MEMORANDUM

TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Status Report/Council Poll

DATE: August 16, 2007

Status Report

1. BRCPC Electricity Cost Avoidance

The consultant advising the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee (BRCPC) has prepared an analysis of the cost avoidance realized by BRCPC members in FY 2007 based on the new purchasing strategy initiated last year. For FY 2007, for the complete BRCPC membership, a savings of $30,600,000 was realized over the provider of last resort prices that would have been paid if the buying co-op did not exist. For the City of Bowie, our saving was calculated at $367,028. Therefore, even though the City experienced higher electric rates in FY 2007 than we did in FY 2006, the magnitude of this increase was greatly reduced because of the City's participation with BRCPC.

2. Bridge Safety

Last Sunday’s Washington Post contained a regional overview of bridges that had been determined to be “structurally deficient”. Two bridges were noted on Race Track Road. One of those, north of the Bowie Race Track property, was replaced in 2006. The other is a twin metal culvert installation just north of Idlewild Drive. According to the County DPW&T, it is being inspected annually instead of biennially, but that its condition is not serious and does not even warrant a weight restriction.

3. Traffic Signal

The new signal on Northview Drive is operating in flash mode, and has been since Tuesday. It will be placed in full “Green-Yellow-Red” mode tomorrow. The request for County cost sharing is still an open item.

4. Parks and Grounds Facility

One of the green features of the Parks and Grounds Facility now under construction on Mitchellville Road is the incorporation of two straw bale walls in the design of the vehicle storage building. This unusual feature has attracted interest from the media. Both local papers have stories about the project in this week’s editions. Also the Washington Post and CTV, Prince George’s County Cable News Channel 76, are working on stories about the City’s first green building.