City Council

CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA HON. MARY KATHERINE GREENLAW, MAYOR HON. WILLIAM C. WITHERS, JR., VICE -MAYOR, WARD TWO CITY COUNCIL HON. KERRY P. DEVINE, AT-LARGE HON. MATTHEW J. KELLY, AT-LARGE HON. BRADFORD C. ELLIS, WARD ONE HON. DR. TIMOTHY P. DUFFY, WARD THREE Council Chambers, 715 Princess Anne Street HON. CHARLIE L. FRYE, JR., WARD FOUR Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 Council Work Session September 8, 2015 Public Safety Radio System UDO Text Amendment on Infill Lots The Council of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia held a work session on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Conference Room. Council Present. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Presiding. Councilors William C. Withers, Jr., Kerry P. Devine, Timothy P. Duffy, Bradford C. Ellis and Matthew J. Kelly. Council Absent. Councilor Charlie L. Frye, Jr., working late. Also Present. City Manager Beverly Cameron, Assistant City Manager Mark Whitley, City Attorney Kathleen Dooley, Fire Chief Eddie Allen, Planning and Services Director Charles Johnston and Clerk of Council Tonya B. Lacey. Others Present. RCC Consultant Wayne Stack. Public Safety Radio System. Mr. Wayne Stack the consultant from RCC Consulting performed a study on the City’s radio system. Mr. Stack began with a PowerPoint presentation. The presentation covered the following topics: project goals, project tasks, data gathering, data analysis, alternatives, recommendations, additional considerations, one-time and recurring costs, grant funding, actions completed and the path forward. See attachment for more information. Mayor Greenlaw asked if the City would need to provide an additional tower and Mr. Stack said the City would not. The City would add an additional microwave dish on the Mountain Avenue Tower and face it towards the City. Chief Allen explained that the City would bounce off two towers, the Mountain Avenue tower off 218 and the Powell Lane tower off Route 17. Mr. Stack noted the benefits of having a ring microwave loop is that if any path was severed it would reverse directions to the other microwave dish. 1  Vice-Mayor Withers asked what the life expectancy was for the system and Mr. Stack said that the contract with Motorola would include a continuous refresh and the radios would need to be replaced every ten years or so. Council expressed some concern with a regional agreement and Mr. Stack said he could not foresee any issues working with Stafford. He also said he believes the cost of the City’s system may increase because of its age and because of the age of the system there would be a higher rate of failure. Mr. Stack said the City’s radio system was about 10 years behind. Chief Allen said it was getting harder to get cards for the current system and he said they did ride arounds and found four locations where the radios did not work at all. Councilor Kelly asked if the City’s fire department had enough personnel to support the new system and Chief Allen said he did not see the need for additional personnel. Mr. Stack said that Stafford was prepared to handle everything for the City. The only reason the City may want additional personnel was to take advantage of all the new system had available. Councilor Duffy asked what would happen at the end of the 10 year agreement and Mr. Cameron explained that the City could continue the agreement or set up its own system. Mr. Cameron asked Council if they were ready to move forward with: developing and executing a Memorandum of Understanding, reviewing operational procedures and applying for grants. Council agreed to have staff move forward. UDO Text Amendment for Infill Lots R-4 & R-8. Mr. Johnston explained that this was a request to initiate the process by referring the changes to the Planning Commission for recommendation. He said to start the process he wanted to make it was clear that pre 1984 lots front yard setbacks would be calculated on a case by case basis and they would follow the pattern of the neighborhood. The side yards would be allowed to be reduced. He said there was discussion that there should be a minimum side yard but during the Architectural Review Board discussions they said there should not be a minimum side yard. Mr. Johnston said this would be a decision for Council to make. The front façade of houses at one point on the long narrow lots faced the side but pre 1984 neighborhoods fronts were facing the street. So it was worded so that the Planning Commission could consider the front facades face the street. There would be flexibility on corner lots. He said they also made it clearer on how the setbacks were determined. 2  Councilor Kelly asked that there be something that says the historic district must be kept the same. He said the City had diversity in the housing stock and he wanted to see that maintained. He asked about side lots and whether they could be shifted and Mr. Johnston said they could but it would be dependent upon the pattern of the neighborhood. Mayor Greenlaw said she sympathized with the ARB on the side lot lines and she did not agree that the front facades had to face the street. Vice-Mayor Withers said he agreed that they should not have to face the street. Mayor Greenlaw said the reason she thought the Council was looking at this ordinance was for mass and scale. She expressed her concern for cookie cutter neighborhoods. Adjournment. There being no further business to come before the Council at this time, Mayor Greenlaw declared the work session officially adjourned at 6:48 p.m. ______Tonya B. Lacey____ Tonya B. Lacey Clerk of Council City of Fredericksburg 3