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 Regular Meeting Minutes of November 14, 2006; and (b) The Public Hearing Meeting Minutes of November 18, 2006. City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of November 14, 2006 and the public hearing meeting minutes of November 18, 2006. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. PROCLAMATIONS 4. Presentation of a Proclamation Recognizing the Tenth Anniversary of the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 5. Viewing of a Video from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. City Council viewed the video from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 6. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring December 1, 2006, as World AIDS Day. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (7-17) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 7. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Commission for the Arts Patti North-Rudin (b) Alexandria Commission on Employment Lynda Noggle 8. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Commission for the Arts 1 Member Who Represents the Public-at-Large As An Arts Consumer and Participant (b) Alexandria Commission on Information Technology 1 Member Representing the Alexandria City Library Board (c) Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board of Governors 1 Hotel Owner/Manager (d) Alexandria Emergency Medical Services Council 1 Representative of the Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations (e) Historic Alexandria Resources Commission 1 Representative From the Old Presbyterian Meeting House (f) Alexandria Sister Cities Committee 2 Citizen Members (g) Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board 1 Citizen Member (h) Alexandria Youth Policy Commission 1 School Board Member (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 9. Receipt of the 2006 Annual Report and Plant Survey From Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. 10. Receipt of the 2006 Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. Annual Subscriber Survey Report. 11. Consideration of the Monthly Financial Report for the Period Ending October 31, 2006. 12. Consideration of Authorization to Apply for a Grant to Fund a Youth Mentoring Program Administered by the Alexandria Court Service Unit. 13. Consideration of Authorization of Recommended Capital Project Allocations and Planned Expenditures. 14. Consideration of a Funding Application from Community Lodgings, Inc., (CLI) for Monies From the Housing Opportunities Fund to Support Multi-Family Housing Rehabilitation. 15. Consideration of City Participation in the Development of a Regional Water Supply Plan, Virginia Water Supply Planning Regulation. 16. Consideration of Initiating an Amendment to the Master Plan for the Proposed Fire Station Affordable Housing Project at Potomac Yard. (Ordinances for Introduction) 17. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Grant a Citywide Wireless Internet Service Franchise. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR City Council approved the consent calendar, with the removal of items #9 and 17, which were considered under separate motions. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows: 7. City Council accepted the following resignations with regret: (a) Patti North-Rudin, Alexandria Commission for the Arts; and (b) Lynda Noggle, Alexandria Commission on Employment. 8. City Council made the following appointments: (a) reappointed Barbara Boehm as the one member who represents the public-at-large as an arts consumer and participant to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts; (b) reappointed Patrick O'Brien as the one member representing the Alexandria City Library Board to the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology; (c) waived the residency requirement and appointed Kevin Brockway as the one hotel owner/manager to the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board of Governors (ACVA); (d) appointed R. Burke Wilson as the one representative of the Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations to the Alexandria Emergency Medical Services Council; (e) reappointed Althea Burns as the one representative from the Old Presbyterian Meeting House to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (f) reappointed Carlos Davila and Frederica Dunn as the two citizen members to the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee; (g) appointed Kimberly Neill as the one parent member to the Alexandria Social Services Advisory Board; and (h) appointed Eileen Rivera as the one School Board member to the Alexandria Youth Policy Commission. 9. City Council received the Comcast 2006 Annual Report and Plant Survey. (separate motion) 10. City Council received the 2006 Annual Subscriber Survey Report from Comcast. 11. City Council received the Monthly Financial Report for the period ending October 31, 2006. 12. City Council: (1) authorized the submission of the grant application in the amount of $23,520; and (2) authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents. 13. City Council authorized the capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary. 14. City Council approved funding of $42,500 from the General Fund portion of the Housing Opportunities Fund, as follows: (1) $37,500 as a grant to replace windows at 3908, 3912 and 3916 Elbert Avenue and 607 and 612 Notabene Drive; and (2) $5,000 as a loan for a Capital Needs Assessment of CLI's current portfolio, to be repaid as part of any subsequent loan for items identified in the needs assessment. 15. City Council authorized the City Manager to: (1) designate the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) as the agent of the City of Alexandria responsible for the development of the Water Supply Plan in accordance with 9 VAC25-780-10, and authorize the Director, T&ES, to appoint City staff to the regional working group which will develop the Northern Virginia long-range Regional Water Supply Plan; (2) authorize T&ES to participate in the development of a Regional Water Supply Plan for the City of Alexandria and direct the T&ES Director to notify the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that the City will be part of a regional plan submission; (3) designate the Northern Virginia Regional Commission as the lead agency for the City of Alexandria to develop a Regional Water Supply Plan for Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William Counties, and Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Herndon, Vienna, Leesburg, Falls Church, Manassas Park, Clifton, Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan, Quantico, Hamilton, Hillsboro, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, Round Hill); and (4) authorized the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the development of a Regional Water Supply Plan and to approve a study project budget. 16. City Council initiated the process for a Master Plan Amendment to the Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens Small Area Plan to allow a fire station as a permitted land use, and to permit 64 additional residential units over the maximum allowed by the CDD Concept Plan for Potomac Yard for the affordable housing above the fire station. 17. City Council: (1) passed the wireless franchise ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing, second reading and final passage on Saturday, December 16, 2006. (separate motion) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 18. Alexandria Commission for the Arts 1 Member Who Has Expertise in the Arts Either As A Practitioner of Various Art Disciplines or As A Professional Administrator City Council waived the residency requirement and reappointed Lynn O'Connell as the one member who has expertise in the arts either as a practitioner of various art disciplines or as a professional administrator to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 19. Alexandria Commission on Information Technology 5 Citizens-at-Large City Council reappointed Daniel Brooks, Brian Hunt, Kostas Liopiros, R. Heather Planey and appointed Scott Price as the five citizens-at-large to the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 20. Consideration of Adoption of the City's Legislative Package for the 2007 General Assembly Session. (#14, 10/24/06, #12, 11/14/06) City Council adopted items 1.A through 1.G, 2.A through 2.U, and 3.A through 3.C as positions in the City's Legislative Package for the 2007 General Assembly Session. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 21. Consideration of Proposed Amendments to the Charter of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, for the 2007 Session of the General Assembly. (#14, 10/24/06, #13, 11/14/06) City Council adopted the proposed amendments. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 22. SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2005-0042 5601 COURTNEY AVENUE; 730 SOUTH VAN DORN STREET; 750 SOUTH VAN DORN STREET; 720 SOUTH VAN DORN STREET VIRGINIA PAVING COMPANY Consideration of a request for a special use permit amendment to change the hours by which vehicles may exit and enter an existing asphalt plant and to permit a stack height of 20 meters; zoned I/Industrial. Applicant: Virginia Paving Company by Mary Catherine Gibbs, attorney PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Approval 6-1 (#5, 10/14/06) City Council approved the special use permit with amended conditions. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 23. Presentation of the Efficiency and Best Practices Study of the Transportation and Environmental Services Department. City Council received the implementation plan of the efficiency and best practices study of the Transportation and Environmental Services Department (T&ES) and scheduled it for discussion at a future Council work session. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 24. Presentation of the Efficiency and Best Practices Study of the Administrative Functions of the Fire Department. City Council received the implementation plan of efficiency and best practices of the administrative functions of the Fire Department and scheduled it for discussion at a future Council work session. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 25. Consideration of Council Priorities for Planning Projects to be Undertaken as Part of the Department of Planning and Zoning's FY 2007 and FY 2008 Work Program. City Council confirmed the following as planning priorities for FY 2007 and FY 2008 and received the Department's updated workplan: Planning Area Anticipated Start Date Estimated Completion Date Eisenhower West February 2007 February 2008 Waterfront February 2007 June 2008 Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 26. Consideration of Proposed City Comments for the Commonwealth Transportation Board Six Year Improvement (FY 2007-2012) Public Hearing. City Council: (1) approved the funding recommendations for transportation projects discussed below as the City of Alexandria's request to the Commonwealth Transportation Board for funding in the FY 2008-2013 Six-Year Improvement Program; and (2) requested that staff prepare a letter for the Mayor's signature to convey the City's requests to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. 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 Macdonald asked what is the current thought on the free parking request during the holidays. Mayor Euille said it will be discussed in his meeting with the City Manager this Friday. (b) Vice Mayor Macdonald said the Ballyshaners and Pat Troy have announced that the grand marshall for the St. Patrick's Day Parade this spring will be Kerry Donley. (c) Councilwoman Pepper said Council received a letter from Samuel Bodman, the Secretary of Energy, and they are extending the emergency categorization such that Mirant will be allowed to continue to function. She said they have been given one more extension, which was to have expired the end of 2006 and can now continue to February 1, 2007. She said she talked to the Director of Transportation and Environmental Services to see if the monitoring group shouldn't be discussing the issue, as well as the fact that they have also issued for them a special environmental analysis and there was some question about some of the procedures, the way they are measuring things, that make it possible for Mirant to qualify for meeting standards. Councilman Smedberg said the monitoring group should meet, as there is a lot that has to be updated on. The letter symbolizes that Mirant is doing everything it can to take it to the federal level where they are on a much friendlier playing field and they need to respond. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER None. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS None. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 27. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council received the revised calendar which includes: the 30th annual Hanukkah Celebration on Monday, December 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the INOVA Alexandria Hospital Atrium, 4320 Seminary Road; the Community Martin Luther King, Jr. program on Monday, January 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 2723 King Street; and the 27th Annual Salute to Women Awards Banquet on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 901 North Fairfax Street. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ NEW BUSINESS ITEM NO. 1: Executive Session. At 10:28 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 park and recreation purposes. At 10:42 p.m., City Council reconvened the meeting. City Council authorized the City Manager and City Attorney to acquire the real property as discussed in the executive session. City Council adopted the resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2212) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ * * * * * * The meeting adjourned at 10:44 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.