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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/16/2022 - Regular1 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF VINTON TOWN COUNCIL HELD AT 6:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 311 SOUTH POLLARD STREET, VINTON, VIRGINIA MEMBERS PRESENT: Bradley E. Grose, Mayor Sabrina McCarty, Vice Mayor Keith N. Liles Michael W. Stovall MEMBERS ABSENT: Laurie J. Mullins STAFF PRESENT: Pete Peters, Town Manager Cody Sexton, Assistant Town Manager Susan N. Johnson, Executive Assistant/Town Clerk Jeremy Carroll, Town Attorney Fabricio Drumond, Police Chief Andrew Keen, Finance Director Anita McMillan, Planning & Zoning Director Bo Herndon, Public Works Director Donna Collins, Human Resources/Risk Management Director Jamie Hurt, Capital Projects Manager The Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The Town Clerk called the roll with Council Member Liles, Council Member Stovall, Vice Mayor McCarty and Mayor Grose present. Council Member Mullins was absent. Roll call After a Moment of Silence, Council Member Liles led the Flag. announcements, Vice Mayor McCarty announced the following: August 16 – PAR Mobile Golf set up; every Wednesday – 6:30 p.m. – Thursday – 6:30 p.m. – Trivia – August 20 – 6:30 p.m. - music by Jody Ensor – all at Twin Creeks Brewery; August 19 - 8:00 p.m. – music by Star City SWAG and August 20 – 8:00 p.m. – music by Vinyl Nation – all at Rosie’s; August 20 – 3:00-7:00 p.m. – last of the Season Cruise-In – Farmers’ Market; August 21 – 1:00-6:00 p.m. – “Sunday fun day” Vinton Palooza sponsored by the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce - Vinton War Memorial; August 27 – 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – sale – Vinton History Museum; August 27 – 7:00- 10:00 p.m. – Mingle at the Market with Fuzzy Logic – month. Vice Mayor McCarty made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented; the motion was 2 the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stovall, McCarty, Grose; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Approved minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 19, 2022 Under awards, introductions, presentations and proclamations, Chief Drumond first commented on the Promotions event that was held prior to the Council Meeting and then announced the following Police Department promotions: William Holland to Community Resource Officer; a detective to the Task Force; Justin Baker to Detective Investigations; Detective Corporal Silas Chapman to Criminal Investigations; Christopher Shively to Corporal and Brandon Alterio, Andrew O. Connor and Jeremy Shrewsbury to Sergeants. The presentation was followed by comments from the Mayor and Members of Council. The next item on the agenda was the recognition of Town Staff who assisted in the D&R Music Fire. The Town Manager first commented that on July 2, 2022, the Town experienced a tragic event in the loss of D&R Music to a fire and on August 2, 2022, a recognition event was held for the Fire Departments first responders. The Town Manager next recognized the following members of Town Staff: Administration - Cody Sexton and Donna Collins; Community Programs - Chasity Barbour; Police - C Corporal Chapman, Settles and Officer Clark and Public Works - Bo Bradford and Kevin Orange. recognition, comments were made by the Mayor. Under citizens’ comments and petitions, Debra Brogan expressed concerns about the manner in Ms. Brogan next expressed concerns about the recent from a four-lane to a two-lane highway, the addition of bike lanes Hardy/By-Pass intersection. Mr. Brogan indicated that she and her husband had both met with the Town Manager who explained in detail about the proposals, but she felt that the citizens were not being well informed and information before proposals are published and they need to be offered more opportunities to give their input. 3 The Mayor first commented that even with all of the social media, there are communication. Council wants ci direction on often come citizens and developers. The streets are busy, but that is not Mountain Lake continue to develop. We have to look at where the Town is now and plan for what needs to be done tomorrow, next year, five years or ten years from now. The Mayor next recognized Richard Brogan and Joan Drewery who were also present at the meeting. Council Member Liles has tried to keep citizens informed through streaming the meetings on Facebook live. When we look at planning for the future, we do not look at how it affects one or two people, you look 15 or more years down the road and how it will affect the commented in support of the roundabout and the project on Washington Avenue and that it is about the future, the flow of traffic and how we can attract people to not go through, but come to the Town. Vice Mayor McCarty expressed appreciation to Ms. Brogan for her attendance and for meeting with the Town Manager. The informed is at a Council meeting or watching it on Facebook. Studies have been done on roundabouts and we have to look at all different avenues for the future to benefit the Town and the citizens. consideration and she encouraged anyone else to attend a Council meeting. Council Member Stovall commented purpose of a roundabout is to move traffic. We want to be a “go to” Town and that is the reason for looking at reducing Washington Avenue from four lanes to two lanes. Council and Staff rely on people in the transportation field to come to us and let us know what needs to happen to accomplish this goal. consideration of public comments concerning the proposed amendment to the Town of Vinton’s FY 2022-2023 budget milling and paving, pavement striping and marking, Walnut Avenue Bike/Pedestrian Accommodations 4 ARPA funds, Garthright Bridge improvements, Greenway Project and Gish Mill Redevelopment Project in the total amount of $5,531,134.80 in the Stormwater Fund. The Mayor opened the Public Hearing at 6:44 p.m. Cody Sexton first commented with the close of the recent fiscal year on June 30th, it is customary for process of roll-overs or re- projects that either did not get completed or those that funding were deliberately spread across fiscal years. The pavement striping and marking, Walnut Avenue Bike/Pedestrian Accommodations from Bridge Creek Greenway, Gish Mill Redevelopment and stormwater project behind the Woodland Place off of Niagara Road are the projects that were funded in the previous fiscal year and are funding roll forward into the current fiscal year. The projects with funding split across fiscal years are the annual milling and paving, the payments of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds projects in the Town’s utility service area and the replacement of three signals along Hardy Road. In response to a question from Council Member Liles on how long we have been working on the Walnut Avenue project, Ms. McMillan responded at least six years and Council Member Liles commented he is glad to see that project moving forward. With regard to the Greenway Project, he asked if we are still Southern. Ms. McMillan responded section from which will go under the railroad and will complete Hearing no further comments, the Mayor closed the Public Hearing at 6:55 p.m. Council Member Stovall made a motion to adopt the Resolution seconded by Vice Mayor McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stova Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Public Hearing Opened Public Hearing Closed Adopted Resolution No. 2509 amending the Town of Vinton’s FY 2022- Project from 5th Street to the Town’s West improvements, Greenway Project and Gish 5 Fund, Grant Fund, Capital Fund and Stormwater Fund The next item on the agenda was an update on Capital Improvement Projects. The Town Manager Currently they are doing the topographic survey, weeks. The project is proposed to be put out to bid completion date of June 2023. commented this is the parking lot located at 7 Walnut Avenue (the McClung property) target is 100-130 parking spaces. With regard to the Community Park Development conceptual design phase in partnership Studio. A myriad of different uses and amenities have been discussed that could possibly go there and the design should be completed soon and will be presented to Council. Mr. Hurt next commented as we strive to be good that surrounds it, he has been working on a facility assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to develop a baseline of the current condition of the War Memorial. It appears to be in good shape for a facility of its age and from his experience, most maintenance problems or issues can be planned for. The assessment will help to charter the future and make maintaining the War Memorial. Mr. Hurt next commented Council was provided a conditions. Our Public Works staff have already addressed some of the items in the report such as the drainage issue and they are planning to make some walkway improvements leading up to and in front of the War Memorial in the Fall. Council Member Liles asked if the plan was to put concrete back for the walkway. Mr. Hurt responded they will replacement. Council Member Liles next asked if that might work better and last longe 6 been corrected probably contributed to the cracking of the current walkway. The next item on the agenda was to consider adoption of a Resolution awarding a construction bid and authorizing the Town Manager to execute a contract with Jones Road & Bridge, Inc. (formerly $1,456,207.41 for the construction of the Walnut Avenue Bike/Pedestrian Accommodations Project from 5th Street to the Town’s West Limits. Anita McMillan commented that this project was sent out for bid twice because with Virginia Department of Transportation funding (VDOT), when the lowest bid is more than $600,000 over budget, it has to be rebid. On the second bid, the lowest bidder was Resolution is approved, awarded. A pre-construction meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 18, 2022. If they can get started, they are hoping to have the project completed no later than Spring of 2023. Council Member Liles made a motion to adopt the seconded by Vice Mayor McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Adopted Resolution No. 2510 Manager to execute a contract with Jones Accommodations Project from 5th Street to the Town’s West Limits The next item on the agenda was to consider adoption of a Resolution awarding a Professional and authorizing the Town Manager to execute the contract with Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), for the Restoration Project. this project will along Niagara Road and Woodland Place and will also meet the Municipal System (MS4) Permit Total Maximum Daily Load requirement for Sediment. The selected firm for the project was WSSI and once the Resolution is approved, we will issue the notice of award. Council Member Stovall made a motion to adopt seconded by Council Member Liles and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Adopted Resolution No. 2511 Professional Engineering, Construction Services Contract and authorizing the Town Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI), for the Woodland Place Stream Restoration 7 The next item on the agenda was to consider adoption of a Resolution accepting the Assignments of Rights of the following real estate Tax Parcel Nos. 060.15-07-17.00-0000, 060.15- 07-52.00-0000, and 060.15-06-06.00-0000, located in the Town of Vinton, and authorizing the exercise of t necessary portions of the properties along Walnut Street to W. Lee Avenue. Anita McMillan commented negotiated with the three property owners for the portions of the right right-of- Attorney commented that the revised Resolution, which has been provided to Council is to clarify the documents that are being approved. Two of the properties are subject to a deed where there is a fee simple being granted to the Town along with the construction easements easement. Vice Mayor McCarty made a motion to adopt the Resolution as revised; the motion was seconded by Council Member Liles following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stovall, McCarty, Grose; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Ms. McMillan further commented that the plan is to advertise for construction for this Phase no later than October and the goal is to have it completed by April 2023. The Town Manager commented that although components to improve our residents and businesses, but the functionality is to interconnect our system of the entire Roanoke Valley. By providing dedicated bike lanes, it will also make it safer for vehicles to use this corridor and to accommodate pedestrians. Adopted Resolution No. 2512, as revised, accepting the Assignments of Rights of the following real estate Tax Parcel Nos. 060.15- 07-17.00-0000, 060.15-07-52.00- 060.15-06-06.00-0000, located in the Town of Vinton, and authorizing the exercise of the Assignments and closing on the necessary Avenue for the Walnut Avenue Bicycle and 1st Street to W. Lee Avenue The next item on the agenda was to consider contract with Burleigh Construction Co, Inc. in the amount of Rehabilitation - Garthright Bridge (Gus Nicks Blvd) over NS Railroad. Bo Herndon commented the 8 on July 15, 2022 and the winning bid came in at $495,565.00. Since b budget, Staff negotiated the traffic control portion of the bid with Burleigh, which brought it down to that this is a preventative maintenance project and with an additional one that we have planned in an outlying year in the CIP will prolong the life of the bridge approximately another 50 years. Council Member Liles made a motion to adopt the seconded by Vice Mayor McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Adopted Resolution No. 2513 awarding a bid Construction Co, Inc. in $421,065.00 for the Bridge Rehabilitation - Garthright Bridge (Gus Nicks Blvd) over NS Railroad The next item on the agenda was to consider adoption of a Resolution appointing Andrew Keen, Treasurer. Code Sexton commented August 31, 2022. Staff is recommending that we appoint Andrew Keen, our Finance Director, as the Deputy Town Treasurer 2022. Council Member Stovall made a motion to adopt seconded by Vice Mayor McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stovall, Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Council Member Stovall asked if there are plans to fill Ms. Verdillo’s position. Mr. Sexton responded discussions about the position. Mr. Keen is in the process of identifying where the needs are in his department. We are anticipating advertising for a couple of weeks. Adopted Resolution No. 2514 appointing Andrew Keen, Finance Director as the new Deputy Town Treasurer The next item on the agenda was to consider approval of the May 31, 2022 Financial Report Cody Sexton first commented that we are coming to the end of our accrual period for the audit. The General Fund revenues are running very strong at $780,000 better than what we anticipated which is mostly due to the May tax collections of personal property and bank stock. We also had very strong revenue receipts in meals, pari-mutuel and sales 9 With regard to expenditures in the General Fund, they are running $928,341 under where we would have expected them to be. All the credit is given to the department heads and managers who are very prudent in their operations and have held off on doing projects until they are ready to move forward to completion. In the Utility Fund the revenues are running $475,167 better than anticipated and even though the expenditures are over where we expected them to be, a number of those expenditures are due to bond projects for the meter replacement and the 3rd Street Sewer Lift Station projects. All indications are they should be back on track when the FY22 fiscal year closes. The Grant, Capital and Stormwater Funds are very healthy, which are all project driven funds that we do not use until rea By not doing those projects in the previous fiscal forward to do those projects in FY23. With regard to cash, the total cash as of this report was $11.3 million with General Fund at $3.5 million with a decent increase mostly due to personal property tax and bank stock tax collection. There was an increase in the Utility Fund cash during that time due to the collection and reimbursement from bond proceeds. We have $4.4 million in restricted cash and $3.3 million of investments. Council Member Liles made a motion to approve the May 31, 2022 Financial Report as presented; the motion was seconded by Stovall and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stovall, McCarty, Grose; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) - Mullins. Approved the May 31, 2022 Financial Report Mill project and streambank so that it will prevent future water completed that grant, the closing date to transfer the property to the new owner is 2022. The next phase will be renovating the visual With regard to the hotel, we are in the process of 10 on track, but has been slightly delayed due to costs having escalated for materials and labor since we originally negotiated the project. There is a slight gap in the funding required by the investor and the traditional financing. behind the scenes to encourage and invite some underway. conversations with the owners of D&R Music and the other surrounding properties. We have been seeking additional grants from the State to assist them with planning grants for future has been working with the demo contractors and safe space for the operators of the equipment. A couple of additional structures are planning to be taken down posting that information on social media. The (VIDA) grant of $200,000 that we partnered with The Advancement Foundation, which provide a small savings account to members of the community who participated in financial education seminars. Individuals that savings and attended the seminars were given an additional $4,000 from the grant to start a business or purchase a home. All of the $200,000 has been expended and the grant assisted 37 individuals. Not all of them were in Vinton since it was opened to three county jurisdictions, but there were quite a few from Roanoke County and Vinton. We have expended just shy of $250,000 of the Brownfields EPA Assessment $300,000 grant, which provided for environmental assessments on under-utilized and underperforming The Gish Mill project was a beneficiary of the grant completion of the three year cycle, but have asked for a six-month extension as we are completing the final phase of the assessments on the dry cleaner site that is adjacent to the hotel. We do anticipate applying for another round of EPA funds in the Fall of 2023. Under Reports from Committees, Bo Herndon 11 commented that the Committee discussed the current chicken ordinance, which requires a $35 annual permit fee with a limit of six chickens per acre of land. The Committee recommended going to a $25 one-time fee and no required lot size. The The signal lights should be installed by the end of August and a meeting with the contractor will be held on Thursday to discuss the synchronization of the lights. With regard to the Hardy Road Street lights from Bypass Road to the Town limits by the Greenway, there will be 17 lights installed and we have placed the order and we are looking at 6-8 weeks before installation. With regard to Mountain View Road, we are still reviewing the boring samples, but will be doing some paving of both lanes from Chalon Circle to the Town limits and approximately 1,300 fee Ramada Road. A pre-construction meeting will be held Garthright Bridge repair and anticipate the project to begin the first of October. The work will be done at night, but throughout the day. At certain times, there will be two lanes open as you go out Town and one lane open as you come into Town, but that will change as the project moves forward. weather and other factors. Mr. Herndon next commented the transfer to the Western Virginia Water Authority nominal calls. With regard to striping, Mr. Herndon has met with the contractor and the plan is for the work to be done in September. The goal is to then get on a two-year cycle. Mr. Herndon next presentation on the upcoming paving schedule, which will be on file in the Town Clerk’s Office as part of the permanent record. commented that in order to save costs, they are paving in one or two close neighborhoods so the equipment. Council Member Liles commented on the gas lines replacement project being done by Roanoke Gas and asked if they will go back and repave. In response, Mr. Herndon commented that he meeting of representatives from all of the utilities in 12 He built the paving schedule outside of these projects so they are not coming in and tearing up what we just paved. T those streets will be more highly prioritized in next year’s paving schedule. The Town Manager next commented that based on an analysis of our 88 lane miles, we are between 40-45% of our roads having been paved in the last five years, including this year. We have made investments as revenues have allowed us to invest in our paving and are approaching 50%. If we can maintain that type of schedule over the next five or six years, we can get every lane mile paved. Mr. Herndon further commented that the asphalt contractors say you should pave every 10-15 years. Based on an assessment done six years ago, it was going to cost $17,000,000 to get our roads back to a ranking of good. presentation on the Storm Drain Projects on North Pollard S employees, which will be on file in the Town Clerk’s Office as part of the permanent record. Mr. Herndon commented that in the past when there If we were still under probably would have taken 12 weeks with increased costs. If we would have had to contract this project out, the cost would have doubled. Comments from Council: Vice Mayor McCarty Restaurant were her restaurant shout-outs. National Night Out and the Police Promotions event. The Mayor next read a letter from Molly Harlow with the Virginia Institute of Government at regarding the Town Manager’s completion of the 2022 Senior Executive Institute Program. Council Member Liles made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Vice Mayor McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Liles, Stovall, McCarty, Grose; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) – Mullins. The meeting was adjourned Meeting adjourned 13 APPROVED: Bradley E. Grose, Mayor ATTEST: _________________________________ Susan N. Johnson, CMC, Town Clerk