City Council

Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -1– ______________________________________________________________________________ The special regular meeting of the Petersburg City Council was held on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, in live stream. Mayor Parham called the meeting to order at 12:34p.m. 1. ROLL CALL: Present: Council Member Charles H. Cuthbert, Jr. Council Member Treska Wilson-Smith Council Member W. Howard Myers Council Member Annette Smith-Lee Council Member Darrin Hill Mayor Samuel Parham Absent: Vice Mayor John A. Hart, Sr Present from City Administration: City Manager Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides City Attorney Anthony C. Williams Clerk of Council Nykesha D. Jackson Deputy City Manager Lionel Lyons 2. PRAYER: Mayor Parham stated, “Councilman Hill will lead us in our opening prayer.” Council Member Hill led the council meeting in prayer. 3. CLOSED SESSION: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 4. MOMENT OF SILENCE: Mayor Parham led the meeting into the moment of silence. 5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Parham led council and the citizens in the pledge of allegiance. 6. DETERMINATION OF THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM: A quorum was determined with the presence of all City Council Members. 7. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS/PRESENTATION OF CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS: *No items for this portion of the agenda. Mayor Parham stated, “I would like to do a little short positive Petersburg story. I would like to thank everyone for coming out to Station #4. It was a great time. I want to thank our administrative leaders, public works and utilities team, and this City Council for all of your work and commitment in ensuring that Fire Station #4 received the improvements that it needed and is reopened! We enjoyed a great reopening ceremony on *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -2– ______________________________________________________________________________ Saturday, and I cannot thank everyone enough for the work that went into getting that fire station updated and reopened within a few short months. As of yesterday, our fire team is back in the station and it is back in operation. I need to send a big thank you to our facilities team who did an excellent job working on the building! And Thank you to our fire team and all our public safety professionals! We are forever appreciative of your service to our community. Also, as an added Positive Petersburg. I would like to take this time to congratulate our starting quarterback of our Petersburg High School football team. He accepted his scholarship to Western Carolina on Saturday. A round of an applause for Meziah. He also has a 4.3 GPA and he want to major in political science in college and he is considering law school after that. We have another lawyer coming and he says that it is his dream that he would like to be a City Councilman here in the City of Petersburg. So, I thought that was a wonderful thing. So, we have a great young man that is heading off to school that wants to come back and serve the City of Petersburg. So, again congratulations to Meziah Scott, mom, dad, grandma and the rest of the family who are all very supportive of him.” 8. REPORTS/RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD: Mayor Parham read the questions and answers out loud. 1. What can City administration do to help in distribution of information, safety, and testing of Covid-19 in assisted living, group homes, and nursing home facilities? – Council Member Cuthbert Currently, we are unable to follow up with this question due to much uncertainty surrounding the current pandemic. 2. Why were perpetual care funds moved to Utah? Who moved it? How much was moved? When will they be moved back? – Council Member Darrin Hill $1.2 million were moved from the perpetual fund into a bank in Utah. The Treasurer was requested to attend and respond to the corresponding question at the next council meeting in September. 3. Is there anything in place for code compliance for facilities like the Carriage House? – Council Member Treska Wilson-Smith Code Compliance inspections consist of the following various components:  Building Layout – inspection of exterior dimensions, interior room dimensions, placement of all windows, interior and exterior doors, and stairs. This component also inspects the functionality of each room’s intended use.  Exit Maps – Detailed exit map displayed near bedrooms.  Exit Signs – Exit signs are posted above exterior doors.  Water – Hot water in all bathrooms, washrooms, and kitchens.  Plumbing Fixtures – All plumbing fixtures work as intended and are leak free.  Smoke Detectors – Smoke detectors in all sleeping areas as well as outside of all sleeping areas. Rooms within reasonable distance may share the exterior detectors.  Windows – At least one window in each room, must be able to open fully and easily without the use of keys, tools, or special knowledge.  Exterior Doors – All exterior doors should open with reasonable ease, with no use of keys, tools, or special knowledge to exit the home.  Interior Doors – All interior doors must be deadbolt, padlock, eye, and hook, or similar free.  Fire Extinguisher – Fire extinguisher required in kitchen must be easily reached and up to date. *There should be no health, safety, or welfare concerns. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -3– ______________________________________________________________________________ 9. COMMUNICATIONS/SPECIAL REPORTS: a. Information Update – Revenue Meetings/ Revenue Calendar, Neighboring Locality Comparison, Utility Billing Schedule, Collection Rates. BACKGROUND: A cross-functional team meets bi-weekly or every two weeks during a “Revenue Meeting” to discuss activities that impact the major sources of revenue for the City. A subset of this team meets weekly during workgroup meetings to review progress towards accomplishing tasks on the “Revenue Calendar.” RECOMMENDATION: N/A Patrice Elliott, Finance Director, gave a briefing and informational update. Key points:  They are evaluating backup for folding, sealing, and mailing services.  They will be doing a presentation on the banking services at the next meeting and that currently the proposal is under evaluation.  They are looking at the contracts with collection agencies that the City currently. (Jason Dunn, TACS, Sands Andersen and Rahman Group)  Went through the utility billing scheduling. Monte Evans, Supervisor of Billing and Collections, gave an overview of the billing and collections numbers and collection rate. http://www.petersburgva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5497 (PowerPoint) Council Member Cuthbert stated, “I frequently get a phone call from a constituent saying, ‘I cannot get billing and collections to answer the phone. There voicemail is full and that is why I am calling you Council Member Cuthbert. Because I don’t know who else to reach out to.’ Is there any validity to that complaint and if so, what can staff do to help the citizens?” Mr. Evans stated, “Thank you council member. One of the things is that we are short staffed that effects the turnover. We are starting to give staff scripts to put on their voicemails with information that might answer their question. But basically, what we have done is created an email that is worked by staff. We have also had other emails that can answer those questions. We have also created a phone log to log their calls. Based on sometimes when the bill comes out the volume along with the mail is a case by case. But things that will be important in helping this is when we talk about customer service that we can do triage calls to dissect some of those calls. A lot of times people ask questions that could be a billing question, but it may be about the assessment of their property that billing, and collection cannot answer. It could be that one number goes through our harbor regarding a pothole or trash. So, I believe most places have a call center that can dissect those calls and that when they need to go to a higher level they can dissect and go to the right place.” Council Member Cuthbert stated, “Well let us go back to the John Q citizen that wants to get an explanation on John Q utility bill. Can John Q citizen reach a human being and get that explanation using the telephone?” Ms. Elliott stated, “With your initial question the concern is valid. As with a lot of other entities including the City of Petersburg there has been a great influx of call volume. And we are open to the public where a lot of entities are not. So, I do want to be respectful of John Q time, but we are open to the public as well. So, we do *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -4– ______________________________________________________________________________ encourage them to come by. Every staff member has been directed to check their email and clear their voicemail. As a matter of fact, I sit here today knowing in the back of my mind that I have to go and clear my voicemail. My voicemail gets full as well on a regular basis. And so, yes, we are heightening our level of customer service. We apologize and we are working on that. We will have some posting that will go out shortly as well. We are 50% as far as staffing is concerned but all hands are on deck to address the citizens concerns. It should not have to level to a council person in order to gain their attention. So, we are mindful of that in trying to address the citizens’ concerns.” Mr. Lyons stated, “To further address that Council Member Cuthbert, we recognize that ongoing issue and I thank you very much in giving us an opportunity to follow-up and follow through. And Ms. Elliott spoke to us so eloquently that you probably did not notice and catch one it. One of the directions from the City Manager is that we are working to open an office and we just came up with the office on yesterday of ‘Customer Engagement.’ Along with Ms. Elliott and Mr. Evans and several other in HR, we started to talk yesterday about how do we get that opened by the end of the month and how we get that fully staffed to help facilitate some of the issues that you are talking about. Secondly, it would relieve some of the pressure from the staff in billing and collections. There is a lot of things in the billing and collections bill. Some of those items they are not able to fully address and they may be code violations and things of that nature. So, we believe that if we are able to get this off to open on the first floor of City Hall. They have recarpeted and there is staff in there and they have started to put plexiglass in there. And we think that once the manager gets back and we able to explain to her the process and then we will be able to get individuals in there. Potentially existing staff in other operations without hiring other people.” Council Member Cuthbert stated, “I certainly hope that it happens. It really seems to me that the public ought to be able to reach someone by phone to get an explanation as to their utility bill. And right now, that is not happening. I hate to tell the public to get in your car and come on downtown and find a parking place and come on inside and we will be glad to answer your question. I would get smacked down if I told a constituent that. And I think for good reason. So, I certainly look forward to when the public can reach a human being and get an answer. But it is important that a member of the public can reach a person and not a voicemail or voicemail box being full. Let me go to the deposit amount for new accounts. I think that we increase the deposit amounts to help us with our collection rate. But let me go back to the basics. How much does a citizen have to pay when opening up a new residential account?” Mr. Evans stated, “Residential for new accounts pay $75 and there is a $25 administration fee. However, if they had a previous account when they had a bad account and they didn’t pay on time then their percentage is higher.” There was discussion among City Council and staff regarding the state statue and new accounts. *Item 9E is moved up to after 9A. b. Presentation on Revenue Anticipation Note (RAN). Stacey Jordan, Accounting Manager in Finance Department, gave an overview. David Rose and Roland Kooch from Davenport presented a PowerPoint presentation on the RAN.  http://www.petersburgva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5495/Petersburg-City-of-VA-RAN- DIscussion-Materials_20200826-FINAL?bidId= (PowerPoint)  http://www.petersburgva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5496 Key points: *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -5– ______________________________________________________________________________  City Council may choose one of the following option: (1) Issue RAN for $1M less than prior year’s RAN amount of $5,500,000; at $4,500,000; (2) Issue RAN for 50% or half of prior year’s RAN amount of $5,500,000; at $2,750,000; (3) Issue no RAN at all; at $0  The Department of Finance will continue to closely monitor cash balances as a RAN may still be needed later this year.  On August 18, 2020, a meeting was held by City Administration and Staff to discuss the potential next steps for implementing a RAN in FY 2021.  At the August meeting City Administration and the Department of Finance provided actual cash flows and ending cash balances information for FY2018, FY2019 and FY2020. In addition, projected FY2021 cash flows and cash balances were also provided. The above cash flow information showed that the City has ended each of the past three fiscal years with cash balances that have been increasing year over year. The City’s cash and unassigned fund balance levels are at their strongest point in the past ten years as shown in the FY2019 CAFR.  Davenport will stay in close contact with the City Administration as it monitors cash flows in the next several There was discussion among City Council Members and staff. Mayor Parham stated that the RAN is being removed from the consent agenda based on the recommendation from the City Manager. c. A presentation on the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) African American Cemetery & Graves Fund Grant Application for People’s Memorial Cemetery. Reginald Tabor, Wayne Crocker and Kate Sangregorio gave a briefing on the grant application for People’s Memorial Cemetery. Key points:  Department of Historic Resources was enacted to support the preservation and protection of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s significant historic, architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources.  The Code of Virginia authorizes the Director to manage and administer the Historical African American Cemeteries and Graves Fund as provided in section §10.1-2211.3.  A Historical African American cemetery is defined as a cemetery that was established prior to January 1, 1900, for the interment of African Americans.  City of Petersburg acquired People’s Cemetery January 21, 1986.  DHR Architectural Survey was completed on June 25, 2020 with identifying 300 qualifying graves. Kate Sangregorio provide additional information regarding the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) African American Cemetery & Graves Fund Grant Application for People’s Memorial Cemetery. Key points:  The City received confirmation that the application and accompanying documents appear to be in order and, therefore, DHR will proceed with listing the cemetery as eligible for annual funding from the African American Cemetery and Graves Fund.  DHR must confirm that the number of eligible graves is correct, then draft agreements for the grant between the City and DHR.  Half of the funding will be utilized for maintaining the invasive brush which Public Works *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -6– ______________________________________________________________________________ maintains along the fence line of the Cemetery.  The brush easily overtakes some graves along the fence. There was discussion among City Council and staff. d. A presentation on the City’s Comprehensive Plan Update. Mr. Tabor gave a briefing of the Comprehensive Plan. Key points:  In the preparation of the Comprehensive Plan the commission will make careful and comprehensive surveys and studies of the existing conditions and trends of growth and of the probable future requirements of its territory and inhabitants.  The plan with accompanying maps plats charts and descriptive matter shall show the locality’s long-range recommendations for the general development of the territory covered by the plan.  The Comprehensive Plan shall be made with the purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development of the territory which will in accordance with the present and probable future needs and resources to best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare of the inhabitants including the elderly and person with disabilities.  e. A Presentation on the City’s 2020-2024 HUD Consolidated Plan. Mr. Tabor gave a briefing of the City’s 2020-2024 HUD Consolidated Plan. Key points:  The Consolidated Plan is designed to help states and local jurisdictions to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions.  Through the Consolidated Plan, grantee jurisdictions engage the community, as partners and stakeholders in the implementation of CPD programs.  By consulting and collaborating with other public and private entities, grantees can align and coordinate community development programs with a range of other plans, programs, and resources to achieve greater impact. Mr. Tabor stated, “I would also like to request that council consideration adding to the consent agenda a public hearing to adopt the 2020-2024 Consolidate Plan. f. COVID-19 Update. Ms. Tyus stated, “Good afternoon. What we are presenting today is the status that we committee to in giving you all an update at each council meeting on where we are with our COVID-19 CDBG funds expenditure. At the top of the report that you see, we have been talking about doing a couple of things. One of them was the business grant program that we want to tell you where we are with that. We are so excited about the interest in this particular project. I am going to let Ms. Flowers give you an update on where we are with that. But first I want to thank the review committee who went through almost 200 applications from businesses in the City of Petersburg. And that committee consisted of Carthan and Kelly from Economic Development, Commissioner of Revenue Brittany Flowers, Shawn Nicholson from Workforce Development, and Mr. Sam Rhue from the Economic Development Association. So, I want to thank the committee for the timeframe, and I want to thank Mr. Jackson Miller as the project manager on this particular initiative. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -7– ______________________________________________________________________________ Ms. Brittany Flowers, Commissioner of Revenue, stated, “Good afternoon everyone. With this that I was assigned to, I really enjoyed it. And from the Commissioner of Revenue standpoint we had some business who got in compliance with us who was not. And from that we received $1,491.02 of unpaid business licenses tax. And $20,211.07 in unpaid meals and lodging tax. So, a lot of revenue came from this project that we were doing in the last two or three weeks. So, for that we are thankful.” Ms. Tyus stated, “I think that one of the parameters for the business grants is that you have a current business license. So, that the way that we got the additional money we were very flexible with businesses that they had valid licenses in 2019 and did not pay 2020. We assumed that it was probably because of COVID. And of the 25 companies that we gave the opportunity to, 18 came and paid their business licenses. And we are so proud of that. What you have attached to this document is that we are summarizing what we did. So, this grant, we went to the City Manager and said that there are so many companies that we would like to fund. The City Manager said what would it take for you to fund everybody who is eligible at some level. And we told her that it would take $212,000. And she authorized us to do that. So, what we will say to you is that any business that qualifies and gave us a justification we tried to fund them if they came in compliance. And we were very flexible with that. The second thing is contact tracing. We are happy to say that five contact tracers have been identified and are going through the background check process and we will start out their training on about September 14th. The next thing is that Kemi has been engaged with the Crater Region communication people for every jurisdiction in the region. And they come up with an education plan for residents as we move to the next phase of this. And the City of Petersburg based on population, our portion of that is the $20,335. And we had already done the resource guide. So, the extra commitment from what we had in which the City Manager will help us to identify is $3,616. And that will complete what we are doing in the particular part. Lastly, we attached the document that we are giving you all which is the Crater Health District ESF8 Report which tells you where we stand. And that concludes our report.” There was discussion among City Council and staff. 10. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA (to include minutes of previous meeting/s) a. Request to schedule a public hearing on or before September 14, 2020. The Continuity of Government Ordinance previously adopted by Council expires on September 14, 2020. This ordinance replaces the prior ordinance and will extend the emergency operation provisions through March 14, 2021. b. ABC License for property at 15 W. Old Street (The Traveling Vine LLC) c. Consideration of an appropriation for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, 2nd Round - $2,734,818 – 1st Reading d. Request a public hearing on the Issuance of Revenue Anticipation Notes (RAN) e. Minutes of Special Meeting of May 5, 2020; May 12, 2020; May 19, 2020; June 2, 2020; June 16, 2020; July 7, 2020 and July 21, 2020; and the Special Closed Session Meetings of June 2, 2020; June 16, 2020, and July 7, 2020. Council Member Myers made a motion to approve the consent agenda and to schedule the public hearings as noted. The motion was seconded by Council Member Smith-Lee. There was discussion on the motion. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, and Parham; Absent: Hart 11. OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS: a. A public hearing to consider the rezoning of the property at 607 High Street, Tax Parcel 010- 170017, formerly the site of the High Street United Methodist Church, from R-3, Two-Family Residence district to PUD, Planned United Methodist. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -8– ______________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg received a request from SC Maplewood Ave, LLC (Mark Baker) to rezone the site of the former High Street United Methodist Church, from R-3 to PUD, to permit a mixed-use development that would include multi-family residential and commercial uses. As required, signs were posted June 17, 2020, ads were submitted June 17, 2020 and June 24, 2020, and 27 Adjacent Property Notifications were sent June 24, 2020. The Planning Commission held a public hearing and considered the petition during their July 1, 2020 meeting. During the public hearing both comments in favor of and in opposition to the proposed rezoning were heard. The Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council approval of the rezoning request with staff recommendations and the condition that an on-site management office be maintained. Staff Recommendations included: 1) That the design of the proposed redevelopment of the existing structure located at 607 High Street substantially conform to the submitted preliminary site plan, which will be reviewed through the City’s Site Plan Review process; 2) That the applicant agrees, in writing to maintain appropriate landscaping around the parking lot and at the entrance of the building along High Street. 3) That the applicant employs landscaping measures to maximize coverage and reduce any potential visual impacts; 4) That the applicant will comply with all signage criteria as outlined in Article 21, Sign Regulations of the Zoning Ordinance and understands that any/all signage must be reviewed by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) prior to erection or placement. All exterior alterations and changes must also be reviewed and approved by the ARB after submitted application is reviewed by the City of Petersburg’s Preservation Planner. 5) That the applicant agrees to maintain the parking lot in a manner which will minimize its aesthetic and visual impact. That applicants shall ensure that the parking lot regardless of the number of spaces, must have individual spaces marked. 6) Each parking space is properly delineated with paint or plastic stripping which shall provide a permanent delineation between spaces. Spaces should be arranged so that any maneuvering directly incidental to entering or leaving a parking space shall not be on any public street, alley, or walkway. ** Preservation Planner should be notified of any materials used to change parking surface and coloring. Parking requirements: Church or civic associations – One (1) space for every four (4) seats; Multi-family – One (1) space per each one-bedroom unit Two (2) spaces per every two (2) or more bedroom units; Yoga studio – One (1) space for every 200 square feet of floor space. 7) That no advertising or other signs be placed on the building without the review and approval of the ARB. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council holds a public hearing and considers approval of the rezoning of the property at 607 High Street from R-3 to PUD. Reginald Tabor, Interim Director of Planning and Community Development, gave an overview of the *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 -9– ______________________________________________________________________________ request for rezoning for property at 607 High Street. Mayor Parham opened the floor for public comments. Seeing no hands, Mayor Parham closed the public hearing. There was discussion among City Council. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion approve the PUD as proposed on the application and in the council packet with the recommendations of the Planning Commission. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Wilson- Smith, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, and Parham; Absent: Hart 20-ORD-39 AN ORDINANCE APPROVE THE REZONING OF THE PROPERTY AT 607 HIGH STREET FROM R-3 TO PUD. 12. 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 time period, shall be determined as follows: a) First, in chronological order of the notice, persons who have notified the Clerk no later than 12:00 noon of the day of the meeting, b) Second, in chronological order of their sign up, persons who have signed a sign-up sheet placed by the Clerk in the rear of the meeting room prior to the meeting. Michelle Murrills, 131 S. Market Street, stated, “And I just wanted to say that I appreciate the sound system that you have upgraded. I know it is because the City Manager needed to be able to hear what was going on. I still think that we should do in person meetings, but I do appreciate the sound system because it is much easier to hear you guys today. I just wanted to let you know that. Thank you.” Patrick Ingram, 836 S. Gillfield Street, stated, “My first question is regarding the A.P. Hill Community Center. A while back there was a community leader who proposed a project for the center and had grant funding backing. However, that party was told that the community center had to be placed up for bid. What is the status of the community center being placed up for bid? As we are seeing a lot of the City assets being sold off. Next, I know we talked about sending a message more specifically to young people. I do have some concerns that the location where the invitees were sitting at were not wiped down or sanitized. We have attendees of the meeting today without mask on the entire duration of the meeting and social distancing was not in place. So, that is a concern for me especially as we are looking as leaders to relay messages down to our community about the importance of taking all the necessary steps to decrease the COVID-19 to our community which is now surging. Next, thing is regarding upcoming schools’ sessions. I am concerned about what we are appropriating in terms of funds for our schools. I know that there are council members on board that do great work in feeding the kids and taking care of them. However, how are we looking at making sure that the kids are getting two meals a day and making sure that the internet and IT infrastructure can hold all the students being online. That is just some concerns to me especially as we have funding available. How are we going to appropriate? Finally, when it comes to the office of community and customer engagement, what is the cost of this new office in terms of the facility, upkeep, sanitation and staffing and where is that funding coming from. Although, I find it necessary to have such a center how will this overall impact and deal with our need for improvement of our customer experience dealing with our utilities. When we look at the organizational structure it is full and top heavy. So, I just really want to press the importance of looking at streamlining down positions *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 10 – ______________________________________________________________________________ to add more money back into our organizational structure so that our custodial workers that make $9 an hour and are cleaning our schools and facilities have the ability to get paid more. There are bus drivers that make $29,000 and have the ability to make more during times of COVID when they are essential service. I relinquish the rest of my time. Thank you.” 13. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR OR OTHER MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL: Council Member Cuthbert stated, “Flashback to our meeting on June 2nd, of this summer. At that meeting I moved that the City repair and remediate problems at the Walnut Hill Fire Station. Councilman Hill seconded my motion and all that was present voted in favor of the motion. And I appreciate Councilman Hill leadership and council’s leadership as well. I was delighted that we moved forward. Now, let us go forward to last Saturday, August 29th. We had a great event there last Saturday and staff arranged for a grand reopening. It was a great success and I thank staff for arranging the event. In between June 2nd and the reopening, a lot of work was done. Mr. Lyons oversaw the City’s efforts and I thank him for all he did to make it happen. I thank the City Manager for finding the money to pay for the work and for her essential support for the project from beginning to end. Also, while I am doing my thank you’s I want to thank Ms. Jackson for numbering the pages of our agenda. As you may notice that those page numbers are there. I found those page numbers to be helpful in the motion that I made concerning a past rezoning. And I think that we all find those numbers helpful. As I few and study the agenda before a meeting, I get the pages out of order and the page numbers help me put things back together like they started before I started tearing my agenda apart. So, I thank Ms. Jackson for that because it is a big help. Thank you, Ms. Jackson. Let me turn to the landfill for a moment. This is a question that Mr. Lyons or Ms. Tyus can answer. I think that we all noticed an awful lot of broken household equipment being discarded without authorization from vacant lots around the City. I am wondering if there is a connection between that happening on one hand and Petersburg residents being able to take old tv’s or sofas to the landfill. Maybe there is a connection and may be there is not. I know in Ward 4 I call in a complaint just yesterday to Ms. Tyus and her crew to 615 Mingea Street. There is an old TV, a mattress and a sofa and a tire next to it as well. I am sure that Ms. Tyus and her crew will clean it up quickly. I see that it is a shame that we are putting this on City staff when some citizens are being irresponsible. So, I am wondering Ms. Tyus is there a way to put this out to the public for disposing of unwanted household items.” Ms. Tyus stated, “Yes, sir. The landfill is not closed to residents. What is happening is there are no new dumping at this landfill. But anybody that takes refuge to the landfill, then the landfill takes it to another site. So, it is still open to residents for the same fees that they have customarily paid. We met with the company and our crew this week where they acknowledge that they did way back a community education planning that they have not done in a while. They have agreed that they will now come back and reestablish a community and resident communications strategy so that residents will know that the landfill is still open. And that they will also know that there is a number for them to call if Meridian is not doing what they are supposed to do. But the other side is accountability. So, we have residents that are habitual folks in terms of having their garbage dumped badly. The company has a right to phone those residents as well. So, they are going to go back and start reporting those residents that are dumping and putting their refuge out in a way that is not in compliance. As my team is trying to do a better job of paying attention and the company is now committed to paying attention. So, we are going to do a complete check, and everyone is accountable and thank you everyone in the community.” Council Member Cuthbert stated, “Thank you Ms. Tyus. I certainly, by my question, do not mean to approve of unauthorized dumping. I think that it is irresponsible and at the same time I think that it will be helpful to get more information to our citizens so that responsible citizens can do the right thing. So, thank you very much. Lastly, I want to go back to a question that I asked at a previous meeting that was kind of addressed at the very beginning of this meeting. What can the City administration do help in distribution of safety and testing of COVID-19 in assisted living, group homes and nursing homes? I wonder with another two *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 11 – ______________________________________________________________________________ weeks that staff can give a stab at that and tell council what the City administration can do to help in this regard.” Ms. Tyus stated, “There were a couple of things with that question. On this morning and every week, the health department has all of the congregant care facilities on the call just like we have all the jurisdiction on the call. They are paying attention to them on a weekly basis. And so, even this morning when I reached out to them again, they said that they were on that call and that they are paying attention. That is the answer. The health department is paying attention to them on a weekly basis. You had given us another question and included in that list was Sycamore Towers. We have now checked our location at Sycamore Towers, and we have followed up with your person and she is taking herself to get checked.” Council Member Cuthbert stated, “Well that is great. Back to the question of what the City administration can do to have onsite testing for COVID-19 at assisted living facilities and group homes and nursing homes in Petersburg. If you would think about that question between now and our next meeting and address that for me. I am especially interested in testing on site. Thank you.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “I wanted to ask Ms. Tyus has the City of Petersburg received any new equipment of the PPE?” Ms. Tyus stated, “Yes, the City of Petersburg received new PPE and we distributed PPE to the public schools where we made sure that every student going back to school as a part of the public school system that every student had a mask that was distributed two Saturdays ago. And we also distributed part of it to the TRIAD meeting that happened to our seniors last week and we do have half of it left to do other things with it. So, yes we did.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “When you say half of it is left, how much is that?” Ms. Tyus stated, “5,000.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “And with our numbers consistently going up is there a plan as to how we are going to distribute it?” Ms. Tyus stated, “We would love to hear your thoughts.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “I take that it means that there is no current plan.” Ms. Tyus stated, “There is no current plan, and we would love to hear anybody’s thoughts. Because at this point, we have distributed PPE and supported all of the initiatives that can. So, we welcome anybody’s thoughts. But we do have them.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “Thank you for that. Also, I wanted to ask the City Manager if she could explore the hiring of a grant writer or manager and come back with some information. Does it seem feasible? Would it fit in our City? Did you have any thoughts on whether we needed a manager if so why? If not, why? If you could bring that information back to the next council meeting, I would appreciate that.” Mrs. Benavides stated, “Yes ma’am. And what I will do just for that. We have previously had grant managers and a writer in the City. And each individual is dealing with it. But I also asked both finance and budget to look at that and see if there is a road. I think the main focus for us, and we talk about this is that from a grant writer standpoint we have had them. Never very successful but okay. But we get tons of grants in. The issue we need is someone who is also managing it. Because many people think that the answer is to bring in more grant funding. There is a lot too it that can result in grant funding happening to be reimbursed. So, we are *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 12 – ______________________________________________________________________________ looking from a finance standpoint that there is a dedicated person. Their job is to monitor and make sure that we are in compliance with it. But what I will ask the team to do is let us put our heads together and let’s talk about it and let’s talk about how we can fill in that process.” Council Member Wilson-Smith stated, “And the last thing that I have is to ask council and Mrs. Benavides, if we can start as early as our next council meeting to start working on our Legislative Agenda so that we can have it finalized by the second meeting in October or the first meeting in November. So, our backs are not against the wall as it generally is. And within that I would like to suggest that we look at our Charter, in the section that talks about the constitutional officers and indicate within that somehow to put an educational component or knowledge, skills and ability when it comes to the election of the treasurer. I think that is the key that is missing. Right now, there are no elements as to who the citizens are voting for. They just vote for someone they knew without that individual having the knowledge, skills, and ability necessary to carry out the job. So, what I am suggesting is that we insert that in the Legislative Agenda. I would also like for us to look at again in our Legislative Agenda to discuss and consider changing the Charter so that the citizens can vote for their own Mayor. And this list is not limited to not just what I suggest. So, I am asking everybody if we can come back and stipulate what we as a council might want on that Legislative Agenda and then be prepared to discuss it a little later on to the delegate. And that is all that I have I believe. Thank you so much.” Council Member Hill stated, “Yes, good evening everyone. Madam City Manager, if you will at our next meeting, can you give us a briefing on the water billing department. A briefing on how they come up with the actual billing at our next meeting. I am very excited that we are not getting a RAN right now. I think that is great news and I want to thank the council and administration for their hard work and Davenport. I think that is a great step in the right direction. It is up to us to education them on that and other things. That is great news. And as far as COVID-19, I think that we all need for you to be aware that it is still out here. I had to take my daughter to school yesterday to college and they have a system. But I still worry and pray for the children. We need to do the right things. We are social distancing as much as we can be in this particular room. If we get any further apart, we would probably be outside. So, I thank the administration for accommodating the best way that they can. We had a great day this past Saturday and I ditto a little bit on what Council Member Cuthbert stated that through his leadership that Fire Station 4 was open. The citizens are excited about it. The firemen are excited. So, we thank all that participated and played a part in getting that building back into compliance. It is going to save lives now that they are back open. Although their impact is small, but it is great. We thank them for continuing to be open to work. Ward 2 will have a Town Hall Meeting next month and I will come up with that time and place at our next meeting. With that Mr. Mayor and Members of Council, that will be all. Thank you.” Council Member Myers stated, “I thank you Mr. Mayor. I might want to add onto what Councilwoman Wilson-Smith stated earlier. Is that we do need to look at the Charter for any amendments that need to be done with respect to those who are candidates for the Office of the Treasurer. Certainly, they need to have some form of credential with respect to finance of the City of Petersburg and also need to know how to follow the rules with respect to the people’s money for the City of Petersburg. So, I certainly mimic what Councilwoman Wilson-Smith said and address this in our Legislative Agenda in this coming year. Also, would like to thank our City Manager, her staff, and City Council, because we have come a long way. And you have been very supportive, and we have been very supportive of you Mr. Mayor in your role in helping us to continue to come a long way. So, when people are pointing fingers and misrepresentation, it pisses me off and it makes no sense to me. Thirty years of an unfund balance and now we are at the point that we may not need a RAN. We have cleaned the City up from where it was years ago from back when we had a deficit. It did not happen overnight. But we are moving forward. So, I am looking forward to the future. Thank you, City Manager, for your work with us, the Robert Bobb Group and all of the staff that have come along to help us move forward. You know it is certainly heartwarming to see that we are all working together. I even have to look at Council Member Cuthbert and shake my head and say thank you sometimes. Thank you all very much.” *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 13 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Council Member Smith-Lee stated, “I appreciate you all. City Manager, thank you for the leadership and your team and for your hard work. We have come a long way. Because when you first came on City Council, we were $19 million dollars in the deficit. But look at us now. We have had some agreements and disagreements but if we all stay on course and our main goal is making Petersburg better. So, Cool Springs Elementary School is having a back to school material pickup drive for kindergarten and fifth grade. The drive will be today from 4pm to 6:30pm. First grade and fourth grade will be September 2nd from 4pm to 6:30pm. Also, the grades second grade and third grade pickup will be Thursday, September 3rd from 4pm to 6:30pm. Also, I just need to tell Ms. Tyus team to go around again to service the area again because the grass has grown back. And I know because of the rain, but constantly I am getting calls from citizens. So, I try to make sure that they are taken care of also. And I just want to give a special thanks to our public service and safety guys and women here in the City of Petersburg. If it were not for them things would not be taken care of. Thank you.” Vice Mayor Hart stated, “Good afternoon all. I just want to thank you all for the hard work that you have been doing and showing. Ms. Tyus, thank you for patching the hole on Richmond Avenue on last week. The citizens truly appreciate it. Nobody has damaged their cars and we are moving in the right directions. They said that this is probably the quickest that anyone has every moved on that street. It took a team to get us back in the black and out the red. So, one thing that I want to ask Gerrit to do is google Marietta Square Market. And I only ask that because I want everyone to take a look at this and tell me where do you see this place in Petersburg. One thing about me is that when I go out of town I go to other places and being an engineer I always look at buildings to see how they are designed and since being on council I try to see where we can improve and do without spending a bunch of money. All I saw was this being in Petersburg making us some money. And if we do not do a RAN this year, we may not need it again if we can build something like this. We can start making money on our own and we can tell Davenport that we do not need their money anymore and other things. So, we can really grow as a City and continue to improve and not look at RAN’s. For me all I saw was this type of stuff in Petersburg and also when you go around the City of Petersburg you cannot find any merchandise with our names on it anymore. So, unless you go inside Wal-Mart or Walgreen’s those are the only souvenirs that you can find in Petersburg. Unless you go to school’s and at one time it was ‘I am Petersburg this’ and “I am Petersburg that’ and I think that we sold out of all of it. And there is nothing wrong with getting some more of it. Because surprisingly or not if you visit the people of the area, they all want something that has Petersburg on it except for a bill. And we will leave that up to Charlie because Charlie will send you a bill. It has been upgraded and changed within the last five years. They are open for business and I had a great lunch there. I see that we can do the same type of stuff there here in Petersburg. One thing that I learned over time is when people owe you money you are not supposed to be broke unless you cannot catch up with them. Too many people owe us money that we are broke. And it is not that they borrowed it from us, and we cannot catch up with them. So, in the times of Charlie let’s hunt them down and get this money. Thank you.” Council Member Myers stated, “Mr. Mayor, it’s something that I forgot to say earlier today, and I apologize. Happy Birthday!” Mayor Parham stated, “I have joined the middle age. It made me think about that being a middle age person, and I think that I am the youngest one on council still. And I am no spring chicken. And it is important that we talk about the youth and building the next generation of talent. And it was good to read about Meziah Scott in the Richmond Times Dispatch asking to be on Petersburg City Council. It is good to see young guys having those dreams. I was a young guy in Petersburg before chasing that dream. I just wanted to recognize our schools which are going back in session virtually and we are missing a lot of what would have been a great fall sports session that has been delayed because of COVID. But they are moving into the next stage of their lives and it is good to be here and a good to have a team in place that is securing the future of these young athletes and young men and women that come back and serve their City. It was not too many years ago when *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 14 – ______________________________________________________________________________ it was in the news and paper about splitting Petersburg up between Chesterfield, Prince George, and Dinwiddie. The news was so sober that they counted this council out. They counted our administration out. But being here today and knowing that we have broken the 15 years RAN curse that has been $500,000 a year for 15 years. That is a huge achievement. And even though we do not get enough accolades and things of that nature we had great financial issues. People talk about all the time about our leadership being top heavy which is the biggest host that I have heard in my life. I talk to people outside the City and they ask how did you all get that type of talent of your City Manager and Deputy City Manager in Petersburg. So, do not take it for granted having the excellent people that we have in place that are serving our citizens because it is a huge difference in transforming this City and breaking into the first century. With the strides of Mrs. Benavides and her staff, I thank you all and I appreciate you all and you keep pushing on and always believe and never worry about the critics. You let you work that you do speak for you. That is what this council is about and that is what this administration is about. So, thank you again to everyone for your sacrifices and we are going to continue to do great things in the City of Petersburg.” 14. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA: *No items for this portion of the agenda. 15. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: a. Consideration of an ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute a Purchase Agreement toward the Sale of City-owned property that includes properties in Ward 5. BACKGROUND: The City received a proposal from PB Petersburg Owner LLC to purchase City- owned properties. During the April 28, 2020 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted 20-ORD-17 an ordinance to approve and authorize the City Manager to 1000 Diamond Street to PB Petersburg Owner LLC for $10 provided that by a binding agreement on all future owners that include the following provisions: 1)occupancy is limited to senior citizens and veterans; 2) no more than half of the apartments will be two bedrooms and rest one bedroom; 3) the promises made by PB Petersburg owners LLC in agenda item 11f are kept and 4) the owner will accept the current assessment for the next three years. Also during the April 28, 2020 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted a motion that a matter regarding the sale of parcels in Ward 5 be moved to the Planning Commission for its study and recommendation to City Council, specifically, City Council ask the Planning Commission to recommend action for council to take after the Planning Commission has explored all aspects for this proposed sale deemed relevant by the Planning Commission. Including but not limited to: 1) What is the developer promising to do and how can these promises be made and enforceable by the City; 2) The likely fair market value of the houses when construction is completed and when the houses are 15 years old; 3) Whether the developer will be obligated to accept Section 8 housing vouchers as rent payments; 4) The likely cost of additional municipal services such as public school education and the amount of likely additional revenue such as real estate taxes if the lots are developed as proposed; and 5) Whether it would be the City’s advantage to offer these lots for sale by issuing a request for proposal open to all interested potential purchasers. During the July 21, 2020 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted the unanimous decision by the Planning Commission and voted to move forward with the disposal of properties that are listed and negotiated by the City Manager and staff. Also, during the July 21, 2020 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution approving the development agreement for the Virginia Avenue School property and the parcels in Ward 5. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 15 – ______________________________________________________________________________ The City Council had previously approved an ordinance authorizing the sale of the property at 1000 Diamond Street, however the ordinance authorizing the sale of the residential parcels was tabled until after a recommendation from the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission recommendation was approved and this is a request to officially approve the ordinance authorizing the City Manager to execute the purchase agreement for the residential parcels that was previously tabled until after the Planning Commission recommendation was received. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council considers adoption of an ordinance approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Purchase Agreement and proceed with the sale of City-owned property in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Carthan Currin, Director of Economic Development, gave a brief overview of the purchase agreement regarding lots in Ward 5. Council Member Myers stated, “I would like to yield some of my time to Council Member Cuthbert, where I would to put the motion on the floor to move forward and give the City Manager the authority to execute the purchase agreement but there are certain parcels on there that I think needs to be removed from this list. Unless there is a due diligence period that City of Petersburg will take on to ensure that these lots are buildable.” Mr. Williams stated, “So, at the request of the developers counsel there is a provision to allow them to remove any unbuildable lots or lots that they determine are not consistent with their needs during the due diligence period. That is included in the purchase agreement.” There was discussion among City Council Members and staff. Council Member Myers made a motion to authorize the City Manager to execute a purchase agreement for the sale of City owned property with the exclusion of 522 Hinton Street, 516 Hinton Street, 539 West Washington Street, 52 North Carolina Avenue, 980 South Sycamore Street and 246 St. Luke Street. The motion was seconded by Council Member Cuthbert. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith 20-ORD-40 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT TOWARD THE SALE OF FORTY-NINE (49) PARCELS OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY IN WARD 5 WITH THE EXCLUSION OF 522 HINTON STREET, 516 HINTON STREET, 539 WEST WASHINGTON STREET, 52 NORTH CAROLINA AVENUE, 980 SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET, AND 246 ST. LUKE STREET. b. Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Purchase Agreement toward the Sale of the City-owned property located at 1203 W. Washington Street. BACKGROUND: The City has received a proposal from Ms. Kathrine Patterson to purchase the following City -owned property: Parcel ID Premise Street Proposed Use 024-220019 1203 W Washington Single Family Home *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 16 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Ms. Kathrine Patterson proposes to develop the property as an owner -occupied single family residence .The parcel is located in a residential neighborhood and the building on the parcel has been vacant for several years .The building is a former single family residence .The site includes a .144 -acre parcel with a building that is 1,544sf. Potential benefits include a revitalized vacant residential building increased value of the property and , revenue from the City -owned property back on the tax roll . The assessed value of the property is $ 32,700. The offer price is $ 20,000, and the proposed private investment is $ 35,000. In accordance with applicable legal requirements, a public hearing is required to approaching and authorizing the sale of the City -owned property. During the April 14, 2020 City Council meeting the City Council scheduled a public hearing to consider this item on April 28,2020. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council holds a public hearing on March 3, 2020 and subsequently considers adoption of an ordinance approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute a Purchase Agreement and proceed with the sale of City-owned property in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Vice Mayor Hart made a motion to schedule the public hearing for September 15, 2020. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham c. Consideration to authorize the City Manager to sign a development agreement for the development of vacant properties located at 804-806 Bolling Street, 411 Shore Street, 520 Shore Street, 524 Shore Street, 525 Shore Street, 745 Wilson Street, and 747 Wilson Street. BACKGROUND: The City has received a proposal from Ms. Sheila Bynum-Coleman to purchase the following City-owned property:  627 North South Street  915 West High Street  901 Halifax Street  107-109 West Street  437-37A Harrison Street  804-806 Bolling Street  520,524, 525,530, 516-518 Shore Street  725, 729,735, 745 and 747 Wilson Street JC Bynum Construction LLC will build owner occupied single-family homes on twelve vacant lots. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council holds a public hearing on September 2020 and execute a Purchase agreement and proceed with the sale of City own property in accordance with applicable legal requirements. There was discussion from City staff. Council Member Myers made a motion to enter into closed session. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham CERTIFICATION: *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 17 – ______________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Williams stated, “The Mayor would entertain a motion to conclude the closed session called this evening to certify in accordance with §2.2-3712 that the Code of Virginia that to the best of each members knowledge that only public business matter lawfully exempted from the opening meeting requirements were discussed and that only such public business matters were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened, heard, discussed or considered. If any member believes that there was a departure from the foregoing requirements should so state prior to the vote indicating the substance for departure that in his or her judgment has taken place. This requires a roll call vote Mr. Mayor.” Vice Mayor Hart 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 Myers. There was no discussion on the motion. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith 20-R-45 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 returned to open session at 3:37pm. Council Member Myers made a motion to authorize the City Manager to sign a development agreement of vacant properties located at 804-806 Bolling Street, 411 Shore Street, 520 Shore Street, 524 Shore Street, 525 Shore Street, 745 Wilson Street, and 747 Wilson Street. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith 16. NEW BUSINESS: a. Consideration of an appropriation for the Virginia Department Emergency management’s Emergency Management Performance Grant (LEMP) in the amount of $10,675. BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg receives grants annually to assist with training and equipment to assist in response to radiological emergencies. These funds are programmed for the upkeep and expansion of equipment for responders in hazardous materials environments. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend that Council approve the re-appropriation of any current and future unspent funding to be carried over to the following fiscal year budget of the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for use in accordance with §44-146.18:1, amended in the Code of Virginia. Council Member Hill made a motion to approve the appropriation. The motion was seconded by Council Member Smith-Lee. Mayor Parham opened the floor for public comment. Seeing no hands, Mayor Parham closed public comments. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 18 – ______________________________________________________________________________ The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith 20-ORD-41 AN ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, SAID ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1, 2020, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2021 FOR THE GRANTS FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,675. b. Consider appropriating funds for a Radiological Emergency Preparedness Grant from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in the amount of $4,199.98 BACKGROUND: The City of Petersburg receives grants annually to assist with training and equipment to assist in response to radiological emergencies. These funds are programmed for the upkeep and expansion of equipment for responders in hazardous materials environments. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend that Council approve the re-appropriation of any current and future unspent funding to be carried over to the following fiscal year budget of the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for use in accordance with 44-146.33 as amended in the Code of Virginia. Council Member Hill made a motion to approve the re-appropriation of any current and future unspent funding to be carried over to the following fiscal year budget of the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services for use in accordance with 44-146.33 as amended in the Code of Virginia. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. Mayor Parham opened the floor for public comment. Seeing no hands, Mayor Parham closed public comments. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith 20-ORD-42 AN ORDINANCE, AS AMENDED, SAID ORDINANCE MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JULY 1, 2020, AND ENDING JUNE 30, 2021, FOR THE GRANT FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,199.98. c. Consideration of re/appointment to the Economic Development Authority. BACKGROUND: The Economic Development Authority consists of 7 members appointed by City Council. The duties of the board include, but are not limited to, the following: The Authority shall have the powers to acquire, own, lease, and dispose of properties. Such authority may be able to promote industry and develop trade by inducting manufacturing, industrial, governmental and commercial enterprises to locate in or remain in the Commonwealth and further the use of its agricultural products and natural resources; to issue its bonds for the purpose of carrying out any of its power. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend Council make an appointment to the Economic Development Authority. There was discussion from City Council Members on the terms. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to reappoint Michael Packer and appoint Ahkinyala Abdullah effective September 1, 2020 and effective October 1, 2020 to reappoint Winston Sanders, Samuel Rhue and appoint Raymond Crockett. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. The motion was approved on *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 19 – ______________________________________________________________________________ roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson- Smith 20-R-46 A RESOLUTION REAPPOINTING MICHAEL PACKER AND APPOINTING AHKINYALA ABDULLAH EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 AND EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2020 TO REAPPOINT WINSTON SANDERS, SAMUEL RHUE AND APPOINT RAYMOND CROCKETT FOR A TERM ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2024. d. Consideration of appointment/s to the Anti-Poverty Commission. Mayor Parham stated, “It has been moved to the next meeting. Council Member Wilson-Smith is not here so she asked if we could table that item.” 17. CITY MANAGER’S AGENDA: Mr. Lyons gave a briefing of the City Manager’s report. Key points:  Police has taken 286 illegal guns of the streets to date.  Petersburg Area Transit has closed 12 of its 13 Triennial Review Findings.  Staff has begun transitioning to the Old Dominion Building.  City Manager Office has been under repair and they are in the final stages of getting everything done. They should be back in the office in the next week or two.  Plexy Glass is being installed in Billing and Collections for their safety.  FOLAR did a kick-off yesterday for the paving at the Appomattox.  In the final stages of wrapping up St. Andrews Street Bridge. Hope to have a grand kick-off by September 21st.  Moving with the recruitment of the Fire Chief.  Memo sent out on the Park and Ride Structure and last meeting with the design firm is Thursday of this week. There was discussion among City Council and staff. Council Member Hill made a motion to authorize the City Manager to approve the MOU for Friday Night Food Trucks in the Old Towne area. The motion was seconded by Council Member Myers. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Myers, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith; Abstain: Cuthbert Mrs. Benavides stated, “Mayor and Council I am pleased to reintroduce to you Mr. Jeremy Tenant. He has rejoined our team. He will be working with Reggie and his official title is Assistant to City Manager. He is actually the Assistant Planning Director. He is going to be leading our way. He is working with the pharmaceutical development. And as you saw earlier when Reggie did the presentation on the Comprehensive Plan, he did a fabulous job. There is a lot of work ahead with our Planning Department. And so, we are excited to have Mr. Tenant to come back and rejoin our team. We welcome him back.” Mrs. Benavides gave some background information on Mr. Tenant. 18. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM THE CLERK: *No items for this portion of the agenda. *Audio available upon request. Minutes from the Special Regular Petersburg City Council meeting held on September 1, 2020 - 20 – ______________________________________________________________________________ 19. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM CITY ATTORNEY: Mr. Williams state, “We talked briefly about a Circuit Court case 730CL20-525, Erroneous Tax Assessment Case. The City Assessor had provided you with a memorandum dated September 1, 2020. I am asking City Council to formally authorize us to proceed with resolution of that case in accordance with the memorandum.” Council Member Hill made a motion to authorize with the proceedings of a resolution of Circuit Court Case 730CL20-525, Erroneous Tax Assessment Case provided in the memorandum from the City Assessor. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hart. The motion was approved on roll call vote. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Hill, Hart and Parham; Absent: Wilson-Smith; Abstain: Myers 20. ADJOURNMENT: City Council adjourned at 3:59 p.m. _________________________ Clerk of City Council APPROVED: _________________________ Mayor *Audio available upon request.