2'06 December 23, 1968 Minute Book ~ 51 Page 206 A regular m~eting of the City Council of the_CitYQf Charlotte, North Carolina, was held inahe Council Chamber, City Hall, on Monday, December 21, 1968, a~ 3:00 .otclock p.m.·, with Hayor.StaTh.R. Brooksh.ire presiding and CO\lncilmen Fred D. Alexander,. Milton Short, Gi.bson L. Smith, Jame.s B. Stegall, Jerry .Tuttle and James B. Whittington present. ABSENT: Councilman Sandy R. Jordan. *- *- *-. *- *-. INVOCATION. The invocation:wasgiven by The Reveren4 lieschnick, Ascension Lutheran Church. MINUTES APPROVED.~ Upon motion of Councilman Tuttle, seconded'by"Councilman Alexander, and unanimously carried, the minutes of the last meeting, on Monday£December 16,1968, were approved as submitted.· CITY MANAGER REQUESTED:. TO ARR~NGE FOR COUNCIL TO VIEW BARCLAY-DOWNS DRIVE PROJECT. Mr. Bruce Wright stated in reference to the re-location and widening of Barclay Downs Brive, Councilman Whittington suggested-a meeting with·Hr. Veeder, CityHanag~r, and the Engineering'Department. He stated the meeting was held Friday' Morning. at· 9.00 o'clock when. he met with Mr. Carstarphen, Mr, Clsrk Readling of·th, Engineering Department, Mr. Herman.Hoose. Mr. Russell.Tu,cker and Mr. Bud' Coira.· ·Theydiscussed· the .intersection .and the engineers defended·. their. plan by. stating that. it was good design.· They· did agree it·was designed on the premise that there would be considerable tIaffic on Barclay ·Bo'~nsDrive. Mr. t-irig'h t s tat'ed Celanese has 'told ·them that when Morrison Bou·levard is .completed and their sideentranc·e is 'completed that mucit of their traffic' that now· uses· Barclay Downs Drive would· be using Morrison. Boulevard. ~herefore, they believe that the amount of traffic 'on Barclay Downs Drive may be redu.ced rather than increased. Mr. Wrigh·t stated· h'e has' filed with the City Clerk and delivered to each cou.rrcilman a copy of a petition .signed by residents of Bare-lay Downs ; the p.etition contains signatures of almost 250 people wh'ich gives evidence. that· the entire community. isconc'erned abo:utthi.s .- not just the people who are propertyowners.on Barclay Downs Drive. Mr. j,right stated the--y propose that g.oing south .o:n BarClay Downs Drive, from Barclay Downs t~ Fairview, that there be two lanes of traffic - one for a left turn into the 20T December 23. 1968 Minute Book 51 - Page 207 shopping center and one for straight through or a right turn into Celanese ~property_ On north bound traffic that the street as designed will have three lanes of traffic; they propose that overhead signs be erected far enough back fr'om the int'ersection so that the traffic turning left into Celanese-can get into:the proper lane. The traffic turning ~to the right :tnto the shopping center can get into the proper lane, and the traffic in the center lane would proceed into Barclay Downs Drive. Mr, Hoose, Traffic Engineer, presented maps of the area, pointing out the subject area and stated it runs from Fairview Road and Telstar Lane to the entrances of Celanese at Morrison Boulevard. Mr. Wright stated they are recommending that the street be two lanes going to Morrision Boulevard far enough back to be able to hold traffic for a left turn into the shopping center, and one lane of traffic going from Fairview to Barclay Downs. The area is now designed for three lanes of traffic - one for a left turn lane and two lanes that could go straight through. They are recommending one lane' to go straight through and one lane to turn right into Morrison Boulevard; Mr .'fright ~stated' there is a crosswalk from their swimming pool that comes up at the end of the proposed new construct This ~ where the children walk across the street, and they believe the design they are recommending will have less haz s to the children al'it will i~vite less traffic; it will also invite less traffic to the overcrowded~ sch'ool crossings' at Runneymede and Barclay Downs Drive. Councilman Whittington 'asked how far the project run? Mr. Hoose replied it starts at Morrison Drive where they will turn lane for Celanese's new entrance and the project ends 80 feet from the intersection. Mr. Veeder stated it would be poor design and poor from a safety viewpoint to. cut back to the two lanes; he stated the intersection is basically the end of the project and the ~nly thing being done on this side of the intersection is t~ansitioningback to the two lanes; the only reason it is in theri is in order to make the intersections work and~makethe project all the way out to Fairvie*a better project; there is a problem of ~levation on the curve~nd the only thing being done is to transition it back to two lanes. That alJ factors considered- the curve, elevation and the'~ need to get back to the t~wo lanes to the end of the, proj ect, if it could be' done in a shorter distance and it would be good deSign, it would be done that way. Mr. Wright stated they feel the design is on the premise that Barclay Downs Drive ~wil,l be a four lane highway to their community and thiS' is in preparation for it; ,it is also encouraging more~ traffic,:t~o· use "Barclay Downs Drive; they believe,if they c,andiscoura~ge the use as a through artery that it may never b~e neces·sary to widen Barclay Downs Drive. Mr. Hoos~ stated this is designed at 35 MPH speed an~ it is on a curve and in'a good' design you only st.op the transit when it is tangent:. : . _ . ~ _____, • ____ A_"."~"._"~ ." •. _,~ •• _~_.~_~ _______ _ 208 December 23, 1968 Minute Book 51 - Page 208 Councilman Short suggested that this subject be placed on , the agenda at some s-pecific time an-d Council make a determinatibn on the matter; th_at he does not think Council should just I listen to this and then never even -vote or decide Gnit. I Councilman Whittington requested ~hat Mr. Veeder, Mr. Hoose and/or the Eng-ineering De'partment make arrangements for Council to see this ontheg-round.- CHRISTMAS GREETINGS EXTENDING TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL BY JOHN SHAW ON BEHALF OF CIT_Y ~HPLOYEES. Mr. John Shaw extended Christma~ greetings to the Mayor and C:j.ty Council-im behalf of the City Employees wishing for them a Herry Christmas alld a succesl'fful new year. Mr. Pope stated to b_alance the operations you would have to i add the $488,800 to -the final figure given on the water breakdown on Page 18 where -t-he adjusted figur-e for water is $424,600. T~at the $424,600, -should be added to the $Asa ,800 and that is the I defic,;i.t for -1968-69_ under the pre:sent .rate. struct.ures. I On Page·4 the rel'ort-s say that ,in order _tomai_ntain the water +nd sewer fund as a self-sustaining operation, it was necessary inl the 1963-69 budget to elimiaate capital improvement expenditurts and to provide under rev·enues $8-13,2_49- fro_m. anticipated rate I adjustments to balance the budget - .that is the 1968-69 deficit based on the existing rates._ - - I I Councilman Whittington asked how often most cities increase their water rates? Mr. Pope replied ~here is a wide variatioul­ they feel that a five year period is a logical period; the longer . I I 209 December 23, 1968 Minute Book 51 - Page 209 you wait thee furth'er you get behind. Their experience has be.en in tow:ns an<i ci,ties that have waited eight or tein or fifteen years, what they wind up floing is getting 2/3 of the way back to balancing the budg~t and the change is tdo great to enable them to do it. Mayor Brookshire asked if the report' does ,not say if 'Council. adopts the '::ecommendatiolls for increases in rates- that it would carry the city five 'year', Mr. Pope replied that is right. ' Councilman AJexanderasked if all cities use the same type sewage charge? Mr. Pope. replied it is a common charge - a surcharge on the water bill; there are o'ther method-s ,'discussed in the report regard:!.ng ,a flat rate; there are fixture unit charges and these are not as equ!tabie as'the wate; ~eter rate. This is recognized as being ihe ~ost equitable way of getting the cost of sewage ~orne by ihe peoplg who use the sewage. Councilman Short stated he is saying that this' reate' of increase perhaps would yield the city some money - more than is actually needed -in the next fiS'cal 'year; but it would~tend to level off and about the fourth and fifth year, the city probablyw~uldlosewhat was made the firstyear2 Mr. Pope, replied this might happen; that after five years the situation should be re-examined and start on another cycle depending on the expansions and costs at that ,time. , : Councilman Smith stated in studying the rates in 1960 it seems that the smal'l consumer carried the big ,load - from. $2- to $3 to $4; he asked if this ~s the same? Mayor Brookshire replied the table on Page- 57 shows the domestic- group of· customers would pay slightly over half of the total water revenue. Councilman Smith asked the average domestic rate for water? Mr. Franklin, Water Superintendent,replied it averages $S.OO or $6'.