Weekly Status Report - 4/15/2010

MEMORANDUM

TO:               City Council

FROM:         David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT:  Status Report

DATE: April 15, 2010   

Status Report

1.  Stream Team Cleanup This Weekend

This Saturday, April 17th, at 9:00 a.m., volunteer Stream Teams will clean six streams in the City.  Because the Stream Teams have been so successful in the past, there is not enough trash to warrant a cleanup this time at a couple of previous locations.  The Saddlebrook and Pointer Ridge sites will have the largest teams.  As before, a number of Girl Scout and Boy Scout Troops will be participating, as well as a number of Prince George's County public school students and other residents.  The Planning Department would like to invite each of you to come out to one of this year's sites, which are shown below: 

Stream	Neighborhood	Meet-up Site
Green Branch		Bowie Baysox overflow parking lot, Governor Bridge Road
Middle Collington	Pointer Ridge	Pointer Ridge Drive & Hall Road
Saddlebrook	Saddlebrook	M-NCPPC soccer fields on Race Track Road
Overbrook	Overbrook	Intersection of Overbrook & Olando Lanes
White Marsh	Buckingham	Buckingham Drive & Bradford Lane

 Residents of each neighborhood have been notified of the cleanup activities taking place Saturday morning and have been asked to join the effort.  If you would like additional information or details on the meet-up site, please contact Tiffany Wright, Watershed Manager (Planning Department), at twright@cityofbowie.org or 301-809-3043.

2.  Economic Development Committee (EDC)

The EDC held their regular meeting on Wednesday.  Chairman Campbell noted that he attended some recent training sessions held by the Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation that were very good -- one on business plans and one on tips for business survival in tough times.

The EDC talked about Bowie Plaza and its deteriorating condition.  After the Marketplace, it is the retail center most in need of revitalization.  After some initial discussion about possible actions the EDC could take, the Chairman assembled a small work group to outline the next steps for the EDC.  Mr. Campbell said that an ICSC webinar he and staff listened to on Tuesday this week might have some ideas to consider.  He asked that a copy of the webinar slides be given to the EDC members after the meeting; a copy of those slides is in your package.

The members were reminded that the Business Recognition Awards luncheon is coming on Friday, May 14 and that it is the official EDC meeting for May.  Members were asked to reply to the Bowie Chamber for lunch reservations.

Between now and the EDC's June 9 meeting, the members are asked to submit their ideas for the key topics EDC should focus on for the upcoming year.  Those topics will be the basis for the June 9th meeting's brainstorming session and initial work plan preparation.

3.  Bowie Plaza – Plywood on Windows

Staff has contacted Regency Centers about the plywood covering the windows of three storefronts at Bowie Plaza.  Two broken windows on vacant space were the result of vandalism; the other, the Jackson Hewitt occupied space, was due to a City vehicle accident.  The property manager says that glass for the two vandalized storefronts has been ordered and will be replaced by a window company in the coming week. For the storefront of Jackson Hewitt, the center owner's contractor is already in place and scheduled to complete the work right after the tax deadline to avoid major disruption to the business.