Weekly Status Report - 10/29/09

MEMORANDUM

TO:               City Council

FROM:         David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT:  Status Report

DATE:     October 29, 2009

Status Report

1. Campaign Signs

The Code Compliance staff reports that there have been very few campaign signs erected in violation of Code during this year’s run up to the election.  We will continue to remove all illegally placed signs through midnight November 2.  Additional signs that are erected/placed in a ROW or other public property on Election Day will be removed by City staff on November 3rd only if they create a safety hazard.  We ask that all signs placed on public property (ROW, polling locations, etc.) on Election Day be removed by the candidate before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 4th.

2.  Flu Update

Staff is working with the Health Department to get an H1N1 flu vaccination clinic scheduled in Bowie as soon as possible.  The Bowie Health Center has offered to assist in this effort.  The number of vaccinations that could be given at a Bowie clinic would be limited by the supply available at the time and could be limited to the priority groups as established by the Centers for Disease Control. Vaccinations are currently available to those in the priority groups at the Cheverly Health Center on Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon.  Appointments are no longer necessary. The Health Department is also working to distribute vaccinations to public and private school children in the County.  Bowie State University also has a limited supply of vaccinations that it is offering to its students.

3.  State Budget

Staff has learned that the Governor is not expected to make further cuts to the FY10 Budget until the General Assembly returns in January.

4.  Power Reliability Issue/MedAssurant

A meeting was held today following up on issues related to electric power reliability surrounding the Bowie Corporate Center and its main tenant MedAssurant, Inc.  Representatives of the property owner and MedAssurant along with BGE representatives participated in the meeting, as did Mayor Robinson and Mayor Pro Tem Turner.  BGE has committed to an acceleration of its schedule for some of the improvements that were outlined in its most recent letter on this subject.  Staff asked BGE to provide a letter regarding the planned capital improvements, and BGE said that a letter would be provided shortly.  Both Buchanan Partners and MedAssurant seemed to react positively to this changed approach offered by BGE.  BGE also indicated a willingness to attend a Council Worksession after the first of the year, following the completion of the BERAP project.

DJD/asf