72 - Summer 2018

Information You Can Use

SUMMER 2018

Seeking volunteers to clean up Concord’s streams

Organizational Transitions Concord-Padgett Regional Airport

City Council

Sam Leder District 1

Never Miss Your Waste Collection Day Again

Cabarrus County, Concord, and Kannapolis are launching a new waste collection calendar and reminder system to make it easier for residents to stay connected about waste management collection and programs.

Brian King District 2

Get the FREE APP

(starting July 1) Search for CARTology to download our mobile app in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android)

ü Know your Collection Day Ella Mae Small District 3

ü Sign up for FREE Reminders

JC McKenzie District 4

ü Find out how to dispose of items More information is available at cabarruscounty.us, concordnc.gov, or kannapolisnc.gov.

Terry L. Crawford District 5

Jennifer H. Parsley District 6 Mayor Pro-Tem

John A. Sweat, Jr. District 7

The Concord City Circular is produced quarterly by the City Manager’s Office to provide Concord citizens with information about current activities of the City of Concord. It contains items that will help make it easier for you to do business with the City.

Your comments and questions are welcomed. Please send them to: Concord City Circular P.O. Box 308, Concord, NC 28026 or call 704-920-5210 or e-mail franzese@concordnc.gov. designed by

We’ve taken the guess work out of garbage, recycling, bulky waste, and yard waste...

Granite Sky Civic

In this Issue: From the Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Organizational Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Blackburn Honored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Volunteers Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Concord-Padgett Regional Airport . . . . . . . . . . 8 Concord Connectivity Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Visit concordnc.gov to subscribe to the CityLink email newsletter, and receive weekly updates and information about Concord direct to your inbox.

Concord 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Merl Hamilton Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Renamed Donnie Avenue NW . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Caldwell Park’s Pharr Building Renovated . . . .13 High Performers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Concord Parkway and Poplar Tent Road . . . . back

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Get Connected Get connected with Concord through Facebook and Twitter!

Simply scan the QR code with your smartphone or go to facebook.com/concordnc and twitter.com/ConcordNCgov.

From the Mayor

Manager’s Notes

William “Bill” Dusch

Lloyd Wm. Payne, Jr., Concord City Manager

Excitement lies ahead After our City Manager of 19 years, Brian Hiatt, announced his retirement last fall, City Council started the process to find his replacement. To do this, we were PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

Hello Concord Thank you for the warm reception in my short time in my new role as your City Manager. I am humbled and honored to be in this position. Mayor Dusch and City Council have entrusted me with the responsibility of working alongside of our City staff each day in serving you, which means a great deal to me.

I look forward to the Concord community getting to know me in the coming years through this column. In the future we’ll talk more about what I’m focusing on in terms of our organization and services, but for now some basics about me might be helpful. My educational background comes from Appalachian State University, where I earned Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Master of Public Administration (Town/City/County Management concentration) degrees.

Shortly after his retirement, Hiatt returned to City Hall to be recognized

by City Council one last time and receive a commemorative print of the building he diligently worked to bring to fruition.

fortunate to have had the input from many of Concord's citizens and community leaders in this extensive selection process. At the completion of this process, we are proud to have former Assistant City Manager Lloyd Payne rise to the top of the process and be named our new City Manager. Lloyd has worked with us for three of his 17 years of service in municipal government. He also serves in the North Carolina National Guard as a Command Sergeant Major, including past active duty deployments in Bosnia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Welcome Lloyd!

Another important item for our community is the continued development of our parks, greenways, and recreation facilities and the creation of a more walkable community. Concord currently has 226 acres of total park lands which includes 69 acres yet to be developed.

We have completed 11 miles of greenways and 4 miles of trails within our park system. As we move forward, we are planning and actively acquiring land for the next park areas. continued on page 15

I have been in the North Carolina Army National Guard for over 24 years and currently serve as the 113th Sustainment Brigade Command Sergeant Major based out of Greensboro. I am fortunate to have served our country in three overseas deployments. I served in Bosnia in 1997-1998, Kuwait/Iraq in 2004-2005, and again in Iraq in 2009-2010. I have also served the State of North Carolina on multiple natural disaster recovery operations.

I have been married to my wife, Beth, for almost 16 years and have a daughter, Ella (11), and son, Liam (5).

I am truly blessed and fortunate to have a loving family and greatly value our time together. Prior to coming to Concord as the Assistant City Manager in 2015, I served as the Town Manager in Elkin for ten years and started my career with four years as Town Manager in Lake Waccamaw.

Having served here as the Assistant City Manager for the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand the incredibly talented staff who work hard each day to ensure the citizens receive the best possible customer service. Delivering excellent customer service has and will continue to be our daily focus no matter what our individual job titles are.

I look forward to working with Mayor Dusch, City Council, and staff on the many projects and opportunities that lie continued on page 15 concordnc.gov • SUMMER 2018 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 3

PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

Organizational transition: new City Manager names several to key leadership roles

City Manager Lloyd Payne is sworn in by Mayor Dusch, joined by his wife Beth and children Ella and Liam.

In late February, Lloyd Wm. Payne, Jr. was appointed as Concord’s eighth City Manager, after serving as Assistant City Manager since May of 2015. The City Council appointed Payne after an extensive search process, which began following now-retired City Manager Brian Hiatt’s announcement in last August. Payne assumed his new position effective April 1.

“It is an honor to be selected by the Mayor and City Council to serve as the next City Manager of Concord,” remarked Payne. “I appreciate the solid foundation that Mr. Hiatt has cultivated after years of dedicated service and look forward to working with the elected officials, staff, and the community as we collectively work to make Concord the very best it can be.”

Since 1965, Concord has operated according to the council-manager form of government, where a professional City Manager serves as the CEO of the government organization at the pleasure of the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for implementing policies decisions made by the City Council, serves as the Council’s chief advisor, appoints all City coworkers, coordinates the operations of all City departments, and is responsible for the preparation of a proposed operating budget and its presentation to the City Council each year.

“We are excited that Lloyd will lead our City coworkers in their service to the community,” said Mayor Bill Dusch.

“His 17 years of local government management and his distinguished service in the NC National Guard make him a uniquely qualified City Manager.”

Steve Osborne Planning and Neighborhood Development Director

To find out more about Payne’s background, be sure to read his first Manager’s Notes column beginning on page three of this issue.

The City Manager was not the only role on the City’s staff leadership team filled in recent months. Planning, Communications, and Transportation Directors were all named in March and April. In May, Payne named two new Assistant City Managers to fill his former role and that of retiring Deputy City Manager Merl Hamilton.

Planning and Neighborhood Development

Steve Osborne is Concord’s new Planning and Neighborhood Development Director.

He has worked for the City of Concord since 1989 and succeeds retired Planning Director Margaret Pearson.

Bethany Ledwell

The Planning and Neighborhood Development Department is responsible for preparing and administering plans and programs related to residential and commercial development, quality of life, strong neighborhoods, sustainability of the environment, efficient public facilities and services, diverse housing opportunities of high quality, and effective utilization of the area’s land resources.

The council-manager form is the most Communications Director popular type of local government in the United States in communities with a population of 5,000 or greater. North Carolina cities and After initially working in his native Asheboro, Osborne has counties helped pioneer the form and all North Carolina served in Concord for the majority of his career, starting as local governments of significant size operate under this form community development coordinator in 1989. He has served of government. as deputy planning director since 2003, including eight months as interim director.

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His experience includes current and long-range planning, permitting, community development, zoning, code enforcement, economic development, construction management, and infrastructure improvements. During his time in Concord, he was directly involved in three downtown master plans, two small area plans, one large area, plan and two comprehensive land use plans.

“I am incredibly honored to be selected as Concord’s next Director of Planning and Neighborhood Development,” said Osborne. “I am looking forward to working with our highly talented planning staff, City Management, elected officials, and appointed boards as we continue to make Concord a great place to live, work, and play.”

Osborne holds bachelor of science in community and regional planning and bachelor of science in geography degrees from Appalachian State University, and a master of public administration degree from UNC Charlotte.

Steve and his wife, Sara, have been married for 25 years and live in Cabarrus County.

Their older daughter Bailey is a junior psychology major at Appalachian State, and younger daughter Kendall has signed to play softball at Lenoir Rhyne University while studying nursing. His personal interests include basketball and softball, being an outdoorsman, and spending time with family. He is the assistant girls’ varsity basketball coach at Mount Pleasant High School. The family attends Forest Hill United Methodist Church in Concord.

Communications

Bethany Ledwell also brings internal experience to her new role as Communications Director. Ledwell has worked for the City of Concord for over 15 years, and served in the role on an interim basis since former director Vicki Callicutt left for a position with Union County Emergency Communications.

supervisor in 2006, and to 911 Communications Center Manager in 2014.

“I am honored to have been selected for the Communications Director position and will proudly serve the citizens of Concord,” said Ledwell. “Our community is blessed with amazing Communications and Shop staff members and I thank them for their continued hard work and dedication to our profession.”

Philip Graham Transportation Director

Ledwell has been a Cabarrus County resident for over 30 years. Her and husband Robert, a Captain with Concord Police Department, have been married for 12 years and have four children. Bethany enjoys spending time with her family and being a busy soccer and dance mom.

Bethany is an avid sports fan and loves the Tar Heels, Panthers, and Red Sox. The family attends He’s Alive Church in Kannapolis.

Transportation

A third promotion was made with the naming of Philip Graham as Transportation Director. Graham has worked for the City of Concord since 2008 and succeeds retired Transportation Director Joe Wilson.

LeDerick Blackburn

The Transportation Department is responsible for engineering, planning, project inspection, preventive maintenance, and repair of City streets, curb and gutter, sidewalk, bridges, and traffic control infrastructure.

Assistant City Manager

Graham served as interim Transportation Director prior to his promotion. He began his career with the City of Concord in 2008 as Staff Engineer and has progressed through various positions within the Transportation Department, most recently as Deputy Director.

“I am honored for the opportunity to serve the City of Concord as the Transportation Director,” said Graham.

“Being surrounded by such outstanding and dedicated staff in the Transportation Department, I look forward to building onto the strong foundation we have in place.”

The City’s Communications Department includes the Emergency Communications Joshua Smith Center and the Radio Shop. The Emergency Communications Center is Concord’s Assistant City Manager 911 Public Safety Answering Point and dispatches police, fire, and other City A native of Sanford, Graham holds a departments around the clock. The Radio Shop provides Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from UNC installation and maintenance of communications equipment Charlotte. He and his wife, Celeste, have been married for with City of Concord facilities and vehicles. It also provides eight years and have two children. He enjoys spending time maintenance of the telephone systems and other electronic with family, playing drums, and being involved in various equipment for the City of Concord. activities at Lake Norman Baptist Church in Huntersville, where the family attends. continued on page 12 Ledwell began her career with the City of Concord in 2002 as a telecommunicator. She was promoted to shift

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A

t the March 8 City Council Meeting, LeDerick Blackburn of the Planning and Neighborhood Development Department was surprised with the news that he is the 2018 recipient of the Jo Atwater Continuous Core Values award. After comments from colleagues and community members, now-retired City Manager Brian Hiatt presented the award to Blackburn, which is the City’s highest honor for coworkers.

The Continuous Core Values award was created in 2003 to recognize one coworker annually who embodies the organizational core values and commitment to serving others in the community. Jo Atwater, who was Concord’s Human Resources Director until she passed away in 2004, was the first recipient of the award that was named in her honor.

At a presentation during the meeting, Customer Service Advancement Team facilitator Cherie Jzar began revealing the details of the winner while Blackburn’s family, friends, and Planning Department team members filed in the Council Chambers in a show of support.

“LeDerick is known as a coworker who exemplifies the City’s Mission and Core Values, consistently goes above and beyond to deliver excellent service to the citizens of Concord, and truly has a passion for service to the community,” said Jzar. “He has over 24 years of public service in community development and project management, with 12 of those years working for the City of Concord. LeDerick has a gift for serving as a “bridge” for connecting people to others. One great example is his leadership and personal involvement with Habitat for Humanity and commitment to helping those in need find decent and affordable housing. He is described as a humble servant with a large impact felt by his team and within the community roles.”

Blackburn honored with 2018 Jo Atwater Continuous Core Values award Service is ingrained in his approach and style, as noted in excerpts from LeDerick’s nomination: …he helps the City shine through his unceasing attention to moving forward impactful community development projects with a maximum of efficiency and innovation… service is within LeDerick’s DNA… his passion, drive, and deep level of commitment to public service, and to making the City of Concord and the citizens he serves lives better, is a great example for other to follow.

“I am so honored to receive such a prestigious award. I never had the pleasure of meeting Jo, but hearing about her character and core values makes it humbling to be mentioned as a worthy recipient,” said Blackburn. “I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve the citizens of Concord and I recognize that none of my efforts would be possible without the support of the City Council, City Management, and my coworkers. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the many community partners and public service

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agencies that create decent, safe, and affordable housing and help to meet the needs of the most vulnerable citizens in our community.”

As Community Development Manager, Blackburn is tasked with administering Federal Community Development Block Grant funds that are used to construct and rehabilitate affordable housing, revitalize neighborhoods and support community public service agencies.

Prior to arriving in Concord, LeDerick served as the Director of Public Space Operations and Interim Executive Director for the Downtown Development District of the City of New Orleans. His responsibilities included oversight of the agency’s multi-million dollar urban design/capital projects and public space maintenance enhancement contracts.

Blackburn is a member of the North Carolina Community Development Association and President-Elect of the Concord Afton Sunset Rotary Club. He has completed the UNC Municipal and County Administration and Community continued on page 14

Volunteers needed:

stream clean-up opportunities await

There are over 160 miles of streams within the City of Concord city limits. When it rains, trash is washed from the roads straight into the storm drainage system, which leads directly to ponds, streams, and lakes. Trash not only makes the streams and lakes look terrible, but also harms the aquatic habitat. In addition, chemicals that may be in the trash may also worsen water quality.

The good news: this presents an opportunity for volunteers to have fun exploring local streams and feel great knowing they are helping the environment. Helping in a stream clean-up can also be a great opportunity to teach environmental stewardship to children, or a great community service activity for school groups, businesses, civic groups, and neighborhood groups.

The City of Concord offers two independent stream clean-up programs, Adopt-A-Stream and Clean-A-Creek, both offering flexibility according to your schedule and goals. For both of these programs, your group chooses the stream segment of your choice, makes sure accessibility to the stream will work for your group, and selects the day of your clean-up. The City has some supplies that you can check out, if available, for your cleanup including waders, boots, litter grabbers, gloves, and trash bags. City staff will also pick up and dispose of the trash you collect if you let us know where to find it.

Adopt-A-Stream volunteers are required to clean up their adopted stream segment twice a year for two years. After the first year, if the group has cleaned the stream segment twice and sent us all data sheets, the group qualifies to have its name on the Adopt-AStream road sign!

Clean-A-Creek is a one-time clean-up and requires no ongoing commitment. Many students will do this for community service hours or even scout troops to earn a badge.

If you’d like to know more about these programs or join either program, please visit concordnc.gov/streams. On that website, there is an interactive map where you can view the available stream segments. If you click on a stream segment you are interested in, you can fill out a form to get started!

Please contact Crystal Brown at brownc@concordnc.gov or 704-920-5287 with any questions.

Did you know...

Did you know you can also help keep Concord clean through our Adopt-A-Street roadside litter pick-up programs? Find out more at concordnc.gov/transportation

concordnc.gov • SUMMER 2018 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 7

CONCORD CITY COUNCIL RENAMES AIRPORT TO HONOR FORMER MAYOR SCOTT PADGETT Concord Regional Airport will have a new name that recognizes the leadership and legacy of J. Scott Padgett, who recently completed four terms as Mayor in December 2017. The City Council unanimously voted to rename the facility ConcordPadgett Regional Airport on Thursday evening.

Padgett served as Concord’s Mayor from 2001-2017, after first serving on City Council from 1995-2001. In addition to 27 years of elected leadership, his service in Concord extends back over 40 years with a career as a public school educator and principal at Coltrane-Webb and Beverly Hills Elementary Schools.

He is continuing his public service to North Carolina after being appointed by Governor Cooper to the Local Government Commission.

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“Scott Padgett played a critical role in the growth of our airport into a community asset and regional economic driver,” said Mayor Bill Dusch. “He started as an elected official in Concord just after the airport first opened, and it is fair to say the airport would not be what it is today without his decades of service. I commend the City Council on honoring his leadership in such a meaningful and appropriate way.”

Concord-Padgett Regional Airport opened in 1994 with a general aviation terminal and a 5,500-foot runway. Improvements during Padgett’s tenure include extension of the runway to 7,400 feet, strengthening of the runway, development of private sector investment in and around the airport, and construction of a commercial service terminal and parking deck.

PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

“This is truly humbling,” said Padgett. “Our airport was built by visionary people who led Concord at a time when few could see the possibilities in store for our community.

Fortunately, the elected officials who preceded me made decisions not for popularity, but because they were critical to the success and quality of life we enjoy today. To be recognized in this way is only possible because my City Council colleagues and I stood on their shoulders.”

Concord-Padgett Regional Airport is one of the busiest airports in the Carolinas. Many operations are related to the motorsports industry as most NASCAR related teams are located in the Charlotte region, several with facilities adjacent to or near the airport. The airport’s strong general aviation focus has been recently enhanced by the availability of Allegiant Air’s low-cost scheduled passenger service to six destinations.

The airport is operated by over 40 City of Concord Aviation Department coworkers who provide aircraft fueling, hangaring, tie-down, parking, and customer services. Other aeronautical services such as aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, and flight instruction are offered through private operators leasing space on-site. CRA also has an on-site, staffed fire station operated by the Concord Fire Department and a control tower operated by contracted staff. The annual budget for the airport currently exceeds $9.3 million.

The City Council’s action is effective immediately and was required to begin the formal process to seek FAA approval. The change will be implemented over time once the FAA process is complete, including working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to adjust signage on I-85 and I-485, which both provide access to the airport in minutes.

COURTESY OF: MICHAEL A. ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

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This year, the Parks and Recreation Department is building on the 2016 Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan with a process aimed at finding solutions for these two questions. The open space connectivity analysis will identify feasible and constructible bicycle and pedestrian routes along stream corridors, through open spaces, and along roads to create a more connected Concord.

Do you want more safe places to bike, walk, and run?

Would you like

Concord to be more connected?

The study includes: Existing conditions evaluation; Identification of opportunities and constraints; Trail alignment, trail surfacing and access point recommendations; Identification of opportunities for new parks and open spaces along recommended trail alignments; Acquisition priorities; Identification of connection opportunities along roads, sidewalks, and bicycle routes, and to neighborhoods and business hubs; Development of conceptual designs and cost estimates; and Creation of detailed a 5, 10 and 15 year action plan.

› › › › › › › ›

Project goals include: To engage the community, elected officials, and staff throughout the planning process; To complete a detailed study of the existing Greenway Master Plan to determine the viability of executing the plan over time; and To enable the City to achieve their vision of a connected pedestrian and bicycle network by identifying viable, constructible routes and providing supporting information to promote well-informed decisions.

› › ›

For more information on the process, or to contribute your thoughts online, visit

concordparksandrec.org

LONG RANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN KICKS OFF

10 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • SUMMER 2018 • concordnc.gov

Concord, Kannapolis, and Cabarrus County are kicking off the first ever Long Range Public Transportation Master Plan for our community. This process will look at current services, current and future growth trends, and determine options for improving and expanding local and regional public transit and mobility options for all throughout Cabarrus County over the next 20 years. The study will continue through the end of this year, and include multiple in-person and online to opportunities to provide feedback.

We look forward to hearing from you. Stay tuned to ckrider.com, facebook.com/ridertransit, and concordnc.gov for more information or call 704-920-5878.

THEY DID IT AGAIN PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

ER DAYSc:hool CHArsRG Cox Mill High

City hono basketball team men's

the tulations to ce. Congra years of existen and his staff, and the just eight Jody Barbee to honor the players, Coach is wonderful r family. It Board of entire Charge Cabarrus County Board of er with the team togeth Cabarrus County will join rs and the community Commissione the entire and hope Education ation." in this celebr drive, of talent, t formula the perfec Board of "Cox Mill had us County stayed ty," said Cabarr Morris. "They and tenaci rs Chair Steve the entire Commissione the lead for maintained to great focused and is a tribute game—that exciting time championship It's a very ation. prepar ." coaching and us County ball in Cabarr for basket the Cox Mill Barbee and 3A tulate coach on its state "We congra ball team tendent, l men's basket High Schoo Lowder, superin ," said Chris exciting to especially Championship Schools. "It's ionship state champ Cabarrus County men's o-back Schools." have two back-t us County out of Cabarr teams come NCHSAA 3A won the 2017 rs (27-6), 70-66 finish The Charge a hard-fought E. ionship in l at the Dean Men's Champ High Schoo 11. n Guilford ay, March against Easter Hill on Saturd in Chapel ionship, state champ Smith Center 's first men's men's It is the school Cabarrus County and consecutive S 2016), (JMRH the second ionship this year state champ basketball championship Mill team school's Cox the ing captur the second 's volleyball the Cox Mill following women information about Smith, For more first ever. contact Todd ball team, Chargers basket 88-6700. at 704-7 principal,

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he City of Concord is accepting applications for the 2018 Concord 101 program, an annual course designed for citizens to learn about their local government. The free fourteen-week session begins August 14 and culminates with a graduation ceremony in November.

Residents of Concord age 18 and older are invited to submit an application by July 24. Class size is limited.

The course was designed to give citizens the opportunity to interact closely with City staff members, who will conduct weekly classes on Tuesdays. Classes will be available in the evenings from 6:15 until 8:30 p.m., and if there is enough demand and interest, an afternoon (2:00 until 4:15 p.m.) offering may be available.

Citizens will get a first-hand look at what it takes to run City services such as solid waste, water, police, fire, parks and recreation, and much more. In addition, several community partners will be on board to give a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Concord such a great place to live.

In addition to learning about Concord, the City hopes participants will provide input and take a more active role in their neighborhoods and community. For example, Council Members Jennifer Parsley and John Sweat are Concord 101 alumni.

More information, the application, and the class schedule are available on the City’s website, concordnc.gov. Residents may also call the City Manager’s Office with questions at 704-920-5215.

August – November Tuesday evenings 6:15 – 8:30 p.m.

• tour City facilities • view equipment • get a first hand look at what it takes to run City services such as solid waste | water | police | fire | parks and recreation | and much more!

Apply by July 24

to engage with your City

Join Concord 101

concordnc.gov • SUMMER 2018 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 11

Organizational transition continued from page 5

“Steve, Bethany, and Phillip are valuable team members to the City of Concord,” said Payne. “Each has a proven track record and will their departments are well prepared to face the current and future growth of the City. I am excited about them joining the senior leadership team and look forward to working with them.”

Assistant City Managers In May, Payne named LeDerick Blackburn and Joshua Smith as the two new Assistant City Managers to fill roles vacated through his appointment to City Manager and the retirement of Deputy City Manager Merl Hamilton.

Blackburn is currently the Community Development Manager for Concord's Planning and Neighborhood Development Department, and brings over 25 years of local government service to the role. As noted on page 6 of this issue, he was honored in March with the City's highest honor for coworkers, the Jo Atwater Continuous Core Values Award. Smith comes from the Town of Dobson

in Surry County, where he has been Town Manager since 2010.

"I am excited that LeDerick and Josh will be joining me on the City’s executive management team," said Payne.

"LeDerick is the first African-American to serve as a Concord Assistant City Manager. His more than 25 years of successful and varied local government service will continue to serve the citizens of Concord. Josh comes from a local government management background and will hit the ground running. LeDerick and Josh will be critical in the planning and implementation of projects associated with the continued growth in Concord. I am honored to have both of them partner with me and look forward to them serving our City."

Both will assume their new positions effective June 18.

To find out more about the City’s staff leadership team, visit concordnc.gov.

Merl Hamilton retires after varied career in local government service and leadership Merlyn C. (Merl) Hamilton is retiring from the City of Concord effective June 1, 2018 after nearly 37-years in local government service. He has served the City of Concord since 2001, first as Chief of Police, then as Assistant City Manager, and ultimately Deputy City Manager.

Hamilton, a native of Detroit, MI, is a graduate of Lenoir Rhyne College (Hickory, NC) and worked as a journalist before joining the Hickory Police Department in 1981. During his time at that agency, Hamilton worked in all areas of the Department both as an officer and commander, developing a strong back ground in Community Based Policing and problem solving while climbing the ranks to Deputy Chief. In 2001 he became the Chief in Concord.

After 30 years in law enforcement, he joined the City Manager’s Office in 2011 with functional responsibility for the City’s operational departments including Aviation, Buildings and Grounds, Data Services, Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Fire, Housing, Human Resources, Parks and Recreation, Police, and Rocky River Golf Club.

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Hamilton is a graduate of the 178th Session of the FBI national Academy and is a past president of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. Hamilton has been involved in numerous local organizations and currently serves as board chair for the Cabarrus County Education Foundation and vice chair of the Healthy Cabarrus Executive Board. He is incoming president of the Rotary Club of Cabarrus County.

He attends First Presbyterian Church in Concord where he serves as a Deacon. He is married to his college sweetheart, Susanne, who is a retired public school teacher. Their daughter Sarah, also a public school teacher, and her husband Jeff Pfeffer reside in Charlotte.

Donnie Avenue NW honors Concord legend Donnie Avenue NW is a one-way street that connects Union Street N to Spring Street NW approaching the Boys & Girls Club campus.

Officials celebrated the renamed Donnie Avenue NW on Thursday, March 1. In December 2017, the City Council voted to rename the section of Elm Avenue NW between Union Street N and Spring Street NW in honor of Donnie Whittington, long-time club athletic director who passed away in 2012. Whittington devoted his life to coaching and championing youth sports in Cabarrus County for 55 years. Find out more on the City’s Facebook page.

Caldwell Park’s Pharr Building renovated to increase space and improve function

On March 6, the Logan community joined City officials in celebrating the reopening of the Daniel Pharr Community Building in Caldwell Park.

Under renovation since September, the Pharr Building now has more program/meeting space (increase from 2,219 to 2,667 square feet), an improved kitchen, and upgraded flooring.

Pharr (1903-1966) lived in the Logan Community and supported facility and infrastructure investments in Logan.

COURTESY OF: MICHAEL A. ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

The Pharr Building was originally constructed and opened in 1999. It is used frequently by the community and these renovations enhance its capacity for family gatherings and other community events.

In addition to the Pharr Building, the 24-acre Caldwell Park has basketball and tennis courts, playground equipment, a skating circle, 1.4-mile walking trail, youth baseball fields, amphitheater, and 5 picnic shelters. concordnc.gov • SUMMER 2018 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 13

Quarterly High Performers Concern for the Individual • Customer Focus Fair and Equitable Service • Professional Service Effective Communication • Taking Ownership Timeliness • Teamwork • Great Service Recovery

Congratulations to the following coworkers who were selected as quarterly High Performers:

Finance - Shannon Sturdivant Police - Eugene Ramos

High Five recognizes coworkers who make a difference.

Each day City of Concord coworkers are focused on providing the services needed to keep our community moving forward. We believe that coworkers who are delivering excellent service deserve timely and effective recognition by their team members, managers, and the community. We invite you to help us recognize one or more of our coworkers who have provided excellent service.

These nine principles help us deliver a high level of quality services.

There are three ways to submit your recognitions: 1C all 704-920-6400 to submit your acknowledgment via the telephone.

2 Complete the online form at concordnc.gov/high5 3C omplete a paper form found one of the following public facilities: City Hall; Academy Recreation Center; Brown Operations Center; Concord Regional Airport; Fire Stations 3, 7, 8, and 9; Housing Department Office; Police Headquarters; Rider Transit Center.

Blackburn continued from page 6

Development Academy courses, and is a graduate of Leadership Cabarrus. He is a certified Fair Housing Specialist, Tax Credit Specialist, Green Certified Government Leader and a Fellow of the Institute of Politics from Loyola University. LeDerick also served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for six years, receiving an honorable discharge upon the completion of his service.

In 2003, he received a distinguished commendation for being a City Government Public Servant Role Model from the New Orleans City Council.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration/human resource management from Louisiana State University and a master of science degree in urban studies/urban affairs

Fire - Chief Samuel Todd Eury, Captain Josh Hughes, James York, Alex Parham Transit - Charlotte Thatch, Michelle Hunt High Performers were selected from among the high five nominations received from the past quarter (January – March 2018). These recognitions best demonstrate “going above and beyond” in providing excellent customer service or events that best embody one or more of the 9 Principles of Excellent Customer Service. These co-workers were honored at a special lunch event in May. The City of Concord is recognized for having dedicated employees who are committed to providing excellent service.

Thank you for helping us recognize our best!

with a concentration in community development from the University of New Orleans.

LeDerick and his wife Joslyn have been married 23 years and have two children; Kirsten, who is a junior at UNC Chapel Hill, and Donovan, who attends Cabarrus Early College High School. ahead. Staff will be working to ensure our development ordinances are in line with the recently adopted 2030 Land Use Plan so we can be prepared for the continued growth of Concord – now and in the future. We are also conducting an Open Space Connectivity Study, which will help us determine how we can further expand recreational opportunities across the City and interconnect our expanding greenway systems. As you are aware, there are

14 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • SUMMER 2018 • concordnc.gov

numerous road projects underway and more in the planning stages. Growth produces many challenges, including traffic and congestion. The City is working in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to undertake projects to relieve traffic issues throughout Concord. While this type of planning can be quite detailed and take a great deal of time from conception to completion, we are confident that these road projects will greatly benefit us all once they are finished.

Again, I am very grateful to be your new City Manager. I along with staff are committed to continuous improvement.

Please let us know if you know of ways we can collectively better our City. I look forward to working alongside of you in the coming months and years ahead.

Mayor continued from page 3

In addition we are in the process of doing extensive connectivity planning for the growth of our greenway system and identifying feasible links to it from neighborhoods and other community as-sets. Find out more about the open space connectivity analysis process on page 10 of this issue.

One of the recreation enhancements now underway is the conversion of a residence on Burrage Road into a Community Building. This facility will have four programmable spaces for staff to provide cultural arts, nature based, and fitness programs. The building is located on ten acres and backs up to Three Mile Branch, along the future extension alignment of the McEachern Greenway. This segment will connect to the segment recently opened north of McGee Park and offer walkers, runners, and cyclists access to more of our great City.

City of Concord Important Phone Numbers Fire, Police, Medical Emergencies . . . . 911 Customer Care Center . . . . . 704-920-5555 Call the Customer Care Center for service requests and inquiries about any of the following: • Electric Outages/Services • Water/Sewer Emergencies • Dead Animal Pick-up • Drinking Water Inquiries • Garbage/Bulk Pick-up/Recycling • Utility Bills • Street/Traffic Light Issues • Right-of-Way Issues • Storm Water/Storm Drain/Flooding Problems • Yard Waste/Leaf Collection • Building Material Disposal • Bulk Metal Collection • Old Tire Collection • Vacant Lot Cleaning/Mowing You can also fax our Customer Care team at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-6953 The primary phone numbers for the various City departments are: Main Switchboard . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5200 Buildings & Grounds . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5380 City Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5205 City Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5215

As an active user of our parks and greenways, I hope to see you out on our ever growing system this summer!

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5580 Concord Regional Airport . . . . . . 704-920-5900 Electric Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5320 Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5425 Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5220 Fire Department Administration . . 704-920-5516 Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5430 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-6100

Manager’s Notes continued from page 3

ahead. Staff will be working to ensure our development ordinances are in line with the Plan recently adopted 2030 Land Use Plan so we can be prepared for the continued growth of Concord – now and in the future. We are also conducting an Open Space Connectivity Study, which will help us determine how we can further expand recreational opportunities across the City and interconnect our expanding greenway systems. As you are aware, there are numerous road projects underway and more in the planning stages. Growth produces many challenges, including traffic and congestion.

The City is working in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to undertake projects to relieve traffic issues throughout Concord. While this type of planning can be quite detailed and take a great deal of time from conception to completion, we are confident that these road projects will greatly benefit us all once they are finished.

Human Resources . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5100 Meter Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5219 Parks & Recreation . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5600 Planning & Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5152 Police (non-emergency) . . . . . . . 704-920-5000 Public Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5210 Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5440 Rider Transit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-7433 Risk Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5111 Rocky River Golf Club . . . . . . . . . 704-455-1200 Solid Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5361 Tax Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5216 TTY/North Carolina Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711 Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5362

Again, I am very grateful to be your new City Manager. I along with staff are committed to continuous improvement. Please let us know if you know of ways we can collectively better our City. I look forward to working alongside of you in the coming months and years ahead.

Water Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5337 Zoning/Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5152

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Work underway on intersection improvements at Concord Parkway and Poplar Tent Road

The City of Concord has partnered with NCDOT to improve the intersection of Polar Tent Road/McGill Avenue and Concord Parkway (US 29/601) using federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant funds. After several years of planning and coordination, Sealand Construction has been awarded the contract for this work, which began the week of May 14.

The project includes changes to the intersection designed to improve traffic flow along Poplar Tent Road in the area near its intersection with Concord Parkway. The improvements will consist of three signalized U-turn points. This will allow all through and right-turn movements at the intersection but will prohibit left turn movements. For this project, no lane closures or lane restrictions will be allowed on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Construction should be complete by midDecember. If you have questions, please contact the City of Concord Engineering Department at 704-920-5401.

Concord Mobile Care You can now report pot holes, street light malfunctions, and many other non-emergency issues to the City using your smartphone.

Visit concordnc.gov to learn about and download the Concord Mobile Care app for your android or iOS device, or access the web-version on any other device, including PC and laptop computers.

concordnc.gov Visit our City’s website where you’ll find a wealth of information. Pay bills online, access government and City departments, and discover what’s going on in Concord.