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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/5/2017 - Regular MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF VINTON TOWN COUNCIL HELD AT 7.00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017, IN THE COUNCIL CLAMBERS OF TFIF VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 311 SOUTH POLLARD STREET, VINTON, VIRGINIA MEMBERS PRESENT: Bradley F. Grose, Mayor Matthew S. Aare, Vice Mayor Keith N. Liles Janet Scheid MEMBERS ABSENT: Sabrina McCarty STAFF PRESENT. Barry W. Thompson,Town Manager Susan N. Johnson, Executive Assistant/Town Clerk Susan Waddell, Town Attorney Pete Paters, Assistant Town Manager Anne Cantrell, Treasurer/Finance Director Donna Collins, Human Resources Director Tom Faster, Police Chief Fabricio Drumond, Deputy Police Chief Anita McMillan, Planning &Zoning Director William Herndon, Assistant Public Works Director The Mayor called the regular meeting to order a 7:00 p.m. The Town Clerk called the roll with Council Member Liles, Council Member Scheid, Vice Mayor Dare and Mayer Grose present. Council Member McCarty was absent. Roll call After a Moment of Silence, Madison and Isabella Chandler led the Fledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag. Under upcoming community events, Council Member Liles announced the following event: December 12 -- 6-7.30 p.m.—Gish Mill Public Input meeting-War Memorial. Chief Faster made brief comments and gave a quote from Cicero, "gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others Council Member Scheid Meade a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented; the Approved minutes of the Regular motion was seconded by Council Member Liles and Council meeting of November 7, 2017 carried by the following vote; with all members and the Joint Meeting with the voting; Vote 4-6-1 Yeas 4 tiles, Scher, Dare, Volunteer Fire Department of Grose; Nays 0)— None, Absent 1 - McCarty. November 14, 2617 Chief Easter introduced JoshChandler, the new Officer in his Department and made brief comments. e also introduced his daughters, Madison and Isabella, who led us in the Pledge to the U. S. Flag earlier in the meeting. Under citizens' comments and petitions, Michael Carden of Vinton commented that he attended the Public Hearing on November 7.tn regarding the proposed elimination of certain Valley Metro bus stops. He next referred to one of the comments at the Public Hearing that if you ride RADAR and are late for a doctor's appointment that they will not see you. Mr. Carden next showed his insurance card from Commonwealth Coordinated Care provided by Medicare/Medicaid, which is part of Anthem Health Keepers, Inc. and commented that it has a toll-free number you can call for free transportation to medical and ether appointments.. The next item on the agenda was a presentation of the dune 30, 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report by Brawn Edwards & Company, LIP and consider adoption of a Resolution approving and accepting said Report. Arne Cantrell commented that we received an unmodified opinion again and then turned the meeting over to Travis Gilmer with Brown Edwards & Company, LL.P; Mr. Gilmer fiat commenter that this is the required public presentation of their audit to the Town for 017. The results of the audit and related deliverables will be discussed in detail with the Finance Committee on December 11th. The objectives of the audit are to opine on the financial statements and compliance with lags and regulations. Their responsibility does not include fraud protection unless it is material to the financial statements. They also provide comments and suggestions for management. With regard to the CAI ; Mr. Gilmer next commented on the GFOA award that the Town received last year and will apply for again this year. The Town received the t FOA budget award last year, which was the first time they had applied and this is a very impressive award that the Finance Department should be very proud of The first part of the CAFR is the management discussion and analysis which explains what happened in the Town this year.. In terms of the General Find, page 14 (Exhibit 3), the unassigned fund balance is approximately $2.6 million which was the same as last year. The overall 2 fund balance went down approximately $80,000, but when you are dealing with $2.8 million that is not really substantial. The main metric everyone compares with is how many months of expenditures are in the unassigned fund balance. If no more dollars come in the door, how many months could the Town survive: Generally the average is 2- months and the Town has historically had a good level. Last year it was 3.8 months and this year it is 3.6.. In terms of the later and Sewer Fund, the Town made a decision to segregate the Stormwater Management activity and a new fund was created. This is a trend in the State with municipalities starting to charge fees for stormwater and segregating those activities to find out how much stormwater is costing so they can do rate studies to cover these expenses, This year the enterprise activity was a little different because in order to create this fund, there were some expenses and activity in the General Fund and Utility that are now going over to this new fund. This is not currently a self-sufficient fund and is being subsidized between the other two funds; but the intention is for this fund to eventually be self- sufficient. For the total enterprise activity, the change net position was $450,000, which was the net income This means that these funds even including the stormwater adtiving and some expenses from the General Fund is self-sufficient and is profitable by seven percent, With regard to the enterprise fund, approximately $1.25 million in cash was provided by operating activities this year compared to $1.5 million. The difference came from taking on some of the expenditures for the new stormwater fund. With regard to the Notes to Financial Statements, the big portion relates to the Pension Standard that came out in 2005 of approximately 20 pages. text year the GAFF will be evert larder because there is n GPBB (other post-employment benefits) statement that is coming out, essentially there is already a liability on the books now, but there is even a larger liability that is associated with it that will go on the books. Bonding agencies that look at the GAFR are already aware of this and it will not change anything, Vice Mayor Rare asked if a government would have goad will on its books Mr. Gilmer responded historically not, but there may be certain situations 3 where they may. Council Member Scheid asked what other post-employment benefits would be. Mr. Gilmer responded it is expenses that you will be paying in the future and the actuarial takes all of this data and accrues it to the present day to find out the present day liability. The Town Manager commented that we have to have the actuarial done every three years. We will be sending our census data to the company that does the actuarial and it will done according to the new OPEB calculation and included in next year's financial statements; Mr. Gilmer further commented that this has always been there and the Town will not operate are differently. It is just more disclosures and a larger liability and it is their understanding that bonding agencies have already been taking this into consideration. OPEB is an optional item that the Town chooses to participate in. Ms. Cantrell commented that the only thing we have is our retiree health insurance. Mr. Gilmer next commented on the statistical information and referred to page 73, which lists all of the principal water and sewer customers and page 80 that lists all of the principal employers, With regard to the Schedule of Finding and Response, there were no new findings. The only one that we have dates back 10 plus years and relates to the segregation of duties. {given the Town's size and staffing, it is not feasible to separate everything, but we have worked with the Town to get it to the current level. last year we had a Budget finding, but it was cleared this year. There is Audit Committee letter which is dune at the beginning and end of the audit and a management letter with comments and suggestions that will be reviewed in detail with the Finance Committee. Vice Mayor Hare commented that the Town did do well last year; but that fund balance was used to balance the year out, which was $80,000. A lot of diligence went into getting it to $80,000 because there were some revenues that were off their mark and once it was recognized, steps were taken to mitigate as best we could; Vice Mayor bare made a motion to approve the Resolution as presented; the motion was seconded by Council Member Scheid and carried by the Adopted Resolution 1 . 2227 following roll call vote, with all members voting: Vote approving the June 30, 201 4 4-4-1; Yeas (4) — Liles, Scheid, Aare, Grose; lays Comprehensive Annual Financial (0)— None; Absent 1)-McCarty. Deport The next item on the agenda was briefing on petition of Brigitte toward for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to operate a family home day care at 1567 South Pacific Drive, Tax Map lumber 1.99-01-4 , zoned R-1 Residential [district: Anita McMillan commented that in 2016 Ms. Howard obtained home occupation zoning permit to care for five or less children, which is allowed under our zoning ordinance. Ms. Howard is now requesting to take care of five or more, which is allowed by a Special Use Permit of up to 12 children. In 2009 the zoning ordinance was amended to include a definition for family day home that as long as it is less than 13 children under the age of 13, we would allow under Special Use Permit. The State Cade was changed in 2016 that a family clay care home has to be licensed if you have more than five up to 12 children. This is one of the amendments that we will have to include as part of our zoning ordinance amendments. Ms. Howard is licensed because she currently has five children. In her application she stated that she had a building permit and built a deck onto her house which is required by Social Services to provide some space for the children to be outside. Ms. McMillan next commented that with a Special Use Permit, the planning Commission and Council have the right to put conditions on the Permit. When the SUP was issued to the Pllates studio on Duke Drive, there was some concern about the sign. Ms. Howard would be allowed up to a two-square foot sign if the Commission and Council has a reservation about her putting up a free-standing sign. There is a family day care home in Gladetown that does not have a sign. Ms. Howard will provide child care Monday through Friday from 7-00 a.m. to ' 33 p.m. She sloes have a paved driveway that can accommodate up to four vehicles. Under the zoning ordinance, ,she is required to provide off-street parking for up to three spaces. In addition, she has a space beside the house that can have up to two spaces. As required by the State Code, they notified not only the adjacent property owners, but the whole block and posted a sign. To elate they have received no phone calls or letters from the adjoining property owners: b In response to a question from Council Member Scheid regarding a license by the State, Ms. McMillan commented they have always had to be licensed if you have five or more children unless there is some exemption. The number of children does not include your own children. As of 2015, they have to be licensed if they are caring for more than four. Council Member Scheid asked hour many day care homes are in the Town and Ms. McMillan responded based on them records as of 2009 there are four that have zoning permits and business licenses. Business licenses are not required if they are caring for less than five, but they have to get the home occupation permit. Council Member Scheid next asked if we have had any issues with any of the ones that are existing and Ms McMillan responded no. Council Member Scheid then commented to Ms. McMillan that she appreciated her suggestion on the sign. Ms. McMillan further commented that you cannot care for more than two under the age of four. Vice Mayor Hare asked who polices that and Ms. McMillan responded the Virginia Department of Social Services.. They do not come to family day care homes like they do child daycare centers, only if they get a complaint. The Planning Commission will conduct their Public Hearing this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The next item on the agenda was a briefing on the Town receiving a $3,000 CDBC Punning Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development DHCD) to assist the Town in assessing the potential for developing a Housing Rehabilitation Program for neighborhoods adjacent to the Downtown Business District. Pete Peters commented that the Town recently received notification that we have been awarded up to $3,000. We have to submit our summary of the housing assessment by January 1 r". Staff is working with David Hill and bill Studio who dice our housing assessment as part of the Comprehensive Plan Update in 2004 and will focus on the work that has already been done and updating the plane We are required to have a public input meeting which we will hold at the December 19`h Council meeting and also requires two downtown management team meetings. Ms. Peters next commented the promise is if we submit the summary by the January 1 5tn deadline that not only do we get the initial $3,000 for our 6 consultant's assistance, but it opens up a pool of resources to develop a full strategic plan for a housing rehabilitating program. This is the similar process that we went through with the CIBG Downtown Business [district Revitalization. You get the initial planning grant, than the large pool of resources to develop your plan in a more robust format and use that to apply for the actual construction funds. 11e plan to focus on the Jefferson, Cleveland and Midway neighborhoods. Also, if we are able to get the EPA Assessment funds, these programs can leverage off of one another and we could utilize one of the programs to help with our match for the other side. Council Member Scheid commented that she is pleased to see us moving forward with this because it was one of the items that came out of the 201 Council strategic planning session as a way to incentivize homeownership and improvement in the downtown area. She then requested that the 200 study be placed in Dropbox for Council. Mr. Peters commented that he has already created a folder on ropbox for the program in general and he will include Council. The Town Manager commented that a meeting has been scheduled with RVTV tomorrow evening at 6 00 p.m. to begin working with the Volunteer Fire Department and First Aid Crew to lay out plans for the PBAs and the longer running program. Under reports from Council Committees, Vice Mayor bare commented that the September and October Financial Deports are in Dropbox and he will focus on the October statement. These were reviewed last month by the Finance Committee. With regard to the General Fund, we are within $335 of the projection. Property taxes are on target and up slightly over last year and business licenses are on target, ideal taxes are down approximately $ ,000, but is up over last year. Bales tax is also down by approximately $a,000, but is also up slightly over last year. The cigarette tax is very close to budget, but is actually down about$10000 year-over_ year. On the expense side, it shows we are significantly underspent dice to the way Phase ll of the Glade Creek Greenway was frontloaod into the budget. We are goingto push that out to the end of the year to give a more accurate picture of our spending. Also, we are working can carving out another fund to manage the grants and to separate them :from the General Fund, 7n the Utility Fund, it shows we are under our revenue targets by $400,000 which is due to the billing being delayed by a>day and it did not show up in the October statements. Vice Mayor Hare made a motion to approve the September 2017 and October 2017 Financial Reports; the motion was seconded by Council Member Scheid and carried by the following vote, with all members voting; Vote 4-0- ; Yeas (4) — tiles, Scheid; Flare, Grose; Nays (0) -- Nona;_Absent Approved the September 2017 and (1)- McCarty. October 2017 Financial Reports Vice Mayor Hare next commented that the Finance Committee would like to revisit the garbage truck because we have gene out for bid to find with debt to purchase the garbage truck. The PowerPoint presentation from the Public Works Committee dated ,tune ti 2017 was shown for reference. Vice Mayor Flare next commented that there are four options—purchase the truck as proposed which would be retrofitted with flippers for some future use as well as retrofit any existing back-up truck with the flippers purchase the truck the same way and pay cash for trashcans that would work with the flippers, continue to do what we are doing and wait to see how the negotiations with Roanoke County goes or purchase the trashcans later.. Council Member Liles commented on the fact that Roanoke County residents are provided trashcans, but "Town residents are not. Vice Mayor Hare commented that as part of the gain sharing they do pay us $110,000 a year for garbage, but there has never been a change in that amount. Vice Mayor blare next commented that one of the challenges is that these vehicles are breaking down and maintenance is getting expansive, We will run the risk'if we continue to run them as we do that we will lose our backup and have to buy two trucks. Council Member Scheid commented it is an essential service and we cannot stop picking up trash because we do not have a vehicle. The Mayor commented that this is definitely one o our core services and we do have to buy a truck. Over the past few months Council Member Scheid S has continually made a good point about the trashcans and the passibility of reducing litter and keeping up the appearance of our neighborhoods.. He would be in support of purchasing the trash cans along with the truck. The negotiations with Roanoke County will take a while, but maybe we could make an appeal to them for a grant for the cans since we only get $110,000 and we are Roanoke County citizens. Council Member Scheid next commented that she believed it would make a big difference not in just the appearance, but the environmental quality of the Town. However, if we make a decision to go with the cans it will come with some change of culture in how residents handle their trash. Vice Mayor Hare next commented there will be an action item to decide on the debt services to purchase the truck at the December 19 ' Council meeting. We could not afford the debt payment this year because of the expenses incurred to repair the current truck. The debt payment this year is approximately$17,000 at this point. Joey Hiner and team have located $ 0, 00 in the budget that can be shifted around--$5,000 from bridge maintenance for Walnut Avenue; $7,500 savings from the purchase of salt and $7,500 to camera another one of our intersections. We will need salt at some paint, will need to do bridge maintenance and there are four intersections left to add the camera system. We have to do something different in our budget and cannot keep doing the same thing. The Mayor asked about the option of financing the track and trashcans together as previously discussed. Anne Cantrell responded that would be an option if Council would like for them to investigate it The Finance Committee discussed using the reserve funds to buy the trashans as a one-time purchase to save interest. Vice Mayor Hare commented on investments that have been made from the reserve fund in the past that have had or will have a future payback: Discussion was next had regarding passing along the cost of the trashcans to the citizens. The Town Manager commented that Roanoke City included an $8 fee per month in their budget this year for collection. Staff has checked with other localities to see who currently charges e fee and that information will be brought back to Council at their December W' meeting. 9 The Mayor commented can the success of the Christmas parade. He also commented that h wanted to reschedule the Council Retreat for some time in mid-January. He requested members of Council to send any unavailable; dates and suggested topics to the Town Clerk by December 1 th. A list of the topics will be compiled and circulated back around to come to a final agenda. Comments from Council: Council Member Liles commented that he thought the Public Safety Committee meeting listed on the agenda was cancelled and Chief Foster responded it was. Council Member Scheid commented on the success of the Christmas parade. She also commented that she heard an urban planner speak recently to the fact that communities of the future need to attract the millennials; The millennials want smaller cities and towns and are looking for things like walkable communities where they felt they had a place and where they could live, work and play and it occurred to her that the Town is really positioned to take advantage of that trend. Vice Mayor bare also commented on the success of the parade. He then announced that he will not be running for re-election again next year and made brief comments: Council Member Liles made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Hare carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0- Yeas 4) files, Scheid, Hare; Grose, Nays 0) lane; Absent ( - McCarty. The meeting was adjourned at 8:48 p.m; Meeting adjourned APPROVED: Bradley E. Grose, Mayor ATTEST- S ohnson, C_M0, Town Clerk 10