City Council Meeting   7/9/2024

I call our Tuesday, July 9th, 2024 City Council meeting to order.

Roll call please Pam.

City Manager Banks.

Here.

City Attorney Brown.

Here.

Council Member Fleming.

Here.

Here.

If you would please stand for the invocation if you wish given by Vice Mayor Dent.

Thank you.

Pam.

Mayor Reed?

Charlie Brown?

and also there's an increase for the large meter testing of $145 and then of course those are carried through the ordinance for the meter sizes.

Any questions?

This is how we fund it.

Council?

Any discussion?

Is it just a formality that's required?

Correct.

Roll call please Pam.

Mayor Reed.

Attorney Brown, 6B.

Next involves an easement requested by the town of Dayton for a nature trail.

So this comes with the staff's recommendation for approval.

You'll have five minutes.

I'll just keep it simple and short.

Anyone else?

We're very excited to see this one move forward so people can continue to walk around that lake without trespassing.

You will brief

What's the date of that?

We didn't know the date of it.

Thank you, thank you.

Council?

and I think the trail maybe go by there obviously I think you know hopefully this will be a really positive thing for the city of Dayton I think and so I just like the idea of cooperation between our communities in that way and so that would certainly be in support of that.

Don't forget that part.

Just curious.

I don't have that handy, but I can get that for you.

Make sure we get our invitation.

Yeah, we'll be there.

The North End of the Lake, I guess.

Roll call, please.

Pay them.

Adam.

So we just barely had a quorum, but we're able to get through that meeting with the four individuals that were with us that evening.

Could she also rent the bottom basement?

Okay.

Pam, do we have any cars?

One minute, please.

I think this is the owner.

My name is Janaina Montoya.

My name is Janaina Montoya.

And I just want to make a front porch.

I don't want to do any different changes, just a front porch.

Do we have any college parents?

I will close this item.

you're stuck on the porch that's this big with no overhang and you're wet so I know she's hoping that if she can get this pass that when she carries groceries into the house she has more than this much space to to stand and open the door so I think this would beautify the property yeah I think this is a wonderful application I think it will do well I think it will make our neighborhood look better I love what she's doing with the home

Adam.

You know, that's what we want out of homeowners to be able to do, to have the ability to do that, and I think this is a way that that can happen.

Request from Janahina Montoya Centeno to rezone 448 Kelly Street to R8 to allow for a front porch as presented by staff.

Roll call please Pam.

Mayor Reed.

Yes.

We don't bite.

OK.

and then we're also going to... Mr. Fletcher, I think the mayor had a question.

So, with a gate, is there, I don't see it, they don't need to be locked?

I think, am I interpreting what you mean to be latched?

Yeah, yeah.

Planning commission, also, along with staff, recommended approval unanimously.

Sometimes the dumpster was put in the bike path.

Okay, thanks.

that are standalone lots without principal buildings where there might be a refuse facility placed on it.

You're just questioning all across the city?

Yeah, I just kind of questioned generally.

But they are they are associated with a principal use.

and the

But I would definitely discuss it with staff.

Maybe for either a future amendment or in addition to that possibly?

What's its purpose?

Yeah, I don't know of any specifics.

Thank you.

How do we?

If our folks and community development have gotten complaints about the sort of functionality of the driver pulling up and having to get out and do that, I don't know.

I love it, but interesting.

I think we should have screenings on all of them because sometimes when, you know, I'm just thinking where I am and I guess I'm looking at 7-Eleven, right?

Yes.

You know, you can't see it, it just makes it look neater But, you know, I really prefer that you have, and coming from a retail background I know, like if you had, if you have latches, and people with itters, people from the outside trying to use a dumpster that it's not supposed to be used, you know, so It just makes it neater and cleaner, to do it that way Yeah, a question for that?

They would be non-conforming allowed.

But we got to start somewhere.

Have the dumpster like sitting right there.

This will be helpful for us.

So I think it would look much better moving forward.

You may still have those sort of angled spaces where the dumpster is adjacent to a parking lot, but it would, under these regulations, it's going to be pushed back away from the street because it can't be in the front.

There, read there a new call.

Thank you.

So I appreciate that our Community Development Department is looking out for folks who are trying to build in the city.

Yeah, and especially since there's a balance of making it look better and making it more flexible for exactly the developers.

Any more discussion?

We'll call please, ma'am.

Aye.

Yes, ma'am.

All right.

And I believe it's because of one of the House bills that was approved or state bills that was approved.

Just, I know we're not discussing this specifically, but would that necessarily automatically extend any existing

I don't know the answer to that.

I don't know the answer to that.

If we approve for 24, will they extend it to 36?

So it'd be since the legislature took action.

So it might do it for this one.

Planning Commission recommended approval of the special use permits with the conditions that we recommended and with the variance to subdivision regulations.

Yes ma'am.

So if this does get rezoned commercial, as the comprehensive plan suggests, does that impact the special use permit as it exists?

So there's no rezoning occurring?

That's correct.

Say that again.

So the manufacturing facility in the blue actually has a residential facility between that and that.

This special use permit requires this layout.

This is your project, so please speak.

We'll see what happens there.

Are any of the apartments handicap accessible?

That's about all it got.

What is it going to look like?

The biggest we would see is just a small cargo van, no bigger than a mini van, taking some local deliveries, but honestly, most of the business is going to be online based.

How many people can work in this?

So it's not like a 24-7 type of operation.

So when you say half shifts, what time frame?

And really that's operating just as a contract manufacturing.

Yeah, what you're saying?

It's not that that's the number one business goal of this, but from my experience it's going to happen and the city I feel needs a space like that.

Is that just daytime hours of operation?

It would just be daytime hours.

Kind of seeing it.

So with the products, are there either monitoring or inspection bodies that will oversee what you're producing there and kind of what, I guess, a state department, I guess, in essence, would be that department.

So that it would be VDACs and then higher than that would be the FDA.

There are regulatory requirements.

on the dietary side, which I would assume also take in effect the manufacturing process and what's admitted during that process, is that the case?

It's very stringent in what you're doing.

Unfortunately, we actually just lost a packaging facility in Harrisonburg, which they have equipment, by the way, I think they're getting ready to put on auction.

But really, it's just a kitchen.

So have you had in contact with the neighbors?

So that makes me feel a little bit better.

Vitamins, herbal supplements?

So it's really just a procedural and certification stamp, more than anything, but the operations are really just a kitchen and grandma's recipes.

I don't know.

It just leaves it wide open to the types of things that you can have and produce in this facility.

And sorry I didn't mean to cut you off.

Go right ahead.

The products being made are, I'm sorry, I'm mixing the questions that you mentioned.

Where do you get the recipes from?

So in my personal opinion, I think this could be a great addition to the city.

Big building, lots of parking spaces, people producing stuff really fast, you know, shift work and something like that, but this is really different.

Does it make sense now?

Is that you?

And so it's not.

We don't know what you're doing.

Significant parking.

The cannabis products.

I don't believe so, no.

So there's a cannabis control board, right?

The CCA, yes.

Licenses where you can both manufacture and dispense cannabis products, is that?

We've also gotten questions about the

Fumes or odors or the environmental impact, it sounds like that wouldn't really be relevant because it's just in a kitchen more or less, right?

The only fumes you're getting is when you're cooking over a stove and you've got steam coming out.

And there are requirements for the hoods and such as that.

So, no toxic materials, because everything's being consumed by humans.

Now, did you say GNP?

There's nothing crazy going on.

This is a special use permit.

My apologies in the city.

This does allow the city to review and determine whether there's noise, fumes, some nuisance that would raise concern and be revisited.

and I believe staff put something in that where if something changes, the city is allowed to rescind that specialty.

Why did what was the?

You can do visitor tags.

And if you put the green space there, you take it in a way.

So we have flexibility there, and if you guys have specific recommendations or you guys would like to see something different, you know, we can incorporate that fairly easily.

So I understand that.

That's what I would recommend, but that's up to you.

But again, it's just an opinion.

And it's not proffered.

What's that?

I think they're showing 36 spaces.

You couldn't do that here because it's only dietary supplements.

The point.

There's a city oversight right there.

There you go.

I promise you, you're better than FDA, I tell you that.

Because I need to continue with the public care.

If you guys don't have any more questions.

Who do you imagine is the target market, people who would live there?

It's something that is difficult to find in the city, and when you can find them, typically they're in college housing apartments, which has complications of their own, obviously.

It's part of our housing study that we need more one bedroom.

where members of the community and not just, you know, Jamey's students are going to benefit from this.

Oh, you're not?

Pam, do we have any callers?

No, no, please.

Mary, there are no calls.

Just make sure everyone, if anyone else was here to talk to the proposal.

Okay, I know, yes, I wouldn't serve.

Okay.

All right, so what we're going to do is do each item.

Okay, Madam Mayor, I move that we approve the request from Farhad Koyee and Bahar Mekail, close enough, I hope, for a special use permit to allow multi-family, multiple family dwellings on a portion of 50 Baxar Drive as presented by staff.

Roll call, please, Pam.

Vice Mayor Dent.

Second.

Any more discussion?

I'll just say, you know, we're, I think we just want to add that's for 24, that we extend the time frame to 24.

The attorney, Chris?

Okay.

Yes.

Roll call please Pam.

Aye.

Second.

Any discussion?

We're making use of land here that's going to contribute to the taxes in the city and add to our manufacturing base in the city, which is important for us.

Jobs and giving folks a place to work.

Yeah, and I like these small scale, locally owned businesses that has an implication of thriving because the people are here, they're from here.

Aye.

And 7A.

So as presented.

Any discussion?

The next item here is a public utility application which is per the requirements of 724 subsection B of the city code the

So we offered our favorable recommendation for the connection, and Plenty Commission as well did the same unanimously.

Any questions?

They do.

I would have to double check what Mr. Collins' notes identified.

Any other questions?

Okay.

I'll second that.

We'll call, please, Pam.

Council Member Fleming.

Hi.

Hi.

City Manager.

At the June 25th City Council meeting, council members asked that I review and prepare a process by which the city might conduct

So the earliest that Dr. Sy and her team could start this would be September 1 with Council's approval, and I'll try and answer any questions that she might have.

Are there any questions?

We're growing.

We're growing.

How does this differ or is it follow on whatever from what Weldon Cooper has already done for us?

So this would be specific to the city of Harrisonburg, its historical population as well as the trend data moving forward.

You said that you spoke with Dr. Richards about this and he was really wanting us to do this.

He or one of his staff members will be a part of the project team.

projections for different schools.

I don't know that I'm answering your question.

a significant amount of time discussing and understanding how we came up with those numbers and the question was why don't we just use the Weldon Cooper numbers because we've been using them for years so I'm just interested to see how this plays out and if the schools will so that's gonna be up to them yes but this is gonna be what for us yeah so if there's if I'm just gonna if there has to be a

We will have the numbers.

So, you know, with them as part of this team, I think we'll be able to get to the right questions and get to that number really.

So do we want to go ahead and make a motion?

Thanks.

Roll call please, Pam.

Council Member Fleming.

Real quick, and announce your big day tomorrow.

Quite honestly, this is a huge event and a great opportunity for us to connect.

How do we come jump on the fire engine?

I really appreciate it.

That's Richard.

That's Richard.

It'll be fun.

I know it's a tough time to come and do the city business at the same time, so I appreciate you being here, but I know it's a tough time for you and your family as well.

So we have two open seats, two applications One is an unexpired term, right?

So we moved to approve both those positions.

Thank you.

So I'm very pleased.

She was on some equivalent of the EPA in Iraq, her home country, so it's great to have that service from someone's home country applied here in our community.

They may battle for who brings the most expertise.

All in favor say aye.