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 January 16, 2018 Capital Improvements Projects City Properties The Council of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia held a work session on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room. Council Present. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Presiding. Vice-Mayor Withers, Councilors Kerry P. Devine, Timothy P. Duffy, Bradford C. Ellis, Charlie L. Frye, Jr. (7:37) and Matthew J. Kelly. Also Present. City Manager Timothy J. Baroody, Assistant City Manager Mark Whitley, Assistant City Manager Doug Fawcett, City Attorney Kathleen A. Dooley, Economic Development Director Bill Freehling, Public Works Director David King, Assistant Public Works Director Marty Schlesinger and Clerk of Council Tonya B. Lacey. Others Present. Kevin Rotty, PFM Managing Director. Capital Improvements Projects. Staff presented a PowerPoint presentation on the Capital Improvements Plan for Fiscal Years 2019-2024. In the presentation they discussed New Public Work’s needs, Public Facility’s needs, New Public Safety needs, New City School’s needs, new Water CIP needs, and new Wastewater CIP needs. (See Attachment I for more information). Councilor Kelly addressed the schools needs and said that coming up with the amount they needed was not feasible. Councilor Ellis said in order to prevent an escalation in costs he said they should be using future dollars because the cost would be more in the future. Mr. Whitley said it is imperative that they give a good amount for the future dollars and he said he believed they were making inflation estimates. Councilor Kelly said he would like to see more City oversight on school projects so that there were no issues with costs. City Manager Baroody said he would be happy to do that but he would need to be directed by the Council to tell the Superintendent that he needed to look over his 1 shoulder. Assistant City Manager Whitely said he would be delighted to work with the schools but issues do come up. Wastewater – Assistant City Manager Fawcett presented a PowerPoint presentation on the potential consolidation of the City’s and Spotsylvania County’s Wastewater Treatment operations. In 2007, the City had its first discussions about consolidation and staff came to Council asking for funding but nothing surfaces but Spotsylvania was now ready to have serious discussion on consolidating. The County and the City staff directly engaged in a study to determine various options for consolidation and several options were considered. The City engaged Whitman Requardt and Associates to look at the options and determine if they agreed with them. Mr. Fawcett presented the options from the two firms. The PowerPoint showed the three interceptor sewers, the locations of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), Spotsylvania’s FMC WWTP and Spotsylvania’s Massaponax WWTP, current conditions, current situation of the FMC WWTP and the Massaponax WWTP, Evaluation of options, criteria evaluated, results of evaluations, highest rated option, proposed consolidation of Wastewater operations, estimated costs and Fiscal Year 2019 impacts. Staff had brief discussions with Council and stated that under the current joint agreement the City’s costs were based on contribution of flow and the City would continue to pay only its share. Mr. Fawcett explained that once the plants were consolidated there would not be a need for the same number of personnel so the City would save on annual operating costs. Sharing the facility with Spotsylvania would generate about 50 percent more than it does now and staff did not see any downside to consolidating. Mr. Fawcett said there would be no end to the agreement unless there needed to be a renegotiation. Mr. Schlesinger noted that the Massaponax Plant was an enhanced plant therefore there would be better treatment for the water. Debt Service - Ms. Jett presented a PowerPoint on the debt service and she discussed the existing debt, 2018 preliminary Debt and the debt service on needs/requests. See Attachment III and IV. Mr. Fawcett updated the Council on the contribution to the Fall Hill bond issue and he noted that the City did not have to pay the $2.88 million as expected. Mr. Baroody stated that the Executive Plaza was in need of a new HVAC and the cost was $2 million and he said the money saved on the Fall Hill project would be used for the HVAC. He said this was the best course of action for the building. He asked the Council for their approval on that. He told the Council they did not have to move on the Visitor Center but he would like the Economic Development offices to move along with Planning and Building & Development Services. 2  Councilor Kelly said he did not mind putting the HVAC in the building but he was not fond of moving the offices to the building. He said there needed to be more discussion on the future of the building before making any major moves. Councilor Kelly mentioned that there was going to be a tourism study done soon and he would like to wait for that study. Mr. Baroody cautioned that he would move forward with the study today if it were just the City but the money was not just the City’s it was Stafford and Spotsylvania’s money as well and he was still in talks with them and he needed their consensus in order to do this. Mayor Greenlaw disagreed with Councilor Kelly, she said the Executive Plaza was a facility that could be better used than it was being used, it was cheap rent for the City and City Hall was over used and services could be greatly improved and it could look better than it does. She said the City would not fall apart if the building stayed. She said it would be useful to move offices to alleviate some space in City Hall. Mayor Greenlaw said it would make better use of the building and it would be more functional. Council was in concurrence with moving forward with the renovations on the third and fourth floor and the exterior renovations. They all agreed to leave Tourism where it was for now. Mr. Baroody noted that the exterior, lobby and stairwell upgrades would cost approximately $2.25 million. Councilor Devine explained that she was not 100 percent thrilled with moving tourism but she would like to have the discussion but she also said moving tourism to the Executive Plaza would not make or break tourism in the City. She said she would like to make a decision. Councilor Duffy said he believed they could move and still do a study on tourism. Vice-Mayor Withers said move forward and work out the tourism portion later. Mr. Baroody said he would move the project on a parallel track working on moving the offices and work on the tourism portion. City Properties. Mr. Baroody said there had been a group working on City properties for a couple weeks. He said the properties on Attachment V, which were highlighted in yellow could be considered surplus properties in the next two to three years. Mr. Freehling said there were 7 or 8 properties that could be sold. Mr. Baroody explained that Renwick was on the list but he noted that Main Street had a $25,000 grant to pursue dialog with community input on future use of Renwick. Councilor Kelly said he would not like to sell Renwick because it was a critical building for the City. Councilor Duffy and Ellis agreed. Vice-Mayor Withers suggested that maybe there could be a public-private partnership for Renwick. Mr. Baroody said they could hold off on Renwick because of Council’s reluctance. 3  Council was in agreement with selling all except Renwick and the land in Idlewild/Downman House which they would like further study on both pieces of property. Closed Meeting Approved. Upon a motion Councilor Duffy, moved approval of a closed session under Virginia Freedom of Information Act section 2.2-3711(A)(39) for the discussion of confidential information prepared by the City, related to the attraction of a multipurpose outdoor and recreational venue, where competition or bargaining is involved, and where disclosure of the information would adversely affect the financial interest of the City of Fredericksburg; motion was seconded by Councilor Kelly and passed by the following recorded votes. Ayes (7) Councilors Greenlaw, Withers, Devine, Duffy, Ellis, Frye, and Kelly. Nays (0). Return to Open Meeting Approved. Upon the motion of Councilor Duffy seconded by Councilor Frye and passed by the following recorded votes, Council approved a return to an open meeting. Ayes (7) Councilors Greenlaw, Withers, Devine, Duffy, Ellis, Frye, and Kelly. Nays (0). Resolution 18-07, Approved, Certifying Closed Meeting. Upon the motion Councilor Duffy approved Resolution 18-07 certifying the closed meeting; seconded by Councilor Frye and passed by the following recorded votes. Ayes (7) Councilors Greenlaw, Withers, Devine, Duffy, Ellis, Frye, and Kelly. Nays (0). Adjournment. There being no further business to come before the Council at this time. Mayor Greenlaw declared the session officially adjourned at 8:36 p.m. ___Tonya B. Lacey _______ Tonya B. Lacey Clerk of Council City of Fredericksburg 4