Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-21-18Minutes of the Pulaski Town Council Work Session held at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 21, 2018 in the Council Chambers of the Town Municipal Building at 42 First Street, N.W. In attendance were: Mayor: David L. Clark, presiding Councilmen Present: G. Tyler Clontz, Brooks R. Dawson, Gregory C. East, Joseph K. Goodman, Lane R. Penn, James A. Radcliffe Administration: Shawn M. Utt, Town Manager Nichole L. Hair, Deputy Town Manager Legal Counsel Spencer A. Rygas, Town Attorney Press: Melinda Williams, Southwest Times Mike Williams, PC Patriot Staff: Kim Caudill, Admin. Mgr., Public Works Dave Hart, Dir. Parks & Facilities Chief Robbie Kiser, P.F.D. Bill Pedigo, Town Engineer Chris Phillips, Street Superintendent David Quesenberry, Clerk of Council Rebecca Reece, Finance Director Chief Gary Roche, P.F.D. Others Present: Catherine Van Noy, Pulaski on Main 1. Call to Order. Mayor Clark called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call. Following the call to order, the roll was taken with all members present and a quorum for conducting business established. 3. Modification of the Agenda. Mayor Clark asked for a modification to the agenda to add Item 9a, under "Finance" for Roof Loan Revolving Loan Fund requests from the Fine Arts Center and Mark Hale. Mr. Goodman moved to add Item 9a to the agenda. The motion was seconded by Mr. Dawson and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye 4. Guests and Visitors. Mayor Clark welcomed guests and visitors attending the meeting. 5. Consent Agenda. a. July 24, 2018, Council Work Session Minutes. Mayor Clark moved on to the Consent Agenda and called for a motion to approve the minutes of the July 24, 2018 Council meeting. Mr. Penn moved to approve the minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr. East and approved by unanimous voice vote of Council. Page 1 of 8/July 24, 2018 6. Public Hearings. There were no public hearings scheduled for the meeting. 7. Presentations. a. Pulaski on Main Quarterly Update, Ms. Catherine C. Van Hoy Mayor Clark called on Ms. Van Hoy for an update on the activities of "Pulaski on Main". Ms. Van Hoy noted that Pulaski on Main had participated in several events including the YMCA ribbon cutting; the Chamber of Commerce's "Inspiring Women of Pulaski" seminar; and Yankee Media Day. The program had also been in contact with the head of the Va. Main Street Program and the head of the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center. In addition, Ms. Van Noy had, at the request of the Town Manager, worked on the Calfee School Project in her dual role as grant writer and Downtown project facilitator. The most visible media event was the "groundbreaking" for the Crescent City Cafe and the Next Level virtual reality center which received coverage in the local media. This activity she noted had resulted in other communities taking an interest in Pulaski. Staff and Town personnel attended training events including the Virginia Main Street Conference and the Opportunity Zone Event which included information on programs for blighted properties. In addition a business and building inventory was in preparation as required by program guidelines. Ms. Van Noy mentioned future events that Pulaski on Main was involved with including the Go Pulaski County/Downtown Cleanup; Radford University Career Fair; Harvest Market; Small Business Saturday; the Christmas Market; and the Christmas Parade. Regarding educational programming, Ms. Van Hoy said that Pulaski on Main was working offering Main Street educational programs. A grant was submitted to the Dept. of Historic Resources to fund a conference in April/May 2019 about what Pulaski and other rural communities were doing with their downtowns. In addition, work was proceeding on a communications plan when construction started on Main Street. Following these remarks, Ms. Van Noy finished her presentation. Mayor Clark thanked Ms. Van Noy for her work and for the successes of the program. Council moved on to the next item on the agenda, the County/Town "2 by 2" meetings. 8. Public Operations a. County/Town "2 by 2" Meeting Structure Mr. Utt said that there had been previous "2 by 2" meetings between the Town and County in 2014 on the joint dispatch project. Meeting attendees included two Council members with the Town Manager along with two supervisors and the County Administrator The recent convenience center issue had led to a realization that these meeting should start again. Mr. Utt said the County had appointed Andy McCready and Dean Pratt as the County's representatives and were looking for the Town to choose its two members. Along with himself and Mr. Sweet, the group would meet every other month with the first meeting scheduled for September 22"d. Past representatives from the Town were Mr. Clark and Mr. Goodman. Mr. Utt wanted to place the issue before Council for its consideration. Mr. Radcliffe said his two choices, including an alternate for the meetings, were Vice -Mayor East and Mr. Penn, with Mr. Dawson as an alternate. Mr. Goodman said he would like to continue his participation and cautioned interested participants, that they needed to know all the details of the actions of Council in recent years; outstanding past issues; and the Town's finances. There being no further comments, Mr. East and Mr. Penn became the representatives for the Town. b. Schedule Public Hearings for Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Next item on the agenda was scheduling public hearings for the zoning ordinance rewrite. Page 2 of 8/July 24, 2018 Ms. Hair said there had been extensive work on the ordinance to make it more "user friendly" and easier for staff to use. She requested that Council set the Planning Commission public hearing for September 10th and the Town Council public hearing for November 6th. She wanted to give enough time for review of the document as well as public involvement because there were some significant changes in the ordinance which she hoped to have implemented by January 1It Mr. Penn asked to see the old ordinance to compare it to the new version. Mr. Utt said that copies of the current ordinance and the proposed ordinance would be prepared for Council. Mr. Dawson asked if there were any changes that would affect current properties. Ms. Hair replied that the one change was that two zoning districts that were identical were consolidated together (R-3 and R-4). Property owners in those districts would receive notice by first class mail of the public hearing that the zone was changed but that there is no actual change to the regulations for their property. Mr. Goodman asked about the setback differences between the R-3 and R-4 and which setbacks were used in the proposed ordinance. Ms. Hair responded that the R-4 setbacks would be used, giving the former R-3 properties reduced setbacks. Mr. Goodman was concerned about the reasons and the impact of the setback changes on the R-3 District. Mayor Clark said that the change was not blatant and that a lot of research had been done regarding setbacks. Mr. Goodman requested to see the research as well as a map of both zoning ordinances. There being no further comment, Council then considered a request for speed humps on Twin Oaks Avenue. c. Speed Humps -Twin Oaks Avenue Mr. Utt reviewed the background of the Twin Oaks issue noting complaints from residents about speeding vehicles. A Police Department survey found that 71 % of residents favored the use of "speed humps" to slow traffic through the area. Cost for two of the "speed humps" would be approximately $6,000 which would come from street eligible funds. The humps would be placed close to property lines and corners. Mr. Utt requested Council's input on the matter. Mr. Radcliffe asked about the number of tickets issued. Chief Roche responded there had been ten tickets and one warning issued. From January to August, agency personnel had been in the area on 28 different occasions, but due to staffing and call volume, personnel could not be dedicated to that area. The latest complaint from a resident expressed fear that children would be killed by speeding vehicles. He added that the department would begin stratified policing on September 1 It which would target high complaint areas. Mr. Penn said when speed humps were installed on Mashburn, several vehicles ended up in neighbor's yards and snowplows would hit the humps making a great noise. He added that he opposed placing the humps on Twin Oaks. Mr. Goodman said that officers going door to door with a survey raised the resident's expectations and that the department should have consulted Council before acting. He asked if using private property for radar was an option. Chief Roche responded that he did not like to use private property since it invited retaliation against the property owner. Mr. Clontz said from having lived in the area, that speeding was a problem in Twin Oaks. Chief Roche noted that he had not received any complaints from residents on Mashburn. Discussion followed on alternate means of addressing the issues. Suggestions discussed included traditional patrol and ticketing; traffic calming measures; such as the "sleeping police officer"; radar displays; and ticketing cameras. Some doubt was expressed that given Twin Oaks length, that two "speed humps" would be sufficient. Mr. Utt was directed to look at alternatives to address the problem. d. Downtown "Pocket Park" Options Mr. Utt told Council that the contract for the Downtown grant would be signed September 5th. He referred to the concept drawing and description in the packet for the pocket park. Initial cost for landscaping and amenities was approximately $90,000. Mr. Utt said he wanted to present this to Council since the pocket park would be one of the first projects of the Downtown grant because of its visibility and its current condition. The Page 3 of 8/July 24, 2018 Council could also discuss with consultants possible concepts for the park once the Town was under contract with the state. Mr. Dawson asked about the area covered by the grant and the time of completion. Mr. Utt responded the project area was the whole block of Main Street between Jefferson and N. Washington which included the bridges. Time of project completion would be 18 months with a six month extension allowed if it was needed. Mr. Dawson also asked if the $185,000 was the Town's money. Mr. Utt said it would be Town money but most of it would come from a VDOT fund for streetscape improvements that would roll-over for three budget years. Mr. Goodman noted that the budget for the park was $125,000 not $90,000. Mr. Utt explained that the local match portion was the value of the property and the lien together included with the cost. Mr. Goodman asked about the "in-kind" contribution, which Mr. Utt and Ms. Hair said included such items as site clean-up. He asked if the work would be done by volunteers to which Mr. Utt replied that the labor could be from the Town staff. Mr. Radcliffe said that he hoped the park would a good gathering spot for Downtown business' customers. He also mentioned the possibility of a pedestrian bridge crossing the creek, which he felt would be a wonderful thing for the Downtown. He suggested that there be a plan of action to secure the area and keep it presentable. Mr. East asked about the status of the streetscape improvements. He commented that the park was nice but felt that Main Street was hideous in that it was not well groomed or cared for. There had been some work in the vicinity of the Glenn Building he noted that greatly improved the appearance of the area. Work on the park he ventured should be done in conjunction with the rest of the Main Street work. He was concerned that concentrating on the park would result in other Main Street issues becoming "lost". Mr. Utt replied that conceptual drawings had been prepared but there was no final design, which might be a couple of months away. Mr. East observed that given the goals of the project, a lot of coordination was required and that he wasn't sure that rushing to get the park done was good considering the other work that needed to be done. He added that he did not have a good concept what the order was for the project. Mr. Utt said his intent was to notify Council about developments concerning the parcel as a part of the Downtown project. Ms. Hair added that once the Town was under contract with DHCD, the Town would be able to do an agreement with the consultant. At that point, a project timeline would be in place for all the steps in the project. There being no further discussion, Council moved to the next agenda item, Marketing Plan Discussion. e. Marketing Plan Discussion Noting the previous conversations concerning marketing and social media, Mr. Utt had a couple of interns at the Chamber of Commerce prepare a video of the Downtown project area using a soundtrack provided by a local band. The video was then played for Council. Following the video, Mr. Utt said the video was done in a week and a half for very little expense. He proposed having videos made of Town events like PulaskiFest or the Cruise -Ins and other areas to get the community out on the social media. He emphasized that the Town's Facebook page was closing in on 9,000 followers with 20,000 connections each week. In addition, Mr. Utt said he had given thought on how to use video, possibly focusing on different groups, to capture new businesses and build excitement over the Town. He asked Council for their feedback. Mr. Goodman asked what point the video was trying to get across. Mr. Utt said other than excitement over Downtown there was no overall goal. Mr. Goodman said he was disappointed in the effort in that it featured empty buildings and streets and no people except at one event. Mayor Clark clarified that the video was done as a demonstration and that street scenes were shot by a drone which could not be used if there was much Page 4 of 8/July 24, 2018 traffic. Mr. Goodman said the videos would require more thought on the message and that he mistakenly assumed the video was a sales pitch. Mr. East commented that he liked the video. In looking at other efforts he found the key marketing element was taking control and managing the Town's image, which he felt the Town did not do. He did however feel the video was a good start. He suggested editing negative comments on Facebook to which Ms. Hair informed him that only offensive speech (e.g. cursing) could be eliminated. She had formulated guidelines for the Town's Facebook to prevent such abuses, otherwise negative comments had to be permitted as a free speech issue. Chief Roche added that it was a freedom of expression issue on a government media making it a constitutional question. Mr. East ventured that responding to negative comments in a positive manner might be the answer, but he felt the message needed to be controlled with responsibility for that work invested in a media person. Mr. Goodman said the town should be sure to deliver the message consistently and focus on a positive message Another approach would be to engage realtors and market to stake holders who could drive the community. Mr. Utt suggested that staff could come up with specific messages for specific audiences. Mr. East added that for every event listed on the event sheet, there should be a video for that event in addition to some kind of media posting. He stressed that an effort should be made to get the videos out, which could be done immediately. Mr. Goodman asked if the Town was on other social media. Ms. Hair said it was and that the Town had received many hits on Instagram especially in connection with photos. Mr. East felt the energy needed for the social media would come from someone with focus who was familiar with social media and had the time to spend on it. After the discussion, Council moved on to discuss the willow tree in Kiwanis Park. f. Kiwanis Park Corkscrew Willow Tree Mr. Utt reported that in 2016 there was an initial assessment of the tree, but that given recent concerns expressed by a citizen, arborist Danny Wilson re-examined the tree on August 17th. The report on the trees' current evaluation was received by the Town earlier in the day. Mr. Utt said the report indicated the Town was fortunate to have such a significant tree within the Town limits. It was the largest corkscrew willow known measuring 287 inches at its widest point, but it was also an aged tree. The report noted the tree's age and made recommendations for prolonging its life. Among the report's recommendations were blocking access to the tree and pruning deadwood from the canopy. The report did not favor taking the tree down, but recommended that measures be taken to prolong the tree's life. Mr. Utt wanted to give Council feedback on the citizen's email and solicit comments from them regarding the tree. Mr. Goodman suggested the best approach was a maintenance schedule whereby an arborist would come in and evaluate the tree every two or three years. Ms. Van Hoy noted the tree's inclusion in the book "The Remarkable Trees of Virginia" and felt attention to the tree would be a great social media opportunity. Mr. Penn asked how old the tree was. Mr. Utt responded that the estimated age was well over 100 years. Following a short discussion on determining the age and health of the tree, as well as measures to extend its life, Mr. Goodman suggested that removal of limbs be done under the supervision of an arborist with specially trained crews performing the limb removal. At the conclusion of discussion, Council moved to the next item on the agenda regarding Roof Loan, Revolving Loan Requests 9. Finance a. Roof Loan Revolving Loan Requests from Fine Arts Center and Mark Hale Mr. Utt informed Council that two loan applications were received: one for $15,000 from the Fine Arts Center; and a second one for a $20,000 maximum from Mark Hale. He noted that Mr. Hale's total project cost was Page 5 of 8/July 24, 2018 $49,500, which included the owner's contribution of $29,500, because the extensive repairs required going down to the structural members of the building. The Fine Arts Center would remove the present membrane roof and install and seal a new membrane roof. Mr. Utt said the roof program's second extension would expire at the end of August, and that while another extension had been requested, he was not sure it would be granted even though a third loan application had been received. He asked Council to authorize the loans to each applicant, using the same loan structure from previous loans with an interest rate of 3.5% and a ten year term in addition to authorization for himself and the Town Attorney to execute the necessary documents. The loan fund he added was one-half funded by a Rural Development Grant and one-half by the UDAG fund. The full loan payment would be taken from UDAG with the Town submitting a reimbursement drawdown at the program's end for one-half of the proceeds. Mr. Goodman moved that Council take $15,000 for the Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley from the Revolving Roof Fund as well at $20,000 for 74 West Main Street for Mr. Mark Hale, at an interest rate of 3.5% and a maximum loan term of ten years, all to be collateralized by liens on the properties and to give the Town Manager permission to sign the necessary documents to execute it along with the Town Attorney. The motion was seconded by Mr. East and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Following the vote, Council moved on to consider Ordinance 2018-09. 10. Legislative a. Ordinance 2018-09, Ordinance Approving a Special Exception for a Solar Farm Mr. Utt said the ordinance completed action by Council from the last meeting. He added that draft ordinances will be in future packets to lessen confusion and to allow Council to vote the night of the public hearing thus completing action on the issue. Mr. Goodman moved to adopt Ordinance 2018-09 approving a special exception for a solar farm at 1945 Warden Springs Road as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Penn and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye There being no business under Public Utilities, Safety and Human Resources, Mayor Clark proceed on to the Roundtable Discussion. 11.42.43. Public Utilities, Safety and Human Resources There were no items under these topics scheduled for discussion on the agenda. 14. Round Table Discussion Mayor Clark asked for comments from Council. Mr. Penn and Mr. Dawson said they had no comment Mr. East asked for a Town website update. Ms. Hair said design work was finishing up and links were being finalized to make sure they worked. She reported she had weekly meetings with the website group on their progress. Mr. East asked when there would be a preview. Ms. Hair responded she would contact the Town's consultant and get a link for Council to access the site. Staff she ventured, would need to be trained in updating and uploading content to the site. Mr. East suggested that the person in charge of the Town's social media could also maintain the website. Page 6 of 8/July 24, 2018 Mr. Goodman asked if it was confirmed that both websites would work. Ms. Hair replied that she received an email that the vendor could do that but the domain would have to be purchased. Mr. Goodman said the Town already owned the domain and that he needed to give it to the Town. He also asked about BoardDocs, Mr. Utt said that he received prices from BoardDocs which had two versions, an LT version and a Pro version. The County used BoardDocs Pro which was more than they needed. He recommended the Town use the LT version which would cost a $1,000 start-up fee and a $6,000 or $8,000 annual maintenance fee. Mr. Goodman suggested using Google sites for packets so that whoever did the website updates could structure the links to that site. This approach he said would be much less expensive and would allow easy transfer to another provider in the event service providers changed. Mr. Utt added he was interested in getting the Council packet before the public. Mr. Goodman said he favored the tree cutting on Main Street and suggested, given the vandalism on Main Street that was caught on camera, that cameras be placed in the pocket park. Chief Roche advised that the suspects in the vandalism had been charged. Mr. Clontz had no comment. Mr. Radcliffe thought that security cameras, possibly along Main Street were an idea that the Council might want to consider. He suggested that Mr. Goodman might look into the issue with respect to cost. Mayor Clark noted there was a budget session on August 28th at 6:00 p.m. He felt that the structure for the budget hearings needed to be determined. Going by department breakdowns he said would run well into next year before Council got through all of them. He asked Council for direction to assist the Manager in getting things together before a session. Then he asked Council for their preference. Mr. Utt said he and Mr. Dawson had been discussing ideas for some five year projections including the Capital Plan that could be reviewed. He asked if Council wished for next week's session, to continue the line item budget reviews as well as discuss what might happen over the next couple of years as debt is retired and other issues arise. A short discussion ensued involving looking at projections of future finances, comparison of revenues and expenditures minus capital, and projections for the general, water and sewer funds. Mr. Utt noted there were several major water and sewer projects that would have to be done, if not in five years, then in ten. Mr. Dawson felt that the budget review as well as conversations on future projections were both needed for Council to develop and have a common understanding in order to deal with the budget. There being no further remarks, Mayor Clark moved on to the Closed Session 15. Closed Session Mayor Clark called for a motion to enter Closed Session for two items: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 personnel matter concerning the Town Manager's evaluation; and one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation concerning a zoning violation. Mr. Penn moved to enter Closed Session. The motion was seconded by Mr. East and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn Brooks R. Dawson Gregory C. East Council entered Closed Session at 6:55 p.m. -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Council returned from Closed Session at 8:12 p.m. Mayor Clark asked for a certification motion that Council discussed only those two items for which it went into Closed Session: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1, personnel matter concerning the Town Manager's Page 7 of 8/July 24, 2018 evaluation; and, one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation concerning a zoning violation. Mr. Penn moved to certify the Closed Session. His motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye 16. Future Meetings and Adjournment Mayor Clark reminded Council that there was: a budget work session scheduled for August 28th at 6:00 p.m.; a legislative session on September 4th at 7:00 p.m.; and a work session on September 18th at 5:00 p.m. There being no further business, Mr. Dawson moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz and approved by unanimous voice vote at 8:15 p.m. Appro avid L. Clark Mayor ATTEST: David N. Quesenberry Clerk of Council �I Page 8 of 8/July 24, 2018