Weekly Status Report - 1/28/2010

MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report

DATE: January 28, 2010

Status Report

1. Contract Street Tree Trimming

The Adopted Fiscal Year 2010 Budget has allocated $50,000 toward contracted tree trimming within the City right of way. The Council of Governments contract with Lewis Tree Service, Inc. was used earlier this year and utilized $35,000 of this line item amount. The intention at the time was to use the remaining $15,000 for ash tree removal. Staff has subsequently determined that the ash borer damage has been less than anticipated, and there remains trimming work to be done with the remaining $15,000 under this contract. Work related to ash tree removal will now be performed using our regular/routine contractor on an “as needed” basis for the rest of the fiscal year. All terms and conditions of the previous contract remain in place, and is being performed under County contract P-090684508065(123109)-0. As provided by Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to issue a purchase order to Lewis Tree Service, Inc. for a total amount of $15,000.

2. City Hall Project Information

Enclosed is the list of subcontractors as requested by Councilmember Turner.

3. Admissions and Amusement Taxes

Councilmember Valentino-Smith asked for the following information regarding the Admissions and Amusement (A&A) Taxes received by the City:

(1) How much of the A&A taxes comes from the movie theater?
Reply: The movie theater accounted for $532,742, or 75%, of all A&A taxes received in FY2009.

(2) How much was received in total from A&A taxes?
Reply: In FY2009, the City received $713,936 in A&A taxes.

(3) Where does the money come from? Reply: The State’s Comptroller of the Treasury collects the taxes and remits to the City. As mentioned in item (1), the movie theater accounted for 75% of the total collected. The remaining 25% came from the golf course, fitness centers, such as SportFit and Planet Fitness, and a few other small businesses that rent backyard inflatable equipment (moon bounce or inflatable slides) or have coin-operated amusement games on their premises.

4. Bowie Youth Chorus

Several months ago City Council approved the Bowie Youth Chorus, a self-supporting performing arts program. Last Thursday, January 21, rehearsals began for the Chorus which is made up of approximately 40 youth grades five through nine. The Chorus will rehearse weekly through early June, culminating in a concert at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts and a performance at Bowiefest at Allen Pond Park.

5. Race Track Road and Mitchellville Road BERAP Tree Cutting

BGE has completed the majority of their work on these two right-of-ways. The City has received a number of calls from residents concerning the condition of some of the remaining trees along Race Track Road. Also, two residents voiced their strong objection to the work currently being done on Race Track Road and throughout the City. We have not received any calls about the work done on Mitchellville Road. There are several trees that have been significantly deformed on Race Track Road as a result of this trimming and cutting, and it is staff’s judgment that it would be better to remove the trees rather than leave them in a deformed condition. The most significant trees left in this fashion are approximately 10 - 12 large oak trees that are adjacent to the Hilltop Plaza shopping center. Staff is meeting with BGE and County staff on Friday morning to discuss how to remedy this situation. Since this is a County road, Prince George’s County must ultimately approve any additional tree removal. A similar situation existed on Old Chapel Road. When the deformed trees were removed in that situation, it improved the aesthetics of the area. Staff will continue to keep Council updated regarding this situation.

6. Animal Shelter Task Force

Enclosed is the report from the Animal Shelter Task Force. Please let me know if Council would like to schedule a Worksession on this item.

7. Board of Education Budget

Hearings are underway on the Proposed FY2011 Prince George’s School System Budget. One hearing will be held tonight and two others are scheduled for 2/2 and 2/8. Council’s comments on this budget are outlined in a letter that will be sent to Board of Education. You will recall that Council approved the letter with revisions at its January 19th meeting.

During discussion about the letter, a question arose about an increase of 98 FTE positions in the Transportation Department for next year. We have been informed by school system officials that these increases were required as a result of a grievance settlement and the need for increased maintenance on school buses.

8. Phase III Enrollment Adjustments

School officials announced this week that the third and final phase of the efforts to balance enrollments at County high schools is not expected to involve boundary changes. Instead, officials hope to balance enrollments by replicating successful programs and positioning new special programs at various (and likely under-enrolled) high schools to draw students from overcrowded neighborhood schools to special programs at high schools in other parts of the County. The concept is not unlike magnet schools or what are now called Specialty Programs. Specific details about program possibilities are not available yet. They acknowledge that this will not be a “quick fix,” but will be implemented gradually beginning in the 2011-2012 school year.

There will be a series of community meetings and hearings to solicit input from parents, students and the community as to the types of programs they would like to see added to the County’s high school offerings. Interested individuals may also complete a survey on the school system’s website (http://www1.pgcps.org/phase3) about new high school programs or academies.

The first meetings take place over the next week according to the following schedule:

Phase III Community Meetings:

Thursday, January 28, 6:30 p.m. at Forestville Military Academy
Wednesday, February 3, 6:30 p.m. at Gwynn Park High School
Thursday, February 4, 6:30 p.m. at Frederick Douglass High School

Initially we were told these meetings were being postponed to allow the budget hearings to be completed. They are now apparently taking place during the same timeframe. According to the School System Communications Office consulted today, there will be several other opportunities for comment during the month of February, although the currently published dates on the website are likely to change.

The Education Committee will discuss possible program suggestions at its meeting next week and forward them to the Council for consideration. Information about the Phase III process will be posted on the City website.

9. Phase II Elementary and Middle School Boundary Changes

All decisions regarding boundary changes at the elementary and middle school levels have been made. Despite the initial and the revised proposals, on January 7th the Board of Education voted to limit the changes that were made across the County.

The only changes to affect Bowie area schools will be the reassignment of the Old Stage, Old Stage Knolls, Westview, Stewart’s Landing, Spring Meadows, and Woodmont (not in City limits) neighborhoods from Whitehall Elementary to Kenilworth Elementary School. This change, which will become effective with the 2010-2011 school year, will move 137 students now attending Whitehall Elementary School. There will be no changes to the current boundaries for Northview, Pointer Ridge, Tulip Grove, Benjamin Tasker, or Samuel Ogle schools.

DJD/asf

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