The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the Deputy City Clerk called the roll. All the members of Council were present.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________
2. Moment of Silence and Pledge of Allegiance. City Council observed a moment of silence and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 3. Reading and Acting Upon the Minutes of the Following Meetings of City Council: (a) The Regular Meeting Minutes of December 13, 2011; and (b) The Public Hearing Meeting Minutes of December 17, 2011. City Council approved minutes of the following meetings of City Council: the regular meeting minutes of December 13, 2011 and the public hearing meeting of December 17, 2011. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. PROCLAMATIONS None. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (4-9) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 4. Receipt of the Following Resignations from Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Commission on HIV/AIDS Alancia Wynn (b) Commission on Persons with Disabilities Mike Purkey (c) Community Services Board James Lewis Kathleen Dewey (d) Library Board Thom Downing (e) Park and Recreation Commission Jeff Murphy 5. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Affordable Housing Advisory Committee 1 Landlord of Residential Property in the City Member (b) Beautification Commission 3 Citizen Members (c) Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission 1 School Employee (d) Commission on Aging 4 Citizen Members 60 Years of Age or Older (e) Commission on Employment 1 Citizen Member (f) Commission on Persons With Disabilities 2 Citizen Members (g) Historic Alexandria Resources Commission 1 Representative From the Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission (h) Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission 1 Citizen Member (i) Human Rights Commission 1 Commission on Aging Representative (j) Landlord-Tenant Relations Board 1 Low-Income Tenant Representative (k) Sister Cities Committee 1 Citizen Member (l) Social Services Advisory Board 1 Parent Member 3 Citizen Members (m) Waterfront Committee 1 Representative from the Alexandria Archaeological Commission (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 6. Receipt of Summary of Annual Reports from City Boards and Commissions. 7. Receipt of the Alexandria Strategic Plan on Aging and Setting it for Public Hearing on Saturday, February 25, 2012. 8. Consideration of Application to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for One-time Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Funds to Strengthen School-Age Youth Development Team Programming. 9. Consideration of an Application for U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency Small Urban Waters Grant Funds. 9.1. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Sell City-owned Property at 716-718 N. Columbus Street. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR City Council approved the consent calendar, with the exception of docket item #7, which was considered under separate motion. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows: 4. City Council accepted the following resignations with regret: (a) Alancia Wynn, Commission on HIV/AIDS; (b) Mike Purkey, Commission on Persons with Disabilities; (c) James Lewis and Kathleen Dewey, Community Services Board; (d) Thom Downing, Library Board; and (e) Jeff Murphy, Park and Recreation Commission. 5. City Council made the following appointments to boards and commissions: (a) appointed Michelle Saylor as the landlord of residential property in the City to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; (b) reappointed Oscar Martin and Ruth McKenty and appointed Denise Tennant as the three citizen members to the Beautification Commission; (c) appointed Rosario Casiano as the school employee to the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission; (d) reappointed Janet Barnett, Cedar Dvorin, Bernard Kellom and Patricia McBride as the four citizen members 60 years of age or older to the Commission on Aging; (e) appointed Kendra Gillespie as the citizen member to the Commission on Employment; (f) reappointed Mary Danforth and Kent Fee as the two citizen members to the Commission on Persons with Disabilities; (g) appointed Derek Manning as the representative from the Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (h) reappointed Mary Heiden as the citizen member to Historical Restoration and Preservation Commission; (j) reappointed Geraldine Baldwin as the low-income tenant representative to the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board; (k) appointed Renee Branch as the citizen member to the Sister Cities Committee; (l) reappointed Jason Dechant as the parent member and reappointed Adrienne Barr and Susan Newell and appointed Clarence Tong as the three citizen members to the Social Services Advisory Board; and (m) appointed James McCall as the representative from the Alexandria Archaeological Commission to the Waterfront Committee. 6. City Council received the reports and thanked the boards and commissions for their hard work over the past year. 7. City Council: (1) received the draft Strategic Plan for Aging; and (2) docketed the draft Plan for public hearing on Saturday, February 25; and adoption on Tuesday, March 27. (separate motion) 8. City Council: (1) authorized the submission of a grant application, not to exceed $25,000; and (2) authorized the City Manager to execute all the necessary documents that may be required. 9. City Council authorized the City Manager to: (1) submit a grant application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Urban Waters Small Grants funding in the amount of $41,250, for the City Water Quality Control Program; and (2) execute all the necessary documents and agreements that may be required to receive this funding under this grant program. 9.1 City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for second reading and final passage at Council's public hearing on Saturday, January 21. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ *** Councilman Smedberg was excused from the meeting early at 7:28 p.m*** CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 10. Public Health Advisory Commission 1 Citizen Member Who Is Not a Health Professional City Council reappointed Arlene Hewitt as the citizen member who is not a health professional to the Public Health Advisory Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 11. Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission 1 School Employee City Council waived the residency requirement and appointed Gregory Hutchings, Jr., as the school employee to the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 12. Commission on Information Technology 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Phillip Acosta as the citizen member to the Commission on Information Technology. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 13. Law Library Board 1 Citizen Member City Council reappointed David Chamowitz as the citizen member to the Law Library Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 14. Library Board 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Kathleen Schloeder as the citizen member to the Library Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 15. Park and Recreation Commission 1 Member From Planning District II City Council appointed Stephen Beggs as the member from Planning District II to the Park and Recreation Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 16. Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee 1 Member Representing the Potomac Yard Area City Council appointed Jason Albers as the member representing the Potomac Yard Area to the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ** Please note this item was heard before the Contested Appointments. ** REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 17. Receipt of the Waterfront Plan Work Group Report and Setting the Waterfront Small Area Plan for Public Hearing on Saturday, January 21, 2012. City Council received the Waterfront Plan Work Group Report and set the Waterfront Small Area Plan for public hearing on January 12, 2012. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 18. Consideration of the Monthly Financial Report. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending November 30, 2011. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL and ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Mayor Euille wished everyone a Happy New Year and highlighted some of the upcoming projects and issues that the City Council will be discussing during the remainder of the year: the City Manager's Proposed Budget for FY 2013 in February; Housing Initiatives and Housing Report in February; redevelopment of the Landmark Mall property and the Waterfront Plan will be considered; and upcoming elections, both local and national. Mayor Euille noted the success of public safety efforts in the City and how it has enhanced quality of life in the City. (b) Councilman Fannon announced that the United Way raised approximately $600,000, with the City of Alexandria employees being the biggest contributors to the campaign. Councilman Fannon noted that the employees donated $70,000 and a recognition ceremony will be held on Friday, January 13 at City Hall to thank them. (c) Councilwoman Hughes reported that the City of Alexandria received an inaugural award from the National Society for Historical Archaeology for the great work that City has done in the area of Archaeology, particularly at Freedmen's Cemetery and Fort Ward Park. (d) Councilwoman Hughes reported that the Governor's Task Force on Local Mandates would be making a recommendation to eliminate the give back legislation which focuses on local governments helping to balance the state's budget. Councilwoman Hughes noted that the Task Force would also be recommending fifty additional recommendations for mandate elimination. Councilwoman Hughes stated that the group would meet again on January 16 to adopt the interim report. (e) Councilwoman Hughes stated that she met with the parking attendants about the Alexandria City Council living wage ordinance and requested an explanation of the repeal of the living wage from staff. Mr. McPike, Director, General Services, gave an overview of the ordinance that changed the living wage from $13.65 per hour to $13.13 per hour and noted that the living wage affect multiple contracts throughout the City. Mr. McPike noted that a review of all City contract would be needed in order to give Council a more accurate view of how it would affect the budget if the living wage was changed. (f) Mayor Euille noted that the First Night Alexandria event was a first class and very successful event this year and thanked Vice Mayor Donley and those who planned the event for the all their hard work. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER City Manager Young reported that the Police Department held a promotion and elevation ceremony today at the Masonic Temple for officers promoted to the rank of sergeant and lieutenant, civilian promotions and patrol officers advancing along the career ladder. Mr. Young congratulated all who were honored at the ceremony. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 19. Consideration of Grant Application and Resolution for FY 2013 Funding for the Continuation of the Alexandria Transportation Demand Management Program and a Public Transportation Intern Position. City Council: (1) adopted the resolution; and (2) authorized the City Manager to: A) submit a grant application and resolution to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) for FY 2013 funding: (1) in the amount of $228,240, which will be matched by $57,060 of the City funds, for a total program of $285,300, for the continuation of the City's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) services (formerly Rideshare); and (2) in the amount of $28,500, which will be matched by $1,500 of City funds, for a total of $30,00 to continue the public transportation intern program; B) approve the continuation of two full-time, grant-funded positions (Transit Specialist I and Transit Services Assistant I) to administer the ongoing TDM program. Continuation of these positions is contingent upon continuation of funding from DRPT or other non-City sources; and C) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2485) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 20. Consideration of Resolution Designating the Acting City Manager When the City Manager is Out of Town. City Council repealed Resolution 2350 and adopted the new resolution designating the acting City Manager when the City Manager is out of town. (RES. NO. 2486) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 21. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council: (1) noted the following additions to the Council calendar: Thursday, January 12, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 16th Annual City Staff Program at noon at the Lee Center with the Jazz Prelude beginning at 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Community Memorial Program at 7:30 p.m., at Roberts United Methodist Church, 606-A South Washington Street; and Tuesday, January 24 Program to recognize the Start of Four-Person Fire Suppression Staffing in the Alexandria Fire Department at 6 p.m., at Fire Station 201, 317 Prince Street; and (2) schedule a joint work session with the Planning Commission on the proposed Beauregard Small Area Plan on Monday, February 13. Council Action:________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SESSION 22. Consideration of Convening a Closed Meeting For the Purpose of Discussion of a Potential Legal Matter. City Council convened in closed executive session at 8:12 p.m., pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia, for the purpose of consultation with counsel and briefing by staff pertaining to actual or probable litigation, where consultation in open meeting would adversely affect the negotiating or litigation posture of the public body, and for consultation regarding specific legal matters that require legal advice City Council reconvened the meeting at 8:42 p.m. City Council adopted the resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2487) Council Action:_________________________________________________________