City Council

April 19, 2016 A special meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, was held on April 19, 2016, in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 6:00PM, to conduct a budget work session with Mayor Turner presiding. Council Members present included: Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles, Council Member Gene Teague, Council Member Sharon Brooks Hodge, and Council Member Mark Stroud. Staff present included: City Manager Leon Towarnicki, Clerk of Council Karen Roberts, Assistant City Manager Wayne Knox, City Attorney Eric Monday, Finance Director Linda Conover, Public Works Director Jeff Joyce, Director Water Resources Andy Lash, Telecommunications Director Mike Scaffidi, Fleet Manager Lane Shively, City Engineer Chris Morris, Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley, Fire Chief Ted Anderson, Senior Services Coordinator Betsy Pace, Police Chief Sean Dunn, Human Resources Director Dave Brahmstadt, and Treasurer Cindy Dickerson. Mayor Turner arrived at 6:08pm Vice Mayor Bowles opened the meeting. City Manager Towarnicki welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained the agenda for the night and what to expect from the department heads. Ted Anderson, Fire Chief – impact of 5% reduction: Chief Anderson explained budget cuts and how those cuts affected the Inspections department, Fire department staffing, travel and training funds, and property demolition procedures. Sean Dunn, Police Chief – impact of 5% reduction: Chief Dunn explained budget cuts and how those cuts affected personnel costs, group medical insurance, equipment and supplies and vehicle fuel costs. Betsy Pace, Senior Services Director and Teresa Fontaine, Director of Southern Area Agency on Aging on impact of not funding the Martinsville Senior Services program: City Manager Towarnicki explained how the suggestion to eliminate funding for the Senior Services program came about. Ms. Pace explained how the cut would affect the services offered to the community with emphasis on the transportation services for City seniors. Ms. Fontaine described the effects on the Southern Area Agency on Aging if the Senior Center budget was eliminated and what options would change or be eliminated that are currently being offered to seniors now. Jeff Joyce elaborated on the part time positions and additional services that would be affected if funding was cut. Brooks Jones explained how the Senior Center only provides transportation to citizens who do not have Medicaid and have no other means of transportation. Council Member Teague asked Pace and Joyce to come back to Council with costs to run the transportation option only. Council Members all agreed April 19, 2016 that they would like to continue to provide funding for the Senior Center and have asked for suggestions on how to make it work. Review of Water/Sewer budgets, proposed rate increase: Towarnicki explained the water and sewer rate increase suggestion. Andy Lash explained that the work crews are being more proactive to issues rather than reactive to problems. Towarnicki explained the purpose behind the rate increases is to build the fund balances back to where they need to be. He pointed out that even with the rate increases that Martinsville will still be way under the state average for water and sewer rates. Towarnicki detailed the water and sewer budget proposal. Review of outside agency budgets specifically 911, EDC, PART and others as needed: Ricky Walker of the Henry County Sheriff’s Department thanked Council for their previous support and how that organization benefits. Towarnicki explained the 911 center contribution. Hodge said she is in support of EDC budget reduction. She feels the new funding is what the City should have been paying all along but does not agree with the terms. Mayor Turner says that the EDC’s obligation should be in the City’s best interest. Towarnicki detailed the EDC agreement and explained the possibility to qualify for a third transit PART bus. Hodge asked why the 5% budget reduction was not applied to outside agencies; she felt that it’s a matter of principle since all other departments are affected. She also questioned the dental clinic being added back into the budget and feels that other City entities should support the clinic instead of City Council. Review of Departmental budgets: Council Member Teague questioned consulting fee for the Zoning ordinance and Council Member Hodge had questions about the Parks and Recreation park maintenance budget. There being no further business, Council Member Teague made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Council Member Hodge seconded the motion with all Council Members in favor. The meeting adjourned at 9:20pm. ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Karen Roberts, Clerk of Council Danny Turner, Mayor