One of four key policy decisions identified early on in the City of Charlotte’s 2015-16 budget process was the use of approximately $880,000 the city received in damages from Owens-Brockway in early 2015. Council showed unanimous support May 26 to table discussions regarding the use of the money until the 2015-16 budget is finalized.
“I personally think it might be better to put it off until after the budget and then move forward with some more in depth conversations,” Mayor Carrie Burch said. “There is no rush to spend the money all at once.”
Several ideas as to how portions of the money should be spent were addressed at the council’s May 26 meeting, including the purchase of new tornado sirens and the establishment of a revolving loan fund established through the city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
“I would just like to see a lot more conversation on council regarding the O-I money than what we’ve had,” said councilmember Yvonne Ridge. “I know several of us have been thinking of different ideas so I’d like to get them all out there so council can discuss.”
The Charlotte City Council will adopt the 2015-2016 budget at its Monday, June 8 council meeting. Missing from the final resolution is a plan originally brought forward by City Manager Gregg Guetschow to finance parking lot improvements through a 20-year bond proposal.
The plan was met with minimal council support when the issue was discussed at length at the council’s May 26 meeting.
“I don’t think there is a demand yet for a bond proposal,” Councilman Branden Dyer said. “I would like to see us investing a little more per year to speed it up, but I don’t feel a bond proposal is a wise decision right now.”
Currently, the city is setting aside $100,000 a year for parking lot improvements, a practice that it began five or six years ago, Guetschow said. Parking projects are undertaken when enough money has been saved to complete the project. The lone project to be completed to date is City Lot No. 2 (located behind Eaton Place), which was completed for $216,000 in 2012.
Several councilmembers shared their preference to continue the city’s “pay as you go” policy on parking lot improvements.
“You might very well conclude that you would rather use that $100,000 we’re setting aside for parking lots to be used for streets,” Guetschow said. “You might also decide whether or not we ought to invest the O-I monies and use the interest off of that to further expand the street programs. I think there are some other capital infrastructure choices, financing choices that you’re still facing here. Regardless of how you decide the budget looks, I think before you decide that you want to move forward, I think it’s really important that you have in mind a comprehensive view of your street program.”
Guetschow said he and DPW Director Amy Gilson will provide council with a detailed street improvement report for Charlotte City Council to consider at its June 8 meeting.