Weekly Status Report - 9/23/10

MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report

DATE: September 23, 2010

Status Report

1. Drug Take Back Day

This Saturday, the Bowie Police Department is joining with its peers around the country to participate in a US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) one-day initiative to collect unwanted and expired medications from individuals. Officers will be stationed at the entrance to the Bowie Senior Center and at the entrance to City Hall between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to accept the drugs.

Prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications, such as tablets and capsules will be accepted. However no liquids, illicit substances, injectables, or needles will be accepted. In organizing the campaign, the DEA is hoping to eliminate a major source of abused prescription drugs, and reduce the hazard they pose to families and communities in a safe, legal, and environmentally sound way. This is the first time the event has been held, but they hope to make it at least an annual event.

2. Bowie Health Fair

The Bowie Health Fair is Saturday, September 25th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event, organized by Dimensions Healthcare, and cosponsored by the City and several other organizations, takes place at the Health Center, the City Gym, the Senior Center and other facilities along Health Center Drive. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend and take advantage of free health screenings and consultations available. There will also be a variety of wellness services available, from acupuncture to massage to yoga and nutrition counseling. Senior buses will shuttle attendees from a parking lot at the mall to the various venues on Health Center Drive. Approximately 240 adult flu vaccines will be available on a first come, first served basis. This year's flu shot contains protection for the H1N1 virus, so no separate vaccine will be needed. Staff will also be promoting Alert Bowie and other emergency preparedness information at the exhibitor's tent at the fair.

3. 6th Bowie Stream Cleanup -- October 2, 2010

On Saturday, October 2nd, at 9:00 a.m., volunteer stream teams will set out on the 6th Bowie Stream Cleanup. Five (5) teams will work this time. The Saddlebrook and Pointer Ridge sites will have the largest teams. A number of Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops will be participating, as well as many Prince George's County public school students and other residents.

The Planning Department would like to invite each of you to come to one of our sites; they are shown below. If you would like additional information or details, please contact the Planning Department at 301-809-3047.

Stream	Neighborhood	Meet-up Site
Green Branch	1. Heather Hills	Holiday Lane Pumping Station
Upper Collington	2. Kenilworth	Benjamin Tasker Middle School
Millstream	3. Meadowbrook	Belair Swim and Racquet Club
Middle Collington	4. Pointer Ridge	Gazebo at Pointer Ridge & Hall Road
Saddlebrook	5. Saddlebrook	Saddlebrook East Community Park (near race track)

4. Bowie.patch.com

There's a new media outlet in town. It's called Patch.com and is a strictly online version of local news that is being organized by AOL. There are already more than 100 of these sites established for different communities around the country. The Bowie one won't go live until the end of the month, but when it's up, the web address will be bowie.patch.com (you don't even need http or www).

The editor is a local resident named Josh Flynn. His email is joshua@patch.com and his number is 301-254-3039. He has hired freelance writers and columnists who will provide much of the content for the site. They also plan to have pictures, video, a facebook page, and a twitter feed about Bowie news. The content will be updated several times a day. They also plan to have business directories, dining directories and classified ads on the site as well. While the site has not officially launched yet, there is an introductory page on their site that gives more details about their approach to the news and allows you to sign up to receive an email when the site is active.

5. Bowie Businesses - 2010 Updated Analysis of Census Data

According to the US Census Bureau's latest data (for 2008), there are 1,543 businesses employing a total of 22,141 people in the seven Zip Codes that comprise the Bowie area. Bowie's business base represents 6.97% of the total Prince George's County business base (14,654) and 8.53% of the total employees (259,530) in the County. Small businesses abound in Bowie with 816 or 52% having four or fewer employees. Compare that with the County total with 7,098 or 48% having four or fewer employees and the State total with 72,890 or 53% having four or fewer employees. Roughly 11% of all of County businesses, and 1% of all Maryland businesses with four or fewer employees are in the Bowie area.

Slightly more than 49% of all Bowie area businesses are south of US Highway 50. Slightly more than 62% of all Bowie area employment is south of Highway 50. Keep in mind that "south of Highway 50" includes all of Zip Code 20721 which has more commercial outside the portion within the City limits.

6. Harmony Place Detailed Site Plan (DSP) Update

Earlier this week, a Park and Planning Public Hearing notice sign was seen posted on the Northview Drive frontage of the Harmony Place property. (Harmony Place is a proposed 280+ apartment unit development on the north side of Health Center Drive. In July, the Court of Special Appeals [CSA] issued a Consent Motion to Stay Appeal, resulting in the appeal in the City’s case [involving the departure] being placed on hold until a hearing and decision by the Court in the appeal of the County’s case involving the DSP.) Staff made several inquires to the County and was told that the applicant (Harmony Place Associates, LLC) and its attorney had been pressuring the County Planning Board and its legal staff to schedule a hearing for an amended DSP, which is now slated for Thursday, October 21st. Both the City and the County have previously advised the Planning Board of their respective positions that the pendency of the DSP appeal in the Court of Special Appeals precludes consideration of the issues by the Planning Board. That was, as we understand it, the reason the remand hearing was removed from the Planning Board’s agenda in May. As nothing has changed, it is unclear why the Planning Board may now be of the view that it can proceed. The proposed hearing date may be after the date now scheduled for oral argument in the CSA (we are given to understand that that is to occur in October as well); however, there will be no decision from the CSA for at least six weeks thereafter, and possibly as long as a year (or more). The City Attorney has been informed of this latest development and has been communicating with County Council legal staff. Unless legal actions and decisions dictate otherwise, the DSP is being tentatively scheduled for a public hearing by the City Council on Monday, October 18th. City staff will keep Council informed of the status of this case as events unfold.

DJD/JLF/asf

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