1 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Tuesday, January 2, 2018, AT 6:00 p.m. IN THE Second Floor Conference Room. THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Closed session as provided by Section 2.2-3712 of the Virginia Code BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Paige Rice NEIBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CONFERENCE ROOM – January 2, 2018 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Ms. Galvin, Mr. Signer, Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Hill, Ms. Walker. On motion by Ms. Hill, seconded by Mr. Bellamy, Council voted, (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None;) to meet in closed session as authorized by Virginia Code sec. 2.2-3711 (A) (1), for the purpose of discussion or consideration of prospective candidates for appointment to boards and commissions. On motion by Ms. Hill, seconded by Mr. Bellamy, Council certified by the following vote (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None,) that to the best of each Council Member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and identified in the motion convening the closed session were heard, discussed or considered in the closed session. COUNCIL CHAMBERS - January 2, 2018 ROLL CALL Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker. Ms. Galvin made a motion to make Mr. Jones the presiding officer of the meeting. Mr. Bellamy seconded; the motion passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) Ms. Hill moved to revise the meeting agenda, placing Matters by the Public before the election of mayor and vice mayor; Mr. Bellamy seconded. The motion passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) Ms. Galvin moved to add a Council discussion after Matters by the Public and before the election of mayor and vice mayor. Ms. Hill seconded. The vote passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) 2 MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Jones read rules for Matters by the Public. Mr. Martin Killian, 34 University Circle, said he opposes the plan for the Lambeth Field softball field. He cited noise, lighting levels after 9:00 p.m., and crowd volume as reasons for his objection. He asked Council to direct Mr. Ikefuna to send a letter of support to the Board of Visitors to postpone the decision due to the protests of the students and the neighbors living in adjacent neighborhoods. Mr. Michael Rodi, 235 Burnett St., asked Council to suspend its pilot parking meter program until traffic has returned to the Downtown Mall area, at which time the pilot program can enjoy a fresh start. Ms. Mary Carey, City resident, said she has a petition regarding the naming of Emancipation Park. She said she is bringing the petition to the City Manager's office next week. She said she wants the name Emancipation Park to be removed. She said she gave Mr. Bellamy a copy of the petition last November. Ms. Virginia Dougherty, 104 W. High St., said she wants to see the City run in a productive and effective way. Council meetings need to settle down so the Council can get something done. She said our next mayor should be Ms. Galvin because of her experience. She asked Council to support the downtown businesses' request to delay reinstating the parking meters. Ms. Blair Williamson, County resident, 107 Falcon Dr., said she owns two businesses in Charlottesville, including a knitting shop on the Downtown Mall. She said Council has acted the opposite of what the citizens requested in the past year. She asked for beautification for the downtown area and a delay of the parking meter program restart. Mr. Michael Payne said this is a new year, and we need to get to the root of structural inequality in the City, not cater to businesses and corporate interests. He recommended structural changes to the City. He said participants will be involved in all City meetings and will be watching closely. Ms. Genevieve Keller, 504 North 1st St., said she is alarmed by the abusive situations that occur in Council Chambers. She called for mutual respect for all in the City. She encouraged a wide range of opportunities for public interactions. She asked for support for Ms. Galvin for mayor and outlined her reasoning. Mr. Dave Ghamandi, County resident, said white men cannot preach civility. He said he is against neo-liberal trickle-down economic policies and trickle-down housing policies. He asked for a recovery package for Hardy Drive, not the Downtown Mall or Main Street. He called for a socialist future. 3 Ms. Anne Hemenway, 800 Park St., requested that Ms. Galvin be considered for mayor. She called for real and permanent change, which can be slow and tedious. She called for Emancipation Park improvements to take place concurrent with improvements to the adjacent Central Library. Mr. James Hingeley, City resident, asked for civility at Council meetings. He recounted what happened at the December 18 Council meeting and described an unfair application of the rules. He asked for honor and civility to return to Council meetings. Ms. Joan Fenton, 3705 Country Lane, said she has 1,200 signatures from Mudhouse customers asking to eliminate the parking meters. She said the Downtown Mall is an important economic engine for the entire City. She asked that the parking meter program be suspended for a year to allow businesses to regain their economic footing. Mr. Todd Howard, 511 1st St., owner of És Cafe, said parking meters are dangerous for businesses right now. He called for better lighting in the downtown area to provide safety for all. He said the more affordable downtown is, the more diverse it will be. Mr. Don Gathers, City resident, said talents are equally distributed, but opportunities to utilize them are not. He called on Council to eliminate the pledge to the flag at the beginning of Council meetings and instead implement a moment of silence. He asked that Council stop the parking meter project. He said City residents should be given priority to speak at Council meetings, followed by County residents, and then residents of surrounding areas. He called for speakers to present identification to prove residency. He called for speaker time to be increased to five minutes. He recommended expenditures, including vouchers for affordable housing and solutions to homelessness. He called for a citizen's advocate office to handle complaints. He asked Council to remove the statues, and fix the permitting process. Ms. Claire Tourney, 32 University Circle, said she and Clay Tolbert work for a hospitality company and called for the parking meters to be disabled. She said the parking meters are a challenge due to poor communication and create an unsafe environment by forcing workers to park in unsafe locations and walk to and from their place of employment. Mr. Ludwig Kuttner, 107 1st St., asked Councilors to work together amongst themselves and also with community members to develop a vision for Charlottesville. He asked Council to focus on execution, and not continue to call for studies. He reflected on the condition of the downtown area when he arrived in 1981 and the transformation since then. Mr. Bellamy asked for a moment of silence in memory of Ms. Molly Miller. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Bellamy announced a Martin Luther King Day program on Monday, January 15 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Carver Recreation Center. 4 ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: COUNCIL ELECTION OF MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR Mr. Jones reviewed the procedures for Council’s discussion, nomination and vote. Ms. Hill delivered comments regarding her thoughts on the mayor for City Council. Ms. Walker shared her perspective on serving on Council and the position of mayor. Ms. Galvin offered thoughts about her vision for the City's future and what is needed for the position of mayor. Mr. Signer said it has been a great honor to serve as mayor, and he welcomed his new colleagues. He said the mayor should be a consensus builder, learn to compromise, and build compassion. Mr. Bellamy said it is important to make a decision to break from tradition, and we cannot return to normal. He nominated Ms. Walker for mayor, should she choose to accept it. Mr. Signer seconded the nomination. Ms. Hill nominated Ms. Galvin for mayor. Ms. Galvin seconded the nomination. Ms. Walker nominated Mr. Bellamy for mayor. Mr. Bellamy seconded the nomination. Ms. Hill asked Ms. Walker if she would like to serve as mayor. Ms. Walker said this will be a challenge and a major learning curve. Mr. Signer said the mayor is in charge of developing consensus among Council. He asked Ms. Walker what her approach would be going forward in this regard. Ms. Walker said she is able to move forward professionally. Ms. Galvin spoke to the time requirements. She said it is difficult to perform as mayor and accomplish a legislative agenda. Ms. Walker said she is confident she can continue to accomplish her goals. Ms. Galvin said Council needs a steady hand at this time. Mr. Signer asked Ms. Walker for specifics about her plans to change how meetings are run. Ms. Walker said she knows how to listen to people, honor people, and go by the rules. She said Council needs to start fresh with the rules, and she looks forward to that discussion. Mr. Bellamy asked if he could call the question. Mr. Signer said each nomination should have a full discussion. Ms. Hill asked if there are any questions for Ms. Galvin. She invited Ms. Galvin to make a statement. Ms. Galvin said she has grown to appreciate experience and how it can inform service on a public body. She reviewed her goals for the City. She said it is regrettable that she was not able to have a private conversation with Ms. Walker regarding this matter. 5 Mr. Signer addressed Ms. Galvin about her approach to managing the relationship with staff. Ms. Galvin said a thorough understanding of a matter is imperative to making good decisions as a Councilor. Mr. Jones asked if there were any questions or comments for Mr. Bellamy. Mr. Bellamy thanked Ms. Walker for the nomination and declined it in light of Ms. Walker's willingness to accept the nomination. Mr. Jones called for a vote. Ms. Walker was elected Mayor. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: Ms. Galvin.) Ms. Walker asked Mr. Jones to finish chairing the meeting for the election of vice mayor. Mr. Signer nominated Ms. Hill. Ms. Hill seconded the nomination. Ms. Walker nominated Mr. Bellamy. Mr. Bellamy seconded the nomination. Having no further nominations, the nominations were closed. Ms. Hill said she believes her and Ms. Walker's skill sets complement each other and would be a good solution to the change the City is seeking. Mr. Bellamy said it is important to send a clear message that there are no limitations for people who truly want change. Ms. Galvin said she believes it would be revolutionary to have two women on the ticket, working together across race. Ms. Walker said that just because there are two black people as mayor and vice mayor does not mean we are not working across racial lines. Mr. Signer asked Mr. Bellamy about his decision to vote against the Landmark Hotel performance agreement after signaling to his colleagues that he would vote for it. Mr. Bellamy said he did not support it morally or ethically and said Mr. Signer misunderstood his assurance that he would vote for the performance agreement. Mr. Signer asked Ms. Hill how she would plan to do this job. Ms. Hill said she wishes to play a role that unifies Council. Ms. Galvin said Ms. Hill has been extremely diligent at reaching out to all Councilors since the November election. Mr. Jones called for a vote. Ms. Hill was elected vice mayor. (Ayes: Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer; Noes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Walker.) 6 Council took a brief recess at 9:13 p.m. Ms. Walker called the meeting back into order at 9:34 p.m. COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Ms. Walker invited nominations for boards and commissions. On motion by Ms. Hill, seconded by Mr. Bellamy, the following appointments were made to Boards and Commissions: to the Albemarle/Charlottesville Regional Jail Authority: Mr. Bellamy; to the Audit Committee: Mr. Signer, Ms. Hill; to the Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) Adv. Board: Ms. Walker; to the Charlottesville Community Scholarship Program: Mr. Bellamy; to the Charlottesville Development Corporation: Mr. Bellamy; to the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority: Mr. Bellamy; to the Darden Towe Park Board: Mr. Signer, Ms. Hill; to the Historic Resources Committee: Ms. Hill; to the Housing Advisory Committee: Ms. Hill; to the JABA Board of Directors: Ms. Hill; to the Jefferson Area Community Criminal Justice Board: Ms. Walker; to the LEAP Advisory Board: Mr. Signer; to the Metropolitan Planning Organization: Ms. Galvin, Mr. Signer; to the Mobilization for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP): Ms. Walker; to the Piedmont Housing Alliance – Friendship Court Committee: Ms. Galvin; to the Piedmont Workforce Network (PWN) Council: Ms. Walker; to the Planning and Coordinating Council: Ms. Walker, Ms. Hill; to the Retirement Commission: Ms. Hill; Rivanna River Basin Commission: Mr. Signer; to the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority (RSWA): Ms. Galvin; to the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (RWSA): Ms. Galvin; to the Hydraulic Planning Advisory Panel: Ms. Galvin; to the School Capital Projects: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Walker; to the Social Services Advisory Board: Ms. Walker; to the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission: Mr. Signer; to the Virginia First Cities: Ms. Galvin, Mr. Bellamy as alternate. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) CONSENT AGENDA a. Minutes for December 18, 2017 b. APPROPRIATION: Insurance Settlement for Damaged Police Car - $6,294.95 (2nd reading) Insurance Settlement for Damaged Police Car WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville, through the Police Department, has received Insurance Settlements in the amount of $6,294.95 to the vehicle replacement fund for expenses associated with replacing an unmarked Police car. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenue $6,294.95 Fund: 106 Cost Center: 3101001001 G/L Account: 451110 7 Expenditures $6,294.95 Fund: 106 Cost Center: 3101001001 G/L Account: 541040 c. APPROPRIATION: Local Emergency Management Performance Grant (LEMPG) - $7,500 (2nd reading) Local Emergency Management Performance Grant WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville has received funds from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in the amount of $7,500 in federal pass through funds and $7,500 in local in-kind match, provided by the Charlottesville-U.V.A.-Albemarle Emergency Communications Center Office of Emergency Management; and WHEREAS, the funds will be used to support programs provided by the Office of Emergency Management; and WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, that the sum of $7,500 is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenue – $7,500 $7,500 Fund: 209 I/O: 1900294 G/L: 430120 State/Fed pass thru Expenditures - $7,500 $7,500 Fund: 209 I/O: 1900294 G/L: 510010 Salaries BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this appropriation is conditioned upon the receipt of $7,500 from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and the matching in-kind funds from the Charlottesville-U.V.A.-Albemarle Emergency Communications Center Office of Emergency Management. d. APPROPRIATION: Appropriation of Funds to the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund as partial fulfillment of the Water Street Promenade PUD proffer - $45,883.26 (Carried) Water Street Promenade PUD proffer e. APPROPRIATION: Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/H.I.V. - $213,012 (Carried) Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/H.I.V. f. ORDINANCE: Conveyance of Portions of Cleveland Avenue Right of Way (Johnson Village, Phase 3) (2nd reading) 8 Conveyance of Portions of Cleveland Avenue Right of Way AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXCHANGE OF PORTIONS OF THE CLEVELAND AVENUE AND FIFTH STREET, S.W. RIGHTS-OF-WAY FOR PARCELS OF LAND OWNED BY FIFTH STREET ASSOCIATES, LLC ALONG CLEVELAND AVENUE AND FIFTH STREET, S.W. On motion by Mr. Bellamy, seconded by Mr. Signer, the consent agenda passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) PUBLIC HEARING/ORDINANCE: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CITY CODE CHAPTER 18 - PERMITS FOR SPECIAL EVENT AND DEMONSTRATIONS (2nd reading) Permits for Special Event and Demonstrations Ms. Robertson, City Attorney's office, presented to Council. She reviewed changes that have been made since the first reading at Council's request. Mr. Signer asked for clarification on the word "threatening" being constitutionally protected. Ms. Linda Odom, K&L Gates, explained why the attorneys believed this was appropriate language to include. Ms. Galvin asked for an explanation of the ten person limit for gatherings. Ms. Odom explained this number was modeled from the Raleigh, N.C. rules. Ms. Hill asked if this applies to birthday parties, for example. Ms. Odom explained that this only applies to demonstrations, not special events. Ms. Walker asked for clarification on provisions for CEDA and the Thomas Jefferson Center. Ms. Robertson reviewed the terms. Mr. Signer asked for the logic behind the time threshold for applications. Ms. Odom said this is to allow time for resources to be marshaled as needed. Mr. Signer asked for clarification on spontaneous demonstrations. Ms. Odom explained that a spontaneous demonstration must be inspired by a newsworthy event. On motion, the public hearing was opened. Ms. Connie Rosenbaum, City resident, congratulated Ms. Walker and Ms. Hill on their elections. Ms. Louisa, City resident from the Belmont area, said the goal of these regulations would be to prevent evil-doers, but we should not shoot ourselves in the foot while trying to stop violence. She said the ten person threshold is too low and could blur the lines. She said she does 9 not support background checks, because some felons have served their time and should be able to participate in their community. Mr. Jeff Fogel, Belmont area resident, said this makes it as difficult as possible to get a permit to exercise free speech. He said the ten person limit and the 60 day requirements are mistakes. This is a spontaneous reaction to a major, catastrophic event. He said there was no public engagement on this. This will affect our community much more than outside visitors. He questioned banning uniforms. Mr. Michael Payne said local community organizing groups are concerned about this ordinance. Ms. Lena Seville, Belmont resident, called for more civic engagement on this matter. Setting the gathering limit at ten will affect local rallies and peaceful protests, not large organized rallies from out of the area. The 60 day requirement is too long, and the 48 hour requirement for a spontaneous demonstration is too short. Ms. Joan Fenton said this is worth taking a few more weeks to get right. Mr. Dave Ghamandi said talking only about permitting is a red herring and takes blame off the police department. Reform is needed, and the police department's role needs to be addressed. Council needs to look into police practices. He said it is difficult to apply decisions made based on criminal records. Mr. Don Gathers, City resident, said we need to make sure we are not crippling peaceful protestors in our effort to stop people who come to do harm in our City. He recommended halting this decision and hosting a series of community town hall meetings to discuss the matter. He asked Council to take their time to get this right. Mr. Paul Long, 100 Ridge St., said he has held many rallies, which have always been peaceful. He said limiting this to ten people or more is too small. He recommended looking to larger cities. Mr. John Lawrence, City resident, asked if a tweet could be something that would trigger a spontaneous event. The August event was tactical and clever, and there is nothing stopping groups from staging something again. Mr. Brandon Collins, City resident, said he believes spontaneous demonstrations without permits are a good thing. He said this ordinance would not have made a difference this past summer. He supports using other tools to keep torch-carrying criminals out of our town. Ms. Edith Goode, 305 2nd St., asked if a person causing the City to expend an excessive amount of resources can be used as grounds for prohibiting their return. 10 Mr. Cabal Bots, City, said it is important to determine how the police's monopoly on legitimate violence plays out. He said people are oppressed by systems that benefit white supremacists. Having no further speakers, the public hearing was closed. Ms. Galvin suggested creating a public community engagement process around this matter. The process can expand into other reforms that need to be considered. She recommended spending some time thinking about what that might look like and how to enact it. Ms. Hill asked if there is a danger to not passing the ordinance while the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are in place. Mr. Jones clarified that this means the misdemeanor violations could not be enacted. Mr. Signer said he agrees that community roundtable discussions are a good option. Ms. Galvin agreed. Mr. Signer asked Mr. Jones what the required staff resources would be. Mr. Jones said he can return to Council with that information after evaluation. He asked that Council make their will known before conducting the roundtable meetings. Ms. Walker said she was concerned that prohibited items include things people can protect themselves with, but people are still allowed to carry guns. Mr. Jones said this needs to come back before Council by the first meeting in March. Mr. Bellamy asked if a public work session to fine-tune the ordinance changes would be possible by the end of the month. Ms. Galvin said we should send this to local groups for feedback, such as Legal Aid and PHAR. Mr. Signer recommended a public, roundtable work session with speakers and local groups invited to share their perspectives. Mr. Bellamy made a motion to send out the current document by the end of this week to several different groups and to hold a community work session to be scheduled for the fourth week in January. Mr. Signer asked to include organizations representing diverse viewpoints in the community. Ms. Walker confirmed there will be an opportunity for individuals to speak as well. Ms. Hill asked how to appropriately notify the broader public. Mr. Jones recommended a press release. He confirmed that this can also be posted to social media. Ms. Hill seconded the motion. The motion passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Bellamy asked that Council consider suspending the parking meters for a period of one year. He asked that this be placed on Council's next agenda for a vote. Mr. Signer seconded the motion. 11 Mr. Jones recommended the decision be made this evening to avoid confusion. Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Signer accepted the revision to the motion. Mr. Rick Siebert, Parking Manager for the City of Charlottesville, addressed Council and described the process for implementing a halt of the pilot. Mr. Siebert said one year would not be a good timeframe for restarting the pilot in terms of a business cycle. He instead recommended restarting the pilot the first of September 2018 to provide for more complete data. Mr. Bellamy expressed concern over committing to reinstating the pilot by a particular date. Ms. Galvin recommended committing to a recovery plan based on the letter Council received from Ms. Susan Payne, which outlines investments in marketing, safety and cleanliness. She offered to work with a colleague to craft a plan with the business community. This would be in addition to a nine-month suspension of the parking program. Mr. Siebert said he would like to speak with Council about improving the program before it is reinstated. Mr. Bellamy said he is leaving his motion on the table for a one year pause, following reevaluation. Mr. Signer reiterated his second. Ms. Galvin said she strongly believes we must approach this more holistically and must fund a recovery plan. She asked to make a substitute motion to suspend the parking meters for nine months, evaluate the system, and create a recovery plan. Mr. Bellamy accepted the creation of a recovery plan, but rejected the revised time period. He said Council can reassess and reevaluate in January 2019. Mr. Jones recommended separating the recovery plan as a separate motion. Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Signer accepted the recommendation. The vote passed to suspend the parking meter program and reevaluate in one year. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) Ms. Galvin moved to have a recovery plan that would be instituted in conjunction with the DBAC members and staff, to come back to Council within one month. Ms. Hill seconded the motion. The motion passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer, Ms. Walker; Noes: None.) Mr. Signer requested adding Emancipation Park renaming to a future Council agenda. Ms. Galvin agreed and recommended contacting Ms. Janette Martin of the NAACP as well. Ms. Galvin asked if Council can discuss Council standard operating procedures as part of their retreat agenda to address how they function as a body. Mr. Bellamy seconded this request. Ms. Hill also supported it. Mr. Signer said Council should also discuss this at a work session in a Council meeting following their conversation at the retreat. Ms. Hill said we can have folks engage community members without Council present as well. Ms. Galvin thanked staff for their work on parking and said she is committed to moving forward with metered parking in the future. 12 Councilors decided on the following seating order for the dais: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Hill, Mr. Jones, Ms. Walker, Mr. Signer, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Robertson, Ms. Rice. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Jeff Fogel, Belmont, said the recovery package scope needs to be open to the public. You must focus on conduct with the permitting process. He asked Council to consider that free speech has worked well in the City historically and asked them to focus on addressing what happened in August; the rest is a waste of time. Ms. Nancy Carpenter asked for the status of housing vouchers for the $900,000 appropriation, the HAC recommendation for a security deposit assistance fund. Rental assistance, income inequality and lack of job opportunity are what people are suffering from in this City. She asked for a bench to honor Sage Smith and others who are missing in this community. Mr. Bellamy said Mr. Jones has been working with the family on the bench. Ms. Mary Carey, City resident, said calm has come over the room since Ms. Walker was elected as mayor. She said a group who repairs recycled computers donates the refurbished goods to low income areas. They were shut down in October, and they have nowhere to go. They are called Source Recycling, and she asked for support for reinstating their operations. Mr. Brandon Collins, Woolen Mills neighborhood, congratulated the new Councilors. He said he hopes this Council makes a groundbreaking commitment to redevelopment in this community. He asked staff to address the housing voucher program glitches. Mr. Paul Long, 100 Ridge St., said people have asked him to continue to talk about public transportation. He said all bus routes should provide service throughout the holidays. He said non-violent drug offenders should not be punished with a felony charge, which prohibits them from receiving certain social services. Mr. Evan, City resident, asked for an update on the man who was assaulted outside of City Hall at the last Council meeting. He asked for the names of officers involved. Mr. Jones said the gentleman was released from the hospital the next day, and an investigation is ongoing. Ms. Walker adjourned the meeting at 11:45 p.m.