City Council Meeting (Regular meeting 6:30 PM)   5/4/2020

1. FY20-21 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:00:06
    Before we get started, I guess I'll read us out.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:00:12
    Sounds good to me.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:00:15
    Brian, you let me know when.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:00:17
    We are ready to go.
  • 00:00:18
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:00:20
    All right I move that this council certify by recorded vote that to the best of each council 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 session were heard discussed or considered in the closed session.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:00:36
    I second.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:00:41
    Aye.
  • 00:00:41
    Aye.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:00:44
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:01:17
    Nikuyah, you're on mute.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:01:18
    I just unmuted you.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:01:19
    Oh, okay, sorry.
  • 00:01:20
    He just fixed it.
  • 00:01:21
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:01:23
    Is that better?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:01:24
    Yep, we can hear you now.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:01:26
    Sorry about that.
  • 00:01:27
    So I called this meeting to order.
  • 00:01:30
    Ms.
  • 00:01:30
    Thomas, roll call, please.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:01:36
    Okay, we finished the vacation for the closed meeting.
  • 00:01:41
    I didn't hear the end of the three votes.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:01:46
    Are you voted on that?
  • 00:01:47
    Did you vote aye for the closed session?
  • 00:01:50
    Me?
  • 00:01:50
    Yeah.
  • 00:01:51
    Yes.
  • 00:01:52
    I think your mute was on.
  • 00:01:53
    You didn't realize that, yeah.
  • 00:01:54
    Oh, yes.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:01:57
    Okay.
  • 00:01:59
    Mr. Payne.
  • 00:02:04
    Roll call.
  • 00:02:05
    Mr. Payne.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:02:08
    Present.
  • 00:02:10
    Mr. Snook.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:02:11
    Aye.
  • 00:02:11
    Here.
  • 00:02:12
    Ms.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:02:13
    Walker.
  • 00:02:15
    Present.
  • 00:02:16
    Hill.
  • 00:02:16
    Present.
  • 00:02:18
    Ms.
  • 00:02:18
    Hill.
  • 00:02:19
    Here.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:02:29
    Is there a motion to approve the agenda?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:02:34
    I'll move to approve the agenda.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:02:36
    Is there a second?
  • 00:02:39
    Second.
  • 00:02:45
    All right.
  • 00:02:47
    And Ms.
  • 00:02:47
    Thomas, could you just do the roll for this?
  • 00:02:50
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:02:52
    Here.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:02:53
    Say aye if you agree with the motion.
  • 00:02:56
    To approve the agenda.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:03:04
    She just wants you to say aye.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:03:06
    Aye.
  • 00:03:06
    Mr. Suck?
• • 00:03:08
    Aye.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:03:09
    Ms.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:03:10
    Walker?
  • 00:03:11
    Yes.
  • 00:03:12
    Ms.
  • 00:03:12
    McGill?
  • 00:03:14
    Aye.
  • 00:03:14
    Ms.
  • 00:03:14
    Hill?
  • 00:03:15
    Aye.
  • 00:03:16
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:03:21
    Are there any recognitions?
  • 00:03:27
    We don't have any proclamations.
  • 00:03:32
    No, any announcements?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:03:43
    No announcements?
  • 00:03:45
    You could just tell the public about our work session on Wednesday, that we're having a budget work session.
  • 00:03:51
    Is it from four to seven?
  • 00:03:52
    Same kind of format as this.
  • 00:03:57
    Can you tell them?
  • 00:03:59
    That's all I wanted to say.
  • 00:04:00
    Just let everyone know.
  • 00:04:01
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:04:02
    Yes, there is a budget session on Wednesday.
  • 00:04:06
    And it's sort of the community sessions that we have had.
  • 00:04:12
    over the years where we just come and you just come and we listen to feedback.
  • 00:04:21
    That's what this budget, that budget meeting is supposed to do, that work session is supposed to do just for us to factor in community feedback.
  • 00:04:34
    The only other announcement I'll make is that there was a successful testing event at Crescent Halls on Friday.
  • 00:04:41
    A lot of community partners came together and worked with Jackie Bryant of Sentara and Dr. Richardson, Janetta Richardson from UVA.
  • 00:04:59
    even though she was working in this capacity as her FAR advisory board member, they really took the lead on it.
  • 00:05:07
    And then there were a lot of, from the Food Justice Network, FAR, CRHA, former counselor, Wes Bellamy, and I worked on it.
  • 00:05:23
    It was just, it was a lot of people, Dr. Bonds from the health department,
  • 00:05:28
    Our Dr. Richardson participated in a lot of the phone calls just to get the wraparound, you know, services in place.
  • 00:05:36
    Khaki Demick from Human Services.
  • 00:05:39
    Just so a lot of people came together to work on this testing initiative and then to give, you know, if the tests come back positive,
  • 00:05:53
    to make sure that people can quarantine in place comfortable.
  • 00:05:58
    So we definitely appreciate all the hard work that was put into that over the past two weeks.
  • 00:06:08
    All right.
  • 00:06:08
    Any other announcements?
  • 00:06:12
    All right.
  • 00:06:13
    Ms.
  • 00:06:13
    Thomas, could you read the consent agenda, please?
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 00:06:18
    and agenda A, minutes, April 20th, regular meeting, April 28th, work session.
  • 00:06:24
    B, appropriation, domestic violence services coordinator grant, $49,336, second reading.
  • 00:06:32
    C, appropriation, Charlottesville area transit, supplemental appropriation of FY 2020 transit grants, $21,666, second reading.
  • 00:06:46
    E, appropriation,
  • 00:06:48
    Appropriations of CARES Act Relief Fund payment for the Fire Department, $58,201.02, first of two readings.
  • 00:06:56
    E, resolution, approving retroactive funding for administration of the Charlottesville Supplemental Rental Assistance Program, $79,255.94, one reading.
  • 00:07:10
    F, coordinates, relief program application deadline extension pursuant to city code section 25-59.
  • 00:07:18
    One Reading, requiring for its vote.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:07:24
    Okay.
  • 00:07:27
    Is there, Mr. Wheeler, is there anyone who would like to speak on an item on the consent agenda?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:07:35
    If you're joining us via the webinar and you'd like to make a comment, just raise your hand.
  • 00:07:41
    You can click that icon at the bottom of the Zoom application.
  • 00:07:49
    Mayor Walker, I do not see anyone raising their hand.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:07:51
    All right.
  • 00:07:55
    All right.
  • 00:07:55
    Any further questions from council?
  • 00:07:57
    Nope.
  • 00:07:59
    All right.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:08:00
    Is there a motion?
  • 00:08:01
    I move that we adopt the consent agenda as presented.
  • 00:08:05
    I second.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:08:10
    All right.
  • 00:08:11
    All in favor?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:08:13
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:08:13
    Mr. Payne?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:08:14
    Aye.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:08:16
    Mr. Stokes?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 00:08:17
    Aye.
  • 00:08:17
    Ms.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 00:08:18
    Walker?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:08:23
    Aye Mattel Aye And just before I go on, someone texted me that I said Jackie Bryant, which I did not mean to say Jackie Martin.
  • 00:08:37
    So I apologize, Ms.
  • 00:08:39
    Martin, but it's Jackie Martin from Cincinnati.
  • 00:08:47
    So my apologies for that.
  • 00:08:53
    All right, next up we have Dr. Richardson's response to the community matters from the previous meeting.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 00:09:02
    Thank you, Madam Mayor and members of the Council of the public.
  • 00:09:04
    We did have two responses from our last meeting and ones from Ms.
  • 00:09:10
    Nancy Carpenter who made comments about housing initiatives to help the homeless.
  • 00:09:18
    And
  • 00:09:19
    My response is that CACademic will continue to provide us with updates as it relates to any CARES Act, FEMA or HUD funding that may become available to help us in this effort to provide housing for the homeless.
  • 00:09:36
    Then we'll also, you know, with the other funding that we have in the budget to continue with this effort.
  • 00:09:42
    And then Ms.
  • 00:09:43
    Tanisha Hudson,
  • 00:09:48
    as questions pertaining to the extension of housing vouchers.
  • 00:09:51
    Brenda Kelly and I had a phone conversation with Ms.
  • 00:09:55
    Hudson about the voucher program.
  • 00:09:57
    This program is managed by housing authority and council has provided funding and the funding has been extended.
  • 00:10:08
    We will further discuss the voucher program with CRHA on Friday at our regularly scheduled meetings.
  • 00:10:16
    And that's all I have for tonight, Madam Mayor.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:10:22
    All right.
  • 00:10:23
    Thank you.
  • 00:10:26
    Next up, we have Community Matters.
  • 00:10:30
    So Mr. Willard, you want to just let us know who's raising their hand and invite them on?
  • 00:10:37
    We didn't have anyone.
  • 00:10:40
    signed up again this week.
  • 00:10:42
    And just note that that option is still available.
  • 00:10:47
    But we'll just take if there are community members who want to participate.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:10:58
    We currently have 19 members of the public on the webinar.
  • 00:11:02
    Two have raised their hand.
  • 00:11:04
    If you'd like to raise your hand, just click on the Raise Your Hand icon in the Zoom webinar.
  • 00:11:09
    and we'll bring you into the conversation in the order in which you raised your hand.
  • 00:11:14
    Mayor Walker, the first person is Tanisha Hudson.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:11:17
    All right, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:11:20
    Tanisha, you're on the city council.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:11:23
    Hello, good evening everyone.
  • 00:11:25
    Can y'all hear me okay?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 00:11:26
    Yes, ma'am.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 00:11:29
    I just want to say thank you to Ms.
  • 00:11:30
    Brenda Kelly for talking with me today.
  • 00:11:35
    This has been something I have brought to council more than once in reference to these vouchers because a lot of the community members that I know have been asking questions about these vouchers.
  • 00:11:47
    And I know one young lady specifically, I won't give her name, that actually lost her place and she tried to contact several people about this issue and nothing was done.
  • 00:11:58
    So thank you guys so much for looking into that.
  • 00:12:02
    I greatly appreciate it.
  • 00:12:03
    Dr. Richardson and Ms.
  • 00:12:05
    Brenda Kelly, thank you all.
  • 00:12:08
    And to the members of council, thank you for what you're doing.
  • 00:12:11
    Stay safe.
  • 00:12:12
    Hopefully we can get some additional vouchers added in with this current crisis or pandemic.
  • 00:12:19
    There is funding out there for us to do that.
  • 00:12:21
    So I hope we can do that.
  • 00:12:23
    Thanks again.
  • 00:12:23
    Have a good one, y'all.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:12:29
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:12:32
    Mayor Walker, the next participant is Brandon Collins.
  • 00:12:36
    Brandon, you're on with City Council.
  • 00:12:37
    Go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_23
  • 00:12:39
    Good evening, everybody.
  • 00:12:42
    Good to see y'all.
  • 00:12:44
    I am hoping to build on comments I made two weeks ago regarding the need for a coordinated response to housing during this pandemic.
  • 00:12:58
    Housing providers in Charlottesville and Albemarle are really taking
  • 00:13:03
    the greatest steps they can to provide housing for folks.
  • 00:13:08
    And they want to help.
  • 00:13:09
    They're smart people.
  • 00:13:11
    They have resources.
  • 00:13:12
    And I think coupled with city government, a lot more can be done.
  • 00:13:17
    And I think there's a lot of great ideas out there.
  • 00:13:20
    And it's just not being coordinated.
  • 00:13:24
    And I think we really need that informed and coordinated approach to dealing with housing during this
  • 00:13:31
    crisis and with an eye towards the medium term of how we deal with recovery.
  • 00:13:40
    My biggest fear is something like CDBG funds, different providers are going to be fighting over the same pot of money when it would be so much easier to get everybody in a room and come up
  • 00:13:53
    with a list of the resources that are out there, the needs that are there, what people can do, what people want to do, and what they need to succeed, and really have a coordinated approach to how we're going to deal with that.
  • 00:14:07
    It's unclear if the CDBG task force is involved in CDBG decision making.
  • 00:14:15
    You know there is FEMA money through the state that's going to come in that has some opportunities and I think it's just you've got a lot of smart people out here that have been working on housing for many years some of them are directly providing housing for people and there's existing infrastructure and I think best practices say use that existing infrastructure
  • 00:14:38
    Adapt it and expand it when you can.
  • 00:14:41
    We know that there's billions of dollars being proposed through Congress, some of it likely to pass and get to localities, and I think you really need a housing response team for Charlottesville.
  • 00:14:57
    For May, we'll know soon how bad it is.
  • 00:15:00
    June is going to be awful.
  • 00:15:02
    We all have a deep concern about an eviction crisis when we start to come out of this crisis.
  • 00:15:10
    Legal Aid and others are taking steps to make sure that it's not too awful, but we really need the support of government.
  • 00:15:17
    We need the resources of government.
  • 00:15:19
    We need your expertise, but you all also need the expertise of providers and advocates to come up with the best plan possible.
  • 00:15:27
    And I really, really think that the hack is one mechanism you can use to move that forward and convene a response team to deal with these housing issues.
  • 00:15:39
    I think I'm gonna leave it at that.
  • 00:15:41
    I think y'all are doing generally a pretty good job, but I think there seems to be a big blind spot and black hole when it comes to housing right now with City of Charlottesville.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:15:57
    Great, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:15:59
    Mayor Walker, next to speak is Chris Meyer.
  • 00:16:04
    Chris, you're live with City Council.
  • 00:16:05
    Go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_03
  • 00:16:13
    Good evening.
  • 00:16:14
    Chris Meyer, 124 Oklahoma Court, Miss Price Springs Neighborhood.
  • 00:16:18
    Madam Mayor, Councillors, and Dr. Richardson, I want to voice my concern for the hundreds of UVA staff of both the University and the health system that have been recently laid off or furloughed.
  • 00:16:29
    I do not doubt that the University and its health system are facing extraordinary economic challenges because of their response to COVID-19.
  • 00:16:38
    The amount of sacrifice the mostly already low-income employees will be making will be great to their current and future economic picture.
  • 00:16:46
    At the same time, the UVA leadership in both the health system and the university have touted cuts to their own salaries.
  • 00:16:54
    When examining these touted salary reductions, though, the numbers pencil out to still making $550,000 a year for the health system CEO and $800,000 a year plus for the university's president, for example.
  • 00:17:11
    and $45,000 and $58,000 in this month alone, respectively, for each of them.
  • 00:17:18
    There are dozens of UVA administrators and executives who are not on the front line in the hospital, continuing to earn salaries north of $150,000 plus, even after making their sacrifice.
  • 00:17:33
    I wouldn't expect salary cuts from the executive administrators to fully cover the loss revenue the systems face.
  • 00:17:39
    However, real sacrifice would put hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, into the bank accounts of the city's low-income residents, which would be equivalent to survival money for them.
  • 00:17:52
    If you have not already spoken with UVA's leadership about the recent furloughs and layoffs, I do hope you will do so soon on behalf of those who have been furloughed or laid off.
  • 00:18:02
    Going without a salary is a very typical response by an organization's leadership while your staff is furloughed during COVID-19.
  • 00:18:09
    I would hope to see such action taken by UVA's leadership and hope you might be able to make that happen in order to minimize the impact on your constituents.
  • 00:18:17
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:18:18
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:18:27
    Mayor Walker, the next to speak is Nancy Carpenter,
  • 00:18:31
    Nancy, you're live with city council, go ahead.
  • 00:18:45
    Nancy, if you unmute your microphone.
  • 00:18:52
    Try one more time.
• • SPEAKER_22
  • 00:18:57
    Okay, there we go.
  • 00:18:58
    That was hidden behind a little taskbar.
  • 00:19:00
    Sorry about that.
  • 00:19:01
    Thank you for this evening's opportunity to address you all.
  • 00:19:04
    Dr. Richardson, I thank you for the response to my comment the other week.
  • 00:19:09
    I really appreciate the additional information.
  • 00:19:12
    and I certainly support what Ms.
  • 00:19:14
    Hudson, Mr. Collins and Mr. Meyer said prior to my comment.
  • 00:19:18
    I'm gonna kind of come down to a more micro level.
  • 00:19:23
    First time I've used the .gov website, it's kind of like, it's kicky.
  • 00:19:28
    I kind of like it the way it looks.
  • 00:19:30
    It's pretty cool, but I did have a problem in really finding the
  • 00:19:35
    the agenda and some of the other little things that I used to look at prior to the council meeting, like an immediate link on that first page to go to the speaker's form that you need to utilize.
  • 00:19:52
    Now, just hoping that maybe Mr. Wheeler or somebody with him could look at the communications part of that visual first page and maybe temporarily put some, you know,
  • 00:20:04
    right there links that can get you to where you need to go as we manipulate and maneuver around the new website.
  • 00:20:15
    It's going to be fine, but I just found it a little clunky at first and maybe it's just me, but I think that
  • 00:20:23
    you know that would be lovely to have that to make it easier for folks to see what's coming up see what's how to get on to the public speakers list and the last thing is that I do agree with Mr. Collins about a strategic use of resources through the recovery period I mean
  • 00:20:43
    May has started out to be a little bit scary for a lot of people, more so than April.
  • 00:20:50
    And I know that there'll be a lot of choices everyone will have to make in the next few weeks between now and July 1st and even beyond July 1st.
  • 00:20:59
    So I appreciate you all being up there and willing to take on this really, really hard work that we all have to work together in our community to do.
  • 00:21:09
    So thank you for my time.
  • 00:21:10
    Appreciate it.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:21:13
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:21:17
    Mayor Walker, next to speak is Jay James.
  • 00:21:21
    Jay, you're live with City Council.
  • 00:21:22
    Go ahead.
  • 00:21:25
    You will have to unmute your microphone.
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 00:21:28
    All right.
  • 00:21:29
    Can you all hear me?
  • 00:21:30
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 00:21:31
    Yeah.
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 00:21:31
    All right.
  • 00:21:32
    First of all, this is Jay James.
  • 00:21:33
    I live at 169 Brookwood Drive in the city.
  • 00:21:36
    I'm just so grateful for the opportunity.
  • 00:21:39
    I know that all of you have so much responsibility right now given this crisis.
  • 00:21:44
    And just thankful for the chance to talk with you.
  • 00:21:48
    I'm the assistant director, as some of you may know, of a substance abuse and reentry program for nonviolent offenders coming out of our jail called the Bridge Ministry.
  • 00:21:56
    We've been around over 25 years.
  • 00:21:59
    I'm really just reaching out to talk with all of you tonight because I want to, not just talking about changing lives, but talk about the financial benefit to the city to help these individuals, especially in this crisis when we need to be so cognizant of what's going on with the budget.
  • 00:22:15
    Yeah I've shared this with you before but in our program you know over the last three years we've been able to save the city over a million dollars of monies that would have been spent to incarcerate and what we've done is we've taken 40 beds at our 17.3 acre facility and in this COVID-19 stage that we are we have this ability where we can quarantine and we can keep people in a place
  • 00:22:41
    where they can receive addiction treatment and also vocational skills while coming out of the jail especially to come out of the jail given the crisis of our concerns over COVID-19 but we've reserved these 40 beds and if you just take 20 individuals in our program
  • 00:22:57
    and you don't do anything else.
  • 00:22:58
    You don't offer them any of the services that we do.
  • 00:23:00
    To incarcerate them, it would cost over half a million dollars.
  • 00:23:04
    Our funding request is $240,000.
  • 00:23:07
    But then we of course give them the ability of vocational training, addiction recovery treatment, and they come out of the program with a guaranteed job of $16 to $20 an hour.
  • 00:23:19
    And they become productive citizens.
  • 00:23:21
    So they're now tax paying citizens.
  • 00:23:23
    So what was a tax burden before to incarcerate them
  • 00:23:27
    when they come into our program, they are now able to be leading their family, paying their taxes, productive citizens with a guaranteed job.
  • 00:23:35
    And because of that, we have an 86% success rate.
  • 00:23:38
    So that means there's an 86% chance they won't be coming back to the ACRJ.
  • 00:23:43
    Whereas if we continue to incarcerate them, we have seen with nonviolent offenders who are in addiction, they can be in a five to 15 year cycle where they're coming back over and over again.
  • 00:23:52
    So we're spending $35,000 annually over and over again.
  • 00:23:57
    just to do the same thing, where they can come into our program one time, especially with this unique opportunity because of the virus.
  • 00:24:04
    We're the only program that tests people for COVID-19 before they come into our facility.
  • 00:24:09
    We know that there are more asymptomatic cases, which is a great concern to the safety of our folks.
  • 00:24:15
    Lastly, before I leave you guys, and I know our time is short, we know these programs work because our director experienced it.
  • 00:24:21
    He was dealing with circumstances shot at the age of 14 by his father.
  • 00:24:25
    He's in the system, went to a program similar to ours, got out of low income housing, bought his own home, put his kids through college.
  • 00:24:33
    They went to West Point, Florida State, Liberty University.
  • 00:24:37
    And he's just trying to do with us for others what was done for him.
  • 00:24:40
    So we appreciate your support and this opportunity and we're hopeful that you'll look at public safety budget or even the nonprofit process to fund our program.
  • 00:24:49
    And we thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:24:56
    Mayor Walker, there are no other hands raised at this point.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:25:03
    Okay, thank you, Mr. Waller.
  • 00:25:07
    My only comment would be the
  • 00:25:13
    the facts that we know are happening to the employees who are furloughed for three months.
  • 00:25:22
    So we do understand.
  • 00:25:24
    We can't control what UVA decides to do.
  • 00:25:28
    And we know that that impact of salary reduction at the higher end will impact
  • 00:25:37
    Someone not having a quarter of their salary for the year much more than it will impact someone who is earning $800, $900, $500, $1,000 a year.
  • 00:25:46
    So we get that.
  • 00:25:56
    But we're very limited.
  • 00:26:00
    Well, we can't.
  • 00:26:01
    We don't have any say on how that process works.
  • 00:26:05
    But we understand that for the residents of the Charlottesville community that hopefully we will put some safety nets in place that people will be able to benefit from.
  • 00:26:21
    And I know UVA,
  • 00:26:23
    has an emergency assistance fund, which isn't the same thing as your salary, but to try to help prevent, I guess, an explosion of just the ripple effects of what happens when you don't have your monthly income.
  • 00:26:42
    So we do understand, or at least I understand.
  • 00:26:45
    But yeah, very limited.
  • 00:26:52
    Are there any other comments on anything that was said on community matters?
  • 00:26:59
    Okay.
  • 00:27:05
    So next up, we have a presentation, a public hearing for the fiscal year 2021 community development block grant and the home investment partnership program.
  • 00:27:21
    One reading,
  • 00:27:22
    for this action plan.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:27:29
    Can everyone hear me?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:27:31
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:27:33
    OK, cool.
  • 00:27:34
    So my name is Erin Attack, and I'm the city's grants coordinator.
  • 00:27:38
    Today, I'm seeking approval for the fiscal year 2020-2021 Community Development Block Grant, that's CDBG for short, and Home Investment Partnership Program, also known as HOME for short.
  • 00:27:52
    annual action plan.
  • 00:27:54
    So this is the third annual action plan as part of the five-year 2018-2023 consolidated plan that was approved by city council back on May 21st, 2018.
  • 00:28:05
    So just to give a little bit of background for all of our new city councilors, each year the city of Charlottesville and regional home consortium assesses the local housing and community development needs in the region and adopts a strategic plan to meet those needs.
  • 00:28:22
    The five-year 2018-2023 consolidated plan is designed to help the region.
  • 00:28:28
    So that's not only the city, but counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, and Louisa assess affordable housing, community development needs, market conditions, and make data-driven place-based investment decisions as they relate to HUD funding.
  • 00:28:46
    So more specifically with the city, since we are an entitlement community,
  • 00:28:50
    we receive CBG and HOME funds each year by HUD.
  • 00:28:55
    Each year the localities are required to complete an annual action plan that details goals, objectives and specific activities to be carried out for the upcoming program year.
  • 00:29:05
    This third action plan ties back to the five-year consolidated plan and begins its program on July 1st, 2020 and runs through June 30th, 2021.
  • 00:29:16
    This document also serves as the city's application to CDBG funding and the TJPDC's application for home funding because they are the regional administrator and manager for that particular pot of funding.
  • 00:29:30
    The action plan is due in its final form to HUD by May 15th and we submit that electronically through a platform called IDIS.
  • 00:29:40
    The draft action plan that you have in front of you guys today is a working document
  • 00:29:44
    and any comments that we receive tonight through the public comment period and comments or data that council recommends to include and any comments we receive through the TJPDC comment hearing on May 7th will all be incorporated into the action plan for final submittal to HUD on the 15th.
  • 00:30:05
    For the action plan, there are several activities that are listed, so I'll go over them each briefly.
  • 00:30:11
    First, we have the priority neighborhood.
  • 00:30:14
    On September 16, 2019, council approved that the priority neighborhood would be Ridge Street.
  • 00:30:21
    This will be Ridge Street's first rotation in the three-year Belmont Ridge priority neighborhood rotation.
  • 00:30:27
    Belmont just completed its three years as a CDBG priority neighborhood, and the Ridge Street Priority Neighborhood Task Force will be recommending improvement projects to be carried out with CDBG funds.
  • 00:30:39
    Project recommendations will be brought back to city council for final approval once that has gone through the task force.
  • 00:30:47
    And I'll come back to the priority neighborhood a little bit more in depth later on.
  • 00:30:52
    For economic development, funds are proposed to be used for providing scholarship to assist 20 entrepreneurs to help them launch their own micro enterprises and develop financial management habits through technical assistance.
  • 00:31:05
    The strategic action team reviewed a total of three applications and made a recommendation to award the Community Investment Collaborative, funding a total amount of $15,000 to CIC, Community Investment Collaborative.
  • 00:31:19
    For public service programs, the estimated benefits include housing rehabilitation for time beneficiaries of the Ridge Street strategic area, which is a HUD designated area.
  • 00:31:32
    and increased capacity for coordinated entry systems for homeless services, which will benefit a minimum of 41 homeless persons.
  • 00:31:39
    The CDBG task force reviewed a total of five applications and made funding recommendations towards AHIP for a total of $78,550.12 and for TJAC, which is a Thomas Jefferson area coalition for the homeless for a total of $53,345.58 in CDBG funding.
  • 00:32:02
    We also have the admin and planning portion of the budget to help pay for the costs that are directly related for CDBG projects as well as citizen participation.
  • 00:32:12
    Home funds are also proposed to help with down payment assistance for an estimated 14 low income home buyers of zero to 50% AMI and again homeowner rehabilitation for the Ridge Street strategic target area.
  • 00:32:25
    The CDBG and home task force designates
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:32:46
    Mayor Walker, it appears we may have lost Erin Attack's participation in the webinar.
  • 00:32:51
    We can wait a moment and see if she rejoins.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:32:54
    OK.
  • 00:32:55
    Yeah, let's wait and let her continue.
  • 00:34:08
    Has she emailed or called in or anything?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:34:12
    I am emailing her now.
  • 00:34:13
    I've not heard anything yet.
  • 00:34:26
    Now she's back.
  • 00:34:28
    Just a moment for the audio.
  • 00:34:33
    Erin, can you hear us now?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:34:37
    Can you hear me?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:34:38
    We can.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:34:38
    I think my internet went out.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:34:45
    You may continue.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:34:46
    Thank you.
  • 00:34:47
    Okay, sorry about that.
  • 00:34:50
    So admin and planning portion of the budget will go towards helping costs are directly related towards CDBG projects as well as citizen participation.
  • 00:35:03
    Home funds are proposed to help with down payment assistance for an estimated of 14 low income homeowners of 0 to 50% AMI and homeowner rehabilitation for the Ridge Tree strategic target area.
  • 00:35:16
    Once again, the CDBG task force recommended that AHIP receive a funding recommendation of $33,507.84 and Habitat received a funding total of $47,000
  • 00:35:33
    estimated in home funding.
  • 00:35:36
    There is some community engagement involved with the action plan.
  • 00:35:42
    So the CDBG and home task force reviews all requests for proposals and they provide a funding recommendation to City Council.
  • 00:35:50
    for the action plan, that's what we have in front of us today.
  • 00:35:53
    The action plan also underwent a 30-day public comment period that was advertised through the Daily Progress, emailed out to the city's community partners and neighborhood association leaders and TJPDC housing directors, as well as TJPDC community partners.
  • 00:36:11
    For the priority neighborhood, so I'm gonna jump back to what I mentioned before,
  • 00:36:17
    Back on September 16, 2019, council approved that the priority neighborhood be designated Ridge Street for the next three years.
  • 00:36:26
    This has been a pattern in the past, but should council see fit, they are welcome to change that.
  • 00:36:31
    The reason why one priority neighborhood has been chosen for over a course of several years is because we want to avoid phasing out projects over staggered years, if that makes sense.
  • 00:36:45
    and so that neighborhood projects have the opportunity to be larger scaled with the full funding potential of their three-year funding recommendation or funding opportunity from HUD.
  • 00:36:58
    Additionally, the HUD funding levels each year aren't certain.
  • 00:37:02
    So it could potentially affect, negatively affect one neighborhood if we were to switch back and forth between the different priority neighborhoods.
  • 00:37:12
    Examples of projects done in the past for the priority neighborhoods include the 10th and Page Park on 8th and Party and the Franklin Street sidewalk, which is currently in planning coming up for Belmont neighborhood.
  • 00:37:25
    This year, due to the virus, we also have the action plan amendments, which is a substantial amendment we have to add for the action plan.
  • 00:37:34
    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which is also known as the CARES Act,
  • 00:37:39
    makes available supplemental CDBG funding for grants to prepare, prevent and respond to the coronavirus.
  • 00:37:46
    The separate allocation of funding is also known as the CDBG grants.
  • 00:37:51
    So this is completely different than the general allocation.
  • 00:37:56
    The City of Charlottesville has been authorized an allocation of $246,699 by the CARES Act to respond to growing effects of historic public health crisis.
  • 00:38:08
    Eligible activities under the CDBG-CV grant include public service activities and economic development assistance activities.
  • 00:38:16
    Tonight, staff ask approval of the amendment to the action plan to include the CDBG-CV funds into the 2020-2021 action plan.
  • 00:38:25
    It's in the city's best interest to include this amendment into the 2020-2021 action plan.
  • 00:38:35
    with the goal of helping organizations as soon as possible.
  • 00:38:40
    The award and approval of funds is required to follow the same regulations as the general CDBG funding.
  • 00:38:46
    So all the monitoring requirements, invoicing requirements, and auditing requirements that the general CDBG has with sub-recipients will be applied to the CDBG CV sub-recipients.
  • 00:39:01
    Once the CDBG
  • 00:39:02
    The home task force and SAT committee have made their funding recommendations with the CDBG-CV funding.
  • 00:39:09
    The CDBG-CV budget will be brought back to city council for final approval.
  • 00:39:14
    Overall, this will have no major budgetary impacts with the city, and there's no alternatives proposed.
  • 00:39:23
    Home funds have a mandatory grant required 25% city match, which comes from the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund.
  • 00:39:32
    totals out to be $20,148.50.
  • 00:39:33
    And I am available for any questions.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:40:01
    Are there any questions from the council?
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:40:04
    I guess a process question is like the largest individual allocation before just like the priority area.
  • 00:40:16
    What's the process for the separate Ridge Street task force making decisions on how to allocate that money?
  • 00:40:23
    Are those decisions that have already been made?
  • 00:40:25
    I'm just not familiar with how that process works.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:40:31
    The Ridge Street Task Force, we're currently still recruiting members for that committee to actually formalize.
  • 00:40:39
    Once we have a formal committee put together, then we'll actually come together, meet, discuss some priorities and goals for that target area.
  • 00:40:51
    And then we'll come up with some project ideas, go through community engagement, and then come up with some
  • 00:40:59
    funding recommendation, I mean project ideas to bring back to City Council for approval.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:41:05
    And what's sort of normally roughly that timeline for when those decisions get made and the money is allocated?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:41:13
    It can vary.
  • 00:41:19
    Right now due to the virus I don't have a straight answer as to how the Ridge Street Task Force will
  • 00:41:27
    looked like going forward.
  • 00:41:28
    But in the past, we've had a one year timeline period, putting together the community engagement.
  • 00:41:40
    The most extensive part is the community engagement process that comes with the funding.
  • 00:41:45
    But all meetings are open to the public and they're pretty extensive.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:41:57
    It's still an area where the public feedback has been minimal.
  • 00:42:07
    And it's something that we definitely need to work on moving forward to get that participation.
  • 00:42:19
    I'm just interested in how you seem like
  • 00:42:25
    pretty typical recommendations that have come across before.
  • 00:42:36
    And for me, it seems like the same patterns of funding for organizations that have been funded before.
  • 00:42:49
    And those organizations definitely have
  • 00:42:54
    just based on their history, they just are usually considered.
  • 00:43:00
    And that's a challenge for me.
  • 00:43:08
    So the priority neighborhoods, the $201,000, so that would be, like I think it was sidewalk work in the past or something like that.
  • 00:43:19
    Maybe the, was that this project?
  • 00:43:22
    I don't have my,
  • 00:43:25
    But is that what you are thinking of when you say that you'll get together with the group and work on?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:43:33
    Yeah, any type of public infrastructure improvement project.
  • 00:43:40
    So generally they've been park projects, sidewalk projects, stormwater drainage issues, pedestrian light.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:43:49
    And does that amount of funding have to go towards those type of projects?
  • 00:43:54
    Yes.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:44:04
    I did read through the meeting minutes and saw some of the scoring criteria that each organization got.
  • 00:44:10
    But just for myself, is that process like you all have a scoring criteria for the different applications and then the CDBG task force takes a vote with that information in mind or does that scoring system determine completely the allocation and just exactly how that scoring aspect fits into the decisions?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:44:34
    So what the CDBG task force does is they look at any past audit record that the nonprofit organization has.
  • 00:44:45
    Usually it's the year before.
  • 00:44:47
    In this year's case, it was the year before its audit, as well as the application that we received.
  • 00:44:54
    And I can send you the rubric that we use.
  • 00:44:57
    So we take into consideration both the rubric scores and the previous year's audit scores, put those together, and we come up with a funding proposal as a group.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:45:12
    What if there's a new organization applying?
  • 00:45:18
    I'm sorry?
  • 00:45:20
    What if a new organization applies that you don't have
  • 00:45:24
    a previous year to balance it against.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:45:28
    When a new organization applies, then we look into the financial records, make sure they're up to good standing.
  • 00:45:37
    We make sure that the tax identification records and the SAMS numbers are all up to par with HUD.
  • 00:45:46
    We just make sure that the organization is in good standing.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:45:51
    Yeah, because I did notice
  • 00:45:55
    Obviously in FAR's application as well as PHAs for some of that HUD Section 3 work, it seemed they got dinged pretty hard in terms of how they were evaluated, in terms of their capacities didn't went out into being allocated any money.
  • 00:46:15
    Is that just because of estimating the documentation they have to meet HUD requirements that there were concerns there?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:46:25
    For that organization, it was both how the application was filled out as well as how the last monitoring report by the previous branch coordinator was looked at.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:46:44
    Yeah.
  • 00:46:45
    And then in addition, reading through some of the meeting minutes, I know in the discussions
  • 00:46:52
    The issue of capacity came up with some of the home rehabs.
  • 00:46:56
    I forget the exact number, but last year the application said we're going to deliver this number of rehabs and only one was delivered.
  • 00:47:05
    Is the estimation that that is a problem that's been resolved in terms of them being able to meet that goal this year of 10?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:47:15
    That's a good question.
  • 00:47:16
    So with home funding, that organization got home funding last year.
  • 00:47:20
    Home funding is a lot more flexible as far as spending deadlines.
  • 00:47:24
    With CDBG funding, which is what that organization got this year, that flexibility is cut a little bit.
  • 00:47:32
    They have a one-year spending deadline, so if they're not able to reach that deadline, the city
  • 00:47:39
    has to take that funding back to a certain extent so that we are able to meet HUD deadlines on our end.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:47:48
    And so in effect, if they aren't able to meet their goal, the city receives back that money roughly and can reallocate it towards other priorities?
  • 00:47:59
    Correct.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:48:02
    So what's the new deadline for the home funding?
  • 00:48:05
    And if they haven't been able to complete the projects, why don't they use the money they haven't used yet versus giving them additional funding?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:48:17
    Home funding can be stretched out over a period of two years.
  • 00:48:21
    And what delays rehab projects the most is environmental review work.
  • 00:48:30
    And I'm sorry, I missed the second half of the question.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:48:37
    I just didn't understand why, and I guess I see it now because of the two organizations that are in that category, but I'm just wondering why that money then couldn't have been allocated elsewhere versus giving them more money since they haven't spent the previous funds.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:49:06
    So they were awarded those funds because they scored well in their application.
  • 00:49:16
    They will be able to stretch their current funding they have now into next year because it's part of that two year window.
  • 00:49:25
    But for the CDBG portion, they won't be able to stretch or create an amendment for an extended period.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:49:39
    And for the breakdown in funding, is it just based on their request, just the overall organization request?
  • 00:49:46
    Or could the funding in each category be changed?
  • 00:49:53
    Or is that, I know you said with the priority neighborhood, that that was the set percentage of those funds.
  • 00:50:01
    The other category, is that the amount that it has to be, or could you increase or decrease those areas?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:50:09
    So the set categories are public services and admin and planning.
  • 00:50:15
    They're both capped at 15% for public services and 20% for admin and planning.
  • 00:50:22
    The priority neighborhood was originally set at 150,000 and then we put in extra funding because our allocation was so high this year given by HUD.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:50:39
    But you had to increase it to that amount?
  • 00:50:41
    Yes.
  • 00:50:42
    OK.
  • 00:50:43
    All right.
  • 00:50:46
    So the money that's in CDBG economic and CDBG housing, that is the amount that has to be there.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:50:55
    For economic and housing, those can be flexible.
  • 00:50:58
    But for public services and for admin, those have to be there.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:51:02
    Those have to be there.
  • 00:51:03
    And then the home funds, is that the only category in that is related to, I see Habitat and AHIP were the only two that applied?
  • 00:51:16
    Yes.
  • 00:51:17
    So they were, or organizations like that were the only ones that could apply for that funding?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:51:23
    Yeah, they were the only organizations that we received applications for.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:51:27
    Are we able to restrict if someone can apply for home funding
  • 00:51:32
    and then not allow those same organizations to apply for CBBG funding?
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 00:51:39
    We can.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:51:46
    I don't think I have any more questions.
  • 00:51:49
    Thank you.
  • 00:51:50
    Does anyone else have any other questions?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:51:53
    I just wanted to pin off of something Michael asked earlier.
  • 00:51:55
    So this multi-year process with the neighborhood
  • 00:51:59
    priority neighborhood group.
  • 00:52:00
    You obviously have an extensive engagement process, but like with Belmont, you say this is going to extend over multiple years.
  • 00:52:06
    So as funds become available in future years, you can implement those funds to continue those projects pretty expediently.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 00:52:12
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:52:15
    So it's just that first year where it's, you know, it is kind of a process to go through until the funding can become available.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 00:52:21
    Yes.
  • 00:52:22
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:52:23
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:52:29
    Are there any other questions?
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:52:35
    Just what specifically were PHA and FAR, what were their applications for?
  • 00:52:43
    If I'm remembering correctly, they were for new positions related to HUD Section 3, but I'm just a little bit more curious about what they were applying for.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:52:53
    I can actually send you those.
  • 00:52:55
    I don't remember off the top of my head, but I can definitely get that to you, as well as the rubric.
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:53:03
    Okay.
  • 00:53:04
    I understand the scoring system is what it is, but I know in the meeting minutes there was a lot of discussion around
  • 00:53:12
    wanting to try to provide funding for FAR and PHA for those positions, but it just wasn't, they didn't come out as well in the rubric because of the capacity scoring, but.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:53:27
    I can get those too.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:53:30
    Thank you.
  • 00:53:31
    What kinds of things can CDBG money be used for?
  • 00:53:34
    Because I've heard some various things, but I just want to make sure I'm clear on it.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:53:44
    So there's a wide range of activities that CDBG funds can be used for and CDBG-CV funds can be used for other things, but I won't get into that.
  • 00:53:57
    Activities include public service or social services, housing, public infrastructure improvement, facilities improvements, property acquisition, economic development, assistance, micro enterprise assistance,
  • 00:54:16
    I can send you the actual layouts of the HUD chart that I have for you.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 00:54:23
    I would love that as well as Michael too please.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 00:54:29
    The RFP submissions are just reflective of the categories that were applicable to those who did submit responses to the RFP.
  • 00:54:41
    Like we have a one page summary of all the submissions that were there and some of those were listed but then there was others that weren't.
  • 00:54:47
    I'm just assuming it's because no one applied for some of the other categories.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:54:50
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:54:54
    So when you go to the planning district, if they make any changes, how will we be notified of the recommendations that they make, right?
  • 00:55:05
    Didn't you say something about the seven,
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:55:10
    Yes, on the 7th, there will be a public hearing for the action plan, just as we're having a public hearing for the action plan now.
  • 00:55:16
    So any public comments that they receive, I'll input them into the document.
  • 00:55:21
    I can send you the final version before submission.
  • 00:55:23
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:55:24
    All right.
  • 00:55:28
    Are there any other questions before we open it up for the public hearing?
• • Michael Payne
  • 00:55:35
    One last clarity question.
  • 00:55:37
    Is it accurate that this would normally go to the Planning Commission?
  • 00:55:40
    It's just that it's not now because the Planning Commission can't meet.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:55:46
    Yes, that's accurate.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:55:53
    Did any commissioners send feedback?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 00:55:59
    We had one Planning Commission member serve on the task force with us.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 00:56:10
    or any other questions from council?
  • 00:56:14
    All right, Mr. Wheeler, could you open it up for the public hearing?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 00:56:20
    If you'd like to speak during the public hearing, just raise your hand in the Zoom webinar.
  • 00:56:25
    There's an icon at the bottom of the screen and we will call upon people in the order in which they raise their hands.
  • 00:56:32
    First up, Mayor Walker is Brandon Collins.
  • 00:56:35
    Brandon, you're live with city council.
  • 00:56:37
    Go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_23
  • 00:56:39
    Hi again, everybody.
  • 00:56:42
    I'm going to just double repeat the need for a coordinated response and maybe come back to that.
  • 00:56:48
    With CDBG regular, I think it would be really cool to just remind you all of a couple of key things.
  • 00:56:58
    So one is section three.
  • 00:57:03
    Since those dollars are attached to the federal government, the money that those projects
  • 00:57:10
    Those projects that use that money are going to be under Section 3 rules.
  • 00:57:17
    And I think what we've discovered through our hard work on Section 3 is that there has to be programming associated
  • 00:57:25
    to make Section 3 really work instead of just have people kind of squish around the rules.
  • 00:57:30
    Now I know the dollar amount for some of those projects might not trigger Section 3, but I think in the spirit of making Section 3 an amazing thing for Charlottesville, we should really pay close attention to those CDBG plans no matter where they go to make sure there's a Section 3 component.
  • 00:57:51
    And I would say, you know, make sure
  • 00:57:53
    the city's coordinating with housing authority which you know they're taking step by step and really beginning a robust section three program so I think that's another spot where folks get employed and get money and it's required by law so we would love to see that happen.
  • 00:58:15
    The next thing is the priority neighborhood Ridge Street I would just remind you that
  • 00:58:22
    We have public housing in that neighborhood, public housing that has approved site plans and that struggled to put the dollars together.
  • 00:58:34
    So you don't have to just use that money for sidewalks and things like that.
  • 00:58:40
    I know HUD would love to see public housing redevelopment supported by the use of CDBG funds.
  • 00:58:46
    So I think that would be awesome.
  • 00:58:49
    to give that a look with the Priority Neighborhood Task Force.
  • 00:58:55
    I wanted to clarify
  • 00:58:58
    In this resolution, you're basically also accessing the CARES Act portion of CDBG.
  • 00:59:06
    CDBG CV, I guess is what you called it.
  • 00:59:09
    And it sounded, I just want to clarify, it sounded like there was a committee tasked with looking at how to allocate that and evaluate the RFPs that have already been put out for that.
  • 00:59:21
    So I'd like to clarify if that's the case and
  • 00:59:25
    visit that committee who's on it and just really restate the need for a much more coordinated team-based teamwork, Charlottesville, coordinate with the county, government, housing providers, and advocates.
  • 00:59:44
    This is exactly the kind of thing that it takes everybody's attention to.
  • 00:59:48
    And I think we can all work together instead of competing over funds.
  • 00:59:53
    In my mind, rental assistance is a huge one.
  • 00:59:56
    Folks who live in private housing are going to be hit really, really hard, really, really soon if they're not already.
  • 01:00:03
    And I think that's one thing.
  • 01:00:06
    If you look real closely at the regs, you're able to provide some of that relief to folks.
  • 01:00:11
    And I hope that's on the agenda.
  • 01:00:14
    But we don't really know, because we haven't heard from everybody about this.
  • 01:00:18
    So that's all I got to say.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:00:21
    Thank you.
  • 01:00:26
    Can I just ask, did I hear the dean for the three minutes were up?
  • 01:00:30
    Is that what I heard?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:00:31
    You did.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:00:32
    Okay, so I just wanna, that's the first time I heard it, so I just wanna make sure.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:00:37
    It's separated a little bit from my microphone, that's why it's not very loud.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:00:42
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:00:43
    We can have Ms.
  • 01:00:45
    Thomas turn on her mic while we're listening to public comment.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:00:51
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:00:52
    Mayor Walker, our next participant is Joy Johnson.
  • 01:00:59
    Joy, you're live with City Council, go ahead.
  • 01:01:03
    You will have to unmute your microphone.
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 01:01:08
    OK.
  • 01:01:08
    Can you hear me?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:01:09
    We can.
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 01:01:11
    OK.
  • 01:01:12
    So my name is Joy Johnson.
  • 01:01:13
    I reside at 802A Hardy Drive.
  • 01:01:16
    And my pet peeves with sidewalks, CBDG money,
  • 01:01:25
    supporting sidewalks has been a pet peeve of mine.
  • 01:01:28
    You have capital funds that can do that.
  • 01:01:31
    What the CBD dollars were created was to help to revitalize low-income communities.
  • 01:01:40
    It was to help low-income community uplift.
  • 01:01:44
    and it's been going in a different direction in the city of Charlottesville for some time now.
  • 01:01:51
    Sidewalks should be done with capital funds, not with CBDG dollars.
  • 01:01:56
    As Mr. Collins said earlier, we have public housing, not just the structure of public housing, but we have some private housing that is Section 8 that is public housing that also needs to be revitalized.
  • 01:02:10
    So again, just in case folks are not reading what and why CBDG dollars was created, I think probably needs to go back again and look at it.
  • 01:02:21
    I don't know what Ms.
  • 01:02:23
    Aaron would say she wasn't going to get into, what CBDG dollars is supposed to be for, but it would have been nice for the people who are listening and who may not know what CBDG money is supposed to be
  • 01:02:40
    You know, could have been
  • 01:02:44
    just enlightened.
  • 01:02:46
    Again, it should not be used for infrastructure.
  • 01:02:51
    It should be used to revitalize some of these homes that can be rental units that can just go back out so that low-income people can still live in some of these homes.
  • 01:03:09
    Again, my pet peeves, that's sidewalks.
  • 01:03:11
    should not be used.
  • 01:03:14
    Parks should not be built with CBDG money.
  • 01:03:17
    It should go back into the community to revitalize the low-income community.
  • 01:03:22
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:03:29
    Mayor Walker, our next speaker is Don Gathers.
  • 01:03:34
    Don, you're live with City Council.
  • 01:03:36
    Just unmute your microphone.
  • 01:03:38
    Good evening, everyone.
  • 01:03:40
    Good evening.
• • SPEAKER_00
  • 01:03:41
    God bless you, hope everyone's staying safe and being careful and well.
  • 01:03:45
    I was going to ask the question about what the issues were that Ms.
  • 01:03:51
    Atack raised or mentioned about the application from far, but I heard her tell Councilor Payne that she would get that information back to him.
  • 01:04:01
    Just want to make sure that we get those responses back publicly because I'd like to know what
  • 01:04:07
    concerns that may have been with the application, and also what concerns it may have been about previous uses from the prior grants administrator.
  • 01:04:19
    All right, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:04:26
    Mayor Walker, our next speaker is Tanisha Hudson.
  • 01:04:31
    Tanisha, you're live with City Council, go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 01:04:35
    Hello again, everyone.
  • 01:04:36
    So I just want to say that I agree with Joy, Ms.
  • 01:04:41
    Joy, that this money should not be used for parks or sidewalks.
  • 01:04:48
    This is almost like the school system.
  • 01:04:52
    You know, y'all give all this money to the school system.
  • 01:04:55
    And then the money is put to another department
  • 01:05:06
    like it's put in another department basically you give money for like special education and they use it to build like a new tech center this is almost what this sounds like why are you fixing sidewalks with this money like that's and i know you ain't fixing the sidewalks in the communities that it's supposed to service because i go there often and those sidewalks still look the same
  • 01:05:30
    today that they did 20 years ago.
  • 01:05:32
    So I feel like this money should be used for more human services, as it states on the city's website.
  • 01:05:38
    It states human services.
  • 01:05:40
    So we should put it more towards human services.
  • 01:05:43
    And as Ms.
  • 01:05:43
    Joyce said, bettering the people in these communities.
  • 01:05:47
    So uplifting them, putting them somewhere.
  • 01:05:49
    You could possibly give some of this money
  • 01:05:52
    to further the Home to Hope program.
  • 01:05:56
    That program is helping people who have formerly been incarcerated get better jobs.
  • 01:06:02
    That's one thing I would advocate for, for certain, because I know how it's changing the lives of certain people that's in that program.
  • 01:06:09
    Or, you know, take community members that live in these low-income housing
  • 01:06:16
    neighborhoods and allow them the opportunity to do more with themselves.
  • 01:06:25
    But yeah, sidewalks and parks, like, come on.
  • 01:06:28
    Y'all definitely know better for that one.
  • 01:06:31
    That's
  • 01:06:33
    that's not even fair to the people that you're supposed to be representing.
  • 01:06:39
    And parks in general, when we know that over the years the parks have been completely transformed and you've ran the people from the parks that used to be in the parks.
  • 01:06:48
    So we don't feel comfortable going to no park, really, but Tulsa Park, and that's only because Damian Banks revitalized that park by bringing the BCBA there.
  • 01:06:59
    Other than that, you can't really find people of color in most of these parks.
  • 01:07:03
    So we do have to do something more culturally responsive with this money to target the individuals and the communities that it's supposed to target and stop funneling the money in areas and directions that you know it shouldn't be funneled in.
  • 01:07:22
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:07:27
    Can I ask a clarifying question while we're talking through this?
  • 01:07:32
    The projects that are being referenced, those were part of the... Okay.
  • 01:07:37
    It was about that question.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:07:43
    Is there anyone else, Mr. Wheeler, that would like to speak to during the public hearing?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:07:49
    Yes, Mayor Walker.
  • 01:07:50
    We have one more person, Emily Dreyfus.
  • 01:07:53
    Emily, you're live with city council.
  • 01:07:55
    Go ahead.
  • 01:07:57
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_26
  • 01:07:58
    I was involved in the FAR application and you're hearing a lot from us but I did just want to clarify that our application was focused on involving residents in redevelopment planning and that this effort will seek to preserve and expand affordable housing for very low income people which I understand is a key priority so I
  • 01:08:27
    Hope that this can be reconsidered.
  • 01:08:29
    I'd be happy to hear about any problems with the application.
  • 01:08:34
    It has been several years since FARS received CDBG funding, so I'm not sure what the prior issue was.
  • 01:08:42
    And then I wanted to also support what Ms.
  • 01:08:46
    Johnson said and emphasize the relationship to the Ridge Street neighborhood.
  • 01:08:52
    Both of the top priority redevelopment sites, phase one and phase two, are in the Ridge Street neighborhood.
  • 01:09:00
    and the Sixth Street site is one that is likely to be an upcoming top priority.
  • 01:09:05
    It may not be the very next one, but it probably will be in either the very next or the one after.
  • 01:09:11
    And that's also in the Ridge Street neighborhood.
  • 01:09:13
    So I think what FAR is proposing to do is really relevant to a crucial need in the city and in the target neighborhood.
  • 01:09:22
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:09:25
    Thank you.
  • 01:09:27
    Is there anyone else who would like to speak during the public hearing?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:09:35
    I do not see any other hands raised, Mayor Walsher.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:09:39
    Okay, we'll close the public hearing.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:09:41
    Councilor Hill?
  • 01:09:45
    Sorry, thank you.
  • 01:09:47
    The examples that were brought up, my impression was that those were done through priority neighborhood task force decision-making and that
  • 01:09:55
    Those groups were from the neighborhoods in which those dollars were allocated and they narrowed in those projects through that community engagement process.
  • 01:10:01
    Is that correct, Ms.
  • 01:10:02
    Attack?
  • 01:10:07
    And we're talking about the side of the parks.
  • 01:10:10
    And the same will be true as we look to registration.
  • 01:10:13
    It'll be with the input of that task force that's formed that should be representative of the neighborhood.
  • 01:10:18
    And they will then determine what those dollars are for.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:10:24
    and we'll again communicate with community partners.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:10:33
    And in an ideal world if it worked well then that would be but we know even um you know from some of the you know groups and boards and stuff that we participate on we know who's in the room.
  • 01:10:51
    and people who don't fully understand or feel like their participation will change anything.
  • 01:11:01
    And I don't think that we fix that as a community.
  • 01:11:07
    And so you get, even if you look at, you know, the board members and I'm looking at the notes and some of the key people that I would think the task force
  • 01:11:21
    who will probably understand and be able to advocate for some of the things that we're discussing today.
  • 01:11:29
    They are marked as absent during some of the meetings and it seems to rotate.
  • 01:11:37
    So if they're not there to vote or I'm looking at the scoring so it looks like that
  • 01:11:51
    Yeah, I would have to look at it because I'm looking at the meeting minutes versus the scoring system.
  • 01:11:56
    And I see the scores in the back, but I don't know which date they correlate to.
  • 01:12:03
    Or if everyone gets it.
  • 01:12:07
    That's just I would have to wrap my head around the score to know what I'm at, what my question would be after that.
  • 01:12:15
    The only thing that I would say, and I said this last year when I didn't vote for this, I'm not going to vote for it today, is there has to be a problem.
  • 01:12:25
    that makes this fair.
  • 01:12:26
    There are some people who organizational capacity is just much greater than other people.
  • 01:12:32
    And we already know that.
  • 01:12:33
    That doesn't mean that they have the greatest impact and they reach a very wide number of community members.
  • 01:12:44
    And I just think that's important for us to figure out a way to make that, to
  • 01:12:53
    to make that more fair and just process.
  • 01:12:57
    If there is money that has been allocated in the past, even if it's a different stream of funding, so home versus CDBG, if that hasn't been used by an organization, and we know that other people have an immediate use, I would want to see a process like that.
  • 01:13:19
    If someone got funding this year,
  • 01:13:22
    unless no one else applies, is it a way to hold and so someone else gets an opportunity who applications may not score as high, but they are doing the work.
  • 01:13:31
    So we figure out that process of how to support organizations, especially what like bars application, what PHA put in there as their section three
  • 01:13:46
    you know component I would definitely want to support revisiting that and trying to figure out figure that out.
  • 01:14:00
    And I can see from some of the comments that are noted here you know some of Miss Dowell's comments and
  • 01:14:13
    the planning commissioner that's here and there appears to be concern based on some of the comments that she has in here.
  • 01:14:22
    So that's what I would ask, and I asked this last year, but to figure out how we make it a more fair process.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:14:36
    Just clarification for like this evening, we have three components to this.
  • 01:14:40
    We have,
  • 01:14:42
    a resolution for the action plan and then we have the action plan COVID amendment allocation and then there's the approval and appropriation of the allocations that have been recommended.
  • 01:14:55
    We have to approve an action plan.
  • 01:14:56
    I'm just trying to understand what the options are.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:15:06
    So Mr. Blair, you want to weigh in on that.
  • 01:15:09
    But we were just, because we had to have a public hearing, I don't know if we can fold all three of them into, because there would need to be, I think, further discussion on the resolution.
  • 01:15:25
    I understand the order of all.
  • 01:15:32
    So go ahead, Mr. Blair.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:15:37
    Well, in terms of the action plan, that due to the May 15th deadline needs to occur tonight with council action.
  • 01:15:49
    On May 7th, the Planning District Commission will also hold its public hearing.
  • 01:15:57
    In terms of the, there is the COVID amendment and I would ask
  • 01:16:06
    Erin, I would assume that needs to actually be amended on to the action plan for council tonight.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:16:18
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:16:21
    So again to go through procedurally I think first you would want to amend your action plan to incorporate the CARES Act funding
  • 01:16:33
    and then you would need to approve the action plan and then the priority neighborhood allocations resolution would also need to go tonight but the appropriations that's just a first reading tonight that is not you would not take action tonight on the appropriation
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:17:07
    OK.
  • 01:17:09
    And while I was going through the packet, that was a question I meant to ask you before we got here.
  • 01:17:13
    We need to first amend the action plan to accommodate this COVID amendment.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:17:19
    I think you should amend your action plan before you voted on the final action.
  • 01:17:23
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:17:26
    All right.
  • 01:17:27
    So first, are there any additional questions from council?
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 01:17:36
    Sorry, I couldn't hear you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:17:40
    Are there any other additional questions?
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:17:44
    Just one, I mean, in terms of the process.
  • 01:17:46
    So the process for allocating that priority neighborhood money will be the Ridge Street task force being formed and making recommendations.
  • 01:17:56
    And that task force is still being formed, correct?
  • 01:18:00
    Are applications still open to apply to be on that task force?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:18:07
    Yes, we're still trying to form the task force right now.
  • 01:18:13
    The pandemic has kind of set things back at the moment.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:18:17
    Right, but people could still apply if they were interested.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:18:20
    Yes.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:18:21
    I thought I remembered that we made some appointments to that Ridge Street task force.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 01:18:27
    Yeah.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:18:29
    Did we not make all of them?
  • 01:18:31
    Is that what happened?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:18:33
    Not all were made, so we're waiting on the final few that need to be appointed.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:18:41
    Okay.
  • 01:18:41
    I thought I remembered that we did not appoint a business person who has a business in the Ridge Street area or something like that.
  • 01:18:51
    But other than that, I thought we had populated that committee.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:18:58
    I think some might have been on our last meeting that we had publicly.
  • 01:19:03
    and we ended up not doing our appointments that night because it was a little chaotic but I recall that that might have been some loose ends there too.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:19:14
    I had a question whether for Aaron or for John Blair or who.
  • 01:19:21
    As I'm looking at CDBG documents from HUD
  • 01:19:26
    It says that the CDBG money used to be spent on community development activities directed toward neighborhood revitalization, economic development, and improved community facilities and services.
  • 01:19:37
    Such activities may include acquisition of real property, relocation and demolition, rehabilitation of residential and non-residential structures, construction of public facilities and improvements as the main things,
  • 01:19:51
    and historically they've been used on public infrastructure, housing, economic development and public services has typically been about 10% of the money nationally on a national basis that CDPG monies go to.
  • 01:20:10
    So my question basically is for a couple of speakers tonight who said why are you spending money on sidewalks
  • 01:20:19
    I've always had the impression that in the target neighborhoods, that was one of the primary purposes of CDBG funding, was to enable in the targeted neighborhoods to make sure that the public infrastructure issues get addressed.
  • 01:20:35
    Is that not correct?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:20:38
    It is.
  • 01:20:39
    So it's HUD priority, and it's a HUD overarching priority.
  • 01:20:47
    and specifically for that five-year consolidated plan that I mentioned earlier for that 2018 to 2023 window that we have.
  • 01:20:57
    We have listed on there that CDBG funds will go towards specifically funding priority neighborhood activities, public service activities, and economic development activities.
  • 01:21:06
    So that's where that priority neighborhood comes into play.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:21:11
    I guess the question was, there was some
  • 01:21:16
    suggestion that it was inappropriate to spend CDBG money on things like sidewalks and parks in the target neighborhoods.
  • 01:21:27
    And I've always thought that was exactly what CDBG money was for.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:21:30
    And I'll just interject to just comment.
  • 01:21:36
    I think when people are saying that there are other purposes, which there are, that this money could be used for, um,
  • 01:21:43
    that they would like for it to be considered.
  • 01:21:47
    When this task force is formed, they may come up with something that doesn't include, you know, sidewalk repair, but those are where those comments are coming from based on, you know, where the money has been spent in the past.
  • 01:22:08
    One of the things that came up based on
  • 01:22:12
    the comments made by either Miss Johnson and Emily Dreyfus, even if their application was low for resident involvement in public housing, we all saw the amazing work they did with South First Street, right?
  • 01:22:33
    So there's clearly some sort of glitch there.
  • 01:22:38
    that prevents what actually is occurring from translating well on paper, or if it translated well and then it wasn't deemed as a high priority based on other applications, we know that we saw phenomenal work from
  • 01:23:03
    those women who participated in that work.
  • 01:23:06
    So how to, that's what I'm concerned about is why it's not translating and then moving forward, how do we get the involvement that we may not be getting in the people who are making the decisions around this.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:23:25
    The other point that I wanted to make sort of related to the sidewalk issue is, again, back in the old days, 30 years ago when I was on the Planning Commission, we distinguished between the regular sidewalk construction projects that were part of the city's capital budget and the neighborhood-specific sidewalk projects that maybe for whatever reason didn't score high enough in the citywide way of deciding such things.
  • 01:23:54
    But we're nonetheless felt by the neighborhood to be very important for those neighborhoods.
  • 01:23:59
    And so we might have, in a target neighborhood, we might have both city capital funding going to sidewalks, and also for some smaller projects might be some CDBG money.
  • 01:24:10
    So there's been a long history of our using CDBG money.
  • 01:24:15
    four sidewalks in the targeted neighborhoods, but not to use that money instead of using the capital money that would be applied using the regular decision making rubrics that the city had.
  • 01:24:32
    That's my only comment.
  • 01:24:33
    I have no comment at all on the relative merits of any of the proposals.
  • 01:24:38
    I was just concerned that people not get the feeling that somehow or another CDBG money is not supposed to be used for physical improvements, because in fact that's what the statute was written to do, that's what the regulations encourage, and in fact 90% of the money nationally goes to that kind of infrastructure rather than to programs and services.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:25:05
    And I think what you hear people saying is that that's problematic.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 01:25:14
    That's a different policy or priority decision.
  • 01:25:16
    I'm dealing with sort of the historical, the program was in fact set up to include sidewalks and parks.
  • 01:25:30
    That's all.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:25:33
    And I would just add that I think both of you are correct, Councillor Snook and Mayor Walker.
  • 01:25:39
    I mean, the regulations do permit the money to be spent on public improvements, but to Mayor Walker's point, I mean, ultimately, there's the policy component of how these funds are spent.
  • 01:25:53
    And that's, as you all know, that's your purview as well as the task force purview.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:26:03
    Just for, what sort of things like in a development, I know you're going to send that list out, but if you know right off top and if you don't, you can get it to us when you send the list.
  • 01:26:16
    But in a housing redevelopment like that's going on in South First Street, what could be the CDBG home funding be used for there?
  • 01:26:33
    Could you repeat that again?
  • 01:26:36
    So in like the development that's happening at South First Street, what potential usage could the CDBG or home funding be used for in a project like that?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:26:54
    It depends on what the community needs are there.
  • 01:26:59
    It could range from housing to public infrastructure.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:27:13
    So it could be specifically used for that project?
  • 01:27:17
    The infrastructure needs of those projects?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:27:25
    They would need to apply for the funding, but tentatively, yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:27:30
    Yes, I'm just asking for what the usage could potentially be.
  • 01:27:37
    And so I just think that they know that, and that's why we're hearing the complaints.
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:27:47
    Ellen, just to underline the point again, that application process is still open, and no decisions have been made about how to spend that money.
  • 01:27:55
    So the opportunity does still exist for people to,
  • 01:28:00
    join that task force and make whatever decision they would like on how to allocate the money.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:28:05
    OK.
  • 01:28:10
    So I had heard from somebody that they had used their CDBG money as a child care help for the community.
  • 01:28:19
    Is that something that's possible?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:28:21
    Yeah, United Way was applicants for, oh, go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:28:26
    Yes, that's also a knowledgeable activity.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:28:29
    Just making sure that it sounds like CDBG creatively can be used for lots of things.
  • 01:28:37
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:28:39
    And United Way was one of the applicants for their early childhood scholarship program this year.
  • 01:28:48
    So that was one that they did apply.
  • 01:28:52
    Correct.
  • 01:28:56
    OK, so are there any further questions or comments from council?
  • 01:29:01
    Counselors?
  • 01:29:04
    All right, is there a motion to amend the action plan?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:29:13
    So I'll make a motion to adopt a resolution amending the city of Charlottesville's FY 2021 annual action plan.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:29:26
    Is there a second?
  • 01:29:31
    Okay.
  • 01:29:32
    Ms.
  • 01:29:33
    Thomas?
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:29:33
    I have questions about the amendment.
  • 01:29:45
    I thought we were discussing the, but, okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:29:49
    So, any questions?
  • 01:29:50
    Go ahead.
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:29:54
    I just didn't have clarity on this amendment process.
  • 01:29:56
    What is the process for allocating this additional COVID-19?
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:30:06
    So right now we're only amending the action plan scope to include the CVGCV funding to include COVID response for public service activities and COVID response for economic development activities.
  • 01:30:23
    The process is going to be the exact same as far as applying for COVID money.
  • 01:30:30
    You still have to submit an application.
  • 01:30:32
    It'll go under review with the CDBG task force and SAT committee.
  • 01:30:37
    There'll be a funding recommendation and it'll go forth to printing commission and their city council or directly to city council.
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:30:44
    Okay, thank you.
  • 01:30:46
    That's all I have.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:30:48
    Okay, so voting on the amendment.
  • 01:30:51
    Ms.
  • 01:30:51
    Payne?
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:30:52
    Uh, yes.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:30:53
    Mr. Snook?
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:30:56
    Yes.
• • 01:30:58
    Ms.
• • SPEAKER_17
  • 01:30:58
    Walker?
  • 01:31:00
    Yes.
  • 01:31:00
    Ms.
  • 01:31:00
    McGill?
  • 01:31:03
    Yes.
  • 01:31:03
    Ms.
  • 01:31:04
    Till?
  • 01:31:05
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:31:09
    Go past 5-0.
  • 01:31:10
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:31:20
    So that's 5-0 in favor of amending the action plan?
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 01:31:28
    Mm-hmm.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:31:29
    All right.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:31:30
    And so now we will vote on the action plan.
  • 01:31:36
    Yes.
  • 01:31:36
    So I make a motion that we adopt the resolution approving the FY 2020-21 annual action plan.
  • 01:31:40
    I'll second.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 01:31:49
    And to vote, Mr. Payne?
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 01:31:51
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_15
  • 01:31:52
    Mr. Cook?
• • SPEAKER_28
  • 01:31:54
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:31:56
    Ms.
  • 01:31:56
    Walker?
  • 01:31:59
    No.
  • 01:32:01
    Ms.
  • 01:32:01
    McHale?
  • 01:32:02
    Yes.
  • 01:32:04
    Ms.
  • 01:32:04
    Hill?
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:32:05
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:32:07
    Motion passes 4-1.
  • 01:32:10
    4-1.
  • 01:32:10
    All right, and 4-1 in favor of the action plan.
  • 01:32:16
    All right, and so
  • 01:32:23
    Mr. Blair, do we just need to ask, I think we've asked the question, so there's a no vote on this next.
  • 01:32:35
    So if there's no further discussion, are we just moving it to the consent agenda?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:32:43
    Well, there's also the resolution to designate Ridge Street as the priority.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:32:59
    Do you need someone to move that?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:33:02
    Yes.
  • 01:33:03
    Oh, B. Okay.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:33:05
    I move that we designate Ridge Street as the priority neighborhood for the CDBG grant.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:33:11
    Second.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:33:13
    All right.
  • 01:33:15
    Ms.
  • 01:33:15
    Thomas.
  • 01:33:17
    Mr. Payne.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:33:18
    Yes.
  • 01:33:21
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_16
  • 01:33:23
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:33:24
    yes yes yes okay and that carried five to zero and Mayor Walker to your to your point um you're correct the
  • 01:33:48
    These are all first readings for the appropriations and so that would be on the council's next agenda.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:33:57
    We don't have to move it to consent, do we?
  • 01:33:59
    We can leave it and have a discussion around it?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 01:34:04
    Yes, you can leave it as a discussion item and it would be an action item on your next agenda.
  • 01:34:11
    Okay, good.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:34:13
    And Ms.
  • 01:34:14
    Attack, I would be interested in getting an update about the hearing from the public hearing on the 7th too, if there were any recommended changes.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:34:26
    Definitely.
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:34:27
    And just for the public's benefit, when will that public hearing be and how can people access it?
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 01:34:37
    It will be online.
  • 01:34:39
    I could send you the time.
  • 01:34:40
    I'm blanking right now.
  • 01:34:43
    but I can definitely send you the information.
• • Michael Payne
  • 01:34:45
    That's fine.
  • 01:34:46
    I'll put it out on my social media as well.
  • 01:34:48
    I can't remember the time either.
  • 01:34:49
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:34:51
    I have it at 7 p.m.
  • 01:34:53
    Yeah, the meetings are normally at 7.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:34:56
    That sounds right.
  • 01:34:57
    I have it on the front page of this at 7 p.m.
  • 01:35:02
    Public hearing.
  • 01:35:03
    And it says it's at Water Street, but I'm assuming there's gonna be a way to participate.
  • 01:35:06
    Yes, it'll be virtual.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:35:10
    People, find the link on the city website.
• • SPEAKER_09
  • 01:35:14
    I can post it on the video tape.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:35:26
    Thank you.
  • 01:35:27
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:35:27
    All right, thank you for your presentation.
  • 01:35:36
    Thank you.
  • 01:35:37
    Sorry about the Wi-Fi.
  • 01:35:38
    All right.
  • 01:35:44
    All right, so we're at 806, so we'll take our break now.
  • 01:35:47
    So we have just a 15-minute break.
  • 01:35:52
    So we'll come back at- And then we're just coming back for other business?
  • 01:36:02
    Yes, and then the second matters by the public, but I think the discussions that
  • 01:36:11
    that you all would like to have, and they take some time.
  • 01:36:14
    All right.
  • 01:36:18
    So 15 minutes, so that'll be whatever time it is.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:36:25
    Mr. Wheeler?
• • 01:36:27
    8.20.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 01:36:27
    8.07 now.
  • 01:36:29
    OK, so 8.22.
  • 01:36:30
    I'm trying to get that two minutes.
  • 01:36:33
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:36:35
    Thank you.
• • 01:39:27
    Music playing
  • 01:45:24
    you
  • 01:48:16
    you
  • 01:49:51
    you
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:51:22
    All right, Mr. Wheeler, are we good to go?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 01:51:24
    We are ready.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:51:26
    All right, I call this meeting back to order.
  • 01:51:30
    And next up, we have other business.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:51:37
    And I think there was a couple topics you want to talk about.
  • 01:51:43
    One is just generally, I don't know why the color in here is like crazy now.
  • 01:51:46
    I'm sorry.
  • 01:51:48
    I didn't change the lighting since I went away.
  • 01:51:51
    I'm like flaming.
  • 01:51:55
    I just think that it's an update on the budget process because even I think I was actually confused as to the scope of Wednesday and I'm just kind of like just to touch it on the budget and like any questions I think that we have going into Wednesday's work session I think would be helpful because I know I have a few I want to just make sure that we're preparing staff for it also in the interest of transparency with the public.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:52:18
    On Wednesday we'll continue what we were doing in terms of having a public work session to talk about the budget.
  • 01:52:25
    This will be with the members of the school board, primarily Dr. Adkins who will also give a presentation about the school.
  • 01:52:33
    We'll talk about the general fund as well as the capital improvement program in the CIP on Wednesday.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:52:42
    So it's not like a community forum?
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:52:49
    Yes, it is.
  • 01:52:50
    It's an open meeting.
  • 01:52:51
    It's an open meeting where the public can participate just like we're doing tonight.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:52:58
    So that meeting is primarily to give public feedback and it would be similar to the meeting that we had last year at Key.
  • 01:53:12
    as much as we can do virtually.
  • 01:53:14
    So just allowing the public to be able to call in or raise their hand on the webinar and chime in about any topic related to the budget or where they see giving us information or suggestions about what they think our priorities should be at this time.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:53:38
    Go ahead.
  • 01:53:40
    I'm just hearing from him that this is actually, it's broader scope than that.
  • 01:53:44
    It's actually going to be an opportunity for us to talk about the CIP, which we really haven't talked about to date.
  • 01:53:49
    A public update with the schools with a full council involved.
  • 01:53:54
    And then the other third category he said.
  • 01:53:57
    So historically those meetings have just been for public conversation, but it sounds like this is going to be a broader scope than that.
  • 01:54:03
    That's why it's for three hours.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:54:05
    Well, the overview is supposed to be for
  • 01:54:10
    just so the public can get a refresher to know what they are discussing.
  • 01:54:15
    But I think at the end of that, any comments that we want to make, we can make it as we normally would.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:54:25
    And the main thing is to understand that we're really pressed for time.
  • 01:54:27
    So I wanted to make sure that we had enough meetings with the public so that they can give us their input in terms of the budget.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:54:39
    And the only item, poor citizens can chime in on vibrant community funding, but that's
  • 01:54:48
    item that we're waiting for feedback from.
  • 01:54:50
    So right now, the budget team along with CACI, they are getting information like updated narratives from the organizations to present to us.
  • 01:55:04
    And they'll do, I guess, something similar to what they do during veteran communities in terms of making their recommendations based on the information they get back.
  • 01:55:15
    But we will get all of that information
  • 01:55:18
    to be able to discuss once and set up a work session, do 221s, however we want to do it once that information comes back in.
  • 01:55:29
    So that's not back in yet.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:55:32
    But a big discussion on the CIP will be a broader discussion, because we really haven't had a chance to talk about that yet, because that was kind of not available during even our most recent 221s in any detail.
  • 01:55:43
    Will that be part of the discussion on Wednesday?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:55:47
    So that's mainly a refresher.
  • 01:55:50
    If you want to add that, I think we should, instead of adding it, to just make sure that we get public feedback, we should maybe schedule a date to just like we would have it during the regular budget cycle.
  • 01:56:06
    Or we can add it on the end after we get, you know, see how many people we get from the public.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:56:14
    yeah I was just confused because he made it sound like that we're gonna engage the public much like we do the other meetings and talking about all these other things and I just want to be really clear with the public of the scope and the format of this meeting on Wednesday.
  • 01:56:28
    Dr. Richardson it sounded like you were saying that we were gonna cover those topic areas and then we were gonna do public comment like we do for every other meeting.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:56:36
    That was my understanding I thought that's what we were gonna be doing talking about CIP schools budget general fund
  • 01:56:46
    than having those discussions so that the public will have a chance to have some input as well as the council to have discussions about it.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:56:55
    When I hear you, you are asking, Heather, I mean, I, that's my understanding of what the meeting is supposed to be.
  • 01:57:01
    You're saying that you, council, at least have a work session for CIP or be able to do that in some format during that meeting.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:57:11
    Yeah, and I thought that's what he was proposing, but when you first started tonight's meeting, I'm sorry, but I just was confused because you were proposing it like a community budget session.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:57:24
    But that's not what I was hearing from you.
  • 01:57:25
    The intention to make sure that the community could weigh in on any area of their budget that they needed to, as in the community forms that we usually hold.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 01:57:35
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:57:38
    And of course, this is gonna take a,
  • 01:57:42
    you know different you know format because it's virtual we don't even know how many people you know will participate but I guess my question to you is are you asking for us to have to set the CIP out differently than that?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:58:02
    As long as we can cover it on Wednesday I'm hoping we can do that like that's I don't want to create more meetings by any means.
  • 01:58:11
    I just was unclear the way that Dr. Richardson was laying out the scope for Wednesday, that it aligned with a community budget form, because until you said that, I did not realize that's what Wednesday was for, as a community budget form.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 01:58:23
    That's what we've been saying the whole time, so even we had our 2-2-1s to be able to have a meeting like that because of the limited amount of time that we have in terms of communicating with the public.
  • 01:58:32
    As the mayor said, we can
  • 01:58:34
    I think the presentation for each area is just to make sure the public has, you know, at the beginning
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:58:56
    so that they just know what we're working with.
  • 01:58:59
    You're saying that you have questions about CIP.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:59:02
    And the schools.
  • 01:59:03
    I think we haven't had a chance to talk as a body about schools.
  • 01:59:06
    And so I hope that we could on Wednesday.
  • 01:59:09
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 01:59:09
    That's the goal.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:59:11
    Especially knowing the schools have their meeting on Thursday with their school board.
  • 01:59:15
    So that's all.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:59:17
    Yes.
  • 01:59:18
    OK.
  • 01:59:19
    I imagine that we would have those discussions.
  • 01:59:26
    making sure that we get public feedback on all areas of the book.
  • 01:59:29
    Oh, absolutely.
  • 01:59:30
    Yes, yes.
  • 01:59:31
    Totally.
  • 01:59:33
    OK.
  • 01:59:33
    So at the end of that, we can have any discussion after we get the public feedback, any discussion that we would like.
  • 01:59:42
    But I guess just one more time, do you need for us to have meetings before then just on VIP-related stuff so we'll know what we're coming to the table?
  • 01:59:54
    For either all that can be done on Wednesday.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:59:56
    I think it can all be done on Wednesday, yeah.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 01:59:58
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 01:59:59
    All right, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 02:00:03
    So can I, sorry, interject and get a little bit more clarification on our end so we know exactly what we're preparing for.
  • 02:00:11
    So it sounds to me like the first half of this meeting is going to be
  • 02:00:17
    essentially as we have done the community budget forum in the past where the public comes in and speaks and talks about anything they would like on the budget.
  • 02:00:26
    And then the second half of the meeting, it sounds like we're going to have a regular work session where council will have the discussions and make decisions on things such as CIP and schools and any other outstanding budget issues that they would want to bring up.
  • 02:00:38
    Is that how this is being structured at this point?
  • 02:00:41
    I just want to make sure that we're clear and know exactly what we need to be prepared to discuss and present and provide.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:00:47
    Well, I think in terms of decisions, we had set it up so that we could take that information first and have that we get from the public to see what's possible.
  • 02:01:01
    We have the two to one scheduled the next day for that reason, in terms of decision making.
  • 02:01:13
    I think what I'm hearing is that since we haven't necessarily had like the work session that we would have with the CIP because we talked to Dr. Atkins, we've had the general fund and any recommendations that we would have and that we pretty much know what they are.
  • 02:01:33
    And so we have not had a work session or
  • 02:01:43
    221 specifically on the CIP or like the vibrant community fund.
  • 02:01:47
    And I imagine when we get that information back from the budget team and human services for the vibrant community fund, we'll have a series of work sessions, like a work session 221 to try to work through that too.
  • 02:02:06
    So I'm just asking if we need to do that,
  • 02:02:10
    for the CIP.
  • 02:02:15
    And I'm trying to figure out if there's going to be an overview for CIP on Wednesday if just simply freezing, which has been the recommendation with staff working out some of the items and letting us know what can be and what can't be.
  • 02:02:36
    If you're looking for that information,
  • 02:02:41
    I think that we need to have maybe that part first.
  • 02:02:46
    But then I don't think it's enough time for people who may not be able to watch it during that meeting to then view it later and be prepared to make public comments on it.
  • 02:02:58
    So I'm a little maybe concerned about what
  • 02:03:08
    Like those long meetings, we're just going to lose people in that process, and I just don't want to do that.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:03:15
    Mayor Walker, can I interject just one thing in terms of timing?
  • 02:03:19
    So we have to get an ad in the paper by Sunday in order to be ready for the public hearing on May 18th.
  • 02:03:27
    So that means basically we need to have numbers ready tomorrow, no later than Wednesday morning to get to the daily progress in order for that ad to be published in time.
  • 02:03:38
    So that doesn't mean that you all can't make changes or that we can't make changes based on whatever the public feedback may or may not be.
  • 02:03:45
    I just want to clarify though that the ad, unless you clarify some things tonight, whatever's in the ad is sort of
  • 02:03:54
    will be what we've put forward to you so far.
  • 02:03:57
    And then any changes that you all wish to make from that would be amendments to that budget.
  • 02:04:03
    So just in terms of timing, we really are kind of down to the wire.
  • 02:04:06
    We have to get something to the paper no later than Wednesday morning.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:04:10
    So what kind of numbers?
  • 02:04:11
    Can you just give me a highlight of what is included in that ad?
  • 02:04:13
    So I don't understand how much flexibility we have.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:04:16
    So you have complete flexibility to change whatever you'd like as an amendment to the budget.
  • 02:04:23
    But basically, what would go in the paper are the numbers that we put forward to you with the expenditures and the revenues.
  • 02:04:31
    And the draft CIP that you have would be essentially what goes forward in the ad.
  • 02:04:36
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:04:43
    Because the other reason the CIP is important, for me, part of the test is just relative to the schools and the money the schools have in the CIP.
  • 02:04:52
    how that can be used to kind of bridge some gaps, recognizing there's a difference in operational capital, totally get it.
  • 02:04:57
    I just feel like all the information is somewhat tied together in my head.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:05:02
    So in terms of the schools and the CIP, one thing that may help is that the only school dollars that did not move forward, well actually it did move forward assuming they're keeping it in their operating budget, is the $200,000 for small cap.
  • 02:05:18
    The other school dollars are all bondable projects and they moved forward simply because we did move forward all the bondable projects.
  • 02:05:27
    So in terms of schools, unless the decision would, I mean, we can't use bonds to fund their operations.
  • 02:05:35
    So it would only be a question of that $200,000 in terms of the CIP.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:05:43
    Thank you.
  • 02:05:43
    That is helpful.
  • 02:05:47
    But Kristi, I'm going to just go there because now you're telling me how close we are to this.
  • 02:05:52
    If we are going to be funding any amount of the school's request above flat, you're saying that we're going to be digging into our reserves to do so, correct?
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:06:04
    The option would be, the easiest option is the reserve.
  • 02:06:08
    Anything other than the reserve means we need to go back and look at individual budgets to find that money.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:06:15
    And Chrissy, because Dr. Richardson, we discussed this, but that would be the money that we have put in reserves from the 20 budget from not funding some of the projects, correct?
  • 02:06:30
    So it wouldn't be tapping into reserves
  • 02:06:34
    that were pre-20 budget.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:06:37
    Correct.
  • 02:06:38
    Right.
  • 02:06:38
    So there's the transfer to the CIP, which was roughly $6.9 million.
  • 02:06:44
    And then, Ryan, do you have the number of how much?
  • 02:06:47
    There was some revenue growth in there.
  • 02:06:49
    So there was a little bit of cushion above the CIP transfer that gave you some extra money.
  • 02:06:56
    Not gave you extra money, but that made up the reserve, if you will.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 02:07:00
    at 6.1 from deferment of cash from the capital projects and another 1.8 million from changing the revenue and expenditures.
  • 02:07:09
    So that gave you a total of about 7.9 million.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:07:14
    Yes, that's correct.
  • 02:07:16
    And that's what you guys say, that amount in addition to the amount we've reduced from this coming fiscal year's budget from where we were two months ago is like the 13 million-ish
  • 02:07:26
    But dipping into that reserve too aggressively puts us at risk if there's not a great outlook on the economy longer term.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 02:07:35
    That's correct.
  • 02:07:37
    And as we said before, if the economy improves and things start looking up, that would be that priority list I was talking about with the city council in terms of what would be your priority one, two, three, and four.
  • 02:07:51
    If we do dip into that reserve fund because of our financial policies, one of the things that we want to do is make sure that we go back and fund that CIP, the dollars that we're using out of that CIP fund.
  • 02:08:07
    And then you could talk about the general fund.
  • 02:08:08
    Then you could talk about schools.
  • 02:08:09
    The list could go on, but that's based upon the city council priorities.
  • 02:08:13
    But the number one priority is to, if we utilize those funds,
  • 02:08:17
    how that reserve comes from the capital piece of it.
  • 02:08:20
    We want to make sure that we put that money back first.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:08:23
    But I think for the schools in terms of, you know, what was stated about their need for staff and if they are not
  • 02:08:43
    If we wait to allocate the funding later, then there will be staff who they will not have under contract, correct, for this upcoming year.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 02:08:56
    I know Kim Powell is somewhere on the line.
  • 02:08:59
    She could chime in for that, but I'm not sure.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:09:12
    Kim is on the line, Dr. Richardson.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 02:09:14
    Mayor Walker, would you like me to activate Kim Powell's microphone?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:09:18
    That's fine.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 02:09:22
    Kim, you're on with City Council.
  • 02:09:24
    Can you go ahead?
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:09:27
    So, the mayor is correct that with the type of deficit that we shared with you all this past week when we were talking about our budget,
  • 02:09:39
    If we have to make additional adjustments beyond the million plus that we already talked to you about us cutting with our non-discretionary increases, if we don't get the additional funding, personnel would definitely be affected and we do have to make those decisions.
  • 02:09:57
    We make those decisions before July 1st.
  • 02:10:02
    Kim, you guys did receive a million dollars in CARES Fund, correct?
  • 02:10:06
    We did, but the issue with that money is that we also are going to be having sales tax and lottery reductions.
  • 02:10:15
    We don't know exactly how much those are, but from our preliminary estimates could easily be in excess of the CARES money that we're slated to receive.
  • 02:10:24
    So if we take that money and bank on it for positions, then we are
  • 02:10:34
    As we fall short of revenue going through the year, once the year starts because of the sales tax and the lottery, I guess we'd be coming to you all.
  • 02:10:47
    So did I hear correctly?
  • 02:10:49
    Are you all wanting Dr. Atkins or someone from the schools to present on Wednesday, or do we just need to send you our information?
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 02:10:57
    No, the discussion I had with Dr. Adkins was that she was going to present on Wednesday to talk about the school's budget.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:11:06
    Great.
  • 02:11:08
    So I guess what I'm hearing is that we need to, council needs to either make a decision of whether we are going to, based on Ms.
  • 02:11:17
    Shelton's comment, whether we are going to support, what's the amount, Chrissy?
  • 02:11:25
    Is it 1.3?
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:11:27
    Yes, that was the additional that the schools asked for over what we have in the budget.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:11:34
    So Ms.
  • 02:11:34
    Shelton, do you have a recommendation that you would like for us to think about or is
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:11:47
    My recommendation is that they move forward to using that CARES money because that's why it's allocated to the schools is to help the predicaments of not getting rid of staff.
  • 02:11:59
    And as Dr. Richardson mentioned earlier, if they start to fall shortfall for revenues, they come back to the city and then we can address that issue with their sales tax.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:12:10
    So then our reserves will still be there.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:12:13
    Our reserves will still be there.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:12:16
    And is Dr. Atkins, is she somewhere on the line?
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:12:21
    I do not see her on the list.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:12:25
    One other comment, if I may, Mayor Walker.
  • 02:12:29
    Of the $1.3 million, $468,000 or $486,000, sorry, I don't have the number right in front of me, but that's actually, it's additional, I understand that you all view that as additional funding, but it's a reappropriation of the money that was
  • 02:12:46
    It's in our current appropriation this year for the gifted program changes that were made and that all funds personnel.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:12:55
    Has that not been added yet?
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:12:57
    No, I mean we were told to present our request as if that wasn't part of our current appropriation in any way.
  • 02:13:07
    I think that we've gone round and round on that but anyway I just wanted to mention that.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:13:13
    We asked them to put it that way.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:13:15
    Yeah, I know, I know.
  • 02:13:16
    So that amount plus $300,000 or $1.3 million is what we need to consider.
  • 02:13:20
    Once it's included in the $1.3 million, that $400,000 and some thousand is included in the $1.3 million.
  • 02:13:25
    Well, I know, but if it's so
  • 02:13:39
    Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out, like, if per Ms.
  • 02:13:42
    Shelton's request, the CARES funding, then we would be looking at the program that we allocated, which we knew last year that it wouldn't be one-time funding, and then an additional $300,000.
  • 02:13:56
    What is that total?
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:14:00
    That's too much.
  • 02:14:02
    The money for the gift that was $468,000, that's included in the 1.3 that she's speaking of.
  • 02:14:10
    If they used a million dollars, then we would just be liable for the remaining $300,000.
  • 02:14:15
    That's right.
  • 02:14:15
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:14:21
    Yeah, I understand that, but I think what she's saying also is that if they had been able to roll that money in as was expected to, then they, if we give them the money that was allocated to them in 20, it would include that 400,000, whatever.
• • 02:14:40
    468.
  • 02:14:40
    468.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:14:40
    468.
  • 02:14:40
    The 468 is a given.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:14:50
    I am strongly because when we had our 221s I got the impression that that million dollars from CARES that they were then recognizing was going to be an issue on the other end was from information they've gotten across the state and that was like maybe not even the most conservative estimate and so I don't want to set them up that way.
  • 02:15:09
    I'm not comfortable with that.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:15:11
    You're not setting them up, though, Councilman Hill.
  • 02:15:15
    We're giving them the option to come back later on in the year if they need additional funding.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:15:19
    But they're already cutting a million from what they really would like to ask us for based on the information that was shared with us.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:15:27
    I'm lost because they're asking for 1.3.
  • 02:15:30
    So what million?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:15:31
    Because they're cutting a million on their side, too, which includes, who knows?
  • 02:15:35
    I mean, I'm hopeful we're going to have more information on that on Wednesday.
  • 02:15:39
    But they're already cutting a million.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:15:44
    So I think that, I mean, either I understand that if giving $768,000 would not have the schools cut any other, anything other from their budget, I support that.
  • 02:16:07
    If the schools fill what?
  • 02:16:11
    like just having the 768 is insufficient and that's other than if we are committing to whatever that difference is if the sales tax are lower and the governor said today that some things are opening back up so maybe it's not going to be but that maybe it's higher because
  • 02:16:39
    you know things are working out better which I don't think is the route that I would go with that but I don't have any control over that and none of us do either so since we are scheduled to reopen some things and to go through these one through three phasing then I understand
  • 02:16:58
    that point also, but I'm not like tied to I guess either way.
  • 02:17:06
    As long as we commit to giving them up to the 1.3 if they need it, I'm comfortable with starting with the 768.
  • 02:17:13
    If there's some reason to reconsider that, I'm open to hearing that too.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:17:23
    The 760 you're talking about is basically the balance plus the four, whatever it is, that adds up to 13.
  • 02:17:29
    I'm just confused.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:17:30
    I think what I hear Ms.
  • 02:17:33
    Shelton saying is that instead of them being able to hold their CARES funding in reserves, that we would ask them to see how much of that they would need
  • 02:17:50
    based on the fact of whether the sales tax income will come in every month, quarter, whenever it comes in.
  • 02:17:57
    I know they say that it comes in throughout the year.
  • 02:18:00
    And that if it's lower than they usually get or what is, I guess, considered normal or to keep them stable, that we would be committing to funding that additional money
  • 02:18:18
    to help them stabilize throughout the year.
  • 02:18:22
    And my only question is, would the 768 be sufficient for them to extend all the contracts to teachers and the other contractual agreements with services that they may need to get the year started?
  • 02:18:43
    If that's the case,
  • 02:18:45
    then, you know, I hear what, you know, I hear everyone.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:18:57
    I'm also sure to share, you know, the discussion with Dr. Atkins since she's not on the line with us right now.
  • 02:19:05
    And I wanted to mention that in response to Ms.
  • 02:19:07
    Shelton's question about how could we be cutting and still asking for more money, one of the slides in the
  • 02:19:14
    presentation that we used when we met with the counselors of one on, you know, two on one and whatnot last week was there's some non-discretionary cost increases that we have to address.
  • 02:19:25
    And so we basically, we didn't cut quite enough to meet all of those, but it was health insurance, VRS, and then some telecom and IT security, just things that were critical or non-discretionary.
  • 02:19:37
    They were detailed out.
  • 02:19:38
    And I'll make sure, I'm just curious, did you all get an email from,
  • 02:19:42
    My office with the slides from those discussions, did you all get those?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:19:47
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:19:47
    Okay, I just wanted to make sure, thanks.
  • 02:19:49
    From before we met, you mean?
  • 02:19:51
    Was it before?
  • 02:19:52
    Okay.
  • 02:19:53
    I think we got them ahead of our meetings, yes.
  • 02:19:55
    Okay, there may be some small updates to that, but I just want to make sure you get the latest.
  • 02:20:00
    Okay, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:20:01
    No, I did.
  • 02:20:02
    I think I remember getting an update email with the new figures the way that we had discussed so that other counselors would understand the impact that the gift program not being in the, that it was amended in your budget, but we allocated the funds in a different process from our budget and why
  • 02:20:27
    you know and the expectation that it would continue here because there were staff positions hired for that.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:20:33
    There weren't any changes after that so thank except for us working on how to accomplish our cuts that's what we've been working on since then.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:20:40
    Right and I think at what point Kim do you think we can talk about what can you share that with us because a million dollars to come just it'd be helpful for us to have the information.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:20:50
    I understand.
  • 02:20:52
    Let me talk with Dr. Atkins because I'm not sure where she stands in presenting that to the school board members, and I have to make sure that they have had a chance to review and weigh in on those details.
  • 02:21:02
    As you know, the meeting's Thursday, but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been communications with them.
  • 02:21:07
    I just haven't necessarily been part of all of that.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:21:12
    So Kim, I'm just trying to figure, so you are saying that you all would have to cut additional, something else if we allocated in the other direction, like the 768 and then allocated the rest based on need?
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:21:33
    So I think there's a couple parts to that.
  • 02:21:36
    So obviously, you know, the CARES money is something that if we,
  • 02:21:43
    We're told not to use it to hedge against potential future revenue loss and to go ahead and preserve positions with that.
  • 02:21:49
    If the superintendent of the board wanted to go there, then the 768, I mean, it could work, but those are big decisions that I'm certainly not at liberty to make.
  • 02:22:00
    And then I think that what the comments tonight, I don't know how many board members may be on the call, but those are things that the decision makers for the school system
  • 02:22:11
    which I'm just below those folks, but they need to hear that and hear your intentions and wishes for how to navigate all of the uncertainty ahead.
  • 02:22:19
    We have two revenue vulnerabilities, by the way, sales tax and lottery.
  • 02:22:23
    Lottery sales are down about 30% as of March.
  • 02:22:26
    That's a huge funding source for us.
  • 02:22:28
    And again, that could start to hit us this year before June 30th.
  • 02:22:33
    But yeah, and the other piece, and it's not,
  • 02:22:37
    As big as the Cares money, but at $200,000, we contribute to small cap.
  • 02:22:43
    If you guys are telling us to press pause on that, and I'm not saying that's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, but I know that's been discussed and I don't know what the position is of the city on that small cap contribution.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:23:03
    I recall at the school meeting that there was about $992,000 that the school board was looking at cutting, even if we gave 1.3 million.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:23:15
    That's correct.
  • 02:23:18
    That's correct.
  • 02:23:19
    And that's what we've been, the details of how to facilitate those cuts and try to preserve employment in some way for folks and find other positions, attrition, retirements, all that.
  • 02:23:29
    That's been a lot of our work since we last talked.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:23:34
    All right, thank you.
  • 02:23:35
    So I guess this is where we are tonight.
  • 02:23:38
    Based on the timeline that we just got from budget, we would either need to decide whether we were going to do any additional funding for schools.
  • 02:23:52
    And I think what I've heard from everyone is a yes, but if there's a, you know,
  • 02:23:58
    No, I guess we'll hear that in just a second and whether we want to push for the entire 1.3 tonight or we want to have that discussion on Wednesday or do the 768 tonight.
  • 02:24:14
    And I think we should at least do something just so that the numbers that go into the paper and especially the score 68 if we do nothing else,
  • 02:24:24
    to just, you know, at least address that tonight.
  • 02:24:30
    So what are your thoughts there?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:24:35
    It's hard to know without understanding what the cuts they're already having because that helps to inform what the next level of cuts would look like if we don't give them the 1-3.
  • 02:24:45
    And I understand where Ms.
  • 02:24:46
    Shelton's coming from.
  • 02:24:48
    I also just see that, as I've said before, we need to be setting our school system up for the greatest success coming out of this in a recovery mode.
  • 02:24:58
    And I'm biased.
  • 02:25:00
    I'm a parent of three kids in this, and I can see firsthand the impact this is having on our community and how important it's going to be to come out of this stronger.
  • 02:25:09
    So I'm comfortable with the one three coming from our reserve.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 02:25:21
    A couple days ago I had asked Todd Divers and Jason Vandiver to give me some better understanding of how
  • 02:25:32
    how solid I guess the numbers are that go into the coming up with the contingency that the budget has, in particular because I've been concerned that I think that the meals tax and the lodging tax shortfalls may well be greater than what is being budgeted.
  • 02:25:51
    And I got an email back from them this afternoon, at least from Todd,
  • 02:25:56
    It basically says they feel comfortable despite the way things have been shaping up so far with meals payments down 58%, lodging payments down 68%.
  • 02:26:08
    Some of that includes money that has been filed but not yet paid, which gets them close to the projection of being down 50% for both of them for the month of March.
  • 02:26:23
    Obviously the key question is how does this trend continue into April and May and when does it begin to start swinging back up?
  • 02:26:31
    But they said, Todd said, we ran several scenarios, some were more pessimistic than the city manager's scenario in the budget, but at this point we are comfortable with the seven million dollar contingency the budget has set aside to cover any further downside, including a scenario where UVA does not open until January.
  • 02:26:51
    We should emphasize that if council starts spending that reserve, though, those are the same dollars that are set aside for further revenue shortfalls.
  • 02:26:59
    So if there is a belief that things will be worse than you're now predicting, you folks should probably leave the reserve funds alone.
  • 02:27:07
    If we decide we're going to take $768,000 out of the reserve, that brings $7.9 million down to $7.1 million.
  • 02:27:18
    If we decide we're going to fully fund, well not fully, but more completely funded by going to $1.3 million, now our contingency fund is down to about $6.6 million.
  • 02:27:29
    So obviously none of us knows at this point what the next few months are going to
  • 02:27:36
    are going to show, I guess the question is, do we think we've got more flexibility if things really go to hell than the schools have?
  • 02:27:46
    If we think we've got more flexibility and more things that we could cut without adversely affecting something as important as the education of our kids, then maybe it's a risk that we want to take rather than to foist off on the school system.
  • 02:28:03
    I don't know.
  • 02:28:04
    I say that not because I've got an answer, but simply that those are the sorts of things I'm tossing over in my mind.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:28:11
    No, and I agree.
  • 02:28:12
    I think that on Friday when we had our two-two-ones with the directors, it was really helpful to kind of hear the, you know, the sacrifices that are having me made by holding a flat budget, but I still do believe we have more flexibility than the schools in this case without them
  • 02:28:27
    really dealing with positions of people.
  • 02:28:29
    And again, I can't reinforce enough.
  • 02:28:31
    I just think that those positions are going to be even more important than they are today when kids are back in school.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:28:41
    Yeah.
  • 02:28:42
    I just think that what we heard from our departments also is that we have to view all of our
  • 02:28:57
    you know, funding potentials.
  • 02:28:59
    I know, you know, we just voted on amending the Cures Act, you know, the COVID-19 funding into the CDBG and home funding.
  • 02:29:11
    And so that money is going out.
  • 02:29:14
    So unless some new money, you know, then we are not holding that and it's being spent.
  • 02:29:24
    I just I hear you, Lloyd.
  • 02:29:28
    I just would hate that, you know, we are telling, you know,
  • 02:29:33
    our employees too, because I would like to look at this as, and I've shared this in our two-to-ones and in the conversations with Dr. Atkins, just to make sure that we understand that we are preparing to be able to look at everything holistically and not just making, and not saying who or what is more important than other people.
  • 02:30:02
    I agree.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:30:05
    I think we all agree that staffing is important on both sides.
  • 02:30:08
    And I feel really optimistic that right now I wasn't hearing from our staffs that there was going to be staffing implications for what those holding flat was going to be this year.
  • 02:30:18
    Maybe they weren't going to fill some positions, which we understand.
  • 02:30:21
    And I feel the same way for the schools.
  • 02:30:23
    And I just think it's super important that we're maintaining their staffing levels.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:30:29
    Well, I can just say that I asked those questions during my two-to-ones and that it hasn't, we don't know yet what, you know, they couldn't
  • 02:30:41
    say what the impacts would be if they had to cut at this time, because it's not a factor that they've considered.
  • 02:30:51
    And that they all said that they would look at that.
  • 02:30:54
    There were a few departments, especially social services.
  • 02:31:02
    Ms.
  • 02:31:02
    Couplio said that it would be,
  • 02:31:06
    like really detrimental to her department for any cuts to happen.
  • 02:31:14
    So I don't think that that is something that our staff has worked through, has worked through yet based on.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:31:20
    I asked everybody.
  • 02:31:21
    No, no.
  • 02:31:22
    If we were to have to go deeper, I agree.
  • 02:31:24
    I'm just saying if we're holding flat level of funding for our staff, that was what I was getting at.
  • 02:31:28
    And right now, it's just clear the schools can't maintain their staffing with level funding right now.
  • 02:31:37
    That's what I've taken away.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:31:42
    That's not, so did Dr. Atkins, is she planning on getting on the call?
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:31:48
    I just was texting with her.
  • 02:31:50
    She was trying and she was having some difficulty, but I can ask her to join now.
  • 02:31:55
    Let me see, let me see if I can get her.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 02:31:57
    Mayor, that was part of the conversation that she was going to be having on Wednesday with the council.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:32:02
    That's correct.
  • 02:32:03
    We're just urgent now because we realize what Chrissy is talking about with this ad in the paper.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:32:11
    But we can also amend anything, too, even regardless of what it's put in the paper.
  • 02:32:16
    That is correct.
  • 02:32:18
    It sounds like most people, at least, OK, but I'm getting the impression that at least 769,000 is on the table. 68.
  • 02:32:32
    768,000 minimum.
  • 02:32:33
    Right Ryan is that the amount?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:32:39
    The 468 was the was for the gifted teachers anything that you and then what's the three I think we were where we were going with that was that anything over a million dollars in that
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 02:32:51
    because they're the 1.3.
  • 02:32:53
    Yeah, that was, Matt, that you guys were doing and adding up there.
  • 02:32:56
    The 468 was for the gifted teachers that was done as part of mid-year in FY20.
  • 02:33:04
    And then there was the additional, in their presentation to us, there was the additional 875 that they were asking for the city to fill, which got to a total of like 1.34 million somewhere in that neighborhood.
  • 02:33:18
    and then there was the separate issue of the million dollars, the million dollars plus of CARES funding and then what they were projecting as potential revenue loss for sales tax and now I'm hearing lottery sales.
  • 02:33:34
    So those were kind of two separate issues.
  • 02:33:37
    So I guess we only had a million of their own cuts on top of that.
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:33:40
    I think where you got the 768 was probably taking, we were asking for 1.3 and if you take the 468 for gifted,
  • 02:33:48
    and the 300,000 that's kind of ended up ancillary, that leaves the roughly million that can be taken care of, that could be, that kind of lines up with our CARES, what we've been told is our CARES allocation.
  • 02:34:01
    I'm guessing that as I was following along, that's what I was thinking the same, 68 maybe what that was based on.
  • 02:34:07
    And that's- And that's what I was just asking, is that number correct?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:34:11
    Because I was just basing it off of that.
  • 02:34:13
    Is it something that I'm not considering?
• • SPEAKER_13
  • 02:34:16
    I follow that.
  • 02:34:17
    I follow that, I understand.
  • 02:34:21
    Again, I have to be so careful because I can't speak for the board, nor Dr. Atkins.
  • 02:34:26
    She's trying to get on.
  • 02:34:27
    Brian, could you email a link to Dr. Atkins?
  • 02:34:30
    I don't know if she pre-registered and if that's why she's not on the list.
  • 02:34:34
    I'm not sure why she's having trouble pointing, but Brian, if you could send her a link, that'd be great.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 02:34:38
    I will, thank you.
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:34:45
    So Mayor Walker, from their presentation last week, their gap was $1,872,000.
  • 02:34:50
    And they were requesting from the city the $468,000 for the gifted teachers and another $875,000 to cover other expenses, still leaving them with a remaining gap of $997,000, which is approximately a million bucks.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:35:13
    What you are saying could be met through the CARES funding?
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 02:35:18
    That could be met through the CARES funding provided the city gives the 1.3.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:35:30
    I can tell my personal side is I'm having a really hard time not okaying the 1.3, but again I also understand that I am a parent
  • 02:35:43
    of a kid at Walker right now.
  • 02:35:46
    So I'm struggling with this.
  • 02:35:50
    OK.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:35:55
    Well, Councilor Payne, what are your thoughts while we're waiting on Dr. Atkins to chime in?
• • Michael Payne
  • 02:36:06
    Well, I don't know.
  • 02:36:08
    I mean, it's something I've thought a lot about.
  • 02:36:09
    I mean, I think for me,
  • 02:36:12
    Some of the considerations are, one, I think we all understand we're at the point in the budget process where
  • 02:36:19
    Any decision we make, any cut we make will correspond to having to cut something that someone can reasonably say what you are cutting is having a negative material effect on something that's really important.
  • 02:36:34
    And we're at the point where there's no good choices, only good decisions, as I heard someone say the other day.
  • 02:36:45
    In terms of just thinking about the risk of the decisions we make, I worry that over the next six months to a year that if we see demand destruction in the economy at large and revenues don't kick back up.
  • 02:37:02
    I mean, like Georgia opened up their economy, and I think sales were 10% of what they were normally.
  • 02:37:09
    And just thinking about like a year from now,
  • 02:37:13
    It's much better to be in a position where if things do get better, we can go back in amendments and add things in rather than be in a position where we've spent too much and we have to go back in amendments and make cuts.
  • 02:37:25
    And I'm not necessarily that optimistic about what the economy is going to look like six months to a year from now, but that's just sort of thinking overall about the budget.
  • 02:37:38
    and I think any, you know, like if we're allocating money to schools, I mean, we've got to also have the discussion of what is the corresponding cut that goes along with that, unless I guess, I don't know, unless we're just taking out of the reserve and hoping that, you know, we don't end up actually needing all of it.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:37:57
    So, I mean, to answer your, a short answer to your question would be is that you're basically cutting your CIP.
  • 02:38:07
    because you're taking the cash transfer to the CIP to set up the reserve and we have, you know, about a million eight, I believe, over top of giving a million three to the schools only leaves you a very small cushion before you literally are giving up cash funded projects on the CIP side.
• • Michael Payne
  • 02:38:27
    and, you know, I'm sure we can go through those more depth, but I mean, that includes things like not funding the beginning phases of redevelopment of Friendship Court and many other very important CIP projects.
  • 02:38:40
    And I just think, because that's a cash funded CIP project.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:38:42
    That should be included, right?
  • 02:38:44
    That shouldn't be included in this.
  • 02:38:47
    That's bondable.
• • Michael Payne
  • 02:38:48
    No, Friendship Court.
  • 02:38:49
    No, not Friendship Court.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:38:52
    It's cash.
  • 02:38:52
    It's cash.
  • 02:38:53
    Sorry, that's cash, sorry.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 02:38:55
    And so just to be clear, the Friendship Court, there were big dollars that were approved in the 20 CIP for that.
  • 02:39:03
    There was about $400,000 that was originally included, or just under $400,000 that was originally included in the 21 budget.
  • 02:39:10
    And then there's a big cash contribution in 22 and 24 for that project.
  • 02:39:20
    For one, we're delaying $400,000 now with not funding the CIP.
  • 02:39:24
    We're delaying $400,000 that they needed for that project.
  • 02:39:29
    In addition to new funding for CAF and the rehab on the CAF side as well.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:39:36
    And that's why I think it's important what Councilor Hill was saying earlier about having that broader discussion because
  • 02:39:45
    You know, per my conversations with Sunshine, he feels like that they would be in a situation where they would be able to continue.
  • 02:39:56
    And we wouldn't have wanted them to do all of this work, especially with the equity-related issues, and then not be able to move forward.
  • 02:40:06
    So even if we are saying that we are freezing,
  • 02:40:13
    that we have to be open to if during this time they just like we're gonna I guess have that conversation about what other developers can continue building during this time if PHA is one of those projects based on them trying to meet the needs of you know people 60% AMI
  • 02:40:37
    then we would need to figure out how to support them.
  • 02:40:41
    And I understand that the economy may fully crash and we may not be able to do a lot of things.
  • 02:40:49
    And at this point, that is not something that we should just write off.
• • Michael Payne
  • 02:40:55
    Well, I only bring it up to
  • 02:40:58
    For me, because when I'm thinking about it is just like, again, like that's just one particular cash funded CIP project.
  • 02:41:04
    And again, as was mentioned, that's one that's been put off and the amount of money in it is already put off this year.
  • 02:41:11
    And so we'll ramp up even further.
  • 02:41:12
    And I think we just have to have honest conversations about the implications of any decisions we make from a holistic perspective.
  • 02:41:23
    and realize any decision we make now could potentially have impacts two, three, four years from now, and we just need to be brutally honest about that.
  • 02:41:37
    I know it doesn't provide much clarity of what I'm thinking one way or the other, but it's something that I'm thinking through is just what are the maybe unanticipated impacts of any decision we make thinking longer term.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:41:51
    And I agree, and I certainly share that process.
  • 02:41:55
    I think when I think about schools specifically, I think about the number of people that impacts.
  • 02:42:00
    Obviously, it impacts our students.
  • 02:42:02
    It also impacts our staff.
  • 02:42:04
    And I just like all the work they've been doing around equity and to expanding programming to include more students.
  • 02:42:10
    I mean, that comes at a cost that I think is a cost that we have all invested in and want to see continue because it could very quickly take us 10 years back.
  • 02:42:21
    and so there's just a return on that and this is the future of this community as our students and so I'm very passionate about this and I'll continue to be passionate about it but at the same time might be outvoted by I still feel that we should be looking at that 1.3 but I do think that we have Dr. Atkins on the call.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:42:38
    Yes I'm on.
  • 02:42:40
    Hi Dr. Atkins how are you?
  • 02:42:43
    Mayor Walker how are you tonight?
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:42:46
    pretty good.
  • 02:42:47
    So we were just having a discussion trying to figure out, we know that we need
  • 02:42:54
    the 468 and we fully understand that.
  • 02:42:58
    But we were just wanting to know your thoughts around whether if we asked you to use the million dollars up front and that if the sales tax
  • 02:43:17
    the decrease in sales and lottery tax that you all think you all, that may impact you, that you would then come back to us for funding up to that 1.3 million.
  • 02:43:30
    Would that be a scenario that would work?
  • 02:43:33
    And just if not, if you could just let us know why.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:43:38
    That's a good question.
  • 02:43:40
    And Mayor Walker, we did get an update.
  • 02:43:42
    I think it was either Thursday or Friday of last week.
  • 02:43:44
    I'm trying to pull up the email.
  • 02:43:47
    but I think we're scheduled to receive in the CARES funding about $1.2 million.
  • 02:43:53
    When we talked last week, I thought it was going to be 1,047, but it's actually 1.2 million.
  • 02:44:01
    And I can certainly, right now we have cut a little over $1 million out of our budget.
  • 02:44:08
    And I met with the board in closed session to talk specifically about personnel.
  • 02:44:14
    and how we would cut that one million.
  • 02:44:18
    Certainly if the council asked him and our board agrees, we could use that $1.2 million to cover some of the gap that remains and then with the understanding that we would have to come back to city council, if the lottery funds are reduced, we would notify last week that there's a strong potential that lottery funds will be reduced also.
  • 02:44:44
    and the sales tax revenue declines.
• • SPEAKER_21
  • 02:44:49
    So if you use the $1.2 million, how much would the request from us be?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:44:59
    If I use the total $1.2 million, it would be $100,000 and implement the $1 million in cuts that we have planned.
  • 02:45:13
    Our total deficit is 2.3 million.
  • 02:45:18
    And the cut of our staff or just new programming?
  • 02:45:23
    It is, what we're trying to do is cut out.
  • 02:45:27
    It's not new programming.
  • 02:45:29
    And I hate to give too much detail because we have not notified any staff about any changes whatsoever.
  • 02:45:37
    We're gonna be cautious that we don't,
  • 02:45:43
    I'd like to always be able to talk with staff first before we announce any specific cuts.
  • 02:45:49
    But the cut does involve programming and programming the staff connected with the programs.
  • 02:45:57
    However, what we are planning to do is I've frozen all positions, all hiring, and to absorb as many of those personnel as we can through attrition.
  • 02:46:12
    reassignment and attrition.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:46:19
    It looks like Mayor Walker had a slight emergency.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 02:46:28
    Might I suggest Vice Mayor Magill that we call a brief recess?
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:46:37
    I agree.
  • 02:46:38
    I'm going to call a 10 minute recess.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:46:43
    Dr. Atkins, please still hang on for us.
  • 02:46:46
    Thank you.
• • 02:50:13
    I'm
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:56:06
    Hi.
  • 02:56:08
    Is Ms.
  • 02:56:11
    Councillor Payne, Councillor Snook, Councillor Hill, are you available?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:56:22
    Councillor Hill is here.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:56:26
    I'm Councillor Payne as I just hung up with him.
• • Michael Payne
  • 02:56:29
    I'm here.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:56:30
    Excellent.
  • 02:56:31
    Councillor Snook?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 02:56:35
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:56:37
    I'm going to call this meeting back to order.
  • 02:56:41
    We had just left with Dr. Atkins speaking.
  • 02:56:44
    Dr. Atkins, are you still available?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:56:51
    Yes, ma'am.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 02:56:52
    Yes.
  • 02:56:54
    Did anybody have any further questions for Dr. Atkins?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:57:00
    I don't want to spend too much time.
  • 02:57:03
    Just to be clear, there's so many numbers going around.
  • 02:57:07
    The $1.2 million goes to the CARES, it comes from the CARES and goes directly to your operational pieces.
  • 02:57:14
    You were saying that it's like another $100,000 bridge, but then there's still the million that you're cutting.
  • 02:57:19
    And I'm sorry, this is when things got a little confused.
  • 02:57:23
    What are you comfortable sharing?
  • 02:57:25
    You said that there was a, you just were giving it a high level, and I understand it has to be at a high level at this point.
  • 02:57:29
    Could you just repeat again that last piece?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:57:33
    I've identified a little over $1 million in cuts.
  • 02:57:51
    And because it involves personnel and I have not spoken.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:57:59
    And then what are your thoughts on the approach of
  • 02:58:02
    taking like leaning on the CARES funding, knowing that we could come back and revisit if what you expect is going to happen with the sales tax, all the other inputs and lottery fall through.
  • 02:58:16
    How do you feel about the approach of us kind of revisiting that down the road versus addressing it now?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 02:58:24
    I think it's an easy fix is to use the CARES dollars now.
  • 02:58:31
    but the potential for us having to come back to council to request additional funding could happen as early as July 2020.
  • 02:58:41
    Once we get a better indication of what our sales tax revenue will look like, the 1% that we receive at the schools, we could be back before city council and this would be, we receive those dollars monthly
  • 02:59:01
    So it may not be a one-time request.
  • 02:59:05
    It may be a multiple request that we would have to make.
  • 02:59:10
    I am very uncomfortable moving forward a budget that I know has the potential to be unbalanced as soon as the FY21 year starts.
  • 02:59:25
    And by CODA Virginia, I cannot move forward a budget unless it is balanced at the time that it is passed, but almost immediately.
  • 02:59:35
    It has the potential to be unbalanced.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 02:59:37
    So can I ask on the flip side, let's say that we lean in and we say we're going to go ahead with the 1.3 now, but that the CARES, it ends up that you actually don't have the net that you're expecting you're going to have, and it actually ends up in your favor.
  • 02:59:53
    I guess we could work through that, what that looks like to have that come back to the city's reserves, because I don't know if you heard the conversation we were at, but these dollars are going to come from our reserves and are kind of our cushion for how we
  • 03:00:03
    can kind of work our way through this crisis.
  • 03:00:05
    And so there is some risk for us dipping into that reserve.
  • 03:00:11
    It is.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 03:00:12
    And I want to work with city council, school board and city council.
  • 03:00:17
    I'd like to be able to sit with the school board and discuss this and what our options are.
  • 03:00:26
    But I do understand that city council has some limits just as a school division does.
  • 03:00:33
    And I'm willing to do what we need to do in order to move all of this forward.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:00:38
    So it sounds like you're going to be presenting on Wednesday during our work session.
  • 03:00:45
    Is that the right approach?
  • 03:00:48
    Yes.
  • 03:00:50
    and the reason we were getting on this tonight is because we found out from our staff that the advertising it's going to go in actually the numbers are such that knowing this component and how we feel as a council on it would be helpful but I don't think that right now with not the full council on board we're gonna have to discuss this after we finish up just to figure out what our next steps might be because we do have more time than this it's just we have to make some amendments to do that unless there is a consensus among council on the approach
  • 03:01:17
    So thank you for answering our question.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 03:01:18
    I can tell you that our CARES Act, the total dollar amount would be $1,204,810.
  • 03:01:23
    That's what the CARES is looking like.
  • 03:01:26
    So that's really right at $1,205,000.
  • 03:01:28
    Are there any further questions?
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:01:49
    Not a question, but just to get back to someone I said earlier in Counselor Hill's remark, for me, trying to fund the schools is definitely a priority.
  • 03:02:00
    And it's not just this area.
  • 03:02:01
    It's any decision.
  • 03:02:03
    It's hard for me.
  • 03:02:04
    I want to have a
  • 03:02:06
    a clear understanding of exactly the trade-offs of any decision that's made.
  • 03:02:10
    And it's just hard to evaluate decisions just because there's so much uncertainty.
  • 03:02:14
    I don't have clarity of exactly any decision we make in anywhere exactly what the trade-off is, which I also understand is just the reality of the moment.
  • 03:02:26
    But it's something I'm trying to think through with not just this, but any budget decision exactly.
  • 03:02:34
    even just you know not the immediate trade-offs but some of the the midterm trade-offs as well especially if you know the economy doesn't rebound as expected.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:02:48
    But I guess Dr. Atkins if she's still on there'll be more clarity around some of the trade-offs as Counselor Payne mentioned after your school board meeting on Thursday?
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 03:02:59
    It will when I present on Wednesday I'll go over
  • 03:03:03
    We've rolled back our budget.
  • 03:03:05
    We're starting with FY20 and so all of the requests, almost all of the requests that we have made for FY21 we have removed from the budget.
  • 03:03:17
    So any salary adjustments other than additional personnel based on enrollment we have taken out of the budget.
  • 03:03:28
    The only
  • 03:03:29
    Thank you, Kim.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:03:58
    At the very least, like by Wednesday, we're going to get some information.
  • 03:04:01
    Then you'll have a school board meeting on Thursday, and then we'll probably have to maybe even revisit it again.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 03:04:05
    And Council Person Hill, certainly if the Council would like to hear specific cuts with the go-in closed session, then I could certainly give you those cuts.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:04:21
    okay that's good to have an option that we can discuss just because as counselor Payne said it's it's really about understanding like what those trade-offs are and so as much as I understand the 1.3 is what you're asking I also understand there is another million beyond that and it's important for us to know what that entails so we'll circle back if that's something that we can schedule or if that's a desire of counsel thank you thank you dr. Atkins um
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:04:53
    So as a council, we need to determine what we want to go forward, what we want to direct the finance team to go forward with for the advertisement for Wednesday morning.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:05:09
    So what numbers do they need, Chrissy, Ryan?
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 03:05:12
    I mean, honestly, at this point,
  • 03:05:17
    What we have presented to you previously is what would move forward in the ad.
  • 03:05:22
    There have been some slight modifications with what we've received from some contractual agencies and some other minor adjustments.
  • 03:05:30
    But in gist, it would be what we've shown you in the past, and then
  • 03:05:34
    After that, if no decision is made tonight, then anything that would be changed from that would be an amendment.
  • 03:05:42
    And it would be a council amendment that can be made, but you would have to, and Mr. Blair can weigh in on this one, but any amendment that would be made would have to be officially voted on as an amendment to the appropriation.
  • 03:05:59
    And then, I'm not sure of the logistics, I'd let Mr. Blair weigh in on that one.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:06:05
    Sure.
  • 03:06:05
    Well, let's just talk the basic timeline and frame here.
  • 03:06:10
    The ad will be in the paper this Sunday, May the 10th.
  • 03:06:17
    The May 18th council meeting is your public hearing, and that provides you the opportunity to obviously hear more from the public, but also after you hear from the public, you can have further discussions on May 18th.
  • 03:06:34
    Budget adoption in the appropriations ordinance is set for your first meeting in June.
  • 03:06:40
    So the numbers that are advertised in the paper on Sunday, they're to guide the public hearing discussion that you will have on May 18th.
  • 03:06:54
    At that May 18th meeting, once you've heard from the public, you can then begin to take a look at those numbers and make motions to amend them.
  • 03:07:02
    and you will have even further opportunities to amend because June 1st is when you actually can adopt the budget and your appropriations.
  • 03:07:12
    So if between May 18th and your first meeting in June the council wanted at that first meeting in June to amend their budget and appropriations before it adopted it, it could.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:07:26
    That's helpful.
  • 03:07:27
    I was thinking we're amending the adaptive budget at this point if we don't go lockstep.
  • 03:07:31
    So we have a lot more flexibility.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:07:33
    And that's, again, a different question.
  • 03:07:37
    You're going to adopt your budget at your first meeting in June.
• • SPEAKER_08
  • 03:07:42
    Yeah.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:07:43
    Now, obviously, as Councillor Snokes pointed out with revenues and others have talked about with expenditures tonight, after July 1, depending on the economic climate,
  • 03:07:58
    You may have to amend that budget you adopt for fiscal year 21, either increasing expenditures or decreasing expenditures.
  • 03:08:10
    And as I stated at your previous meeting, the trigger there for a public hearing is would a new expenditure exceed 1% of the general fund budget?
  • 03:08:22
    If it does, then there has to be a public hearing on that amendment.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:08:27
    And that would be roughly $1.9 million.
  • 03:08:30
    Yes, sir.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:08:33
    And I'll just throw this out there.
  • 03:08:37
    I don't know what, if any, impact it could have on the budget.
  • 03:08:39
    But when it comes to expenditures.
  • 03:08:41
    Without your budget, that's your first meeting in June.
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 03:08:46
    Now, obviously, as council members.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:08:49
    There must be a delay on someone's presentation of this.
  • 03:08:54
    It's not me.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:08:55
    I don't have it playing.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:08:58
    Well, I'll just throw it out.
  • 03:09:00
    Again, I'm not sure what, if any, impact it could have.
  • 03:09:02
    But I've been thinking a little bit, especially after we got the update from boards and commissions, just about what everything going on with our electoral board will be since absentee voting is going to be, obviously, way higher in June.
  • 03:09:16
    And then potentially in November, we could still see COVID-19-related impacts on voting.
  • 03:09:23
    And no matter what, for the first time in Virginia,
  • 03:09:26
    This November will be no excuse absentee voting, so that may increase the total as well.
  • 03:09:31
    Just whether our electoral board is going to need any more support in order to handle that increase in absentee voting, as well as some of the safety precautions necessary to do their normal process while maintaining proper safety guidelines.
• • Krisy Hammill
  • 03:09:56
    So just FYI we did add extra money to cover the November election anyway so I think some of that is probably already covered.
  • 03:10:04
    Ryan may be able to speak to that a little bit more specifically.
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 03:10:09
    Sure yeah we did in the what we presented to you there was an item
  • 03:10:16
    for six, in addition to their 20 allocation, which was $66,000 roughly for, it was both for the presidential increased costs related to presidential election, plus there was also some dollars in there to cover the voting law changes and election law changes we knew that were coming.
  • 03:10:35
    dealing with the absentee voting and the printing and the mailings and all those things.
  • 03:10:40
    So in speaking with the registrar, I did ask her about that and let her know that we had increased that 66,000 and she felt comfortable with that amount.
  • 03:10:51
    Now, obviously we've never been through an election like this with these particular laws in place.
  • 03:11:00
    So that could change, but that is the best estimate for what we would need at this point.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:11:06
    So specific to what we're considering for the schools, what would be the most helpful for us to tell you right now?
  • 03:11:14
    How much information do you need right now?
  • 03:11:15
    Clearly we don't have all the information we need.
  • 03:11:18
    What do you think, Ryan?
• • SPEAKER_18
  • 03:11:25
    I'm just asking that you let the let the total that we have in there stay and we can as we've been saying the night you do have the opportunity to make amendments through June 1st to the budget okay correct so yeah we can that total is holding them flat or we've agreed that we're gonna at least give them the 467 built in for now it's a matter of how much more
  • 03:11:49
    The total right now is holding them flat, and you can still have further discussion on increasing it by the 468.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:11:55
    All right, so knowing that the school's amount is still up in the air, but that at this point we were probably going to go forward with just publishing where we're at, or is everybody comfortable with that?
  • 03:12:20
    Yeah, as long as we have flexibility.
  • 03:12:21
    I'm fine with it.
  • 03:12:26
    So we're putting aside that budget business then.
  • 03:12:30
    Is there any other new business that we want to discuss like boards and commissions?
  • 03:12:35
    Dr. Atkins has raised her hand.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:12:39
    Yes, Dr. Atkins.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:12:39
    Vice Mayor.
• • SPEAKER_20
  • 03:12:49
    I just want to make the council aware that we usually give out contracts to our teachers.
  • 03:12:58
    Our last day of school is June 5th, and we would love to be able to give our teachers contracts prior to them going home.
  • 03:13:07
    So I know council has until June 1st.
  • 03:13:11
    but if you could give us some indication so that we can prepare those contracts to send out to our teachers and we know which direction we'll need to head in, that would be most helpful.
  • 03:13:20
    Okay.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:13:22
    I think that the information that we're gonna know either whether we have a closed session on Wednesday or once you say it publicly after your school meeting within the week, we're gonna have enough information for council to decide on this.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:13:33
    Yes, thank you.
  • 03:13:35
    We're not gonna take the whole time for this.
  • 03:13:37
    At least I hope not.
  • 03:13:44
    Dr. Atkins, do you have anything?
  • 03:13:45
    Do you have any other questions?
  • 03:13:47
    No, that's it.
  • 03:13:48
    Thank you so much.
  • 03:13:49
    And thank you for letting us know about that.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 03:13:53
    Vice Mayor, what I want to do is just go give you a brief presentation real fast, just to update the public on where we're at with everything.
  • 03:14:01
    And it'll be real brief, and then you can go right into the board's commission discussion.
  • 03:14:12
    Give us one second to load it.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:14:14
    That's alright, my cat's not letting me get to the boards and commissions anyways.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 03:14:23
    I just want to give you a quick brief overview of our budget once again so the public can see it, where we're at and what we're doing.
  • 03:14:31
    Going into FY21, as you know, with our originally proposed budget, we're proposing a $196 million budget but when we
  • 03:14:40
    At the onset of COVID-19, we had to take it back down based upon our overall revenues being decreased.
  • 03:14:49
    And we took it down to about 191, which is a decrease of about $5 million.
  • 03:14:56
    Moving forward with the general fund revenues, which was mentioned before, our tax rates, they all remain the same as it was in FY20.
  • 03:15:09
    We're estimating that with those three tax revenue sources, sales, mills, and lodging, that that will be a combined decrease of about $2.3 million.
  • 03:15:21
    And also, too, with our BPOL, our business and professional licenses, that's going to be decreasing nearly $2.1 million.
  • 03:15:35
    And then those other decrease that you can see before you
  • 03:15:41
    with our state and all of our revenue sources.
  • 03:15:47
    One of the things I wanted to bring up, too, is talking about the departmental budgets.
  • 03:15:51
    And as we just talked about with schools, we're going to remain level funding with FY20.
  • 03:15:58
    So with that said, we're also taking a hit in terms of what our planned expenditures were in the amount of $2.
  • 03:16:10
    $6 million.
  • 03:16:11
    As we've been talking about in terms of the contribution to the schools, their contribution would be $2.1 million less.
  • 03:16:20
    This is primarily due to them going back to the FY20 expenditure budget.
  • 03:16:29
    Also, too, we talked about this in terms of the reserve, the $7.9 million.
  • 03:16:35
    with 6.1 and deferment of the cash couple projects as well as 1.8 for different changes we've made in our revenues and expenditures.
  • 03:16:48
    And then on the other side of that is the Human Services nonprofits.
  • 03:16:54
    We've talked about that and as you wanted us to do is to break it up.
  • 03:16:59
    One is in
  • 03:17:01
    to have one category of the arts and culture funding.
  • 03:17:06
    And then the other piece of that is the Vibrant Community Fund, which is a total of 2.1 and then 154,000 for the arts and culture funding.
  • 03:17:20
    Moving on to the Vibrant Community Fund, as we talked about before, we're going to make some adjustments there due to where we are with the COVID-19 virus.
  • 03:17:35
    And then also to the short and long term financial strategies, as we talked about with our current plan, as we've discussed, and then two,
  • 03:17:48
    looking at it if there is a return of the university students or if not, as we talked about before, we'll make those necessary budget amendments based upon our revenues and maybe our possible expenditures.
  • 03:18:06
    But the timing of those budget amendments will be solely based upon the economy.
  • 03:18:12
    but our key priorities are still the same as we mentioned before is to protect our most vulnerable populations and staff as well as to make sure that when we're looking at our overall budget in terms of what we're doing in terms of our expenditures but still maintaining quality public services and making sure that we are making sure that everyone adheres to our infection control policies.
  • 03:18:42
    And then lastly, as I talked about before our budget updates, we're going to be doing that on a weekly basis in terms of looking at our overall revenues and expenditures.
  • 03:18:54
    And then we'll come back to the council on a monthly basis.
  • 03:18:58
    In terms of where we're at, if we're seeing any grade losses or any increases in our revenues, we will inform the council.
  • 03:19:09
    And with that said, these are the dates of where we are and where we're going to with, as we mentioned previously, that we'll be having another meeting on Wednesday, which will be another council budget work session.
  • 03:19:24
    We'll have our public hearing on the 18th and then followed by a council adoption of the budget on June 1st.
  • 03:19:32
    So with that said,
  • 03:19:35
    you have the information and that's just a brief summary for the council once again as well as for the public.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:19:41
    The time on May 6 which is two days from now I have it from 4 to 7 on my calendar is that wrong?
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 03:19:50
    Oh okay it is it is wrong it is from 4 to 7.
  • 03:19:52
    Okay it's wrong on this slide?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:19:54
    Yes.
  • 03:19:54
    Okay okay.
  • 03:19:56
    That makes me feel better because that's what I was planning.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:20:07
    And so on the 18th is when we would be talking about the Vibrant Communities grant?
  • 03:20:12
    Or might we be talking about that before then?
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 03:20:17
    No, at this point in time, we are still gathering information from the agencies.
  • 03:20:25
    And I think the preliminary timeline we have is we would not even have that information back till at least, right now it's looking like May 25th.
  • 03:20:34
    So it would have to be probably well into June, potentially most likely after the budget's passed before we would have those discussions, which is why we have that in that lump.
  • 03:20:46
    holding those level and then that allows us to be able to out counsel to have more time to review the information and to be able to allocate those out at another time.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:20:54
    Thank you.
  • 03:20:58
    Counsel, anybody have any questions?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:21:07
    Nothing new, more for now.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:21:22
    All right, so other business.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:21:30
    We've mentioned that we might discuss just various brief kickoff of our conversation on boards and commissions and I think we've gotten some input from staff from some of our representative boards and so I think it would even we don't get into deep conversation obviously only four of us
  • 03:21:45
    But I think just let's think about what next steps might look like and what our initial thinking might be based on the information that we've gotten so far might be helpful.
• • SPEAKER_25
  • 03:21:54
    And let me just give you a quick overview of where we are and the information that we sent out to the council earlier today.
  • 03:22:02
    And what we were asked to do and what we did was formulated questions that we will provide to the boards and commissions.
  • 03:22:08
    and one of the questions was are there three are there any issues pending before your board or commission that require attention and then the second question was do you have any concerns that you think council and the city manager should know and then our next part of that as we discussed would be to ask the departments the same questions as well as do they have any issues with staffing these online
  • 03:22:38
    Then lastly once we have that information we will go on to our basically our final phase and that's consulting with the city attorney just to be able to determine if there are any other boards or commissions that have to meet by code and then from that we will present those findings back to the city council and I'll see how we move forward.
  • 03:23:08
    So right now, as I previously mentioned, we're still gathering some information from the boards and commissions.
  • 03:23:16
    So we're moving through the process as quickly as we can.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:23:20
    And I would just say, having looked at just some of the early feedback, I can see there might be some boards, it's clear that if they just get past their milestones or the decisions they feel that are pertinent for some time-sensitive things that
  • 03:23:31
    They may not need to convene again until we can be in a more regular scenario.
  • 03:23:37
    Whereas there may be other boards that we just know that we need to actually have them operating as councils operating.
  • 03:23:41
    So I think that we need to kind of approach it, recognizing there's two different paths for each board and commission, depending on what their needs are.
  • 03:23:50
    Or not meeting at all, which several of them said they don't need to meet right now, which was generous.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:23:56
    Which we really appreciate because
  • 03:23:59
    The staff time it takes to put this meeting together virtually is significant.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:24:06
    Michael or Lloyd, what are your thoughts do you have?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:24:11
    There's one thing I wanted to mention.
  • 03:24:13
    It's not really, it's completely off topic really, but on the document that was given to us today from the ADA Advisory Committee, it was noted that there's supposed to be an ADA coordinator.
  • 03:24:26
    I would bet you that most councilors don't know that the ADA coordinator is supposed to be appointed by council, not by the city manager, not by any other entity in the government, but by city council.
  • 03:24:38
    I can't find the last time that the city council went through the minutes.
  • 03:24:43
    I can't find the last time city council did it except in about 2013.
  • 03:24:48
    So at some point, somebody should take a look at that issue.
  • 03:24:52
    But relative to the other questions about boards and commissions, I've been in communication with a couple of people from some of these boards and commissions who were trying to figure out, what are we supposed to be doing to respond to this email we got?
  • 03:25:08
    Really, the issue was not whether we value you.
  • 03:25:11
    The issue is not whether you think you're important.
  • 03:25:14
    We assume that you are, and we think you are.
  • 03:25:18
    The issue is recognizing the limited staff time of folks like Brian Wheeler.
  • 03:25:23
    Since there are only 28 hours in the day, Brian, we can't have everybody meeting all of the time virtually with a staff person attending.
  • 03:25:35
    It's clear the electoral board has got a lot of work to do and that was sort of top priority of the things that I saw.
  • 03:25:42
    The Planning Commission, there is a fairly recent
  • 03:25:49
    Actually, not that recent, but a couple of years ago, I think, Mr. Blair, I think there was an opinion from the Virginia Supreme Court that, as I interpreted, basically said rezoning requests and land use issues don't constitute continuity of government.
  • 03:26:06
    So there are an awful lot of things that the Planning Commission might seek to do that might pose some legal questions as to how they were going to go about it.
  • 03:26:18
    and particularly given that they've expressed preference to have people actually physically in the room.
  • 03:26:25
    There may be a lot of things that they can't really do.
  • 03:26:33
    My reaction to all of this is let's let the electoral board have as much staff resources as they need.
  • 03:26:40
    I think everybody else, it looks like they can kind of hold on for a while.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:26:51
    Well, I guess for me, they're
  • 03:26:55
    Two questions within the boards.
  • 03:26:56
    One, what, if anything, do they need to meet about related to COVID-19 response, which they could do anyway?
  • 03:27:02
    And then two, are there any hard deadlines for boards related outside of COVID-19 that we would need to take action to allow them to do?
  • 03:27:12
    And looking at the information we've gotten so far, I didn't see any board that had business outside of COVID-19 that seemed to be
  • 03:27:23
    You know, coming up against a hard deadline that we need to take action to allow them to meet electronically outside of COVID-19 response.
  • 03:27:32
    I would agree with Councillor Snook.
  • 03:27:34
    I mean, I thought of the ones we've received information
  • 03:27:37
    from so far.
  • 03:27:38
    It seems like the electoral board has the most work to do, and I would definitely be interested in even just individually reaching out to them and getting a sense of what they're anticipating and what they're thinking about how a COVID-19 primary changes, how they do their standard operations.
  • 03:28:02
    Other than that, I mean, I didn't really see anything that jumped out as like us needing to take action to allow them to meet electronically outside of COVID-19.
  • 03:28:10
    And my preference is definitely to try and have boards and commissions meet as little as possible.
  • 03:28:17
    And maybe if this continues on for months, we can re-evaluate.
  • 03:28:24
    But at least at the moment, I don't see a need for the planning commission to start resuming business as usual.
  • 03:28:32
    Especially because with all these boards, I do think it impacts the public's ability to follow and pay attention to what's going on.
  • 03:28:40
    I think mainly just because they're so overwhelmed with everything going on outside of local government.
  • 03:28:48
    And I know staff expressed concerns about what the Planning Commission, you know, that's going to require them to go into City Hall in order to do certain things, in order to notify those certain land use decisions.
  • 03:28:58
    It creates risk for them as well.
  • 03:29:02
    I would definitely
  • 03:29:05
    You know, I know it's not as immediate as the budget.
  • 03:29:08
    But to me, huge question marks continue to be, what are we going to do with Vibrant Community Fund and HAC?
  • 03:29:14
    And my understanding is that information is being gathered from nonprofits.
  • 03:29:18
    But at the moment, it's still expected that we just use that information to make decisions as a council.
  • 03:29:25
    And that, to me, still leaves a lot of question marks.
  • 03:29:27
    And I definitely do think.
  • 03:29:30
    Given the importance of using our limited resources most effectively to the extent possible, I would definitely want to, as people mentioned during public comment, try and have the hack meet and at least brainstorm what does a potential coordinator response to the housing emergency look like, as well as try and incorporate more stakeholders in some way to get more information about
  • 03:29:52
    What may be the most strategic way to allocate the Vibrant Community Fund?
  • 03:29:56
    And if we think about it holistically bringing together many stakeholders, is there any way we can think about it as a community-wide response and think about what are other resources we can leverage outside of city government like CACF, et cetera?
  • 03:30:07
    Are there any ways, if we're coming together to coordinate that response and share information, that we're able to just think more strategically?
  • 03:30:16
    And as people mentioned in public comment, avoid a scenario where
  • 03:30:21
    nonprofits or community stakeholders aren't communicating with each other and sort of view themselves as in competition for these limited funds and maybe communication gaps are creating, you know, problems that could be avoided.
  • 03:30:33
    Because to me, that still just seems like a huge question mark, is how are we – what decisions are we going to make about how to change the vibrant community and CAF process.
  • 03:30:44
    and do it in a way that is most effective and not have it just be sort of like an ad hoc decision from city council or something where there's not a communication with stakeholders.
  • 03:30:56
    And that's sort of outside of just the boards and commission issue.
  • 03:31:00
    But those, again, how do we make a decision on allocating money from vibrant community funding?
  • 03:31:05
    CAF are some of the biggest questions to me.
  • 03:31:08
    And I do think it would be very useful to have the HAC be able to
  • 03:31:12
    Um, convened to just brainstorm some of these things, which I know, you know, I guess the hack could do that at any point anyway, if it's related to COVID-19 response.
  • 03:31:20
    But I do think for me, I would find that valuable information.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:31:24
    I do want to clarify, because I thought this was the case, and Kena just confirmed for us that the electoral board isn't council appointed, so that will not require our staff.
  • 03:31:33
    They will have their own support mechanisms in place.
  • 03:31:35
    I gather if they're not appointed by council, that wouldn't be our responsibility.
  • 03:31:38
    Not to say that we shouldn't be aware of the hurdles they're going to have in support them in whatever way, but relative to the discussion around how it affects our staffing, I get the impression someone can correct me, maybe John or Brian if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that that's going to require our communications staff
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:32:03
    The electoral board, if I recall correctly, is appointed by the circuit court, but I do think the city still has to provide, we certainly do provide funding to them and I would assume, I'll defer to Brian, but I would assume that if they need something communications-wise, the city staff is who provides that to them.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:32:25
    And to put it slightly differently, they probably don't have the ability to do it in-house anyway.
  • 03:32:32
    So as a practical matter, if it's going to get done, it's probably going to get done with the help of Mr. Wheeler.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:32:39
    I agree.
  • 03:32:39
    I think they would come to the Communications Department for assistance.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:32:42
    OK, that's helpful.
  • 03:32:48
    And I would just say, I mean, I see, I certainly agree with the points of my colleagues.
  • 03:32:53
    And I think it's just important for us to keep an eye on these one-offs that might be necessary.
  • 03:32:57
    And with the housing piece being one of them, as Mr. Collins alluded to earlier, just having a coordinated and thoughtful approach to working with our staff on what we can do with those dollars and have them stretch the most and accomplish the greatest need.
  • 03:33:12
    And so I'm prepared.
  • 03:33:14
    I'm looking forward to Dr. Richardson's staff's perspectives on these.
  • 03:33:16
    And I think that'll help inform us even further.
  • 03:33:19
    But for now,
  • 03:33:21
    I'm in alignment with where my colleagues have laid out their thoughts.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:33:26
    I should add one of the things that Councilor Payne mentioned that I had meant to talk about a little bit as well, which is the question of, we've gotten input from boards and commissions that currently exist.
  • 03:33:44
    But his suggestion was in part, I think, that maybe there ought to be a different group not yet appointed that would have, or not yet constituted or not yet reconstituted, that would have the duty, for example, if you want to call it part of the hack or whatever entity you want, whatever name you want to give it.
  • 03:34:06
    the job would be to coordinate and to develop this sort of synthesized plan that is more integrated and less competitive.
  • 03:34:19
    And that may be something that is not on our spreadsheet here, but that we ought to be trying to encourage.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:34:29
    And for me, it's just sort of
  • 03:34:32
    in acknowledgement that a substantial part of the community response to COVID-19 is obviously coming from outside city government with not just our non-profits but mutual aid groups and community volunteer initiatives and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Fund.
  • 03:34:53
    I think we all recognize that to the extent that we're more able to have those different
  • 03:35:01
    groups and individuals working on our local response to both the immediate crises and the mid and long-term impacts.
  • 03:35:09
    I think just the more effective and strategic we can be and just have more information.
  • 03:35:14
    And I'm sure as we start to hear more feedback from nonprofits, we'll get some more information as well.
  • 03:35:18
    But I just don't, if there's any possible way to get information about what nonprofits are experiencing directly or what they're seeing, I think it would just be useful for us
  • 03:35:31
    be able to incorporate that more into our decision-making when it comes to the Vibrant Communities Fund and the CAF as well, because it's really gonna be a community-wide mobilization that's gonna be required.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:35:45
    I also like the idea of maybe asking the HAC to do a subcommittee that looked at housing specialization during and post COVID-19.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:36:00
    Well, and certainly, I mean, I think with housing as well, I mean, there's the immediate crises being created.
  • 03:36:07
    But there's obviously mid- and long-term impacts thinking about just the housing market as a whole that we're going to be dealing with.
  • 03:36:19
    Let's say the stay-at-home orders are lifted by June.
  • 03:36:22
    I think some of those effects on housing I think we could expect will be with us past June.
  • 03:36:31
    but even just things as small as what's happening with people's ability to get mortgages and other things like that.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:36:39
    Well, Michael, do you want to maybe connect with both staff, so John, sales, as well as maybe a couple of folks on HAC, obviously, to talk to them when I want, just to get a sense for maybe what that body might want to pursue.
  • 03:36:51
    And then if we have to approve their meeting, like whatever that looks like, it'd just be helpful just to kind of understand what the thoughts are, both from staff as well as some
  • 03:36:59
    folks that are on that committee.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:37:02
    Yeah, I would definitely be happy to reach out.
  • 03:37:05
    I know you've had some brief conversations with Phil De Ronzio, the chair of the HAC, as well as the Charlottesville Income Housing Coalition, which has some stakeholders who are on the HAC, as well as just direct nonprofit service providers.
  • 03:37:21
    And I've been in conversation a little bit, but I'm definitely happy to continue that conversation.
  • 03:37:25
    Or if any of you have any thoughts, try and relay that information with them as well, as well as to
  • 03:37:32
    Reach out to Mayor Walker, who I know is not able to be part of this conversation right now.
  • 03:37:37
    So yeah, I mean, I'd be more than happy to do so.
  • 03:37:43
    And if there's anything that you think it could be useful to you to do or communicate, I'm more than happy to do that.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:37:51
    Excellent.
  • 03:37:51
    Just as a preliminary kind of idea of who might be good people to be on something like this so that we can
  • 03:38:00
    be moving forward and brainstorming ideas before various grants come due, et cetera.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:38:07
    All right.
  • 03:38:08
    And again, I'm sure there's info we're going to get through reaching out to nonprofits over the next several weeks.
  • 03:38:14
    But obviously, Piedmont Housing Lions, Habitat, TJAC, a lot of them have a lot of information, experiences of what they're experiencing on the front lines right now.
  • 03:38:26
    That's just useful for us to incorporate it any way we can.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:38:34
    Does anybody else have anything that they would like to bring up on this subject of boards and commissions?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:38:41
    I do have one thing that I'd like the council just to be aware of and that is that the Board of Equalization is another quasi-judicial body and Dr. Richardson had earlier asked about well legally who has to go and who has to meet and
  • 03:39:04
    The Board of Equalization hears tax assessment appeals and they have a limited timeline to do that so just to alert counsel they will be meeting I believe in June is with the city assessor I'd exchanged some emails with him today and I just wanted to let you know if you see notices
  • 03:39:27
    And what you'd be surprised that the Board of Equalization will be probably meeting in the next, I think next month in June.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:39:34
    Excellent.
  • 03:39:34
    Thank you very much.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:39:36
    And one last thing I'll just throw out is just that the consultants that have been hired to work on the comprehensive plan update, zoning changes, and the housing strategy are still at this point continuing on the original timeline.
  • 03:39:56
    I've lost track of time.
  • 03:39:58
    At some point they held their last steering committee meeting and they're going to be having another meeting this week and they're still following their original timeline for outreach to the community and trying to get community feedback and I think that's just something important for us to be aware of is thinking about how we as council engage with that process, how our boards and commissions engage with that process and how the community engages with that process because
  • 03:40:24
    They're following their original timeline.
  • 03:40:25
    And I think that's obviously going to create a barrier to as many people as possible being able to follow that and participate in it, just given the situation.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:40:38
    Well, and also there's this note that the place rep who was assigned to the committee is no longer on the place committee.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:40:46
    Well, that's an issue that we would need to appoint somebody, I guess.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:40:51
    Well it sounds like the place committee has to appoint a new rep for the comp plan.
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:40:56
    In order to do that they have to meet.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:41:02
    Right.
  • 03:41:07
    So that might be important to have one meeting for them to do that.
  • 03:41:10
    I mean if the comp plan is continuing forward it's normal.
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 03:41:19
    Well, Councilors, good evening.
  • 03:41:23
    This is Alex.
  • 03:41:25
    Hello, Alex.
  • 03:41:25
    How are you doing?
  • 03:41:27
    I think, please, I spoke to the chair, Mr. Stone King.
  • 03:41:36
    Stone King.
  • 03:41:38
    And I asked him whether they are withdrawing Rachel Lloyd, who is a representative for her
  • 03:41:50
    Place Design Task Force, and he indicated no.
  • 03:41:54
    So I don't think they need to appoint a new representative unless they are willing to withdraw Rachel Floyd from the steering committee.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:42:12
    OK, so they do already have somebody on there then as like a double person?
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 03:42:16
    Yeah, the person they appointed at the beginning is still on there, according to Mr. King.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:42:20
    She might be checking a couple of boxes, yeah.
  • 03:42:23
    Oh, OK, because according to the note here, that person is no longer on the place committee.
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 03:42:32
    Yeah, she's no longer on the place, but they are willing to let her continue.
  • 03:42:36
    I could follow up with him tomorrow.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:42:38
    Yeah, that makes sense.
  • 03:42:39
    OK.
  • 03:42:41
    If she can still report back, I guess.
  • 03:42:42
    OK, as long as the committee feels that she's representing the committee correctly, I'm OK with that.
• • SPEAKER_12
  • 03:42:48
    Yeah, I did exchange an email with the chair of the place design task force regarding that particular person.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:42:55
    Thank you very much for mentioning that.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:42:58
    You're welcome.
  • 03:43:00
    And all I would say, Dr. Richardson, is if any staff feels like they're at a point where there is something that's
  • 03:43:04
    more of an urgent nature that needs to require a group to convene that you know we just if we have to make some kind of approval or whatever has to happen to have that happen let's not get in the way of decision making if it becomes a time sensitive issue.
  • 03:43:18
    Like if this task force or CDBG needs to meet again for the COVID I mean whatever the circumstances may be like we don't want to get in the way of that kind of progress but at the same time we're trying to be cognizant of our communication staff.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:43:34
    What is the process?
  • 03:43:35
    Should, for whatever reason, we need to have a board or commission meet electronically to discuss non-COVID-19 slash continuity of government?
  • 03:43:45
    Is that like a formal vote we need to have as a council at like a public meeting or what?
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:43:52
    I would probably prepare a brief resolution for the council's consideration and adoption.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:44:05
    All right.
  • 03:44:06
    So it's not something that's, I mean, it's not difficult, but at the same time, it's not like immediate either.
  • 03:44:11
    Right.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:44:16
    I think it's, it's like you stated, it's not going to be immediate, but if a board or commission needs to meet, you all let me know and we'll get the resolution prepared.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:44:28
    Okay.
  • 03:44:30
    Hope you have those on templates.
  • 03:44:33
    Sorry.
  • 03:44:35
    It's a little irreverent, I'm sorry.
  • 03:44:38
    Any other boards and commissions discussion?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:44:44
    Well, we were visiting this, I think.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:44:46
    Oh, yeah.
  • 03:44:47
    I'm fine for now.
  • 03:44:49
    I always assumed this was just going to be the beginnings of it.
  • 03:44:52
    I think we got a lot accomplished, though.
  • 03:44:55
    And just this beginning to get an idea of what needs to meet and what doesn't really need to meet.
  • 03:45:02
    It's all important, but what is time sensitive?
  • 03:45:09
    Um, are there any other matters?
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:45:15
    From the public?
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:45:16
    No, not there yet.
  • 03:45:17
    Oh, sorry.
  • 03:45:18
    I meant from amongst any other other business.
  • 03:45:24
    Okay.
  • 03:45:25
    I have none.
  • 03:45:27
    If then I will close this and it will open up matters of the public.
  • 03:45:32
    Our final, um, matters by the public.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:45:38
    If you're on the webinar and you would like to speak under other matters from the public, just click the raise your hand icon and we will call upon you in the order in which your hands are raised.
  • 03:45:49
    Vice-Chair Magill, the first speaker is Walt Heinke.
  • 03:45:55
    Walt, you're on with council, go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_01
  • 03:45:57
    Thanks.
  • 03:45:59
    Thanks again for all the extra duty and extra work you all are putting into responding to this situation.
  • 03:46:06
    I really hate to see people I like in positions like this of making really difficult decisions.
  • 03:46:15
    I know it's not easy.
  • 03:46:16
    I wanted to ask one
  • 03:46:23
    First, will the public be able to see the budget as it stands on paper before the Wednesday session so we can take a good drill down look at the CIP budget and other aspects of the budget that are sort of on the table for reduction?
  • 03:46:44
    And then secondly, I know that this is a really difficult time you're making.
  • 03:46:51
    Councilor Payne said something about there aren't any good choices, there are only good decisions and I think we're there and I'm wondering if
  • 03:47:02
    during all of that, taking a 5,000 foot view of this, which I think is really hard when you're in the middle of it.
  • 03:47:11
    If we could just remember that the city's been on a pretty excellent role toward equity in our community.
  • 03:47:20
    And I'm wondering if in all these budget decisions that you're about to make, if we could just put ourselves in the shoes of people who are at 50% AMI and below,
  • 03:47:32
    and ask ourselves, how do these decisions impact those people in our community?
  • 03:47:38
    Because I think this pandemic is having differential impacts by race and class.
  • 03:47:44
    And I just am hopeful that in the difficult decisions that you have in front of you, that you can put yourself in the shoes of those folks who are at 50% AMI and below and ask how does this decision
  • 03:48:01
    impact those folks and maybe use that as a set of guidelines for making those really difficult decisions coming forward.
  • 03:48:10
    So thanks again for your service.
  • 03:48:13
    I really appreciate the hard place that you're in.
  • 03:48:16
    And I was thinking, is there a way for people to donate to the city now?
  • 03:48:23
    Can people donate funds to the city?
  • 03:48:29
    in any sort of different modality at this point.
  • 03:48:32
    And then lastly, I really want to emphasize Councillor Payne's points about we just should be getting the hack going now.
  • 03:48:43
    I don't think there's any time to waste here.
  • 03:48:45
    It's a brain trust, see it as a kitchen cabinet, get them rolling as quickly as possible on these issues.
  • 03:48:53
    And then on his other suggestion, I think it's really important to get
  • 03:48:58
    some of the folks that are doing some of the non, even the informal nonprofits together to start, you know, sharing information with Kaki and others about
  • 03:49:11
    strategizing about where the needs are and how we can meet the needs through mutual aid as well as city funding and city support.
  • 03:49:19
    So I think those kinds of meetings should be set up as quickly as possible.
  • 03:49:24
    Maybe Council Payne can start a list of, and you all can start a list of who you think should be on those Zoom meetings from an informal position as well as a formal nonprofit position.
  • 03:49:39
    So anyway, I'll leave it at that.
  • 03:49:40
    Thanks again for all your hard work and Godspeed.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:49:48
    Dr. Richardson, will there be a copy of the budget available for the public?
• • SPEAKER_29
  • 03:50:01
    We can present and post on our website the materials
  • 03:50:07
    that we have shared with council to this point.
  • 03:50:11
    I don't foresee us at this point being able to produce any new documents other than what we've given to council to this point.
  • 03:50:19
    Christy, chime in if I'm missing something, but I think that's probably our best route at this point would just be to show them what we've presented to council so far.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:50:30
    I think that's all that Mr. Heinicke is asking for.
  • 03:50:32
    So.
  • 03:50:35
    Thank you.
  • 03:50:37
    Do we have any other?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:50:38
    We do.
  • 03:50:42
    Vice Mayor McGill, Sean Tubbs is next.
  • 03:50:46
    Sean, you're on the City Council.
  • 03:50:48
    Go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_27
  • 03:50:49
    Yes, thank you.
  • 03:50:50
    Just checking to make sure I see the lights going up and down there.
  • 03:50:54
    Just real quick, I heard a comment.
  • 03:50:56
    This is a question for clarification more than anything else.
  • 03:50:59
    So I heard that there's still a sense that business by boards and commissions can only be in response to the COVID-19 emergency.
  • 03:51:07
    I'm not sure if that's entirely correct, but I just want you all to know that the Albemarle Planning Commission is meeting tomorrow night with two public hearings on actual land use matters.
  • 03:51:20
    The Board of Supervisors is moving forward with the land use matter on Wednesday.
  • 03:51:24
    And as you know, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is moving forward with their public hearing on Thursday.
  • 03:51:30
    I guess I would just encourage you, for some of the boards and commissions that you're having, there's nothing wrong with discussion.
  • 03:51:38
    There's nothing wrong with people discussing these things.
  • 03:51:41
    I would encourage you to try to find a way for the hack to meet so that those of us who are watching these kinds of meetings can see it.
  • 03:51:49
    I do think, though, that in Albemarle, moving forward, the Crozet Community Advisory Council now has a meeting.
  • 03:51:58
    There's been talk of other things.
  • 03:52:00
    My only point is that
  • 03:52:02
    is that the public is still watching and we're still looking out for these opportunities to weigh in and to see what's happening.
  • 03:52:09
    And I would just encourage you to maybe look a little bit deeper.
  • 03:52:13
    Obviously we want to make sure that the public can be heard at these meetings.
  • 03:52:16
    A lot of the work I'm trying to do now at the PEC is to try to make sure that people are aware of these opportunities.
  • 03:52:23
    As I'm just saying, I just would like some clarity about the planning commission.
  • 03:52:27
    Obviously there probably are some land use matters that are still resolving,
  • 03:52:32
    or still need to be resolved.
  • 03:52:34
    Just curious, that's just my public comment.
  • 03:52:36
    And it's weird doing this from your bedroom, man.
  • 03:52:40
    Thank you.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:52:41
    I will clarify that there is no limitation on the scope of what people can talk about in electronic meetings now based on one of the governor's more recent announcements.
  • 03:52:52
    And so that's why we're having this discussion because now we aren't constrained by the COVID piece.
  • 03:52:57
    We're able to just have these boards and commissions meet outside of the COVID emergency.
  • 03:53:02
    which is what's prompted this need for a prioritization because of the amount of time it takes for our staff to work in those constraints.
  • 03:53:08
    And so I certainly want, just like any board and commission willing to entertain if it's shown that there's some specific decisions that are needed, whether it's planning commission or otherwise, that those should be brought to council so that we can consider having those meetings be supported with staff.
  • 03:53:28
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:53:29
    Vice Mayor Magill, we have Joy Johnson.
  • 03:53:34
    Joy, you can unmute your microphone and speak to council.
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 03:53:39
    Good night.
  • 03:53:41
    Again, my name is Joy Johnson.
  • 03:53:44
    I reside at 802A Hardy Drive.
  • 03:53:47
    I have one question and then I have another statement.
  • 03:53:54
    Just in case I forgot, did council disband the Hack Board?
• • Lloyd Snook
  • 03:54:03
    No.
• • SPEAKER_11
  • 03:54:04
    So then they can continue to meet.
  • 03:54:08
    So why is there a discussion about whether or not you should constitute another group differently from the hack?
  • 03:54:16
    It's a slap in the face to people who are volunteering on there, regardless of what council don't like or who they don't like.
  • 03:54:27
    There is still
  • 03:54:29
    a committee that should be meeting until you all take action.
  • 03:54:34
    My next thing is that on CBDG I will go back to say that CBDG, when this was originated, it was for poor people.
  • 03:54:44
    And if you look in my communities, in all the low income communities that were there, it is now dominated by homeowners.
  • 03:54:54
    So the composition has changed.
  • 03:54:59
    It's not only, it's a few low income people who are embedded in these neighborhoods because gentrification happens while we're sleeping.
  • 03:55:10
    And so Mr. Snook, yes, 90% of cities use CBDG money to do infrastructure.
  • 03:55:20
    There is a social piece to CBDG, and there's an infrastructure.
  • 03:55:25
    It doesn't mean that you have to spend money to do the sidewalks.
  • 03:55:30
    It can do other things such as infrastructure.
  • 03:55:34
    So I don't want you to come back saying it like I don't know what I'm talking about.
  • 03:55:40
    There's 20% of the CBDG fund that is social, and then there is 80% that is infrastructure.
  • 03:55:48
    And again, it is for the community to decide what they want to do with it, since you all have did it in a priority neighborhood.
  • 03:55:58
    Last thing I want to say is this.
  • 03:56:01
    One person doesn't represent a neighborhood.
  • 03:56:03
    And so for the park in 8th Street, it was mainly decided by homeowners and maybe one person from West Haven.
  • 03:56:16
    Not me, but somebody else.
  • 03:56:19
    That's not
  • 03:56:20
    involvement of a low-income community.
  • 03:56:23
    We are embedded right there, and no one that gave an ice cream social only kissed her up, and maybe the kids decided they wanted it all.
  • 03:56:31
    Maybe that's the only input you could get.
  • 03:56:34
    But I think
  • 03:56:35
    Most of our residents in our low-income community feel like they're not being heard.
  • 03:56:41
    That's why they don't show up to things, because they don't feel like you all care.
  • 03:56:47
    And so you have to change that trajectory of how you involve, truly involve people.
  • 03:56:55
    Take a page out of South First Street book of how they really
  • 03:57:02
    involved those residents.
  • 03:57:04
    Thank you and good night.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 03:57:05
    Thank you.
  • 03:57:07
    Ms.
  • 03:57:07
    Johnson, I would like to clarify one thing about the HAP that we're talking about.
  • 03:57:12
    What we're talking about is the boards and commissions we're trying to prioritize right now for the staff to have the video equipment and the time to publicize the meetings so that they fit with FOIA.
• • Michael Payne
  • 03:57:30
    Well, and for myself, I mean, I think the intention is, you know, ACT could always meet at any time to discuss COVID-19 related things.
  • 03:57:37
    I think
  • 03:57:40
    You know, at least for myself, the intention is to have HAC convene as sort of like an emergency housing response and start to brainstorm that and think through what are some things in the short term, midterm, and long term we might be able to start doing, how has the situation changed, and then try to get a group together for emergency response that goes perhaps beyond housing towards these other things.
  • 03:58:04
    You know, I think no matter what, I think HAC needs to be a key partner in that, because as you mentioned, it's already a body that exists that is still there and has that expertise that we've used in the past in the city.
  • 03:58:18
    So I agree 100%.
  • 03:58:19
    I mean, I think it's a resource that's already there that we should use.
• • SPEAKER_07
  • 03:58:26
    Just to clarify, even if they're just meeting for COVID, or any boarding commission is, there's still the requirement to be publicized.
  • 03:58:34
    Right.
  • 03:58:35
    It doesn't matter.
  • 03:58:35
    It's all the same need of our staff, whether they're just talking COVID or not.
  • 03:58:40
    They just could have done it sooner if they were talking COVID and we didn't do that.
• • SPEAKER_24
  • 03:58:45
    Correct.
  • 03:58:49
    Since FOIA requires meetings to be open to the public, if you're not going to meet physically
  • 03:58:58
    in the city hall or at another meeting place and instead are doing it electronically, that open meeting requirement does require then that there is, like tonight, the webinar technology or some means to allow the public to view the proceedings of the board or commission.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:59:24
    Thank you.
  • 03:59:25
    Vice Mayor Magill, our next speaker is Tanisha Hudson.
  • 03:59:29
    Tanisha, you're on with the council?
  • 03:59:31
    Go ahead.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 03:59:32
    Can you guys hear me okay?
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 03:59:34
    Yes.
• • SPEAKER_19
  • 03:59:35
    Okay, so I want to address Councilman Snook because he was talking about the sidewalks.
  • 03:59:42
    Lloyd, when is the last time you walked down 10th Street on either side?
  • 03:59:47
    Because those sidewalks are so godly awful.
  • 03:59:51
    And I personally walked in there tonight just so I could speak again.
  • 03:59:56
    So you guys added the little expansions on 10th Street, the commission that was set up to do those expansions on 10th Street where they kind of extended the sidewalk a little bit.
  • 04:00:09
    It was supposed to be so people could walk around the telephone poles.
  • 04:00:12
    I know y'all remember this if you paid attention back then before y'all ran for council.
  • 04:00:17
    If not, go back and take a look at this.
  • 04:00:20
    You can barely get around some of those telephone poles.
  • 04:00:23
    Those sidewalks on 10th Street do not look like the sidewalks on Locust Avenue.
  • 04:00:28
    And I remember when they were arguing about putting a sidewalk on Locust Avenue because I lived on Locust Avenue back then.
  • 04:00:36
    So I knew that there were certain specifics that they wanted, like they wanted the sidewalks a certain way on Locust.
  • 04:00:43
    certain people was complaining because they didn't want the sidewalks to go into their yard.
  • 04:00:47
    I mean, it was so much going on at the time when they were trying to put the sidewalk on Lopez Avenue.
  • 04:00:52
    So, Lloyd, I suggest that you take a walk, 8th Street, 9th Street, 10th Street, maybe even 11th Street or 12th Street up some of those sidewalks.
  • 04:01:04
    Some of those streets don't even have sidewalks.
  • 04:01:07
    and you saying that this money should be used for sidewalks.
  • 04:01:11
    This is what Ms.
  • 04:01:12
    Joy was just saying.
  • 04:01:14
    Black people do not feel heard.
  • 04:01:16
    I don't care how y'all run, y'all campaigns saying y'all care about black people.
  • 04:01:22
    It shows when you create these policies, it shows when you create these boards and commissions, it shows in everything that you do, that you don't.
  • 04:01:31
    You don't care about those older community members.
  • 04:01:35
    You guys pick and choose the right people that basically sides the way you want things to side around here.
  • 04:01:42
    That's no secret.
  • 04:01:44
    That's historical around here.
  • 04:01:47
    Another thing that I want to add, what Ms.
  • 04:01:52
    Joy was saying,
  • 04:01:54
    talk to these residents that live in these places and let them tell you what they feel they need and don't keep going to the same residents that you've been working with for 20, 30 years because the generations have changed.
  • 04:02:07
    It's a much younger generation out there that you need to speak with, that you need to talk to and figure out what is it that these people need because these are people that you guys continue to hurt
  • 04:02:20
    and whether you want to admit to it or not, you perpetuate white supremacy by continuing to allow the same systems to operate around here.
  • 04:02:31
    It's just certain things that y'all do that y'all just y'all know better, like y'all just know better.
  • 04:02:36
    Crescent Halls, for a prime example, that sinkhole and Crescent Halls did not get fixed until Terron came here.
  • 04:02:44
    Maurice knew about it.
  • 04:02:45
    Do y'all remember the sinkhole or did everybody forget about that?
  • 04:02:50
    because that just got fixed.
  • 04:02:52
    It was like that forever.
  • 04:02:54
    And it just got fixed.
  • 04:02:56
    And we having conversations about what sidewalks getting fixed.
  • 04:03:00
    It's only y'all sidewalks.
  • 04:03:02
    I hate to tell y'all that.
  • 04:03:03
    It's only y'all parks.
  • 04:03:05
    I hate to tell y'all that.
  • 04:03:06
    It's only programs that benefit the majority of Charlottesville.
  • 04:03:10
    It is not for black people.
  • 04:03:12
    You can create these programs and say it's for us to start with.
  • 04:03:16
    And then eventually you curve the money
  • 04:03:19
    to go into buckets and pots of the majority of this town.
  • 04:03:24
    So again, as I said earlier, until you guys really start to be for everybody, not just the majority, you're going to continue to hear from people like myself,
  • 04:03:39
    Joy, and everybody else.
  • 04:03:41
    Because nothing is changing around here.
  • 04:03:45
    And it's like, I'm starting to feel like I sound like a broken record.
  • 04:03:48
    Just keep, I'm tired of, it's council member after council member.
  • 04:03:54
    You just arguing, arguing, arguing, and y'all still don't get it.
  • 04:03:58
    And most of y'all ran y'all campaigns lying to black people to vote for y'all.
  • 04:04:03
    Do the work, or maybe you should choose another profession.
  • 04:04:09
    I mean, I really hate to put it like that.
  • 04:04:10
    We in a whole crisis right now.
  • 04:04:13
    And only Black people, again, are suffering from what's happening now.
  • 04:04:17
    We dying.
  • 04:04:18
    There's health care disparities.
  • 04:04:20
    UVA ain't gonna save none of us if we get coronavirus.
  • 04:04:22
    We probably gonna die.
  • 04:04:24
    Y'all probably — y'all don't — I mean, I just — I feel like y'all sit and y'all listen, but it go in one ear, out the other.
  • 04:04:32
    This is y'all time to really focus on the disparities in this town and to make changes.
  • 04:04:40
    Thank you and good night.
• • SPEAKER_05
  • 04:04:45
    Vice Mayor Magill, there are no other hands raised.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 04:04:51
    All right, well then, thank you all very much.
  • 04:04:57
    Meeting adjourned, right?
• • SPEAKER_10
  • 04:05:00
    Yes, ma'am.
• • SPEAKER_14
  • 04:05:03
    Thank you all.
  • 04:05:04
    Thank you.
  • 04:05:05
    Good night.
  • 04:05:06
    Good night.
  • 04:05:07
    Thank you all for staying late.