November 8, 2005
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
Meg Tibbs, Tracy Meisenbach, Richard Adams, and Stacey Hailey, Council Members
Bill Gillespie, Town Manager
Bobbie Waller, Acting Clerk/Treasurer
Mike Crews, Public Works Director
Ricky Cousins, Police Chief
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Upon motion by Meg Tibbs, seconded by Stacey Hailey and unanimously carried, Council approved the agenda for the November 8, 2005, regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council with the following additions: 1) Resolution for Spring Hill Baptist Church 2) Invoices for Draper Aden and Frazier and Associates 3) Christmas bonuses for Town employees and 4) Approval of Committee Meeting Minutes from August and September and the following deletions: Item 11—Policy for Use/Rental of Community Building and Park, Item 12—Personal Property Tax Relief, and Item 13—Police Standard Operating Procedures
MINUTES
Upon motion by Richard Adams, seconded by James Nowlin and unanimously carried, Council approved the October 11, 2005 minutes.
PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED WATER RATE INCREASES
Mayor Phyllis Campbell opened the public hearing at 7:04 p.m. Paul Francis of 103 East Forest Street appeared before Council for the public hearing. Mr. Francis stated he was all for water system improvements, anything for a better quality product is good. He said he did not mind paying his fair share, but he felt like the average family is going to be footing the majority of the cost. He asked why the minimum is being lowered from 4000 to 2000 gallons. He said that he does not believe the average family can work with 2000 gallons. He also asked why we couldn’t keep the 4000 gallon limit instead of lowering it to 2000. He said he believed that even with good conservation practices, the average family could not control their water usage and protect their hard earned assets. He said that in relation to inflation, salaries are in depreciation. He asked that we be allowed to keep the 4000 gallon limit. Town Manager Gillespie addressed his concerns. He stated that there was a substantial number of customers that were at or below that 2000 gallon minimum, and they were mostly the elderly. He did not want to impact the elderly so much since they were on a fixed income. He said that what was driving the rates up and lowering the 4000 gallon minimum was the USDA requiring the town to maintain an $85,000 a year reserve fund which the town has never done to cover future costs. They are also requiring the town to maintain $10,000 a year in an operating reserve. The town is also having to borrow $860,000 to match the $5,000,000 from USDA. That money has to be paid back. Mr. Francis said he thought it would be fair for everyone to pay the same price.
Mr. Jack Carwile of Adams Ferry Road asked about the reserve amounts. Mr. Carwile stated that he was perfectly happy with the improvements being made in the water system. He said he agreed with Mr. Francis, and that he would like to keep the 4000 minimum also.
Ms. Philippa Rollins of Adams Ferry Road congratulated the town on the grants that they had received. She asked if there was a breakdown or ratio on what the average consumption of a household is in Brookneal. She feels that if the public could see this, they might better understand the increases. Paul Francis brought up that there was a chart of this information in the September 22, 2005 Union Star. Town Manager Gillespie stated that the town could put together something similar to what was in the Union Star and include it in the water bills.
Since no one else appeared before Council, Mayor Campbell closed the public hearing at 7:19 p.m.
TREASURER’S REPORT
The October 2005 Treasurer’s report was filed for audit.
PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF INVOICES
Be it resolved that motion was made by James Nowlin, seconded by Meg Tibbs and unanimously carried, authorizing the payment of the invoices for the period of October 12, 2005 to November 7, 2005 in the amount of $17,517.29.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No one appeared before Council for public comment.
POLICE REPORT
Chief Cousins showed the four laptops and four GPS systems that have been received by the police department from a Homeland Security Grant. He is also supposed to be receiving vests from this grant also. He also announced that another grant for $29,500 is going to be received from Homeland Security. There is a specific list of items that can be purchased with this grant including a four wheeler, a trailer, a generator, and tents for a command post, lights and radios. They are currently getting their list together of things the department needs. He told Council that Officer Hamlett would be graduating form the CVCJA on December 14, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. Anyone interested in going should let him know as soon as possible.
Chief Cousins also talked about the need for a crosswalk at the Brookneal Elementary School. He also distributed the arrest/crime statistics for the Brookneal PD for the year 2005.
PUBLIC WORKS REPORT
Mike Crews announced that Gerald Millner has been hired for the Maintenance Shop effective November 1, 2005 to replace the vacancy left by the retirement of Richard Broggins. He told Council that work would begin on re-working the pump stations in the next week. He announced that because of the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 24, 2005, trash that is normally picked up that day would be picked up on Wednesday, November 23, 2005.
WATER PLANNING GRANT
Mike Crews told the Council about the $25,000 water planning grant that the town has received for an engineer to evaluate the overall operations of the water treatment plant. The following is the context of the grant:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
DRINKING WATER PLANNING GRANT AGREEMENT
DRINKING WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND PROGRAM
VDH Grant Number: PG-66466-137-05
This agreement entered into this 8th day of November, 2005 by the Town of Brookneal, a community waterworks owner, herein after called the “Grantee” and the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Department of Health, herein after called the “Department”.
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendment of 1996 (P>L> 104-182) referred to as SDWA, established a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program of which the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 66.468. DWSRF Program funds are awarded annually to eligible states through a capitalization grant. Using DWSRF Program funds, the Department created an activity to provide planning grants to small, rural, financially stressed, community waterworks. The Grantee is considered a subrecipient of the DWSRF Program and is subject to the audit requirement of OMB Circular A-133.
WITNESSETH that the Grantee and the Department, in consideration of the mutual covenants, promises and agreements herein contained, agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
- The capitalized terms contained in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth below unless the context requires otherwise:
(a.) “Activity means Project Activity which constitutes a specific portion of the project, and as such is covered by its own budget account.
(b.) “Agreement” means this Grant Agreement between the Department and the Grantee, together with any amendments or supplements hereto.
(c.) “Authorized Representative” means any member, official or employee of the Grantee authorized by resolutions, ordinance or other official act of the governing body of the Grantee to perform the act or sign the document in question.
(d.) “Consulting Engineer” means the Grantee’s engineer who must be a licensed professional engineer registered to do business in Virginia and designated by the Grantee as the Grantee’s engineer for the Project in a written notice to the Department.
(e.) “Director” means the Director of the Office of Purchasing and General Services of the Department,
(f.) “Grant” means the particular grant described in this Agreement, with such changes thereto as may be approved in writing by the Department and the Grantee.
(g.) “Grantee” means the entity which is the recipient of Planning Grant funds and as such must comply with this Agreement.
(h.) “Preliminary Engineering Report” means an engineering report for the Project as described in 12 VA 5-590-200.C.
(i.) “Project” means the particular scope of work described in Exhibit A to this Agreement.
(j.) “Project Budget” means the budget for the Project as set forth in Exhibit B to this Agreement, with such changes therein as may be approved in writing by the Department and the Grantee.
(k.) “Project Costs” means the cost of various Project Activities described in the Project Budget.
ARTICLE II
SCOPE OF PROJECT
- The Grantee will cause the Project to be completed as described in Exhibit A to this Agreement.
ARTICLE III
SCHEDULE
- The Grantee will cause the Project to be completed in accordance with the schedule in Exhibit C to this Agreement.
ARTICLE IV
COMPENSATION
4.0 Grant Amount. The total grant award from the Department under this Agreement shall not exceed $25,000. Disbursement of the Grant will be in accordance with the payment provisions set forth in Section 4.1 herein and the Project Budget
4.1 Application of Grant Funds. The Grantee agrees to apply the Grant solely and exclusively to the payment, or the reimbursement of the Grantee for the payment of Project costs. The Department will disburse the Grant to the Grantee at the completion of the project (unless otherwise agreed by the Department and the Grantee) upon receipt by the Department of the following:
(a.) A requisition approved by the Department, signed by the Authorized Representative and containing all receipts, vouchers, statements, invoices or other evidence of the actual payment of Project Costs or that the Projects Costs have been incurred, and all other information called for by, and otherwise being in the form of, Exhibit D to this Agreement.
(b.) If any requisition includes an item for payment for labor or to contractors, builders or materialmen, a certificate, signed by the Consulting Engineer, stating that such work was actually performed or such materials, supplies or equipment were actually furnished or installed in or about the construction of the Project.
4.2 Availability of Funds. The Department may terminate this Agreement
for convenience in the event that the federal funds allocated are
no longer available.
4.3 Agreement to Complete Project. The Grantee agrees to cause the Project
to be completed as described in Exhibit A to this Agreement, and in
accordance with the schedule in Exhibit C to this Agreement.
When the Project has been completed, the Grantee shall promptly deliver to the
Department a certificate signed by the Authorized Representative and by the Consulting Engineer stating (i.) that the Project has been completed substantially in accordance with agreement; (ii) the date of such completion; and (iii) the amount to be released for payment of the final Project Costs.
ARTICLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS
5.0 Disclaimer. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as authority for either party to make commitments which will bind the other party beyond the covenants contained herein.
Be it therefore resolved that upon motion by James Nowlin seconded by Meg Tibbs and unanimously carried with the following vote:
Richard Adams Aye
Meg Tibbs Aye
Stacey Hailey Aye
James Nowlin Aye
Tracy Meisenbach Aye
Council passed the resolution for the Town of Brookneal to enter into the grant agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health.
TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Upon motion made by Richard Adams, seconded by James Nowlin, and unanimously carried, Council voted to make the following corrections to the budget:
General Fund
Category ADD New Total
Police-Uniforms 01-3101-5410 $481.80 $756.67
DELETE New Total
Police-Supplies 01-3101-5401 $481.80 $2254.50
To cover expense of invoices received for uniforms and patches.
APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION FOR RICHARD BROGGINS AND ROLL CALL VOTE FOR RESOLUTION ON THE NIMS
There was an oversight at the October 11, 2005 Council meeting in that Council failed to vote to adopt the resolution for Richard Broggins and do a roll call vote. Upon motion by Meg Tibbs, seconded by James Nowlin, and with the following verbal vote, Council adopted the resolution honoring Richard Broggins.
Tracy Meisenbach Aye
James Nowlin Aye
Stacey Hailey Aye
Meg Tibbs Aye
Richard Adams Aye
Council also failed to do a roll call vote on the resolution at the October 11, 2005 meeting for the NIMS (National Incident Management System). The following is that roll call vote:
Richard Adams Aye
Meg Tibbs Aye
Stacey Hailey Aye
James Nowlin Aye
Tracy Meisenbach Aye
RESOLUTION FOR SPRING HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
Spring Hill Baptist Church has asked the Town to do a resolution honoring their 125th anniversary on Sunday, October 16, 2005. Upon motion by James Nowlin, seconded by Stacey Hailey and voted on as follows, Council voted to have Town Manager Gillespie draw up the resolution honoring Spring Hill Baptist Church.
Richard Adams Aye
Meg Tibbs Aye
Stacey Hailey Aye
James Nowlin Aye
Tracy Meisenbach Aye
INVOICES FOR DOWNTOWN REVITILIZATON
Town Manager Gillespie has received two invoices for the downtown revitalization project. One is for Draper Aden in the amount of $352.50 and the other is for Frazier & Associates in the amount of $2100.00. Upon motion by Richard Adams, seconded by Tracy Meisenbach, and unanimously carried, Council voted to pay these invoices out of the general fund reserve with the stipulation that we would be reimbursed.
CHRISTMAS BONUSES FOR TOWN EMPLOYEES
Upon motion made by Meg Tibbs, seconded by Tracy Meisenbach and unanimously carried, Council voted to repeat the $150 net Christmas gift to the town employees.
APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE MINUTES FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
Upon motion by James Nowlin, seconded by Stacey Hailey, and unanimously carried, Council approved the committee meeting minutes for the August and September 2005 meetings.
ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion from James Nowlin, seconded by Meg Tibbs, and unanimously carried, Mayor Campbell announced that the November 8, 2005, Council meeting was adjourned.
___________________________ ____________________________
Bobbie A. Waller, Phyllis Campbell,
Acting Clerk/Treasurer Mayor
