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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/27/2015 - City Council - Minutes - Regular UNAPPROVED MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING April 27, 2015 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on April 27, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., there being present the following members of said Council, to wit: Byron Randolph Foley (absent), John C. Givens, Jane W. Johnson, William D. Jones, and Lisa D. Garst; with John C. Givens, Vice-Mayor, presiding; together with Kevin S. Boggess, City Manager; James E. Taliaferro, II, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Rosie Jordan, Director of Finance; Melinda J. Payne, Director of Planning and Economic Development; Charles Van Allman, Jr., City Engineer; Mike Stevens, Communications Director; and Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney; and the following business was transacted: WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.; and WHEREAS, the April 13, 2015, regular meeting and joint work session with the School Board minutes were approved as written; and The report by the Director of Finance of the City’s financial status for a nine-month period ending March 31, 2015, was received and ordered filed; and The minutes of the April 15, 2015, Salem Planning Commission were received and ordered filed; and Vice Mayor Givens requested that Council present City Council’s Pride in Salem Green Awards; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson noted that this is the fourth year that the City Salem has presented the Pride in Salem Green Awards that are designed to recognize businesses and organizations that take pride in our community in order to make Salem such a wonderful place to live, work, and play; prior to tonight’s Council meeting, a reception was held honoring this year’s nominees and Council thanks you for attending; for the past several weeks, visitors to the City of Salem’s website were asked to vote for the company or organization they felt was most deserving of the recognition and tonight’s awards are being presented to those businesses that have risen above others by significantly contributing to the beautification or “greening up” of our city through visible landscaping, prominent exterior building or site renovations, or responsible environmental initiatives; a total of nine companies were in the running; companies that citizens, staff, or members of Council felt were deserving of the nomination; so without further ado the nominees are: in the landscaping and ITEM 1 PRESENTATION OF CITY COUNCIL’S PRIDE IN SALEM AWARDS beautification category the following businesses were nominated: First Citizen’s Bank recently concluded some major renovations to their branch at the corner of Roanoke Boulevard and South Market Street; the work included changing the building façade and adding parking and lush landscaping beautifying this prominent downtown corner; BB&T Bank on West Main Street was also nominated in the category; when BB&T decided to build a new facility at the Spartan Square Shopping Center, the company decided to do it right; the new branch looks great and is surrounded by attractive trees and shrubs, bringing a fantastic pop of green and color to this part of the city; third was Roanoke College’s main campus; they were the third nominee and Roanoke College is one of the largest property owners in the City of Salem; take a stroll or a drive through their campus and you will see lushly maintained landscaping; from their abundant brick paver sidewalks to the mature trees, to bright beds of flowers all season long Roanoke College works hard to stay at the head of the class; the winner in this category is Roanoke College; WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that the contenders in the renovation and energy efficient category are as follows: Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church; Saint Paul’s at the corner of East Main and South Market Street has added beauty to Main Street forever; but it recently revamped its presence on South Market Street by demolishing a building it owned at the intersection of East Calhoun; in its place is a newly constructed attractive brick addition which has totally transformed the appearance of that corner; the second contender is R. M. Johnson & Sons Jeweler on South College Avenue; R. M. Johnson & Sons has one of the most attractive buildings in downtown Salem and recently completely renovated the interior; the changes increased the areas for display and opened up the building to more natural light, an important factor to a store with sparkling merchandise; updates included new HVAC systems, upgraded electrical, and the implementation of LED lighting for energy efficiency; additionally, old fixtures from the store were donated to Habitat for Humanity’s Restore; the third contender is Pine Ridge Nursery and Landscaping; the business was formerly located on West Main Street in front of Lowe’s; they have now moved to a new location on Hurt Lane near Walmart; the new store includes a large outdoor display and an attractive wood and block office; the winner of this category is R. M. Johnsons & Sons Jewelers; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst noted that the contenders in the recycling, reusing, and repurposing category are as follows: Star City Recycling; Star City Recycling recently began a partnership with the City of Salem to provide for the collection of recyclable materials on the Roanoke River Greenway; Receptacles are located at Rotary Park, the Eddy Avenue trailhead and Riverside Park; this valuable service keeps usable material out of landfills and helps keep the greenway green; the second contender is Summit Helicopters; Summit purchased the former Timber Truss manufacturing facility on McClelland Street last year and is in the process of moving into the vacant buildings; they specialize in servicing and rebuilding helicopters for emergency services as well as utilities and government agencies; in addition to bringing jobs and productivity to vacant industrial site, company executives have encouraged amateur flight enthusiasts to use their property to continue flying model airplanes which have long been fixtures in the skies of West Salem; the final contender is Regional Conveyor Services; when General Electric vacated its facility on Fourth Street, Salem began looking for a new company for the property; Regional Conveyor Services is exactly what was wanted; founded in Salem in 2000, RCS, which designs, manufactures and installs conveyor systems and parts has grown to serve customers well beyond the Mid-Atlantic region; RCS took this vacant industrial site and is using it to grow their operation and to position them for the future; the winner is Regional Conveyor Services; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that Council would like to express their thanks and appreciation to all the Green Award winners and nominees and should you see a company that you think is worthy of this distinction please contact our Economic Development Department to get the name on the list for next year; one of the reasons we implemented the green awards was because the City knew it could not do it on their own; there are so many businesses in this area that are committed to the way Salem looks and the way Salem operates and this is City Council’s chance to recognize and say thank you; and THEREUPON, said awards were presented. Vice-Mayor Givens requested that Council receive presentation from Sally Southard, Treasurer, regarding Asthma Awareness Month. WHEREAS, Sally Southard, Treasurer of the Greater Roanoke Asthma and Air Quality Coalition, appeared before Council stating that May is National Asthma Awareness month and May fifth is World Asthma Day; the Greater Roanoke Asthma and Air Quality Coalition is promoting several activities in trying to raise awareness and are in the process of going to all the local governing bodies asking them to proclaim May the National Asthma Awareness month in their locality; currently there are several activities scheduled, one is asthma control tests that can be taken at local pharmacies, on May ninth she will be speaking at Mill Mountain Zoo, and one of the most important issues is air quality such as Richmond City which has the poorest air quality in the country; Salem is not even on the top one-hundred list; because we are located between Interstates 81 and 581 with a lot of that traffic and we are in a valley that pollens and other asthma triggers as well as air pollution do make it more severe and harder for people with asthma; the Coalition is trying to increase awareness for asthma, air pollution, and air quality, indoor and outdoor, and try to make it healthier here in the Roanoke Valley; and ITEM 2 PRESENTATION OF THE GREATER ROANOKE ASTHMA AND AIR QUAILITY COALITION WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens presented Mrs. Southard with a proclamation stating the following: WHEREAS, asthma has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, affecting almost thirty-nine million people, including more than seven million children, and approximately two thousand children and adults in the City of Salem; and WHEREAS, about thirteen percent of all adults and ten percent of school-age children have asthma; and WHEREAS, the cost of hospitalizations and emergency room visits for asthma in Virginia is over one hundred thirty-five million a year; and WHEREAS, asthma is one of the leading causes of chronic illness, childhood hospitalizations and school absenteeism, accounting for nearly 10.5 million missed school days nationally each year, and; WHEREAS, research and literature demonstrate that asthma-related hospitalizations and deaths are preventable with public awareness and asthma education to improve the knowledge of Virginians and healthcare professionals; and WHEREAS, the Greater Roanoke Valley Asthma and Air Quality Coalition supports asthma management and control, public awareness, and education in order to enable the communities identify and reduce their exposures to environmental triggers in homes, schools, and places of employment so they can decrease asthma episodes and risk of death, NOW, THEREFORE, I, John C. Givens, Vice-Mayor of the City of Salem, Commonwealth of Virginia, do hereby proclaim May 2015, as Asthma awareness month; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that May is also Bike Awareness Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Mrs. Southard noted air quality issues, there are all sorts of opportunities through the ride solutions program which is part of the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission which Ms. Johnson chairs, and so if anyone is interested in adopting bicycling as part of your commute they are a great resource; and WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens added that we have great greenways throughout the valley to assist in bicycling; and Vice-Mayor Givens reported that this date and time had been set to hold a public hearing and consider the request of Mechanical Development Company Inc., property owner, and Launching Pad Trampoline Park, lessee, for the issuance of a Use Not Provided for Permit to allow an indoor trampoline park and family entertainment center on the property located at 1300 Intervale Drive (Tax Map # 250 – 1 – 1.2); notice of such hearing was published in the April 9 and 16, 2015, issues of the Salem Times Register, a newspaper having general circulation in the City of Salem; the Planning Commission at its April 12, 2015, meeting recommended approval of request; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of a 3.7 acre parcel located in the cul-de-sac of Intervale Drive; the parcel is occupied by a large single-story industrial building; the request is for a Use Not Provided For Permit to allow an indoor trampoline park and family entertainment center; the lessee has been trying to locate a suitable building in the Roanoke Valley to open a second location of a family-owned business known as the “Launching Pad Trampoline Park” currently located in Raleigh, North Carolina; the business requires clear ceiling heights of at least nineteen feet, which eliminates most commercial buildings in Salem; staff searched to find a location with their requirements but most buildings were not suitable for the business; and WHEREAS, Mr. Kevin Sisson of 5967 Brinbrook Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina; he stated that he currently owns the Launching Pad trampoline park in Raleigh and in looking for a second location found a great building in Salem that would be used for a second location for the Launching Pad; for those not familiar with trampoline parks, they are great places for mostly kids, and adults to exercise, socialize, and put down the IPad and get out and have fun; a trampoline park is about fifteen thousand square feet of interconnected trampolines, wall to wall trampolines with different activities such as basketball, foam pit, dodgeball, a main jump court and also a small children’s jump court; there are also other activities such as arcade, motion simulator ride similar to what you find at Disney, and birthday party rooms; these places are good places for birthday parties, corporate events, fundraisers, first responders days, and a lot of community events will take place there; the building on Intervale was identified as a match to the qualifications needed for a trampoline park; such as sufficient parking, very high ceilings, pretty wide column spacing to be able to fit everything into the building; WHEREAS, Andy Travers of Roanoke Valley Wine Company next door to the proposed location, appeared before Council stating that they are the largest private solar energy producer in southwest Virginia and one of the largest in the state and they are very proud to be a part of the Salem Green community as well; he further stated that Robin and Beth Crittenden are the owners of the wine company and could not be in attendance tonight but submitted a letter for the record: ITEM 3 USE NOT PROVIDED FOR PERMIT APPROVED TO ALLOW AN INDOOR TRAMPOLINE PARK AND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER AT 1300 INTERVALE DR, TAX MAP 250-1-1.2 WHEREAS, Mr. Travers explained that the owners are just concerned that having a public facility that has public recreation in this particular area next to an industrial set of businesses would create a safety hazard and they just want to bring that forward; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones stated that just for public information, the Roanoke Valley Wine Company has been nominated twice for the Green Award; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst inquired as to the overlap of the business hours between these neighbors; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson reappeared before Council replying that there is not a lot of overlap although he is not sure of the wine company’s hours; the trampoline park is mainly a weekend business because they do cater to kids, so their busiest times are Saturday and Sunday followed by Friday afternoon after school lets out, ninety-five percent of their traffic will be from Friday after school through Sunday so probably not a whole lot of overlap with what they are doing as Mr. Travers stated in the Planning Commission meeting; also, to further clarify, the back entrance loading dock will become the front entrance and all the parking will be at the rear of the building; there is shared drive aisle on the side and the concern for children’s safety is a priority; because the front entrance will be in the rear there will be no reasons for children to be in the drive aisle; in addition to there not being much conflict with the business hours there is not much physical conflict with the drive aisle because of the location of the park’s entrance; WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens inquired if the steps that will be added to the loading dock be placed on the far side of the loading dock to ensure that kids will not be in the area of the drive aisle; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson replied that they will be at least half-way down the loading dock; if they are placed too far down it will block the actual loading dock needed for the business, but it will be at least half way down the loading dock; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked if during the summer there will be any types of camps or on days the schools are closed are there any plans to be open for business; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson responded affirmatively that the business will be open during those times probably later in the afternoons, while school is in session and closed a couple of days a week and during the summer months hours have not been set as of yet but will be extended somewhat; it is definitely not a business that you open at 9:00a.m.; WHEREAS, Councilman Jones inquired into the hours of the current facility in Raleigh; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson replied that they are open every day of the week and begin at noon end at 8:00p.m. during the week and Sunday and 10:00a.m. on Saturday and stay open longer; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst asked if he would provide clear signage to direct the traffic down to the rear of the property; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson responded affirmatively stating that he wants customers to know exactly where to go and make it easy on them; they are working with a civil engineer on signage hopefully utilizing the existing monument sign out front with additional smaller signs directing traffic; the entry that is on the front of the building will be used for an emergency exit only; and WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens inquired as to how many parking spaces will be available and how many employees will be at this site; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson replied that the civil engineer is working on parking calculations and there are parking spaces along the side of the building, about ten or twelve spots there, and if about six feet of asphalt is added they can get another twelve spots at the front of the building and these spaces would be utilized by employees leaving the rear property open for customers; on a Saturday at any given time there may be up to twenty-five employees on site; it is unknown at this time as to the total number of spaces but it is estimated at seventy-five to one hundred spaces in the rear; there is also additional grassy space on the side that could possibly be converted to parking; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked Mr. Van Allman if he had looked at the plan as of yet; and WHEREAS, Mr. Van Allman responded that they do have an area that parking could be expanded; and WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens stated that if there is a concern regarding the safety of ingress/egress the parking could be removed from that side and moved to the other side of the building; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that often times when there are large scale events or grand opening periods, that security or off-duty police officers may be hired to help with traffic flow; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sisson stated that he has not gotten that far into the planning but definitely something to consider; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked Mr. Travers the hours of operation for the Wine Company; and WHEREAS, Mr. Travers replied that the normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. except Thursday the operation runs until midnight; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones inquired if the traffic was their biggest concern not against the business itself; and WHEREAS, Mr. Travers responded negatively, that they are pro small business and the idea of the park is exciting but the location is the issue along with the shared easement not being large enough to handle both businesses; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson asked if the loading docks on the opposite side of the Wine Company could be utilized or would it create an undue hardship for the business; and WHEREAS, Mr. Travers stated that they would need to be creative about how they operate, however they would need to change some business processes because of how it is laid out inside and several million dollars’ worth of product in the building and the way it is organized to conduct business; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst inquired if the Wine Company owns their building; and WHEREAS, Mr. Travers stated that the Crittendens owned the building; and WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to the request; WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens closed the public hearing; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the request of Mechanical Development Company Inc., property owner, and Launching Pad Trampoline Park, lessee, for the issuance of a Use Not Provided for Permit to allow an indoor trampoline park and family entertainment center on the property located at 1300 Intervale Drive (Tax Map # 250 – 1 – 1.2) was hereby approved – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Vice-Mayor Givens reported that this date and time had been set to hold a public hearing and consider the request of TLF Partnership, property owner, and Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries, lessee, for the issuance of a Use Not Provided for Permit to allow the relocation of Salem Community Clothes Closet, a ministry of Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries to provide free clothing for needy citizens, on the property located at 825 South Colorado Street (Tax Map # 184-3-12); ITEM 4 USE NOT PROVIDED FOR PERMIT APPROVED TO ALLOW THE REOLCATION OF SALEM COMMUNITY CLOTHES CLOSET AT 825 S COLORADO ST, TAX MAP 184–3–12 notice of such hearing was published in the April 9 and 16, 2015, issues of the Salem Times Register, a newspaper having general circulation in the City of Salem; the Planning Commission at its April 12, 2015, meeting recommended approval of request; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of .287-acre parcel located on the northwest corner of the South Colorado Street and Seventh Street intersection; the parcel is occupied by a large single story industrial building with attached two-story office building; this request is for a Use Not Provided for Permit to allow the relocation of Salem Community Clothes Closet, a ministry of Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries to provide free clothing for needy citizens; the Clothes Closet has been located in donated space on Chapman Street for the last sixteen years; the Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries was notified earlier this year they would have to vacate their space by May 10 due to the Food Pantry needing room to expand; they have searched for appropriate space but were limited in their search; the property at 825 South Colorado Street meets all their criteria for space, accessibility, and location; and WHEREAS, Katherine Tate of 217 Waverly Avenue, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Salem Ecumenical Ministries, appeared before the Commission explaining the Use Not Provided for Permit request; she noted the Salem Ecumenical Ministries among other things, supervises the operation of the Salem Clothes Closet; she discussed some of the history of the Clothes Closet, which started in the basement of First United Methodist Church; the most recent home of the Clothes Closet has been a space on Chapman Street, where it has been for 16 years; in February of this year, they were notified by Novozymes that they would have to vacate the premises by May 10; since that time, they have been scouring the City trying to find a location; she noted the Planning and Development office has been invaluable helping them look at properties that might work for them; she noted that they need proximity to the Food Pantry because they serve the same clients; only about one half of the clients they serve have transportation so they also need proximity to the bus line; they also need accessibility and parking, which they really do not have at the current location; one of their members contacted the McClungs and a couple of the Board members took a tour of their building and liked what they saw; she noted that looked at numerous properties and of all the properties they have seen, this was the only one that fit all the requirements they had except that it needs this permit; she requested the Commission consider their request for the Use Not Provided for Permit; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones stated that it is appreciated what they do for the community; and WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to the request; WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens closed the public hearing; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the request of TLF Partnership, property owner, and Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries, lessee, for the issuance of a Use Not Provided for Permit to allow the relocation of Salem Community Clothes Closet, a ministry of Salem Area Ecumenical Ministries to provide free clothing for needy citizens, on the property located at 825 South Colorado Street (Tax Map # 184-3-12) was hereby approved – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens, requested that Council consider the request to appropriate funds for debt service payments; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones, Vice-Chair of Council’s Audit-Finance Committee, reported that the Committee reviewed the request to appropriate funds for debt service payments; the federal government implemented automatic spending cuts (“sequestration”) that went into effect on March 1, 2013; one of the impacts of sequestration is that federally subsidized bond payments were reduced by 7.3% in fiscal year 2015; these reductions impacted the amount due to VML/VACo for the Series 2010B bonds; the sequestration subsidy reduction has impacted our debt service payments by $3,996.62; this Committee recommends approval of the request to appropriate these funds for debt service payments; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst inquired if the City was currently struggling with other sequestration issues; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Jordan replied negatively, that this is the only issue at present; and ON A MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, to appropriate $3,996.62 for debt service payments – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Vice-Mayor Givens requested that Council consider setting bond for ITEM 5 APPROPRIATION OF $3,996.62 FOR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ITEM 6 BOND AND TIME LIMIT SET FOR PARKWAY BREWERY PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $44,522.50 erosion and sediment control for the Parkway Brewery Parking Lot Expansion project; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones, Vice-Chair of Council’s Audit-Finance Committee, reported that the Committee reviewed the estimate for erosion and sediment control for the Parkway Brewery project. This Committee concurs with the Engineering Department’s recommendation that bond be set in the amount of $44,522.50 with a time limit of twelve (12) months for completion. WHEREAS, Mr. Van Allman stated that the parking lot expansion has had some issues with having enough parking due to the popularity of the spot; the owner is putting in parking along with a small addition and a patio for people to sit outside and enjoy the evenings; the majority of this bond is for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management; the majority of the parking lot will be permeable pavers which allows the stormwater to infiltrate into the ground and back into the environment so it does not run off; it serves a quality and a quantity aspect; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst inquired if this is one of the larger projects with those permeable pavers; and WHEREAS, Mr. Van Allman responded that it is a medium sized project but for Salem it is one of the larger ones; it is where the future is going in regards to stormwater management and there is a trend to move away from stormwater ponds and more towards rain gardens and bio retention filters, underground detention with the whole goal to prevent the run off and actually encourages infiltration back; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson asked how many spaces could be created; and WHEREAS, Mr. Van Allman replied more than double possibly around twenty-four spaces; and WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens indicated that they have had a parking problem from the day they opened; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones stated that this is twice as expensive then if they used asphalt; and WHEREAS, Mr. Van Allman replied that currently it is still much cheaper to use standard asphalt; the owners should be commended for choosing this path as this is a very green approach to stormwater; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that Parkway is a former recipient of a Green Award; and ON A MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, the performance bond for erosion and sediment control for the Parkway Brewery Parking Lot Expansion project was hereby set at $44,522.50 with a time limit of twelve (12) months for completion – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Vice-Mayor Givens requested that Council receive a presentation from the Vice-Chair of the Salem School Board regarding the 2015-2016 budget; and WHEREAS, Mr. David Preston, Chairman of the Salem School Board, appeared before Council to present the 2015-2016 School Division budget; his report is as follows: ITEM S1 PRESENTATION FROM SALEM SCHOOL BOARD REGARDING FY 2015-2016 BUDGET WHEREAS, Councilman Jones inquired if the money from the state which allowed for teachers, was it allowed for all teachers or just part of the teachers; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert replied that it is the state share of the required positions; the state funding model says you must have “x” number of positions for “y” number of students in all different areas; all one hundred thirty-two school divisions in the Commonwealth exceed that minimum; the state share of the raise is only for that portion of employees; it is however, expected to be recurring; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked how many extra positions does the City have; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert stated that it would have to be determined that they do not have a total number at this time; all positions beyond the minimum staffing would be one hundred percent local responsibility; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones inquired if the Chromebooks would only be for one level grade; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert replied that actually it is for one year of the lease because the request of the previous appropriation discussed at the joint work session was to get a head start on the three year lease purchase option so we could order before large divisions did; that means the second payment will come due this time next year and the school division is budgeting for that; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked what type of software would be utilized; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert stated that they run their own software and there is no licensing associated with the Chromebooks; they run the Chrome browser; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones inquired if there is any similarity to the locality in California that went belly up due to the purchase of such for their students; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson replied that they had purchased iPads; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert stated that different companies such as Dell or HP manufacture the Chromebooks but they all run the same Google software and that would be part of the bid process to find the best one; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson inquired as to the REWIP program and how many teachers we have participating in that; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert responded that two years ago was a larger year and we have a third year going into the program; they brought budget numbers with them this evening not staffing numbers so unfortunately he does not have that figure tonight; the program is still very popular and originally a very generous program and like most organizations, has been less over time so the board has adjusted it about every five years and has elected to always grandfather employees who were in the program at the time; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that as the school board moves forward thinking about the Chromebooks she is concerned over student privacy and she has some real concerns over students goof-balling around and not understanding the consequences of their actions or where that line is between something valid that an administrator might be able to see versus to overreaching because it does happen; she would like to make sure there are proper safeguards in place so that the students have their right to privacy but they and their parents understand what that is and there is very defined respect for those issues; she does not want them to be in a position where they get themselves in trouble long term for something their fifteen year old self did; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert responded that could be a possibility; he would be delighted to offer great assurances about internet security however, anything that is saved to the Cloud, which Google Docs are, and he has a seventh grader currently working on a research paper that is automatically saved; however, the pledges that we get on that process is that Google only keeps its Google education servers here in the United States; secondly the school system has always had an acceptable use policy which explains the rules, but this is the first year is the beginning of our digital citizenship program, which begins in Andrew Lewis Middle School through the exploratory program; in terms of the school division and school children, federal privacy laws are very strong and very secure in that regard, but there are also a number of mandated reporting things that have to be reported; WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that twice in Mr. Preston’s presentation he mentions the City of Salem’s School System ranking and that people move to Salem for the School System; there has been some confusion in regards to the online rankings and after research it appears that online Salem is not as highly ranked as we know we are; and WHEREAS, Mr. Stevens replied that the software programs that these ranking companies use only recognize counties across the country; because we are an independent city, the City does not get recognized; so you may pull up Salem City Schools and it will tell you that schools in Glenvar are the top ranked schools because it does not recognize us; we have tried to get with the realtors in the area and do the best job we can to provide as much information that is correct and there is also a liaison that works from Central Office, Diane Washenburger, to get up to date information; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert stated that the rankings they were referring to were student achievement outcomes, not social media driven rankings on realtor websites; WHEREAS, Vice-Mayor Givens inquired of the students who are less fortunate, and also students at that age can tend to forget or tend to be careless with equipment, how much do you set aside for replacement equipment or how do you help the students; and WHEREAS, Dr. Seibert responded that students with less are the real reason why the Chromebook initiative is especially attractive to us; the last two years of piloting the open device environment, bring your own, a number of devices were added in the school for the children who did not have their own; there still ends up being an equity gap because although you can use it during class period their peers are at home learning at night with the internet using their device and some children are not; the idea of issuing the Chromebooks will actually create great horizontal equity for all children at the high school level next year; in terms of maintenance we are anticipating between twenty and thirty dollar fee that will enable the IT department to self-insure the devices; the lease includes an estimated overage amount based on research so there is enough on hand to cover this; but to keep it fast and efficient you barcode each device just like a library book, to keep track of whose device comes in and out; in reality there is some loss but in general the loss and damage is far less than what is predicted; this is the student’s tool and if the student doesn’t charge it even, it makes it more difficult for them to participate, not just in what they are doing in the classroom, but also outside the classroom as well; the biggest problem is accidents and personalization; the fee would not apply to free and reduced lunch students; Mr. Givens is correct that there is a need in our community; currently one in three children in Salem receive free or reduced lunch and at the elementary level that number is higher; and THEREUPON, presentation was received. There being no further business to come before the Council, the same on motion adjourned at 8:38 p.m.