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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/10/2013 - RegularSeptember 10, 2013 377 Roanoke County Administration Center 5204 Bernard Drive Roanoke, Virginia 24018 The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day at the Roanoke County Administration Center, this being the second Tuesday and the first regularly scheduled meeting of the month of September 2013. Audio and video recordings of this meeting will be held on file for a minimum of five (5) years in the office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors. IN RE: OPENING CEREMONIES Before the meeting was called to order an invocation was given by Reverend Ed Dunnington of Christ the King Presbyterian Church. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present. IN RE: CALL TO ORDER taken. Chairman Altizer called the meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. The roll call was MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Michael W. Altizer; Supervisors Joseph B. "Butch" Church, Eddie "Ed" Elswick, Richard C. Flora and Charlotte A. Moore MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: B. Clayton Goodman III, County Administrator; Daniel R. O'Donnell, Assistant County Administrator; Richard L. Caywood, Assistant County Administrator; Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney; and Deborah C. Jacks, Clerk to the Board IN RE: REQUESTS TO POSTPONE, ADD TO, OR CHANGE THE ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS Supervisor Elswick requested that Item E be postponed until September 24 at 7:00 p.m. We were going to do a work session with input from the Board. Since that time, he has sent an email asking to get input back from the Board and he is waiting on that. Additionally, a lot of people have been involved in giving him opinions about the property rights resolution and he would like to incorporate any of those 378 September 10, 2013 options that are coming from citizens or anybody else and evidenced by a response to a newspaper poll, eighty -three percent (83 %) of the responses were favorable toward the property rights resolution and therefore he thinks that the 7:00 p.m. meeting on September 24 we will be able to hear those people and get into final form with any comments that anybody might have about it. There was no discussion. IN RE: PROCLAMATIONS, RESOLUTIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS 1. Recognition of Firefighter /EMT Barry Brown and Police Officer Eric Austin for their heroic efforts while vacationing in North Carolina (Richard E. Burch, Jr., Chief of Fire and Rescue; Howard B. Hall, Chief of Police) In attendance for this recognition were Chief Hall, Officer Austin and Firefighter /EMT Barry Brown and several family members. All Supervisors offered their thanks. IN RE: NEW BUSINESS 1. Resolution adopting policies for the protection of private property rights in the development of Roanoke County projects or the adoption of County ordinances (B. Clayton Goodman III, County Administrator) (REQUESTED BY SUPERVISOR ELSWICK TO BE POSTPONED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24, 2013, AT 7:00 P.M.) IN RE: FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES 1. Ordinance for ninety -nine (99) year lease of Explore Park from the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority (Doug Blount, Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism) Mr. Blount outlined the ordinance to approve a lease for Explore Park. In attendance to answer any questions were Ruth Ellen Kuhnel, Senior Assistant County Attorney and Debbie Pitts from VFRA. Supervisor Elswick advised he is so glad the Board is doing this as Explore Park is a wonderful asset and will need a lot of help. Chairman Altizer advised he felt this would be a great park and all it needs is some help and stability. Chairman Altizer moved to approve the first reading and established the second reading for September 24, 2013. September 10, 2013 379 The motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None 2. Ordinance amending Section 5 -26.2 "Licensure of Dangerous Dogs" of the Roanoke County Code to provide for an increase in the registration compliance period (Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney) Mr. Mahoney outlined the ordinance to increase the compliance period. There was no discussion. Supervisor Flora moved to approve the first reading and established the second reading for September 24, 2013. The motion carried by the following recorded vote. AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None 3. Ordinance creating the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority (B. Clayton Goodman III, County Administrator) Mr. Goodman outlined the ordinance to create the Authority to establish further industrial facilities and noted the collaboration with local authorities. There was no discussion. Supervisor Altizer moved to approve the first reading and established the second reading for September 24, 2013. The motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None 4. Ordinance amending the Roanoke County Code by amending Section 21 -74, Application and Certificate of Disability. Exemption for Elderly and Disabled Persons of Chapter 21. Taxation to change the annual filing date to submit an application for an exemption from between February 1 and March 31 of the year for which exemption is claimed to between February 1 and March 15 of the year for which exemption is claimed (Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney; Nancy Horn, Commissioner of the Revenue) Mr. Mahoney outlined the ordinance to amend the County code to change the annual filing date. Ms. Nancy Horn was in attendance to answer questions. 380 September 10, 2013 Supervisor Church thanked Ms. Horn and her staff for the work they have done on this issue. Supervisor Elswick inquired how the citizens will be made aware with Ms. Horn advising they will be sent out by mail. Ms. Horn recognized Natalie Wells, Tax Compliance Deputy for the work she did with the item. Supervisor Church moved to approve the first reading and established the second reading and public hearing for September 24, 2013. The motion carried by the following recorded vote. AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None IN RE: PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES 1. Ordinance amending Chapter 20 "Solid Waste" of the Roanoke County Code to establish requirements for the trading in of secondhand articles, to require a permit for certain activities, to provide a penalty for violations and to impose a permit fee (Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney) (PUBLIC HEARING HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND ORDINANCE IS PENDING WITHDRAWAL) A- 091013 -1 Mr. Mahoney explained the request to withdraw the ordinance and how the process would be handled going forward. The new process will not require an ordinance and will be done on the honor system. There will not be a permit fee. Dealers will still have to go through a background check; however, the process is less complicated and will still accomplish the end goals. All Supervisors thanked the County Attorney's office for their work on this agenda item. Supervisor Church moved to approve the staff recommendation and the motion carried by the following roll call and recorded vote. AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None September 10, 2013 381 IN RE: SECOND READING OF ORDINANCES 1. Ordinance accepting and appropriating $56,087 to the Roanoke County Public Schools for various grants (Rebecca Owens, Director of Finance) Ms. Owens outlined the ordinance and advised there were no changes from the first reading. There was no discussion. ORDINANCE 091013 -2 APPROPRIATING $56,087 TO ROANOKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR VARIOUS GRANTS WHEREAS, The Governor and the Virginia General Assembly approved funding in the 2012 -2014 budgets to conduct a pilot to attract, recruit, and retain new teachers of mathematics, physics, and technology education. The pilot program provided bonuses in fiscal year 2013 to new teachers with no teaching experience who met specified criteria and are employed in a Virginia public middle or high schools. Roanoke County Schools has two teachers who applied and qualified for this funding bonus and has received the amount allocated per teacher of $5,000 each; and WHEREAS, The Roanoke County Education Foundation has donated $1,000 for partial funding for the Saturday Substance Abuse Program; and WHEREAS, The Virginia Department of Education notified Roanoke County Public Schools that the actual Perkins Grant will be $142,249.23. The budget currently contains $132,086, which requires an additional supplemental appropriation of $10,163.23; and WHEREAS, a grant award in the amount of $21,000 has been received from the Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG) program; and WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Education allocates funds for school divisions for secondary Career and Technical Education equipment on an annual basis. Staff estimated an initial budget appropriation of $8,096. The Virginia Department of Education notified Roanoke County Public Schools that the actual appropriation for this year is $22,019.77, which requires a supplemental appropriation of $13,923.77. WHEREAS, Section 18.04 of the Roanoke County Charter provides that funds be appropriated by ordinance; and WHEREAS, first reading of this ordinance was held on August 27, 2013, and the second reading was held on September 10, 2013. BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, as follows 1 . That the sum of $56,087 is hereby appropriated from the sources and for the purposes as follows: a) The Instructional budget will be increased by $10,000. 382 September 10, 2013 b) The Guidance budget will be increased by $1,000. c) The Career and Technical Education budget will be increased by $10,163.23. d) The Career and Technical Education budget will be increased by $21,000. e) The Career and Technical Education budget will be increased by $13,923.77. 2. That this ordinance shall take effect from and after the date of adoption. On motion of Chairman Altizer to adopt the ordinance and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None IN RE: CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTION 091013 -3 APPROVING AND CONCURRING IN CERTAIN ITEMS SET FORTH ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA FOR THIS DATE DESIGNATED AS ITEM J- CONSENT AGENDA BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, as follows: That the certain section of the agenda of the Board of Supervisors for September 10, 2013, designated as Item J - Consent Agenda be, and hereby is, approved and concurred in as to each item separately set forth in said section designated Items 1, as follows: 1. Approval of minutes — August 13, 2013 On motion of Chairman Altizer to adopt the resolution and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None IN RE: CITIZENS' COMMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS The following citizens spoke. Noah Tickle of 1603 Frosty Lane in Salem, Virginia stated Hey, want some more taxes, we all love our taxes don't we. Well, they are cooking up a good one as we speak. It's deceptive and has been coming for a long time. The foundations of which laid and brought to us by ICLEI a UN NGO from Agenda 21, the socialist sustainabilist. Internal emails obtained show the EPA has also been silencing anyone who suggests September 10, 2013 383 that the large, fiery orb in the sky, known as the sun, has ALL to do with warming the planet and NOT an innocent person walking behind a gasoline - powered lawn mower. Three years ago, an EPA staff researcher drafted a 98 -page report raising questions whether carbon dioxide ought to be regulated. Top officials ordered the study thrown in the trash. The administrator and the administration have decided to move forward on endangerment, a top EPA official said to the report's author, "and your comments do not help the legal or policy case for this decision." (That is, don't confuse me with the facts.) Anticipating the administration's instinct to go it alone and use the regulatory process to enact an Agenda 21 it can't get through congress. The House voted 237 to 176 to require congressional approval of a tax on carbon - dioxide emissions. Global warming is a fantasy dreamed up in the hope that it could frighten Americans into embracing a big - government agenda they would otherwise reject. The planet is not getting warmer; the planet is actually cooling. This is called "the natural order of the universe" and man - not even Al Gore - can do anything to change it. The climate change hysteria has set off a war on coal, oil and other reliable sources of affordable energy, with the result of continued unemployment and a stagnant economy. The public shows signs that it is fed up with fables. The climate that the present "potus" should be looking out for is the business climate. The "climate action days" should be about cutting taxes, snipping red tape and getting Americans back to work and in full -time jobs. As our local governance what we need to do is defund the international council of local environmental initiatives. Soon, it will be time to send them more of Roanoke County tax money. They never have enough; they have millions in the bank. I haven't heard any valuable or not reports from that ICLEI software carbon slide rule calculator that tax payer money is paying for. Tons -n -tons of elemental carbon "so- called saved" like by handing out pamphlets. Help us out. Defund ICLEI and IT will be gone. RoxAnne Christley of 7256 Willow Valley Road in Roanoke, Virginia stated this Board is having a work session after this public meeting to again consider a massive overhaul of zoning codes in our County that were approved by the Planning Commission last month. There are a couple of things about the process I would like to draw your attention to. The first is the issue of transparency. The public notice of the Planning Commission meeting on August 6th was proper by code, but there is a serious issue with the public availability of the contents of what they were going to be approving that day. The contents were made available to the public only ONE day before that meeting, which consisted of 128 pages of material. Does this Board condone the Roanoke County Planning Commission's apparent disregard of public opinion? The process is the failure in Roanoke County. Who could possibly digest that much information in a day? The second issue is accountability, which ties into the first issue. It will be said that this massive overhaul has been ongoing and that the information has been publicly available. That may be partially true. What it doesn't excuse is the Roanoke County Planning Department, headed by David Holladay, from not encouraging public involvement however possible. It doesn't excuse Philip Thompson 384 September 10, 2013 from ram roding these changes as Holladay's Deputy. It doesn't excuse your political appointees on the Planning Commission from not doing their utmost to ensure public involvement. Public involvement is generally occurring after decisions have already been made — and that is just "down right" wrong. There is one zoning change that stands out as ridiculous. How did Industrial Wind Turbine land usage get changed from "INDUSTRIAL" zoning to "MISCELLANIOUS" zoning? That little twist would be laughable except that this Board might pass it as stated without public knowledge. Industrial wind turbines are exactly that - Industrial. There are many other proposed changes that could affect Roanoke County resident's quality of life, their means of living, or their use of the land they live and produce on. It is your job as our elected representatives to ensure that those things are preserved, and not detracted from by bureaucrats within our local government. Graham Bennett stated he is the Regional Manager for Omnisource Southeast LLC for the State of Virginia and are an affiliate of SDI, Steel Dynamics and employee approximately 450 people in the town of Roanoke. He stated he first wanted to thank everybody for slim lining this scrap metal permitting process. He knows there are a lot of citizens that reply on scrapping metal for their livelihoods. He is responsible for the branches across Virginia and from what he has seen thus far, he is facing a different situation in every County in which they do business. Thus far, he has found this one to expedite the process far superior to the others. It is streamlined, he thinks it is fair to citizens and allows people to make some money at what they do. He applauds Roanoke County on how well this has been performed. What he would caution and really here today to find the right people to speak with because this is a very difficult industry to be successful in today. As you talk about the administrative nightmare that it could have imposed with a permitting system, us manufacturers are facing that same imposition today. When you read this law, it requires us in the year 2013 to handwrite every transaction to which we do business today. As a corporation, we have spent millions of dollars on software that is compliant for the scrap metal industry. This software is compliant as far as everything the government asked for; gives the licenses of the individuals, the pictures of the individuals selling, a description of the articles they are selling, it even gives pictures of the material they are buying. But yet, today in 2013 he averages at a small branch in Roanoke, approximately 190 transactions a day. These 190 transactions would turn into three written pages of paper. These would then be submitted to the police department or the sheriff's department and filed away. He would hate to think the next time theft occurred in our neighborhoods, that a police officer has the hours to spend going through these filing cabinets full of the thousands and thousands of pages he will contribute instead of coming to his yard and simply asking about a particular client, a particular material and us being able to supply the pictures and all the documents required in approximately thirty (30) seconds. There is also the ability, which other states in which they do business use systems called Leads Online. He believes staff is familiar with that through the pawn shop processes, probably through your pharmacies. These are software systems being used by September 10, 2013 385 governments to interact with corporations. He would like to find the right forum to discuss not having the requirement for a publicly traded company with 80 locations be crippled for the requirement of handwriting documents in today's business world. He stated he believes he would be hiring an additional five to six people at every location we do business. He would be paying for carpal tunnel surgeries for each of these employees probably in about three -years time at $75,000 each and industry certainly cannot sustain that expense so he would ask for some help heading us in the right direction on how we can cooperate with law enforcement. We certainly want to be good stewards in our communities. We want to be a part of solving scrap theft in our communities. We will certainly do all we can to help. We ask for the Board's help in not handcuffing us with requirements, which are virtually impossible to adhere to. Chairman Altizer inquired of Mr. Mahoney if the section regarding handwritten is in the State Code with Mr. Mahoney advising he would have to look at that section again. The speaker has pointed out a much simpler and less complicated process of what we are trying to accomplish and where we are trying to go and as he indicated, we have a very similar mechanism for pawn shops. It seems to him it would be much easier to try to meld or integrate those two approaches to avoid that duplication. Chairman Altizer asked Mr. Mahoney to get with Mr. Bennett and determine whether it is in the State Code and maybe we can add it to our legislative agenda. Chairman Altizer advised Mr. Mahoney to advise the Board what he finds out. Max Beyer of 2402 Coachman Drive in Roanoke, Virginia stated he is speaking this afternoon in opposition to the proposed ordinance on the lease agreement for Roanoke County to assume total responsibility for operating Explore Park. This initiative supposedly intends to end almost thirty years of frustration with the VRFA in developing a major tourist destination venue for outdoor adventures in the Roanoke Valley. He has two questions. Why is Roanoke County assuming the direct operation of this regional facility and why the haste to pass this ordinance in September? Until two weeks ago, this proposal had not even surfaced. Where is the government transparency? The authority has a fiscal problem, but alternatives to return the property to the Commonwealth, reorganizing and restaffing the Authority, creating a foundation or sell to private enterprise has been rejected in your zeal for local control through your power to tax us. It was stated that this project had been placed with an organization having a history of successful recreational management practices. Can we surmise that we are referring to the Green Ridge Water Park and Recreational Center and perhaps the creation of another such facility in South County? Two other reasons provided by the Board are stability in resources. The Board is looking for deep pockets that have a reliable annual income stream. Your solution places total responsibility of this enterprise on the backs of many Roanoke County taxpayers. They have not requested this, nor have they had a chance to digest this idea and relate this proposal to many other priorities facing the County. We already face great challenges such as wastewater management, new library, growing demand for athletic space, economic development authority, broadband and other major and minor capital programs which 386 September 10, 2013 have lain dormant during the past four years of fiscal austerity. Employee benefits and education needs have been marginalized through this period. We do not know the full fiscal impact as plans have not yet been developed. The Board alleges that near term support is to come out of existing resources, but it is known that the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is already operating in austere levels. Its resources have been seriously reduced during the past few years and fee rates have increased substantially. The authority's existing left over funding will immediately be consumed in necessary renovation of facilities in disrepair. Other localities have not signed on. There is no question in his mind that this project has to result in tax increases and /or sacrifices, diminished service to citizens by diversion of existing austere resources that the County possesses. This project encompasses a major fiscal initiative of millions of dollars. $52 million has already plowed into it since its inception, with meager results. Now, we are being asked to sign on with inadequate knowledge of the future and the uncertainty of unintended consequences. Visions to him of a fiscal vast black hole is inescapable. The issue should be discussed in the current campaigns for the County supervisor positions, at least two current supervisors will not even be here in January. This decision has a far - reaching impact into the future and should not be rammed through this month. This decision should be delayed until after the new Board is selected. Trixie Averill of 4278 Toddsbury Circle spoke on behalf of VRFA stating she has been a member of the Board for a long time, with a few years off for good behavior as they say. She stated she was on the first Board in 1994 and has seen Explore at his height and at it's lowest as well. She personally wants to thank Roanoke County for stepping up to the plate and giving Explore Park this new life. You all have the opportunity, resources and the knowhow that we have not as yet been able to harness. Explore Park as the Chairman said is a gem. It is 1,100 acres of beautiful scenery of beautiful mountains. We have historical buildings. We have a wealth of institutional knowledge of artifacts, of all sorts of supplies and things you are not even aware of yet, but you will be. This is part of the mission of Explore Park in the beginning was for conservation, for education, for recreational purposes and for tourism. She stated she does not know how many people notice, but just recently the Governor came out with an announcement that in 2012, tourism in Virginia bought in over $21 billion; with $1.36 billion coming in tax revenue. That is a lot; tourism is a big business and that is part of the mission of Explore Park and with your help we will be able to make it happen. With all due respect to Mr. Beyer, whom she knows well, is a good friend and she respects his view and knows he is looking out for the taxpayers, but she truly does not believe that is what it is going to come down to. She stated she thinks that the Board knows what to do, you have your capital improvement fund and the economic development knowhow to be able to turn this around and the VRFA is there to help you every chance that it can. Thank you all very much for taking this on and she really looks forward to seeing a burgeoning Roanoke County Virginia's Explore Park in the near future. September 10, 2013 387 IN RE: REPORTS Supervisor Flora moved to receive and file the following reports. The motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None 1. General Fund Unappropriated Balance 2. Capital Reserves 3. Reserve for Board Contingency IN RE: REPORTS AND INQUIRIES OF BOARD MEMBERS Supervisor Elswick stated he wanted to remind everybody if you have not noticed yet, school is open. Not having any grandkids, it is nice to drive by the school yards and see those young kids out there enjoying themselves. We are so proud of our schools and they have a reputation even internationally. Our school system offers a great benefit to the citizens of Roanoke County and many people have moved here because of the school system. I ask everybody out there to please drive safe, watch out for the school buses and don't get in a hurry. Getting in a hurry to either take the kids to school or following a school bus or going to extracurricular activities in the evening does not really get you there any faster. I would like for everybody just to be careful and safe and take it easy and relax when you are driving. Supervisor Flora stated we have a couple of teams in Roanoke County that are going to do pretty well this year and his congratulations to his children's alma mater, Northside and his alma mater, William Byrd. He stated he thinks we can look forward to some exciting times; he is hoping that one of the Roanoke County schools is going to be recognized as a State champion. Hope he did not jinx it. Secondly, he had the honor of attending his high school class reunion this weekend, and he is not going to tell you which one it is, you can probably figure it out. The fact is a lot of them still live in Vinton, but the question kept coming to him, what about Explore Park. They were probably trying to fish to see where he stood on it, but the ones that talked to him about it were enthusiastic about what the County is doing. They believe that it is a real opportunity to do something out there that has never been done before. The County has actually been bearing most of the expenses out there anyway and that is not going to change. We have been putting money into Explore Park every year, keeping its head above water, but now we have the opportunity to actually go in there, creatively do things, use our Economic Development expertise, being in private enterprise and make something happen. I think that is what got people so excited this past weekend; that opportunity now exists. It is a quantum leap for the County, but at the same time, you 388 September 10, 2013 just don't turn down 1,100 acres that someone wants to give you and if you have a 99 year lease that is about as good as it gets, just about giving it to the County. We are taking on the responsibility, but we are taking on one huge asset, too. Supervisor Church thanked Supervisor Flora for not mentioning too much about Northside. He stated he was going to mention that they beat Cave Spring 44 to 0, but there is no sense in mentioning that anymore. He was going to mention they have Hidden Valley coming up this coming Friday and all he can say is look out Titans because as you all know he follows Northside and Glenvar and this is one of the best teams he has ever been associated with. They are really so well rounded and standing on Bogle Field the other night when they came out for warm ups he could tell there was something very special about them. The television show "Monk" says, "I could be wrong, but I don't think so ", that is how he feels about the Vikings; he thinks they are really the top of the Roanoke Valley. Things can happen, but it will be interesting Mr. Flora when William Byrd and Northside meet. On a more somber note, he offered his condolences and prayers to the Joe Thomas family. Joe Thomas was a mainstay in Roanoke County and the Roanoke Valley. He died September 4 As a matter of fact, he sat in the same seat back in the 1970's. Many of you may not realize it; he was the architect of the Roanoke County seal. Thankfully, some years ago, I was able to go back into the archives with the help of Mr. Mahoney and found a drawing and he was so proud of that when he took it to him. "Papa Joe" as he called him, just a giant of a man, so generous, so sincere, so gentle, full of comparison and right up until the last few days, he was still talking. He is so thankful that he was able to go by and hold his hand and talk to him for a while. People like Joe Thomas don't come around often; he touched many, many lives even coming to find out that he gave a complete stranger $10,000 to help him buy a house years ago that no one knew about. We miss him, love him just a dear personal friend of his. Roanoke County and the Roanoke Valley lost a gentle giant. Chairman Altizer stated as he and Mr. Flora talk about, he graduated from William Byrd and lives in Hollins and he graduated from Northside and live in the Vinton district. So, he is going to pull for two teams; Northside looks really tough this year, but the William Byrd Terriers have two good wins to begin the season, so it will be a classic when those two meet. We have some very good football teams, especially those two to represent the valley. We could have a ten and zero and a nine and one and that means they both have the likelihood to go a long way in the playoffs. He stated he now wants to talk about Explore Park. As he said when he held the press conference, the process, make no mistake about it. In some degrees it is going to be slow. It is going to be methodical. It is going to be thought out and done right. It has already been said, the biggest thing that we add to this that the VRFA did not have is they were not able to have the amount of people that they needed in the right places to accomplish the right things. One person full time for some time and then part time working full time cannot do that. It is like trying to open your own grocery business and saying that okay I am going to keep expenses low, so I am going to run the register when people are in line, September 10, 2013 389 go back and cut the meat when they tell me what they want and I am going to add up all the money that I make at the end of the day. You cannot do it all. That is what Roanoke County brings to the table and Roanoke County will be successful. We will generate revenues and the revenues that are generated in that park will stay in that park. We are going to get to the heart of it first; renovate. Taubman Center, Brugh Tavern, the church. Be able to do weddings, have receptions and do those types of things. We are going to clear out and open up around the buildings and know we have inmates in the County jail that will be free labor that will be glad to go out and do that for us for their room and board. So, there are many ways to do this, many ways to do it right. You have to have faith in the positive; sometimes you do have to dream that you can do it the right way and you can have a good result. There has been millions of dollars put into Explore without a doubt; most of it federal money; certainly State and local money. When you look at the resources of 1,100 acres for this valley for Roanoke County citizens and every citizen in this valley to partake passive recreation; done the right way. For tourism, camp grounds; this can be done. Maybe it has not been before, but this can be done. I can only say that since this has been made public, I have had people to contact him and once this has been voted on by both Boards, then we will talk to those people and we will see what can transpire. He stated he tends to be one that looks for reasons on how we can do something, rather than focusing on the fact of why we cannot. IN RE: CLOSED MEETING At 4:15 p.m., Supervisor Altizer moved to go into closed meeting following the work sessions pursuant to the Code of Virginia Section 2.2 -3711 A 1, Personnel, namely discussion concerning appointments to the Building Code Board of Adjustments & Appeals (Fire Code Board of Appeals); Roanoke County Grievance Panel; Section 2.2- 3711.A.3, Discuss or consider the acquisition of real property, for a municipal utility where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the County and Section 2.2- 3711.A.29. Discussion of the award of a public contract involving the expenditure of public funds and discussion of the terms or scope of such contract, namely, a proposal for a project under the Public- Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 for a criminal justice training facility, where discussion in open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the County The motion carried by the following recorded vote: 390 September 10, 2013 AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None The closed session was held from 5:36 p.m. until 6:05 p.m. At 4:17 p.m. Chairman Altizer recessed to the fourth floor for work session and closed meeting. IN RE: WORK SESSIONS 1. Work session on proposed amendments to the Roanoke County Zoning Ordinance (Philip Thompson, Deputy Director of Planning; John Murphy, Zoning Administrator) In attendance for this work session were Philip Thompson, John Murphy, B. Clayton Goodman, County Administrator, Paul Mahoney, County Attorney, Arnold Covey, Director of Community Development and Richard L. Caywood, Assistant County Administrator. First, Mr. Thompson advised that the agendas for the Planning Commission Meetings are routinely sent out a week in advance and provided the Board copies of release dates in response to Ms. Christley's citizen comments. Next Mr. Thompson and Mr. Murphy reviewed the proposed amendments with the Board providing zoning maps and uses for each district. It was the consensus of the Board to have one more work session on October 8, 2013. The work session was held from 4:30 p.m. until 5:32 p.m. IN RE: CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION At 6:05 p.m., Supervisor Flora moved to return to open session and to adopt the certification resolution. RESOLUTION 091013 -4 CERTIFYING THE CLOSED MEETING WAS HELD IN CONFORMITY WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia has convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of The Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and WHEREAS, Section 2.2 -3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law. September 10, 2013 391 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge: 1. Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting which this certification resolution applies; and 2. Only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed or considered by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia. On motion of Supervisor Flora to adopt the resolution and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Moore, Flora, Church, Elswick, Altizer NAYS: None IN RE: ADJOURNMENT Chairman Altizer adjourned the meeting at 6 :06 p.m. Approved by: Michael W. Altizer Chairman Submitted by: 392 September 10, 2013 THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY