FY 2017-18 FINAL ADOPTED BUDGET

City Manager’s Budget Message

Groundbreaking for the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts was held in April 2017. The 3,000 seat multi-purpose performance venue is funded through a public/private partnership. The Center will be located adjacent to the new privately financed Carolyn and Maurice LeBauer City Park. The MWBE program is a critical element of the City’s economic development initiatives. The City has contracted with Griffin & Strong, PC to assess the effectiveness of the City’s efforts to achieve MWBE goals and objectives and to make recommendations for program improvements. The study will analyze procurement activities from FY 11-12 through FY 15-16. The MWBE Office continues to offer enhanced outreach opportunities, including educational workshops, networking opportunities, one-on-one debriefing sessions and mentor-protégé training. MWBE participation for construction services contracts increased from 10% in calendar year 2015 to 13% in calendar year 2016. Greensboro has grown by more than 50,000 people and expanded to over 133 square miles since the City completed the “Connections 2025” Comprehensive Plan in 2003. Updating the City’s comprehensive plan will be an important blueprint determining where and how Greensboro grows. Work is already underway on the comprehensive plan update and will continue over the next two fiscal years. Finally, the City of Greensboro continues to stay focused on the development of water and sewer infrastructure for the Greensboro-Randolph megasite project. This regional and public-private project will develop approximately 1,500 acres of land in northern Randolph County with expectations of landing one or more advanced manufacturing companies creating jobs and significant capital investment. During FY 16-17, the Police Department expanded its focus on increasing community collaboration and partnerships to address crime trends, improve police facilities and ensure that the department remains at the forefront of innovative police initiatives. The department established the Safe City Summit, a community grass roots collaborative addressing violent crime. The Summit will continue in FY 17-18. The department combatted opioid abuse, working with Guilford County partners to provide officers with medication to reverse opioid- related overdoses. Police partnered with Cone Health to provide additional mental health training for first responders to increase awareness, de-escalation and “Promote public safety and reduce crime.”

successful outcomes involving mental health crisis incidents. Police also began implementing ICAT (Integrated Communications and Tactics), a national model that provides officers with more tools, skills and options for handling critical incidents, particularly those involving persons experiencing mental illness. Fire Station #63, to be located on Burlington Road, will serve approximately 4,200 citizens in accordance with established performance standards. The City will construct the new station during FY 17-18 and open the station during FY 18-19. Greensboro residents passed bond referenda in 2006, 2008 and 2009 authorizing borrowing of more than $228 million for streets, fire stations, parks and other improvements. Much of these projects are complete with the remainder, mostly street improvements, scheduled for the next two to three years. Construction on the 3.5 mile long Horsepen Creek Road Improvement Project (widening from New Garden Road to Battleground Avenue) begins in winter 2017. Extensions to both Cone Boulevard and Nealtown Road are under construction. Design is underway for the Alamance Church Improvement Project, which will run from Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to the city limits. Remaining 2008 Transportation bonds will also fund improvements to Vandalia Road, Mackay Road and the Summit Avenue Streetscape project. Sidewalk improvement projects, designed to improve pedestrian safety and provide alternative modes of transportation, are underway throughout the city. Improvements along sections of Randleman Road, Florida Street and Phillips Avenue are under construction. Projects along sections of Lovett Street, Holts Chapel Road and Lowdermilk Street will be underway during FY 17-18. Much of the Parks and Recreation improvements funded through a 2008 bond referendum are now complete. The new Barber Park Community Center/ Memorial to Women will open in FY 17-18. The Glenwood Skate “Spot” is now open with the new Latham Park Skate Park opening in May 2017. The 2016 successful bond referendum included $34.5 million for new parks capital improvements. $5.0 million are programmed for the initial development of the Battleground Parks District, an innovative concept that will integrate the current recreation options at the City’s Country Park with nearby Guilford Courthouse Military Park and the Natural Science Center. $3.0 million for citywide improvements to the City’s many public tennis “Maintain infrastructure and provide sustainable growth opportunities.”

Adopted FY 2017-18 Budget

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