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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-18-08l~ ~~ Minutes of the Town Council Work Session held November 18, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building. There were present: Jeffrey S. Worrell, Mayor Council: David L. Clark, Larry G. Clevinger, II, H.M. Kidd, Robert A. Bopp, Morgan Welker, and Joel B. Burchett, Jr., (arrived at 5:30 p.m.) Staff: John J. Hawley, Town Manager Brenda Shelton, Acting Clerk Dave Hart, Parks and Facilities Director Barbi Tate, Community Relations Director Bill Webb, Fire Chief Anthony Meredith, Police Department John White, Economic Development Director Sherry Boyd, Finance Director David Quesenberry, Assistant to the Town Manager Chip Hutchinson, Fire Marshall David Warburton, Town Attorney Others: Chanie Trueheart George Trueheart Nellie Hazel Alberta Safewright Nathaniel A. Slaughter Jon Fitzwater Suzanne Wantland Pam Austin Sean O'Neal William J. Smith Ty Kirkner Clark Payne Sandy Payne Sheila D. Nelson Katherine Byrd Shawn Utt Jim Chitwood Bill Warden Janie Hurd Akers Gary Heinline Betty Lou Kirkner Press: Melinda Williams, Southwest Times Ashley Roberts, Channel 10 News Justin McLeod, Channel ?News Mayor Worrell called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. and the roll was called. Councilman Clark moved to appoint Brenda Shelton as the acting Clerk of Council, was seconded by Councilman Clevinger and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Absent Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye Mayor Worrell opened the meeting by commenting that today was a sad day for the Town of Pulaski because of the loss of the historical train station and Raymond F. Ratcliff Museum. He added that there were a lot of questions; however, the Town did not have enough information for all the answers at this time. Mayor Worrell noted that if there were a silver lining in the situation, it would be the response that the Town received from the Town's Fire Department along with the Dublin, Draper, Newbern, and Fairlawn Fire Departments. He commended ATF and the Pulaski Police Department for securing the site and for the response received from REMSI and the staff and employees of the Town of Pulaski. He added that there were responses from the VA Department of Historic Resources, the Town of Blacksburg, and offers of help from many area localities. Mr. Webb, Fire Chief, stated that there were 50-60 firefighters on the scene for approximately 12 hours, with the majority being volunteers, who had to report to their regular jobs that morning. He added that there were efforts It-~~~0~ early on to salvage some of the contents of the train station/museum by staff and employees of public works, because of the importance to the area. He thanked all who assisted and was grateful that no one was injured. Mr. Hawley stated that the initial call was reported at 12:10 a.m. on Monday morning and the Town's Fire Department was on the scene at 12:11 a.m. He added that the Filter Plant staff was called in to monitor the tanks. Mr. Hawley noted that a tremendous number of agencies called to express concern and offered their assistance such as: the Historical Society of West Virginia, the Roanoke Chapter of National Railroads Society, the Virginia Tech Museum of Geo Sciences, the Department of Historic Resources and the Virginia Commission on Arts. Mr. Hutchinson, Fire Marshall, stated that the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental and of an electrical nature, which started in the attic and continued to spread throughout the attic. Mr. Hutchinson advised that the ATF agent and dog from Bristol were called and responded with 12-15 agents, and stated that because of the magnitude of the loss, the probe could not have been done without ATF. He added that after the investigation was completed the scene was released to the Town to maintain. Mayor Worrell stated that he was astonished that the cause of the fire was determined in such a short 36 hours, and advised that many letters of thanks will be sent out. Mr. Hawley stated that recovered items were being stored in four different locations, with some paper and clothing items being frozen for protection, until a time when preservation could be made. He added that numerous people, including the Town employees were working to preserve what was salvaged and experts in the field were providing guidance in the effort. Mr. Hawley advised there was a list of all items that were loaned or donated to the museum and through a long process, done over the next several weeks; it will be determined what was salvaged and what belonged to whom. He added that some model railroad items were salvaged and were in a storage area, but there was a concern with the metal being damaged due to moisture. Mr. Hawley commented that because of the current situation with the train station museum, the Town may revisit the plan for the Maple Shade annex building. Mr. Hawley advised that the Town needed to decide how to handle donations for the project and suggested that donation's could be set up through the Fine Arts Center and GPA. In conclusion of discussion of the burning of the Train Station, Mayor Worrell stated that it wasn't that long ago that the Town's Courthouse burned and that had a happy ending and opined that this chapter in Pulaski history would have a happy ending also. The first item on the agenda was approval of the minutes of the September 16, 2008 Council work session and October 21, 2008 Council work session. Councilman Clark moved to take the September 16, 2008 minutes from the table, was seconded by Councilman Burchett and carried by unanimous voice vote. Councilman Clark moved to approve the minutes of September 16, 2008, was seconded by Councilman Clevinger and carried by unanimous voice vote. Councilman Clevinger moved to approve the minutes of October 21, 2008, was seconded by Councilman Clark and carried by unanimous voice vote. The next item on the agenda was Resolution 2008-34, to Recognize Pulaskifest Volunteers. ~~ ~, it-~~-~ ~ Mayor Worrell read the Resolution recognizing those citizens and civic groups for their invaluable assistance as volunteers for Pulaskifest. Councilman Welker moved to adopt the resolution, was seconded by Councilman Bopp and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye The next item on the agenda was Strategic Plan Visioning. Council was provided the following summary of a potential format and options of four different facilitators: I. Tyler St. Clair-Weldon Cooper Center -There is $5,800.00 in grant funds that may be used, but agreement needed to be done soon to secure the use of these funds. 2. Wilder Consulting- Her fees would be $2500 to $5000. No previous grant funds may be used. 3. Debbie Lineweaver- She was suggested by NRCC and has worked with both Towns and the County in the Pulaski Institute. 4. Work without facilitator-Council could choose to have a portion of work sessions devoted to strategic planning or hold separate sessions to focus on goals. After discussion, Mr. Burchett moved to plan a strategic planning and visioning session with the Weldon Cooper Center, seconded by Mr. Clark and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye The next item on the agenda was Health Care Options. Mr. Baublitz, member of the Town's IDA, provided information in Council's packet for Pulaski Community Hospital. Mr. Hawley stated that the Town's current health insurance carrier was Anthem-Local Choice. He added that the Town's insurance package was one of the main recruitment tools for new employees and that the rates had declined the past 2 years. Mr. Hawley advised that Mayor Worrell, Councilman Kidd, staff members and himself met with Mr. Rader and some of the staff from the hospital last week and discussed ways that the Town and PCH could mutually work together economically. He added that PCH was one of the largest water users and business license payers in the Town. Mr. Hawley stated that PCH was a critical player in the Town and suggested that Council go on record that PCH needed to be included in the Economic Adjustment for the community. After discussion, Council decided to revisit the insurance issue at a later date. Mr. Hawley recognized Mrs. Betty Lou Kirkner, who was an important part of the Raymond Ratcliffe Museum, along with her son Ty Kirkner and his wife, because without them there would be no museum, and thanked them for handling the interviews regarding the fire so well. The next item on the agenda was South Washington sidewalks. it-t 8 ~~~ Mr. Hawley stated that Public Works checked on the issue and it appeared that due to an existing driveway and the incline of the right of way, it was not possible to install a sidewalk at that entire block of the street. After discussion, Mayor Worrell suggested that the Town have Engineering look at the issue. The next item on the agenda was Pulaski Area Transit Update-Fixed/Demand Response. Mr. Heinline, Director of PAT, thanked Town Council and the Town for the support shown to PAT over the years and gave the following update on the Pulaski Area Transit: a. Going into 5"' year without any caused accidents b. 2008 - 55,384 trips and 89,175 miles, without any accidents c. As of November, the average number of clients for the physical year was 233 per day, up 7% from 2007 Mr. Heinline stated that PAT received an award from the Federal Transit Administration, in a ceremony in Washington D.C., for having the highest amount of increase in an area of population under 50,000. Mr. Heinline advised that PAT received a grant for $48,000, which was a 97/3 match, that will be used to add Saturday transit service, which will start on December 6, 2008. In conclusion, Mr. Heinline stated that PAT ran a deviated route, which included the YMCA, with curb service within the deviated route that worked better for Pulaski than a fixed route. The next item on the agenda was review of Committees for RFP's and RFQ's. Mr. Hawley advised that there were three RFP's and RFQ's out at the present time. He added that Council needed to appoint review committees for each one. The first RFQ was Boundary Line Adjustment Feasibility. The Committee would consist of one Council member or Mayor, Town Manager, Town Engineer, Finance Director, Director of Economic Development and a representative from the County if they desired. (Due on Friday, November 21, 2008) Mayor Worrell volunteered to serve on the Boundary Line Adjustment Feasibility Committee. Mr. Clark moved to appoint Mayor Worrell, Town Manager, and Town Engineer, Finance Director, Director of Economic Development and a representative from the County if they desired, to serve on the Boundary Line Adjustment Feasibility Committee, was seconded by Mr. Clevinger and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye The next RFQ was New Infill Construction Developers Committee. The Committee would consist of one Council member or Mayor, Town Manager, one PR&HA member, Town Engineer and one or two representative(s) from HOME Consortium. Mr. Welker volunteered to serve on the New Infill Construction Developers Committee. After discussion, Mr. Clevinger moved to appoint Mr. Welker, Town Manager, and one PR&HA member, Town Engineer and one or two representative(s) from HOME Consortium, to serve on the new Infill Construction Developers Committee, was seconded by Mr. Clark and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Abstain 4 The third RFQ was CDBG Housing Management Consultant. This Committee would consist of one Council Member or Mayor, Town Manager, Town Engineer, Finance Director, one PR&HA member and one representative from the HOME Consortium. Mr. Clark volunteered to serve on the CDBG Housing Management Consultant Committee. Mr. Clevinger moved to appoint Mr. Clark, Town Manager, Town Engineer, Finance Director, one PR&HA member and one representative from the HOME Consortium to serve on the CDBG Housing Management Consultant Committee, was seconded by Mr. Welker and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Abstain Joel B. Burchett -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye The next item on the agenda was NRCC Fire Fighter Classes. Mr. Webb, Fire Chief, stated that the Fire Department and the Fire Marshall's office, in conjunction with the NRCC Work Force Development, were attempting to establish advanced firefighter training classes, which consisted of one class each semester in different advanced fire related subjects. He added that the course offerings could lay the ground work for a full Fire Science Associate Degree Program, depending on student participation; however, there were currently no funds in the budget. Mr. Webb requested that the Town make available funding to offer Town paid and volunteer firefighter's one class per semester, to limit the offer to four students total per semester, at $1,338.40 per semester, two semesters per year to total $2,676.80. After discussion, Mr. Bopp moved that the Town fund fire fighter classes for four students per semester at NRCC at $1,338.40 per semester for two semesters to total $2,676.80, with the possibility of funding continuing education for other departments, was seconded by Mr. Kidd and carried by the following recorded vote: David L. Clark -Aye Joel B. Burchett -Aye Larry G. Clevinger -Aye Robert Bopp -Aye H.M. Kidd -Aye Morgan P. Welker -Aye The next item was the Council round table discussion. Council discussed making office space available for GPA, either in Municipal building or on Main Street. Mr. Worrell stated, for the record, that Shawn Utt was one of the first people at the Town the morning of the fire at the Train Station and offered the County's assistance in the matter. Mr. Burchett suggested that any funds the Town saved on gas, if any, be applied to the Train Station building program or an educational line item. Mr. Hawley stated that the Town lost funding from the State for P.D. and sales tax, totaling $25,000.00. Mr. Burchett inquired about the stone walls located in several areas of the Town that were deteriorating. He asked if the stone walls were on private property, could the Town approach the property owners about having the stone walls demolished. Mr. Hawley suggested that if the wall was encroaching on the sidewalk, the property owner would be contacted and if needed, given a list of contractors that may assist in the demolition of the walls. 5 l l -l 8 ~. ~ Mr. Welker stated that the stone wall near the property where the proposed museum would be built looked much better, but still needed more repair. Mr. Hawley replied that he would have someone take care of that. Mr. Burchett suggested that after the water meters were installed, that the two employees. could spend their extra time working on code enforcement and blight, if the Town could work it out legally. Mr. Bopp asked about the status of the van business on Rt. 11 across from the former flower shop Mr. Hawley advised that the business was previously a used automobile dealership and the business presently there may have operable vehicles for sale on the lot. Mr. Welker stated that the business had expanded across the street to the flower shop and suggested checking to see if proper licenses had been obtained for the business. He added, that particular vehicle was known for fluid leakage and suggested that contaminants could be leaking into the creek. Mr. Hawley stated that he would have P.D. work on that and that a letter would be sent to the business informing them that the vehicles must be operable to be legally on the lot. Mr. Worrell reminded everyone that there would be only one meeting in December, which will be held on December 9, 2008. The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. on a motion by Councilman Clark, was seconded by Councilman Clevinger and carried by unanimous voice vote. 1 6