May 12, 2009

MINUTES OF THE BROOKNEAL TOWN COUNCIL

7:00 PM – The regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council

The municipal government of the Town of Brookneal met with the following members present:

Phyllis Campbell, Mayor

James Nowlin, Vice Mayor

Kenneth Jennings, Tracy Meisenbach, Richard Adams, Robert Jean, and Phillip Sheppard, Council Members

Mike Crews, Public Works Director, and Interim Town Manager

Bobbie Waller, Clerk/Treasurer

Ricky Cousins, Police Chief

INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET

7:05 p.m.—Mayor Campbell called the Public Hearing on the General Fund Budget to order. No one appeared to speak in favor of the General Fund Budget. Martha Wilson of East Forest Street spoke concerning the budget. She said she saw a lot of deficits in the budget. She said she was raised not to spend money you didn’t have. She questioned the budget figures on the meals tax, parking fines, and interest on bank deposits. She said she was reading an article today in the Union Star saying that supposedly the Town has a $79,000 surplus. She said she did not sit down to figure this out, but if the Town has a surplus of that much then she said a raise should be given to the town employees who are working out in the hot sun and the sewer and the policeman who are overworked and underpaid. She pointed out that the town manager’s salary was less than a first year teacher’s salary. She said anybody who will accept this is somebody that a town is trying to get rid of or it is someone out of college who is using this job as a stepping stone to go someplace else. She said if you want someone good and someone who is going to stay and do what needs to be done in this town, then you have to give them more than $25,000. She said college graduates and people who are established are not looking for this little bit. She said maybe someone with one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peel might take it. She said you need to look at what is coming in and don’t spend more money than you know is coming in. Don’t project that you are going to get interest from this or something from that or something from the other. She said know what you have got, use what you have got, and if you get more, give it the poor people that are doing all the work around here.

Mark Wilkes of Church Street, spoke concerning some money that was raised for the Brooke Street park during the CDBG project. He said he had about $2,300 left, and he would like to have that money to do some more things at the park. The money was evidently closed out in the CDBG grant for Brooke Street that year, and he did not get to spend the rest of the money. He said he would like to have that money back before this budget is voted on. Mr. Wilkes also asked about there being no overtime and no raises for the employees in this budget. Councilperson Meisenbach pointed out that overtime was put back in the budget, and Councilperson Adams pointed out that the Town absorbed a 16% increase in health insurance for the employees. Mr. Wilkes asked that the Town always look out for their employees. He said they are a whole lot more important to you than you think they are. He said that he thought that that was what had happened to America now, they have forgotten about the working man and looking toward the rich man. He said the working man built this country and the working people built this Town. He said you need to continually look out for them, especially the guys that make this Town beautiful. He said they were a good bunch of men.

Mayor Campbell then declared the General Fund Budget public hearing closed at 7:14 p.m.

PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE WATER FUND BUDGET

7:15 p.m.—Mayor Campbell called the Public Hearing on the Water Fund Budget to order. No one spoke in favor or in opposition to the Water Fund Budget, so Mayor Campbell declared the Water Fund Budget public hearing closed at 7:16 p.m.

PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SEWER FUND BUDGET

7:16 p.m.—Mayor Campbell called the Public Hearing on the Sewer Fund Budget to order. No one spoke in favor or in opposition to the Sewer Fund Budget, so Mayor Campbell declared the Sewer Fund Budget public hearing closed at 7:16 p.m.

PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT (PPTRA) FOR 2009

7:17 p.m.—Mayor Campbell called the Public Hearing for the Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA) to order. Clerk/Treasurer Bobbie Waller explained a little bit about the Act as requested by Councilmember Meisenbach. She also pointed out that the percentage of relief (79%) on personal use vehicles with assessed value of $501 to $10,000 and personal use vehicles with assessed value of $10,001 or more (eligible for relief on the first $10,000 in assessed value) would be changing per the Commissioner of Revenue’s office. That figure will be coming down, and another public hearing will be held sometime this summer once that new percentage is determined. No one spoke in favor or in opposition to the PPTRA for 2009, so Mayor Campbell declared the public hearing for the Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA)

closed at 7:17 p.m.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Upon motion by James Nowlin, seconded by Richard Adams, and unanimously carried, Council approved the agenda for the May 12, 2009, regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council.

MINUTES

Upon motion by Kenneth Jennings, seconded by Richard Adams, and unanimously carried, Council approved the April 14, 2009, Town Council meeting minutes.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Mayor Campbell asked that the May 2009 treasurer’s report be filed for audit.

PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF INVOICES

Be it resolved that motion was made by James Nowlin, seconded by Richard Adams, and unanimously carried, authorizing the payment of the invoices for the period of
April 15, 2009, to May 12, 2009, in the amount of $42,793.60.

CAPTAIN BOBBY MILLNER—BROOKNEAL RESCUE SQUAD—EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK—MAY 17-23, 2009

Upon motion by Kenneth Jennings, seconded by Tracy Meisenbach, and unanimously carried, Council voted to approve the following resolution for the Brookneal Rescue Squad. Mayor Campbell presented the resolution to Captain Bobby Millner of the Brookneal Rescue Squad.

The Town of Brookneal

Virginia

RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION

WHEREAS, emergency medical services are a vital public service, and

WHEREAS, members of the Brookneal Rescue Squad are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and

WHEREAS, access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness and injury, and

WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their lifesaving skills, and

WHEREAS, the people of Brookneal and surrounding areas benefit daily from the knowledge and skills of these highly trained individuals

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Council of the Town of Brookneal extends its sincere appreciation to the members of the Brookneal Rescue Squad for their hard work and many hours of service

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that the Town Council recognizes the week May 17-23, 2009 as Emergency Medical Services Week,

This resolution approved by the Brookneal Town Council the 12th day of May 2009.

________________________________

Phyllis S. Campbell

Mayor, Town of Brookneal

ATTESTED:

________________________________

Bobbie A. Waller

Clerk/Treasurer, Town of Brookneal

PUBLIC COMMENT

No one spoke during public comment.

POLICE REPORT

Chief Ricky Cousins told the Council that the American Legion is having their annual Memorial Day program on May 25, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at the Brookneal Community Building. He also told the Council that the Legion would like to put a storage locker for use by the Legion at the Community Building with a display case on the back of the storage locker. Mayor Campbell asked Vice Mayor Nowlin to check out the space available for a locker at the Community Building.

Chief Cousins thanked everybody for making the Day in the Town a success. He said there were no problems at Day in the Town or the Striped Bass Tournament. He also reported that from April 14, 2009 to May 12, 2009 the police department wrote tickets for the following:

1 speeding ticket for 19 miles over the speed limit

1 speeding ticket for 15 miles over the speed limit

1 ticket for no state inspection

1 ticket for expired registration

1 for possession of marijuana

1 for possession of alcohol by a minor

1 felony hit and run (Wickliffe cemetery fence)

He said that he was waiting on the announcement of the next meeting in Rustburg concerning Fun Float Day.

Mr. Mike Crews advised the Council that the K-9 utilization policy and procedure that was approved in January 2009 needs to be revised some and brought back to Council for their approval and review. At the time the Council voted on the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), the attorney was currently examining the document. He said he had received a call from the attorney at Overbey, Hawkins, and Wright that was working on the SOP on Friday of last week concerning this issue. Mayor Campbell asked Chief Cousins to take care of this issue.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT

Public Works Director Mike Crews said that on the water system improvement project, he got an announcement on Friday that the Town was awarded the EPA grant in the amount of $705,104. He said there were 124 applications and 20 applications were awarded with Brookneal being ranked 4^th on the priority list of the applications. Mr. Crews also said that he had obtained prices on a commercial mower for the public works department. He said the mower he looked at from Millerbilt was $6,000, the mowers from Kubota started at $7,000 and went up, and the gas and diesel mowers were anywhere from $12,000-$14,000. Mayor Campbell asked that a motion be made to purchase the mower for the public works department. Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Tracy Meisenbach (with a little reservation because actual bids were not obtained on a $6,000 purchase), and unanimously carried, the Council approved the purchase of the $6,000 Millerbilt commercial mower.

FIRE HYDRANTS

Mr. Crews said that there has been a request to replace a fire hydrant on Terry Road that is leaking, smelling, and attracting mosquitoes. There are several throughout Town that need to be replaced, but it is a matter of prioritizing because they will all be replaced with the water system improvement grant. Upon motion by Kenneth Jennings, seconded by Tracy Meisenbach, and unanimously carried, the Council voted to replace the one fire hydrant on Terry Road at the present time because of the need. By Robert Jean’s request, it was included in that motion to consult with USDA to see if they would reimburse the Town for the other fire hydrants that need replacing before the water system improvements take place.

TOBACCO GRANT

Mayor Campbell announced that the Town has received a grant from the Tobacco Commission for the sewer system improvements. It is for $998,750. In awarding this grant, the Tobacco Commission wanted the Town to be able to set aside money for the future of the sewer system, so that the Town will not have to come back in 5 years and say they need more money for the sewer system. They wanted a life cycle plan to make sure the rates would keep up with any expenses that would occur during the life of the upgrade. They wanted some indication that the Town had some goals to help support the future of the Town. Part of that program will require the Town to do the Comprehensive Plan and work with the Town and the County on making sure that once we are given this money that the Town is good stewards of this money. Mayor Campbell said that in 2011 when the sewer obligation bond is paid off that the Town can put some of that money away for a repair fund and not have to tremendously raise the sewer rates. She said the Town needs to be committed that if we get the grant, we are going to have to be good stewards and do what we have to do to maintain a fund for repairs in the future.

Upon motion by James Nowlin, seconded by Kenneth Jennings, and unanimously carried, the Council voted to accept the grant of $998,750 from the Tobacco Commission for the sewer improvements, accept the letter of agreement of grant funds conditions and to authorize the Mayor to be the signee for the grantee on the application for the Tobacco Commission. This motion will also allow Mayor Campbell, Mike Crews, and Bobbie Waller to do the signatures for the funds. According to David Laurrell of Campbell County, the life cycle report will be due at the July meeting of the Tobacco Commission, and the Tobacco Commission wants a commitment from the Town to do the Comprehensive Plan.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Kenneth Jennings and unanimously carried, the Council voted to approve having a comprehensive plan done by the Local Government Council (Region 2000) for $8,000. This cost does not include the transportation part of the comprehensive plan which will be done by the Region 2000 through a grant they will obtain to complete this portion. Ms. Meisenbach’s expressed her concern was that this was not budgeted for in the 2009-2010. She said that the Town needs to go into the year knowing where it is going to take the money from. Mayor Campbell said that although she was not a fan of using reserve money, she felt that we needed this comprehensive plan and we might have to use reserves to cover this fee.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

Councilmember Robert Jean announced that four people have been interviewed for the Town Manager position, and there will be a meeting of the Town Manager Search Committee on May 21, 2009, to recommend a ranked number (they haven’t decided how many that will be) of candidates. He said any of the four could do the job.

Councilmember James Nowlin said that his committee needed to meet on several issues but has not had a chance to do so. They are going to take a look at the playground equipment and decide what they are going to recommend on that issue. Mr. Nowlin also said that the committee needed to address the community building and the request from April Birchfield from the Family, Friend, and Neighbor Program. Mr. J. D. Puckett suggested that the community college space would be ideal for that program. Mr. Laurrell said it could be arranged though his office.

Councilmember Kenneth Jennings suggested getting the whole community involved in raising some money to replace the playground equipment. Mr. J. D. Puckett suggested calling Georgia Pacific to see if they might be interested in helping.

TRANSFERS OF APPROPRIATIONS

After some questions concerning the transfers from Ms. Meisenbach, a motion was made by Kenneth Jennings, seconded by Robert Jean, and with a 5-1 vote, with Ms. Meisenbach voting nay, approving the following transfers of appropriation:

REQUEST FOR TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATION

To: Brookneal Town Council

Date: May 12, 2009

The following Appropriation Transfers are requested:

General Fund