MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll

DATE: June 7, 2007

Status Report

1. Equipment Acquisition

a) The Information Technology and Police Departments have identified computer notebooks for installation in the complement of police cruisers to be placed in service in FY 2008. The purchase amount is $112,445 ($5,622.25 per car installed), which is well within the budgeted amount per car (total of $35,500 each, complete with all equipment). This purchase covers all vehicles plus three spares. The equipment is available on a Prince George’s County contract # PO602289M6027 (082807) and Maryland State Contract #050B6800013. As provided in Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven-day notice of intent to purchase this equipment. If Council has no objection, we will issue a purchase order on June 18, 2007 with delivery of the first eight due on July 1, 2007, and the remainder scheduled to correspond to the police hiring schedule.

b) The Information Technology and Police Departments have identified mobile and handheld radios for installation in the complement of police cruisers to be placed in service in FY 2008. The purchase amount is $29,715.40, which is $1,485.77 per car installed and is well within the budgeted amount per car (total of $35,500 each, complete with all equipment). This purchase covers all vehicles plus three spares. The equipment is available on a Maryland State Contract #05086800009. As provided in Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven-day notice of intent to purchase this equipment. If Council has no objection, we will issue a purchase order on June 18, 2007 with delivery of the first eight due on July 1, 2007, and the remainder scheduled to correspond to the police hiring schedule.

c) The Information Technology and Police Departments have identified video units (ICOP) for installation in the complement of police cruisers to be placed in service in FY 2008. The purchase amount is $107,793.20, which is $5,389.66 per car installed and is well within the budgeted amount per car (total of $35,500 each, complete with all equipment). This purchase covers all vehicles plus three spares. The equipment is available on GSA schedule GS-07F-9337S. As provided in Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven-day notice of intent to purchase this equipment. If Council has no objection, we will issue a purchase order on June 18, 2007, with delivery of the first eight due on July 1, 2007 and the remainder scheduled to correspond to the police hiring schedule.

2. Parks and Grounds Acquisitions

The Parks and Grounds Department has received and analyzed the current State of Maryland and Montgomery County available vehicle bids. Below is a tabulation of the bids for a one-half ton pickup truck and two 60-inch 0 turn mowers scheduled for replacement/purchase:

UNIT DIVISION COST SUPPLIER

301 Parks and Grounds $17,808.48 Criswell Chevrolet
347 Parks and Grounds $7,705.98 Turf Equipment and Supply
348 Parks and Grounds $7,705.98 Turf Equipment and Supply

The City will not accept delivery of the vehicle and mowers prior to July 1, 2007 since they are scheduled for purchase in FY08. These acquisitions are under the budgeted amounts of $18,000 for the vehicle and $8,600 for each mower.

As provided by Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to issue a purchase order to Criswell Chevrolet for a total amount of $17,808.48 and to Turf Equipment and Supply for a total amount of $15,411.96.

3. Northview Drive Elementary School Traffic Signal

This project is now out to bid on a very tight time frame for completion. We hope to have a bid award recommendation ready for your June 18th Council Meeting. Since some of the major equipment items have delivery lead times of up to 16 weeks, Public Works has negotiated with the State Highway Administration, Office of Traffic and Safety, to sell us these items at their cost, which should be less than a contractor could provide. SHA conducts bids for this type of equipment in large quantities and has it in stock for our designated contractor to pick up. The total cost for these items, which includes the signal controllers, pole, mast arms and detection equipment is $31,043.45.

As provided by Section 62 of the City Charter, this will serve as the required seven (7) day notice of intent to issue a purchase order to the State of Maryland for the above traffic signal equipment components at a cost not to exceed $33,000.

4. Approved County Transportation Priority List

This week, the Prince George's County Council approved the attached Transportation Priority List recommended by County Executive Jack Johnson. The priority list updates the last one done in 2003 and will be sent to Secretary Porcari and the County’s General Assembly delegation requesting their support. While the County normally provides this input to the State every two years, the City Council provides a similar list to State officials each summer. The recently approved list contains several major projects located in Bowie. Under Construction Priorities, the MD 450 project (Stonybrook to MD 3) was moved back from #5 to #8, the MD 197 project (Kenhill Drive to MD 450) was moved up from #12 to #11, and the US 301/MD 197 interchange project was moved up from #16 to #13. The MD 3 project, from US 50 to MD 32, now appears as a new project, #17. Under Project Planning Priorities, an interchange on US 50 between MD 704 and MD 197 was moved back from #4 to #8. City Council is scheduled to review the City's transportation priority list at the August 1 meeting. The relatively low ranking of Bowie projects on the current County priority list suggests that more effective lobbying efforts with County officials about the City’s transportation priorities is necessary.

5. Environmental Infrastructure Public Forum

On June 6, 2007, Planning staff conducted a public informational meeting at City Hall regarding the status of the Environmental Infrastructure Action Strategy Plan. A total of 16 residents and interested individuals attended, including Councilman Brady, two members of the project Steering Committee, staff from the Maryland Department of Planning and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (our grantor for the project) and M-NCPPC. The City's consultant, Environmental Resources Management (ERM), displayed a PowerPoint presentation and staff discussed potential action plans and other information. There was a brief question and answer period at the conclusion of the presentation. A City Council public hearing on the Action Strategy Plan is scheduled for August 1, 2007.

6. County Budget/CIP Approval

The City has received copies of the approved County Budget Ordinances, CB-13-2007 and CB-14-2007, approved at the May 23, 2007 meeting of the Prince George's County Council and subsequently ratified by the County Executive on May 31, 2007. There were several noteworthy items in the FY 2008 appropriations and CIP funding schedules that resulted from the County's Budget deliberations: