City Council Meeting   1/17/2023

Shall we get started?

Yes, sir.

Thomas, will you call the roll?

Councillor Payne?

Here.

Councillor Pinkston?

Here.

Mayor Snook?

Here.

Vice Mayor Wade?

Here.

So is there a motion to approve or to amend the agenda?

So I guess I would look to.

Sure.

I don't think it would be a complicated thing to address, but I think there was a change.

Do you know, Mr. City Manager, whether that's been worked out?

Pulling it from the consent agenda would be a good thing.

Okay.

It allows us further discussion.

All right.

Okay.

With that change, are you ready to move its approval?

I would move approval of the agenda.

Others are available to join electronically by Zoom.

So we have two presentations on our 4 o'clock agenda here.

is from the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership and Ian Baxter is listed but I see some other very suspicious looking characters with him.

or where I should be looking.

David, is there a presentation that we're supposed to have?

I think it's in the packet.

Is it the same one that's in our packet?

I would think so.

Can you follow me around the rest of the day?

I don't have them.

$5.50?

Thanks.

So we're really of course appreciative of your support and Keith and Ned would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Okay, thank you.

Any questions?

Or any thoughts about that?

Keith may want to add to that.

So we've got a long way to go and just a ton of work.

if there would be some value in having an outside economist or like someone, a consultant, maybe you already have, that could speak to those kinds of, call it academic sorts of perspectives.

than what we just get through the TJPDC.

Right.

Our own data committee, that's the design around, well, what does that mean and how can we get some of the information in, I think speaks to what you're talking about.

Yeah.

So the regional housing partnership, it's nice to have access to folks like that to come in and share, volunteering their time to share what they know.

Yeah.

But again, we were going to move but decided not to because it just was too big of a hassle and you weren't going to be sure what you were going to get because what you just highlighted,

Because they're at 2%, they're at 3%, they're just not going to sell.

Sure.

And I think I've been talking a little too long.

Yeah.

Well, at least I get to stay in the same neighborhood.

So thank you all so much.

Great.

What have you seen with the model of the community land trust, what that's been able to do to change that dynamic, especially with people being able to build wealth and become homeowners in this market?

And all those four pillars pulling on the same set of oars that go forward will make the difference.

And just briefly, I know, I think it was the Regional Housing Partnership that did the work with Portland University and the University of Washington on ADUs.

So I'd be more than happy to talk about that.

So we made you what you are today.

Well, my point is we haven't really yet incorporated that work product into our policy.

So I'll be more than happy to do that.

I know you've talked about this at RHP meetings, but kind of what is the timeline and the hope long term for that being part of the RHP's work?

you know as opposed to a major city so we actually had some conversations at the governor's housing conference thinking about how do you how does basically a high income low delinquency area foster and land bank and how do you also do that in both a urban and rural context so that's that's really what the questions will be asked to a consultant and we're hoping to access again Virginia housing funding to get that done but it is not on the immediate horizon for us

So you have networking happening at that level.

In terms of specifics, Ian, do you have?

And FAR is also represented on the partnership as well.

Because we have our own, like later tonight, we're going to approve people for the CAF and the hack and all of these things.

Right, yes, that's correct.

So, yeah, I just wondered if the folks that we have, you know, people like.

and that roundtable I talked about earlier when you hear the ideas and the information that's shared it's you know you all I'm sure have on your agendas committee reports that you're you all serve on various committees and report back and that's that conduit back so those who are representative or representing you on the regionalizing partnership need to come back and make sure we're reporting back so that the information sharing is across the board yeah I would might be something we could chat about in terms of having some folks from the city manager's office participate in

So when we finish them we'll report back.

Okay.

I appreciate you coming in and sharing with us.

Okay.

I also would like to make sure that council knows that Colonel Martin Coomer is also online as a panelist and available should you all have any additional questions after hearing from the team at Davenport and Mr. Rogers I will go ahead Courtney Rogers sorry we have two I will go ahead and pass it on to you and you all should be able to share your screen for your presentation but if you have some technical difficulties please let us know okay

Roland, you want to share or you want me to share?

Roland, are you going to share?

Yeah, I'll share the screen.

And not that we can turn up here.

That gets paid off prior to its final maturity with basically the funds from the state once the project is complete.

I'm just curious, who are you actually borrowing from on this grant anticipation note?

In terms of who we're borrowing?

Where's the money coming from?

Roland?

2025 and 2026, again, are interest-only periods, but those are on part two of the plan of need.

I mean, this is pretty deep to take at, you know, at 5 o'clock in the evening.

And as I mentioned, Colonel Coomer is also on if it's non-finance related that Lola and I may not be able to answer.

the mental health area commander or superintendent maybe if you could just spend a moment or two just talking about what this is for the public just to remind them because we've been talking about this I think this was one of the first presentations that we got when we got on council about a year ago and so this takes takes time

So I'm thankful to everyone here that we're at least making some progress.

Thank you.

And two, what would be the total amount of debt service payments that the city would be responsible for?

That's based on $35.5 million of bonds.

So in other words, the increase of cost to the city, assuming state funding, would be a little north of $1 million under the current cost assumptions?

And I apologize, we do not have that information.

Is this our last opportunity in terms of Council, separate from jail board meetings, to have a discussion and answer questions between now and when City Council would take formal action to approve financing?

We're happy to do so if there are questions on the financing side.

Is it additional nursing supports or?

We're going to paint them a brighter color, put some carpet in there, larger cells, plexiglass, and so forth, a healthy place where I can put those individuals until we get them stabilized or diverted.

That's a whole lot that I know is not totally answerable in five minutes, but that is the biggest concern I've heard from community members.

Again, we only use solitary confinement for the protection of an individual, another inmate, and only as long as necessary and only as a last resort.

I don't want to take up their time as well, just because we're crunched for time tonight.

Is that right?

Either Roland or myself will be back in May with results from the request for proposals for the interim financing for the Bond Anticipation Act.

Do you know what the plan is?

I don't know the plan, but it's advertised as part of the meeting.

No.

So I think Mr. Rogers just went outside to gather everyone.

Okay.

Mr. Rogers, I think we're ready.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you for your service, Brian.

Thank you very much.

I'll ask our Clerk of District Court.

Circuit Court.

Circuit Court to do the honors of squared in our new Chief, Michael Kochis.

Please raise your right hand.

Repeat after me.

All the duties incumbent upon me All the duties incumbent upon me As the Chief of Police for the City of Charlottesville As the Chief of Police for the City of Charlottesville According to the best of my ability According to the best of my ability So help me God So help me God.

Before we hear from our new chief, Mr. Mayor, do you have any comments you would like to offer?

is to build trust and legitimacy and that's what Charlottesville badly needs right now and everybody we've talked to says you are the man to do that and that's part of why at least I on council agreed with the city manager's choice and I'm convinced that it's going to be a good choice for Charlottesville and we wish you great success and enjoyment living among us.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Thank you.

It felt like you wanted to be part of Charlottesville's story and that was a real kind of organic connection and I appreciated that and we're looking forward to seeing the new chapter, next chapters.

Any other compliments?

Look forward to working with you.

I won't take up too much extra time except to just say thank you and welcome to Charlottesville.

So, Chief, any comments?

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

First time in three years.

Yeah.

Okay, so one little bit of business and then we can all clear out is that we need to go into closed session.

For the discussion and consideration of appointing members to the following Charlottesville Boards, Commission, and Committees, Police Civilian Oversight Board, Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee, and Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund Committee.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All right.

I move that this council certify by a 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 or heard, discussed, or considered in the closed session.

Councilor Payne yes Councilor Pinkston yes Mayor Snook yes Vice Mayor Wade yes motion passes for nothing so we will begin the business meeting at 630 business meeting it's right at 630 how about that with a moment of silence

Thank you.

Councilors, any announcements?

So I just wanted to thank those folks.

Okay.

These are two positions that had been filled by Sena Magill and we're not filling every position that she had had but these are ones that have something going on right now for which it's important to have the members right now.

I can read them off.

So, Phillip Durazio.

That's for the three-year term.

For the three-year term.

And?

S. Lisa Herndon for the two-year term.

Okay.

Is that a motion then, Mr. Pinkston?

Second.

I guess we should probably take a vote on this, a recorded vote.

Is that for the at-large community member seat?

Do I need to restate it or is that good enough?

Right.

Thomas, you take the vote.

Yes Vice Mayor Wade?

Fund Committee, and you've got the list there.

What we've just appointed was for the Affordable Housing Fund Committee.

You're right.

I had them backwards.

No problem.

Okay.

Yeah, so to the position.

This again is one where we did not have enough applicants to fill all of the positions.

For real estate rep three-year term, we have Dan Rosenzweig.

Two-year term?

No, we're leaving the two-year term open.

Yeah, this was a three-year term.

I only see one spot for a three-year term.

Do we want to ask Max?

No, this would more so be a legal thing.

Are you thinking it would be three, two, and one?

Yep, my list has a three, two, and one.

Why should we make it three and two, and we'll leave, assuming that it would make sense it would be three, two, and one.

Affordable housing beneficiary, one-year term, Elise Noyes.

and I take it that's a motion.

Okay.

Thomas?

Councillor Payne?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Wade?

Passes four to nothing.

Thomas, would you please read the consent agenda?

Second reading.

Any virtual speakers?

You are on with council.

So thank you for all your hard work as councilors and the city staff.

Katie, you're on with council.

Thank you.

Any further speakers?

Mayor Snook, I see no additional hands.

All right.

Do we have anyone in person who wanted to speak?

In that case, any comments or questions from Council?

No.

Thomas, take the vote please.

Do we have a motion?

Yeah, I move to approve the consent agenda as earlier modified.

Second.

Vice Mayor Waite?

Pass the consent agenda.

Mr. Rogers, is there a report from the City Manager's Office?

So those are two appointments that we're making.

Hamill, will you please share that with Council?

Can everybody see that?

Yes.

If there are any questions, I'd be happy to answer those.

Councilor's questions?

Any concerns at all about at this point of the financial forecast that you have any concerns over?

fairly conservative but optimistic and taking advantage of gains where we think that they're pretty realistic.

and not have to make a tough decision about increasing the tax rate.

Thank you.

So grocery tax is not something that we collect.

As part of the sales tax?

Yeah.

As part of the sales tax.

So even though they reduced the grocery tax, the sales tax that comes back to the localities, we are held whole on that.

Thank you.

Schools, but beyond that.

But the practice is not to spend a surplus until you have it.

In other words, it seems like we should assume functionally the surplus will probably be less than that in terms of what we have any ability to spend money on.

Right.

I see.

It's very early.

Right.

Okay.

And we're not there yet.

Keep in mind that was April when we gave you that.

Hamill.

Thank you.

Nope, that's it.

Drain, you have three minutes.

This system, of which our local jail is a component, has not proved a deterrent to crime, and is, in fact, as a system, has caused more trauma and violence for those in it and their families.

Drain, your time is up.

Can I have one more sentence?

One more sentence, yes.

Thank you.

Is there anyone online who would like to speak?

Robin, you are on with counsel.

Thank you.

You have three minutes.

if you guys need the help or whatever needs to happen I'm happy to offer up my services for that and happy to work through any questions but thank you guys so much for all the hard work you guys do for the city and please let me know if you guys need any additional information on ranked choice voting but I would love to see the next step being some sort of presentation to the public about how we could bring this to the city of Charlottesville thank you so much

Is there anyone online who would like to join us?

Josh, you're on with Council.

Have a good night.

Anybody else online?

We have William Becker.

All right.

William, you're on with council.

I appreciate y'all's time and any attention you can give to this.

Anybody else online?

Mayor Snook, I see no additional hands.

First action item, Taylor Yowell, voter registrar, presenting to us about our

Okay.

All right.

Hemingway is also with us.

Yao will present in more detail what this final proposal looks like.

Yell.

Okay, can you all hear me now?

Okay, we're in business.

During that 30-day period, who is the point of contact, when the actual 30-day public comment period will take place and when the public hearing will take place.

Carlson could help us with that, part of the official line of events that had to occur that you presented two weeks ago, this meeting tonight is part of that?

And after you, if you approve it, after you approve it, there will be an additional waiting period after that before it goes into effect so that people can bring, can challenge it if they have challenges.

I'm just, so this is labeled one of two readings and the second reading, I think you just explained to me, but I'm not sure I understand.

The second reading will happen March 6th.

Okay, yeah.

We want to allow plenty of time for input, and it's what's mandated by the Voting Rights Act.

So if you were to estimate the percentage of voters that will have a different voting precinct

It's about 45% of registered voters here in the city.

So, and I think that, you know, in the end it would be better for the residents, but what do you all have planned to, as far as voter education, to let them know that, because some people may have been voting at some place for 20 or 30 years or, you know, since they've been voting, you know, it may be new.

And if you have any other suggestions or recommendations of where you would like for us to post it, we are absolutely open to that.

you know we we've had to get the jury commission the three of us back together again because we we didn't have enough people to return the notices not because they didn't return it because we just they weren't mailed and they weren't received back in time so anyway I just

Is there a timeline for that?

in case of any sort of legal action or anything before we can send those antlers.

Notice would go to anyone who was affected and I would also add on so the legal requirement for this notice of the public comment period includes having it on our website and I think there was a suggestion perhaps at the last meeting that that be put front and center on our website so people don't have to to dig into it so that will be another method by which voters can be made aware

And that's my number one big concern is just how do we address that best we can.

And so just talking with a few other people to see what the best route would be.

That's a good question.

Still a lot, but less than what it could be.

Normally we would move this item to the February 6th meeting for the second reading, but I take it that you are suggesting we move it to the March 6th meeting for second reading, is that correct?

One of them is closer to the end of the public comment period.

So it would be preferable from your end if we had it on February 6th.

I'm not sure which one she would prefer.

Yes, I think so.

Does that make any difference to the city manager or clerk or anybody?

What does it look like?

That night we're also supposed to have public comment about filling the seat for Councillor McGill.

You definitely may have a lot of people, you know.

Are there other issues that are coming that are going to hit us on February 6th?

Let's see, February 6th is a little more full right now than the 20th.

21st, actually, wouldn't it?

Let's see.

Coulson?

That's correct, Mayor Smith.

Okay.

So I will list it as a public hearing, but I'll carry forward the agenda materials from this meeting to that packet.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right.

Jerry Allen and Jack Dawson, who we got here?

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Just to be clear, are we talking right in front of Martin's Hardware set?

Since we're not doing the realignment there, we'd at least like to get these funds appropriated while we have access to them and get this thing ADA compliant.

Right, so it's that really interesting interchange right there between Martin's Hardware and Dairy Central.

Yes, sir.

Is that correct?

And of these funds, we're at $200,000 and we got the extra funding from VDOT to get this done because we captured all these other curb ramps.

Okay.

I know this is getting into ADA compliance, but is this a part in any way of preparing for a bigger signal or traffic pattern change there?

No, no, in fact, in fact, I would propose delaying this if that were the case so they could be done concurrently.

It addresses current shortfalls at the intersection.

And that's really the only question I had.

It's not ideal, but, you know, change the code, and we just want to let them know what schematically.

What happened to that?