1 COUNCIL CHAMBERS - January 16, 2018 ROLL CALL Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer; absent: Ms. Walker. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Bellamy wished a quick recovery to health for Ms. Walker. He thanked Mr. Alex Zan for putting on the MLK Program. Mr. Bellamy announced the 5th/Ridge/McIntire Corridor Study will take place January 17 at 5:00 p.m. at City Space. He also announced the screening of "An Unlikely Friendship", which will take place January 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the African American Heritage Center. Ms. Galvin announced the Annual Charlottesville Housing Summit will take place February 16 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Garrett Building at UVA. Call 970-3182 for more information. She also announced the Charlottesville Dialogue on Race Action Strategy Meeting will take place January 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center; community members are invited to attend. For more information, go to www.charlottesville.org/dialogue, or call 970-3023. Ms. Galvin announced the Hillsdale Drive ribbon cutting ceremony will take place this Friday at 2:00 p.m. Ms. Galvin said she attended a General Assembly meeting on Monday, along with Mr. Bellamy and Ms. Lisa Robertson. All bills the City lobbied for failed along party lines. Mr. Jones reported that Del. Toscano plans to continue working on the bills with the House. Mr. Signer announced the Legal Aid Justice Center is holding open walk-in hours and extended hours this week for processing DACA renewal applications and gave details. For more information, or to advise the LAJC of your visit, please call 977-0553. Mr. Signer announced the 2018 Council annual work retreat will take place on January 18- 19 at Morven. Ms. Hill announced a Community Resolve event on Saturday, January 27 at 2:30 p.m. at the Jefferson School AAHC. For more information, go to CitizenNeeds.org. CITY MANAGER RESPONSE TO MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Jones reported on follow-up from concerns regarding the proposed softball facility at Lambeth Field and asked Council for their direction on whether to send a letter to UVA on the City's behalf. 2 Mr. Jones reported that the City Council will consider the naming of Emancipation Park at their February 20 Council meeting, at the behest of Ms. Mary Carey and her petition. Mr. Jones updated Council on parking and the DBAC meeting request regarding a proposed recovery plan. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Dave Ghamandi, Albemarle County, said people will not be civil when fighting against profit-making, racism and militarism. He said budgets are moral documents, and he called for a massive investment in jobs, housing and peace. He called for an investment in housing controlled by community land trusts. Mr. Michael Payne said he saw a news story on NBC 29 about Crescent Halls regarding a burst pipe and sewage on the floor. He compared monetary allocations for public housing to funding for other projects throughout the City. He asked Council to consider affordable housing and the needs of vulnerable citizens when developing the budget. Ms. Jalane Schmidt said she found the transparency of the January 2 Council meeting refreshing, and she encouraged Council to continue with that level of transparency. She said people are being uncivil because they feel the City is being sold out from under them to the highest bidder. People who have been calling for a return to civility have wider access to elected officials than the average member of the community. She asked whose names are on the list for the Council retreat at Morven Farms. Mr. Don Gathers, City resident, described the reasons why City Council meetings have recently experienced anarchy, and why he believes it will continue. He said civility is shrouded for the time being and called on Council to listen to all members of the community equally. Mr. Matthew Slaats, Crozet resident, advocated for participatory budgeting to rebuild trust. He also said the City needs to rethink how the Comprehensive Plan moves forward. He called on Council to create a truly public process, and create a plan that addresses the community's needs. Ms. Jojo Robertson said there is a problem at Crescent Halls, and she said the Facebook page she started called "Caring for the Cville Community" has been addressing the same issues over the past two and a half years. She said a Council cannot demand respect, but instead has to earn trust. She asked Council to revert to the old rules. Mr. Paul Long, 100 Ridge St., spoke on public transportation. He said City buses should run during the holidays. He called for bus routes to run every 20 minutes to encourage use of public transportation. He said this issue is more important now that Charlottesville is growing. Ms. Mary Carey, City resident, said the issue at Crescent Halls is active and needs to be addressed. She recounted a comment during a recent CRHA meeting that she considered offensive. 3 Mr. Peter Krebs, thanked the County for acquiring park land for Vista Run. He described what the event regarding 5th/Ridge/McIntire will cover and encouraged community members to attend. Ms. Nancy Carpenter thanked Ms. Walker for her recent representation on The View. She said she was putting her fist in the air in solidarity with Ms. Mary Carey. She called on the City to repair Crescent Halls, and at the least, address major maintenance issues while waiting for a permanent resolution. Ms. Hill asked Mr. Jones to clarify how the public can attend the Council retreat. Mr. Bellamy read a letter from Mr. Grant Duffield in response to recent maintenance calls and security services concerns at Crescent Halls. Mr. Bellamy requested adding a discussion about participatory budgeting on an upcoming agenda. Mr. Signer said he seconds the request. Mr. Jones said Council may also discuss this at the Council retreat on Friday. Mr. Bellamy said Council will start the conversation at the retreat and then possibly bring it back at a future Council meeting. Ms. Galvin discussed a decline in ridership for public transportation. She said the Regional Transit Partnership is moving forward with a retreat. Ms. Galvin asked Mr. Jones for feedback on budget implications and requested placing a presentation from Mr. John Jones to review data and ridership for the City's public transportation on an upcoming Council meeting. Mr. Signer said participatory budgeting is a great idea, and he looks forward to discussing how this could work in Charlottesville. He asked the community for feedback on their experience with this. He also discussed the potential fate of small business owners on the Downtown Mall and the implications for their staff. CONSENT AGENDA a. Minutes for January 2, 2018 b. APPROPRIATION: Funds to the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund as partial fulfillment of the Water Street Promenade PUD proffer - $45,883.26 (2nd reading) Water Street Promenade PUD proffer WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville has received payment from Riverbend Development Inc. as required by the Statement of Final Proffer Conditions for the Water Street Promenade PUD Rezoning; NOW, THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, that the sum of $45,883.26 be received as payment from Riverbend Development Inc., 4 to be appropriated as follows: Revenues: $45,883.26 Fund: 426 Project: CP-084 G/L Code: 451020 Expenditures: $45,883.26 Fund: 426 Project: CP-084 G/L Code: 599999 c. APPROPRIATION: Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/H.I.V. - $213,012 (2nd reading) Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/H.I.V. WHEREAS, The City of Charlottesville, through the Department of Human Services, has received the H.O.P.W.A. Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development in the amount of $213,012; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia that the sum of $213,012 is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenues $213,012 Fund: 209 IO: 1900295 (H.O.P.W.A.) G/L: 430120 Federal Pass-Thru State Expenditures $213,012 Fund: 209 IO: 1900295 (H.O.P.W.A.) G/L: 530550 Contracted Services BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this appropriation is conditioned upon receipt of $213,012 in funds from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. d. APPROPRIATION: Funds to the City's Workforce Investment Fund for Workforce Development/Training Programs - $50,000 (Carried) Workforce Development/Training Programs e. RESOLUTION: Fund Transfer to Schools Capital Projects Lump Sum Account for the Charlottesville High School Fieldhouse Project - $100,000 Charlottesville High School Fieldhouse Project RESOLUTION Fund Transfer to Schools Capital Projects Lump Sum Account for the Charlottesville High School Fieldhouse Project - $100,000 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia that the following is hereby transferred in the following manner: 5 Transfer From $100,000 Fund: 426 WBS: P-00916 G/L Account: 599999 Transfer To $100,000 Fund: 426 WBS: SH-018 (P-00949) G/L Account: 599999 Mr. Bellamy moved to pass the Consent Agenda, Mr. Signer seconded and the motion passed. (Ayes: Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Hill, Mr. Signer; Noes: None: Absent: Ms. Walker) REPORT: RIVANNA QUARTERLY REPORT & UPDATE Rivanna Quarterly Report & Update Mr. Bill Mawyer, Rivanna Executive Director, presented an overview to Council and answered clarifying questions. PUBLIC HEARING: COUNCIL MEETING STRUCTURE AND PROCEDURES Council Meeting Structure and Procedures Ms. Hill invited Mr. Bellamy to introduce his proposal. Mr. Bellamy reviewed his proposal. He said Ms. Walker recommended starting the Town Hall portion of the meeting at 6:00 p.m. in a recent discussion. Mr. Bellamy reviewed options for start times. Ms. Galvin said she is concerned about the proposed start times due to personal commitments. She also said the space in Chambers is not conducive to true dialogue exchange. She recommended a monthly town hall meeting at another location where all attendees are on the same physical plane. Mr. Signer said Town Hall meetings work well because there are department heads present who can answer questions immediately. He said we need to ensure staff is present to answer questions for town hall meetings. Mr. Bellamy suggested holding the town hall portion of the meetings at City Space, then moving over to City Hall for the business portion of the meeting and a concluding “Matters by the Public”. Ms. Hill clarified that the first Matters by the Public as currently structured would be folded into the town hall meeting before the business portion takes place. Mr. Bellamy suggested flexibility and a six-month pilot for whatever course Council chooses to take. Ms. Galvin clarified that the pre-Council meeting town hall would not take the place of the community "Our Town" series. On motion by Ms. Hill, the public hearing was opened. 6 Ms. Kay Slaughter, 1503 Short 18th St., thanked Council for considering options. She recommended themes for town hall meetings for major initiatives the City knows are forthcoming, such as public transportation and the comprehensive plan. She called for respect for all speakers, so that speakers are not subjected to heckling. She said three minutes per speaker is adequate. She asked for more opportunities for public input and a Council enforcement of a standard of civility. Mr. Paul Long, 100 Ridge St., said speakers should be allowed to speak for longer than three minutes, or at least not be interrupted if they are making a coherent point. He said respect must be earned. He said having six to eight police officers at a Council meeting is intimidating. Mr. Dave Ghamandi said no part of the meeting can start before 6:30 p.m., because it makes it very difficult for working people to show up. He said we need to figure out how to use recording equipment if locations move. He recommended "Open City Hall", as is currently used by Asheville, N.C. He said information should be posted further in advance of a Council vote. He recommended the City Manager and his deputies making their calendars public. He said a bailout for businesses should not happen before reparations. Mr. Matthew Slaats, Crozet resident, said his PhD studies are focused on civic participation. He discussed making the word "we" mean the same thing to everyone. He said he has a proposal for a process called "Legislative Theatre," also known as "Theatre of the Oppressed." He said 90 students in an architecture class at UVA are willing to redesign the Council Chambers space. He said the sooner action happens, the better. Mr. Michael Payne said it is important not to start too early, because that is a barrier in terms of work and childcare. He said the nature of public comment before Council meetings will inherently have restraints, and maybe the best approach is to hold monthly town hall meetings. He called for the removal of time limits spent on any given agenda item, removal of limits on Councilor responses, and to allow Councilors to respond to comments. Mr. Peter Krebs said he supports holding meetings in a location where there is not physical separation. He said providing audio and visual recordings of meetings is important. He said there should not be a separation between what people are talking about and the business of the Council agenda, because they are often closely related. Mr. Kyle Chalton, Madison Ave., said there is still a very important role for the public during the agenda items, and public comment should not be limited to the beginning or the end of the meetings. Mr. Nick McCarthy, 107 Hartford Court, recommended closed captions, a sign language interpreter, and having the agendas available in other languages, including Spanish. He also suggested Facebook live stream or Twitter for easy access for people who cannot attend in person. 7 Ms. Nancy Carpenter gave a recommendation for allowing specific time for speakers who were not selected to speak if they wanted to address items on the consent agenda or items that are scheduled for a vote. Mr. Walt Heinecke asked why the Council retreat is held in an inaccessible location. The rules and procedures are important, but the culture of democracy needs revisiting. He asked that the rules from 2016 be vacated. Cameras should not be turned off, even during a recess, and the lottery system should be abandoned. He said the emphasis should be on action. Ms. Mary Carey, City resident, said the town hall needs to start later. She said Council should do away with the lottery system. Mr. Julian D. Waters, Albemarle County, said the City has done a good job of encouraging community feedback and engagement, but much of it has been reactionary. He recommended using existing social media websites to engage people instead of using a new platform. He recommended allowing for an open, live comment stream during Council meeting debate. Having no further speakers, the public hearing was closed. Ms. Hill called for a brief recess at 9:12 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 9:26 p.m. Mr. Bellamy said he likes the Open City Hall suggestion, perhaps as a supplement to increase engagement. He said we need to figure out a way to broadcast City meetings, including budget work sessions and town hall meetings. He favored exploring costs for subtitles and Spanish translation. Ms. Hill said Council needs the flexibility to provide broadcasting services for all Council meetings, regardless of location. She said online options should be considered in addition to personal interactions. Ms. Galvin said she views monthly town hall meetings as the best option. They may be held on the same day at the same place every month. She said she does not want to limit topics; we need feedback from the community on a variety of topics. Ms. Hill said we need to give the public more lead team on upcoming agenda items. She also said she liked the suggestion of giving people targeted opportunities for input on items scheduled for a vote. Ms. Galvin pointed to the Seattle Office of Engagement guide as a good tool for gauging cultural sensitivity when engaging with the public. Engagement also has to start at the staff level, and a pervasive culture should be created. She said the community needs to be involved in the agenda process as well. Mr. Signer said time limits for agenda items exist to try to improve opportunities for participation. We need to strike a balance. 8 Mr. Bellamy confirmed that this will be discussed at the upcoming retreat, as well as presented on an upcoming Council agenda. Mr. Signer asked staff to present five to ten examples of what is being done in other localities. Mr. Jones said staff will get information to Council tomorrow. Ms. Galvin suggested 12 slots for the lottery and 12 slots for people to sign up in person, with three minutes allotted per speaker during the town hall format at the beginning of the Council meeting. She also recommended seven minutes for initial motions, and five minutes for follow-up comments. OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Galvin introduced proposed amendments to the Council policy for nonprofit and outside agency funding requests that occur separate from the budget process. She said this is in response to a proposal from PHAR and other members to establish a resident skilled trades program, to be hired by the Housing Authority in a paid apprenticeship model. At Council's request, Mr. Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, addressed Council regarding the details of the proposed program. Ms. Galvin said Council is too constrained by the monetary threshold of the current policy. She also recommended an expedited review and requested that this be heard at the first meeting in February. Council supported adding this to an upcoming agenda. Mr. Jones said he is concerned about which nonprofits would be eligible for this and which would not. This may require more conversation rather than leaving it up to staff to make a determination based on past history. Ms. Galvin asked him to recommend language to address this. Mr. Signer asked for an overview of what allocations have been made over the past three years. He said he would like the fund to be more dynamic. Ms. Hill asked Mr. Jones to give a review of where the City stands with negotiations with the County regarding the courts and parking. Mr. Jones said an initial meeting is scheduled, and staff will have a better understanding after that meeting takes place. Ms. Galvin said we are committed to keeping the courts co-located downtown. She said funding the parking garage is tied to a bigger social justice issue. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Michael Payne said a monthly town hall meeting will inherently have fewer constraints for public engagement. He asked Council to broadcast as many meeting as possible and to post live streams on social media. He said the PHAR / Habitat initiative sounds very promising. He spoke in support of community land trusts. 9 Mr. Nick McCarthy, 107 Hartford Court, said he is a full-time student at PVCC. He said he supports expanding public transit, particularly Route 1, because it services a lot of people who are trying to cross the bridge from being homeless or low-wage to getting a degree and becoming successful. He asked to run Line 1 every 30 minutes instead of every hour, because this can make a huge difference to people commuting to work. He proposed mini-buses. He recommended making it free for PVCC students to use public transportation, as it is for UVA students, or make Route 1 free for all users. Ms. Galvin said she is in full support of making Route 1 free and negotiating with PVCC for making public transportation free for PVCC students. Mr. Bellamy said he supports making the bus free for PVCC students who are City residents. Meeting adjourned at 9:59 p.m.