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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-03-21Minutes of the Pulaski Town Council Meeting held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 3, 2021 in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 42 First Street, N.W. The meeting also featured a general live cast to the public via the Town's Facebook page with one Council member participating in the meeting via Zoom. In attendance were: Mayor: Councilmen Present: Councilmen Absent: Administration: Legal Counsel Staff: 1. Call to Order Shannon Collins, presiding G. Tyler Clontz Brooks R. Dawson; Lane R. Penn; James A. Radcliffe; Michael P. Reis (electronic) Gregory C. East Darlene L. Burcham, Town Manager Spencer A. Rygas, Town Attorney David Quesenberry, Clerk of Council Jordan Whitt, Social Media Manager Mayor Collins called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. He announced that Mr. Reis would be joining the meeting and participating remotely from Goshen, Connecticut. The Clerk was instructed to enter this information into the minutes. 2. Roll Call of Council Present for roll call were Mayor Collins; Mr. Clontz; Mr. Dawson; Mr. Penn, Mr. Radcliffe. Absent from roll call was Mr. East and Mr. Reis. 3. Modifications to the Closed Session Agenda None. 4. Closed Session Mayor Collins then asked for a motion to enter Closed Session for five items as follows: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 discussion of a personnel issue; two items under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 5 concerning prospective businesses where no previous announcement has been made; and, two items under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel on a contractual matter and a zoning matter. Mr. Dawson moved to enter the Closed Session for the stated items. The motion was seconded by Mr. Penn and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Absent Council entered Closed Session at 5:32 p.m. Page 1 of 7/August 3, 2021 Mr. Reis joined the proceedings electronically during the Closed Session. 5. Certification of Closed Session Council returned from Closed Session at 6:54 p.m. Mayor Collins requested a motion that Council discussed only those five items for which it went into Closed Session: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 discussion of a personnel issue; two items under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 5 concerning prospective businesses where no previous announcement has been made; and, two items under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel on a contractual matter and a zoning matter. Mr. Dawson moved to certify the Closed Session. The motion was seconded by Mr. Penn and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Aye 6. Pledge of Allegiance Mr. Radcliffe led the Pledge of Allegiance. 7. Invocation Mr. Dawson gave the Invocation. 8. Modification of the Public Session Agenda None. 9. Guests and Visitors Mayor Collins welcomed those guests in attendance and those watching online. 10. Presentation a. Resolution Recognizing the Service of Stevens Funeral Home and the Stevens Family to the Town of Pulaski, Resolution 2021-38 Due to the absence of the Stevens family, the Council moved to the next agenda item. 11. Adaptive Reuse of Pulaski Middle School Mrs. Janet Jonas gave a presentation on the proposed adaptive reuse of Pulaski Middle School. Mrs. Jonas said the Pulaski County Economic Development Authority had been approached by a developer about reusing the Pulaski Middle School for high-end housing, which would not be Low Moderate Income housing. The Regional Housing Study indicated a need for housing in the County and the region. Market pressures on housing were noted before 2017 and have continued before and after COVID. The market pressure is due to a general lack of desirable and affordable housing and the rise of Page 2 of 7/August 3, 2021 demand due to an expanding economy. Potential businesses are being lost due to a lack of suitable housing. The study noted the aging of the existing housing stock and the need for more housing options in the County and in the Town. A decreasing supply and increasing demand continued to push prices higher. Pulaski Middle School was in fairly good shape which made it an ideal time to attract a developer. Mrs. Jonas briefed the Council on the return of the school to the Board of Supervisors; the available area of the structure (116,500 sq. ft.) and land (13 acres); and the proposed reuse of the property to include housing, retail, office space and community facilities. The proposed developer, Edwin Gaskin of Echelon Resources Inc., has done 20 adaptive reuse projects since 2005 with four school projects included. The typical project consisted of 5 to 30 units (one and two bedrooms) from 600 to 1200 sq. ft. of living area. Market rate rents tended to range from $1,000 to $1,600 per month. As far as what "market rate" meant, Mrs. Jonas reviewed for Council, the median rent for Pulaski ($657); the median household income for Pulaski ($65,800,) which has been increasing; the level of moderate income for the Town ($52,640 to $78,960) and the minimum household income to sustain $1,800 rent/ utilities/etc., which was $61,700. Mr. Radcliffe said that the middle school was in a beautiful location. However, he would not support any more low-income housing because with Volvo, Mack and Virginia Tech, the community was begging for housing. He felt this was what the Town needed, but the issue needed to be addressed quickly to prevent job losses. Mr. Dawson asked about the next step. Mrs. Jonas replied that it was to help the developer find funds for the initial phase. The developer was working to determine: the number of units; feasibility of units; layout, and historic tax credits. One issue was that the gymnasium and theater could not be modified or broken up into housing units. Efforts were underway to find funds for those studies. The County had developed a planning grant application for a county- wide housing study relating to buying blighted properties; rehabilitating those properties for sale; demolishing them for replacement by new units that would be sold; and, identifying general building trends in the County. Mrs. Jonas noted there were housing efforts underway in other parts of the County which included several housing types. There was new capacity coming into the market, but there was so much demand. The New River Housing Study noted that there was a lack of midrange housing. The families that might purchase a $200,000-$300,000 homes were buying homes in the $100,0004200,000 range, which presses lower range families who could afford those homes out of the market. She noted that one housing project in particular in the $200,000- $300,000 range was having prices forced up by materials cost, labor scarcity, labor costs and unforeseen additional work. She said that the middle school needed asbestos abatement and further work on its historic designation. The Project Team had requested a determination from the Brownfield Committee if brownfield funds could be used for abatement. Mrs. Burcham added that the Town had performed a Phase I & Phase II environmental assessment on the middle school and had made the data available to the group. A request was made to use the Town's brownfield funds for the historic designation component for the middle school as was done for Calfee School. Because Page 3 of 7/August 3, 2021 the Council had not had the opportunity to hear about the middle school, Mrs. Burcham asked Mrs. Jonas to brief Council on the project. Mr. Deal is a member of the group observing and participating in discussions on the middle school. Since it is a county project, any questions from constituents should be referred to the County for the details. Since Council appeared supportive of the project, the Town's brownfield consultants will proceed with the historic designation process. . Mrs. Jonas, speaking as a member of the Planning Commission, said that the developer had asked about a relaxation of the parking requirements. The Planning Commission had studied the issue for several months and would consider it at their next meeting. 12. Public Hearings a. Proposed Amendments to the Rental Inspection Program Mayor Collins asked for the staff report on the proposed amendments to the rental inspection program. Mrs. Burcham said that the changes to the rental inspection district were reviewed in detail at the last Council meeting. A new district would be added in addition to the consolidation of the three previous rental inspection districts, whose boundaries would be expanded to the north. Publication of the legal ad for the public hearing had already prompted some parties to contact the Town for an inspection. Within the next 30 days, letters would be issued to landlords and inspections would begin. The program was viewed as necessary to not only maintain an attractive community but to ensure safe and comfortable living conditions. Mr. Penn commented that once inspections started, there would be situations where housing would not meet minimum requirements. He asked what would happen then. Mrs. Burcham said the owners would be given a list of improvements that would have to be made. A certain period of time would be given to make the improvements. The landlord would make the choice as to whether or not to proceed with the improvements or ask the tenant to vacate, then possibly board up the structure. Unfortunately, that was one of the possible outcomes of this program, but thought there were sufficient units in the Town to allow tenants to move. Mrs. Burcham said she hoped that most of the landlords would comply. Each owner's letter is accompanied by a list of items that would be checked which gave advance notice of what would be inspected prior to the visit. The improvements sought were not cosmetic but were geared to safety issues. Mayor Collins opened the public hearing at 7:31 p.m. There being no comments, Mayor Collins closed the public hearing at 7:31 p.m. al. Consideration of Amending the Rental Inspection Districts of the Town of Pulaski - Ordinance 2021-22 Mayor Collins then asked if there was a motion from Council concerning Ordinance 2021-22 amending the rental inspection ordinance. Mr. Dawson moved to approve Ordinance 2021-22 as written. Mr. Penn seconded the motion which was approved on the following roll call vote: Page 4 of 7/August 3, 2021 Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Aye b. Appropriation of Grant Funds for the Calfee School Adaptive Reuse Project. Mayor Collins requested a staff report on the appropriation of grant funds for Calfee School Mrs. Burcham said the appropriation involved two sources of funding, the Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) grant of $1.58 million and an Appalachian Regional Commission Grant (ARC) of $500,000. A public hearing was required since the total appropriation exceeded 1 % of the operating budget. She asked that Council approve the resolution and emphasized that as with other grants, these funds would be kept in a separate account designated for Calfee School with all expenditures to be tracked against the revenue to ensure proper disbursement of the funds. Other grant applications for the school were pending with a September deadline to amass $2.5 million in funding for the project to actually begin. Mayor Collins opened the public hearing at 7:35 p.m. Mrs. Janet Jonas spoke regarding to Council saying that she had spoken to stakeholders in the Town and County regarding the ARPA funds. The majority of the conversations indicated many issues were tied to available childcare. She felt the timing of the program was fantastic and that she wholeheartedly supported it. Mrs. Jonas disclosed that she was a member of the grant management team for the Calfee School project. There being no further comments, Mayor Collins closed the public hearing at 7:37 p.m. b 1. Consideration of a Resolution Appropriating Grant Funds for the Ca/fee School Adaptive Reuse Project. Resolution 2021-39 Mayor Collins then asked for a motion regarding Resolution 2021-39. Mr. Clontz moved to approve Resolution 2021-39 as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Radcliffe and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Abstain 13. Resolution Authorizing an Application for Industrial Revitalization Funds, Resolution 2021-40 Mayor Collins asked for a staff report. Mrs. Burcham said that the Town had recently learned of the possibility of submitting an application to DCHD for Industrial Revitalization Funds, which Mr. Deal had spent the last week preparing. A developer was interested in establishing a brewery within the Town in a structure that would require a significant build out. The Town was given extra time on the submission so that Council would be able to adopt the resolution which would accompany the application. The process was competitive and an award was not guaranteed. If unsuccessful this time, the Town could submit again in the future. Page 5 of 7/August 3, 2021 Mayor Collins asked if there was a motion concerning Resolution 2021-40 Mr. Radcliffe moved to approve Resolution 2021-40 as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Penn and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Aye 14. Public Comment Period None. 15. Consent Agenda a. Consideration of the Minutes of the July 20, 2021 Council Work Session Mayor Collins then asked for consideration of the minutes of July 20, 2021. Mr. Dawson moved to adopt the July 20, 2021 Council work session minutes. Mr. Penn seconded the motion which was approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Aye Mr. Reis moved to table Resolution 2021-38. The motion was seconded by Mr. Dawson and approved on the following roll call vote: Lane R. Penn -Aye James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Absent Michael P. Reis -Aye 16. Council's Comments Mayor Collins asked for comments from the Council. Mr. Radcliffe felt there was a need to expedite the process for naming citizens to committees. Regarding the Grass Ordinance, Mr. Radcliffe proposed that the Town Manager accompany him to look at areas that he had referred to previously. He again stated his belief that the Town should mow areas between the sidewalk and the curb. Mr. Reis said that the discussion of rental inspection was making progress. He related that a hole in the roof of a structure he had noticed had been patched. He felt that the inspection program was a great program. Mayor Collins, referring to a copy of an ordinance, said that Christiansburg had eased their restrictions on food trucks. He hoped that the matter could be reviewed to make it easier for the vendors to be at events. In addition, he mentioned a request concerning a "speed bump" that had been removed from State Lane (alley). Page 6 of 7/August 3, 2021 17. Manager's Report Mrs. Burcham said that the Commerce Street Flea Market would resume operation on Saturday, August 7th from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. With no charge for vendors, the market would be open each Saturday until the end of October. The Town's responsibilities would be limited to making barricades available to cordon off Commerce Street. Mrs. Burcham mentioned the development of a recognition program for business of long standing in the Town for their contributions in sustaining the community. Staff would be working on developing this program. Some communities celebrated a Business Appreciation Month and other special activities to recognize both new and older businesses. She asked if Council had any information on businesses that should be recognized, to get those names to her for an invitation to a future Council meeting. Mrs. Burcham described the recent competition between Town employees to gather school supplies for the T.G. Howard Center. A competition had been suggested by the Human Resource Officer after staff learned that the Police Department was giving a cash donation to the Center in lieu of a National Night Out event. Employees were divided into three teams and competed against each other. Mrs. Burcham said she had never been so impressed with our employees who, in less than a week, had pulled together to provide supplies and cash for the T.G. Howard Center. She showed photographs of the donations made by the employees. On a visit to the distribution center, she learned from Guy Smith that 190 backpacks had been assembled, with nearly all of them taken by 4:30 p.m. Mrs. Burcham said she was proud to be the Town Manager of a group of employees who put their heart and soul into the effort. 18. Reminder of Future Council Meetings and Adjournment Mayor Collins reminded Council of the upcoming Council Work Session on August 17, 2021, with the Closed Session beginning at 5:00 p.m. and the Public Session beginning at 6:30 p.m. There being no further business, Mr. Penn moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded by various Council members and approved by unanimous voice vote at 7:54 p.m. Approved: rooks ft.Dawson Vice -Mayor ATTEST: 20, .�. Z5;-2, , David N. Quesenberry Clerk of Council 1 Page 7 of 7/August 3, 2021