December 8, 2015

MINUTES OF THE BROOKNEAL TOWN COUNCIL

7:00 PM – The regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council

The municipal government of the Town of Brookneal met with the following members present:

Phyllis Campbell, Mayor

James Nowlin, Vice Mayor

Mark Wilkes, Robert Jean, Barbara Laprade, and Joseph B. David, Jr., Council Members 

Russell Thurston, Town Manager

Bobbie Waller, Clerk/Treasurer

Mike Crews, Public Works Director

Richard Baldwin, Police Officer

Absent:  Richard Adams, Council Member

INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Joseph B. David, Jr., and unanimously carried, Council approved the agenda for the December 8, 2015, regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council.

MINUTES

Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Joseph B. David, Jr., and unanimously carried, Council approved the minutes for the October 13, 2015 and November 10, 2015, Town Council meetings.   

TREASURER’S REPORT

Mayor Campbell asked that the November and December 2015 treasurers’ reports be filed for audit. 

PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF INVOICES

Be it resolved that motion was made by James Nowlin, seconded by Mark Wilkes, and unanimously carried, authorizing the payment of the invoices for the period of October 14, 2015 to December 8, 2015, in the amount of $20,730.10.

POLICE REPORT

Police Chief Richard Baldwin presented the police report for November 2015.  He said there were 58 calls for service in November of which 42 were answered by the Brookneal Police Department and 16 were answered by Campbell County Sheriff’s Office.  He said there has been some counterfeiting going on in Town.  He said that he and Officer Mason recovered some counterfeiting equipment and paper in a stop that occurred due to a tip he received.  He said there were 3 individuals in the vehicle stop he made, and one of them ran from the scene.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT

Public Works Director Mike Crews said that DEQ was going to require the Town to start testing for PCBs from the outfall in the Staunton River lagoon.  He said the lab the Town uses (Willoughby Associates in Forest) told him that the testing could be quite expensive depending on the type of testing required.  He said the testing is going to be $1200 per test, and the Town is required to do the test 2 times a year.  He said that the authorities already know that the river is contaminated, the flow goes downstream, and the contamination is already is there.  He said that he and Mr. Thurston are going to ask DEQ to come down and explain to the Council why they feel these unnecessary monies need to be spent.  Mr. Crews said that Town Maintenance employee Darren Massey’s last day with the town was December 4, 2015.  He has moved to the Harrisonburg area. He said he is advertising for a replacement, but he has yet to receive an application. 

TOWN MANAGER REPORT

Town Manager Russell Thurston said that he talked to VDOT about Cook Avenue.  He said that VDOT was going to do some work on Cook Avenue in 2015, but there was a major logging operation taking place down there this year, and they were not going to do the work while that was ongoing.  He said hopefully they can complete this work in the spring/summer of 2016.  Mr. Thurston said that Centra Health came by and met with him and Mayor Campbell a couple of weeks ago, and he said they are actively recruiting for a physician for the Brookneal Medical Center. 

Mr. Thurston said that the countertops in the kitchen at the community building were completed the week before Thanksgiving.       

COMMUNITY BUILDING REQUEST FROM BROOKNEAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Brookneal Elementary School is requesting use of the community building on January 30, 2016 from 5-7 p.m. for a father/daughter dance.  Upon motion by Mark Wilkes, seconded by Barbara Laprade, and unanimously carried, the Council voted to allow the Brookneal Elementary School to use the community building on January 30, 2016 at no charge. 

CHRISTMAS BONUS FOR TOWN EMPLOYEES 

Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Joseph B. David, Jr., and unanimously carried, the Council voted to give a Christmas bonus to the Town employees as outlined in the Council packet and allowed for in the budget to be $250.00 net.

REQUEST FOR TRANSFERS OF APPROPRIATION

Upon motion by Mark Wilkes, seconded by Joseph B. David, Jr., and unanimously carried, the Council voted to approve the following transfers of appropriation:

REQUEST FOR TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATION

To:            Brookneal Town Council

Date:            December 8, 2015

The following Appropriation Transfer is requested for FY2016:

Category---Expense                                                INCREASE      New Total        Balance in Account

Recr.—Repairs & Maint.--01-7104-5407                          $3,800.00      $  5,600.00            $      498.65

Category—Revenue                                                INCREASE      New Total        Balance in Account

Sale of Salvage—01-1899-0600                                      $3,800.00      $  3,800.00                     N/A

To cover the invoice for St. John Tree Service to remove and prune trees at the community building. 

Respectfully requested by:

_________________________________                        __________________________________

Treasurer                                                                                    Date

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

There were no committee recommendations.

ITEMS FROM TOWN COUNCIL

Vice Mayor Nowlin reminded Council of a black history program at 246 The Main on February 13, 2016.  He said admission will be $5.00 and proceeds will go to benefit the Brooke Street park fund. 

ADJOURNMENT

Having no further business to discuss, Mayor Campbell announced the meeting was adjourned.

___________________________                        ____________________________

Bobbie A. Waller                                                Phyllis L. Campbell

Clerk/Treasurer                                                Mayor