City of Greensboro

October 27, 2009
In This Issue
City Council Action Wrap-Up
Loose Leaf Collection Program
LDO Public Hearing Draft
City Recognized as a Bike-Friendly Community
 
Did You Know?
2009 Municipal Election
The 2009 Municipal Election will be held Tuesday, November 3. As a reminder, Greensboro City Council districts were changed in 2008, so check to see which district you live in. Get more election information on Guilford County Board of Elections' Web site.
 
JobLink Career Centers Honored
The Guilford JobLink Career Centers (one in Greensboro and one in High Point) recently completed the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards Criteria and received Level III chartering status, the highest level of chartering awarded by the state Division of Workforce Development. Learn more about JobLink and these recognitions.
 
OPUS Concert Series
The OPUS Concert Series' 2009-10 season is now underway. The free concerts feature some of the area's most talented musical ensembles including the Choral Society of Greensboro, Philharmonia of Greensboro and the Piedmont Youth Jazz Orchestra. Call the Music Center at 336-373-2549 for more information.
 
Native American Cultural Festival
Immerse yourself in Native American culture with arts and crafts, storytelling, face painting and much more at the 16th annual Native American Cultural Festival. The festival will be held Saturday, November 7, from 11 am to 3 pm at Festival Park in downtown Greensboro. The event is free and open to the public.
 
Housing Forum
Join local housing experts for a housing forum on the Rental Unit Certificate of Occupancy (RUCO) ordinance on Thursday, November 12, from 6-8 pm at Trotter Recreation Center, 3906 Betula St. The free forum will cover what the RUCO law is, what tenant and landlord responsibilities are, and much more. For more information, call 336-373-2155.
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Council Action Wrap-Up
Council votes to put responsibility of unpaid water bills on tenants, not landlords.
At its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 20, City Council approved increasing the deposit renters have to pay to get their water turned on from $100 to $150 for residential renters and a minimum of $200 for commercial renters. The increase will go into effect July 1, 2010.

The reason for the increase? The City hopes to help landlords offset the costs of tenants' unpaid water bills.

Also, Council agreed to cease, as of July 1, 2010, attaching unpaid utility bill liens on landlords' properties. Instead, the City will pursue tenants for unpaid utility bills. These changes will apply to all landlord/tenant properties. Owner occupied properties and liens will not be affected.

Council also:
  • Delayed hearing an economic incentives grant request for the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority until November.
  • Awarded landmark status to the J.W. Jones building, home of Natty Greene's pub, on South Elm Street.
To view the entire meeting or past meetings, visit City Council's video archive page.
 
*Note: The next City Council meeting will be held Tuesday, November 10, at 5:30 pm in the Council Chambers of the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St. The meeting was changed from November 3 because of Election Day. 
Loose Leaf Collection Program Begins November 9 
City makes disposing of leaves easy.Loose Leaf Collection Program makes cleaning up leaves easy. 
Picking up leaves can be a chore, but the City's Loose Leaf Collection Program makes it easy for you. All you have to do is rake your leaves to the curb and the City will do the rest.

The program offers two scheduled collection periods as follows:
  • Leaves that are curbside by November 9 will be picked up by December 12.
  • Leaves that are curbside by December 14 will be picked up by January 22.
When raking your leaves to the curb, remember to:
  • Rake leaves to the edge of your yard behind the curb, not in the street where they can create a road hazard.
  • Remove sticks, rocks and other debris that may damage the City's equipment.
  • Do not park vehicles on, in front of, or near your leaves.

The leaf collection schedule may change due to inclement weather. Changes will be posted on the City's Web site and on Channel 13. The City doesn't collect loose leaves on private streets. For more information, call 336-373-CITY (2489).
LDO Public Hearing Draft Now Available
New draft represents the largest update to the City's development regulations in nearly 20 years.
After nearly five years of joint City and community engagement, five community input meetings and more than 37 residents' advisory meetings, the City recently released the new Land Development Ordinance (LDO) - Public Hearing Draft.

The draft represents the largest update and overhaul of the City's development regulations in nearly 20 years. The document, which will serve as the source for standards and regulations related to land use and development in the City if it's adopted by City Council, is more user-friendly, provides more flexibility on standards, and encourages more urban infill and mixed use developments. Learn more.

Also, are you interested in seeing what impact the draft Land Development Ordinance (LDO) and proposed city-wide rezoning will have on your property? Visit the City of Greensboro's interactive zoning map to view the latest information related to the proposed rezoning.
City Recognized as a Bike-Friendly Community
Greensboro named bike-friendly community! 
Greensboro is the fourth city in state to receive the distinction. 
The City of Greensboro has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community. Greensboro is the fourth city in the state to be awarded this distinction. The City was recognized for outstanding work in the following areas of bicycle safety: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and planning.

The City has made a commitment to making the community better for bicycling. A few of the measures the City has taken to make bicycling a viable form of transportation in Greensboro include adoption of the Comprehensive Bicycle, Pedestrian and Greenway Master Plan (BiPed), incorporating bicycling facilities into roadway design guidelines, and building more than 15 miles of new bike lanes/edgelines and 38 miles of signed bike routes.
Learn more about bicycling in Greensboro by visiting GSO Shares the Road or by calling Peggy Holland, the City's bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, at 336-373-2921.