Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-07-19 Minutes of the Pulaski Town Council meeting held at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 7, 2019 in the Council Chambers of the Town Municipal Building at 42 First Street, N.W. II In attendance were: Mayor: David L. Clark, presiding Councilmen Present: G. Tyler Clontz; Brooks R. Dawson; Gregory C. East; Lane R. Penn; James A. Radcliffe Councilmen Absent: Joseph K. Goodman Administration: Shawn M. Utt, Town Manager Nichole L. Hair, Deputy Town Manager Legal Counsel: Spencer A. Rygas, Town Attorney Press Melinda Williams, Southwest Times Staff Bill Pedigo, Town Engineer David Quesenberry, Clerk of Council Rebecca Fleece, Finance Director Chief Gary Roche, P.P.D. Others Present: Chris Conner James Ridpath Terry Smusz Hannah Spongberg Julia Stewart William Stewart & Family 1. Call to Order Mayor Clark called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman Dawson. 3. Invocation The Invocation was given by Councilman East. 4. Roll Call After the Invocation, the roll was taken. Present were Mayor Clark, Mr. Clontz, Mr. Dawson, Mr. East, Mr. Penn and Mr. Radcliffe. Absent was Mr. Goodman. Since a majority of Council members were in attendance, a quorum of Council was present to conduct business. 5. Modification of the Agenda Mayor Clark requested a motion to modify the agenda to add one item under "New Business", Item 13b. "Municipal Building HVAC System" and one item under Closed Session regarding Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7 consultation with legal counsel concerning actual or probable litigation regarding a zoning violation. Mr. East moved to modify the agenda as requested. The motion was seconded by Mr. Dawson and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye 6. Recognition of Guests and Visitors Mayor Clark welcomed guests and visitors attending the meeting and extended a special welcome to members of the audience who had traveled a great distance to attend. Page 1 of 6/May 7, 2019 7. Presentations a. Resolution 2019-15, Resolution Recognizing the Service of Charles W. Stewart, Jr. Council next considered Resolution 2019-15 honoring former Mayor Charles W. Stewart, Jr. Mayor Clark read Resolution 2019-15 before the Council and audience. After the reading of the resolution, Mr. East moved to adopt Resolution 2019-15 "A Resolution Recognizing the Life and Service of Charles W. Stewart, Jr." The motion was seconded by Mr. Penn and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Following the Council vote, Mayor Clark presented daughter, Julia Stewart and son, William Stewart with framed copies of the resolution. Upon receiving the resolution, Ms. Stewart mentioned her father's deep affection for his home town and thanked Council and staff on behalf of the family. b. Resolution 2019-16, Resolution Declaring May 5 through May 11, 2019 as National Small Business Week in the Town of Pulaski Next item on the agenda was Resolution 2019-16 observing National Small Business Week in the Town. Mayor Clark read the resolution after which he asked for a motion from Council. Mr. Dawson moved to approve "Resolution 2019-16, Resolution Declaring May 5 Through May 11, 2019 as National Small Business Week in the Town of Pulaski". Mr. Penn and Mr. Radcliffe seconded the motion which was approved by the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Next item on the agenda was the annual report from New River Community Action. 7c. New River Community Action Annual Report, Ms. Terry Smusz Ms. Terry Smusz, Chief Executive Officer of New River Community Action briefed Council on the programs and activities of NRCA during the 2017-2018 year. Noting the recent governor's proclamation of May as "Community Action Month', Ms. Smusz said NRCA had assisted 2,880 residents of Pulaski County through a variety of programs she briefly described. The Swift Start program, funded by the Department of Labor and operated with Total Action for Progress (TAP), assisted unemployed or underemployed parents of at least one child 13 years of age or younger. The program provided required short term training in Information Technology, Advanced Manufacturing or Health Care. Participants received assistance with any obstacles they faced in addition to extensive mentoring, which Ms. Smusz said was key to the success of the program. She noted that 24 residents of Pulaski County had completed the program. Another program, the award winning Virginia Cares program, assisted inmates with pre-release services and ex-offenders with: obtaining basic needs, becoming ready for employment and securing employment. NRCA partnered with the Regional Jail and the Probation and Parole office in assisting 20 pre-release and 40 post-release Pulaski County clients. Concerning other programs, Ms. Smusz highlighted the new Head Start facility on Bob White Boulevard which served 36 students with an additional 20 students enrolled at the Head Start Early Learning Center at Page 2 of 6/May 7, 2019 New River Community College. The program with the largest County participation was Emergency Assistance which had served 1,660 unduplicated individuals in partnership with the Pulaski County Emergency Needs Task Force. Funding for this program came from the private sector, individual donors, individual foundations, and churches. Designed to help low income families, the program provided food, non-narcotic medications, rent and utility payments. Last fiscal year, Ms. Smusz said the program provided $6,612 in utility payments to the Town of Pulaski for water and sewer service. Ms. Smusz concluded her presentation with thanks to Council for the funding the Town provided each year. Mayor Clark thanked Ms. Smusz for her remarks. Next item on the agenda was the 2019 Music and Merchants Festival 7d. 2019 Music and Merchants Festival, Mr. Chris Conner Mr. Conner began his presentation with recap of last year's festival. At the 2018 festival, Mr. Conner estimated attendance was over 3,000 persons with no incidents reported and positive feedback received from the Police Department. Slightly more than $1,000 was raised for the United Way. Concerning the 2019 festival, Mr. Conner noted the event's new sponsor Friends of the Pulaski Theater as well as the earlier starting time of 4:00 p.m. The layout of the festival would be different with the stage at the opposite end of the street from last year and the expansion of the event into Jefferson Avenue. There were other changes mentioned including: the presence of 40 volunteers; expanded I.D. and ticket sales to improve crowd flow; four feet of area between vendors; and portable lighting for the Kid's Zone. Mr. Conner then shared a layout of the festival with Council pointing out the locations of the stage, food and beverage areas and entrance points for better control and containment of the event. For this year's festival, Mr. Conner said there were 44 registered vendors. Potential attendance for the event was projected at 5,000 plus persons. Anticipated sales of alcohol were $5,000 to $6,000, based on last year's sales of just over$4,000. Entertainment would be provided by three local bands. Food would be available from six food vendors with beverages provided by Valley Distributing and Iron Heart Winery. Mr. Conner requested Council's approval for overtime pay for six police officers and six Public Works employees to support the festival. He said the employee's assistance played a vital role in last year's festival. He concluded his presentation and told Council he would be glad to answer any questions they might have. Mr. Utt said that last year Council authorized the Town to cover the overtime costs for the Public Works employees and the police, as part of the Town's sponsorship of the event. He estimated the cost was less than $2,000. Mr. East asked if a dollar amount was required (for a motion). Mr. Utt replied that only official approval was needed to have the Town cover the overtime costs. Mr. East moved to authorize the Town Staff to provide the overtime necessary for six police officers and six Public Works employees in support of the 2019 Music and Merchants Festival. The motion was seconded by Mr. Radcliffe and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Council then proceeded onto the Public Comment Period. 8. Public Hearings There were no public hearings scheduled 9. Public Comment Period Council heard comments from Mr. James Ridpath. Mr. Ridpath told Council that AMVETS would like to have a "Project 22 Walk" to raise awareness of the rate of suicide among veterans, which he noted was 22 victims per day. The "awareness walk" would start at the Train Station and proceed to Cool Springs where Page 3 of 6/May 7, 2019 there would be a rest station for participants. The walk would then return to the Train Station for a short program featuring a guest speaker, a 21 gun salute and the playing of"Taps". He thought the walk would start about 9:00 a.m. and be finished by 12:00 noon. Mr. Ridpath said that the VFW and the American Legion was working with AMVETS on the event. He added that they wanted to have the awareness walk on June 22nd Mr. Radcliffe said he supported the event and asked that Mr. Ridpath get with Ms. Hair. Mr. Utt also suggested that Mr. Ridpath contact Ms. Hair because the Relay for Life would be held that same day in Jackson Park. He thought the two events would not interfere with each other, but would complement each other. Council thanked Mr. Ridpath for his comments and then moved on to the Consent Agenda. 10. Consent Agenda a. Consideration of the April 2, 2019, Council Meeting Minutes b. Consideration of the April 9, 2019, Council Budget Meeting Minutes c. Consideration of the April 13, 2019 Special Called Work Session Minutes Mayor Clark asked Mr. Rygas if all three sets of minutes could be approved in one motion. Mr. Rygas responded that he did not see why they all could be done at once, unless there was an amendment or change that would require individual approval. Mayor Clark asked for a motion to approve the three sets of minutes. Mr. East moved to approve the meeting minutes for April 2, 2019, April 9, 2019 and the special called work session minutes of April 13, 2019 as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Radcliffe and approved by unanimous voice vote. Next item for review was the Project Summary Sheet. 11. Project Updates a. Project Summary Sheet Mr. Utt noted the updated sheet in the packet and said he would be glad to answer any questions that Council had. Mr. Clontz asked why the submission for the skate park would require two approvals. Mr. Utt explained that the original EPA grant was approved for a raised bed garden and Farmer's Market which was to bring the property up to a residential use, the cleanest designation for a brownfield site. The potential use was changed to a recreation site which required capping rather than soil removal. With a shortage of staff at the state agency, the Town only got formal approval for the change recently. The approval freed up money for the basketball park side. But, the money had to be spent before the end of June, which was not possible. Since it took the state six months to approve the submission, the Town requested a six month extension. The Town he added wanted to get the project done in this calendar year. Mr. East asked if the six months would be an issue. Mr. Utt responded no, since the same person who approved the change would be the same person approving the additional six months. Mr. Dawson asked how close construction was on the Downtown. Ms. Hair responded that the architect was finalizing the bid package with an engineering firm they were working with. On the bid packages, Ms. Hair said the Town was asking for the "Cadillac version" with a variation of alternates to be phased in and have options to choose from based on the dollar amounts that were listed. Once the bid packages were released and persons put under contract to do the work, the project would be able to move forward. Mr. Utt said there was hope for bids in June. Ms. Hair said that both she and DHCD requested bids immediately. Mr. Utt said that the part of the work that the Town was going to do had already been laid out and that meetings with Public Works would take place in the next week or so. Page 4 of 6/May 7, 2019 Mr. East asked if there was a perception by DHCD or anyone else that the Town was holding things up. Ms. Hair responded no, that Joy Rumley, the DHCD representative, was well aware of what the Town was dealing with and that she was in constant contact with Ms. Rumley. Mr. Dawson asked if the Town was looking at June bids and July construction. Mr. Utt replied that it would be late summer once DHCD approvals and negotiations were done; possibly August. Mr. Dawson asked was completion not set for May of next year. Ms. Hair said the Town had until September of 2020 to be finished. Mr. Utt added that it was hoped to get the "heavier" parts of the project done before next year. Mr. Dawson then asked how heavy the workload would be for Town staff. Mr. Utt said some of the work would use VDOT money for contracting through Public Works. He did not know that Town staff would be required to do more than waterlines or other similar tasks. Ms. Hair said it would be more cosmetic things or demolition and that Mr. Pedigo had been in on the project discussions. Mr. East asked about the landscaping. Mr. Utt said that it was finalized who would do the work. Mr. Pedigo added that he did not know which firm that was but that Mr. Smythers had received final prices. Mr. Utt also said that he understood that everything was on order. He added that the Town would not be doing the entrance sign locations if those signs were slated to be replaced in the upcoming budget. No landscaping would be done until after the new sign was in. Mr. East asked when the new signs would be in. Mr. Utt responded later this fall. Council then moved on to a discussion of appointments to the Calfee School Selection Panel. 12. Old Business There were no items scheduled for consideration under "Old Business". 13. New Business a. Appointment to the Ca/fee School Selection Panel Mr. Utt reported that the current Working Group for the Calfee School had wanted to make sure that the composition of the Board of Directors for the school would be well thought out and would be representative of the community as a whole. Letters were sent out to different organizations asking them to appoint a member to a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee would be charged with identifying and recruiting the actual Board members. The Town Council Mr. Utt said, was being asked to appoint an individual to serve on the Selection Committee who would help choose the Board of Directors to lead the effort forward. Mayor Clark said the group would work through the nominations and put the Board together. Council needed to appoint someone from the Town to serve on the Selection Committee and not be on the Board itself. Mr. Dawson nominated Mr. Penn to serve on the Selection Committee. Mr. Penn accepted the nomination. Mr. Dawson then moved to appoint Councilman Penn to the Selection Committee for Calfee Training School as the Town of Pulaski's representative. The motion was seconded by Mr. East and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Abstain Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James R. Radcliffe -Aye Next item discussed was the Municipal Building HVAC System. b. Municipal Building HVAC Mr. Utt informed Council that there was money in the budget to replace the HVAC system in the Municipal Building. Originally $40,000 was budgeted for the new system, but the bid came in at $69,493. He asked Council, so work could commence June 1St, to appropriate $26,493 from reserves to replace the HVAC in the whole building. Page 5 of 6/May 7, 2019 Mr. Radcliffe moved to transfer $26,493, from reserves to capital improvements for the HVAC. The motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Council next moved to the Closed Session. 14. Closed Session Mayor Clark then requested a motion to enter Closed Session for 2 items: one item under Virginia Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 acquisition of real property or of disposition of publicly held real property concerning a partnership with the Pulaski Redevelopment and Housing Authority; and one item under Virginia Code 2.2- 3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation regarding a zoning application. Mr. Clontz moved to enter Closed Session for the two items. The motion was seconded by Mr. Dawson and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Council entered Closed Session at 7:41 p.m. and returned from Closed Session at 8:32 p.m. Mayor Clark asked for a certification motion that Council only discussed those two items for which it went into Closed Session: one item under Virginia Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 acquisition of real property or disposition of publicly held real property concerning a partnership with the Pulaski Redevelopment and Housing Authority; and, one item under Virginia Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation regarding a zoning application. Mr. Dawson moved to certify the closed session. The motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye Joseph K. Goodman -Absent Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye 15. Reminder of Future Council Meetings and Adjournment. Mayor Clark noted there would be a Council budget meeting on May 14th and a Council work session on May 21St. With business concluded, Mayor Clark requested a motion to adjourn. The motion to adjourn was made by Mr. East, seconded by Mr. Radcliffe and approved by the unanimous vo. - c• e of Coun . at 8:34 p.m. Appr••-.: r_Agiar�f/ 4.111"1"-J-v id L. Cla��� Mayor / ATTEST: / , ./ David N. Quesenberry Clerk of Council Page 6 of 6/May 7, 2019