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159 <br /> <br />ORDINANCE: AMENDING BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSE (BPOL) <br /> <br /> Mr. Clyde Goutdman, City Attorney, explained that the 1996 General Assembly passed <br />legislation requiring all local governments to enact a uniform Business and Professional <br />License (BPOL). The legislation repeals the minimum license tax requirement and eliminates <br />the license tax for those business with gross receipts of $50,000 or below, allows localities to <br />impose a license issuance fee for all business; converts the license year to a calendar year; and <br />changes the filing and payment date to March 1 of each year. As proposed, the City would <br />realize a gross increase of $56,000. Mr. Gouldman noted that one rationale of setting the <br />maximum issuance fee is that the General Assembly could at a later date freeze existing local <br />issuance fees. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Mr. Cox, Mr. Gouldman said the original intent of the <br />legislation was to give relief to small businesses. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Mr. Cox, Mr. Lee Richards, Comrnissioner of Revenue, <br />said that Albemarle County is still in the process of studying the issue, but may adopt rates <br />compatible with the City's. <br /> <br /> Ms. Daugherty said she would prefer to set the rates so that they are revenue neutral, <br />noting that the smallest businesses are the ones that would have to pay more. <br /> <br /> On motion by Ms. Daugherty, seconded by Mr. Toscano, the ordinance entitled "AN <br />ORDINANCE REPEALING CHAPTER 14 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF <br />CHARLOTTESVILLE, 1990, AS AMENDED, AND REPLACING IT WITH A NEW <br />CHAPTER 14, ENTITLED "LICENSES, with the issuanCe fee set at $35.00, was offered <br />and carded over to the next meeting for consideration. <br /> <br />PUBLIC <br /> <br />There were no matters by the public. <br /> <br />OTHER BUSINESS <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Conndl explained that staff are preparing a storm damage assessment report as a <br />result of Tropical Storm Fran, and the information regarding the impact of overtime on <br />budgets and the impact on the parks will be presented to Council at a later date. Mr. <br />O'Connell commended staff for their efforts following the storm. <br /> <br />Mr. Cox said he had been asked how the City funds such emergency situations. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell explained that the City's general fund is used to fund such emergencies, <br />subject to Council's appropriating the funds. Mr. O'Connell added that some repairs may <br />come out of the capital improvement fund, especially repairs made to parks. <br /> <br /> On motion by Ms. Richards, seconded by Mr. Toscano, Council unanimously approved <br />a resolution commending the employees of the Departments of Police, Fire, Public Works, <br />and Parks and Recreation for their efforts following the tropical storm. <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, in the early morning hours of September 6, 1996, Tropical Storm Fran <br />raged through the Charlottesville area; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the winds and rain associated with the storm topped hundreds of trees, <br />leaving thousands of residents and businesses without power, and flooded many streets, <br />homes, and parks; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, during the storm and for days aftenvards, employees from the <br />Departments of Police, Fire, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation worked tireless to aid <br />those in need and to return the community to normal. <br /> <br /> <br />