City Council

Public Hearing 04/18/17 CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA HON. MARY KATHERINE GREENLAW, MAYOR CITY COUNCIL HON. WILLIAM C. WITHERS, JR., VICE -MAYOR, WARD TWO 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 April 18, 2017 The Council of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia, held a public hearing on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, beginning at 7:31 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. City Council Present. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Vice-Mayor William C. Withers, Jr. and Council members Dr. Timothy P. Duffy, Bradford C. Ellis, Charlie L. Frye, Jr. and Matthew J. Kelly. City Council Absent. Council member Kerry P. Devine, out of town. Also Present. City Manager Timothy J. Baroody, Assistant City Manager Mark Whitley, Assistant City Manager Doug Fawcett, City Attorney Kathleen Dooley, Budget Manager Deidre Jett and Clerk of Council Tonya B. Lacey. Opening Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. Council was led in prayer by Councilor Matthew J. Kelly followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw. Officer Recognized. Mayor Greenlaw recognized the presence of Officer Scott Worley at this evening’s meeting. Notice of Public Hearings (D17-135 thru D17-141). Assistant City Manager Mark Whitley read the notice of the public hearings as they appeared in the local newspaper, the purpose being to solicit citizen input. 19631 Public Hearing 04/18/17 Disclosures. Councilor Duffy disclosed his employment with the City Schools but insured Council and the public that he could use fair judgment when the topic of budgets was discussed. Councilors Ellis and Frye disclosed that their spouses were employed with the City Schools but insured Council and the public that they could use fair judgment when the topic of budgets was discussed. Fiscal Year 2018 Recommended Operating and Capital Budget (D17-138). 9 speakers. Staff gave a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the general fund budget a total of $93.5 million dollar, a 3.4%increase over fiscal year 2017. The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) totaling $14.4 million and $2 million for water and sewer. The budget also included implementing the classification and compensation study, adding two new positions: Deputy Fire Marshall and an IT Business Analyst. The presentation discussed the schools and the 2.9% increase in their operating transfer and a 25% increase in their debt service. Ms. Jett also highlighted other funds, CIP and debt issuance, general fund revenues, property tax rate, water and sewer rates and changes to the recommended 2018 budget. Rita Girard, Executive Director, Mental Health America Fredericksburg, came to thank the City Council for their past support of the organization and for the proposed support this year. Ms. Girard highlighted their Senior Visitor Program which provides a free weekly in home visit for home bound seniors. They support 110 clients and 21% are Fredericksburg residents. She discussed the impact this program has on the seniors they support. Michelle Hederick, Executive Director of Rappahannock Big Brothers Big Sisters, thanked the Council for their past support and she asked the Council to approve their 19632 Public Hearing 04/18/17 $10,000 budget request. This funding would help BBBS continue to recruit, interview and enroll children as well as recruit, train and interview volunteers, it will help with conducting background checks, create matches, supervise the mentor relationship and offer support to the mentors. Many of the children are in single family homes. This mentoring program will help to create better students as they partner with the city schools. Lilly Dunning, Executive Director of Bluemont Concert Series, thanked the Council for their support and she said since 1996 they have presented 271 concerts at Maury field and they have also presented 168 benefit performances at healthcare facilities in the City and the surrounding areas. This program has a very transformative effect on the residents in the nursing homes. They have presented 300 programs into the schools and they are trying to get back to doing that because they had not been able to do that over the last couple years. In 2017, they plan to have five concerts at Maury and five outreach concerts. Ms. Dunning thanked the Council for their continued support. Marschelle Davis, Grad Program Director at Open Hand Fredericksburg, asked Council to reconsider providing their program funding for their summer internship program. This program provides paid summer internships for low income youth and its supplemented with mandatory workshops aimed at helping students learn skills they need to navigate life after high school. Open Hands currently have a contract with the City Schools to provide the life skills portion of their alternative education program and they are beginning to expand on that partnership. They will help the students learn the importance of making money and how to manage the money. The program will also help learn the job skills to help them determine the path in life they would like to take. She thanked the Council and asked them to reconsider funding the program. 19633 Public Hearing 04/18/17 Sara Poore, Executive Director of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, thanked the Council for all of the support over the years. She said the Museum has been in transition over the past year and they would be reopening their doors full-time. The Museum has attracted thousands to the downtown with their exhibits, concerts and their many other event. Ms. Poore said the museum will now focus on the stories instead of objects and they will begin going back to the schools offering SOL based programs. She said they were working on a concept called museum without walls. This program will place objects in buildings where they once belonged and telling the stories of those objects. Ms. Poore thanked the Council for their continued support. Van Perroy, 525 Caroline Street, spoke about the continued increase in cost and how they are putting a strain on citizens. He said the City needed to be critical at making revenue more efficient. He requested the Council take a hard look at privatization of refuse collection. He requested the Council study the privatization of refuse collection and he suggested that the money saved be used to get out of the R-Board. Ann Klockner (D17-139), Executive Director of Legal Aid Works, stated that Legal Aid had been serving since 1973 and she thanked the Council for previous funding and they were asking that their funding be returned to level funding. She said they have five attorneys who cover five (5) localities and fifteen (15) courts. Ms. Klockner listed the many things they help with (domestic violence, employment benefits, foreclosures, etc.) and she requested their level funding be restored. Debbie Fults (D17-140 thru D17-141), Executive Director of disAbility Resource Center, thanked the Council for their past support and she listed serveral of the activities they were able to do each year. 19634 Public Hearing 04/18/17 Taylor Davis, 134 Farrell Lane, spoke in support of the disAbility Resource Center and she spoke of the programs that have helped her as she learns to live independently. Ms. Davis also spoke about her volunteer work at the DRC offices. Proposed Increase in Real Estate Tax Rate. – no speakers. Proposed Increase in Water and Sewer Fees. – no speakers. Council discussion ensued and they addressed the comments regarding privatization of refuse collection and the cutting of the cost at the R-Board. They explained that they were working on a plan to help save money by using the R-Board for disposal of the sludge at the City’s Wastewater treatment plant and a number of other ways. The Council also stated that the privatization had been looked at in the past but got no support and they noted that a study had been done in the past and it showed that the City’s operation was more efficient at the time. Vice-Mayor Withers expressed his concerns with increasing the taxes by three cents but he said after looking at the budget and the things that need to be done he did not see how he could not support it. Mayor Greenlaw stated that the partner agencies provide essential services to the City and the Council does not take their request lightly. Adjournment. There being no more speakers to come before the Council at this time. Mayor Greenlaw declared the hearing officially adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Mary Katherine Greenlaw Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Mayor Tonya B. Lacey Tonya B. Lacey, Clerk of Council, CMC 19635 Public Hearing 04/18/17 [This page intentionally left blank.] 19636