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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-23-11~~ Minu s of the tailed Town Council meeting held August 23, 2091 at 5:00 p.m. at the Train Station. Pres t were: Mayor Jeffrey S. Worrell Council: Morgan P. Welker; H. M. Kidd (arrived at 5:55 p.m.), David 1. Clark; Robert A. Bopp; Joseph K. Goodman, Gregory C. East Staff : John J. Hawley, Town Manager R. D. Warburton, Town Attorney Brenda Shelton, Acting Clerk of Council David N. Quesenberry, Asst. to the Town Manager Sherry Boyd, Finance Director John B. White, Economic Development Director Gary Roche, Police Chief Dave Hart, Parks and Facilities Director Rebecca Reece, Assistant to the Finance Director Others: Tom Hager Sandy Payne Sam King Clark Payne Troy Phillips Michael Clayton Michael Spartz Gary Fox Buz Booker Charles Wade Ed Hart Mike McMillion Melinda Williams, Press Mike Williams, Press Mayor Worrel! called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Councilman Clark moved to appoint Brenda Shelton as Acting Clerk of Council. The motion was seconded by Councilman Welker and carried on voice vote. Following roll call, Mayor Worrell welcomed two Scouts from Troop 249 as well as the other visitors to the meeting. Councilman Welker moved to adopt the Consent Agenda consisting of the Council minutes of July 26, 2091 with the addition of the word discussion as the third word in the first sentence in the sixth paragraph on page three. The motion was seconded by Councilman Clark and carried on voice vote. The next item on the agenda was Employee of the Month. Mayor Worrell introduced Rebecca Reece as the Employee of the Month for August, 2011. He read a Press Release aloud and presented Mrs. Reece with the award. He advised that in addition to receiving this award, she would receive an extra paid day off from work and be eligible far the Employee of the Year award at the end of the year. Mayor Worrell moved on to survey of skunk research. David Quesenberry advised that he had contacted other Towns and Cities regarding problems with and actions taken to deal with skunks. He summarized the survey that had been included in the packet. Next, Officer Troy Phillips, of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries addressed Council regarding skunks. He explained what attracts skunks, and how to minimize the problem. He explained the rules regarding the legal elimination of the skunks. He introduced two men who were present at the meeting and were licensed to trap and remove skunks and available for. hire. Mayor Worrel! thanked Officer Phillips for his presentation. The next item on the agenda was Public Operations. August 23, 2011/Page 1 of 7 The first item was Wayhnding Signage. Mr. Hawley advised that staff had been working on developing a Wayfinding signage system for attractions in the Town and Gatewood. A concept drawing had been included in the packet. He advised that funds were available under Street Maintenance funds #rom VDOT to cover the costs of the signs. Councilman Welker commented that he liked the concept drawing for the signs, however, he felt that the reason so many signs were needed was because Main Street was one way. He felt that Main Street could be changed to a two way street for approximately the same amount of money and then the signs would not be needed. Following extensive discussion, the consensus of Council was for staff to continue to develop the system and prepare one sign for review. Mayor Worrell moved on to Bike Friendly. Mr. White advised that included in the packet was information regarding the 3ro Annual Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week scheduled for September 11-17, 201'1. He feat the Town should participate in this event. From the public, Mike McMillion, owner of Pulaski Bikes addressed Council encouraging them to participate in this event. He pointed out how many visitors he was seeing at his bike shop each week that were using the trails and pointed out the potential growth in the area from these visitors. He advised that the visitors asked what else they could do in the area now that they had comp{eted their bike ride. He encouraged Council to continue to make the Town visitor friendly and think about what's next. Mr. Hawley noted that volunteer work had been done on mountain bike trails in the Town. A donation had been received from the New River Valley Bike Association and would be used for signage in the area. He commented that the Town had a trail head, roads that are bicycle compa#ib~ and mountain bike traits. Councilman Clark moved to direct staff to proceed with partnering with Bike Walk Virginia for the 3`~ Annual Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week from September 11-17, 2011. The motion was seconded by Councilman Welker and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Absent Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Councilman Welker inquired into the status of installing bike racks around Town. Mr. Hart advised that there were a few racks available at this time and more would be acquired as needed. Councilman Welker suggested that one be installed on Main Street near the courthouse and one at the north entrance of Calfee Park. Additionally he suggested that there were a few things to improve bicycling in the Town without spending a lot of money. He mentioned that at the end of Pierce Avenue citizens cut through property to access the Trail. He suggested improving that welt beaten path with gravel to make it look as if it was part of the Trail system. Additionally, he suggested making bicycle lanes on South Washington Avenue from the Train Station up to Floyd Avenue on both sides of the street and retaining the parking area on the east side of the street. Councilman Kidd arrived at 5:55 p.m. Councilman East asked what obstacles there might be to bikers and requested a prioritization list be prepared. August 23, 2011/Page 2 of 7 { f Mr. W~ite responded that items mentioned to date included the need for an ice cream shop and hotels as well as other items. Councilman East reiterated that it would be helpful to him for staff to prepare a prioritized list for he and Council to review. Mayor Worrell moved on to Finance. The first item for discussion was liens. Ms. Boyd advised that there was a draft spreadsheet included in the packet that provided information for the major demolitions that had been billed and then a lien placed for non-payment. Staff had attempted to include a column for all items requested by Council. She provided an update on actions taken to collect demolition liens. Following extensive discussion, Gouncilman Welker moved to direct staff to try to acquire 55 West Main Street for a future pocket park and to continue working with the C~ddfellows Lodge to acquire the lot on 1'r Street for the Dora Highway Grant Housing project and continue with the other ones using any available means. The motion failed for the lack of a second. Mayor Worrell agreed with Councilman Welker regarding purchasing the 55 West Main Street property for a future pocket park. Councilman Goodman disagreed, noting that there was a park across the street at the Courthouse and felt the area would be better served with the installation of a parking lot foc the customers of the Main Street shops. He also urged Council to take no action on this property at this time to give staff more time to review all avenues at our disposal to collect the lien. Following discussion, Councilman Welker moved to direct staff to try to acquire 55 West Main Street. Councilman East seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman - No David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Councilman Welker encouraged that a method be developed to settle some of the liens for partial payment. Councilman East inquired what the standard process was for pursuing these debts. Does staff keep in regular contact with the folks or do they lie dormant until they are brought up at Council? Mr. Hawley advised that periodically a letter is sent out reminding the owner that there is a lien on the property, but there had been no active collection process. The Town Attorney and the Finance Director work together on those properties. He added that staff had not taken anyone to court to try to collect a lien. He continued that it would be Council's decision to direct staff to go to court to try to collect a speafic lien. Ms. Boyd advised that in the past, staff had pursued property owners for delinquent accounts through the court system at an exorbitant cost in attorney's fees and filing fees. The Town was still not able to collect, due to the property owners simply not having the money. She added that staff tries to determine which delinquent accounts to pursue through the courts using criteria such as the ability to pay. Following extensive discussion, Councilman Welker moved to direct staff to use as a tool to collect liens, the option to negotiate the liens down with the owners to a dollar amount that is equal to or greater than the properties assessed value. Counalman Bopp seconded the motion, advising that he felt all options should be , kept open. August 23, 2011/Page 3 of 7 Councilman Goodman commented that it was not that he disagreed with negotiating, but any policy put in place where we say we will look at negotiating hurts our stance. He would rather say that all options are on this table. If you come to the Town we can negotiate. If someone can't afford to pay the lien, then included in the letter to the owner should be wording telling them to schedule a meeting with the Finance Director to discuss the issue. Councilman Wetker responded that it was a tool that the staff can use. He believed that staff would only use negotiation as a last resort. The motion then carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman - No David L. Clark - No Gregory C. East -Aye Mayor Worrell moved on to RACJIN Information Sharing Grant. Chief Roche explained that RACJIN stood for Roanoke Area Criminal Justice Information Network. He advised that the Police Department had been awarded $75,000 in a continuation of the grant. He added that the grant would be used to fund the activation of the 19 computers in Police vehicles. The match for this grant was $3,750. Councilman Clark moved to approve the grant and direct staff to fund $3,750 match for the grant. Councilman Bopp seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye The next item on the agenda was Firefighter grant application. Chief Webb advised that the Fire Department wished to apply for a grant for a Rescue Engine at an estimated cost of $375,000 that required a 5% match of $18,750 if awarded. He requested that the needed funds be approved, if awarded. Councilman Clark moved to approve the application process for the grant and fund our portion of the grant in the amount of $18,750 ff awarded. Councilman Goodman seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Mayor Worrell moved on to GOB (General Obligation Bond) rates. Ms. Boyd advised that she had contacted the local banking community and obtained interest rate quotes for the $821,000 borrowing for capital projects approved in the FY 2012 budget. She summarized the quotes she had received and recommended approval of the National Bank quote of 3.92°~ fixed rate for twenty years. Following discussion, Councilman Clark moved to approve staff moving forward with the best ra#e. Councilman Kidd seconded the motion. Counalman Clark withdrew his motion. August 23, 2011/Page 4 of T Cou ~ ilman Clark moved to accept the National Bank offer for a twenty year loan at 3.92°~ fixed rate for $821 00. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kidd and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye At 7:08 p.m., Mayor Worrell called for a ten minute recess. At 7:18 p.m., Mayor Worrell reconvened the meeting and called for Legislative items. The first item was Ordinance 2011-10. Approving A Special Exception To Keep A Horse At 1017 Wisler Place. Mayor Worrell advised that this would compete action of Council. Councilman Clark moved to adopt Ordinance 2011-10 as written. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kidd and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye The next item on the agenda was Zoning -Keeping of Chickens Mayor Worrell advised that results of the survey requested by Council on this matter had been included in the packet. Mr. Hawley advised that this information had been forwarded to the Planning Commission for a recommendation. He added that if Council had a speck question not covered by the survey, staff would try to gather that information before the Planning Commission brings their recommendation back to Council. Chief Roche commented that in light of the information received from the vrginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries regarding providing food to skunks, he could not think of a better way to provide food to skunks than to put chicken coops in back yards. He felt that Council might want to consider that. Mayor Worrell moved on to Building Pemnits. He reminded Council that there was currently no time limit on building permits. Staff had provided a Building Permit Time Survey in the packet. He added that it appeared that most localities had a time limit of between six and twelve months. Counc~man Bopp confirrr-ed that the Town adhered to the Uniform Statewide Building Code and then commented that the default would be six months for completion. Mr. Quesenberry interjected that the rule stated that the permit could be revoked if work on the site is not commenced within six months after issuance of the permit, or if the authorized work on the site is suspended or abar-doned for a period of six months. Mr. Hawley added that the issue had been that the bulkier would go in and work on one item each six months to keep the permit open, but never make substantial progress. l=ollowing extensive discussion, the consensus of Council was to continue to follow the Uniform Statewide Building Code. August 23, 2011/Page 5 of 7 Mayor Worrell moved on to Resolution 2011-17, Authorizing The Town Manager To Execute An Agreement Amending The Funding Of The Ratcliffe Museum. Mr. Hawley advised that VDOT sent amendments to the original agreement for the Raymond F. Ratcliffe Memorial Museum: Council's approval was needed in order for the Town Manager to sign the amended agreement. Councilman Clark moved to adopt Resolution 2011-17, Authorizing The Town Manager To Execute An Agreement Amending Funding For The Museum. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kidd and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Mayor Worrell moved on to Dora Highway CDBG Phase II. Mr. Hawley advised that the Phase II contract for the Dora Highway project was ready for signature. He noted the document had been reviewed by our consultant and also the Town Attorney. Councilman Welker moved to authorize Mayor Worrell to execute Phase If of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) contract. Councilman Goodman seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Mayor Worrell commented that the contract with Meade Contracting for water system improvements for the Dora Highway project area could now be executed. Councilman Clark moved to authorize the Town Manager to execute the contract with Meade Contracting for water system improvements for the project area. Councilman Goodman seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye The next item on the agenda was Human Resources. Mayor Worrell advised that a member of Council requested the development of and scheduling of an annual review process for the Town Manager's position starting with this year. Mr. Goodman advised that at the advice of the Virginia Municipal League at their Newly Elected Government Officials meeting, he had suggested that a review process for the Town Manager's position be developed and scheduled for this year. He had forwarded the information to Council previously. With the consensus of Council, Mayor Worrell advised that information would be gathered for Council's review. At 7:30 p.m., Councilman Goodman moved to enter into Closed Session for 2 items under Virginia Code 2.2- 3711, {A-7), Consult with legal counsel and briefings by staff, consultants. Possible litigation. Councilman Clark seconded the motion and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye August 23, 2011/Page 6 of 7 H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David l.. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye At 8: 0 p.m., Council returned from Closed Session and adopted the Certification Resolution on motion by Councilman Goodman, seconded by Councilman Clark and carried on the following recorded vote: Morgan P. Welker -Aye Robert A. Bopp -Aye H. M. Kidd -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye David L. Clark -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye There being no further business, the meeting adjourned on motion by Councilman Clark, seconded by Councilman Goodman and carried. Approve< August 23, 2011/Page 7 of 7