>>MAYOR: AS SOON AS WE GET THE VIDEOS UP. >> STUDIO, WE'RE READY TO GO LIVE. >>MAYOR: ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AMANDA. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR THE TIME AND ATTENTION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO TODAY TO TALK THROUGH THE COUNCIL POLICIES AND HOW WE OPERATE UNDER OUR COMMITTEES. I WANT TO FIRST SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT WE HAVE DONE, IT WAS A LONG DAY, IT WAS GOOD TO WATCH A LOT OF THE MEETINGS, WE'LL START WITH INTRODUCTIONS WITH OUR CITY CLERK. >>CLERK: ARIELLE SMITH, LEAD CITY CLERK. >> COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. DISTRICT 3. >> GOOD EVENING, RENEE JOHNSON, I'M HONORED TO REPRESENT DISTRICT 4. >> DANTE ANDERSON, DISTRICT 1, MAYOR PRO TEM. >> VI LYLES, MAYOR. >> MARCUS JONES, CITY MANAGER. >> MALCOLM GRAHAM. >> ED DRIGGS, DISTRICT 7. >> LAWANA MAYFIELD, COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE. >> PATRICK BAKER, CITY ATTORNEY. >>MAYOR: ALL RIGHT, FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING TODAY, THIS IS THE TIME THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DEVELOPED COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS THAT HELP US FRAME OUR POLICY AND A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE. BEFORE WE GO TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, WE HAVE COUNCIL COMMITTEES THAT ARE ABOUT I THINK 5-6 PEOPLE AND TODAY WAS A REALLY GOOD DAY, I BELIEVE, FROM THE MATERIALS THAT I HAVE IN FRONT OF US. BUT THIS IS ALSO A TIME THAT WE DON'T JUST READ BACK WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE, WE TRY TO ADDRESS WHAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AND WHAT THE INITIATIVE IS. AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT COLLEAGUES WOULD HAVE WITH EACH OTHER, WE ADDRESS. SO I BELIEVE THAT OUR FIRST -- OUR FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING WAS WITH MR. DRIGGS, WHO CHAIRS OUR TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, SO ED, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT TO GIVE? >>ED DRIGGS: I DO, YEAH, YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WILL JUST SAY BRIEFLY AT OUR MEETING TODAY WE HEARD AN UPDATE FROM C.A.T.S. ABOUT OPERATING DATA ABOUT THEIR PROGRESS ON REFURBISHING THE CARS. WE ARE SEEING A RECOVERY IN RIDERSHIP, ALTHOUGH NOT BACK TO PRECOVID LEVELS. BUT GOOD PROGRESS THERE. WE ALSO HEARD AN INFORMATION REPORT ON THE TREE CANOPY AND THE PROGRESS OF PLANS TO BASICALLY IMPLEMENT A NEW PLAN FOR TREES, SOMETIME NEXT YEAR. AND WE HEARD FROM ABOUT SEAP, AND THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THERE, VERY GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THERE TO CREATE AN UPDATE TO OUR EXISTING SEAP ENERGY PLAN. SO YOU COULD SEE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THOSE THINGS LOOKING AT THE -- WHAT'S ONLINE, THE SLIDES AND THINGS, THE MAIN THING I DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THOUGH, IS THE I-77 SOUTH DECISION PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND YOU ALL RECEIVED THE LAST WEEK INFORMATION ABOUT THIS. I'M GOING TO TRY AND PARA PHRASE BRIEFLY WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING BUT FOR THE LAST YEAR, THE CHARLOTTE REGIONAL AREA -- REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS A FEDERALLY MANDATED BODY, IT INCLUDES 21 MUNICIPALITIES AS MEMBERS, HAS A SERVICE AREA OF ABOUT 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE, AND IS THE PLACE WHERE A LOT OF THE POLICY AROUND TRANSPORTATION THAT IS STATE FUNDED AND FEDERALLY FUNDED IS MADE. AND THAT BODY HAS BEEN ENGAGED WITH NCDOT IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR I-77 SOUTH. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, I-77 SOUTH IS AN OVERCROWDED ROAD ALREADY, CONDITIONS THERE GET PRETTY DEADFUL EVEN DURING THE LAST AND OVER THE LAST YEAR WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM NCDOT ON CONGESTION, SAFETY ISSUES AND IT'S APPARENT THAT THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO DO SOMETHING. BUT WHAT IT CAME DOWN TO IN OUR CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN C.R.T.P.O. AND NCDOT, TWO POSSIBILITIES, ONE WAS A STATE-FUNDED MANAGED LANE PROJECT. AND THE OTHER OTHER WAS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION TO DO THE FUNDING, THE CONSTRUCTION, COLLECT THE TOLLS ON A MANAGED LANE. AND WHAT WE HEARD BACK FROM THEM AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM NCDOT TONIGHT, IS THAT ESSENTIALLY, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH MONEY IN THE STATE FUNDING PROCESS FOR A STATE FUNDED PROJECT. AND THEY JUST SAID IT REALLY IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AND I'M SUMMARIZING, THEY'LL TELL US MORE. SO THEY, THEN TALKED ABOUT WE SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT A P3, AT A PARTNERSHIP WITH A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION. NOW, THE ISSUE ABOUT THAT AS I THINK WE'RE ALL AWARE IS I-77 NORTH WAS DONE THROUGH A P3. AND IT WAS STORMY, IT WAS VERY CONTROVERSIAL. AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY, ONE OF THEM IS THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF TOLL LANES. OR ANY KIND OF MANAGED LANES. ANYWAY. AND THINK, OH, WELL, THE STATE SHOULD PAY FOR EVERYTHING AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THERE WERE FEATURES OF I-77 NORTH THAT PROTESTERS PARTICULARLY OBJECTED TO. SO WE KNEW ON C.R.T.P.O. THAT THIS WAS THE CONTEXT, IN WHICH WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS, AND THEREFORE, WE APPROACHED THE WHOLE THING WITH CAUTION, I GUESS, IS FAIR TO SAY. AND AT THE SAME TIME, IT REALLY DID COME DOWN TO THE FACT THAT WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE P3 THING, OR ACCEPT THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING ON I-77 SOUTH. AND RECOGNIZING THAT THAT WASN'T REALLY AN OPTION, WE DECIDED TO STUDY THE P3 POSSIBILITY CLOSER. AND I THINK WHAT CAME OUT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH NCDOT WAS THAT C.R.T.P.O. WANTED TO KNOW MORE BEFORE SIGNING OFF AND TAKING ITSELF OUT OF THE CONVERSATION COMPLETELY. AND THEREFORE, WHAT WE WORKED OUT WAS THE IDEA THAT NCDOT WOULD START TO DEVELOP AN R.F.Q., REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS THAT WOULD OBTAIN SPECIFICATIONS, A LOT OF THE DETAILS OF WHAT IT WAS WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE PRIVATE PARTNER AND THE C.R.T.P.O. WOULD ENGAGE WITH THEM, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT. AND THAT WE WOULD THEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY ONCE THE MEMBERS OF C.R.T.P.O. HAD REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH NCDOT, WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHECK-IN ON C.R.T.P.O., ALSO A TIME WHEN THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER CHECK IN ON THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE I WOULD COME BACK THEN AS I AM NOW, ASKING YOU FOR ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE COUNCIL IS ON THE QUESTION OF CHARLOTTE'S VOTE. AND YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND CHARLOTTE'S VOTE IS CRITICAL BECAUSE THE VOTING STRUCTURE OF THIS BODY IS SUCH THAT THERE ARE 68 TOTAL VOTES, ALLOCATED AMONG 21 MEMBERS, BUT WE ARE -- WE HAVE 31 OF THOSE. SO THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE ACCOUNTS FOR 31 OUT OF 68. SO IF YOU COULD CONSIDER THAT ONLY TAKES 35 VOTES TO ACHIEVE A MAJORITY IN THE VOTING OUR 31 IS PRETTY DECISIVE AND THEREFORE WE KNEAD TO LOOK AT THIS HARD AND REALLY RESPONSIBLY AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE COME OUT ON IT. SO I THINK THAT'S THE LARGER CONTEXT, I WANT TO CLARIFY, BY THE WAY, MANAGED LANES MEANS THAT THE -- THERE WOULD BE TWO ADDITIONAL LANES CONSTRUCTED ON I-77 SOUTH, AND THEY WOULD BE PAID FOR FROM THE PROCEEDS OF TOLLS ON THOSE LANES. PEOPLE COULD STILL TRAVEL IN THE FREE LANES, THE SAME AS THEY DID BEFORE, BUT NOW THERE WOULD BE THE OPTION FOR SOME TRAVELERS TO PAY MONEY IN ORDER TO MOVE IN THIS MANAGED LANE WHICH WOULD HAVE QUICKER THROUGHPUT AND RELIABILITY TIME THROUGHPUT. AND THE EFFECT THAT THAT HURRICANE ARTHUR HAS -- TO PUT THE COST OF THE ROAD ON THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE ROAD. RECOGNIZING THAT THERE REALLY IS NOT A STATE FUNDING OPTION. THIS IS A WAY THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD, SO I CAN TELL YOU IN ADVANCE, MY OWN RECOMMENDATION, IS THAT WE SUPPORT THE IDEA OF CONTINUING TO WORK BASICALLY VOTING YES TO NCDOT CONTINUING TO WORK ON A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS. AND ENGAGE WITH THEM ON THAT. TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS THAT WE MIGHT FIND ACCEPTABLE, THAT IS ALSO LIKELY TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE FROM BIDDERS, BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT IN CREATING SOMETHING THAT NO ONE IS GOING TO BID ON SO I EXPECT THAT OVER THE SPAN OF PROBABLY 8 OR 9 MONTHS FROM WHAT I'M TOLD THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM OF DEVELOPING THIS RFQ AFTER WHICH THAT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. I WOULD LEAVE IT AT THAT MOMENT FOR THE MOMENT AND ASK NCDOT TO SHARE WITH US THE PRESENTATION THEY MADE AT C.R.T.P.O., EXPLAINING THE OUTCOME OF THEIR ANALYSIS AND THEIR DECISION PROCESS, AND I BELIEVE MR. -- ARE YOU GOING TO SPEAK TO US? SO WE HAVE THREE MEMBER THERE IS. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU COMING DOWN. >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MAYOR AND MANAGER AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US DOWN, MY BRETT NAME IS BRETT, I'M WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DIVISION 10 ENGINEER WITH NCDOT. REALLY QUICKLY, DIVISION 10 IS JUST A FIVE-COUNTY AREA AROUND CHARLOTTE. AND A LITTLE BIT TO THE EAST. BUT CERTAINLY, THE CITY IS ONE OF OUR BEST PARTNERS, AND I WANTED TO START OUT WITH SAYING THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE A LONG-STANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY, PARTICULARLY WITH THE CHARLOTTE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY WITH LIZ WHEN SHE WAS THERE AND DEBBIE SMITH NOW, SO THOSE FOLKS ARE CERTAINLY DOING A GREAT JOB, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE WITH WORKING TOGETHER WITH THAT TEAM. ED, YOU DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF EXPLAINING THIS AND TEEING IT UP AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS GOING TO BE GOOD ENOUGH, YOU COVERED A LOT OF IT, THANK YOU FOR THAT. >>ED DRIGGS: ( INAUDIBLE ). >> NO, NOT AT ALL, WE'LL TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN CAN HANG WITH THAT. ALSO, BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT NCDOT'S TOP PRIORITY RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IS THE RECOVERY EFFORT THAT'S GOING ON IN THE WESTERN PART OF OUR STATE. THE DAMAGE AS I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, HAS SEEN ON THE NEWS, IS ABSOLUTELY INPRECEDENTED, IT CERTAINLY IS MORE THAN ANYTHING THIS DEPARTMENT HAS EVER SEEN. REALLY IN THIS, YOU KNOW, I'D HATE TO SAY, THE LAST TIME THIS COUNTRY SAW SUCH A DISASTER, BUT IT IS EXTREME. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS INSURMOUNTABLE, RIGHT NOW, I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE OVER 2,000 D.O.T. STAFF WORKING ON THAT EFFORT. ON THE GROUND. IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. CAN'T GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANT PARTNERS THAT ARE ALSO WORKING ON THAT. BUT ALSO, COORDINATING WITH ALL OF THESE OTHER AGENCIES, THERE'S FOLKS FROM ALL ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA AND INCLUDING DIVISION 10, I'LL TELL YOU A QUICK STORY THAT I HEARD FROM ONE OF OUR CREWS TODAY. THAT WAS WORKING ON A BRIDGE REPLACEMENT. SOMEWHERE JUST NORTH OF ASHEVILLE. THEY WERE ABLE TO TEMPORARILY RECONSTRUCT A BRIDGE THAT WAS BASICALLY DEMOLISHED AND OPEN UP ACCESS TO A COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 200 PEOPLE THAT WERE -- HAD NO OTHER REAL WAY OF GETTING IN AND OUT, SO STORIES LIKE THAT ARE COMING OUT. AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF -- THERE'S A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION COMING OUT. BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF SUCCESS STORIES THAT'S GOING ON. BUT IT REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS THE FOCUS OF D.O.T. RIGHT NOW, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, I-77 SOUTH, VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THE WORK GOING ON OUT WEST COULD IMPACT THE STATE'S PLANS, YOU KNOW, BUT RIGHT NOW, OUR FOCUS IS JUST TO GET THOSE PEOPLE RELIEF, OPEN ARTERIES BACK UP, AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE REST IN THE END. SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I-77 SOUTH EXPRESS LANES PROJECT AS COUNCILMAN DRIGGS DESCRIBES, IS A MANAGED LANES AND WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THAT WITH THE PROJECT OVERVIEW, CARLY IS GOING TO HELP WALK THROUGH A PROJECT HISTORY, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR, YOU KNOW, GOING ON 20 YEARS NOW. WITH -- IT'S JUST BEEN DISCUSSED AT THIS LOCAL LEVEL FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE NOW WHERE WE'VE GOT THIS LIVE PROJECT IN FRONT OF US. AND SO I REALIZED I'VE LOOKED OVER HERE AND FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MY PARTNERS, CARLY SWANSON AND DAVID ROY WITH NORTH CAROLINA TURNPIKE AUTHORITY, THEY ARE GOING TO HELP ANSWER SOME OF THE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSING YOU GUYS UP FRONT. BUT ALSO, REALLY THIS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OVERVIEW. SO WHAT WE WERE TASKED WITH DOING WAS COMPARING THE P3 DELIVERY VERSION OR THE TRADITIONAL TURNPIKE DELIVERY VERSION AS COUNCILMAN DRIGGS DESCRIBED, SO THAT'S WHAT THIS ANALYSIS TOLD US, THAT'S WHAT LED US TO THIS CONCLUSION, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DELIVER IT IN A TRADITIONAL WAY. AND THEN, WE'LL GO INTO NEXT STEPS. ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHARLOTTE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION, TO DEFINE SOME OF THESE KEY TERMS IF THAT'S A DECISION THAT THAT BOARD MAKES SO WE CAN GET INTO THAT BY THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THE SEGMENT OF I-77 FROM THE BROOKSHIRE FREEWAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE, THAT'S 11 MILES OF URBAN INTERSTATEWIDENING. IT'S AGAIN, BEEN IN OUR STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS. SINCE 2014. WHEN THE PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED BY THE MPO. AND THEN HAS BEEN IN EVERY VERSION OF THE STATE'S TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM SINCE THAT TIME. AS A MANAGED LANES PROJECT. AND AGAIN, AS COUNCILMAN DRIGGS DESCRIBED, A MANAGED LANES PROJECT IS, YOU KNOW, MANAGING TRAFFIC FLOW AND CONGESTION, WITH TOLLED MANAGED LANES. SIMILAR TO THE LANES YOU SEE ON 77 NORTH. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT PROJECT AND THIS ONE REALLY HAS STARTED WITH THE PROCESS WE'VE ENGAGED IN RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S AN OPEN AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT LOCAL PRIORITIES WOULD LOOK LIKE, SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. THIS CONCEPT OF MANAGED LANES HAS GROWN OVER THE LAST DECADE, SINCE WE WORKED ON THAT PROJECT. ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. MANY, MANY CITIES ARE -- AND STATE D.O.T.S ARE FACED WITH THIS CHALLENGE OF, YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY LARGE TRAFFIC VOLUMES, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THIS CRITICAL DECISION OF HOW WE DELIVER PROJECTS SO. BUT THIS PROJECT IS -- IT'S GOING TO WIDEN 77. AT LEAST TO FIVE LANES. WITH AUXILIARY LANES, NEW INTERCHAIN, NEARLY EVERY BRIDGE ALONG THE COER DOR HAS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, THE INTERCHANGE WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED, HELP WITH THE CONGESTION IN THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES BUT ALSO WITH SAFETY, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FACT THAT THE HIGHER CONGESTION LEVELS ARE IN ANY CORRIDOR, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS. AND THIS SECTION OF I-77, ACTUALLY HAS AN ACCIDENT RATE THAT'S ABOUT 2.5 TIMES GREATER THAN OTHER SIMILAR URBAN INTERSTATES AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE CERTAINLY NEED TO TACKLE. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE PROJECT COST OF $3.7 BILLION, IT'S A TALL ORDER, IT'S THE BIGGEST PROJECT WE'VE EVER CONSIDERED HERE AT NCDOT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP WORKING ON THAT. AND MECKLENBURG COUNTY IS GOING TO KEEP GROWING, MECKLENBURG COUNTY RANKS IN THE TOP FIVE NATIONALLY FOR VEHICLE MILES TRAVELLED. THAT'S REFERRED TO AS VMT. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA, THIS ISSUE ISN'T GOING AWAY. BUT I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO CARLY TO TALK TO YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT HISTORY. HOW WE GOT HERE. WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO NEXT. >> GOOD EVENING, AS BRENT MENTIONED I'M CARLY SWANSON I'M THE DIRECTOR OF INNOVATIVE DELIVERY, I WORK WITH BRETT AND DAVID, AND OTHERS IN THE DEPARTMENT, TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT COMMUNITIES HAVE ASKED US TO DELIVER AROUND THE STATE. AS BRETT MENTIONED I'M GOING TO START WITH BRIEF PROJECT HISTORY, JUST TO SHOW HOW WE GOT TO THE POINT THAT WE ARE TODAY. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE TIME LINE HERE, THE TIME LINE STARTS IN 2007. A QUESTION THAT THE DEPARTMENT GETS ON A REGULAR BASIS, YOU KNOW, WHY TOLL LANES ON 77? HOW DID THAT START? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? BACK IN 2007, C.R.T.P.O. AS COUNCILMAN DRIGGS DESCRIBED, OUR REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING BOARD HERE, PARTNERED WITH NCDOT, SOUTH CAROLINA D.O.T., AND CHARLOTTE AND OTHERS TO CONDUCT AS THE FAST LANE STUDY, I'VE GET INTO MORE DETAIL IN THAT IN A MOMENT. BUT THE FAST LANE STUDY WAS THE FIRST TIME THE REGION HAD TALKED ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF MANAGED LANES ON THIS STRETCH OF 77, AND OTHER CORRIDORS. IN 2010, YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE FIRST HIGHLIGHTED BOX, C.R.T.P.O. ADOPTED A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE FATINA LANE STUDY AND IDENTIFIED I-77 FOR FURTHER STUDY OF MANAGED LANES PROJECTS. IF YOU FAST FORWARD TO 2014, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT WAS WHEN C.R.T.P.O. FIRST SUBMITTED THE I-77 SOUTH MANAGED LANES PROJECT. FOR P3P.O. THE PROGRAM THAT BRETT DESCRIBED EARLIER, P3.0 WAS PHASE 3.0 OF PRIORITIZATION, THE FIRST TIME IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND PER STATE LAW IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR A TOLL PROJECTS TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY MUST RECEIVE A LOCAL APPROVAL FROM THE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION BOARD. AND THE IMPACTED AREA WHERE THE PROJECT WOULD BE LOCATED. SO THAT WAS THE OFFICIAL APPROVAL BACK IN 2014. SO SOMETHING ELSE TO NOTE HERE, FROM 2014 TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY IN 2024, THE COST OF THE PROJECT HAS TRIPLED. SO THAT IS WHAT TAKES TOWS THE 3.7 BILLION THAT BRETT DESCRIBED EARLY WHIER. YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT STEPS FROM 2014 TO 2023. WHERE THE PROJECT CONTINUED TO MOVE THE PRIORITIZATION, AND THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUED PLANNING AND DESIGN STUDIES FOR THE PROJECT. AND THEN ABOUT A YEAR AGO IN TLAE, C.R.T.P.O. REQUESTED FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, WHICH I'M GET INTO IN JUST A MOMENT, TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT DELIVERY METHODS TO ACCELERATE THE PROJECT. AND THEN IN 2024, EARLIER THIS YEAR, IN MAY, WE RELEASED OUR PRIORITIZATION 7.0 SCORES. AND THIS PROJECT SCORED AS ONE OF THE TOP PROJECTS AT THE STATEWIDE TIER. SO THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS 600 MILLION IN STATE FUNDS DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT. AND JUST TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE TIER, THE STATEWIDE TIER THAT THE FUNDING IS COMING OUT OF, THERE'S ONLY A BILLION DOLLARS IN THAT TIER, IN THIS PROJECT TAKES UP 600 MILLION OF IT, SO DURING A TIME WHEN WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE PROJECTS THAT ARE COSTING MORE, RISING COSTS, FOR THIS PROJECT, TO BE PROGRAMMED AND HAVE 600 MILLION IN FUNDING ALLOCATED TO IT, IT WAS A BIG DEAL. AS MENTIONED ON THE TIME LINE SLIDE, THE FAST LANE STUDY BEGAN IN 2007 AND THAT WAS WHEN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT TOLLING ON THIS STRETCH OF 77 BEGAN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP HERE, 77 NORTH, THE CURRENT PROJECT THAT'S OPEN TO TRAFFIC, 77 SOUTH, ALSO, 4858, THE EXPRESS LANES PROJECT THAT'S SCHEDULED TO OPEN NEXT YEAR. AND THEN, 74, THERE'S SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT. ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WERE PART OF THE FAST LANE STUDY. SO IN C.R.T.P.O. ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION FOR THEIR STUDY OF MANAGED LANES, THAT'S WHERE THIS CAME FROM. SO A QUESTION WE GET ON A REGULAR BASIS IS, WHY NOT JUST ADD MORE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES? EXPERIENCE FROM OTHER STATES AND OTHER INTERSTATES SHOWS THAT ADDING MORE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES PROVIDES SHORT TERMENT RELIEF BUT IN THE LONG-TERM, WHEN YOU HAVE AREAS SUCH AS THIS AREA THAT CONTINUES TO GROW, THAT TRAFFIC RELIEF IS ONLY SHORT-TERM AND THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES WILL CONTINUE TO GET CLOGGED AS TRAFFIC CONTINUES TO GROW. AND THEN GENERAL PURPOSE LANES ALSO DON'T PROVIDE THE OPTION FOR DRIVERS FOR RELIABLE TRAVEL TIMES. AND YOU'LL SEE HERE, WE INCLUDED A LINK TO C.R.T.P.O.'S WEBSITE BUT THAT GOES INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF BENEFITS OF EXPRESS LANES. BUT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT THEY OFFER A MORE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION. TO ISSUES SUCH AS RISING TRAVEL DEMAND, RUSH HOUR CONGESTION AND PROVIDING TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS FOR THOSE WHO USE TO USE THE LANES. C.R.T.P.O. ADOPTED THE FAST LANE STUDY IN 2010. SO NEXT, I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY WALK THROUGH THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, AND POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS. AT THE REQUEST OF C.R.T.P.O., NCDOT AND A TEAM OF ADVISORS STARTING LAST YEAR, STARTED A ANALYSIS, COMPARING A STATE TOLL DELIVERY VERSUS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ALSO KNOWN AS THE P3, THE ANALYSIS STARTED IN JULY AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ADVISORS THAT SUPPORTED THE PROCESS, WE HAD HNTP, PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, RS AND H WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN WORK. AND STAND TECH PROVIDED TRAFFIC AND REVENUE ANALYSIS, KPMG IS A KNOWN P3 FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND THE TURNPIKE AUTHORITIES FINANCIAL AD ADVISOR AND ADVISED US ON ALL OF THE PROJECTS FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE. WE DID MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS AND HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE C.R.T.P.O. BOARD AND PRESENTED THE RESULTS IN AUGUST, WE SHARED A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT IN SEPTEMBER AND THAT'S POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AT NCDOT.GOV, A LINK LISTED THERE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT. SOME KEY ANALYSIS INPUTS ALONG THE WAY. THE $600 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING THAT I HAD MENTIONED, THROUGH OUR PRIORITIZATION PROGRAM, WE DID RECEIVE INITIAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND TRAFFIC AND REVENUE FORECAST DURING LAST SUMMER. WE WERE ABLE TO OPTIMIZE THOSE PROJECT COSTS. AND THEN GENERATED UPDATED TRAFFIC AND REVENUE FINDINGS LATER IN THE SUMMER. NEXT, BRIEFLY I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF DELIVERY APPROACHES THAT WE LOOKED AT THROUGH THE ANALYSIS SO, FIRST, I DID WANT TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, FOR BOTH THE TRADITIONAL TOLL DELIVERY OR A P3 TOLL DELIVERY, BOTH OF THESE OPTIONS WOULD STILL BE STATE OWNED. SO FOR THE TRADITIONAL TOLL OPTION, IT WOULD BE OPERATED AND TOLLED EXPRESS LANES THAT NCDOT AND THE NORTH CAROLINA TURNPIKE AUTHORITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DESIGN. CONSTRUCTION FINANCING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FOR THE PROJECT. SO THE FUNDING OPTIONS FOR THE TRADITIONAL TOLL DELIVERY INCLUDE PUBLIC TOLL REVENUE, BACKED DEBT AS WELL AS STATE FUNDING. AND JUST TO GIVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF OTHER TOLL PROJECTS WITH A SIMILAR DELIVERY METHOD. WE'VE GOT THE VIN ROW EXPRESSWAY THAT OPENED TO TRAFFIC IN 2018. AS WELL AS THE I-4858 EXPRESS LANES THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO OPEN NEXT YEAR AND THEN THE TRIANGLE EXPRESSWAY IN THE RALEIGH AREA. NOW, FOR A P3 TOLL DELIVERY, AGAIN, STILL BE STATE OWNED, HOWEVER, A PRIVATE DEVELOPER WOULD COME IN AND OPERATE AND TOLL THE EXPRESS LANES SO A PRIVATE ENTITY WOULD DESIGN, BUILD, FINANCE, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN THE PROJECT. UNDER A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT. THE FUNDING OPTIONS FOR THIS TYPE OF DELIVERY WOULD INCLUDE PRIVATE TOLL REVENUE, PRIVATE EQUITY, AND STATE FUNDING. THERE'S ONE EXAMPLE CURRENTLY FOR ANOTHER P3, WHICH IS MENTIONED EARLIER, WAS THE I-77 NORTH EXPRESS LANES. NOW, PER STATE LAW IN NORTH CAROLINA, WE CAN HAVE THREE TOLL P3'S, SO RIGHT NOW, I-77 NORTH IS OUR FIRST P3. OVER THE SUMMER, WE ACTUALLY HAD ANOTHER LOCAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION ON THE COAST ON THE OUTER BANKS, THEY APPROVED A RESOLUTION TO DELIVER THE MID CURRITUCK BRIDGE PROJECT AS A P3 AS WELL, SO THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND P3, LEAVING ONE MORE P3. SO AS WE LOOK AT THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS RESULTS. FIRST, TRADITIONAL TOLL OR STATE DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT W THE 600 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT, RIGHT NOW, THE TRADITIONAL TOLL DELIVERY APPROACH IS NOT CURRENTLY FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. THE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT EVEN WITH THAT 600 MILLION IN FUND, THE PROJECT STILL HAS A $1.3 BILLION FUNDING GAP. AND THAT'S DUE TO A COUPLE OF REASONS. SO AS I HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PROJECT COST HAS TRIPLED SINCE ITS ORIGINAL SUBMISSION IN 2014 WITH THE TOTAL COST NOW EXCEEDING OUR ENTIRE STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM'S ANNUAL BUDGET. THE PROJECT ALSO LACKS SUFFICIENT FUNDING DUE TO MORE CONSERVATIVE REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE STATE MUST TAKE TO MEET PUBLIC DEBT FINANCING REQUIREMENTS. AND INSUFFICIENT FUNDING ON THIS COULD CAUSE YEARS OF DELAY. AND E EACH YEAR OF DELAY BASED ON THE CURRENT COST AND INFLATIONARY IMPACTS IS ABOUT $100 MILLION EACH YEAR, WHICH EVENTUALLY THE LONGER THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE DELAYED COULD STALL THE PROJECT INDEFINITELY. SOMETHING ELSE TO NOTE, TOO, WITH TOLL PROJECTS IN NORTH CAROLINA, FOR THOSE THAT MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR $100 MILLION IN BONUS ALLOCATION FUNDING. AND SO IF THE -- IF IT'S DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD, WITH THE PROJECT, THE REGION WOULD NOT -- COULD NOT USE THE 100 MILLION IN ADDITION TO THE 600 MILLION THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT. SO WITH THIS OPTION, THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WORK WOULD STOP AND THE PROJECT WOULD NEED TO BE ARE E SCORED BASED WITH UPDATED COSTS AND REVENUE PROJECTIONS. NOW, FOR THE P3 TOLL DELIVERY, AS THE ANALYSIS HAS SHOWN, IT'S LIKELY FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. THE P3 DELIVERY APPROACH, WHEN BRINGING IN A PRIVATE DEVELOPER, WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE FUNDING GAP. BECAUSE WE'RE TRANSFERRING THE FINANCIAL RISK TO THE DEVELOPER. SO WE WOULD ALLOW THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH LESS PUBLIC FUNDING NEEDED. PRIVATE DEVELOPERS CAN ALSO BRING MORE EQUITY INTO THE PROJECT COMPARED TO THE STATE. WHICH WOULD COVER A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE PROJECT'S COST, AND WOULD REDUCE THE NEED FOR STATE FUNDS. PRIVATE DEVELOPERS CAN ALSO SECURE DEBT FROM LEARNEDS USING A MORE AGGRESSIVE FINANCIAL ASSUMPTION, COULD COMPARED TO THE STATE'S MORE CONSERVATIVE ASSUMPTIONS. SO THE ANALYSIS SHOW THAT THE 600 MILLION IN STIP FUNDING, COVER THE PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION FOR THE PROJECT AND THE 100 MILLION IN BONUS ALLOCATION FOR THE REGION, IF IT WERE DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE P3 TOLL DELIVERY, THE REGION WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT 100 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING. NEXT, I'M BRIEFLY GOING TO WALK THROUGH POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS I KNOW THE I-77 NORTH PROJECT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER AND THE LESSONS LEARNED, OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WHERE THE C.R.T.P.O. BOARD TO HEAR CONCERNS AND HEAR FROM THEM ON POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROCESS THIS TIME AROUND. SO PART OF WHERE SOME OF THE CONCERNS WERE, WERE A LACK OF COLLABORATION AND A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. SO THE POTENTIAL NEXT STEPS IDENTIFIED HERE WERE ALL CREATED TO HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS FROM THE FIRST PROJECT. SO IF KR. R.T.P.O. WERE TO REQUEST NCDOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A P3 DELIVERY, WE WOULD WORK IN COORDINATION WITH C.R.T.P.O. TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP TO PARTNER WITH US TO DEVELOP KEY PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES TO INFORM INDICATIVE TERMS SO A COUPLE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HEARD FROM THE C.R.T.P.O. BOARD INCLUDE OPTIMIZING UTILIZATION, NOT JUST OF THE EXPRESS LANES BUT ALSO THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES IN THE CORRIDOR, AND ENCOURAGING A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO REEF MULTIPLE FIXED PRICE BIDS, WHICH IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE. INCREASING TRANSPARENCY OF BUSINESS DURING ALL PHASES OF THE PROJECT SO NOT JUST WHERE WE'RE AT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT ALSO CONSTRUCTION, OPERATIONS, AND WHEN IT'S OPEN TO TRAFFIC. AND ALSO, PROVIDING BENEFITS TO TRANSIT. THE I-77 NORTH EXPRESS LANES PROJECT TRANSIT DOES RIDE FOR FREE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT FOR SOUTH AS WELL. WE WOULD THEN PROVIDE DRAFT KEY TERMS 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF ANY SORT OF PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT TO ALLOW TIME TO REVIEW AND GET FEEDBACK. AND THEN, IF THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS AREN'T ACCEPTABLE TO C.R.T.P.O., WE WOULD CORK -- -- WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT TERMS. RESCIND SUPPORT IF AT ANY POINT UNTIL NCDOT PUBLICLY ADVERTISES FOR REQUEST FOR CALL FI -- CALL -- QUALIFICAQUALIFICATIONS. THEY COULD RESCIND SUPPORT UP ANY POINT. THE GRAPHIC BELOW LAYS OUT THE STEPS MENTIONED. WE WOULD WORK TO FIND THE REGION'S OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES, WE WOULD SHARE THOSE DRAFT KEY TERMS, GIVE 60 DAYS FOR REVIEW AND ADVERTISE FOR AN RFQ, AND SOMETHING THAT BRETT HAS MENTIONED TO THE C.R.T.P. O. WE AREN'T ADVOCATING FOR A PARTICULAR, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH C.R.T.P.O. TO IDENTIFY TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO BRETT. >> SO JUST TO COVER AND SUMMARIZE WHAT WE'VE COVERED TONIGHT AND WHAT WE'VE DESCRIBED YOU ALL, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS PROCESS AND WE'VE DETERMINED THAT THE TRADITIONAL TOLL DELIVERY IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION FOR US RIGHT NOW. AND BUT WHAT WE NEED IS DIRECTION FROM C.R.T.P.O. ON WHICH STEP TO TAKE. YOU KNOW, TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT TRADITIONAL TOLL DELIVERY, OR TO PURSUE A P.3 TOLL DELIVERY. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE OPTIONS ARE IN THE TRADITIONAL VERSION, REALLY TO COMPLETE OR WRAP UP THIS DESIGN WORK, THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, TO COME UP WITH ALL OF THESE DESIGN CONCEPTS, GET THAT TO A LOGICAL STOPPING POINT AND THEN KIND OF PAUSE THIS EFFORT AND POTENTIALLY GO BACK FOR SCORING IN SOME FUTURE ROUND OF PRIORITIZATION FOR STIP FUNDING. BUT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT Y'ALL HAVE HEARD TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, WITH AN EVER-INCREASING COST ESTIMATE AND STARTING AT $3.7 BILLION, THAT IS REALLY NOT A GOOD OUTLOOK. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS EFFORT THAT'S REALLY GONE ON STARTING SINCE 2007, HAS GOTTEN US TO THIS POINT TODAY. BUT ULTIMATELY, WE'VE COME INTO A PRETTY HARD STOP. AND SO WE WOULD CONTINUE AS CARLY SAID TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE NPO IF THAT'S THE CHOICE, BUT THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BE COMMITTED IN OUR STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THAT $600 MILLION WOULD BE IN QUESTION AT THAT POINT. AND WE REALLY NEED THIS DECISION, IF WE CAN, CLOSE TO THE -- BY THE END OF THE YEAR, HOPEFULLY BEFORE,S BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PROGRAM THE REST OF OUR STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY PROJECT THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. BUT IT'S VERY LARGE. SO ON THE OTHER HAND, THE P3 DELIVERY ALTERNATIVE, AS CARLY DESCRIBED, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THIS ENGAGEMENT WITH C.R.T.P.O., TO REALLY REFINE AND DEFINE THOSE PRIORITIES. AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. OF WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN A PROJECT LIKE THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT IS THE FIRST THANG THING THAT COMES TO MIND BECAUSE TRANSIT DOES RIDE FOR FREE IN THE NORTH CORRIDOR, TN T IEG R CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH MEMBERS OF THE NPO, THAT'S ALSO A PRIORITY. I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE, I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THAT OTHER STATES IN THE AREAS ARE FACED WITH THE SAME CHALLENGE. IN ATLANTA, IN GEORGIA RECENTLY A SIMILAR PROJECT WAS PUT FORWARD TO THE MARKET AND HAD A PRETTY GREAT RESPONSE, SEVERAL BIDDERS PROPOSED. AND EVEN TARENT P COMPANY OF MOBILITY PARTNERS, THEY WERE IN THE RUNNING FOR THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY WEREN'T SELECTED. BUT THE WINNING BID INCLUDED SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING PARK AND RIDE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE CORRIDOR, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE CONACNA. EXPERIENCES ACROSS SOLUTIONS. AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO GET THAT DONE TOGETHER. SO WITH THTHER. SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN TAKE QUESTIONS. BETWEEN DAVID AND CARLY AND MYSELF. HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP YOU GUYS BRING MORE CLARITY TO IT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS WORK. I THINK WE NEED TO GET YOU AN APARTMENT SOMEWHERE CLOSE AROUND THE GOVERNMENT CENTER. BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN SO ACTIVE WORKING WITH US ON SO MANY INITIATIVES AND REALLY JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: AND SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I'M GOING TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION AND ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. >>ED DRIGGS: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT, MR. -- THERE YOU ARE. AND MR. LAN TLOP, I APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE, ALSO, GREG LOUNGER, ONE OF THE ADVISORS MENTIONED, THANK YOU, GREG FOR JOINING US. AND NCDOT HAS DONE AMAZING WORK CAN WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSIVENESS TO WHAT YOU'VE HEARD. I WANTED TO STRESS THE FACT, NONE OF THIS IS RELATED TO OUR MOBILITY PLAN OR SALES TAX PROPOSAL, SO IT'S A COMPLETELY SEPARATE THING. AND IT'S A STATE ISSUE, A STATE RESPONSIBILITY, A STATE PROJECT, OUR SALES TAX AND MOBILITY PLANS WOULD MOVE AHEAD ALONG THE COURSE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS. IT'S A REGIONAL DECISION BY THE NPO BUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT IS WITHIN CHARLOTTE CITY LIMITS. WHICH IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. AND I THINK HAVING CLARIFIED THOSE POINTS, MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD THROW IT OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. >>MAYOR: OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS WORK. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST, I THINK, EVERYBODY'S HAND WAS UP, SO WHY DON'T WE START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. AND THEN WE'LL COME AROUND. >>TIAWANA BROWN: DON'T START WITH ME. >>MAYOR: WE'LL START WITH MS. JOHNSON AND COME AROUND TO MS. BROWN. >>RENEE JOHNSON: YOU CAN START WITH ME, OKAY, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENCEATION. I WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU SAID COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS. YOU SAID IT'S THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY, NONE OF IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SALES TAX OR OUR TRANSIT PLAN, BUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT IS WITHIN CHARLOTTE CITY LIMITS. SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT OUR TAXPAYERS? >>ED DRIGGS: SO IT DOESN'T, RIGHT? WHAT IT MEANS IS WE WOULD HAVE A PROJECT THAT WAS FUNDED BY TOLLS PAID ON THAT ROAD, IT WOULD BE A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, AND NCDOT, AND A PRIVATE PARTNER, SO WE HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS BUT WE ARE NOT A PARTY TO IT. AS A CITY. >>RENEE JOHNSON: SO IT'S ENTIRELY PAID BY THE TOLLS. >>ED DRIGGS: YES, WELL, $600 MILLION WOULD BE CONTRIBUTED BY THE STATE, AS LONG AS WE ACT IN TIME. BUT THE OTHER FUNDING WOULD BASICALLY BE ARRANGED BY THE PRIVATE PARTNER, AND THEY WOULD RECOVER THEIR COSTS THROUGH THE COLLECTION OF TOLLS IN THE MANAGED LANES ONLY. NOT IN THE FREE LANES. >>RENEE JOHNSON: DID YOU ALL -- OKAY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO ADD SOMETHING. YOU MENTIONED, WHAT'S THE LENGTH OF THIS PROJECT? >> IT WAS JUST OVER 11 MILES. >>RENEE JOHNSON: 11 MILES. >> YEAH. >>RENEE JOHNSON: I WROTE DOWN 12-14, BUT 11 MILES AND WHAT IS THE DISTANCE FOR THE TOLL LANES ON 77 NORTH? >> IT'S ABOUT 26 MILES. >>RENEE JOHNSON: 26 MILES. 77 NORTH. AND 11 MILES 77 SOUTH. >> YES. >>RENEE JOHNSON: AND ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING, WHAT WAS THE TOTAL COST FOR THE TOLL LANES FOR 77 NORTH? >> IT WAS JUST OVER 600 MILLION, I BELIEVE. >>RENEE JOHNSON: SO AS YOU SAID THE COST HAS TRIPLED AND SO FOR HALF OF THE DISTANCE, IT'S $3.7 BILLION. OKAY. >> I CAN EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE IF YOU'D LIKE? >>MAYOR: MS. JOHNSON, PLEASE. >>RENEE JOHNSON: YES, PLEASE. >> SO, YOU KNOW, THE 77 NORTH PROJECT, WHILE IT'S LONGER, YOU KNOW, THAT PROJECT WAS BUILT REALLY WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT OF I-77 UNITED STATES. VERY LITTLE RIGHT-OF-WAY WAS EVEN NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT THAT PROJECT. ALSO, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE BRIDGES WERE LEFT INTACT. AND THE DIFFERENCE IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY DENSE AND URBAN AREA OF THE CITY. AND ALL OF THE BRIDGES AREN'T LONG ENOUGH TO GET THE ROAD UNDERNEATH. AND SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, JUST THAT FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF EVERY INTERCHANGE, INCLUDING THE I270 INTERCHANGES AT BROOKSHIRE AND JOHN BELTON, VERY SIGNIFICANT CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD HAVE TO BE TOTALLY REBUILT. SO IT IS A DIFFERENT SCOPE AND SCALE OF A PROJECT. >>RENEE JOHNSON: YOU MENTIONED LESSONS LEARNED FOR THE 77 NORTH PROJECT. IS THERE A REPORT OF THOSE LESSONS LEARNED? IS THERE ANY TYPE OF FORMAL EVALUATION OR STUDY OF THOSE LESSONS LEARNED. >> YEAH. >> THIS HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A CONTRACT REVIEW THAT WAS CONDUCTED IT WAS KNOWN AS THE -- REPORT, THERE WAS ALSO A LOCAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT WAS CREATED TO GET FEEDBACK ON THE CONTRACT. AND WITH I-77 NORTH CONTRACT, IT IS A 50-YEAR CONTRACT. BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS ON THE WAY -- ALONG THE WAY TO IMPROVE IT. BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL LESSONS LEARNED THAT WERE LAID OUT THROUGH THE LOCAL ADVISORY GROUP PROCESS. I THINK ONE OF THE KEY LESSONS LEARNED FOR US WAS TRANSPARENCY. THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT. IT -- FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, THAT BEFORE IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS A CONTRACT THAT WAS SIGNED AND CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. AND SO WHAT'S DIFFERENT HERE IS THAT WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH C.R.T.P.O., VERY EARLY ON. AND IF IT'S DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE P.3, WE WOULD WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO DETERMINE WHAT THE REGIONAL PRIORITIES ARE. SO WE COULD INCORPORATE THOSE KEY TERMS INTO THE CONTRACT EARLY ON. SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TOWS HAVE THAT EARLY -- FOR US TO HAVE THAT EARLY TRANSPARENCY AND COLLABORATION TO ENSURE IT'S A CONTRACT THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE PRIORITIES. >>RENEE JOHNSON: WHAT'S THE UTILIZATION RATE ON 77 NORTH TOLLS? >> DO YOU WANT TO GO WITH THAT? >> I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, MOBILITY PARTNERS DOES POST ON THEIR WEBSITE QUARTERLY THE TRANSACTION AND REVENUE VOLUME SO WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT TO YOU. >>RENEE JOHNSON: THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER HOW DO WE INCREASE THE YUTLIZATION RATES, I TALKED TO COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS, COST FOR CARS THAT'S PORNT FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND AND COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW ARE WE GETTING THE BEST UTILIZATION RATE. >> WE CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE ONE OF THOSE LESSONS LEARNED IS LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO MAXIMIZE UTILIZATION ON THE 77 SOUTH PROJECT. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE NORTH CONTRACT WAS SIGNED, BUT IT'S A 50-YEAR, YOU KNOW, LIVING DOCUMENT. AND AS CARLY MENTIONED, THERE HAVE BEEN ALREADY A NUMBER OF CHANGES TO THAT CONTRACT BASED ON THE LOCAL ADVISORY GROUP, THE REPORT, AND WE'RE CONTEMPLATING AND WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER ON ADDITIONAL CHANGES IN THE FUTURE, TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED ON THE NORTH PROJECT AS WELL. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOUTH HERE TONIGHT. BUT, YOU KNOW, NORTH IS STILL VERY MUCH A FOCUS OF THE DEPARTMENT. >>RENEE JOHNSON: AND I KNOW YOU'VE PRESENTED A LOT OF INFORMATION TO THE COMMITTEE, THE C.R.T.P.O. COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK FOR COUNCIL TO HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA WOULD BE GREAT, ALSO. SPECIFICALLY, THOSE LESSONS LEARNED THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, COST WAS ONE TO LESSONS, WHAT ABOUT SAFETY? SO THE CRASH RATES FOR THIS SEGMENT ARE 2.5 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE, WHAT ABOUT 77 NORTH? HAVE THESE TOLL LANESEN CREASED THE SAFETY -- INCREASED THE SAFETY IN THIS AREA? >> SO I DO KNOW WE PRESENTED -- YOU GUYS REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS ON THAT? WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THE VOLUMES HAVE INCREASED ON I-77 NORTH, SINCE THAT TIME. JUST -- WELL, THAT'S THE SOUTH SEGMENT. SO BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET YOU THE DETAILS ON THAT. >>RENEE JOHNSON: YEAH, I THINK THAT'S -- >> BUT WE KNOW IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT. >>RENEE JOHNSON: OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT THE TAXPAYERS WOULD LIKE ANSWERED, WHAT'S THE COMPARATIVE RATE. ALSO, THE MW/SBE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHETTY STUDY, IN OUR MEETING EARLIER. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT EQUITY, AND EQUITABLE LENS IN OUR CITY. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK FROM THE 77 NORTH PROJECT, DO WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS OR THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WENT TO AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESSES? >> YEAH, WE ACTUALLY -- WE HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION COME UP RECENTLY, AND WE'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING THAT RESPONSE, BUT WE DID PROVIDE THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AND SO WE HAVE A DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM AT NCDOT, WHICH IS INCORPORATED INTO ALL OF OUR PROJECTS AND FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WENT TOWARDS THAT PROGRAM, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT DETAIL AS WELL. >>RENEE JOHNSON: I THINK I'VE SEEN THE REPORT TO DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES. >> YEAH. >>RENEE JOHNSON: MY QUESTION SPECIFICALLY IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN. >> SO WE HAVE THE SAME FOLLOWUP QUESTION, AND I THINK WE WERE TRYING TO BREAK THAT OUT. AS WELL. AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU JUST AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER. >>RENEE JOHNSON: OKAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>RENEE JOHNSON: NOW, I KNOW WE'RE A GROWING AREA SO I IMAGINE YOU TAKE THE PROJECTED POPULATION INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE'RE DESIGNING THIS. DO WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE IMPACT ON THE ROADS IN THAT AREA? 77 SOUTH, YOU MENTIONED URBAN AREAS, SO A LOT OF THESE AREAS ARE IN URBAN AREAS, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN ON THOSE MAJOR ARTERIAL ROADS? AS FAR AS THE TRAFFIC AND THE GROWTH. >> IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH RATE. >>RENEE JOHNSON: YEAH. >> WELL, I MEAN, ONE THING WE DO AT NCDOT, WE DO MONITOR THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON OUR ROUTES. AND AS WE ENTER INTO A PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE, JUST LIKE WE DID ON I-77 SOUTH HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE CURRENT VOLUMES AND WE'RE PROJECTING OUT VOLUMES AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DESIGN TO. AND SO SPECIFICALLY, AS IT RELATES TO THIS PROJECT, AT THE INTERCHANGES, WHERE WE'RE CROSSING OVER I-77, ALL OF OUR DESIGN CONCEPTS DO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VOLUMES ON THOSE STREETS THAT CROSS OVER I-77. AND THEIR PROJECTED VOLUMES AS WELL, SO ALONG THE CORRIDOR FOR THIS PROJECT EFFORT, CERTAINLY, WE DID TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. >>RENEE JOHNSON: OKAY, AND THEN ALSO, WE TALK ABOUT URBAN AREAS. THERE ARE FOLKS THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT FROM AN EQUITABLE LENS, THAT CANNOT AFFORD THE TOLL LANES. WE KNOW THAT 77 NORTH IS -- IT CAN BE -- IT CAN BE CONSIDERED KIND OF COSTLY. RIGHT? SO I WAS LOOKING IN CALIFORNIA AND POSSIBLY OTHER CITIES, THERE ARE WAIVERS FOR THE TOLL LANES. AND PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AS A CONSIDERATION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY IN THE CITY AND UPWARD MOBILITY, I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS IN THIS AREA. AND MAYBE THE ENTIRE TOLL LANE, BUT AT LEAST THIS WHILE WE'RE DEVELOPING THE RFQ FOR SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER THAT WOULD IMPROVE THE UTILIZATION RATE AND ALSO JUST ADDRESS THE EQUITY SO I THINK THAT'S A CONSIDERATION. >> FOR THE SOUTH PROJECT, THAT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING WE'LL LOOK AT. OTHER EXPRESS LANES AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE CURRENT SECTION THAT'S OPEN, I-77 MOBILITY PARTNER, PRIVATE PARTNER, THEY ACTUALLY DO OFFER A PROGRAM FOR SNS RECIPIENTS, THERE IS AN APPLICATION, SO FOLKS CAN APPLY ONLINE, AND THEN IF THEY QUALIFY, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FIVE FREE RIDES A MONTH, SO THAT'S THE CURRENT PROGRAM IN PLACE. ADDITIONALLY, IT'S HOV 3 PLUS, SO IF YOU'RE A DRIVER THAT HAS 2 PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE WITH YOU, YOU HAVE TO REGISTER THROUGH NC QUICK PASS, BUT YOU CAN UTILIZE THE LANES FOR FREE IF YOU HAVE THREE PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE. >>RENEE JOHNSON: THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION, I HOPE THAT OUR MEDIA PARTNERS PUBLISH THAT. THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: ALL RIGHT. MS. MOLINA? ANY COMMENT OR QUESTIONS? >>MARJORIE MOLINA: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING TODAY AND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT. THIS IS -- THIS IS -- THIS IS PRETTY -- THIS IS PRETTY IMPACTFUL. NOW, ACTUALLY AS I IMAGINE THIS, I WONDER, I MEAN, YOU SAID THE PRICE TAG IS $3.6 BILLION. I'VE RIDDEN DOWN 77, WE ALL HAVE, AND I'M IMAGINING LIKE, WHERE WOULD WE PUT IT? RIGHT? LIKE IS THIS LAND ACQUISITION? IS THIS LIKE HOW DOES THIS AFFECT 77? IF YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MEANS? I LOOK AT LIKE THE MIDDLE BARRIER THAT'S KIND OF GOING DOWN WITH THE LITTLE MILE MARKERS ON IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND I -- I HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO IMAGINE A TOLL LANE THERE. AND I CAN'T SEE IT. BUT THANK GOD I'M NOT AN ENGINEER SO. [ LAUGHTER ] RIGHT? BUT LIKE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT DRIVING? RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK I GOT A MULTIFACETED QUESTION, LET ME GIVE IT ALL TO YOU AND THEN YOU CAN TELL ME, HOW LONG IS THIS PROJECT POTENTIALLY GOING TO TAKE? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO DRIVE IN THE INTERIM? AND WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT? >> SO GREAT QUESTIONS. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONSTRUCT LANES ON ANY EXISTING ROADWAY. BUT IT IS PART OF OUR WORK. RIGHT? IT'S PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO GET ANY PROJECT BUILT UNLESS YOU'RE JUST BUILDING, YOU KNOW, A NEW ALIGNMENT SOMEWHERE. SO ALL OF OUR DESIGN CONCEPTS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEGMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO WIDEN OUT. SO YOU'D WIDEN OUT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW WIDTH THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE NEW LANES AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT RECONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGES, YOU CAN'T FIT THE ROAD UNDER THOSE BRIDGES, THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO ELEVATE CERTAIN SEGMENTS TO AVOID VERY EXPENSIVE RIGHT-OF-WAY OR IMPACTS TO CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, TO COMMUNITIES OR BUSINESSES. WHERE WE ALWAYS WANT TO AVOID THOSE IMPACTS. SOME MAY BE UNAVOIDABLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PROCESS WOULD CARRY OUT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD HAVE TO INVOLVE SOME PHASED CONSTRUCTION. WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PLANNING AHEAD, YOU'RE BUILDING A PIECE OF THE PROJECT THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU MAYBE TO WIDEN OUT TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN YOU COULD THEN GO BACK AND RECONSTRUCT IN THE MIDDLE. AND SO IT WOULD BE A STAGED PROCESS. AND THAT'S VERY COMMON FOR MOST HIGHWAY WORK. BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BE COMPLEX. HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE? WE CAN'T SAY THAT FOR SURE. ESTIMATES, YOU KNOW, HAVE RANGED UPWARDS OF FIVE YEARS FOR CONSTRUCTION TIME PERIODS. SO IT'S A MAJOR PROJECT. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: OKAY. >> IT WILL TAKE A WHILE. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: NOW I GUESS I HAVE ANOTHER ASSUMPTION BASED ON WHAT I CAN IMAGINE. THE ULTIMATE BENEFICIARY TO THIS, YOU KNOW, NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH CHARLOTTE, ESSENTIALLY IS SOUTH CAROLINA. ARE THEY A PARTNER, ARE THEY AT TO TABLE, DO WE TALK TO THEM? LIKE ONCE WE CROSS INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA LINE, WE'RE STOPPING AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA LINE, I'M ASSUMING. >> RIGHT? >> YES. THAT'S THE INTENT. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: OKAY. AND HAVE WE HAD ANY TYPE OF -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS KIND OF WORKS, BUT. HAVE WE TALKED TO SC D.O.T., ARE THEY? >> WE HAVE HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THIS PROJECT, I-485 EXPRESS LANES ARE ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE ANTICIPATE SOUTH CAROLINA DRIVERS HAVING, BUT THERE ARE ONGOING CONVERSATIONS BUT WE HAVE HAD INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND AS GET CLOSER TO I-4 8 5, WE'LL HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS, THEY'RE CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE WELL-INFORMED AS WELL. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: I THINK ABOUT US, I MEAN I THINK ABOUT CHARLOTTE, RIGHT, WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE GREATER REGION OF CHARLOTTE, WHERE 15 COUNTIES, OVER THE STATE LINE, WE HAVE CONSTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE OVER THE STATE LINE. SO I'M IMAGINING THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY COME INTO CHARLOTTE USING, YOU KNOW, OUR STREETS, YOUR STREETS, OUR SHARED STREETS, LIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. RIGHT? SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF A THOUGHT THAT I'M THROWING OUT THERE. I HAVE A HYPOTHETICAL ASK. IF WE DECIDED NOT TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, AS A BODY, WHAT HAPPEN SNS IT DISAPPEARS? WE DON'T HAVE THE CONVERSATION? WE DO? WE WHAT? I'M NOT IMPLYING THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO BY ANY STRETCH. >> I CAN TAKE THAT. YEAH, I THINK AS WAS OUTLINED, THIS PROJECT WOULD HAVE TO BE BROUGHT TO A LOGICAL STOPPING POINT AND RE-EVALUATED IF AND WHEN THE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE TO ADVANCE IT. YOU KNOW, THAT SAID, THE DEPARTMENT IS ALWAYS LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH THE NPOC.R.T.P.O. TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS IN THE REGION SO I DON'T THINK EVERYTHING WOULD STOP BUT CERTAINLY THIS PROJECT AS WE KNOW IT TOGETHER I DON'T THINK WOULD MOVE FORWARD, AT LEAST NOT BASED ON CURRENT PROJECTIONS, ONE MORE THING, IT TOUCHED ON ANOTHER QUESTION, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, I THINK THE CURRENT PROJECTIONS ARE APPROXIMATELY 40% OF USERS OF THE EXPRESS LANES WOULD BE OUT OF STATE USERS SO THIS IS A TRUE INTERSTATE FACILITY SO, COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT USER FEES AND THE PEOPLE CHOOSING TO USE THE ROADS WOULD PAY FOR THE ROADS, 40% OF THOSE WOULD BE OUT OF STATE USERS. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: AND THAT'S MY IMAGINATION, SO THE FIRST PLACE I EVER OWNED WAS OFF OF THE CARA WINDS BOULEVARD, EVERY TIME I CAM UPTOWN, IT WOULD BE THE MOST TEDIOUS THING IN THE WORLD. THIS IS NOT AN IMPLYCA TIF ENDORSEMENT BUT TO SAY I GOT TO TRAVEL 11 EXITS AND BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, AND THERE'S A TOLL, I WOULD PAY IT. HAPPILY. TO NOT HAVE TO BE IN THAT BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. FOR 30 MINUTES. SO MY IMAGINATION SAID THAT SOUTH CAROLINA WOULD BE A BENEFICIARY. AND I THINK THE LAST THING FOR ME, AND LIKE I SAID, I'M HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE HAD A CHEAT SHEET, I HAVE LIVING CHEAT SHEETS, MY COLLEAGUE WHO LEADS THE TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS GIVEN ME MORE CRASH COURSES THAN I CAN COUNT, BY NOW. SO I'M ADEPT AT A LOT OF THE GRANULAR INFORMATION AND I HAVE ANOTHER PARTNER WHO, YOU KNOW, HAS SAT NOW WITH ME FOR LUNCH TEN TIMES SO A LOT OF THIS HAS JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OUT LYING THINGS THAT I HAVEN'T QUITE YET FIGURED OUT, I'D BE INTERESTED IN AND FROM A PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO TWO THINGS T COST FOR THE AVERAGE CONSTITUENT, CAN THEY UTILIZE IT? IS IT AFFORDABLE? BECAUSE THAT'S STUFF THAT WE'RE ALREADY HEARING. AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM I-77 NORTH? BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL. RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE GOING TO BE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK STICK OUT AND THOSE ARE GOING TO BE ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR TO THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WE REPRESENT. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO GET THAT INFORMATION, IF YOU HAVE IT. AS FAR AS LIKE LESSONS LEARNED, STUFF THAT WE CAN DISSEMINATE, TO THE PUBLIC, WHEN THEY ASK US THOSE QUESTIONS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD WE DO THIS, CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY THAT HAPPENED WITH I-77 GOING NORTH. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. >>MAYOR: MS. AJMERA? >>DIMPLE AJMERA: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED BY MANY COLLEAGUES, SO THANK YOU. LET ME FIRST THANK COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS, HE HAS PUT IN A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS. HE'S MADE CALLS OVER THE WEEKEND. AND EVEN THIS MORNING, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS. TO REALLY HELP FOLKS GET UP TO SPEED. SO IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED. I HEAR LOUD AND CLEAR FROM NCDOT THAT TIMING IS OF THE ESSENCE. TO ADDRESS CONGESTION, TRAFFIC FATALITIES, SO CERTAINLY THAT NEEDS TO BE A BIG FACTOR INTO OUR DECISION MAKING. IT'S NOW OR NEVER. WHILE CONSIDERING THAT, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE HAD WHEN WE -- WHEN NCDOT DID 77 NORTH WITH -- I KNOW THERE WERE CONTRACTUAL CONCERNS THAT HAD COME UP, SPECIFICALLY AROUND A HISTORY OF FINANCIAL TROUBLES, AND JUST NCDOT USING CONTROL FOR DEVELOPING COMPETING ROADS. WHAT IS BEING DONE OR WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THOSE MOVING FORWARD? SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS PROJECT? >> I THINK IN THE PRESENTATION, I SAID WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT 77 NORTH VERSUS THIS TIME AROUND, AND IT STARTED WITH THIS DIALOGUE WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTRACT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. AND THERE WEREN'T NEARLY AS MANY EXAMPLES NATIONALLY FOR FOLKS TO GO BY. AND THIS MARKET WASN'T AS WELL ESTABLISHED AND THE PARAMETERS WEREN'T AS WELL UNDERSTOOD. SO NOW, WE HAVE THAT TO OUR ADVANTAGE. SO WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT STEP FORWARD, AND DEVELOP PRIORITIES SUCH AS BETTER UTILIZATION OF THE EXPRESS LANES AND THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES. AS A, YOU KNOW, JUST A BASELINE POSITION THAT I THINK BOTH THE STATE AND, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS AT C RTP THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH, WE ALREADY SUPPORT THAT. SO TO ME, THAT'S THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE, IS WE'RE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS RFQ PROCESS. AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN THE FIRST TIME. SO THE FIRST TIME IT WAS MORE OF A BLANK SLATE. WE HAVE DESIGN CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON WITH THE CITY, WE HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO DEVELOP A WORKING GROUP TO HELP SET THESE PRIORITIES AND TO MAKE THE BEST OUTCOME THAT WE CAN FOR ALL THE USERS OF THE CORRIDOR. SO I THINK IT COMES DOWN THAT. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? >> THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THAT CONTRACT THAT WOULD SAY IF THERE'S A NEW PROJECT THAT WASN'T CONTEMPLATED AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AT THE TIME, AND HAD ADDED ADDITIONAL GENERAL PURPOSE LANES, MAIN LANE TRAFFIC TO THE CORRIDOR, THERE COULD BE A COMPENSATION EVENT FOR THE DEVELOPER. BUT THE DEPARTMENT CAN AND RETAINS THE ABILITY TO -- IF THERE WAS I REVENUE IMPACT TO THE DEVELOPER, WOULD BE COMPENSATION DUE AS THE RESULT OF THAT PROJECT? SO THE DEPARTMENT STILL OWNS THE ASSET, IT'S A LONG-TERM LEASE, AND THE DEPARTMENT STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO CONSTRUCT ANY LANES THAT IT DEEMS NECESSARY. BUT AGAIN, WITH THAT CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT, THERE IS SOME OBLIGATION THERE, BUT I THINK AS BRETT AND CARLY HAVE MENTIONED, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AND THINKING ABOUT ON ANYTHING ON THE SOUTH CORRIDOR, IF THE PROJECT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, OR THE PROVISIONS THAT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW TODAY. >>MARJORIE MOLINA: . >>DIMPLE AJMERA: OKAY, THAT IS HELPFUL. NCDOT HAS CONTROL OVER DEVELOPING, EVEN IF IT'S COMPETITIVE PROJECTS. I KNOW -- I MOVED HERE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND I'VE SEEN TOLL LANES MANY, MANY TIMES. I'VE NOTICED EV VEHICLES, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS AN INCENTIVE FOR FOLKS TO DRIVE EV VEHICLES. AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DRIVE ON TOLL LANES FOR FREE. HAVE WE CONSIDERED THAT? TO INCREASE THE UTILIZATION AS WELL AS INCREASE THE ADOPTION OF EV VEHICLES? >> SO CURRENTLY, IN NORTH CAROLINA, THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT RESTRICTS THE USE OF TOLL LANES AND DISCOUNTS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NORTH CAROLINA PURSUES ON THE TOLL LANES, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PROS AND KONTOS THAT, IF, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN USERS USE THE LANES FOR FREE, THAT POTENTIALLY MEANS THAT OTHER USERS PA I -- PAY MORE, SO THERE'S A GIVE AND TAKE, THERE ARE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THAT AROUND THE COUNTRY, EQUITY PROGRAMS, ETCETERA. ALL OF THAT I THINK WILL BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS WE LOOK -- IF THIS PROJECT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE'RE LOOKING TO THOSE. >>DIMPLE AJMERA: IT GIVES ME GREAT COMFORT TO KNOW WE HAVE GREAT REPRESENTATION FROM CHARLOTTEANS ON OUR NCDOT BOARD WITH STEPHEN AND TONY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. >>DANTE ANDERSON: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, ALL THREE OF YOU FOR THE DETAILED INFORMATION AND PRESENTATION. I GET TO SEE MANY OF YOU PRESENT BEING A PART OF C.R.T.P.O. AS WELL AND SO IT'S REALLY GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE AND HAVE YOU IN FRONT OF COUNCIL. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU. IT'S BEEN MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT THE USE COST VERSUS UTILIZATION OF 77 NORTH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT MIGHT IMPACT THIS POTENTIAL PROJECT GOING SOUTH? >> WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A BALANCE BECAUSE ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF AN EXPRESS LANE'S PROJECT IS TO ENSURE A RELIABLE TRAVEL TIME IN THOSE LANES SO OBVIOUSLY,S THAT REQUIRES KIND OF THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND EQUATION AS MORE PEOPLE MOVE INTO THE LANE, NECESSARILY, THE PRICE OF THE LANES HAS TO GO UP. OR THOSE LANES BECOME CONGESTED JUST LIKE THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES SO, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THAT PART OF THE EQUATION, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT WITH THE NORTH PROJECT, THERE'S A MODEL THAT LOOKS TO MAXIMIZE REVENUE FOR THE DEVELOPER, THAT'S WHAT THE DROPPER IS IN THE BUSINESS TO DO. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE LOCAL ADVISOR GROUP AND THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES ON THE SOUTH PROJECT TO BUT GUARDRAILS AROUND THAT, A THROUGHPUT MAXIMIZATION MODEL, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE UTILIZATION OF THE LANES. OBVIOUSLY, THAT COMES WITH A COST. YOU KNOW, SO IT WILL BE A BALANCING ACT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE UP TO 600 MILLION NDZ THE STATE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO ADVANCE THE 77 SOUTH PROJECT. SO WITHIN THAT CONSTRAINT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENCOURAGE UTILIZATION WHILE STILL NOT DISINCENTIVIZING DEVELOPERS TO COME TO THE TABLE TO CREATE A COMPETITIVE PROCESS. >>DANTE ANDERSON: VERY GOOD, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A BALANCE FOR SURE. I LIVED FOR MANY YEARS IN THE NORTHEAST, AND THE COMPARATIVE PRICING OF RIDING IN A TOLL LANE IN THE NORTHEAST VERSUS WHEN I'M TRAVELING NORTH ON 77 IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT SORT OF SIDE BY SIDE. AND SO I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE AREAS THAT YOU JUST SPOKE TO FOR THIS POTENTIAL PROJECT. THE -- I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS. YOU MENTIONED THE VOLUMES IN LOOKING AT THE NORTH PROJECT, HOW DO THE VOLUME -- AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION NOW, BUT IF YOU DO, HOW DO THE VOLUMES ON 77 TRAVELING SOUTH LOOK TODAY RELATIVE TO THE VOLUMES 77 NORTH WHEN WE BEGAN THAT TOLL PROJECT? >> I TELL YOU THAT -- YOU'RE RIGHT, I DON'T HAVE THE THE EXACT NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THERE'S MORE VEHICLES USING THE 77 SOUTH CORRIDOR THAN WERE USING 77 NORTH. YEAH. >>DANTE ANDERSON: OKAY. AND WITH 40% OF THE VOLUMES COMING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA OR EFFECTIVELY ORIGINATING OUT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IS THERE ANY THOUGHT OR IDEATION AROUND TIERED PRICING? FOR, YOU KNOW, OUT OF STATE USERS, OR A POINT OF ORIGINATION USERS? >> YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION THERE ARE SOME INTERSTATE COMMERCE CONSIDERATIONS THAT GENERALLY LIMIT OUR TO PRICE BASED ON LOCATION, THE NC QUICK PASS PROGRAM, IF YOU PURCHASE OR GET A TRANSPONDER, AND PREPAY, THAT COMES WITH A 35% DISCOUNT ON YOUR TOLLS. THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU'RE LOCATED. AND WE ARE INTEROPERABLE WITH THE EASY PASS PROGRAM SO BASICALLY ANYBODY WHO HAS A TRANSPONDER ON THE EAST COAST CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM, BUT AS FAR AS LOCAL DISCOUNTS, THERE'S SOME LIMITS TO OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT. >>DANTE ANDERSON: GOT IT. OKAY. AND WE MENTION ED SOME OF THE EXCHANGES AND YOU HAVE VISUAL UP ON THE SCREEN, BUT THERE ARE, I WOULD SAY, QUITE A FEW TROUBLESOME EXCHANGES ALONG 77 SOUTH. YOU KNOW, ONE IN PARTICULAR IS WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO EXIT AND GET ON TO WEST BOULEVARD, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE 277 EXIT THERE, AND IT'S ALWAYS A BOTTLENECK, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME OF THE DAY, IT CAN BE 9:00 IN THE MORNING, 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, OR 10:00 -- ALWAYS A BOTTLENECK THERE SO AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THE LANES, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD CALL SOME TROUBLESOME EXCHANGES ALONG 77 SOUTH? >> SO THE DESIGN CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED TO DATE ALL MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, ALL UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR. AND INCLUDING THE WEST BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE AND YOU'RE HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS, THE PROXIMITY TO REALLY TO JOHN BELK. >>DANTE ANDERSON: YES. >> AND SO, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DESIGN -- THE FINAL DESIGN WINDS UP BEING, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECONSTRUCT A SEGMENT, WHEN WU PUT IT BACK, WE WANT TO PUT IT BACK IN BETTER CONDITION, THERE'S GOING TO BE CHALLENGES WITH INTERCHANGE SPACING THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR, IT'S VERY COMPRESSED, I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE THINKING THAT IT'S GOING BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FREE FLOW CONDITIONS ALL THE TIME. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S STILL GOING TO BE IN A DOWNTOWN AREA. BUT CERTAINLY, THOSE CONCEPTS WILL PROVIDE IMPROVEMENT. >>DANTE ANDERSON: WELL, BRETT, I HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE IN YOU, I'M GOING TO HOLD FREE FLOW AT THE TOP OF THIS LIST THERE. >> THANK YOU. >>DANTE ANDERSON: MY LAST QUESTION IS YOU'VE MENTIONED A FEW TIMES THAT WILL WOULD BE A WORKING GROUP, IF WE WERE TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT. THERE WOULD BE A WORKING GROUP TO BE STOOD UP. TO HELP FROM AN ADVISORY PERSPECTIVE. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE POTENTIAL MAKEUP OF THIS WORKING ADVISORY GROUP? >> YEAH, WELL, THAT MAY BE A BETTER QUESTION FOR THE NPO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE NPO TO WORK WITH US AND DEVELOP THIS WORKING GROUP, SO THAT WOULD BE THE INTENT. COUNCILMAN DRIGGS, DID YOU HAVE -- >>ED DRIGGS: THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS PROPOSED BY THE CHAIR, A GENERAL CONSENSUS, BUT THE C.R.P.T.O. HAS NOT GOTTEN INTO HOW THAT WOULD WORK, VOLUNTEERS OR BACKGROUND, WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THAT YET. >>DANTE ANDERSON: EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT WAS THE BALANCE OF MY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. >> IF I MAY, OBVIOUSLY, COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF THE MAKEUP OF THE WORKING GROUP, WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL KEY STAKEHOLDERS SO IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, OBJECTIVES OR PRIORITIES OF THIS BODY,S OR OTHERS, I'M SURE COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS CAN RELAY THOSE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF THOSE IF THIS PROJECT WERE TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE WERE DEVELOPING THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS, THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE GUARDRAILS FOR WHICH WE GO OUT TO THE MARKET AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THE PROJECT THAT THIS REGION NEEDS. CAN SOMEBODY DELIVER IT FOR US? >>MAYOR: THANK YOU. MR. GRAHAM. >>MALCOLM GRAHAM: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OTHER THAN MAYBE ONE OR TWO COMMENTS. ONE, THAT THAT STRETCH IS HISTORICALLY BEEN ACHILLES HEEL IN CHARLOTTE, COMING AND GOING, MANY OF IT IS THE COMMUTER TRAFFIC COMING IN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA. SO IT'S GOOD THAT MAYBE 40% OF THE PEOPLE WILL HELP PAY FOR IT ON A DAILY BASIS. THAT WON'T BE LIVING HERE IN THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE. BUT WORKING HERE. AND I THINK YOU LED OFF APPROPRIATELY IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT THE PRIORITIES OF THE STATE. FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, WHERE DOLLARS FOR OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROPERTIES ARE GOING TO BE REALLY SCRUTINIZED MOVING FORWARD, I SUSPECT THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS AFTER THE ELECTION AND AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REGARDING TRANSPORTATION AND FUNDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS WITH AN EYE TOWARDS FIXING ROADS, BRIDGES, HIGHWAYS, AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH -- THE RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S THE RAINY DAY FUNDS OR CREATIVE FINANCING, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WON'T BE MAKING ENOUGH NUMBER OF POLITICAL DECISIONS IN REFERENCE TO HOW DOLLARS ARE TO BE UTILIZED AND PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED. SO WITH THAT, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REALLY CONNECT OURSELVES TO THIS PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S A LOT OF I'S THAT NEEDS TO BE DOTTED AND T'S CROSSED BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO SINCE 17 YEARS AGO, WHICH IS PROVIDE RELIEF FOR THIS 11-MILE STRETCH, SO GIVEN ED, THE OKAY TO REALLY CAST OUR VOTES TO MOVE FORWARD, I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY APPROPRIATE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES THAT NEEDS TO BE ATTENDED TO. BASED ON THE PAST HISTORY. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THAT WE CAPTURE AND DO OUR FAIR SHARE TO SUPPORT WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IN TERMS OF THEIR REBUILDING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, LOOK AT OUR FUTURE OVER THE NEXT 10- 15 YEARS AS YOU INDICATED, IT'S BEEN 14 YEARS SINCE THE STUDY AND TALKING ABOUT THIS, AND IT'S REALLY TIME FOR US TO -- FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND AND SAY YES, WE WANT TO LEARN MORE, UNDERSTAND MORE AND GET THIS PROJECT FUNDED AND STARTED, IT WILL BE A LOT OF PAIN BEING BUILT, FOR AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS, MAYBE LONGER RIGHT? SO I THINK WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND ALIGN OURSELVES TO DHIENG. AND THEN LASTLY, OFF TOPIC, BUT EVEN WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF ANY PENDING LEGISLATION THAT WE MAY HAVE COMING BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, I THINK THERE WILL BE A DESIRE ON THE PART OF MANY OF THE STATE LEGISLATORS, STATE LEADERS, MOVING FORWARD, IN HOW WE FUND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND AT THE SAME TIME, CONTINUE FUNDING OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, THEY'LL BE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITIES WHO ARE WILLING TO INVEST IN THEMSELVES. AND SO THE LEGISLATION THAT WE MAY HAVE IN FRONT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THIS COMING NOVEMBER, MAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, HAS A BETTER CHANCE OF GOING FORWARD UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE THAN IT DID TWO WEEKS AGO, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE BE A NUMBER OF LEADERS LOOKING AT EVERY POT AND LOOKING FOR COMMUNITIES TO REALLY SELF-FUND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA IS GOING BE A 10-12 YEAR PROJECT. FOR SURE. AND SO A LOT OF RESOURCES FROM THE STATE. THEY MAY GO INTO THE RAINY DAY FUND TO DO SOME OF THAT. BUT MOST OF IT IS GOING TO BE LOOKING AT EXISTING PROJECTS AND BEING THERE FOR TEN YEARS, I KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK. TRYING TO O SEE WHERE THEY CAN PULL DOLLARS FROM. TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY AND CERTAINLY DO OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSE TONIGHT THE CITIZENS OF THE WEST, WE SHOULD ALIGN OURSELVES AND MAKING SURE THAT I THINK THERE WAS A 30-40 DAYS, 60 DAYS ED? >>ED DRIGGS: ( INAUDIBLE ). >>MALCOLM GRAHAM: FOR US TO MAC A DECISION OR SOMETHING? >>ED DRIGGS: WELL, THE PROPOSAL WAS THAT THE C.R.T.P.O. VOTE THIS MONTH. >>MALCOLM GRAHAM: YEAH. >>ED DRIGGS: POSITION -- ( INAUDIBLE ) ( TALKING SIMULTANEOUSLY ). >>MALCOLM GRAHAM: IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEND A STRONG MESSAGE OF SUPPORT AND SO THAT WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE BEING HAD, IN NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER, THAT WE'VE GONE ON RECORD AND INDICATING THAT THIS IS A DESIRE ON MORE THAN ONE FRONT. THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU. MS. MAYFIELD? >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. SOME I PARTIALLY HEARD THE ANSWER FROM MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I WANTED TO GET BETTER CLARIFICATION FOR MYSELF, SO WE SAY WE HAVE ON THE MAP, I277, WE SAID VERBALLY BROOKSHIRE TO SOUTH CAROLINA. AND WE NOTE ON THIS SLIDE THAT THE CRASH RATES FOR THE SEGMENT ON I-77 ARE TWO TIMES HIGHER THAN THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE. SO ONE OF THE CONGESTED AREAS, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE MENTIONED AND THAT'S COMING OFF OF 277 TRYING TO EXIT WEST BOULEVARD, WILKERSON, JOHN BELK AND THEN ALSO -- WAS THAT NCDOT THAT DESIGNED THAT AREA? >> MANY, MANY DECADES AGO. AND THOSE FOLKS DON'T WORK HERE ANYMORE. [ LAUGHTER ] AND ALSO, WE HAVE CONSULTANTS AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, FROM OTHER GROUPS. REALLY SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. THAT HAVE HELPED DEVELOP THE DESIGN CONCEPTS OF WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE. WHEN WE -- IF AND WHEN WE GET TO CONSTRUCT IT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: OKAY, THAT'S NCDOT, THAT DESIGNED THAT. OUTSIDE OF 77, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, SO THAT -- BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF ROADS THAT INTERSECT STATE ROAD AS WELL AS LOCAL MAINTAINED ROADS. COME IN OFF OF 485, SO YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A CONVERSATION REGARDING 485. THAT'S ALSO HAPPENING, BUT IF YOU'RE COMING OFF OF 485 OUTER, AND YOU EXIT OFF OF MOUNT HOLLY ROAD. ON THAT PARTICULAR EXIT, WHICH IS BROOKSHIRE. BECAUSE -- YOU HAVE -- LET ME REPHRASE THAT, BROOKSHIRE COMES BEFORE MOUNT HOLLY, SO I THINK THAT'S EXIT 19. SO YOU COME OFF 485, OAKDALE, BROOKSHIRE, SO THE BROOKSHIRE EXIT, ONCE YOU COME OFF EXITING OFF OF 485, THERE WERE TWO -- THERE WAS A SINGLE LEFT TURN LANE, TO RIGHT TURN LANES, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS INTERESTING TRANSITION WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET ALL THE WAY OVER. ONCE YOU GET OFF ON TO BROOKSHIRE -- ONCE YOU EXIT OFF 485 AND GET ON TO BROCK SHIRE, IS THAT STATE MAINTAINED ROAD, OR CITY -- >> THAT'S THE STATE ROAD, YES. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: OKAY, SO I'M SHARING THOSE, BECAUSE ONE, FOR ME, IT'S A BIT OF A CHALLENGE WHEN WE HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT HIGHL HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE AREAS THAT HAVE HIGHER INCIDENTS OF CRASHES, AND ONE OF THOSE REASONS IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE ROADS WERE DESIGNED. SO WHETHER IT -- THE MOUNT HOLLY -- THE BROOKSHIRE EXIT IS RELATIVELY NEW. THAT WHOLE AREA IS RELATIVELY NEW. SO IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS 60 YEAR AS AGO AND WE DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER, SOME OF THESE SAME REALLY GREAT DESIGNERS WERE AROUND AND CAME UP WITH THIS BRIGHT IDEA IF YOU'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY -- IF YOU'RE ON BROOKSHIRE, TRYING TO SAY YOU'RE COMING FROM BELL HAVEN HEADING TOWARDS BROOKSHIRE, TRYING TO MANEUVER, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE LANES THAT HAVE VERY INTERESTING MERGING, YOU HAVE A 485 LANE THAT LITERALLY PHYSICALLY MAKES YOU SHIFT INTO A MIDDLE LANE. VERSUS IMMEDIATELY GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN YOU HAVE TRAFFIC COMING. SO I HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH SOME OF THE DESIGNS THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE. SO I WANTED TO JUST GET CLARIFICATION OF SOME OF THE CURRENT NCDOT ROADS. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL OF CHARLOTTE RESIDENTS HAVING REALISTICALLY AN EIGHT-YEAR IMPACT TO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE. IN ORDERER FOR US TO HELP 40% OF THE TRAVELERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO MANEUVER IN AND OUT OF THE CITY. SO WE SAY COMPENSATION, WE -- YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT REGA REGARDING THE CONVERSATION TO THE CURRENT COMPANY THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH ON I-77 NORTH, AND I TRIED TO CAPTURE IT BUT IT WAS SOMETHING AROUND IN THEIR CONTRACT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND. IF COUNCIL WERE TO SUPPORT THIS. WOULD THAT CREATE COMPETING REVENUE? OR REALIZED FUND -- WHAT COULD THAT POSSIBLY TRIGGER? IF ANYTHING. >> THIS PROJECT IS IN THE STATE TRANSPORTATION UP IMPROVEMENT AND WAS IN THE STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, AND IT'S NOT THE SAME K CORRIDOR IT'S SOUTH OF THE NORTH PROJECT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: IF YOU'RE COMING FROM MOORESVILLE, YOU'RE USING, EVENTUALLY, IF YOU'RE TAKING THE TOLL FROM MOORESVILLE AND YOU'RE CONTINUING ON 77 SOUTH, YOU VERY WELL WILL BE CONTINUING ON THIS, SO HOW ARE WE SAYING THAT OKAY, ONCE WE HIT A CERTAIN LINE, A NEW TICKER IS GOING TO KICK IN AND THIS IS NO LONGER THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND NOW BECOMES THIS NEW RESPONSIBILITY. >> SURE, YOU WANT TO TRY -- >> WELL, AGAIN, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT PROVISION IN THE CONTRACT ONLY RELATES TO PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T ALREADY IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AT THE TIME. SO THIS PROJECT IS OBVIOUSLY BEEN IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR WELL OVER A DECADE. SO REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED, IT WOULDN'T BE -- IT WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT UP IN THAT LANGUAGE. THAT -- THE INTENT OF THAT LANGUAGE, I KNOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A CONCERN OF THE REGION, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT OF THAT LANGUAGE REALLY WAS AND FROM THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE MAKES SENSE, IF THE STATE CAME IN AND ADDED A BUNCH OF GENERAL PURPOSE LANES TO THE 77 NORTH REGION AFTER MOBILITY PARTNERS CAME IN AND CONSTRUCTED THE EXPRESS LANES, THEN REASONABLY, THERE COULD BE A COMPENSATION EVENT, IF THEY COULD PROVE DAMAGES. IT'S NOT INTENDED TO INHIBIT THE STATE'S ABILITY TO CONSTRUCT OR IMPROVE LANES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. YOU KNOW,,NOT ONLY AGAIN, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A PROJECT THAT ALREADY WASN'T CONTEMPLATED, IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND THEN THE DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO PROVE A REVENUE IMPACT BEFORE THERE COULD BE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL COMPENSATION, BUT ANYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT WOULD NOT TRIGGER THOSE PROVISIONS. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: IF YOU COULD STAY RIGHT THERE, I'LL JUMP FORWARD TO ASK MY NEXT QUESTION. SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT CONTRACT AND WITH THIS ON SET OF CHALLENGES, AND WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING SUPPORT ON NOW IN A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE WHAT I -- I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I'M MISSED CAPTURING BECAUSE IF WE'RE SAYING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, FROM THE PUBLIC, THE STATE HAS AROUND 600 MILLION. AND THEN EVEN THOUGH WE -- YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED AS OF TODAY THIS COULD POTENTIALLY COST 1.3 BILLION AND YOU'RE THINKING A PRIVATE COMPANY IS GOING COME IN TO COVER THAT ADDITIONAL COST? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: AND HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT -- HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM THE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE -- YOU ALL HAVE WITH SEN SEEN. >> THE 77 WAS THE FIRST P3 CONTRACT, THE DESIGN BUILD, FINANCE, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN, AT A 50,000 FOOT VIEW, THE CONCEPT IS THE SAME. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TEN YEARS ON FROM THAT, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LESSONS LEARNED, NOT JUST IN THIS STATE BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT I THINK THE DISCUSSION HERE IS, YOU KNOW, TAKING THOSE LESSONS LEARNED, INCORPORATED THEM INTO ANY -- ANY POTENTIAL P3 THAT WOULD MOVE FORWARD ON 77 SOUTH, YOU KNOW, AS CARLY AND BRETT HAVE MENTIONED, I THINK TRANSPARENCY WAS A KEY TO WHAT KIND OF TRANSPIRED ON THE NORTH WHERE THE STATE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS FELT LIKE THE STATE DEVELOPED THAT SORT OF IN THE BLACK BOX, WITHOUT A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST YEAR X WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN THIS ROOM HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIES FOR THE REGION ON IF THE 77 SOUTH PROJECT WERE PURSUED AS A P3, MAXIMIZATION, CONSIDERATION FOR, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT AND OTHER KIND OF PROVISIONS THAT WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO ANY KIND OF CONTRACT, MOVING FORWARD ON SOUTH. AT A 50,000 FOOT VIEW, IT'S A P3 CONTRACT, BUT THE SOUTH CONTRACT COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS REALIZED ON NORTH. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: SO THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE IS TODAY IS OCTOBER THE 7th. WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE SAY, TWO MORE WEEKS, IN THIS MONTH. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. NOTHING IN THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ACTUALLY SPEAKS TO THE LESSONS LEARNED, WITH GIVING VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND JUST THE IDEA OF THINKING THAT OUR ATTORNEYS WILL GET IN AND NEGOTIATE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE BETTER FOR US WITHOUT ACTUALLY CLEARLY SEEING THE CHALLENGES WITH THE FIRST CONTRACT. WHICH WAS PROMOTED TO THE COMMUNITY. AS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, AND NOW WE'RE SAYING WE'RE COMING BACK WITH ANOTHER PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BUT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BETTER WITHOUT HAVING SOME VERY TAN TANGIBLE LESSONS LEARNED AND IS GIVING ME FAIR. >> COMPLETELY FAIR, I THINK A KEY POINT TO NOTE AS, YOU KNOW, CARLY MENTIONED, IN THE KIND OF NEXT STEPS SLIDE, IS, YOU KNOW, THIS -- YOU KNOW, THE ACTION THAT C.R.T.P.O. MAY BE TAKING HERE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS IS DON'T THE PROCESS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE, IN OCTOBER, WHENEVER, THAT CAME, THEN THE DEPARTMENT WOULD GET DOWN TO WORKING WITH THE WORKING GROUP THAT WAS DISCUSSED, AT C.R.T.P.O. TO REALLY IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE KEY PRIORITIES ARE, FOR THE REGION, TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE CAPTURED IN KINDNY KIND OF INDICATIVE TERMS THAT ARE DEVELOPED AND AT THAT POINT WE WOULD BACK BACK, COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS, I'M SURE WOULD KEEP THE COUNCIL INFORMED OF THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS AND BEFORE THE STATE WOULD MOVE TO ADVERTISE AN R.F.Q., THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR C.R.T.P.O. TO REVIEW THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS AND SAY, YES, THIS MEETS OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR OBJECTIVES, OUR PRIORITIES, OR NO, IT DOESN'T. AND OBVIOUSLY, IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET TO A PLACE THAT C.R.T.P.O. WAS COMFORTABLE, THE PROJECT WOULDN'T MOVE FORWARD. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS REALLY JUST CONTINUING THAT PROCESS AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE WOULD BE ADDRESSED AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND DEVELOPING THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE GUARDRAILS THAT WE WOULD PUT AROUND ANY KIND OF 77 SOUTH CONTRACT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: SO WE -- THERE WILL NOT BE ANY RESEARCH INTO THE LESSONS LEARNED UNTIL THE WORKING GROUP WAS IDENTIFIED? >> WELL, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY -- WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN NOTE OF A NUMBER OF LESSONS LEARNED, AGAIN, I THINK ONE OF THE -- >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: THEY JUST HAVEN'T BEEN SHARED WITH US, SO THEY'VE BEEN SHARED WITH C.R.T.P.O. >> ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, ONE OF THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID IS, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THROUGHPUT? YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON YUTILIZATION AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE THE LANES. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE TOLLS ON THE NORTH BEING TOO HIGH, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE CONTINUE TO HEAR AND TAKE BACK. BEYOND THAT, THERE ARE OTHERS, TRANSIT, WE'VE TALKED A LOT TONIGHT, BRETT MENTIONED THE, YOU KNOW, THE EXAMPLE IN GEORGIA. WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO INCORPORATE TRANSIT INTO A RECENT P3 CONTRACT WHERE THE DEVELOPER IS ACTUALLY BUILDING A PARK AND RIDE LOTS, ETCETERA, PROVIDING FUNDING FOR TRANSIT, SO THOSE I THINK ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN NOTE OF. BUT CERTAINLY WE WILL WANT TO CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM THE WORK GROUP AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS AS WE WORK THROUGH, THIS IS NOT A TURN AROUND OVERNIGHT PROCESS, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER DRIGGS MENTIONED, PROBABLY CLOSER TO A NINE-MONTH PROCESS ONCE WE KIND OF GET THE GO AHEAD FROM C.R.T.P.O. TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS, WORKING NOT JUST WITH THE WORK GROUP, BUT ALSO THE DEVELOPERS, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MARKET WOULD ACCEPT, WE DON'T WANT TO PRESENT ANYTHING TO YOU, THAT WOULDN'T BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE MARKET, ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS THERE'S ONE BIDDER AT THE END, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN, WE'VE SEEN EXAMPLES IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, IT'S BEEN A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET. I THINK BRETT MENTIONED AN EXAMPLE IN LOUISIANA, MULTIPLE BIDDERS THROUGH THE END, WE WANT TO DRAFT TERMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW,. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHEN NCDOT IS LOOKING TO PUBLICLY ADVERTISE FOR THE RFQ? BECAUSE WE HAVE NOTED ON HERE, IS C.R.T.P.O. COULD RESCIND SUPPORT AT ANY POINT UP UNTIL NCDOT PUBLICLY ADVERTISES. >> YEAH, PART OF THAT WILL BE ON WHEN -- IT WILL BE A SIX, CLOSER TO NINE-MONTH PROCESS WORKING WITH THE WORKING GROUP, DEVELOPERS TO APPROVE THOSE INTICK TIF TERMS AND THE DEPARTMENT WILL PRESENT THOSE TERMS TO C.R.T.P.O. AT LEAST 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF ADVERTISING FOR ANY RFQ, THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO REVIEW THOSE INDICATIVE TERMS AND FOR CRPTPO TO TAKE ACTION, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE AN EXACT TIME LINE AS FAR AS WE WILL RELEASE AN RFQ ON THIS DATE, BUT PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, IF AN ACTION WERE TAKEN AT THE OCTOBER C.R.T.P.O. MEETING YOU'RE PREEBL PROBABLY LOOKING AT SOMETIME LATE SUMMER TO ADVERTISE FOR AN RFQ. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: ACTUALLY, THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU, MR. DRIGGS. AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON C.R.T.P.O., IF COUNCIL WERE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS CONVERSATION, GOES THROUGH THE PROCESS, AND 60 DAYS OUT, THEY SUBMIT SOMETHING, IS THAT COMING BACK TO COUNCIL? TO SAY, YES, OR YEA OR NAY OR IS IT -- WHAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO RIGHT NOW, DOES THAT THEN GIVE C.R.T.P.O. THE ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD AND SAY, WELL, WE'VE GOTTEN THE INFORMATION BACK THAT WE WANTED SO WE'RE SAYING LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD. >>ED DRIGGS: AGAIN, THE IDEA IS THERE WOULD BE A PROCESS, AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS AMONG NCDOT, C.R.T.P.O. AND THE OTHERS, SPECIFICALLY, TO ADDRESS AND WHAT IMPRESSES ME, IS THIS CONVERSATION HAS CAPTURED IN ABOUT AN HOUR, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING FOR A YEAR ON C.R.T.P.O. AND A LOT OF THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN ENUMERATED SPECIFICALLY, THE CRITICAL TRADE OFF BETWEEN PRICING AND UTILIZATION AND HOW THAT IMPACTS US AND OTHERS, SO MY INTENTION WOULD BE TO REPORT BACK FROM TIME TO TIME, TO COUNCIL, ON WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS ARE, WHAT WE SEE TAKING SHAPE, AND IF THERE'S A MOMENT, I DON'T EXPECT THAT THE C.R.T.P.O. WILL ACTUALLY VOTE BEFORE THAT BEFORE WHEN WE FEEL THAT ALL OF THE PARTIES ARE ALIGNED, AND WHEN I WOULD COME TO THE COUNCIL AND SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE. NOW, IS THE TIME WHEN WE CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT THIS TO MOVE AHEAD. WE WON'T BE UNDER ANY OBLIGATION, I MEAN, BEAR IN MIND, SOMETIMES YOU GET THESE EARLY VOTES, AND THEN LATER ON, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A CHOICE, THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP US FROM LOOKING AT WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THIS PROCESS AND SAYING NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: THAT HELPS ME, SO I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION. IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT OF COURSE, NCDOT HAS OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE OUT THERE, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS PARTICULAR POSSIBILITY. BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS ARE ANY OF THOSE OTHER PROJECTS UNFUNDED? >> SURE, YES. I MEAN. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: SO ARE WE LOOKING AT BASICALLY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ON OTHER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR MANY YEARS REGARDING THE WIDENING OF 49 AND WE THOUGHT WE HAD A PLAN, TEN YEARS AGO, WELL, EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND THEN, THAT KEPT GETTING PUSHED OUT, PUSHED OUT, PUSHED OUT, SO WE HAVEN'T COMPLETED THAT. SO I'M TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT ARE WE LOOKING LIKE? >> SO THE 49 PROJECT, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S -- THAT IS JUST A -- THAT'S A -- THAT IS A GENERAL PURPOSE LANE PROJECT YOU MIGHT SAY, IT'S A WINE WYDENING OF AN EXISTING KOORD DOR, IT'S NOT AN EXPRESS LANES PROJECT SO IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PRESENT A PROJECT LIKE THAT AS A P3, THERE'S NO REVENUE SOURCE OTHER THAN THE STATE FUNDING THAT WOULD GO INTO IT, BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE -- IN A DIFFERENT EXERCISE, IT'S 250 PROJECTS AND SO THERE'S A WIDE BREADTH OF PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, AND AS WE PROGRESS ALONG THE 49 INTERCHANGE AT 485, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS RECENTLY REIDENTIFIED. AS A PRIORITY PROJECT THAT COULD BECOME PART OF OUR STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AS COMMITTED PROJECT AGAIN. SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS IN THE REGION HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME, YOU KNOW, DELAYS THAT I KNOW YOU'RE SPEAKING OF. YOU KNOW, THOSE PROJECTS ARE -- SOME OF OF THEM ARE COMING ALONG, THE 160 PROJECT, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH FOLKS IN THAT REGION, THAT WHOLE SIDE OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY, IS STRESSED, AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY IT'S JUST KIND OF THE SAME -- IT'S THE GROWTH THAT THIS REGION HAS EXPERIENCE TD, DRIVEN THIS NEED AND THIS DEMAND. BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SPECIFICALLY, IT'S NOT REALLY A P3 TYPE PROJECT, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT A TOLL PROJECT. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: WELL, THE INITIAL QUESTION WAS ARE THERE ANY OTHER UNFUNDED PROJECTS? >> YES. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. >> AND WE CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IN THIS ROUND OF PRIORITIZATION, ONLY ABOUT TEN PROJECTS OF THE STATEWIDE TIER WERE FUNDED OF THE HUNDREDS THAT WERE SUBMITTED ACROSS THE STATE. SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF PROJECTS OUT THERE REMAIN UNFUNDED DUE TO FUNDING CONSTRAINTS. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE IN COSTS, THESE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'RE ALSO SEEING THAT COSTS ARE TAXES, ARE GOING DOWN, SOME OTHER THINGS ARE HAPPENING, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME COSTS GO DOWN. HOW DO -- IF ANY WAY, IS THERE AN ABILITY TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT? SO ON T, BECAUSE THE INTEREST RATES WENT DOWN, SOME PEOPLE RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION, YOUR HE LOCKE HAS GONE DOWN BACK TO THIS RATE F WE'RE NOW MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT, BASED OFF OF TODAY'S COSTS, WHEN WE ARE STRARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE COSTS LEVEL OFF AND EVEN REDUCE, NOT BACK TO THOSE LEVEL, BUT WE'RE SEEING THE REDUCTION, HOW ARE WE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT? OR BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT A 3P, WE'RE JUST GOING TO LET WHOEVER THAT POTENTIAL PARTNER LET THEM DEAL WITH THAT? >> SO I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM JUST AN ORDER OF MAGNA TUESDAY -- NAG TUESDAY, FLUCTUATIONS IN INTEREST RATES OVER TIME, IT WILL OBVIOUSLY IMPACT THE COST OF PROJECTS IN THE YEAR YOU'RE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS BUT STILL YET, THAT BASE COST IS VERY HIGH. YOU KNOW? AND EVEN IF IT CHANGED SOME PERCENTAGE POINTS, YOU KNOW, AT $3.7 BILLION, YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, FAR EXCEEDS THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE STATEWIDE TIER IN ANY GIVEN YEAR. SO CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A FACTOR. AND WE HAVE SEEN AN INTEREST RATE CHANGE, AND SO WE PRESENTED PRELIMINARY INFORMATION TO C.R.T.P.O. A FEW MONTHS BACK, AND THEN ONCE WE SAW THAT SLIGHT DROP, WE DID MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE PROJECTIONS BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A HALF A PERCENTAGE POINT, I THINK, WASN'T IT, DAVID? SO IT MOVED THE NEEDLE SOME, YES, BUT I DON'T THINK FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT TYPE OF COST, IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE OUTCOME IN MY OPINION. >>LAWANA MAYFIELD: I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE NOTED. TO JUST HAVE BETTER UNDERSTANDING. I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. YES SIR? >> HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT? MADAM MAYOR, IF I CAN INDULGE THE COUNCIL A MINUTE? FIRST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I SAT HERE FOR SIX YEARS, AS CHAIR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE PUT IN, JUST TO BE HERE. AND AS A CITIZEN OF THIS CITY FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS I SUPPORT THAT. I REALLY DO. I WANT TO TOUCH ON SEVERAL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH. ( INAUDIBLE ). >> DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP? >>MAYOR: ( INAUDIBLE ) GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. OUR HONORARY DOCTORATE AND PRESIDENTIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT. [ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH ALL OF US. SO LET'S -- WE'LL HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU. >>TIAWANA BROWN: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, IT IS A PLEASURE, YEAH, AND THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE COMING THROUGH DISTRICT 3. RIGHT? COMPLETELY ALMOST IN DISTRICT 3. SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GO LAST. WITH ALL DO RESPECT. I HONOR WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID. AND LISTEN, ATTENTIVELY TO WHAT YOU SAID, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR HARD WORK. I HAVE USED I-77 FOR A VERY LONG TIME, MY DAUGHTERS ARE 30 AND 32, SO I WANTED TO GO BACK FOR A MINUTE, WE LIVED OFF NATION FORD ROAD AND WE TOOK NATION FORD ROAD TO REMOUNT ROAD. AND IT TOOK TEN MINUTES. SCHOOL TRAFFIC EVERYTHING. THEY WERE AT THAT TIME, THEY HAD TO DO -- THEY WERE GOING TO KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL, CATCHING THE BUS, FROM MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE. AND SO THEY WERE NINE AND 11 OR 11 AND 13, SOMEWHERE AROUND IN THERE AND THEY'RE 30 AND 32 NOW. I DON'T USE 77 ANYMORE. BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO MANEUVER AND GET AROUND. BUT I -- IT IS A PAIN. TO EVEN WATCH. AND TO SEE HOW CONGESTED IT HAS BECOME. FROM 485 COMING OFF 485 TO ARROW WOOD, NATION FORD ROAD, AND TIE VO LA AND WOOD LAWN AND CLAYTON ROAD, THEN REMOUNT ROAD, I KNOW THE EXITING RIGHT? I'VE BEEN LIVING AND DRIVING THAT HIGHWAY FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME. MY CONCERN, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MEDIC, GOING THROUGH THIS. OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, THAT TAKE CARE OF US WHILE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING -- FOR ME, IT'S A YES, THERE IS A NO-BRAINER, WE HAVE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING. BECAUSE DOING NOTHING IS NOT GOING TO BE AN OPTION. FOR ME. THAT'S JUST ME. BUT THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, THE BRIDGES THEY'RE OLD, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME. SO THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION. AND SO I HAVE A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS THAT IS AFFECTED BY THIS AND SO I WANT TO KNOW IF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE AFFECTED BY US DOING THE CONSTRUCTION? AND IF SO, WHAT NEIGHBORING NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE, ALL DISTRICT 3. GOING OFF OF EVERY EXIT IS DISTRICT 3. AND HOW -- DO WE HAVE ANY BLUEPRINTS, PRELIMINARY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH MY CONSTITUENT AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ONE THAT'S VERY ACTIVE BACK HERE BIND ME NOW. WOULD THE BRIDGES NEED CONSTRUCTION FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OR IS THERE RESTORATIVE WORK THAT MAY BE DONE? AND WHAT ELSE? I HEAR THE -- I'M READING MY NOTES. I HEAR THE $600 MILLION, THAT'S COMING FROM THE STATE AND 11 MILES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FROM BROOKSHIRE COMING OFF THE 277 INTO DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTE AND IN FR THERE ALL THE WAY DOWN 77 BEHIND CARRY WINDS BOULEVARD OR EXIT 90, WHICH IS CARA WINDS BOULEVARD, EXIT 90, CARE WINDS BOULEVARD, I HAD LIKE TO KNOW THE DATA, IF I COULD? ABOUT THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, IF WE HAVE ANY, I'M NOT SURE. I'M NOT AN ENGINEERING BUT THINKING OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS WILL WANT TO KNOW, WHAT KIND OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC BARRIERS WOULD BE ADDED FOR THEM? WHICH I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY ASKED. AND THEN I THINK THE TIME FRAME WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS? AND SO GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED ON I-77 NORTH, HAVE WE REALLY, REALLY EXAMINED WHAT THOSE POLICIES WERE? AND HOW WE COULD NOT MAKE THOSE POLICIES HAPPEN AS WE'RE GOING DOWN I-77 SOUTH? AND I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES SAID A WHOLE LOT. OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID, NO DISRESPECT INTENDED. SAID A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID. AND ASKED A LOT OF ABSTRACT QUESTIONS AND YOU GUYS ATTEMPTED TO ANSWER THEM. GOING BACK, JUST TO RESTATE WHAT I SAID, I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH, I-77 A COMPLETE DISASTER. THERE IS A LOT OF ACCIDENTS, THERE IS A LOT OF SPEEDING ON I-77. A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEED, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ACCIDENTS ON I-77, WHERE I TEND TO SEE THEM IN IS CLINTON ROAD TO NATIONS FORD ROAD, THERE'S A HIGH CRASH AREA RIGHT THERE. I'M VERY OBSERVANT, EVEN THOUGH I STAY AWAY FROM THAT INTERSTATE AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON IF I'M GOING ACROSS TYVOLA TO GO ACROSS SOUTH TRYON TO GO TO STEELE CREEK, A VOID I-77 AT ALL COSTS. IT'S BEGINNING TO EVEN BOTTLENECK AT NIGHT. WITHOUT ANY EVENTS FROM SOUTH GOING TO NORTH. NO PANTHERS EVENTS, NOTHING AT THE ARENA. JUST TRAFFIC. WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING HERE. SO MEDICAL. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND THEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY ANY REPARATIONS BECAUSE OF MY DISTRICT AND ALL OF MY CONSTITUENTS, THAT LIVE OUT THE INTERSTATE AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO START WITH THE EMERGENCY QUESTION YOU HAD. AND I'LL LET BRETT GO INTO THE CONSTRUCTION. FOR THE I-77 NORTH TOLL LANES, EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL FOR FREE IN THOSE EXPRESS LANES, AND WE WOULD LOOK TO DO THE SAME FOR I-77 SOUTH. YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY TOO. AND SO WHEN LOOKING AT THE SOUTH SECTION, WE WOULD LOOK TO HAVE EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE LANES FRR FREE, BRETT, DID YOU WANT TO GO INTO CONSTRUCTION? >> SURE. SO, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING BRIDGES AS WE'VE DESCRIBED, MOST OF THEM, WITH POTENTIALLY THE EXCEPTION OF TYVOLA ROAD, SIMPLY, THE BRIDGES ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH FOR THE NEW LANES TO FIT UNDER THEM. SO IT WOULD BE A RECONSTRUCTION OF THOSE BRIDGES, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE LEJTENNED TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW LANES. AND ALONG WITH THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD WANT TO UPDATE THE RAMPS, HOW YOU EXIT AND ENTER THE HIGHWAY AS WELL. SO ALL OF OUR DESIGN CONCEPTS ARE BASED UPON THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES, AND THE PATTERNS THAT WE'RE SEEING OUT THERE TODAY, AND THOSE PROJECTIONS OUT IN THE FUTURE. SO ABSOLUTELY WE'RE TAKING ALL OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT, AND ONE THING THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT MUCH TONIGHT IS, YOU KNOW, IF THIS PROCESS DOES MOVE FORWARD, PART OF WHAT WE DO IS WE ALWAYS HAVE TO GO TO THE PUBLIC AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HOST PUBLIC MEETINGS AND WE ALWAYS HAVE TO SHARE THOSE DESIGNS, AND WE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT LIVE UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR HAVE ALREADY PROBABLY RECEIVED LIKE NOTES THAT, HEY, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY TAKING PLACE NEAR YOUR HOME. RIGHT? SO JUST TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF THAT, SO THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED BUT WHERE WE HAVE STOPPED SHORT IS SETTING UP THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE WE GO OUT IN-PERSON, DIRECTLY INTERFACE WITH THE PUBLIC AND SHARE THESE POTENTIAL DESIGN CONCEPTS, WE FELT WITHOUT A CLEAR PATH FORWARD, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO GO TO THE PUBLIC AND EXPLAIN TO THEM, HERE'S THIS PROJECT WE WANT TO BUILD BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN, WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAR THIS FIRST HURDLE AND THEN WE'RE FULLY INTENT ON, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING FOLKS LIKE YOURSELVES, AND THE PUBLIC AS WELL, AND SHARING THESE CONCEPTS AND SHOWING WHAT THE IMPACTS COULD BE. AND I WILL SAY ONE LAST THING ABOUT IT. WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MINUNESOTA MIZE AND REDUE -- MINIMIZE AND REDUCE THE TEFR DAY -- >>TIAWANA BROWN: THAT IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A PARAMOUNT PIECE FOR THE CONSTITUENTS AND PEOPLE THAT WILL USE I-77, PARTICULARLY, IN DISTRICT 3, BECAUSE AGAIN, MOST OF THAT IS DISTRICT 3. FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM. AND SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY LEADERS, ENGAGEMENT BUT I'M WONDERING WITH THE TIME FRAME OF HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT, WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PRELIMINARY OUT, IS THAT JUST -- I'M JUST -- >> WE DO, I MEAN WE HAVE IT, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPTS, AND WE'VE SHARED THOSE, YOU KNOW, WITH LOCAL JUST STAFF. TO DEVELOP THOSE CONCEPTS. BUT BEFORE WE TOOK ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, OUTWARD FACING TO THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A PROJECT THAT HAD A CLEAR PATH FORWARD, IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE GIVING MIXED MESSAGES TO FOLKS SO WE DECIDED, INSTEAD -- IT'S ALSO A LARGE UNDER TAKING TO GO OUT, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND THAT INSTINT -- INTENT IS TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE IF WE ARE TO MOVE FORWARD SGRB. >>TIAWANA BROWN: THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M ADAMANT ABOUT THAT PIECE, WHEN WE TAKE BIG STEPS AND DO THINGS FOR MOBILITY, WHICH WE DEFINITELY HAVE THE MOBILITY PLAN THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET IN PLACE AND NOVEMBER -- MOVE FORWARD, AND THIS BEING A PART OF IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE COMMUNITY, THE CONSTITUENTS GET THINGS AT THE LAST MINUTE AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY -- HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ENGAGED AND SO I DEFINITELY WANT THIS TO BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PROJECT WHEN WE DO THIS. AND GIVE THEM TIME TO GIVE US FEEDBACK SO WE CAN HEAR THEM CLEARLY. I'M DONE FOR NOW. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. >> MAYBE MADAM MAYOR I CAN COVER SOME OF THE ISSUES, FIRST, THE QUESTIONS WERE EXTREMELY GOOD. I WANT TO STAY AT 70,000 FEET, IF I CAN. THE ROAD THAT EXISTS TODAY DOESN'T WORK. 77 DOESN'T FUNCTION. SO WE MUST DO SOMETHING, DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION. >> ( INAUDIBLE ) [ LAUGHTER ] >> THANK YOU. YOU DON'T MIND I USE YOUR WORDS. TRAFFIC NOW SURPASSES 2019. WE HAVE ROADS IN THIS CITY OVER 100,000 CARS A DAY, WE MUST DO SOMETHING. THE CITY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL SHUT DOWN IF YOU CAN'T MOVE. 77, YOU CANNOT MOVE ON. SO WE HAVE TO PROCEED. TALKING ABOUT THE STATE, TONY AND I AND THE MAYOR KNOWS THIS WELL AS MORE -- MARCUS, WE FATE TO KEEP MONEY HERE. MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES IN TO STATE WOULD LIKE 600 MILLION, NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DISASTERS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA WE'RE HAVING TO FIGHT SO, IF THERE'S A SENSE THAT THE CITY DOESN'T WANT THIS, THAT MONEY IS GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S GOT TO BE HERE, YOU HAVE TO SHOW INTEREST IN IT. I THINK 77 NORTH, THERE WERE A LOT OF MISTAKES MADE, THE NUMBER ONE MISTAKE WAS TRANSPARENCY, THE ROAD IS NOT WRONG, WE NEED THAT TOLL ROAD, IT'S A TREMENDOUS BENEFIT. TO HAVE THAT TOLL ROAD. AND IT'S GOING TO SOON START PRODUCING REVENUE TO HELP OTHER ROADS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH AND WHENNER WE MADE SOME TECHNICAL MISTAKES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, WE SHOULD HAVE LET BIGGER VEHICLES ON SOONER, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS RAISED ARE THE SAME QUESTIONS THE BOARD RAISES. YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THIS? WE DRIVE BRETT CRAZY, AND THIS MAN HAS 400 PROJECTS HE HAS TO MANAGE. IT'S THE BIGGEST DIVISION IN THE WHOLE STATE. WE HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT, BUT WE HAVE SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS TODAY. NOBODY HAS TALKED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, ALL OF THESE CARS SITTING ON 77 IS THE WORST ENVIRONMENTAL THING WE CAN THINK OF. WE HAVE TO MOVE THE TRAFFIC. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS ROAD. I MEAN, I LIVE IN SOUTH CHARLOTTE, I USE 77 ALL THE TIME, I'LL USE THE TOLL ROAD IN A HEART BEAT, RATHER THAN SIT THERE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THIS WILL BE PAID FROM PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE. SO I THINK THAT'S A TREMENDOUS BENEFIT TO THE CITY. TO HAVE THIS ROAD BUILT, WHICH WE NEED SO DESPERATELY, PAID FOR BY OTHER PEOPLE. SO IF I COULD ENCOURAGE YOU, WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT. WE WEREN'T TRANSPARENT, WE WILL BE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW A POSITIVE VIEW TO THIS PROJECT BUT KEEP THIS $600 MILLION AND TO HAVE THE BOARD DIRECTING STAFF TO KEEP WORKING ON THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS, THERE'S NO REVENUE FOR IT, IF THE ROAD GETS SHUT DOWN, WE SPEND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT JUST GO AWAY. SO I'LL COMMIT TO YOU AS I KNOW TONY WILL, TRANSPARENCY, WE'RE HERE FOR IT. WE WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT. HELP US HELP YOU. I THINK IS THE BOTTOM LINE. THANK YOU. >>TIAWANA BROWN: ONE OTHER THING BEFORE YOU STEP AWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE. I DID GET CONSTITUENTS TO WATCH, AND WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF CONNECT BEYOND, I-77 STUDY GROUP, BEING INCORPORATED INTO I-77 WIDENING PRO PROJECT. >> SO. >>TIAWANA BROWN: DO YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT. >> TALKING ABOUT THE CONNECT BEYOND STUDY. >>TIAWANA BROWN: YES. >> I THINK MOST OF THAT STUDY ACTUALLY IS KIND OF -- LIKE REPRESENTS PRIORITIES OUTSIDE OF THE FOOTPRINT BUT IF THERE'S ANY OVERLAP THERE OR ANY PRIORITIES OR INTEREST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING IS ON THE TABLE FOR CONSIDERATION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S SOMETHING -- THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE CAN HAVE IF THE PROJECT -- PROCESS MOVES FORWARD. >>TIAWANA BROWN: RIGHT. >> WE CAN SEE WHAT PIECES OF THAT COULD FIT WITHIN AND BE INTEGRATED INTO A PROJECT. SO. >>TIAWANA BROWN: HAS IT EVEN BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT AND DISCUSSED? >> SURE, WELL WE KNOW ABOUT THE STUDY BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S DIRECT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 77, BUT I'M SEEING PIECES OF THAT THING, SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE -- THERE'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, PARALLEL STREETS, AND NEARBY STREETS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT ANY OF THESE STREETS THAT CROSS OVER I-77, THAT HAVE TO BE RECONSTRUCTED, IF THERE'S A PRIORITY, THAT COMES OUT OF THAT STUDY, THAT THE NPO SUPPORTS AND THAT THE LOCAL SUPPORT, CERTAINLY WE CAN LOOK AT INCORPORATING IT. >>TIAWANA BROWN: WELL, I THINK YOUR TEAM DID AN AMAZING JOB WITH ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS, IT'S A OT OF US, WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL MEMBRANES THANK YOU FOR STANDING AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS AND FOR PRESENTING TO US, THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. AND THE GUIDANCE AND THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN AMAZINGLY GOOD. AND CANDID, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR BEING HERE TODAY. I THINK MR. DRIGGS TELL US WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS, AND WE'LL CLOSE THIS ONE UP. >>ED DRIGGS: I DID WANT TO MAKE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT, AND THAT C.R.T.P.O. IS INTENT ON HAVING A VIGOROUS BID PROCESS, BUT I WILL JUST POINT OUT THE CONTRACTOR THAT -- >>MAYOR: SAY IT AGAIN, MS. BROWN COULDN'T HEAR. >>ED DRIGGS: C.R.T.P.O. IS COMMITTED TO HAVING A VIGOROUS BID PROCESS, WE WANT IT TO BE COMPETITIVE, BUT I WOULD NOTE THE CONTRACTOR THAT DID PERFORM ON I-77 NORTH DID A GOOD JOB, THEY BUILT THE ROAD. THEY GOT IT DONE ON TIME, IT'S OPERATE, IT'S IN GOOD CONDITION. SO IN TERMS OF THAT PART OF IT, AND IN SPITE OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, I'D SAY THAT I THINK THAT IS A FAVORABLE CONSIDERATION. SO THIS IS AN INFORMATION MEETING. AND THE GOAL HERE WAS TO SEE WHETHER WE CAN GET TO A PLACE BEFORE THE 16th WHERE THE COUNCIL INSTRUCTS ME TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF MOVING AHEAD TO THE NEXT STEP. AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR TO PUT THIS ON OUR SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK, IF YOU HAVE STRENUOUS OBJECTIONS, YOU DON'T THINK IT'S ENOUGH TIME, YOU HATE IT, YOU DON'T THINK YOU CAN VOTE FOR IT, I HOPE YOU CAN LET ME KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO GET THERE ON THE NIGHT AND THEN HAVE URN CERTAINTY ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ALL. IF WE CAN USE THE. >>TIAWANA BROWN: WHEN? >>ED DRIGGS: YEAH, OKAY. >>TIAWANA BROWN: WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO ASK THE MANAGER AND THE MAYOR TO PUT IT ON. >>ED DRIGGS: I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR YOU. >>TIAWANA BROWN: YOU'RE GOING FORTHE 16th OF OCTOBER. >>ED DRIGGS: WANTS TO VOTE ON THE 16th AND THEREFORE AT OUR MEETING ON THE 14th, NEXT MONDAY, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN VOTE AGAIN, MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CAN VOTE TO GO AHEAD, IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO, THEN I WOULD PREFER THAT WE JUST PULL THE VOTE BECAUSE FOR US TO GO INTO THE 16th, AND SAY, NO, I BELIEVE WHAT WE WOULD DO, IF THERE WAS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE POSITION OF COUNCIL, GIVE OURSELVES MORE TIME, NOT TRY TO GET THIS DONE FOR THE 16th, BUT IT WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE IF WE COULD, AND THEREFORE, AS I SAY, THE IDEA IS TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE 14th AND PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU DON'T THINK THAT CAN WORK. >>MAYOR: THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE INFORMATION, AND THANKS MR. ROSENBORO FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW OR RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROJECT, ONE THAT WILL REPAIR AND ALMOST REBUILD AN ENTIRE CORRIDOR. AND THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE WITH US NOW, SO THANKS VERY MUCH, IF FOR CONVERSATION, YES MS. -- >>RENEE JOHNSON: I THINK IT WILL BE HELPFUL IF WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION ANSWERS TO SOME THOFZ QUESTIONS WE ASKED THIS WEEK. SUCH AS THE EVALUATION YOU SAID YOU HAD THE INFORMATION ON THE LESSONS LEARNED, AND IF THERE'S ANY DATA ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED, I THINK THAT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR US. THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: SO YOU'LL GET US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR DISTRIBUTION. ALL RIGHT. SO THANKS, EVERYBODY. AND NOW, WE'LL NEED TO GO TO OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE OUR BUDGET AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE, THAT YOU HAVE SOME DOCUMENTS IN FRONT OF YOU. FROM THE COMMITTEE S. THAT CORRECT, MS. AJMERA? >>DIMPLE AJMERA: YES. THAT'S CORRECT. WE DO HAVE FINANCIAL PARTNER POLICIES, BEFORE I PROVIDE AN UPDATE, A REPORT OUT ON THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN -- I WOULD LIKE MARIE HARRIS TO REVIEW THE FINANCIAL PARTNER, IT WAS VOTED OUT OF THE COMMITTEE, AND SO, MARIE, THE GOAL OF HAVING THIS ON THE OCTOBER 14th AGENDA. CORRECT. >> YES, MA'AM, AS A POLICY ITEM FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. >>DIMPLE AJMERA: YES. >> THANK YOU, AND AGAIN GOOD EVENING. MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL. AND AGAIN, AS MS. AJMERA MENTIONED, THERE WAS A SPECIFIC REFERRAL TO REVIEW THE CRITERIA AND THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, SPECIFICALLY, FOR OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS. AND THE THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THEY HAD. AND THE COMMITTEE DID A LOT OF WORK AND DISCUSSIONS IN MAY AND JUNE AND SEPTEMBER, AND TONIGHT, I'M GIVING YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY THAT WILL BE PLANNED TO COME BEFORE YOU AT THE NEXT BUSINESS MEETING. AND FIRST, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE ACTUAL POLICY, THERE'S SOME ENHANCEMENTS IN THE PROCESS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE COMMITTEE WORKED ON. ONE, THESE WILL BE COMING FORWARD REGARDLESS OF THE POLICY. ONE IS THAT YOU'LL GET A RANK ORDER OF APPLICANT SPACE AND THE REVIEW TEAM'S INPUT SO CURRENTLY, WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW, IS WE COLLECT ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED, CHERRY SMITH IS HERE, TOO, SHE'S THE MANAGER FOR THE FINANCIAL PARTNERS PROGRAM FOR THE CITY SO WE WORKED TOGETHER AND COLLECT ALL OF THE PROGRAM INFORMATION FROM THE DIFFERENT APPLICANTS, AND SUBMIT IT TO YOU. BUT WE JUST SUBMIT IT TO YOU. NOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET A TEAM TOGETHER WITH EXPERTISE LIKE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE EQUITY GROUP, AND WORKFORCE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES FROM EXPERTISE ACROSS THE CITY, TO HELP RANK THEM. SO WHEN YOU GET THEM IN YOUR PACKET, IT WILL BE RANKED BASED ON THE CRITERIA, AND ALSO, MOVING FORWARD, IF IT'S A CURRENT PARTNER, WE'RE ALSO GIVE YOU ASSESSMENT OF HOW THEY'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR GOALS. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THEY'LL SAY, HERE'S MY GOAL, AND HERE'S WHAT I'M DOING. BUT THEN WE'LL ALSO WORK TO VERIFY THAT. AND THEN AS FOR THE POLICY, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE COMING FOR YOU FOR CONSIDERATION, BUT WHAT WAS VOTED OUT FOR COMMITTEE WAS THE MAIN COMPONENTS THAT ARE DIFFERENT AS INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING ANY AND ALL APPLICANTS, THEY NEEDED NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN 30% OF THE BUDGET AND THE RATIONALE AROUND THAT WAS FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE SOLE PROVIDER FOR ORGANIZATION AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENED, AND WE COULDN'T FUND THEM, THEY WERE SOLELY RELYING ON US AND WOULD HAVE TO NOT CONTINUE THEIR SERVICES WITHOUT US, SO WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BUT NOT BE THEIR SOLE FUNDER. AND ALSO, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO PUT FIVE-YEAR TERM LIMITS, LIKE -- FUNDING LIMITS FOR FIVE YEARS. AND SO THAT PREMISES AROUND THAT IS YOU'RE GETTING UP AND GOING, WE'RE GOING TO HELP FUND YOU, AND GET YOU UP AND GOING, AND THEN HOPEFULLY YOU CAN BRANCH ON AND BE UP AND RUNNING WHILE THEN YOU MAKE CAPACITY FOR US TO TAKE ON NEW UP AND COMING ORGANIZATIONS. YES, MA'AM, MS. JOHNSON. >>RENEE JOHNSON: ( INAUDIBLE ) I'LL WAIT -- >> OKAY, THANK YOU. OH, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED, BEFORE ANY APPLICANTS, THEY HAD TO BE -- HAVE AN ACTIVE NONPROFIT CERTIFICATION. AND NOW, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS IS, YOU CAN BE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS BUT YOU NEED TO BE ACTIVELY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, ONE OF THE THINKING AROUND THAT WAS, WE MIGHT HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET CERTIFIED BUT HAVEN'T YET GOT CERTIFIED. BUT BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY GOT THE CONTRACT, GOT THE FUNDING, THEY WOULD NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION. AND THEN ALSO, FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY, MUCH OF THIS WE ALREADY DO, BUT THIS WOULD CURRENTLY THEY HAD PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS AND EQUITY MEASURES AND THIS WOULD BE A NEW COMPONENT. CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW, THE ORGANIZATION PARTNERS ARE PAID OUT EVERY QUARTER AND THE KEY WORD IS MAY, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY, WELL YOU'RE A MONTH LATE AND WE'RE GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY GIVE YOU A YEAR'S WORTH OF MONEY EVERY QUARTER. >> CORRECT. >> AND ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT IS BEFORE WE REQUIRED A FINANCIAL AUDIT AND THE COMMITTEE FELT LIKE, WELL, IF WE'RE GIVING YOU UNDER 100,000, IT COST A LOT TO HAVE A CPA AUDIT YOU. IF IT'S UNDER 100,000, THE REQUIREMENT IS FOR TWO-YEAR COMPARATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE SO MUCH OF THEIR AWARD ON THE AUDIT. WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS BUT OVERALL, THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR VOTE ON THE POLICY AT THE OCTOBER 14th MEE MEETING, AND THEN WE WOULD-- THE TIME SENSITIVE AROUND THIS IS WE WOULD LIKE TO HURRY UP AND GET THE APPLICATION ON THE STREET. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INTEREST AND PEOPLE REACHING OUT ALREADY AND THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT FORWARDED TO DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE WOULD LIKE TO BE OPENING UP THE AND WORKING WITH POTENTIAL APPLICANTS AND WE WOULD START THAT IN OCTOBER. IN THE FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME, WE HOPE TO GIVE YOU THAT PACKET THAT WE MENTIONED THAT WOULD HAVE THEIR PROPOSED PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND BE RANKED ACCORDING TO THIS TEAM LIKE WE DO WITH THE RFP POTENTIALLY. AND THEN WE WOULD GET YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN IN MAY, THE MANAGER WOULD INCLUDE FUNDING OPTION IN HIS BUDGET AND IT WOULD BE UP TO COUNCIL TO DETERMINE WHICH ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY GET FUNDED IN YOUR ADOPTED BUDGET. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU, MARIE. MS. JOHNSON. >> MS. JOHNSON: THANK YOU. QUESTION ABOUT THE FIVE-YEAR LIMIT. THESE ARE FOR PROPOSED FINANCIAL PARTNERS? >> SORRY. GO AHEAD. >> NO, GO AHEAD. >> IT'S FOR THE GENERAL FUND DISCRETIONARY PARTNERS AND IF WE HAVE YOU FOR FIVE YEARS, THEN YOU CAN BE UP AND RUNNING AND GET OTHER FINANCIAL PART-- I MEAN, OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS BY THEN BUT ALSO IF IT'S SOMETHING AND I DON'T WANT TO USE ANYBODY'S NAME BUT SOMETHING THAT WE THINK, OH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE A CITY CONTRACTED SERVICE, THEN WE MIGHT LOOK AT MOVING THAT OUT OF THE FINANCIAL PARTNERS PROGRAM INTO A CONTRACT SERVICE AND WE CAN TALK OFF-LINE AND I WITH LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF OFFERINGATIONS THAT WE FUNDED FOR OVER FIVE YEARS OR HOW LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVED CITY FUNDING AND PROBABLY RECEIVED CITY FUNDING FOR A LONG TIME. >> YES. >> MS. JOHNSON: WHAT THAT MODEL IS VERSUS THIS ONE. >> Speaker: YES, MA'AM. WE CAN DEFINITELY GIVE YOU THAT AND WE TRY TO NOW IN THE APPLICATION AND I MEAN IN THE PACKET YOU GET SAYS, IT'S BEEN A CITY FINANCIAL PARTNER SINCE AND HOW MANY YEARS, BUT PART OF THE THING TO NOTE THAT'S IMPORTANT AND I FAILED TO MENTION IS THIS WOULDN'T KICK THEM OUT THIS YEAR. THE POLICY SAYS IT WOULD START WITH FY26 FUNDING WOULD BE YEAR ONE. SO WE'RE NOT LIKE-- LIKE IF YOU'VE BEEN A FINANCIAL PARTNER FOR MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE YEARS, YOU WOULD STILL BASICALLY HAVE UP TO FIVE YEARS. >> MS. JOHNSON: I WANT TO SEE HOW LONG WE'VE FUNDED. BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. >> DEFINITELY, YES. >> MS. JOHNSON: AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE A PARTNER WITH THE CITY. I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY ORGANIZATIONS. I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY? [ OFF-MIC COMMENT ] I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, OKAY. >> YES, I WILL SEND THAT TO YOU. >> MS. JOHNSON: DID THIS SAY IF THEY WERE WORKING ON THEIR 501(C)3 THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE? >> YES, MA'AM. I MIGHT LET ONE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SPEAK TO THAT THERE WAS AN IDEA AND THAT WAS ONE SPECIFICALLY ADDED BY SOME OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THEY SAID IT'S A PROCESS GETTING IT UP AND RUNNING AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE TO GET THEIR 501(C)3. IT'S NOT 501(C)3. IT'S 501C, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT NUMBERS. ANY NONPROFIT THAT IS NOT POLITICAL AND MAYBE WE CAN HELP LINK THEM WITH RESOURCES BUT DEFINITELY THEY ACTUALLY GOT PAID AND THE CONTRACT WAS FINALIZED THEY WOULD NEED IT. BUT WE WANTED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO APPLY IS WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAID. >> SO ON ANOTHER SLIDE, WE'RE GOING TO WANT THE GROSS RECEIPTS OR FINANCIAL LETTER OR SOMETHING. WOULD YOU EXPECT THE ORGANIZATION TO HAVE BOTH? THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR 501, TO HAVE A FINANCIAL LETTER OR THE AUDIT OR SOMETHING, IF THAT'S A REQUIREMENT? >> YEAH. WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT CASE BY CASE, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY COULD AT LEAST PROVIDE WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING AND IT'S A FINANCIAL STATEMENT. SO THE AUDIT IS, YES, TO YOUR POINT, THOUGH. IF THEY'RE REQUESTING MORE THAN 100,000 FOR US THEY WOULD NEED AN AUDIT THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT YEAR. THEY COULD USE THE FUNDING TOWARDS THAT AUDIT. OF COURSE, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT SOMETHING THAT HELPS NONPROFIT, BUT I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS OR JUST CAUTIOUS IN FUNDING AN ORGANIZATION THAT DOES NOT YET HAVE THEIR 501. I THINK THAT COULD CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO COME TO THE TABLE AND MAYBE ELIMINATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THE WORK FOR A WHILE. SO I JUST WOULD HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. . THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. OH, AND ONE OTHER THING. WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN THE CORRIDORS OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND THAT WORK WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. I WOULD W WANT-- MAYBE I'LL REACH OUT TO ONE SO THEY CAN REVIEW THIS POLICY AND WE GET SOME INPUT FROM THOSE THAT ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND. I THINK THAT'S AN INPUT AND SOME CONSIDERATION. >> YES, MA'AM. I'LL EMAIL OUT TO THE DRAFT-- THE PROPOSED POLICY. >> MS. JOHNSON: THANK YOU. >>MAYOR: OKAY. MARJORIE WAS NEXT AND I THOUGHT THE CHAIR COULD GO THROUGH A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING ADDRESSED AND SO. >> MS. MAYFIELD: IN MINE, I THOUGHT MARIE SAID IF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED TO CLARIFY HOW WE GOT TO THAT PARTICULAR CONVERSATION, BUT THE CHAIRWOMAN HAS IT. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU. >> MS. MOLINA: I WANTED TO EXPAND ON THAT. BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY THE PLACE OF EMPHASIS THAT I FEEL LIKE WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ME, RIGHT, AND I, TOO, FEEL LIKE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BEGIN BUSINESSES, RIGHT, AND TO TAKE THEM INCREMENTALLY ALL THE WAY UP TO EARNING UP TO A MILLION DOLLARS, RIGHT, WHETHER THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE OR THAT BE THROUGH THE ALLIANCE. I MEAN, WE HAVE DIFFERENT PATHWAYS TO KIND OF HELP BUSINESSES START AND SCALE THROUGH A PROCESS, BUT I WONDER AND I MEAN, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS IN THE ABSTRACT RIGHT, IT'S CONCERNING TO SAY, I'M THINKING ABOUT A PROJECT BASELINE, RIGHT, YOU GOT SOMEONE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, OR A PROJECT IN PARTICULAR THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, RIGHT, AND WE GET SOMEONE WHO BIDS ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AND WE CAN'T PROCURE IT AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO SOLICIT ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, REQUEST AND SO I IMAGINE THAT'S GOING TO, AT SOME POINT, START TO AFFECT PROJECT BASELINE ON A REGULAR BASIS, RIGHT, OR ON SOME TYPE OF BASIS WHERE WE'RE LEARNING FROM THIS WHERE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN INCREMENTALLY UPDATE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD MAKE A POLICY THAT WE INTEND TO UPDATE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS IS MY SUGGESTION. AGAIN, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING WHATEVER DEFINITIVE BUSINESS TYPE THAT THEY'RE PURSUING, BUT IN THE VEIN OF BUSINESS AND HOW BUSINESS OPERATES, WE CAN'T HAVE THOSE TYPES OF CONTINGENCIES AND ESPECIALLY MAKE IT A POLICY RECOMMENDATION, BUT THE POLICY SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED AND IT SHOULD BE APPLICABLE ACROSS THE BOARD. ONCE WE VOTE ON THIS, THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SAYS TO THE PUBLIC, HERE IS OUR STA STANDARD, AND YOU HAVE TO THEN ARRIVE AT THAT STANDARD IN ORDER TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE AND SO MY ULTIMATE CONCERN IS THAT TO SAY THAT, UM, HOW DO WE THEN ALLOW, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO IS NOT READY? BECAUSE IN MY MIND, IT ALMOST SETS A PRECEDENT, RIGHT, TO SAY WE CAN DO THIS ACROSS OTHER PARTS OF THE BUSINESS. IN MY MIND WHEN I THINK POLICY, POLICY MEANS IT IS APPLICABLE ACROSS THE BOARD WHEN UD SAYS THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55. THAT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE. THAT'S APPLICABLE BASED ON WHAT TYPE OF ROAD YOU ARE ON AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS IF WE WANT TO MAKE INCREMENTAL CHANGES OR LOOK AT CASE-BY-CASE DECISIONS ON SOMETHING BECAUSE OUR HOPE IS THAT WE MAKE A DECISION AND WE TAKE OUR HANDS OFF OF IT AND YOU GUYS IMPLEMENT THAT WORK, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO COME BACK TO US AS A REFERENCE SO YOU CAN MAKE INCREMENTAL DECISIONS AND WE HAVE A FEW OF WHAT WE ADOPTED AS POLICIES, WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT AND THAT, IN MY MIND IS NOT POLICY. IT'S LIKE A SUGGESTIVE, LIKE IT'S LIKE AN EXECUTION ORDER TO SAY DO IT THIS WAY BUT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT AND MAYBE IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT'S APPLICABLE AS A STANDARD. AND THEN IF I MAY, SORRY, SO THE CASE BY CASE I MENTIONED WOULD BE THE FINANCIAL-- TWO-YEAR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND TO YOUR MIND, YES, MA'AM, WE NEED TO UPDATE THE DRAFT TO SAY IF YOU HAVE BEEN IF THERE'S ONE THAT'S FUNDED AND IS BRAND NEW, THEY MAY NOT HAVE TWO YEARS. >> THAT'S MORE UNDERSTANDABLE, RIGHT, TO SAY THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR TWO YEARS, RIGHT AND WOULD THAT BE LIKE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS INSTEAD OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS AND WOULD WE THEN MAKE IT SPECIFIC TO A TYPE OR SOMETHING? >> I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHAIR BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE HEARD SO FAR WHICH IS FUND OPERATOR: THEY CAN BE SEEKING NONPROFIT STATUS SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT -- YES >> STANDARDIZATION THERE AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS AND WHEN YOU SAY UP TO FIVE YEARS, THERE'S A LOT OF FLEX IN THAT AND WOULD IT BE BETTER TO BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH IT WILL BE FIVE YEARS OR WOULD IT BE TWO. THE COMMITTEE MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION, SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHAIR TO ADDRESS THOSE TWO ISSUES. >> YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED MORE THAN A YEAR AT A TIME AND THE IDEA AND I KNOW THE CHAIR WILL SPEAK IT TO, THE IDEA WAS YEAR BY YEAR BUT WHEN YOU-- YOU CAN'T DO SIX YEARS IN A ROW. I THINK-- I STILL THE THINK THE POINT IS THAT IT SAYS UP TO FIVE YEARS AND SO I THINK WHAT MS. MOLINA IS SAYING IS BE MORE DEFINITIVE AND AND HOW DO YOU DO THIS FOR THE FOURTH YEAR? DO YOU SAY TAKE IT OUT? I'M IN MY FOURTH YEAR. I CAN'T COME FIVE SO Y'ALL GO BY. IF I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY >> WE HAD A LOT OF CONCERT VERRIZATION IN COMMITTEE. >>MAYOR: I BET YOU DID. >> MS. AJMERA. OO THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS PROCESS, IT'S COMPLEX BECAUSE YOU HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE EXTENSION OF OUR CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, TREE CHARLOTTE. THEY PLANT TREES AND NO ORGANIZATION INCLUDING THE CITY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY DOES THAT. >> SO DO THEY FALL OFF AT FIVE YEARS AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO. >> LET ME FINISH. AND YOU WILL LOOK AT HAVING A CONTRACT AND YOU WILL GO THROUGH FINANCIAL PARTNERS PROCESS. FOR EXAMPLE, TREE CHARLOTTE, THEY'LL HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND THAT'S WE HAVE IF THEY DON'T SHOW US PROGRESS AND IF THEY ARE NOT SHOWING US SOME SORT OF ACCOUNTABILITY, WE ARE NOT FUNDING THEM. SO THERE ARE-- SO NOW THERE ISN'T AN ASSESSMENT THAT HAS TO BE UNDERWAY AND WHAT I'M-- I DON'T THINK EVERY ORGANIZATION THAT CURRENTLY GETS FUNDED AS FINANCIAL PARTNER WILL IN TERMS OF THE FINANCIAL THO THEY WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS LIKE BALANCE SHEET OR CASH FLOW STATEMENT. THE FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF THE GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZATION IS THAT THEY WERE WE SAID YOU CAN APPLY AND IN ORDER TO GET FUNDED, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE 501C. THEY WON'T GET FUNDING UNLESS AND UNTIL THEY HAVE THE 501C, BUT THEY CAN AT LEAST APPLY IN THE MEANTIME. DOES THAT AND AND USE TREE CHARLOTTE AS A BASELINE AND TREE CHARLOTTE HAS AN ONGOING AND SUBSTANTIAL COMMITMENT TO THE CHARLOTTE. I DON'T THINK THEY ARE THE BASELINE EXAMPLE IN THIS CASE. IF YOU SAY SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL AS TREE CHARLOTTE. THAT'S NOT SOMEONE COMING AND ONBOARDING WITH THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE. MAYBE IF WE HAD A MORE COLLECTIVE IDEA OF SOMEONE WHO WAS JUST BEGINNING THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AS OPPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO HAS A SUBSTANTIAL, ONGOING RELATIONSHIP THEN IT WOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDABLE IN MY MIND, AND THEN ALSO ANOTHER QUESTION AS YOU GO INTO THAT DOES THAT ALLOW TO YOU BECOME A PARTNER? >> NO, THIS IS AN ANNUAL PROCESS. THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO SHOW PROGRESS AND THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT THEIR REPORT. IT'S NOT ONE TIME AND BE DONE WITH IT. AS I SAID, WE ARE REALLY PUTTING SOME TEETH INTO IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS SOME ACCOUNTABILITY AND THERE IS PERFORMANCE REPORTING. RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN PLACE AND RIGHT NOW, IF THEY HAVE, LET'S SAY, THE COUNCIL APPROVED $250,000 AND IF THEY HAVEN'T SUBMITTED THEIR REPORTS, THEY ARE STILL GETTING FUNDED. IT WILL BE MILESTONES AND THEY HAVE TO SHOW PROGRESS REPORTS AND IF THEY DO NOT SHOW THE PROGRESS REPORTS, THEY DON'T GET THE FUNDING, WHICH IS IN PHASE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IF YOU CAN-- IF YOU CAN JUST WALK US THROUGH THE TIME LINE. I THINK THAT WILL HELP ADDRESS COUNCIL WOMAN MOLINA'S QUESTION. SO THE PROCESS STARTS IN OCTOBER AND CERTAINLY IT'S A LONG PROCESS. >> YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. IT'S OCTOBER AND WE'RE HOPING TO CLOSE IT OUT BEFORE WELL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. THIS YEAR, WE'VE BEEN GETTING MORE AND MORE, IS A A GOOD THING, MORE AND MORE INTEREST IN PARTNERING BUT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL HAVE TO READ EACH ONE AND IT SAYS EACH ONE IN THE CRITERIA WE GIVE THEM SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT DONE IN TIME TO GIVE THE FULL PACKET OVER TO YOU ALREADY RANKED IN FEBRUARY. AND THEN AFTER YOU GIVE IT-- THEN, YOU KNOW WE HAVE PROCESS WITH YOU GIVING US FEEDBACK ON YOUR EXPECTATIONS ON THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR AND THEN THE MANAGER TAKES THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS HE BUILDS HIS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YOU TO CONSIDER BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE HAVE THE REGULAR PROCESS OF ADDS AND DELETES AND STRAW VOTES. SO IT WOULD STILL BE UP TO THE COMMITTEE AND TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT FIVE YEARS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU'RE IN FIVE YEARS SO IF YOU WERE IN YOUR FIFTH YEAR, THAT'S WHEN THE DETERMINATION WOULD BE MADE. SO YOU WOULD KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC. IT'S PURELY BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST ADD PERMANENT SERVICES ONTO THE CITY, BUT SOME YOU MENTIONED MIGHT POTENTIALLY TREE CHARLOTTE MIGHT BE ONE THAT'S A CANDIDATE TO SO THIS MIGHT BE A CITY SERVICE ONGOING. >> I WOULD SAY THEN THAT THE 501 HAS TO BE GRANTED BEFORE THE APPLICATION IS APPROVED. NOT BEFORE THEIR MONEY'S GRANTED, BUT I MEAN, I JUST THINK THAT'S-- THAT'S JUST-- IT'S TOO OUT OF OUR CONTROL. IF YOU SAY THIS ORGANIZATION IS AWARDED, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR 501(C)3, BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE IT BEFORE WE GIVE YOU THE MONEY AND SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY DON'T GET IT AND THERE'S BEEN AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS -- THAT DID HAVE THEIR 501 THAT WAS DISQUALIFIED. SO I THINK THAT BEING ABLE TO APPLY IS ONE THING, BUT BEING APPROVED, I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE THAT 501(C)3. THAT'S AN IRS PROCESS THAT THE APPLICANT DOESN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER AND I JUST THINK THAT'S-- WE WANT TO HAVE THAT BEFORE WE WOULD COMMIT THOSE DOLLARS BECAUSE, AGAIN, YOU'RE DISQUALIFYING ORGANIZATIONS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE IT. AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE GRANT. IT'S JUST MY THOUGHT AS SOMEONE WHO HAD A 501 AND MASTER'S IN NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT. THAT'S ALL. THANKS. >>MAYOR: SO WE'VE HEARD FROM MS. JOHNSON AND MS. MOLINA AND NOW MS. BROWN. >> MS. BROWN: I DID CHAMPION THAT AND I DID DISAGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES. FROM BEING ON THE GRASS ROOTS EFFORT AND JUST LIKE YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON, HEARING PEOPLE STARTING THAT PRO PROCESS, EVEN NOW, NATIONALLY, YOU CAN APPLY FOR GRANTS OF UP TO A MILLION DOLLARS. I'M NOT SAYING THESE ORGANIZATIONS WILL QUALIFY FOR THAT. EVEN UNITED WAY GIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST COMING IN THAT ARE FORMULATING THEIR NONPROFIT. IF I'M GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK AND SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WE FUNDED SHOULD BE DEFUNDED. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. THEY HAVEN'T DONE WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. I KNOW THAT THE POLICY WAS LEAN THEN. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DISQUALIFY ANYBODY. THAT'S WHY WE GET A VOTE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD DISQUALIFY ANYBODY THAT HAS A FULL POTENTIAL THAT CAN DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND OUR TEAM LOOK AT IT AND SAY, HEY THIS IS AMAZING WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. NOT GOING TO GET ME TO CHANGE MY MIND ON THIS ONE AND I'M NOT TRYING TO CHANGE ANYBODY ELSE'S MIND. I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK. WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH. WE HEARD CLEARLY THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA IS TOTALLY AGAINST IT AND I'M TOTALLY FOR IT. COMING OUT OF THE COMMITTEE, WE MADE THAT DECISION. COUNCIL MEMBER MAYFIELD HAD SOME QUESTIONS BUT SHE LISTENED TO US AND WE AGREED LIKE A TEAM. THERE WAS SOME NEGOTIATION THERE. SO FOR ME, REPRESENTING THE GRASS ROOT EFFORT LEVEL, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO SAY THAT FOLKS, I'M FIGHTING FOR YOU. YOU'RE LOOKING. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE EVERYBODY OPPORTUNITY THAT IS DOING THE WORK, THAT MAY NOT KNOW THEIR WAY AND WE NEED TO BE DIFFERENT. A COMMITTEE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR GRASS ROOT EFFORTS. THAT'S IT. I'M NOT SAYING THEY GOT A BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESS AND WE'RE GIVING PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. LIKE YOU, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME IN. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK AND FORTH. IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE. FINE. I'M DONE. THAT'S THE REASON WHY I CHAMPIONED IT OUT OF THE COMMITTEE FROM LISTENING TO CONSTITUENTS OUTSIDE IN THE COMMUNITY AND I'M STANDING FIRM ON THAT I WOULD NOT LIKE TO DETER AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME ORGANIZATIONS WHO WE FUND, LIKE I SAID THAT NEED TO BE DEFUNDED. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY BEFORE YOU WERE ON COUNCIL, I WAS THE LOUDEST ADVOCATE FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND MR. JONES, WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR NONPROFIT THAT WORKED THERE BEFORE. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR START-UP ORGANIZATIONS AND WE NEED TO HAVE PLACES FOR START-UP ORGANIZATIONS. I DON'T SEE A WAY TO APPROVE AN ORGANIZATION WITH PENDING 501(C)3 BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THEN JUST THE PROCESS, ITSELF, THAT SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT. >> I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. >>MAYOR: WAIT. WAIT. WE'RE TALKING OVER EACH OTHER. >> MAYOR, SHE SAID, PLAIN AND CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY TO HEAR, NO MONEY IS GOING OUT OF THE BANK INTO THEIR ORGANIZATION UNTIL THEY HAVE THEIR PAPERWORK TOGETHER. SHE SAID THAT. THAT IS ONE OF THE CRITERIAS. WE'RE NOT GIVING MONEY TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR STUFF TOGETHER WITH THE IRS. WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. WE'RE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AND BY THE TIME THEY'RE DONE AND BY THE TIME THEY FINISH DECIDING, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THROUGH THE IRS. IF NOT, THEN WE'LL SEE THEM LATER, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. >> MS. MOLINA: I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION. [LAUGHTER] >>MAYOR: I HAVE LOST IT. [LAUGHTER] THE >> MS. MOW LOOFN THAT: SAID I'M LEAVING. VI THIS IS NOT YOU, VI LYLES. I'M SORRY, MADAM CHAIR. I WOULD NEVER DISRESPECT YOU. I GOT LEFT BEHIND AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE ANSWERED MY INITIAL QUESTION AND IT DIDN'T. SO I ALMOST FORGOT. >>MAYOR: I THINK IT'S VERY HARD FOR TO US TAKE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND BRING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE. MS. AJMERA, DO YOU MIND TAKING THIS BACK AND HAVE MORE OF A CONVERSATION WITH THE FOLKS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS? I MEAN, WE'RE NOT DOING A BUDGET ANYTIME SOON. >> AJMERA: I THINK THE COMMITTEE HAS DONE THE WORK. WITH THOSE WITH CONCERNS, IF MARIE AND MS. SMITH, IF YOU CAN SIT DOWN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA AND COUNCIL WOMAN JOHNSON AND JUST GO OVER THE POLICY. >> MS. MOLINA: I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE. >> MS. AJMERA: IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION. I THINK THE COMMITTEE HAS MADE A DECISION. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. >>MAYOR: IT'S A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE. >> THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION. >>MAYOR: OUR RULES IS IF IT HAS RECOMMENDED, IT HAS OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION AND IT GOES ON THE AGENDA. THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD LAND. >> CAN I SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? >> NO, I CAN'T TALK. [LAUGHTER] YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING. >> SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT A LOT OF THIS AND I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH MARIE. I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT FUNDING. AND YOU KNOW, NUMBERS AND WHATEVER. THE THING I WORRY MOST ABOUT IS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE QUALITATIVE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AND I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY IN SOME RESPECTS, EVEN TO KIND OF SAY TO PEOPLE, WELL, WHAT DID YOU LEARN? WHAT MAKES THIS-- WHAT MAKES YOUR CLIENT SUCCESSFUL? I THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE METRICS AROUND THE WORK THEY'RE DOING. I MEAN, THE TREES YOU CAN DO EASILY. I THINK SOMETIMES WITH PEOPLE, IT'S BETTER TO ASK SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS AND IT'S NO BIG DEAL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DO YOU'LL AFTER THEM AT ONCE. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL SOMETIMES TO ACTUALLY POINT OUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE DOING IN PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND THAT'S A GOOD STORY FOR US, AND IT OUGHT TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROUD OF AND SO WHAT I SEE IN THIS IS A LOT OF FINANCIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT LET'S SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING WITH PEOPLE, TOO. SO MR. JONES, WHAT DID I SAY? >>MANAGER: THANK YOU, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. SO THE WAY THAT THE PROCESS WOULD GO IS IT HAS COME OUT OF COMMITTEE AND WE'RE READY TO PUT IT ON NEXT WEEK'S AGE AGENDA. YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF MUDDYING THE WATER BUT STICK WITH ME FOR A MINUTE, OKAY. I WENT BACK TO FY2016-FY2017 AND PULLED UP FINANCIAL PARTNERS AND WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN IS FOLKS WERE CONCERNED THAT WE WEREN'T DOING ENOUGH. WE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS LIKE JUMP START GRANTS WHERE YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR ACT TOGETHER AT ALL, BUT YOU REALLY WERE DOING SOME THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. SMALL GRANTS SO I THINK THIS BODY HAS SHOWN OVER THE LAST SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS THIS WILLINGNESS, EAGERNESS TO DO MORE FOR THE NONPROFIT AND THE ONLY REASON I'M SAYING THIS IS BECAUSE NEXT WEEK, SEAN IS GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU IN THIS ROOM WHERE WE ARE WITH ARPA. SO A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS HAVING CARES DOLLARS AND FINANCIAL PARTNERS, RFPING THINGS, NOT RFPING SOME THINGS. WHEN HE COMES IN, HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DOLLARS THAT POTENTIALLY WON'T BE SPENT OR WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, SEAN? UNOBLIGATEED BECAUSE WHEN WE GET TO DECEMBER 31st OF THIS YEAR, IT NEEDS TO BE OBLIGATED OUT THE DOOR. THEY'RE GOING TO SEE SOME OPPORTUNITIES AND THERE'S SOME ARPA INTEREST AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS WANTED AND TO HAVE SOME OF THE ARPA DISCUSSIONS LATER SO I JUST WANT TO TEE IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE WE'LL DO A MEMO BEFORE NEXT MONDAY. THAT THE FINANCIAL PARTNERS AND TO PUT SOME STRUCTURE AROUND THE FINANCIAL PARTNERS AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY NOT FOR TONIGHT BUT IN THE FUTURE, DO WE WANT EVERYTHING TO RUN THROUGH FINANCIAL PARTNERS AND THERE'S SOME OTHER AVENUES TO GET RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT BECAUSE IF I DIDN'T SAY IT AND WE GOT TO MONDAY AND YOU HEARD THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, WOULD YOU SAY WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY IT? >> REALLY QUICKLY. I WANT TO CLARIFY. SO ACTUALLY, I'M-- >>MAYOR: I DID NOT KNOW YOUR HAND WAS UP. >> A BIG PROPONENT OF US PUTTING SOME PARAMETERS AROUND WHO WE AWARD FUNDS TO. THAT POINT WILL NEVER BE LOST ON ME . IT IS JUST THAT ONE PIECE THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO ADD SOME STRUCTURE TO AND IT IS THAT I SEE A RIDER TO WHAT THIS IS. AGAIN, TO BLANKET THIS AND SAY THAT WE'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC, ESPECIALLY IN MY CASE WHERE THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT MAKE ON AVERAGE $35,000 A YEAR, 28 PRECINCTS, MORE THAN 125,000 PEOPLE ON AVERAGE, I WOULD NEVER, FROM THIS SEAT, MAKE ANY TYPE OF JUDGMENT THAT WOULD HARM THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE BEEN DOOLEY ELECTED TO REPRESENT. BUT LIKE I SAID, I AM IN FAVOR OF US PUTTING SOME TYPE OF POLICY IN PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDS STRUCTURE TO WHAT OUR CURRENT PROCESS IS. IT IS JUST TIGHTENING UP THAT PIECE WHERE WE'RE KIND OF IN LIMBO OF WHO AND WHAT AND HOW WITH THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL. >>MAYOR: I WOULD SUGGEST THIS THAT IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AMENDMENTS DURING THE MEETING IF YOU GUYS COME IN SOME WAY TO DO THIS, IT CAN BE DONE VERY MUCH IN A MEETING. IF EVERYBODY KIND OF GETS TO THE PLACE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO PUT ON THE AGENDA. I MEAN, WHAT THEY WOULD SUGGEST AND THE VOTE WOULD GO BACK AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON IT. MS. MAYFIELD. >> MS. MAYFIELD: THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. AS MY CHAIR MENTIONED, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION REGARDING THIS . SOME OF THIS GOES BACK MANY YEARS WITH TRYING TO ACTUALLY QUANTIFY HOW OUR PARTNERS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND BIG PICTURE, WE WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE NOT THROWING NAMES AND SPAGHETTI AGAINST THE WALL DURING BUDGET SEASON WHEN WE'RE DOING ADD AND DELETES, WHICH ARE GOING TO CREATE A PROCESS TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE THROUGH INSTEAD OF, AND I HAVE DONE IT. THROWING A GET. I LOST THE VOTE FOR NOT EXTENDING SO I COULD SEE THAT-- I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU BEING IN THE PROCESS WITH YOUR 501(C)3, BUT I RECOGNIZE THAT CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY SO I WENT WITH THE COLLECTIVE. I WAS OUTNUMBERED ON THAT ONE. WE MOVED FORWARD WITH IT. YET AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A BUSINESS. SO FOR OUR FINANCIAL PARTNERS TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE WE HAVE CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THEM BUT THERE ARE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE FUNDED FOR MANY YEARS. WHAT WE KNOW AND THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD, YOU KNOW, FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS IS REALLY THAT SHORE UP TIME AND BY THAT TIME, YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER FUNDING OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT. THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT AND HELP THEM TO SO A LOT OF THE ORGANIC THAITIONS ARE COMING TO US WERE ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH CORPORATE PARTNERS YOU WERE ABLE TO DECIMATE THROUGH YOUR PAYCHECK, I-- YOU WERE ABLE TO DESIGNATE THROUGH YOUR PAYCHECK, WANT THIS X AMOUNT TO GO TO THIS ORGANIZATION. WE HAVE LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS. WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT WITH ARPA DOLLARS AND THAT WAS ONE TIME. BY SENDING IT UP, I PUSHED FOR FIVE YEARS BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO GET TO YOU A PLACE OF SELF-SUSTAINABILITY WHERE WE ARE NOT YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME WHICH IS ALSO WHY WE HAVE THE LANGUAGE IN HERE REGARDING NO MORE THAN 30% IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO FUND RAISE BECAUSE ALL OF US HAVE RECEIVED EMAILS WHERE SOMEBODY WITH A REALLY GREAT IDEA. YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO ACTUAL PROGRAM. YOU HAVE NO FUNDING. YOU HAVE NO SUPPORT. YOU DON'T KNOW THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WANT TO REACH. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A PASSION TO DO A THING. I PERSONALLY TRY TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THAT THING AND YOU NEED TO GO OVER AND VOLUNTEER AND SHOW UP THAT WAY. WHEN WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE ARE BRINGING THIS TO FULL COUNCIL BECAUSE IT HELPS TO CODIFY, IT HELPS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS BETTER. MAYOR, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU MENTIONED REGARDING THIS LOOKING REAL NUMBERS RELATED IT ACTUALLY ISN'T. THEY TRY TO CONDENSE AND TRY TO CONDENSE IT, AND THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WAS THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD IN HOUSING PUBLIC SAFETY AND THAT IS BASICALLY IMPACTING INTENT. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REPORTOUT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY IMPACT, THE FAMILY IMPACT AND ARE WE BREAKING GENERATIONAL BARRIERS? THAT ISN'T IN HERE. THAT'S IN -- THAT IS THAT DEEPER CONVERSATION THAT'S IN HERE WHEN WE'RE-- THAT THEY JUST PASSED OUT WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW ARE WE TURNING IN THE WORKFORCE TO SAFE COMMUNITIES, HOW ARE WE TYING IN YOUR ORGANIZATION'S PLOP PROPOSAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVED POLICIES, TYING THOSE IN AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING? FOR ME, IT IS NOT A SUCCESS STORY FOR YOU TO TELL ME YOU'RE ON THE FOURTH OR FIFTH GENERATION OF ONE PARTICULAR FAMILY. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS NOT CONNECTING THE WAY THAT WE WANT VERSUS MAYBE BY THE THIRD GENERATION YOU START TO SEE THAT SHIFT. SO THE CONVERSATIONS WERE VERY INFORMATIVE. THEY WERE VERY PASSIONATE. WE ASKED AND EVERY POSSIBLE QUESTION. WE CHALLENGED STAFF TO NOT ONLY HEAR FROM OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND QUESTIONS THAT THEY'VE ASKED US, BUT ALSO TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL WITH WHAT OUR UNDERSTANDING AS POLICY MAKERS, HOW DO WE CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO GET US TO A BETTER PLACE SO THAT WE DON'T KEEP HAVING THROW SPAGHETTI AGAINST THE WALL DURING THE BUDGET AND JUST GRABBING NEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT NOBODY ELSE AROUND THE ROOM HAS EVER HEARD OF. AND WE ARE LIKE WE WANT FUNDING FOR THEM, HOW DO WE CREATE THE SPACE TO GET KNEW THE SYSTEM ON THE FRONT END AND HOW DO WE HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE? IF YOU DO RECEIVE UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, WE'RE SAYING WE DON'T WANT YOU TO STRUGGLE FINANCIALLY TO HAVE THAT CERTIFIED CPA BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET TO THE POSITION WHERE YOU CAN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THESE TWO YEARS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO CONNECT YOU WITH TO HELP YOU BE A STRONGER BUSINESS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE PASSION, HONESTLY JUST DON'T HAVE THE BUSINESS ACUMEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TO KEEP THAT BUSINESS. IT IS A BUSINESS AND TO KEEP THAT BUSINESS RUNNING AS A SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY OUTREACH PARTNER. SO WE ALSO CREATED THIS SPACE WHERE WE WILL ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SHARE. >>MAYOR: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS ITEM UP AND JUST REMEMBER THAT THE PROCESS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT THAT YOU CAN BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE-- ON THE AGENDA MEETING ON THE 14th. IS THAT CORRECT? ALL RIGHT. SO ALL RIGHT WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL REPORTS LEFT TO DO. [ OFF-MIC ] WHAT'S THE NEXT PART OF THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT >> I WILL PROVIDE A REPORT ON TWO ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING SO FIRST IS FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO MR. FENTON REVIEWED THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WITH US AND PROVIDED US AN OVERVIEW OF STAFF PROPOSED ISSUES FOR INCLUSION. DID YOU ALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THAT? OKAY. IT'S THERE, RIGHT? DO YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF IT? >> 2025 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. IF WE CAN GET EVERYONE A COPY OF OUR STAFF PROPOSED ISSUES. >> I THINK I WATCHED IT ON VIDEO. >> OKAY. I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WASN'T THERE IN OUR PREVIOUS YEARS, FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, ONE IS CHILD CARE. BECAUSE THERE IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT PRIVATE SECTOR IS CHAMPIONING AND I THINK BECAUSE IT HAS DIRECT CONNECTION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WE KNOW THAT CHILD CARE IS SEVERELY UNDERFUNDED IN THIS NATION AND IT'S SUCH A CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND HAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT. THAT IS CERTAINLY IN THIS YEAR'S FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT YOU'LL FIND OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE AGENDA ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FROM LAST YEAR THERE WERE A COUPLE OF NEW ITEMS THAT CAME UP AND THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO DO NEW WORK ON THOSE. ONE IS GAMING. YOU KNOW, THOSE FISH TABLES, A LOT OF THOSE LOCATIONS ARE BEING CONCENTRATED IN UNDERSERVED AREAS. . I'M SURE COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA AND I CAN RELATE TO THAT. FROM GORMAN CENTER ON OUR WAY HOME, WE SEE FOUR OR FIVE JUST-- FROM THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, WE SEE FOUR OR FIVE, JUST IN THE STRETCH OF A MILE AND A HALF. AND THEY ARE TARGETING THAT COMMUNITY. WE ARE REVIEWING THAT. WOOELLE GET MORE DETAIL ON THAT. SECOND ITEM WE ARE REVIEWING IS CHAMPIONING ADDITIONAL FUNDING AS WE ALL HEARD FROM OUR CHIEF JENNINGS THAT THERE IS A RESOLVING DOOR RIGHT? THEY ARE SAME INDIVIDUALS, NOT TWO, NOT THREE MULTIPLE TIMES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TEN TIMES AND MORE. SO THIS IS ONLY FUNDING AND RESOURCES FOR OUR D.A.'S OFFICE AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THOSE ARE TWO ISSUES THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING INTO. WE'LL HAVE MORE UPDATE ON THOSE LATER. BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE STAFF-PROPOSED ISSUES AND SEE AND THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO CHAMPION. IT WILL BE COMING-- SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BRING THIS TO THE FULL COUNCIL UNTIL NOVEMBER 525th. SO THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME. IT WILL BE ON OUR COUNCIL AGENDA ON DECEMBER 9th. THERE IS SOME TIME FOR THAT. THAT'S ON FEDERAL AND STATE. SECOND ITEM WE REVIEWED, WHICH WE HAD A LOT OF PASSION AROUND IT WHICH IS OPTIMIZING OUR MWSBE PARTICIPATION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROJECTS. COUNCIL WOMAN JOHNSON TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL EXCEPTIONS. YOU BROUGHT THAT UP AT THE DIAS, AND WE DISCUSSED ALL OF THAT AND MORE. THAT WORK IS ONGOING. THE COMMITTEE'S NOT READY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION YET BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT MORE WORK TO BE TON. THERE IS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE REVIEWING THAT I THINK YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO SEE. STAFF HAS REVIEWED OUR CURRENT PROCESSES AND THERE IS A PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT BASED ON THE COUNCIL'S FEEDBACK. AND I APPRECIATE MR. KONKER WHO TOOK THIS FEEDBACK AND THEY ARE DOING MORE TARGETED OUTREACH TO VENDORS TO BE A CBI IF YOU KNOW A BUSINESS OWNER OR BUSINESS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE CBI CERTIFIED, PLEASE SEND THEM MR. KONKER'S WAY. ON MWSBE PARTICIPATION, IF I TELL YOU ALL THE CONCERNS, I WILL BE HERE FOREVER. THERE WERE 30 MINUTES THAT THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED ALL THE CONCERNS THEY HAD, ALL THE FEEDBACK. >> THAT WOULD BE JAMES. >> YEAH. MAJORITY OF IT. SO I WILL SUMMARIZE THEM FOR YOU WHEN IT'S READY. [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I HAVE. >>MAYOR: LET'S GO TO THE NEXT COMMITTEE. AND THAT COMMITTEE IS JOBS AND ED. >> IT WILL BE LIKE THREE SECONDS. >> IS THIS THE LAST ONE? >> NO. >> JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MET TODAY. WE HAD ONE AGENDA ITEM , WHICH WAS STAFF PROVIDING THE OVERVIEW TO OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND SHARED THE UPDATE ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. MS. FRAZIER DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AS WELL AS OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS LAYING OUT WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. THEY TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT INTERNAL ISSUES, EXTERNAL ISSUES AND REFERENCE TO PROVIDING INSIGHTS. THEY HAVE INTERVIEWED A NUMBER OF KEY COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY. THEY ARE PREPARED TO COME BACK TO PROVIDE THE OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THEIR FINAL REPORT AT THE END OF OCTOBER AND AT SOME POINT, THAT REPORT WILL FUNNEL ITS WAY BACK TO THE ED COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND I GUESS, SOME ADOPTION FOR SURE. VERY GOOD UPDATE, VERY GOOD PLAN. THEY ALSO TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, THE OFFICE AND ORGANIZATION AND MRS. FRAZIER'S LEADERSHIP OF STAFFING AND WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING IN TERMS OF PULLING THAT DEPARTMENT TOGETHER. A LOT OF GREAT COMMENTS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS. MOSTLY CONCERNING AROUND MEASUREMENT, MAKING SURE THAT WHAT MEASURES GETS DONE AND THE REPORT WAS VERY HIGH LEVEL TODAY AND WE SUSPECT IT TO BE A LOT MORE SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF ITS OUTLINE AND FORMATTING FOR PRESENTATION SOMETIME IN LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER BEFORE WE GO HOME FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAIR? HEARING NONE, WE'LL GO TO HOUSING. AND SAFETY. >> THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. SO TWO UPDATES. ONE WE RECEIVED OUR UPDATE TODAY FROM THE CHARLOTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE UPDATE ON, UNFORTUNATELY, THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED ON MAY 18th WITH THE SOUTHPARK FIRE AT 7741 LIBERTY ROAD DRIVE. I AM-- I WILL GLADLY HAVE STAFF EMAIL EVERYONE THE ATTACHMENT. WHAT CHIEF JOHNSON WAS ABLE TO DO WAS TO GO OVER OUR RESPONSE. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I THINK WE MUST TAKE NOTE TO IS WE'RE ON A FIVE TO SIX-MINUTE RESPONSE TIME. THAT WILL BE GREAT IF THE INDIVIDUALS HAD NOT WAITED 11 MINUTES TO CALL. THE FIRST TWO FLOORS WERE CONCRETE. THE UPPER FLOORS WERE WOOD. WE HAD A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE NOT IN PLACE AND THE WINDS WERE 13, 14 MILES AN HOUR, THE WAY IT RAN THROUGH, PUSHED THROUGH THE WOOD QUICKLY BECAUSE THERE WERE NO FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS IN THE BUILDING, NO DRYWALL HAD BEEN UPDATED. WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE TWO INDIVIDUALS, THEY SAID THE FOURTH FLOOR, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE SIXTH FLOOR BECAUSE FOURTH FLOOR WERE WOOD FLOORS AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS GETTING IN. THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE IMMEDIATE FIRE HYDRANT CLOSEST TO THE BUILDING THAT IT WAS OPERABLE. IT WAS NOT SO THAT CAUSED SOME CHALLENGES AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES AS THE TIME LINE FROM 9:02 A.M. AND THAT'S WHEN THE INITIAL 911 CALL CAME IN. BY 9:07, FIVE MINUTES, THE FIRST LADDER ARRIVED. TWO MINUTES LATER, 9:09, THE SECOND ALARM WAS DECLARED, 9:20, THE THIRD. 9:31, THE FOURTH ALARM. 9:56, THE FIFTH. SO WHAT WE HAVE IS A NUMBER OF AFTERACTION REPORTS, STRATEGIC AND THINGS WITHIN THE FIRE DEPART. THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL OPERATIONS ANALYSIS. THE MAYDAY RAPID INTERVENTION CREW REVIEW, FIRE INVESTIGATION TEST TASK FORCE REPORT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS A COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO DO IS WE DID APPROVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR STAFF SO THEY NOW HAVE A CONSTRUCTION TEAM WHERE THAT IS GOING TO BE THEIR FOCUS. WE ALL HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A REPORTER THAT SAYS THAT THEY HAVE CONFIRMATION OF WHERE A-- THE FIRE MARSHAL HAD DONE AN INSPECTION, ACCORDING TO CHIEF JOHNSON, WE TO NOT HAVE ANY RECORD BECAUSE THE COUNTY, THERE WAS A DISCONNECT WHERE WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE BUILDING WAS STARTING TO ADD THE WOOD. WE NOW HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH MECKLENBURG COUNTY. WE'RE PERMITTING AND FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO BE THE ONE OF THE FIRST AT THE TABLE TO KNOW OF ANY FUTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING. ANOTHER THING THAT I'M REALLY PERSONALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS HOW WE WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT DEVELOPER. YOU CAN'T TIE IT AND SAY IF THERE'S A REPORT, SAY AN OSHA COMPLAINT, DON'T TIE IT TO THE COMPANY BECAUSE PEOPLE CHANGE COMPANY NAMES EVERY DAY AND YOU TIE IT TO GENERAL CONTRACTORS AND THAT LICENSE BECAUSE YOU AIN'T CHANGING YOUR NAME THAT QUICK. THAT IS GOING TO HELP US AT SOME POINT AND PART OF THE ACTIONS I FEEL TECHNICIAN PILOT PROGRAM WHICH ACTUALLY KICKED OFF BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL AND ALSO UPDATING OUR DEMO SOFTWARE. I NEED US TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT CHARLOTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS BOTH INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED BY THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND I BELIEVE WE ARE THREE PLUS YEARS IN A ROW RUNNING WHERE WE HOLD AN INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE CLASS 1 RATING WHICH ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO OUR TRIPLE A BOND RATING AND KEEPS OUR INSURANCE LOW. AND AS WELL AS THAT IS ACHIEVED BY LESS THAN 1% OF U.S. FIRE DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE NATION. THE REST OF IT WE-- THE OTHER PIECE, WE GOT AN UPDATE. LOTS OF GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING WITH THAT . WE ARE ABLE THROUGH SEAN HEATH AND H.A. CALHOUN AND TONYA JAMESON LEADING THE OPPORTUNITY. THE CHEVY STUDY HAS BEEN UPDATED. IT'S A LONGER NAME. WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIGURE THAT OUT. IT'S CHANGING OPPORTUNITY. WE LOOKED AT SOME DIFFERENT MARKERS THAN WHAT WAS DONE INITIALLY. YET WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT, AGAIN, WHICH WE SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THAT WE'RE NO LONGER IN LAST PLACE. WE ARE 38. WE ARE NUMBER THREE. CHARLOTTE IS RANKED NUMBER 3 OUT OF 50 ON ECONOMIC MOBILITY PROGRESS, MOVING UPWARD FASTER THAN PEER CITIES. I WANT US TO TAKE NOTE THAT FROM MECKLENBURG COUNTY, MECKLENBURG COUNTY IS THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY WHERE LOW INCOME WHITE CHILDREN EXPERIENCE NO DECLINE IN ECONOMIC MOBI MOBILITY. SO WE HAVE WHERE YOU SEE FROM 20-- WE WENT FROM THE AVERAGE CHANGE IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME BY THE AGE OF 27 FROM CHILDREN BORN IN 1978 VERSUS 1992 TO LOWER INCOME T LFYING SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL POLICY, I'M JUST GOING TO JUMP TO IT, PRIORITIZED TWO GENERATIONAL APPROACHES TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITIES. WELL, MECKLENBURG COUNTY'S DONE THAT WITH MECK SAYS WHICH PROVIDES CASE MANAGEMENT, COORDINATION SERVICES TO ASSIST FAMILIES AS WELL AS AN UPCOMING PILOT PROGRAM THAT IS GOING TO BE EMBEDDED AS AN INLIVIAN PROPERTY. RECOMMENDATION COMBINED FINANCIAL RESOURCES WITH SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CONNECTIONS. WE ARE THINKING ABOUT HOUSING NAVIGATORS, CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYERS, COLLEGES, FREEDOM COMMUNITIES, CIRCLE (INAUDIBLE) AS WELL AS COMMUNITIES AT SCHOOL AND HOW DO WE INCREASE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE, OUR 2040 PLAN AND THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND THE CDC'S CATALOG OF ELEMENTS OF EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT, CENTERS AND NEIGHBORHOOD. WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, WE STILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO DO A LOT MORE. BUT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PLANNING AND MOBILITY. HOW DOES CHARLOTTE STAND AS A LEADER? OUR COMMUNITY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS , HOW WE REIMAGINED OUR CORRIDORS OF OPPORTUNITY. >>MAYOR: MS. MAYFUL. THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR AND KNOW ABOUT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DETAILS. I ALSO AM REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE A PLAYBOOK THAT SAYS THIS IS WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO GET OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS COUNTRY'S EFFORTS AND ALL OF THAT. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE QUESQUESTIONS THAT I MIGHT ASK IS THAT, YOU KNOW WHEN WE WERE DOING THE CHEVY STUDY BEFORE, IT WAS REALLY A CALL TO ARMS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND EVERYBODY HAD A ROLE AND DID THIS. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE-- IF THE COMMITTEE HAD ANY DISCUSSION AROUND, IS THIS GOING TO BE ANOTHER INITIATIVE THAT'S GOING TO COMMUNITYWIDE, OR IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIT IN WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING GOOD THINGS, WHATEVER. >> MS. MAYFIELD: ACTUALLY, MAYOR, IT IS ANOTHER INITIATIVE. ONCE WE TAKE A BREATH AND GIVE OURSELVES THAT MOMENT TO STEP BACK AND REFLECT ON WHAT WE'VE DONE RIGHT AND NOW HOW DO WE DO MORE OF IT. >>MAYOR: SEAN, GET THAT OPERA MONEY OUT THERE. I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN HAVING CHILDREN GROW UP TO BE WELL-ROUNDED ADULTS. OKAY. >> I WANTED TO ADD-- I'M SORRY. I HAD MY HAND UP. THIS WAS A HUGE DEAL. WE TALKED ABOUT. GREAT PRESENTATION. AND WE TALKED ABOUT ALSO, MAYOR THAT THIS NEEDS TO COME BEFORE FULL COUNCIL, RIGHT. THIS IS HUGE. THE CHEDI STUDY, ALL OF US, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE COUNTY TALKED ABOUT CHEDI. THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SHOULD BE A PART OF OUR PRIORITIES NEXT YEAR, IN THE UPCOMING YEAR AND MAYBE HAVE A DEEP DIVE AND TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY RECOMMENDATIONS AND LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH AN EQUITABLE LENS, WE CAN REALLY MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INITIATIVES AND POLICIES SURROUNDING IT. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THEM COMING BACK. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS RUN OUT OF TIME. WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO ASK QUESTIONS. THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK. IF ANYBODY FROM THE COMMITTEE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE GROUP, THEY WANT TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL, BUT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS AS A COUNCIL AND WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MOVING FORWARD. WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEING IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION NEXT YEAR >> THANK YOU. I REMEMBER TRYING TO CONDENSE MY REPORT OUT, BUT THAT IS VALID AND IT IS NEEDED. IT WAS SO MUCH GOOD INFORMATION, WE'RE BRINGING THEM BACK SO WE CAN REALLY DIG DEEP INTO IT. BUT THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS IN HERE REGARDING HOUSING, REGARDING 10-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOODS, REGARDING OUR CORRIDORS OF OPPORTUNITY THAT I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE. WE WANT TO TRY TO-- THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW CAN THEY GET IN FRONT OF THE OTHER COMMITTEES? BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, THE BGIR COMMITTEE, WE RAN OUT OF TIME BECAUSE OF ALL THE QUESTIONS WE HAD FOR MWSBE. SO THEY DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO VISIT. >>MAYOR: I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER INFORMED AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS DOING AND PERHAPS YOU CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT, WELL, WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS? WHO IS PUSHING THIS? WHO IS GOING TO DRIVE IT? I THINK THAT'S THE END OF OUR MEETING >> MOVE TO ADJOURN. >> THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. [ MEETING ADJOURNED AT 9:03 P.M. ]