Neighborhood Commission Agendas & Minutes

MINUTES Hampton Neighborhood Commission Meeting Community Development Conference Room, City Hall January 14, 2013 Time 5:00-6:00PM Present Ann Bane, School Rep. Nancy Belew, District 3 Karen Duncan, District 1 Steven Edwards, Institutional Rep. James Gray, City Rep. Kathy Johnson, Institutional Rep. Henry Mills, Institutional Rep. Anthony Reyes, City Rep. Jason Samuels, District 8 Tommy Southall, District 9 Peggy Todd, At-Large Rep. Valerie Twine, District 2 Anthony White, Youth Rep. Terry O’Neill, Executive Director Rashida Costley-Clarke, Recording Secretary Absent Alice Callahan, District 6 Robin Carpenter, District 7 Judy Hart, Chair Edward Lattimore, City Rep. Ryan Jones, Youth Rep. Guests I. Opening Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm. Kathy Johnson presided over the meeting in the Chair’s absence. A. Roll Call and Verification of Quorum Quorum verified. B. Pledge of Allegiance 1 C. Approval of Minutes of the December 10, 2012 Neighborhood Commission Meeting The Chair asked for consideration of the minutes for the December 10, 2012 Neighborhood Commission meeting. James Gray made a motion to approve the minutes. Karen Duncan seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote. Chair voiced, “All in favor please say aye.” Response, “aye.” Chair voiced, “Opposed?” Response – none. Minutes approved. D. Chair Announcements • The Chair provided copies of the letter regarding Wind Turbines. • The Executive Director, Terry O’Neill updated the Commission regarding the item presented by the public from December. City staff met to discuss ways to assist the homeowners on Southampton Ave with removal of debris in the water behind their homes. The property is privately owned; therefore, staff is recommending that property owners hire contractors to remove the debris and put in on City right-of-way. The City will remove the debris placed on the City right-of-way at no cost to the homeowners. A list of contractors will be provided to the homeowners. • Commissioners were reminded of the upcoming Grad Nation Summit on January 25, 2013. • In December, Alternatives, Inc. and AmeriCorps distributed about $8,000 in books. • The Chair also briefly reviewed the recommendations from the Executive Committee regarding changes to the Commission meeting times, locations and order of business. Recommendations are as follows; o Changing the Executive Committee meeting date to the 3rd Monday of each month instead of immediately prior to the Neighborhood Commission meeting. This change will allow more time for the Executive Committee to discuss issues. o Recommending that Neighborhood Commission meetings be held at 5pm instead of 6pm. o Holding meetings in neighborhood districts quarterly to encourage citizen input and increase visibility. 2  E. Youth Report • Currently working with the Hampton Youth Commission to update the Youth Component. NYAB is serving as the focus group for Youth Share Leadership and Caring Relationships. • NYAB held a retreat on January 12, 2013 to welcome new members and participate in teambuilding activities. The group also reviewed the Commission priority areas and discussed the workplan. F. Items from the public No speakers Public in attendance- Michael Behan II. Actions (New Business) Item A. Briefing on the Lincoln Park Redevelopment Project • Aaru Ma’at presented regarding the proposed Lincoln Park Redevelopment Plan, particularly the design selected by the Lincoln Park community. • Aaru discussed the challenges and opportunities as they relate to the redevelopment and the process involving the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). • The proposed development will be a mixed use community, which will include homes for disabled persons, seniors, and homes at affordable and market rate rent. • The Housing Authority is also looking at how the new development will positively impact the surrounding areas. Other concerns may also be addressed as part of the redevelopment such as traffic patterns on LaSalle Ave. Aaru is working with Planning Division staff to incorporate the Lincoln Park redevelopment into the Downtown Master Plan update process. • Commissioners had several questions; o How many residents currently live in Lincoln Park? 207 units are currently occupied. o What would be the rental rate for home designated for seniors? 1 to 2 bedroom apartments would rent between $600-800 per month. 3  o Will the senior homes be income driven? This will be determined by the type of funding used to develop the property. Tax credit programs run by VHDA will require that some units be income restricted. o How long will development take? If approved by HUD, HUD allows 36 months for demolition. The project will likely be developed in phases, but this will depend on funding. o How do the two projects, Lincoln Park and Harbor Square compare? They are similar; however, residents in Lincoln Park will get section 8 vouchers. Residents of Harbor Square received a one-time incentive check to relocate. • If the Commission supports the project, the Housing Authority requests a letter of support to accompany the HUD application. Commissioners agreed to provide the letter of support. Anthony White made a motion to approve the request. Peggy Todd seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote. Chair voiced, “All in favor please say aye.” Response, “aye.” Chair voiced, “Opposed?” Response – none. Motion carried. Item B. Briefing on FY14-18 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) • Gloria Washington, Budget Director presented a brief overview of the purpose of the CIP and its role in implementing strategic initiatives and infrastructure maintenance/improvements. • Commissioners felt it was disconcerting to see dedicated funding constantly decreasing and asked how the City will be able to fund projects in the future. The Gloria indicated that the burden may fall to citizens in the form of higher taxes or finding grant funds. • Tommy Southall asked about the CIP project regarding curb and gutter for the Wythe neighborhood submitted several years ago. The neighborhood continues to be concerned with drainage. • Many Commissioners felt infrastructure should be a priority for the City. • Tony Reyes, Public Works Director suggested that the Commission receive a drainage/ stormwater briefing so that Commissioners have a better understanding of the topics and what can realistically be done to address them. • Jason Samuels also suggested that education be a priority for the City. The number of students enrolled in Hampton City Schools has declined which means families are 4  leaving the City. We need to make sure Hampton City Schools is the best school system in the area. Item C. Discussion regarding hosting a CIP public forum • At the December meeting, the Neighborhood Commission agreed to host a CIP forum in February. • Commissioners reviewed their calendars and recommended February 12, 2013 at 6:30PM as the date for the forum. The Commissioners also recommended that the Civic Communications Committee be tasked with crafting the agenda and selecting the meeting location. The Chair called for a motion to approve the recommendation. Karen Duncan made a motion to approve the recommendation. Henry Mills seconded the motion. The Chair called for a vote. Chair voiced, “All in favor please say aye.” Response, “aye.” Chair voiced, “Opposed?” Response – none. Motion carried. Item D. Briefing on the Neighborhood Swimming Pool Grant Program • Karen Duncan reviewed the committee recommendation to continue the program used the previous year. If approved, participating pools will be eligible for $4,000 in grant funds and must provide 9 community pool preview days that are free and open to the public beginning on Memorial Day. The committee also recommends the continuation of the fundraising incentive. • Pools have taken steps to become more self-sufficient, they continue to work together to share best practices and purchase bulk supplies to reduce costs. • Approval of the program will mean setting aside $35,000 for the program. IV. Dialogue A. Matters by Commissioners • Tommy Southall expressed his concerns regarding clothing drop boxes that have appeared in parking lots all over the city. Tommy has received calls from neighborhood organizations in District 9 with concerns as well. 5  He would like the Commission to discuss this item similar to the other proposed ordinance amendments. B. Committee Status Reports None Director’s report • Hampton 101 series will begin on February 21, 2013. Cindy will forward additional information as soon as it’s available. • You Make a Difference Celebration Event is scheduled for February 5, 2013 at 6:00PM at the Charles Taylor Arts Center. • The next Hampton Home Repair Blitz is scheduled for May 4, 2013. More information will be provided in February. • Internal website training is schedule for January 24, 2013 at 5:30PM in the Community Development Conference Room. Next Meeting Date: February 11, 2013 @ 6:00PM. Location: Community Development Conference Room, City Hall. 6