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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-07-06 adjJuly 6, 1988 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting) (Page 1) 377 An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on July 6, 1988, at 3:30 P.M., Meeting Room 5, County Office Building, McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. This meeting was adjourned from June 29, 1988. PRESENT: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr. and F. R. Bowie, Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke, Messrs. C. Timothy Lindstrom, Walter F. Perkins and Peter T. Way. ABSENT: None. OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Mr. Guy B. Agnor, Jr.; Deputy County Executive, Mr. Robert W. Tucker, Jr.; County Planners, Mr. John T. P. Home and Chief of Community Development, Mr. Wayne Cilimberg. Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 3:31 P.M. by the Chairman, Mr. Way. Agenda Item No. 2. Work Session: 1988-1993 Capital Improvements Pro- gram. Mr. Way said most of the school projects were covered at the last work session, with the exception of Burley School. Mr. Bain asked if the School staff provided more information on the last phase of the Burley project, as the Board requested. Mr. Agnor said "no"; the School Board will have the information ready by July 19, 1988, when the Board will hold a joint meeting with the School Board. Mr. Bowie said he has thought a lot about the School projects since the last work session. He said he is worried that once the Board announces the amount budgeted for a particular project, everybody will know the maximum amount that can be spent. In the case of the Burley project, the Board placed some of the money in a capital reserve fund. After the bids were in, he continued, the Board released the additional funds for the project. Instead of assigning the total amount needed to fund-the two new schools and the rest of the work at Stone Robinson and Meriwether Lewis, he thinks the Board should place some of the funding in a reserve account. This will give architects and builders an incentive to bid competitively, he said, instead of offering them a target to shoot for when they bid. Mr. Way and Mr. Lindstrom said they think Mr. Bowie's idea is a good one. Motion was offered by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Perkins to establish a general reserve for School projects in the Capital Improvements Program budget and that some portion of the money allocated to various School projects be moved to this reserve fund. ~ Mr. Lindstrom asked if Mr. Bowie intended that the reserve fund be used only for projects that are already in the five year program. Mr. Bowie said "yes". There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. (Note: This motion is amended later in the meeting.) Mr. Way said the Board still has to make a decision about the Burley project. Mr. Agnor said the project does not have to be included in the public hearing for this five year cycle. He said the Board can insert the project later after the School Board has provided the necessary information. Motion was offered by Mr. Bain and seconded by Mrs. Cooke to delete all funding for this project from the Capital Improvements Program until the Board receives and reviews the information it previously requested from the School Board. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: 378 July 6, 1988 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting) (Page 2) AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, MessrS. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. After some discussion among members of the Board, Mr. Lindstrom offered motion to amend Mr. Bowie's previous motion to set up a reserve fund for projects in general, not just Schools projects, after the Board has estimated the costs of all capital improvements projects and the revenues available. (This motion was clarified by another motion later in the meeting.) Mr. Bowie seconded the motion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Mr. Horne presented the list of requests for the 1988-93 CIP. As he began describing the projects listed under "Highways andTransportation - Street Lights", Mr. Lindstrom asked what kind of street lights would be used and said he objects to the orange, sodium vapor street lights. Mr. Cilimberg said the VDoT uses whatever street light meets its specifications. Mr. Agnor said he thinks the VDoT has stopped installing the street lights Mr. Lindstrom described, because of the public's reaction. Mr. Lindst~om asked if the staff could find out what kind of street lights would be used,~especially in the residential areas, and if the Board has any choice in thy matter. Mr. Horne moved on to the category "Highways and Transportation - Roads". He said the funding to relocate Route 678 has become complicated and there is a possibility that the VDoT may take over the entire fun~ing through the Secondary Roads budget. He said he will confirm this with Mr. Roosevelt before the public hearing. '~ The next item under this category is Peyton Drive, Mr. Home said. He said the VDoT has rejected this project for both secondary roads funding and revenue sharing, so the County will have to pay for the entire project. Mr. Bain asked if the project can be finished by June, 1989. ~ Mr. Horne said "yes". Mr. Home moved on to the Berkmar Drive Extended project. Mr. Bain asked how many lots the County will have to take in order to build this road. Mr. Home said the roadway will require the taking of two lots. The next item in the category of "Highways and Transportation Roads" is the connector between Avon Street and Route 20, Mr. Home said. Mr. Way said he supposes this project should be left in the CIP, but he feels the Board should do everything it can to persuade the VDoT to buildl an interchange at Interstate 64 and Avon Street. He said Senator Thomas Miehie has been ap- pointed to a committee that may influence this decision a~d he would like to confer with the Senator before the County starts spending~moneyl on this project, because if the interchange is built, the County ~will not need a connector road. Mr. Lindstrom asked when staff would begin to spend ~he $77,000 allocated to this project. Mr. Home said "soon". He said the staff can delay the project, if the Board wishes. Mr. Bain said he thinks th~ Board should do what it can to encourage the %rOoT to build the interchange, but he is not optimistic about the chances of this happening. He said ~e thinks the staff must begin designing the project. Mr. Horne said much of the $77,000 allocated to the ~roject in the first year would be spent on acquiring the right-of-way. If th~ VDoT builds the interchange, he said, the County could still use the right-of-way to build a two-lane connector road, instead of the four-lane connect~r road required by the %rOoT in the absence of an interchange. Mr. Bowie asked the staff to find out if the VDoT will allow the County to acquire the righ~!-of-way for a four-lane highway, but build only a two-lane highway at f~yst. Mr. Lindstrom asked if the County would be able to c~llect money from developers, after the highway is built and development be~mns, to offset the cost of the project. Mr. Home said the developer of the Millcrest property July 6, 1988 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting) (Page 3) 379 may donate the right-of-way, but he does not think the County should count on much help from developers, since the alignment of the highway will not greatly benefit the development community. Mr. Horne moved on to the next project, which is the section of the Meadow Creek Parkway north from Rio Road. He said the staff will report on estimates .for this project at the next Board meeting. Mr. Bain said he thought the project to improve the intersection at Route 729 and Route 250 had been moved forward in priority, yet he sees that this project will receive no funding until FY 1990-91. Mr. Horne said he will check with Mr. Roosevelt. Since the VDoT has approved this project and the Greenbrier project revenue sharing funds, Mr. Agnor said, work on both projects will probably be hastened. Mr. Horne said the VDoT must allocate the funds for the project within one year, but construction does not have to begin at that time. Mr. Bain asked if the County must show funds allocated to this project in the first year. Mr. Horne said he is not sure. Mr. Home then covered the "Libraries" category and moved on to the "Miscellaneous" category. Mr. Bain said he is concerned about the amount of money slated for the County Computer Upgrading. He said he thinks the Board should reconsider this expenditure, especially since some members of the Board complain about the money the Schools staff is spending on microcomputers. He said he wants to know what other jurisdictions are doing with computers before spending this much money. He said he is conderned that the County may be spending too much to develop software it could buy for less money from a software company. Mr. Lindstrom said he does not think th~ County should hire another consultant to examine how the County might b~st use its computers. He said he thinks two members of the Board should form a committee to examine this prob- lem. Such a committee could study what computers are doing for other juris- dictions and what specific benefits the County reaps from its computers. He said he wants to know if the County has experienced any savings in the operat- ing budget due to computers. Every time the staff asks for more money to buy new software or hardware to perform some function, Mr. Bowie said, helithinks they should answer one basic question: what happens if this function is not accomplished? Motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mrs. Cooke to appoint Messrs. Bowie and Bain to a committee of the iiBoard to examine the questions raised by the County computer upgrade. Mess~s. Bain and Bowie said they would be happy to serve on this Committee. Roll w~s called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Mr. Lindstrom moved that the Board leave the funding allocated for this project in FY 1988-89 and 1989-90, but direct that nothing be spent, except for ongoing programs; and delete the remaining amounts for the next three years of the CIP unless these expenditures are justified. Mr. Bowie seconded the motion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: NAYS: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. None. : Mr. Horne moved on to the next category, l"Parks and Recreation". Mr. Way said he understands there continues to be a problem acquiring land for the Southern Regional Park. He asked if this problem will be settled soon, so work can begin on the project this year. Mr.:Tucker said the planning of the park can proceed as scheduled and there is engugh money already allocated to begin building the park as well. ~ 380 July 6, 1988 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting) (Page 4) Mr. Lindstrom said he is concerned that the Planning Commission recom- mends deferring the construction of jogging trails along Whitewood Road for a year. He said there are a lot of people in this area and the project is not expensive. He said he thinks the Board should do what it can to provide more recreational space for the people who live in this area. Motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mr. Bowie to move the funding of $8,200 for the Whitewood Road Jogging Trail to FY 1988-89. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Mr. Lindstrom said the Board needs to know what the School Board intends to do with its Whitewood Road property. Mr. Horne said the Planning Commis- sion recommends that at least half of the property be reserved permanently fo~ recreational facilities and the rest could be used for School purposes. Mr. Lindstrom suggested that the School Board let the Board know what it plans to do with its property at the August joint meeting. He said this area is intensely populated and needs a recreational facility. Mr. Tucker said he would like to return for a moment to the discussion of the Southern Regional Park. He said the Board may wish to move some of the funding forward to FY 1988-89, which will help the work get underway more quickly in the Spring. ~ Motion was offered by Mr. Bain and seconded by Mr. Lindstrom to move $250,000 of the funding for the Southern Regional Park t9 FY 1988-89, leaving $445,000 to be spent in FY 1989-90. Roll was called andii!the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: NAYS: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. None. Mr. Agnor presented a memorandum, dated June 3, 1988, which outlines the revenues available for the CIP. He said that $6.531 million of the funding for the CIP would come from existing sources of revenue; $10.7 million from additional sources; and $20.619 million would come from borrowed funds. He said the amount needed to fund the CIP is $37.218 millionl. There is $37.850 available to fund the CIP, leaving a difference of $0.632 over what is needed. Mr. Agnor said there are other potential sources of'irevenue for the CIP. He said he estimates that a meals tax would generate $4.~95 million for the CIP; a split real estate tax, $9.400 million; and a spli~ personal property tax, $4.400 million. The revenues generated by these three options, when added to the $17.221 million from existing and additional sources, would total $35,226 million, or $3.923 million over what is needed to fund the CIP. Mr. Agnor said there are two other factors to be considered in a discus- sion of revenues for the CIP. Firstly, the staff has excluded the sale of fixed property as a possible source of revenue, since the. Board expressed the opinion that disposing of these properties (Greenwood, Scottsville and Rose Hill Schools and the Priddy Creek property) may not be good long-range plan- ning. Secondly, the State raised its limit on Literary Fund loans from $10 million to $15 million and its limit on each project from $2 million to $2.5 million. Mr. Agnor said it sometimes took a year for the!iCounty to be reim- bursed from Literary Funds, so it may be necessary to use local money to fund notes in anticipation of the Literary Fund loan. Mr. Agnor said there were minor adjustments to be mare to the CIP budget as a result of actions the Board has taken in the past tw~ work sessions. He said the Board has removed $6.3 million from the CIP, which~ leaves a CIP budget of around $25.5 million. Given the $17.231 millio~ available in revenues for the CIP, Mr. Agnor continued, the Board woul~ need about $8.7 million more to finance the CIP, $7.0 million of which co61d possibly be financed by Literary Fund loans. July 6, 1988 (Afternoon Adjourned Meeting) (Page 5) 381 Mr. Lindstrom said he thinks the Board removed some of these projects in order to study them better. If the projects are justified, they may be funded, so he does not think the Board should assume that only $25.5 million will be spent over the next five years. He said he does not think the County should take advantage of the split tax collection until it is faced with an emergency. He said he supports the meals tax because it taxes a luxury. He said he thinks a meals tax is an appropriate way to provide additional funds for the County's increasing need for capital improvements without forcing the County to resort to raising the real estate or personal property tax rates. He said any long-term borrowing will eventually force the County to raise its taxes, so he supports using the meals tax as a way to reduce the dependency of the County upon borrowed money. Mr. Bowie said he supports the meals tax because it would also apply to tourists and would reduce or eliminate the need for increasing the personal property and real estate taxes. Mr. Way asked Mr. Agnor what the Board would have to do to have the meals tax placed on the ballot for referendum in November. Mr. Agnor said the Board must notify the court by mid August in order to have the meals tax on the ballot in November. He said the Board must also hold a public hearing, which it can hold simultaneously with the CIP public hearing. Mr. Bain said he agrees with the comments made by Mr. Lindstrom and Mr. Bowie. Mr. Way said he also supports a meals tax. Mr. Agnor asked the members of the Board how much of the CIP budget they wished to set aside in the fund mentioned earlier in the meeting. Motion was offered by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Lindstrom to estab- lish a general contingency reserve of five percent of the budgeted amounts for FY 1989-90 and the years thereafter for all projects already in the five year budget for the CIP; and, to take the five percent directly from each line item in the budget. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, M~ssrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mr. Bain to set a public hearing for July 27, 1988, at 7:30 P.M. on the Capital Improvements Program and a four percent meals tax. Roll ~as called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Not Docketed: Executive Session Persohnel Matters and Property Acqui- sition. At 5:51 P.M., motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mr. Bain to move into executive session to discuss personnel matters and the acquisition of property. Roll was called andithe motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. The Board reconvened into open session at 7:29 P.M. Agenda Item No. 3. Adjourn. With no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was immediately adjourned, i i .... CI~IP~