2008-06-16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 Dr. Brown said he would like to flesh out changes to the side streets more. nd Mr. Tolbert said he will bring the matter back to Council on the 2 meeting in July. Mr. Taliaferro said he would like to take the play area under advisement and hear what people have to say about it. Mr. Tolbert said that decision does not have to be made right now. Ms. Edwards said she envisions an area for toddlers through kindergarteners to interact while their parents wait for restaurant reservations, etc. PUBLIC HEARING/APPROPRIATION : BUDGET AMENDMENT ($4.5 MILION) FOR DOWNTOWN MALL RESTORATION Mr. Norris said that the purpose of the budget amendment is not to add new money, but to move up money already allocated so the downtown mall project can be done all at once. Mr. Norris said that the public has asked why Council should approve the figure tonight when we do not know the cost, and he said the second reading can be delayed until we learn the final scope of work. The public hearing was opened. Ms. Colette Hall, 101 Robertson Lane, urged fiscal caution. She requested that it be written into the ordinance that future budgets will not exceed the cost of the mall renovation. She said project overruns should be reduced. As President of the North Downtown Residents Association, she said work done at night would have an adverse th impact on the mall residents. She said she hopes the public can speak at the June 30 meeting, because if not she will not attend. Mr. David Repass, 227 E. Jefferson Street, expressed concern with the process. He asked why Council will have a first reading of the appropriation when the public has not been involved. He said the public is being denied leverage. He said the vote should be postponed and the public should be involved. As there were no further speakers, the public hearing was closed. Mr. Huja said Mr. Repass makes a good point, and he would support waiting until th after June 30. Mr. O’Connell said it is fine to delay the vote as long as it is approved by July if Council wants to do the project all at once. Mr. Tolbert noted that the mall plans have been on the website since the first of the year. He said work is proposed to be done on the mall into the early evening, but work will not be done other than that. It was agreed that the first reading of the appropriation would be delayed until th after the June 30 meeting. PUBLIC HEARING/ORDINANCE : CONVEYING CITY LAND ON AVON STREET TO VDOT FOR WIDENING OF ROADWAY Mr. Scott Hendrix, Project Manager, said that the City is being asked to convey a small portion of land to VDOT in conjunction with the construction of the CTS operations center. The public hearing was opened, but as there were no speakers, the public hearing was closed.