11. Receipt of Listings of Delinquent Taxes, Authorization of Advertising Listings of Delinquencies, and Writing Off of Balances Less than Five Dollars. (#10 10/10/00) (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 16, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 11; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) 12. Receipt of Monthly Report for the Period Ending September 30, 2000. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 13, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 12; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) 13. City Council Authorization of Recommended Capital Project Allocations and Planned Expenditures. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 16, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 13; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) END OF CONSENT CALENDAR WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Speck, seconded by Vice Mayor Cleveland and carried unanimously, City Council approved the consent calendar as presented. The City Manager's recommendations are as follows: 9. City Council received the following resignations with regret: (a) Kathleen Connolly from the Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee, and (b) Arek Tattevosian from the Alexandria Public Health Advisory Commission; requested the Executive Secretary for Boards and Commissions to send the appropriate letters of appreciation and to advertise the vacancies in the usual manner. 10. City Council (a) reappointed Philip Brooks as a Representative from Planning District III, appointed Ellen Flora-Stanton as a Volunteer at a Historic Property or Attraction, Mary Varner as a Representative from the Lee-Fendall House, and Althea Burns as a Representative from the Old Presbyterian Meeting House to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (b) appointed Richard Baier as Staff Representative from the City of Alexandria to the Regional Sanitary Advisory Board; (c) appointed Richard Baier as Staff Representative from the City of Alexandria to the Regional Smoke Control Appeal Board; and (d) reappointed Mary Catherine Puskar as a Representative of the Business Community to the Alexandria Youth Policy Commission. 11. City Council: (1) received the listings of delinquent local property taxes; (2) authorized that parts of the delinquent real estate tax listing deemed advisable by the Director of Finance and having a balance due of $1,000 or more be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the City and portions of the real estate tax and personal property tax listings deemed advisable by the Director of Finance be listed on the City's Internet website; and (3) authorized the Finance Director to write-off the uncollected tax balances amounting to less than five dollars each for which no bills were sent or for which the Director of Finance has determined that the cost of collecting such balances would exceed the amount recoverable, provided that the Director of Finance shall not include any balances as to which he has reason to believe the taxpayer has purposely paid less than the amount due and owed. 12. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending September 30, 2000. 13. City Council (1) authorized the capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Expenditure Summary; and (2) delegated to the City Manager, or his designee, authority to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder for Courthouse Garage renovations. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR The voting was as follows: Speck "aye" Eberwein "aye" Cleveland "aye" Euille "aye" Donley "aye" Pepper "aye" Woodson "aye" REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued) 14. Consideration of Revisions to the Residential Parking Policy for Persons with Disabilities. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 18, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 14; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) There was discussion as to how a person qualifies for a handicapped license or placard and what are the Division of Motor Vehicles' requirements and how they work. Staff will report back at the public hearing with this information. WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilwoman Pepper, seconded by Vice Mayor Cleveland and carried unanimously, City Council: (1) received the revised policy for residential parking for persons with disabilities and scheduled it for public hearing on November 18. The voting was as follows: Pepper "aye" Eberwein "aye" Cleveland "aye" Euille "aye" Donley "aye" Speck "aye" Woodson "aye" 15. Receipt of Report on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project Plans for Jones Point Park and the Urban Deck, Setting the Report for Public Hearing on Saturday, November 18, and Council Consideration on Tuesday, December 12. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 20, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 15; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) Mayor Donley spoke to the steps that Council will be taking with respect to this item. Councilwoman Woodson asked questions regarding the potential sound problems which will have a direct effect on the Yates Gardens neighborhood. She asked if there is some way to get an understanding of the level of sound, what kind of decibel we are looking at if the trees are there versus if the trees are not there. Transportation and Environmental Services Director Baier stated that he could put some material together to address this issue. He noted that Yates Gardens, Southwest Quadrant and Old Town Civic Associations have asked that a meeting be held to review this information. The meeting will be on November 8, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lee Center. Councilwoman Pepper questioned what happened to the idea of using a bit of recycled tires within the materials used to build a road. Transportation and Environmental Services Director Baier reported that items that are being looked at as part of the efforts with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, as well as with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Task Team, are ways to address the impacts to quality of life to surrounding neighborhoods, i.e., fugitive dust and noise. He noted that one of the issues that has been submitted to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project Team for consideration was a super-pave product for pavement that has both ground up flexible tires in it as well as very fine aggregate. Councilwoman Pepper said that this would be so helpful to the Yates Gardens neighborhood to have the requested material in the mixes. Councilwoman Eberwein suggested, due to the height of the bridge, that the trees may be short of where the sound actually impacts the homes. She asked if staff is planning to show drawings as to how the sound would come off of the bridge. Councilwoman Eberwein indicated that it is important to have a visual with respect to this. Transportation and Environmental Services Director Baier addressed the concerns of Ms. Eberwein. Mayor Donley noted that the new bridge probably will be quieter than the present bridge, but using materials or new technology might enable us to help those persons living in Yates Gardens. Councilwoman Pepper reported that one of the ideas that was raised some time ago was dismissed because of the expense. She would like the City Manager to consider the idea of the City having its own consultant who would help us. City Manager Sunderland indicated that the City has been working with a variety of consultants for three or four years, and he has found each of them to be very neutral, very qualified, quite creditable and quite expert in what they are doing. Councilman Euille noted that a staff person from Transportation and Environmental Services will be assigned to work with the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge Task Force to entertain a lot of the City's concerns. By Unanimous Consent, City Council: (1) received the report and released it for public review; (2) scheduled a City Council work session for November 14, and docketed the report for public hearing in conjunction with the National Park Service on November 18, and final consideration on December 12; and (3) scheduled Saturday, November 4, at 11:00 a.m., as a time when Council Members can tour Jones Point Park. [The tour was scheduled as part of the discussion on the Council Schedule, docket item no. 19.] 16. Consideration of Report of the Community Partnership Fund for Human Services Recommended Priorities for the FY 2002 Competitive Cycle. (# 11 10/14/00; #12 10/10/00) (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 17, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 16; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Euille, seconded by Vice Mayor Cleveland and carried unanimously, City Council approved the priorities for the Community Partnership Fund for Human Services as recommended by staff which now incorporates an explicit reference under the Self-Sufficiency priority for "programs to promote independent living, equality of opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for persons with disabilities" as requested by members of the Commission on Persons with Disabilities and the Endependence Center of Northern Virginia who testified at the October 14 public hearing. The voting was as follows: Euille "aye" Eberwein "aye" Cleveland "aye" Pepper "aye" Donley "aye" Speck "aye" Woodson "aye" 17. Receipt of the Proposed City Legislative Package for the 2001 General Assembly Session. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 18, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 17; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) Legislative Director Caton provided Council with an overview of this year's legislative package. With respect to 2.H., Recycling Ash from Waste-to-Energy Facilities, Councilwoman Eberwein would encourage that the following language be added to the recommendation: ............(1) the use of ash from waste-to-energy facilities in road building and highway construction; and (2) standards that should be set for the use of the ash in road building and highway construction. With regard to 3.G., Councilman Euille expressed concern pointed out by the Human Services Coalition at a meeting last week that the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund has not been funded for the last three years. He asked if there has been some discussion in the legislature or VML about reconstituting the funding for affordable housing programs for the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund. If the answer is no, he stated it is something that needs to be looked into and brought back to the table for discussion with the City's legislative delegation. Councilwoman Eberwein directed questions to Legislative Director Caton with respect to how he gets recommendations from the boards and commissions. Councilwoman Eberwein indicated that she was troubled by several of the things that came forward from the Human Rights Commission and she didn't see any supporting data. She felt that 3.I. and 3.H. were somewhat undefined. 3.F., Revising Virginia's Hate Crimes Laws, troubled her the most. She stated that she is concerned about the expansion of the Hate Crime Statute. Mayor Donley spoke to the process of adopting our legislative package. Councilman Euille noted that a lot of the legislative initiatives which have come from the various boards and commissions evolved through discussions, public hearings, and community input at their respective commission levels. Mayor Donley explained the procedures that are followed by the City's Legislative Committee. WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Speck, seconded by Councilwoman Woodson and carried unanimously, City Council: (1) received the proposals for the City's 2001 legislative package; (2) scheduled the legislative package proposals for public hearing on Saturday, November 18, and (3) scheduled adoption of the legislative package for Tuesday, November 28, following Council's work session with the General Assembly delegation. The voting was as follows: Speck "aye" Cleveland "aye" Woodson "aye" Eberwein "aye" Donley "aye" Euille "aye" Pepper "aye" REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Transportation and Environmental Services Director Baier provided an overview of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Summary Schedule. This was one of the items that Council was unable to discuss at the Retreat. (A copy of the Summary Schedule is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Oral (a); 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) Councilman Euille requested that Council be given periodic updates with respect to this schedule. (b) Vice Mayor Cleveland announced that The Untouchables will hold a Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, November 4, at 9:00 a.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center. It is only $5 per person. He invited everyone to attend. Vice Mayor Cleveland also noted that the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) designation for The Untouchables is #7671. (c) Councilwoman Eberwein commended to everyone's reading an article in The Washington Post, today in Section B, concerning Mayor Williams' efforts in encouraging high tech companies to come to Washington, D.C. She stated that "tech hotels," which are large data centers that have digital equipment but require few workers, are the kinds of uses which could prove ideal for the Eisenhower Valley. Many of the companies are very interested in moving closer to the City because the workers appreciate the amenities that the City has to offer that are not offered in the suburbs. She also noted that she is very excited with the new Planning Director coming, and she hopes that the City won't wait too long to do some of the things that were talked about at the Retreat such as the development and redevelopment of the Eisenhower Valley as a place where we can expand our tax base. She noted that she has talked with members of the Eisenhower Partnership and AEDP. She knew that there was a group in the Chamber that was working on high tech issues, but she's been told that it didn't get very far. Hopefully, this is an area that the Planning Director will look into, particularly since it's clear that there are other local jurisdictions that are doing so. Mayor Donley indicated that the Tech Council is back to meeting and is looking for issues, and this one might be a good one for the Chamber and the Technology Council to look into along with the AEDP. It is a good idea. He noted that he occasionally meets with tech people when there is a prospect to buy space. (d) Mayor Donley announced that he was notified by the Department of Labor today that one of the consortiums in which the City participates, the Alexandria/Arlington Workforce Investment Board, received a grant for 2.7 million dollars. This goes to a consortium, made up of Alexandria, Arlington, Marymount College, Northern Virginia Community College and Old Dominion University, targeted to train 200 workers who are seeking to upgrade their skills in the high technology area, and in excess of 300 unemployed individuals looking to develop skills in information technology and health care to enter the job market. He noted that this is federal funding over a two-year period of time. (e) Mayor Donley thanked the Members of Council who attended VML which was held in Arlington. He also thanked those who attended the breakfast meeting on Monday morning with Members of the Roanoke City Council. (f) Councilman Speck congratulated Mayor Donley on his appointment to the VML Executive Board. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 18. Consideration of Resolution on Teleworking. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] (Councilwoman Pepper) (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated October 19, 2000, is on file in the office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 18; 10/24/00, and is incorporated herewith as part of this record by reference.) Councilwoman Pepper spoke to this item. The following amendment was offered by Councilman Euille and was accepted by the maker and seconder of the motion. The resolution was amended in paragraph numbered 3. to read: "3. The City of Alexandria will study and develop a telework policy for its employees." WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilwoman Pepper, seconded by Vice Mayor Cleveland and carried on a unanimous ROLL-CALL vote, City Council adopted the resolution, as amended. The voting was as follows: Pepper "aye" Eberwein "aye" Cleveland "aye" Euille "aye" Donley "aye" Speck "aye" Woodson "aye" The resolution, as amended, reads as follows:
WHEREAS, teleworking benefits the region by reducing vehicle emissions and traffic congestion during peak travel times; and
WHEREAS, teleworking benefits employers by improving employee recruitment and retention, increasing employee satisfaction and productivity, and reducing overhead costs; and
WHEREAS, federal and state governments account for approximately 15 percent of the region's workforce and local governments account for approximately seven percent of the region's workforce;
2. That the City of Alexandria will increase its efforts to assist City businesses in teleworking program development through start-up funding and no-cost consulting.
3. That the City of Alexandria will study and develop a telework policy for its employees.
ON
CHANNEL 11
OCTOBER 2000