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 Meetings of City Council: (a) The Regular Meeting Minutes of November 9, 2005; and (b) The Public Hearing Meeting Minutes of November 12, 2005. City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of November 9, 2005 and the public hearing meeting minutes of November 12, 2005. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. NEW BUSINESS ITEM NO. 1: Members of the Psi Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, presented the Mayor with the 2005 Citizen of the Year Award for continuous public service and sustained community humanitarian efforts. PROCLAMATIONS 4. Presentation of a Proclamation Honoring City of Alexandria Employees Who Volunteered to Assist in Localities in Louisiana and Mississippi Affected by Hurricane Katrina. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 5. Recognition of the Graduates of the Alexandria Citizens Academy. City Council recognized the graduates of the Alexandria Citizens Academy. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 6. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring December 3, 2005, as the 35th Anniversary of the Campagna Center's Scottish Christmas Walk. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 7. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring November 24, 2005, as Potomac West "Turkey Trot" Day. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (8-12) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 8. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Beautification Commission Caroline Kennedy 9. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Commission for the Arts 2 Members Who Represent the Public-at-Large As Arts Consumers and Participants (b) Alexandria Commission on Aging 1 Citizen Member Who Is 60 Years of Age or Older (c) Alexandria Consumer Affairs Commission 2 Citizen Members (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 10. Consideration of an Application For Funding to the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) For the Round 5 Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) Program. 11. Consideration of the Monthly Financial Report For the Period Ending October 31, 2005. 12. Consideration of an Authorization of Recommended Capital Allocations and Planned Expenditures. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR City Council approved the Consent Calendar as follows: The City Manager's recommendations were as follows: 8. City Council accepted the following resignation with regret: (a) Caroline Kennedy, Alexandria Beautification Commission. 9. City Council made the following appointments: (a) reappointed Ellen Harris and appointed Marc Sukolsky as the two members who represent the public-at-large as arts consumers and participants to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts; (b) reappointed Klara Guyton as the one citizen member who is 60 years of age or older to the Alexandria Commission on Aging; and (c) waived the residency requirement and appointed Sonya Sacks and reappointed Sean Spicer as the two citizen members to the Alexandria Consumer Affairs Commission. 10. City Council approved the submission of an application to the Virginia Housing Development Authority for $18.1 million in SPARC Round 5 program funding to provide first-trust, low-interest, mortgage financing for participants in the City's Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP) and Moderate Income Homeownership Program (MIHP.) 11. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending October 31, 2005. 12. City Council authorized the capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 13. Alexandria Commission on Information Technology 2 Citizens-at-Large City Council appointed Juan Bocanegra and James Giordano as the two citizen-at-large members to the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 14. Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission 1 Citizen-at-Large City Council reappointed Samantha Ahdoot as the one citizen-at-large to the Alexandria Environmental Policy Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 15. Consideration of Adoption of the City's 2006 Legislative Package. (#17, 10/25/05, #6, 11/12/05) City Council adopted items 1.A through 1.H, 2.A through 2.U and 3.A through 3.G as positions in the City's Legislative Package for the 2006 General Assembly Session. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 16. Consideration of Adoption of Proposed Amendments to the Charter of the City of Alexandria, Virginia for the 2006 Session of the General Assembly. (#7, 11/12/05) City Council adopted items 1.A through 1.H, 2.A through 2.U and 3.A through 3.G as positions in the City's Legislative Package for the 2006 General Assembly Session. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 17. Consideration of Report on City Council Salaries Pursuant to Section 2-1-4 (e) of the City Code . City Council determined that it will introduce an ordinance at Council's Tuesday, December 13 legislative meeting and scheduled it for public hearing, second reading and final passage on Saturday, December 17 to meet the Code requirement that the legislation be passed four months prior to the next Council election (May 2, 2006.) 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 None. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER (a) Mr. Powers, Director of Community Programs, Department of Human Services, gave an update on the fuel assistance programs and energy needs in the City, funding from Federal and State sources to help with the high cost of fuel, the State supplement, that it will be necessary to do a private fund-raising campaign, and steps taken to disseminate the program. (b) City Manager Hartmann reported on the Quality of Life meeting discussion last Friday that centered around Arlandria, what has been occurring there, and what the city will do for community building, and he asked Chief Samarra to give his recommendations. Police Chief Samarra gave a report on the preliminary plan for Arlandria and said he would assign Captain Eddie Reyes to full-time assignment in Arlandria. (c) In response to a comment from Councilman Krupicka, Mr. Hartmann asked Mr. Baier to talk about Walkable/Livable City presentation. Mr. Baier, Director of Transportation and Environmental Services, made a report on what they are doing for parking, transportation, traffic and bike lanes. (d) There was a discussion from Council on the issue of parking permits for day care providers and contractors and that staff was directed to look into it. (e) In response to a question from Council, Mr. Baier said they were targeting the second full week in December for the Mirant Working Group. City Attorney Pessoa said he met with the outside counsel today on what it foresees happening in the next couple of weeks to include in the matrix. (f) Councilman Smedberg said there was concern that the Christmas Scottish Christmas Walk Parade is coming up and with the change in the traffic pattern, he asked that staff contact the Old Town Civic Association and some of the surrounding neighborhood associations, and he wanted to make sure staff did that, as they have to get the word out to let people know that a big section of the road will be closed down. (g) In response to a comment from Councilman Macdonald, City Attorney Pessoa said in regard to the Mirant Plant, they have retained an aviation safety expert advising the City on comments to file with the FAA to oppose the appeal to the FAA. They will use that fact as part of the pending nuisance lawsuit the City filed against Mirant, and on both those fronts - the aviation safety and the pollution side, they are aggressively pursuing that avenue. (h) Councilman Macdonald said there are a lot of older residents at Hunting Towers/Hunting Terrace in the apartments, and he was hoping they could make some special provisions working with the developer to protect their interests. Mayor Euille noted that the purchaser of the property of Hunting Terrace is in the process of scheduling a meeting with the residents both of Hunting Terrace and Hunting Towers, to occur sometime prior to Christmas, and formal notification will be given as soon as the date and time is announced. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 18. Consideration of a Resolution to Become a Signatory to the Alice Ferguson Foundation Potomac River Watershed Trash Treaty. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council adopted the resolution to become a signatory to the Alice Ferguson Foundation Potomac River Watershed Trash Treaty that commits the City to: (a) supporting and implementing regional strategies aimed at reducing trash and increasing recycling; (b) increasing education and awareness of the trash issue throughout the Potomac watershed; (c) meeting annually to discuss and evaluate measures and actions addressing trash reduction; and (d) participating in a Potomac-wide trash clean-up on April 8, 2006. RES. NO. 2167 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 19. Consideration of a Resolution Expanding the Ad Hoc City of Alexandria Woodrow Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Task Force on Construction Impacts on Alexandria. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council repealed Resolution No. 1892 and adopted the resolution expanding the membership of the City of Alexandria Woodrow Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Task Force to include two representatives of the area that will be impacted by construction of the Telegraph Road Interchange, which is now commencing. RES. NO. 2168 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 20. Consideration of a Resolution Accepting the Donation of Surplus DASH Buses, Declaring Them Surplus and Donating Them to the Transit Authority in Louisiana. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council adopted the resolution authorizing the City Manager to convey six surplus transit buses to the City of New Orleans Regional Transit Authority. RES. NO. 2169 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 21. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council received the revised schedule for November, 2005 through June, 2006, which includes: City Council scheduled the annual breakfast work session with Congressman James Moran on Monday, January 9, 2006, at 8 a.m. in the Council work room; and to move the May 13, 2006 public hearing meeting to May 20, 2006. Mr. Hartmann noted there will be a Monroe Avenue Bridge Pre-Construction meeting at 7 p.m. on December 12, 2005, at the George Washington Middle School to discuss the construction impacts on the Monroe Avenue Bridge. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ * * * * * * The meeting adjourned at 8:56 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