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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/11/2021 - City Council - Minutes - RegularCity Council Meeting MINUTES Monday, October 11, 2021, 6:30 PM Work Session 5:00 P.M. Community Room, Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, Virginia 24153 Regular Session 6:30 P.M. Community Room, Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, Virginia 24153 WORK SESSION 1. Call to Order A. Roll Call A joint work session of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, along with the City of Salem Economic Development Authority (EDA), was held in the Community Room at the Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, Virginia, on October 11, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.. There being present the following members of said Council, to wit: Renée Ferris Turk, Mayor; James W. Wallace, III, Vice-Mayor; Council members: Byron Randolph Foley, William D. Jones, and John Saunders; James E. Taliaferro, II, City Manager; H. Robert Light, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; with Mayor Turk presiding together with the following EDA members: David Robbins, Chair; Quinn Mongan, Vice- Chair, Paul Kuhnel, Sean Kosmann, Rob Robinson, Cynthia Shelor, and Macel Janoschka (Absent); also present, Mike Lockaby, with Guynn, Waddell, Carroll & Lockaby, P.C.; Rosemarie B. Jordan, Director of Finance; Mike Stevens, Director of Communications; Clark Ruhland, Communications Specialist; Crystal Williams, Assistant to the City Manager and Secretary to the EDA; Wayne Adkins, Business Outreach Coordinator; and Laura Lea Harris, Deputy Clerk of Council; and participating remotely: Aubrey El and Greg Wingfield with The Fahrenheit Group; and John Hull, Roanoke Regional Partnership; and the following business was transacted; Mayor Turk reported that this date, place, and time had been set for the Council to hold a work session; Mayor Turk called the Council meeting to order, and WHEREAS, David Robbins, Chair of the Economic Development Authority, called the EDA meeting to order; and 2. New Business A. Discussion Items 1) Joint Session with EDA WHEREAS, Aubrey El and Greg Wingfield, with The Fahrenheit Group, presented a Strategic Update. Key updates were provided to Council and the EDA on the Director Search for the position of Director of Economic Development, CRM implementation, Stakeholder interviews, and Strategic Plan Development. They emphasized that the targeted core focus is business retention/support and workforce development; and WHEREAS, John Hull, with the Roanoke Regional Partnership, gave a presentation on Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) incentives. He gave an overview of the Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund (COF), The Virginia Investment Performance Grant (VIP), Major Eligible Employer Grant (MEE), Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), and the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program. He stated that the Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund is by far the most common. He also discussed local incentives; and WHEREAS, Mike Lockaby; with Guynn, Waddell, Carroll & Lockaby, P.C.; presented a session of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Training. He gave specific information on the rules, exceptions, electronic meetings, special notice for special meetings, and closed sessions. He also discussed the enforcement of FOIA. Discussion was held by Council and EDA members and questions were answered; and 3. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Council or EDA, the Work Session was adjourned at 6:26 p.m. REGULAR SESSION 1. Call to Order A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia was called to order at 6:34 p.m., there being present the following members to wit: Renée Ferris Turk, Mayor; James W. Wallace, III, Vice-Mayor; Councilmembers: Byron Randolph Foley, William D. Jones, and John Saunders; with Renée Ferris Turk, Mayor, presiding together with James E. Taliaferro, II, City Manager; Rob Light, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Rosemarie B. Jordan, Director of Finance; Chuck Van Allman, Director of Community Development; Mike Stevens, Director of Communications; and Mike Lockaby on behalf of City Attorney, Jim Guynn. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Bid Openings, Awards, Recognitions 4. Consent Agenda A. Citizen Comments Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not already having a public hearing component that same meeting. The following have signed up to speak at this meeting: No citizens have signed up to speak at this meeting. B. Minutes Consider acceptance of the minutes for the September 27, 2021, Work Session and Regular Meeting minutes. The minutes for the September 27, 2021, Work Session and Regular Meeting were approved as written. 5. Old Business A. Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance Consider ordinance on second reading for rezoning the property of Salem Building Supply, Inc., contract purchaser, and PHC of Virginia, Inc., property owner, located at 405 Kimball Avenue (Tax Map # 235-1-2) from RMF Residential Multi-Family District with proffered condition to RMF Residential Multi-Family District without conditions. (Approved on first reading at the September 27, 2021 meeting.) William Jones motioned to adopt the ordinance on second reading rezoning the property of Salem Building Supply, Inc., contract purchaser, and PHC of Virginia, Inc., property owner, located at 405 Kimball Avenue (Tax Map # 235-1-2) from RMF Residential Multi-Family District with proffered condition to RMF Residential Multi-Family District without conditions. Randy Foley seconded the motion. Ayes: Foley, Jones, Saunders, Turk, Wallace 6. New Business A. Ordinance for Bonuses Consider ordinance on first reading authorizing the City Manager to: 1) pay a bonus up to $2,000 for non-exempt, full-time employees authorized at the September 5, 2021 Council meeting to receive up to a net $2,000 increase between a wage increase and bonus for eligible employees at or near the top of their current pay scale; 2) pay a $3,000 bonus to all sworn, full-time Sheriff’s Department employees subsequent to the General Assembly’s mandate for Compensation Board such positions; and 3) provide salary increases to certain Electric Department non-exempt employees reclassified in the FY22 budget process but excluded in the September 5, 2021 action that are otherwise eligible to net a $2/hour increase between the FY22 reclassification increases and this action. Audit-Finance Committee James Wallace motioned to adopt the following motion containing three parts: Part 1- Council approved a plan last month to provide $2/hour increases to certain non- exempt employees, or a $2,000 net impact between salary increase and bonus for eligible employees at or near their current classification plan salary maximum. This action authorizes implementation of the bonus portion of this plan by ordinance as required by the Code of Virginia. Part 2- The Virginia General Assembly at their recent special session mandated and authorized the Compensation Board to provide one-time, hazard pay bonuses in the amount of $3,000 to certain Compensation Board funded full-time, sworn positions to include Sheriff’s Department employees. Localities are required to pay the bonus amount to applicable employees by November 30, 2021. This ordinance authorizes payment of a one-time bonus to all sworn, full-time City Sheriff’s Department employees in the amount of $3,000. Part 3- The plan presented to Council last month to provide$2/hour increases to certain non- exempt employees, or a $2,000 net impact between salary increase and bonus for eligible employees at or near their current classification plan salary maximum mistakenly excluded limited Electric Department employees otherwise eligible who whose positions were reclassified during the FY22 budget process. Their increases resulting from reclassification were less than the $2/hour other eligible non-exempt employees received. This action authorizes the City Manager to address these employees to receive applicable increases to net a $2/hour increase between the market increases received in the FY22 budget process and this action. John Saunders seconded the motion. Ayes: Foley, Jones, Saunders, Turk, Wallace B. Reimbursement Resolution Receive report and consider adoption of Resolution 1412 authorizing reimbursement from proposed Fiscal Year 2022 borrowing. Audit - Finance Committee James Wallace motioned to adopt Resolution 1412 allowing the City to be reimbursed from bond proceeds once a borrowing is completed during fiscal year 2022 for the City’s portion of improvements being made at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant. Due to the timing of this project, funds may be expended prior to the debt issuance. In order to ensure that the City can be reimbursed from the bond proceeds, a reimbursement resolution needs to be adopted giving the City the ability to reimburse any funds expended for this project prior to closing on the borrowing. The impact of this resolution will be to allow the City to reimburse our accounts for any funds expended for any projects included in the proposed borrowing. John Saunders seconded the motion. Ayes: Foley, Jones, Saunders, Turk, Wallace C. Calhoun Townhomes Consider setting bond for physical improvements and erosion and sediment control and landscaping for Calhoun Townhomes. Audit - Finance Committee James Wallace motioned to authorize bond requirements in the amount of $61,221.00 for a time frame of completion set at twelve (12) months as recommended by the City Engineer’s office upon review of the estimate for physical improvements and erosion and sediment control for the Calhoun Townhomes project. Randy Foley seconded the motion. Ayes: Foley, Jones, Saunders, Turk, Wallace D. Boards and Commissions Consider appointments to various boards and commissions. Randy Foley motioned to re-appoint Ann Tripp for a three-year term ending December 31, 2024 to the Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare Board; to appoint Laura Lea Harris to replace Ben Tripp and Crystal Williams as an alternate to replace Jay Taliaferro from City Staff on the Community and Policy Management Team; to appoint Wendel Cook as Provider and Jessica Cook as the alternate on the Community Policy and Management Team; to appoint Kevin Meeks to replace Carolyn Minnix, who retired from the Court Service Unit on the Community Policy and Management Team; and to appoint Crystal Williams to replace Melinda Payne for the remainder of a three-year term ending June 30, 2023 on the Transportation Technical Committee. William Jones seconded the motion. Ayes: Foley, Jones, Saunders, Turk, Wallace 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:44 p.m.