The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the roll; all the members of 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 11, 2011. City Council approved the regular meeting minutes of January 11, 2011. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ RECOGNITION OF YOUTH BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL None. PROCLAMATIONS 4. Presentation of a Proclamation Declaring February as George Washington Birthday Celebration Month. City Council endorsed the proclamation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER CONSENT CALENDAR (5-11) (Resignations and Uncontested Appointments) 5. Receipt of the Following Resignations From Members of Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Community Services Board Amber Nightingale 6. Uncontested Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees: (a) Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee 1 Citizen Member (b) Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force 1 City Elementary School Representative (c) Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee 1 Member Designated by the Alexandria School Board (d) Commission on Aging 1 Citizen Member (e) Commission on Employment 1 Representative From Such Organizations as Educational Agencies, Organized Labor, Rehabilitation Agencies, Community-Based Organizations, Economic Development Agencies and the Public Employment Service (f) Commission on HIV/AIDS 1 Citizen Member (g) Historic Alexandria Resources Commission 1 Representative From the Old Presbyterian Meeting Housing (h) Landlord-Tenant Relations Board 1 Landlord or Representative of Landlords (i) Sister Cities Committee 1 Citizen Member (Reports and Recommendations of the City Manager) 7. Consideration of Authorization of Recommended Capital Allocations and Planned Expenditures. 8. Consideration of a Grant Application to the Family and Children’s Trust Fund (FACT) for Serving Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivors. 9. Consideration of a Grant Award from the Department of Homeland Security for an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program for Personal Protective Equipment for the Fire Department. 10. Consideration of Acceptance of a Grant Award from the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RSAF) Grant Program, Virginia Department of Health for the Purchase of a MedSTAT Mini-Ambulance for the Fire Department. 11. Consideration of an Application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant Program for a Fire Protection and Safety (FP&S) Grant for Smoke Detectors and Training. END OF CONSENT CALENDAR City Council approved the consent calendar. The City Manager's recommendations were as follows: 5. City Council accepted the following resignation with regret: (a) Amber Nightingale, Community Services Board. 6. City Council made the following appointments: (a) appointed Charlene Campbell as the one citizen member to the Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee; (b) appointed Susan Stickles as the one City elementary school representative to the Alexandria Gang Prevention Community Task Force; (c) appointed Margaret Fitzsimmons as the one member designated by the Alexandria School Board to the Budget and Affairs Advisory Committee; (d) appointed Laura Macone as the one citizen member to the Commission on Aging; (e) appointed Hayley Gefell as the one representative from such organizations as educational agencies, organized labor, rehabilitation agencies, community-based organizations, economic development agencies and the public employment service to the Commission on Employment; (f) appointed David Hoover as the one citizen member to the Commission on HIV/AIDS; (g) appointed Junius McElveen, Jr. as the one representative from the Old Presbyterian Meeting House to the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission; (h) appointed Mellenie Runion as the one landlord or representative of landlords to the Landlord-Tenant Relations Board; and (i) appointed Travis Brown as the one citizen member to the Sister Cities Committee. 7. City Council authorized $380,000 for capital project allocations and planned expenditures for the capital projects as detailed in the Capital Improvement Expenditure Summary. 8. City Council authorized the City Manager to: 1. submit the grant application to FACT in the amount of $15,000 (due January 25, 2011); and 2. execute all documents that may be required. 9. City Council approved the acceptance of the grant allotment and authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required. 10. City Council: 1. accepted the grant awarded by the Virginia Department of Health; and 2. authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required. 11. City Council approved the partnership of the Assistance to Firefighters (AFD) and Institution of Fire Engineers (IIFE) for the application to the Fire Protection and Safety (FP&S) grant program (due February 4, 2011); and authorized the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that be required (noting the revised docket item.) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ CONTESTED APPOINTMENTS 12. Affordable Housing Advisory Committee 1 Representative Who Is Employed by or Affiliated With an Organization That Promotes and Maintains Affordable Housing City Council waived the residency requirement and appointed Katharine Medina as the one representative who is employed by or affiliated with an organization that promotes and maintains affordable housing to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 13. Board of Zoning Appeals 1 Citizen Member City Council reappointed Eric Zander as the one citizen member to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 14. Commission for Women 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Reina Malakoff as the one citizen member to the Commission for Women. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 15. George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee 1 Member Nominated by the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line City Council waived the residency requirement and reappointed Thomas Smith as the one member nominated by the First Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line to the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 16. Planning Commission 3 Citizen Members City Council reappointed John Komoroske, Mary Lyman and Eric Wagner as the three citizen members to the Planning Commission. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 17. Sanitation Authority 1 Citizen Member City Council appointed Joshua Dickinson as the one citizen member to the Sanitation Authority. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 18. Waterfront Committee 1 Alexandria Seaport Foundation Representative City Council waived the residency requirement and appointed Robert Taylor as the one Alexandria Seaport Foundation representative to the Waterfront Committee. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER FOR DISCUSSION 19. Consideration of Recommendations and Status Report on Legislation Introduced at the 2011 General Assembly Session. City Council: 1. approved the legislative positions included in attachment 1 (recommended positions on bills of importance to the City), as recommended by City Council's Legislative Subcommittee (Vice Mayor Donley and Councilman Smedberg); and 2. approved the positions on budget issues included in attachment 2 (recommended positions on budget issues of importance to the City) as also recommended by City Council's Legislative Subcommittee. City Council authorized the Mayor to sign a letter in opposition to the legislation that would combine NVTA, NVTC and PRTC. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 20. Oral Report on the Base Realignment and Closure Project (BRAC -133) in Alexandria. City Council heard the oral report on the base realignment and closure project (BRAC-133) in Alexandria. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 21. Oral Report on the Upcoming Proposed Potomac Yard Metro Station Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Scoping Project. City Council heard the oral report on the upcoming proposed Potomac Yard Metro Station environmental impact statement (EIS) scoping project. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES None ORAL REPORTS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL and ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL (a) Mayor Euille noted that two things have occurred at WMATA. The interim CEO last Thursday released the proposed 2012 operating and capital budget that reflects a $72 million shortfall, with the make up of that shortfall being made up by the local jurisdictions, and there are no proposed fare increases or reductions in services. Mayor Euille noted that this Thursday, January 27, the WMATA board will also formally vote to hire a permanent CEO/General Manager. The Board has selected the interim CEO Richard Sarles to become the permanent CEO. (b) Councilwoman Pepper presented Mayor Euille with a picture from the Alexandria Times of him with his crutches and foot stool after his accident on the Metro. (c) Councilwoman Pepper said the holiday lights that line King Street will be turned off at the end of the month, and she hoped there would be support on Council for them to docket it at the next legislative meeting so they could have a discussion on whether it would like to go forward with keeping the lights on all year. (d) Councilwoman Hughes asked that there be an item to be considered for the next legislative meeting on the City doing an additional appropriation in the amount of $52,000 to cover the Sunday delivery of Meals on Wheels for Senior Services. (e) Councilman Krupicka said the task force Mayor Euille appointed last summer to recreate the Early Childhood Commission and the Youth Policy Commission to a new Children, Youth and Families Group is making good progress. The group continues to meet and is on track for sometime in February or March to go to Council. He said if any member of Council wanted copies of the draft, he would be glad to get them copies and to also talk with the task force for an update. (f) Councilman Krupicka noted that the Four Mile Run Farmers Market has been accepted as a food stamp recipient and that is the first Farmers Market in the City to accept food stamps. That is consistent with the goal of making healthy local food available to everyone. (g) Councilman Krupicka noted an article in the Washington Post last week about a chemical that may or may not be in the City's water, hexavalent chromium. He said it is difficult to test for, so Alexandria's water hasn't been tested. Councilman Krupicka asked to ask Virginia American Water to work with the City to find a way to test the water. (h) Mayor Euille noted that the local newspaper misquoted him regarding the program for the Martin Luther King poster contest that took place in the Chambers, regarding a comment made as to the school demographics, and he stated three factors. However, he said, the quote in the newspaper was taken out of context and listed just one of the three factors. He clarified that his response was that his belief personally was the reason why the City demographics are different is the black, white and latino population is much higher than that of the public school system and parents are concerned about the lack of quality education at certain schools so they chose to opt out of the school in their neighborhood. He also noted that others may not feel comfortable having their child in a fully integrated environment in their early stages. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORAL REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER None. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS 22. Consideration of a Resolution Establishing an Ad Hoc Retirement Benefit Advisory Group. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council adopted the to resolution establish an Ad Hoc Retirement Benefit Advisory Group, with an amendment to Section 6 (a) to add the words "unless the Advisory Group petitions the City Council for an extension and that request is approved by City Council." (RES. NO. 2432) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 23. Consideration of Grant Application and Resolution for FY 2012 Funding for the Continuation of the Alexandria Transportation Demand Management Program (TDM) and to Fund a Public Transportation Intern Position. [ROLL-CALL VOTE] City Council: 1. adopted the resolution for FY 2012 funding for the continuation of the Alexandria Transportation Demand Management Program; and 2. authorized the City Manager to: (A). submit a grant application and the resolution to the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) for FY 2012 funding; (1) in the amount of $228,240 which will be matched by $57,060 of City funds, for a total program of $285,300, for the continuation of the City's transportation demand management services (formerly rideshare); and (2) in the amount of $28,500, which will be matched by $1,500 of City funds, for a total of $30,000 to continue the public transportation intern position; (B) approved the continuation of two full-time, grant-funded positions (Transit Specialist I and Transit Services Assistant I) to administer the ongoing TDM program. Continuation of these positions is contingent upon continuation of funding from the DRPT or other non-City sources; and (C) execute all necessary documents that may be required under this program. (RES. NO. 2433) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ OTHER 24. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council: 1. noted that the budget work session scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14 will be the joint School Board work session with the location to be determined; 2. eliminate the Council budget work sessions on Wednesday, March 30 and Monday, April 4; and 3. noted the following additions and changes to the calendar: the City commemoration of the Ronald Reagan Centennial on Friday, February 4 at noon in City Council Chambers; and the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Expo, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 30, has been changed to Saturday, June 25. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SESSION 25. Consideration of a Closed Meeting for the Purpose of Discussing a Personnel Matter. At 9:12 p.m., City Council convened in executive session, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(a)(1) of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of discussing the performance and related matters of the city manager. At 9:44 p.m., City Council reconvened the meeting. City Council adopted a resolution pertaining to the Executive Session. (RES. NO. 2434) Council Action:_________________________________________________________ The meeting adjourned at 9:45 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.