City Council Meeting   6/7/2021

Councilor Hill, would you read us out of closed session, please?

I move the city council members certify by record a vote that the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters, lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered in the closed meeting.

Second.

Councillor Payne.

Yes.

Councillor Snook.

Yes.

Recording stopped.

I now call the regular meeting to order.

Please join me for a moment of silence.

Ms.

Present.

Councillor Snook?

Was that a mistake?

I think Brian might be having some technical difficulties.

Okay.

Got you covered.

All right.

Next, is there a motion to approve the agenda?

So moved.

Second.

Councilor Payne?

Yes.

Councilor Snook?

Yes.

Counselors, are there any updates?

But welcome and thank you for being here.

And hopefully you all are seeing now the first slide.

We are.

So really trying to meet people where they're at to get them vaccinated.

All right.

Kenney.

It's at the very end of Old Ridge.

Ephatha.

I could never pronounce it.

Spell it for me and I'll have a look at the new paper.

Okay, I don't know, I have to say, I have to scarf.

It starts off EPH and then I think another P-H-A-T-H-A.

I'm happy to answer any questions that I have.

It said that it's maybe transmission may be higher but less lethal and that they think that the other the current vaccines will cover it but just wondering from your perspective how's what are you all doing to monitor that and then at a state level?

And I think it's a really great reason why we as a country should assist other countries in helping them get access.

Are you a part of those conversations or are those conversations just happening with physicians?

It certainly, you'd probably want to talk to your physician about appropriate vaccine, but I would recommend

And the conversations around a potential booster or maybe co-like flu, COVID vaccine, how will the health department, what is the plan just to update the public once that information is known?

So there's no plan for that.

Your volume keeps going in and out.

I have a dodgy internet connection here.

Are you all, and just what's the strategy to get people in for the second shot if they haven't been back yet?

So we do active outreach.

And did you get good returns on

So if it's because they can't get to it, we can do a dose on the go to make sure they get that second shot.

And is the scientific, I guess, literature on whether one shot is still effective, pretty effective, are you still feeling confident about that one shot is still helping people stay safer?

I think that's going to provide you with the highest level of protection.

I just know that we were having some challenges there, so just wanted to follow up there.

Yep.

I'm fine.

And so you will see us work with all of our pediatric partners to get those vaccinated.

I have three kids in that category.

13 year old goes Thursday for their second.

So thank you for your time and all the information you've provided into your teams done throughout this whole process.

Have a good evening.

All right, so next we have the consent agenda.

Thomas, would you read it, please?

Tina, if you're talking, we can't hear you.

First of two readings.

Mr. Willow, would you check, please, to see if there's anyone from the public who would like to speak on an item on the consent agenda?

And I don't see any hands raised.

Now say when we get to that one.

We adopt the consent agenda with item seven removed.

Thomas.

Mayor Walker?

Councilor Payne?

Yes.

Councilor Snook?

Yes.

Is there a motion for Item 7?

I move that we adopt Item 7, amending the Community Development Block Grant Fiscal Year 21-22 Budget.

I second.

Just my quick comment is I mean I look forward to being able to vote on this in the future and I agree with all of the recommended but I've just been consistent with budget item A and so hopefully when our performance and management staff member is here that's an item that I can feel better about in the future.

Mayor Walker?

No.

Councilor Payne?

Yes.

Councilor Snook?

Yes.

That carries four to one.

Mr. Boyce?

Mayor and Council, that's all I have to report tonight.

Or are you like, just where are we with that?

So we do plan to continue that even after we're fully open.

Counselors, any other questions or comments?

And it widens our pool for, I mean, especially for women who tend to stay home with young children, this is a good way forward.

All right.

I'll turn it over to Mr. Willough.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

You might have to speak up a little bit, but go ahead.

We can hear you.

Shake your head if you can hear.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

I'm assuming you all can hear me.

We can.

And let us dispossess Lee into parts melted and forged through collective imagination and solidarity into new forms of our making in our landscape.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Can you hear me?

We can.

Thanks.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Can you all hear me?

We can.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Can you hear me?

We can.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

We should be building monuments.

Can anyone hear him?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next up is Zy Bryant who will be followed by Scott.

You're muted, Brian.

That one is supposed to be muted.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And you'll have to unmute your microphone.

Can you hear me now?

Now we can hear you.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

There you go.

Thank you.

There you go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

I thank you all for your time and thank you for all the wonderful work that you all do.

Thank you.

Natalie, you're on with counsel and you've got three minutes.

Thank you for letting me speak.

Thank you.

Walt, you're on with council and you've got three minutes.

it's very it's treated very superficially and yet it's a significant problem especially for the people who are forced by economic situations to engage in such activity I mean we all know that the economic superstructure really frames individual act activity and action so it's time for us to get to the bottom of that and I hope that you'll take that seriously thank you thank you

We do have one additional hand raised.

All right so yeah I have some comments but I'll reserve them until the hearing you know public hearing so all right so we'll take a break until 8 25 our 15 minutes and then we will come back for our first public hearing

Thank you

All right, it's stuck on the floor.

This is the first of two readings and there will be a public hearing after the presentation.

the volumetric rate that you're charged based on your usage and then the monthly service charge that recoups some of our fixed costs associated with providing utilities then the other reminder is that due to COVID the utility rates remain unchanged last year and thus have not been adjusted for two years and so with that I'm going to turn it over to Ms.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Chris to go over the financial aspects.

Thank you.

All right, Mr. Willow, we can open up the public hearing.

There are no hands raised, Mayor Walker.

I think as I said during the meeting I'm sure you heard from other counselors just thank you I always appreciate this report is always thorough you know and all of the questions are answered so appreciate appreciate that and so the public hearing is closed and no questions from counselors so this is just going to move to the next council meeting on the consent agenda.

thank you Lauren and Chris thank you thank you thank you all right the um next is um will be a public hearing also for approving removal relocation contextualization or covering of statues of the um Confederate General Lee and Jackson currently located within city parks this is one um reading Mayor Walker

So if we could just check back and make sure we didn't miss anybody.

Okay, let's do that.

Sorry about that.

And could somebody make sure that Chris and Lauren, if we have any questions, that they can jump back on?

Brad Slocum, you're on the City Council, and you've got three minutes.

Can you hear me all right?

We can.

I've got them in my office.

Thank you.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

I mean like how we could be getting more money from it for example from Dominion to help people pay off stuff I just want to remind folks that not all of us are being able to pay our bills right now that the pandemic really really put a lot of us in a big hole and so I just want to vocalize that that the City Council as well like making sure that we're putting out information to help folks pay off their stuff or doing the efforts to make sure that some of that could be subsidized especially with current conditions so I just want to throw that out there

There was also, Chris, if you wanted to talk about the state grant.

And so when those funds are available, we obviously make sure that we apply for them or if it's through one of our nonprofit partners to make sure that they're aware of it and they get in the line as well.

And there are no other hands raised, Mayor Walker.

All right, so now we will close the public hearing.

So even if you're on a scheduled payment plan, please make sure you check your utility bills because a lot of information often comes in those.

And so I would anticipate a very proactive outreach effort when those funds become available to make folks aware of those and to ensure that they are applying correctly for the maximum amount they might be eligible for.

And that's one reading and we'll turn it over to Mr. Boyles.

Am I on?

Yes.

And we're here to answer any questions that we may be able.

Okay, okay.

And so your guidance is that those people would not be able to speak again?

Yes, unless they had comments at the end of the meeting.

Kat, you're on with City Council, and you've got three minutes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Andrew, you're on with council and you've got three minutes.

and I just thank you and let's do this.

You've got three minutes.

what we do next and how we do it is an important part of that story it has always been the right decision to remove these statues it's time to take them down now and to really take them down not just let someone else put them up somewhere else to keep on representing what they represent but in a different location thank you so much for your time thank you

You've got three minutes.

It is making space for a real accounting of our past by correcting a lie.

Thank you Thank you

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Can you hear me?

We can.

I feel like one of the most important things my southern mother taught me was to always try to put myself in other people's shoes and I'm thinking tonight about other communities that don't need those Confederate statues any more than we do I believe Charlottesville will be better off without those statues and I hope I can trust City Council not to send the statues to another place where they can cause more harm thank you thank you

You've got three minutes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you for your time.

Callie, are you ready to speak now?

Thank you for your patience.

Go ahead.

let Charlottesville be a way shower a leader at the front of this long overdue wave of change it takes courage to do what is right and I believe you the city council have that courage thank you for standing strong for the sake of our whole community thank you

You've got three minutes.

the folks who are still suffering from those those events and of course the history and centuries of trauma I know that what I've experienced is a fraction of what the community here has and and elsewhere and we need to take every step every chance we have to ameliorate that and move forward so please take them down melt them down get rid of them thank you thank you

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

And that when we transition, hopefully soon, away from COVID times and maybe move away from Zoom, that you still work to make sure that these accessible features are still a regular part of City Council meetings.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

In the words of the inimitable Spike Lee, do the right thing, Charlottesville City Council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Let's get these statues out of the way and good luck.

Thank you.

You've got three minutes.

Can you all hear me okay?

We can.

This is about how you don't give black leadership.

And Tanisha, your mute is on.