TO: City Council
FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager
SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll
DATE: November 16, 2006
Status Report
1. Economic Development Marketing Mailing
The City’s Economic Development office mailed over 1,350 flyers on
the Bowie Corporate Center to commercial real estate brokers in the Maryland
and Washington, DC areas. This was a cooperative effort between the City
and Buchanan Partners, the building’s developer. A copy of the flyer
is in your package.
2. Speed Cameras
At the Worksession this week, Councilman Lyles asked about speed cameras.
State law has only permitted a pilot program in Montgomery County (see
the enclosed news article describing the fledgling program in Rockville).
In the 2004 General Assembly Session, a bill was passed authorizing this
enforcement tool statewide. It was vetoed by Governor Ehrlich. Bills authorizing
the use of speed cameras statewide are likely to be introduced in the 2007
General Assembly Session. Council will be apprised of the status of any
such legislation, which you may want to weigh in on with letters to the
23rd District Delegation.
3. Police Department
The Police Department has identified a vendor for the purchase of office
supplies and furniture. Corporate Express has provided the department with
a 15% discount on office furniture in comparison to vendors currently used
by the City. The furniture will outfit the entire temporary facility. The
purchase amount is $21,912.50 and will be charged to the Materials, Supplies & Minor
Equipment line item ($56,500) which includes funds for computers, office
furniture, minor office supplies, etc., in the Police Department budget.
This furniture is available on Bid Number IFB 182.041 from The Board of
Education of Wicomico County, Maryland. As provided in Section 62 of the
City Charter, this will serve as the required seven-day notice of the intent
to purchase furniture from Corporate Express.
4. Resident Satisfaction Survey
Included in your package today are the results of the Resident Satisfaction
Survey conducted earlier this year. Overall the residents seem very satisfied
with services provided by the City, with refuse collection, ballfields
and senior services receiving the highest scores. At the department head
meeting in December, the results will be reviewed and strategies for improvement
will be discussed. This survey is intended to be a baseline for measuring
service. Future surveys will be conducted every two to three years to make
sure that we are constantly improving upon our high levels of service.
5. Red Cross Blood Drive
The American Red Cross will be conducting a blood drive at the Bowie Senior
Center this Saturday, November 18th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donors can make
an appointment or drop-in to donate blood. For more information or to schedule
an appointment, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
6. Alert Bowie
During the emergency planning Worksession on Monday evening, there was a
discussion about the use of the Alert Bowie system as a means of communicating
during emergencies. The system is designed to be able to send many different
types of alerts to different user groups. When individuals register for
Alert Bowie, they have the option of selecting the types of messages they
would like to receive and can specify by message type whether they want
to receive them on their text enabled device (cell phone, pager or blackberry)
or strictly via email. With this flexibility, users can choose to receive
routine information on email and more urgent information on other or all
registered devices.
7. New Utility Billing System
On Monday, November 13th, the City successfully implemented the new utility
billing system and mailed the first batch of new water and sewer bills.
Some customers received the new bills by the next day. In response to customers’ requests,
the new water and sewer bill includes a return envelope. Water and sewer
payments will still be accepted at City Hall.
8. City Hosted Training for Retail Merchants
The City hosted a free training session for our "main street" retailers
on Wednesday, November 15th. Nine Bowie business people attended the session
along with observers from City staff, the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce,
Anne Arundel EDC, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
The session featured Mr. Casey Willson, the Retail Industry Manager from
the Maryland Small Business Development Center Network who spoke about customer
service, sales, cleanliness, signage, merchandising, and motivation of staff.
The training session goal is to give Bowie's businesses knowledge that can
increase sales. Three merchants scheduled follow-up visits with Mr. Willson
who will visit their stores and provide more detailed, one-on-one evaluation
and advice. Staff was pleased that the attending merchants were from three
areas the City has focused on assisting -- Old Town Bowie, West Bowie Village,
and Pointer Ridge Shopping Center.
The session was provided in Bowie under the auspices of the Maryland Department
of Housing and Community Development's Catalyst program, the Maryland Downtown
Development Association, and the Maryland Small Business Development Center
Network.
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