66 - Winter 2017

Information You Can Use

WINTER 2017

Honoring our veterans and community history

Water Conservation Requested 2017 Recycling & Bulky Waste Calendar

City Council

Sam Leder District 1

Ella Mae Small District 3

Youth programs to benefit from Mayor’s Golf Tournament

Brian King District 2

Alfred M. Brown, Jr. District 4 Mayor Pro-Tem

The 19th annual Mayor’s Golf Tournament was held at Rocky River Golf Club on September 30. This year’s event raised over $13,700 that will directly support our community’s youth. A special thank you

goes to the sponsors that help make the event possible, as well as the City and golf course staff members who once again organized the event and volunteer their time and effort.

Thank you to our Eagle Sponsors:

W. Lamar Barrier District 5

Jennifer H. Parsley District 6

John A. Sweat, Jr. District 7

In this Issue:

COVER PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/CHERIE JZAR

From the Mayor | Manager’s Notes . . . . . . . . 3 Water Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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

Granite Sky Civic

Mayor’s Monarch Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 New Sign Ordinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Smart Community Program Update . . . . . . . . . 7 Return of WWI German Field Gun . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Concord 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Community Vigilance: Car Burglaries . . . . . . . 11 2016 Productivity Improvement Award . . . . . 12 Free CPR Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Quarterly High Performers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2017 Recycling & Bulky Waste Calendar . . . . 14

2 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

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

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

J. Scott Padgett

Brian Hiatt, Concord City Manager

A time for unity Now that we have the election behind us, let’s shift our attention to coming together as a single nation and community. We must all strive to love our neighbors and seek unity. Even though our national and statewide politics have become especially unpleasant, the way our community works together to solve problems can inspire us to do even better, and serve as an example to others.

We held a wonderful community event on Veterans Day this year, honoring the service of our veterans and celebrating local history with the return of the 1907 German Field Gun to a new pavilion on Union Street N near Killarney Avenue NE. This event was a wonderful show of unity that harkened back to the time where it did not take a special occasion or holiday for us to feel patriotic. Learn more about this addition to our historic character on pages 8-9.

Time and again I am thankful for this community and the people who make it what it is. One of the best demonstrations of Concord’s positive quality of life is when we are able to share our blessings and talents with others. In October, after Hurricane Matthew left wide-spread power outages across eastern North Carolina, the tough work of recovery began for dozens of counties. Fortunately, Electric Systems crew members from the City of Concord joined crews from Kings Mountain and Gastonia to restore power in the Laurinburg and Red Springs communities, as well as additional areas in South Carolina. Crew members from Concord included: Jackie Rushing, Chris Aldridge, Blaine Long, Justin Pepper, Billy Deese, Chris Pearson, Tony Hurlocker, Brian Cook, David Shue, and Mike Brafford. A bit thank you goes to them for answering the call, as always. continued on page 15

How you can help in the battle against illegal temporary signs Ever travel down the street and get annoyed by flimsy signs stuck in the ground with two wires or nailed to a utility pole that are advertising something that has nothing to do with the property it is sitting on or in front of? These signs may advertise businesses that claim to buy houses, junk cars, sell prescription drugs or are trying to hire temporary employees. Other times it might be a business located elsewhere trying to use the road rightof-way as a free location for a cheap – and often unsightly – sign.

These signs generally violate City of Concord ordinances, though there are different rules immediately before elections.

Illegal signs clutter the roadside and often can be a distraction to drivers. If adjacent to a business, these temporary signs can also distract from the permanent signs that are properly permitted by the business owner.

Attaching any advertising or other temporary sign to a utility pole is prohibited. City Code Enforcement personnel are constantly battling those responsible for these signs. Many are out-of-City companies that only operate with an 800 number and can be difficult to trace and be served with violation notices. In those cases the only alternative is just to remove the signs. Code Enforcement collects hundreds of these signs every year.

Now Hiring

h call today

Owners of adjacent properties can help by simply removing these signs as soon as they appear. If the signs are removed quickly, the incentive to pay someone to put them up will go away. It also reduces the workload on enforcement personnel, so they can focus on the other parts of their job in keeping the City safe and clean.

In November, City Council approved an updated version of the sign ordinance, which aims to assist businesses while keeping our community attractive. See the article on page 6 for more information. concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 3

The Cities of Concord and Kannapolis, and the Town of Harrisburg announced on November 2 that customers of the municipalities’ water systems should now follow Level 1 water use restrictions, due to regional drought conditions. These restrictions are for the municipalities of Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Landis, and Midland.

The Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG) announced on November 1 that below normal rainfall has moved the Catawba-Wateree Basin into Stage 1 drought levels of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP). The LIP is the regional drought management plan that major water users in the Basin use to share responsibility and set priorities to conserve the limited water supply. Although not public water suppliers in the Catawba River Basin, Concord, Kannapolis, and Harrisburg follow the group’s drought stages as part of the Interbasin Transfer Agreement.

Concord, Kannapolis, and Harrisburg Request Voluntary Water Conservation Level 1 voluntary restrictions means the following activities are permitted, but users are encouraged to limit: • Lawn Irrigation • T he filling, operation or topping off of ornamental fountains.

•R esidential car washing will be allowed using a hand-held hose or pressure washer, both equipped with a spring-loaded nozzle.

•R esidential use of water for wash down of outside areas using a hand-held hose or pressure washer, both equipped with a spring-loaded nozzle.

•W atering of trees, flowers, shrubs, ornamental plants and vegetable gardens for plant preservation.

•A utomated irrigation services may be installed and activated.

•F illing of swimming pools by permit. Topping off of previously filled pools is still acceptable at any time.

•A ll customers are allowed to use pressure washing devices.

•C oncord, Kannapolis, and Harrisburg are committed to environmentally sustainable water use practices 365 days a year during normal conditions and periods of drought.

Irrigation creates the single largest demand for water during spring and summer and fall 4 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

months. Research shows that properly maintained lawns only need 1 inch of water per week to thrive, and it is best to water during evening and early morning hours.

On August 1, the CW-DMAG entered into the Stage 0 LIP drought watch. Dry conditions and above-average temperatures continued worsening, leading to this Stage 1 announcement. Continued decline of the Basin’s drought triggers could prompt a Stage 2 LIP drought level in the future, with mandatory water use restrictions being instituted by local water suppliers.

We thank our customers for reducing their demand and assisting us with extending our limited water supplies during drought conditions.

Our businesses and residents continue to demonstrate leadership in water conservation and environmental protection.

The aforementioned water use restrictions do not apply to those customers using wells or ponds for irrigation purposes.

However, all users are encouraged to remain diligent in their conservation efforts regardless of the water source.

Customer Contacts: Christie Putnam Concord Water Resources Director 704-920-5300 Wilmer Melton Kannapolis Public Works Director 704-920-4200 Tom Polito Harrisburg Public Works Director 704-455-0727

C o n co rd c wit h a o m pl dop e

O

ver the last year, the City of Concord and the Concord Wildlife Alliance have partnered to improve local pollinator habitat through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge.

Concord’s 15th and final step in fulfilling the pledge was achieved in November with City Council’s adoption of updated landscaping requirements for developers.

The Mayors’ Monarch Pledge is a program created by the National Wildlife Federation in which municipalities commit to restoring monarch butterfly habitat and encourage citizens to do the same. In November 2015, Mayor Scott Padgett signed the pledge with the support of City Council and the encouragement of the Concord Wildlife Alliance. The program requires participating communities to complete three of 25 suggested action items. The City of Concord and the Concord Wildlife Alliance committed to 15 of these items, including increasing the percentage of native plants, shrubs, and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encouraging the use of milkweed when appropriate.

The Planning and Neighborhood Development Department worked closely with the City Arborist

ledg e rch P on a i n a n ce o rd

s t o n f e M m e r a i y u o q l a d r n e e d t s r s a ’ c d a s p M p et n u i n g o it

and the Environmental Educator to recommend a list of native plans that are butterfly/pollinator friendly, and update the list of acceptable plants that are appropriate for this geographic area by removing invasive plants and adding additional native plants. The revision also removes the “Use in Stream Buffers” category, revises the “Use Discouraged” category, and notates plants that are native. The previous development standards had no minimum requirement for amount of required native plants, and the revised standards require at least 50 percent of all new plants in a landscape plan to be native plants. The 50 percent requirement is a common threshold in other jurisdictions that require a minimum amount of native plants.

Prior to City Council Approval, the Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the amendment and voted unanimously to refer the change to Council. For more information about the City’s Landscaping ordinances, contact the Planning and Neighborhood Development Department at 704-920-5555. For details on the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, visit concordnc.gov or call 704-920-5379.

concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 5

Vote for New sign Larry ordinance Hopper aims for simplicity, Holiday neutrality, Bizarre this limited temporary Saturday signage, and improved quality

Temporary signs in public rights-of-way, similar to these examples, generally violate sign regulations except for during specified dates prior to electoins. The updated sign ordinance clarifies how temporary signs are to be used on private property.

NC Senate

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In November, Concord City Council adopted an ordinance that entirely repealed and replaced Article 12 of the Concord Development Ordinance (CDO). This article is known as the sign ordinance, which regulates all signage within the City limits. The sign ordinance, like other sections of the CDO had been amended from time to time. However, the 2016 revision is the first major update since the late 1990s, when the Development Ordinance was repealed and adopted as the Unified Development Ordinance.

Beyond the need for a general update, Concord and other municipalities in the United States are revising sign ordinances in response to a 2015 US Supreme Court decision that greatly expands the definition of content neutrality in the enforcement of sign regulations.

Planning Director Margaret Pearson and her staff worked over the past year on this major project, with the assistance of Benchmark Planning. The goal was to simplify the ordinance by a reorganization of the document, limiting temporary signs, and improving sign quality. The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the amendment and voted unanimously to refer the change to Council to consider approval with two additional recommendations.

This update provides an incentive for property owners to invest in high quality and permanent signage. “The ordinance provides increased size allowances for businesses that invest quality signage,” said Pearson.

“A quality permanent sign will be able to be 50 percent larger than a temporary or cabinet style sign.”

City Council adopted the ordinance effective immediately to allow businesses to take advantage of quality incentives, but provided a 120 day grace period for all signs to come into compliance. For more information about the 2016 sign ordinance update, visit concordnc.gov/signs or call 704-920-5152.

6 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

All “feather banners” will be noncompliant effective July 1, 2017.

O P E N

Pet DSitting

The City of Concord is aware of questions asked in the community about its Smart Community metering infrastructure upgrade project, and wants to update all customers on the deployment progress. The City of Concord always encourages citizens to reach out directly by contacting our Customer Care Center at 704-920-5555 or custcare@ concordnc.gov so we can address concerns in a timely and accurate fashion.

Since launching the program this summer, over 8,000 electric meters and 4,000 water meters have been installed to bring multiple benefits to customers, including:

Smart Community program update

•F aster restoration after electric outages • I mproved customer service •R emote electric meter activation •E nhanced water leak detection • T he ability to reconcile energy and water use concerns more quickly •E nvironmental benefits due to reduced emissions from City vehicles •C oming sometime in 2017, an online portal with utility management tools for all customers The upgraded metering technology works by installing a communications network. This, like any technology deployment, requires installing equipment and then checking and adjusting the system to optimize performance. During the deployment of this project, customers may see City staff members manually reading meters from time to time to make sure accurate data are collected, and bills are processed and mailed according to schedule. This is because the meter installation happens in a time window where the City does not need to read the meter for billing, but performance adjustments may continue until and through the end of the billing cycle.

To offer perspective on our progress and success, of the over 8,000 electric meter upgrades currently installed, communications are active on 99.75 percent of these meters.

The City will continuously monitor the communications network as deployment continues, and combined with the redundancies possible with a larger network at full deployment (nearly 30,000 electric meters and 40,000 water meters), we expect 100 percent optimization by the end of 2017.

The City of Concord has planned for this investment in technology through capital reserves, and the cost of this upgrade and deployment is not being passed on to customers. City utility customers have not and will not see a rate increase due to this technology and associated benefits.

Finally, the City of Concord is installing all components of the communications network on publicly owned and maintained property.

“This project is built upon the concept of placing our customers first and providing the best possible service,” said Brian Hiatt, City Manager. “We appreciate our customers enthusiasm about this project and look forward to offering additional benefits through the online portal in the coming year.”

The City of Concord will continue to offer customer support and outreach throughout the Smart Community electric and water infrastructure upgrade. For more information, visit concordnc. gov/SmartCommunity. concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 7

PHOTOS: CITY OF CONCORD/CHERIE JZAR

Return of historic WWI German Field Gun to Union Street 8 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

Ceremony honors veterans and community history The City of Concord held a ceremony on Veterans Day morning to honor those who wore our nation’s uniform, and to celebrate the return of a 1907 German field gun to Downtown Concord. The field gun, or cannon, was a fixture in Downtown Concord from approximately 1919 until the 1980s.

The German gun was presented to the community by the Cabarrus Black Boys Chapter of

the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), upon receiving it as a gift from the French government. The November 25, 1919 City meeting minutes include the first mention of the cannon.

Locals remember the cannon on display for many years outside of the community center (Memorial Hall) located at North Union Street and Holly Lane (now Killarney Avenue NE). The cannon was later displayed in the front lawn of the community center/library. Records show that once a new library was built in 1976 and the community/library was demolished, the cannon was moved to the National Guard armory then located on Church Street.

The cannon’s next stop in its journey was at the 1454th Transportation Company headquarters at Highway 49 and Old Charlotte Road when it was built in the 1980s. It remained outside of this facility until the City discussed relocating and restoring the cannon with the North Carolina National guard in 2013. The City of Concord began storing the cannon indoors while a direction was established for restoration.

The Concord City Council approved restoring the wheels and constructing a permanent display site in January 2015, funded 35,000 for the site in the FY 2015-16 budget, approved the site plan in March 2016, and approved restoration of the remainder of the field gun in June 2016.

concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 9

Congratulations

to the Concord 101 Class of 2016

PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

Citizens complete 15th Concord 101 program The Concord 101 class of 2016 was recognized with a graduation ceremony on November 22. This year’s class included 29 active participants, who were thanked at the ceremony by Mayor Scott Padgett for their involvement in the program.

Concord 101 is designed to inform citizens about their local government. Participants met on Tuesday nights and learned about what it takes to run City services such as solid waste and recycling, public utilities, police, fire, parks and recreation, and more. The course also included special sessions about Concord’s history, economic development, and the redevelopment of Downtown Concord. The free 14-week course began in August.

The class was first offered in 2002, and alumni represent a cross-section of the community. Some are now serving in leadership roles in their neighborhoods or on City boards and commissions. Council Members Jennifer

2017 Citizen Public Safety Academy

Parsley and John Sweat are both graduates of the program.

2016 participants were: Ronnie Barus, Jane Black, Tom Black, Bonnie Breese, Charles Breese, Jenny Eury, Gigi Wasiak, Judy Graeber, Kimberly Greer, Betty Hathaway, Woodrow Hathaway Jr, Theresa Isibor, Ian Mcbrayer, Darek McCullers, Celina Morgan, Asia Noble, Jeffrey Palm, Jessica Patton, JT Patton, Aurrita Payne, Justin Phillips, Leigh Ann Phillips, Mark Reiff, Pamela Skillman, Earline Ward, Buck Wicklud, Robert Wilson, George Wood, and Stephanie Wood At the ceremony, City Manager Brian Hiatt encouraged the graduates to take an active role in the community.

He also welcomed continuing feedback on City services and programs. The next class will begin in fall of 2017, with applications available in May. Learn more about Concord 101 at concordnc.gov.

Did you know...

Did you know the 2017 Citizen Public Safety Academy begins January 31? The academy provides citizens an opportunity to learn about Concord’s Police, Fire and Life Safety, Communications, and Emergency Management functions. There is no cost to participate. Visit concordnc.gov to find out more and apply by January 24.

10 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

Concord Police asks for community vigilance against car burglaries.

What can you do?

Vehicle burglaries are crimes of opportunity.

Be observant. Report all crimes and suspicious activity to the Concord Police Department.

For burglaries in progress, dial 911.

For all non-emergencies, dial (704) 920-5580.

Prevention Techniques • Remove all valuables from your vehicle (GPS, Cellphones, Computers, Firearms, Money).

• Remove or hide any chargers or cables that would indicate an electronic device may be inside the vehicle.

• Remove garage door openers, keys and key fobs from the vehicle.

• If possible, park in a well-lit area.

• Utilize any anti-theft devices.

• Do not leave shopping bags visible inside your car if at all possible.

• Remove any purses, laptop bags, wallets or anything that looks like it may contain anything of value from your vehicle.

To report a car burglary that is NOT in progress, call the Concord Police Department non-emergency number (704) 920-5580. concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 11

Cross-departmental team wins 2016 Productivity Improvement Award Staff members from the City’s Human Resources and Legal Departments were presented the 2016 Productivity Improvement Award at the November 10 City Council meeting. The annual award recognizes the department or work team most demonstrating outstanding efforts of achievements in productivity improvement during the previous fiscal year, and exemplifies the City’s core values of continuous improvement and accountability.

PHOTO: CITY OF CONCORD/ L.J. WESLOWSKI

Pictured (left to right) are: Presenting Finance staff members Lesley Reder and Robin Barham; Angela Biggers, Susan Tolbert, Marie Maurer, Fred Johnson, Rebecca Edwards, and Pat McDonough.

Human Resources staff members Susan Tolbert, Angela Biggers, and Pat McDonough partnered with Legal staff members Fred Johnson and Marie Maurer to create a process for recovering funds when damages to City facilities or vehicles are too minor to submit as insurance claims. They had the support of Human Resources Director Rebecca Edwards and City Attorney VaLerie Kolczynski.

Previously, costs for these minor repairs were absorbed by departments (primarily Fleet, Transportation, Electric, Police, and Buildings and Grounds). Now, use of shared technology and enhanced communications between two departments facilitate identification of small claims and tracking receipts of funds owed to the City.

This process has now completed its first complete fiscal year, and has led to over $100,000 in new revenue since its inception. The City of Concord recognizes and appreciates these staff members for their commitment to efficiency and our Core Values.

Free CPR Training available to the public The Concord Fire Department, in partnership with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, offers Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training free of charge to the public. While not providing official certification, the program will educate the public in the lifesaving skill of CPR. The classes are offered selected Friday evenings from 6-8 p.m. in Fire Station Community Rooms.

Participants in this class will learn the fundamentals of adult and infant CPR, and how to use an automatic electronic defibrillator. The latest research indicates that hands-only CPR can double or triple the

12 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

2017 CPR TRAINING SCHEDULE

January 27

Fire Station 8

April 7

Fire Station 9

June 16

Fire Station 9

July 14

Fire Station 8

August 18

Fire Station 9

October 13

Fire Station 9

Concern for the Individual • Customer Focus Fair and Equitable Service • Professional Service

Quarterly High Performers

Effective Communication • Taking Ownership Timeliness • Teamwork • Great Service Recovery

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

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.

Buildings and Grounds: Harold Morris, Mike Hill Fire: Timika Bonds Finance: Jill Hodges, Crystal Howell, Jessica Jones, Karen Broadway Water Resources: Crystal Brown, Mike McIntosh, JD Rabon, Jeff Turner, Ronnie Allman

High Performers were selected from among the high five nominations received from the past quarter (July - September 2016). 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 coworkers were honored at a special lunch event in November. The City of Concord is recognized for having dedicated coworkers who are committed to providing excellent service.

Thank you for helping us recognize our best!

chances of survival for victims of cardiac incidents.

Meanwhile, 70 percent of Americans feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency, because they do not know how to administer CPR or are afraid of hurting the victim.

Visit concordnc.gov or call 704-920-5516 to learn more and register.

Equip yourself.

Empower yourself.

concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 13

2017 Recycling & Bulky Waste Calendar Recycling & Bulky Waste is collected every-other-week on your regularly scheduled garbage day.

If you are a City of Concord resident, recycling roll-out carts are free.

Call 704.920.5555.

January S

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Tear out this year’s calendar and save it for your reference.

Thank you for your continued efforts with our solid waste program and for recycling abundantly.

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Bulky waste is anything that won’t fit inside and isn’t allowed in your garbage cart like furniture, construction and demolition debris, tires, scrap metal (including lawn equipment, bicycles, etc.) electronics and appliances.

April

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Cart lids must be able to close completely.

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For full holiday collection schedule, go to: concordnc.gov/ whatsmyday and click on ‘Holiday Schedule’.

Don’t know if you are a blue week or the green week?

Go to: concordnc.gov/whatsmyday and enter your address.

City Holiday Blue Week Green Week

Put these items in your recycling cart Empty Aerosol Cans (no paint cans)

All Plastics

1

–

7

(no Styrofoam, bags, or wrap)

Wide-Mouth Plastic Containers & Lids Rigid Plastic Containers & Small Plastic Toys Milk & Juice Cartons, & Juice Boxes

Aluminum Cans, Steel Cans, & their Lids Glass Bottles & Jars Shredded Paper

(placed in clear bags)

Spiral Paper Cans

(with plastic lids detached)

Clean pizza boxes

(without grease or food residue)

Cereal & Food Boxes

Gift Boxes, Shoe Boxes, & Small Cardboard Boxes

(flattened and placed into Cart)

Large Cardboard Boxes

(flattened, cut into 3ft x 3ft sections and placed inside cart for collection)

Paperback Books Mixed Paper, Newspapers with Inserts, & Junk Mail

Gift Wrapping Paper Magazines & Phonebooks (without foil backing)

14 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • WINTER 2017 • concordnc.gov

Extra bags of trash and recyclables placed outside your cart will not be collected.

Twice per year, for special occasions, parties and family reunions, the City will collect a small amount of extra bags.

Please call to schedule all special occasion collections.

Those who consistently have more garbage than the green rollout cart can hold may call to reserve an extra brown garbage cart for a monthly fee.

Recycle cardboard the right way! All cardboard must be flattened for collection. Place flattened cardboard 2ft. x2ft. or larger under the closed lid of your recycle cart. Quantities too large to fit under the lid should be flattened and stacked neatly beside your recycle cart.

Register to receive collection schedule changes and other important updates via phone, text, or email through our secure Blackboard Connect Portal at ConcordNC.gov.

Place cart out between 5:00 p.m. day before and 6:00 a.m. day of collection Retrieve cart by 9:00 p.m. collection day Place carts for collection with heels facing your home.

Keep carts 2 feet from one another and 2 feet from parked cars, mailboxes, etc.

Do not block sidewalks with carts.

For more information on Solid Waste Services: concordnc.gov

704.920.5555

City of Concord Important Phone Numbers

From The Mayor continued from page 3

In November, Concord firefighters were deployed to the Party Rock fire in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas, as part of a NC Emergency Management mutual aid request involving over 170 departments. Crews from around the United States deployed to the fire, which took nearly a month to contain and burned over 7,000 acres. Concord crews worked closely with the United States Forestry Service and the Chimney Rock Fire Department, providing fire protection for the Chimney Rock business district and creating fire breaks as part of an effort to contain the fire.

Concord provided two day crews and two night crews, and equipment, consistently for seven days. Thank you to crew members and their families, including: Kevin Kirk, Steven McLendon, Josh Simpson, Rick Gilleland, Tim McDonald, RJ Meyers, Rodney Short, Phillip Burris, Tim Barrier, Chad Parker, Jack Smith, Gilberto Meza-Corral, Frank Poppiti, Jon Ryzeck, Henry Parham, and Nick Brazee.

2016 will be remembered as an historic year for many reason, let’s look forward 2017 and all the potential to end the year as a better nation, a better state, and an even better community.

w

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:

“Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best wishes for the new year!”

Main Switchboard . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5200

– Mayor Scott Padgett

Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5220

Buildings & Grounds . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5380 City Clerk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5205 City Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5215 Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5580 Concord Regional Airport . . . . . . 704-920-5900 Electric Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5320 Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5425 Fire Department Administration . . 704-920-5516 Fleet Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5430 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-6100 Human Resources . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5100 Meter Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5219 Parks & Recreation . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5600 Planning & Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5152

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MICHAEL A ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Police (non-emergency) . . . . . . . 704-920-5000 Public Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5210 Purchasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704-920-5440

u

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

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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 webversion 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.