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205 COUNCIL CHAMBER - December 2, 1996 Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Cox, Ms. Daugherty, Ms. Richards, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Toscano. RECOGNITION: CHARLOTTESVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Ms. Barbara Huneycutt, third grade teacher at Venable Elementary School, and Elizabeth Crabtree, enrichment teacher at Clark Elementary School, were recognized for their selection to participate in the 1996 Goals 2000 Teacher's Forum sponsOred by the U. S. Department of Education. PUBLIC Mr. Brent Nelson,,214 South Street, expressed concern about the decision of the Board of Architectural Review to allow demolition of the Pace-Rennock building at 114 2nd Street, S.W. Mr. Nelson said the decision was made far too swiftly and asked Council to stop the process. Mr. Nelson asked why an evaluation by a structural engineer was not required and why the public was not informed, including the neighborhood association and Preservation Piedmont. Mr. Nelson said the BAR should be required to meet in the evenings when it is more convenience for citizens to attend and said he feels a resident of the architectural design control district should be able to appeal the decision of the BAR. Mr. Arthur Tinsley, 2612 Willey Drive, said that Council needs serious input on the issue of reversion and should l°ok at all aspects of the issue. Mr. Tinsley said he is opposed to reversion and feels citizens need a lot more information about it. Mr. Tinsley said citizens may be willing to pay a little more in taxes in order to stay independent, and the bottom line is quality education. PRESENTATION: FUTURE OF THE CITY PRESENTATION Mr. Toscano gave a presentation showing financial trends in the City and County through the year 2006, including service demands and projections for revenues and expenditures. PPdgSENTATION: DISCUSSION OF REVERSION AND OTHER ISSUES RELATING TO THE STRUCTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT Mr. Michaux Wilkinson, Executive Director of the Virginia Commission on Local Government explained that the Commission, composed of five members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the General Assembly, was established in 1980 to serve as a technical fact finding body for courts on local government issues. Mr. Wilkinson reviewed the process that will occur as a result of the filing of a citizen petition that will begin a study of reversion of the City to town status: 1) mediator offered to work with the City and County; 2) review dates scheduled (information required in writing; oral presentation in the community; public hearing held by Commission in the community; tentative report date set). Mr. Wilkinson said the Commission can generate data of its own in addition to reviewing submitted information, and the Commission's report is advisory to the special three judge court that will be established. The court will make a determination regarding reversion and will set terms and conditions. Once the ruling is issued, City Council can proceed with reversion or decline. Mr. Wilkinson noted that there is no case law on the issue and there are a lot of ambiguities in the existing law-. Responding to a question from Ms. Richards, Mr. Wilkinson listed some of the criteria the Commission will use when issuing its reports: the City's population must be less than 50,000; the change will not substantially impair the County's ability to meet the service needs of its population; there must not be an inequitable sharing of resources of the City and County; reversion must be in the best interest of the City, County and state; reversion must be in the best interest of the state in promoting strong, viable units of government.