City Council

409 S. Main Street City of Harrisonburg Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Meeting Minutes - Final City Council Tuesday, November 14, 2023 7:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Roll Call Present: 3- Mayor Deanna R. Reed, Vice-Mayor Laura Dent and Council Member Dany Fleming Absent: 2- Council Member Christopher B. Jones and Council Member Monica Robinson Also Present: 4- City Manager Ande Banks, City Attorney Chris Brown, City Clerk Pam Ulmer and Chief Matthew Tobia 2. Invocation Vice Mayor Dent offered the invocation. 3. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Reed led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. Special Recognition 4.a. Brent Berry Food Drive James "Bucky" Berry stated an award of recognition was given by Governor Youngkin to the Berry Family Food Drive. He reviewed the success of the food drive has had over the years and stated hunger is a serious problem in the area, there are so many people struggling. He thanked the first responders in the county and the city for all their support and help, and he would like to challenge all the city departments, whoever collects the most food between November 29th, 2023 to January 4, 2024, will get a bronze trophy from the family. He stated he would like to see the city provide a bus for the food drive collection sites. Council Member Fleming stated he and Bucky go way back, graduated the same year, Bucky and his family have been going non-stop to help the residents of the city and county. 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) A motion was made by Council Member Fleming, seconded by Vice-Mayor Dent, to approved the consent agenda. The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote taken as follows: City of Harrisonburg Page 1 Printed on 12/12/2023 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 14, 2023 Yes: 3- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Dent and Council Member Fleming No: 0 Absent: 2- Council Member Jones and Council Member Robinson 5.a. Minutes from the October 24, 2023 City Council Meeting These minutes were approved on the consent agenda 5.b. Consider amending and reenacting Title 13 Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Chapter 1 Traffic and Parking Regulations, Article C Stopping, Standing and Parking Division 2 Downtown Parking, Section 13-1-81 Downtown Parking Area Defined These ordinance amendments were approved on second reading. 5.c. Consider a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $80,926.38 for the Police and Parks & Recreation Departments This supplemental appropriation was approved on second reading. 5.d. Consider amending and reenacting Section 7-3-3(e)(1) - When and Where Connection Required to Public City Sewer Main, of the Code of Ordinances, City of Harrisonburg These ordinance amendments were approved on second reading. 6. Public Hearings 6.a. Consider a request from Ruth Romero and Teodoro Perez to rezone 708 Northfield Court Adam Fletcher, director of Community Development, presented a rezoning request from R-4 to R-8C for property located at 708 Northfield Court to allow the applicant to build a patio off an existing structure. He reviewed the surrounding uses, long term plans for the area, the surrounding properties, and submitted proffers. He noted a correction needed in the staff report. He stated staff and Planning Commission (7-0) recommended approval of the request. At 7:16 p.m., Mayor Reed closed the regular session and called the first public hearing to order. A notice appeared in the Daily News-Record on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and Wednesday, November 8, 2023. There being no one desiring to be heard, Mayor Reed closed the public hearing at 7:16 p.m., and the regular session reconvened. City of Harrisonburg Page 2 Printed on 12/12/2023 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 14, 2023 A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming, to approve the rezoning as presented. The motion carried with a recorded vote as follows: 7. Regular Items 7.a. Consider adopting a Resolution Designating Bluestone Town Center Property a Revitalization Area. Chris Brown, city attorney, stated he believes it is Council’s wish to continue this item to the next meeting, November 28, 2023, since two Council Members are absent. Mayor Reed agreed, she stated she wanted to make sure the other Council Members were present. Vice Mayor Dent stated this does not jeopardize Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authorities’ (HRHA) timeline. Mr. Brown stated this is not related to the application, but they do want to do this as soon as possible. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming, to postpone this item to the November 28, 2023, City Council. The motion carried with a roll call vote as follows: Yes: 3- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Dent and Council Member Fleming No: 0 Absent: 2- Council Member Jones and Council Member Robinson 8. Special Event Application Requests 9. Other Matters 9.a. Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not on the regular agenda. (Name and address are required) none 9.b. City Council and Staff Vice Mayor Dent stated Council already approved the Community Goals for EPSAC, so the committee celebrated that; a few Council Members went to former Vice Mayor Sal Romero’s opening of their family business, it was very festive; the C-PACE open house hosted by Brian Shull, director of Economic Development, took place and it really fulfilled the goal of having all parties together (developers, financial institutions, solar energy providers) so they could get in the same room to figure out how this works to get solar, renewable energy, energy efficiency and other environmental measures, in our business community as well as the residential. She stated it was a great milestone. City of Harrisonburg Page 3 Printed on 12/12/2023 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 14, 2023 Council Member Fleming stated the C-PACE presentation was excellent; there was another SmartScale process review meeting October 30, 2023, there weren’t any changes in that, and we are still likely to lose funding opportunities for transportation, but after speaking with some of the Virgnia Municipal League folks, there may be other funding avenues at the state level. Mayor Reed stated the Veterans Day Parade was a nice celebration, Harrisonburg High School was the lead band, and she got to ride with the Fire Department in the SUV; she attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Sentara Community Care Center, it’s a new addition to the Family Resource Center for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, and it is going to be used for our students and their families for health care; she thanked those who are supporting her Blessing Boxes, we are a caring community, Pilgrims provided over 100 whole chickens, Sentara provided 60 turkeys, all other goods are coming in, and thanked everyone; and two Council Members and two staff members are in Atlanta for conferences and the rest of Council will be heading there on November 15th, 2023. 10. Boards and Commissions 10.a. Harrisonburg Electric Commission (HEC) Vice Mayor Dent stated she spoke with Mr. Hershberger, and she is impressed and thrilled that we have someone who has direct experience in the electric utility and renewable energy industry. She stated the timing of this appointment is a bit strange, Mr. Hanna resigned so this will just fill that unexpired term but hopes he will be reappointed in January 2024. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming to appoint Andrew Hershberger to the Harrisonburg Electric Commission to an unexpired term to expire on December 31, 2023. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote. 10.b. Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority (HRHA) A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming to reappoint Kevin Coffman to the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority to a second term to expire on 11/29/2027. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote. 10.c. Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming, to table this item to the November 28, 2023 Council Meeting. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote 10.d. Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) A motion was made by Vice Mayor Dent, seconded by Council Member Fleming, to table this item to the November 28, 2023 Council Meeting. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote City of Harrisonburg Page 4 Printed on 12/12/2023 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 14, 2023 11. Closed Session 12. Adjournment At 7:29 p.m. there being no further business and on motion adopted, the meeting was adjourned. ________________________ ________________________ CITY CLERK MAYOR City of Harrisonburg Page 5 Printed on 12/12/2023