DRAFT MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR THE TOWN OF STRASBURG, HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2006, AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE TOWN HALL.
Mayor Crisman opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation was given by Vice Mayor Taylor.
ROLL Called with the following members present: Mayor Tim Crisman, Vice Mayor Taylor, and Council Members Le Vine, Mauck, Nicholson, Rinker, Terndrup, Wallace, and Whittle.
Minutes were approved as submitted.
Mayor Crisman welcomed all in attendance and said all petitions and communications had been directed toward the appropriate committees. Council Member Le Vine had some comments on certain items of the communications given in the Council Packet. He said Staff had sent out information on “water usage;” starting this month, a graph has been added to help clarify this information. A letter had been included from Senator Mark Obenshain asking if the Town needed his assistance on any legislative matters; does the Town need to respond to this. Town Manager Fauber said he is not aware of anything needing Mr. Obenshain’s attention at this time. Also, there was a letter sent from the National Park Service asking about a representative to the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Advisory Commission. This representative is Council Member Mauck. The last item Council Member Le Vine discussed was a thank you letter from Strasburg Midget League Football. He read a portion of the letter: “We would like to thank you for letting the Midget League Football use the town’s portable light for night practices. We would also like to send a special thanks to Kevin Fauber for helping make it possible. Without community and business sponsorship our organization could not exist.” Council Member Le Vine said this is what small towns are about and Staff deserves credit when they do things nice.
Mayor Crisman thanked the Veterans in attendance at the meeting and also all the Veterans in Town for the service they have given to our Country. All Veterans in the audience were asked to stand. Mayor Crisman said the Christmas celebration in Town this year will honor Veterans and all others who help keep citizens safe --- fire, rescue, police, and military personnel; the theme is “Those Who Protect Us.” He added this year’s festivities will be hosted by Vice Mayor Taylor and family as he will be out of town that weekend.
Visitors and Guests:
Mayor Crisman said it has been a tradition that when Council Members are elected, Judge Dennis Hupp comes and gives a small ceremony recognizing those individuals. Judge Hupp then administered the Oath of Office to Council Members Le Vine, Mauck, Terndrup, and Whittle.
Resolutions of Appreciation were presented to Elizabeth Schillinger, Linda Wheeler, and Joy Wolf for their work on the Growth and Needs Survey.
Carla Wallen, representing Hometown Strasburg: Mrs. Wallen said the grant application has been submitted and it will probably be March of 2007 before the group hears anything about this. She added the group is busy, though, working on small projects until the grant money comes through. She encouraged all to join the group as it is a group working for the good of the Town. The group is open to having new members.
Citizen Comments:
Richard Seelbach, 133 E. King Street, Strasburg, VA: “I speak for myself only. As a new member to Strasburg, I’ve got to say this community has welcomed me tremendously; everybody has … especially the Police Department and especially the Chief. I have to say as a retired naval officer, the highest praise in the Navy is “a job well done.” From this old sailor to an old army buddy, ‘well done.’”
Town Officer’s Reports:
Town Attorney Neal: Said there would be a need for a brief closed session during the meeting.
Town Manager Fauber: Thanked the Council for allowing him and Vice Mayor Taylor attend the VML Conference. This was a good session and information will be given to appropriate individuals soon.
Town Manager Fauber said a draft of the agreement between the Town and the Hartman’s in Sandy Hook had been sent to Council. He did receive one comment back on language that should be included in the agreement. Paragraph 5 has been added to the agreement and reads:
“It is agreed by the parties that this agreement establishes no precedent for future actions
of the Town and is based solely on the particular circumstances recited in this
agreement.”
All other language in the agreement will remain the same.
Council Member Rinker moved to accept the agreement between the Town and the Hartman’s as forwarded to Council Members and amended; second by Council Member Le Vine. The motion passed unanimously.
Director of Finance Mullins: Office Staff is busy collecting taxes.
Director of Public Utilities Tewalt: Reported two recently hired operators, Dustin Hensell and Frank Rogers, at the Waste Water Treatment Plant had both just passed their State examination making all of the operators certified.
Director of Public Works Rhodes: Capon Road water line is progressing according to schedule. The Town Crew is in the middle of fall leaf pick-up and due to weather and holidays, this will be extended into the first part of December.
Chief of Police Robinson: A subject close to Chief Robinson is the students at Strasburg High School. He said the department is having a wonderful year at the school and the young people are finding it easier to come and talk to them; evidently something is going right. The kids at the high school are the future of our Town.
Mayor Crisman said a request had been made that new officers be introduced at Council meetings. If at all possible, Mayor Crisman would like all departments introduce new employees at Council meetings so Members can welcome them.
Town Planner Amos: Stated there was only one item before Council from the Planning Commission.
o ANX2006-01 Ralph Sine and Barbara McDonald, requesting that the Town annex 2.288 acres of property located at 401 Bowman Mill Road. Parcel Identification Numbers (PIN): 025((A)) 166 and 167.
Planner Amos said the property is located in-between Madison Heights and a piece of property that was annexed a few years ago. About two years ago, the Planning Commission brought up the idea of annexing this property because they thought the boundary line needed to be adjusted. However, it never came before Council for approval. Now the owners are asking that it be annexed. Currently there is one house on the property and it would be brought in as X-Transitional. Planner Amos would recommend future rezoning to R-2. The Planning Commission recommended approval due to the small size of the property and they believed it would clear up the boundary lines.
Citizen Comments:
Ralph Sine, Brook Creek Road, Toms Brook, VA: Mr. Sine said he just wanted to make sure there were no questions of him from Council. They just want to straighten up the boundary and have access to water and sewer. They have already given a right-of-way to 3-D Construction for a line through this property to adjoining property.
Council Member Mauck asked what the property across the road was zoned; Planner Amos said part of the land across is in the County, but the portion in Town is R-2 and the assisted living facility received a special use permit.
Council Member Taylor moved for approval of ANX2006-01 Ralph Sine and Barbara McDonald, requesting that the Town annex 2.288 acres; second by Council Member Wallace.
Discussion:
Council Member Le Vine said he realizes the Planning Commission supported this and he does not take this lightly and that the most houses that could be built would be six or eight, but when he ran for Council he promised no more annexations until Council assimilates what they have. He cannot support this on principal due to this.
Council Member Rinker said this property backs up to Madison Heights that is already in the Town and north and east is already in Town and he thinks it is good planning to bring it into Town so there is some control over what goes in there and when it happens. He agrees with the Planning Commission that it makes good sense to annex it in.
The question was called for by Council Member Rinker with a roll call vote. The results are as follows:
Le Vine No
Mauck Yes
Nicholson Yes
Taylor Yes
Rinker Yes
Terndrup Yes
Wallace Yes
Whittle Yes
Planner Amos thanked the ladies who did the Growth and Needs Survey. She also said the occupancy standards that may be discussed by Council Member Terndrup during the Ordinance Committee report will go to public hearing and she would like to hear feedback. Mayor Crisman said there are some issues with occupancy standards in Winchester and suggested Planner Amos look into this.
Council Member Mauck asked about the terms of the Planning Commission. She pointed out there are six members of the Planning Commission and there should be three re-appointed every three years. Currently there are two members who have terms ending this year and four members with terms ending in 2008. She wanted to know why the terms are like this. Planner Amos explained this happened when the Commission went from 10 members down to six and that the Personnel Committee could fix this.
Standing Committee Reports:
Public Safety: Vice Mayor Taylor reported the Police Department answered 740 calls during the month of October, resulting in 76 adult arrests and 4 juvenile arrests.
The Public Safety Committee met on Thursday, October 26 at 7 p.m. with all committee members present, along with representatives from the Public Safety departments and several citizens. They are looking at developing their own Emergency Action Plan. The sample plan they are using basically deals with pandemic situations, but they would like to expand it to include all possible emergency situations that need to be addressed. Tim Williams, the Shenandoah County Operations Sections Chief, has agreed to identify the types of emergency situations needing to be included. Vice Mayor Taylor is currently working on a rough draft of the plan and will send it out to all interested persons for review when finished. The major areas they are looking to address are:
1. Public education
2. Cross training of employees and volunteers so essential Town operations can continue in cases of emergencies.
3. Purchase of generators as needed.
4. Purchase of emergency kits in Town facilities as needed.
Members of the committee have set as a personal goal to be NIMS certified by February, 2008. Information will be shared with other Council Members to see if they are interested in becoming certified. In explaining NIMS, Vice Mayor Taylor said, “NIMS is the first ever standardized approach to incident management and response. It establishes a uniform set of processes and procedures that emergency responders at all levels of government will use to conduct response operations. The NIMS integrates effective practices in emergency response into a comprehensive national framework for incident management. The NIMS will enable responders at all levels to work together more effectively and efficiently to manage domestic incidents no matter what the cause, size, or complexity including catastrophic acts of terrorism and disasters. Federal agencies are also required to use the NIMS framework in the domestic incident management in support of state and local incident response and recovery activity.” All of this came about because of 9/11.
Personnel Committee: Council Member Whittle said the committee met on October 25 and November 9. Discussed at the meetings were the various openings on boards and interview were also conducted on October 25. The Planning Commission had two members with terms ending on December 31, 2006. Mr. Leon Smith has said he will continue on, but Mr. David Howard will be stepping down. On the ARB, Mrs. Ann Keller has agreed to serve another term if appointed and Council Member Le Vine and Mr. James Massey do no wish to serve in this capacity again. Mrs. Debbie Whittle will seek reappointment to the Recreation Advisory Board. The committee is seeking individuals to fill vacancies on the Planning Commission and the BZA. Council Member Whittle would like to have these filled by the December Council meeting.
The committee is also busy with the hiring of a Chief of Police. They have received feedback from citizens and officers and this information has been passed onto all members of Council. Applications were due on October 27 and 16 individuals applied. At the last meeting, the committee established interview procedures and it was decided Mayor Crisman would act as the moderator during interviews; Council Members will be allowed to follow-up with questions that are established. Between now and interviews, the committee will establish questions that will be asked of all interviewees. The next meeting will be on November 29.
Public Utilities: Council Member Nicholson said the committee met on October 30 with all committee members present and also in attendance were Town Manager Fauber, Director of Public Works Rhodes, Director of Public Utilities Tewalt, John Mahoney, Kim Bishop, Clark and Dorothy Miller, Pastor Jay Ahlemann, Steve Jennings, and David Bushman.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller expressed concerns about the sidewalk on Queen Street. Mr. Rhodes said the sidewalk will be replaced and he will notify the Miller’s before work begins. The water meter was moved from the driveway because of policy and the drainage is being monitored at the property.
Mrs. Bishop and Mr. Mahoney appeared to discuss water billing during summer months when lawns are watered and they are charged for the sewer usage. Mr. Tewalt will question other jurisdictions to see how this is handled by them and will report his findings to the committee.
Paster Ahlemann, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Bushman were representing the Church of the Valley and they would like to have water service at the proposed church. They were told the committee does not feel this is a good option at the present time, but they would like to at least be able to hook on for a fire suppression system; this was recommended by the Fire Marshal. Committee members were concerned about this setting a precedent so Town Manager Fauber was to discuss this with Town Attorney Neal.
The water plant project is ongoing and it is hoped bids can be put out on this by spring, 2007. With the waste water treatment plant, the DEQ has a revised PER and they are hoping this will soon be reviewed.
Council Member Nicholson asked that Mr. Tewalt congratulate the two waste water operators on their passing of the State exam.
Recreational Advisory Committee: The Committee met on October 24, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. Present: Council Member Sarah Mauck (Chairman), Council Member Whittle, and Advisory Members Lisa Floryancic, Debbie Whittle, Mike Whittle, and Sally Yates.
The meeting opened with Chairman Mauck discussing an overview of the “Vision Plan” that is currently in progress. Recreation and other activities for youth, adult and senior citizens seem to be an important item on the list of “what could Strasburg improve upon.” Members were asked what they feel we have available and what they would like to see added. Members agreed our Town Park has the most beautiful setting and is one of the first places to concentrate on improvements.
Improvements suggested:
Upgrade pool
Fix playground pieces in disrepair
Introduce an “outdoor concert series” at the Park
Add to water aerobics (additional advertising)
Fix tennis courts
Have river floats available
Utilize Wayside Theatre and Strasburg’s Theatre for entertainment and classes
Make use of County Parks and Rec (if we have a place, they will come)
Each member was assigned an area to gather information on activities already in place in and around Strasburg (i.e. County Parks and Rec, school sports, other sports, church groups, theatre programs, pool and park facilities, etc.). The committee will begin to inventory this information at the next meeting. It is the group’s intention to have a directory available.
Goals of the Committee are:
1. work in partnership with private and government sponsored programs
2. have a recommendation for specific projects in our Town in time for Budget Committee’s review
3. compile a list of our long range needs for the Comprehensive Plan committee.
Council Member Mauck read a letter from the Shentel Foundation telling about a $500 donation to be used for recreation.
Finance Committee: Council Member Le Vine said the committee met on November 7 with him, Town Manager Fauber, Director of Finance Mullins, and Director of Public Works Rhodes in attendance.
Council Member Le Vine stated the Town makes an effort to collect taxes from all --- non-payments are turned over to the State and a lien is put on any refund from taxes an individual may receive. In the future, the Town will “join forces” with DMV and a person would not be allowed to renew or receive vehicle registrations if taxes are owed. But, regardless, after five years the State of Virginia requires the Town abate whatever is not collected.
Council Member Le Vine moved to abate $2,522. 29 from the year 2000; second by Vice Mayor Taylor. The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote with the following results:
Le Vine Yes
Mauck Yes
Nicholson Yes
Taylor Yes
Rinker Yes
Terndrup Yes
Wallace Yes
Whittle Yes
For informational purposes, Council Member Le Vine said the County is considering eliminating decals. The $25 fee would be added to the personal property bills in June. The revenue would still be gotten by the Town and non-payment would be enforced by DMV.
Also at the meeting, Mr. Rhodes discussed the streets portion of the budget. The committee is still trying to find a way to present this information to Council and citizens. Director of Public Utilities Tewalt will come next month to discuss the financial aspects of his department.
Council Member Le Vine said a representative from the County will be invited to the next meeting to discuss the issue of the Transient Occupancy Tax. Two main issues the Town has with this are:
Council Member Le Vine ended his report with a PowerPoint presentation on where the Town’s revenue comes from.
Ordinance Committee: Council Member Terndrup reported the committee met on November 1 at 7 p.m., with the following present: Planner Amos, Vice Mayor Taylor, and Council Member Terndrup (Chairman).
The committee recommends Council approval for the following ordinance revisions:
o 3-14.10 Site plan requirements
o 2-5.6 Frontage regulations
o 3-10.1 Townhouses
o 3-6.1 General parking requirements
Vice Mayor Taylor moved for the approval of the ordinance revisions as stated by Council Member Terndrup; second by Council Member Whittle.
Discussion:
Council Member Le Vine asked what specifically “setback” means --- is that from VDOT right-of-ways or property lines, or what. Council Member Rinker said a setback is usually established at the VDOT right-of-way line, unless otherwise stated. Planner Amos said the setback is actually measured from the property line. She explained the change is only changing the width at the street to prevent odd lots.
Council Member Le Vine said 3-14.10 says the proposed change says no clearing, grubbing, grading until it has been submitted and approved and he is wondering if who actually approves it is well defined. Council Member Terndrup read the actual change as the wording given in packets was incorrect. 3-14.10 should read:
“Site plan prerequisite to commencing development: No clearing, grubbing grading of the site or construction of infrastructure shall commence unless a site development plan has been submitted and approved by the Planning Commission.”
He continued by saying the change was the adding of “by the Planning Commission.”
Council Member Le Vine also questioned a portion of the proposed cul-de-sac revision, but Council Member Terndrup said the cul-de-sac issue will not be considered tonight.
The motion passed unanimously.
Council Member Terndrup continued with his report and said the committee will seek public comment regarding a proposed occupancy standards ordinance and a revision to the cul-de-sac ordinance during the November Public Hearing. Comments regarding the cul-de-sac revision will be shared with the Streets Committee and the Planning Commission. The committee will seek public comment on a proposed ordinance to regulate construction site debris in December. The committee will examine the integration of traditional neighborhood design elements into out planned development ordinances at our next meeting. Public comment is welcomed at all committee meetings. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Building and Grounds Committee: Did not meet
Streets Committee: Council Member Rinker said the committee met with all members present. Mr. Crossman, a resident of Stony Pointe, addressed the committee about the extension of a sidewalk to Stony Pointe. Director of Public Works Rhodes will look into this and give estimates of cost. Mr. Crossman also suggested extending the sidewalk to the Park, but the committee does not feel they are ready to do this. Also discussed was Queen Street --- the extension of Queen Street and the improvements to Queen Street. It was decided to work on the east end of Queen Street to Massanutten Street next. The drainage problem at the Clark Miller property was discussed and the committee was told Mr. Rhodes is looking into this.
Special Committee Reports:
Shenandoah Telephone Advisory: Council Member Wallace said she has not received any information from Shentel telling when the Advisory will meet.
Strasburg Heritage Society: Council Member Whittle said the Society’s “big event” is December 2 when they will host the “2006 Strasburg Holiday Heritage Homes Tour” from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at various locations throughout Town.
Chamber of Commerce:
The Strasburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors met this morning, November 14, 2006, at the organization’s new facilities. The new office offers a spacious room that will be divided to accommodate storage, meeting and office personnel space, and also a location for printed brochures, etc. A wish list will be forthcoming for various office items still needed such as brochure racks. Clay Arthur, president of the Chamber, reported First Bank had given a check in the amount of $1,400.00 to pay for the rent on the property through December. First Bank also donated the office furniture that is in place.
Discussed at the meeting was the liability insurance for the Chamber, a fundraising idea that will be reported more on in December, and moving the bank accounts to Marathon Bank. Also, Debbie Ritenour is working on filling a slate of officers for the coming year.
The Chamber received a request from the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce to use its facilities to conduct workforce seminars in regards to getting and retaining disabled workers. Hampton Roads has received a grant for this project and the Strasburg Board approved the use of their facilities.
Mr. Arthur said Megan Beauchamp will be “up and running” by the December meeting. Ms. Beauchamp is the person who will be heading up Mayfest for next year.
Christmas plans are going great. Local churches, the Strasburg Community Library, and the Strasburg Theatre will be helping with activities for children. Flyers will be sent to local businesses encouraging them to take part in the Business Open House. All Towns in the County are using the first weekend as their celebration and Shentel will be featuring an ad on their local station. Clay will be meeting with Susie Hill, the County’s Director of Tourism, today in regards to this.
It was reported that Janna Howard has resigned as chairman of the Tourism Committee. As this is a Town committee, Council Member Whittle will talk to Clay about this.
Vision Committee: Council Member Le Vine said the group has met twice since the last Council meeting. The goal is to have a “vision statement,” but included with this statement will be five or six steps to help obtain the “vision.” The next meeting will be on November 21 and it was decided the meetings would have a 90 minute time limit. Council Member Le Vine said a suggestion from the committee was to have a link on the Town website where people could write to for information or to voice complaints. The website already includes this under “Contact Us” and is utilized by citizens.
Old Business and Unfinished Business:
Vice Mayor Taylor reminded citizens and Council of the DVD, “Road Trip to History: Strasburg, VA” which is on sale now at the Town Office for $19.95. It is a great show. He would like Mrs. Gloria Stickley, coordinator of this project, be invited to a future Council meeting to receive a Resolution of Appreciation for all of her hard work. There is a possibility there will be a sequel to this DVD. Also, the Strasburg Museum might do a presentation on pottery.
Council Code of Conduct and Ethics – Mayor Crisman said the Council has been working on this for some time and now there are some reservations about this and that it still needs work.
Council Member Le Vine said he has heard about the reservations on this, but has very strong feelings on this. He thinks we are ready to vote on this, but voting on this if everyone is not ready will not do any good. He is willing to defer his comments until the next meeting if he can be assured it will be voted on in December. He said it must be voted on in December
Council Member Rinker thinks Mr. Le Vine’s comments should be heard tonight as he thinks the citizenry should hear what the views are. Council Member Rinker said he has problems as he was elected as an individual and each time he has been elected he goes to the Shenandoah County Court House and he swears he will uphold the laws, etc. of this Town. His reasoning behind not signing this at this time is not because of two members of Council leaving a meeting, but that if the citizenry cannot take the pledge he made as his best ability to conduct himself in a gentlemanly manner, then he is not in favor of “passing rules, edicts, and regulations in order to satisfy others on Council or anyone else.” He said if wants to oppose this, then he should have the right to do so., but he does not think he can support this as written now.
Vice Mayor Taylor said he initiated this Code and communication was the main reason for coming up with this. The goal was to come up with a consensus and then vote on a Code of Conduct. But, he said sometimes the process is as beneficial as the outcome and he thinks the process the Council has been through has brought them a long way. He thought that in good faith Council would sign this, but it has turned out to be a bigger item than he thought it would be. He sees no problem with re-stating the oath yearly, not just every four years. He is fine with the document now, but would be willing to wait. He did suggest or ask that those who have concerns with this as it is now, to please take the lead and “take the ball and run with it.” He is open to changes, but would like someone else spearhead this.
Council Member Nicholson said he agrees with Council Member Rinker and feels this document “has been rammed down our throats pretty quickly and right now I would be opposed to it.”
Council Member Le Vine said he has a different view of this and agrees with Council Member Rinker. All know there have been tensions on the Council and all nine of us have made mistakes since being on the Council and it is embarrassing to make and admit mistakes. We all learn from mistakes and try to become better people from them. His would simply like to put aside the tensions of the past and start anew. His view is to essentially do what Council Member Rinker said and he wants to find a way to get past tensions on the Council and tackle other issues that face the Town. He is not looking for a detailed process or even a two page document, but the essence is basically the oath Judge Hupp gave to them tonight. We need to make a declaration to re-affirm our oath of office. In doing so, we are admitting mistakes have been made and we are trying to start anew. Need to have a symbolic way to make the break and the Code of Conduct is that symbol with each member of Council saying we will do the best we can. He also feels the citizens will judge us on how we handle this.
Council Member Wallace said she does not know why Council is belaboring this; why can’t the vote be taken and be done with it. She was ready to vote, but a motion was not on the floor.
Council Member Le Vine said he, too, was ready to vote and wanted to move on. He doesn’t want to discuss the past; he wants to move forward.
Council Member Terndrup said Council came together for an all day worksession and then followed that up with subsequent meetings because an issue was being addressed that needed to be addressed. Vice Mayor Taylor worked on this and we all agreed on this. He thinks at this point, Council needs to go forward. “If you are going to sit here and sign it, fine; if you’re not, fine, but let’s just make our decision and move on.” We have a document, and “every single person here agreed to the wording in the document and if people want to change their mind, that’s fine, but if you’re ready to put your signature on the paper, let’s do so. But, we really need to put this behind us.”
Council Member Nicholson said he has never agreed to anything in the Code of Ethics and he was unable to be at the meetings when this was discussed.
Council Member Rinker said he has not seen the latest version as he has had eye surgery and has been trying to “play catch up.” He did attend the earlier meetings on this and agreed with most of it with the exception of some of the wording of taking a sworn oath instead of a signature oath. There were only a few things he did not like, but he has not gotten the updated version of this so he is not ready to make any decision at this time.
Council Member Le Vine said he is willing to compromise and wait until December, but he will vote tonight if that is the feeling of the Council. But, if it is not voted on tonight, it will be voted on in December, “either up or down.”
Mayor Crisman offered this, “What you are talking about here tonight is something that is very important and will carry on for a very long time in this Town. It should be correct and if there is this much discussion on it at this time, I’d say it’s not the proper time to vote just because of the amount of discussion back and forth on it. I have some questions and I think you should consider also that what this resolution does is that it doesn’t require, but it asks someone to take a sworn oath; that’s pretty heavy in my book. There is nothing in this document that I don’t agree with, that I wouldn’t voluntarily do, that I don’t expect from a public official, nothing, but just the fact that by a vote, you are asking a fellow Council Member to swear an oath and to me that is a very heavy subject. If there is any debate at all about it, I would rather find a compromise that everyone can accept and agree upon. I think that is the way it ought to be handled. I, too, want this over.” Most of the comments he has heard is that people want to put this behind, and by not voting tonight, Council isn’t doing that, but he thinks Council needs to make sure it is right.
Vice Mayor Taylor said the wording of publicly voicing was stricken and now it is just a signature. Ones who have issues need to make sure they are brought up so they can be taken care of. But, he added, we will be done with this in December and asked that somebody please take the lead.
Council Member Whittle thanked Mr. Taylor for the work he has done on it, but he is comfortable with it so he won’t take the lead.
Council Member Le Vine added, “I will make a motion at the December meeting, unless somebody does it first, but I intend to make a motion that the Strasburg Code of Conduct and Ethics be passed at the December meeting. I will bring that motion up, if seconded, we will vote on it. It will be voted up or down and I believe I have someone on this Council who will second that motion and so it will be voted on in the December meeting.” If people have problems with it, it should be worked out so everyone is ready to vote.
Council Member Mauck said she thinks all the issues she brought up have been addressed and she is willing to work with Vice Mayor Taylor and communicate with the other Council Members so they can vote in December.
Council Member Rinker thinks there should be a meeting on this one last time. Vice Mayor Taylor would like to have all comments by next Tuesday. He said he and Council Member Mauck will take the comments and look at what we have and then communicate and see if a meeting is necessary.
Mayor Crisman said that many Council Members feel the document we have is fine; if dissatisfied, contact Vice Mayor Taylor so this can progress further and be done.
New Business:
Council Member Le Vine said several people have commented they don’t know until it is too late when issues important to the Town are brought up. An example is the rezoning in the Golden Triangle. This is a piece of property that will have tremendous influence on the Town of Strasburg so if you want to have input, do so now.
Council Member Le Vine said at the first Worksession, the issue came up about putting a sign up announcing meetings. This has been brought before the ARB and it has been decided to contact Hometown Strasburg and see if there is a way of combining a sign for the meetings with a community sign.
Council Member Nicholson thanked Mayor Crisman and Vice Mayor Taylor for having the parade honoring the Veterans.
Council Member Rinker said he is not sure how many have been tracking cell towers, but this issue will be coming up before the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors on November 28. He encouraged any person who has any interest in the history of this area to attend the meeting or contact Conrad Helsley or Dennis Morris about this. John Riley and his wife are proposing a cell tower on their property. This is in view of Junction Hill. The Planning Commission has voiced a no vote on this.
Committee Meeting Dates as Follows:
COMMITTEE DATE TIME
Public Safety Committee No meeting scheduled; information will be sent to members via email Personnel Committee Wednesday, Nov. 29 7:30 p.m.
Utilities Committee Monday, Dec. 11, if needed 7:30 p.m.
Recreation Committee Tuesday, Nov. 21 6:00 p.m.
Finance Committee Tuesday, Dec. 5 7:00 p.m.
Ordinance Committee Wednesday, Dec. 6 7:00 p.m.
Streets Committee Monday, Dec. 4 7:30 p.m.
Buildings and Grounds Committee TBA
Vision Committee Tuesday, Nov. 21 7:00 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 6 7:00 p.m.
Closed Session
Council Member moved that the Strasburg Town Council go into Closed Session for (1) Pursuant to Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3711.A.1, pertaining to prospective appointments to Town positions and discussion of candidates for employment, and (2) pursuant to Code section 2.2-3711.A.7, to consult with legal counsel pertaining to the suit brought by Voices of Strasburg; second by Vice Mayor Taylor. The motion passed unanimously.
Adjourned to Closed Session at 9:27 p.m.
Out of Closed session at 9:59
Mayor Crisman said, “The Council of the Town of Strasburg hereby certifies by Roll Call vote that to the best of each member’s knowledge (1)only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia Law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification resolution applies and (2)only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed or considered by the Council of the Town of Strasburg.” He continued by saying each member should respond “I so certify” by Roll Call vote and the following responses were recorded:
Council Member Le Vine “I so certify”
Council Member Mauck “I so certify”
Council Member Nicholson “I so certify”
Vice Mayor Taylor “I so certify”
Council Member Rinker “I so certify”
Council Member Terndrup “I so certify”
Council Member Wallace “I so certify”
Council Member Whittle “I so certify”
Mayor Crisman “I so certify”
Council Member Whittle moved for Ann Keller be re-appointed to the ARB for a 3 year term, beginning January 1, 2007; second by Council Member Le Vine. Passed unanimously.
Council Member Whittle moved for Richard Seelbach be appointed to the ARB for a 3 year term, beginning January 1, 2007; second by Council Member Le Vine. Passed unanimously.
Vice Mayor Taylor moved for Lisa Floryancic be appointed to the ARB for a 3 year term, beginning January 1, 2007; second by Council Member Le Vine. Passed unanimously.
Council Member Whittle moved for the appointment of Mr. Leon Smith to the Planning Commission for a 4 year term, beginning January 1, 2007; second by Council Member Le Vine. Passed with a vote of 6 in favor, 2 against.
Council Member Mauck moved for the re-appointment of Debbie Whittle to the Recreation Advisory for a 4 year term, beginning January 1, 2007; second by Council Member Wallace. Motion passed unanimously.
Discussion:
Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:04 p.m.