Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAbout2010_tcmin0209COUNCIL MEETING February 9, 2010 Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, 5:00 p.m. Mayor Umstattd presiding. Council Members Present: Katie Sheldon Hammler, David Butler, Marty Martinez, Kevin Wright and Mayor Kristen Umstattd. Council Members Thomas Dunn and Kenneth "Ken" Reid arrived at 5:12 p.m. Council Members Absent: None Staff Present: Town Manager John Wells, Deputy Town Manager Kaj Dentler, Deputy Town Attorney Barbara Notar, Director of Finance Norm Butts, Chief of Police Joseph Price, Director of Parks and Recreation Richard Williams, Director of Human Resources Nancy Fixx, Director of Utilities, Assistant to the Town Manager Kathleen Leidich, Employee Benefits Administrator Maritza Irizzary, Research and Communications Manager Betsy Fields, and Clerk of Council Lee Ann Green AGENDA ITEMS i. Call to Order 2. Invocation was lead by Vice Mayor Hammler 3. Salute to the Flag was lead by Mayor Umstattd 4. Roll Call showing Council Members Dunn and Reid arriving at 5:12 p.m. 5. Minutes a. Work Session Minutes of January 25, 2010 On a motion by Council Member Martinez, seconded by Council Member Butler, the minutes were passed 5-0-2 (Dunn/Reid absent). b. Regular Session Minutes of January 26, 2010 On a motion by Council Member Butler, seconded by Council Member Martinez, the minutes were passed 5-0-2 (Dunn/Reid absent. 6. Adopting the Meeting Agenda (Amendments and Deletions) On a motion by Council Member Wright, seconded by Council Member Butler, the agenda was approved after moving Items 12a, b, c, and d to the Consent Agenda. The motion to adopt the meeting agenda passed by the following vote: Aye: Butler, Hammler, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd Nay: None Vote: 5-0-2 (Dunn/Reid absent) 7. PRESENTATIONS a. Emergency Storm Update John Wells reviewed the Town's actions with regards to the snow storm that occurred on Saturday and the preparations for the upcoming snow storm. He stated he signed the Declaration of Local Emergency, which will need to be ratified by a roll call vote of Council. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 2 Mr. Wells stated the upcoming storm has the potential for up to 14 inches of new snow for this area and the winter storm warning will last until 7 -w- p.m. on Wednesday evening. He stated high winds with gusts up to 40 mph are expected. He stated there are concerns regarding structural damage to facilities and homes, particularly those with flat roofs. He stated Balch Library is closed and will remain closed through Wednesday. The airport was open most of Tuesday, but as the snow gets heavier, the airport will close and most likely remain closed on Wednesday. Loudoun County Public Schools have announced they will remain closed the entire week and with Monday being a school holiday, the next possible opening day will be Tuesday, February 16. Ida Lee recreation center will make a decision on Wednesday morning regarding whether they will be open. Staff will continue to work on the parking lot in an attempt to have it ready for opening. Mr. Wells noted the reason for keeping the tennis bubble inflated is one of public safety. He stated it is on a back up generator and in a situation where an emergency public shelter is needed, it is one of only two town controlled facilities that have back up generator capabilities, the other being the police department community room. He stated all town facilities are operating normally at this time. The water plant and wastewater treatment plants are working on 24 hour shifts with adequate back up and no interruption of service. He stated there are no homes, that the town is aware of, that do not have power within town limits. He stated road crews are on a 24/7 schedule and they are being assisted by resources from other departments. The Utilities department and contractor crews have been added to the fleet of equipment assisting the streets department. He stated they started with primary streets, moved to secondary streets and then into the neighborhoods. He stated at this time, they are concentrating on primary streets. Council Member Martinez noted there are volunteers clearing the roof at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Building at the airport. Mr. Wells stated the town has been performing inspections with a structural engineer, who has visited the FAA building. He noted staff from Parks and Recreation are at the FAA building in addition to the volunteers. He stated they have also looked at the roofs of the five senior facilities, two of which have flat roofs. He stated both of those flat roofed buildings have been cleared from a safety standpoint and snow removal from those roofs has been performed. Mr. Wells stated even if the County and Town offices are closed tomorrow, the main town number and the Town Manager's office number will be forwarded to the emergency operations center and a volunteer team will be handling those calls from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vice Mayor Hammier questioned whether the Town will be entitled to federal or state funds. She questioned whether the Declaration of Local Emergency will cause additional resources to be available to the Town. Mr. Wells stated the Town has looked into the possibility of reimbursement and they are tracking any and all costs so the Town will be in a position to request reimbursement should it become possible. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 3 Chief Price stated the Governor has declared a State of Emergency in Virginia and Loudoun County has declared a state of emergency as well. He stated funding would come from the Federal government if the President declares an emergency. Council Member Dunn questioned why the downtown streets are in the condition they are in. Mr. Wells stated the Town crews were concentrating on the neighborhoods for the past 36 hours. He stated it is not possible to move the ice pack with the plow blade. Tom Mason stated traffic packs the snow down into ice and temperatures have barely been above freezing. He stated in order to remove all the ice, the streets would need to be shut down and construction equipment brought in. He stated they felt it would be too disruptive. He noted on main thoroughfares outside town, the big plows can go at higher speeds, which helps moving the heavier snow, but those speeds are impossible downtown. He noted some of the problems being experienced are with vehicles that are not equipped to operate in the snow. Mr. Wells stated the Town made a decision to not concentrate on the main and secondary roads, but to get into the neighborhoods as soon as possible so that residents can at least get out. He stated at this time, all town streets have received at least one pass with a plow, most have had two. He noted in the County there are still some neighborhoods that have not seen a plow. He stated this was a trade off and an important approach to take from a public safety standpoint. Council Member Dunn stated generally snow removal was a pretty good job, but we can always strive to do better. Mr. Wells reviewed the slides that are playing on the Town's cable channel to help manage citizen expectations. He stated one of the big challenges the snow removal crews have is working around vehicles that are stuck and in some cases, should not be out at all. He reminded citizens to make sure their house numbers are visible to aid rescue workers. He requested citizens assist by clearing snow from around fire hydrants, if possible. He asked citizens to check in on the elderly and infirm to make sure they are doing okay. He requested people park their vehicles off the street if possible to aid in snow removal efforts. He encouraged residents to prepare for power outages by charging cell phones and laptop batteries and gathering the water and food that would be necessary if the power is out for a few days. Mr. Wells stated they are not encouraging residents to go up on the roof, but clear the drains and downspouts so the rain can come off. He stated if you hear cracking or groaning sounds from the roof, evacuate the building and call 911. He reminded residents to clear the sidewalks in front of their property as soon as possible. He stated Council Member Martinez asked for clarification on what happens along snow emergency routes. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 4 Mr. Mason stated the Town can remove cars that are parked along designated snow emergency routes. He stated the garage is available as an alternative. Council Member Wright questioned whether there is a way to continue on the primary streets while trying to keep at the neighborhood streets. He questioned whether the town's approach is different than the approach outside town. Mr. Wells stated getting to bare pavement is easier when there is less than six inches of snow, but beyond that the challenge is to keep the roads passable. He stated once the primary roads are passable, they moved into the neighborhoods. He stated the question is whether passable is sufficient and while each storm is different, the question is whether taking longer to clear the neighborhood streets is acceptable. Council Member Wright stated he appreciates the hard work put in by the snow removal crews. Council Member Butler stated he also appreciates the hard work put in by staff, volunteers and contractors and overall they did a very good job. He agreed with the approach of getting at least one pass on all the side streets and cul-de-sacs. He stated there are not many things that are more frustrating to residents to not be able to get off their street. He noted the town did a much better job getting the residents out of their neighborhoods than the county and surrounding jurisdictions, where there are still a lot of neighborhoods that have not had any attention at all. Council Member Reid thanked the police, fire and rescue crews, public works and various departments for pitching in. He stated he does not fault the system of trying to get the cul-de-sacs clear. He stated in 2009 when there was snow, it was three to four days before his cul-de-sac was plowed. He questioned why the airport runway was plowed. Mr. Wells stated the airport was trying to assist with the displaced planes from the hangar that collapsed at Dulles Airport, but the runway will not be maintained throughout the next storm. He stated airport staff are primarily making sure the roof at the FAA building is clear, and will be part of a special team dealing with tree limb and tree removal which keeps the drivers on the plows. Council Member Reid stated he would like to discuss developing a reciprocity agreement with other municipalities that have excess plows, backhoes and bulldozers. He questioned whether some of the police department SUVs could be equipped with plows. He stated he was concerned there is a priority placed on town facilities rather than on roads because he saw a plow clearing the Liberty Street lot. Mr. Wells stated the garage and Liberty Street are available to residents in the downtown area. He stated it is helpful for people in tight downtown streets to get their cars off the street. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 5 Council Member Reid expressed concern regarding access to the Cornwall Campus of INOVA hospital. He suggested putting notices on cars to request they park in the garage or on Liberty Street. Mr. Wells stated Mr. Rohrbaugh from INOVA called this morning to volunteer plows from INOVA to help take care of the streets accessing the hospital property. He stated there are no jurisdictional barriers at this point. Council Member Reid requested a memo summarizing the total cost of these storms. Mr. Wells assured Council that there are no hold ups in snow removal because of lack of funding. Vice Mayor Hammier requested a full listing of the Town's emergency powers be listed on the website as there may be serious public safety issues. She suggested using Twitter to update residents as to where the plows are. Chief Price noted there is a Citizen's Guide to Emergency Preparations posted on the website. He stated the police department's SUVs are not powerful enough to push snow. He noted the police department's 4-wheel drive vehicles are being used to respond to police emergency calls. Council Member Dunn stated if there are unshoveled driveways, it is a good indication that people are unable to shovel them and is worth a knock on the door. He questioned whether there is a need for additional cross training on staff to give public works crews relief. He also questioned whether the town's storm drains can handle the snow once it thaws. Mr. Mason noted the town has more qualified drivers than equipment. He stated the town's storm drainage system is more than adequate to handle the thawing snow. He stated once the town crews have finished clearing the roads, they will work to uncover the storm drains to facilitate drainage of the thawing snow. Council Member Martinez noted that as these very large snow events do not happen every year, we are unable to prepare for them. He stated there is no favoritism when it comes to snow removal. He questioned whether it would be helpful for a Council member to be part of the emergency planning. He also stated it is very informative to ride with the snow removal crews during a snow event. He stated that texting and Facebook are great ways to get information out to the public. Mayor Umstattd asked that the road crews be thanked for their hard work. She thanked everyone for helping their neighbors clear snow. She thanked some of her neighbors for clearing a tree out of the road so the plows could get through. She asked Chief Price what speeds would constitute driving safely. Chief Price stated he would prefer everyone just stay off the roads until they are cleared, but since this is not a possibility, the best advice would be to show care and consideration for others. He noted an SUV does not make a Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 6 good winter driver. He stated everyone should drive with caution, care and patience. He stated every intersection should be treated as a four-way stop. -- b. Virginia Regional Transit Update Mark McGregor stated Virginia Regional Transit has been working very closely with town management staff about whether it is safe for buses to be on the road. He stated fixed route service is essential for those who cannot use their vehicles. He requested people not to except curb to curb service during the storms. He stated side streets and cul-de-sacs are not passable for a big bus. He stated it is likely there will be no service tomorrow if the storm comes as predicted. He advised riders to check Facebook and the major media outlets. He stated there will be limited service as soon as it is possible and safe. Mr. McGregor stated thanked Kathy Leidich for her attention to VRT and her willingness to address issues. He also thanked the SRTC for their input and members of Council who frequently have suggestions. He distributed the Annual Report and stated the Board of Directors has adopted a new strategic plan. He stated ridership increased 12% overall across the system. He stated there was an 18% increase in ridership in Leesburg between January 2009 and January 2010. He stated they are constantly working on enhancing and improving route times. He stated on the Saf-T-Ride service they are working with a local Loudoun company to start Next-Bus, which is an electronic information sign that will tell riders how long they have to wait for the next bus. He stated this was made possible through the Community Development Block Grant that was received by the Town. He stated this should be installed and up and running by March 1. He stated Mitchell and Company performed the annual audit, which was clean without findings. He stated they are continuing to do as much as possible with the Town's investment in the transit service. He stated they try to meet as many needs as possible. Council Member Reid stated he appreciated the Annual Luncheon and he loves the service provided by Virginia Transit. He stated he is glad to see the Saf-T-Ride ridership has increased. He questioned the bus route that goes down to the County park and ride facility. He questioned whether there is demand for a stop at the facility. Mr. McGregor stated they are working very closely with the County to provide service to the park and ride lot and that service will begin March 1. 8. PETITIONERS The Petitioners section was opened at 6:20 p.m. Jennifer Stuart, 1228 Deermeadow Place stated she lives a few houses down from the proposed pond and South King Street widening project. She stated she and her husband have attended the input session and numerous Council meetings regarding the proposed pond. She stated while there has been no final decision on the options for the stormwater management pond, it seems like option #1 for building the containment pond is the best option for the Town. She stated this will mean Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 7 tearing down about an acre of trees at the entrance of Meade Drive, right behind the pool house. She requested the Council consider the impact to their families and the neighborhood. She stated she is really distressed about the large number of trees that will need to come out for both that project and the bike path that will go directly behind her house on Route 15. She stated a lot of kids play back there and she walks her dogs back there. She stated while other decisions might sidetrack the widening project or be more expensive, they should be considered. She stated the beauty that will be destroyed will not be replaced by spindly little trees that will be used as replacements. She asked that Council consider the residents who pay their taxes. She stated 80 people in the Greenway Farms neighborhood are opposed to this. Gentleman who did not identify himself, stated he has 87 residents who have signed a petition strongly opposing Option 1. He stated he is concerned about the way the residents found out about this pond. He stated they stumbled upon it buried in the details of the widening project. He stated maybe there is a flaw in procedure that would raise red flags when trees are coming down. He stated in addition, he would like to say he chose where he lives because of the trees. He stated he paid a lot premium so he could back to trees. He stated the swimming pool and tennis courts back to these trees. He stated he will continue to gather petitioners. Mayor Umstattd stated that Council members will be coming down on February 21St at 1 p.m. to the Greenway clubhouse to walk the area. She stated everyone on Council is concerned about tree loss and they will be looking for a way to preserve those trees. The Petitioner's section was closed at 6:25 p.m. 9. ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA Council Member Reid requested the Item regarding award of the Ida Lee Park Maintenance Facility Project Construction Contract be removed from the Consent Agenda. On a motion by Council Member Martinez, seconded by Council Member Butler, the following consent agenda was proposed: Police Secret Service Grant Appropriation RESOLUTION 2010-012 Approving Amendments to the FY2010 General Fund Budget and Making Appropriations for $2,000 Awarded through a Grant Received by the Police Department from the United States Secret Service Department of Homeland Security b. Making a Reduction of the Performance Guarantee for Public Improvements Installed at Fort Evans Plaza II RESOLUTION 2010-013 Making a Reduction of the Performance Guarantee for Public Improvements Installed at Fort Evans Plaza II Health Insurance Contract Award ---- RESOLUTION 2010-015 Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 8 Awarding a Contract for Employee Medical and Dental Insurance to Cigna Healthcare Mid-Atlantic d. Legislative Program Update -Supporting Governor McDonnell's Proposal regarding the Local Composite Index RESOLUTION 2010-016 Requesting the Virginia General Assembly Adjust the Local Composite Index for State Funding to Local School Divisions According to the Established Formula for Fiscal Year 2011 e. Ratification of Local Emergency Declaration RESOLUTION 2010-017 Authorizing and Approving the "Declaration of Local Emergency" The Consent Agenda was approved by the following roll call vote: Aye: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and Mayor U mstattd Nay: None Vote: 7-0 10. PUBLIC HEARINGS a. None 11. ORDINANCES a. None 12. RESOLUTIONS a. Awarding the Ida Lee Park Maintenance Facility Project Construction Contract On a motion by Council Member Wright, seconded by Council Member Butler, the following was proposed: RESOLUTION 2010-014 Awarding the Ida Lee Park Maintenance Facility Project Construction Contract Council Member Wright noted this contract is under budget and was included in the Capital Improvements Program. Council. Member Reid questioned why modification of the existing barn is included in this? He stated he thought it was part of a renovation that was previously approved. Richard Williams stated the barn was modified last year through a separate CIP project. He stated this project links into the back side of the barn and them modifications are to the gravel parking area behind the barn. He stated this project will also be utilizing the lower portion of the barn as storage area for various pieces of equipment. He stated this will centralize the parks maintenance operations. Council Member Reid questioned the size of the building. Town Council Meeting of February 9~ 2010 Page 9 Mr. Williams stated it is approximately 2000 square feet, but there is also a working yard area that will have pens for mulch, seed product, etc. and --- more secure storage area for equipment and covered areas for staff to perform maintenance on equipment. He stated green technology will be utilized for the roof. Council Member Reid stated while this was budgeted, he has to question the wisdom of spending half a million dollars on this when a prefabricated metal facility would suffice. Mr. Williams stated a prefabricated metal building would detract from the look of the park. Council Member Reid urged Council to vote this down. He stated it is a large amount of money even though it is under budget. Council Member Wright stated there have been several discussions on this project in the past. He stated he spent time walking around the current facility. He noted the project price was lowered by moving the facility from the back of the park to the barn area. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd Nay: Reid Vote: 6-1 (Reid) 13. OLD BUSINESS a. None 14. NEW BUSINESS a. South King Street Widening Project Mayor Umstattd noted this is just discussion and information. Kaj Dentler gave a brief overview of the project to date. He stated in November, Council endorsed the design plans for the widening of South King Street so the Town could proceed with right of way authorization. He noted during that time, Council was very specific that staff should address the stormwater management pond concerns mentioned tonight and the access out of Linden Hill. He noted in both issues, staff was directed to work with the community. He noted as they work with the community, more concerns are raised. He stated town staff has met with HOA representatives. He stated the HOA representatives asked that the pond be staked out so that they could get a visual of the size of the pond. He stated several of the neighbors have looked at the site and a meeting will be held on February 21 to walk the site. He stated they have also reached out to Neely Law regarding her expertise in regards to stormwater management. She put the Town staff into contact with the Center for Watershed Protection. He stated they have grant money to come out and give the Town insights and expertise to look at options. He stated the town is looking forward to those results. He stated while there is a plan on the table for the site, Town staff is very sensitive to the concerns of the neighborhood and what they would like to Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 10 see. He stated when Town staff comes before Council with the various options, he wants to be sure they have looked at every option. He stated he understands that the citizens may be skeptical that Town staff is looking out for their interests. He stated there are seven options that have been identified at this point. He stated one of the options is to reduce the size of the pond. He stated the pond had been sized to accommodate the full widening project but only half of the widening will be built at this time. He stated there are wetland areas that have been identified and are being looked at. He stated they are looking at the Greenway regional pond which backs up to Linden Hill. He stated they are working with the Meadowbrook developer to see if any options are available there. He stated the final recommendations will have all the cost estimates, pros and cons. He stated Linden Hill access is proceeding along the same lines. He stated the residents and Council desire a left turn option to go northbound. He requested that Council give staff the time to do their jobs and give them a full recommendation. He stated as long as they can make all the laws and requirements work they will try to in everyone's requests. Council Member Dunn stated he would rather look at the detailed information once staff has finished their work. He questioned when staff would be prepared to present their final recommendations. Mr. Dentler stated staff would have compiled the recommendations in about two months. He stated they would keep Council up to date with regards to neighborhood meetings. Vice Mayor Hammier stated she looks forward to the meeting on February 21St and noted most of Council would support an option that would keep the trees. Council Member Martinez stated he appreciates staff working with the neighborhoods. He stated he looks forward to the recommendations. Council Member Wright restated that staff is reviewing all seven options, but the goal is not to justify Option #1. Mr. Dentler stated part of the two months will include survey work and work done by others including the Center for Watershed Protection. He stated it will take time to do the thorough job that the citizens deserve. Council Member Butler stated as liaison to the Tree Commission, everyone knows his position on trees. He stated the information given tonight should help the residents understand that under no circumstances is Option #1 a foregone conclusion. He stated he appreciates staff working through all the issues and looks forward to hearing the recommendations. Mr. Dentler apologized for any impression that the community might have that staff is only after Option #1 with regards to the pond. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 11 Council Member Reid stated the goal is not to justify Option #1, but there are more disadvantages listed for the other six options than for Option #1. He questioned why the process has to take so long. Mr. Dentler stated the perception that Option #1 is the best one comes from the exercise that staff performed listing pros and cons. He stated they have not done an actual analysis of any of the options. He stated it should take about two months because survey work, in and out of house engineering analysis, cost analysis of each option and analysis of various regulatory requirements have to be done. He stated the Center for Watershed Protection is not delaying the report but they will give an outside, free opinion of different options available that the town might not be aware of. He stated the town has to handle both quality and volume of the water coming off the road. He stated this is a great opportunity to utilize a free service. Council Member Reid stated the state's MS-4 permit will be the one that dictates where the pond will be located. He questioned whether changing the pond location may put the stimulus funds in jeopardy as the federal regulations called for "shovel-ready" projects. He stated one of the options may have to receive Army Corps of Engineer's approval. Mr. Dentler stated the town has to meet a variety of regulations. He stated the pond is shown on the plans now in order to get right of way authorization to meet the federal stimulus grant guidelines. He stated changing the location will need to be reported and if one of the new options makes the location better, then the review will be minimal. He stated if there are significant changes which makes the situation worse, or changes the entire method, it may take longer to get reviewed. Mr. Dentler added the town is waiting for approval of the stimulus funds. Council Member Reid urged Council to eliminate Option #1 and see what that means in the confines of what the federal government and the state will allow the town to do. He stated at the same time, we can have a parallel track with the Center for Watershed Protection to offer other options. He noted using the Meadowbrook property is not a viable option; therefore, should be eliminated. Mr. Dentler indicated we are already on parallel tracks and pushing all options as fast as possible. He stated the wisest choice that the town can do is to vet every option available. He stated if Council wants to eliminate some options, it gives staff a short hand to work with. Council Member Reid requested staff report back sooner on feedback from the state and federal authorities. Council Member Wright stated he does not want to do anything that would inhibit staff's ability to explore all options. He stated the town is still in compliance with the stimulus funding regulations as the first phase including right of way acquisitions is moving forward while this item is being explored. Vice Mayor Hammier stated staff should report back to Council the status of the project on a weekly basis. Town Council Meeting of February 9, 2010 Page 12 b. Utility/Availability Fee Discussion Vice Mayor Hammler made a motion to table this discussion until the next worksession. The motion was seconded by Council Member Wright. The motion was approved by the following vote: Aye: Butler, Hammler, Martinez, Reid, Wright and Mayor Umstattd Nay: Dunn Vote: 6-1 (Dunn) 15. COUNCIL COMMENTS None. 16. MAYOR'S COMMENTS None. 17. MANAGER'S COMMENTS None. 18. CLOSED SESSION None. 19. AD7OURNMENT On a motion by Council Member Wright, seconded by Council Member Martinez, the meeting was adjourned at 6:59 p.m. A E T: Clerk of Co it `~ C. mstattd, Mayor Town of Leesburg 2010 tcmin0209