July 10, 2012
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
Robert Jean, Richard Adams, Barbara Laprade, and Mark Wilkes, Council Members
Russell B. Thurston, Town Manager
Bobbie Waller, Clerk/Treasurer
Mike Crews, Public Works Director
Absent: Tracy Meisenbach, Council Member and Ricky Baldwin, Chief of Police
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Upon motion by Mark Wilkes, seconded by James Nowlin, and unanimously carried, Council approved the agenda for the July 10, 2012, regular meeting of the Brookneal Town Council with the following addition: 1) Request for use of community building.
MINUTES
Upon motion by Robert Jean, seconded by Barbara Laprade, and unanimously carried, Council approved the June 12, 2012, Town Council meeting minutes.
TREASURER'S REPORT
Mayor Campbell asked that the July 2012 treasurer's report be filed for audit.
PRESENTATION AND APPROVAL OF INVOICES
Be it resolved that motion was made by James Nowlin, seconded by Robert Jean , and unanimously carried, authorizing the payment of the invoices for the period of June 13, 2012, to July 10, 2012, in the amount of $11,688.48.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No one appeared before Council during public comment.
POLICE REPORT
In the absence of Chief Baldwin, a police report for the month of June 2012 was distributed to Council members.
PUBLIC WORKS REPORT
Public Works Director Mike Crews told Council that there are currently 2 temporary employees working in the maintenance department due to the illness of one full time maintenance employee. He asked the Council to consider adding a sick leave bank for employees who run out of leave time in case of an extended illness. He also asked the Council to consider something allowing employees to use annual leave in cases of extended illness. Finance and Planning Committee Chairperson Richard Adams said that his committee would look at these issues and bring back a recommendation at the August Council meeting.
Mr. Crews also said that the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging's use of the community building needs to be re-visited. He said there have been problems with others using the building on the weekends behind the CVAAA.
TOWN MANAGER REPORT
Town Manager Russell Thurston told the Council that he had been working on a draft of the revised zoning ordinance. He said the document was quite lengthy, and he wanted Council members to take a copy of this home with them and bring back any feedback to the next Council meeting so that it can be sent out for a public hearing in September. He said this was all brought about by the Monroes and their project to put their vineyard and winery in Town. He said there is language about a farm winery and a vineyard in his revised ordinance. He said this document is going to be the process that anybody uses that applies for a special use permit. He said he thought this is going to be very helpful for the Town of Brookneal.
Mr. Thurston said that a part time police officer has been hired. His name is Jeremy Brown, and he will be starting next week. Mr. Thurston also said that the Rush Street project is moving along. He said milling and paving are supposed to be starting on Wednesday, July 11. He said that the work should be finished up in the next 3 weeks or so. He said there was an extra piece of pavement on Rush Street (180 square yards of paving) that the general contractor has quoted as $9,300. He said he would like to get that done but at the right price.
REQUEST FOR TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATION
Upon motion by Richard Adams, seconded by Robert Jean, and unanimously carried, the Council approved the following transfer of appropriation:
REQUEST FOR TRANSFERS OF APPROPRIATION
To: Brookneal Town Council
Date: July 10, 2012
The following Appropriation Transfers are requested for FY2012:
Category—Expense INCREASE New Total Balance in Account
Recreation—Repairs & Maint.—01-7104-5407 $ 2,967.50 $ 6,132.50 $ 0.00
Category--Expense DECREASE New Total Balance in Account
General Property Repair—01-4302-5407 $ 2,967.50 $ 9,328.50 $ 2,752.46
Last month, I appropriated money from the bank stock tax to general property repair to work on needed repairs to town property. Since some of this money was used at the community building, I need to re-appropriate money to recreation repairs and maintenance to cover those repairs.
Respectfully requested by:
_________________________________
Treasurer
_________________________________
Date
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Councilperson Richard Adams said that he would like to see the Council pick up the work that Mr. Thurston started last fall with economic development.
Vice Mayor James Nowlin said that he would like to see the Town purchase some new tables and chairs for the community building. Mayor Campbell said that there were updates done on the two bathrooms in the dining room area of the community building.
Mayor Campbell thanked the Brookneal Fire Department for opening their doors to the public during the power outage June 29-July 4, 2012.
ITEMS FROM TOWN COUNCIL
Councilperson Laprade said that there are a lot of businesses and services in this area that people know nothing about. Councilperson Laprade said that she would like to see the Town have some type of "entrepreneur extravaganza" to showcase businesses in the Brookneal area and vicinity.
COMMUNITY BUILDING REQUEST
Clerk/Treasurer Bobbie Waller presented the request from Mended Little Hearts of Lynchburg to use the community building on August 11, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon for a bingo fundraiser for their organization. She said Rebekah Guthrie of Brookneal requested that the rental fee for the use of the building be waived. Upon motion by James Nowlin, seconded by Robert Jean and unanimously carried, the Council voted to allow the use of the community building to Mended Little Heart of Lynchburg on August 11, 2012 at no charge. Councilperson Richard Adams said that the Council had talked charging an amount to cover costs of utilities for these types of requests. Vice Mayor Nowlin said that nothing has been decided on that issue. He said it is hard to look at. Councilperson Jean said that some type of criteria needs to be established to determine what groups are exempt and what groups are not.
ADJOURNMENT
Upon motion from Mark Wilkes, seconded by Robert Jean, and unanimously carried, Mayor Campbell announced that the July 10, 2012, meeting was adjourned.
___________________________ ____________________________
Bobbie A. Waller Phyllis L. Campbell
Clerk/Treasurer Mayor
