City Council

AGENDA--CITY COUNCIL -- CITY OF MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA Council Chambers – Municipal Building 7:00 pm Closed Session 7:30 pm Regular Session Tuesday, September 13, 2016 7:00 pm --Closed Session Items to be considered in Closed Session, in accordance with the Code of Virginia, Title 2.2, Chapter 37—Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2-3711(A)—Closed Meetings, the following: A. Consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members, attorneys or consultants pertaining to actual or probable litigation, or other specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel, as authorized by Subsection 7. 7:30—Regular Session Invocation & Pledge to the American Flag- Council Member Teague 1. Consider approval of minutes of the August 23, 2016 Meeting. (2 mins) 2. Consider adoption of a resolution in support of additional federal funding for pediatric cancer research (10 mins) 3. Hear an update from Community Development on several current projects administered through the Community Development office (30 mins) 4. Consider approval of consent agenda (2 mins) 5. Comments by members of City Council. (5 minutes) 6. Comments by City Manager. (5 minutes) 7. Business from the Floor (not televised) This section of the Council meeting provides citizens the opportunity to discuss matters, which are not listed on the printed agenda. Thus, any person wishing to bring a matter to Council’s attention under this Section of the agenda should: (1) come to the podium and state name and address; (2) state the matter that they wish to discuss and what action they would like for Council to take; (3) limit remarks to five minutes; (4) refrain from making any personal references or accusations of a factually false and/or malicious nature. Persons who violate these guidelines will be ruled out of order by the presiding officer and will be asked to leave the podium. Persons who refuse to comply with the direction of the presiding officer may be removed from the chambers.  City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: September 13, 2016 Item No: 1. Department: Clerk of Council Issue: Consider approval of minutes from August 23, 2016 Council Meeting. Summary: None Attachments: August 23, 2016 Council Meeting minutes Recommendations: Motion to approve minutes as presented. August 23, 2016 The regular meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia was held on August 23, 2016, in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 7:30 PM with Mayor Danny Turner presiding. Council Members present included Danny Turner, Jennifer Bowles, Gene Teague, Mark Stroud, and Sharon Brooks Hodge. Staff present included City Manager Leon Towarnicki, Assistant City Manager Wayne Knox, City Attorney Eric Monday, Clerk of Council Karen Roberts, Finance Director Linda Conover, Police Chief Sean Dunn, and Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley. Mayor Turner called the meeting to order and advised Council would go into Closed Session beginning at 6:00 PM. In accordance with Section 2.1-344 (A) of the Code of Virginia (1950, and as amended) and upon a motion by Council Member Hodge, seconded by Council Member Stroud, with the following 5-0 recorded vote: Council Member Hodge, aye; Council Member Teague, aye; Vice Mayor Bowles, aye; Council Member Stroud, aye; and Mayor Turner, aye. Council convened in Closed Session to discuss the following matters: (A) appointments to Boards and Commissions as authorized by Subsection 1 and (B) consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members, attorneys or consultants pertaining to actual or probably litigation, or other specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel, as authorized by Subsection 7. Council returned to Chambers announcing that they would return to Closed Session at the end of the Council meeting to complete discussions. Following the invocation by Vice Mayor Bowles and Pledge to the American Flag, Mayor Turner welcomed everyone to the meeting. Consider approval of minutes from the August 9, 2016 Council Meeting – Teague made a motion to approve the minutes; motion was seconded by Bowles with a 5-0 Council vote in favor. Recognize City Employees who are eligible for Service Awards – July 1 through September 30, 2016 - City Manager Towarnicki read the names of those employees receiving service recognition and thanked the Mayor and Vice Mayor for attending the Service Award ceremony on Monday. August 23, 2016 Consider adoption of a resolution setting the allocation percentage for personal property tax relief for qualifying vehicles in the City of Martinsville for tax year 2016 – Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley stated this is an annual housekeeping measure and she requested that resolution be adopted by Council. The annual percentage allocation is capped per location and every year it will fluctuate as the fleet and assessment grows. Bowles confirmed for the citizens that this is not an allocation set by the city but by the Commonwealth. Bowles made a motion to adopt the resolution as presented, Hodge seconded the motion. Roll call vote of 5- 0: Hodge, aye; Turner, aye; Stroud, aye; Teague, aye; and Bowles, aye. Hear an update from the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation – Mark Heath of the EDC updated Council on work and activities handled by the EDC including tourism, small business events and awards, research and marketing/recruiting as well as the unemployment rates for Martinsville and Henry County. The water slide at the Smith River Sports Complex was installed a little late in the season but the driving range has been popular with the community. Heath presented a PowerPoint presentation to Council regarding the CAFM training and internship opportunity, a 28-credit course taught over two semesters at Patrick Henry Community College. Bowles asked if the program could be offered through the schools as a dual enrollment option. Heath said that they had discussed this possibility as well as other options. Heath updated Council on the available lots and buildings at the Patriot Center as well as available lots at Commonwealth Crossing. Mayor Turner asked August 23, 2016 about the comparison done by Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine, Towarnicki said he had not heard an update this year. Heath said he would check with Jennifer Doss. Turner asked if I73 access would be a consideration for interested parties of the Patriot Center. Hodge asked about finding skilled employees for specific employers like Eastman Film. Heath said that the EDC is working to train those people needed in the specific skills that want to work. Turner asked what the issue is in finding qualified workers. Heath said it’s a combination of factors and it’s part of the EDC’s effort to find employers willing to pay higher salaries to draw qualified workers. Bowles said it was good to see that unemployment rates are down and she thanked him for the Big Dipper waterslide and discounted rates. Bowles suggested a Snap Chat filter for promoting Martinsville tourism to millennials. Hear finance report – Linda Conover explained the finance reports to Council explaining that numbers are not final until the annual audit process is complete. Hodge made a motion to approve the finance report as presented; Teague seconded the motion with all members voting in favor. August 23, 2016 Consider approval of consent agenda – Teague made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented; Bowles seconded the motion with all members voting in favor. Comments by members of City Council – Council Member Stroud announced the arrival of his first granddaughter Ember Noelle Stroud and said mother and baby are both doing well. Teague requested an update from New College Institute. Bowles congratulated two new businesses for having their grand opening and invited the public to an event being held at Osborne Baptist Church. Stroud said he would be having surgery on his hip but plans to be at the next Council meeting. August 23, 2016 Comments by City Manager – Towarnicki announced the Dental Clinic would be celebrating their 10th year anniversary. He stated that Martinsville does not have an employment problem, it’s more of a participation problem, explaining there are several jobs available that pay well but the participation at the job fairs are very low. He questions how to get people in the community interested in participating in the programs to train for skilled positions. Business from the Floor (not televised) – Patrick H. Wright, 1201 Spruce Village said Radar Bus drivers had expressed concern about City roads needing repair. Ural Harris, 217 Stewart St requests an update on the medical school. Turner explained that it is an ongoing negotiation and the City is looking out for the taxpayers. There being no further business, Council returned to Closed Session at 8:33pm. At the conclusion of Closed Session, each returning member of Council certified that (1) only public business matters exempt from open meeting requirements were discussed in said Closed Session; and (2) only those business matters identified in the motion convening the Closed Session were heard, discussed, or considered during the Session. A motion was made by Council Member Hodge, seconded by Vice Mayor Bowles, with the following 5-0 recorded vote in favor to return to Open Session: Hodge, aye; Turner, aye; Teague, aye; Bowles, aye; and Stroud, aye. A motion was made by Mayor Turner to appoint Artis Law to the School Board; Council Member Hodge seconded the motion. Motion failed with a 2-3 vote. Turner, aye; Hodge, aye, Bowles, nay; Teague, nay; and Stroud, nay. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Bowles to appoint Donna Dillard to the School Board; Council Member Stroud seconded the motion. All members approved the motion. A motion was made by Council Member Hodge to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Vice Mayor Bowles with all Council Members voting in favor. The meeting adjourned at 10:15pm. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Roberts Danny Turner Clerk of Council Mayor  City Council Agenda Summary Date: September 13, 2016 Item No: 2. Department: City Manager Issue: Consider adoption of a resolution in support of additional federal funding for pediatric cancer research. Summary: At a recent Virginia Municipal League committee meeting, a committee member made a presentation requesting support for additional funding for research on the causes and treatment of pediatric cancer. The interest and desire to pursue the matter was spurred by the recent loss of a family member to pediatric cancer. Attachments: Resolution Recommendations: Adoption of the resolution with copies going to the City’s federal legislators.  Council Members City Manager Danny Turner, Mayor Leon E. Towarnicki Jennifer Bowles, Vice-Mayor City Attorney Sharon Brooks-Hodge Eric H. Monday Mark Stroud Clerk of Council Gene Teague Karen Roberts RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING FOR RESEARCH ON THE CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF PEDIATRIC CANCER WHEREAS, cancer is the leading cause of death in children under 15 years of age in the United States; and, WHEREAS, worldwide every year an estimated 263,000 new causes of cancer affect children and young adults under the age of 20; and, WHEREAS, 91,250 children lose their life to cancer each year; and WHEREAS, the incidence of cancer among adolescents and young adults is increasing at a greater rate than for any other age group, except for adults older than 65 years of age; and WHEREAS, childhood cancer spares no ethnic group, socioeconomic class, or geographic region; and WHEREAS, less than five percent of federal funds for cancer research are dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancers; and WHEREAS, in the last 20 years the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only two drugs for the treatment of childhood cancers and some children are being treated with drugs that were developed more than 25 years ago for adults; and WHEREAS, the National Cancer Institute’s funding for pediatric clinical trials is only $ 26.4 million; and WHEREAS, the causes of most childhood cancers are unknown and are not strongly linked to environmental or lifestyle risk factors; and WHEREAS, the treatment of childhood cancers can have devastating financial effects on families; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED on this 13th day of September, 2016, the Martinsville City Council supports additional federal funding for research on the causes and treatment of pediatric cancer. ******* _______________________________________ Danny Turner, Mayor  City Council Agenda Summary Date: September 13, 2016 Item No: 3. Department: Community Development Issue: Hear an update from Community Development on several current projects administered through the Community Development office. Summary: Community Development staff will provide an update for Council on (1) the Northside CDBG project; (2) the Neighborhood Stabilization Program; and (3) the Brownfields Grant project. Attachments: None Recommendations: Presented for information purposes. No action by Council is needed.  City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: September 13, 2016 Item No: 4. Department: Finance Issue: Appropriation Approval Summary: The attachments amend the FY16 and FY17 Budgets with appropriations in the following funds: FY16: General Fund: $ 4,421 – State Categorical Funds FY17: General Fund: $ 3,794 – Reimbursements Sewer Fund: $ 475,144 – VRA Reimbursement Water Fund: $ 815,343 – AMI Reimbursements Electric Fund: $1,303,521 – AMI Reimbursements CDBG Fund: $ 36,817 – Sale of Property Attachments: Consent Agenda 9-13-16-16 Consent Agenda 9-13-16-17 Recommendations: Approve  BUDGET ADDITIONS FOR 09/13/16 ORG OBJECT DESCRIPTION DEBIT CREDIT FY16 General Fund: 01101916 434105 State Categorical Shared - Comm Atty 4,421 01221082 508208 Commonwealth's Atty - Software 4,421 Transfer/Case File Management System Total General Fund: 4,421 4,421  BUDGET ADDITIONS FOR 09/13/2016 ORG OBJECT DESCRIPTION DEBIT CREDIT FY17 General Fund: 01100909 490104 Advance/Recovered Costs 1,650 01331108 501300 Sheriff/Corrections - Part-time & Temporary Wages 1,219 01331108 502100 Sheriff/Corrections - Social Security 76 01331108 502110 Sheriff/Corrections - Medicare 18 01331108 506008 Sheriff/Corrections - Vehicle Equipment & Maint. 244 01331110 506200 Sheriff/Annex - Prisoner Allowance 93 Reimbursement from Henry County for litter pickup - July 01100909 490137 Recovered Costs - Public Safety 2,144 01331108 501200 Sheriff/Corrections - Overtime 1,992 01331108 502100 Sheriff/Corrections - Social Security 123 01331108 502110 Sheriff/Corrections - Medicare 29 Off Duty Security reimbursements Total General Fund: 3,794 3,794 Sewer Fund: 13103936 407700 Indebtedness - VRA Loan Proceeds 475,144 13551326 508224 Wastewater Maintenance - SRI Project - Phys. Plant Exp. 475,144 VRA Reimbursement #4 Total Sewer Fund: 475,144 475,144 Water Fund: 12103936 407701 Indebtedness - Loan Proceeds 815,343 12543313 508223 AMI Project - Physical Plant Expansion 815,343 AMI Project Reimbursement Requisition #3 & #4 Total Water Fund: 815,343 815,343 Electric Fund: 14103936 407701 Indebtedness - Loan Proceeds 1,303,521 14563338 508223 AMI Project - Physical Plant Expansion 1,303,521 AMI Project Reimbursement Requisition #3 & #4 Total Electric Fund: 1,303,521 1,303,521 CDBG Fund: 47100905 416208 Sale of Property 36,817 47832379 503123 NSP 3 - Rehab Construction 4,250 47913297 509177 Refund - PY Revenue 32,567 Sale of 926 Myrtle Road - NSP 3 Program Total CDBG Fund: 36,817 36,817