City Council

Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -1– ______________________________________________________________________________ The regular meeting of the Petersburg City Council was held on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, at 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 Darrin Hill Vice Mayor John A. Hart, Sr. Mayor Samuel Parham Absent: Council Member W. Howard Myers Present from City Administration: City Manager Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides City Attorney Joseph E. Preston Clerk of Council Nykesha D. Jackson, CMC 2. PRAYER: Mayor Parham stated that he would like to ask Reverend Herbert Holly of St. Johns Baptist Church to led the meeting in prayer. Reverend Holly led the meeting into prayer. 3. CLOSED SESSION: City Attorney Joseph Preston stated that City Council will now move to go into closed session for one purpose pursuant to Section 2.2-3711.A (3) of the Code of Virginia, 1950 as amended, council will be in closed session to discuss the disposition of publicly held property where discussion in an open session would adversely affect the bargaining position and negotiating strategy of the City of Petersburg and under pursuant to Section 2.2-3711.A (1) of the Code of Virginia, 1950 as amended, council will be in closed session for discussion and evaluation of the salaries of specific City employees where such evaluation will necessarily involve the discussion of the performance of specific individuals. Council Member Hill moved that the City Council go into closed session for the purposes noted by the City Attorney. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. There was no discussion on the motion, which was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers City Council entered closed session at 6:32 p.m. CERTIFICATION: Mr. Preston stated that City Council now moves to come out of closed session and certify that only public business matters lawfully exempted from an open meeting requirement pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and only such business matters as were identified in the motion by which the *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -2– ______________________________________________________________________________ closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed or considered in the closed meeting. Council Member Hill made a motion to return City Council into open session and certify the purposes of the closed session. The motion was seconded by Council Member Cuthbert. There was discussion on the motion, which was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Myers 17-R-70 A RESOLUTION CERTIFYING, AS REQUIRED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, SECTION 2.2- 3712, THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER’S KNOWLEDGE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS OF VIRGINIA LAW WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED SESSION, AND ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION CONVENING THE CLOSED SESSION WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED. City Council came out of closed session at 7:55 p.m. 4. MOMENT OF SILENCE: a. Clerk of Council, Nykesha D. Jackson, led council and the audience in a moment of silence. 5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: a. Clerk of Council, Nykesha D. Jackson, led council and the audience in the pledge of allegiance. Mayor Parham stated, “On Tuesday, December 5th, we had a great day at the YMCA. We held the official ground-breaking ceremony for their renovation and expansion. The YMCA is an important staple in the Petersburg community. It is near to my heart and so many others. The $6 million renovation certainly welcomed by the community. The renovations will include a new community kitchen, a special community room and more space for youth development programs. December 5, 2017, was declared YMCA Day in Petersburg. The renovations are estimated to be complete in late 2018. We look forward to our new YMCA in 2018.” 6. DETERMINATION OF THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM: Ms. Jackson stated that there is a quorum present. 7. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 8. COMMUNICATIONS/SPECIAL REPORTS: a. VML Legislative Program and Member Benefits Presentation. BACKGROUND: The Virginia Municipal League is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and government established in 1905 to improve and assist local government through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services. The membership includes all 38 cities in the state, 160 towns and 6 counties. RECOMMENDATION: For information only. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -3– ______________________________________________________________________________ Sandy Harrington, Government Relations Associate of Virginia Municipal League (VML), stated that she wanted to come talk about the legislative agenda for the 2018 Session. She stated that VML began in 1905. She stated that it includes 38 cities, 160 towns and 8 counties. She stated that the work that they do is dedicated to improving the quality of life of communities across Virginia. She stated that they provide training and responses to inquires that they may receive. She stated that this year’s budget debate will incorporate many challenges in its localities. She stated that of concern is also the states’ own physical health. She stated that they have newsletter and information that keeps everyone abroad on things that taking place. Michael Polychrones, Director of Member Services, stated that one of the things that they work on is the state and local government relationship. He stated that VML imposes any restriction on local tax authority in the absence of reliable and sustainable alternative. He stated that in addition the participation of local government is critical in the discussion of local tax and authority. He stated that they are always advocating the education funding. He stated that a good local school system is important to people for a lot of reasons. He stated that over the last couple of years legislation has failed to fund HB599 that helps support economic development. He stated that it cost money to train people. He stated that another priority is law enforcement programs. He stated that they will see on Monday if the government will be in support of fully funding that program. He stated that a lot of communities are coming out with solar companies that would like to be in certain areas. He stated that the tax abatement will be another issue. He stated that anther issue will be gas prices and keeping up with this. He stated that a big item that they are working on is the funding for stormwater be restored. He stated that they have some events that are coming up in January that he thinks that council would be interested in attending. He stated that he thanks City Council for the opportunity to be before them and that they are here for the City and can answer any questions if there are any. Mayor Parham stated that he would like to thank them for attending and all that they do for Petersburg. He stated that he has been to many of the VML forums and that they have been very enlightening to him. He stated that there ae two new council members that they want to get to attend the newly elected forum as well. b. A Report Regarding the Proposed Cambria Hotel and Suites Project. BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg executed a purchase agreement with the Virginia Hotel Development Group, LLC May 16, 2016. Per the agreement, the City assisted the developer in securing financing for the project through incentive programs administered by the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) and the Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund (VBAF). The City applied for Tourism Development Financing through the Virginia Tourism Commission however, the City was not successful in securing the associated Gap Loan. The Developer had to revise the Financing Plan for the project. The City has requested a revised Financing Plan and confirmation of financing from the Developer to assess the viability of the project. The Developer has stated that he will have financing in place and be able to close on the purchase of the property in January 2018. The City has requested but not received confirmation regarding financing for the project. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council considers all options regarding the project. Reginald Tabor, Projects Manager of Economic Development, stated that he wanted to provide a brief update on the status of the Cambria Hotel and Suites Project located at 380 East Washington Street. He stated that they have been in communication with the developer regarding the project and the developer also attended the last committee meeting for the Economic Development Committee of City Council and informed them that he is still working to secure financing and that he anticipates completing this work and being able to close on the property in January 2018. He stated that the developer is planning to come to the City in January and finalize this transaction. He stated that if he does not that as staff they are encouraged to go to City *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -4– ______________________________________________________________________________ Council to consider action relating to the item. c. A Report on the Federal Tax Bill. BACKGROUND: On November 2, 2017, the Congressional leadership released the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, which passed the House of Representatives on November 16, 2017. The House version of the bill aims to streamline the U.S. tax code and create some tax relief for middle and low-income American by reducing the number of tax brackets, reducing marginal tax rates, and expanding family tax credits. The Senate version of a tax bill, unlike the House version, does not propose new tax brackets, but does similarly double the standard deduction and lowers certain tax rates. The measure narrowly passed the Senate early in the morning of December 2, 2017. The bills eliminate private activity bonds and advance refunding bonds, and both the historic and new market tax credit programs. These are tools currently available to communicate to assist with development and redevelopment projects. RECOMMENDATION: For information only. Reginald Tabor, Projects Manager of Economic Development, stated that he wanted to mention with regard to the VML presentation that much of the legislative agenda that was presented at the last meeting that that was adopted included a lot of the information that VML has identified. He stated that he has registered as the City’s liaison to be involved and will attend a briefing on Monday and certainly keep them abreast on all the activities and information that they provide. Mr. Tabor stated that the next item is the federal tax bill. He stated that as far as the timeline is concerned the federal housing senate has approved version of the tax overhaul bill. He stated that the Senate was the last to approve on December 2nd. He stated that now both houses appointed leadership to the conference committee. He stated that the conference committee will review the differences between the tax proposals from each house and develop a consensus bill to be voted upon by each house and sent to the President for signature. He stated that the Virginia Delegation all oppose the tax bill and staff has communicated with each of the offices and the City’s concern of the tax bill. He stated that one of the key bills is the tax credit. d. City Manager’s Report. Mrs. Benavides stated that she provided a copy of her report to all City Council Members. She stated that there are a couple of things that she is going to highlight in her report and then she will give some of her time to the police chief to do a report. She stated that one is that she received an invitation to participate in the Governor Elect’s Policy Council. She stated that one is for finance and one for local government committees. She stated that she thinks that this important for Cities to look at how their voices are heard at the state level. She stated that she will also send out to Council information on the transition and have it placed on the website She stated that part of the transition when a new administration comes in is for opportunities for appointments to statewide commission’s and things like that as well as jobs. She stated that she thinks that it is important for the residents as well as council and other governing bodies in the City to understand that for their voice to be heard they need to be at the table. She stated that where there are opportunities available she would love to see City Council and as well as the residents apply for spots on commissions. She stated that they are looking to have a half day budget work day with City Council on January 9, 2018. She stated that this is an opportunity for them to prepare for the 2018/2019 budget. She stated that they have already started their process which is establishing base lines. She stated that they also want to make sure that their budget is based on the division of council. She stated that her proposal is January 9, 2018, from 12noon to 5:00pm. She stated that this would be a half day retreat that they can talk about their vision of the budget. She stated that the goal for them is that *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -5– ______________________________________________________________________________ they want to make sure that everything that they present to the council and to the residents in the budget represent their priorities. She stated that included in the report also is an update on the Jarratt House and the billing and collections. She stated that she was asked by Council Member Wilson-Smith to give an update on the people that are delinquent that have the one inch meter versus other meters as well as how many individuals are scheduled for shut-offs who have the one inch meter versus other. She stated that when they look at the total number that were scheduled for shut-off that have the one inch meter the amount was 59 and in the other than one inch category there were 614. She stated that the number of customers who were not shut-off in that period was 1,569. She stated that it is a small percentage in the one inch meter category that are scheduled for shut-off. She stated that it is broken down in details and that she is not the expert on it but she can answer any questions or have staff come up. She stated that they had a town hall meeting in which they had a number of questions presented to staff regarding safety and safety related issues in Old Towne. She stated that the police chief has put together an update and she will ask him to share this information. She stated that this information and her updates will be made available online. She stated that lastly coming up will be the deputy city manager who will talk a little about the Salvation Army Shelter. Police Chief Miller stated good evening to everyone. He stated that he was asked to report out a few questions in respect to security in the Old Towne area. He stated that one of the questions that came up was about bicycle patrol. He stated that the do not have enough certified officers currently to perform this task. He stated that he met with the law enforcement training academy and this spring they will be offering a bicycle course that will be a certified course. He stated that they will have the funding to get the equipment to properly police the downtown area with respect to bicycles. He stated that they will not just use them in that district but that they will use it in other areas as well. He stated that this kind of ties into his manpower question that he was asked about. He stated that with respect on manpower they are doing a big push on hiring. He stated that they just had six individuals who were certified two weeks ago. He stated that they currently have five that are in the police academy. He stated that they are addressing the manpower concerns that was brought up at the meeting. He stated that there was also a concern about gunfire in the City. He stated that they did a study for the first six months in the City and then the last five and a half months. He stated that they reduced the calls of gunfire by 30%. He stated that they have taken about 150 illegal firearms of the street and that they are going to destroy them later on and have a big ceremony with this. He stated that with the firearms not being in place it has reduced the calls of gunfire. He stated that they were asked about speeding on Grove and Claremont Street. He stated that they are still using selective enforcement in those two areas. He stated that they were asked about cameras. He stated that they do not have cameras. He stated that they do have the body camera program. He stated that he is going to have this in effect by Spring of next year. He stated that the one challenge that they were suffering from was the capture person and having a person on staff to capture the data. He stated that he has to find funding for that position and that he is working with his budget. He stated that some of the restaurants in the City was asking about noise. He stated that they took noise meters down in Old Towne last week. He stated that they found out that one of the merchants didn’t have compliance with the state code regarding noise. He stated that they asked for voluntarily compliance and that they received it. He stated that there is a lighting study that he will be working with Public Works on. He stated that they will be doing an illumination study with cost in getting additional lighting in the Old Towne area. He stated lastly, they have a community engagement piece. He stated that the subject of the “Explore Program” came up. He stated that they have three explorers’ now. He stated that they are going to partner the explorers at the high school level and pelagic level to develop young people who want to get into law enforcement and seeking to build careers. He stated that they have started passing out tonight in the train station applications. He stated that he welcomes any of the community partners to sign up for the police academy that starts in January. He stated that this to will be part of the program to give the community the chance to see what they do and to answer the question “why sometimes.” There was discussion among City Council members and staff. Darnetta Tyus, Deputy City Manager for Community Affairs, stated that she would like to offer an *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -6– ______________________________________________________________________________ update on the status of the Salvation Army Men’s Shelter closing. She stated to give a little background the City of Petersburg entered a lease with the Salvation Army. She stated that it was an agreement to operate a men’s homeless shelter at the site addressed as 825 Commerce Street. She stated that this was for $1 a year. She stated that the Salvation army offers two major programs out of their facility. She stated that one is an extended staff program for homeless men. She stated that the second one is a cooling and warming center for overnight for homeless men. She stated that the Salvation Army has submitted in a timely manner a letter of intent to vacate the premises and discontinue the program as of December 31, 2017. She stated that the Salvation Army has two facilities in Petersburg. She stated that the second facility is located at 1228 West Street. She stated that in the facility on West Street the Salvation Army offers homeless prevention programs. She stated that this facility will continue to operate and the homeless prevention program will continue to be at that site. She stated that the reasons that the Salvation Army stated they were closing the men’s shelter in Petersburg was that they do regional fundraising to support the site. She stated that for several years they stated that the fundraising that they have been able to do falls short of what they needed to operate the program. She stated that the closing comes from not raising enough funds and the cost escalading to maintain the facility. Ms. Tyus went through a PowerPoint presentation regarding the closing of the Salvation Army. There was discussion among City Council and staff. Ms. Benavides stated that this concludes her report. 9. CONSENT AGENDA (to include minutes of previous meeting/s): a. Minutes: Regular Meeting: November 21, 2017 and November 28, 2017. b. Request a public hearing be scheduled to hear a request of Petersburg Shopping Center, LLC to rezone 3600 South Crater Road identified as T.P. 101-06-0800 from PUD ‘Planned Unit Development” to B-2 “General Commercial” District to allow medical, professional and business office uses. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that there is one minor correction with the minutes of November 21st. She stated there is a mention of “physical year” and it should be “physical year.” Council Member Hill made a motion to accept the Consent Agenda with the correction of the minutes and schedule a public hearing for January 2, 2018. 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 10. OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS: a. A public hearing on Central Business District Maps and Incentives. BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg Central Business District Enterprise Zone, totaling 922 acres was applied for and approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2005 City of Petersburg 2005. The Zone expired in 2014, and was reauthorized for an additional ten years to 2024. Non-taxable properties, including property used for public use and properties owned by government or tax-exempt organizations are not eligible for zone incentives. The size of the zone is restricted to not more than 10% of the total acreage of the jurisdiction. Therefore, to maximize the availability and use of incentives, the proposed amendments remove properties not eligible for incentives and the boundaries are amended to include additional properties that would be eligible for incentives. The purpose of the program is to incentivize the development or *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -7– ______________________________________________________________________________ redevelopment of underperforming or vacant property. Current incentives include: Architectural Design Assistance Grant Program, Building and lad disturbance permit and zoning fee waivers, discounted land buy- down, façade improvement grants, machinery and tools tax grant, partial real estate tax exemption, water and sewer connection fee reduction, water and sewer permit fee waivers. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council approves the proposed amendments to the Map and Incentives of the Central Business District Enterprise Zone. Reginald Tabor, Projects Manager of Economic Development, gave a briefing on Central Business District Maps and Incentives. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Seeing no hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comments. There was discussion among City Council and staff. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to approve the proposed amendments to the Map and Incentives of the Central Business District Enterprise Zone. The motion was seconded by Council Member Cuthbert. There was discussion on the motion. 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. 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. David Muller, 2536 South Crater Road, stated that he owns a pawn on South Crater Road. He stated that he thinks that everyone is doing a great job and that everything is coming together. He stated that it is a good thing to see and that it is nice. He stated that the new chief is always on the news and in the paper regarding all the guns that he is taking away from the bad guys and that this is wonderful news. He stated that he looked into a little bit and researched that the guns are scheduled to be melted into scrap metal. He stated that if they have 150 guns since the new chief has been with the City that they might end up with 300 by end of year. He stated that rather than scrap the guns they can wholesale them to licensed gun distributors. He stated that the City could probably use this money. He stated that he just wanted to share his idea with them. Brandon Martin, 1546 Berkeley Avenue, stated that the first question tonight deals with an item that has been in the City’s care for the last seven or so years. He stated that this is “Car 1215.” He stated that this is the only surviving street car in the City of Petersburg. He stated that it was retired to service in Richmond and it ended up at a golf course in Amelia County and then came to Petersburg in 1992 to become part of the museum. He stated that the care ended up on Puddledock Road. He stated that in 2011 it ended up under the Martin Luther King Bridge. He stated that in 2012 it got moved to the Roper Brother’s Property on Pocahontas Island and this is where it sits. He stated that it is unrestored and that it is in very poor shape. He stated that there is a beautiful restoration of a sister car “1242” at the Virginia Historical Society. He stated that he wants to know what has happened to it and is it still there. He asked what are the City’s plan for storage and conservation. He stated that the second concern is “Channel 15.” He stated that if you have, not looked at the *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -8– ______________________________________________________________________________ station then he suggests that they do and look at the whole loop of content. He stated that they should ask themselves if they are getting their monies worth. He stated that this third item involves the City website. He asked where on the website is the check register. He stated that he remembers some discussion about the check register being posted but that he cannot find it on the website. He stated that if it is not there then why not. He stated that at the last meeting on November 21st, he had a specific question on where is the little green shoebox. He stated that he sees no response and that he is getting a little bit annoyed by this. He stated that he would like to thank Chief Rubin and his crew at the Fire Department for returning the “36 Seagraves’ to service for use in the Christmas Parade. He stated that this is a magnificent machine and that it deserves the best City attention that it can get as well as some other pieces. Talibah Majeed, 1847 Brandon Avenue, stated that she sees that they decided to add prayer to the meeting agenda. She stated that she would like to remind everyone that the City has a diverse religious community and asked if they can be sensitive to the prayer leaders. She stated that she prays five times a day as part of her daily regular routine. She stated that as a Muslim she is advised that if she does not see results from her prayer that she should do a self-examination to determine if she is doing what Allah ask her to do. She stated that if she is not then she needs to correct this. She stated that City Council is having prayer as one of their agenda items and that this implies that they believe prayer is important. She stated that she has no idea if they believe in the power of prayer or not. She stated that their actions say that they do believe that they have power. She stated that they perceive themselves to have power. She stated that sometimes perceived power is fake power. She stated that obviously the council members do have some level of power. She stated that she would recommend that they focus some of their power on some real issues in 2018. She stated that for instance the governor states that there are thousands of vacant tech jobs in Virginia due to the lack of qualified Virginians to fill them. She stated that she would suggest that City Council use some of their power to form a partnership to develop a plan of how Petersburg residents can become qualified for those jobs. She stated that City Council has the power to demand checks and balances that hold all City employees accountable for their jobs at a standard that is well known and documented. She stated that while she understands the reason to have a closed session, City Council has the power to have a closed session on their time and not the citizens time. She stated that City Council has the power to make the education system a top priority. She stated that they need to stop pretending that the school system is okay. She stated that City Council has the power to make the financial support consistent and timely. She stated that they have the power to form partnerships with the community organizations, colleges and citizens to effectively address the physical and mental health crisis in the City. She stated that they have the power to acknowledge that the people have the ability to be part of the solution and then give them real opportunities to do so. She stated that City Council have the power to make the citizens feel valued and respected. She stated that they have the power to let go of their ego and make decisions solely on what is the betterment of the City. She stated that they have the power to do what is right in every situation regardless of what has been done in the past. She stated that they have the power to pay a starting salary less than $100,000. She stated that if they use their real power perhaps their collective prayer for safe prosperous City that meets the needs of all the citizens would be answered. Barb Rudolph, 1675 Mt. Vernon Street, stated that she is picking up where she left off a week ago on Saturday when there was a discussion at the special meeting about some of the things that the Citizenry Committee had looked at. She stated that it was specifically a proposal of going to at-large elections. She stated that she realizes that this is part of a bigger hole and that this is being discussed separately. She stated that she thought that it would be a good follow-up that might be useful to council as they continue with these issues. She stated that what she has in front of them is what has changed since Petersburg has adopted an election system by wards. She stated that this happened back in 1972. She stated that she hopes that most of them are reviewing the legal findings on this. She stated that there is a whole lot of information on it and that it tells them that in 1972 the City was in the process of annexing additional properties from Prince George and Dinwiddie County. She stated that what it did was change the effects on the population that is shown on the chart. She stated that the impact that was found by the Department of Justice was that it would be continued *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 -9– ______________________________________________________________________________ disproportioned representation by the white population. She stated that this is contrary to the voting rights act. She stated that in order to ensure that everyone was equal and represented based on the population a ward system was established. She stated that she is sharing the changes that have occurred. She stated that at the time of the annexation there was over 23,000 white citizens in Petersburg and that now it is slightly over 5,000. She stated that this is a 79% reduction. She stated that today there are 25,000 blacks and 5,000 whites which is a ratio of 5:1. She stated that she is pointing out the situation that existed at the time when this change was made altered remarkably in the intervening of 45 years. She stated that a lot has changed. She stated that whether the system that they have now best serves the City or not this is up to council. Kenneth Lewis, 503 Mistletoe Street, stated that he is not sure what is appropriate given the wording. He stated that from the previous speaker he feels a little more comfortable. He stated that he has a couple of things that he wishes to bring to their attention. He stated that one of the things he wishes to bring to council’s attention is the closed meetings. He stated that he has mentioned it before and that he hopes that they certainly give consideration to the courtesy of those who choose to come to the open meetings. He stated that the meeting tonight last approximately one hour and twenty minutes. He stated that if they know they are going to have a closed meeting then they should start it at 5:00pm. He stated that this will not interfere with the citizens time to participate in the process. He stated that the second thing is that even though they have voted on the tax collectors position that has brought so much news to the City of Petersburg, he hopes that they did a proper cost benefit analysis of creating that office. He stated that they also took into consideration all of the cost involved with the person who is going to be the tax collector. He stated that regardless of what their political views are the residents get a full impact of dealing with City Hall and what it is like. He stated that he hopes that in times like these where they consider changing the way that the residents vote for their representatives not only for City Council but for the School Board that he wishes that some of the former members were alive to remind City Council of the political and discriminatory that went on before there was a system in Petersburg. Vernel Gannaway, 652 Old Wagner Road, stated that he comes to City Council to say servant leader. He stated that he wants them to look in the dictionary and find out what servant leader is. He stated that in the positions that City Council they have to find out that their character goes along with the title that they are given. He stated that he has seen some things displayed that he would say as a servant leader. He stated to the City Manager that he likes her manners. He stated that as far as what the young lady was speaking about regarding prayer that it is for everyone. He stated that it should not be an argument about it. He stated that they have to stop belittling each other. He stated that they need to learn about the word peace and what shilom means. He stated that he stated to them before that there is a difference between righteous and religious. He stated that at the last meeting he asked about the cameras and the status on them. He stated that they are not receiving reports on it. He asked are the cameras doing what they are supposed to do. He stated that they should receive reports on the finances of the cameras. He stated that there are a lot of people that are paying $50 that should not be paying this money. He stated that if the monies are going somewhere else then it is not benefiting Petersburg. He stated that he appreciates them sending the crews out for the leaves. He stated that they can rake their own leaves. He stated that they do not need it if it is going to be costly. He stated that he never sees the person to come out to do the leaves. 12. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR OR OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL: Council Member Cuthbert stated that he wants to thank the City Manager for putting her report together. He stated especially on the specifics of the security in Old Towne. He stated that he would like to thank her for the timeline on the Jarratt House as well. He stated that both topics are important to the health of Petersburg. He stated that if they want to see an image of Petersburg that will not make them proud then come down to Old Towne at 1:00am on Friday or Saturday night. He stated that he was very pleased to see an hour present cruising the street and not interfering but driving through. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 10 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that she has a PowerPoint that she would like to show regarding the Giles B. Cooke School. She stated that there is debris near the school. She stated that the roof is falling down. She stated that there is a big hole and that the corner of the roof is gone. She stated that she is concerned about the school and that it is history. She stated that the field is used by the recreation department and used for practice as well. She stated that someone took the boards of the window. She stated that she would like to ask the City can they do something to preserve the building or make the area safe. She stated that it is a precious building. She stated that it belongs to the City and that they need to do something about it. She stated that the other item is that she would like to ask City Council if they could please plan to have a retreat before August like in March. She stated that August is a long time away and that they have things that they need to do and discuss. She stated that they have three months to say what day they will do it. She stated that she would like a three-day retreat to prepare for Mr. Bobb coming back in April. She stated that they can look at all the recommendations that Mr. Bobb left. She stated that she would also like to look at how they can best support the school system and finances. She stated that they have a list of items that they can talk about that is still undone. Council Member Wilson-Smith made a motion to have a retreat in March 2018 and that by the time they have their first meeting in January that they have dates lined up. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Hill, Hart and Parham; Voting No: Cuthbert; Absent: Myers Council Member Smith-Lee stated that the neighborhood watch had a Christmas celebration last Wednesday at A.P. Hill School. She stated that they asked her to come and give some information on how things are going in the City. She stated that this was interesting. She stated that she also attended the police chief event at Third Baptist Church. She stated that this was a great event. She stated that there was about 300 people. She stated that it felt good because it felt like the community came together for the common cause of the City’s safety. She stated that she wants to say happy holidays and to be safe and that she hopes that everyone has a blessed Christmas. Ms. Jackson stated that Council Member Myers is not present tonight but he stated that he would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday. Council Member Hill stated that he wants to thank the employees for hanging in with them. He stated that he would like to thank City Council for making the hard decisions to get them to where they are right now. He stated that they have come a long way in such short period of time. He stated that they have institutional knowledge of what is going on. He stated that they have remarkably turned things around. He stated that no one has really said anything about it. He stated that they had good news that was stated about the City’s finances two-weeks ago. He stated that they can tell in the chamber that the climate is changing. He stated that prayer does work for those that believe. He stated that he wants to thank the staff, the employees and City Council for doing the hard work. He stated that there is light at the end of the tunnel. He stated that he wants to thank those that participated in the Christmas parade on last week. He stated that the citizens really enjoyed. He stated that he would like everyone to continue hanging in. He stated that it is seven of them up there and that they do not always agree but that does not mean they are disagreeable. He stated that they share different views and that they all come from different backgrounds. He stated that when they were having closed sessions at 4:30pm and 5:00pm the citizens were complaining. He stated now the citizens are asking them to go back to the way things were. He stated that he would like to say to staff that when they receive papers at the council meeting it does not do justice to council that they have to skim through the paperwork. He stated that if they can get the information ahead of time he would appreciate. He stated that he would like someone to look into the camera situation that Mr. Gannaway spoke on. He stated that he would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays. He stated that he would like to thank the citizens that attended the meeting last Saturday. He stated they appreciate all the concerns regarding the City. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 11 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Vice Mayor Hart stated that he would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight. He stated that he has a few things to go over. He stated that he would like to first announce the Citizens Award for Ward 7. He stated that this goes out to Mr. and Mrs. Peter & Mildred Radcliff. He stated that he will present them with their award at their house or church. He stated that the business for the quarter for Ward 7 even though their business is not in Ward 7 but they live in Ward 7 is the Liaison Restaurant that is owned by Harold and Vanessa Brown. He stated that they have done a lot of things in the community with feeding and everything. He stated that he would like to get a handle on the water system and billing in the upcoming year. He stated that he knows that they have a lot of things going and that they are looking in that area but that they definitely need to put focus on the water meters and billing issue. He stated that he would like to partner with Ms. Jackson to speak with the school board as Council Member Hill eluded to. He stated that they read the papers often but that they need to look into board docs or laptops or tablets so that they can upload the information and save a few trips. He stated that this may be something that they can share out of City Council budget. He stated that he will be having a Christmas dinner for the community on Christmas Day at the Masonic Temple. He stated that it will be from 2:00pm to 4:30pm. He stated that it is not just about feeding the homeless. He stated that it’s about those that may be alone like the seniors or those that would like to come out to eat and have some company. He stated to please come out and get a plate of food to eat. He stated that they have a ton of volunteers at the moment. He stated that he will not turn down anyone that wants to bring their child in to see the way how things should be done for the holidays. He stated that he does ask the City employees that are working that day to stop by and grab something to eat. He stated that they have a lot of participates in the community. He stated that their goal is to feed 300 people. He stated for everyone to have a great holiday and to be safe. Mayor Parham stated that he would like to wish a very merry Petersburg style Christmas to all the new City of Petersburg employees and the old ones. He stated to Mrs. Benavides that this is her first holiday here in Petersburg. He stated to her that he thanks her and that she has been a gift to the City and that they appreciate all that she has done and that the staff that she has brought in has been a blessing to the City. He stated that they are having the City Christmas Party for the employees to at least show them how much the City appreciates them. He stated that he wants to thank everyone that organized the Christmas parade and the Illumination Ceremony. He stated that it was a very well attended Christmas parade. He stated that the Grand Illumination was nice at the train station and that there were pictures of Santa and hot chocolate. He stated that he wants everyone to be safe and have a prosperous new year in 2018. He stated that going into the year 2018 they have to approve the Rules of Council. He stated that this is coming up on January 2nd. He stated that they typically would do this at 12:00pm and that they are changing having meetings midday. He stated that he would like to change the time to 5:30pm right before the council meeting. He stated that he will put this in a motion. Mayor Parham made a motion to change the time to approve the Rules of Council on January 2, 2018, at 5:30pm right before the regular council meeting. 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 Mayor Parham stated that he has something else that he would like City Council to think about over the break as well. He stated that they have a lot going on in the City of Petersburg and that they have some closed sessions that tend to be long. He stated that they may want to consider going back to the way that the agenda was set up before. He stated that many years in the past closed session started at 6:30pm and the regular scheduled council meeting started at 7:30pm. He stated that this gave an hour ahead of that business so that citizens were not sitting and waiting. He stated that this is something that they can think about and deliberate on come January. He stated that the panel that they came up with they have the tool for evaluations of council appointees. He stated that the panel of three needs to complete the evaluation by December 15th. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 12 – ______________________________________________________________________________ 13. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT: *No items under this portion of the agenda. 14. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: a. Consideration of the City of Petersburg’s 2018 Legislative Agenda. BACKGROUND: Each year, prior to the General Assembly, Council prepares a Legislative Agenda listing the City’s legislative priorities. Upon Council’s approval, the Legislative Agenda will be submitted to members of the City’s legislative delegation for their consideration. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend Council review and approve legislative agenda items. Reginald Tabor, Projects Manager of Economic Development, gave a briefing on the City of Petersburg’s 2018 Legislative Agenda. There was discussion among City Council and staff. John Jarratt, 1664 Wilton Road, stated that the residents of the group homes walk the streets. He stated that there needs to be security. He stated that it effects the value of the property. He stated that his opinion is that their area is saturated with group homes. He stated that there are four group homes in just a short time period. There was discussion among City Council Members, staff and Mr. Jarratt. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion that the General Assembly adopt the entire Legislative Package as modified by the language suggested by Mr. Altman when he was at the podium in regard to group homes. The motion dies due to lack of second. Mrs. Benavides stated that if they can hit a couple of the items on the agenda this would be good. She stated that when they brought the information back this time they did not want to say that it was all inclusive. She stated even with the taxes. She stated that they captured this one. She stated that two of them they have a public hearing on. She stated that this would be the council at large and the voting of the mayor. She stated that there is a public hearing scheduled for this on next Tuesday. She stated that the only thing that they have that did not fall into the public hearing is the decision on the group home and council’s direction on the treasurer process. She stated that she needs direction from council on whether they want to move forward with what was originally recommended as an option or eliminate all together. There was discussion among council, staff and Mrs. Benavides Council Member Hill made a motion to do nothing with the treasurer’s office. 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 and Hart; Voting No: Parham; Absent: Myers Mrs. Benavides stated that she thinks that the last item is what is the decision on the group homes. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to include in the legislative package dealing with group homes as modified with the help of Mr. Altman. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 13 – ______________________________________________________________________________ motion was not approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Hill and Parham; Voting No: Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith and Hart; Absent: Myers 15. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 16. NEW BUSINESS: a. Consideration of an appropriation of the adoption incentives grant to Petersburg Department of Social Services from Virginia Department of Social Services. BACKGROUND: The Virginia Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services extended an opportunity for Petersburg Department of Social Services and other local department of social services to apply for adoption incentive funds to assist in moving youth to permanency via adoption and supporting adoptive families through post adoption services. The Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments program (formerly called the Adoption Incentive Payments program) recognizes improved performance in helping children and youth in foster care find permanent homes through adoption and legal guardianship. The program was originally established as part of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Adoption incentive funds are calculated and awarded to states based on the United States Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and the Children’s Bureau (HHS/ACF/CB) review of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data as reported by the State and approved by ACF/CB of the succeeding fiscal year. Each local department of social services could request funds to support adoption and post adoption services. No local match is required to receive these funds. Each agency can request up to $3000. If additional funds are needed, proposals will be reviewed on a case by case basis. This is a one-time only proposal. Each locality should submit a brief itemized proposal. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the appropriation of $3,000. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Seeing no hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comments. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to approve the appropriation for $3,000. 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 17-ORD-59 AN ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, SAID ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1, 2017, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2018, IN THE ADOPTION INCENTIVE GRANT FOR PETERSBURG FUTURE SERVICES. b. Consideration of an appropriation for State Aid to Public Libraries Revenue Funds. BACKGROUND: State Aid to Public Libraries is a formula based grant that encourages the formation of library systems at the regional, county and city level. The Petersburg Public Library has received notification from the Library of Virginia that its State Aid to Public Libraries appropriation is $147,595.00 for *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 14 – ______________________________________________________________________________ FY18. This is $7,595.00 more than anticipated in the City’s FY18 budget which takes in to consideration $140,000.00 for State Aid to Public Libraries. The additional funds will be used for eligible State Aid expenditures to include the purchase of books, magazines, e-books, newspapers and other library materials necessary to enhance the Library collection offerings to the patrons of the Petersburg Public Library. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approve the attached appropriation for $7,595. Ms. Jackson opened the floor for public comments. Seeing no hands, Ms. Jackson closed the public comments. Council Member Hill made a motion to approve the appropriation for $7,595. 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-ORD-60 AN ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, SAID ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1, 2017, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2018, IN THE STATE AID TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES REVENUE FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $7,595 FOR PETERSBURG FUTURE SERVICES. c. Consideration of appointment to the Jon Tyler Community College Board of Directors. BACKGROUND: The John Tyler Community College (JTCC) Board of Directors consists of 18 members from the participating jurisdictions of the Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond and the Counties of Amelia, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex. Petersburg is allocated two (2) representatives. The duties of the Board include, but are not limited to, the following: serve as liaison agency between the State Board and the governing bodies of local political subdivisions, promote the development of a program of community college education of high quality under the administration and supervision of the State Board of Community College, solicit community participation in program planning and development, and review and approve the regular annual and biennium budgets for the community college. Members of the Board should be acquainted with the need for technical education. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend Council make an appointment to the John Tyler Community Board of Directors. Ms. Jackson stated that she received a letter from Mr. William Taylor who is the Director of Governmental and Administrative Service at John Tyler. She stated that Mr. Kennedy term has ended and that he chooses not to be reappointed. She stated that they are need of a replacement for Mr. Kennedy’s position. Mayor Parham made a motion to appoint Kenneth L. Pritchett to be the representative on the John Tyler Community College Board of Directors. 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 17-R-71 A RESOLUTION APPOINTING KENNETH L. PRITCHETT TO THE JOHN TYLER COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A TERM EXPIRING JUNE 30, 2021. 17. REPORTS/RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD: *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council meeting held on: December 12, 2017 - 15 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Stephanie Harris, Assistant to the City Manager, read the questions and answers from the previous meeting regarding the public information period on November 21st. 1. Is anyone taking care of the City Assessor’s position? Answer: Yes, the duties of this position are currently being fulfilled. 2. Has the Sheetz on Wagner Road been assessed since the building was completed? Answer: Yes, the assessment was performed on July 1st, 2017. And the current value is $2, 379,300. 18. CITY MANAGER’S AGENDA: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 19. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE CITY CLERK: Ms. Jackson stated that she would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. She stated that this is her last meeting for the year 2017. She stated that she wishes everyone a Happy New and that she will see everyone at 5:30pm at the train station on January 2, 2018. 20. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 21. ADJOURNMENT: City Council adjourned at 10:31 p.m. _________________________ Clerk of City Council APPROVED: _________________________ Mayor *Audio available