CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS
12. Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals 2 Citizen Members City Council reappointed Harold Curry and Mary Lyman to the Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 13. Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission 1 Citizen-at-Large City Council appointed James Lowenstern to the Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 14. Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Amy Slack to the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 15. Alexandria Youth Policy Commission 1 Representative of the Business Community City Council reappointed Mary Catherine Puskar to the Alexandria Youth Policy Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER (continued) 16. Consideration of Reallocation of Capital Funds for New Voting Equipment for the City. City Council, subject to a negotiation of a contract acceptable to the City, reallocated $641,150 from the Market Square capital renovation account to the Information Technology Plan capital account to purchase new voting equipment and authorized the Electoral Board to seek partial reimbursement from the State Electoral Board (estimated at $75,000.) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 17. Receipt of Proposed City Legislative Package for the 2004 General Assembly Session and Scheduling it for Public Hearing on Saturday, November 15, 2003. City Council received the proposals for the City's 2004 Legislative Package; scheduled the legislative package proposals for public hearing on Saturday, November 15; scheduled the proposed Charter amendments for public hearing on Saturday, November 15, 2003; and scheduled adoption of the legislative package for Tuesday, November 25, 2003, following Council's work session with the General Assembly Delegation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 18. Consideration of City Testimony on Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT) Six-Year Improvement Program (FY2005 to 2010.) (staff presentation) City Council approved the listing of transportation projects in the amounts and timing described for transmittal by the Mayor to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) at the Northern Virginia District November 13, 2003, financial planning hearing; and directed staff to prepare letters for the Mayor's signature providing the City's recommendations to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), as appropriate. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 19. Consideration of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust Related to Open Space Easements and Other Preservation Mechanisms. (staff presentation) City Council approved the one year Memorandum of Understanding with the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, and requested the City Manager to finalize the document, including necessary revisions, and sign it on behalf of the City. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Councilwoman Woodson said the Washington Post is running a series called "The Road Ahead," and the second in the series was "Steering employees toward telework," which is a synopsis of the values of teleworking. City Manager Sunderland said telecommuting it is underway, and it will be studied more. (b) Councilman Gaines spoke about a memorandum from Councilman Macdonald and himself on strengthening zoning compliance outreach and enforcement. (c) Councilman Gaines said there will be a community rally for Judge Nolan Dawkins on Monday, November 3 on the steps of the Courthouse. Mayor Euille said on his memorandum on zoning compliance, staff will investigate the opportunities for strengthening the compliance outreach in collaboration with the Planning staff and Planning Commission and will get back to Council at a later date with recommendations for moving the request forward. (d) Vice Mayor Pepper suggested the City Hall hours of 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and the Saturday hours of 8 a.m. to noon for the Finance Office be put on the website. (e) Vice Mayor Pepper said it appears that the ground has been broken for the Duke Street Concourse. (f) Councilman Krupicka commended the Potomac West Business Association for its successful Halloween Parade. (g) Councilman Krupicka said he had a meeting with the Alexandria Research Institute, Virginia Tech Campus in Alexandria, and he noted their fantastic facility in the City. (h) Councilman Krupicka said he spent the day with a number of people from the Child Protective Services staff, where it went to court and did home visits. (i) Councilman Krupicka said he participated in Mentoring Day and had a fantastic lunch with a number of children and young adults. He said there may be more they can do to better coordinate between the City's schools and the services for the disabled so there is a better plan for the kids when they leave school and become working members of the community. (j) Councilman Macdonald said the recent Virginia Municipal League conference was very educational, and one session he attended was conflict resolution in the land use arena, and there are lots of things it can do to strengthen what is already being strengthened by the City staff for community involvement in decision making. (k) Councilman Macdonald said he worked with residents of Taylor Run last week and City staff who have come up with a neighborhood partnership program which puts out grants of up to $5,000. (l) Councilman Macdonald said the T.C. Williams renovation is on the minds of many, and he looked forward to having some deeper discussions about it in the next month or so. (m) Councilman Macdonald said on the open space easement program, it's an extension of the historic easement program and is a good way for neighbors to do their thing to help save land and get tax breaks. Mayor Euille said on the T.C. Williams comments, there will be discussions most likely in the budget process when it meets with the School Board to discuss its operating budget and Capital Improvement Program. The Council and the general public will be kept abreast of the significant project as it moves forward, and anyone can inquire of the School Board and Superintendent prior to any formal meetings. (n) Mayor Euille said the entire City Council was present at the Virginia Municipal League meeting in Roanoke last week. He said the event will be in Alexandria next October, and he thanked the City Manager and staff that volunteered at the hospitality room, which was 100 percent paid for by the Alexandria Hotel Association, and for those which devoted time manning the booth in the exhibit hall. (o) Mayor Euille said the City Council's annual retreat will occur Friday at 5 p.m., at the Lloyd House and Saturday at the new library in the GW Middle School. (p) Mayor Euille said the Youth Policy Commission will have its first retreat this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Episcopal High School in the library. (q) Mayor Euille said there will be a public hearing in Room 2410 at City Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 6 hosted by WMATA on the proposal and request by Maryland to eliminate bus routes N11 and N13, which travel from Prince Georges County into Alexandria across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The concern is the impact it will have on the employees of the Patent and Trade Office. (r) Mayor Euille said the skateboard park dedication is November 1 at 3 p.m. at the park. (s) Mayor Euille said he and the City Manager have had discussions about the City applying for an All-American City designation. City Manager Sunderland said he is looking into it. Council Action:____________________________________________________ REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER The City Manager reported on: (a) The Breast Cancer Walk last weekend, which had fewer participants but raised far more money - over $125,000; (b) the Fire Department graduated its first CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class last week; (c) Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Substance Abuse won a contract for well over $100,000 to provide detox services for Federal probation and parole; (d) Mental Health was evaluated by the CSB and received a very high review, and it will have a party tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Lyceum to celebrate how well it did in the accreditation, and everyone will be in their Halloween costume; (e) there will be a meeting tomorrow night on the PTO concourse at Minnie Howard; and (f) the Human Rights Commission will have its review and presentation on the First Street incident from the Police Department on Thursday night in Room 2000. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ WORK SESSION 20. Presentation by Dominion Virginia Power. Dominion Virginia Power made a presentation of the impact of Hurricane Isabel in the area. 21. Work Session with the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association. The Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association presented its annual report. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 22. Consideration of a Resolution on the U.S.A. Patriot Act. (ROLL-CALL VOTE) This item was deferred until November 11, 2003. Council Action: _________________________________________________________ 23. Consideration of a Resolution Establishing the Order of Business for City Council Meetings. (ROLL-CALL VOTE) City Council adopted the resolution establishing the order of business of City Council meetings. RES. NO. 2085 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 24. Consideration of City Council Schedule. Vice Mayor Pepper recommended that the work session November 11 at 6 p.m. with the Board of Architectural Review be at another time or be made as part of the regular meeting because of the Senior Services reception in the Vola Lawson Lobby at 6 p.m. Mayor Euille suggested the Senior Services reception stand and the staff would work out the details of the work session. City Council adopted the schedule of Council's regular City Council meetings for October 2003 through June 2003, with the following additions and changes: the BAR work session is November 11, along with the reception with Senior Services of Alexandria for distribution of the new calendar; there will be a meeting with the Alexandria Transit Company stockholders November 11; a change of date for the Patent and Trademark Office building to 6 p.m., December 2 instead of December 4; the Martin Luther King Memorial Community Program on January 15, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. at Immanuel on the Hill Church on Seminary Road; the Martin Luther King City employee program on January 16, 2004, at 12:00 noon at the Lee Center on Jefferson Street; the Black History Month luncheon on February 9, 2004 at 11:30 at the Charles Houston Rec Center; and Saturday, November 22 is the City's adoption day from 11 to 2 p.m. at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Judge Rideout will be honored at that time. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SESSION
25. Consideration of convening an executive session closed to the public for the purpose of consulting with legal counsel with respect to a lawsuit filed against the City by Nicole Hazen now pending in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(7) of the Code of Virginia. At 10:38 p.m., City Council convened in executive session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(7) of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of discussing pending litigation. At 11:10 p.m., City Council reconvened the meeting. City Council moved to authorize the City Attorney to settle the lawsuit which was the subject of the closed executive session along the lines discussed in the executive session. City Council adopted the resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. RES. NO. 2084 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ The meeting was adjourned at 11:12 p.m.