Action Docket for Regular Meeting (05/28/2002)

Office of the City Clerk
May 29, 2002

Regular Meeting
Tuesday, May 28, 2002 - - 7:30 p.m.

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OPENING

1. Calling the Roll.

The Meeting was called to order by Mayor Donley, and the Deputy City Clerk called the Roll; all Members of City Council were present with Councilwoman Woodson arriving at 7:37 p.m.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

2. Invocation -- Moment of Silence.

City Council observed a moment of silence and then recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

3. Reading and Acting Upon the Minutes of the Following Meetings of City Council:

(a) The Special Meeting (Budget Adoption) of May 6, 2002; and

(b) The Regular Meeting of May 14, 2002.

City Council approved the Minutes for (a) the Special Meeting (Budget Adoption) of May 6, 2002; and (b) the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2002, as submitted.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

4. Report of the City Clerk.

City Council received the report of the City Clerk.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

5. City Council Recognition of Members of Senior Girl Scout Troop 3044.

Mayor Donley recognized the Members of Senior Girl Scout Troop 3044 who have received Girl Scout service awards for the highest levels of accomplishment in Scouting. He commended them for their community service, their hard work, and for serving as outstanding examples for their peers. The Mayor congratulated them and presented each Scout with a proclamation

Councilwoman Woodson acknowledged their leaders for their commitment as well.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

CONSENT CALENDAR (6-12)

Without objection, City Council removed docket item nos. 10 and 12 from the Consent Calendar and considered them under separate motions.

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

(a) Alexandria Commission on Information Technology
Doris J. Cammack Spencer

(b) Alexandria Community Criminal Justice Board
William Gustashaw

7. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees:

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

(b) Alexandria Commission for Women
3 Citizen Members

(c) Alexandria Consumer Affairs Commission
1 Citizen Member

(d) Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board
of Commissioners
1 Representative From the Alexandria Resident Council

(e) Alexandria Waterfront Committee
1 Representative From the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission

1 Representative From the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce

8. Receipt of Monthly Financial Report for the Period Ending April 30, 2002.

9. Authorization of Recommended Capital Project Allocations and Planned Expenditures.

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued)

CONSENT CALENDAR (continued)

10. Consideration of a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice for funds to improve the City’s ability to respond to future terrorism or other emergencies.

11. Consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Alexandria and Arlington County for the Four Mile Run EPA Grant.

12. Receipt of Staff Recommendations on the Installation of a Traffic Signal at the Intersection of West Glebe Road and Old Dominion Boulevard and Scheduling it for Public Hearing on Saturday, June 15, 2002.

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

City Council approved the Consent Calendar with the exception of docket item nos. 10 and 12 which were considered under separate motions. The City Manager's recommendations are as follows:

6. City Council received the following resignations with regret: (a) Doris J. Cammack Spencer from the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology, and (b) William Gustashaw from the Alexandria Community Criminal Justice Board; requested the Executive Secretary for Boards and Commissions to send the appropriate letters of appreciation and to advertise the vacancies in the usual manner.

7. City Council: (a) reappointed Helen Bertot as a Citizen Member to the Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee; (b) reappointed Mary Catherine Gibbs and Laura Mandala and appointed Joan Dodaro as Citizen Members to the Alexandria Commission for Women; (c) appointed Kathleen Burns as a Citizen Member to the Alexandria Consumer Affairs Commission; (d) appointed Thomas Jones, Sr. as a Representative from the Alexandria Resident Council to the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; and (e) reappointed Kenneth Foran as a Representative from the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission and waived the residency requirement and appointed Kent Barnekov as a Representative from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce to the Alexandria Waterfront Committee.

8. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending April 30, 2002.

9. City Council authorized the capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary.

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued)

CONSENT CALENDAR (continued)

10. Councilman Euille questioned staff about the status of reimbursement by federal agencies of costs incurred to date by the City following September 11, and their total. Assistant City Manager Jinks replied that all but $100,000 of costs for police and traffic control not related directly to 9/11 have been reimbursed. He reported that Police, Fire and Sheriff expenses totaled approximately $300,000 to $400,000, and that the City continues to work with the Department of Justice regarding additional security costs related to the terrorist trials.

City Council: (1) approved the grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice for a total of $8,000,000. There is no requirement for City matching funds, although some of the grant funds will be used to support public safety measures initiated at City expense following September 11. In addition, City funds will be required in the future to maintain some of the equipment that is being purchased; and (2) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required to receive the grant and release the grant funds to the City for expenditure. (Separate Motion)

11. City Council authorized the City Manager to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Alexandria, Virginia, and the County Board of Arlington County, Virginia.

12. Councilwoman Woodson inquired why this work is not also being done at the same time for the intersection of Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Avenue, and Director of Transportation and Environmental Services Baier responded to her queries. Director Baier will respond separately to Council after doing the data collection to be able to answer the question as to what should be done.

City Council: (1) received the report and docketed it for public hearing on June 15. (Separate Motion)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued)

13. Public Hearing on the School Board Redistricting Options. (#23 5/14/02)

The public hearing was held and concluded.

City Attorney Pessoa publicly thanked Steve Chozick, GIS Manager of Planning and Zoning and the people in the Electronic Publishing Office for their invaluable assistance with the options graphics. The Mayor thanked the City Attorney for his hard work as well.

City Council: (1) selected school board redistricting option 1, and requested the city attorney to prepare the necessary implementing ordinance; (2) to introduce the ordinance on Tuesday, June 11, 2002; (3) schedule the public hearing on the ordinance for Saturday, June 15, 2002; and (4) adopt the ordinance on Tuesday, June 25, 2002.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued)

14. Consideration of the Windmill Hill Park Recommended Concept Plan and Alternative Plans. (#17 4/13/02; #18 4/9/02)

Councilwoman Eberwein requested clarification, for the record, about the square footage of the plan's proposed dog exercise area as compared to the size of the current exercise area. Councilwoman Eberwein wanted to make sure that there was no misconception about the square footage of those parks. Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Director Whitmore stated that the plans are not wrong, and she explained that the proposed dog exercise area does include the setbacks of 60 feet from the stream and 50 feet from the residential area, and as the park is redesigned, the setbacks that were passed as part of the dog park master plan will be enforced. So the area that is being used now as the dog exercise area will be smaller when we put the setbacks in.

A motion was made and seconded to approve the concept plan as recommended by the Task Force.

A motion was made and seconded to amend the motion on the floor to direct staff to bring back to Council a final design with the relocation of the dog park in the northwest corner and the relocation of the volleyball court and the construction of the gazebo in what had been previously the designated dog run area. The motion carried on a vote of 4-to-3, with Members Donley, Eberwein, Speck and Woodson voting affirmatively.

City Council adopted the concept plan for Windmill Hill Park as recommended by the Task Force, with the changes and recommendations passed by the Council. The amended motion was carried on a vote of 6-to-1, with Vice Mayor Cleveland voting no.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

None

REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

None
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

(a) Councilwoman Pepper announced that John Chapman Gager had died. She explained that he had claimed to be the attorney for the Old Town Yacht Basin representing Katie Lang, and he frequently appeared before Council at the public hearing meetings to speak during the public discussion period.

(b) Councilwoman Pepper related that on May 19, the Alexandria City Employee Chorus joined in a concert at Temple Beth El in honor of Rabbi Fink, and their performance "rocked" the synagogue. She acknowledged the people who participated: Callie Terrell, Mildrilyn Davis, Virginia Clarke, Evelyn Harper, Saundra Brown, Jackie Jones, Gertrude Harvey, Cynthia Davis, Darryl Edwards and Director Lindsey Baker.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (continued)

(c) Councilman Speck read from some letters from youngsters who have applied for a Louis Yuhasz scholarship to attend summer camp for overweight children. He explained that Council supported the program but it didn't cost the City any money, and he expressed the thought that little things that Council does can make a difference.
(d) Mayor Donley stated that since he is not running for re-election and has no stake in it, he asked the City Manager to bring back a plan for City Council consideration of future Council salaries. The Mayor recommended that the City Manager develop a process by which Council can objectively consider the prospects of making a change, including a survey of what other jurisdictions are doing, and perhaps the creation of a small task force of former elected officials to make a recommendation to Council.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS

15. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First and Second Reading of AN ORDINANCE adopting the Sixty-Fifth Supplement to The Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended, and providing for the repeal of ordinances not included therein, except those saved from repeal by this ordinance, and for other purposes. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]

City Council introduced and finally passed the Ordinance on its First and Second Readings. ORD. NO. 4255
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

OTHER

16. Consideration of City Council Schedule.

Councilwoman Woodson asked the City Manager to arrange for parking at or transportation to the Ladrey High-rise for Council and staff for the June 24 joint public hearing due to the lack of parking there. He will make arrangements and get back to Council.

City Council received the revised calendar which includes the joint public hearing with the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority on Monday, June 24, at 6:00 p.m. (revised time) at 300 Wythe Street (Ladrey High-rise) on the proposed sites for the "off-site" relocation of 48 public housing units from the Samuel Madden Homes (Downtown) property as part of the redevelopment project.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS

17. Alexandria Human Rights Commission
1 Citizen Member

City Council reappointed Susan Rumberg as a Citizen Member to the Alexandria Human Rights Commission.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS (continued)

18. Alexandria Sister Cities Committee
1 Citizen Member

City Council reappointed Anita Winsor as a Citizen Member to the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

The Meeting was adjourned at 9: 38 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.

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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 https://alexandriava.gov/council.

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