HomeMy Public PortalAbout2009_tcwsmin0413
Council Work Session
April 13, 2009
Council Chambers, 25 West Market Street, 7:30 p.m. Mayor Umstattd presiding.
Council Members Present: David Butler, Thomas Dunn, II, Katie Sheldon
Hammier, Marty Martinez, Ken Reid, Kevin Wright and Mayor Kristen Umstattd
Council Members Absent: None
Staff Present: Town Manager John Wells, Deputy Town Manager Kaj Dentler,
Director of Public Works Tom Mason, Airport Director Tim Deike, Director of Parks
and Recreation Rich Williams, Chief of Police Joe Price, Director of Planning and
Zoning Susan Berry Hill, Director of Finance Norm Butts, Economic Development
Manager Marantha Edwards, Director of Plan Review Bill Ackman, Director of Utilities
Randy Shoemaker, Director of Information Technology Wendy Wickens, Director of
Human Resources Nancy Fixx, Director of The Thomas Balch Library Alexandra
Gressitt, Assistant Director of Capital Projects Management Renee LaFollette,
Assistant Director of Capital Projects Management Tom Brandon, Senior Management
Analyst Bob Berkey, Senior Management Analyst Annie Carlson and Management
Specialist/Deputy Clerk of Council Debi Parry
AGENDA ITEMS
1. Work Session Items for Discussion:
Gigi Robinson, Loudoun County Planning Commission, invited Council, Leesburg
Planning Commissioners, Leesburg citizens and staff to attend an input session on
the County-wide Transportation Plan on May 5 at Ida Lee. She asked that anyone
with input or ideas about the plan to contact her prior to the May 5th meeting. She
stated there will also be a stakeholders meeting with the homeowners associations
and all of the Towns on May 19 at Ida Lee.
Mayor Umstattd stated May 19 is the night of the Leesburg Business
Appreciation Awards. She asked what time the meeting is expected to start.
Ms. Robinson stated the meeting on May 19 will start at 6:00 p.m.
a. Budget Work Session
John Wells provided an update to Council on the additional spending
reductions and revenue adjustments identified to bring the FY2010 real estate
tax rate to $0.195 cents per $100 per Council direction. He stated Council
further instructed staff to reduce the budget by $980,000 based on the
reductions introduced by Council Member Wright and modify the Capital
Improvements Program (CIP) to accelerate downtown improvements, re-order
trail projects and stay within the fiscal policy. He stated the General Fund has
been reduced by $992,192, Capital Projects Fund by $54,918 of which all was
taken from operations expenses, Airport Fund by $13,953 and Utility Fund by
$397,476 for a total reduction of approximately $1.5 million. He stated this
proposed budget uses no funds from the 15 percent Fiscal Reserve nor the $1.4
million Revenue Stabilization Fund.
Council Member Reid asked if the 15 percent Fiscal Reserve funds are
available.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 2
Mr. Wells stated the funds are available but not used for continuing
operations. He stated this fund is only used for cash flow purposes and does not
reflect as an expenditure.
Council Member Reid asked if this fund is used for the bond rating.
Mr. Wells stated this fund is very important to the bond rating. He stated the
fact that the Town has a written fiscal policy is one of the strongest things we
bring to the table when we talk to the rating agencies.
Council Member Reid asked if the fund is being used for cash flow purposes.
Mr. Wells stated it is not being used for continuing operations.
Council Member Reid asked if the fund is being used.
Council Member Wright clarified all of the money is still there in the fund at
the end of the fiscal year.
Mr. Wells stated this fund is actual money in the bank used as part of our
investment portfolio. He stated the proposed budget does use $250,000 from
the Economic Development Reserve for Downtown Improvements/CIP and
$700,000 from the Undesignated Fund balance. He stated over the years we
have stressed that the Undesignated Fund balance should be used for one-time
expenses. He clarified the funding for the Downtown Improvements project, the
reordering of the Southwest Connector Trail and South King Street Trail
Extension projects and how staff was able to maintain the debt ratios. Further,
he stated this budget reflects the following Council direction and management
trends including focused effort to complete capital projects, enhanced focus on
the downtown, systematic review of all Town fees, creative/consolidated use of
resources to reduce costs and potentially staffing, continued improvements to
the land development process and regulations, enhanced grant writing emphasis
and expanded internal and external communication efforts.
Vice Mayor Hammier thanked Mr. Wells and staff for their efforts in
responding to each Council Member's concerns. She stated we have reduced
taxes, we are looking at sources where revenues are increasing, we are putting
$700,000 back in the Revenue Stabilization Fund, we are accelerating some
critical CIP projects and we are putting more cash into the CIP and using less
debt in the General Operating Fund balance. She stated she is very impressed
and happy to be at the 19.5 cent tax rate. She stated we are going to add some
specific objectives for this and future years. She stated we are discussing a
downtown authority for downtown projects and she would like to ensure that the
residents are part of the downtown authority. She stated when looking at
consolidating and broadening staff job descriptions she would also like to focus
on broadening public/private partnerships and ways that we reach out for
programs such as R.O.C.K. She expressed the need to stay on top of public
safety issues so residents feel safe. Further, she stated in an effort to improve
internal and external communications we need to focus on the opportunities
available through social media.
Council Member Butler thanked Mr. Wells and staff for their efforts on the
budget stating he appreciates the reductions personally and as a tax payer. He
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Paqe 3
stated in approaching the budget the four items that were most important to
him were insuring the taxes were lower, carrying only a reasonable amount of
debt spending, moving forward on the trails projects and finally, he would like to
add funds in the budget to provide funding to some of the social service
agencies. He asked that a one-time donation of $12,000 to be made to five
charities from the Undesignated Fund balance including Interfaith Relief,
Loudoun Free Clinic, Loudoun Cares, Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers and The
Good Shepherd Alliance for a total of $60,000. He stated it is important to
support these agencies that provide food and life saving services to individuals
affected by the economic downturn. Further, he stated the funds would come
from the Undesignated Fund balance so there would be no impact to the
taxpayers.
Mayor Umstattd suggested that straw votes be held until all Council Members
have spoken.
Council Member Wright thanked Mr. Wells for his presentation and for staff
efforts in reviewing his list of proposed cuts and coming back to Council with this
presentation tonight. He asked if there is a standard for accounting practices or
minimum and maximum balances for Fiscal Reserve Funds.
Mr. Wells stated he has seen ranges between 10-30 percent.
Norm Butts stated the median range is 15 percent for the Fiscal Reserve
Fund. He stated the Town's policy was 10 percent until five years ago. He
stated our actual fund balance has been in excess of 25 percent; however, 15
percent is untouchable. He stated he would like to see the policy increased to
25 percent to allow for 90 day operations during a catastrophic event. He stated
the Fiscal Reserve for the Utility Fund is 25 percent; however, our current 15
percent for the General Fund is a good start.
Mr. Wells stated when he left Loudoun County their fiscal reserve was 15
percent and they were able to achieve a AAA bond rating. He stated they
performed higher; however, 15 percent was their policy. He stated Mr. Butts'
point is important that a smaller local government should have a higher reserve
because the numbers are lower. He stated we are at a good place now;
however, as the opportunity presents we should look to increase our fiscal
policy.
Council Member Wright stated over the past several years positions have
been eliminated or frozen as part of an ongoing effort and asked for a list of
those positions. He stated in better economic times it may be wise to establish
a capital and facility repair fund so we are able to plan for and anticipate capital
repair needs. He asked what level of funding would be required to establish
such a fund.
Mr. Wells stated staff has reviewed the capital and repair costs in the current
budget and have determined that approximately $210,000 has been identified in
the FY10 budget. He stated he would need detailed information on the
conditions of the Town's facilities before he could provide a more detailed
estimate.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 4
Mr. Butts stated such a fund is typically a percentage of the fixed assets. He
stated in the Utility Fund one-half of one percent of the assets is set aside for a
total of $150,000.
Council Member Wright stated in the past there have been wide swings in
assessments where some property values increased while others decreased. He
asked the percentage of homeowners who would receive a tax decrease this
year given the current proposed tax rate of 19.5 cents.
Mr. Wells stated he could contact the assessor's office to determine the
median number for tomorrow night.
Council Member Wright expressed concern that outside design firms would be
engaged too early in the Downtown Improvement Project process and
encouraged use of internal and community resources to achieve a good design
idea before we spend design funds.
Mr. Wells stated he concurs we can use internal resources to establish a
preliminary design before engaging outside firms.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated we need a three dimensional model so people
know what we are talking about with these improvements.
Council Member Wright stated he would like to see design money added to
the Morven Park Road project in the last year of the CIP. Stating he would
assume this would be approximately $150,000. He stated he would not want to
add the Plaza Street or Edwards Ferry Road sidewalk projects as they have a
chance at receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and he
would not want to take away that opportunity by adding those projects to the
CIP. He asked if staff is pushing hard in the grant writing area.
Mr. Wells stated Council should begin to see more grant applications added to
the monthly report. He stated staff is ensuring we are not missing any
opportunities for stimulus funds. He stated there still is no process established
for some of the stimulus funds. He stated while the first wave of stimulus
funding may not provide any funds; however, the second or third may.
Council Member Wright stated it seems there may be duplicate funding in the
budget for Acoustics on the Green.
Mr. Wells stated there was no duplicate funding. He stated when the budget
was first put together Council was talking about trying to do more in the
downtown so funds were added to the Economic Development budget for
downtown activities. He stated later we became a partner in the Acoustics on
the Green program and the money for that endeavor was placed in the Parks
and Recreation budget. He stated the money for the downtown activities was
not removed from the Economic Development budget; however, it can be
removed if that is Council's desire.
Council Member Wright verified the funds budgeted for Acoustics on the
Green reflects the worst case scenario as the goal is to get the downtown
business partners to buy the ads and provide volunteers to man the event. He
stated we are more of an insurance policy for the event. He stated performing
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 5
groups can be recruited downtown free of charge and perhaps the $15,000 in
the Economic Development Project could be used as seed money for the Fa<;ade
Improvement Grants. He stated he has been told that the Thomas Balch Library
has an endowment for maintenance of the building.
Mr. Wells stated there is an endowment for maintenance of the building and
those funds can be used by Council. He stated the funds can only be used to
improve the asset of the building, which does not include basic maintenance.
Council Member Wright stated in the Parks and Recreation budget there was a
transfer within the recreation funds of $44,000 with no documentation and
asked for an explanation of the transfer. He stated he believes there is still room
to trim the Thomas Balch Library budget and he would like to have the room
rental fees for the library raised to be more in line with the fees charged for
room rental at Ida Lee. He stated we keep talking about the tax rate; however,
it is truly about focusing on the bill and he will continue to focus on the bill
versus the rate every year and especially when the economy begins to improve.
Council Member Dunn stated he is focusing on the bill also and would like to
see the bill lower than the $7 per month decrease on average that we are giving
taxpayers now. He stated it is tough for people to make donations to non-profit
organizations when we are only giving residents $7 a month. He stated he
would like to see a tax rate at 16 cents per $100 which is approximately $1.9
million below the proposed tax rate. He stated according to Mr. Wells'
presentation, we have $10.7 million of taxpayer money that we've collected and
he is taken aback that we can only give them $7 per month. He stated we have
one major reserve that cannot be touched that was raised to 15 percent in good
times and it is not realistic to the citizens to increase this reserve to 25 percent.
He stated we have heard that communities are receiving AAA bond ratings with
a 10 percent reserve which speaks more to the fact of how they are managing
that 10 percent not just the number. He expressed concern about the $6.9
million undesignated fund balance and that this is not being returned to the tax
payers. He stated in looking at the tax rates for the last four years the assessed
rate for single family homes has declined 26 percent; however we are only
giving these residents a 20% savings on their tax bill. He stated he has
identified $1. 7 million in reductions to the budget without reducing staff. He
commented on the need for a designated grant writer stating we currently have
the eCivis system to help identify grants; however, the main staff person using
that program has not acquired one grant. He stated most of his reductions deal
with subscriptions and memberships asking why we cannot have just one person
from each department designated for a subscription or membership.
Mr. Wells stated the memberships provide the opportunity for professional
development of individuals. He stated both he and Mr. Butts are members of
the Government Finance Officers Association which affords the opportunity to
earn credits through taking courses and attending conferences which reduces
rates for the Town. He stated you need to look at the payback that is received
through those memberships whether it is information back to the organization or
information back to the individual.
Council Member Dunn stated in many organizations the individuals pay for their
memberships and subscriptions on their own. He asked if the Town pays for this
because it is nice or because it is required. He stated he heard today that a new
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 6
study has concluded that government employees are paid 40% more than
private sector employees on average. He recommended cutting the materials
and supplies budget by 10%. He stated he would like to see staff receive their
full COLA and full merit increases as he cannot justify why that is not in the
budget. He asked that nine police officers be added to the budget given the
recent crime issues in and around the Town as Council's main responsibly is the
health and welfare of our citizens. He stated the cost of the police officers would
be $1.1 million.
Vice Mayor Hammier asked where the funds for this additional cost would
come from.
Council Member Dunn stated Council can determine where the funds will
come from as he believes we have an additional $10.7 million in taxpayer
money. He recommended reducing the rainy day fund by 75% given that we
already have a reserve fund established for the most important emergencies.
He recommended adding an auto exit system to the garage to eliminate the
need to staff the parking booths at a cost of $100,000. He stated he would like
to reduce the Town personal property tag cost to $1 and make that a lifetime
tag that does not have to be renewed every year. He stated he would like to
reduce the milling and paving budget by $339,000 as well as the redundant
brush and leaf pick up cost. He stated he would like to place a two year hold on
fleet vehicle purchases other than those needed by the police. He recommended
keeping the Deputy Town Attorney position as part-time. He stated he supports
funding the DIA's downtown improvements project; however, there needs to be
buy-in from the building owners with repairs to their properties. He stated we
need an enforcement body and a way to make it easier for property owners to
comply with the enforcement through low interest fa<;ade loans or grants.
Council Member Martinez thanked Mr. Wells and staff for their efforts on the
budget. He stated he has always advocated for a full-time grants writer position
as well as a full-time lobbyist that could have assisted the Town in receiving
stimulus funds. He supported Council Member Butler's recommendation to
provide funding to non-profit organizations stating this is the time when local
government needs to help these groups provide a way to survive. He stated we
all moved to Leesburg because of the quality of life and he is not comfortable
with budget cuts that would reduce the quality of life or level of service provided
to residents of the Town. He stated we cannot this budget is not sustainable
and how long are we going to patch our local government as somewhere down
the road we will have to stop patching things and invest in our Town. He stated
he appreciates Council Member Dunn's efforts to reduce the budget; however,
the only way we can get people excited about investing in our Town is when we
begin to invest in our Town. He stated he supports the 19.5 cent tax rate;
however, Council needs to decide what we want to be as a Town.
Council Member Reid thanked Mr. Wells and staff for their work in identifying
reductions to the budget. He provided a list of budget cuts he would like
considered by Council. He asked the difference in the interest rate for AAA
versus AA rated communities.
Mr. Wells stated typically you would receive 10 basis points. He stated when
the Town received its credit rating upgrade four years ago we estimated the
savings over a 20-year period to be $3 million.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 7
Council Member Reid asked the interest rate difference between AAA and AA.
Mr. Wells stated in the bond market the difference would be about 0.5 to 1
percent.
Council Member Reid stated that would be future projects, not current debt.
Mr. Wells stated you do not change the interest rate on current debt unless it
is beneficial to refinance. He stated you do not go out to get a credit rating
unless we are going into the bond market.
Council Member Reid stated we do not know what the future borrowing will be
as we do not have a long-term plan to build interchanges or big-ticket items.
Mr. Wells stated there is a long-term plan. He stated when you meet with the
credit agencies they will compare your year to year CIP and he and Mr. Butts
have stressed the importance of a CIP with limited changes. He stated Council
has a good borrowing schedule and the direction staff has followed is to have a
CIP that is a building program more than a wish list. He stated the rating
agencies track the Town's activities and will call when there is a concern.
Council Member Reid asked if they have called about the utility rates.
Mr. Wells stated he has not received a call on that topic yet.
Council Member Reid asked the difference in having a 10 to 15 percent
reserve when you can still get an AAA rating.
Mr. Wells stated Council Member Wright was correct that it is not about the
percentage, rather it is about the bottom line amount and the size of the
jurisdiction. He stated the Town of Purcellville is a smaller Town and they are
going beyond 15 percent in their reserve.
Council Member Reid stated the Town of Purcellville is referring to this as a
"Tax Stabilization Fund" because they have not built up a reserve.
Mr. Wells stated when talking to the rating agencies you talk about your full
amount of reserves, not just your fiscal reserve. He stated they want to know
that you have a fiscal policy of 15% but also want to know your total amount of
reserve. He stated that is why Mr. Butts has indicated a desire to raise this
amount to 25 percent.
Council Member Reid asked how many towns our size have a fiscal reserve of
15 percent.
Mr. Butts stated he could get that information from the rating agencies.
Mr. Wells stated he would not look at what the other towns have, he stated
we are at a number that is the lowest we should have and we need to be looking
to move to a higher number in the future if the undesignated fund number goes
down.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 8
Council Member Reid stated generally what we've done it seems from looking
at the budget, and it's taken me three years to figure this out, a lot of the
spending has gone into areas that staff wanted like a maintenance facility or this
or that. Now these do serve a public good; however, Loudoun County has made
the difficult decision to float bonds for the interchange at Loudoun County
Parkway and Route 7, yet the Town has not done that with Sycolin Road flyover
or other interchanges in the Town. He stated he is wondering how important it
is to amass that much in reserves if we are limited to 15 percent in the CIP and
we have not put money into big ticket items besides Battlefield Parkway.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated it is unfair to say that somehow staff has wanted
things when Council has made decisions. She stated we have funded Battlefield
Parkway and it is our fault if there was something of higher priority so that is an
unfair statement to blame staff. She asked if a tax reduction from 19.5 cents
to 18 cents would result in a $100 savings for taxpayers.
Mr. Wells stated the savings would be $75.29.
Council Member Reid stated he is concerned that we are hoarding money for
purposes just in case. He stated we do not need to have our streets swept once
a month except downtown. He stated we do not need to have staff driving
around looking for branches when there should be a designated day. He stated
Council Member Wright was correct when he sought a deeper cut in milling and
paving. He stated we should put money into more police or the downtown
camera system Chief Price advocated for or capital projects like sidewalks.
Mayor Umstattd she did not think Chief Price was the advocate for the
downtown camera system, rather she thought Council Member Reid raised the
idea.
Council Member Reid stated he was talking about a downtown bike patrol and
Chief Price said the downtown cameras would be a better option. He stated he
has presented a number of budget cuts that do not reduce staff but help move
the Town towards different polices. He proposed a $239,000 reduction to
milling and paving above the $100,000 cut by Mr. Wells.
Council Member Wright clarified when he did the calculation on road
maintenance he looked at the overall road maintenance program and the milling
and paving is only a portion of that program. He stated milling and paving is
one-third of the overall road maintenance budget.
Council Member Reid if you look at the CAFR, they ended up spending
$327,000 less than was budgeted. He proposed cutting Economic Development
advertising stating the focus of this staff should be business attraction and
retention. He stated as Vice Mayor Hammier has noted we really need to get
more into free media and social media rather than spending money for an ad
agency to place ads in various newspapers or business magazines. He stated
the $30,000 cut proposed for the Balch Library is what staff offered to Mr. Wells
who indicated he decided not to accept it. He stated as Council Member Wright
has pointed out there are some things we can do at the Thomas Balch Library in
terms of cuts. He stated he would compromise on moving the Deputy Town
Attorney position to three-quarter time as we heard from the Town Attorney that
Ms. Notar spends a lot of time at the BAR meetings which may not be necessary.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Paqe 9
He proposed a reduction in employee advertising as free media would broaden
the base that we are looking for. He recommended reducing the employee drug
testing budget from $19,000 to $14,000 as we will not be hiring many new
employees. He suggested eliminating the eCivis system, Abacus security and
reducing the budget for memberships. He proposed reductions in economic
research publications and staff training with the exception of IT staff. He
further suggested eliminating the cost for the National Main Street publication
and reductions in training and lodging. He stated his cuts total $615,000 and to
reach a tax rate of 18 cents you would need $230,000 more which could be
taken from the "Rainy Day Fund" or could be offset by an increase in revenue
from fines or programs. He asked what message would we send to the credit
agencies if we kept our tax rate the same for three years in a row.
Mr. Wells stated the rating agencies look at the ability and willingness to pay.
He stated reductions in the tax rate scare the agencies as it gives the impression
Council may not be willing to pay the obligations it has.
Council Member Reid stated his concern is public safety. He stated the
proposed budget does not give any increases to staff and there is money to pay
increases even if it is one percent. He stated the budget provides no new police
officers and if we do not get Federal Stimulus money then we should make a
budgetary change during the course of the year. He stated he does not support
removal of the project for the additional soccer field at Ida Lee or the fact that
there are no funds going into sidewalks. He stated a resident by the name of
Elizabeth Barbee who sent an email in September who indicated she asked for a
sidewalk to be constructed on Southwest Market Street so she could walk with
her four year old Granddaughter who is now 17 and the sidewalk was just
completed. He stated it seems that instead of giving a sidewalk to the Morven
Park Road residents now or completing the Southwest Connector Trail now we
sit there trying to get money from other sources when we already have the
money. He stated he could support a 19.5 cent tax rate if he could see where
the additional money above 18 cents is being used productively. He stated he
hopes Council will support his cuts and put the money into capital projects.
Mayor Umstattd proposed the elimination of the $675,000 Economic
Development Reserve and the removal of funding for the Downtown
Improvements Project from the CIP. She stated she would like to see $16,000
added for Dodona Manor stating they bring in more tourists from foreign
countries into the downtown than any other effort we make. She stated they
partner with the Town on the Veteran's Day celebration and have always offered
to allow the Town to use the Marshall Home or property for any ceremonies or
dignitary visits. She stated she can understand where Council Member Dunn is
coming from and Mr. Butts advises increasing the fiscal reserve, which she
would support by eliminating the Revenue Stabilization Reserve and adding that
revenue to the Fiscal Reserve along with the revenue from the Economic
Development Reserve. She stated that would not get us to 25 percent;
however, if we might have to operate on a reserve in a crisis she could see
increasing that reserve. She stated regarding Council Member Butler's
proposal, perhaps citizens could rely on the Crisis Link 211 system to put them
in touch with the proper social service agency. She asked if this operates in
Loudoun County.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 10
Mr. Wells stated he would need to call Loudoun County to determine if that
service is offered here. He stated the full information referral issue is critical
and that is where Loudoun Cares provides service.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated the $16,000 for Dodona would be reasonable to
come from the Economic Development fund.
Mayor Umstattd stated Council could proceed with straw votes on the
proposed cuts.
Vice Mayor Hammier expressed concern that we have not identified where the
funds from the proposed cuts will go.
Council Member Wright suggested moving forward to see if there is support
for any of the proposed cuts and then determine where the funds will go. He
stated we keep talking about the $10 million in reserve; however, when you look
at the General Fund CIP program there are $72.4 million in unfunded capital
projects. He stated as we look to reduce the reserve, he does not want to
reduce it operationally because we will have to make up the operational dollars
somewhere else in the tax rate. He stated he believes in the long term we will
get to a position where reserves can be used to pay for capital projects once we
get through the backlog of capital projects.
Mayor Umstattd stated that is a good point. She stated the reason there has
been a lot of spending over the last 10 years is because there have been an
unprecedented number of capital projects built in that time that were promised
for over 20 years.
Council Member Martinez stated when he was elected to Council in 2002 he,
the Mayor and other Council Members noticed the number of capital projects
that had been in the CIP for over 20 years and made a point of finishing a
number of those projects and continuing to invest in the Town.
Council Member Reid stated as Mr. Dentler mentioned because the
contractors are hurting right now it is a great time to put money into capital
projects. He stated he is not advocating putting all of the money into the
Sycolin Flyover; however, we have gone for eight or nine years without the
stated contributing transportation fund, yet we've invested $3 million to
renovate the Thomas Balch Library and over $7 million to construct the Utility
Lines Maintenance Building. He stated a lot of things are done, not for the
citizens who are told their project is in the CIP and are not told that it may take
five years, but for the projects on Town property happen much quicker because
there is no need for easements and there is a bureaucratic push for them.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated it is misleading that we are looking at $1.7 million
in cuts and asked how much it will cost to restore merit and cost of living
increases. She stated to really start going through these lists we need the costs
associated with them.
Council Member Dunn stated he estimated the cost at $2.1 million.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated so we are going to add $2.1 million to the
budget.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 11
Council Member Dunn stated Council would have to find cuts somewhere and
there are a lot of reserves. He stated it is easy to say that this is money that we
are going to spend for capital improvements, but you could also tax people 25-
30 percent and get capital projects done much faster. He stated you have to
look at the reserves at some point and ask when is that money ours and when is
it the people's money. He stated he believes that money should go back to the
citizens who have overpaid over the years in their taxes.
The following straw votes were taken by Council:
a. Restore $12,000 in funding to Interfaith Relief, Loudoun Cares, Loudoun
Free Clinic, Loudoun Caregivers and The Good Shepherd Alliance
($60,000)
Council Member Wright stated Council's vote on Mayor Umstattd's
suggestion to Dodona Manor will affect how he votes on this item.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Martinez and Reid
Nay: Dunn, Hammier, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 3-4
b. Eliminate eCivis license (-$25,000)
Vice Mayor Hammier verified eCivis is the software staff uses to identify
grant opportunities. She stated she does not support the comment that non-
profit organizations should not be able to use this product as that is a method
of supporting them.
Mr. Wells stated staff provided training to the non-profit organizations
in the use of the program per Council's direction.
Mayor Umstattd asked the level of funding Council Member Wright
would like to add to the Capital Improvements Program for the Morven Park
Road sidewalk project.
Council Member Wright stated he would like to add $150,000 to the
CIP for year five. He stated there would be no cost for this year.
Mayor Umstattd stated she would support that proposal.
Mayor Umstattd stated there is majority support for the proposal.
Council Member Wright asked if the Mayor would like to identify
whether there were any members opposed.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 12
Mayor Umstattd stated it is not really that important. She stated if
there is a majority supporting an item staff knows what to do. She called for
a straw vote on the proposal to eliminate $25,000 for the eCivis program.
Council Member Wright clarified the annual license cost for the
program is $25,000.
Vice Mayor Hammier verified the Town cannot share a license with
Loudoun County.
Council Member Reid stated the departments are getting most of the
grants.
Mr. Wells stated the program can be used by other departments in the
Town, but we could not share a license with anyone outside of the Town.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright, Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
c. Reduce Materials and Supplies expenses by 10 percent
Council Member Wright verified the amount has already been reduced
as part of the Town Manager's reductions.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
d. Restore merit and cost of living increases for staff ($1.3 million)
Mayor Umstattd stated this would more than wipe out the savings
Council Member Dunn has proposed.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
e. Add nine new police officer positions and four additional vehicles
($787,000)
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 13
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
f. Use 75 percent of the revenue stabilization fund ($1,050,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
g. Reduce vehicle tag to $1 and create a lifetime tag
Vice Mayor Hammier stated she does not understand the budgetary
implications.
Mr. Butts stated there would be a loss of $740,000 in revenue.
Council Member Dunn stated you would also reduce the cost of
administering the tags which would be approximately $200,000.
Council Member Wright stated a portion of the $200,000
administrative cost to collect the taxes would still continue.
Mr. Butts stated the bills staff will still mail out the same number of
bills and collect on the same number of accounts; however, the Town would
take in $740,000 less in revenue.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
h. Eliminate Parking Garage Staff/Add Automated System ($100,000)
Council Member Dunn stated it was his impression that the part-time
garage staff would be given other tasks.
Mr. Butts stated the part-time staff would be eliminated.
Council Member Wright stated staff would still be needed for parking
enforcement.
Mr. Butts stated there is an additional part-time staff member who
handles parking tickets.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 14
Vice Mayor Umstattd stated the Town would still collect the parking
garage revenue.
Council Member Butler stated staff may still be needed in case the
system is in need of repair.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
i. Reduce the Milling and Paving budget (-$339,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
j. Eliminate staff brush and leaf pick up
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
k. 2-yr hold on fleet purchases except for police
Council Member Reid verified this proposal would eliminate fleet
purchases except for the Police Department.
Council Member Wright asked how many vehicles are proposed to be
purchased for next fiscal year.
Council Member Dunn stated it does not matter whether the fleet
proposal will save much or not as it will probably not pass. He stated there
are some spenders on Council.
Council Member Reid concurred.
Mayor Umstattd stated Council Members Reid and Dunn are among the
big spenders as they have proposed some of the biggest spending items.
Council Member Dunn stated he has proposed cuts to the budget too.
Mayor Umstattd stated the budget cuts do not cover the expenditures
from what she has seen.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 15
There was no vote on this item.
I. Maintain Deputy Town Attorney position as part-time
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: None
Nay: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and
Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 0-7
m. Reduce the Milling and Paving budget ($239,000 in addition to revised
Town Manager proposal)
Council Member Reid stated this would be in addition to the $100,000
cut already proposed by Mr. Wells. He stated this additional savings
would bring the total reduction to 35 percent. He stated there are ways to
maximize efficiencies.
Council Member Butler stated he would be willing to reduce this budget
by an additional $100,000.
Mayor Umstattd called for the vote on the proposal to reduce the
budget by $239,000.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
n. Reduce Milling and paving ($100,000 in addition to revised Town
Manager proposal)
Vice Mayor Hammier asked what impact this proposal would have.
Council Member Wright stated he took a road-trip with the Public
Works Street Department staff who do the calculations to determine the road
repair needs. He stated the budget was over $900,000; however, the staff
calculations showed a need for $1.2 million. He stated we are now $400,000
below the staff estimates and he could not support further reductions.
Council Member Reid stated he thought Council Member Wright
proposed further reductions to this budget.
Council Member Wright stated he proposed a $300,000 reduction to
the overall streets budget which Mr. Wells achieved by reductions in snow
removal and other items.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 16
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Dunn, Reid
Nay: Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 3-4
o. Reduce Public Works Diesel fuel funds ($100,000)
Council Member Reid stated this budget came in $327,000 under
budget last year. He stated the purpose of this is to discipline the staff so
they can schedule some of the branch pick-ups and reduce the frequency of
the street sweepings.
Vice Mayor Hammier asked if Mr. Wells has any comments on this
item.
Mr. Wells stated his recommended reductions were reflected in his
earlier presentation.
Council Member Reid stated according to the CAFR staff came in under
budget for the previous fiscal year. He stated he will work on objectives to
discipline staff to reduce the street sweeping and other items.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
p. Reduce Economic Development advertising ($125,000)
Council Member Wright asked for a clarification of the reduction.
Council Member Reid stated it would eliminate the use of an
advertising agency and a number of the advertisements. He stated staff has
to be focused on business retention and attraction. He stated the use of free
and social media as Vice Mayor Hammier has suggested is an effective way to
proceed.
Council Member Wright stated Mr. Wells has cut $20,000 from the
Economic Development budget.
Council Member Reid stated this year the Economic Development
department spent $290,000. He stated this is money that is thrown into
advertisement without return.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 17
Council Member Butler stated he would not support reducing the
advertising budget; however, he would support reducing the economic
development reserve to $550,000.
Council Member Reid asked why Council Member Butler would want to
reduce a reserve for capital investment but continue advertising without a
clear return.
Vice Mayor Hammier asked if there is a commitment for the
advertising budget.
Mr. Wells stated we actually have a series of advertising programs
which Marantha Edwards can explain in greater detail. He stated some of the
ads focus on the downtown and some have a town-wide focus. He stated
this budget also includes the advertising partnership developed last year
between the Town and the downtown merchants.
Council Member Reid stated we do not do cooperative advertising with
other shopping areas in Town.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Reid
Nay: Dunn, Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
q. Reduce Balch discretionary and cleaning budget ($30,000)
Council Member Wright stated he thought the library staff did not
propose cuts.
Mr. Wells stated he asked Alexandra Gressitt to provide a package of
proposed cuts for his consideration. He stated he looked at options from all
departments and felt based on his knowledge of the operations that the cuts
were not the right change to make.
Council Member Reid stated this is the only department that is
receiving an increase in its budget.
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Hammier, Reid and Wright
Nay: Dunn, Martinez, and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 4-3
Mr. Wells stated the term discretionary is not accurate. He stated
there are operational impacts to this reduction and the cleaning budget does
not account for that much.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Paqe 18
Vice Mayor Hammier reversed her vote.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Reid and Wright
Nay: Dunn, Hammier, Martinez and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 3-4
r. Maintaining the Deputy Town Attorney position as part time and
increasing the position from half time to three-quarters time ($35,000)
Mayor Umstattd stated her understanding was that the reason the
position was proposed for full-time was to save more than $35,000 in outside
attorney fees.
Mr. Wells stated the proposed budget proposed moving the position to
full time and reducing the contractual services budget by an amount greater
than the additional cost. He stated from a revenue prospective Council is
ahead by increasing the position to full time.
Council Member Reid asked if Mr. Wells is cutting $90,000 in
contractual attorney's fees.
Mr. Wells stated there were no additional cuts proposed tonight. He
stated there was $100,000 identified in the contingency and $50,000 is left in
the operating budget and $50,000 is moved to a legal defense fund which is a
non-appropriated designation in the balance sheet.
Council Member Reid stated we need expertise and he is not sure that
we will necessarily get that from Ms. Notar.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
s. Reduce Employee Advertising ($6,000)
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Dunn, Reid and Wright
Nay: Hammier, Martinez and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 4-3
t. Reduce Employee Drug Testing ($14,000)
Mayor Umstattd stated she cannot believe that anyone would say that
the Town should not conduct drug testing.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Paqe 19
Council Member Reid stated he is proposing cutting the budget from
$19,000 to $14,000 because we will not be hiring many new employees.
Council Member Dunn asked about the drug testing process.
Mr. Wells stated the drug testing is a random program based on the
number of employees not new hires.
Council Member Reid asked if it is an annual program.
Mr. Wells stated it is done more frequently.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Reid
Nay: Dunn, Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 1-6
u. Reduce Security Guard Funding ($35,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
v. Reduce organizational memberships ($10,900)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
w. Reduce Economic Research Publications ($12,000)
Council Member Wright stated $10,000 of this funding is for the
COSTAR license.
Council Member Reid stated staff can ask any developer in Town for
COSTAR information. He stated we do not need our own subscription to
create a report once a year. He stated Economic Development staff need to
focus on business retention and attraction.
Council Member Wright stated he has asked about this line item and
staff uses the program more frequently as part of their retention efforts.
Council Member Reid stated staff does not spend their time trying to
attract people to various properties.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 20
Council Member Wright stated if an individual comes into the Town
looking for a certain size space staff can pull the report of vacant locations
and point them in the right direction.
Council Member Reid stated he would be more likely to rely on a real
estate agent.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
x. Reduce Training (Except IT) ($25,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
y. Reduce Town Manager Contingency Reserve Fund ($15,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
z. Reduce Economic Development Printing ($5,500)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid and Wright
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 3-4
aa. Reduce ULI books/National Mainstreet Publication ($1,200)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid and Mayor Umstattd
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez and Wright
Vote: 3-4
bb. Reduce two sets of training and lodging - ($2,700)
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 21
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
cc. Move Economic Development reserve to undesignated fund balance
Council Member Wright verified the Mayor would propose moving the
funds to the undesignated fund balance.
Mr. Wells stated the fund was established a number of years ago and
anytime a new initiative is brought forward to Council the undesignated fund
balance is always available. He stated $250,000 is proposed to be taken from
the Economic Development Reserve for the Downtown Improvements CIP
project so the remaining balance would be $425,000.
Council Member Wright stated this would simplify the number of
reserves that the Town has.
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Hammier, Reid, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Nay: Dunn and Martinez
Vote: 5-2
dd. Eliminate funding for DIA downtown projects in CIP (-$300,000)
Council Member Reid stated he would support this proposal if the
funds can be moved to accelerate the installation of a traffic light at
Battlefield Parkway and Tavistock Drive.
Mayor Umstattd stated that could be brought up as a separate item.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Umstattd
Nay: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Reid and Wright
Vote: 1-6
ee. Replace Dodona Manor funding from the Economic Development
budget ($16,000)
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Umstattd, Butler, Martinez
Nay: Dunn, Hammier, Reid and Wright
Vote: 3-4
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 22
Vice Mayor Hammier stated the reason she voted the way she has
tonight was a vote of confidence to Mr. Wells and what he has brought
forward. She stated we have a phenomenal leader at the head of our
organization. She asked Mr. Wells to keep an eye on items such as the Public
Works Department's consumption of fuel over the year as any effort to reduce
that should be an objective of Council.
Council Member Wright stated he would support Council Member
Reid's effort to reduce brush pick up as an initiative. He stated we are not
going to be able to just stop this service; however, more of an education
effort is needed. He stated on a recent walk with his wife he realized that our
brush pick up program may be contributing to the loss of some trees as
people know they can just cut down trees, place the branches at the curb and
the Town will pick it up. He stated he would support an initiative that starts
with education and an overall program to minimize when we pick up brush.
Council Member Dunn stated we have a very intelligent citizenry and
even if they were not, they would figure out there is a new program after two
weeks of the brush sitting at their curb. He stated if were to make a decision
to move forward on anything between now and the new budget that would
give us two months to reach out to the citizens and notify them.
Mayor Umstattd stated the main thing is that it will not save us any
money because the crews will work on other projects such as storm drain
management, and perhaps we need to focus more on this now than we have
in the past.
Council Member Dunn stated there is a philosophy to that. He stated
one is the philosophy of contractual work versus employed work as it is much
harder to get rid of an employee than it is a contractor. He stated once you
employ individuals to do this work, you basically decide that they are going to
be there as long as they want to be. He stated there is also the fact that
these employees are not focusing on the greater needs because they are
picking up grass and brush, which we pay a contractor to do.
Mayor Umstattd stated she understands Council Member Dunn's point.
She stated she filled 25 bags with yard waste last weekend and put them out
for the contractor. She. stated she does not take advantage of the Town's
free service; however, some of our older residents may not be able to bag
their yard waste. She stated we may hear from a number of citizens if we
eliminate the program as the majority of citizens utilize the service. She
stated if we are going to eliminate this program then we need to reach out to
the citizens to hear their feedback.
Council Member Wright clarified he was referring to brush pick up, not
leaf pick up.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 23
Council Member Martinez concurred with Mayor Umstattd stating the
service is widely used in his neighborhood. He stated it is a service that
people have come to expect and do not mind paying taxes for.
Council Member Dunn stated there are a lot of older folks in the Town
that have come to expect a reasonable retirement and they are not able to do
so because we are taxing them out of Town, especially in this time when
people are facing foreclosure.
Council Member Reid asked to introduce his CIP initiatives. He asked
that the traffic light at Battlefield Parkway and Tavistock Drive be accelerated
in the CIP to 2010 or 2011.
Council Member Wright asked if there is room to accelerate this project
as the total cost is estimated at $300,000.
Mr. Wells verified this would be to move the project up in the CIP.
Council Member Dunn stated $190,000 could be removed from the CIP
by eliminating the right turn lane from Edwards Ferry on to the Route 15
Bypass. He stated there are plans for a major interchange at this
intersection. He stated he travels through this intersection multiple times a
day and this project is not worth it.
Mr. Wells verified there are funds within the debt capacity to
accelerate this project.
Council Member Reid stated he would like to make a motion to add
$300,000 to the CIP for the traffic light at Battlefield Parkway and Tavistock
Drive for FY 2010.
Mayor Umstattd asked do we have any sense as to why we are getting
emailssayingopposedKenReid.slight at Tavistock.
Council Member Reid stated you got two emails for that and you got
more that said yes.
Council Member Butler clarified the emails were in objection to a four-
way stop at this intersection.
Mayor Umstattd asked how many years this would be moved up within
the CIP.
Council Member Wright stated you would most likely have to program
the project for design in FY 2010 and construction in FY 2011 so it would be
moved up three years.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 24
Mayor Umstattd stated she would support this proposal.
ff. Accelerate the installation of a traffic light at Battlefield Parkway and
Tavistock Drive in the CIP ($50,000 design first year)
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and
Mayor Umstattd
Nay: None
Vote: 7-0
gg. Add funding for interim Lawson Road Bridge fix to CIP (gravel
walkway/bikeway $50,000)
Council Member Reid stated John Drury has come forward to Council
and is concerned that this project will not be funded in the amount of
$800,000. He stated there needs to be some money in the budget to do a
gravel walkway. He stated he has also talked to Capital Projects staff
regarding placing a flat bed in this location to assist bikers in crossing.
Mayor Umstattd asked how much funding Council Member Reid would
propose for this project.
Council Member Reid stated he is requesting $50,000. He stated he is
afraid that if it is not funded it will not happen. He stated this bridge is
scheduled to close when Battlefield Parkway opens in October and there will
be no way for people to get across.
Council Member Wright stated in October only the gate will close. The
bridge will not be removed.
Mr. Wells stated the Council resolution states the roadway is to be
closed within 24 hours of the opening of Battlefield Parkway.
Council Member Wright clarified that staff will not then use a bulldozer
to remove the crossing.
Council Member Reid stated some level of funding is needed for bikers
and pedestrians to cross. He stated the community would like this used as a
bikeway/walkway.
Council Member Martinez stated he does not believe that $50,000 is
enough and this item should be discussed at a future work session.
Council Member Wright stated he believes a short-term solution can be
developed administratively and Council can then address the long-term issue.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 25
Council Member Reid stated if there is no funding in the CIP then it will
not happen. He stated this is going to close in October.
Council Member Wright stated he believes there is an administrative
solution to get us from road closing to a short-term solution and then to a
long-term solution, so he will not support this proposal now.
Council Member Martinez stated he is committed to getting this project
taken care of; however, he does not support placing it in the CIP now without
knowing how we will address it.
Council Member Reid asked if it was in the CIP previously and then
removed.
Mr. Wells stated the project has not been in the CIP.
Council Member Reid called for a straw vote on this item.
Council Member Dunn stated he is in favor of creating this trail;
however, it may not be wise to throw out a $50,000 number when we do not
know the true cost.
Council Member Reid stated Council spends $30,000 a year to repair
the bridge.
Mr. Wells stated the cost depends on the weather.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn and Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
hh. Scoping Meeting for the Lawson Road Bridge
Mayor Umstattd suggested creating a place holder in the CIP with no
funding for this project so that it is not forgotten and staff will begin to
look at the cost of the project.
Council Member Reid stated staff is currently looking at a very
expensive trail for this bridge at a cost of $800,000, which is overkill.
Council Member Wright suggested placing this item on a future work
session for discussion. He stated the Capital Projects staff is working on
prioritizing future projects in the CIP. He stated if the Town is going to
have a scoping meeting then we should put this item on a future work
session rather than setting a false expectation.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 26
Council Member Reid stated this will be needed sooner rather than
later.
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Butler, Dunn, Hammier, Martinez, Reid, Wright and
Mayor Umstattd
Nay: None
Vote: 7-0
ii. Add five downtown surveillance cameras ($125,000)
Council Member Reid stated the surveillance cameras will help the
security of the downtown.
Mayor Umstattd stated she would not support cameras for the
downtown as there are other neighborhoods that have more security needs.
Vice Mayor Hammier asked how staff arrived at this estimate.
Council Member Reid stated he inquired about installing cameras at
Heritage Square; however, that is private property, whereas the downtown is
public property.
Chief Price stated Council Member Reid asked the cost of a surveillance
camera system and staff researched systems in place in larger cities. He
stated the GSA contract price for the Washington, DC area is $25,000 per
unit.
Council Member Wright stated he has not understood Chief Price to
advocate for this system, rather, he has heard that Council Member Reid
asked about this option and Chief Price provided information. He stated he
has not heard Chief Price say in his professional opinion that cameras are
needed in the downtown.
Chief Price stated his actual comment was that in certain jurisdictions
officials have opted to place cameras in places rather than officers and have
found that they are effective. He stated there are areas in Town that could
probably benefit from cameras and the downtown would be one of a number
of them.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated she would support a conceptual program
to look at appropriate locations across Town for cameras.
Council Member Reid stated you have to start somewhere.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Paqe 27
Vice Mayor Hammier stated we should start based on determining
exactly where the cameras are needed.
Council Member Reid stated Chief Price stated the first place to start
would be downtown as Heritage Square and Leesburg Corner Premium
Outlets are private" property.
Chief Price stated that is what he did say as both Heritage Square and
Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets are private property and the Town would
have to obtain permission to monitor them.
Council Member Dunn stated when he attended the Virginia Municipal
League Conference he received a briefing from the Police Chief of Newport
News, Virginia who stated video everything, put cameras everywhere. He
stated you have to start somewhere; however, if this is going to be a large
program we are undertaking then he would take it under Chief Price's
advisement as where to start.
Chief Price stated he is Chairman of the Northern Virginia Chiefs and
Sheriffs organization and he obtained a grant for the group a year ago to
purchase mobile surveillance trailers, which Arlington County is working on.
He stated the organization is scheduled to purchase a small trailer that could
sit on a sidewalk and includes a mast with mounted cameras. He stated it is
not a permanent fixture and is more designed for special events rather than a
long term observation tool; however, it could provide data as to whether this
is a worthwhile project. He stated he does not know when the trailer will
arrive and it could be up to a year away.
Council Member Wright asked if the department could accommodate
hiring 9 or 10 new officers at one time.
Chief Price stated it would take the department 14 to 15 months to
train that many officers as two cycles of training would be needed. He stated
the academy operates two sessions a year and then the officers are in field
training for 14 weeks.
Council Member Wright verified the department can train four to five
officers per cycle and if the schedule is pushed, up to 10 officers could be
trained within the same fiscal year.
Chief Price stated there would be approximately a 14 month window
needed.
Council Member Dunn stated he thought he understood the Chief to
say that six officers could get in one cycle.
Town Council Work Session of April 13, 2009
Page 28
Chief Price stated six would be the maximum that could be put into
one cycle; however, the department would have to plan for a non-certified
officer who has just graduated from college. He stated the department has
been fortunate to find some certified officers in the past; however, you have
to carefully look at those individuals because they have left their previous
organization for a specific reason.
Council Member Wright stated he is nervous with the discussion on
surveillance cameras as it gives the impression that the state of the
downtown is so bad that security cameras are needed. He stated we need
additional officers on the street and do not necessarily need them in the
downtown. He stated he does support seeking additional police resources
and does not want to hurt the Town's chances of receiving a grant to fund
officer positions simply because we think we might not receive it. He stated if
we do not receive the grant, then he is happy to have a discussion on funding
additional positions because they are needed.
Council Member Dunn stated even if we receive stimulus funds we
could not bring those recruits in until the February academy class. He stated
we have issues that are going on in our community today which is why he
feels we owe these positions as we are already in a deficit of police compared
to the rest of Northern Virginia. He stated to hold out for a few dollars is not
being responsible,
Council Member Wright asked if Council Member Dunn is saying
Council should hire officers now and if we receive the grant we should hire
some more.
Council Member Dunn stated he does not want to see more press
releases about people being killed in Leesburg because we did not do what we
could have done.
Mayor Umstattd stated there is nothing the police could have done to
prevent that or any other murder.
Council Member Dunn stated that is debatable.
Mayor Umstattd stated none of these were drive-by killings.
Council Member Dunn stated when there is a police presence on the
street, people think twice about what they are going to do.
Mayor Umstattd stated she could not support nine additional officers;
however, she could support two additional officers at this time.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 29
Council Member Dunn stated he does not know where Council is
coming up with these numbers. He stated Chief Price is the expert and he
stated that we are at a deficit of 20 officers in Leesburg.
Council Member Martinez stated he would support discussing this item
further at a future work session to discuss the use of the Undesignated Fund
balance to hire additional police officers.
Council Member Wright asked if funding two police officer positions
would jeopardize the Town's ability to receive the grant.
Chief Price stated he does not know if there would be an impact. He
stated the grant has already been submitted for four positions. He stated the
Federal grants are specific that the grant has to be used to supplement not
supplant the local funding for the positions. He stated as long as we hire four
additional positions above the FY 2010 allocation there should be no impact.
Vice Mayor Hammier asked why Chief Price did not highlight the need
for additional officers during the Council budget discussion on March 18. She
stated it seems this discussion may be coming from Council based on a
headline perspective and that Chief Price is not driving this conversation
based on his staffing needs.
Council Member Wright stated Council did ask if he needed additional
officers and he said that ideally he would like to have the additional
resources.
Chief Price stated that is correct. He stated the department has an
addendum to their strategic plan that describes how the department would
recommend getting in a reasonable financial position to the 20 additional
officers given current staffing requirements. He stated he submitted a budget
based on the requirements for all Town departments and the need to meet
the fiscal constraints for this year.
Vice Mayor Hammier stated she would support a discussion on the
overall public safety situation relating to staffing levels and in return where
the officers would be positioned and the public safety benefit of doing so.
Council Member Butler stated the current open straw vote is on the
downtown camera system. He suggested voting on this item and then
determining if anyone wishes to make a proposal for additional officers.
Council Member Reid stated the cameras do not stigmatize the
downtown anymore than a discussion about where to position officers. He
stated it is a reaction to business owners in the downtown who have come to
him saying they do not see police officers. He stated he proposed a walking
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Paqe 30
patrol and bike patrol. He stated this does not do anything to jeopardize the
stimulus funds and can be installed right away. He stated we have already
had an attorney who has been shot and a jewelry store that has been robbed.
He stated he cannot stand hearing that police would not have prevented this.
He stated the cameras are a deterrent that are being used in other
communities and he does not understand why we cannot do this. He stated
in terms of police, the Chief has said that 20 is the number of officers needed
to bring us into line with the average strength of the other Northern Virginia
municipal police agencies. He stated the City of Manassas with the same
population as Leesburg has seen a drop in crime and has over 100 sworn
officers. He stated Binghamton, NY with 47,000 residents advertises
themselves as a safe city has 150 sworn officers. He stated it is good to
have a discussion about police, but initially we can put these cameras in the
downtown area which may help to alleviate some of the need for police in this
area.
Mayor Umstattd stated she does not think we ever would have put a
camera on Royal Street to catch that crime. She stated you might position a
camera in the alley and may have seen something there. She stated
placement would be important.
Council Member Martinez stated he is finding himself against traffic
cameras and government sponsored surveillance cameras. He stated if
businesses need cameras let them fund them themselves. He stated he is
uncomfortable with having local government put cameras on buildings. He
stated it would be different if the cameras were on Town Hall as opposed to
private buildings.
Council Member Dunn stated when it comes to public safety that is
government's role.
Council Member Martinez stated he supports doing everything Council
can for public safety.
The proposal failed by the following vote:
Aye: Dunn, Reid
Nay: Butler, Hammier, Martinez, Wright and Mayor Umstattd
Vote: 2-5
jj. Add two police officer positions and one police car to the budget
($178,000)
Council Member Wright stated this would give us two new police
positions and if the Town receives the COPS grant that would give us a total
of six new police positions which is the number Chief Price stated he could
accommodate in a year.
Town Council Work Session of April 13. 2009
Page 31
Vice Mayor Hammier verified the funding will come from the
undesignated fund balance. She stated she would appreciate a report on how
the officers will be used and outreach to the community to explain how these
positions will improve public safety.
The proposal passed by the following vote:
Aye: Martinez, Reid, Wright, Mayor Umstattd
Nay: Dunn, Butler and Hammier
Vote: 4-3
2. Additions to Future Council Meetings
Council Member Reid asked if the Stonewall Business Park item has to be
discussed tomorrow night.
Mr. Wells stated if Council wants to meet the County's deadline on the
submission of comments then it has to be discussed tomorrow night. He stated the
item was provided to Council two weeks ago to allow time for Council to read the
item and ask any questions they may have.
Council Member Reid asked if the item could be deferred to the next meeting.
Mr. Wells stated that would not meet the County's deadline.
Council Member Wright stated it is premature for Council to begin taking votes
on the referral as more information is needed to form an opinion. He suggested
allowing staff to send their letter.
Council Member Reid asked if Council will discuss the Standing Residential Traffic
Committee (SRTC) recommendations tomorrow. He asked if the project for the
crosswalk at Plaza Street and Battlefield Parkway in Exeter will have to be placed in
the CIP. He stated the project estimate is $42,000.
Mr. Wells stated Liz Whiting will be present tomorrow to provide a presentation
on the various recommendations of the SRTC. He stated those projects can be
funded by the undesignated fund balance and do not have to be included in the
budget.
Council Member Reid expressed the need to construct the crosswalks so the
residents of Exeter can use them to get to the pool this summer.
Council Member Dunn asked that the Form Based Code presentation be added to
the next work session.
Adjournment
On a motion by Council Member Martinez, seconded by Council Member
Wright, the meeting was adjourned at 10:25 p.m.
2009_tcwsmin0413
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Clerk of councU