City Council

Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -1– ______________________________________________________________________________ The regular meeting of the Petersburg City Council was held on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, at the Union Train Station. Mayor Parham called the meeting to order at 6:30p.m. 1. ROLL CALL: Present: Council Member Charles H. Cuthbert, Jr Council Member Annette Smith-Lee Council Member Treska Wilson-Smith Council Member W. Howard Myers (left at 11:05pm) Council Member Darrin Hill Vice Mayor John A. Hart, Sr. Mayor Samuel Parham Absent: None Present from City Administration: Interim City Manager Tom Tyrrell City Attorney Joseph E. Preston Clerk of Council Nykesha D. Jackson, CMC 2. CLOSED SESSION: *No closed session items. 3. MOMENT OF SILENCE: a. Clerk of Council, Nykesha D. Jackson, led council and the audience in a moment of silence. 4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: a. Clerk of Council, Nykesha D. Jackson, led council and the audience in the pledge of allegiance. Mayor Parham stated that the would like to start of the “Positive Petersburg Story.” He stated that tonight Council Member Hill will be starting off with it. Council Member Hill stated “Mayor Samuel Parham and Council Member Darrin Hill present this certificate of recognition to the Mount Olivet Baptist Church. We, members of Petersburg City Council and the residents of Petersburg, would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Reverend Dr. Wesley K. McLaughlin, Pastor, Reverend Jameson McLaughlin, Assistant Pastor, and the Mount Olivet Baptist Church Men’s Ministry for your generous acts of kindness. On Saturday, June 3, 2017, each of you extended faithfulness and charitable dedication by helping to restore the grounds at West End Park. Cutting the grass, removing the two fallen telephone poles, repairing the fence, replacing the basketball nets and spraying for weeds were all unselfish acts. These gestures exhibit how a faith-based community can beautify the City and give our citizens a safe place to grow, prosper and enjoy. Again, we thank you Mount Olivet Baptist Church. Presented this 6th day of June, 2017. Signed by Mayor Parham and Council Member Hill.” He stated to give the church and its members a round of applause. A member from Mount Olivet Baptist Church stated that they would like to thank them for the opportunity of being a service to the community. He stated that they believe that if everyone does their part things will get better. He stated that they are grateful for this opportunity. He stated that many of them know *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -2– ______________________________________________________________________________ that there is so much more that they want to do so that they just ask that they allow them to be the best blessing that they can be possible to the community. Council Member Hill stated that they would like to challenge any other faith-based or any other organization that wants to participate in doing things to contact the clerk and she will get in contact with council. He stated that they would also like to thank Wayne Crocker because he was instrumental in helping them get this done. He stated that they appreciate all the hard work that has been done. 5. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 6. COMMUNICATIONS/SPECIAL REPORTS: a. City Manager’s Report Mr. Tyrrell stated that they have discovered that all you have to do is say the word “Water Bill” and you get everyone’s attention. He stated that there is an issue around the water bill that they wanted to try and clarify. He stated that they had a team to come together. He stated that he has Tim Turner from Timmons. He stated that he is an expert engineer that will help him to try and explain everything. He stated that they are going to go through everything so that people understand a little bit more about their water bill and how it is developed. He stated that they have posted a letter of explanation online and mailed out hard copies to all the people that were affected by the recent discovery of an under-billing error. He stated that they corrected this and that it had an impact on their bill. He stated that this is nothing new and that this is a standard process across the country. He stated that it is a capacity issue with the meters and the water use. He stated that the capacity fee is charging the rate for a different size meter. He stated that this is something that they have been doing for a very long time. He stated that this does not change the usage fee. He stated that it is a separate component and the capacity fee is a fixed fee. He stated that the water bill has two components. He stated that they will put this information online and that they will also do a YouTube video explaining the bill and its components. Mr. Turner gave a briefing on where the tanks and pumps in the City and where they are located. He stated that they must pay a higher proportion of the cost to create the infrastructure. There was discussion among City Council Members and staff and a PowerPoint presentation was presented. b. Robert Bobb Group Report Mr. Bobb stated that he will be very brief. He stated that going forward he believes that they should have an in-depth conversation on the water rate and the financial status and how it effects the customers. He stated that they try to have a discussion to break it down to the simplest terms. He stated that some of the issues that they have now are some of the issues that they had back then. He stated that they need to have some deep discussion because this is something that the community is very concerned about. Mr. Bobb presented some PowerPoint slides. He stated that they continue to upgrade on consistent basis. He stated that it’s not just that they want the citizens to pay their bills but that they want to make the process easier. Dileep Rajan, Strategy and Analytics of the Robert Bobb Group, stated that they were asked about some technology that would help. He stated that there is technology that consist of “The Boot” on vehicles of *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -3– ______________________________________________________________________________ citizens who do not pay their taxes. He stated that there is a “High Tech” and “Low Tech” version. He stated that the equipment will be on police vehicles in the City. He stated that they can also be placed on public works vehicles. He stated that there does need to be some communication with the treasurer department. He stated the “High Tech” version consist of “The Boot” and they pay their taxes and an additional fee to remove the boot off as well. He stated that this version is used in Fredericksburg today. He stated that this is no cost to the City but a cost to the delinquent tax payer. Jay Canson, representative from PayLock, stated that their mission is to help municipal governments collect outstanding revenues that are owed to them. He stated that if the people choose not to pay their taxes then a boot is put on the vehicles. He stated that the once the person has been identified they will produce a notice and place on the windshield once the boot has been placed on the vehicle. He stated that it will have their 1-800 number on. He stated that they can call number and they are walked through a script and that will tell them what to do to return the boot after they have paid their bill. He stated that the boot itself will cost $500 additional to the person if the boot is not returned. He stated that the payments are made using credit card and they can patch in the bank, relative or a person that can help them paid bill if they cannot pay bill themselves. He stated that their system is tracked until the entire process is finished. He stated that the amount can be from $30,000 to $40,000 worth of equipment. He stated that they amount can be lowered depending on what is needed. There was discussion among City Council and Mr. Canson. 7. CONSENT AGENDA (to include minutes of previous meeting/s): a. Minutes: Regular Council Meeting Minutes of May 16, 2017 Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to accept the Consent Agenda with the minutes of May 16, 2017. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham 8. OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS: a. A public hearing on the proposed 14.3% water and waste water rate increase. BACKGROUND: Our technical evaluation team has completed a detailed rate study that considered almost a dozen different scenarios and provided several different five-year rate programs based upon differing assumptions with respect to four areas: (1) improving collection rate percentages from 70% to 80%, (2) rate smoothing over the five-year plan, (3) capital improvement plan for our utility, (4) our required contribution to the ARWA and SCWWA capital improvement plan. It’s important to remember the context of this request to increase rates. The City has identified a minimum of $51 million dollars of Capital Improvement Projects, for its utility system, over the next five years. Approximately $13 million in CIP projects are necessary in year one of the five-year plan, but only $6.05 million is available in the FY2018 capital budget (or year one of the capital improvement plan). This is because the City only has access to $6.05 million in funding from previously issued bonds and loans for FY2018. The reason the full $13 million requirement is short by $7 million in funding is because the City does not have access to credit markets to issue another bond. In FY2018, the City must pay cash for any maintenance/repairs that exceed the funds available. Under all the rate plan scenarios, the City must have the maximum affordable year one rate increase possible to responsibly fund its neglected and failing water/wastewater utility system. The 14.3% year one rate increase called for in the rate study represents the maximum affordable number. Even with the 13.4% rate *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -4– ______________________________________________________________________________ increase implemented recently, the additional 14.3% can be implemented and not exceed the Petersburg affordability index. This is largely due to rates being held artificially low for two decades and the lack of investment in the utility system. This lack of capital investment has brought us to the point where the City could experience a major failure at any time. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the implementation of the 14.3% increase in water – wastewater utility rates for FY2018 as the first year of a new five-year plan. Rate increases for the succeeding four years will be developed after the Council has determined which option to pursue for future operations of the utility. Mr. Tyrrell and Mr. Berry presented a PowerPoint presentation. Mr. Tyrrell stated that this is a continuation of the City’s five-year plan. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Gloria Brown, 1557 S. Sycamore Street, stated that she is totally confused. She stated that the last time she checked the City spent up to $5 million dollars to get meters replaced by Johnson Controls. She stated that she is looking at the information and that she understands that there may be a need for a rate increase because they have been charged a lower amount. She stated that with the meters being replaced she is confused as to why the meters look like the picture posted. She stated that everything was supposed to be new and calibrated. She stated that she is confused that they don’t have money to get vehicles fixed but there are new positions that are being added to come up to $1million. She stated that they say that they don’t have money for one thing but you have money for another. Vernel Gannaway, 652 Old Wagner Road, stated that he lives in a community where 17 years ago they changed his meter for some unknown reason. He stated that he does not understand why he being penalized for this. He stated that some of the neglect happened years ago. He stated that it looks like someone took the money and ran away with it. He stated that this is from something that happened 30 years ago. He stated that someone dropped the ball and now the people of Petersburg must pay for this. Linwood Christian, 410 Mistletoe Street, stated that City Council needs to go back to the surgery room because they need to work on this a little bit more. He stated that he is opposed to this and is asking council to not approve this. He stated that he does not know if they have looked at the demographics. He stated that there are a lot of elderly and fixed income people in the City of Petersburg. He stated that the elderly has to decide whether to pay a bill or pay for their pills. He stated that he has been in the City for 51 years and that he has heard the presentation before and that every time he hears it, it is a bunch of mess. Keyatta Washington, 345 Terrace Avenue, stated that she opposes to the rate increase. She stated that she has heard about the pipe size. She stated that her bill has doubled and that it is not acceptable. She stated that she has asked people from other localities about their bill. She stated that their bills are not compared to hers. She stated that she is paying about $80 a month for her water bill and that it is like paying an electric bill. She stated that it sounds like gibberish when the City talks about the clean-ups and the repairs. She stated that she feels like the City is in a deficit. She stated that it seems like the City is robbing the citizens. She stated that it seems like they are having the residents pay more. She stated she would like to see at the next meeting a change as far as the next steps to change the rate. Earnestine Jordan, 2016 Lakeshore Court, stated that she is concerned about her water bill that has gone up double. She stated that her meter has never changed. She stated that she is not sure what the problem is. She stated that someone should do something about this. She stated that she paid the bill this month but she did not want to. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -5– ______________________________________________________________________________ Kenny Edwards, 705 S. Jones Street, stated that he has been in Petersburg since October 1st. He stated that he has done a lot of walking since then. He stated that Petersburg is a disaster area. He stated that he has walked in the City and that the borders are off. He stated that the City is giving their money away to other areas. He stated that they need to address this and stop giving things away. He stated that there are a lot of elderly people in the City. He stated that the pipes under the ground is ruptured and that there is a lot of run- off from this as well. Frances Brown, 1510 Regency Court, stated that last year the water problems started and she was getting bills of $130. She stated that she went to the water department and paid the bills because she didn’t want to get behind on her water. She stated that she talked to the supervisor in the water department and she sent someone out to look at her water. She stated that she was told she had a leak. She stated that there was water in it. She stated that the guy came by and showed her the leak and stated that the red triangle was not moving. She stated that back in September the City owed her $468. She stated that she did not pay a bill from October to January. She stated that she just got a bill in February of this year. She asked will the bill be correct this time with the increase. She stated that they need to get the water situation fixed. She stated that she is on social security. She stated that she hopes that the make the right decision based on the citizens of Petersburg. Michael Edwards, 409 Grove Avenue, stated that he looked at the slides and understand the need of an increase. He stated that he reflects to the slides that there are facts of scare tactics. He stated that they do not need to sell the water and that the water needs to stay in the City. He stated that the City needs to control its water and sewer infrastructure. He stated that a slide was put up that the median income was $32,000. He stated that this is not for Petersburg. He stated that he has been in the neighborhood since March and that he has received calls and messages every day. He stated that the people are who make the City and not the people in power. He stated that the Robert Bobb Group is tearing the City a part. He stated that Robert Bobb must go. He stated that he wants to know who comes up with the increases and where the figures came from. He stated that they have only seen two figures of increases. He stated that it would be helpful to see them all instead of just springing them on council. Barb Rudolph, 1675 Mt. Vernon Street, stated that her commends will be brief. She stated that she agrees with what Michael Edwards has stated. She stated that the presentation has struck her the same way several times. She stated that this is intended to scare people. She stated that the cumulative impact is extreme. She stated that she asks City Council to look at this from all the stand points. She stated that all the information is not there. She stated that they have an Adhoc Committee that they have appointed that is looking at different alternatives for the water and waste water. She stated that she believes that the work of this group may lead to different alternative way to operate. She stated that everyone would acknowledge that the City’s infrastructure has been neglected. She stated that they need to look in the City of Alexandria. She stated that they need to look at the picture. She stated that they need to consider revisiting this if the increase is passed. Ron Flock, 1708 Pender Avenue, stated that a month ago he presented to City Council and Mr. Berry his budget that would help address this situation. He stated that his budget went line by line. He stated that this all needs to be done and that this is going to cost the City. He stated that they don’t like it. He stated that his budget calls for a $50 dollar a month increase for five years. He stated that with his plan after five years this goes away. He stated that they must do something. He stated that the more money that they can save the more they can decrease the $50 payments. He stated to City Council to look at the information again and give him a call. Richard Stuart, 129 Rolfe Street, stated that he is caught in between City Council and the citizens. He stated that he understands how the citizens feel and that he understands what the City is going through. He stated that there is a person that they have not mentioned and that it is the landlord. He stated that he pays *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -6– ______________________________________________________________________________ four water bills and that he has rental property. He asked can they imagine paying four water bills. He stated that he has to do it. He stated that Petersburg is still experiencing post dramatic stress from Brown & Williams. He stated that they are not coming back. He stated that ever since Brown and Williams has left the City has been going down. He stated that this water issue must be done. He asked do they want to contract out. He stated that he understands that $13 is a lot of money. He stated that they should look at the trash pile and that they have not seen anything yet. He stated that they should wait until the new contractor increases fees. He stated that they must do something. He stated that in Pocahontas they see water jumping out the ground. He stated that they cannot continue like this. He stated that Brown & Williams is not coming back. Leonard Curry, 2014 Woodland Road, stated that he supports the water increase and that they know what they must do. He stated that he would like to make one appeal. He stated that the City is poorly administrated. He stated that they must start holding employees accountable for infrastructure problems. He stated that he sees a utility truck sitting in Battlefield Park. He asked what is the truck doing just sitting there. He stated that the need told the employees accountable. Seeing no further hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comment period. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion that the City adopt the proposed 14.3% increase in water and wastewater rates, provided that this increase will end on January 31, 2018 unless, before then, by a majority vote of Council Members present, Council adopts a motion finding that the City is regularly collecting at least 92% of utility charges billed. Furthermore, Council instructs the City Manager to report to Council, at Council’s first regular meeting of each month between now and January 31, 2018, what the City Manager has done to collect 92% of utility charges billed and the progress the City Manager has achieved in reaching this goal. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. There was discussion on the motion among City Council and Mr. Berry. Council Member Wilson-Smith made a substitute motion that within the ordinance that was provided to City Council in the first paragraph to change the fee from $25 to $50 and “item C” to read that “all single-family residential accounts are charged a 5/8-meter rate. The substitute motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. There was discussion on the substitute motion. The substitute motion was not approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Wilson-Smith and Hart; Voting No: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Myers, Hill and Parham The original motion made by Council Member Cuthbert vote (Council Member Cuthbert made a motion that the City adopt the proposed 14.3% increase in water and wastewater rates, provided that this increase will end on January 31, 2018 unless, before then, by a majority vote of Council Members present, Council adopts a motion finding that the City is regularly collecting at least 92% of utility charges billed. Furthermore, Council instructs the City Manager to report to Council, at Council’s first regular meeting of each month between now and January 31, 2018, what the City Manager has done to collect 92% of utility charges billed and the progress the City Manager has achieved in reaching this goal. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill): The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Hill and Parham; Voting No: Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith and Hart 17-ORD-25 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 114-136 AND SECTION 114-236 OF THE 2000 CODE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, AS AMENDED, TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC UTILITY RATES FOR WATER AND SEWER COMMODITY AND CAPACITY CHARGES. b. A public hearing on the consideration of an ordinance to create the position of the City Tax Collector for the City of Petersburg. BACKGROUND: On May 6, 2017, the City Council passed a resolution to immediately direct the City Manager to implement a process to recruit suitable and qualified individuals to be considered for *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -7– ______________________________________________________________________________ appointment by Council to the position of Collector of City Taxes. It is Council’s intent to appoint a Collector of City Taxes as soon as feasible. It is proposed that the Collector of City taxes collect all taxes and assessments which may be levied by the City of Petersburg. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve an ordinance to create the position of the Collector of City Taxes. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Linwood Christian, 410 Mistletoe Street, stated that this is something that the City has gone through before. He stated that when Channel 8 did the report the City still has yet to give the schools the $1.9 million that is owed. He stated how do they hire a tax collector. He stated that they are not doing right by the children but they want to create another position. He stated that he knows that it is not going to be one person and that this person is going to have a staff. He stated that this is collect. He stated that it is time for them as voters to hold City Council accountable. Gloria Brown, 1557 South Sycamore Street, stated that the tax collector position confuses her. She stated that she has sat in many meetings over the year where it has been said that Petersburg is broke and have no money. She stated that it confuses her that they have no money for certain things but that there was a mom and pop business that was supplying t-shirts to the City that the City still owes money too. She stated that yet the City is introducing these new positions that are paying $100,000 plus. She stated that this is not including their benefits package. She stated that she trying to understand is the City broke or not. She stated that this tax collector position is 100% on the City. She stated that the present collector as a constitutional officer gets subsidized from the salary that is lower than the proposed tax collector position salary. She stated that they get subsidized by the state. She asked can someone explain to her if they have money or not because she has heard that they can barely make payroll sometimes. She stated that she is not in favor of another position. Kevin Brown, 1557 South Sycamore Street, stated that he is highly upset and ready to blast off. He stated that this is some stuff. He stated that if they were in his seat then they know that this is some stuff. He stated that this is crap. He stated that they do not get crapped on when they are $1.7 million ahead from last year to this year in real estate. He stated that they do not get crapped on when they are $5 million ahead from one year to the other in personal property. He stated that they all want to crap on him. He asked do they want to come to his house. He asked who gave them the parameters to start this inquire. He asked where were the facts. He stated that he just stated facts. He stated that he has not received a text or a phone call. He stated that they come by his office for other issues. He asked are they going to make a better difference then what he is making. He stated that he cannot get money for postage, increasing salaries or anything else but suddenly they have money. He stated that he cannot believe that they are bringing this up. Council Member Wilson-Smith made a motion to suspend the Rules of Council to allow two speakers from the Treasurer’s Association speak. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham; Voting No: Cuthbert Laura Rudy, Stafford County Treasurer and President of the Treasurer’s Association and Dinah Babb, Treasure of Franklin, Virginia, spoke on their experiences with having a tax collector outside of their position. They both spoke on how this did not work in their locality and that they had to go back to only have a City Treasurer. Ken Pritchett, 1113 Overbrook Road, stated that even though he is a candidate for the City Treasurer position he is not present to speak on that topic. He stated that he learned something new tonight about the *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -8– ______________________________________________________________________________ boot. He stated that he prior ladies said some encouraging things. He stated that he does not know anything about them other than what he has heard. He stated that he thinks that they can do better in collecting than what Kevin has done for the delinquent taxes. He stated that they have allowed delinquent taxes to grow to the point it is now that has had a major impact on the budget process. He stated that they have gone from $5 to $6 million dollars combined of personal property and real estate taxes somewhere around $7, $8 or $9 million. He stated that there is a duty to pay taxes. He stated that he thinks that they need to go through the process of educating the citizens. He stated that they are where they are right now because a lot of them has not done their civic duty and fair share. John Ballard, 1800 Boydton Plank Road, stated that last night there was a meeting and the Bobb Group did a segment where they talked about better communication. He stated that if half of the information is true from what Kevin Brown stated then how come there was not communication between what he has done and the Bobb Group. He stated that they talk about communication and then they get this. He stated to Council Member Cuthbert that he mentioned holding administration accountable. He stated that if what Kevin Brown stated is accurate and then they want to do this who is being held accountable for it. He stated that the lady stated that he went and wanted to learn about the best practice as possible. He asked were they aware that Mr. Brown did this. He stated that he was not. He stated that should be commended for it. He asked City Council have they thought about a workshop on how to become better Council Members and administrators. He stated that he sees incompetence. He stated that some of them need to step down. He stated that City Council needs to take responsibility. Seeing no further hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comment period. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to adopt the attached ordinance with the addendum of “This ordinance shall be effective upon the appointment of the Collector of City Taxes and his or her acceptance of the audit to be performed by an independent certified public accountant of all relevant books relating to billing, payments and collections maintained by the Treasurer. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. There was discussion among City Council Members and staff. Council Member Smith-Lee made a substitute motion to allow the new administration to come in and to get a feel of what is going on and see what plan they can come up with and then if this does not work then they can come back and look at the new tax collector position. The motion was seconded by Council Member Wilson-Smith. The substitute motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Smith-Lee, Wilson- Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Voting No: Cuthbert and Myers Council Member Hill stated that daily they get concerns of citizens asking where is the money and complaining about the long lines for the last two years. He stated that this is no reflection on the treasurer. He stated that the treasurer is getting ready to leave out and that he has done a great job over the years. He stated that if they keep on doing the same thing they are going to keep on getting the same thing. He stated that it has been times when they all have been waiting in the heat and cold to pay taxes. He stated that they see that will pitch in. He stated that the numbers do not lie. He stated that this is not a jab at the treasurer’s office. He stated that this has been on the books for years and that they have failed to implement it. He stated that he is praying that the new administration can come up with ways to collect monies. c. A public hearing on issuance of $3.0 million in General Obligation Bonds and the approval of a resolution to issue up to $30 million in General Obligation and Refunding Bonds. BACKGROUND: The City is facing a critical need for the replacement of emergency vehicles that support our Public Safety efforts. This includes 3 fire apparatus and 16 new police vehicles. In a continued effort to provide funding for these vehicles, the City, in working with its financial partners, has exhausted all other viable options and plans to fund the public safety vehicles through the issuance of $3.0 million in General *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 -9– ______________________________________________________________________________ Obligation Bonds. Prior efforts to fund through a lease resulted in challenges as the repayment of leases are subject to appropriation, which did not provide enough security to prospective lenders. In working with our financial partners, we have primary approval to issue $3.0 million in General Obligation Bonds that have the full, faith and credit backing of the City of Petersburg along with the state aid intercept. These new money bonds will be issued at the same time as a planned refunding of up to $27 million in existing bonds that are expected to generate both budgetary and cash flow savings in FY18 and beyond. The exact amount to be issued and savings generated will be provided prior to the issuance of the bonds, which is expected in mid-to late July. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the resolution to issue up to $30.0 million in General Obligation and Refunding Bonds. Tom Tyrrell, Interim City Manager, gave a brief presentation with PowerPoint slides. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Lynda Yezzi, 1860 Berkeley Avenue, stated that she is not in favor of anything but for this case she thinks that they should make an acceptation. She stated that when her home caught on fire in 2010 the Petersburg Fire Department saved her property. She stated that the fire trucks were from 1988 and that they are still driving these vehicles today. She stated that they need a yes vote to have reliable and safe vehicles for the first responders. She stated that there are national standards for the fire vehicles. She stated that the vehicles today are triple the time for standards. She stated to City Council to consider the request and pass this budget. John Stamper, 2974 Park Drive West, stated that he stands before City Council as a police officer that has worked for the City for seven years. He stated that he made the choice to work for the City and that he loves the City. He stated that this family has over 70 years in the City. He stated that the police officers are tasked with patrolling the City. He stated that some of the vehicles today have over 200,000 miles on the odometer. He stated that their fleet is in such disrepair that they are forced to hot seat some of the cars and hope to make it to the next shift and not spend personal money on cars. He stated that there have been times that he has had to go in his pockets to pay for repairs for his police vehicle to make the vehicle work so that he can make it through a shift. He stated that at the end of the week he will be graduating from the Virginia State Police K-9 Program. He stated that currently he does not have a suitable vehicle for himself or his dog. He stated that it concerns him as an employee and as a taxpayer. Olivia Everett, 1851 Berkeley Avenue, stated that public safety is the foundation of every community in America. She stated that she is present today to thank the Mayor and City Council for putting forth the budget for employee pay raises. She stated that the raise is essential to the fire department competitive and fair. She stated that this will insure that they are attained and employed still by the City of Petersburg and not lured away to other jurisdictions. She stated that losing employees to other fire departments is costly and time consuming and it destroys the morale of remaining employees. She stated that she is urging City Council to approve the budget. Eldon Dodd, 432 Holly Hill Drive, stated he currently works as the SRO for Petersburg High School. He stated that has a police officer and a resident of the City he understands that the police cars are one of the main symbols that the public associates them with. He stated that he knows firsthand that police have wear and tear on police vehicles. He stated that regular repair is required to maintain safety and efficiency. He stated that he would like to thank them for their time and that he knows that they will do their best to help *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 10 – ______________________________________________________________________________ make Petersburg a safe place not just for the residents but for the visiting guest as well. He stated that they take pride in those that they serve. Kevin Michalek, 2619 North Stedman Drive, stated that he is also a proud member of the Department of Fire, Emergency and Rescue Services in the City. He stated that he would like to thank them for their efforts in supporting public safety. He stated that this is the foundation of the community. He stated that he started his career in 1986 just out of high school. He stated that technology has upgraded and spread throughout the world. He stated that they are still relying on old technology and 1988 fire apparatus. He stated that they hope each day that they fire equipment makes it to the next day and not fail. He stated that the Department of Motor Vehicles classify their fire vehicles as antique. He stated that these are the same apparatus that were purchased a few years after he begin working for the City. He stated that with 30 years of service he looks for retirement in upcoming years. He stated that the compound of pay has drastically decreased the morale in their department. He stated their department as well as the police department have been training grounds for the surrounding areas. He stated that many come for training experiences and often leave for other jurisdictions. He stated that they have had to rely on other jurisdictions when their apparatus was done. Jeffrey Fleming, 1819 Chuckatuck Avenue, stated that he is also a member of Department of Fire, Emergency and Rescue Services in the City. He stated that they have heard about the old fire vehicles. He stated that he is driving one of them today and that it is sitting outside. He stated that he is sure that they see the vehicles smoking when they are driving. He stated that it is not that they want new vehicles. He stated that they need new vehicles. He stated that he asks that they please pass the bond referendum so that they can get the apparatus that they need to continue to protect the community. Seeing no further hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public hearing. Council Member Hill made a motion to approve the resolution to issue up to $30 million in General Obligation and Refunding Bonds. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham 17-R-24 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION AND REFUNDING BONDS OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, PROVIDING FOR THE FORM, DETAILS AND PAYMENT THEREOF AND PROVIDING FOR THE REFUNDING OF CERTAIN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OF THE CITY. d. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance granting the Interim City Manager the authority to amend the PCS Site Agreement with SprintCom located at 309 Fairgrounds Road. BACKGROUND: The term of the original agreement expires on August 16, 2026 and to upgrade the existing equipment and extension of the agreement is needed. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the proposed ordinance granting the City Manager Authority to amend the current agreement with SprintCom. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Seeing no hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public hearing. Council Member Hill made a motion to approve the proposed ordinance granting the City Manager Authority to amend the current agreement with SprintCom. The motion was seconded by Council Member Wilson-Smith. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson- Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 11 – ______________________________________________________________________________ 17-ORD-26 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND STC TWO, LLC, THE SUCCESSOR-IN- INTERES TO SPRINT COM, INC., TO EXTEND THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT FOR USE OF THE CITY’S RIGHT-OF-WAY UNTIL AUGUST 16, 2041. 9. PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD: A public information period, limited in time to 30 minutes, shall be part of an Order of Business at each regular council meeting. Each speaker shall be a resident or business owner of the City and shall be limited to three minutes. No speaker will be permitted to speak on any item scheduled for consideration on the regular docket of the meeting at which the speaker is to speak. The order of speakers, limited by the 30-minute period, shall be determined as follows: a) First, in chronological order of the notice, persons who have notified the Clerk no later than 12:00noon of the day of the meeting, b) Second, in chronological order of their sign up, persons who have signed a sigh-up sheet placed by the Clerk in the rear of the meeting room prior to the meeting. Ms. Jackson stated that there are 22 speakers that have signed up to speak. She stated that by majority of vote Council may increase the 30-minute period or decrease the three minutes allotted to each person to speak. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to switch the time to two minutes to accommodate all speakers. The motion was seconded by Council Member Cuthbert. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham; Voting No: Wilson-Smith Bruce Richardson, 3611 Main Street, stated that he is present this evening for just a simple request. He stated that they would love the opportunity to sponsor a youth age 12 to 17 for the last week of June to shadow the activities that he performs as a realtor. He stated that their program is very similar to other shadowing programs throughout the nation which are typically one day programs. He stated that they are going to offer this for a week-long opportunity. He stated that the goal is to encourage the young people to look at professional opportunities that may be outside of their current peripherals. He stated that as a youth that grew up on The Heights on Virginia Avenue. He stated that his goal is to encourage other local business to offer this opportunity. He stated that they will provide their waiver paperwork and pick-up the youth at their current residence beginning at 10:00am and return them back to their home by 4:00pm. He stated that they will also provide attire if necessary to the youth. Ken Pritchett, 1113 Overbrook Road, stated that he would like to speak on the closed sessions. He stated that it has been disruptive and disrespectful to the citizens because they have to sit through an hour long closed session after the meeting has started. He stated that he would like it to go back to the way that it used to be and start the meeting at 5:30pm or 6:00pm and have a one hour closed session and start the regular session. Ron Flock, 1708 Pender Avenue, stated that he was at the meeting last night and a statement was made and reiterated that the $6 million-dollar liquidity event was not necessary for the balanced budget. He stated that today he went back on the website and on the last two meetings and pulled up the presentations and both stated that it is needed for that. He stated that he has had some communications with some other people and that it is possibly that this was not the case. He stated that he wanted to get some clarification. He stated that per the FY07 budget which he is sure that for most of them is not many years ago that the size of the pipe of a house was defined and listed and all and non-residential was 5/8 pipes. He stated that this was the definition. He stated that now it is up for two interpretations because the page has changed. He stated that they need to take a vote to reconsider this at another meeting. Lafayette Jefferson, 1746 Brandon Avenue, stated that Petersburg is a City that has been typically *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 12 – ______________________________________________________________________________ disrespected and underrepresented. He stated that this must stop and that this is going to stop. He stated that he wants this to stop, City Council wants this to stop and that the citizens want this to stop. He stated to Mr. Bobb if he and his staff can humble themselves to look at the people in Petersburg. He stated that the bottom line is that Mr. Bobb needs to understand that Petersburg and its citizens are not his whore that he can assault and abuse and talk down to whenever he wants to. He stated that Council Member Treska runs the Poverty Commission. He stated that it is something awesome and that he wishes that it was not needed. He stated that they have the highest poverty rate in the state. He stated that they are continuing to push more people into poverty in Petersburg. He asked how will boots on cars help anyone. He stated that this week they also heard about the privatization of the Risk Management Department. He stated that he wants to know why. He stated that within Robert Bobb’s contract City Council can get rid of him tonight. He stated that this is something that they need to start looking at. Linwood Christian, 410 Mistletoe Street, stated that he is going to say that he is one of the citizens who was not happy. He stated that they as citizens have just as much to blame to what the City is in. He stated that Mr. Bobb just uncovered stuff that they allowed to happen. He stated that they have not held the black leaders accountable in the all black City. He stated that they keep doing things the same way. He stated to Mayor Parham that he is the Mayor and Vice Mayor Hart is the Vice Mayor. He stated that just as he told the citizen to bring his comments to a closure he should not have allowed Council Member Hill to attack the citizen at the last speech. He stated that as elected officials if they cannot take the heat they need to get out the kitchen. Gil Entzminger, 221 South Jefferson Street, stated that he is present tonight representing the Historic Poplar Lawn Association. He stated that this is their neighborhood association which represents the Poplar Lawn Historic District. He stated that they are a group that came together to make the City and neighborhood better. He stated that their neighborhood association has been formed for over 40 years. He stated that the purpose is to promote community spirit and revitalize the neighborhood. He stated that this group was active in the past and now is somewhat dormant. He stated that Mrs. Peters is helping their group to address their concerns. He stated that they have a social gathering and a community clean-up group. He stated that they have a City government collaboration group as well. He stated that Jim Hamlin is the leader of this group. He stated that the meeting is every 4th Thursday of each month and that they can come and attend their meetings. Jim Hamlin, 229 South Jefferson Street, stated that he wanted them to be able to place a name with a face and that he hopes to hear from them. Marlow Jones, 3554 George Street, asked have they known that they have been involved in a situation where leaders have lied to them. He stated that department heads have misfed information to the City Manager and then the City Manager takes this information and feed it to City Council and then take the lies and dress it up. He stated that many lies have been told to eliminate the jobs that they are talking about eliminating including his own. He stated that they should not get rid of the jobs but to get rid of the liars. He stated that it appears that the financial mishap is more important than the City employees, families and community suffering. He stated that nothing explains why you hire a fire chief before you hire a police chief but you take $100,000 and they cannot get a tire on a fire truck. He stated that the man that is interim for the police chief is the man for the job. He stated that he would like to say to his employer and anyone that maybe concerned to look on Facebook to see what he has to say he is here today present in their face. He stated that he is calling them out to stop with the unacceptable leadership. He stated that he has given his life to the City, his time and finances and his family. He questioned that this is not a positive Petersburg moment. He stated that they need to save the people’s job. Gloria Brown, 1557 South Sycamore Street, stated that she wants to address two concerns and questions that she would like to have answers to by the next council meeting. She stated that there are a lot of concerns with privatization and outsourcing. She stated that they hear the talk but that she would like to suggest a presentation on the numbers to see how much it cost to outsource and number for outsourcing the *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 13 – ______________________________________________________________________________ position. She stated that she would like to see a comparison to see if it is a cost savings to the City. She stated that they have had a real estate fair. She stated that she would like to see a list of properties that have gone up for sale and contract. She stated that she has had some concerns from people for bully tactics. She stated that they need to be warm and friendly. She stated that she would like to see the numbers regarding this information. 10. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR OR OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL: a. Consideration of a change order for the BB&T contract for risk management services. BACKGROUND: On March 12, 2014, the City and BB&T entered into Contract 14-0027 for Insurance Broker/Risk Management Consultant Services. Upon the renewal of this Contract, the City has requested additional services of BB&T. In exchange for the additional services, BB&T has requested the annual fee to increase to $50,000 from the current amount of $35,900 beginning July 1, 2017. City Code, Section 2-413, states “a public contract may include provisions for modification of the contract during performance, but no fixed-price contract may be increased by more than 25 percent of the contract during performance or $50,000; whichever is greater, without the advance written approval of City Council. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend Council approve the Contract amount increase as provided above and direct the Interim City Manager to direct and allow City’s Operations, Budget and purchasing Manager to finalize and execute the Contract extension and Change Order documents on behalf of the City resulting in the elimination of the Risk Management Office with a net savings of $77,000 annually. There was discussion among City Council and staff. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to approve the Contract amount increase as provided above and direct the Interim City Manager to direct and allow City’s Operations, Budget and purchasing Manager to finalize and execute the Contract extension and Change Order documents on behalf of the City resulting in the elimination of the Risk Management Office with a net savings of $77,000 annually. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith- Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill and Parham; Voting No: Myers and Hart b. Consideration to adopt and appropriate the Petersburg Public School Division budget for Fiscal Year 2018. BACKGROUND: The Petersburg Public Schools Budget is recommended at $51,374,901 for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018. The appropriation ordinance breaks down the expenditure and revenue distribution that supports this request by category. The City’s total contribution is $8,474,762. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend Council approve and adopt the attached appropriation ordinance. There was discussion among City Council Members, Dr. Marcus Newsome (Superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools) and In-Tek staff and City. Council Member Myers made a motion to adopt a resolution by rite, its fiduciary rite to assert to the school board to direct the Superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools to amend its Medicaid Claim for direct medical services negotiated in the amount of $275,000, and further intertwine the City’s claim in the amount of $3.6 million dollars rather than the offset of $99,000. He stated that he asks that the indirect claim be submitted as well in the amount of $3.8 million dollars equaling a total of $7.4 million dollars. He stated that with respect *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 14 – ______________________________________________________________________________ to the request, City Council ask that the Robert Bobb Group, specifically Mr. Bobb, orchestrate a meeting with InTek, the City’s Consultants, Superintendent of Petersburg Public Schools, Dr. Marcus Newsome, it’s Chairman Kenneth Pritchett and Vice Chairman Fred Peirce with the Governor’s Office, Secretary of Finance Ric Brown, his officers and assigns, as well as the State Medicaid Office Administrators to discuss the severity of this claim submitted and the impetus in which the City’s Claim was not factored, as it is a reimbursable entitlement to the citizens of Petersburg and ask that the school’s claim be amended so that the City’s claim can be considered. The motion was seconded by Mayor Parham. There was discussion on the motion among City Council and staff. Council Member Myers made a motion to amend his previous motion to ask that Mr. Bobb set up a meeting with the Medicaid Office and InTek and the Chairman and School Board Superintendent so that they may solve this problem. He stated that they are currently leaving $7.4 million dollars on the table that is rightfully entitled to the City of Petersburg. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham; Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to accept the recommendation to adopt the attached appropriation ordinance in the amount of $51,374,901. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham; 17-ORD-27 AN ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING ON JULY 1, 2017, AND ENDING ON JUNE 30, 2018, IN THE SCHOOL OPERATING, FOOD SERVICE AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $51,374,901. c. Consideration to adopt and appropriate the Fiscal Year 2018 All Funds Budget and Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. BACKGROUND: The Interim City Manager proposed an All Funds Budget to the City Council on March 27, 2017, totaling $101,862,909. After seven work sessions, the All Funds Budget before City Council totals $103,107,398, the increase is primarily due to Community Development Block Grant funds toe appropriated and changes made to the General Fund. The General fund Proposed Budget was $77,732,499 and with modifications made from the administration and from City Council brings the General Fund to $78,225,499. Details of the changes to the General Fund are attached. The General Fund budget does not include any fee or tax rate increases; however, a 14.3% utility rate increase for water and wastewater services is proposed. The Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan total $64,388,300 and the FY2018 Capital Budget totals $6,658,000. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council adopt and appropriate the All Funds Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 and approve the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Mr. Tyrrell gave a summary of the steps it took place to get to this point in the budget. He stated that today is the Super Bowl of council meetings. Ms. Birch stated that they are approving the all funds budget and the Capital Improvement Plan. She gave a briefing with a PowerPoint presentation of everything that was looked at in the budget. There was discussion among City Council. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 15 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she would like her comments to go on the record. She stated that there is one City manager and one Deputy City Manager. She asked that there are not two Deputy City Manager’s right. Ms. Birch responded that there is a Chief Financial Officer. She stated that she does not approve of it. There was discussion among City Council and staff. Mayor Parham made a motion to adopt and appropriate the All Funds Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 and approve the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Kevin Brown, 1557 South Sycamore Street, stated that the City Treasurer’s Office has currently six people. He stated that the proposed budget is removing two people out of his office. He stated that they have had two council members in their office in the last two weeks. He stated that they can tell that his office is not sufficient with workers. He stated that he would like to know the status of the two positions. He stated that every year they cut their staff and budget. He asked where they are now with the status of employees. He asked are they still taking the two people or will they remain in their positions. Paul Mullins, 617 Roberson Street, stated that he would like to piggyback of what Mr. Brown stated. He stated that with the $110,000 that was for the collector position can they put some of these funds in the treasurer department so that they can do their jobs. Gloria Brown, 1557 S. Sycamore Street, stated that Mr. Mullin did say what he has been asking about. She stated that Council Member Cuthbert was so concerned about getting a tax collector. She stated that with two hands they can collect $13 million. She stated that they can collect more with six hands. She stated that the $110,000 that has now been taken out of the budget can be put to collecting. She stated that there is an open opportunity to get more collectors that would solve the problem. She stated that the average salary for a Deputy Collector is $25,000. She stated that the $110,000 is enough for three additional collectors. Karen Graham, 402 High Street, asked that with council only approved the water and wastewater rate increase only through January 2018, how is this impacting the budget. Mr. Tyrrell stated that if it comes to it they can make an amendment. He stated that right now it is in the budget. Ms. Birch stated that they added $150,000 to the treasurer’s budget this year. She stated that the $150,000 was to support the Lockbox services. Seeing no further hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comments. There was discussion among City Council Members The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Myers, Hill and Parham; Voting No: Wilson-Smith and Hart 17-ORD-28 AN ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS IN THE ALL FUNDS BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING ON JULY 1, 2017, AND ENDING ON JUNE 30, 2018. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 16 – ______________________________________________________________________________ 17-ORD-29 AN ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING ON JULY 1, 2017, AND ENDING ON JUNE 30, 2018. d. Consideration to approve Extending Programmatic Project Administration Agreement with Virginia Department of Transportation. BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg is a recipient of Virginia Department of Transportation funds under various grant programs for transportation-related projects; and the Virginia Department of Transportation requires each locality, by resolution, to provide assurance of its commitment to funding its local share. This program reimburses the City 50%of the cost for approved projects. This is the agreement required by VDOT, but this agreement does not authorize any projects to move forward unless they have been approved through the Capital Improvement process or the budget process and funds have been identified to cover the local match. There are currently no revenue sharing projects in the City. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council extend the agreement for the three-year term. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to extend the agreement for the three-year term. The motion was seconded by Council Member Wilson-Smith. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham 17-R-25 A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING COMMITMENT TO FUND THE LOCALITY SHARE OF PROJECTS UNDER AGREEMENT WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PROVIDE SIGNATURE AUTHORITY. e. Consideration of a fourth amendment to the Service Agreement between Appomattox River Water Authority and Participating Jurisdictions. BACKGROUND: The previous agreement did not allow the participating jurisdictions to purchase or sell any portion of their allocation of total water capacity. Petersburg has a significant amount of excess capacity. The ability to sell a portion of the City’s excess capacity could yield a onetime cash event valued at several million dollars. Approval of this amendment provides the opportunity to negotiate that sale in the event the City decides to pursue it now or in the future. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the Fourth Amendment to the Water Service Agreement. Mr. Tyrrell stated that this is a requirement for jurisdictions to approve unanimously for the service agreement. He stated that they are in the process of determining what the City has in access capacity. Council Member Wilson-Smith made a motion to approve the Fourth Amendment to the Water Service Agreement. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hart. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers f. Consideration to allow Lifestar Ambulance Company to operate within the City limits of Petersburg, Virginia. BACKGROUND: Lifestar Ambulance Company is located at 2140 South Crater Road, Petersburg, VA 23805 and currently provides and operates EMS vehicles for non-emergency ambulance services within the City limits since September 2016. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 17 – ______________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: To allow Lifestar Ambulance Company to operate emergency medical series vehicles within the City of Petersburg. Council Member Hill made a motion to allow Lifestar Ambulance Company to operate emergency medical series vehicles within the City of Petersburg. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers 17-R-26 A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW LIFESTAR AMBULANCE TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that as soon as they have hired a new City Manager can they schedule evaluations on the persons that they oversee. She stated that this would be the City Assessor, City Manager, City Attorney and Clerk of Council. She stated can they have evaluations for these people no later than July 15th. Council Member Wilson-Smith made a motion have council appointee evaluations no later than July 15th. The motion was seconded by Council Member Cuthbert. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that her second request is can they entertain on Saturday the possibility of getting an Interim City Assessor. The motion was seconded by Council Member Smith-Lee. There was discussion on the motion. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she would like to withdraw her motion. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she would like to make a motion that they schedule a special meeting next week at the convenience of everyone so that they can discuss and look at placing someone in the City Assessor’s position. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers Council Member Smith-Lee stated that she wants to commend the treasurer’s office. She stated that she and Council Member Wilson-Smith worked in the office. She stated that she worked every day except Friday. She stated that it was amazing how the treasurer worked from the time she got there until the time she left. She stated that he did a phenomenal job. She stated that he was pleasant to everyone. She stated that she thinks that they need to take into consideration in reference to having some extra employees in that department because of the way that it is ran. She stated that it must have more people. She stated that it can run efficiently. She stated that it is the time management and how they go about doing it. She stated kudos to the Treasurer’s Office. She stated that they had two ribbon cuttings and that the Mayor and herself attended both of them and Council Member Cuthbert attended one of them. She stated that they need to bring more businesses to the City. She stated that the ivy Counseling Services and the Bliss Salon & Spa opened in the City. She stated that she was at the West Street and Augusta Avenue event with the men from Mount Olivet Baptist Church. She stated that they did a phenomenal job. She stated that it may seem like they are not moving forward but that they are in a lot of ways. She stated that she commends the citizens of Petersburg. Council Member Hill stated that he would like to thank the workers and employees that have stayed through this long meeting and the previous long meetings. He stated that there will be a Town Hall Meeting in Ward 2 this coming Thursday at 6:30pm at Good Shepherd Baptist Church. He asked Ms. Birch does he need to make a motion to put the $110,000 in the contingency fund. He stated that he would like to thank the McLaughlin’s again for the things they have done with the parks in their areas. He stated that he knows that he is preaching to the choir. He stated that there is proper etiquette and quorum when you come to the podium. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 18 – ______________________________________________________________________________ He stated that if he was out of order he apologizes. He stated that the citizens must speak on things that are dealing with the topic at that time. Council Member Hill made a motion to take the $110,000 and put it in the contingency fund until City Council decides where to appropriate the funds. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers Vice Mayor Hart stated that he would like to thank the City employees that came out to the Ward 7 meeting. He stated that they helped them out in the community and City with information. He stated that he appreciates the work that they have done. He stated that he personally wants to thank the Fire Department. He stated that he had two personal issues and that one was with a vehicle that he just purchased that caught on fire. He stated that the fire department came out and assisted him with the fire. He stated that on June 17th at Mount Olivet Baptist Church he will be having the 1,000 Father’s Second Annual Event along with the Social Services Positive Initiative. He stated that it will be from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. He stated to come out and enjoy a day with dads. Mayor Parham stated that he would like to take this time to thank the Robert Bobb Group for all the work that they have done and to Mr. Bobb for standing present and taking hits as much as City Council has taken hits in the last year. He thanked Ms. Birch for digging in all the numbers of the City. He thanked Jack Berry for coming off the couch to help. He stated he hopes that Mr. Berry stays a lot longer. He stated to Mr. Tyrell that he hopes that he can sleep easier tonight being that the budget is passed. He thanked Dileep as well for all the information that he has worked on and provided. He stated that it has been a very trying year and stressful, restless and thankless year. He stated that he wants everyone to know that he appreciates all that they have done. He stated that they will continue to build towards a stronger City than ever. Mr. Bobb stated that they are requesting that City Council and the Clerk can look at their calendars to see if they can meet at 5:15pm before the next City Council Meeting and have a work session on the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Vice Mayor Parham made a motion to move the June 20th meeting up to 5:15pm for a work session. The motion was seconded by Council Member Wilson-Smith. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers 11. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 13. NEW BUSINESS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 14. REPORTS/RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 15. CITY MANAGER’S AGENDA: *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: June 6, 2017 - 19 – ______________________________________________________________________________ *No items for this portion of the agenda. 16. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE CITY CLERK: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 17. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 18. ADJOURNMENT: City Council adjourned at 11:22 p.m. _________________________ Clerk of City Council APPROVED: _________________________ Mayor *Audio available