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Office of the City Clerk
September 14, 2011

City Council participated in a Naturalization Ceremony
for New American Citizens at Market Square at 6 p.m.


Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - - 7:00 p.m.

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1. Calling the Roll.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the roll. All 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 Public Hearing Meeting Minutes of June 25, 2011; and

(b) The Regular Meeting Minutes of June 28, 2011.

City Council approved the public hearing meeting minutes of June 25, 2011 and the regular meeting minutes of June 28, 2011.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

New Business Item #1:

Mayor Euille recognized and thanked the members of the Artful Getaway Initiative for the display of quilts in City Hall.

RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

None.

PROCLAMATIONS

None.

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

CONSENT CALENDAR (4-13)

(Resignations and Uncontested Appointments)

4. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees:

(a) Affordable Housing Advisory Committee


(b) Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
Sean Kennedy
Constance Troutman

(c) Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force
Fulton Vinson

(d) Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee
Alencia Johnson

(e) Beautification Commission
David Arnaudo

(f) Commission for Women
Reina Malakoff

(g) Economic Opportunities Commission
Vicki Green

(h) Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
John Sprinkle

(i) Human Rights Commission
(j) Law Library Board
Andrew Dubinsky

(k) Park and Recreation Commission
Anthony Zamora

(l) Public Health Advisory Commission
Nairuby Beckles
John Klousia

(m) Sister Cities Committee
Shelu Patel

5. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees:

(a) Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
1 Representative of the City’s Faith Community
1 Person Who is Either a City Employee or a Teacher With the
Alexandria City Public Schools

(b) Alcohol Safety Action Program Policy Board
1 Citizen Member

(c) Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force
1 At-large Member From and Representing the Youth of the City
of Alexandria
1 Representative of the Alexandria Business Community

(d) Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee
1 Citizen Member

(e) Commission on Employment
2 Business Representatives From Among Recognized Area
Businesses Including Minority-owned and Small Businesses

(f) Commission on Persons with Disabilities
2 Citizen Members

(g) Commission for Women
1 Citizen Member

(h) George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee
1 Citizen Member

(i) Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
1 Alexandria Public Records Advisory Commission Representative
1 Member at Large From Planning District I

(j) Industrial Development Authority
1 Citizen Member

(k) Park and Recreation Commission
1 Member From Among the High School Youth of the City

(l) Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee
1 Qualified Professional Skilled in Architecture

(m) Public Health Advisory Commission
1 Citizen Member Who Shall Not Be a Health Professional

(n) Sister Cities Committee
1 Citizen Member

(o) Social Services Advisory Board
1 Citizen Member

(p) Waterfront Committee
1 Representative From the Alexandria Seaport Foundation
1 Citizen Representative Who Resides East of Washington Street
and South of King Street

(Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager)

6. Receipt of Recommendation from the City Council Naming Committee on the Proposal to Name the Alley Behind 804 Duke Street in Honor of the Late Douglas Thurman and Setting the Proposal for Public Hearing and Consideration on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

7. Consideration Of Grant Renewal for the United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA) Child And Adult Care Food Program for the After School Snack Program for At-risk Children Administered by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities.

8. Consideration of Application to the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency for Assistance to Firefighters Grant Funds to Replace Alexandria Fire Department Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.

9. Consideration of Application for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) People’s Garden Grant Funds for the Alexandria Health Department.

10. Consideration of the Alexandria Community Services Board’s Amended FY 2012 Plan of Services, Which Includes the FY 2012 Performance Contract with the State.

11. Consideration of Release of Covenant in the Event of Foreclosure or Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure for Beasley Square Apartments.

12. Consideration of an Application for Virginia Fire Programs Grant Funds for Alexandria Fire Department Equipment and Training.

(Ordinances for Introduction)

13. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend and Reordain the 1992 Master Plan (1998 ed.) of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, By Adopting and Incorporating Therein the Amendment Heretofore Approved by City Council to the Eisenhower East Small Area Plan Chapter of Such Master Plan as Master Plan Amendment No. 2011-0003 and 2011-0004 and No Other Amendments, and To Repeal All Provisions of the Said Master Plan as May Be Inconsistent With Such Amendment.

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

City Council approved the consent calendar, with exception of docket item #11, which was considered under a separate motion. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows:

4. City Council accepted the following resignations with regret: (a) Mary Ellen Ruff, Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; (b) Sean Kennedy and Constance Troutman, Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee; (c) Fulton Vinson, Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force; (d) Alencia Johnson, Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee; (e) David Arnaudo, Beautification Commission; (f) Reina Malakoff, Commission for Women; (g) Vicki Green, Economic Opportunities Commission; (h) John Sprinkle, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (i) Michael Files, Human Rights Commission; (j) Andrew Dubinsky, Law Library Board; (k) Anthony Zamora, Park and Recreation Commission; (l) Nairuby Beckles and John Klousia, Public Health Advisory Commission; and (m) Shelu Patel, Sister Cities Committee.

5. City Council made the following appointments to boards and commissions: (a) waived the residency requirement and reappointed Sonya Sacks as the one representative of the City's faith community and appointed Dimitri Warren as the one person who is either a City employee or a teacher with the Alexandria City Public Schools to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; (b) appointed Joseph King as the one citizen member to the Alcohol Safety Action Program Policy Board; (c) appointed Merlin Alvarado as the one at-large member from and representing the youth of the city of Alexandria and appointed Michael Johnson as the one representative of the Alexandria business community to the Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force; (d) appointed Nicholas Bazarian as the one citizen member to the Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee; (e) reappointed Dorothy Ramsey and Iris Henley as the two business representatives from among recognized area businesses including minority-owned and small businesses to the Commission on Employment; (f) reappointed Charles Benagh and Adam Osterman as the two citizen members to the Commission on Persons with Disabilities; (g) appointed Belinda Jackson Farrier as the one citizen member to the Commission for Women; (h) appointed Konstantin Gojnycz as the one citizen member to the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee; (i) appointed Laura Vetter as the one Alexandria Public Records Advisory Commission representative and appointed Margaret Wood as the one member at large from Planning District I to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (j) appointed Lonnie Rich as the one citizen member to the Industrial Development Authority; (k) appointed Caleb Vogt as the one member from among the high school youth of the City to the Park and Recreation Commission; (l) reappointed Shawn Glerum as the one qualified professional skilled in architecture to the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee; (m) appointed Travis Parker Lee as the one citizen member who shall not be a health professional to the Public Health Advisory Commission; (n) reappointed Brendan Fitzgibbon as the one citizen member to the Sister Cities Committee; reappointed Keith Brundige as the one citizen member to the Social Services Advisory Board; and (o) appointed Kent Barnekov as the one representative from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation and appointed Arthur Fox as the one citizen representative who resides east of Washington Street and south of King Street to the Waterfront Committee.

6. City Council: 1. received the recommendation of the City Council Naming Committee to name the alley located behind 804 Duke Street in honor of the late Douglas Thurman; and 2. set the proposal for public hearing and consideration on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

7. City Council authorized the City Manager to: 1. accept renewal funding for the at-risk after school grant renewal application submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture for Fiscal Year 2012 (the due date was September 1, 2011 when City Council was still in recess); and 2. execute all documents that may be required.

8. City Council: 1. approved the submission of a grant application for $626,440 to replace 110 SCBA's; 2. authorized the Acting City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required; and 3. approved the release of $156,610 from contingent reserves to pay the City match for this equipment if the grant is approved.

9. City Council: 1. approved the submission of the grant application (submitted Tuesday, August 23, 2011); and 2. authorized the City Manager and the Health Director to execute the necessary documents that may be required.

10. City Council approved the Board's revised FY 2012 plan of services, which includes approval of the performance contract with the State and an increase of 0.25 FTE's to be fully supported by redirecting $39,336 from non-personnel to personnel.

11. City Council: 1. agreed to a release of the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants and Deed of easement, in the event of foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure, for Beasley Square, LLC related to its permanent financing for Beasley Square Apartments with the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) as the new first trust lender, with the understanding that the City's interest in the property as affordable housing will remain protected through a right to cure in the unlikely event of a default; 2. accept from VHDA the ability to assume, purchase, pay-off or assign the right to purchase the VHDA loan, with the City being required to reimburse VHDA up to $4,900 for interest accrued, if at some point in the future, the City does not exercise the option to purchase or pay-off the VHDA loan; and 3. authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents. (separate motion)

12. City Council authorized the City Manager to: 1. submit the grant application to the Virginia Fire Services Board in the amount of $10,000 for the purchase of fire training and equipment; and 2. execute all the necessary documents that may be required.

13. City Council introduced the ordinance, passed it on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing, second reading and final passage on Saturday, September 17, 2011.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS

14. Beautification Commission
1 Citizen Member

City Council appointed Beverly Patton as the one citizen member to the Beautification Commission.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

15. Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District
1 Citizen Member

City Council appointed Matthew Slowik as the one citizen member to the Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

16. Ratification of Appointments of Five Members of the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership.

City Council ratified the appointment of David Heiden for a one-year term on the Board of Directors of the AEDP extending through June 30, 2012 and ratified the reappointment of William Hard, Chris Hartman, Horace Jones and David Millard for three-year terms on the Board of Directors of the AEDP extending through June 30, 2014.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION

17. Consideration of Recommendations on the High Capacity Transit Corridor C in the Van Dorn/Beauregard Area (This item is Scheduled for City Council Public Hearing and Consideration on Saturday, September 17, 2011.)

City Council: 1. received the report, as well as forthcoming input from the Planning Commission and Transportation Commission on the recommendations for transitway corridor C in the Van Dorn/Beauregard area; and 2. will hold a public hearing on September 17, 2011.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

18. Consideration of Ratification of the Submission of Application to the Federal Transit Administration to Fund an Alternative Analysis Study of High Capacity Corridor C (Van Dorn/ Beauregard Area.)

City Council ratified the submission of an application to the Federal Transit Administration for $800,000 to conduct an alternatives analysis study of high capacity transit corridor C.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

19. Consideration of Participation in the Northern Virginia Regional Commission’s Market Analysis For Commuter Boat Service On the Occoquan, Potomac, & Anacostia Rivers.

City Council approved an allocation in the amount of $5,000 from the FY 2012 year of the FY2012 to FY 2021 Ten Year Transportation Project Plan to participate in NVRC market analysis for commuter boat service on the Occoquan, Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.
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) Councilwoman Pepper said she and Councilman Smedberg co-chair the Mirant Community Monitoring Group, and an agreement has been reached with Mirant that they will be closing October 2012, but it is not a done deal yet. The announcement was made August 30 and the grid manager will have 30 days to get back to Mirant to tell them if there is any reason why Mirant cannot close in 2012. She said this is a win-win amendment to the settlement, and they look forward to the closing. She said the monitoring group will continue to be in place to see that it occurs.

Councilman Smedberg said there are four people, in addition to the residents, they need to recognize: City staff members Bill Skrabak, Lalit Sharma, Khoa Tran, and former City Attorney Ignacio Pessoa, who all worked diligently on the City's behalf.

(b) Vice Mayor Donley said that over the summer, the Immigration Customs Agency (ICE) had a raid in Alexandria, in which they were after an individual they had under surveillance and they made an arrest, but it caused a lot of misinformation and consternation on behalf of their citizens, particularly those in the Arlandria area. He asked Council's consideration and support of the City Manager sending a letter to ICE that would ask two things: if they are going to conduct an event or action, the City would like to have some type of advance warning, so they are not left in the dark, and in the event there is a concern about advance notice or security, that the City at least be notified after the event takes place, so they have the facts and can respond to questions in the community.

(c) Councilman Smedberg reported on the activities of the Waterfront Plan Work Group that has met over the summer. He said they have an established scheduled of meetings, there are comments that can be accessed on the City's website, they have agreed to and adopted a strategic set of questions and items as a roadmap moving forward in some key areas, they have begun to address flood mitigation and public access issues, public and private realm issues, and they have a public meeting tomorrow night where they have invited ten organizations who have contacted Council in the past and have been active to present to the work group, and then it will be opened up to residents. Councilman Smedberg said information on the Work Group is on the City's website.

(d) Councilwoman Hughes said she has been a regular attendee of the Farmer's Market on Market Square and she gets there around 10:00 - 10:15, and the Market is generally closing down and starting to take things down by 11:00, and it presents a hardship. She said the Market gets started around 6:00, but the crowds come around 10:00, and the vendors and those shopping would like it if the Market were open longer. She asked staff to look into what it would take to shift the hours to start at 7:00 and close the Market around 12:00 noon, noting that if there was an extension of time that there would be exception for dates when there were other events on Market Square.

(e) Councilwoman Hughes said that during Constitution Week, the Daughters of the American Revolution have sponsored a ceremony for students, and the students came to City Hall to learn. She commended the teachers and administrators at the Mount Vernon Community School and Samuel Tucker Elementary School for bringing well informed students for a history lesson.

(f) Councilwoman Hughes thanked the City staff, as during a short period of time, the City experienced an earthquake, a flood due to tropical storms, hurricane force winds and power outages. She said they had a remarkable response team, and they are continually getting better in terms of the emergency operations.

(g) Councilwoman Hughes said the Government Reform Commission had another meeting and would get her colleagues a report on what some of the items that are being looked at for the upcoming year.

(h) Councilman Krupicka thanked staff for the fantastic job it did on the back-to-back emergencies it had. The composure, focus and late hours deserve rounds of thanks and applause.

(i) Councilman Krupicka said it struck him walking up and down King Street during the arts festival how many new stores there are on King Street and how few vacant storefronts there are. He applauded the work of the AEDP and the City who are aggressively recruiting to bring businesses in.

(j) Councilman Krupicka said he didn't see anything on the schedule about having a work session on the Potomac River Generating Station and he said he wanted to make sure it was something they would find time for.

(k) Councilman Krupicka said there are many other farmers markets in the City and they all receive varying levels of patronage from citizens. He said he hoped that any discussion of farmers markets and how it makes Old Town's enhanced also includes at least some review of City resources and work they are doing to support other farmers markets around the City.

(l) Councilman Krupicka said that in June last year he brought up the issue of traffic calming and the fact that they have been receiving increased concerns from residents about speeding through neighborhoods. He said staff at the time said they would be getting information back to Council, and he wanted to highlight that again to get information back on where they are in terms of traffic calming requests and defining the need and how they can move forward to address it.

(m) Councilman Fannon said the City suffered through the rains last week and unfortunately had the same incident it had five years ago, where it had the second 100 year flood in a five year period at Cameron Run where the Alexandria Tech Center Office Park flooded out. He asked the City Manager to report back to Council on what went wrong and if it was something that could have been prevented. He said it was his understanding the creek was to be dredged out in the first quarter of this year. He said he also understood that the first notice didn't go out until almost an hour before Cameron Run crested. He said he wanted to make sure the City did everything it needed to do on the City end to try to prevent it. He said they will be having their property owners meeting next Wednesday and he asked to have City staff in attendance.

(n) Mayor Euille spoke of the events of the last two weeks - the hurricane and the rains from the tropical storm. He said the last tropical storm sat and it kept pouring rain, and property owners need to adjust and act responsibly and accordingly.

(o) Mayor Euille said there is an opportunity for the Council to consider whether to submit a station name change for the King Street Metro Station to rename it King Street-Old Town. The money will come from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.

City Council adopted a motion to authorize the City Manager to submit the required paperwork to Metro for the Metro name change at the King Street station with the commitment of funding from the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Acting City Manager Johnson gave a report on the fiscal outlook and recommended City strategy for coping with the uncertainties the City faces and the close out for FY 2011 and his recommendations for the use of unexpected surplus.

Mr. Johnson spoke about the response they are undertaking to the two embezzlement cases against City employees in August and the steps they are taking to retain the public trust.

City Attorney Banks spoke about the City-wide ethics initiative.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS

20. Consideration of Resolution Seeking the Support of the Governor and General Assembly for the Termination of the Local Aid to the State Program. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]

City Council approved the resolution seeking the support of the Governor and General Assembly for the termination of the local aid to the State program. (RES. NO. 2470)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

21. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading and Second Reading of an Ordinance to Adopt Supplement Number 98 of the City Code. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]

City Council passed the ordinance on first and second reading to adopt supplement No. 98 of the City Code. (ORD. NO. 4735)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

OTHER

22. Consideration of City Council Schedule.

City Council: 1. approved the calendar which includes the schedule of City Council legislative meetings and public hearings for September 2011 through June 2012; 2. scheduled the following work sessions at 5:30 p.m. before Council's legislative meetings: Tuesday, October 11 work session on the proposed guidelines for the fund for Human Services, Tuesday, October 25 work session with the Homeless Services Coordinating Council, and Tuesday, February 28, 2012 annual meeting of the Alexandria Transit Company Stockholders and a work session on DASH issues; 3. scheduled work sessions on the proposed budget on at least three of the following dates at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Workroom: Monday, October 17, Tuesday, October 18, Tuesday, November 1 and Monday, November 7; 4. the City Office of Emergency Management is holding an Alexandria Community Emergency Management Forum at 7:00 p.m. on October 13 at Landmark Center, and this event has been added to the calendar; and 5. note that the Council is invited to the Special Americans with Disabilities Act training scheduled at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, October 7 in City Hall Room 2000 (the Chet and Sabra Avery Conference Room.) The training was planned by the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities, and the Commission will be communicating with Council about a second training opportunity later in October.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

EXECUTIVE SESSION

23. Consideration of Convening a Closed Meeting For the Purpose of Consulting with Legal Counsel Regarding Potential and Pending Litigation, for Real Estate Acquisition and for Personnel Issues.

City Council convened in closed executive session at 9:21p.m., pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(a)(1)(3) and (7) of the Code of Virginia, for the purpose of discussion and consideration of the appointment of a specific appointee of Council, discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose, or the disposition of publicly held real property and consultation with counsel and briefing by staff pertaining to actual or probable litigation where such consultation in open meeting would adversely affect the compromised negotiating and litigating posture of the public body, and for consultation regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice.

City Council reconvened the meeting at 10:10 p.m.

City Council adopted the resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2471)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________
The meeting was adjourned at 10:11 p.m.

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Note: The action docket is a summary of Council's meeting deliberations prepared largely for staff follow-up. Formal minutes of the meeting, when approved by Council, become the official record of the meeting and of Council decisions made at the meeting.



This docket is subject to change.

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Full-text copies of ordinances, resolutions, and agenda items are available in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of the Council. Meeting materials are also available on-line at alexandriava.gov/council
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