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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-18-07Minutes of the Council Work Session held September 18, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. in the Train Station meeting room. There were present: Lane R. Penn, Vice-Mayor Council: Jeffrey S. Worrell, Dan Talbert, Jr., Joel B. Burchett, Jr., David L. Clark, Larry G. Clevinger, II Absent: Charles L. Wade Staff: John J. Hawley, Town Manager David Quesenberry, Asst. to the Town Manager Patricia Cruise, Clerk of Council John White, Economic Development Director Gary Roche, Police Chief Bill Webb, Fire Chief Dave Hart, Parks and Facilities Director Barbara Tate, Community Relations Director Randolph D. Eley, Jr., Town Attorney Others: Janie Hurd Akers Tracey Harriman Jane Amburn Rhonda Whitehurst Spencer Rygas Sheila Simmons Cheryl Davezan-Beverly Bob Adkins Sandy Payne William P. Beverly, III Melinda Williams, Press Vice-Mayor Penn called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Councilman Talbert moved to modify the agenda by entering into a Closed Session under Virginia Code 2.2-3711 (A-1, Personnel, seconded by Councilman Clark and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye David L. Clark - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Larry G. Clevinger, II - Aye At 5:12 p.m., Council returned from Closed Session and adopted the Certification Resolution on motion by Councilman Talbert, seconded by Councilman Burchett and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye David L. Clark - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Larry G. Clevinger, II - Aye Councilman Worrell moved to adopt the minutes of the August 21, 2007 Council Work Session. The motion was seconded by Councilman Clevinger and carried on voice vote. Vice-Mayor Penn announced that Jeff Berkley, who was to give a presentation regarding the Rutherford Complex had cancelled. Mr. Berkley would reschedule at a later date. Next, Bob Adkins gave an update on the New River Valley Airport. He thanked Council for their contribution to the Airport and reviewed the status of the accounts. Nick Glenn added that while there seemed to be more possibilities for more income, it looked like the federal formulas were going to be changed again. This could result in an increase in expenses for the Airport. He encouraged Council to talk to their state and federal elected officials and ask them not to increase the formulas. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to Sewer Treatment Plant clean up report. Mr. Hawley advised that staff had begun working on the plant and the surrounding property. They had been mowing, leveling the area, cutting back vines and the overgrowth, hauling off scrap metal and selling it. Staff was still discussing options for the greenhouses and would update Council when a decision was made. The next item on the agenda was tourism planning. Mr. Hawley asked Mr. White to give a presentation. Mr. White advised that Jennifer White was looking for direction from Council as to whether she should go forward with plans to contact the County and other jurisdictions to develop a tourism plan for the area. Following discussion, Councilman Worrell moved to direct staff to facilitate a meeting with the County and Dublin and the two state parks with Randy Rose with VTC, to discuss the development of a tourism plan. The motion was seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on voice vote. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to Pulaskifest follow up. Tracey Harriman, a member of the planning committee for Pulaskifest addressed Council. She advised that generally the comments that she’d receive regarding the festival were positive. The Lumberjack show was good, but unfortunately, attendance was poor. Vendors advised that they were willing to attend the festival again; the web site was great; and the commercials were well received. She advocated beginning planning for next year soon. The next item on the agenda was Round the Mountain. Mr. Hawley advised that Council received information in the last Work Session packet that spoke of getting vendors on a loop of a trail that could be marketed for visitors. It would involve a lot of work and be a major undertaking. He thought that perhaps the tourism group along with the Towns of Pulaski and Dublin and the County of Pulaski could work together to accomplish this goal. Mr. White commented that tourism is not an end all, it is one arrow in the quiver. He opined that you do not build an economy without industry and tourism will help bring industries to Town. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to the camera update. Chief Roche advised that he was trying to set up a demonstration of the cameras for a date after October 20. Staff would find a date and forward the date and time to Councilmen who might wish to attend. The next item on the agenda was Youth Council. Mr. Hawley advised that the Mayor had previously advocated having a youth representative to Town Council. Since the concept was expanding to a possible youth advisory council, staff needed input as to what age group Council would consider appropriate and how the representatives should be appointed. The consensus was that staff would contact the School Board and see how to go about getting a youth representative(s) appointed to an Advisory Council and also ask different leaders and community groups for suggestions for other representatives for the Advisory Council. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to Agency on Aging appointments. Mr. Hawley advised that it was time to reappoint representatives to the Agency on Aging Board. Pauline Mitchell indicated that she no longer wished to serve on the Board. Betty Quesenberry had agreed to move from Alternate and serve on the Board. Staff had no alternate to recommend at that time. Councilman Burchett moved to appoint Betty Quesenberry as its representative to the Agency on Aging. The motion was seconded by Councilman Clark and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye David L. Clark - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Larry G. Clevinger, II - Aye The next item on the agenda was Culpeper Resolution on Immigration. Mr. Hawley advised that Culpeper inquired whether the Town would be interested in supporting a Resolution to study the effect of immigration on the state. Following discussion, the consensus of Council was not to participate. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to appointing a VML voting delegate to the annual conference. Councilman Talbert moved to designate David Quesenberry as the Town’s voting delegate to the VML Annual Conference. The motion was seconded by Councilman Worrell and carried on voice vote. Vice-Mayor Penn moved on to Regional Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Hawley advised that the Mayor had suggested hosting a meeting of the chief elected officials and administration of the three governments to consider some type of a regional comprehensive plan. He felt that all the groups should be aware of what the others are planning. Staff sent a letter to the surrounding elected officials inviting them to a joint meeting. Councilman Worrell interjected that governmental officials used to meet once a quarter for an intergovernmental meeting. He suggested that it might be time to start meeting again. Staff was amenable to the suggestion if Council chose to pursue the idea. The final item on the agenda was Round Table discussion. From the public, Mrs. Payne commented that Route 99 looked nice coming into Town except for the area that the old sewer plant is located in. She suggested planting some evergreen screening plants to hide the area while continuing to work on the sewer plant. Mr. Hawley advised that staff would look into the suggestion. Next, Mr. Hawley commented that he had several requests for updates on service complaints. He advised that staff had 664 complaints to date. He added that he sends out a monthly summary of dilapidated structures to Council. He asked that staff be given more specific direction if that summary did not supply the information that Council wanted. Mr. Hawley asked Vice Mayor Penn to challenge all the businesses and Town staff to support the Pulaski High School Cougar team by wearing their team colors on game days. Vice Mayor Penn approved of the idea. Next, Clark Payne inquired whether the Town had the money to pay the match, if the grant for the Trail was approved, so that it could be completed by April or May of 2008 as the Mayor had noted? Mr. Hawley commented that since the project had been going on for fifteen years, he could not see this Council not finding the money to complete the project. Councilman Burchett commented that the Town has had interested parties verbally volunteer free labor and equipment to help complete the project. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:18 p.m. on motion by Councilman Burchett, seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on voice vote.