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Home My WebLink About12/8/2014 - City Council - Minutes - RegularUNAPPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION December 8, 2014 A work session of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in the City Manager’s Conference Room, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia, on December 8, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., there being present the following members of said Council, to wit: Jane W. Johnson, William D. Jones, and Lisa D. Garst, (Byron Randolph Foley, and John C. Givens, absent); with Jane W. Johnson, presiding; together with Kevin S. Boggess, City Manager; James E. Taliaferro, II, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Rosie Jordan, Director of Finance; Mary Ellen Wines, Deputy Zoning Administrator/Secretary; and the following business was transacted: Councilwoman Johnson reported that this date, place, and time had been set in order for the Council to hold a work session; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held pertaining to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held pertaining to Boards and Commissions; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held pertaining to the East Main Street Improvement Project; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held pertaining to improvements to Lake Spring Park; WHEREAS, there were no other topics for discussion. There being no further business to come before the Council, the work session was adjourned at 7:24 p.m. ____________________________________ Mayor _____________________________________ Clerk of Council 1 | P a g e UNAPPROVED MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING December 8, 2014 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on December 8, 2014, at 7:30 p.m., there being present the following members of said Council, to wit: Jane W. Johnson, William D. Jones, and Lisa D. Garst (Byron Randolph Foley and John C. Givens absent); with Jane W. Johnson presiding; together with Kevin S. Boggess, City Manager; James E. Taliaferro, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Rosie Jordan, Director of Finance; and Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney; and the following business was transacted: Councilwoman Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. The November 24, 2014, regular meeting minutes were approved as written. Councilwoman Johnson introduced Ben Taylor, a new Salem Police Officer. Councilwoman Johnson requested that Council consider adopting Resolution 1259 supporting the Virginia Department of Transportation’s proposed improvements to East Main Street; and WHEREAS, Assistant City Manager Taliaferro stated that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has requested that Council consider adopting this resolution supporting the East Main Street project; and WHEREAS, Assistant City Manager Taliaferro reported that VDOT held a public meeting in October and received generally positive comments regarding the project. He further noted that VDOT is addressing the comments from the public meeting; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones noted that 2018 is the projected date for the start of the project; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1259 ITEM 1: CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1259 SUPPORTING IMPROVEMENTS TO EAST MAIN STREET 2 | P a g e supporting the improvements to East Main Street was hereby approved – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – absent, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Councilwoman Johnson requested that Council consider adopting Resolution 1260 relating to the 2015 Legislative Package to be sent to Salem’s representatives in the Virginia General Assembly; and WHEREAS, City Manager Boggess reported that items 3, 4 and 7 on the proposed legislative agenda are new while the remaining items on the agenda had been listed last year. He noted that item 3 requests the restoration of funding reductions in local aid and item 4 requests that the Commonwealth provide funding for work force training. He further noted that item 7 includes supporting funding for transportation projects including the future Interstate 73 as well as improvements to Interstate 81 and Route 419; and WHEREAS, City Council had a general discussion of the proposed e-fairness law and decided to leave that for further discussion; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst noted that state funding for the Community Colleges is based on working toward 2-year degrees and additional funding is necessary for work force development; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1260 relating to the City’s concerns with specific matters that may come before the 2015 session of the Virginia General Assembly was hereby approved – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – absent, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Councilwoman Johnson requested that Council consider the request to accept the Comprehensive Annual ITEM 2 CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1260 REGARDING THE 2015 LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE FOR THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITEM 3 CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2014 3 | P a g e Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones, Vice Chair of Council’s Audit-Finance Committee, reported that the Committee received the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. He further noted that Rosie Jordan, Finance Director and representatives from Brown Edwards Certified Public Accountants, reviewed the report with the committee; and ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, was hereby received and accepted – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – absent, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Councilwoman Johnson requested that Council consider appointments to various boards and commissions; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, Linda Franke was hereby reappointed to the Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare Board for a three-year term, said term (third and final) will expire December 31, 2017; David A. Botts was hereby reappointed to the Board of Appeals, said term will expire January 1, 2020; Larry A. Lynch was hereby reappointed to the Personnel Board, said term will expire January 28, 2017; Betty McCrary was hereby reappointed to the Social Services Advisory Board, said term will expire December 1, 2018; Byron Randolph Foley was hereby reappointed to the Total Action for Progress, said term will expire January 31, 2016; Melinda J. Payne was hereby reappointed as an alternate to the Total Action for Progress, said term will expire January 14, 2016; Major April M. Staton was hereby appointed to replace Captain Keith M. Mucha on the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority Board as an alternate, said term will expire December 31, 2014; William D. Jones, James E. Taliaferro, II, and Sheriff Eric A. Atkins ITEM 4 BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS 4 | P a g e were hereby reappointed to the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority Board, said terms will expire December 31, 2015; Byron R. Foley, Rosemarie Jordan, and Major April M. Staton were hereby reappointed as alternate members to the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority, said terms will expire December 31, 2015 – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – absent, and Byron Randolph Foley – absent. Councilwoman Garst thanked everyone for their help and support in developing the Fresh Ideas Garden. There being no further business to come before the Council, the same on motion adjourned at 7:39 p.m.