Top Stories for Aug. 3

Back to school. Multiracial pupils of primary school near school bus. Happy children ready to study.

Mecklenburg County provides this weekly rundown of top stories from the Board of County Commissioners meetings and from the Public Information Department’s newsroom. The Board met on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Read the agenda online or view the meeting at Watch.MeckNC.gov. The Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 6 at 6 p.m.   

1.  Bonds on the Ballot: The Board of County Commissioners adopted a bond order to place a $2.5 billion school bond referendum on the ballot this November. The bonds are part of the County’s FY24-28 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which would fund up to 30 projects for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Those projects include 12 elementary schools, seven middle schools, 10 high schools, and a new athletic complex. The bonds will be considered by voters on Nov. 7. 

2.  Investing in Jobs: The Board approved a Business Investment Program grant of up to $145,265 for alpitronic America, Inc., a manufacturer of electric vehicle charging units. The company announced in May that it had selected Mecklenburg County for its North American headquarters and tech center. The company is expected to create 300 new jobs and invest $9.3 million in a facility off Westpark Drive in Charlotte. 

3. Breaking Ground for Farm Fresh: County Commissioners attended the groundbreaking on Thursday morning of Carolina Farm Trust’s new distribution center, a project for which the County has provided $6 million in funding. Carolina Farm Trust works with farmers, non-profits, restaurants, and food trucks to make locally produced food available to people in need. The new facility on South Hoskins Road in west Charlotte will serve as a distribution and production center to help Carolina Farm Trust expand those partnerships and distribute more farm-fresh and healthy food across underserved parts of Mecklenburg County.

4.  Calling Sk8er Bois and Gurls: Skateboarders can help design a new and improved skatepark in Mecklenburg County. Park and Recreation is beginning the process of renovating and improving Naomi Drenan Recreation Center and Grayson Skatepark. Skateboarders are invited to learn about those plans and offer their unique perspectives on Saturday, Aug. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grayson Skatepark is one of two County skatepark facilities with more planned. More information at PublicInput.com/Grayson.

5.  “Words Are a Passport for Change”: Two Mecklenburg County students represented our community in Washington, D.C. as National Ambassadors in the Do the Write Thing challenge. Michael Ndomateso Tadi from Coulwood STEM Academy and Aaliyah Williams-Camp from Eastway Middle School were named the 2023 ambassadors of the annual essay challenge, where students share their experiences with violence and ideas for prevention. In Washington, they met with members of Congress, saw their essays placed in the Library of Congress, and attended a dinner hosted by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the U.S.