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Office of the City Clerk
May 13, 2004

City Council held a Work
Session at 4:00 p.m. in the Council
Workroom to discuss the City's Strategic
Plan with Consultant Lyle Sumek.

Council held a Work Session
at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Workroom
With the Open Space Steering
Committee.


Regular Meeting
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - - 7:00 p.m.

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OPENING

1. Calling the Roll.

The Meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the Roll; all Members of City 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 of April 17, 2004;

(b) The Regular Meeting of April 27, 2004; and

(c) The Special Meeting of May 3, 2004.

City Council approved the public hearing meeting minutes of April 17, 2004, the regular meeting minutes of April 27, 2004, and the special meeting minutes of May 3, 2004.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

None.

PROCLAMATIONS

4. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May 16-22, 2004, as National Public Works Week.

City Council endorsed the Proclamation.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

4.a Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

City Council endorsed the Proclamation.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

4.b Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May 16-22, 2004, as Small Business Week.

City Council endorsed the Proclamation.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

4.c Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May 8-16, 2004, as National Tourism Week.

City Council endorsed the Proclamation.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER

CONSENT CALENDAR (5-12)

(Resignations and Uncontested Appointments)

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

(a) Alexandria Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
Andrea McNicholas

(b) Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board
Carrie Jones
Susannah Washburn

6. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees:

(a) Alexandria Commission on Persons With Disabilities
1 Citizen Member Who Has A Disability
1 Citizen Member

(b) Alexandria George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee
1 Citizen Member

(c) Alexandria Public Health Advisory Commission
1 Health Professional Member

(d) Alexandria Public Records Advisory Commission
1 Citizen Member

(e) Alexandria Transportation Safety Commission
3 Members From the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board

(Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager)

7. Consideration of Deaccession of a Michael Curtis Play Sculpture Located at Simpson Park.

8. Submission of a Grant Application to the Virginia Department of Social Services for the Office of Women's Domestic Violence Program.

9. Receipt of Alexandria Sanitation Authority Financial Report.

10. Consideration of Initial Budget for the Alexandria Housing Development Corpora-
tion.

(Ordinances for Introduction)

11. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Revise the Membership of the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee.

12. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Establish the Affordable Homeownership Preservation Grant Program (AHOP).

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR

City Council approved the Consent Calendar, with the removal of item #10 and considered it under separate motion. The City Manager's recommendations are as follows:

5. City Council received the following resignations with regret: (a) Andrea McNicholas, Alexandria Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; and (b) Carrie Jones and Susannah Washburn, Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board.

6. City Council made the following appointments: (a) appointed Louise Harrison as the citizen member who has a disability and reappointed Anne Marie Hohman, a citizen member, to the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities; (b) reappointed Anne Haynes, citizen member to the Alexandria George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee; (c) waived the residency requirement and appointed Robert Younes as the health professional member on the Alexandria Public Health Advisory Commission; (d) reappointed Alice Fierstein as the citizen member to the Alexandria Public Records Advisory Commission; and (d) reappointed John Laychus, Amy Slack and Patrick Warren, Sr., as the 3 members from the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board to the Alexandria Transportation Safety Commission.

7. City Council approved the recommendation of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts (ACA) to: (a) deaccession the Michael Curtis Play sculpture located at Simpson Park; and (b) request staff to dispose of the play structure.

8. City Council authorized the City Manager to: (a) submit the grant application to the Virginia Department of Social Services for funding, in the amount of $205,322 for Fiscal Year 2005; (b) approve continued funding for the existing grant-funded, full-time Social Worker I position (1.00 FTE); approve continued funding for the existing grant-funded full-time Outreach/Prevention Specialist position (1.00 FTE); approve the continued funding for the existing part-time Social Worker I position (.75 FTE City/.25 grant) which was increased to full-time with grant funds; and approve the request to increase the existing grant-funded part-time (.75 FTE) Volunteer Developer to a full-time position (1.00 FTE). It should be noted that there are no monies available in the City budget to continue these activities once the grant funds are expended. These grant-funded positions would terminate upon the expiration of the grant and the individuals who fill these positions would be notified of this condition of employment; and (c) execute all documents that may be required.

9. City Council received the Alexandria Sanitation Authority's Financial Report.

10. City Council: (a) allocated $350,000 from the General Fund portion of the Housing Opportunities Fund to support the operations of the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation from the date of approval through June 30, 2005; and (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents. (separate motion)

11. City Council passed the Ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 15, 2004.

12. City Council passed the Ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 15, 2004.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS

13. Alexandria Commission for Women
4 Citizen Members

City Council reappointed Diane Crawford-Batt, Charniele Herring, Susan Kellom and Susan Ross O'Brien as the four citizen members to the Alexandria Commission for Women.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION

14. Receipt of the Open Space Steering Committee Report and Setting the Report for Public Hearing.

City Council: (a) received the Open Space Steering Committee's Report; (b) scheduled a public hearing (later in the meeting scheduled for June 21, 2004) on the Committee's Report, including its recommended list of open space "priority sites," the processes it recommends be used in the future in revising or otherwise adding properties to the City Council's list of priority sites, and the criteria it recommends be used in the future in revising or otherwise adding properties to the Council's list of sites. Council Action:_________________________________________________________

15. Update on the Duke Street Concourse Project. (verbal report)

Council heard an update on the Duke Street Concourse Project.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

16. Consideration of a Proposal by Ashley Spencer for a Temporary Installation of Public Art in the Duke Street Concourse.

City Council: (a) accepted the Commission for the Arts' recommendation in favor of Ashley Spencer's proposal for the creation of 12 panels--historic maps of Alexandria and six paintings depicting historic scenes of the Carlyle neighborhood to be placed in the 12 bays located in the Duke Street Concourse for at least a two-year period; and (b) authorized the City Manager to prepare and execute a written agreement between the City of Alexandria and the artist providing that the City will pay up to $300 per panel for materials, transportation and installation of the panels.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

17. Consideration of Short and Long Term City Strategies to Address Mirant Plant Air Pollution Issues.

City Council moved to defer this item to June 9, 2004, and include in the revised memo the additional comments of the Council heard this evening, as appropriate, and to include comments of the public as well.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

18. Consideration of Recommendations of the City Manager's Transportation Commission Working Group.

City Council accepted the recommendation to create the ad-hoc task force in accordance with the resolution as presented, with a change to the recommendation that the group be appointed by the City Council instead of by the Mayor, and with an amendment to the resolution in paragraph five to change the word "ensure" to "endeavor." (RES. NO. 2106)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

19. Consideration of Allocating Housing Opportunities Fund Monies to Birmingham Green Adult Care Residence, Inc., to Replace an Existing Assisted Living Facility.

City Council: (a) approved a 99-year, deferred payment loan of up to $150,000 from the Housing Opportunities Fund to BGACR to aid in the development of a new affordable assisted living facility in Prince William County. The loan would be contingent upon BGACR's continued use of the facility for affordable assisted living, and upon BGACR receiving funding from other participating jurisdictions as well; and (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

20. Adoption of the Draft One-Year Action Plan for Housing and Community Development for FY2005. (#5, 4/17/04)

City Council: (a) adopted the one-year action plan for Housing and Community Development for FY 2005, which includes the City's applications for $1,499,000 in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2004 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies and $1,034,805 in FFY 2004 Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program monies; and (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents and submit the Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD.)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

21. Receipt of Report on Taxicab Issues.

City Council: (a) received the Taxi Industry Work Group Report, which includes a recommended revised framework for the regulation of the Alexandria Taxicab Industry; (b) instructed the City Manager to docket the Work Group Report and the other proposals received for public hearing on May 25, 2004, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., (c) At the May 25, 2004, meeting, consider the Work Group's proposed taxicab regulatory framework, as well as others that have been offered, endorse the specific regulatory framework it wishes staff to pursue, and instruct staff to proceed with the development of a detailed regulatory plan and incorporate it with the ordinance to be introduced at the June 9 legislative meeting, hold the public hearing on the ordinance on June 12, 2004, with second reading and final adoption of the ordinance on June 22, 2004, and Council also determined that no new proposals would be included in the analysis.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

None

ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

None

ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL

(a) Councilman Krupicka thanked staff for the Open Space bus tour.

(b) Councilman Krupicka said he observed families going through pre-adoption orientation, and he said the staff in the City who handle foster parenting does an excellent job and he commended the families who consider being foster parents.

(c) Councilman Krupicka went to a project organized by Operation Hope, which was focused on youth, and to a project called "A Man Is," which was focused on young men in the community. He said the organizers did a fantastic job.

(d) Vice Mayor Pepper said she attended Operation Hope and was pleased that there is more to come.

(e) Vice Mayor Pepper said she attended a celebration of foster parents in D.C., and she was there to honor the Foster Mother of the Year, and there was an Alexandria family that was being honored.

(f) Vice Mayor Pepper presented a certificate to the Mayor from Computer Corps for the City's support of Computer Corps. She said there was a graduation ceremony of 39 graduates.

(g) Vice Mayor Pepper congratulated Chief Judge of the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Stephen Rideout, who has been named Judge of the Year by CASA, the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association.

NEW BUSINESS ITEM NO. 1:

Mr. Henson, representing one of the smaller taxi cab companies, spoke about the disadvantagement of those people who followed the process and thought there was a proposal and now they are not able to put in a proposal.

(h) Councilman Gaines said he participated in the Alexandria Community Policy and Management Team annual service recognition awards earlier this afternoon, for the staff who work with the disadvantaged youth and families, and he wanted to recognize the awardees.

(i) Councilman Gaines said he attended an invitation only Department of Homeland Security meeting on Incident Management Simulation that brought together representatives from various jurisdictions all over the country, as well as people from NASA, FEMA and MIT. He said he represented the National League of Cities.

(j) Councilman Gaines said National Public Radio Talk of the Nation is coming to T.C. Williams High School on Monday in celebration of the Brown decision.

(k) Councilman Smedberg congratulated the Alexandria Commission for the Arts for their 20th Anniversary Gala on Monday. He said they reinstituted the Alex Award, and Donna Bergeheim was honored with that award.

(l) Councilman Macdonald asked the City Manager to report back at a future meeting on the device called Boot Finder, which can help jurisdictions find people who are not paying their parking tickets and property taxes.

(m) Councilman Macdonald said Governor Warner put $35 million in the budget to help clean up the Bay.

(n) Councilman Macdonald asked the Director of Parks and Recreation to look into the letter from Marlon Lorde to Judy Noritake concerning dogs off their leashes in Chinquapin, and he said he had a number of calls for the same problem in Forrest Park, which is next to Chinquapin.

Assistant City Manager Evans said that is already being worked on as a Council request.

(o) Councilman Macdonald said friends from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation have taken sunset cruises two nights a week during the summer months, and it gives tourists an opportunity to see the river at sunset. He said they are struggling to cut costs and they don't have enough money for insurance or to pay their Skipper, and he asked the City to look at ways through the tourism budget to assist them during the summer months to run the program.

(p) Councilwoman Woodson said she was the guest speaker a couple of weeks ago at Goodwin House for their reception honoring volunteers, and she had the occasion to meet a charming 87-year old comedian, who will be at the Council public hearing on Saturday to speak under public comments.

(q) Councilwoman Woodson said the Council of Government's video on Smart Growth at the Local Level Video will be out soon, and she suggested that Council set a work session so that a member of the COG can speak about how the City might implement the tool. If not at a work session, then they should be docketed for a legislative session.

(r) Councilwoman Woodson said she has a pet peeve about cell phones ringing, and no one reads the sign posted outside of the Chambers about the use of cell phones, so she recommended that at the beginning of each meeting the Mayor announce that people turn off their phones, as it is annoying to have phones ringing during the meeting.

(s) Councilwoman Woodson said the folders that the Clerk's Office uses to deliver the dockets are wonderful, and she noticed that on the last delivery, they got paper envelopes, and the reason was that Council was not returning the plastic folders. She asked Council to return the folders.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

NEW ITEM NO. 2: City Attorney Pessoa introduced Joanna Frizzol, who is now working in his office.

ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER

City Manager Sunderland reported that: (a) the parking lot at Burke Library is now paved; (b) Transportation and Environmental Services is bringing its equipment to T.C. Williams on May 21; (c) Washington Gas is having a meeting on Park Fairfax at Charles Barrett on Thursday, May 13 at 7 p.m., on the WMATA gas pipeline; (d) the Environmental Policy Commission is sponsoring a meeting at the Lyceum on May 24 at 7 p.m. on Mirant; and (e) May 13 is the first graduation of a CERT class conducted for business people, and other graduations are May 22 and June 26.

The City Manager asked Transportation and Environmental Services to speak on the Inflow and Infiltration Project.

City Engineer Baker and Director of Transportation and Environmental Services Baier made a presentation on the Inflow and Infiltration Project.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS

22. Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing the Transfer of Retired Police Canine Stryker to Retired Police Sergeant Guy Bishop. (ROLL-CALL VOTE)

City Council adopted the resolution. (RES. NO. 2105)
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

OTHER

23. Consideration of City Council Schedule.

City Council adopted the schedule of Council's regular City Council meetings for May 2004 through June 2004, with the following additions: there will be a work session before the May 20 visioning meeting at 5:00 p.m., at the Lee Center; and the public hearing on the Open Space Plan will be June 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Vice Mayor Pepper noted that July 16, 17 and 18 is Alexandria Salutes a USO Weekend, sponsored by the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association, and there is a major event on July 18 at Market Square, and she wanted to be sure they knew there were other events scheduled that same day.
Council Action:_________________________________________________________

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The meeting adjourned at 11:00 p.m.


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 https://alexandriava.gov/council.
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