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City Council

Regular Meeting

Martinsville, VA · May 22, 2018

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Minutes

May 22, 2018 Council Meeting The regular meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia was held on May 22, 2018 in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 7:30 PM with Mayor Gene Teague presiding. Council Members present included Gene Teague, Sharon Hodge, Jennifer Bowles Chad Martin and Kathy Lawson. Staff present included City Manager Leon Towarnicki, City Attorney Eric Monday, Assistant City Manager Wayne Knox, Clerk of Council Karen Roberts, Finance Director Linda Conover, Building Inspector Kris Bridges, Property Maintenance Inspector Andy Powers, Fleet Manager Lane Shively, Water Resources Director Andy Lash, Captain Chad Rhoades, Utilities Director Durwin Joyce, Fire Chief Ted Anderson, Inspector Andy Powers, and Inspector Mark Price. 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) Code of Virginia (1950, and as amended) and upon a motion by Council Member Lawson, seconded by Council Member Hodge, with the following 5-0 recorded vote: Mayor Teague, aye; Council Member Hodge, aye; Council Member Bowles, aye; Vice Mayor Martin, aye; and Council Member Lawson, aye, Council convened in Closed Session to discuss the following matters: (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. 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 Bowles; seconded by Council Member Lawson, with the following 5-0 recorded vote in favor to return to Open Session: Council Member Bowles, aye; Mayor Teague, aye; Council Member Hodge, aye; Vice Mayor Martin, aye; and Council Member Lawson, aye. Vice Mayor Martin made a motion to authorize the City Manager and City Attorney to retain the law firm of Kaufman & Canoles of Norfolk, Virginia and their associated outside counsel to investigate and if necessary, to pursue litigation and recover damages arising from the prescription and opioid abuse occurring in Martinsville; Council Member Lawson seconded the motion with all Council Members voting in favor. Following the Pledge to the American Flag and invocation by Council Member Lawson, Teague welcomed everyone to the meeting. Consider approval of minutes of April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session and April 17, 2018 Budget Work Session – Council Member Lawson made a motion to approve the minutes as presented; Council Member Bowles seconded the motion with all voting in favor. Recognize City Employees who are eligible for Service Awards for the period April 1- June 30, 2018 – City Manager Towarnicki explained that the staff held a ceremony the day May 22, 2018 Council Meeting before recognizing those employees with service awards and handed out those service award certificates. Mayor Teague read the list and thanked those employees for their years of service. Consider presentation of a proclamation recognizing June 3 – 9, 2018 as “RELAY FOR LIFE DAYS” in Martinsville and Henry County – Mayor Teague read the proclamation and presented it to Michelle Graham, Relay for Life representative. Graham explained that every year there is a different spirit in the Relay for Life events. This year is When you Wish Upon a Cure. Graham said she was honored to accept the proclamation and happy to see the community come together to recognize Relay for Life Days. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Consider setting a public hearing for Council’s June 12, 2018 meeting for the purpose of receiving names of citizens interested in appointments for two 3-year terms on the Martinsville City School Board, beginning July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2021 – Council Member Lawson made a motion to set the public hearing for the June 20 Council meeting. Council Member Bowles seconded the motion with all members voting in favor. Mayor Teague explained that interested parties are not required to attend the meeting but their name must be mentioned during the meeting to be considered for the vacancy. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Hear information from Go Healthy West Piedmont regarding the National Diabetes Prevention Program being offered to City employees – Vice Mayor Martin summarized the Go Healthy program. Barbara Watson also explained the Go Healthy program, a 4-year initiative that was awarded to the West Piedmont Health District. Go Healthy partners with food pantries, local giving gardens, the Dan River Basin Association, Complete Streets, libraries, faith-based organizations, and others. Christopher Hairston, a trained lifestyle coach and successful participant in the program was present to share his story, stating that he has lost weight and gained energy with the help of the program. More information can be found on the Go Healthy West Piedmont website. Approval of Open Space ordinance on second reading – City Manager Towarnicki briefly detailed previous discussions regarding the ordinance and Council discussions. Council Member Hodge made a motion to approve the ordinance on second reading; Council Member Bowles seconded the motion with the following roll call vote: Council Member Hodge, aye; Council Member Bowles, aye; Council Member Lawson, nay; Mayor Teague, aye; and Vice Mayor Martin, aye. Ordinance passed with a 4-1 vote. Council Member Hodge confirmed that the decision to approve the ordinance was not political. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Hear information from Building Inspections regarding demolition of structures within the City – Building Inspector Kris Bridges detailed information requested previously by Council related to a demolition list of local properties, rating them by priority or necessity as well as a history of where demolitions have occurred in previous years. Demolition of a single home could vary from $4,000-$22,000 depending on asbestos inspections. There is only $15,000 in the budget to cover the top 10 properties on the list. Mayor Teague requested that Inspections should start action towards the top 10 properties. Council Member Lawson emphasized that those properties targeted were not based on particular neighborhoods, it is complaint based. Targeted properties are determined by complaints, street-by-street inspections, and previous fire damage that has not been repaired. Council Member Hodge asked about renovation versus demolition. Mayor Teague suggested a work session to address creating a program to address those referenced properties. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Hear a staff update on operations of the City’s Electric and Water Resources Departments – Utilities Director Durwin Joyce presented information regarding the Electric Department through March 2018. Mayor Teague asked Joyce to provide specifics on the most recent five outages at his next Council update. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting May 22, 2018 Council Meeting May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Water Resources Director Andy Lash presented information regarding the Water and Wastewater departments for the past 10 months through April 2018. Lash confirmed that the May 18 flooding was an inconvenience and some equipment was damaged but there were no notable setbacks. There is a pump-around being used on the water breaks relating to the flood damage. City Manager Towarnicki explained that the repair to the damage at Sam Lions Trail would take approximately 6 weeks to complete. Residents in that area have sewer services thanks to temporary fixes and the department is working to resolve some water pressure concerns. Council Member Bowles emphasized that aging infrastructure is a nationwide concern, not just local to Martinsville. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Consider approval of a resolution approving and confirming a Declaration of Local Emergency – City Manager Towarnicki detailed some of the recent flood damages within the City and the procedure to declare a local state of emergency and what that declaration would mean to the City and residents. The resolution is no guarantee for assistance but opens doors for applications for assistance; approval for assistance could still take up to a year to receive. Towarnicki emphasized that there is no guarantees for assistance to help property owners. If a homeowner is uninsured or under-insured, there are resources that could be brought into play with other agencies and volunteer agencies. Towarnicki explained that the damaged areas are unstable and roped off for the safety of residents. He encouraged people to avoid those areas and not allow children to play around those areas. Council Member Bowles made a motion to approve the resolution; Council Member Lawson seconded the motion with all voting in favor. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Consider approval of Consent Agenda –Council Member Lawson made a motion to approve the schools request for funds to repair the roof at Albert Harris School, Bowles seconded the motion with all Council Members voting in favor. Council Member Lawson made a motion to approve the remaining consent agenda as presented; Vice Mayor Martin seconded the motion with all Council Members voting in favor. May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Business from the Floor – Ural Harris, 217 Stuart Street presented City Attorney. Monday and Vice Mayor Martin with a copy of a receipt of his payment of his FOIA request. Gloria Hylton, 402 Second Street asked if the 520 Fayette Street property is on the demolition list and said the church she attends would be very interested in purchasing the property if it becomes available, detailing costs the church as accrued to clean up that adjacent lot overgrowth that infringes the church property. Hylton also questioned 410 Fayette Street adjacent to her parent’s property that she has maintained for years. There are several places on Fayette Street that are in dire need of attention and she hopes those properties can be added to the demolition list. There is property at 813 B Street, corner of Second Street which she has reported to property maintenance regarding grass maintenance. Kerry Smith of Hairston Funeral Home has reported three unsafe buildings near their property. The buildings are considered historical but have overgrowth of vines and grass as well as trash, drug and sexual activity, excess of cats, kittens and rodents. Smith asked that the City work to get the buildings added to the demolition list. Comments by Members of City Council – Council Member Bowles shared that the New Heights Foundation would be offering the Second Annual Back to School Bash with free food and drinks, youth activities, book bag giveaways, coupons for haircuts, and more. Scholarships are also available and interested parties can apply beginning July 28. Bowles thanked Warrior Tech for allowing her to be a judge. She congratulated Martinsville High School students who received the Big M award and the seniors who received the Big M trophy. Bowles thanked City employees for their response during the storms. She thanked the staff for working on the budget. Vice Mayor Martin congratulated Martinsville and Carlisle students. Council Member Lawson had the privilege to present the Delvin Hairston May 22, 2018 Council Meeting Scholarship and stated that it is truly amazing to see the talent of our local youth. Lawson thanked the public safety, public works and electric department during the storms, stating that they did an outstanding job. Council Member Hodge wanted to reiterate the appreciation of the City staff. Council Member Hodge stated that she would resign her seat on Council effective July 31, 2018 explaining that her private business is growing and it is becoming difficult to fulfil her responsibilities as a Council Member. Hodge is out of town often fulfilling her new obligations, making her schedule difficult to work around Council requirements and feels that Council deserves a member who lives in Martinsville fulltime and not just attends the meetings. Mayor Teague expressed his and Councils appreciation for her contributions the past years while she was on Council. City Attorney Monday explained that with the effective date of the resignation, Council has 30 days to determine to hold a special election or to appoint an interim Member. Monday explained the procedure for Council to request that special election and the deadline dates that those decisions would need to be made. Comments by City Manager – City Manager Towarnicki summarized the neighborhood meeting from May 21 in the Northside-Chatham Heights area. Council Members looked at several properties of concern. There was a neighborhood meeting and he thanked Clearview Wesleyan Church for hosting that. Inspections summarized property maintenance concerns in that area as well as the nuisance ordinance. Towarnicki detailed resident concerns and any actions that have been taken so far. The meeting was well attended with good exchanges and interaction with residents, staff and council. The Municipal Building will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Towarnicki detailed local events in honor of Memorial Day and encouraged Council Members and residents to attend. He thanked Deborah Mitchell for her assistance in the 100th anniversary of the People Cemetery. Martinsville Mustangs first home game is Thursday May 31. This weekend is Rooster Walk and City employees will receive a discount on Sunday to attend. The Community Business Launch awards were given earlier in the day and totaled almost $30,000. The funds were awarded to six businesses out of 23 participants. Congratulations to all of the graduates and he hopes a lot of them decide to return to Martinsville. There being no further business, Council Member Hodge made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Martin with all Council Members voting in favor. The meeting adjourned at 9:41pm. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ Karen Roberts Gene Teague Clerk of Council Mayor

Agenda

AGENDA--CITY COUNCIL -- CITY OF MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA Council Chambers – Municipal Building 7:00 pm Closed Session 7:30 pm Regular Session Tuesday, May 22, 2018 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. Appointments to boards and commissions, as authorized by Subsection 1. 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. 7:30—Regular Session Pledge to the American Flag and Invocation by Council Member Lawson 1. Consider approval of minutes of April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session and April 17, 2018 Budget Work Session. (2 mins) 2. Recognize City Employees who are eligible for Service Awards for the period April 1-June 30, 2018. (10 mins) 3. Consider presentation of a proclamation recognizing June 3 – 9, 2018 as “RELAY FOR LIFE DAYS” in Martinsville & Henry County. (5 mins) 4. Consider setting a public hearing for Council’s June 12, 2018 meeting for the purpose of receiving names of citizens interested in appointments for two 3-year terms on the Martinsville City School Board, beginning July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2021. (5 mins) 5. Hear information from Go Healthy West Piedmont regarding the National Diabetes Prevention Program being offered to City employees. (15 mins) 6. Approval of Open Space ordinance on second reading (10 mins) 7. Hear information from Building Inspections regarding demolition of structures within the City. (15 mins) 8. Hear a staff update on operations of the City’s Electric and Water Resources Departments. (15 mins) 9. Consider approval of consent agenda. (2 mins) 10. 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. 11. Comments by members of City Council. (5 minutes) 12. Comments by City Manager. (5 minutes) City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 1. Department: Clerk of Council Issue: Consider approval of minutes Summary: None Attachments: April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session April 17, 2018 Budget Work Session Recommendations: Motion to approve minutes as presented. April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session A special meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, was held on April 16, 2018, in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 6:00PM, to conduct a budget work session with Mayor Gene Teague presiding. Council Members present included: Mayor Teague, Vice Mayor Chad Martin, Council Member Kathy Lawson, Council Member Jennifer Bowles and Council Member Sharon Brooks Hodge. 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 Chris Morris, Sheriff Steve Draper, Chief Sheriff Deputy Laura Hopkins, Human Resources Director Kathy Vernon, Water Resources Director Andy Lash, Treasurer Cindy Dickerson, Police Chief Eddie Cassady, Deputy Police Chief Rob Fincher, Police Captain Chad Rhodes, Police Lieutenant Jim Minter, Fire Chief Ted Anderson, Deputy Fire Chief Kris Schrader, Safety Coordinator John Turner, Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley, Circuit Court Clerk Ashby Pritchett, Registrar Cindy Barbour, Fleet Manager Lane Shively, Utilities Director Durwin Joyce, Building Inspector Kris Bridges and Telecommunications Director Mike Scaffidi. Mayor Teague opened the Council meeting. City Manager Towarnicki thanked everyone for attending and detailed the schedule starting with constitutionals, city departments and capital. Mayor Teague asked departments to detail the challenges to keeping the budget “flat”, detailing any hardships they are experiencing. Commissioner of Revenue Ruth Easley explained the increase in the equipment budget line is attributed to aging equipment that can no longer be repaired. The department is in need of an off-site data record file with more secure firewalls. There is an increase in the assessor’s budget since 2019 is an assessment year. Treasurer Cindy Dickerson explained the most difficult part of her budget is the lack of staff. She is working with IT on sending bills electronically in the future, saving on postage costs. Dickerson explained that only 5-10% of the residents pay their bills online. Clerk of Court Ashby Pritchett said his challenge is to get enough money from the state to cover operations so that the City pays as little as possible. Pritchett says yearly he makes more money than his department costs and he continues to look for additional funding. Pritchett uses a local firm for audits which saves money and time. Registrar Cindy Barbour explained the biggest challenge for the Electoral Board would be work space and supplies. They were able to rent equipment needed for the June election but new equipment will be needed going forward. City Manager Towarnicki explained there is $79,000 plugged into the capital for new voting equipment. Sheriff Steve Draper explains that his department tries to get funding from the state whenever possible to save the City money. Draper thanked Council for their support towards the jail security upgrade and looks forward to additional upgrades to the building in the future. City Manager Towarnicki shared information on the Sheriff Department’s capital April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session requirements including the security cameras, aging vehicles and the jail security project. So far this year, inmates have attributed more than 45,000 work hours to the City. Council went through the Commonwealth Attorney’s budget with Finance Director Linda Conover answering questions. City Manager Towarnicki explained that other questions would be passed along to that department. City Manager Towarnicki began to go over City department budgets, inviting any questions from Council as needed. Council Member Bowles shared with residents that Council Members did not receive raises, nor was it requested. Finance Director Linda Conover said the last Council raise was in the early 2000s. City Manager Towarnicki assured residents that with travel costs and commitment of time, Council Members are not involved in City Council for the money. Council Member Hodge asked about the 5% increase in Human Resources. Towarnicki said that is attributed by the realignment of some positions. Kathy Vernon explained that part of that increase is for the department consultants. Mayor Teague asked if the City has seen a decrease since offering the Wellness Program. Vernon said this year the City received a decrease in insurance but the Wellness Program also supports health screenings, exercise equipment, physicals, etc. Finance Director Linda Conover explained the only major increase in the finance budget involves a succession plan for when she retires. Mayor Teague and Council Member Hodge discussed the opportunity to share staff between departments. Council members have questions for the IT department manager regarding firewall funding, software costs and equipment costs. City Manager explained that one concern is the equipment in Council Chambers which is original to the room and will be costly to repair or replace. Council Member Hodge asked Fleet Manager Lane Shively how he figured the fuel increase. Shively detailed how the costs are averaged over a 3 to 5 year period. Towarnicki explained the fuel cost increase is based on the specific department. Shively explained there are 340 vehicles in the city fleet and approximately 70 in the schools which include equipment, not just cars. Shively acknowledged that selling equipment through GovDeals brings a better sell price rather than selling at auction locally. Police Chief Eddie Cassady explained the biggest challenges they face with the budget is attributed to software programs and the price increase in the radar units. Every officer has a cell phone for residents to be able to contact them directly. Cassady says they have one position unfilled and one active duty employee who is currently deployed. Fire Chief Ted Anderson explains the biggest challenge they face in the fire department budget is being understaffed so that is the reason they are requesting a slight increase in part- time employee funding. Anderson explained the increase in radio maintenance is due to years of repairing and replacing out of date equipment, stating that the equipment needs updating. April 16, 2018 Budget Work Session Kris Schrader explained the increase in EMS budget is attributed to years of “wittling” the budget and eventually overusing particular budget lines when necessary. The last few years the budget on some items has been over budget but they’ve been able to absorb the costs, unfortunately it’s caught up to them this year and the budget needed to be increased on those budget items. Schrader detailed his plan if they are awarded the extra money by hiring two fulltime paramedics and using the reserve ambulance, thus reducing the occurrence of having to refer residents to other agencies. John Turner, Safety Coordinator said the biggest challenge is the telecommunication costs. There are 6 IPads which are used throughout the departments and radio maintenance on 10-year old equipment is expensive. Anderson explained an increase in Inspections which is attributed to helping with tree maintenance or removable. Money was added to the demolition line which would probably only cover one house while there are 10-20 homes in the city that could qualify. Leon Towarnicki said a market review was done, providing salary increases to some staff members to bring their salary to average. Council Member Hodge expressed concern about the 20% increase in Inspections while all other departments are flat funded or reduced. Mayor Teague asked Inspections to provide a list of properties with scaling that would qualify for demolition immediately. Council Member Bowles asked for a list of locations where properties were demolished the past 5-10 years to ensure residents on the West End that most houses weren’t solely in that location. Mayor Teague asked Durwin Joyce to detail the reason for the proposed rate increase. Joyce provided a comparison state wide of rates as of July 17, 2018 as well as a graph of costs to the city to provide service. Council Member Hodge questioned whether the increase should be higher to plan for the potential of a “bad month” or additional increases in the near future. City Manager Towarnicki confirmed that a solar project could still be considered. Joyce described the current call center that is capable of handling calls but needs to be upgraded for emergency situations, causing an increase in that budget line. Mike Scaffidi and Ronco are looking at options; the goal is that callers not get dead air or silence. Callers should reach a person, get a message, have the opportunity to leave a message or at least get a busy signal. Joyce explained that substation checks are done monthly but every 3 years outside contractors with special equipment are hired to do the checks. About 35% of outages are caused by trees that are not on the City right of way so not associated with faulty City equipment. Underground lines would be very expensive. Power outages related to faulty City equipment are few. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm. ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Karen Roberts, Clerk of Council Gene Teague, Mayor April 17, 2018 Budget Work Session A special meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, was held on April 17, 2018, in Council Chambers, Municipal Building, at 6:00PM, to conduct a budget work session with Mayor Gene Teague presiding. Council Members present included: Mayor Teague, Vice Mayor Chad Martin, Council Member Kathy Lawson, Council Member Jennifer Bowles and Council Member Sharon Brooks Hodge. 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 Chris Morris, Fire Chief Ted Anderson, School Board representatives were also in attendance: Dr. Zebedee Talley, Travis Clemmons, Janie Fulcher, Angilee Downing, Eric Hruza, Donna Dillard, Tonya Jones, Sammy Redd and Joan Montgomery. Mayor Teague opened the Council meeting. Joan Montgomery called the School Board to order. Teague shared that Council had the opportunity to tour the Martinsville schools and thanked the staff for showing them around. He observed an orderly, clean environment with clear focus on the students in every school. He noted that all students were active learners and were using up-to-date technology. Teague said he wished the community could see what he saw today. Council Member Hodge thanked Council for providing a line item budget, making it easier for Council to review. Council and the school board discussed the schools capital requests and how the carry- over funds could assist with capital and staffing needs. Council agreed to keep schools budget level funded and that in the event the state does not issue the schools the additional funds as anticipated, then they will receive the carry-over funds. All agreed that they prefer to use the carry-over funds for capital improvement concerns and would discuss those in the near future. Council Member Bowles asked that the student demographics be sent to Council. Discussions were held on school media needs. Dr. Talley thanked Council for their support and now that they have the resources, they can move forward towards their goals. City Manager Towarnicki welcomed Darrin Doss, Environmental Supervisor who introduced Bill Rogers, (Acting) Business Manager, Nancy Bell, Population Health Manager and Dr. Kerry Gateley, (Acting) Health Director for the West Piedmont Health District. Gateley’s biggest concern is the public opioid health crisis. Mayor Teague referenced the budget which is about the same as the current year and discussion was had on the Health Departments request, the state funds and the City’s match which decreased. J. R. Powell, Director of Martinsville-Henry County 911 Center and Deputy Director Tiara Dillard presented the 2019 budget, requesting a 2.8% less total than the current year. Some remodeling was done at the center this past year. Calls received and dispatches continue to increase. The dispatchers continue to provide service to the citizens and 18 agencies efficiently. Powell detailed the Next Generation 911 program that will cost $69 million to get Virginia compliant. A breakdown for service calls was provided for Council’s April 17, 2018 Budget Work Session review which reflects a 7.9% increase. All 25 dispatchers are Emergency Medical Dispatcher certified. Rick Ward, Betsy Haskins, Cecil Holland and Mary Ruth Reynolds of the Blue Ridge Regional Library provided a report with data and statistics. Ward shared details regarding a project with the museum and the girl scouts. Holland touched on the food fundraiser, Gift a Kid a Book received 167 books donated to Christmas Cheer. The mobile computer lab offers day classes especially for senior citizens. Additional activities are offered at the library for children including board games, robotics, bakery, history lectures, etc. They are requesting an increase of $3,000 to cover one employee who will receive insurance this year and a general increase in costs. Amy Rice, Director of Social Services touched on a few programs being offered by their organization. Bonnie Covington, April Evans and Lisa Thompson were also in attendance. A $45,000 increase is related to the VRS increase, movement of the Children’s’ Services Act office, the second tier of a salary alignment and the hiring of five workers related to the Medicaid expansion if that passes. Heidi Pinkston, the new Executive Director of Piedmont Arts asked Council for level funding for the 2019 budget which is only 1% of the City’s outside agency budget allowance, detailing some of what the organization does for the community. She thanked Council for their continued support of the arts and the community. Cliff Glickman, grant writer for Virginia Legal Aid explains one of their challenges is people are not familiar with what they do and offer. In 2016, only 1% of court cases had an attorney for both sides. Previously, less than ¾ of funding comes from federal and state resources; the rest has come from various foundations. In 2017, they began a pro bono project where several Martinsville attorney’s volunteer their services. Chris Morris requested level funding for the engineering department and an increase in Street Maintenance due to increased hours and special events with an increased focus on safety. If there are leftover funds from snow removal, those funds go towards street pavement. The City receives additional money from VDOT for street maintenance. If Council awarded additional funds he would put it towards replacing some heavy equipment and hiring another engineering employee. City Manager Towarnicki summarized capital priorities according to the capital committee. There being no further business, Council Member Bowles made a motion to adjourn. Vice Mayor Martin seconded the motion with all in favor. The meeting adjourned at 9:06pm. ___________________________________ ___________________________________ Karen Roberts, Clerk of Council Gene Teague, Mayor City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 2. Department: Human Resources Issue: Recognize City Employees who are eligible for Service Awards for the period April 1 – June 30, 2018. Summary: The Service Award Program is designed to build individual morale and show appreciation to the long-service employee for their faithful service to the City of Martinsville. SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS FOURTH QUARTER - FISCAL YEAR 17-18 FOR THE PERIOD OF APRIL 1 – JUNE 30, 2018 YEARS OF NAME DEPARTMENT SERVICE Chase Cooper Electric 5 Jason Vaughan Police 5 Ronnie Gammons Public Works 10 Tim Agee Electric 20 Steve Burgess Wastewater Plant 25 Jimmy Blankenship Electric 30 Ronald Nance Utility Billing 30 Attachment: None Recommendation: The Mayor will read the list. City Council Agenda Summary Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 3. Department: City Council Issue: Consider presentation of a proclamation recognizing June 3 – 9, 2018 as “RELAY FOR LIFE DAYS” in Martinsville & Henry County. Summary: Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is staffed and coordinated by volunteers in thousands of communities and 27 countries. Volunteers give of their time and effort because they believe it’s time to take action against cancer. Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. Each event is typically 6 – 24 hours in length and each Relay team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don’t stop because they are tired and for one night, Relay team members don’t stop either. This year’s Relay For Life event will be at Bassett High School on Friday, June 8th. Attachments: Joint Martinsville and Henry County Proclamation Recommendations: Read and present the proclamation. JOINT PROCLAMATION OF THE HENRY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MARTINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event to save lives from cancer. Relay For Life brings together 3.5 million participants worldwide to help attack cancer from every angle; and WHEREAS, the Relay For Life of Martinsville & Henry County stands shoulder to shoulder with cancer patients and those supporting them to help beat our biggest rival and fight cancer on every front; and WHEREAS, funds raised help the American Cancer Society attack cancer in dozens of ways, each of them critical to achieving a world without cancer – from developing breakthrough therapies to building supportive communities, from providing empowering resources to deploying activities to raise awareness; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, on this 22nd day of May 2018 that the Henry County Board of Supervisors and Martinsville City Council establishes June 3 – 9, 2018 as “RELAY FOR LIFE DAYS” in Martinsville & Henry County and encourages citizens to let their passion inspire them to join the Relay For Life movement by starting a fundraising team, making a donation, or volunteering with the Relay For Life event at Bassett High School on June 8th. ___________________________________ Jim Adams, Chairman Henry County Board of Supervisors City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 4. Department: City Manager Issue: Consider setting a public hearing for Council’s June 12, 2018 meeting for the purpose of receiving names of citizens interested in appointments for two 3-year terms on the Martinsville City School Board, beginning July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2021. Summary: Only those citizens whose names are brought up during the Public Hearing can be considered for appointment, and appointments cannot be made until seven days after the Public Hearing. Citizens may appear in person, stating their name, address, and interest in the position; or their name, address, and interest may be offered by another individual. Council typically conducts interviews with candidates after this meeting, with the appointments to be announced at Council’s second meeting in June. Attachments: Martinsville School Board current listing. Recommendations: Set the Public Hearing for June 12, 2018 and consider scheduling interviews before and/or after Council’s June 26 meeting. City Council Agenda Summary Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 5. Department: City Manager Issue: Hear information from Go Healthy West Piedmont regarding the National Diabetes Prevention Program being offered to City employees. Summary: Barbara Watson, Health Communities Coordinator with Go Healthy West Piedmont will provide information regarding the National Diabetes Prevention Program being made available to City employees. Attachments: None. Additional information will be presented at the meeting. Recommendations: Presented for information purposes. No Council action needed. City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 6. Department: Community Development Issue: Consider approval on second reading, Ordinance 2018-Z-1 amending Appendix B, Zoning Ordinance, Section II – Definitions, of the City Code regarding Open Space. Summary: At Council’s April 10, 2018 meeting, staff presented some recommendations regarding possible changes to the City’s Zoning Ordinance with the intent to expand the definition of open space to include a public use category. The expanded definition could result in future requests for usage of public open space to require adhering to a special use permit process. After discussion, Council voted to pass the specific recommendation along to the Planning Commission for their review and to consider a possible joint public hearing on the matter for Council’s May 8 meeting. The Planning Commission considered the matter at their April 19th meeting and after much discussion, voted 4 -1 to recommend that the Zoning Ordinance remain as is, with no changes to the current definition of open space. At the April 24th meeting, City Council set a public hearing for May 8th, to consider a possible change suggested by staff that adds a new definition to the Zoning Ordinance “Open Space, Public” that provides for staff review of future open space projects under certain circumstances. Council conducted a Public Hearing at the May 8 meeting and after considerable discussion, voted 4 – 1 to approve the attached amendment on first reading. Attachments: Copy of Ordinance2018-Z-1, Zoning, Defining Open Space Recommendations: Adoption on second reading (roll call vote required). ORDINANCE 2018-Z-1 Zoning, Defining Open Space BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, in regular session held on May 22, 2018 that Appendix B, Section II of the City Code, the Zoning Ordinance, be amended as follows: Repealing and reenacting the definition of “open space,” to read as follows: OPEN SPACE - areas intended to provide light, air, recreational, or scenic beauty. Open space shall, in general, be available for entry and use by the owners, residents or occupants of the property or development, but may include a limited proportion of space so located and treated as to enhance the amenity of the property or development by providing landscaping features, screening for the benefit of the occupants or those in neighboring areas, or a general appearances of openness. Open space may include, but is not limited to lawns, decorative plantings, walkways, active and passive recreation areas, playgrounds, fountains, swimming pools, undisturbed natural areas, agriculture, wooded areas, water bodies and those areas where landscaping and screening are required by the provisions of this ordinance. Open space shall not include driveways, parking lots, or other vehicular surfaces, any area occupied by a building, nor areas so located or so small as to have no substantial value for the purposes stated in this definition. Enacting a new definition, “open space, public,” reading as follows: OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC– any open space which is dedicated or conveyed to (a) the City or to (b) by any other individual or entity for use by the general public as open space. In all instances involving ownership under (b), open space which does not adjoin any contiguous parcels shall remain a use by right; for any open space adjoining any contiguous parcel, however, a description with supporting documentation of any such open space shall be submitted Zoning Administrator for review. The Zoning Administrator shall enjoy discretionary authority to, after due consideration of the Comprehensive Plan and the effect of such open space on adjoining parcels and the neighborhood in general, either allow the use by right or alternatively require an application for a special use permit. ******* Attest: ________________________________ Karen D. Roberts, Clerk of Council ____________________ ___________________ Date Adopted Date Effective City Council Agenda Summary Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 7. Department: Building Inspections Issue: Hear information from Building Inspections regarding demolition of structures within the City. Summary: During work on the FY19 City budget and specifically during discussions of Building Inspections and the budgeted demolition line item, Council requested that Inspections report back at a later meeting with information regarding location of structures demolished in recent years as well as a current listing in priority order of structures that should be considered for demolition. The City’s Building Official has prepared information to address Council’s questions and will present and discuss that at the May 22nd meeting. Attachments: None. Additional information will be presented at the meeting. Recommendations: Presented for information purposes. No Council action needed. City Council Agenda Summary Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 8. Department: Electric and Water Resources Issue: Hear a staff update on operations of the City’s Electric and Water Resources Departments. Summary: Staff will present a brief update on operations of these departments. Attachments: None. Additional information will be presented at the meeting. Recommendations: Presented for information purposes. No Council action needed. City Council Agenda Summary Meeting Date: May 22, 2018 Item No: 9. Department: Finance Issue: School Capital Approval/Consent Agenda Summary: Item #1 Approval of School Board request for $48,775 from the Capital Reserve for School Projects for the roofing project at Albert Harris School. Item #2 The attachment amends the FY18 Budget with appropriations in the General Fund in the amount of $20,517. Attachments: Consent Agenda 5-22-18 Recommendations: Approve BUDGET ADDITIONS FOR 5/22/18 ORG OBJECT DESCRIPTION DEBIT CREDIT FY18 ITEM #1 APPROVAL OF USE OF SCHOOL CAPITAL RESERVE FUNDS CAPITAL RESERVE FUND: 16579369 508209 Capital School Projects 48,775 Roofing project for Albert Harris School as requested by School Board. ITEM #2 BUDGET ADDITIONS General Fund: 01100909 490137 Recovered Cost - Public Safety 10,115 01311085 501200 Police Dept. - Overtime 3,284 01311085 502100 Police Dept. - Social Security 204 01311085 502110 Police Dept. - Medicare 47 01217078 501200 Sheriff - Courts - Overtime 5,820 01217078 502100 Sheriff - Courts - Social Security 361 01217078 502110 Sheriff - Courts - Medicare 84 01321102 501200 Fire Dept. - Overtime 293 01321102 502100 Fire Dept. - Social Security 18 01321102 502110 Fire Dept. - Medicare 4 Various reimbursements for security patrols 01102926 436401 Categorical Federal - Confiscated Assets - Police 4,263 01311085 506079 Police Dept. - Federal Asset Forfeitures 4,263 Funds received 3/18 01102926 436401 Categorical Federal - Confiscated Assets - Police 5,989 01311085 506079 Police Dept. - Federal Asset Forfeitures 5,989 Funds received 5/18 01100908 480406 Miscellaneous - Donations/Recreation 150 01711210 506007 Recreation - Equipment & Supplies 150 Sponsorship Fees Total General Fund: 20,517 20,517

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