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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/29/2011 - SpecialMarch 29, 2011 175 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 a special meeting for the purpose of discussing redistricting alternatives and hearing requests for funding from cultural, tourism, and other agencies for the fiscal year 2011 -2012 budget. 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: CALL TO ORDER was taken. Chairman Church called the meeting to order at 4:39 p.m. The roll call MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Joseph B. "Butch" Church; Vice - Chairman Charlotte A. Moore, Supervisors Michael W. Altizer, Eddie "Ed" Elswick, Richard C. Flora MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: B. Clayton Goodman III, County Administrator; Diane D. Hyatt, Assistant County Administrator; Daniel R. O'Donnell, Assistant County Administrator; Teresa Hamilton Hall, Director of Public Information; Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney; Deborah C. Jacks, Clerk to the Board IN RE: WORK SESSIONS 1. Work session on redistricting alternatives (Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney) In attendance for this work session was Paul M. Mahoney, County Attorney; Judith Stokes, General Registrar, Philip Thompson, Deputy Director of Planning, Todd Booth, Engineering /GIS Technical Supervisor and Gary Coleman, GIS Coordinator. Mr. Mahoney advised this was the second work session on redistricting and would be reviewing the revised map with suggested changes based on the feedback from the Board from the first work session. Mr. Mahoney indicated it was his hope that the Board could provide the necessary guidance to proceed with the first reading of an ordinance on redistricting at the April 12, 2011, meeting and the second 176 March 29, 2011 reading and public hearing at the April 26, 2011, meeting. He further indicated Ms. Stokes had received a letter from the State Board of Elections requesting all redistricting plans be submitted to the State Board of Elections by April 29, 2011. Mr. Mahoney explained he did not think this date applied to Roanoke County because preclearance from the Justice Department was not required. Mr. Mahoney then advised that the General Assembly would be meeting on April 4 and 5 to try to redistrict the Commonwealth of Virginia for purposes of the general assembly, House of Delegates and the State Senate, with a veto session on April 6, 2011. The General Assembly voted to have a one percent (1%) population deviation, with a two percent (2 %) deviation for the House and Senate. He advised that the current total deviation for Roanoke County is nine point six percent (9.6 %). The changes that are being presented today involve where Cave Spring and Vinton come together, where the Vinton and Hollins Districts come together and where Hollins and Catawba meet. The goal is to try to correct the imbalance identified as a result of the 2010 census in terms of population between Cave Spring and Vinton, as those are the two districts most out of balance. Mr. Mahoney then review the suggested changed in Cave Spring and Vinton, advising it was a requirement to follow the census boundaries. Supervisor Altizer stated he did not like the Bandy Road section and wanted to make sure that the Board was correcting tings and making things easier for the citizens. Supervisor Moore remarked it was her main objective to clean up the area in Crowell's Gap. The next map reviewed was the Hollins District and Mr. Mahoney stated the changed marked here related to the Orchards area and the Ruritan Area. Supervisor Flora indicated that either option would split communities of interest, but if forced to choose, would prefer for the Ruritan area to be moved, however, he noted that his first preference is the no change option. The next map was the Hollins /Catawba Districts, which would result in a change in polling location. Supervisor Elswick stated he wanted to know if the County was in compliance and people have been voting in the same place for ten years, why change if there was no serious issues. Supervisor Moore stated she had an issue with the citizens that lived on Crowell's Gap. Mr. Mahoney explained the County has a constitutional obligation to try to have equal population in all of the districts, which we do not have and have gone from a percentage deviation of about four point seven to four point eight percent (4.7 -4.8 %) ten years ago to double those numbers to nine point six percent (9.6 %). Additionally, Mr. Mahoney stated he thinks that number will double again over the next ten years and if doubled again it would be an eighteen percent (18% deviation. Supervisor Elswick stated "if it ain't broke; don't fix it." and remarked that the Board's obligation is to let people continue to vote where they always have and not spend so much taxpayer money going through iterations of redistricting and then the confusion and telephone calls as a result of people not knowing where to vote. March 29, 2011 177 Mr. Mahoney clarified the Board would need to do an ordinance even to main the current boundaries and in addition, Ms. Stokes has advised three different polling places will need to change. The first is the result of construction at Cave Spring Middle School, discussion have been ongoing with Cave Spring Baptist Church, which is directly across the street from the middle school. The second location change may be the 419 Library. The final change is the possible combination of Bennett Springs and Masons Spring, creating one medium sized polling location versus two small precincts. He noted the only caution is that the State can come back and require two separate locations. Supervisor Altizer inquired how many people are on Windy Hill; with Mr. Coleman responding 103 and remarked that area was one large census block Supervisor Altizer stated he wanted staff to tell him there is no other legal way to fix this area which would keep the people at the top of the mountain in the Vinton district and the people on the further end to Cave Spring. Mr. Goodman inquired if there were an appeal process, with Mr. Mahoney responding the appeal process dealt with numbers, not the drawing of the census blocks. It was the consensus of the Board for the committee to go back and look at attempt at redrawing the map between Cave Spring and Vinton using the ridgeline on old Virginia Springs Road, relook at the Ruritan area, if necessary and the ridge line on Green Ridge and hold another work session on April 12, 2011. The work session was held from 4:40 p.m. until 5:35 p.m. Chairman Church opening the evening session at 6:02 p.m. IN RE: FUNDING REQUESTS 1. Funding requests from health and human service agencies for Fiscal Year 2010 -2011 Chairman Church advised that this time had been set aside for health and human service agencies to submit funding requests to the board for the fiscal year 2011 -2012 budget. The agencies were called to speak in alphabetical order from Z to A. Representatives from thirty (30) agencies addressed the Board to request funding. A list of representatives is on file in the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors office. 4 • IN RE: ADJOURNMENT March 29, 2011 Chairman Church adjourned the meeting at 7:33 p.m. omitted by: Approved by: borah C. J' ac oseph B. "Butch" Church Clerk to the Bard Chairman