19. Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals 2 Citizen Members City Council reappointed Mark Allen and appointed Jennifer Lewis as the two citizen members to the Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 20. Alexandria Commission for the Arts 1 Member Who Has Expertise in the Arts, Either As A Practitioner of Various Art Disciplines or As A Professional Administrator Working in the Field 2 Members Who Represent Arts Education or Business Expertise Relative to Arts and Cultural Development, Including Such Perspectives As Marketing, Finance/Funding, Tourism Promotion and Organizational Development City Council appointed David Roane as the member who has expertise in the arts, either as an practitioner of various art disciplines or as a professional administrator working in the field, and reappointed Mary Brooks and appointed Patricia Miller as the two members who represent arts education or business expertise relative to arts and cultural development, including such perspectives as marketing, finance/funding, tourism promotion and organizational development, to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 21. Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board 3 Citizen Members City Council reappointed John Laychus, Amy Slack and Patrick Warren, Sr., as the three citizen members to the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 22. Update on the Duke Street Concourse. (Staff presentation) City staff provided an update on the Duke Street Concourse. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 23. Consideration of City Comments on the Proposed Virginia American Water Company Rate Increase. City Council authorized the City staff to provide comments to the State Corporation Commission in opposition to the proposed 8.15% increase in the Virginia American Water Company's Alexandria District rates. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 24. Consideration of a Request to Permit an Exception to the City's Major Events Policy to Allow the Addition of Up to Seven Venues East of Washington Street for First Night Alexandria. City Council permitted an exception to the Major Events Policy to allow for the addition of up to seven First Night Alexandria venues east of Washington Street. Each venue would be subject to the City Manager's approval. This recommendation is in response to a request by First Night Alexandria to permit additional venues for their annual New Year's Eve celebration, and is supported by the Old Town Civic Association. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Vice Mayor Pepper said she represents the Council on a group called The Part 150 Study, which is a noise compatibility study, and Reagan National Airport has to update its own noise compatibility study for the airport and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority has partnered with COG. They are looking at aircraft noise exposure and the committee is to recommend how they can mitigate some of the noise. The Group will have a public meeting at the Lee Center, April 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Vice Mayor Pepper reminded the public that invitations have gone out for the Community Forum to be held May 11 and May 20 at the Lee Center, 7:00 p.m., Exhibit Hall. Copies of the draft statement are available in the City Clerk's Office, on the City's website and is in Alexandria Libraries. (b) Councilman Smedberg said the Arts Commission will celebrate its 20th anniversary May 10 at the Mark Hilton. (c) Councilman Krupicka said he attended two events yesterday related to a national planning conference in the D.C. area. A number of planners from across the country toured Alexandria and he had an opportunity to talk to the group. As part of the conference, last night the City's Planning staff won an award designating them as being the best at managing growth in Virginia, with the primary focus on the Eisenhower East plan approved by Council last Fall. City Manager Sunderland stated that the award was for Best Master Plan Project in Virginia for 2004, given by the Virginia Chapter. The Plan was a group effort that included Planning, Recreation, Code Enforcement, Transportation and Environmental Services, Council, the Planning Commission and the community. Councilman Krupicka noted that as part of the conference, the Council of Governments has a video presentation they are displaying, which speaks of Smart Growth and how it needs to manage growth in the region, and Councilwoman Woodson is the narrator of the video and she does a fantastic job. (d) Councilman Krupicka said Earth Day was a fantastic success and everyone who helped organize it deserves kudos. (e) Councilman Krupicka said the Christmas in April rebuilding project was fantastic and he commended all members of City staff who participated. (f) Councilman Krupicka asked if the Naming Committee's recommendation on the skatepark naming was coming to Council soon. City Manager Sunderland said the meeting is scheduled within the next week and it will be brought to Council in May. (g) Councilman Gaines said Councilman Krupicka and the City Manager captured well the significance of the planning award for best master plan project in Virginia, as he remembered the amount of work that went into that plan, the Planning Commission was proud, and the community was involved tremendously. (h) Councilman Gaines said he had the opportunity last year to attend and participate in the Keith Burns football camp at T.C. Williams, and he noted that Keith Burns was a product of T.C. Williams High School and is currently a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. He said Mr. Burns provides a camp for over 300 local youth. (i) Councilman Macdonald echoed the comments about Earth Day, as it was a great event. (j) Councilman Macdonald said that after the City's Earth Day event, he went to the Anacostia where they had been cleaning up the river. (k) Councilman Macdonald said he passed the Pride of Baltimore, which was in Port, and he hoped Alexandria could build one like it to replace the one it lost and is something the Seaport Foundation could do. He said he hoped they could build a Maritime Museum as well. (l) Councilman Macdonald said the cruise ships need enough depth in the river channel to come up, the channel has dropped a bit, and he hoped the City Manager and the Mayor could speak to their Congressional Delegation and work to make sure the Army Corps dredges downriver near Maryland point, so the vessels can continue to come to Alexandria. (m) Councilman Macdonald said he went to the Titan Expo on Sunday, an event put on by the kids in the school system. (n) Mayor Euille said with regard to the incident involving School Superintendent Rebecca Perry, it was an unfortunate incident, but it's an opportunity for Alexandria to turn the negative into a positive. People should talk about the public school system and what is right and good about the system, and everyone should embrace the public school system and work with the School Board, teachers and parents to continue to make Alexandria the quality school system they want it to be. He said Council will be adopting as one of its goals to make Alexandria one of the finest school systems in the State. Mayor Euille noted that the Superintendent has made a public apology today, not only to the students, but a public statement of apology to the citizens. (o) Mayor Euille said the Washington Post Weekly edition last Thursday had a section on Alexandria, and there was a wonderful article on both Alexandria and Arlington County. (p) Mayor Euille noted that Council had a lengthy meeting last night on the budget add-delete items and further reducing the tax rate and with the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Commission. Formal budget adoption will be Monday, May 3, 2004. The Senate Finance Committee yesterday approved $1.3 billion in bi-annual revenues and it was approved by the entire Senate today. It now moves to the House and a lot of discussion ensued. He said there was also a reflection on the proposed half-cent sales tax where half of the half-cent would be dedicated to public schools. Mr. Jinks noted that the Senate passed the tax bill, and they also passed some car tax relief cap bills, which is the negative side for the City over the long term. The House passed the tax bill and took up the car tax cap bill. The House Appropriations Committee met and they voted 13-12 to approve the car tax cap bill, and that is important because the general tax bill the House and Senate will take up requires the car tax cap bill, which caps the amount of the State appropriation about $950 million a year. The House was just going into session to take up the last piece of the tax part of the package. If that passes, then the House and Senate will know how much money they have and the next step will be a determination of how those dollars will get allocated. (q) Councilman Krupicka said it spoke earlier in the month about an open space bus tour that will occur on May 8, and he noted that buses will leave at 9 a.m. from the Lee Center parking lot and will return at 11:30 a.m., and the tour will include ten sites. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER The City Manager reported that: (a) the cheerleading competition was held this past weekend at T.C. Williams, and the winners were Charles Houston varsity and Ramsey Rec JV; (b) there were 70 plus people for daughters and sons to work last week; and (c) there is a promotion ceremony tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. at the Lee Center for the Police Department. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 25. Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an Ordinance to Revise the Membership of the Environmental Policy Commission. (Deferred from the April 17, 2004 meeting.) (#20, 4/13/04, #16, 4/17/04) [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council passed the substitute ordinance. (ORD. NO. 4346) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 26. Consideration of a Resolution Requesting State Funds for the Traffic Signal Synchronization Project. (ROLL-CALL VOTE) City Council adopted the resolution requesting State funding of $193,000 and authorized the City Manager to: (1) submit an agreement for the use of $193,000 federal CMAQ funding to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the Traffic Signal Synchronization Project; and (2) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2102) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 27. Consideration of a Resolution Requesting State Funds for the Duke Street Congestion Relief Project. (ROLL-CALL VOTE) City Council adopted the resolution requesting State funding of $732,000 and authorized the City Manager to: (1) submit an agreement for the use of $732,000 Governor's Congestion Relief Program funding to the Virginia Department of Transportation for the Duke Street Congestion Relief Project; and (2) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2103) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 28. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council adopted the schedule of Council's regular City Council meetings for April 2004 through June 2004, with the following addition: set a public hearing on the vision and strategic plan for Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. Council Action:_________________________________________________________