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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-17-23Town Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, January 17, 2023 1. Mayor called the Meeting to Order at 6:05 p.m. and asked for a roll call. Gregory C. East- Absent Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye 2. Mayor asked for a motion to go into Closed Session to discuss the following items: a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 (1 item)- Appointments to Boards and Committees b. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 (1 item)- Consideration of the acquisition/disposition of real property; 325 Maple Street, 124 Pierce Avenue, 126 Pierce Avenue The motion was made by Mr. Reis and seconded by Mr. Dawson Open Session Gregory C. East- Absent Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 7:00 p.m. 3. Certification of Closed Session- The Mayor asked for a motion to certify that only the following items were discussed: a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 (1 item)- Appointments to Boards and Committees b. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 (1 item)- Consideration of the Acquisition/ Disposition of Real Property; 325 Maple Street, 124 Pierce Avenue, and 126 Pierce Avenue The motion was made by Mr. Clark and seconded by Mr. Dawson. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 4. Mr. Dawson lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 5. Mr. East gave the invocation. 6. Guests and Visitors- The Mayor welcomed all in attendance and viewing online. 7. Modification to Public Session- No modifications were made. 8. Presentation Page 1 of 10/ January 17, 2023 a. Pulaski Area Transit- Monica Musick Ms. Musick reported that DRPT covered the $60,000 deficit with left over CARES money for the FY 2022 budget for Pulaski Area Transit with no local match required. Ms. Musick stated there was a ridership study completed and she did not see any a consistent pattern in the study but she plans to complete an additional study in the Spring. She reported her continued marketing efforts with PAT to help residents learn of the routes and rediscover transit. Ms. Musick reported the budget comparisons for FY 2023-2024 and that the budget cannot decrease unless services are cut. She asked council for a commitment of level funding for FY 2024 at $70,000. Mr. Reis asked if there was any update for the transit on -demand service. Ms. Musick stated that grant application cannot be submitted until February 1, 2023 and the on -demand service and technical assistant grant will be submitted by that date. Mr. Dawson asked if it's anticipated that there will be in a deficit in FY 2023. Ms. Musick stated she would have to keep a close on their spending and if any items can be at a lesser cost she would go that route to offset costs and a report of money spent each month is sent to DRPT for continued guidance on their budget. Mr. East asked what DRPT's role was and questioned what the response from DRPT was to low ridership. Ms. Musick stated she submits a monthly report and DRPT looks at transit operations. She stated ridership has decreased all across Virginia and DRPT helps to marketing to increase ridership. Mr. East stated his concerns with the rising budget and low ridership. Ms. Musick explained the grants would allow PAT to hire consultants for continued studies, most specifically if the on -demand service would be more beneficial. Ms. Burcham asked about the ridership differences post COVID as opposed to pre COVID. She encouraged Ms. Musick to speak with not only business owners but employees to see who is riding, times and locations of each stop, and if there are gaps where people are not riding. Mr. Clark asked if there is consistent communication with DRPT and if DRPT has done any study regarding competition for ridership, i.e. Uber or Lyft in this area. He encouraged Ms. Musick to look into studies regarding competitive services. Page 2 of 10/ January 17, 2023 The motion was made by Mr. Reis and seconded by Mr. Dawson to include $70,000 in the FY 2023-2024 budget for Pulaski Area Transit. Gregory C. East- Nay Jeremy L. Clark- Nay Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye b. Audit Presentation- Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates, Emily Viers Ms. Viers reported on the FY 2022 audit. She explained the three different audit reports; Independent Auditor's Report, Compliance and Other Matters (AKA Yellow Book opinion), and Compliance for Each Major Program. She reported that on the Independent Audit report it was clean with no unmodified items. The Yellow Book opinion reported one internal control deficiency with adjusting entries and one material compliance related matter that was disclosed related to the sole source procurement and change order requirements. The Compliance for Each Major Program was unmodified, no internal control deficiencies or material weakness and no material compliance related matters. She noted there has been a significant increase in the reserve fund balance. Mr. East thanked Ms. Burcham and the town staff for their control of expenses. Mr. Radcliffe thanked town staff and stated he felt like the town was headed in the right direction. Mr. Dawson asked what procurement item was over the threshold. Ms. Burcham stated there was emergency procurement for filters at the plant. The town failed to bring to the council for action that the change order exceeded 25%. Mr. Dawson recalled that the matter of filter replacements was discussed with council on several occasions. 9. Public Hearing a. Case Number 2022-12SE Special Exception request from SaVida Health; Ordinance 2023-01. Caroline Smith, Town Planner gave the staff report regarding the special exception request from SaVida Health for 1042 East Main Street. The special exception request is for hospital or health center, specifically as an alcohol, substance abuse, and drug treatment center. The center does not dispense or store medication on site, they are an outpatient medical and counseling practice. The center's organization has practices throughout five states including nine centers in Southwest Virginia. The Planning Commission voted unanimously for approval to Town Council. Page 3 of 10/ January 17, 2023 Mr. Radcliffe questioned the center's role in Wytheville. Ms. Smith stated Wytheville wasn't aware the practice was in town limits and there are no issues or problems with the practice. Mr. East asked what the center's overall goal was. Ms. Smith stated they focus on counseling services and medicated assisted treatment. The Mayor opened the public hearing. Silvia White with SaVida Health stated the center serves over 1,2000 clients in Southwest Virginia and the center is an outpatient, appointment -based facility. She stated the patient would see a medical provider along with a counselor. The facility does not keep medication or dispense medications on site, an electronic prescription is sent to the pharmacy. Mr. East asked how many patients does SaVida Health anticipate having in this facility and how often they are seen. Ms. White stated the number of patients seen weekly is based on the need in the area and patients are seen by a medical provider every eight to twelve weeks on a weekly basis and they progress to bi-weekly, tri -weekly, and monthly. One medical provider can see up to twenty-eight patients daily, and if there are additional patients more staff would be available. Mr. Radcliffe questioned how follow ups are completed with prescribed medications. Ms. White stated the patient is required to bring the medication, the medication is counted and discarded if not used, they compare lot numbers, the medical providers will do urine drug screens, and confirmation testing. Mr. Radcliffe asked where the patients are pulled from. Ms. White stated this facility will serve Pulaski County and medications are filled no more than twenty miles from the residence of the patient. Mr. Radcliffe stated his concerns regarding an increased transient population. Ms. White stated patients are not brought to the area, they are the residents of the area. The facility provides transportation services for patients, they do not allow loitering in the facility or in the parking lot, and they work closely with police. Mr. East asked what they consider a success. Page 4 of 10/ January 17, 2023 The Town Manager stated there was a question on Facebook Live regarding what the staff of the facility does to keep the patients in a positive environment. The counselor stated the patient is given resources by the care coordinator to ensure communication of needed resources. Mr. Clark asked if no medication is on site how is the injectable medication available and how is it disposed of. Ms. White stated the injectable is provided by the pharmacy the day of the appointment and it is disposed by a medical safe disposal company. A resident of the town stated Pulaski is overwhelmed with drug addiction and she loved the idea of their facility. Sunshine Cope asked how many drug treatment facilities are needed in a 2.6 -mile radius with the current Suboxone clinic and another prospective treatment facility. Page 5 of 10/ January 17, 2023 Ms. White stated she measures success in a number of ways, examples included someone getting their children back, going back to school, moving into their own home, doing better in their life and not going back to jail. Mr. East asked what is prescribed. Ms. White stated Suboxone is prescribed as it is easier to ween people off a street drug and the goal is to move to a monthly injectable of Sublocade or Vivitrol. Mr. East stated his concerns for what's in the best interest of the taxpayers and the community. Mr. Reis asked for a comparison of alcohol abuse patients and drug abuse patients. Ms. White stated 20% of the population is treated for alcohol abuse but that varies by location. A counselor with SaVida Health addressed council with her measures of success, as patients continually returning for help. She stated drug addiction is rampant in the area and these people are getting treatment and this is an improvement for the community. Mr. Radcliffe asked what the success rate was versus the fail rate. A counselor stated there is a ninety -day mark, where if a patient is consistently seeing a provider, seeing a counselor, and taking their medication for ninety days, there is a 91 % success rate. The Town Manager stated there was a question on Facebook Live regarding what the staff of the facility does to keep the patients in a positive environment. The counselor stated the patient is given resources by the care coordinator to ensure communication of needed resources. Mr. Clark asked if no medication is on site how is the injectable medication available and how is it disposed of. Ms. White stated the injectable is provided by the pharmacy the day of the appointment and it is disposed by a medical safe disposal company. A resident of the town stated Pulaski is overwhelmed with drug addiction and she loved the idea of their facility. Sunshine Cope asked how many drug treatment facilities are needed in a 2.6 -mile radius with the current Suboxone clinic and another prospective treatment facility. Page 5 of 10/ January 17, 2023 She raised her concerns for the cost to residents with the current increased transient population. Mr. East stated he agreed with Ms. Cope on the concern of increased transient population and the taxpayers of the town need to be considered when making this decision. The counselor with SaVida Health recapped that the people are not loitering in the area of the facility and she has seen these people become taxpaying citizens of the community and become productive and contributing members of the town. The Mayor closed the public hearing. The motion was made by Mr. Reis and seconded by Mr. Clark to approve the ordinance. Gregory C. East- Nay James A. Radcliffe- Nay Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Nay Michael P. Reis- Aye The motion failed 3-2. b. Resolution 2023-01 Re -appropriating Grant Funds The Town Manager reported this resolution is provided on the recommendation of the auditors to re -appropriate grant funds at the end of each fiscal year. The Mayor opened and closed the Public Hearing as there were no speakers. The motion was made by Mr. East and seconded by Mr. Radcliffe to approve the resolution. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 10. Resolution 2023-02 Adopting the Uniform Guidance Policy The Town Manager stated this is the standard uniform guidance policy recommended for each locality by the auditors to ensure funds are appropriately spent. The motion was made by Mr. Dawson and seconded by Mr. Radcliffe to approve the resolution. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye Page 6 of 10/ January 17, 2023 11. Resolution 2023-03 Adopting the Capital Assets Policy The Town Manager stated this is another recommendation from the auditors as to how capital assets are recorded. The motion was made by Mr. Radcliffe and seconded by Mr. East to approve the resolution. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 12. Resolution 2023-04 Transferring from Capital Reserve to New Project- Municipal Building The Town Manager stated these funds are already available in the capital budget to replace the side entrance doors of the Municipal Building. The motion was made by Mr. Dawson and seconded by Mr. Radcliffe to approve the resolution. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 13. Resolution 2023-05 Appropriating $50,000 VBAF Grant for the McCarthy Site The Town Manager stated the town has received a grant from the state office of environmental programs in the amount of $50,000 for remediation of the McCarthy site. The motion was made by Mr. Reis and seconded by Mr. Dawson to approve the resolution. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye 14. Resolution 2023-06 Replacement of Engine 6-1 The Town Manager stated the current engine could not be repaired, the model is no longer being built and there are no replacement parts. The estimated time for a replacement is two years and there is a need to order before a planned price increase happens. The motion was made by Mr resolution. Radcliffe and seconded by Mr. Clark to approve the Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Page 7 of 10/ January 17, 2023 Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye 15. Public Comment Period a. Nellie Hazel of Stuart Avenue questioned why garbage collection happens so late in the evenings. Mr. Reis stated GFL is still learning the routes of the Town and the town can reach out to GFL for clarification. Ms. Hazel questioned how much an additional trash can cost and if it is included in the water bill as it was previously. The Town Manager reported that additional trash cans are $11 a month and will be included on the water bill. b. Brenda Adams of Lottier Street questioned if the town is purchasing homes on Lottier Street. She stated she received a phone call asking if she was interested in having her home purchased. The Town Manager stated there is no effort by the town at this time to purchase homes and that she would receive a letter inquiring if she was interested in selling her home if that happened in the future. Ms. Adams asked if there was anything that could be done with the debris in the creek when it floods. The Town Manager stated she can call and talk about issues or come into the office and they can address her concerns. c. Tim Kidd of Fifth Street SE stated he appreciates the work being done to clean up the town along with the new equipment and the parks. He stated he appreciated the bulk pick up with the new trash service. He stated his concerns with the traffic stop at Randolph and West Main Street, saying the four-way stop is more dangerous as people speed on Randolph. He asks if Council could reconsider the four-way stop and enable the traffic signal. He also stated that Johnson Street is very badly cracked and there is a large hole where Russell Street meets Burch Street. 16. Consent Agenda- Consideration of December 20, 2022 minutes The motion was made by Mr. East and seconded by Mr. Clark to approve the minutes. Gregory C. East- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Michael P. Reis- Aye Page 8 of 10/ January 17, 2023 17. Council Comments Mr. Dawson asked if the Public Hearing period could have a time limit as the Public Comment period does. The Town Manager stated presenters are notified there is a twenty -minute limit but with questions and comments between council members and the presenters it is difficult to gauge the time but staff will remind presenters of the time limit. Mr. Dawson asked if the twenty minutes for the presentation could be done before the Mayor opens the public hearing and if there are speakers, give the speakers the three minutes to ask, the same as the Public Comment period to ensure everyone has the same time to address concerns. Mr. Radcliffe questioned when the sidewalks on Memorial Drive would be filled around the sides. He stated the need for a new fire department and new police station is real and he feels the town needs to make the move to start looking at properties to create new department spaces. Mr. Reis asked if the Engineering Department could do some form of speed reducing measures on Randolph to slow people down coming off Randolph Avenue. He stated the new trash collection started off a little rocky but he feels they are committed to serve the residents. The Mayor stated it was a good crowd that came to the meeting and thanked everyone for attending. He encouraged people to continue to come so council knows the concerns of its residents. He asks that people have patience with the changes and while Pulaski is changing we will get through it and change makes a difference. He stated the Main Street project is changing our town and it will come back to life. He thanked all the town staff including the councilmen for their support. 18. Manager's Report The Town Manager stated if she could change the timing of the new trash collection it would have been in February, as the end of the year there is always increased garbage with holidays, and vacations. She stated with the amount of messages and calls the Town has received that GFL has worked everyday to ensure the residents are properly serviced. She stated the community looks cleaner with the new containers and the absence of the trash bags on the ground. She also mentioned the regular bulk item pick up was one of the main reasons the Town went with GFL as bulk item pick up was not available with the previous collection service. She stated that home addresses will be matched up with the number on containers and while some residents are refusing containers, the code states each occupied residence must have a container and they will be billed for the container. Page 9 of 10/ January 17, 2023 She stated the town has a dedicated staff and thanked them for the long hours worked, particularly over the last two holiday weekends. She reported that meetings are scheduled for the public to come and review the Comprehensive Plan on January 23`d and 24th and also on January 31St at the train station. The Mayor asked if brush pickup will be available. The Town Manager reported that residents should call Public Works and it will be picked up when they are in the area. 19. Reminder of Future Council Meeting a. February 7, 2023, Closed Session 6:00 p.m.; Open Session 7:00 p.m. 20. There being no further business, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 9:35 p.m. A'EST_i A ivia C. Hale Clerk of Council TOWN OF PULASKI, VIRGINA W. Shannon Collins Mayor Page 10 of 10/ January 17, 2023