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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-18-73~Q ~,"~ ~. Minutes of a special meeting of the Pulaski Town Council, held at 6:30 P. M., on the 18th day of January, 1973, in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building. There were present: Vice-Mayor S, G. Frye, presiding. Councilmen: Glen K. Aust, Arthur L. Meadows, Mason A. Vaughan, Andrew L. Graham, J. L. Congrove Councilmen Willam A. House and Raymond F. Ratcliff arrived a few minutes before the adjournment of the meeting. SPECIAL MEETING Also present: Town Manager:. J. E. Marshall TO DETERMINE Clerk: Gladys R. Dalton WHETHER COUNCIL WILL HAVE PUBLIC Visitors: Bonni McKeown, reporter for Southwest Times. REFERENDUM BEFORE ESTABLISHING The invocation was given by Councilman Graham. HOUSING AUTHORITY. Vice-Mayor Frye stated the purpose of the called meeting was to determine whether the Council intends to have a public referendum bef ore establishing a Housing Authority and other related items, and. any other itbs that ^ay l~plly be brought before tha Council. WAIVER OF NOTICE ©F SPECIAL MEETING . WAIVER OF NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING We, the undersigned, duly elected members of the Council of the Town of Pulaski, Virginia, hereby waive notice of a Special Meeting of said Council, at 6x30 P. M. on the 18th day of January, 1973, called by Vice-Mayor S. G. Frye, in the Municipal Offices in the Town of Pulaski, Virginia, for the puurpose of determining whether the Council intends to have a public ref erendum besfore establishing a Housing Authority and other related items, and any other items that may legally be brought before the Council. WITNESS, our signatures this 18th day of January, 1973. 1 1 r~ ~~~ January 18, 1973 special meeting A statement was read to the Council by Vice-Mayor Frye, and on motion of Councilman Aust, seconded by Councilman Meadows, and carried, it was, moved that the following statement be adopted and read at the Public Hearing coming up at 7:00 P. M. STATEMENT Sometime ago the Attorney General of Virginia rendered an opinion to Planning District No. 4 or to someone connected with the District. He had answered a question propounded to him on the establishment of a Consolidated Housing Authority. He said that in his opinion a Referendum was not necessary in each local jurisdiction. In the last several days, the question arose locally whether a Consolidated Authority could be STATEMENT i established without a Referendum if no Housing Authority TOWN COUNCIL existed in the political subdivision that were joining to- DECIDED NOT TO gether to form the Consolidated Authority. AUTHORIZE ESTAB- LISHMENT OF CON- Attorneys for the Town and County, together with one SOLIDATED HOUSING or two. other attorneys, have checked the appropriate stags AUTH. WITHOUT A in Title 36 of the Code of Virginia and have concluded that REFERENDUM. there is a serious doubt about the legality of establishing a Consolidated Authority without first holding a referendum. This doubt could affect the marketability of bonds and other action taken by the Authority. Therefore,, the Board of Supervisors for the County and the Council of the Town of Pulaski decided in a called meeting held prior to this meeting, that they would not authorize the establishment of a Consolidated Housing Authority, under the circumstances as they exist at the present time, without a ref erendum. They are holding this meeting in order to give the citizens an opportunity to state their position on the need for public housing and if a need exists, should the County and Town form a joint Authority,. The decision tonight by the Board and Council would theref ore mean that after the Hearing, the Board of .Supervisors and the Council will decide whether there is a need, and if there is, should the County and Town form a Consolidated Authority. If both of these questions are decided in the affirmative, the Board and Council would call for a Referendum so that all the people could vote on the question. Their final decision would be based upon the outcome of such a Referendum. Councilman Graham moved that Dr. Robert H. Duncan be DR. ROBERT H. DUNCAN APPT. appointed Chairman or Moderator of the joint public hearing to be CHAIRMAN OF DOING PUBLIC held at 7:00 P. M. The motion was seconded by Councilman Aust, HEARING. and carried. ~~~~~s~ ~ re ~- January 18, 1973 Special meeting - At 6:45 P. M. Councilman ~iaughan moved the meeting adjourn. The motion was seconded by Councilman Graham, and carried. APPROVED: Vice-Mayor S. G. Frye ATTEST; ;~~'/v. Clerk f Council 1 1 ~' Minutes of a joint public hearing of the Pulaski Town Council and the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, held January 18, 1973, at 7:00 P. M. in the Council Chambers. in the Municipal Building, on the need for a Housing Authority. There were present: Vice-Mayor Frye and Archa Vaughan, Chairman of the Pulaski County Board of Super- visors, presiding. Councilmen: Mason A. Vaughan, Andrew L. Graham, A. L. Meadows, Glen K. Aust, William A. House, Raymond F. Ratcliff, J. L. Congrove Pulaski County Board of Supervisors: Odell H. Mayberry B. C. Wampler Carl A. Shultz James Trammel Also present: J. E. Marshall, Town Manager Gladys R. Dalton, Town Clerk J. Rex Willis, Building & Zoning Admr. Robert H. McNichols, Clerk-Pulaski Co. Board of Supervisors A. Dow Owens, Commonwealths Attorney Dr. Robert H. Duncan, Moderator. Visitors: Approximately one hundred citizens of the County and Town of Pulaski Mr. Joe Aversona and Mra.Charles May from the Dept, of Housing & Development office in Richmond, Virginia Mr. Gordon Dixon from the New River Valley Planning District Commission The visitors were welcomed by both Chairman Vaughan and Vice-Mayor Frye. Mr. Frye introduced Dr. Robert H. Duncan, pastor of First United Methodist Church, and stated Dr. Duncan would serve as moderator ftir the meeting. The invocation was given by Rev. Powtan Cox, Vice- President of the Pulaski Ministerial Association and pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church. At this point Dr. Duncan called on Councilman Aust to read a statement which had been adopted by both the Pulaski Town Council and the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors, as follows: STATEMENT STATEMENT: T. C OUNCI L Sometime ago the Attorney General of Virginia DECIDED NOT rendered an opinion to Planning District No. 4 or to some- T 0 AUTHORIZE one connected with the District. He had answered a question ESTABLISHMENT propounded to him on the establishment of a Consolidated OF CONS. HODS- Housing Authority. He said that in his opinion a. Referendum ING AUTH. WITH- was not necessary in each local jurisdiction. 1 1 1 OUT REFERENDUM. ~~` ~/ January 18, 1973 Joint public hearing In the last several days, the question arose locally whether a Consolidated Authority could be established without a Referendum if no Housing Authority existed in the political subdivisions that were joining together to form the Con- solidated Authority. Attorneys for the Town and County, together with one or two other attorneys, have checked the appropriate statutes in Title 36 of the Code of Virginia and have concluded that there is a serious doubt about the legality of establishing a Con- STATEM~TT solidated Authority without first holding a referendum.. CONTINUED This doubt could affect the marketability of bonds and other action taken by the Authority.. Theref ore, the Board of Supervisors for the County and the Council of the Town of Pulaski decided in a called meeting held prior to this meeting, that they would not authorize the establish- ment of a Consolidated Housing Authority, under the circumstances as they existed at the present time, without a referendum. They are holding thfs meeting in order to give the citizens an opportunity to state their position on the need for public housing and if a need exists, should the County and Town form a joint Authority. The decision tonight by the Board and Council would there- fore mean that after the Hearing, the Board of Supervisors and the Council will decide whether there is a need, and iu there is, should the County and Town form a Consolidated Authority. If both of these questions are decided in the affirmative, the Board and Council would call for a Referendum so that all the people could vote on the question. Their final decision would be based upon the outcome of such a Referendum. Dr. Duncan stated the purpose of the public hearing was to determine if there is a need for a consolidated housing authority, and PURPOSE OF after the discussion here the Town Council and Pulaski County Board of MEETING TO CONSIDER Supervisors will then consider whether there is a need for a referendum. NEED FOR CONS . HOUS- Dr . Duncan also stated that in an effort to maintain some order for the ING RUTH. AND REF, meeting, suggested that certain guidelines be adopted, and stated that each person entering the room had been given a card on which they would indicate if they desired to speak during the hearing either for or against the need for a consolidated housing authority; and that he would alternate between the ones in favor and the ones against until all who signed cards are given an opportunity to speak. Dr. Duncan suggested that since the proceedings were being recorded on tape, that each person come to the microphone, state their full name and address, and they would be limited to three minutes, after which a question and answer period would follow. There was a motion, seconded and carried that the guidelines for the meeting be adopted. C°" ~ - ` ~.~q. January 18, 1973 - Joint public hearing - Town Manager Marshall spoke of the need for housing and T. MANAGER SPOKE OF NEED OF quoted data collected through the survey by the New River Valley Planning HOUSING, QUOT- ED FIGURES ON District Commission and the Town of Pulaski in the summer of 1972. HOUSING UNITS. He also quoted projected figures on the housing units that would be affected and the projected figures indicated approximately 3,000 units in the Town and County, to include rehabilitating, replace- went and new houses. MR. ROBOT Mr. Robert H. McNichols quoted figures established by NICHOLS QUOTED FIGURES EST. the New Riv er Valley Planning District Commission regarding the need BY NRVPD RE: NEED FOR for housing in Pulaski County, as well as figures established by HOUSING. the 1970 census. Mr. J. Rex Willis also quoted figures from the 1970 MR. J.R.WILLIS QUOTED FIGURES census, the Town's survey and survey of the New River Valley FROM SURVEYS INDICATING Planning District Commission, all of which indicated a definite NEED FOR HOUS- I NG. need for housing both in the Town and County of Pulaski.. Mr. Willis also gave reasons why these problems are not recognized by most citizens. NEED FOR Thirteen (13) persons spblce during the meeting on the HOUSING AUTHORITY. need of a Housing Authority, and ten (10) of the thirteen were for the establishment of a Housing Authority. TEN T O ONE Mr. Phillip Sadler, Attorney at Law, then expressed the FAVOR HOUSING AUTHORITY BY opinion that many people at the meeting would not state their sxoW of xANDS . opinion on the matter and he moved that all in favor of a Housing Authority, for or against, be recognized. Approximately then to one favored a Housing Authority by a show of hands. Dr. Duncan stated if and when the Town Council and the Board of Supervisors decide there is a need they will call a referendum at which time it will be explained as to what the Authority is, how it will work and what is involved. VOTING ON The people then questioned the voting on the previous PREVIOUS MOTION RULED motion, and it was ruled the voting to be null and void. TO BE NULL AND VOID. A new motion was made as to whether or not to vote on the question, and the majority favored voting on the question. ~.a ~ f ~, ., '~ ~'.. ,1 January 18, 1973 - Joint Public Hearing Mr. Sadler then made a motion that all present be allowed to VOTE WAS 90 TO 10 vote for or against the question - "Do we need housing", and the vote was FOR THE approximately 90 for and 10 against. QUESTION "DO WE NEED Mr. Joe Aversona ex lained the workin of the Housin HOUSING?" p g g Authority and answered questions put to him by the citizens relative to same. At 8:20 P. M. Dr. Duncan adjourned the meeting. APPROVED: /~ Zl Vice''1~layor S.- G. F ye ATTEST: ~ , .D-~.~ ~ ~ ~~ '~~ Cle of Council 1 1