City Council Meeting   1/7/2019

you

Mm-Hmm

Hi.

And then it's endless.

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Are there any announcements?

Roll call.

Sorry.

Ms. Hill?

Here.

Ms. Walker?

Present.

Ms. Galvin?

Are there any announcements?

Again, several opportunities to be able to participate.

Mr. Wheeler, could you read the consent agenda, please?

And item F in appropriation, information technology funding for Office 365 licenses, $53,774, first of two readings.

All right, is there a motion?

All right, any further questions, comments?

Mr. Murphy, do you have any responses from the previous meeting?

And I'll give you all an update at one of the next two council meetings about where things stand on the deliverables on that system.

Okay, we're at our community matters and first we have Michael Payne.

Thank you.

Kate.

So I think a lot of work needs to be done, and I'm sorry that Chief Brackney inherited all these problems, but it's going to be a long task and a difficult task to fix them.

Emily Little, was there a response?

So thank you for your service.

Thank you.

Mary Carey.

Happy New Year one more time.

Mr. Murphy, who, so, who, that would be adding a row?

So we'll give you an update on both next time.

Senior citizens are the people.

I'm Christine Arde

Thank you.

Thank you.

Sarah Burke.

We invite you and the public to read our letter in full and to follow up with questions or concerns, and I hope we have your support moving forward.

Yes, that's correct.

so just to clarify that.

That's right.

And we'll bring that up as we make those decisions with you.

Any other?

Tony Wash.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Kevin Cox.

Hi.

Hello.

Hello.

Thank you.

I have a quick question, or maybe not so quick, but do you know why Dr. Bellamy proposed the name change?

I heard in the news that it was because Rector Preston owned slaves.

Rector was not his name.

No, I didn't say that was his name.

You just said Rector Preston.

as the title.

So do you, I mean, and we had this discussion around the statue, so I don't think it's intentionally trying to create division, but names matter, which is, I mean, every time there is the, UVA just did it in the age of university, in the age of slavery, the Blue Ribbon Commission did it, I mean, you get to the foundation of why in our area are things named after the people they're named after.

But that's not, I don't think.

Why do you think that was?

Nancy, I think Wes is going to.

Name doesn't mean something.

Keep in mind if it was the owning of slaves that was the conditional factor, you got a lot of people in town and a lot of streets.

Well you, excuse me.

that Dr. Bellamy is attempting to have in this community about what does true healing and true reconciliation look like.

What they care about is walking down the street and having a decent life today.

So with that being said, I didn't look at, well, I'm just, I didn't interrupt you either.

I'm not trying to disrespect you Dr. Bellamy.

but this specifically, Preston Avenue, named after Colonel Thomas Preston, that needs to be changed.

Okay, so we're going to remove Jefferson from the front of the building.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we're moving.

Good evening.

Thank you.

Rosia Parker.

Good night.

Thank you.

Cliff Hall.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

We have Josh Bowers.

And so I just wanted to flag that that's going to be a principal part of the request that we're going to be making going forward.

and other locations and just to have dialogue with the board.

Thank you for those efforts, Mayor.

You know, one person passes it along and I think if we have more of a direct connection, I think you all need to tell us what support you would like from our law enforcement community that would help in that matter.

So we have our work cut out for us, but we're meeting tomorrow and we hope to make some headway there.

OK. Is there anyone else who would like to speak?

Hello.

to have a discussion open honestly about what is taking place, what the plans are for the future of Charlottesville and the safety of our residents.

Thank you.

All right, is there anyone else who would like to speak?

Hold on, I just need a response.

This is the section next time because they would need to communicate.

Okay, but it would be open to only certain members of the community.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor Walker, may I make a comment?

And that's what's opening the door for buses, for walking, and for biking.

We're actually trying to do exactly what you said in terms of making sure

that's I think the point that was trying to be made.

I mean it's the conversation that we're gonna have to have.

I don't want to belabor the point right now.

And we also need to make sure we're spending the money well.

Wisely, I agree.

And you know, council will have to, you know, decide whether that's, you know, they're gonna stand firm with the decisions.

So we gotta, and I'm, we're gonna have to do it all.

and I just want to echo the point around leveraging dollars because I think one of the things that we actually have the housing advisory committee coming back to us with is just understanding are there other funding sources that could be helping us on the affordable housing front even in our public housing realm and otherwise because these are large dollars we're talking about and if again we can use city dollars to be the leverage point to invite more investment I just want to make sure that we're really exhaustive in that because there's significant funds available in a number of areas and I just want to make sure that we've added them all.

Well, it's the way the problem

Thank you.

And there was an executive order to speak from the governor, I think the end of November, early December, one of those, and that's making affordable housing a priority.

So there should be some funding coming.

There should be money, absolutely.

I just wanted to add one

It really has gone through several years to try and address these concerns and have a lot of stakeholders supporting it.

Is there anyone else who would like to speak?

Let's talk about housing so people can have sustainable housing and safe housing to address those issues instead of worrying about a little street that won't matter in 15 years.

All right, so we will come back at each other.

I hear her.

Where's she at?

That's a good point.

I just got corrected.

And Mr. Blair.

Do you want to add something?

Any other questions?

Any questions from council?

No further discussion?

All right.

Are we motioning?

There's no.

All right.

Thank you.

Next, we have a public hearing on the underground utility easement to Dominion Energy at Ragged Mountain Reservoir, the first of two.

It's free to the city to have this done.

Couldn't agree more.

This is really great.

All right.

OK.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next we have a public hearing on the zoning text amendment to revise definition of amusement centers and allowable zoning classifications.

Do you see him?

Good evening, Madam Mayor, Members of Council.

And I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Is the number two bullet under the section in the event of more than four incidents at the property require police service or response, is that normally in, was that an update or was that in the original?

But we're pulling that from an existing section of code that regulates music halls in the city.

So they couldn't operate.

If it's a buy right use, they can continue to operate.

Are there any clarifying questions for counsel?

adopting the Planning Commission's recommendation, because they made a change.

I think that would be written in the consent agenda.

I am.

The music hall?

Different one?

So next, we have the zoning tax amendment on street designation in a mixed use zones, first of two readings.

The only one that I think New Street that we've pulled here, other than City Walk Way, which I think is a private street and is designated as Lincoln, is Hillsdale Drive, which was a new street that was created since the section of code was written and that one was designated as a primary street because we felt that it was

That was the character of that street.

Planning Commission recommended that this be approved.

Would that no longer be allowed?

Any change to that would come following guidance of the comprehensive plan.

So they're talking about what kind of zoning they feel is appropriate for their corridor as well.

First of two readings.

So you all are scheduled for a public hearing on this this evening and I am here to help with any questions you may have.

Is there anyone here who wishes to speak on this matter?

It wasn't quite clear.

And so staff has brought forward text to try to clarify the code so that it would be counted as a dwelling unit.

And boarding house same?

Same thing.

Is there anyone else who would like to speak?

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Are there any clarifying questions?

I'm just confused.

We don't have the site plan for the additional units on the site.

But this recommendation is coming in response to this case.

Correct.

Any other?

That's one question, and then I'm just interested in your opinion about this process.

I think it's, this is in response to the BZA decision, but there have been other issues related to this definition of dwelling units.

but it is something that has been concerning in the past and we have a concrete statement from the BZA that said that this terminology if that were to be removed that the clarity would be taken care of and so we brought that forward so that we could at least address things in the short term.

Frankly, what it says in the words in terms of what it says.

And so we're bringing that forward to remove that as well as put a clarity statement in there so that it's clear that these are dwelling units.

Oh, yes.

One of the commissioners was in the room for the BZA meeting, so.

They didn't write that specifically.

So there is that, I guess, that idea of needing to be able to rely upon the existing ordinance.

They have submitted it.

For one building for the parking, we don't have a site plan for the additional units.

Oh, OK.

To go back to what you were saying though concerning the height interpretation, I think there was an effective date clause in that ordinance that in effect, I don't like to use the term grandfather because that has a very specific meaning for non-conforming use, but it in effect exempted projects that had some sort of approval up to a certain date.

All right.

Are there any other questions?

I mean, there seems to be some disagreement about some things, and we get clarification.

Yeah, we do need to get clarified, because the applicant is saying that there is a site plan, and our staff person is saying there isn't.

There is a site plan.

So back on January 22nd, but on the regular agenda is what I'm feeling, right?

I mean, for me.

So the site plan that you all have, that you all have received, does not include the changes that would be in modifying this definition.

The one that I've seen includes the underground parking structure, which was a previous BZA case.

So is that because of the same piece of code or why was that known that they couldn't do it there and it was not the case here?

So it is a little bit unique in that way.

So is it possible for us to just put this on the consent agenda and if you all get information and you want to pull it, that we can do that?

Yeah, that's fine with me.

So next we have a resolution approval of council meeting schedule for 2019, first of one reading.

I also wanted to bring the Council's attention that Councilor Hill has proposed traditionally your break has been the first meeting in August however she has proposed that instead you have your break after July 1st 2019 so you would not be meeting on July 15th 2019 but you would meet the first week of August this year.

And maybe it's not developed enough right now for us to make a decision on it, but I would raise it that we have talked about it up here and there's been some interest is basically doing what they do in the county where they, I believe they alternate

So one of the two meetings a month is at one o'clock in the afternoon?

Just a thought.

I think if we had them earlier, which I'm not opposed to the idea, I just think we need to find the sweet spot, quote unquote.

And then during those hours, we consider the peak

and if we had them at 3 o'clock, the likelihood of them being here, or even 5 o'clock for that matter, it would be difficult for them.

I think those are very well taken concerns.

I'd be also very curious about what staff would think about this too because this is kind of coming out of nowhere.

No, no, no.

I think we're just having a discussion.

Just raising it.

They haven't had a representation of a variety of different members of the community because of their meeting times.

For tonight, we are just going to, yeah.

Thank you, Mayor Walker, for tonight.

So I'm not opposed to the July 15th but I'm always you know last year too was thinking about August and you know whatever will be going on in the month before and so I did send an email about you know the September which is what we did this year but

Yeah, I remember my wife definitely bringing that point up.

I mean, I think that.

That's a very good point.

Thank you for saying that.

Second.

Next we have a report, the establishment of a priority setting commission to inform council funding priorities.

for this June in order to influence the rulemaking and process for whatever ABRT funding process got set up for fiscal year 21, we felt, the work group felt there was some urgency to come before council to get permission to move forward with this priority setting commission prior to the completion of the entire revised process, which will inevitably and eventually come before you all as a complete package.

So is there any, is that planned?

But I don't think any plans, so I'm looking at both of you to make sure that I'm accurate about that.

And if there were pieces of it that you all were not open to, it would be the same process as any other thing that came before.

We did that with the Citizen Review Board.

We would get all the applications as we normally receive them to review.

expecting a report, and then we will approve the members as they're nominated by, I guess, the two members of council.

People will submit their applications, and we'll go through it.

But is there a charter for the commission, a resolution that's operating under?

taking on that direction of major investments versus these small investments in a lot of places, which is what has consistently come up in the group under the current plane.

And so I guess I would welcome feedback on how we can get to that point and may not.

And I don't want to, like I said, I don't want to hold this up, but I do think we need to have some structure.

So I would suggest that like in I mean it would seem like you could do a lot of this by the next meeting or maybe I don't want to hang things up.

I think there is a lot of not understanding because we just haven't been able to, you know, had a forum where we'd be able to provide that information, so.

Well, the county did not decide that they were going to continue on the regular ABRT process.

If it's approved.

They are going to evaluate if they will participate after they see what process we've developed.

We're saying that we want to see that.

That was in the paper, it was on the news.

I'm just saying we just need to, we need, we need to see, I need to see something.

If you all do not vote for it at that point, then it will be the same or if it's revised as anything else.

Who is going to be identifying how to?

But it says staff or facilitator, am I correct?

When we approve something, we need to know.

We would have to be able to present you for it to be in a timeline that would work we would need for this commission to be.

I want to know who's doing it.

That would certainly be...

I mean, council just decided it may not want to do any of this at all, but they are going to be like hand in hand in terms of we're proposing that we're going to have a more focused approach on how we allocate dollars.

And what I heard tonight, and we do have community partners, they at least need to be in that conversation.

But we need to also look at that they are not able to drive the conversation.

I mean, it took, so I think that it sounds to me that we need to have- Well, we're not trying to hide anything.

And that was a conversation that we had with staff.

No, but the meetings of this commission, where are the records playable?

So that's the part of the message I'd like to have be a part of your deliberation is you have a strategic plan and if there's a priority setting to be done I hope that you charge whatever group is going to look at priorities with looking first at the strategic plan.

So that was implied in one of the statements?

Hopefully anything that we would approve would be aligned with what the changes that we're going to make in the strategic plan coming up, you know, and I think it's the first quarter.

I would think that the council would be particularly interested in something that we might have that big that we might have missed or might have emerged since the planning was completed and so that's merely that's what I meant by influencing the strategic plan was that if something would come up from reviewing all these sources of data that was not already contemplated in the strategic plan I think we'd have a collective interest in paying attention to that.

And I just think we need a resolution.

And I'm saying I want you to tell us what that process is so that we can take action on it.

You all said that you wanted us, the original group, to not be the priority setting group.

And we need a resolution to do that.

This can all be accomplished pretty quickly.

It can be very done quickly.

We can do it by the next meeting.

And I believe that the work can still be done in time for a Mayor June report.

I just, from you Mayor and Vice Mayor Hill, I just, yeah.

I think in addition to the resolution I do think it's important for us to provide just an outline of the major decisions that we've made because if there is a major concern among this council on this direction I would rather have us know now so that we can.

The memo goes out for the 24th.

So we could just have that and maybe if Mayor Walker believes it's suitable to put this on the next agenda, I think the conversation will probably go rather quickly because we'll have other information and we could just move forward.

It's the same Batten study that was sent to everyone last, I think no, it was like last, not December 16, not 17.

and so we have been spending a lot of time on this and there is going to be pushback from the community if these changes are made.

There was really compelling information that they did a really beautiful job.

And I think that would be helpful again with the community to see it.

And many of, I mean, many people both who are non-profits that are funded through ABRT and the actual review team members were interviewed.

and the review team members I specifically found really compelling and some of them spoke at our last budget cycle and just in terms of some of the opportunity areas that they felt we had with this and they've been involved some of them involved in this process as well.

Or should that be incorporated as part of the memo as I think it should be all together.

us having the details, as I've learned, more details the better.

We can completely do this before the 22nd.

That's probably the only one in there, so.

Absolutely.

Are there any questions?

It's just written for your information, ma'am.

I'm almost done.

Any questions?

No.

All right, any other business?

Wow.