8/8/2018 - Regular
August 8, 2018
305
Roanoke County Administration Center
5204 Bernard Drive
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day for the
purpose of a joint work session with the Roanoke City Council.
IN RE: CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Hooker and Mayor Lea called their respective boards to order at
11:30 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Martha B. Hooker; Supervisors George G. Assaid,
Phil C. North, Joseph P. McNamara and P. Jason Peters
STAFF PRESENT: Thomas C. Gates, County Administrator, Daniel R.
O’Donnell, Assistant County Administrator; Ruth Ellen
Kuhnel, County Attorney; Deborah C. Jacks, Chief Deputy
Clerk to the Board
ROANOKE CITY
COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Sherman P. Lea, Sr.; Vice Mayor Anita J. Price
(arrived late); Michelle Dykstra; Joseph L. Cobb, William D
Bestpitch; Dejuna L. Osborne and John A. Garland
ROANOKE CITY
STAFF PRESENT: Chris Chittum, Roanoke City Planning Director; Bob Cowell,
City Manager, Sherman Stovall, Assistant City Manager –
Operations; R. Brian Townsend; Assistant City Manager –
Planning; Daniel J. Callaghan, City Attorney and Stephanie
Moon Reynolds, City Clerk
IN RE: REQUEST TO POSTPONE, ADD TO OR CHANGE THE ORDER OF
AGENDA ITEMS
County Administrator, Thomas C. Gates, requested that the second
closed session for the Roanoke County Supervisors be removed. There were no
objections.
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IN RE: REGIONAL TRANSIT DISCUSSION
Mr. Kevin Price, General Manager of the Greater Roanoke Transit
Company provided an overview, with a focus on expansion of existing service areas to
create a regional transit network.
Mayor Lea express his opinion that transportation is becoming a major
issue. It is something we need to look at as we expand in certain areas of the County.
All the citizens of the County and the City have expressed a need to expand Valley
Metro.
Supervisor McNamara stated that the Board would certainly want to look
at any and all opportunities that make sense. He wants to make sure that we are not
looking at a solution to a problem that has not been identified. From his perspective, we
really need to see an identification of need. He has not heard this from his constituents;
he has heard from the regionals. He knocked on 2,200 doors last year and it never
came up. He is concerned about dollars associated with that. One thing he has heard
there is an issue with the Barrington Apartments as it related to CORTRAN/RADAR.
Maybe it is possible to combine with grant funding, but we definitely hear that
CORTRAN will run into the City for a doctor appointment, but RADAR will not run into
the County. So, that is an area we might want to look at.
Supervisor North stated that he represents the Hollins District and we
have several town hall meetings about the needs, wants for future planning. One
question was on transportation and about 17% said they were interested in bus service.
He noted that there was some input on a trolley service. He stated he did not know if
they could do a cost projection model, which would be very interesting to see.
Mr. Price reminded everyone there are many ways to deliver transit. The
cost per hour in existing transportation is approximately $76 an hour. With regard to
CORTRAN service, that type of on-demand service can be combined. The models of
transit that you see today can be tweaked.
Councilman Bestpitch commented the vision is really a twenty-five year
plan. Part of what we want to keep in mind is how to we plan for something that might
not be funded this year, but rather than being caught off guard, it should be part of the
planning process so what when that time comes, we are in a better position to work on
things.
Supervisor Peters commented he appreciates the presentation and thinks
the Strategic Plan that the Board adopted back in 2016 talked about transportation. He
is curious to see if we can combine and save money. He would like to see Tanglewood
Mall transformed into some kind of town center and we are going to see more of a need
for different modes of transportation as we develop the major corridors. We will need to
keep our minds open to what the needs are.
Councilman Garland inquired if the study had data on the ridership and
where the ridership would originate because most people assume ridership starts in
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Roanoke and goes to the County and comes back. Is there data on the County needs
of ridership or is it talking about total ridership. Mr. Price stated where we stop, people
continue to walk. One of the parts of the study was a survey that involved current
passengers and general public. Based on those surveys, we were able to draw trip
lines, i.e. Rt. 419 to Vinton. What we were able to do with the recommendations was
develop a transit system that tried to identify all of these straight lines. Mr. Garland
stated if there was data that could be given to the Board of Supervisors, that showed it
would serve x number of citizens and cost x number of dollars, then they would have
concrete data. Is there that specificity in the study? Mr. Price advised obtaining that
information would involve a survey of some sort.
Councilwoman Dykstra noted these numbers are always going to be hard
to pin down, but if we are looking from a region standpoint, we need to be as proactive
as we can. We need to look at transportation and public transportation as something
that is going to be beneficial not just for folks who don’t have a car. We are attracting
millennials hand over fist to this regions. They are moving here from larger cities and
they are used to public transportation. When she lived in Chicago, she got used to her
daily commute; she could read every day, she did not have to sit in traffic. When we
look here at the Tanglewood area, Rt. 419, Orange Avenue, we see the congestion that
is already building up. She loves that we are increasing our population. Roanoke City
is very proud of that and they are going to continue to see more and more traffic
backups. Increasing our public transportation is a way that we can help that in the
future. She does appreciate that we need some numbers, but she would like for us to
be proactive at looking at what public transportation can do to solve some of the
problems we are going to have in the future as our population continues to rise, which is
something that we all are excited about and how we can serve this young community
that is moving in.
Councilman Cobb stated what he appreciated about the work that Valley
Metro and Mr. Price are doing is the changing realities of transit and who is riding it. We
talked recently with not only millennials, but retirees who come from larger places and
they move here intentionally without a vehicle and they can access the trolley, public
transit. He thinks we have to look at the reality of where we are as a region, but also
where we are going to be in 5-10 years in terms of more and more people moving here
and choosing to move here and not relying on a car. It might be cycling, public transit,
there are a variety of forms. The other things that he thinks is important is our business
community. If there is a way we can engage our business community regionally to find
out how public transit can support their work. One of the things he has heard over and
over again, they want to hire people and a lot of the people that we hire utilize public
transit, but because of the times public transit ends or runs, they are limited in terms of
who they can hire. He is curious about that, especially with our increased
manufacturing, industrial companies that are not city based, but regional based. These
are just a few things that he feels would be helpful in getting this data.
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Councilwoman Osborne stated people want to not just get to work, but
recreation too. People of all demographics want to shop, visit friends and so it is not
again focusing on the fact they do not have access to a vehicle and not just getting to
work. They want to do other things. She is also curious about how public transit effects
all the other forms of transit, i.e. uber drivers, Bick Lick Boomerang, etc. and how they
would be incorporated into the plan.
Mayor Les stated three years ago we had a bad winter storm in this area
and it forced them to shut the buses down. Staff went out to check the roads to make
sure it was safe for the buses to start running again and we stopped at a Burger King on
Franklin and there was a man outside sweeping trying to get the ice off. They asked if
they could order something. It was the manager and he said they were closed because
the buses are not running and our employees cannot come in until the buses start
running. So, transportation can be a tool for economic development.
Supervisor North stated he grew up in the Washington, DC area and
knows a lot about transit, subways, etc. and he worked in transportation. He asked if all
routes begin and end downtown. Mr. Price responded in the affirmative outside of the
trolley for now. One of the things he brings up today, is the subway system in
Washington, especially in Alexandria. There are buses that feed into the subway stops.
IN RE: SHARED PLANNING INITIATIVES
Philip Thompson, Roanoke County Acting Director of Planning; Chris
Chittum, Roanoke City Planning Director provided a PowerPoint presentation of the
shared initiatives. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is on file in the office of the
Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.
IN RE: PRESENTATION REGARDING VIRGINIA TECH CARILION RESEARCH
INSTITUTE (VTCRI)/VIRGINIA TECH CARILION SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE (VTSOM AT THE VTC HEALTH SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
CAMPUS
Dr. Michael Friedlander, VTCRI, provided a PowerPoint presentation, a
copy of which is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.
At 1:00 p.m., Mayor Lea adjourned Roanoke City Council.
IN RE: CLOSED SESSION
At 1:02 p.m. Chairman Hooker moved to go into closed session. The
motion was seconded by Supervisor McNamara. No roll call was taken.
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1. Section 2.2-2711.A.1, Personnel, named discussion concerning
appointment to the Chief Local Elected Official Consortium
(CLEO)
The closed session was held from 1:12 p.m. until 1:19 p.m.
IN RE: CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION 080818-1 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.
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 McNamara to adopt the ordinance, seconded by
Supervisor North and carried by the following recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
IN RE: ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Hooker adjourned the meeting at 1:20 p.m.
310 August 8, 2018
bmitted by: Approved by:
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