1982-03-15 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET THE POLLS WHO VOTE- ON THE REFERENDUM QUESTION WAS NOT INDICATIVE OF THE OPINION OF ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO ~ERIT CHANGING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF ELECTING COUNCIL, ON MOTION BY MR. ALBRO, SECONDED BY DR HALL, THE MINUTES OF MARCH 8TH WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AS PRESENTED. ETHEL HENDERSON OF 3L3 6TH STREET, S.W. AND PRESIDENT OF THE FIFEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ADDRESSED COUNCIL INDICATING THE SERIOUS UNMET NEEDS IN THE FIFEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD, SUCH AS SIDEWALKS, STREET REPAIR, DRAINAGE PROBLEMS AND HOME REPAIRS. MRS. HENDERSON EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT FUNDS FROM CDBG WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON THE EAST MARKET STREET AREA AND THAT THERE WERE NO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FIFEVILLE AREA ON THE CDBG TASK FORCE. MRS. HENDER- SON REQUESTED A PORTION OF THE CDBG FUNDS BE REDIRECTED TO THE FIFEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD. MAYOR BUCK EXPLAINED THAT IN VIEW OF THE MUCH MORE LIMITED FUNDS THIS YEAR, 60UNCIL:HAS DECIDED TO ALLOCATE 20% OF THE CDBG FUNDS TO CHIP ¢CHARLOTTESVILLE HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM), 10% ~0 SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMS BENEFITTING LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, 10% TO ADMINISTRATION AND THE REMAINING 60% TO BE FOCUSED IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. MAYOR BUCK STATED THAT THE MARKET STREET AREA WAS CHOSEN TO RECEIVE THAT PERCENTAGE BECAUSE THE AREA HAS DEMON- STRATED SUBSTANDARD HOUSING AND LOW/MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES ARE LIVING IN THAT AREA. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE MARKET STREET AREA HAS BEEN SELECTED AS OPPOSED TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE IT HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM IN THE PAST. MRS. HENDERSON ASKED IF THE PUBLIC HAD BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND THE MOST RECENT TASK FORCE MEETING? MR. BUCK REPLIED THAT THE MEETING IN QUESTION WAS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FR~M SUCH AGENCIES AS MACCA AND THE VA HOUSING COALITION. MR. BUCK FURTHER STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS NOT TO MAKE DECISIONS BUT TO HEAR THE CONCERNS THAT HAD BEEN EXPRESSED. MRS. HENDERSON ALSO ~$KED IF THE EAST MARKET STREET AREA WOULD BE RE- BUILT OR TORN DOWN? MAYOR BUCK'S PERSONAL VIEW WAS THAT THE HOMES WOULD NOT BE TORN DOWN UNLESS NEW HOMES WERE BUILT OR ALTERNATIVE HOUSING COULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE RESIDENTS, ROSEMARY BYERS~. PRESIDENT OF THE SECTOR TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, VOICED HER CONCERNS OF THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF THE POSITION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPER HELD BY MARY ALICE JONES. MAYOR BUCK OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING, STATING THAT ITS PURPOSE WAS TO GAUGE COMMUNITY REACTION TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET BEFORE COUNCIL BEGINS ITS SERIOUS DELIBERATIONS. COLE HENDRIX, CITY MANAGER STATED THAT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, FROM WHICH MOST OF THE CITY OPERATIONS COME, IS $27.5 MILLION AND UTILITY BUDGETS ATP $15.5 MILLION; MAKING A TOTAL BUDGET BF APPROXIMATELY $43,000,000. MR. HENDRIX ALSO STA~ED THAT THE BUDGET INCLUDES A $L,500,000 INCREASE IN REVENUES WHICH IS LESS THAN HAS BEEN RECEIVED IN MANY YEARS. HE INDICATED THAT $900,000 IS BUDGETED TO THE SCHOOLS AND $600,000 TO GENERAL CITY OPERATIONS. THE BUDGET THIS YEAR CONTAINS AN INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES OF 5.9% WHICH IS BELOW THE RATE OF INFLATION. MR. HENDRIX STATED THAT THE CITY FIiNDS ITSELF EACH YEAR, MORE AND MORE TAXED IN TRYING TO MAKE THE AMOUNT