81 - Fall 2020

Information You Can Use

FALL 2020

2020-21 Loose Leaf Collection Schedule

Get A Free Mask See page 12 for details.

concordnc.gov/leisuretimes

In this Issue:

City Council

From the Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Manager’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chantel Thompson Named Human Resources Director . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Free Face Coverings From The City . . . . . . . 5 2020 Service Award Recipients . . . . . . . . . 6 A Virtual Look At History In The Making . . . . 8 County Unveils Simplified Payment Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2020-21 Loose Leaf Collection Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Annual Street Preservation Planned . . . . . 12 Keep Your Community Clean Through Adopt-A-Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Concord Family Enrichment Association . . . 14 High 5/High Performers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Important Phone Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Andy Langford District 1

Get Connected:

Brian King District 2

Jennifer H. Parsley District 6

Terry L. Crawford District 5

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.

Ella Mae Small District 3

JC McKenzie District 4

John A. Sweat, Jr. District 7 Mayor Pro Tem

Council Districts Adopted 12/13/2018 3 «

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concordnc.gov

29 £ ¤

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.

Council Districts District 1 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6

About the cover: As our community grows, so does our water infrastructure. The City’s new “Hwy 29” elevated water storage tank holds 2 million gallons, with a construction cost of approximately $5 million. Along with some other water line projects in the area, this new tank will provide increased water pressure and fire flow to many nearby locations that historically had lower pressures due to their elevation. This project is scheduled for completion at the end of April 2021.

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

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District 2

District 7

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Miles

Visit concordnc.gov/Government/Mayor-Council to see our district map.

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

Concord Mobile Care You can 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. •

2 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

From the Mayor

Manager’s Notes

William “Bill” Dusch

Lloyd Wm. Payne, Jr. Concord City Manager

Seasons of Change

Investing in Community Priorities

After a spring and summer unlike any other we can remember, fall is upon us. It appears we are heading for yet another season that will be memorable, but not necessarily in the way we thought it would be.

If anyone told me in March that as we approached September, COVID-19 would still be impacting our daily activities, I would have questioned their basis in reality. But here we are. Unfortunately, we have not made the progress needed to bring many of the activities back to daily life that we took for granted in February. The truth is, many of the things we used to do are likely gone or at least changed for good. In some cases, maybe COVID-19 helped push us forward in breaking habits we really didn’t need anymore.

In other cases, we have seeming lost meaningful traditions.

But we have also made some new traditions.

We are approaching the time of year where fall celebrations like the Cabarrus County fair, high school sports, parades, tree lightings, and other holiday traditions bring our together. After so many months of only gathering in small numbers or virtually, how wonderful it would have been to reconnect this fall with our favorite signature community events. However, it is just not in the cards for 2020. The Cabarrus County Fair, the Mayor’s Golf Tournament, and the Concord Christmas Parade are simply not feasible nor safe for us to have this year.

At the same time, we are using this opportunity to think of new ways to celebration community and tradition in heading towards the holidays. We’re working on plans with local government partners to put together a series of virtual events and other opportunities to celebrate our community, and what we can accomplish together. We’re planning on kicking this off on November 20, the Friday before Thanksgiving, like we always do…just in a different way and with us in different places. Look for more details from us in the coming months.

Another important season we’re in is Census season. The U.S. Constitution mandates a census of the population every 10 years. The 2020 Census counts everyone who lives in the U.S. as of April 1, 2020. Census statistics help determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated by state, local, and federal lawmakers every year for the next 10 years. This has been a challenging Census cycle, and Cabarrus County is not where we want to be in terms of percentage of households Continued on back cover

Hello Concord. Concord City Council adopted the 2020-2021 annual budget for our year which begins July 1st and ends June 30. If you have not had an opportunity to look at the $269 million budget, you can do so on the City website at concordnc.gov/budget. The entire document is 277 pages which may be more than what you want to read. If so, I would suggest you at least read the budget message as it will give you a good overview of what the budget contains.

A few highlights are noteworthy from the budget. This past year, the City Council voted to create Concord Family Enrichment Association (CFEA), an affordable housing non-profit arm of the City. A board of directors was appointed, and a business plan is being developed. For many years, the City has used Federal HOME and CDBG funds to renovate homes for lower income families. In addition, these funds have been used to build homes and sell them to individuals/families who qualify based on household income. The budget allocates one penny of the property tax rate ($1.35 million) to affordable/workforce housing. This allocation will continue each year and will allow the City to place a greater emphasis on housing diversity in our City which is greatly needed. I am hopeful this money can be used to attract private monies to this effort, as well.

Park and greenway development are priorities of City Council as well. The adopted budget allocates one penny of the property tax rate to this effort. This will allow more land to be procured to implement the greenway master plan with the goal to further connect our City’s neighborhoods, schools, and commercial areas through pedestrian friendly modes of transportation. By doing so, our quality of life is enhanced, and the health of our community is positively impacted. The budget also contains funding for the development of a new park in the northwest part of the City – specifically just north of Cox Mill Elementary School. This has been a stated desire of many citizens and is thus a priority of City Council.

Since 1998, two pennies of the property tax rate have been set aside in a Transportation Improvement Fund to “address transportation needs.” Since then, the City has set aside over $45 million which leveraged over $255 million in transportation projects including multiple NC DOT projects which were completed years in advance of their “scheduled” construction dates. Another ½ penny will be allocated in the coming year to address the City concrete Continued on back cover concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 3

Chantel Thompson Named Human Resources Director Chantel Thompson, a member of the City of Concord Human

Resources department for the last decade, has been promoted to be Concord’s next HR Director by City Manager Lloyd Payne.

Starting in Concord as a Human Resources Specialist in 2010, she progressed through a number of positions within the department, most recently serving as Deputy Director for the past five years and Interim Director since early March.

“Chantel has performed an incredible job over the past three months as Interim Human Resources Director,” said Payne. “Not only has she mastered the daily duties of the position, but she also guided all COVID19 employee-related matters and provided expert advice to management throughout this crisis. I am confident in her abilities and look forward to her leadership on Team Concord in the years ahead.”

The Human Resources Department coordinates employment, personnel actions, benefit plans, risk management, wellness programs, and professional development of City staff in all departments.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve such an extraordinary organization,” said Thompson. “Each day I look forward to working collaboratively with a dynamic group of HR professionals who all share a common goal—delivering exceptional service to each other, our coworkers and the citizens of Concord. I embrace this new role with humility, enthusiasm, and dedication as I join the City’s leadership team.”

Thompson is a proud Concord Spider, and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations form North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She is member of North Carolina affiliate of

the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (NC-IPMA) where she has served in several leadership roles,

including President in 2014-15.

Concord’s HR team has recently been recognized with awards from the

Charlotte Business Journal – Best In HR and NC-IPMA Recognition

Award for Training and Career Development.

She is committed to service within the community, currently serves on the Cabarrus Arts Council Executive Board and as a Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County Member of the Corporation. She has been married for 15 years to Titus, and they have a daughter, Aubrey. In her free time, Thompson enjoys spending time with family, gardening, and traveling. •

For the 4th year in a row, Charlotte Business Journal has named the City of Concord one of the healthiest employers of Greater Charlotte.

4 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

Residents Can Get A Free Face Covering From The City Of Concord T

he City of Concord is hosting an ongoing series of drive-thru face covering distribution events across the community. Staff will distribute up to two face coverings per person present. Since the first events in early July, thousands of masks have already been provided. Events will continue to be planned over the coming weeks and months to distribute a total of 20,000 face-coverings.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR LORD PHOTOGRAPHY

On June 26, North Carolina entered a statewide executive order mandating the use of face coverings in public places. For more information on the requirements, visit nc.gov/covid19.

“City Manager Lloyd Payne has taken our role in encouraging compliance with North Carolina’s statewide masking requirement seriously,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Ian Crane. “After already supplying every City of Concord coworker with two face coverings, we believe this is an important next step in ensuring the community has what it needs to protect each other from COVID-19.”

For more information and the latest on upcoming face covering distribution events, visit concordnc.gov/masks.

LOCAL COVID-19 RESOURCES Cabarrus County residents can turn to the Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) for ongoing information related to COVID-19 and other public health concerns. CHA provides updates through its website, cabarrushealth. org. Spanish and American Sign Language resources are also available. You can also call the Health Information Line at 704-920-1213 or email healthinfo@cabarrushealth.org. Follow CHA using @CabarrusHealth on Facebook and Twitter. • concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 5

30

YEARS OF SERVICE

Bobby Hatley Electric Systems

2020 SERVICE AWARD

RECIPIENTS The City's Service Award Recognition Program recognizes coworkers for their dedicated and continuous service to the City of Concord. Each year, coworkers are recognized for years of continuous service in five-year increments.

There were 143 members of Team Concord who celebrated continuous service milestones from July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020.

Their collective service to the community exceeds 1,860 years— thank you to these dedicated coworkers and congratulations!

15

Darrell Layton Water Resources

Sharon Barbee Water Resources Martha Barnhardt Communications

YEARS OF SERVICE

Amanda Blankenship Finance

Jason Auman Water Resources

Kay Layton Water Resources

Kevin Berg Police

Jeffrey Luck Fire

Charles Billings Police

Christopher McDonald Building & Grounds

Lisa Blackmon Finance Matt Boyd Fire Robert Brooks Police Shawn Burris Fire James Butler Fire Christopher Carpenter Police

Gloria Hopkins Police

Kelly Morgan Finance

Jason Howell Fire

Harold Morris Building & Grounds Matthew Nichols Police John Parker Police

Christopher Riley Aviation

Billie Field Police

Adam Ryerson Fire

Annette Fink Finance

Brent Seagraves Fire

Pamela Hinson Finance

Shannon Sturdivant Finance

Dwayne Icenhour Water Resources Kevin Kirk Fire

Timothy Furr Water Resources

Floyd Moore Water Resources

Jeffrey Corley Water Resources

Jeffrey Hudson Water Resources

Tony Franklin Transportation

Greg Goodman Water Resources

Frank Poppiti Fire

Frances House Parks & Recreation

Carl Cress Solid Waste & Recycling

Cydney McGhee Police

Curtis Collins Fire

6 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

25

YEARS OF SERVICE

Jeffrey Turner Water Resources Charlie Wallace Fire Rusty Wallace Fire Robert Walter Aviation

10

YEARS OF SERVICE

David Autry Fire Bobby Eudy Electric Systems Travis Eudy Aviation Christopher Gorman Police Chad Grimm Water Resources Brannan Henry Fire Nicole Johnson Police Justin Knox Fire Kenneth Marckese Police

Angela Linker Police

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YEARS OF SERVICE

Michael Burris Electric Systems

Carrie Deal Finance

Jason Hudson Fire

Marino Perez Electric Systems

Clint Little Fire

Anthony Cagler Water Resources

Billy Deese Electric Systems

Katanya Kelly Police

Galen Shumaker Fire

Billy McGraw Electric Systems

Adam Dagenhart Engineering

Ramon Gonzalez Police

Thomas Massey Aviation

Josh Simpson Fire

Pam Parker Planning & Neighborhood Development

Dennis D'Amore Police

Donnie Hartsell Police

Douglas Meyer Water Resources

Patrick Watkins Fleet Service

Dylan Daquila Fire

Jonathan Hathcock Police

Ronald Meyer Water Resources

Jake Williams Fire

Frank Acosta Building & Grounds

Kara Deel Communications

Devin Huston Transportation

Jonathan Shields Electric Systems

Cody Almond Water Resources

Peyton Deese Finance

Jeffrey Isenhour Fire

Clint Shoaf Engineering

Thomas Bach Water Resources

Frank DeMorrow Aviation

Leslie Jenkins City Manager's Office

Jason Sides Water Resources

Luke Barnhardt Fire

Ronald Dorsey Police

Janson Ledford Fire

Tyler Starnes Electric Systems

Ali Bennett Communications

James Ellison Building & Grounds

Willie McCain Police

Jerry Talley Water Resources

Sheryl Bodner Aviation

Tim Emig Fire

Austin McDonald Fire

Brent Taylor Fire

Jamie Campbell Water Resources

Austin Fink Fire

Cynthia Moylan Aviation

Herbert Taylor Water Resources

Larry Campbell Water Resources

Daniel Gonzalez Fire

Lloyd Payne City Manager's Office

Charlotte Thatch Transit

Shane Campbell Water Resources

Daniel Griffin Fire

Justin Pepper Electric Systems

Susan Tolbert Human Resources

Lisa Cloninger Legal

Daniel Hall Solid Waste & Recycling

Chandler Rice Electric Systems

Stacy Troutman Building & Grounds

Luis Rodriguez Police

Landon Williams Fire

Roger Phillips Electric Systems Jason Porter Transportation Billy Sehorn Transportation Duane Shinn Fire

Gary Maurer Police Scott Medlin Police R.J. Meyers Fire Jody Mills Fire Rick Moody Fire Robert Nicely Police Brian Phelps Police Paul Stackenwalt Police Chantel Thompson Human Resources

05

YEARS OF SERVICE

Sherry Cochran Finance Christian Coe Police Jason Collins Police

Joseph Hawkins Police Bradly Hilliard Fire Tony Hurlocker Electric Systems

Ashley Shackelford Planning & Neighborhood Development

Justin Torrence Transportation concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 7

A Virtual Look At History In The Making Cabarrus celebrates Courthouse construction with live art demonstration, interactive displays 8 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

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abarrus County is in the early stages of constructing the fifth courthouse in its 228-year history. Officials celebrated the occasion with a virtual groundbreaking ceremony – the County’s first such event – that made history of its own while featuring a live painting presentation by ClearWater Arts Center and Studios oil painter, Kevin Harris.

The public participated via a live broadcast on Thursday, August 6 on the County’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Following social distancing and mass gathering protocols, a limited number of officials working on the project participated in-person.

As Harris put the finishing touches on his courthouse rendering, County leaders and courthouse partners shared remarks on the project. Onsite and virtual participants took part in interactive fact stations with QR codes that led to Courthouse stories, as told

by Judge Clarence Horton, a local historian and the host of Cabarrus County Television’s award-winning documentary series “Historical Moments.”

Harris’ art will become a permanent installation at the new courthouse.

While the experience differs from past ceremonies, Cabarrus County Outreach Coordinator Dominique Clark hoped the virtual opportunity would generate interest in the public features of the courthouse.

“It’s a challenge to create an experience that appropriately celebrates this historic event amid a pandemic,” said Clark. “We want to come together.

Creating a virtual component gives our entire community access to the experience from a safe location of their choosing.”

County Commissioners approved the five-year, 250,000-square-foot renovation and expansion in 2019.

The project is expected to continue through early 2023.

“The design of the building and the addition of a public plaza will transform the look and feel of downtown Concord,” said Steve Morris, Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners chair. “The courthouse will become a symbol of growth and resilience during a trying time in history. Because we’re going virtual, every member of our community has the opportunity to be part of the celebration.”

Construction on the Courthouse project began earlier this year with crews working mainly nights inside the existing Courthouse. The ceremony marked the start of the first large-scale publicly visible work.

Construction Impacts Local businesses will remain open during the expansion/renovation project. Recent impacts on traffic include the closing of a stretch of Union Street S near the intersection of Means Avenue SE in downtown Concord through August 28, and intermittent lane closures around the construction site for the duration of the project.

For more information on the shops, restaurants and businesses of downtown Concord, visit concorddowntown.com.

For more information on the courthouse construction project, including video updates, renderings and construction announcements, visit cabarruscounty.us/ resources/courthouse-construction-project. •

concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 9

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County Unveils Simplified Payment Service With 2020 Tax Bills

ity and County real estate and personal property tax bills mailed on Friday, July 31 and the County is asking residents to pay special attention to the area labeled “myCabCo” for details on a simplified, safe way to pay.

MyCabCo allows users to create a single, secure wallet that stores all their payment, profile and transaction information in one place. From there, users can set up alerts and keep track of their receipts. Payment takes just a few simple clicks.

2020 revaluation value of real properties, and property tax rates set by County and municipal officials in June.

Bills are due September 1. If paid after January 5, 2021, property owners are subject to interest charges, collections and/or tax foreclosure.

• An easy-to-follow chat-style walkthrough for a simplified payment process

To ease the financial burden of paying annual real estate or personal property tax at one time, the County’s tax collections department will work with taxpayers throughout the year on payment plans that pay the bill in full by the delinquent date. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to contact the collections office to request the payment plan option upon receipt of their annual tax bill.

• A shopping cart that that helps you save on service fees by paying multiple bills at once

Cabarrus County real estate and personal property tax can be paid in the following ways:

• The ability to schedule partial payments, which can help users budget over a longer period of time

• Via the myCabCo website (myCabCo.cabarruscounty.us) or app using a credit or debit card

The service also features:

• Registration for future electronic billing • The ability to register and save properties for even easier payment steps next year The free myCabCo app is now available for download on the Apple and Android app stores. The service is also accessible through desktop and mobile-web devices at myCabCo.cabarruscounty.us.

Tax bills mailed on July 31 to property owners listed on tax records as of Jan. 1, 2020. Taxes are based on the January

• By mail using the envelope and coupon provided with the bills • In a drop box at the County Government Center (65 Church Street SE). While the building is closed to the public, the drop box is near the Means Avenue parking garage entrance.

For questions or online payment assistance, call the Cabarrus County Tax Collector at 704-920-2119 or email taxinfo@cabarruscounty.us. •

Do You Have Overdue Utility Bills Due To COVID-19?

In July, Governor Cooper informed municipalities and

other utility providers that Executive Order 142 would expire July 29, meaning normal utility billing resumed July 30. We encourage customers who accrued an unpaid balance of any amount to contact us at 704-920-5555 to establish a payment plan. We understand the financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to many customers and our team stands ready to help through this difficult time.

Several statewide Executive Orders temporarily suspended residential utility service disconnections and waived penalties, fees, and interest on amounts due between March 31 and July 29. Payments due before March 31 were subject

10 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

to disconnection beginning July 30. If you have an unpaid balance on your account and have not done so yet, please contact Customer Care at 704-920-5555 to establish a payment plan and avoid disconnection.

Customers have at least a six-month period beginning July 30 to pay off unpaid balances that came due between March 31-July 29. Unpaid balances prior to or after this timeframe are due according to typical policies. Please contact Customer Care at 704-920-5555 with any questions or concerns regarding payment on your utility account, or if you are having trouble paying your bills. We thank our customers who have remained current or have paid what they are able during this time, and look forward to working with you. •

2020-21

Loose

Leaf Collection

Schedule

• Place your loose leaves at the curb by 6 a.m. the FIRST day of your specified collection week.

• Collection crews are unable to return if you place leaves at the curb after they have worked your street.

• Leaves must be free of tree/shrub limbs or foreign objects and kept away from storm drains, mail boxes, and parked cars.

• Bagged leaves are collected WEEKLY on your regular garbage collection day. Consider bagging your leaves if you cannot wait for loose leaf collection.

• Bagged leaves MUST be contained in untied, clear plastic or compostable paper bags weighing less than 35 pounds each.

• The City will collect your Christmas trees too! Please leave trees at the curb with your regular household garbage. Remove all stands, lights, and ornaments.

• No loose leaf collection is scheduled on City-observed holidays, including Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (entire week of November 23-27), Christmas (week of December 21-25), New Year’s Day (January 1), and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (January 18).

If your garbage day is...

Your Loose Leaves will be Collected...

Monday

November 2-6 November 30-December 4 January 11-15

Tuesday

November 16-20 January 4-8 February 8-12

Wednesday

November 9-13 December 28-31 February 1-5

Thursday

November 9-13 December 14-18 January 25-29

Customer Care Center

November 2-6 December 7-11 January 19-22

Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Friday

• This schedule is subject to change due to weather delays and equipment breakdown.

Second Chance Program You are required to begin bagging all loose leaves placed at the curb after the leaf crew works your street during the third collection cycle.

The Second Chance Program is for anyone who missed the last collection and is willing to pay rather than to bag their leaves and avoid the Code Enforcement penalties. For a fee of $75, the City will schedule a special loose leaf collection the weeks of February 15-19 and February 22-26. •

704-920-5555 concordnc.gov

Second Chance February 15-19 $75 Fee February 22-26

concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 11

Group, Inc., to resurface almost 62 lanes miles and rehabilitate, by patching and crack sealing, 69 lanes miles of roadway in Concord. Over the next twelve months, motorists in Concord will notice a steady pattern of resurfacing work taking place weekdays during daylight hours.

Concord’s Transportation Department staff have developed a new interactive map, where community members can see the location planned street segments. Once work begins, the segments will show updated status as work is scheduled, underway, and complete. The map is available at concordnc.gov/transportation.

Annual Street Preservation Planned Through Mid-August 2021

T

New interactive he City of Concord has awarded a $5.9 map available million street preservation contract to NJR to help Group, Inc., to resurface almost 62 lanes miles community keep and rehabilitate, by patching and crack sealing, up with progress 69 lanes miles of roadway in Concord. Over the next twelve months, motorists in Concord will notice a steady pattern of resurfacing work taking place weekdays during daylight hours.

Concord’s Transportation Department staff have developed a new interactive map, where community members can see the location planned street segments. Once work begins, the segments will show updated status as work is scheduled, underway, and complete. The map is available at concordnc.gov/transportation.

The City of Concord has awarded a $5.9 million street preservation contract to NJR

The City Council places a priority on street preservation and maintenance, in order to maximize the useful life of this essential public investment. Every 2-3 years, the Transportation Department evaluates all 356 (centerline) miles of roadway in the City-maintained system for a variety of distress conditions. Some include: edge cracking, block cracking, alligator cracking, rutting, raveling, and bleeding. Staff also considers the extent of patches and other repairs on the roadway, and general roughness or ride comfort. Finally, staff considers the traffic volume and classification of each roadway, as well as planned infrastructure projects that will require future cuts and patching. This combination of factors produces a street ranking used to allocate available funding for the contract.

In 2019 the City partnered with Data Transfer Solutions, LLC (DTS), to perform a third-party evaluation of the City of Concord maintained streets and to recommend maintenance schedules/methods to optimize the City’s budget. DTS staff evaluated 356.16 miles of roadway based on the national standard for evaluating referred to as Pavement Condition Index (PCI).

Leisure Times Remains Online In Response To COVID-19

Concord Parks and Recreation continues to work closely with state health officials to ensure program schedules follow recommended guidelines for maintaining the health and safety of our citizens. To minimize confusion, we are limiting the Fall 2020 Leisure Times to a digital edition only.

Remember that all City parks and greenways remain open. Please observe safe social distancing at all times to keep yourself, your family, and your fellow citizens as safe as possible. • 12 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

Updated September, 2020

FALL

LEISURE TIMES

2020

To provide you the most up-to-date program information in the face of changing recommendations for coronavirus response in our area, this fall’s Leisure Times will be published online only.

concordnc.gov/leisuretimes

In 2019, City Council also approved allocating $20 of the Municipal Vehicle Tax to Street Preservation efforts. In addition, the City receives funds annually from the State of North Carolina, Powell Bill funds, to supplement street maintenance service.

Combined with Powell Bill revenues, the City will average approximately $3 million per year going forward towards street resurfacing and preservation. Segments included on the annual preservation list are based on approved funding levels as well as the fund balance from Powell Bill, combined with pavement condition data.

Services include patching, leveling, milling, resurfacing, re-striping, re-marking, re-installation of permanent raised pavement markings, and incidental concrete work.

Motorists are asked to remain alert and exercise caution, as well as refrain from parking on the street during the process to avoid conflict with the construction equipment. In addition to updates on the interactive map, Transportation staff will use roadside signs to notify area residents and motorists in advance of work starting in each location. Find the interactive map and full street listing at concordnc.gov, or contact the Transportation Department at 704-920-5338 for additional information. •

Trees can reduce your energy costs by up to 20%.

Trees can reduce your energy costs Trees can reduce your energy costs by 20%. by up up to to 20%.

All Saints Creation Care in partnership with the City of Concord and TheArbor Day Foundation’s Energy-SavingTrees program, is offering a limited number of free trees to residents. When you plant the right tree in the right place, it can help save energy and reduce Creation utility bills.Care The benefits don’t stopwith at cost Trees air Day All Saints in partnership thesavings, City ofthough.

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arborday.org/concord arborday.org/concord arborday.org/concord

90258611

Respond to the 2020 Census today!

90258611

The 2020 Census has started, and it’s your chance to shape the future for yourself, your family, and your community. Information collected in the census informs how billions of dollars in federal funding are distributed to states and communities each year.

You can respond online, by phone, or by mail.

Regardless of how you choose to respond, your information will be kept confidential.

Visit 2020CENSUS.GOV to respond to the census today.

2020CENSUS.GOV D-HP-GP-EN-457

concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 13

Help Keep Your Community Clean Through Adopt-A-Street

More Affordable Housing Options For Concord

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oncord Family Enrichment Association (CFEA) is a newly formed non-profit organization with a mission to expand affordable housing options for the Concord community.

The Transportation Department’s Adopt-A-Street program has

17 participating organizations, with some of the newest including Winkler Middle School, BSA Troop 91, and Hopkins and Associates. Price Memorial AME Zion Church is the longest-serving organization, whose members have been committed to beautifying the streets of Concord for more than 31 years. The City is grateful to all participating groups and recognizes continued commitments with special sign decals as they reach five-year milestones.

Adopt-A-Street participants as of August 2020: GROUP NAME

ADOPTED STREET

SINCE

Price Memorial AME Zion

Union Street S

1989

Concord Bible Church

Burrage Road NE

2011

Wilmon Cousar Lodge 511

Lincoln/Rutherford Street SW

2014

BSA Troop 128

Miramar Drive NE

2014

Cabarrus County Home Buyers

Corban Avenue SW

2016

Beta Mu Lambda

Old Charlotte Road SW

2016

Alex and Sutton

Eva Drive NW

2017

Bishop Jordan

Spring Street SW

2018

TAGCA

Lake Concord Road

2018

Cabarrus Brewing Co. Run Club

Harris Street NW

2018

Petroff Family

Bridlewood Place NE Ravenswood Drive NE

2019

The Padgetts

Lawndale Avenue SE

2019

CHS Spiders Football

Manor Avenue SW

2019

Southern Strain

Brumley Avenue NE

2019

Winkler Middle School

Brookwood Avenue NE

2019

BSA Troop 91

Deal Road SE

2020

Hopkins and Associates

Old Speedway Drive NW

2020

Are you interested in adopting a street? It is easy to see available street segments and sign up on concordnc.gov. For information on how to become a participant and adopt your own street, please visit concordnc.gov/AAS or call 704-920-5338. • 14 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

Unfortunately, a growing share of the county’s population cannot afford its current housing costs. In recent years, wages have changed little, while housing expenses have grown significantly. Since 2010, the average sales price for a home in Cabarrus County increased four times faster than the area’s average income, while average rent has increased nine times faster. Not surprisingly, lower income families are particularly affected.

CFEA will work with local industries, and pursue funding sources such as foundation grants and private donations not available to government entities, to help bridge the demand for new affordable housing options, and make it possible for more Concord residents to find a place to call home.

Q: What does the

City and CFEA mean by “affordable housing”?

A: Housing units

that can be rented or financed at a payment amount that is 30% or less of a household’s monthly income are considered “affordable.” These units are quality built with efficiency in mind to keep maintenance and utility costs as low as possible. They are nice in appearance and blend in with the character of the neighborhood in which they will be built.

Q: How will CFEA fund projects?

A: Projects will be funded primarily by

City contributions, private/corporate donations, foundation grants, and other nongovernmental grants.

Q: Will these affordable housing units be single family or multi-family homes?

A: The City of Concord and CFEA will

partner to build a variety of affordable housing units, to include a mixture of single family houses, townhomes, and multi-family units.

Some of these units will be made available for sale, and some will be rentals. Rentals will be professionally managed by CFEA and the City of Concord’s Housing Department.

Q: Where will these homes be built?

A: The goal is to build units throughout the

City, providing a wide range of options that allow community members to live where they prefer while enabling easy access to City services such as public transportation, parks, and greenways.

Q: Who qualifies for these homes?

A: Generally, individuals and families who fall

in the 30-80% AMI (Area Median Income) range will qualify for homes built under this initiative. This broad range typically includes extremely low-income jobs as well as moderate to middle-income earners such as frontline workers, teachers, and those in many healthcare, trade and manufacturing jobs.

For example, a family of four with an annual household income of $26,200 would fall in the 30% AMI category. A family of four with an annual household income of $66,800 would fall in the 80% AMI category. •

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

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: 1. Call 704-920-6400 to submit your acknowledgment by phone.

2. Complete the online form at concordnc.gov/high5 3. Complete 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.

Semi-annual High Performers Congratulations to the following co-workers who were selected as Semi-Annual High Performers:

Buildings & Grounds: Debi Price Finance: Sandy Franklin, Recardo Lovett Fire: Sam Eudy, Max Fowler, Aprill King, Wayne Richards Parks & Recreation: Tim Davis Police: Marty Barnhardt, Skip Hinson, Brian Kennerly, Angie Linker, Gary Maurer, Terrill McCain, Damon Smith Solid Waste: Donald Allen, Darrell Anderson, DeMarques Andrews, Robin Barham, Alan Blackmon, Dallas Blackwelder, Lonnie Bulger, Matthew Carpenter, Carl Cress, Theodore Davidson, Marques Entzminger, Ernest Flake, Daniel Hall, Zorin Hunter, Caleb Jackson, Timothy Kelly, Keith Love, Angelo Luckey, Marquita Macon, Leonard Mason, Desmond Miller, Jason Mitchell, Melvin Myrick, Valerie Proper, Kevin Reid, Joe Rinehardt, Michael Rush, Troy Savage, Warren Scanlan, Christopher Scott, Tyron Smith, Mandy Smith-Thompson, Gregory Spears, Gaulbert Taplah, Tarie White High Performers were selected from among the high five nominations received from January-June of 2020. 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. 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! concordnc.gov • FALL 2020 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 15

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City of Concord Important Phone Numbers Fire, Police, Medical Emergencies .............................. 911

P.O. Box 308 Concord, NC 28026

Customer Care Center ................................ 704-920-5555

From the Mayor continued counted so far. The US Census Bureau has stated that all efforts to count people living in our community will stop

by September 30. Is critical that you go to 2020census. gov and take the few minutes to respond if you have not done so already. You can also reply by mail or by phone at 1-844-330-2020. Alternative language phone lines are available and you can find them at 2020census.gov/en/ ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html.

Please continue to do your part in getting us through COVID-19 and stopping the spread. Remember, if you are not at your home, Wear, Wait, Wash. •

Manager’s Notes continued roads which need to be taken out and replaced with asphalt. These are expensive but necessary projects due to the complete rehabilitation of these roads.

The annual budget contains a multitude of other projects to keep our community moving forward. If you have any questions about the budget or anything within the budget, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. As always, thank you for allowing Team Concord to serve you – it truly is our privilege to do so! • 16 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • FALL 2020 • concordnc.gov

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 Cabarrus County Tax Office ................................704-920-2119 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 Finance ..........................................................704-920-5220 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 & Neighborhood 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 TTY/North Carolina Relay ................................................... 711 Transportation .................................................704-920-5338 Water Resources ..............................................704-920-5342 Zoning/Permits ................................................704-920-5152

concordnc.gov