City Council Meeting   3/19/2012

Thank you.

I'll cut this.

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

Here.

His name is Curious George and Dede Smith is going to start it and I am going to end that.

And Whereas, WVPT promotes literacy in children and joy in reading and has been transformative in how children are introduced to letters, words, language and respectful relationships with their families, friends and communities.

This is the first proclamation.

That was fun.

I would.

Partners, the Discovery Museum is one, the Jefferson Madison Regional Library is one, the Paramount Theater is one, Festival of the Book is one, the Downtown Business Association is one, and then of course the city.

Beautiful poster.

It's really a happy one.

Dealing with Poison Information Week, Dede.

whereas it is fitting to recognize the 50th annual observance of National Poison Prevention Week in order to highlight this preventable health hazard and help educate all Virginians to better understand how to avoid the dangers of accidental poisoning.

Is Kristin Wenger here?

Now Therefore, we the City Council of Charlottesville do hereby recognize March 18th through 24th, 2012 as Poison Prevention Week in the City of Charlottesville, Virginia and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Thank you, City Council.

Thank you very much.

Next is a resolution of endorsement and Kristin Szakos will be presenting it and we'll be having a speaker on that too.

Great.

Thank you.

It's the county and we work together on regional transportation issues, in case that wasn't clear, so go ahead.

Thank you very much.

Next Proclamation is also an interesting one to call National Cash Mob Day Resolution by Kathy Galvin.

Signed and sealed this 19th day of March.

Is there anybody here to receive this proclamation?

I should have given it away.

And so you are the life and growth of our community.

Kathy, thank you.

Oh, thank you.

And I think Kathy's going to give the details about that.

And did you have something you want to say?

And the website is cashmobsegal.com, so get your inbox on Facebook and Twitter.

There's an after party afterward, which is very important.

What time is it?

At 5 o'clock.

The Assembly Place will be mentioned on the Rick and Jane show Friday morning, but you can get on Facebook and we'll let you know as well.

I appreciate it.

Mr. Norris, I understand you have a small announcement.

I also have an announcement for an item for other business discussing tonight a potential resolution in support of a recent settlement agreement for Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Mr. Jones, do you want to introduce somebody?

So David, welcome.

Thank you.

We look forward to working with you.

And if you speak at the podium, you get a cookie.

Great revenue.

Peggy Leane Bartels and Eleanor Herman who wrote King Betty an American Secretary Her Royal Destiny and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village Discuss How Peggy Leane Became King of the Seaside Village of Otoam, Ghana Her Villages Near Charlottesville Sister City of Winneba So again that's at noon on March 23rd And I assume that all of these, yes, are taking place right here City Council Chambers and City Hall Are the other announcements for the Council members?

Do you want to make the agenda announcements about the change?

You have three minutes.

because without the summer, the winter time, as everybody, I don't know if everybody knows, it's a wrap.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Nancy Carpenter.

I just don't think that coming together and protesting economic or social injustices does not mean that there's going to be violence and I think that law enforcement should look at other issues besides public discourse as problems.

Scott Bendy

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

A couple of people.

There's a separate public hearing for that.

Later tonight?

About 10 minutes.

Okay, put me on that.

Same station.

Brendan Collin.

Alright, well, and do something about jobs for crying out loud.

Who would like to start?

And I totally agree about the transit.

Anybody else would like to speak?

Appreciate it.

Dee Dee?

It was short and I think particularly Mr. Collins demonstrates how important it is that this community is involved and tells us what they know because there's so many people who can contribute and thank you for coming and coming back.

Ms. Norris?

Thank you Mr. Collins for continuing to push us on transit.

If not, Mr. Norris, will you give us the appointments?

to the Housing Advisory Committee, Charlie Armstrong and Carmelita Wood, to the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Board, Sue Lewis, to the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Council, Fred Schmidt, to the Piedmont Virginia Community College Board, Peter Kleeman, to the Tree Commission, Inecka Dickman, Linda Patchel and Joanna Solitis, and as the City Representative for the Jaunt Board and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Mr. Lance Stewart.

Page.

Item G, an ordinance on the Retirement Commission, second of two readings.

Jim, will you please tell Mr. Tolbert in front of us and tell us how you came to your conclusion as to the space.

It seems like every time we turn around there's new stuff coming to light.

Could you please identify what the issue is for the audience?

in a different configuration for sure because the fire lane changed but 1139 was where we were.

How much space would that leave in the walk through?

four feet of walkway.

Is that really enough for wheelchairs?

It allows those things to happen if we wanted to do it.

And so I would suggest you do 1200 or close to 1200 where you can have one row of tables and leave five feet pedestrian way.

Is that not, that won't work?

As you know, this ordinance requires two readings, so I think the plan was on the second reading of this ordinance, there would be a resolution approving a specific number of square feet for Mr. Fanazzo's restaurant.

What I'm saying is that we go ahead and do the first reading, let them go out and measure it, game on earth so he can have a row of tables, then come back to the second reading and read the figure.

I'll second that, Madam Chair.

If there is a case, we will proceed.

Thank you.

I move that we approve the consent agenda.

Thank you and please work with Mr. Tolbert and I think you'll be very well situated for all.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Maurice Jones.

And we'll take any questions from council, of course, followed by the public hearings on both the tax rate and the city manager's proposed budget.

I would be curious to know, you don't have to answer it now as you might not be able to, but when we talk about the living wage again, what a flat bonus, what range of percentage that would be for our employees.

Anybody who wishes to speak about tax rate?

I also forgot to mention bus service to CATEC.

That's a big one.

Thank you.

Anybody else?

I just have simple questions and you don't have to dog pile or rush to answer it, but when was the last time Citi lowered its tax rate?

The next public hearing is on City of Maryland's proposed 2013 budget.

Do you want to do any discussion or responses about the tax rate?

Also, I think Mr. Porter, did you want to talk about the tax rate?

Oh, okay.

Okay, so anybody would like to speak about tax rate from the Council?

to more equalize them with what other cities do because I think especially if we're looking at the state kind of rescinding its responsibility for public education and public employee retirements, I think that that's something that we'll have to talk about.

No, no.

and so you can't divorce the two and I think if we were to look at our utility rates you'd see the opposite that we're among the highest and that's also a big factor in cost of living and so I think we need to be aware of all of these things.

And I think this was an effort to try to help try to equalize that a little bit when they had a series of cuts to the tax rate.

I'm sorry, should we go ahead and do we have any other questions about the tax rate and then go ahead and vote on that?

Okay.

So, Bob Barnaby.

Thank you for your time.

Dorothy Tomkins?

Thank you.

Gene Kohler.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

be penny and pound wise in your decisions.

Are there comments by members of the council?

It's a city space.

You need to come, there will be a meeting there.

If you accidentally come at 5, go out to eat and come back.

Any other comments by members of the council?

and I'm wondering why that happened given that we probably have as much or more need in the community and if that might not be a way to respond to some of these kind of specific reasons sort of questions that we have about particular nonprofits.

and part of that could be that there were some that we had some agencies who in the past have received funding for instance the Paramount which in the past has received funding and around sixty four thousand five hundred dollars well that they were that was eliminated this year so that was a significant hit right there partnership for children doesn't exist it doesn't exist anymore so there are a couple that that made major hits if you took those out I would probably be about the same if not a little more than we've done for the other agency

Sure.

Well, I think traditionally what we've done, what council has done, is utilize the council priorities fund, which you have at about $178,000 this year.

Other members of the Council would like to make comments?

Then secondly, the ARBT process, did I put those letters in the right place?

ABRT.

So that's another reason why we are in a budget, on a steer budget season right now.

Mr. Norris?

So I, at a minimum, would support restoring full funding.

Any other comments on the budget?

I think in each of these cases there's a specific really clear reason, one didn't have staffing, one the person had started two days before, why their proposals were not up to snuff and so to me that kind of overrides the process that we have.

As I said initially, we are not going to take any action today, but we are going to have a public hearing.

we'll still be able to bid and approximately where we thought we would be able to bid so I know there's some folks that are really wanting this project and they're concerned that if we delay tonight that we'll negatively impact them but I don't think that's the case I think we can work with that and have everything ready to go in the bid package when we get this last piece of property resolved so be happy to answer any questions you might have about the project Are there any questions from the staff before we go over here?

And I wondered why there was that difference.

Each piece of property is valued differently for the geography, the characteristics, the buildability and I don't know what factors he used in making that decision.

And we certainly can get that information.

Right, it's just that right along Moores Creek you can possibly build a thing.

You have three minutes to speak and anything you like.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Go ahead.

And I hope that we can actually go forward in a realistic and value-based proposition that $10,000 is not going to cut it.

Thank you.

Anybody else wish to speak on this topic?

Anybody else wish to speak on this topic?

So it can have a positive effect.

Yes, sir.

Anyhow, thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

But there's lots of ways I think that we could work with the beach club to make an arrangement that is a win-win and that really works for everybody.

So this is not causing any delay in the project by itself.

So thank you.

Anybody else wish to make any comment on the topic?

and so I hope we can find a resolution so we're not having to use eminent domain but I do think we should at least publicly point out the fact that there were many property owners that willingly gave their easements to the city for this project to move forward.

I'm happy to welcome Daniel, he's one of my former students.

There's no action that needs to be taken on this at this point because we need to go through the review process with the state agency and then the federal agency and then we'll be back before you in the summertime to ask for your support of this plan.

Are there any questions you'd like to ask him?

I was curious where, like a lot of the components in there, but how does conservation and low flow fixtures and things, how does that relate to the hazard plan?

Any other questions?

We have one new item under other business, Mr. Norris, would you like to bring it up?

This was a historic agreement that would

really transformed the way that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are served in our state.

I'm not necessarily suggesting that we vote on it tonight if councilors want some time to think about it, but I have drafted a resolution which simply endorses the settlement agreement.

We have all seen the draft and if there are questions, you can ask questions, otherwise you could take a reaction if the council felt comfortable.

keeping people with their home community.

That would be the only concern I would have.

that it might be put an undue burden on communities kind of shifting again like we've seen so many times shifting.

Right, there was a substantial funding component to it and it funded over 4,000 new vouchers essentially that would help transition residents into community-based care and there's funding for a new family support program, crisis services, employment services, etc.

to be vigilant and to make sure that on every legislative agenda that we send to Richmond that we make sure that this stuff gets funded because this is just the sort of thing that when budgets get cut, they cut programs for our most vulnerable citizens and these are some of our most vulnerable citizens but I would much rather have them home than sent off.

Mr. Norris, is there a motion on your part?

I'd be happy to make a motion to approve the resolution.

I would love to second it.

So we're pretty confident.

Oh, I apologize.

In the discussion of the motion

I just want to be confident that there's not unintended consequences here before I feel like I can support something that I don't actually have researched.

I would imagine that there may be, and I think probably far fewer than there are under the current system.

I can tell you the advocates and the families for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are advocating strongly for this agreement because they see it as a better system of care.

I just worry about people who don't have that support system, but who need these services.

I support this motion fully.

Please go forward.

If you can't come, Ms. Norris will come.

The rest of us can't go?

Just bring a baby suit.

you don't have to bring a bathing suit you don't want to see me in a bathing suit

My name's Dave Redding and I live at 609 East Market Street and I just want to note that I like the idea of the bicycle app, but there's a number of us that do not own smartphones and if you intend to use that information that you're going to get from these trips, take into consideration that there's a number of bicyclists that aren't wealthy enough to have a $400 cell phone.

Anybody else who wants to speak?

I was just going to say at this point we're getting zero data and it'll be more data but you're right it's not complete data and they've acknowledged that this is not a strictly scientific thing but so it's just contributing among others but feel free to call the TJPDC and give them your bicycle information I want to, anybody else wishes to speak?

I'm getting the meeting shorter and shorter now.