2008-11-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Tuesday, November 25, 2008 AT 2:00 p.m. IN THE “City Space” in the Charlottesville Community Design Center, 100 5th Street, S.E. (downtown mall side of the Market Street Parking Garage). THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Meeting with the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority and Albemarle County Service Authority regarding the water supply plan BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Jeanne Cox CITY SPACE – November 25, 2008 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Dr. Brown, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Huja, Mr. Norris, Mr. Taliaferro. Mr. Mike Gaffney, Chair of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, presented a background summary of the permitting process. He stated that the environmental permits for the Ragged Mountain Dam and the South Fork pipeline have been issued by both the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps). It was important to note that RWSA submitted an application to these agencies in 2006 after receiving the unanimous support from each of the same four boards meeting today. The federal and state agencies performed a thorough review of RWSA’s application in accordance with federal law that strongly emphasized environmental protection. He said the purpose of today’s meeting is to discuss how we might revisit the approved community water supply plan in light of recent challenges. He reminded everyone that federal and state agencies have already performed a similar review prior to issuing the permit. Any studies must align with the objectives of federal law as well as local objectives. The federal objectives include protection of streams, wetlands, endangered species and their habitat, cultural and historic resources, and in- stream flows for our rivers. He said he believes that City Council’s intent to call for additional study is aligned with those objectives, as their resolution emphasized the need to remain consistent with the context of the approved permits. He said that on November 3, City Council asked RWSA to broaden the expert review of the project to include water conservation and a review of the reasonableness of water demand projections, a dredging feasibility study, and review of the pipeline alternatives in addition to the dam review. Mayor Norris will explain City Council’s request in more detail. Mr. Gaffney also commented that today’s objective is to engage in an active dialog in an attempt to reach consensus of the four boards on the scope of the expert review and then give clear direction to RWSA on how to proceed. He said some have commented that they wanted the study to cost less. If that is the group consensus, he asked that the focus be on how to simplify the scope of work outline, while still achieving clearly-stated objectives. Mr. Norris noted that City Council is not asking for an extensive delay in this project, but said there is an opportunity now to obtain better information that will guide us as the project moves forward and to get an objective, outside opinion on the most environmentally and economically responsible path forward for the community’s water supply plan. He said there is also time to get better information and make better decisions since it will be at least one to one and a half years before construction begins on the Ragged Mountain Dam. Mr. Norris said he did not believe that the studies would amount to $750,000 to $1 million in cost, nor delay the project 12 months or longer as suggested by others. He said he feels that there is the opportunity and time now to gather this information, and City Council recommends that this is the best process to undertake at this time. Mr. Kenneth Boyd, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, said City Council appeared to be questioning the work that has been done previously, with the exception of the data