City Council

409 S. Main Street City of Harrisonburg Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Meeting Minutes - Final City Council Tuesday, April 28, 2020 7:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Roll Call Note: All Council Members, with the exception of Council Member Hirschmann, were present via virtual Go-To Meeting. Present: 4- Mayor Deanna R. Reed, Vice-Mayor Sal Romero, Council Member Richard Baugh and Council Member Christopher B. Jones Absent: 1- Council Member George Hirschmann Also Present: 3- City Manager Eric Campbell, City Clerk Pam Ulmer and City Attorney Chris Brown 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Special Recognition / Presentation 4.a. Presentation of the City’s Covid-19 response efforts Paul Helmuth, Harrisonburg Fire Department administrative officer and Harrisonburg deputy emergency coordinator, presented the city of Harrisonburg ’s Covid-19 response efforts. He provided a timeline of efforts beginning mid -January 2020 to date. Efforts included: · The opening of the virtual Emergency Operations Center, · Initiation of High Risk Isolation Protocol, · Declaration of local emergency, · Public facility closures, · Disaster loan program, · Elimination of fares on city buses, · City Council meetings with social distancing efforts, · Emergency shelter opens, closure of playgrounds, · 24-hour ambulance coverage for long-term care facility. Michael Parks, director of Communications, provided a breakdown of community engagement efforts done to date which include: · Website became the central point for messages in English, Spanish and Arabic · Social Media posts with guidance and updates in multiple languages (over 175 posts) · Videos from Mayor Reed and Vice Mayor Romero sharing information to residents City of Harrisonburg Page 1 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 · Public Service Announcements via radio and television · Signage of closures, business support, and inspirational messaging · Local Media given vital updates and answered as many questions as possible to support their efforts · Flyer in five different languages included in 5,325 lunches provided to Harrisonburg City Public School (HCPS) students · Mailers sent to 8,000 homes in five different languages · Door hangers place at 5,000 homes in five different languages · HCPS sent messages in multiple languages via voicemail, text and email · Coalition with 70 churches to share message Mr. Helmuth reviewed timeline data on the active versus non-active cases, accumulative cases, daily new cases and trends identified. 4.b. Presentation from the Virginia Department of Health on the Covid-19 response Dr. Laura Kornegay, health director for Central Shenandoah Health District, stated the public health mission to protect the health and promote the well -being of all people in Virginia requires close collaboration with all community partners and even more critical in their response to Covid-19. She stated the city and the health district began a collective response weeks before the first case was seen in Harrisonburg. She stated one of the core public health responsibilities is disease prevention, control and surveillance, and the local health departments regularly respond to disease outbreaks. She stated the challenge of Covid-19 is not only the scope of the disease but also the fact that there is no road map or historic knowledge. She stated without the historic knowledge to respond to the pandemic, treatments, medical counter measures, etc., the response to this virus is more challenging. She stated the epidemiology support Mr. Helmuth has provided the ability to track the trajectory of the outbreak has helped the health district with trying to flatten out the curve and decrease the number of cases to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and buys time to hopefully find treatment regiments and preventive measures. She stated the challenges have been the volume of cases and the desire in the public for real time reporting. She stated normally with any outbreak the number one priority is the public health response in case identification and contact tracing. She stated when a positive report is received a case investigation is opened, a public health professional contacts the person affected to learn about the symptoms, the demographic information, and contact list. She stated in a multicultural city such as Harrisonburg, this can be difficult due to interpretation requirements. She stated once the data is collected, recommendations are made in terms of isolation and medical attention needs and any person who may have been exposed is contacted and monitored. She stated care kits are provided to the case patient which include thermometers, masks, gloves, and household decontamination measures. She stated at least 40 have been given out throughout the area. She stated food boxes have also been provided where needed. She stated staff set up a Covid -19 hotline, City of Harrisonburg Page 2 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 (855) 949-8378, that averages about 300 calls per week, coordinated state testing, provides education, provides personal protective equipment and set up rapid response testing in high risk areas. She stated one of the other challenges is the testing rate, the more testing the higher the rate, the volume has been high in the area, which is good, but does cause incomplete variables with those areas that do not get the volume of testing. She stated they have been trying to look at this through a health equity lens, collecting race and ethnicity data and reported through public website, but the data throughout the state has been somewhat incomplete but is getting better . She stated about 34% of cases in the state were Caucasian, 15% other, 18% Black/African American, and 33% not reported. She stated in the Shenandoah Health District a predominance of individuals in the Harrisonburg /Rockingham County area spoke English as a second language, using the interpreter line quite a bit, and up to 37% of Harrisonburg city cases are Hispanic or Latino, and 32% in Rockingham County were Hispanic or Latino. She stated the individuals at highest risk of severe Covid-19 disease are persons over the age of 65, with chronic medical conditions such as Diabetes, Hypertension and heart disease. She stated the combination of these with the spread of infection rate in close congregate settings, the ongoing concerns for outbreaks is at long term care facilities. She referenced the local outbreak at a long-term care facility and the steps taken as soon as it was determined, noting 86 positive cases for residents (96% infectivity rate) and 20 positive cases for staff were revealed. She stated that is 106 positive tests in just one outbreak, but a coordinated response ensured the needs of the patience and the facility were met, the PPE needs for staff were met, transportation was provided to the hospital when needed. She stated there is a trend to see more cases of Covid -19 in settings where social distancing is difficult, which include areas of high population density, congregate settings such as jails and long-term care facilities, and crowded closely spaced housing. She stated many non-essential businesses are closed in order to maintain social distancing and many essential businesses are trying to incorporate telework options. She stated unfortunately not all essential businesses can support teleworking but work hard to maximize social distancing while continuing to operate with an onsite workforce. She stated one of the major industries in the area is the poultry industry with six plants operating as essential businesses, the Health Department’s work with the Virginia Poultry Foundation at all the plants to provide ongoing mitigation strategies, case investigations, contact tracing, and best practices to reduce disease transmission. She stated work with statewide partners to address outbreaks within the poultry industry to determine the best strategy for protecting the health of employees which is their number one concern. She stated the Governor has convened a Health Equity Workgroup to explicitly address the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on black, Latino and indigenous populations and other vulnerable populations, and the VDH lead for this group is Office of Health Equity. She stated the Shenandoah Health District has worked with the office to identify census track data of persons at high risk for Covid -19, based on age, health status, and social factors. She stated she hopes the State will allow the Shenandoah Health District to target efforts in neighborhoods that are most at risk. City of Harrisonburg Page 3 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 She stated one thing that makes public health successful in investigation is protection of patient privacy. She stated our public reporting continues to balance the need for actionable data with concerns for individual patient privacy. She stated regarding the Accordius outbreak they really worked hard to gain needed permissions to share the name of the facility as well as case numbers and deaths associated with the facility . She stated it is also important to remember regardless of numbers are being seen on the website of cases, there is wide spread community transmission throughout Virginia, we need to continue to preach the same public health message of maintaining social distancing, hygiene, and masking until we feel we are at a point when those things that can be scaled back. She stated she appreciates the opportunity to speak with Council and really appreciates the partnership with the city in responding to Covid -19 Pandemic, the city has a great team that is an asset to the public health efforts. Mayor Reed stated this was well needed information, there have been a lot of people reaching out to Council with questions of numbers and why certain data is not available, and she appreciates the thoroughness displayed. Council Member Jones asked if there are enough of the care kits Dr. Kornegay mentioned and if not is there a resource that can replenish those kits. Dr. Kornegay stated there is always a need for more, probably 200 more would be reasonable. Council Member Jones asked if help is needed on a local level or can it be decided on a state level. Dr. Kornegay stated it may be defined on a state level through the Office of Health Equity. Mayor Reed stated she was involved in a conference call with the Health Equity Team led by Chief Director Janice Underwood, there will hopefully be a collaboration between the city and the Health Equity Team, and these kits is something that was talked about for the city. Council Member Jones stated with the amount of Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed (ALICE) individuals in the city he was hoping it was something that we could see done quickly from the state because of where the income barriers are for most of our residents. He asked if the health equity data can be shared quickly, because if there is a second wave in this pandemic phase, we would want to know where the spots are of individuals that are already prone to the health risk factors that make the Covid-19 worse to help them between now and the second wave as well as after the fact. Dr. Kornegay stated they need a little more robust data for the city but should be available in the coming week or so. Vice Mayor Romero stated he is in contact with Dr. Kornegay and staff regularly and continues to ask questions coming from the community. He stated we know the trends nationally and in the state, but we are still trying to get data that really reflects who is being more impacted in our community and is a concern. He stated after the City of Harrisonburg Page 4 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 presentation he realizes there are health districts that have more resources to be able to break down the data. He stated in the Fairfax District they shared the demographics and population in comparison to the number of individuals being impacted and it showed that Latinos are three times more likely to get infected by Covid-19, and he knows in Harrisonburg there is probably a correlation as well between getting infected and being of a minority background. He stated he hopes we can get the information to better educate our community and better target our efforts . He stated it has been two months approximately, that he has been sharing with local elected officials and poultry plants, his concerns of lack of knowledge and the inconsistency of implementing measures to employees. He stated many individuals are being impacted and we need to do more than what is being done so far at all levels. Eric Campbell, city manager, stated there may be some third-party resources for the kits through the Community Foundation that we can seek to cover some of the costs . He stated he thanked city staff who is behind every one of the slides in the presentation, they have put themselves in harms way, many isolated, quarantined yet doing their jobs day to day, and takes his hat off to them for doing an outstanding job, from meeting people at hotels at 10-11pm to going through neighborhoods hanging door hangers, this is a great staff to work with and is proud of them. He stated we are no way near the end of this, but staff is deeply committed to this community and making sure the community stays safe. Mayor Reed asked Mr. Helmuth about the challenges at Accordius Health and the status of the facility. Mr. Helmuth stated they are in the recovery phase of the outbreak, they are having more and more staff return to work, and there have been 21 fatalities at that facility as of the most recent update. He stated they feel they are starting to recover and return to normal. Mayor Reed asked for additional information about the collaboration between Open Doors and James Madison University of the emergency shelter regarding the Suit Case Clinic and the work they are doing. Mr. Helmuth stated the Suit Case Clinic is a group of local volunteers who are Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Nurses that take care of the homeless on a weekly basis, helping them with medications, screenings etc. He stated all these workers have built a very strong relationship with the homeless and have now opened an assessment center at Godwin Hall at the entrance, where temperatures are taken and assessed for any symptoms. He stated the purpose behind that is to avoid any infections of any kind to the congregate population. He stated anyone assessed with any symptoms are given the opportunity to go to the hospital to be tested. He stated we can’t make everyone go to the hospital, but they will not be allowed in the shelter if they have any symptoms. Mayor Reed stated a mobile Covid-19 testing unit will be coming to Harrisonburg on Saturday, May 2, 2020. Mr. Helmuth stated the city in partnership with Sentara is offering free Covid-19 testing in two communities and fliers will be going out to the communities. He stated the requirement would be only one person from each City of Harrisonburg Page 5 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 household with symptoms would be tested. He stated the intent is with these 100 free tests would help find individuals who may be presenting signs and symptoms that don’t know what they have it or suspect they do to help better identify and provide medical care. Mr. Campbell stated there is a limited number of tests (100), and will be at Harris Gardens and Mosby Court, first come first serve, and must reside in those communities. Mr. Helmuth stated the testing will be done between 10 am and 2 pm with adherence to social distancing requirements. Mayor Reed stated this is great for the city and hopefully we will be able to get more rounds of these tests done. Council Member Jones asked Dr Kornegay for the demographics in greater detail particularly with age and race. Dr Kornegay stated she doesn’t have the information in front of her but stated the website will have the most up to date information. She stated for the health district it reflects 57% Caucasian, 16% other, 5% Black/African American, 21% not reported. She stated they looked specifically at the Latino/Hispanic demographics which came out to 37% Hispanic/Latino, but it is not reported on the public website. She stated she will get more detailed information and forward to Council Member Jones. 5. Consent Agenda (any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and taken up as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of Council, otherwise all items will be voted on with one (1) motion) rb/sr A motion was made by Council Member Baugh, seconded by Vice Mayor Romero, to approve the consent agenda as presented. The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote taken as follows: Yes: 4- Mayor Reed, Romero, Council Member Baugh and Council Member Jones No: 0 Absent: 1- Council Member Hirschmann 5.a. Minutes from the April 14, 2020 City Council Meeting These minutes were approved on the Consent Agenda 5.b. Consider amending and reenacting Section11-1-11(a)(2) -Processing Fees for Building Permits, of the City Code of Harrisonburg, VA This Ordinance amendment was approved on the Consent Agenda 5.c. Consider adopting an emergency ordinance to relieve certain customers from penalties associated with late payment of bills for City utility service This Ordinance t was adopted on the Consent Agenda 6. Public Hearings City of Harrisonburg Page 6 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 6.a. Public hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget At 8:20 pm Mayor Reed closed the regular session and called the first public hearing to order. A notice appeared in the Daily News-Record on Saturday, April 18, 2020. Laura Toni Holsinger, 373 Bluestone Hills Dr., executive director of United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, stated she empathizes with Council in the difficulty during these times when it comes to funding and appreciates their due diligence on how city dollars are spent. She stated the application they submitted for Community Contributions is for the Build United Program, which is a program that focuses on home repairs for low income homeowners, focused on accessibility, weatherization and safety. She stated they requested $10,000 to fund city projects only and will allow them to complete 12-16 projects for low income homeowners to keep them in their homes. She stated the expenses are primarily for supplies as the labor is from local contractors in-kind. She stated there is no other service like this in the city. She stated United Way has established a Covid-19 Fund in conjunction with the local community foundation and are able to grant dollars to the city to support their Covid-19 response efforts. She stated because of this priority funding for other programs is a little more unsure, so funding from the city for the Build United Program would allow the organization to focus on fund raising efforts for other response funds that should be focused on now. She stated the majority of clients are older adults with ongoing medical bills where one major event could easily cause them to lose their home. She stated she appreciates Council’s consideration. James “Bucky” Berry, 30 West Washington Street, stated he would like to see the golf course removed from the city budget and turned into a park, keeping some employees and providing a severance package for staff that is no longer needed. He stated the money saved should be put into public safety and the new high school. Tom Domonoske, 461 Lee Avenue thanked Council and every city employee for all the city has done to keep everyone safe during the Covid-19 times. He stated he appreciated the dedication and efforts from all levels of the city and respects that the normal processes are continuing and made available for residents to participate. He stated in making the budget decisions not everyone will be pleased, difficult choices will need to be made, but in making those decisions he asks Council to consider how to help the most people while helping the people most in need. He stated our resources should be to provide benefits to the greatest number of our residents. He stated he walked the Heritage Oaks Golf Course paths several times, it is beautiful, he has seen wildlife, bicyclists, and families, and he would like the 2020 budget to include whatever cost is necessary to allow the 200 acres to be used by every city resident in this way. He stated the 200 acres could be used to reduce the charges assessed to all property owners as part of Stormwater Management fees, by reducing the chemical input on those acres and implementing stormwater mitigation the cost would surely go down. He stated this effort would allow these acres to be used as an environmental laboratory allowing for hands-on field study by Harrisonburg City of Harrisonburg Page 7 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 students, the possible benefits go on. He urged Council to make Heritage Oaks Golf Course open for all. JP Berrizbeitia, chief executive officer for Blue Ridge CASA, thanked Council and staff for including CASA in the 2020 Community Contributions. He stated they are concerned about the number of children that are in homes now due to the pandemic, with the lack of teachers and counselors, and what may be happening in these homes that may be vulnerable to toxic stress, child abuse, domestic violence, etc. He stated he feels there will be a peak in child abuse cases and to prepare for this CASA have taken steps in the training of advocates. He thanked Council for their time and efforts. Bruce Lundeen, 279 Newman Avenue, stated the decision to change the review/approval process of the Community Contributions was a good change. He stated he feels there should be some way to turn Heritage Oaks Golf Course into a better utilized acreage, possible reducing to 9-hole golf course and the remaining space should be able to be used by others. He stated he agrees with Vice Mayor Romero that concern for essential workers at the poultry plants should have more protection. He stated he would like the city to consider creating a concerned community group that could become a community voice for the Community Contributions decision making process. Steven Reich, 150 Ott Street, stated he realizes budget decisions are difficult, but would like Council to reconsider the 60% cuts in the funding over the last fiscal year to Second Home, which provides essential services to the children of the city. He stated these are children of low-income families, and Second Home is the only institution in the city that provides early morning child care as well as after school care. He stated the children are provided breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and is more than just babysitting, it is a robust program that provides educational enrichment for the students. He stated they involve the children in musical plays, provide help with homework, etc. and is an essential service to the families of low -income workers. He stated Second Home is still in operation during the Covid-19 crisis for those children of essential workers. He stated this a local organization only, no regional or national affiliation or backing and hopes Council will reconsider the nearly $ 8,000 cut from what was requested. Diane McCarthy, 231 Maryland Avenue, representative of the Harrisonburg Rockingham Child Day Care Center, stated they have been providing licensed care and early learning to children ages 2-5 years old. She stated she appreciates Council for the new application process and thanked city staff for their evaluations and reviews. She stated she is asking Council to reconsider their application to support working families by funding quality child care and early childhood education. She stated the center was founded in response to a 1969 report that identified a need for non-profit child care centers that would be affordable to all working families and this need still exists today. She stated according to the recent ALICE report, affordable child care has been as identified as one of three critical needs in the city. She stated City of Harrisonburg Page 8 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 they offer a sliding tuition fee scale based on gross income. She reviewed the reasons why the day care center is so important to our children in the community. She urged Council to reconsider their funding request. Nelly Moreno Shenk, executive director of Skyline Literacy, thanked Council for all their hard work and is grateful for the acceptance of their application for the Community Contribution. She stated Skyline Literacy strives to provide high quality services that align with best practices in adult education for those who have the need/want to learn English and prepare for United States citizenship exam. She stated the individuals who participate in their programs become more engaged in the community and in civic engagements. She stated Skyline Literacy has successfully transitioned to online classes and tutoring during the pandemic. She stated they continue to coordinate and collaborate with the Virginia Department of Education and Harrisonburg City Schools to name a few. She stated they are proud to have the city as a valuable partner in helping residents become more valuable and participating members of the community. Pamayotis “Poti” Giannakaouros, stated the proposed budget is an exercise at setting priorities and he appreciated watching the deliberations during the budget work session and commended the communications staff that made that available. He encourages everyone to watch that session. He stated as mentioned during the work session, this budget is facing great uncertainty in regard to actual available funds. He stated the Covid-19 crisis has changed everything, we will have to rebuild, the question is do we rebuild the same or do we take this moment to rebuild something new and better. He stated a number of people have talked about the benefits for the majority of the people in the city. He suggests we think not only of how many people are benefitted but also if the direction that was chosen is beneficial to the entire city . He feels that we would be better off making the golf course a public park and urges Council to keep it as public land, so everyone can benefit from it. He stated the Department of Community Development is oriented toward a golf course aesthetic way of thinking, a big portion of the work they do is maintaining a certain kind of aesthetic, if we move away from that in our golf course thinking we can move away from that in that department as well. He stated this might be the time to drastically reduce the funds to that department and rehire and rebuild to a department oriented toward a new way of looking at our community. He asked Council to consider that. Steve Watson, 1761 Heritage Estates Circle, stated the total budget of the Heritage Oaks Golf Course is only 8% of the Parks and Recreation departments budget, if revenue is the key issue, he thinks the entire departments budget should be considered. He stated the golf course is a real gem, it would be a tragedy to lose that green space. He stated the golf course brings many people into the city who can invest in it, it is one of the best maintained courses in the area and draws many people from other states on a regular basis. He stated golf courses are closing nationwide and he thinks this is one of the amenities the city could help preserve for its citizens. He thanked Council for their consideration. City of Harrisonburg Page 9 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 At 8:57 pm Mayor Reed closed the public hearing and the regular session reconvened No action required Note: All comments on this public hearing that were received electronically have been scanned and attached to the agenda item. The proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget was presented to City Council at its April 14, 2020 meeting. A public hearing must be held prior to adoption by City Council. 7. Regular Items 7.a. Consider approving a Change Order dated April 21, 2020 to the previously entered into Comprehensive Agreement between The Harrisonburg City School Board and Nielson Builders, Inc. Chris Brown, city attorney, stated the change order is to pause construction of the second high school due to the economic downturn and uncertainty resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic. He stated the change order pauses all work on site including construction except for site stabilization required under Virginia Law for erosion control and stormwater management. He stated it provides for partial release of retainage funding withheld from Nielsen Construction for the work that has already been done for work done through the end of April 2020 in the amount of $2.6M and will be paid from the city’s fund balance. He stated the change order sets out that a decision will be made April 2021 as to the completion of the project and/or the timing of completion. He stated regarding the stabilization of the property $ 210,000 will be required for May and June and Nielsen Construction will work with our city engineer and Public Works department as to what needs to be done there. He stated there is an additional $450,000 estimate throughout the next year for reseeding and maintenance. He stated there was one slight change in the agreement from the agreement that was posted on the agenda, staff agreed the initial site stabilization appears reasonable, but the big concern is the $450,000 over the next year for the maintenance may be a bit much. He stated paragraph three of the change order has been changed to reflect the city has the right over the next over the next year at any time to take over the maintenance of the agreement and property if the city decides that city employees can do it more efficiently and less costly. He stated the School Board and Nielsen Construction have approved, there may be a few more tweaks to be made, and asks Council to approve the change order #4 as presented with the right of the City Manager and City Attorney to finalize any details. Council Member Jones wanted to know where the first three change orders are. Mr. Larry Propst, director of Finance, stated he believes the three change orders were related to rock removal. Mr. Campbell stated since it is the School Board’s contract, City of Harrisonburg Page 10 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 they have the authority to approve the three change orders but because of the magnitude of this change order as it changes the total dynamic of the project it needs to be approved by Council. Council Member Jones asked if the School Board makes the change orders readily available to the public. Mr. Campbell stated he is sure they are but if they are in the scope of the original agreement Council would not have seen them. Mr. Brown stated he could obtain copies of those three change orders if he would like. Mr. Brown stated we need to approve this so we can stop spending a lot of money out there. Council Member Jones stated he would like to see the change orders and any additional moving forward. A motion was made by Council Member Baugh, seconded by Council Member Jones, to approve the change order as presented with the authority to the city manager and city attorney to make amendments as needed. The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote taken as follows: Yes: 4- Mayor Reed, Romero, Council Member Baugh and Council Member Jones No: 0 Absent: 1- Council Member Hirschmann 8. Other Matters 8.a. Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not on the regular agenda. (Name and address are required) James “Bucky” Berry, 30 W. Washington Street, stated the businesses downtown are barely hanging on by a thread and the parking authority are issuing tickets downtown . He stated they need to back off. He stated he would like to see more enforcement by the Harrisonburg Police Department, we may have another wave of the Covid -19 virus. He stated we need to make sure we have enough money to keep law enforcement officers and firefighters on. He stated the charities should be capped at $10,000. Pamayotis “Poti” Giannakaouros, stated one of the first hit places of the Covid-19 in the United States was a long-term care center in Washington, with 129 cases and 23 deaths. He stated he feels what has happened and Accordius Health may exceed these numbers as the infection rate was higher. He stated he feels this may have a possible relationship to the parking lot around the facility, as it has been seal coated with coal tar sealant in 2006 and resealed periodically up to 2017. He stated it is a known carcinogen, it is toxic to the environment, it is a respiratory irritant and we see ample evidence now saying even a little bit increased pollution stress has been contributing to the massive disparities in deaths. He hopes he is wrong that it has anything to do with what we are experiencing in the city, but he has asked Council again and again to act to ban this substance from the city. He stated there has been disproportionate impact on the city’s working people due to the pandemic, we have expressed our concern, but nothing has been said about the things that could be done. He stated there are crews doing non-essential landscaping, crammed 2-3 in a pick-up truck, this is not safe, we know in other stated non-essential construction has City of Harrisonburg Page 11 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 been limited, these activities feed back in those folks putting themselves at harms risk so that people can abide by our ordinances and then going back home and possible infecting and spreading the virus. He asks Council to act on making these changes. 8.b. City Council and Staff Council Member Jones thanked the Mayor and Vice Mayor for taking such a good lead on making sure of retaining and disseminating so much information and staff for their leadership and keeping the city running so well. He stated he is proud to live her and be elected here. He stated he sent an edited document to Council regarding the Community Contributions but there have been a few more edits, which can be discussed at the next work session. He stated he will reach out to Skyline Literacy and Harrisonburg Rockingham Day Care Center to clarify some things. Council Member Baugh stated he feels the reactions from some of the organizations is to the current published proposed budget. He thanked staff for all they have done and thanked those that are still working and are unable to stay home. Vice Mayor Romero stated we should spend the next year to figure out what is best for the Community Contributions, it will be difficult as they all have such an important roll in our community. He stated we are doing everything we can to help support them as much as possible. He stated at the last work session he spoke about a letter that was being drafted to go to the Poultry Federation, he hopes Council had a chance to review and will provide support of this letter and to the essential workers of the poultry plants. Mayor Reed thanked city staff as Council is aware, they have been working night and day since the pandemic and appreciates all they have done. She stated she is glad to have the opportunity to have Paul Helmuth and Dr. Kornegay who provided great information and it showed exactly the hard work and what the city has been doing since March 2020. She stated we are learning as we go and appreciates all the work that Eric, his staff, and Paul. She stated there was a very spirited Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meeting on April 27, 2020 about the golf course, and she stated this is a very hot topic and many people feel very passionate about it . She stated she thought about this and how she came from a neighborhood that is used to having things taken away and shut down. She shared the story of Harris pool in the northeast neighborhood. She stated there are going to be some tough decisions that will have to be made, some projects won’t happen, some people will be upset, but let’s try to be compassionate to each other, we are all dealing with this challenging time that we were not prepared for. She stated let’s just keep talking to one another, respecting one another, and understand we are all in this together. She stated there will be a budget work session that will be coming up on May 5, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Mr. Campbell announced the appointment of the new Emergency Communications City of Harrisonburg Page 12 Printed on 5/14/2020 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 28, 2020 Center director, Courtney Doberstein. He stated she was the dispatch assistant manager for the Milwaukee Fire Department and is a 20-year veteran of the 9-1-1 telecommunications. He stated she started as a communicator in Wisconsin and he is confident Ms. Doberstein will continue the leadership she has shown throughout her career with HRECC and help continue the amazing work being done there now . Mayor Reed stated Council is glad to have her on board. 10. Adjournment At 9:28 p.m., there being no further business and on motion adopted, the meeting was adjourned. ________________________ ________________________ CITY CLERK MAYOR City of Harrisonburg Page 13 Printed on 5/14/2020