Weekly Status Report - 5/27/10

MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll

DATE: May 27, 2010

Status Report

1. Bike to Work Day
Last Friday, May 21st, was Bike to Work Day in Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan area. This was the seventh year that the City has participated in this region-wide event. According to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), one of the coordinating agencies of the event, nearly 8,800 participants preregistered region-wide for this year’s affair. At the Bowie Town Center pit stop, 28 riders attended; 15 participants were at the pit stop in Old Town Bowie. The numbers of participants at both Bowie pit stops were a slight increase over previous years, mostly likely due to the cooperative weather this year. The two pit stop managers again express their thanks to The Simon Property Group and the firefighters at the Huntington Fire Station for their donations and participation in this year’s event.

2. Vehicle Acquisition
The Public Works Department has received and analyzed the State of Maryland vehicle bid results. Below is a tabulation of the bids for the vehicles scheduled for replacement:

UNIT	DIVISION	COST	SUPPLIER
203	Garage/Streets	$16,122.40	Sport Chevrolet
250	Streets	$26,476.00	Hertrich Fleet Services
254	Streets	$24,481.00	Hertrich Fleet Services
404	Wastewater	$23,872.00	Hertrich Fleet Services

These vehicles are scheduled for replacement in FY11. The City will not accept delivery of the vehicles prior to July 1, 2010.

The budgeted amount for each Streets vehicle is $24,000. The additional $957 for both vehicles is related to snowplow equipment, which is budgeted under their account for materials/supplies/minor equipment.

The Garage/Streets pickup is over budget by $122.40; however, there are sufficient funds in their materials/supplies/minor equipment budget to cover the overage for the bed liner and safety lights. The Wastewater pickup is over budget by $572; however, there are sufficient funds in their materials/supplies/minor equipment budget to cover the overage for the bed liner.

As provided by Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to issue purchase orders to Sport Chevrolet in the amount of $16,122.40 and Hertrich Fleet Services in the amount of $74,829.

3. Review Process – Proposed Red Robin Restaurant
The City has received a referral from M-NCPPC for a Revision to the Bowie Town Center (BTC) Specific Design Plan (#SDP-9711/10) for a future Red Robin Restaurant within the development. Red Robin is proposing to convert approximately 5,328 sq. ft. of an existing retail use (Famous Footwear) to a 174-seat restaurant and constructing a small vestibule/entry area onto the back (rear, northern elevation of the Famous Footwear store), and a 338 sq. ft. cooler to serve the restaurant within an existing service court area. (The existing Famous Footwear store is approximately 11,200 sq. ft. in area; Red Robin is proposing to convert nearly 48% of the existing retail space to a restaurant use.) Since the proposal is to replace existing retail space with another use, staff will schedule a meeting of the BTC Architectural Review Committee to review the application, and will provide public notice of the City Council meeting by posting hearing signs on the property and sending letters of the hearing date to adjacent businesses and the land-lord. Because the proposal is a conversion of existing retail space within an established commercial development and the Architectural Review Committee will review the plan, staff does not intend to hold a Stakeholders Meeting or a meeting of the Bowie Advisory Planning Board.

4. Vehicle #23 Replacement
The Community Services Department has identified a replacement for vehicle #23 (truck). The FY 2011 amount allocated is $21,100. The purchase amount is $18,324. This unit is available on the State of Maryland Contract (BPO# 001B0400372) and the City will not accept delivery of the vehicle prior to July 1, 2010. As provided in Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to purchase this vehicle.

5. Bowie Business Incubator Upcoming Event
The Bowie Business Innovation Center (BBIC) will host an information briefing on Friday, June 25, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. in Room 204 at Bowie City Hall. The briefing is for entrepreneurs, home-based businesses, and early stage companies wanting to learn more about the opportunities forming in our incubator program. The event flyer is in your package.

6. Police Vehicles
The FY11 Equipment Acquisition and Replacement Fund allows for the purchase of five (5) police vehicles. The vehicles are available on the 2009 bid from the State of Maryland and the City will not accept delivery of them prior to July 1, 2010. Three units will be marked cruisers at a cost of $19,896 each and two units will be unmarked detective vehicles at a cost of $19,811 each. The total purchase amount is $99,310, which is within budget. As provided in Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to purchase these vehicles.

7. MD 197 at Kenhill Drive
Late last week, crews from the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) installed a right turn only lane on the Kenhill Drive approach to MD 197 by restriping the pavement. The old configuration included a dedicated left turn lane and a shared left turn/through/right turn lane. The reconfiguration provides for a dedicated left turn lane, a shared left turn/through lane (the center of the three lanes) and the exclusive right turn lane. During the public hearings on the MD 197 improvement project in 2008, residents spoke in favor of a dedicated right turn lane to allow traffic to move more smoothly through the intersection and to allow for right turns on red. Staff recommended the right turn lane and Council supported this recommendation in the City's position letter to SHA. The SHA Administrator, Mr. Neil Pedersen, concurred and directed SHA staff not to wait until the whole MD 197 improvement project was funded for construction in order to address this immediate need. Work on the project was completed this week, although City Public Works staff is still examining the placement of signs at the intersection to minimize confusion and maximize safety.

8. Harmony Place Schedule
This week, staff was informed that a motion was filed on May 21st by counsel for the District Council in the Court of Special Appeals requesting a stay on administrative proceedings, such as the County Planning Board's proposed hearing on remand of Detailed Site Plan (DSP) #07066 (see attached). Based on this action, the legal staff for M-NCPPC advised the Development Review Division to suspend attempts to schedule a hearing of DSP #07066 on remand. Due to the Court of Special Appeals scheduling of the contested DSP case later this year or early next year, the Planning Board hearing date is not likely to occur until sometime in 2011. Thus, it is not essential that City Council take up the Harmony Place item on the June 7th agenda, as was stated publicly at your last meeting. The City Attorney advises, after a reading of Robert's Rules of Order, that the choice of when to schedule further Council action, if necessary, is an agenda-setting function and that the City is under no obligation to have Harmony Place on the June 7th agenda.

9. Murtagh Field
Please see the attached brief memo from the Community Recreation Committee. We will put the note in our FY12 Budget file.

10. Disabled or Fallen Law Enforcement Officer’s or Rescue Worker’s Property Tax Credit Program
In November 2009, the City Council created a property tax credit program for disabled or fallen law enforcement officers and rescue workers. The program grants a total exemption from City property taxes on those properties owned by disabled law enforcement officers or rescue workers or the surviving spouses of fallen law enforcement officers or rescue workers. The program takes effect July 1, 2010.

The City has received its first application requesting the property tax credit. Staff expects to receive a second application shortly. Information about the property tax credit program will be added to the City’s website in the near future.