OPENING
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 Public Hearing Meeting Minutes of February 25, 2006; and (b) The Regular Meeting Minutes of February 28, 2006. City Council deferred the public hearing minutes of February 25, 2006 and approved the regular meeting minutes of February 28, 2006. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. PROCLAMATIONS 4. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring March as Women's History Month. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 5. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring March 13-19, 2006, as Tall Cedars Week. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 6. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring March 20-24, 2006, as Technology Achievement Award Week. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 7. Presentation of a Proclamation Recognizing the Hurricane Katrina Evacuee Team: Ann Moore, Cynthia Baidoo, Leslie Cummings, Christine Schiavone, Uzma Quriashi, Betsy Hiers, Lenwood Roberts, Suzanne Kratzok, Yolanda Rivera and Harvey Foust as City Employees of the Month. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (8-15) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 8. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Kerry-Ann T. Powell (b) Alexandria Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District Kimberly A. Lewis 9. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee 1 Member Designated by Councilman Andrew H. Macdonald (b) Alexandria Commission on HIV/AIDS 1 Member From and Representing the Inova Alexandria Hospital’s Department of Pastoral Services (c) Alexandria Commission On Information Technology 1 Member Representing the Holder of the City’s Cable Television Franchise (d) Alexandria Commission on Persons With Disabilities 1 Citizen Member (e) Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board of Governors 1 Attraction Representative (f) Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board 1 Tenant (g) Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners 1 Representative of the Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board (h) Alexandria Sister Cities Committee 2 Citizen Members (i) Alexandria Urban Design Advisory Committee 1 Representative of the Old Town North Business Community (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 10. Request to Modify the Membership Requirement for a Position on the Alexandria Consumer Affairs Advisory Commission. 11. Receipt of the FY 2005 Annual Report from the Consumer Affairs Advisory Commission. 12. Submission of a Renewal Grant Application to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for an Aggressive Driving/DUI Interdiction Program in FY 2007. 13. Receipt of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts Annual Report for FY 2005. 14. Consideration of Application for Virginia Commission for the Arts Local Government Challenge Grant Funds. 15. Consideration of the 2006 Needs Assessment from the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities. 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 resignations with regret: (a) Kerry-Ann T. Powell, Alexandria Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; and (b) Kimberly A. Lewis, Alexandria Board of Architectural Review - Parker-Gray District. 9. City Council made the following appointments: (a) appointed H. Scott Johnson, Jr. as the one member designated by Councilman Andrew H. Macdonald to the Alexandria Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee; (b) waived the residency requirement and appointed Elaine Lehr as the one member from and representing the Inova Alexandria Hospital's Department of Pastoral Services to the Alexandria Commission on HIV/AIDS; (c) reappointed Marie Schuler as the one member representing the Holder of the City's Cable Television Franchise to the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology; (d) appointed Jennifer Keener as the one citizen member to the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities; (e) waived the residency requirement and appointed Stephanie Brown as the one attraction representative to the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board of Governors (ACVA); (f) appointed Mary Ann Barnes as the one tenant to the Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board; (g) reappointed Fletcher Johnston as the one representative of the Alexandria Landlord-Tenant Relations Board to the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; (h) appointed Tara Churik and Wendin Smith as the two citizen members to the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee; and (i) appointed Marie Tavernini as the one representative of the Old Town North Business Community to the Alexandria Urban Design Advisory Committee. 10. City Council approved the request and asked the City Attorney to draft an amendment to City Code Section 12-7-12 which modifies the membership requirement to allow for one of the positions for a member of a local consumer action organization to be filled by a representative of a local non-profit or an employee of a state or federal agency that deals with consumer issues, if the position remains unfilled for three months. 11. City Council received the Annual Report from the Consumer Affairs Commission and thanked the Commission for its efforts on behalf of the City. 12. City Council: (a) approved the grant application to the Virginia DMV in the amount of $57,850, which will provide funds to the Police Department to operate a DUI/aggressive driving interdiction program in the City; and (b) authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required. 13. City Council received the Annual Report from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and thanked the Commission for its efforts on behalf of the City. 14. City Council authorized the City Manager to: (a) submit a grant application, in the amount of $5,000, to the Virginia Commission for the Arts' Local Government Challenge grant program; and (b) execute all necessary documents that may be required. 15. This item was deferred to March 28, 2006. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 16. Alexandria Community Services Board 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Lourdes Quinteros as the one citizen member to the Alexandria Community Services Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 17. Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board 1 Citizen Member City Council reappointed J. Lester Federas as the one citizen member to the Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 18. Alexandria Woodrow Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Task Force 1 Representative From the Eisenhower Valley Residential Community City Council appointed Patricia Mellen as the one representative from the Eisenhower Valley Residential Community to the Alexandria Woodrow Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Task Force. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 19. Recommendations and Status Report on Legislation Introduced at the 2006 General Assembly Session. City Council received the report. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 20. Staff Presentation on Third Party Traffic Studies. City staff gave a report on the Third Party Traffic Studies. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 21. Deferral from the February 25, 2006, and February 28, 2006, City Council meetings: (The public hearing on this item has been closed.) TEXT AMENDMENT #2005-0008 FOR THE PROPERTIES BOUNDED BY FOUR MILE RUN, JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY, BRADDOCK ROAD, SLATERS LANE AND THE GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY Public Hearing and Consideration of a request for an amendment to the City of Alexandria Zoning Ordinance to revise the CDD Zone regulations, Section 5-600, to allow for a revised Monroe Avenue connection for the Monroe Avenue Bridge. Staff: Departments of Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Environmental Services. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Denial 6-0-1 (#6, 2/25/06 and #16.2, 2/28/06) City Council approved the text amendment, with an amendment to #2b to add language as follows: "Comparable in function to the school as depicted." Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 22. Consideration of Traffic and Parking Board Recommendations on the Installation of a Traffic Signal at the Intersection of Holland Lane and Jamieson Avenue. City Council approved installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Holland Lane and Jamieson Avenue pursuant to City Code Section 10-2-7. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 23. Presentation of the Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan. City Council heard a presentation by staff on the restoration plan. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Councilman Gaines said he and Councilman Krupicka serve as chairs of the City's Community Gang Prevention Task Force. He said that on March 25 at 8:30 a.m., at George Washington Middle School, the City will have its first ever community gang prevention summit. A minimum of 100 people have registered to attend, transportation will be provided, parking and day care is available, there will be a continental breakfast and lunch for the participants, and there will be an opportunity to share ideas on how to keep the neighborhood safe and make sure young people have positive alternatives to behavior. (b) Councilman Gaines said he represents the City on the Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board and the Board will be holding a launch event for the Streetsmart Pedestrian Bicycle Safety Campaign on Tuesday, March 21, and the City will host the event. He invited the general public to attend and participate, which will be held at the pedestrian concourse on the PTO side. (c) Councilman Smedberg said he has been appointed vice chair of the Metropolitan Washington COG Public Safety Committee. (d) Councilwoman Woodson said the COG Metro Planning and Development Policy Committee had a presentation that would continue the discussion of Reality Check. There is a new project that is being sponsored by a couple of people, and Arlington Board Member Jay Fisette brought it to the Committee. It is another approach to yet again discuss where they are going, what they are going to do, and what they will look like when it gets there and regional cooperation. She said the Committee was not in tremendous support of yet another approach, which was not what was presented at COG, and she said she was concerned that they have not gotten the full ramifications. COG is doing much of the same work that they are going to be asked to fund as member jurisdictions. Councilwoman Woodson said much of what COG is already doing is providing the information that is going to be used. She said it strikes her that at their level, they might be providing suggestions and ideas, but there doesn't seem to be much sense in funding another study. She said it is important that the City pays attention to what other jurisdictions are doing with their money. Vice Mayor Pepper said she will get the materials the COG Board members had and circulate it to Council. (e) Councilwoman Woodson said she serves on the National League of Cities Steering Committee for Finance and Intergovernmental Relations, and the steering committee and policy committee has been following several issues, which are the census, the American community survey, the Federal tax reform, streamline sales and use tax, and unfunded mandates. She said that on the census, there is a growing movement to move away from it. NLC is supporting a five year update. She said there is a movement to not only not support the five year update, but to not support the census at all, in part because so much of it is generating information that is intrusive and that may well be providing information to businesses. She said the bigger issue is one of entitlement and the question of whether the census is providing a fair and accurate depiction of their population, or if it's not and they are supporting the need for it to provide that fair and accurate description, there are way too many under-counted members of the community. Those who are opposing it are concerned that they are creating entitlement communities. She said they have another steering committee meeting in June and she asked Council to let her know if there is anything they want her to bring to their attention. Mayor Euille suggested they have a briefing with DHS and Budget so they can talk about potential impacts and risks, if it continues to move forward, and how the City should react and respond and what position the City should take overall. He said with regard to the census survey, it is of importance that the City needs to weigh in on it. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Councilman Krupicka said there has been a lot of talk over the last term about looking for ways to make it easier for small businesses to work in the City. He said there has been recent talk about ways to put together a check list or other process to make it easier for small businesses to work their way through some of the things that happen. It also had the economic summit where it spent a lot of time talking about keeping the commercial base strong in the City. He said that given all those things, there are a lot of ideas, and he suggested they ask the City Manager to put together a City Manager task force with citizens, from neighbors who work with small businesses, small business owners, and appropriate staff to come back to Council with recommendations on concrete things it can do to streamline and simplify the process. He said his suggestion is that the first cut of recommendations come to Council by the last legislative meeting in June, so that in the Fall, the next Council can pick it up. Councilman Gaines said the Planning staff went through an exhaustive process and provided a report or study on ways to improve the permitting process for small businesses, and he recalled seeing a very significant draft that both the Planning Commission and the business community and the community-at-large put into the process. Mayor Euille asked the City Manager to act accordingly without an action on the part of Council to direct him to do so. Councilman Smedberg said he didn't think they should overlook the real need, which is to have coordinated economic development activities. Councilman Macdonald said he has had calls from some small businesses who feel as if the City doesn't do enough for them, and the rise in property taxes are driving them out of the City, and what it does to businesses but what it does to cause one business to leave and another type to come in. (b) Councilman Gaines said he has received several calls from public housing residents who are very frustrated with the rat problem in their community. He said he has worked and talked with the Code Enforcement Director to put pressure on ARHA to deal with it. Code Enforcement sent someone out immediately and has been very responsive. He said this is in the 800 block of North Henry Street, and he would like staff to follow-up and put pressure on ARHA, as much as possible. (c) Councilman Macdonald said he sent around a copy of a letter that one of the tenants at Gunston Hall received from the realty company stating that their rents were going up. He said the tenor of the letter bothered him, and the tenor of the remarks were that the reason the rents were going up was it was Alexandria's fault. He said it is a struggle to save what affordable housing they have. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER Ms. Barnett gave a report on the Jamestown Celebration to be held May 22 through June 3. Councilman Smedberg asked that a one-page summary or outline of what will be happening in and around the area be prepared for the neighboring homeowners associations. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS None OTHER 24. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council adopted the schedule of Council's regular City Council meetings for March 2006 through June 2006, with the following additions and changes: (a) This year's Metropolitan Council of Governments' Street Smart Pedestrian Campaign launch in Alexandria on Tuesday, March 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the south entrance of the Pedestrian Concourse adjacent to the King Street Metro Station; (b) the 13th Annual Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on Thursday, April 27. The kickoff will begin at 8:15 a.m. in the Vola Lawson Lobby; (c) Rebuilding Alexandria Together (formerly Christmas in April) on Saturday, April 29 (time and location to be determined); (d) the opening of the traveling panel exhibit by the Virginia Fine Arts, "Uncovering Home: A Visual Essay on Jamestown Archaeology" at 6:00 p.m. before Council's Tuesday, May 23 legislative meeting in the Vola Lawson Lobby; (e) reschedule the Council tour of the Archives and Records Center for Thursday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., which is also the meeting date of the Alexandria Public Records Advisory Commission; and (f) a work session with the Ad-Hoc Transportation Task Force at 5:30 p.m. before Council's April 11 legislative meeting. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ The meeting adjourned at 10:27 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.