2002-07-01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Mr. Cox presented a proclamation thanking outgoing Chair of the School Board Richard Merriwether for his years o f service. Mr. Merriwether thanked Council for giving him the opportunity to serve on boards. He said he thinks the new School Board members will be good additions to the Board, and said he hopes Council will continue to appoint School Board members rat her than go to an elected School Board. Mr. Merriwether said that test scores in City Schools have improved. Mr. Merriwether said he thinks a new Superintendent needs to be hired as soon as possible, and supported Linda Bowen as Chair of the School Board and Didi Smith as Vice Chair. Ms. Richards introduced newly appointed School Board member Peggy Van Yahres. Mr. Schilling introduced newly appointed School Board member Bill Igbani. Mr. Cox announced the appointment of Michael Heard to the School Bo ard, who was unable to attend the meeting, and said that he thinks the three new members will bring great things to the School Board team, and feels they have extraordinary backgrounds. PUBLIC Ms. Ellen Anderson, 1600 Rugby Avenue, said she is speaking on behalf of her neighborhood, and asked Council to reduce the speed limit on Rugby Avenue because of safety concerns. st Mr. Robert Vickery, North 1 Street, said he has been a licensed professional th architect for 40 years and feels that closing 7 Street in conjunction with the proposed transit center will create major problems. He urged Council to reconsider the proposal and to approve a sensible and proper transit center and plaza. Mr. David Repass commended former Mayor Caravati, and said his access to citizens raised the standard of accessibility. Mr. Mike Crafaik, 312 7 1/2 Street, S.W., congratulated Mayor Cox and Mr. Schilling, and said he is glad to have political diversity on Council once again. He thanked Council for reappointing him to the Charlottesville - Albemarle Regional Transportation (CHART) Board. Mr. Crafaik requested that traffic lights on West Main Street and Preston Avenue be synchronized. He also asked that Council reconsider the bus transfer center because he thinks it is a was te of money. He said he would rather see a transfer center on West Main Street. th Mr. Peter Kleeman, 407 Hedge Street, said that 6 Street, N.E. north of Market Street had been proposed to be a pocket park, but no action has been taken to do that, and he said he does not think doing it would be a great expense. Ms. Colette Hall, 101 Robertson Lane, representing her husband and the North Downtown Residents Association Board, noted that the NDRA Board had sent Council a rd letter concerning the proposed tran sit center on June 3 , and she appealed to their economic common sense. Ms. Hall said people take the bus out of necessity, not because of transit centers. Ms. Hall suggested that the transit center be named "Fantasy Land." Mr. Bob Hodous, 1309 Lester Drive, said he thinks the City's effort to get more input from neighborhoods is very worthwhile, but he said the City should also set priorities and put in curb and gutter where they are most needed and not in his neighborhood. Regarding traffic calming, Mr. Hodous said the real concern ought to be enforcement of existing laws rather than stop signs and traffic chokers, which he thinks are a daily impediment to people who live in the neighborhood. Mr. Hodous noted that people will not ride bikes on Park Street because of the traffic calming measures there.