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260 Ms. Richards reported hearing support for funding for: lighting, pedestrian safety, plastic recycling, community policing. She said a citizen also asked that no traffic circles be constructed. Mr. Lynch said he heard concern about increasing teacher salaries at the expense of losing instructional assistants and about how the school system can attract quality teachers. He said he heard support for funding for pedestrian and bicycling improvements, including hiring of a bike coordinator, traffic calming, dances for teenagers, and commtmity policing. Mr. Toscano said citizens asked what are the projected real estate increases, and can JAUNT be opened up to serve the working poor. He said he heard support for parking initiatives, including underground parking, community policing, pedestrian safety, lighting, and improvements at Azalea Park. Mr. Caravati reported hearing support for education, alternative transportation, retaining teachers and assistants, increasing parkland and protecting open spaces, bike lanes, and quality of life in neighborhoods, including police and code enforcement. He said there was support for lobbying of the General Assembly to provide more funding and to have no more state mandates. Mr. Caravati said a question was raised about how the Comprehensive Plan can be integrated into the budget. RESOLUTION: AUTHORIZING LETTER TO VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REGARDING MEADOWCREEK PARKWAY Mr. Caravati noted that the resolution was tabled at the December 4th meeting in order for negotiations among Councilors regarding the letter to continue. Mr. Caravati asked that Councilors work off of the November 30th draft of the letter. Mr. Toscano said that the discussions among Councilors were an attempt to have a super majority support the letter, and he feels that serious efforts were made to compromise on both sides. But, despite best intentions, he said gaining a super majority is probably not going to succeed. Mr. Toscano said that the draft letter dated November 17th was the product of two Council work sessions, and his position is that he does not want to tinker with that letter since it was the sense of Council as a result of the work sessions. Mr. Toscano made a motion to approve the November 17th letter. Ms. Richards seconded the motion. Ms. Richards said she has been concerned that there has been less ora public process in creating the revisions, even though she said it was well intentioned and a positive attempt to get a super majority. Ms. Richards said she will support the November 17th letter because it is the product of the two public work sessions. Mr. Lynch said he feels the November 17a~ letter represents a good snapshot of where the dialogue was up to November 17th and a significant step forward from the original letter to VDOT sent a year ago, but he feels it has pretty clear deficiencies and he cannot support it. Mr. Lynch said he thinks Council has done the best job possible to get the discussions to the public. Mr. Lynch said he feels the language in the November 30th letter has been tightened up, but he would like to insert a few words that protect the City's interests, including language about the intersection. Mr. Cox arrived at the meeting. Mr. Lynch said he would like to make the final design approval subject to preliminary engineering fimds for the interchange. Mr. Lynch offered a friendly amendment to view the pond as "essential." Mr. Toscano and Ms. Richards accepted Mr. Lynch's amendment about the pond. Regarding the addition of parkland, Mr. Lynch said the question is quantifying it and having criteria by which it would be established. Me. Lynch said he would like to include replacement of the economic and functional use to that lost, which includes the