City Council

Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -1– ______________________________________________________________________________ The vision session of the Petersburg City Council was held on Saturday, May 6, 2017, at the Multimodal Transit Station. Mayor Parham called the special meeting to order at 8:00a.m. 1. ROLL CALL: Present: Council Member Charles H. Cuthbert, Jr Council Member Annette Smith-Lee (left at 9:28am and returned at 11:20am) Council Member Treska Wilson-Smith Council Member W. Howard Myers Council Member Darrin Hill (left at 12:00noon) Vice Mayor John A. Hart, Sr. Mayor Samuel Parham Absent: None Present from City Administration: Interim City Manager Tom Tyrrell Clerk of Council Nykesha D. Jackson, CMC 2. VISION SESSION: Mayor Parham stated that before getting started he would like to turn the floor over to Council Member Cuthbert. Council Member Cuthbert stated that he has a resolution that he would like to present this morning. He stated that the resolution is dealing with the collector of City revenues. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to approve the resolution by the City Council of the City of Petersburg that it hereby declares its intent to appoint a Collector of City Taxes (the “City Collector”) in accordance with the discretionary authority granted to the Council in Section 3-14 of the City Charter. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comment. Seeing no hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comments. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that they say collector and staff. She asked do they have a ballpark range of what the salary will look like and how many staff members will be in the office. Council Member Cuthbert stated that he thinks that they will be adding one new employee. He stated that it is hard to predict exactly how this is going to unfold. He stated that it has been a while since they have done it. He stated that they have done it in the past. He stated that they are reanimating a position that they have done in the past. He stated that his expectations are that there will be only one new employee. He stated that his expectations are that the upper level compensation including benefits will be $100,000. He stated that he is not sure and that he does not know what the market demands. He stated that he thinks that it is fair to think in the order of $100,000. He stated that part of the source of his concern is a paper that they were all given in February by TACS. He stated that Mr. Brown appeared before them and so did TACS. He stated that TACS gave out a packet that contained a sheet stating the balance amount owing to the City of Petersburg for past due personal property was around $5.7 million. He stated that the balance owed to the City of Petersburg in real estate taxes was rounded to $7.5 million. He stated that if you add both the numbers together you come up with a number that exceeds $13 million. He stated that in his view this is a major explanation of why *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -2– ______________________________________________________________________________ they are having extreme financial problems. He stated that the revenue is not being collected. He stated that he would personally spend $100,000 to collect $13 million. He stated that if they do not get a good collection process then the City will continue to go down. He stated that the City has to increase the revenue. He stated that he expects that the workers that are working under the City Treasurer will be moved under the City Collector. He stated that he can be off by one or two employees. Council Member Wilson-Smith asked that if they go along with this then are they going to do away with TACS collection. Council Member Cuthbert stated that this is a decision to be made. He stated that TACS works for the City Treasurer and was obtained by him as well. He stated that this is the decision of the City Treasurer. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she just needed to know where this falls in place. She stated that the other question is in regards to the City Code and City Charter. She asked is the City Code incorporated in the City Charter. Council Member Cuthbert stated that the City Code is not the City Charter. He stated that contents of the Charter are established by the General Assembly special legislation. He stated that the City Code is established by City Council. He stated that in the past the collector of City taxes job duties and existence have been defined by the City Code. He stated that he has a copy of the old exert from the City Code that included the language of the City Collector. He stated that he expects Mr. Preston to have all this information at the second meeting in May in regards to the City Collector position. Council Member Wilson-Smith asked to see a copy. Council Member Cuthbert stated that he does not have a copy but that he will be happy to email the scanned copy that he has. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that it appeared to her she thought that it was addressed in the Charter. Council Member Cuthbert stated that the collector of City taxes is addressed in the City Charter. He stated that the role of the Charter is to give them the authority to create a position of City Collector of taxes. He stated that the Charter describes it in broad terms the powers of the collector and gives council the broad power to define the specific job duties that City Council deems appropriate. Council Member Hill stated that he believes that this was brought up by a previous council by Council Member Myers. He stated that in his opinion and looking at the Treasures that are running for office and the surrounding areas that this is the model that they have adopted. He stated that they owe it to the citizens and to themselves to at least try this model. He stated they do not have the authority to go into the office and get information due to the position. He stated that they are currently constitutional officers and City Council does not have authority over them. He stated that now is the time to do this. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that all questions asked are not an indication of being against something. She stated that she takes her vote very serious. She stated that this is a great resolution but that she wants to make sure that it fits into what the Charter says. She stated that if what they are doing does not fit into the Charter then they would have to go back to the General Assembly to make a change in the Charter. She stated to Council Member Hill that the Charter clearly states that the Mayor and any other member of the committee of the City Council has the authority to go to the Treasurer’s Office and ask for that information and look at his books whenever they want to. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -3– ______________________________________________________________________________ Council Member Myers stated that when he was Mayor, Mr. Hill came to him and said that he went to the Treasurer’s Office and asked for permission to go through the office and failed his right to receive requested information. He stated that this is the reason why Council Member Hill stated what he has said. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that this is a very good reason why they are doing this and that this is the reason for her asking her question. There was discussion among City Council and staff in regards to the duties of the Treasurer and City Collector. There was discussion on the motion, which was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham 17-R-22 A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG THAT IT HEREBY DECLARES ITS INTENT TO APPOINT A COLLECTOR OF CITY TAXES (THE “CITY COLLECTOR”) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY GRANTED TO THE COUNCIL IN SECTION 3-14 OF THE CITY CHARTER. Mr. Bobb stated that Mr. Stettinius will help guide City Council through the process of the vision session. He stated that he has collected some information from City Council. He stated that he thinks that the key theme is to look inside the budget to see how the budget reflects City Council’s priority. Wallace Stettinius, facilitator, stated that this is an awkward moment in which they are asking to move out of the current moment and move into the present. He stated that this is not easy to do in the situation that they find themselves in. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that they need to know what they are looking for in the future. She stated that this budget starts in July of this year and goes through the end of June of next. She asked what does this mean. She asked does it mean when they give the money to the schools that they will do what City Council wants them to do. She stated that when they say they are going to do something to HR are they getting to where they want the City. She asked how much money are they putting into their thoughts and visions for the City. Mr. Stettinius stated that they talked about having a summary of this. He stated that Mrs. Peters will be discussing this. Mr. Bobb stated that they need to know where the status is with respect to everything that City Council knows. He stated that they want to be able to summarize where they are as a City. He stated that this is the kind of information that Mrs. Peters is going to present. He stated that this is the type of information that they present when they go to the buying market. He stated that they look at them and then they decide overall. He stated that as they look at the different areas in the City they have to think about how they are going to plug the holes. He stated that there is no better person to do this then a person that knows the City. Mrs. Peters stated that she would like to start her PowerPoint presentation off with a variety of scenery from the City of Petersburg. She stated that she would like everyone to try and look at the presentation as a snapshot of the City. She stated that all they are looking at is here and now. Mr. Bobb stated that it is really important to break down the census data with unemployment. He stated that the employment is broken down by a census track. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -4– ______________________________________________________________________________ Mrs. Peters stated that another thing is that people have jobs but they do not have sufficient income. She stated that the training would be to help people to get to the level of understanding where they can make sufficient salary. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that PowerPoints are beautiful and that she thanks Mrs. Peters for the data but that she looked for more pictures to show more actuality with the good and the bad. She stated that there are some things in the community that are not so positive. She stated that she thought that they would address these things. Mrs. Peters stated that this would require her to get with Code Compliance and work with them on information. She stated that some of the issues that are ward specific are some things that they can fix and some that they cannot. Council Member Wilson-Smith asked what they need to do about areas that they think are qualified to be in the historical district. She asked how can they get this done. Mrs. Peters stated that at the moment staff would not support them having another historic district. She stated that if it is individual parcels that would like to be considered historic parcel then they would Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that the presentation was beautiful. She stated that she looked for pictures of the good and the bad of the City. She stated that she thought that they would address this. Mrs. Peters stated that they have a housing problem in the City. She stated that she would have to get with Code Compliance and do a one-on-one to go over information in each ward. Council Member Wilson-Smith asked what needs to be done to have another historic district. Mrs. Peters stated that the staff does not recommend another historic district. She stated that people are struggling now to keep up with the historic district. She stated that this would create hardships for other owners and current owners. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that there are a lot of homes in Ward 5 area. She stated that there is a lot of African American history in these homes. She stated that there is a lot of great architecture in these homes. Mayor Parham stated that they lost much of the Halifax Triangle. He asked why this was not put on the historical registry. He stated that they have lost so much. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she thinks that this is because of the reason of some people not wanting their buildings to be historic because they would have to do certain things to those buildings. She stated that some of the churches opted out as well. Mrs. Peters stated that when they do the visioning they have to think about their ward but also think on the bigger City. She stated that some of this can be City driven. Council Member Cuthbert stated that its important to recognize the difference in a local historic district and a state/national district. He stated that each one brings different benefits. He stated that the Halifax Triangle is not in a local historic district. He stated that the local property owners have opposed it for years. Mr. Stettinius stated that he understands all the valuable information that is being discussed. He stated that within all this information they need to make sure that they stay on the subject that is at hand being that *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -5– ______________________________________________________________________________ there is a list of information to be discussed. Vice Mayor Hart stated that he wants to see department heads to come in and give information and ideas on working on moving the City forward. Mr. Bobb stated that many times they do not focus on the health department because they say that the health department is not part of local government. He stated that the health of the citizens is a big issue. He stated that they will have the state department of health to come in and work with the City. Mr. Bobb went over the standards of the state regarding education and also a preparation guide for the City. Council Member Myers stated that they had a health liaison in the City that they had to let go do to the City’s financial status. There was discussion among City Council Members and staff. Council Member Cuthbert spoke on real estate tax reduction and the Southside Depot. He stated that they need to broaden the story on the Jarratt House and recruiting employees as well. Council Member Wilson-Smith question where would people and children be employed at in the City. She stated that this is a focus in the City involving the economic development. Vice Mayor Hart stated that they need to focus on using the colleges in the areas. He stated that there needs to be more shopping and traveling in the City. He stated that they have to go outside the City in order to do shopping. He stated that there are too many lofts in the City. He stated that there are a lot of things that can and need to be fixed. Mr. Bobb stated that this is a condensed idea and that they can come back with a strategy. He stated that there is a disconnect on tourism in the City. He stated that tourism needs to be broadened. Mr. Berry spoke on the history of Lee Park and African American women. Council Member Hill spoke on the status of the school systems, the accreditation and the workforce. He stated that there needs to be more conversations and implementation with the school board. He stated that thee needs to be more conversation with the City and the schools. Mr. Stettinius gave some points regarding working with the school’s system. Council Member Wilson-Smith spoke on the youth and educating the children. She stated that Mr. Jackson and his program with the children is great and that the children are learning from this. She stated that children learn in school and then go home to a different environment. She stated that she advocates for year around schools. Council Member Hill stated that another problem is the negative press. Council Member Wilson-Smith spoke on housing that should have been torn down and the enforcement behind it. She spoke on the housing of Pin Oaks and Pecan Acres. There was discussion among City Council Members and staff regarding the homelessness in the City, slumlords and rental issues in the City. There was also the discussion of the “My Home Initiative” program. Mr. Stettinius stated that there needs to be some prioritization. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Vision meeting held on: May 6, 2017 -6– ______________________________________________________________________________ There was discussion regarding regional training that City Council can begin to engage in. Mr. Tyrrell stated that City Council is working together. He stated that it is important to have a process established to follow. Mr. Bobb spoke on the creation of the subcommittees and collecting finances. He stated that they should have at least six months of cash in the bank for payroll. He stated that they will have an assessment for the water collection. He stated that they may need to increase the water. There was discussion regarding the finances, the budget and the process with changes and request from City Council. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to accept the suggestion to go after the bond. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham Mr. Bobb stated that they wanted to make sure that on budget night that the budget is impacted to show council’s recommendations and that they can go about implementing the budget. Mr. Tyrrell stated that they have scheduled and requested each council member to come in one-on-one this week to talk about any concerns or initiatives that are not in the budget. He stated that this way they can understand what they are thinking about and if they can find a way to fund it or include it in some way. He stated that this way they do not have to submit a change for something that they have already funded in the budget. He stated that the invitation is out there and two or three council members have accepted it. He stated that they look forward to the conversation. He stated that they cannot do it in large groups. He stated that on Friday they would anticipate the form that they agreed be submitted with the sponsorship of three of City Council colleagues for anything that they want changed in the budget. He stated that he is following their process. He stated that they want to get the City Manager’s proposed budget modified as much as possible in the public domain so that they can consider it before moving forward. He stated that all the changes they want to make it available before the 16th so that they can move forward. He stated that there will be a City Manager’s technical adjustment of things that they discovered should have been added to the initial budget. He stated that this will be on the agenda as well. He stated that they will have two months operating under the new budget. He stated that they are planning on the audit or FY17 to be on time. He stated that this a big and critical event. He stated that he thinks that they have done well on the transparency side. He stated that it is a work in progress. He stated that the JCI event is what took Petersburg and put them in the ditch. There was discussion on the forensic team and investigate the JCI contract. 3. ADJOURNMENT: City Council adjourned at 12:17 p.m. _________________________ Clerk of City Council APPROVED: _________________________ Mayor *Audio available