As you know from a previous Board Bulletin, the County is considering a proposal from the City of Charlotte to provide fleet maintenance services to the County. We received the City’s proposal in February and have been engaged in considerable evaluation of the proposal. This evaluation has included seeking input and feedback from various stakeholders, including County departments and agencies that use County vehicles to deliver services as well as County employees who maintain the fleet. Currently, the County has approximately 1,150 light duty vehicles serviced at one fleet shop operated by the County’s General Services Department.

 

A Fleet Services Task Team (FSTT), led by General Service Director, Leon Miller, has been charged with communicating the County’s requirements to the City, evaluating the City’s proposal, and making a recommendation on the proposal to the County’s Executive Team. Other FSST members are: General Manager John McGillicuddy; Real Estate Services Project Manager Gustavo Mibelli; HR Sr. Manager Chris Peek; IST Sr. Manager Isaac Jackson; SOI Management Analyst Delois Wesson; and Sr. Fiscal Administrator Wanda Reeves.

 

The FSTT is evaluating the City’s proposal based on three broad questions:

Specific criteria being used in this evaluation include:

 

The first phase in reviewing the proposal concluded that it sufficiently addresses these key criteria and therefore warrants consideration by the County. In addition to proposing cost savings to the County while maintaining or improving the level of service, the City’s proposal includes retaining all current County fleet employees. In addition, the City has agreed with the County’s methodology for trying to keep these employees “whole” in terms of compensation and benefits if they were to transition to the City fleet services.

 

As part of evaluating this proposal, we, with the assistance of the City staff, have spent considerable time and effort communicating with County fleet employees and fleet users about the proposal, how it might affect them, and how we are evaluating this proposal. This includes written information, multiple face-to-face meetings in groups and with individuals, and a tour of the City’s fleet facility.

 

County staff anticipates providing a recommendation to me and my executive team in late June or early July. If the executive team decides to accept the City’s proposal, we would work with the City staff in negotiating a multi-year agreement between the City and County. We will update the Board as this matter progresses.

 

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Sportsplex Proposal
 

Consistent with Board direction, Park and Recreation Department staff is working with representatives from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church to develop a sportsplex on the Church's Beatties Ford Road campus. The County would be investing funds to develop amenities on land owned by the Church.

 

The sportsplex partnership would be structured to have the County design, develop, program and operate a facility for youth and adult baseball, softball and associated field sports. Staff will work with the Church leadership to develop a master plan based on the congregation's needs assessment. These amenities will be designed for flexibility and multipurpose use, and to provide recreation opportunities to an underserved area of the County.

 

A mutually acceptable lease period is necessary for this partnership agreement. In negotiating the lease, the county has requested 100 years with renewals every 25 years. Friendship has offered a 25-year lease. We anticipate meetings in late May will resolve this matter and any most of the outstanding issues, allowing the master planning process to move forward.