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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/28/2011 - City Council - Minutes - RegularUNAPPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION March 28, 2011 A work session of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in the City Manager’s Conference Room, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia, on March 28, 2011, 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, II, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; 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, a presentation was given by the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau; 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 7:26 p.m. Mayor Clerk of Council UNAPPROVED MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING March 28, 2011 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on March 28, 2011, 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, City Engineer; Mike Stevens, Communications Director; and Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney, and the following business was transacted: The March 14, 2011, work session minutes were approved as written and the regular meeting minutes were approved as amended. Mayor Foley requested that Council adopt Resolution 1179 commending Gardner W. Smith and his tenure with the City of Salem Planning Commission; and WHEREAS, it was noted that Mr. Smith could not be present at the meeting, but the resolution will be presented to him at a later date; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1179 was hereby adopted commending Gardner W. Smith and his tenure with the City of Salem Planning Commission: (HERE SET OUT RESOLUTION 1179) – 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 ordinance on first reading rezoning a 0.34 acre portion of the property located at 1126 Kime Lane (Tax Map #148-1-2.1) at the request of YMCA of Roanoke Valley, property owner, from RSF Residential Single Family District to HBD Highway Business District with proffered conditions; ITEM 1 RESOLUTION 1179 ADOPTED COMMENDING GARDNER W. SMITH AND HIS TENURE WITH THE CITY OF SALEM PLANNING COMMISSION ITEM 2 ORDINANCE PASSED REZONING A 0.34 ACRE PORTION OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1126 KIME LANE (T/M 148-1-2.1) FROM RSF TO HBD WITH PROFFERED CONDITIONS 2 notice of such hearing was published in the April 9 and 16, 2011, issues of The Roanoke Times, a newspaper having general circulation in the City of Salem; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission at its March 16, 2011, regularly scheduled meeting recommends approval of said request; and WHEREAS, staff noted the following: the subject property consists of one parcel, located to the east of the Salem YMCA and directly to the south of the water tank; the property is approximately .3 acres, and is vacant except for a paved walkway; this request is to rezone the property to allow for the expansion of the existing YMCA; in accordance with the previous rezoning of the YMCA property, the petitioner has proffered the following conditions: 1) the only HBD Highway Business District uses for the property will be assembly halls, cultural services, personal improvement services, and day care center, which may be provided by a medical facility, and 2) the facility will be built in substantial compliance with the drawings submitted at the March 16, 2011, Planning Commission hearing; and the only issue staff has is “How will the paved walk connecting to the parking lot be relocated?”; and WHEREAS, the Director of Planning and Economic Development stated that the YMCA is requesting a rezoning for a piece of property to be used for expansion of the facility; and WHEREAS, Richard Rife, Rife and Wood Architects in Roanoke, architect for the YMCA, appeared before the Council on behalf of the YMCA; he displayed a site plan of the Salem Family YMCA that showed the existing building and the proposed expansion; he further displayed the proposed expansion of the facilities at the YMCA—9,000 sq. ft. wellness center, which is approximately double the size of the existing wellness center; he stated that the current wellness center will then be divided into a large group exercise room, a large cycling room, and an expanded youth activities area; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned how long the construction of the expansion is expected to take; and WHEREAS, Mr. Rife stated that the project hopes to go out to bid within the next two months and plan to move into the new wellness center approximately 12 months from now; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst questioned if additional parking will be required; and 3 WHEREAS, Mr. Rife stated that no additional parking is anticipated; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned the zoning of the property surrounding the YMCA facility; and WHEREAS, the City Engineer stated that the parking lot is currently zoned Residential Single Family, with properties surrounding the facility being zoned Highway Business District, College and University District, and Business Commerce District zoning; and WHEREAS, Mayor Foley questioned the location of the proposed expansion in relation to the parking lot; and WHEREAS, Mr. Rife noted where the proposed expansion is located in relation to the water tank and the parking lot; and WHEREAS, Dale Lee, 34B Upland Drive, appeared before the Council on behalf of the Salem YMCA; she stated that she is the current Chair of the SALEM YMCA Board, she is also on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, Radford University’s College of Business and Economics Advisory Committee, and on the Board of the Opening Doors Foundatio n; she stated that she is aware of the promises businesses and organizations make to its leaders and sometimes don’t follow through with; she stated that the YMCA has made a lot of promises to Council and to date it has kept its promises; she further stated that the YMCA has 6,567 members with over 6,000 being residents of the City of Salem; she stated that 350 families receive financial aid; she stated that over $252,000 in assistance was provided to citizens who needed it; she stated that the Salem YMCA also partners with the City of Salem Schools to provide a Safe Splash program which provides water safety to second graders, the Y Pass Program provides a safe space for teens after school, is home of the Salem Spartans Swim Team, the home of the physical education program for the AIMS Program, provides physical educational classes for summer school students, and are active participants in the Schools’ Health Advisory Board and the Employee Wellness Committee; she further discussed the various programs at the YMCA; she stated that financial challenges have affected everyone but the YMCA has not asked City Council for any financial assistance; she discussed how the expansion will increase the YMCA’s ability to serve the children and the citizens of Salem; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson asked for clarification on how the proposed expansion will move areas in the facility; and 4 WHEREAS, Ms. Lee noted the proposed changes; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Johnson and Councilwoman Garst commended the Salem YMCA for its programs and what it offers to the community; and WHEREAS, no other person(s) appeared related to said request; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN JONES, AND DULY CARRIED, an ordinance entitled, “AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 106-110, ARTICLE I, CHAPTER 106,OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, RELATING TO ZONING AND DIVIDING THE CITY INTO BUILDING DISTRICTS AND ESTABLISHING DISTRICT BOUNDARY LINES ON THE ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA,” was hereby passed -- 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 setting bond for physical improvements and erosion and sediment control for the Main Street Primitives Project; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones, Vice Chairman of Council’s Audit Finance Committee, reported that the committee met and recommends setting bond for physical improvements and erosion and sediment control for the site located at 2821 West Main Street at $54,130 with twelve (12) months for completion; and WHEREAS, the City Engineer stated that the property owner was asked to provide extra detention—a 25-2 which is beyond the current regulations to provide extra measures to contain the storm water; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned if the property would have to be raised with fill in order to build on the property; and WHEREAS, the City Engineer stated that the property will not have to be raised a substantial amount; he stated that there will be a detention pond in the front and one in the back; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones noted that the property is located next to the BB&T Bank in front of the Beverly Heights Subdivision; and WHEREAS, the City Engineer further noted that the property is located approximately two blocks west of Keesling; and ITEM 3 BOND AND TIME LIMIT SET FOR MAIN STREET PRIMITIVES PROJECT 5 WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that the twelve months for completion is a standard timeframe, but not all projects require twelve months to complete; she questioned if the time frame for completion could be adjusted for each project instead of using a standard timeframe; and WHEREAS, the City Engineer stated that was something he would discuss with the City Manager and staff; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, AND DULY CARRIED, bond and time limit for physical improvements and erosion and sediment control for the Main Street Primitives Project was hereby set at $54,130 with 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 – aye. Mayor Foley requested that Council consider an ordinance on first reading to amend, revise, and reordain Chapter 86, Article V, Division I, Section 86-246 thru 86-265 of The Code of the City of Salem, Virginia, pertaining to Stopping, Standing, and Parking; and WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that the changes essentially bring the City Code into conformance with State Code, as well as some additional changes to parking fines and some other items; he stated that Chief Dudley is present to answer any questions; and WHEREAS, Mayor Foley noted that parking fines are increasing; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones asked Chief Dudley to review some of the changes; and WHEREAS, Jeff Dudley, Salem Chief of Police, appeared before the Council and stated that most of the fines, other than handicapped parking and fire lane violation, were doubled from $10 to $20; he stated that the fines keep the City in line with most neighboring jurisdictions and in many instances remain lower than neighboring localities; he stated that the other fairly significant change made to the code was to implement a process for someone to contest a parking ticket rather than advising them to not pay the ticket and go through the process of bringing the person to court for not paying the fine; he further stated that the other changes deal with the length of time for payment —it went from three to five days to pay the ticket, and timelines were established on the length of time the parking ticket goes through the system; and ITEM 4 ORDINANCE PASSED TO AMEND, REVISE, AND REORDAIN CHAPTER 86, ARTICLE V, DIVISION I, SECTIONS 86-246 THRU 86-265 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, PERTAINING TO STOPPING, STANDING, AND PARKING 6 WHEREAS, the City Attorney stated that the parking fines have not been raised since the 1990s; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned why a fire lane violation was only a $50.00 fine; and WHEREAS, Chief Dudley stated that the fines are in -line with neighboring jurisdictions; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding handicapped parking and fire lane violations; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN JONES, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, AND DULY CARRIED, an ordinance entitled, “AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND, REVISE, AND REORDAIN CHAPTER 86, ARTICLE V, DIVISION 1. GENERALLY, SECTIONS 86-246 THRU 86-265, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, PERTAINING TO STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING,” was hereby passed on first reading -- 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 an ordinance on first reading to amend, revise, and reordain Chapter 90, Article III, Division 4, Sections 90-191 thru 90-211 of The Code of the City of Salem, Virginia, pertaining to Sewer Use; and WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that the City does not treat its own sewer, it is treated by the Western Virginia Water Authority at its sewage treatment plant in Roanoke City; he stated that the guidelines the city has to adhere to must conform with the Water Authority’s guidelines and also must follow State guidelines; he further stated that the proposed ordinance amendments regarding sewer use will bring the current ordinance into conformance with the current policies of both the Western Virginia Water Authority and the State of Virginia; he stated that the changes need to be adopted and will have to be revisited from time to time as the Water Authority changes its policies and ordinances; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned if the changes address infrastructure requirements—size of pipes required, etc.; and ITEM 5 ORDINANCE PASSED TO AMEND, REVISE, AND REORDAIN CHAPTER 90, ARTICLE II, DIVISION 4, SECTIONS 90-191 THRU 90-211 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, PERTAINING TO SEWER USE 7 WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that the changes do not directly address infrastructure requirements; ON MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, an ordinance entitled, “AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND, REVISE, AND REORDIAN CHAPTER 90, ARTICLE III, DIVISION 4. SEWER USE, SECTION 90-191 THRU 90-211, OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF SALEM, VIRGINIA, PERTAINING TO SEWER USE,” was hereby passed on first reading -- 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 nominations for various VML Policy Committees for 2011; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, the following nominations are hereby made to the 2011 Virginia Municipal League Policy Committees: Community & Economic Development – Jane W. Johnson Environmental Quality – Lisa D. Garst & James M. Fender, Jr. Finance – Frank P. Turk General Laws – James E. Taliaferro, II Human Development & Education – William D. Jones Transportation – John C. Givens & Kevin S. Boggess – 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 7:59 p.m. ITEM 6 NOMINATIONS FOR VML POLICY COMMITTEES FOR 2011