HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/2003 - Special
October 17, 2003
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Roanoke County Administration Center
5204 Bernard Drive
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
October 17, 2003
The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day at the
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Roanoke County Administration Center, 4 Floor Conference Room, 5204 Bernard
Drive, Roanoke, Virginia, this being an adjourned meeting from October 14, 2003 for the
purpose of a joint meeting with the City of Roanoke to discuss the formation of a
Regional Water and Sewer Authority.
IN RE: CALL TO ORDER
Chairman McNamara called the meeting to order for the County of
Roanoke at 9:40 a.m. The roll call was taken.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Chairman Joseph McNamara, Vice-Chairman Richard C.
Flora, Supervisors Michael W. Altizer, Joseph B. “Butch”
Church, H. Odell “Fuzzy” Minnix
MEMBERS ABSENT:
None
STAFF PRESENT:
Elmer C. Hodge, County Administrator; Paul M. Mahoney,
County Attorney; John M. Chambliss, Assistant County
Administrator; Dan O’Donnell, Assistant County
Administrator; Diane D. Hyatt, Chief Financial Officer; Gary
Robertson, Director of Utilities; Teresa Hamilton Hall, Public
Information Officer; Diane S. Childers, Clerk to the Board
Mayor Ralph Smith called the meeting to order for the City of Roanoke at
9:40 a.m. The roll call was taken.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mayor Ralph K. Smith, Vice-Mayor C. Nelson Harris (arrived
at 10:15 a.m.), Council Members William D. Bestpitch, M.
Rupert Cutler, Linda F. Wyatt (arrived at 9:55 a.m.)
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MEMBERS ABSENT:
Council Members Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr., Alfred T. Dowe,
Jr.
STAFF PRESENT:
Darlene L. Burcham, City Manager; William M. Hackworth,
City Attorney; Rolanda A. Russell, Assistant City Manager
for Community Development; George C. “Chip” Snead,
Assistant City Manager for Operations; Mike McEvoy,
Director of Utilities; Jesse Hall, Director of Finance; Mary F.
Parker, City Clerk
IN RE: OPENING CEREMONIES
The invocation was given by John M. Chambliss, Assistant County
Administrator for Roanoke County.
IN RE: COMMENTS ON JOINT EFFORTS
Mr. Hodge advised that the purpose of today’s meeting is to review the
proposed articles of incorporation. He stated that he is pleased with the way the
process is proceeding, and noted that the committee discussions have been going well
and the staff is building a sense of camaraderie.
IN RE: DISCUSSION OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
Mr. Mahoney advised that there were four main topics to be discussed
regarding the articles of incorporation: (1) composition of the Authority Board; (2) term
of office of Board Members; (3) name of the Authority; (4) special provisions. He noted
that in the spring 2002, guiding principles of the Authority were adopted, one of which
was that there would be equal representation on the Board. This raised the issue of the
possibility of tie votes and the establishment of an odd number of Board Members and
tie breaker provisions. At the meeting held on August 22, the Board of Supervisors and
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City Council indicated that they wanted the tie breaker to be a permanent member of
the Authority Board. Mr. Mahoney stated that at this time, the number of members on
the Authority Board needs to be determined.
Composition of the Authority Board:
Following discussion, there was a consensus to appoint a seven member
Authority Board. Three representatives will be appointed from each locality and the
initial appointees will be comprised of the following: one elected official, one staff
member, and one citizen. The seventh member will be recommended by a “super
majority” of the Authority Board (at least two representatives from each locality), and will
be subject to ratification by the Board of Supervisors and City Council. If there is no
consensus within 60 days, the appointment will be made by a consensus of the Circuit
Court judges and will not require ratification by the Board of Supervisors and City
Council.
Term of Office of Board Members:
The initial appointees will serve staggered four, three, and two-year terms
of office. There was a consensus that the four-year appointment would be the citizen
representative; the three-year appointment would be the staff member; and the two-year
appointment would be the elected official. It was the intent of the Board of Supervisors
and City Council to replace the elected officials and staff appointments with citizen
representatives upon the expiration of the initial term of office. Once the initial terms of
office expire, the appointments will be for four-year terms.
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Name of the Authority:
Following discussion, it was the consensus to designate the name of the
Authority as the “Western Virginia Water Authority”.
Special Provisions:
It was decided that a “super majority” vote, meaning at least two
representatives from each locality, would be required for the following actions: (1) the
addition of new jurisdictions to the Authority; (2) signing of contracts or agreements for
the bulk sale of surplus water or for the acceptance or treatment of wastewater; (3)
recommendation of the seventh Authority Board member, subject to ratification by the
Board of Supervisors and City Council.
Mr. Mahoney advised that based on the recommendations made at
today’s meeting, staff will draft the final articles of incorporation and will present these at
the next scheduled joint meeting on November 19, 2003 for ratification. A public
hearing will be held in January 2004 concerning the proposed formation of the Authority.
Mr. Hackworth stated that both City Council and the Board of Supervisors
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will need to select their representatives for the Authority Board by the November 19
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joint meeting. This will allow time for the Authority Board to meet and select the 7
member, who will then need to be ratified by City Council and the Board of Supervisors.
It is necessary that all seven members be appointed before the articles of incorporation
are submitted to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) in February.
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IN RE: BOARD AND COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
In response to inquiries, Mr. Mahoney reported that the Authority Board
will meet in April or May 2004 to adopt their bylaws, develop a budget, and establish
rates. The Authority will be an official legal entity and “in business” once the articles of
incorporation come back from the SCC. He also advised that discussion of issues such
as compensation for the Authority Board members and educational orientation meetings
will need to occur between November 2003 and January 2004. Once the articles of
incorporation are received from the SCC, there will be approximately a two to three
month period during which both the Authority Board and the local government entities
are operating before control is handed over completely to the Authority Board.
IN RE: CLOSING REMARKS
Ms. Burcham stated that there is a tremendous amount of work being
done by the management teams and employees in the Utility Departments. She stated
that they are committed to making the Authority the best that it can be. There are a
number of issues to be addressed, and many of these will come together over the next
several months. She stated that staff will be working aggressively to achieve the target
implementation date of July 1, 2004 for the Authority.
Mr. Hodge reported that the citizen informational meetings regarding the
proposed Authority went very well even though attendance was low. The staff
presentations were well prepared and the majority of the citizens who attended the
meetings were very supportive of the project. He stated that if necessary, additional
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meetings can be scheduled with the citizens and he requested the input of the Board of
Supervisors and City Council regarding future meetings. He stated that at present,
implementation of the Authority is on schedule and within budget.
IN RE: ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Smith congratulated the members of the Roanoke City and
Roanoke County teams, as well as the City Council and Board of Supervisors for the
way the meeting was handled. He noted everyone’s efforts at finding points of
agreement. Mayor Smith adjourned the Roanoke City Council meeting at 10:54 a.m.
Chairman McNamara thanked those present for their participation in the
meeting. Chairman McNamara adjourned the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors
meeting at 11:12 a.m.
Submitted by: Approved by:
________________________ ________________________
Diane S. Childers Joseph P. McNamara
Clerk to the Board Chairman