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Home My WebLink About8/24/2009 - City Council - Minutes - RegularUNAPPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION August 24, 2009 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 August 24, 2009, at 5:00 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 Frank P. Turk, Director of Finance; 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 discussion was held regarding a drought management ordinance; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding carbon footprint reduction; and WHEREAS, a discussion was held regarding the GIS mapping system, 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 5:52 p.m. Mayor Clerk of Council UNAPPROVED MINUTES COUNCIL MEETING August 24, 2009 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was held in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, on August 24, 2009, at 6:00 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. Van Allman, City Engineer; Mike Stevens, Communications Director; and Stephen M. Yost, City Attorney; and the following business was transacted: The July 27, 2009, work session minutes and regular meeting minutes were approved as written. The report by the City Manager of the City’s activities for July 2009 was received and ordered filed. The report by the Director of Finance of the City’s financial status for a one-month period ending July 31, 2009, was received and ordered filed. Mayor Foley requested that Council consider adoption of Resolution 1143 in support of riparian mitigation along the Roanoke River Greenway ; and WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council asked that Council consider Resolution 1143 concerning the Roanoke River Greenway and its potential impact in riparian zones; he stated that the resolution would enable the City Manager to mitigate potential losses of riparian buffer along the Roanoke River as the greenway construction progresses; the riparian areas are good for providing filtration and cleans the storm water as it approaches the river, which will make the river more healthy; he further stated that by having mitigation other areas will minimize the impact the construction of the greenway will have along the river; and WHEREAS, Vice Mayor Givens questioned if all trees, underbrush, etc. would be removed along the river when the greenway is constructed; and WHEREAS, the Clerk of Council stated that the impact on the vegetation along the river would be minimized as much as possible; he stated that in areas where trees or brush need to be removed along the river, other areas along the ITEM 1 RESOLUTION 1143 ADOPTED IN SUPPORT OF RIPARIAN MITIGATION ALONG THE ROANOKE RIVER GREENWAY 2 river would be identified to plant vegetation to replace what was removed; he further stated that volunteer labor would be utilized as much as possible for this project; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst stated that the Assistant City Manager, the Engineering Department, and Benjamin Tripp have been working with the citizen representatives on the greenways over the last few months as this project was coming together in order to get wording everyone was comfortable with; she stated that wholesale removal is not desirable, but it is not feasible to replace a tree for a tree either; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, AND DULY CARRIED, Resolution 1143 was hereby adopted in support of riparian mitigation along the Roanoke River Greenway: (HERE SET OUT RESOLUTION 1143) – 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 approval of the Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare’s proposed fiscal year 2010 Performance Contract with the Virginia Department Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; and WHEREAS, the Director of Finance appeared before the Council and stated that each fiscal year Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare has to provide a performance contract that states what services will be provided and the estimated costs associated with the services; he stated that the services are provided for the entire region (the Alleghany, Roanoke Valley Planning District); he stated that Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare asks each local government receiving services concur with its plan on how services will be provided to the localities; he further stated that BRBH is required by state code to have its performance contract approved by Council; he further stated that the City of Salem contributes approximately $100,000 per year for services to be provided in Salem; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst questioned the Consumer Monitoring Services in the amount of $88,000 on Page AP-4 in the contract; she also asked for clarification on the amount of money given to BRBH; and ITEM 2 BLUE RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE’S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2010 PERFORMANCE CONTRACT WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES APPROVED 3 WHEREAS, the Director of Finance stated that Salem used to be the fiscal agent for BRBH; therefore, a portion of the money given to BRBH was paid back to Salem for acting as its fiscal agent; he stated that he was not familiar with Consumer Monitoring Services, but he will check into it and provide an answer to Council; ON MOTION MADE BY VICE MAYOR GIVENS, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, AND DULY CARRIED, the Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare’s proposed fiscal year 2010 Performance Contract with the Virginia Department Behavioral Health and Developmental Services 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 requested that Council approve a contract between the City of Salem and the School Board of the City of Salem for the use of school buses; and WHEREAS, the City Attorney stated that for many years the City has had an oral agreement with the School Board wherby the School Board provides school buses for various events, primarily for events at the Salem Civic Center and also to transport students to DARE Camp, etc.; he stated that the state code has been amended and now states that a school board has the right to allow its buses to be used for appropriate purposes for any local, state, or federal agency that it deems appropriate; however, there has to be a written contract; the written contract has to contain a provision that says that the entity allowed to use the buses must pay its fair share of the costs and also that the lessee entity will also indemnify and hold harmless the school board in the event of damages; he stated that the School Board has approved the contract; and WHEREAS, the City Manager stated that an example of when the school buses are being used during the Salem Fair; the school system provides shuttle service; and WHEREAS, Councilman Jones questioned how the costs for use of the buses is determined; and WHEREAS, the City Attorney stated that the costs are worked out on an administrative level; and WHEREAS, the Director of Finance stated that the School Board keeps track of the costs for using the buses (costs to pay the driver(s), etc.) and a bill is ITEM 3 SCHOOL BUS CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF SALEM AND THE SCHOOL BOARD OF THE CITY OF SALEM FOR THE USE OF SCHOOL BUSES APPROVED 4 rendered from the School Board to the City of Salem; ON MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN GARST, AND DULY CARRIED, the contract between the City of Salem and the School Board of the City of Salem for the use of school buses 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 requested that Council consider appointments to fill vacancies on various boards and commissions; and WHEREAS, Councilwoman Garst asked that the schools be reminded that student representatives are needed; THEREUPON, no action was taken. Mayor Foley stated that a closed session would not be held. Mayor Foley stated that new Salem Police Department officers were present at this meeting of Council; the officers were introduced to Council as Shawn Van Dyke, animal control officer, and Jason Stewart, patrol officer. There being no further business to come before the Council, the same on motion adjourned at 6:20 p.m. ITEM 4 NO ACTION TAKEN ITEM 5 CLOSED SESSION NOT HELD