City Council

AGENDA--CITY COUNCIL -- CITY OF MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA Council Chambers – Municipal Building 7:30pm Regular Session Tuesday, March 14, 2017 7:30 - Regular Session Invocation & Pledge to the American Flag –Council Member Bowles 1. Consider approval of minutes of the February 28, 2017 (2 mins) 2. Recognize Citizen’s Academy graduates (10 mins) 3. Consider setting a public hearing as required under the exemption ordinance enacted in January 2007 for consideration of the organization’ local tax exemption requests. (10 mins) 4. Hear an update from the City’s Human Resources Office regarding a summary of application/hiring data from 2016. (15 mins) 5. Hear a staff update on Council’s strategic planning meetings scheduled for March 10 and 11, 2017. (10 mins) 6. Business from the Floor 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. 7. Comments by members of City Council. (5 minutes) 8. Comments by City Manager. (5 minutes)  City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: February 28, 2017 Item No: 1. Department: Clerk of Council Issue: Consider approval of minutes from February 28, 2017 Council Meeting. Summary: None Attachments: February 28, 2017 Council Meeting minutes Recommendations: Motion to approve minutes as presented. February 28, 2017 The regular meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia was held on February 28, 2017 in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 7:30 PM with Mayor Gene Teague presiding. Council Members present included Gene Teague, Chad Martin, Jennifer Bowles, and Kathy Lawson. Sharon Hodge was not in attendance. 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, and Police Chief Sean Dunn. Mayor Teague called the meeting to order and advised Council would go into Closed Session beginning at 7:00 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 Lawson, seconded by Council Member Bowles, with the following 4-0 recorded vote: Council Member Lawson, aye; Mayor Teague, aye; Vice Mayor Martin, aye; and Council Member Bowles, 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 probable litigation, or other specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel, as authorized by Subsection 7. Vice Mayor Martin joined the closed session already in progress. 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 Lawson, seconded by Council Member Bowles, with the following 4-0 recorded vote in favor to return to Open Session: Mayor Teague, aye; Council Member Lawson, aye; Council Member Bowles, aye; and Vice Mayor Martin, aye. Council Member Lawson made a motion to appoint Ashley Carter to the Patrick Henry Community College Board for an unexpired 4-year term ending June 30, 2020. Council Member Bowles seconded the motion with all Council Members voting in favor. Following the invocation by Mayor Teague and Pledge to the American Flag, Teague welcomed everyone to the meeting. Present a Proclamation honoring Martinsville High School wrestler Tyheim Farris for winning the Virginia High School League 2A State Championship in his weight class – Vice Mayor Martin read the proclamation that was presented to Farris by Council Members. Farris was present along with the Martinsville High School Wrestling Coach Fred Barrier and School Superintendent Dr. Talley. Barrier and Talley spoke highly of Farris. Farris thanked everyone who helped him on his journey. February 28, 2017 Consider approval of minutes of the February 14, 2017 Council Meeting and February 15, 2017 Work Session – Council Member Bowles made a motion to approve the minutes as presented; Council Member Lawson seconded the motion with all Council Members voting in favor. Recognize City Employees who are eligible for Service Awards – January 1 through March 31, 2017 – City Manager Towarnicki explained that employees receiving service awards are recognized quarterly. The City has great employees who work together and do a great job, including those employees who work behind the scenes with little credit. Mayor Teague read the list of employee service awards. Hear an update from Piedmont Arts Executive Director Kathy Rogers on the Public Art Garden project located at the corner of Starling Avenue and Mulberry Road – Kathy Rogers updated Council on the Art Garden including a PowerPoint (below), recognition of the artists, details of the pieces and a timeline for the garden. The garden will be free to visit and ADA February 28, 2017 accessible. Rogers thanked the City and Susan McCulloch; Rogers stated that McCulloch was vital to the planning of the garden. Council Member Bowles asked if there would be changes over time and additional art added. Rogers confirmed that additional pieces would be added going forward. Bowles said she was excited to see the collaboration with the community. Rogers said she hopes Phase 2 would include a healing garden. Vice Mayor Martin asked whom interested artists would contact. Rogers said Piedmont Arts would put out an RFP to artists as the garden continues to grow. February 28, 2017 Hear a presentation from the Police Department regarding their 2016 Annual Report – Police Chief Sean Dunn said they had a really good year but it was only possible because of the participation of the entire team and a community that has stood by them. Dunn displayed a PowerPoint summarizing statistics on Community Policing and Crime results. Captain Rob Fincher spoke on calls for service comparison from 2011-2016 including the top 10 calls for service this past year. Deputy Chief Eddie Cassady spoke on Partnerships with outside agencies and service providers including the JAG grant. Cassady explained the Explorer Club and the Explorer Post, the Domestic Violence Intervention Project, the Opioid Awareness Task Force, and the Chaplains Bureau. Cassady pointed out that Martinsville/Henry County has been listed as having the most heroin, opioid and unknown substance overdoses in the state. Council Member Bowles asked if they could get a breakdown of what percentage was Martinsville City vs Henry County. Teague asked if there was a way to breakdown which ER treatments were related to street drugs vs prescription drugs. Cassady spoke on building guardians including training of officers and civilian employees, supervision, accountability and having open lines of communication. Captain Fincher detailed modern policing and technology including the Community Crime map online, leads online, upgraded records February 28, 2017 management and jail management systems, regular reports, officer body cameras, mobile data computers, GPS, social media and the crime analysis software. Fincher also referenced the speed trailers that have been successfully utilized and beneficial for recording data on traffic in specific areas. Lieutenant Sandy Hines spoke on Police Department strategies including neighborhood resources officers, bicycle patrols, building relationships with youth, community outreach, public safety day and national night out, ghost vehicles, etc. Hines also summarized department goals for 2017. Mayor Teague asked about parking complaints. Chief Dunn said the most prominent parking complaint is people parking in handicap spots or parking in front of a business. They have stepped up the parking enforcement in the City the past few years. February 28, 2017 Consider approval of consent agenda – Council Member Lawson made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented; Vice Mayor Martin seconded the motion with all Members voting in favor. Business from the Floor – Melvin Smith, 614 East Church Street thanked Chief Dunn and the Police Department for their efforts. Smith spoke of previous cruise-in events held uptown and commented that maybe one Saturday each month, hosting a cruise-in event in February 28, 2017 one of the empty parking lots. Smith stated that bringing people into the city for these events would benefit the businesses uptown also. Mayor Teague asked City Manager Towarnicki to look into the possibility of allowing those events again. Vice Mayor Martin suggested that Smith visit the EDC and the Tourism office also. James Roundtree, 1221 Mulberry Road expressed concern on the potential school budget cut, asking Council Members to reconsider those cuts. Mayor Teague invited Roundtree back during budget discussions. Comments by Members of City Council – Council Member Lawson mentioned April 29 as Hazardous Waste Day with disposal open to City and County residents free of charge at Henry County PSA shop. Council Member Bowles wished residents a happy Black History Month and expressed her disappointment that the Vice Mayor was not given the opportunity to host the meeting. She recognized members of the National Society of Black Engineers and congratulated Tyheim Farris again on his accomplishment. Bowles asked again about the Facebook LIVE option. City Towarnicki said no other locations that he has spoken to do the LIVE option for their meetings but several locations have done it for special events as the City did for the Fire Department awards last week. Vice Mayor Martin thanked the Police Department and congratulated Farris. Martin informed City employees that if they bring their City badge to Hugo’s, they would receive a 10% discount on meals. Comments by City Manager – Towarnicki said the Council calendar is online now and includes the Trade Show next week; all Council Members have been given tickets. Strategic Planning meetings are next Friday and Saturday. The City Manager’s office is working to update and keep those calendars current. Towarnicki received word earlier this week that citizens are receiving water test kits by mail from DVR Labs; he stated that this is not a service sponsored or endorsed by the City. There being no further business, Council Member Bowles made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Council Member Lawson with all Council Members voting in favor. The meeting adjourned at 9:20pm. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Roberts Gene Teague Clerk of Council Mayor  City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: March 14, 2017 Item No: 2. Department: Community Development Issue: The Citizens Academy of 2017 was just concluded on Thursday, February 23rd. The total number of attendees was ten, consisting of residents and students of the City. The attendees were able to get a peek into the history and workings of the government of the City of Martinsville. The many City employees, members of City Council, and constitutional officers, who so graciously gave of their time and knowledge, proved to be a hit with the attendees. Many misconceptions of local government were exposed and clarified over the course of the month. A big thank you goes out to all of the personnel who helped make this endeavor a success. Attachments: None Recommendations: Award a certificate of participation to all of the attendees  City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: March 14, 2017 Item No: 3. Department: City Manager, Commissioner of the Revenue Issue: Consider setting a public hearing as required under the exemption ordinance enacted in January 2007 for consideration of the organizations’ local tax exemption requests. Summary: Under the provisions of the exemption ordinance enacted by Council in January 2007, any entity that does not clearly fall into any exemption category granted by the Code of Virginia must request an exemption approval from the City Council in the form of an exemption ordinance. In order for the exemption request to be considered by Council as part of the annual budget deliberations, the requesting entity must have submitted an exemption application to the Commissioner of the Revenue by November 1, 2016. The Commissioner of the Revenue referred two applications received to the City Manager along with a report of the revenue impact that any possible exemption may have. The City Manager appointed a review committee consisting of himself, Council member Jennifer Bowles, Commissioner of the Revenue Ruth Easley, City Treasurer Cindy Dickerson, and Finance Department Staff Accountant Mary Kay Washington, to review the applications received. The review committee met on March 1, 2017. The next step in the process is to set a public hearing regarding the exemption request. Attachments: Exemption Review Committee Report Recommendations: Motion to set a Public Hearing for Council’s March 28, 2017 meeting.  Exemption Review Committee Report March 1, 2017 The Martinsville City Manager appointed an Exemption Review Committee to consider the applications and make a recommendation for two non-profit entities that submitted a request for a local tax exemption to the Martinsville Commissioner of the Revenue. The review committee members were: Leon Towarnicki, City Manager; Jennifer Bowles, City Council Member; Ruth Easley, Commissioner of the Revenue; Cindy Dickerson, City Treasurer, and Mary Kay Washington, Staff Accountant Martinsville Finance Department. The Exemption Review Committee met on March 1, 2017 to review the requests and submit the following report and recommendations: Applicant: Act 4 Ministries, Inc. Organization Mission Statement: To meet both the physical and spiritual needs of hurting individuals. With God’s direction, we will be the hands and feet of Christ as we reach out and help His creation in a variety of different situations. Answers to Review Criteria: 1. The organization has been granted IRS 501 (c ) (3) designation 2. The organization does not have an annual special events ABC license 3. The organization's application indicates that there are no employees and the officers do not receive salaries. 4. Net earnings of the organization do not inure to the benefit of any individual. 5. The organization's stated purpose of the residential properties for which they are requesting exemption is for transitional housing for single mothers. 6. No substantial part of the organization's activities is to influence legislation or campaign on behalf of a political candidate. 7. Real Estate Tax Revenue Impact: $1,979.75 is the current annual tax assessment for the 2 properties owned by the organization. 8. The organization does provide a community service that, in the opinion of the members of the Exemption Review Committee, exceeds the revenue loss.  Additional Review Criteria: a. The organization has unpaid real estate tax late payment penalty and interest from the first half installment of the FY 2017 real estate tax bill. b. The organization has not obtained building permits for any of the renovation work that is necessary for the 311 Starling Ave. property, but depending on the nature of the work, they may not need one. The organization has stated that the property 311 Starling Ave. property is not currently being used for transitional housing because of the need for renovation. However, the property at 231 Starling Ave. is being used for transitional housing. Both properties are zoned P-2. The previous use of the property at 311 Starling Ave. was a child day care center. c. The properties for which the exemption is sought potentially relate to the purposes for which the organization was created. d. The City does not provide transitional housing services but does provide assistance to other exempt organizations that provide some housing assistance. e. The organization is providing specific services to single mothers that are not currently being provided by other known organizations. f. The city’s Comprehensive Plan encourages the development of transitional housing for single men and families with a male householder present, but is silent on transitional housing for single mothers. g. Other criteria to consider: No other criteria was considered by the committee. Fiscal Impact: The organization currently owns 2 properties: 231 Starling Avenue and 311 Starling Avenue. Current annual tax on 231 Starling Avenue is $1,104.58. Current annual tax on 311 Starling Avenue is $875.17. Total annual real estate tax for both properties is $1,979.75. The assessed value of 311 Starling Avenue will drop effective July 1, 2017 due to the biennial reassessment lowering the potential total revenue impact for both properties in FY 2018, if the tax rate remains at the current rate of $1.0621, to $1740.78. The organization has not reported owning any business personal property in the City of Martinsville. Review Committee Recommendation: The Review Committee recommends granting an exemption for real property used for the organization’s stated mission purpose. Applicant: Life Stages Enrichment Service, Inc. Organization Mission Statement: To provide profound services and resources to persons in the community. Our efforts will be displayed through our agency’s willingness to help, protect and enhance the quality of life of those at risk in our community. Answers to Review Criteria: 1. The organization has been granted IRS 501 (c ) (3) designation 2. The organization does not have an annual special events ABC license. 3. The organization's application indicates that there are no employees and the officers do not receive salaries. 4. Net earnings of the organization do not inure to the benefit of any individual. 5. The organization's exemption application indicates that they provide the following services: payee services, transportation to medical appointments and similar appointments, and housing assistance. 6. No substantial part of the organization's activities is to influence legislation or campaign on behalf of a political candidate. 7. Real Estate Tax Revenue Impact: $0. The organization owns no real property. The property from which they operate their payee services is located at 316 Brown Street which was previously owned by the organization founder and president, Torey Morris. The property is now owned by A F Housing LLC and has the same mailing address as Life Stages Enrichment Service, Inc. and the for-profit Life Stages, Inc. Personal Property Revenue Impact: The personal property reported on the exemption application are a 2012 Ford Cutaway Van and a 2012 Ford E350 Van, however, the E350 is actually registered to the for-profit entity Life Stages, Inc. 2017 combined assessed value of the vehicles actually registered to Life Stages Enrichment Services Inc. is $11,900. The assessed value of vehicles registered to the for-profit Life Stages, Inc. is $38,340. Assuming the personal property tax rate remains at $2.30 per $100 of assessed value, the FY 2018 personal property revenue impact will be $273.95 for just the two vehicles that are actually registered to Life Stages Enrichment Services Inc. The organization did not provide an itemization of business equipment. It is assumed that the organization is using the business equipment reported by the for-profit entity Life Stages Inc. which is also operated from the 316 Brown St. location. 8. The organization provides services that are currently provided by both non-exempt non-profit and for-profit entities. Additional Review Criteria: a. The non-profit organization was not established until March 22, 2016 and was not subject to taxation for the 2016 tax year.  b. The organization does not currently own real property. The property listed as the business address for the organization is zoned P-2. Current business activities provided at the 316 Brown Street location are compliant with the P-2 zoning. c. The personal property for which the exemption is sought potentially relate to the purposes for which the organization was created. Again, no real property is currently owned by the organization. d. The City does not provide payee services, but some transportation services are provided by the Senior Center. In addition, another non-exempt non-profit organization and other for-profit entities provide transportation services. The city has transferred its housing services to the City of Danville Housing Services. e. The services provided by the organization are currently being met by other non-exempt non-profit entities or by for-profit entities. f. Other criteria to consider: No other criteria was considered by the committee. Fiscal Impact: Real Estate Tax Revenue Impact: $0. The organization owns no real property. The property from which they operate their payee services is located at 316 Brown Street which was previously owned by the organization founder and president, Torey Morris. The property is now owned by A F Housing LLC and has the same mailing address as Life Stages Enrichment Service, Inc. and the for-profit Life Stages, Inc. Personal Property Revenue Impact: The personal property reported on the exemption application are a 2012 Ford Cutaway Van and a 2012 Ford E350 Van, however, the E350 is actually registered to the for- profit entity Life Stages, Inc. 2017 combined assessed value of the vehicles actually registered to Life Stages Enrichment Services Inc. is $11,900. The assessed value of vehicles registered to the for-profit Life Stages, Inc. is $38,340. Assuming the personal property tax rate remains at $2.30 per $100 of assessed value, the FY 2018 personal property revenue impact will be $273.95 for just the two vehicles that are actually registered to Life Stages Enrichment Services Inc. The organization did not provide an itemization of business equipment. It is assumed that the organization is using the business equipment reported by the for-profit entity Life Stages Inc. which is also operated from the 316 Brown St. location. Review Committee Recommendation: Though the organization is considered a non-profit organization for federal income tax purposes, based on the information submitted with the exemption application it appears that the organization provides fee-based services that are similar to services provided by other for-profit entities and other non-profit entities that do not benefit from a local tax exemption. The organization also, does not own real property and has requested a real estate tax exemption in addition to the personal property tax exemption. Because of the close association of the for-profit Life Stages Inc. with the activities of the non-profit Life Stages Enrichment Services Inc. there is concern that if an exemption is granted for real and personal property all of the property currently titled to the for-profit entity will be transferred to the non-profit entity. Once a local tax exemption is granted to a non-profit entity the exemption is extended to all future property acquired by the entity, provided it is used for the exempt purposes for which the exemption was granted and the property does not become a source of substantial income. For these reasons the Review Committee does not recommend granting a tax exemption at this time.  City Council Agenda Summary Date: March 14, 2017 Item No: 4. Department: Human Resources Issue: Hear an update from the City’s Human Resources Office regarding a summary of application/hiring data from 2016. Summary: Information will be provided regarding hiring trends related to efforts to fill vacant positions within the City’s workforce in calendar year 2016. Attachments: 2016 HR Summary Recommendations: No action needed - presented for information purposes only. City of Martinsville Human Resources A Year in Review 2016 Recruiting  We announce vacancies to our employees, to historically black churches and to the Martinsville-Henry County Ministerial Association, NAACP, Virginia Employment Commission, and on Facebook  HBCUs contacted are: Hampton University, Shaw University, Virginia State, North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central, Winston-Salem State  Other colleges contacted are: PHCC, DCC, VWCC, RCC, Guilford Tech, Averett University, Virginia Tech, and UVA  Newspapers: Martinsville Bulletin and when we recruit for specialty positions we use The Roanoke Times, Greensboro News & Record, Danville Register & Bee Applications 2015 Race/Ethnicity Male Female Unknown Total Percent Hispanic or Latino 14 11 25 2.1 White 484 298 5 787 65.5 Black or African American 132 138 2 272 22.7 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 1 1 0.1 Asian 3 3 0.3 American Indian or Alaska Native 1 3 4 0.3 Two or More Races 7 10 1 18 1.5 Unknown 11 14 65 90 7.5 1200 2016 Race/Ethnicity Male Female Unknown Total Percent Hispanic or Latino 10 9 19 2 White 416 155 2 573 59.2 Black or African American 126 129 1 256 26.5 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0 0 Asian 3 3 0.3 American Indian or Alaska Native 4 4 0.4 Two or More Races 12 6 79 97 10 Unknown 13 3 16 1.6 968  New Hire - Demographics 2013 (20) 2014 (21) 2015 (23) 2016 (29) Full Time Hires M F M F M F M F Hispanic or Latino 3.5% (1) White 85% (17) 5% (1) 57% (12) 19% (4) 57% (13) 13% (3) 75.8% (22) Black or African American 5% (1) 5% (1) 5% (1) 14% (3) 17% (4) 13% (3) 17.2% (5) 3.5% (1) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Asian Native American 5% (1) Two or More Races  Turnover 2015 FTE 2016 FTE Department Budgeted Turnover 2015 Department Budgeted Turnover 2016 ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT 15 20% 3.0 ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT 15 20% 3 FIRE DEPARTMENT 32.0 9% 3.0 FIRE DEPARTMENT 32.0 9% 3 POLICE DEPARTMENT 56.0 10% 6.0 POLICE DEPARTMENT 56.0 20% 11 PUBLIC WORKS 49.0 14% 7.0 PUBLIC WORKS 49.0 20% 10 WATER RESOURCES 37.0 5% 2.0 WATER RESOURCES 37.0 16% 6 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 5.0 40% 2.0 FINANCE 8 12% 1 HUMAN RESOURCES 2 50% 1  Employee Census 2016 Census-CM (City) 2015# 2015% 2016# 2016% AA/F 7 3.3% 6 2.9% AA/M 17 8.0% 19 9.1% W/F 30 14% 27 12.9% W/M 157 73.7% 156 74.6% AA/F = African American Female L/M 1 0.5% 0 0.0 AA/M = African NA/M 1 0.5% 1 0.5% American Male TOTALS 213 100% 209 100% W/F = White Female W/M = White Male Latino = Male NA/M = Native American Male  Concerns  29 of the 209 employees under the City Manager are eligible to retire NOW!  Of those 29 that could retire now 4 are department directors  Utility Maintenance Worker I Turnover: Seven employees resigned this year with 3 employees going to work for VDOT and 4 going to work for private industry  Police Turnover: This year we lost 11 sworn officers, 4 to other positions (ATF, ABC, State Police, and private industry), 4 retired, and 3 for other reasons  Retiree Health Insurance: We budget approximately $275, 000 to pay the City’s portion of retiree health insurance. We have 48 retirees enrolled in health insurance and of that number, 30 retired from hazardous duty positions (Police/Fire/Sheriff). Hazardous duty employees can retire at age 50 with 25 years of service, this gives them 15 years on the health insurance. The majority of hazardous duty employees will get another full-time or part-time position  City Council Agenda Summary Date: March 14, 2017 Item No: 5. Department: City Manager Issue: Hear a staff update on Council’s strategic planning meetings scheduled for March 10 and 11, 2017. Summary: On March 10 and 11, 2017, strategic planning sessions are scheduled for City Council and Schools. A brief update will be presented, providing a summary of the strategic planning meetings. Attachments: None. Additional information will be presented at the meeting. Recommendations: Presented for information purposes. No Council action needed.