OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MANASSAS PARK GOVERNING BODY HELD ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 AT 7:00 PM AT MANASSAS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER, 99 ADAMS STREET, MANASSAS PARK, VIRGINIA
1. Roll Call: Frank Jones, Mayor
Bryan E. Polk, Vice Mayor
Keith Miller
William J. Treuting, Jr.
Suhas Naddoni
Preston Banks
Brian Leeper
Absent: None
Staff Present: Lana A. Conner, City Clerk
Dean Crowhurst, City Attorney
James Zumwalt, City Manager
The Mayor opened the meeting and held the Community Center Reading Lounge Dedication before taken any further action on the agenda.
Catherine Morretta, Director of Parks and Recreation, welcomed everyone here tonight for the very special dedication and turned the program over to Anthony Thomas, Recreation Supervisor.
He thanked everyone for coming out and being a part of this special occasion, especially to our Mayor, Mr. Frank Jones, our councilmember’s, and the Director Catherine Morretta. As you know we are here to celebrate the opening of the new Manassas Park Community Center Reading Lounge. Tonight’s ribbon cutting signifies the importance of literacy and having the opportunity and resources available to everyone that seeks it. This unique reading lounge, created solely from generous donations, features not only paperbacks, but electronic book readers (nooks) to allow you to read books in digital format. Ever since the Community Center opened its doors, a reading lounge has always been a part of our long term vision. We wanted to create a space for members of the Community to come in, grab a book or a nook and be able to read, learn and grow within the confines of the center. I am proud to say that today our vision has been achieved. The great thing about the lending library is that when a family checks a book out from here, they can take it home, read it and then return back to the Community Center, or at any of the surrounding Prince William County Public Libraries. The partnership between the City and the Prince William County Public Library system has opened up many doors. With this partnership we have been able to start offering joint computer classes, and now with the addition of the library we will be able to offer many more classes and programs in a collaborative effort. It is my hope that many of you and your families take advantage of this great resource right here in the City. We have several different genres of books to choose from. There is fiction and non-fiction, children’s novels, biographies, mysteries and much more. I want to personally say thank you to all of those who helped make this vision possible, as well as all of you who are here to support us tonight. The Manassas Park Community Center’s lending library is officially open.
He introduced the guests that were present:
Supervisor Martin E. Nohe, Supervisor of Coles District
Frank Jones, Mayor of Manassas Park
Suhas Naddoni, Representative: City of Manassas Park
Brian Murphy, Vice Chairman, Prince William Library Board of Trustees
Mary Jo Rigby, Member of Prince William Library Board of Trustees, Gainesville District
Cathy Atchley, Branch Administrator of Central Library spoke on behalf of Richard Murphy, Director of Library, who could not be present.
All spoke on the importance of this Reading Lounge to the children and to the community. This is a reading lounge located in the main foyer of the community center and located to the right of the computer lab. Supervisor Nohe stated that they are looking at other areas to put in reading lounges using the Manassas Park lounge as an example. He stated it is not in his district but is located right next door and will serve his constituents also.
The Mayor thanked Catherine Morretta and Dick Murphy for all the work they put into getting this lounge set up and opened. This program will serve the citizens well.
Catherine Morretta, Director, gave a tour of the facility which has many books as well as Nooks for those who like to read.
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Page Two Governing Body Meeting September 4, 2012
1. Approval of Agenda:
MOTION: Councilmember Polk moved to approve the Agenda as amended: 8a. Add Resolution and Letter to State Officials regarding aid to localities.
SECOND: Councilmember Naddoni
VOTE: Unanimously passed
2. Moment of Silence/Pledge of Allegiance: Dispensed with for this meeting.
3. Community Center Reading Lounge Dedication:
Held at 7pm before regular meeting.
4. Citizens Time:
Mary Battle, 8299 Woodhue Drive: She is here tonight to clarify a serious misunderstanding that she spoke on at the August 21, 2012 meeting. She had stated that with the huge increase in water & sewer rates some parents may not be able to put their children in the schools sports program because of the increased financial burden. She stated that social services have no relief at this time for the increased water & sewer rates. She apologized to Superintendent McDade and Coach Sowers and stated this was not a criticism of the schools or their athletic programs. She stated that this misunderstanding derailed the real issue of the increase in water & sewer rates.
4a. Proclamation: National Payroll Week:
MOTION: Councilmember Naddoni moved to approve Proclamation recognizing September 3-7, 2012 as National Payroll Week in the city.
SECOND: Councilmember Leeper
VOTE: Unanimously passed
5. Presentations:
5a. Treasurer’s Office Report on Permanent Decals:
Impacts of the Permanent Decal Ordinance: it is very convenient for the citizens because they do not have to scrape off the decal each year and there is a cost saving with the combined billing. It has been well received by the citizens. The Treasurer’s Office can now enforce payment of decal fee. Decal fees less of an expense borne by those who voluntarily pay. Now it is more evenly distributed.
The decal fee revenue shows a modest increase:
FY12 Projected $325,000 for year, FY11 $280,000, FY10 $270,000, FY09 264,000
Personal property revenue shows no increase thus far: As of June 2012: Five year collection rate was 95.02%. As of June 2011: Five year collection rate was 98.78%
Personal Property Tax and Decal Fee invoicing – cost of combined bill:
FY11 Costs $8,500 FY12 Costs $6,000
Annual Savings $2,500
Decal printing
FY11 14,000 decals @ .36 $5,100
FY12 14,500 decals @ .29 $4,200
FY 13 projected: 5,000 decals @ .29 $1,450
Projected Annual Savings $3,650
Administration, Billing and collection of Annual license fees in future years. Software must recognize previous decal sales for billing of fee only (no decal issuance). Reprogrammed in Bright – Munis functionality is unknown. Effect of permanent decal on personal property tax enforcement is also unknown. No changes to most effective enforcement methods: DMV Stops, Debt setoff with state, liens, etc.
Discussion followed on decal collection and the ability for staff to be able to access Haverhill Apartments to check status of vehicles. The Mayor stated the police department will work with the Commissioner of Revenue on this issue.
Chief Evans stated that the police department routinely checks for display of decals.
Mayor and Council thanked the Treasurer for this breakdown on decal sales and savings to the city.
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Page Three Governing Body Meeting September 4, 2012
6. Consent Agenda:
6a. Approval of Minutes: August 21, 2012
6b. Appointment: Julie Cline: Planning Commission June 30, 2016
MOTION: Councilmember Treuting moved to approve consent agenda as presented.
SECOND: Councilmember Leeper
The City Attorney stated that Julie Cline’s appointment was for a full term but code requires that the terms be staggered. This will bring her term in compliance with city code.
VOTE ROLL CALL: Unanimously passed
REZ#12-06, Park Place – Digital Park: Councilmember Naddoni stated he was on vacation out of the country at the August 21, 2012 meeting when the Rezoning was reconsidered. He wanted to state that if he were present he would have voted against this proposed rezoning because none of his land use or proffer questions were answered to his satisfaction.
7. Unfinished Business:
7a. Manassas Park Fire Department Budget Adjustment: City Manager:
City Manager: At the same meeting I reported an error I had made in the FY2013 budget. My intention had been to freeze the vacant Deputy Chief position generating a savings of $114,000, use part of the savings to reduce the Fire Department Budget and leave part of the savings to give Chief Dixon some flexibility in operating without a Deputy Chief. In error the recommended budget both froze the Deputy Chief position, and added a negative $66,000 line item labeled “Department Managed Budget Reduction” to generate the savings.
At the August 21 meeting Chief Dixon briefed the Governing Body on Fire Department accomplishments and plans and on three organizational changes to improve services and to help the Department operate with the Deputy Fire Chief position frozen in the FY2013 budget. The three changes are promoting Fire Marshal Mark Joyner and Captain James Soaper to Assistant Fire Chief, reclassify three Firefighter-EMT positions to Fire-Medic and as we have future staff turnovers recruit Advance Life Support qualified candidates to join the Department as Fire-Medics and rotate the Department’s Lieutenant’s through the vacant Fire Captain position giving each of them career development the opportunity to serve as Acting Captain.
The Governing Body authorized Staff to proceed with the Chief’s recommendations and instructed the City Manager to identify a way to correct the budget error. The Fire Department needs $57,200 to offset the $66,000 negative line item, operate through the year, and implement the changes. When we make our end-of-fiscal-year City-wide sweep of salary slippage and under-spent line items we should have sufficient funds to cover the $57,200.
The City Manager is recommending adopting a motion instructing the Manager to apply the first $57,200 in unspent funds from the end of fiscal year sweep to the Fire Department Budget.
MOTION: Councilmember Naddoni moved to accept recommendation of City Manager as outlined above.
SECOND: Councilmember Treuting
Councilmember Treuting stated he wanted to make sure that any vacancy the department has will be filled if position is needed. Do not let funding make that determination. Make sure the positions are filled.
VOTE: Unanimously passed
The Mayor stated that he anticipates the police department will be able to contribute funds back to the city within next couple of month. This would be funds from the federal program. This will help offset the budget.
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Page Four Governing Body Meeting September 4, 2012
8. New Business:
8a. Street Sign Logo Selection:
A handicap of metropolitan areas is that it is difficult to tell which jurisdiction you are in. Unless they have a map, most visitors and many residents do not know whether they are in Manassas Park, Manassas City or Prince William County. An easy way to mark boundaries and help create a sense of place is to put a logo on every street name sign in the city.
Replacing all of our street name signs at one time would be expensive, but the cost is small if we simply add a logo each time we have to replace a damaged or worn out sign. Over the course of a few years, we would get every intersection in the city marked with a logo. To start the program, we have to decide what logo to use.
Page Five Governing Body Meeting September 4, 2012
Staff has suggested three alternatives:
· The City Seal is an obvious choice, but the writing and design detail make it a rather busy logo in the small size that would have to be used on a street sign.
· The Community Center logo would help market our facility.
· The Panther Paw builds on the City’s ties to its schools.
The Director stated that when new signs are ordered the size will be increased from 6” to 9”. There are sign regulations that will come into play. The existing inventory will be depleted before new signs with the logo are installed. He would like to start with the jurisdictional signs to let everyone know what jurisdiction they are entering. They have approximately 1,200 signs in the city. The cost for each logo would be between $50/$75. The Homeowners Associations could purchase the signs from the City if they choose to. The majority of Governing Body members favored the PAW as the logo.
MOTION: Councilmember Miller moved to approve using the Cougar Paw as the street logo sign and direct Staff to bring back a cost estimate for the paw logo and the colors.
Councilmember Naddoni stated the seal would identify our jurisdiction and is recognized while people coming to Manassas Park will not recognize the significance of the PAW. The Public Works Director stated that you would not be able to see the city seal if it was included on the sign because it would be so small. Councilmember Leeper asked that the school signs on Route 28 be re-installed.
SECOND: Councilmember Leeper
VOTE: Unanimously passed
8b. Resolution 12-1000-1140: and Letter to Governor and State Delegates:
Given the last few years of State budget surpluses, VML is urging its members to send a letter and resolution to the Governor and their respective delegations in Richmond requesting an end to the cutbacks in local revenue and asks Governor Bob McDonnell to submit a budget amendment to the 2013 session of the General Assembly to reverse the $50 million-a-year reduction for the current year, FY13, and to eliminate the aid to localities reduction in FY14; and further that the members of the General Assembly support a budget amendment to the 2013 session of the General Assembly to reverse the $50 million-a-year reduction for the current year, FY13, and to eliminate the aid to localities reduction in the budget for FY14.