May 2015 Manager’s Report, Part Two

A summary of the May 26 pre-meeting:

Georgia Krueger, the Executive Director of the Ada Jenkins Center (AJC), gave an update on the condition of their buildings and the lease situation with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Phase two of the bathroom renovation is taking place now. Community Development Block Grant funds, available in January 2016, will cover the cost to replace the roof. A comprehensive assessment of the building showed that it is in poor condition. The main (classroom) building is in the worst shape. The AJC will have to prioritize the projects over time. Georgia’s next step is to pursue the lease situation with CMS.
We have a current list of benchmark communities against which we compare and contrast Davidson. The mayor, commissioners, and I approved a new list of communities to use as benchmarks: Archdale, Belmont, Harrisburg, Knightdale, Leland, Mebane, Mounty Holly, Pinehurst, Stallings, and Waxhaw. These towns reflect Davidson in services provided, characteristics, market, and demographics. We will continue to benchmark against our neighboring towns of Cornelius, Huntersville, and Mooresville for salary data, tax rate, etc.

The mayor and commissioners discussed a schedule and new format for community chats around town. Community chats make it possible to speak with citizens in different locations around Davidson, especially since not everyone is able to attend our board meetings and work sessions. One idea is to have monthly chats alternating between morning and evening and between town hall and other locations around town. Senator Jeff Tarte and Representative John Bradford will be invited to the morning sessions to provide legislative updates. Public Information Officer Cristina Shaul will compile a list of potential dates and locations for the mayor and board of commissioners to review at a future meeting.

A summary of the May 26 work session:
The commissioners gave their reports:
Commissioner Anderson: The FY 2016 budget for the Lake Norman Regional Economic Development is $415,000.
Commissioner Cashion: The Lake Norman Chamber: They are hosting an I-77 Business Transportation Summit on May 28 at 4:00 p.m. at Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius. The Lake Norman Business Expo is Thursday, June 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Belk Arena on Davidson College’s campus.
Centralina Council of Governments: They are presenting the results of their Connect Our Future project around the region. . They will present data at a meeting on June 19 from 10-11:30 a.m. at Davidson Town Hall. All citizens are invited to attend.
Commissioner Fuller: Ada Jenkins is facing some challenges regarding their building. The Davidson Police Officer Relief Fund is seeking donations. Citizens can make a tax deductible donation at: Davidson Police Officer Relief Fund c/o The Town of Davidson, P.O. Box 2270, Davidson, NC 28036.
Commissioner Graham: Visit Lake Norman (VLN): Tourism and hotel occupancy is strong. He plans to have a conversation with VLN to see how they can support Davidson’s tourism activities.
Commissioner Jenest was absent.

Catalyst Project Update: Public information sessions will be held on July 17 (one at 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and another from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.) at Davidson Town Hall. All citizens are invited to hear about the two options for the 3.5 acres of town-owned land along Main and Jackson Streets and share feedback.

Mayor Woods: Metropolitan Transportation Commission: We need to improve our rail and transit opportunities.

The mayor and board of commissioners approved the Davidson Wood/Woodlands settlement.
Town Attorney Rick Kline discussed a potential reduction in payments in lieu for affordable housing. The board of commissioners approved the resolution below and set July 14 for a public hearing. Commissioner Rodney Graham asked to be recused from the decision because he has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the vote.

REDUCTION IN PAYMENT IN LIEU FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESOLUTION 2015-17
BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Davidson that it approve the reduction in the payment in lieu amount for affordable housing to an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the current payment in lieu amount applicable to each existing development project, and setting a payment in lieu amount for new development projects at $26,550.00.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a public hearing be set for July 14, 2015, for an amendment to the Planning Ordinance provisions dealing with Affordable Housing requirements to, among other things, permit a payment in lieu for all required affordable housing.

Town Attorney Rick Kline led a discussion on the Board of Adjustment (BOA). The mayor and board of commissioners asked him to look into whether or not the board of commissioners could serve as the board of adjustment. The BOA serves in a quasi-judicial capacity and its two functions are to hear appeals from administrative decisions or hear from citizens requesting a variance from the planning ordinance. No other municipalities our size have the board of commissioners serve as the BOA. We currently have a planning board and a subset of those members serve on the BOA; one must be a representative of the extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The board of commissioners agreed to keep the BOA as is.

Finance Director Cindy Jones gave an update on the tentative FY 2015-2016 budget. She will bring the budget back to the board of commissioners to consider for approval on June 9.

The town staff gave a report on our research trip to Decatur, GA.

Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Spatz reviewed a large map of the Abersham/Allison/Fisher Farm Park areas with the mayor and board of commissioners and discussed immediate parks and recreation needs. An immediate need is road infrastructure at Abersham. The mayor and commissioners also discussed dog park concepts. The next step is for Kathryn to go back to the county and consultants with our recommendations.

For all documents related to the May 26 agenda, please visit www.davidsonpublic.novusagenda.com and click on the May 26 meeting.

Announcements
We are pleased to announce that the Roosevelt Wilson Park boardwalk along Griffith Street is now complete. We will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in June to celebrate the completion of this project and acknowledge the generous contributions of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation and the citizens of Davidson.

We are pleased to announce that Pieter Swart has joined our staff as the incoming Finance Director who will replace Cindy Jones when she retires on June 30.

The next Davidson Connections meeting is Thursday, June 4 at 9:00 a.m. at Sofas + Cheers, a new business located at 216 Eden Street.
The Lake Norman Business Expo is Thursday, June 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Belk Arena on Davidson’s campus. We encourage all citizens to attend.

We will host public information sessions on our Downtown Catalyst Project on Wednesday, June 17 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at town hall. Please join us to learn more about the project and provide feedback.

We encourage Davidson citizens to stay connected with the town by signing up for our informative eCrier emails at www.townofdavidson.org/eCrier, posting events to our events calendar at www.davidsoncoimmunitycalendar.org, and registering for emergency alerts and notifications (CharMecAlerts) at www.charmeckalerts.com and selecting “Town of Davidson” while managing your subscription. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Davidson Public Art Commission is conducting a master planning process to guide the future of the public art program in town. Please complete this short survey to provide your input: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DavidsonPublicArt
The survey asks for your input on the types of public art you would like to see and where you would like to see public art in Davidson. In this survey you’ll see different categories of public art: functional street art (benches, water fountains, bike racks), fine art (sculptures, murals, etc.), and landscaping. You’ll see ideas of where public art could go: greenways, downtown, neighborhoods, parks, and other infrastructure. We would appreciate your input.