1. Calling the Roll. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the Roll; all the 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 Meeting of City Council: (a) The Regular Meeting Minutes of January 10, 2006. City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of January 10, 2006. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. PROCLAMATIONS 4. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring February as Black History Month. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 5. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring February 5-11, 2006, as Consumer Protection Week. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (6-9) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 6. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Community Services Board John Seed (b) Alexandria Commission on Aging Stefanie W. Reponen (c) Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board Adam R. Goldstein (d) Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Linda Cheatham (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 7. Consideration of Monthly Financial Report for the Period Ending December 31, 2005. 8. Consideration of Accepting Federal Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Program (UASI) Grant Funds to Assist the City in Developing Its Input to the Metropolitan Medical Response System. 9. Consideration of Authorization of Recommended Capital Project Allocations and Planned Expenditures. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR City Council approved the Consent Calendar, with the removal of item #9 and considered it under separate motion. The City Manager's recommendations are as follows: 6. City Council accepted the following resignations with regret: (a) John Seed, Alexandria Community Services Board; (b) Stefanie W. Reponen, Alexandria Commission on Aging; (c) Adam R. Goldstein, Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board; and (d) Linda Cheatham, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. 7. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending December 31, 2005. 8. City Council: (a) accepted the funds provided to develop the deliverables identified in the subgrant agreement; and (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required. 9. City Council authorized the capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary. (separate motion) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 10. Alexandria Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Kimberly Lewis as the one citizen member to the Alexandria Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 11. Recommendations and Status Report on Legislation Introduced at the 2006 General Assembly Session. City Council approved the following, as recommended by City Council's Legislative Subcommittee (Mayor Euille and Councilwoman Woodson): (a) the legislative positions included in attachment 1 (recommended positions on bills of importance to the City); and (b) Support for additional funding for administrative costs related to the Comprehensive Services Act. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 12. Consideration of Proposed Amendment to the FY 2006 Community Development Block Grant Program to Provide Funding for Improvements to the Hopkins-Tancil Courts. (#10, 1/21/06) City Council: (a) approved the amendment; (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents associated with the program amendment and the loan to ARHA; and (c) authorized a budget reallocation of $517,668 from the Home Rehabilitation Loan Program to fund the Hopkins-Tancil Courts improvements. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ Public Hearing: 13. Public Hearing and Consideration of Proposed Plans for the America's 400th Anniversary Celebration on the Alexandria Waterfront in Late May and Early June 2006. City Council held the public hearing. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Vice Mayor Pepper said Whole Foods gave over $11,000 from one day's business last week to the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria for T.C. Williams. She also noted that in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Scholarship Fund, the Mark Winkler Company has donated $75,000 to go to scholarships. She noted that they are trying to raise the level of the scholarship commitments for each individual because they know the cost for college has been increasing over the years. (b) Councilwoman Woodson said that every summer, with the summer economics institute, she has hosted high school students and they have had a good time with a mock City Council meeting, where the kids assume the roles of Council and they are quite engaging and engaged. They also have citizens and lawyers come in to speak. She asked the Schools if it was something she could do as a field trip with all the government classes, and they had their first session this past week. The kids from a government class came in, and one student was overheard to say they wanted to run for City Council, and she said it was extraordinary. Councilwoman Woodson said they discussed the BID program, and she thanked Tom Fairchild for his involvement. She also thanked Sherry Brown, David Martin, Bud Miller, Boyd Walker and Kelly Woodard, who came in to speak. She said she also received thank-you notes from the kids. She said she is not running again but wanted to be able to continue to do this with the on-going Council's blessing or the City Manager's permission. (c) Councilwoman Woodson asked the City Manager where the Police Review Board Report is. City Manager Hartmann responded that it will be issued at the end of this week or Monday of next week. Mayor Euille said most members of Council have had the opportunity to deal with the youth in the schools, and he said he would be going to Hammond Middle School next week to participate in a civics class there. Part of the problem with the school kids is the SOL's and No Child Left Behind requirements does not leave a lot of flexibility in their schedule to have them get away. He said that next Wednesday, he would be hosting a class from George Washington Middle School special needs students that will come to City Hall, do a walking tour around Old Town and then to to lunch. He said he received yesterday a package of letters from a second grade class at Charles Barrett Elementary, who were participating in the civic and government process, offering suggestions of things they need in the community. He said Councilwoman Woodson's suggestion to continue will be taken into consideration in terms of allowing her to continue to do something in that role. (d) Councilman Macdonald said on the Jamestown item, the City staff worked hard and it was unfortunate there were still some issues. He said he appreciated all the hard work that goes into it. (e) Councilman Macdonald said he had calls from the community that the taxi plan is still not being implemented or at least provisioned very quickly. He asked what the problems were with it, if any. (f) Councilman Macdonald said there is a nice piece of open space by the Braddock Metro that a large number of citizens are interested in having the City purchase, if possible. He said they all agree it's a good idea, but he never understood the process. He said whatever it needs to do, he would like to see that discussion raised to a higher level - pros and cons, the cost of the parcel, and have the Open Space Coordinator meet with the community. (g) Councilman Macdonald said that last night at the Upper King Street Civic Association, he heard a very nice overview of a lot of the development that will be going on around the Braddock and Metro area. He said they haven't finished the Small Area Plan, and he asked how that would get done before the projects come in and what can they do to make sure the Comprehensive Plan is developed first. Mayor Euille said the Small Area Plan for the Braddock Road area is what is underway. Planning Director Fogarty said the only proposal that will come through before final approval of the Braddock Plan is the proposal that the Council knows as the Harris Teeter, a Trammel Crowe residential retail project. No other proposal will have a finalized recommendation for the site plan and uses until the Plan has come through. (h) Mayor Euille said that about 10 days ago, he represented the City at the Northern Virginia Regional Commission to receive an award from the Community Appearance Alliance of Northern Virginia, the 2005 Honor Award for Distinguished Contribution to Community Appearance for Market Square. He said there were many other award presentations throughout the Northern Virginia region, and there were video presentations for each site selected. He said the plaque will be hung somewhere appropriately at City Hall. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER City Manager Hartmann said the American Public Works Association, over the last several days, had a group of people in looking at the Transportation and Environmental Services Department as they sought accreditation for their department. He said it was announced earlier today that the group is recommending approval of that accreditation. He said that T&ES fully complied with 340 out of the 360 practice areas and substantially complied with the remaining 20 and they will be the third jurisdiction in Virginia to be accredited and the 33rd public works agency to receive the accreditation nationwide. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 14. Consideration of a Resolution to Adopt Increased Annual License Fees for Swimming Pools, Spa Pools and Health Clubs. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council adopted a resolution to adopt increased annual license fees for swimming pools, spa pools and health clubs. (RES. NO. 2176) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 15. Consideration of a Resolution to Adopt Increases and Changes in Fees for Code Enforcement Permits, Reviews and Inspections. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council received the report and noted that it would be set for public hearing. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 16. Consideration of a Grant Application and Resolution for FY 2007 Funding for the Continuation of the Alexandria Rideshare Program and to Fund a Public Transportation Intern Position. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council: (a) adopted a resolution for FY 2007 funding for the continuation of the Alexandria Rideshare Program and to fund a public transportation intern position; and (b) submitted a grant application and the resolution to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation for FY 2007 funding: (1) in the amount of $140,335, which will be matched by $35,084 of City funds, for a total program of $175,419, for the continuation of the City's ridesharing services through Alexandria Rideshare; and (2) in the amount of $23,750, which will be matched by $1,250 of City funds, for a total of $25,000 to hire a public transportation intern; (c) approved the continuation of two full-time grant-funded positions (Transit Specialist I and Transit Services Assistant I) to administer the ongoing Alexandria Rideshare program. Continuation of these positions is contingent upon continuation of funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation or other non-City sources; and (d) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2175) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 17. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council adopted the schedule of Council's regular City Council meetings for January 2006 through June 2006, with the following notations: The Women's National Basketball Association Court of Dreams Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Wednesday, January 25 at 4:00 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue. (The WNBA provided the City with grant funds to make improvements at the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center); the tour of the Archives and Records Center on Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Archives and Records Center, 801 S. Payne Street; and the location for the joint budget work session with the School Board (George Washington Middle School) on April 5. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ New Business Item No. 1: Executive Session. At 10:30 p.m., City Council convened in executive session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of discussing the acquisition of real property for public housing and open space park and recreation purposes, and pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(a)(7) for the purpose of discussing actual and probable litigation involving workers' compensation and the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station. At 11:23 p.m., City Council reconvened the meeting. City Council moved to authorize the City Attorney to settle the workers' compensation claim that was the subject of the executive session along the lines discussed with Council, and authorized the City Manager and City Attorney to proceed with acquisition of Tax Map Parcels 075.03-11&12. City Council adopted the resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2177) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ The meeting adjourned at 11:25 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.