12, 2009, Council unanimously voted to annex an area that includes the Wallace Composting Facility effective June 30, 2009. This action does not, however, affect the City's regulatory authority over the facility as the Wallace property was already in the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction ("ETJ").
Administrative Appeal and Permit Renewal Process
On November 12, 2008, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources ("NCDENR") issued a Compliance Order and Administrative Penalty against the Wallace Composting Facility for violations of the North Carolina Solid Waste Management Act and North Carolina Solid Waste Management Rules. The administrative penalty was in the amount of $10,500.00, plus an assessment of $1,003.53 in investigative costs. The Wallace Composting Facility, as part of the Compliance Order, was ordered to:
1. Rank order its feedstocks (the materials brought in to be composted) for offensive odor potential, and provide those results to NCDENR's Division of Waste Management, with the goal of eliminating the "most odorous" feedstocks from their compost;
2. Reduce the maximum size of their compost windrows; and
3. Utilize other best practices to enable the Wallace Composting Facility to operate in conformance with applicable laws and its permit.
On December 3, 2008, the Wallace's challenged the Order by appealing to an Administrative Law Judge.
On January 12, 2009, Council unanimously voted to authorize the City Attorney to intervene on the City's behalf in the Wallace's appeal. On January 16, 2009, the City Attorney's Office filed a Motion to Intervene. In this Motion, the City argued that it should be allowed to become a party as its citizens are disproportionately affected by the odors coming from the Wallace Composting Facility. The City also argued that the outcome of the appeal might affect possible City zoning enforcement actions against the Wallace Composting Facility. The Wallace's have objected to the City's Motion to Intervene, contending that the City has no right to be involved in the appeal. NCDENR has also objected to the City's Motion to Intervene, contending that the City's involvement in this case will interfere with the parties' ability to resolve the case, and will require the hearing on the appeal to be delayed. If the Administrative Law Judge grants the City's Motion to Intervene, the City will have an opportunity to fully participate in the appeal.
Staff believes that the Wallace's appeal has impacted the permit renewal process for the Wallace Composting Facility's Large, Type III Solid Waste Composting Facility Permit. Specifically, Staff believes that NCDENR will not act on the permit renewal application until the conclusion of the appeal. During this time, the Wallace Composting Facility continues to 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 took air samples from the Wallace Composting Facility, and had the samples tested by a laboratory (to determine what chemicals are in the samples and if the odors at the Wallace Composting Facility are the same as the odors smelled by the neighbors) and by an odor panel (a group of people who smell an air sample and then describe it).
Brown and Caldwell will be providing their final report to the City within the next few weeks. The report will address the nature of the odors, whether or not the odors smelled away from the Wallace Composting Facility come from the Wallace Composting Facility, how the odor problem can be handled, and how the odors compare to odors from other facilities such as wastewater treatment plants, and make recommendations for the reduction or elimination of offensive odors. Preliminary results from Brown and Caldwell show that the offsite odors complained of by the neighbors are generated by the Wallace Composting Facility. The odor panel results show that the odors are considered sharp and offensive.
Staff will keep you up to date on further developments.
