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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-17-211 1 7 Minutes of the Pulaski Town Council Meeting held at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 17, 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. In attendance were: Vice -Mayor: Councilmen Present: Councilmen Absent: Administration: Staff: 1. Call to Order Brooks R. Dawson, presiding G. Tyler Clontz; Gregory C. East; Lane R. Penn; James A. Radcliffe; Michael P. Reis Shannon Collins, Mayor Darlene L. Burcham, Town Manager David Quesenberry, Clerk of Council Jordan Whitt, Social Media Manager Vice -Mayor Dawson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 2. Roll Call of Council Present for roll call were: Mr. Clontz; Mr. Dawson; Mr. Penn, Mr. Radcliffe. Absent from roll call was Mayor Collins and Mr. East. 3. Modifications to the Closed Session Agenda None. 4. Closed Session Vice -Mayor Dawson then asked for a motion to enter Closed Session for five items as follows: two items under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3, acquisition/disposition of publicly owned property; one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 5 concerning prospective businesses where no previous announcement has been made; one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation concerning a zoning violation; and, one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel on a specific legal matter requiring legal advice by such counsel. Mr. Penn moved to enter the Closed Session for the stated items. The motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz 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 Council entered Closed Session at 5:03 p.m. Mr. East entered the Closed Session at 5:07 p.m. Page 1 of 8/August 17, 2021 5. Certification of Closed Session Council returned from Closed Session at 6:28 p.m. Vice -Mayor Dawson requested a motion that Council discussed only three items for which it went into Closed Session: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 5 concerning prospective businesses where no previous announcement has been made; one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 7, consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation concerning a zoning violation; and, one item under Va. Code 2.2- 3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel on a specific legal matter requiring legal advice by such counsel. Mr. East 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 James A. Radcliffe -Aye Brooks R. Dawson -Aye G. Tyler Clontz -Aye Gregory C. East -Aye Michael P. Reis -Aye 6. Modification of the Public Session Agenda None. 7. Guests and Visitors Vice -Mayor Dawson welcomed those guests and visitors watching online. 8. Consent Aaenda a. Consideration of the Minutes of the August 3, 2021 Council Meeting Vice -Mayor Dawson then entertained a motion for the August 3, 2021 meeting minutes. Mr. East moved to adopt the August 3, 2021 Council meeting 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 -Aye Michael P. Reis -Aye 9. Public Hearings a. Public Hearing on Appropriation of Grant Funds for the James Hardie Direct Injection Project. Mrs. Burcham said these funds were the last piece of the funding needed to move forward with the Direct Injection Project. Other grants were received from the Economic Development Administration (EDA); Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC); and the Department of Housing and Community Development which left approximately $400,000 needed. Contact was established with James Hardie, who agreed to contribute $392,300 as shown in the accompanying appropriation resolution. With this additional funding, the Town would be able to go ahead with the design contract. Mr. Penn asked if the Town had gone out for bid. Mrs. Burcham replied the Town had not gone out to bid because of the necessity of going through the appropriation process. The engineering contract for design has been signed. The hope was it would be completed by the end of the year at which time the Town would go out to bid. 1 Page 2 of 8/August 17, 2021 Vice -Mayor Dawson opened the public hearing for the James Hardie Direct Injection Project at 7:38 p.m. and receiving no comments closed the public hearing at 7:38 p.m. a 1. Consideration of Resolution Appropriating Grant Funds for the James Hardie Direct Injection Project, Resolution 2021-41 Mr. Reis moved to approve Resolution 2021-41 as written. The motion was seconded by Mr. Clontz 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 -Aye Michael P. Reis -Aye 10. Update on the Comprehensive Plan/Soliciting Council's 5 -Year Development Goals - Brady Deal Mr. Brady Deal updated Council on the current work on the Town's Comprehensive Plan Update. Mrs. Burcham noted that this would be the "jumping off' point for Council to give staff their ideas about what they would like to see in the future in the Town and to incorporate those ideas in the Comprehensive Plan of the Town. Mr. Deal said that work had been in progress on the Comprehensive Plan Update for several months with the goal to complete the engagement phase of the process. The engagement phase involved data collection with the assistance of Ms. Aphi Fancon of the NRV Regional Commission. Mr. Deal then discussed the various means employed to gather data during the engagement phase. The first was a survey instrument which had received 273 responses and 289 responses to one or more engagement tools. The survey was still being "pushed" with one more social media announcement scheduled, as well as an insert in the water bill with the goal of receiving 400 responses by mid-September. Another tool being used was working group meetings involving seven residents who are representative of the Town's population. Two meetings had been held thus far to discuss key issues that each group felt the Town should consider during the update, especially with regard to key topics in the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, meetings were held with the Town Engineer to review the infrastructure needs including roadways and utilities. Also discussed were the inconsistencies between the Future Land Use Map and the Zoning Map and a "strike through edit" of the Zoning Regulations which were currently under review by the Planning Commission. The engagement phase is to be completed no later than September 15th. Concerning the inconsistencies between the Future Land Use and Zoning Maps, Mr. Reis asked if that was driving a Zoning Map update and how would that be applied if an industrial property owner wished to convert to commercial and the process for doing so. Mr. Deal responded that a property rezoning would require a process and that the Town could not arbitrarily rezone private property. Mrs. Burcham said the public process required notification of every property owner whether or not their property kept the same zoning or if it was planned for a rezoning. As properties became available for development and investors see that the proposed land use is different from the current zoning, that would help the Planning Commission in evaluating the rezoning request. The presence of a plan allows the Planning Commission reasons to Page 3 of 8/August 17, 2021 disapprove a rezoning if they realized that what was planned for the immediate future was not what was intended in the long term. Mr. Deal explained, using the Pulaski Furniture property as an example, that if that property was intended to be utilized for a commercial or residential use, it would need to be rezoned. If the property was rezoned, the current owner would not have to stop their current use but would maintain a non -conforming permitted use. Other communities such as Charlotte and Durham had created "subcommunities" from former industrial properties to allow residents to live, work and have recreational areas in a single location. He felt the Pulaski Furniture property might become a place for residence, businesses and recreational uses in the future as a "subcommunity". Mrs. Burcham said that looking at the present zoning was not the way to plan for the future, but instead to visualize how the location could be changed and what might desirable to place there. This was what the Comprehensive Plan process was about. State law required the Comprehensive Plan to be updated every five years. In doing the update, this would "open the eyes" of the community to ask what could be done differently, which in turn would become the vision of the future. Mr. Deal added that was why so much emphasis was placed on the engagement phase which was intended to get citizen's feedback, make sure their concerns were heard and to work in a direction that is aligned with their vision. Council's role was to give voice to the citizens and also cast visions that the community might not have thought of. The past might not be recaptured, but the future could be recast. Mr. Dawson mentioned recent developments concerning a property on Bob White Blvd. The investor tried to get the fewest restrictions to open up more possibilities. Many communities' development -side did not have an exclusive industrial, business or residential site. Downtown areas could be all three at some level. Given other communities emphasis on Pulaski's potential, efforts should be made to mesh the Comprehensive Plan and the zoning to keep "the door wide open". Mr. East said the Comprehensive Plan and the survey results really hit on redevelopment of existing structures and housing in general. He thought if the long-term focus was on redevelopment of vacant structures and growth for new housing, areas for such growth needed to be identified in the Comprehensive Plan. Other activities such as dining would arrive with the creation of more living opportunities, which in turn would generate more interest and activities. Mr. East saw the priorities, as indicated by the survey, as housing and redevelopment of existing buildings. Mr. Reis suggested that, given the lack of developmental land, there needed to be a conversation on density. Mixed developments were good at placing more housing in a given area. If the Council was serious about population growth, areas needed to be identified where multi -family or accessory units were allowed and make it as easy as possible to have them, possibly as a matter of right as opposed to a special exception. He felt people would be drawn to the Town by affordable and more expansive housing options that maximized the limited acreage that exists. Mr. Reis said his readings indicated to him that the Town had been "chunked" into areas that were not connected to each other. He wondered if there were ways of adding infrastructure (e.g. sidewalks) to encourage people to do more dining and shopping if they felt they could walk to it. There might be simple things (e.g. crosswalks) that could encourage neighborhood interaction. Page 4 of 8/August 17, 2021 Mrs. Burcham suggested changing one-way streets in the Downtown to two-way saying she had seen significant benefits to retail. One-way traffic on two Downtown streets limited how those areas could develop. She did not know how the community stood on the issue. Mr. Dawson and Mr. East both said the issue had been discussed numerous times. Mr. Dawson said that previous discussions found the idea as cost prohibitive. Mr. East felt that previous discussions took place at times when there was not the growth potential that there is now. Given positive developments in the Town, the issue had become worth reconsidering. The current traffic pattern was confusing and directed people away from Main Street. Mr. East felt it was time to discuss the issue again. Mr. Reis asked if people would benefit more from having a plan. After a short discussion on a recent plan submitted by a citizen, Mrs. Burcham felt that Council could consider road connectivity, but that in a few years there would be parking problems which needed to be considered now to ensure that the parking which existed would be maximized. Mr. East agreed saying that now is the best time to understand where we are going. Mrs. Burcham said that Mr. Deal was experiencing a lot of interest in the Downtown buildings for multiple uses. It was time to think ahead for the future success that was desired. Mr. Penn said that since Main Street would be torn up, now was the time to do it (e.g. two-way traffic). After a brief discussion on the lack of opposition to two-way traffic, Council felt that there should be movement in that direction along with studies of adjacent streets. Mrs. Burcham said that Main Street deliveries might experience problems which could be addressed by set delivery times. Mr. Dawson felt that more hotel space was needed to keep people engaged with events in the Town. Mrs. Burcham responded that a hotel study for the Town was being commissioned. Mr. Dawson also mentioned the possibility of a boundary adjustment and when it might be done. Mr. Radcliffe said that there used to be meetings between Council and the Department Heads. He thought it would be very beneficial and should be considered. Mr. Penn added that Mayor Wade used to have meetings in different locations of the Town. Mr. Dawson said, given the five-year span of time under discussion and in light of the Town's finances coupled with the realization that efforts might have to be redirected to different places, there may be a need to rethink where the Town was in relation, to larger projects (e.g. Public Safety Building, Administration Building). The redevelopment of Pulaski Middle School he felt was realistic for a five-year period. Mr. Reis suggested a broader approach to redevelopment by identifying older structures and using a zoning approach to decide whether it should be more commercial, more residential, etc. This in turn would assist with future issues such as traffic, parking, infrastructure and other such issues. Mr. Dawson noted the emphasis of the survey on parks and asked if parks were mentioned in a five-year plan. Mr. East felt they (parks) should be mentioned and suggested that Peak Creek should be highlighted since it offered areas at either end for recreation. He mentioned Mr. Reis' emphasis on connectivity within the Town for walking or bicycling. He suggested that a way be found to "connect the dots" and, given the presence of the trail extension, to find a way to loop it to make safer pedestrian and bicycle travel. Mr. Reis suggested thinking about a "round the Town" type of trail that would be suitable for pedestrians and bicyclists. Mr. Deal said many of Council's points involved accessibility which was a big thing for towns, especially post -pandemic. People were looking for accessible areas with ample amounts of Page 5 of 8/August 17, 2021 outdoor space, which the Town could capitalize on. Progress could be seen especially with regards to redevelopment of former schools. Adaptive reuse projects however, were very costly which made it a challenge for developers. Mr. East asked about the level of historic tax credits. Mrs. Burcham responded that the rate was 45% and legislation was proposed to raise that another 10%. Mr. Reis said a problem with the historic tax credits was historic guidelines could add layers of complexity and cost. Mr. East asked if it was feasible to have an expert in tax credits assist a developer to navigate them through the process. Mrs. Burcham mentioned there was a Dept. of Historic Resources office in Salem that could assist in identifying what the state would approve or disapprove. The work to actually receive the tax credits was done by attorneys specializing in tax credits. Mr. East suggested there might be something the Town could offer to help applicants navigate the process. One suggestion was to hold Town sponsored seminars for prospective applicants to talk with the experts. Mrs. Burcham said the Town had rendered assistance using brownfield funds for environmental assessments of the Calfee School property and was working with property owners who had the assessments done to allow a sign to be placed on their property noting its environmental status. Regarding the Comprehensive Plan, Mr. East asked if there was a way or was it desirable to capture some of the programs or "building blocks" to assist in navigating the process by identifying buildings. Mr. Burcham said there was a Brownfields Economic Development Committee that worked to identify potential candidates who were approached to have their property evaluated. Mentioning some of the grant funded projects the committee had participated in, Mrs. Burcham said the Town could tap resources to identify and evaluate properties. Mr. Deal emphasized the importance of developmental assistance through such activities as pre -development meetings where those staff involved in the building process all meet together with the developer to review and evaluate what is needed for the project. There had been very positive feedback received from several prospects who remarked they had been treated very well and received needed information from the Town staff in a timely manner. A short discussion then ensued concerning creating/maintaining institutional knowledge so that knowledge would not be "lost" when there were personnel changes. Mr. East remarked that the Town needed to be service oriented, which he felt had not been the case in the past. Mr. Deal then recapped the main goals proposed by Council which included: accessibility; development support; succession planning; and building redevelopment. He asked for Council's thoughts on infrastructure. Mr. Reis felt that needed projects were being done. Mr. Clontz suggested that there be a utilities plan to coordinate utility installation with any street or road repairs. This led to a brief discussion on installing underground electrical service in Town neighborhoods and the issues involved. Mrs. Burcham asked for Council's assistance in getting responses for the survey. 11. Council's Comments Mr. Clontz asked if there was a deadline for the GCC site to be capped and was the Town getting close to that deadline. Mrs. Burcham said the deadline was in September and that all the preliminary work was done. Forms were being prepared for the concrete work and weather Page 6 of 8/August 17, 2021 permitting, the concrete would be poured in the next two weeks. Using ARPA funding, the Town had hired a design firm to create a professional plan for the skatepark. The project may have to be developed in stages and possibly use next year's ARPA funds to actually do the improvements. The design firm was also to give their thoughts on a mountain bike park located at the Community Garden site. These two outdoor amenities would bring more people into Town. Mr. Radcliffe thanked the Town Manager and others for accompanying him on a trip to look at several areas of concern or interest in the Town and encouraged other councilmembers to do the same. Mentioning the two fires the previous evening, he thanked the Fire Department and the Police Department for their work during these incidents. On a final note, Mr. Radcliffe asked that the Town Manager prepare a letter to the County Administrator requesting a meeting in the near future, with the members of local governing bodies and local and regional law enforcement agencies, concerning creation of a modern, regional firing range. He suggested the best location of the facility would be at the Pulaski P.D. firing range. A modernized range would feature: movable targets that would eliminate walking on the range; a rifle range; and a building for tactical classroom settings. There would also be an opportunity for a public firing range for which there was great demand. Mr. Radcliffe felt the facility was needed because of the lack of facilities for training on terrorist acts, school shootings, etc. He offered to attend the meeting on behalf of the Town. Mr. East said he had sat in on a meeting with the Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC) and the New River Conservancy who were performing a full detailed study of Peak Creek. Mentioning a previous presentation outlining what could be done, he asked if the group could return to Council with suggestions for smaller, less costly actions that could be done to mitigate the flooding which should fall under infrastructure. Mrs. Burcham replied that there were a couple of items on the ARPA list that the Town would be doing. She added that the Army Corps of Engineers had offered the Town assistance. Using ARPA funds some of the measuring equipment suggested by FOPC would be purchased as well as W and stormwater studies performed. Mr. East suggested there could be some "actionable items" funded with next year's ARPA funds. He and Mr. Reis expressed concerns over wall deterioration and streambank erosion. Mr. East thought that at some point the Town would have to commit to do what could be done or at least start the process. Mrs. Burcham said that the Town had just been approved by the Army Corp to proceed to the next step of Corps assistance with larger projects. Vice -Mayor Dawson mentioned a past study on the conceptual redesign of Jackson Park to make better use of the open space in the Downtown for a wider scope of activities such as a "splash park" or a better venue for concerts. Mrs. Burcham said a "splash park" was under consideration by staff for next year's ARPA funds. She added she was unaware of the Jackson Park redesign. Mr. Reis said he had seen the study and described the renovations as "extensive". He also brought up the possibility of having restrooms in the park. Mrs. Burcham said the Town needed better more durable facilities given the vandalism of the restrooms at the Train Station. The issue has gained more importance with the flea market now on Saturday. She acknowledged there were challenges if a restroom facility was not monitored around the clock. Page 7 of 8/August 17, 2021 12. Manager's Report Mrs. Burcham expressed her appreciation to Council for their ideas about the future. 13. Reconvening of Closed Session Vice -Mayor Dawson asked for a motion to enter Closed Session for two items: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3, acquisition or disposition of publicly property and one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel concerning specific legal matters requiring legal advice from such counsel. The motion was made by Mr. Radcliffe seconded by Mr. East 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 -Aye Michael P. Reis -Aye Council entered the Closed Session at 8:00 p.m. Mr. Clontz returned from Closed Session at 8:15 p.m. Council returned from Closed Session at 8.25 p.m. Vice -Mayor Dawson asked for a certification motion that the Council only discussed those two items for which it went into Closed Session: one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3, acquisition or disposition of public property and one item under Va. Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 consultation with legal counsel concerning specific legal matters requiring legal advice from such counsel. Mr. Reis moved to certify the Closed Session. 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 -Aye Michael P. Reis -Aye 14. Reminder of Future Council Meetings and Adjournment Vice -Mayor Dawson reminded Council of the upcoming Council Meeting on September 7, 2021, and the Council Work Session on September 21, 2021. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Approved: rooks R. Da on Vice -Mayor ATTEST: David N. Quesenberry Clerk of Council Page 8 of 8/August 17, 2021