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. 2. Moment of Silence and Pledge of Allegiance. City Council observed a moment of silence and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. NEW BUSINESS ITEM NO. 1: Mayor Euille announced that Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald had today submitted his resignation from the City Council and he noted that the process for the election of a new member of Council would be discussed under Oral Reports later in the meeting with the City Attorney and Registrar of Voters. 3. Reading and Acting Upon the Minutes of the Following Meeting of City Council: (a) The Regular Meeting Minutes of April 24, 2007. WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilwoman Pepper, seconded by Councilman Gaines and carried unanimously, City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of April 24, 2007. The voting was as follows: Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Gaines "aye" Lovain "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL 4. Presentation by the All City Chorus. Council heard a presentation by the All City Chorus. 5. Recognition of the 9th Graders from Minnie Howard Ninth Grade Center For Their Artwork on the Third Floor of City Hall. The Mayor noted the reception held earlier in the evening for the students who participated in an initiative called A Thousand Words, an after school photography club, which was created with the purpose of increasing student confidence and technology application and enhancing communication skills. He noted that they took pictures of different scenes in Alexandria, and the artwork is on display on the third floor of City Hall. PROCLAMATIONS 6. Presentation of a Proclamation Recognizing City Stars of the Month Juliette Milushev, Melissa Johnson, John Thomas, Allyson Coleman, Lanetta Farris and Maggie Lyons from the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse. (A copy of the proclamation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 6; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilmember Lovain, seconded by Councilwoman Pepper and carried unanimously, City Council endorsed the proclamation. The voting was as follows: Lovain "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg aye"" 7. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May as Safe Graduation Month. (A copy of the proclamation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 7; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilwoman Pepper, seconded by Councilman Gaines and carried unanimously, City Council endorsed the proclamation. The voting was as follows: Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Gaines "aye" Lovain "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" 8. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring the Month of May as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. (A copy of the proclamation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 8; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Gaines, seconded by Councilwoman Pepper and carried unanimously, City Council endorsed the proclamation. The voting was as follows: Gaines "aye" Krupicka "aye" Pepper "aye" Lovain "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" 9. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May 20-26, 2007, as Emergency Medical Services Week. (A copy of the proclamation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 9; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Smedberg, seconded by Councilwoman Pepper and carried unanimously, City Council endorsed the proclamation. The voting was as follows: Smedberg "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Euille "aye" Lovain "aye" 10. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring May 14-18, 2007, as Technology Achievement Week. (A copy of the proclamation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 10; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Krupicka, seconded by Councilman Gaines and carried unanimously, City Council endorsed the proclamation. The voting was as follows: Krupicka "aye" Lovain "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (11-20) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 11. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria Citizen Corps Council Francis Hoang (A copy of the above resignation is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked collectively Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 11(a); 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 12. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria-Caen Exchange Committee 1 Citizen Member (b) Alexandria Archaeological Commission 1 Member From the Friends of Alexandria Archaeology (c) Alexandria Emergency Medical Services Council 1 Representative of the Emergency Nurses Association From Inova Alexandria Hospital (d) Alexandria Urban Design Advisory Committee 1 Representative of the Old Town North Business Community (e) Alexandria Youth Policy Commission 1 Citizen 18 Years of Age or Younger (A copy of the above appointments is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked collectively as Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 12 (a-e); 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 13. Consideration of Authorization of a Grant Application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 3, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 13; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 14. Consideration of the One Year Action Plan for Housing and Community Development for FY 2008. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated April 30, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 14; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) (Ordinances for Introduction) 15. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Extend Indefinitely the Provision Allowing the Purchase of City Decals for Motor Vehicles Kept in Alexandria, in Advance of the Payment of the Personal Property Tax on Such Vehicles. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 2, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 15; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. (A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 16; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 3 of Item No. 15; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 16. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Impose Additional Administrative Fees on Delinquent Personal Property Tax Accounts. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 3, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 16; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 16; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 3 of Item No. 16; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 17. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Change the Name of the Alexandria Caen Exchange Committee. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 2, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 17; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 17; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 3 of Item No. 17; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 18. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Expand the Membership of the Arts Commission. (A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 18; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 18; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 19. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Ordinance to Permit the BZA to Approve By Special Exception Certain Open Porches in Front Yards. (A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 19; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 19; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) 20. Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Approve an Encroachment For a Marquee at 1101 Queen Street. (A copy of the informal memorandum explaining the ordinance is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 20; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference. A copy of the ordinance referred to in the above item, of which each Member of Council received a copy not less than 24 hours before said introduction, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 2 of Item No. 20; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) END OF CONSENT CALENDAR WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilwoman Pepper, seconded by Councilman Gaines and carried unanimously, City Council approved the Consent Calendar, with the exception of docket item #13, which was considered under separate motion. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows: 11. City Council accepted the following resignation with regret: (a) Francis Hoang, Alexandria Citizen Corps Council. 12. City Council made the following appointments: (a) reappointed Elizabeth Knisley as the one citizen member to the Alexandria-Caen Exchange Committee; (b) appointed Dave Cavanaugh as the one representative from the Friends of Alexandria Archaeology to the Alexandria Archaeological Commission; (c) waived the residency requirement and reappointed Diane Dickerson as the one representative of the Emergency Nurses Association from Inova Alexandria Hospital to the Alexandria Emergency Medical Services Council; (d) waived the residency requirement and appointed Elizabeth Lardner as the one representative of the Old Town North Business Community to the Alexandria Urban Design Advisory Committee; and (e) reappointed Deborah Sackey as the one citizen 18 years of age or younger to the Alexandria Youth Policy Commission. 14. City Council: 1. approved the one-year action plan for Housing and Community Development for FY 2008, which includes the City's application for Federal Fiscal Year 2007 funding for $1,280,565 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies and $818,941 in Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) monies; and 2. authorized the City Manager to execute all necessary documents. 15. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. 16. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. 17. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. 18. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. 19. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. 20. City Council passed the ordinance on first reading and scheduled it for public hearing for May 12, 2007. The voting was as follows: Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Gaines "aye" Lovain "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" 13. Consideration of Authorization of a Grant Application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 3, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 13; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) In response to a question from Councilman Smedberg, Deputy City Manager Jinks said the timeline/due date for this has not yet passed. WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Smedberg, seconded by Councilwoman Pepper and carried unanimously, City Council authorized the City Manager to: 1. submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration for Section 5309 funding in the amount of $4 million, to be matched by City funding in the amount of $1 million, for implementation of the Crystal City/Potomac Yard Transit Corridor; and 2. If this application is approved, execute all necessary documents and agreements that may be required to receive this funding under this grant program. The voting was as follows: Smedberg "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Euille "aye" Lovain "aye" The following item was taken out of turn: 25. Presentation by Potomac Yard, LLC of the Deed to the Land for the New Potomac Yard Fire Station. Representatives from the development team for Potomac Yard, Stan Settle, Kevin Hall, John Lindgren and Steve Collins, presented the Mayor and Council with the deed to the land for the new Potomac Yard Fire Station. Acting Fire Chief Middleton presented Mr. Settle, Mr. Hall, Mr. Collins and Mr. Lindgren with the first fire helmets for Fire Station 209 for Potomac Yard. CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 21. Alexandria Citizen Corps Council 3 Citizen Members (The following persons volunteered for appointment to the above Commission:) NAME: ENDORSED BY: Stefan Cline Christopher Cushing Marc DeCourcey Myong Eiselstein Michael Wenk (Material pertaining to the above appointment is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked collectively as Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 21; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, ballots were distributed, tellers were appointed and the ballots tallied with the following results: City Council appointed Stefan Cline and reappointed Marc DeCourcey and Michael Wenk as the three citizen members to the Alexandria Citizen Corps Council. The voting was as follows: Euille - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cushing Gaines - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cline Krupicka - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cline Lovain - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cline Pepper - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cushing Smedberg - DeCourcey, Wenk, Cline 22. Alexandria Commission for Women 4 Citizen Members (The following persons volunteered for appointment to the above Commission:) NAME: ENDORSED BY: Diane Crawford-Batt Charniele Herring Susan Kellom Samantha McGovern Susan Ross-O'Brien Julie Segal-Walters (Material pertaining to the above appointment is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked collectively as Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 22; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, ballots were distributed, tellers were appointed and the ballots tallied with the following results: City Council reappointed Diane Crawford-Batt, Charniele Herring, Susan Kellom and Susan Ross-O'Brien as the four citizen members to the Alexandria Commission for Women. The voting was as follows: Euille - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien Gaines - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien Krupicka - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien Lovain - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien Pepper - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien Smedberg - Crawford-Batt, Herring, Kellom, Ross-O'Brien 23. Alexandria Commission on Information Technology 1 Citizen-at-Large (The following persons volunteered for appointment to the above Commission:) NAME: ENDORSED BY: Steven Cooper David Paolicelli Nicholas Wagner (Material pertaining to the above appointment is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked collectively as Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 23; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, ballots were distributed, tellers were appointed and the ballots tallied with the following results: City Council appointed Steven Cooper as the one citizen at large to the Alexandria Commission on Information Technology. The voting was as follows: Euille - Cooper Gaines - Cooper Krupicka - Cooper Lovain - Cooper Pepper - Cooper Smedberg - Cooper REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 24. Presentation of the Results of the Development Asset Survey of Alexandria Youth. (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 2, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 24; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) Ron Frazier, Director of Youth Services, Department of Human Services, along with Monte Dawson, Executive Director, Monitoring and Evaulation, and Christina Theokas, Analyst, Monitoring and Evaluation, Alexandria City Public Schools, presented the results of the development asset survey of Alexandria youth and responded to questions of Council. City Council: 1. Received the presentation by the Youth Policy Commission and staff on the results of the Development Assets Survey; and 2. Received the Development Assets Summary Report. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Mayor Euille said the appointed committee dealing with the election process, reviewing and studying whether the elections needs to be changed, will conduct a public hearing on June 2 in Council Chambers. (b) Mayor Euille said the proposed smoking ban ordinance, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 12, has been deferred for at least a month. (c) Councilman Smedberg said he and Councilman Lovain were at the NVTC meeting last week, and it had a briefing from the new Metro General Manager, which was very interesting and the General Manager was straightforward and forthcoming in answering their questions. The bus barn in north Old Town came up and there was quite a bit of discussion about that and is something they want to move forward on and would like to see resolved. (d) Councilman Smedberg said he and Councilwoman Pepper are on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and at the last meeting, there was a briefing by Tom Biesiadny, with Fairfax County, on the NVTA transportation bill and how the jurisdictions are coming together and forming work groups. He said it was good to see that Alexandria is engaged in that process. Mayor Euille said he wasn't able to make the NVTC meeting last week, but he had the opportunity to speak with General Manager Catoe on Friday morning and there was also a larger concern that the timing of the bus barn and closing of it and moving it to another site, but the funding issue was discussed. That will be before the Metro Operations Committee this Thursday morning, and assurance was given to him that it was an internal staff discussion and there is no recommendation coming from the General Manager of WMATA to move funds from the Virginia side of the ledger to support the southeast bus barn for the District government. He said he and the Manager have had on-going meetings with the WMATA folks over the past weeks and months and while they think they are getting close to a site, they learn there is a problem with the proposed site. He said they are just as eager and anxious as they have been over the past five years to get the site closed down and redeveloped and the bus barn relocated elsewhere. Metro is committed to looking at every option available, including consolidating the Royal Street bus barn with the West Ox Road facility, if need be. Councilman Smedberg said the message was loud and clear in the room that Metro is a regional entity, not just the District of Columbia transportation and subway system, and Virginia and Maryland are equal partners. (e) Councilman Krupicka said he is a member of the Council of Governments Task Force that is looking into regional green building policies and it had its first meeting last week. He said City staff is doing an excellent job of participating and most of the work that's been going on has been happening at the staff level and Alexandria City staff has been an active participant in that. He said that sometime this fall, they will bring to the COG Board a series of recommendations relating to the creation of a regional green building approach and policy that the whole region can follow so the development community has some consistency across the region from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and also so that the jurisdictions are taking advantage of any economies of scale or other things that may be available by working together and following the practices in a consistent way. Councilman Krupicka said that Jay Fisette, as chair of COG, had appointed him to the task force and said he would share updates as they come up. ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Mayor Euille said he mentioned earlier in the meeting Vice Mayor Macdonald's resignation from City Council, and they are all saddened that for personal reasons he has chosen to resign, but they do wish him the best. He said he has asked the Registrar of Voters, Tom Parkins, as well as the City Attorney, to provide the next steps and process for filling the vacancy and the timing of the date for a special election. Voter Registrar Parkins said the plan is to pass a resolution in two weeks, notify the Circuit Court that they need a special election, and 40-60 days after that, the election has to occur. He said when the Court schedules the election, they usually consult with the Electoral Board, and their position is that the election should occur as late in that 40-60 days as possible, and they want to maximize the period for absentee voting. He said they will recommend that the election be held July 17, which gives the parties time to nominate, independent candidates time to file and absentee voting to occur. City Attorney Pessoa said the Charter requires that the vacancy be filled by special election, there are timeframes within which that has to occur, so they are looking at the end of June/beginning of July for the election date. The candidates have to be lined up and ready to go 30 days before the election. The more time to line up the candidates and get campaigns underway, to prepare for the election and to give notice of the upcoming election, the better public policy they have. Mr. Pessoa said that on May 22, staff will bring the resolution for Council adoption, certifying the vacancy and requesting whatever date Council and the Electoral Board decide to request, and then the next day, he will file that with the Court and that will trigger the running of the period within which the election has to occur. The Charter also provides for the election of a vice mayor and the selection of a vice mayor would also occur that evening. Councilman Gaines offered his appreciation to Mr. Macdonald and said he added to Council's deliberations and was very thoughtful and fair as a member of Council. He said Mr. Macdonald would be missed, and he thanked he and his family for his many years of service. Mayor Euille said his perspective represents the views of everyone, including the City Manager, staff and citizens. He said Andrew brought a lot to the seat as a member of Council and as Vice Mayor. Councilwoman Pepper said this is not totally unprecedented, as Marlee Inman resigned while she was vice mayor in 1987 because she was getting married and was moving out of the City. (b) Mayor Euille acknowledged the death of former Mayor Frank Mann, who was an astute politician and businessman. Mayor Euille said Frank served two terms on Council from 1952 to 1958, three terms as Mayor from 1961 to 1967 and 1976 to 1979, and three terms as a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly from 1970 to 1975. He noted the many accomplishments of Mr. Mann during his tenure on City Council. Mayor Euille extended deepest condolences to his wife and family and said Frank will be missed. He said he has already spoken to the City Manager and staff about looking at opportunities, both short and long-term, for some things they can do to memorialize Frank with some naming opportunities. (c) In response to a request from Mayor Euille, Director of Citizen Assistance Boyd gave an overview of her recent trip to and stay on the USS Alexandria, a nuclear submarine, a hunter/killer attack submarine, whose primary mission is intelligence. She presented to Council a picture of the submarine Captain planting the City flag on the North Pole and they also flew another flag they took with them and gave them pictures of those, as well as a plaque from the commanding officers and crew expressing the appreciation for everything the City and the USS Alexandria Liaison Committee does. It was a four member delegation that went that included Tom Kerr, a member of the USS Alexandria Liaison Committee, Janet Barnett, Deputy Director in the Department of Recreation, and John Arundel, publisher of the Alexandria Times. (d) Councilwoman Pepper noted that this last Friday and Saturday, they had the Alexandria Historic Preservation Conference and Town Meeting and it was outstanding with 170 participants and the program and speakers were excellent. She said a representative from Arlington County had an Arlington Historic Preservation Master Plan, which the City should get a copy of, and they did a survey of all the buildings in the county, 1,000 a year, and then ranked the buildings according to those that were essential to understanding the county and those that were important, notable and minor but interesting and had some value to them. (e) Councilwoman Pepper noted another passing last week of Charles Nelson, Jr., who had been active in the Departmental Progressive Club and was a native Alexandrian. (f) Councilwoman Pepper said that according to Jack Ticer, Mr. Ticer is the oldest living former City Council member. Mayor Euille said on the Preservation Conference, he noted that the City does have a preservation master plan, and the Plan needs to be updated. (g) Councilman Smedberg said he noticed some of the bricks on the pier by the Chart House are missing and in need of repair. Also, he had comments from neighbors that were concerned about the size of the buses that are coming into the City and seem to be getting larger and have difficulty turning. He said he knew there was a task force that was formed at one point to look at this issue, and at some point, the issue should be addressed and be put on the list of to-do's. He said the question of the size of the buses came up at the preservation conference, as well as the hotel vans parking on the corner of King and Union Streets, preventing people from turning and seeing what is around the corner. Mayor Euille said that item is on the collaborative committee for National Harbor and one of the sub-committees is focusing on modes of transportation and where buses and cars park. He said there was a walking tour by the collaborative committee last week along the entire waterfront just to survey what is right and wrong and inventory things that needed to be done, such as the bricks. (h) Councilman Smedberg said he noticed on Sunday after the child network event, in addition to the bricks and sidewalk, that commercial vehicles are parking in the Zero block of King Street, particularly the parrot guys that park a large trailer vehicle and leave it there for an extended period of time. ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER None. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 26. Consideration of a Resolution Concerning the Retention of Affordable Housing at Hunting Towers (Deferred from the April 24, 2007, City Council Meeting.) (#24, 4/24/07) [ROLL-CALL VOTE] (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 4, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 26; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Krupicka, seconded by Councilman Gaines, City Council adopted a resolution concerning the retention of affordable housing at Hunting Towers and requested staff to forward it to the elected and appointed officials cited in the resolution and noted for the record the comments received from Lewis Simon and requested that it be included with the official record, along with the other comments. Councilwoman Pepper amended the resolution after the first be it resolved, #1, to read as follows: "...if possible, all 530 units of Hunting Towers, provided, however, that due consideration be given to the Washington Street Guidelines and Standards..." The amendment was acceptable to the maker and seconder of the motion. Councilman Smedberg acknowledged the important work the stakeholders group still has to do and was charged to do, as their work will guide Council and City staff. The motion carried unanimously by roll-call vote and is as follows: Krupicka "aye" Lovain "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Euille "aye" Smedberg "aye" The resolution reads as follows: RESOLUTION NO. 2227 WHEREAS, over the past 35 years, like other American cities, Alexandria has lost significant numbers of affordable and workforce housing units to redevelopment and changing market conditions; WHEREAS, Alexandria has historically had a diverse, hard-working population that has made possible our success and has been the cornerstone of our community character; WHEREAS, the loss of affordable and workforce housing, including the 331 units of Hunting Towers and Hunting Terrace that have already been demolished, as well as the 116 remaining units of Hunting Terrace that are proposed for demolition, affects our economy and job base, strains our transportation systems and threatens the fabric and history of our diverse multiracial and mixed-income community; WHEREAS, the preservation of affordable, workforce housing, as well as preservation and enhancement of the natural environment and historic resources, are core components of Alexandria's Strategic Plan and is viewed by the City Council as key strategies to foster the long-term economic success and prosperity of our community; WHEREAS, the City, through the creation of the one-penny affordable housing set-aside along with the partnership of area non-profits has demonstrated its commitment to preserve affordable and workforce housing throughout the City; WHEREAS, there are approximately 12,000 units of affordable housing remaining in the City; WHEREAS, the Alexandria City Council believes that the Federal government, the Commonwealth of Virginia, local citizens, private organizations and corporations should continue to work cooperatively with the City of Alexandria to ensure the preservation of affordable and workforce housing; WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) currently owns 530 units of affordable housing at Hunting Towers which were constructed in 1949 and many of which have served as affordable, workforce housing for decades; WHEREAS, VDOT plans to sell Hunting Towers and is therefore required to dispose of Hunting Towers utilizing established State and federal policies and procedures; WHEREAS, over the past decade over 1,000 citizens have urged the City Council to preserve Hunting Towers as affordable housing; WHEREAS, Hunting Towers has been and is home to exemplary Virginians from a variety of backgrounds, including a feminist author and politician, soldiers, sailors, veterans, government employees, an astronaut, a U-2 spy plane pilot, airline pilots, flight attendants and many other important residents of Virginia; WHEREAS, Hunting Towers sits at the entrance to one of our Country's oldest historic districts and on the celebrated George Washington Memorial Parkway that connects George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon to the United States Capitol; WHEREAS, the City has established a Hunting Creek Stakeholders Panel to review issues of development, affordable housing and historic significance affecting Hunting Towers and Hunting Terrace; WHEREAS, the opportunity to preserve Hunting Towers is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to preserve an enormous amount of affordable, workforce housing; WHEREAS, the best opportunity to preserve Hunting Towers and to respect the important historic character of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, as well as the Washington Street Guidelines and Standards, the Historic District, and these properties location as a gateway to the City, will come through innovative ongoing, community planning and collaboration; and WHEREAS, the lack of certainty over the future ownership of Hunting Towers makes it difficult to successfully carry out holistic community planning, as well as to create specific Hunting Towers affordable housing plans; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL: 1. Affirm to the community its strong desire to preserve as much affordable, workforce housing as possible throughout the City including, if possible, all 530 units of Hunting Towers, provided, however, that due consideration should be given to the Washington Street Guidelines and Standards, the Historic District, and these properties location as a gateway to the City; 2. Continue to take all reasonable actions to persuade VDOT and the Kay-Cecchi interests to expedite negotiations and to enter into an agreement as quickly as possible for the disposition of Hunting Towers; 3. Direct City staff to report to Council, the Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, and the Hunting Creek Stakeholders Group monthly on progress towards this objective; 4. Direct City staff to prepare a report to Council concerning the additional borrowing capacity of the one-penny affordable housing set-aside; 5. Send a copy of this Resolution to Governor Kaine, the City's legislative delegation, the Virginia Secretary of Transportation, the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation, as well as to the Virginia Office of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to encourage them to continue to take actions within their purview and with all deliberate speed to help the City of Alexandria remain a community where any person can expect to find affordable housing; and 6. Send a copy of this Resolution to Senators Warner and Webb, and Congressman Moran, accompanied by a letter asking that (a) the resolution be placed in the Congressional Record and referred to the Congressional committees, as appropriate, and (b) they contact and write FHWA to urge the federal government to assist in ensuring that sale negotiations are expedited. 27. Consideration of a Resolution for the Virginia Railway Express Master Agreement Amendment. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] (A copy of the City Manager's memorandum dated May 2, 2007, is on file in the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council, marked Exhibit No. 1 of Item No. 27; 5/8/07, and is incorporated as part of this record by reference.) WHEREUPON, upon motion by Councilman Smedberg, seconded by Councilwoman Pepper and carried unanimously by roll-call vote, City Council adopted a resolution concerning the Virginia Railway Express Master Agreement Amendment. The voting was as follows: Smedberg "aye" Gaines "aye" Pepper "aye" Krupicka "aye" Euille "aye" Lovain "aye" The resolution is as follows: RESOLUTION NO. 2228 WHEREAS, the Northern Virginia Transportation District Commission (“NVTC”) and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation District Commission (“PRTC,” and, together with NVTC, the “Commissions”) jointly operate the Virginia Railway Express (the “VRE”) commuter rail service in Northern Virginia pursuant to the Master Agreement dated as of October 3, 1989, as amended (the “Master Agreement”); and, WHEREAS, in February, 2006, the VRE Operations Board, with participation of all VRE member jurisdictions, initiated analysis of alternate VRE governance structures and subsidy allocation formulae; and WHEREAS, the Commissions has previously adopted and forwarded to member jurisdictions an alternate FY 2008 VRE Operating and Capital Budget, which reflected this proposed change to the subsidy formula, and was effective contingent upon approval of the aforesaid amendments to the Master Agreement; and WHEREAS, on April 5, 2007, the Commissions approved a series of proposed amendments to the Master Agreement that would change the composition of and voting on the Operations Board and revise the subsidy formula over a four year phase-in period as detailed in Attachment A; and WHEREAS, on April 5, 2007, the Commissions also approved a mitigation accommodation developed by the Operations Board, with the participation of all VRE member jurisdictions, to address the impacts on member jurisdictions affected by non-member jurisdictional riders; and WHEREAS, the mitigation accommodation involves inclusion of the projects listed in Attachment B in the VRE capital improvement program to be funded by various resources and to be initiated at the earliest possible date; and WHEREAS, amendments to the Master Agreement reflecting the changes detailed in Attachment A will be brought back before the Commissions and jurisdictions for formal approval; and WHEREAS, on April 5, 2007, the Commissions further committed to continuing to explore and identify steps necessary for the VRE to attain independent status and/or full autonomy.