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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2004_01_12Council Work Session January 12, 2004 Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, 7:30 p.m. Mayor Umstattd presiding. CouncJlmembers Present: NervJn ~lackson, MelJnda Kramer, David Schmidt, Robert Zoldos and Mayor Umstattd. Councilmembers Absent: Frank Buttery and IVlarty Nartinez Staff Members Present: Town Manager Bob Noe, Town Attorney William Donnelly, Assistant to the Town Manager Nicole Ard, Assistant to the Town Manager Kathy Leidich, Chief of Police Joe Price, Director of Engineering and Public Works Tom Mason, Director of Economic Development Betsy Fields, Director of Parks and Recreation Kaj Dentler, Director of Planning, Zoning and Development Susan Swift, Budget Officer Nike Freda, Chief of Comprehensive Planning David Fuller, Capital Improvement ProJects Coordinator Nagi Elsewaissi, Planner Chris Murphy, Tourism Coordinator Narantha Edwards, Management Intern Alexandra Shabelski, and Clerk of Council ,ludy Ahalt. AGENDA [TENS Mayor Umstattd noted the large number of residents in attendance and asked that they be given the opportunity to speak prior to discussion of items on the agenda. Ted ]ackson, Union Cemetery, stated in consultation with Gordon and Associates it was determined that the fee for fixing the water drainage issues at the cemetery will be $:~00,000. He stated he would like the town to expedite the needed water connection. Further, he asked that the Council waive the $3,500 fee for the town staff to review the construction plans. Councilmember Schmidt asked the Town Manager for a report on this project. Councilmember Zoldos stated the town needs to rectify this issue. Vice Mayor Jackson asked Nagi Elsewaissi to provide an update on this project to Council. Mr. Elsewaissi stated staff has coordinated with Gordon and Associates and the cemetery board and determined a cost of approximately $25,000 for the town to provide the needed water connection. Councilmember Kramer asked that a timeline be set for this project and Council kept apprised of the progress. Bob Noe stated funding for this item has been included in the mid-year 2004 budget request. David Machlan, :[01 Hume Court, addressed Council regarding the new stop signs on Meade Drive and expressed his concern that the residents of Woodlea Manor were not consulted prior to Council action on this issue. He asked that Council reconsider their decision to install the stop signs. Town Council Work Session Minutes for January 12, 2004 Page Michael De Monte, 206 Lawnhill Court, stated there are extenuating circumstances, such as speeding, restriction in the line of site and short distances between the homes and the road, which require that these new stop signs on Meade Drive remain in place. Christopher Vaka, 1435 Harle Place, asked Council to reconsider the installation of the stop signs on Meade Drive because the normal town process of phased installation was not followed in this case. Further, he asked that Peggy Coleman, Southwest representative to the Standing Residential Traffic Committee, be replaced because her views do not represent the majority of residents in that quadrant. Michael Rau, 1404 Harle Place, cited contradictions in the reports to Council. He stated the traffic study conducted on Meade Drive found the traffic volume to be normal for a collector road with the primary concern to be speed. The report from the Standing Residential Traffic Committee stated the primary concern was not speed but volume of traffic. Further, he asked Council to reconsider their action. Hub Turner, 1107 Bradfield Drive, asked Council to consider a totally integrated approach to resolve the problems on Meade Drive. He stated the traffic studies do not justify the installation of these additional stop signs and asked Council to reconsider their decision. Carroll Laycock, 1445 Hague Drive, stated there is no need for these additional stop signs on Meade Drive and asked Council to reconsider their action. Lori Ciafre, 115 Meade Drive, thanked Council for their support of the additional stop signs on Meade Drive. She stated the stop signs allow residents to cross the street more safely. Keith Linville, 1408 Harle Place, stated his concern that the new stop signs were installed without proper notice to the residents in Woodlea. Further, he urged Council to take a drive down Meade Drive and reconsider their decision. John Mullins, 122 Meade Drive, thanked Council for their action in this matter and stated since the installation of the new stop signs he has noticed a reduction in speed on Meade Drive. ~lim Gould., 408 Salyor Way, expressed his concern with the growing number of stop signs on Meade Drive and asked Council to reconsider their process. Vice Mayor .lackson stated the original recommendation was for a stop sign at Hague Drive and Meade Drive in Woodlea Manor and two additional in Greenway. He stated he attended the Woodlea HOA meeting to discuss the proposed stop signs and only heard objection to the proposed sign at Hague and Meade. Further, he said the residents of Greenway attended three straight Standing Residential Traffic Committee meetings requesting the installation of these signs and received no objections. Councilmember $chmidt stated he attended the Woodlea Manor HOA meeting where only 20 residents out of 470 homes attended because of the inclement weather. He stated this issue was not on the meeting agenda and since the citizens were unaware of the issue he asked that this issue be deferred to the January Town Council Work Session Minutes for ]anuary 12, 2004 Page 3 Council meeting. Further, he thanked all of the citizens who spoke tonight and stated he hoped Council would reconsider this action at the meeting tomorrow night. Agenda for Council Meeting of 3anuary 13~ 2004. a. Article XV, Section 5.1-60 of the Town Code relating to the Cable Television Advisory Commission William Donnelly stated this section of the Town Code states that three members of the Cable Commission will be appointed by the franchisee; however, this is not a requirement of the franchise agreement and staff recommends that this section be amended to state that the Council appoints all members. Further, staff is recommending an amendment to the Town Code, which states that all members of the commission must be subscribers of the local cable service. It was the consensus of Council to support the amendment that Council appoints Cable Commission members at the meeting tomorrow night. b. Making an appointment to the Information Technology Commission Councilmember Schmidt stated he is recommending that Michael Ricciardelli be appointed to the Information Technology Commission. It was the consensus of Council to move forward with a vote at tomorrow night's meeting. c. Making an appointment to the Planning Commission Mayor Umstattd stated she is prepared to recommend an appointment to the Planning Commission and will provide Council with the contact information for this individual so that they may speak with him before the vote at the next Council meeting. Vice Mayor .lackson stated he would support voting on the Mayor's nomination to the commission tomorrow night because the Planning Commission will be selecting their Chair and Vice Chair at their meeting Thursday night. 2. Business Friendly - Councilmember Zoldos Councilmember Zoldos outlined his definition of Business Friendly stating business owners need to know what the town's rules are, the expectations of the town, any applicable local ordinances, and what is required so that they can budget the cost of what it will take to open their business. He suggested that staff create a checklist which is inclusive of all of these thoughts to ensure that the business owners will fully understand what it is that they have to do to start up their businesses in the Town of Leesburg. Councilmember Schmidt expressed his support and suggested integrating departments in the new expansion to facilitate this process for the business owners. 3. Schedule for Loudoun Street Addition Mr. Noe outlined the schedule for the Loudoun Street addition, stating it is extremely ambitious and there are mutual milestones that need to be met in order to maintain the ,lune 22 deadline. Town Council Work Session Minutes for .lanuary 12, 2004 Page 4 Councilmember Schmidt stated he would like to proceed full speed ahead, but the quality of the project cannot suffer. He stated he would like to see the contract awarded during this Council's term and hopes others will have the vision to continue the program. Councilmember Zoldos stated this is an aggressive schedule; however, he is concerned with the mid-year budget. Further, he stated he understands the need, but is not sure that the need is great enough to cause Council to move forward this fast. Vice Mayor Jackson stated there has been discussion of a larger sidewalk in front of the new building, but Council has not been provided with the additional cost of this. Mr, Noe stated he would provide that information to Council. 4. Use of [da Lee Park Recreation Center by Leesburg Fire and Rescue Squad Volunteers Kaj Dentler stated the Leesburg Volunteer Fire and Rescue squads and the Citizen Support Team have requested free use of Tda Lee. The current practice is that they receive free use only while on duty. He stated the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission has recommended providing a 20-percent discount to the volunteers to be used on any type of admission while continuing the current practices. Further, he stated the benefit would not be extended to family members or to volunteers outside of the Leesburg town limits. Councilmember Zoldos expressed his support of this item and asked that action be taken at tomorrow's meeting. Mayor Umstattd stated she has heard from a member of the rescue squad who wanted to speak to Council regarding this issue at the second meeting in January and suggested waiting until then to vote. Vice Mayor Jackson stated he received a call from one of the town's commission members asking why they did not receive free membership to ]:da Lee and asked Mr. Dentler to explain this. Mr. Dentler stated per action of a previous Town Council the only people who receive free membership to Ida Lee are the town employees and the Council. 5. Sycolin Road widening design change orders Nagi Elsewaissi stated staff is recommending approval of change orders #4 and #5 to the original contract with DMJM+Harris, ]:nc. in the amount of $82,000. He stated change order #4 is for the design of a :LO-foot asphalt trail to connect to Phil Bolen Park in the amount of $37,000.00 and change order #5 is for the design of a new water line in the amount of $45,000. Further, he stated sufficient funds are available in the Sycolin Road Widening and Utility Fund Capital budgets. Councilmember $chmidt verified the width of the trail to be :LO-feet. Councilmember Kramer verified the homeowner's associations had been contacted. Town Council Work Session Minutes for .]anuary 12, 2004 Paqe $ Mayor Umstattd asked if any construction would abut residential property in Stratford or Tavistock? Mr. Elsewaissi stated the town would need to acquire right of way in some areas from larger landowners. 6. Wage Drive, Anne Street and Dry Mill Road storm water study and Town Branch dredging Tom Mason recommended the town proceed as planned to remove sediment from Town Branch along Ratio Park. He stated a purchase order was issued to a construction company for the work and some of the work may be completed this winter depending on the weather conditions. Mr. Mason stated staff has met with homeowners on Anne Street, Wage Drive and Dry Mill Road regarding storm water flooding and are proposing a capital project to initiate a study of the storm water flooding when funds are available in FY 2005. He stated this portion of the storm water flooding study would cost $40,000. Councilmember Schmidt stated Council should consider funding this item in the mid-year budget. Mayor Umstattd asked if the town is doing something wrong through the DCSM or other regulations to cause drainage or run-off problems for existing homes? Further, is there a way to tighten up these regulations? Mr. Mason stated staff can review the regulations and controls used during construction and ensure that the town is consistent with other jurisdictions. Councilmember Zoldos suggested putting sod down where new construction takes place could help eliminate this problem. Finance Department Status Report Mr. Noe introduced George Shelley, Tnterim Director of Finance. Mr. Shelley stated in early December he was asked to assess the department for internal controls, separation of responsibilities and workflow efficiency and to design a road map for the department to help it meet any future demands placed upon it. He stated the budgeting system, accounts payable and receivable and the payroll functions are all working well. Mr. Shelley provided Council with five areas within the department that need improvement: (1) the growth of the town has increased the finance processing demand and the policies and procedures have not kept up and need to be reviewed; (2) the department needs additional temporary staffing; (3) minimal internal controls are currently in place and need to be strengthened including separation of responsibilities; (4) routine functions for controls are weak including reconciliation of statements and ledgers; and (5) field studies should be conducted to verify the correct fees and taxes for businesses are being paid to the town. In conclusion, Mr. Shelley stated in the short term he intends to continue to address internal controls, staffing issues and begin a detailed review of all documentation within the department. He stated there will be staffing and Town Council Work Session Minutes for January 12, 2004 Page organizational changes and it is his intent to absorb all costs within the department; however, if there are additional costs, a report will be made to Council. Councilmember Zoldos thanked Mr. Shelley for his report. Councilmember Kramer verified these recommendations could be implemented by the end of the fiscal year. Mayor Umstattd asked why the auditors did not identify these problems? Mr. Shelley stated the auditors have made several comments along these lines and those are listed in their latest report. He stated the current internal controls are minimal, but not ineffective. Further, he stated the department as it currently stands would not meet the needs of the future, but with a little work, meet the needs of today. w Preview items for 3anuary 26, 2004 work session a. SE-2003-06 - Costco Tire Center - Public Hearing No discussion b. SE-2002-07 - Star Pontiac, Buick and GMC, 326 E. Market Street - Public Hearing Vice Mayor Jackson stated the Planning Commission recommended approval of this application by a 4-3 vote. c. Final list of potential CDBG Projects - Public Hearing Councilmember Schmidt asked that the Fort Evans Road sidewalk and drainage project be added to this list. David Fuller stated he would report back to Council as to why it is not on the list. Mayor Umstattd stated Lyle Werner would address Council regarding her desire to include funding for the free clinic. d. BP Oil gas station sign at Holtzman property on Catoctin Circle No discussion e. Parking study implementation plan Betsy Fields stated staff and the Economic Development Commission have taken a very conservative and balanced approach to making the recommendations outlined in this plan. Councilmember Schmidt stated staff should get input from the downtown merchants before Council begins deliberating this issue, especially concerning the parking validation recommendation. Ms. Fields stated staff has been working with the Downtown Merchant's Association. f. Proposed adoption of new town logo Town Council Work Session Minutes for January 12, 2004 Page ? Betsy Fields discussed the need to unify all of the town's printed materials with a consistent image and stated the Economic Development Commission is recommending that the town adopt the recently designed tourism logo as the official town logo. g. Water Filtration Plant engineering services contract amendment No. 3 No discussion Northern Virginia Regional Commission Ali-Hazard Mitigation Plan No discussion i. Fiscal Year 2004 Mid-year budget No discussion New business a. Clean Air bill Councilmember Zoldos stated Senator Hims has proposed a bill to enable local jurisdictions to enact legislation to ban smoking in enclosed restaurants and bars. He stated Mr. Ben Lawrence would be in attendance at tomorrow night's meeting and if Council decides to endorse this legislation it would have to do so before January 23. Mayor Umstattd stated her concern with towns dictating this type of policy to their restaurant owners. Councilmembers Schmidt stated he would like to have input from the restaurant owners before supporting this legislation. Vice Mayor Jackson and Councilmember Kramer concurred. b. Stop signs on Meade Drive Councilmember Zoldos stated tomorrow night he will propose a resolution to reconsider and rescind Resolution 2003-165 concerning the stop signs on Meade Drive to allow for citizen input and then consider action. Mayor Umstattd stated this issue could be placed on the agenda for the next two meetings to the allow for public input then make a decision as to whether or not to remove the stop signs. She stated because the stop signs have been installed, reconsideration might not be needed as Council could just ask that they be taken down. Bill Donnelly stated Roberts Rules of Order states if a motion to reconsider is to be made it must be done at the next meeting by someone who was on the prevailing side; however, a motion to rescind could be made at anytime but is normally made only if there is a change in circumstances. He said it would be better to make a motion to reconsider. :It was the consensus of Council to consider this motion at the meeting tomorrow night. The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m. Town Council Work Session Minutes for 3anuary 12, 2004 Paqe $ 2004_tcwsmin0112.doc /::1 e r k- ~-f -C'8 u n ci I