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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-16-04Minutes of the November 16, 2004 Council Work Session held at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building. There were present: Charles L. Wade, Mayor Council: Jeffrey S. Worrell, Daniel Talbert, Jr., Bettye H. Steger, Lane R. Penn, John T. Bolen, Joel B. Burchett, Jr. Planning Commission: Tim Clontz, Linda Hall, Charles Stafford, Nick Glenn, Staff: John J. Hawley, Town Manager David N. Quesenberry, Asst. to the Town Manager Patricia Cruise, Clerk of Council Bill Pedigo, Engineering Department Dave Hart, Parks and Facilities John White, Economic Development Director Bill Webb, Fire Chief Gary Roche, Police Chief Sherry Boyd, Finance Director Others: JoBeth Wampler, Southwest Times Mayor Wade called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. He welcomed the Planning Commission to the meeting and thanked them for their hard work on the Commission. He explained that he hoped that the Commission and the Council could discuss some things that could be done to improve the Town. The ensuing discussion centered on housing, recreation, tourism, snowboarding, lighting from the Interstate to Route 99, cleanliness/aesthetics of the Town and some needed fine-tuning to the Zoning Ordinance. Mr. Hawley summarized the work being done in the Town including upgrading Gatewood park; the Downtown Revitalization grant to facilitate work on commercial facades, 2nd floor housing and improvements to the sidewalks and streetscapes and a walkway along the creek from behind the Dalton building to the old railroad trestle. Additionally, he advised that staff has identified several areas of the Zoning Ordinance that need to be reviewed for possible changes due to problems that have arisen. Mayor Wade added that he thought one focus should be on the B-1 zoning from Alum Springs to Prospect Avenue. He opined that the area was more compatible with B-2 zoning. He thought all of the zoning should be reviewed for other inconsistencies that might have been missed. Mr. Hawley pointed out that any zoning ordinance has to be updated periodically. He added that another area to be reviewed was the percentage of R-1 residential and R-2 single family areas. He stated as an example that he had to turn down a request for the expansion of one apartment house in Town. He agreed that a total review of the Zoning Ordinance was in order. Next, Councilwoman Steger moved to adopt the minutes of October 19, 2004, seconded by Councilman Bolen and carried on voice vote. Mayor Wade moved on to the nomination to the Circuit Court of Cathy Sealander to the Board of Zoning Appeals to replace the unexpired term of James Webb, Jr. Councilwoman Steger moved to accept the resignation of James Webb, Jr., and nominate Cathy Sealander to the Circuit Court for appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals, seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye Mayor Wade moved on to the Randolph Avenue water tank lease to allow PSKnet to set up a wireless internet system. Following extensive discussion, Councilman Talbert moved to direct the Town Attorney and the Town Manager to prepare a lease with PSKnet that protects the Town, to set up a wireless internet system, seconded by Councilwoman Steger and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye The next item on the agenda was the Jaycee soap box derby racer for the museum. Mr. Hawley advised that the Thompson estate has offered to the Town a soap box derby racer for the Museum. Councilman Talbert moved to accept the soap box derby racer for the Museum, seconded by Councilman Penn and carried on voice vote. Mayor Wade moved on to the review of the Gatewood site plan. Dave Hart summarized the plan for the Gatewood site including the enlargement of some of the camp sites; installation of cable for the larger rv’s; improvements to be made at the boat dock; the establishment of sewer connections at each site and the possibility of building a covered picnic shelter. Mayor Wade inquired into the time line? Mr. Hart advised that it was scheduled to open on April 1, 2005. Following extensive discussion, staff was directed to estimate how far the existing funds would stretch toward the project. The next item on the agenda was the “Official For A Day Program”. Mr. Hawley advised that the high school has a program where students shadow governmental officials for part of a day to experience their jobs. Town Department Heads have agreed to participate in the program. Mayor Wade moved on to the VHDA-SPARC loan program. Mr. Hawley advised that “this is round four of the VHDA SPARC program. The Town had asked for the designation in 2003, but were not successful in being a designated community. VHDA set aside about a million dollars for first time buyers in the Town of Pulaski at a rate 1% below what their existing rate was for round 2. Last year we were not successful in being a designated community. We are planning on applying for this again. The application, I think we’ve included in your packet… Sally Bush of GPA is helping me prepare the application. I think we just need a discussion, so we can have the minutes from Council supporting the project. We did allocate all of those funds, or VHDA did allocate all of those funds previously and I think we ended up helping about 7 home owners in the Town of Pulaski buy houses. And, any time you’re getting somebody purchasing a house, I think that is a good thing.” “One reason we didn’t get funded last year is they wanted people to leverage money… they wanted a partner that would help people make a down payment. And we don’t really have that availability. If you look in there, there are some ways that we can try to do some outreach and some other things, but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get the full percent or if we’re going to be at ½ percent. I have talked with Eric Bucey from Beans N Rice and Beans N Rice has this program that started a couple of years ago, where people have been saving for a home or for education. Eric told me last week and he’s going to give me a letter, that he has about twenty people in the entire county that will be eligible to have enough money for a down payment for a house. Now, unfortunately, we can’t say all of those people are going to buy a house in the Town, but we’ll have that list and that’s going to be our outreach to those people, and by doing that, maybe we can convince VHDA to give us the 1%. I feel fairly comfortable by, going with our housing authority, that we’ll have a pretty good shot at getting it ½% less than the going rate. Sally and I have run some numbers… we’re looking at, again, about eight houses, also the possibility that somebody would build one. They’ve raised the limits … you can go up to about $160,000 on a house now. We’re looking at possibly 5 in the $125,000 range and maybe some in the 85 or 95 range. So we would target about three different types for a total of about eight. We really need to have ways to reach out… we’ll need to work with the newspaper. I’ve talked with Janet Johnson from Community Action where we can go to reach out and let people know about this. I think what happened last time, that it was a new program. It was only the second year of it state wide and it took a little while to get going. Toward the end of it, the last six months, we didn’t have any trouble reserving the funds. So, again, I’m asking for Council to endorse the project.” Mayor Wade said “About the project that Dr. Perry started, I don’t remember the name of it, but where they’re bringing the parents in to the school? Maybe that would be a place to start. Mr. Hawley said “Yes, I think that would be a spot where we would meet with them and make them aware that this is a program that would help them potentially purchase a house. I’m really hoping that we can work with Beans N Rice, and out of those 20 people there, find at least part of those that want to come into Town. I know one of them does. The money will be available January 28, 2005. We may even try to go ahead and pre-qualify some of these people if they want to.” Mayor Wade said “This doesn’t require a vote, does it?” Mr. Hawley replied “I’d like to have a vote from Council so we can include the minutes of this meeting with the application, showing VHDA that we have the support of the Council and we’re going to have a supporting Resolution from the Housing Authority too.” Mayor Wade asked if Council had a motion? Councilman Penn moved to proceed with the SPARC round 4, seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye The next item on the agenda was the referral of Roarke & Crawford Homes R-5 request to the Planning Commission as a requested zoning amendment. The Town Attorney specified the wording that was needed for the referral. Extensive discussion ensued regarding the protocol for the request. Councilwoman Steger moved to refer the Roarke & Crawford Homes R-5 requested zoning amendment and zoning map amendment to the Planning Commission, seconded by Councilman Penn and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye Councilwoman Steger moved to enter into Closed Session under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A-5), and (A-3), seconded by Councilman Penn and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye At 7:20 p.m., Councilwoman Steger moved to return from the Closed Session and adopt the Certification Resolution, seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on the following recorded vote: Jeffrey S. Worrell - Aye Lane R. Penn - Aye Dan Talbert, Jr. - Aye John T. Bolen - Aye Bettye H. Steger - Aye Joel B. Burchett, Jr. - Aye There being no further business, the meeting adjourned on motion by Councilwoman Steger, seconded by Councilman Talbert and carried on voice vote.