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154 <br /> <br />for reconstruction since many homes are too structurally <br />damaged, or financially infeasible to renovate. Ms. Olinger <br />suggested that the decision to demolish a building be made in <br />partnership with the City. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano asked the status of CHIP's efforts regarding <br /> affirmative action and Ms. Olinger replied that she would <br /> like to have a client member on the CHIP Board and noted <br /> problems with recruiting qualified minorities locally, but <br /> added that CHIP had recent success employing women. <br /> <br />CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT <br /> <br /> Mr. Paul Garrett, Clerk of the Circuit Court, explained <br /> that he had requested to appear before Council in light of <br /> concerns expressed by the BAR Association about his office. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lester Wilson, Chairman of the Court Facilities and <br />Functions Committee of the BAR Association, stated that <br />concern had been.expressed that judgments were not being <br />indexed in a timely manner in the Clerk~s~office and urged <br />Council to fund Mr. Garrett's budget request. <br /> <br /> Mr. Garrett stated that he was requesting full funding <br />of a deputy clerk's position as employees must now work <br />overtime to complete the required work. Mr. Garrett added <br />that failure to complete legally required work increases the <br />risk of exposure to lawsuits. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano noted that he had always found the Clerk's <br />office to be efficient and well run. Mr. Toscano questioned <br />whether the State had developed guidelines for the number of <br />employees in a Circuit Court Clerk's office given a certain <br />caseload, but Mr. Garrett replied that he and other Clerks <br />throughout the State did not agree with the State's measures. <br /> <br />PIEDMONT COUNCIL OF THE ARTS <br /> <br /> Ms. Marla Rice-Evans, Director of Piedmont Council of the <br />Arts, explained that PCA anticipates a 70% cut in State <br />funding. Ms. Rice-Evans stressed that arts can be a key to <br />positive change in a community but unfortunately are <br />generally the first to be cut when budgets are reduced. <br /> <br /> Ms. Blue O'Connell, a member of the PCA Board and Arts <br />Alive Committee, stated that a major goal of Piedmont Council <br />of the Arts is to make arts more accessible to the <br />handicapped. <br /> <br /> On motion by Mr. Toscano, seconded by Ms. Slaughter, <br />Council unanimously voted to meet in executive session to <br />discuss the condition, acquisition or use of real property <br />for public purpose, or the disposition of publicly held <br />property, more specifically the Omni Hotel site, as exempted <br />by Section 2.1-344(a)(2) of the Virginia Freedom of <br />Information Act. <br /> <br /> Council reconvened in public session and, on motion by <br />Ms. Waters, seconded by Mr. Toscano, unanimously certified, <br />that, to the best of each member's knowledge (i) only public <br />business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting <br />requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the executive <br />meeting to which this certification resolution applies, and <br />(ii) only such public business matters as were identified in <br />the motion convening the executive meeting were heard, <br />discussed or considered by the Council. <br /> <br />n e d. <br /> <br /> <br />