HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/26/2012 - City Council - Minutes - RegularUNAPPROVED MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
November 26, 2012
A work session of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in the City Council’s
Conference Room, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia, on November 26, 2012, at
6:30 p.m., there being present all the members of said Council, to wit: Byron Randolph Foley,
John C. Givens, Jane W. Johnson, William D. Jones, and Lisa D. Garst; with Byron Randolph
Foley, Mayor, presiding; together with Kevin S. Boggess, City Manager; James E. Taliaferro,
Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Frank P. Turk, Director of Finance; Caleb M. Taylor,
Director of Water and Sewer; Mary Ann Penney, Senior Accountant; and Krystal M. Coleman,
Deputy Clerk of Council; and the following business was transacted:
Mayor Foley reported that this date, place, and time had been set in order for the
Council to hold a work session; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Water and Sewer gave an update on the Creekwood Water
Tank; and
WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding monopoles for telecommunication
companies; and
WHEREAS, the Assistant City Manager discussed proposed changes to the zoning
ordinance regarding LM/HM zoning designations; and
WHEREAS, there were no other topics for discussion.
There being no further business to come before the Council, the work session was
adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
Mayor
Clerk of Council
UNAPPROVED MINUTES
COUNCIL MEETING
November 26, 2012
A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in
Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on November 26, 2012, at
7:30 p.m., there being present all the members of said Council, to wit: Byron
Randolph Foley, John C. Givens, Jane W. Johnson, William D. Jones, and Lisa D.
Garst; with Byron Randolph Foley, Mayor, presiding; together with Kevin S.
Boggess, City Manager; James E. Taliaferro, II, Assistant City Manager and Clerk
of Council; Frank P. Turk, Director of Finance; Melinda J. Payne, Director of
Planning and Economic Development; Charles E. VanAllman, Jr., City Engineer;
Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney; and Mike Stevens, Communications Director;
and the following business was transacted:
The November 13, 2012, work session and regular meeting minutes were
approved as written.
Mayor Foley requested that Council hold a public hearing to consider the
request of Angela Crouch and Joanna Henley, property owners, for the issuance
of a Special Exception Permit to allow a hair salon on the property located at 9
Elm Street (Tax Map #123-3-7); notice of such hearing was published in the
November 1 and 8, 2012, issues of The Roanoke Times, a newspaper having
general circulation in the City of Salem; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission at its regular scheduled meeting on
November 14, 2012, recommended approval of said request; and
WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of one
parcel, located along the west side of Elm Street, just south of the intersection
with West Main Street; the parcel is approximately 106 feet deep and 50 feet
wide; it is currently occupied by a single story residential dwelling; in accordance
with Section 106-400(A), the conversion of any single family residence to a more
intensive use requires a site plan; such a plan meeting city requirements must be
submitted and approved prior to occupancy; and depending on the
additions/modifications the applicants are planning to the structure, the city
may waive this requirement; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Planning and Economic Development stated
that Ms. Crouch currently has a salon at Spartan Square and she would like to
move the salon into her house; she stated that Ms. Crouch and her mother are
present to further discuss the request; and
ITEM 1
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
PERMIT APPROVED
TO ALLOW A HAIR
SALON ON THE
PROPERTY LOCATED
AT 9 ELM STREET
(TAX MAP #123-3-7)
2
WHEREAS, Angela Crouch, 9 Elm Street, and Joanna Henley, mother of
Angela Crouch, 1209 Roanoke-Boulevard, property owners, appeared before the
Council to request approval of the request; Ms. Crouch noted that no changes to
the interior of the structure will be made other than a free-standing sink in the
kitchen as she wants to keep the house as it is now so that it could still be used
as a house if she decides to sell it at some point in the future; she stated that she
has spoken with the Building Inspector and he advised that she would have to
place a handicapped ramp at the front of the residence; she further noted that
she may place a sign on the property also and was advised by the Planning
Commission to go to the Building Inspector’s Office to determine the regulations
regarding a sign; and
WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding the number of customers,
neighbor concerns, parking, etc.; and
WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding the zoning of the surrounding
properties, the zoning map, etc.; and
WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to the request;
ON A MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, SECONDED BY
COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, a Special Exception Permit to
allow a hair salon on the property located at 9 Elm Street (Tax Map #123-3-7)
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 –
aye.
Mayor Foley reported that this date and time had been set to hold a
public hearing and consider adopting Resolution 1215 authorizing the issuance
of up to $9,545,000 in general obligation bonds; notice of such hearing was
advertised in the November 12 and 19, 2012, issues of The Roanoke Times, a
newspaper having general circulation in the City of Salem; and
WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens, Chair of Council’s Audit-Finance
Committee, reported that the Committee reviewed Resolution 1215 authorizing
the issuance of $9,545,000 in General Obligation Bonds; this is the second
installment of bonds, the first of the notes was issued in October 2012; the
purpose of the bonds is to retire the notes from October with some of the
proceeds of this issue and to continue financing the South Salem Elementary
School Project; the Committee recommends approval of Resolution 1215
authorizing the issuance of said bonds; and
ITEM 2
RESOLUTION 1215
ADOPTED
AUTHORIZING THE
ISSUANCE OF UP TO
$9,545,000 IN
GENERAL
OBLIGATION BONDS
3
WHEREAS, the Director of Finance stated that the South Salem
Elementary School project is underway and Council has previously approved the
City to have the ability to borrow up to $17 million worth of public improvement
bonds, $15 million earmarked toward the South Salem Elementary School
project and $2 million possibly for something else; he noted that Council
approved interim, short-term financing to provide cash flow to go ahead and pay
some of the $300,000; $400,000; and $500,000 bills from the contractor; the
proposed is more permanent financing; up to $10 million can be issued per year,
bank qualified, private placement, which typically has lower interest rates than
the open market; the financing will be through the VML VACo Finance, which has
been done in the past; he further noted that this is permanent financing for the
first piece of the project and sometime after the first of the year, the remaining
balance will come before Council for approval; and
WHEREAS, it was noted that the additional $2 million that could be used
would have specifics surrounding the use of the funds before it comes before
Council; and
WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst questioned if revenue from the food tax
is coming in as expected; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Finance stated that the revenue is coming in as
expected and should cover the payments as needed—approximately $115,000 to
$120,000 per month; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Foley questioned if the cost of the project is still on
target as projected; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Finance stated that the change orders that
have come through have been minimal; and
WHEREAS, Stuart Bain, 636 Pyrtle Drive, appeared before the Council and
clarified that this is basically a shifting of debt to debt; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Foley noted that existing short-term debt that has
been incurred for cash flow purposes is being paid off as part of long-term
financing; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bain questioned the length of the bonds; and
WHEREAS, it was noted that the bonds are 20-year bonds; and
4
WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to the item;
ON A MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, SECONDED BY
COUNCILMAN JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1215 authorizing the
issuance of $9,545,000 in general obligation bonds was hereby adopted – the roll
call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye,
John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – aye.
Mayor Foley requested that Council consider adopting Resolution 1216
regarding Council’s concerns of specific items that may come before the 2013
session of the Virginia General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst questioned if the equal taxing for cities
and counties needed to be separately addressed; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that it should be adequately
addressed under the concerns from VML; and
WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst questioned if the request for the six
judges for the Circuit Court needed to be addressed as well; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that a letter from the Mayor was
going to be written to address the request as it does not affect things state -wide,
only in our district;
ON A MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, SECONDED BY
COUNCILMAN JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1216 regarding Council’s
concerns of specific items that may come before the 2013 session of the Virginia
General Assembly was hereby adopted – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye,
William D. Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron
Randolph Foley – aye.
Mayor Foley requested that Council consider adopting the 2013 Meeting
Schedule of Salem City Council and the Salem Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, it was noted that the year for the meeting dates for the
Planning Commission needs to be changed to 2013 instead of 2012;
ON A MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY
COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the 2013 Meeting Schedules of
ITEM 4
2013 MEETING
SCHEDULE
ADOPTED AS
AMENDED
ITEM 3
RESOLUTION 1216
ADOPTED
REGARDING
COUNCIL’S
CONCERNS OF
SPECIFIC ITEMS
THAT MAY COME
BEFORE THE 2013
SESSION OF THE
VIRGINIA GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
5
the Salem City Council and the Salem Planning Commission were hereby adopted
as amended – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D. Jones – aye, Jane
W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph Foley – aye.
Mayor Foley requested that Council consider appointments to fill
vacancies on various boards and commissions;
ON A MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY
COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, Paul F. Wiley and N. Jackson
Beamer, III, are hereby recommended to be reappointed to the Board of
Equalization of Real Estate Assessments for three-year terms, said terms will
expire November 30, 2015 – the roll call vote: Lisa D. Garst – aye, William D.
Jones – aye, Jane W. Johnson – aye, John C. Givens – aye, and Byron Randolph
Foley – aye.
There being no further business to come before the Council, the same on
motion adjourned at 7:54 p.m.
ITEM 5
PAUL WILEY AND
JACKSON BEAMER,
III RECOMMENDED
TO BE
REAPPOINTED TO
THE BOARD OF
EQUALIZATION OF
REAL ESTATE
ASSESSMENTS