City Council will meet Tuesday, March 7, in a business session and two work sessions. All three sessions are open to the public.
Council's meeting will begin with a special work session at 5:30 p.m. to hear a presentation on a conceptual plan for a riverfront park to be located adjacent the White Mill on four acres of the former Dan River Mills property.
The Parks and Recreation Department has been working with the Raleigh, N.C., office DHM Designs to develop a public space that would be a destination within the River District. DHM also is working on a separate but parallel study of the Long Mill Dam’s recreational value.
Both projects are at a point in their development that they are ready to be reviewed before going to the engineering phase. The presentation on Tuesday requires no action by City Council at this point. In work sessions, Council reviews non-routine matters that will be voted upon in future business meetings.
The business session will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Municipal Building, which is located at 427 Patton St.
The second work session will follow the business session. It will be held on the same floor, but across the hall in the Council Conference Room.
During the business session, City Council will vote on whether to create a master lease program to refinance bonds used in purchasing the former Dan River Mills’ Schoolfield site and the acquisition, construction and renovation of various properties in the River District. The program also could provide financing flexibility for future projects.
The Industrial Development Authority would serve as the prime lessor. The goal of the program would be to increase the number of banks willing to support development projects at more competitive interest rates.
City Council also is scheduled to vote on seven other matters:
- A resolution to designate the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce as the marketing organization for Danville.
- An ordinance to vacate an unused right of way to allow for consolidation of property near Spring Avenue. A public hearing will precede the vote.
- An ordinance to vacate an unused right of way on Joplin Street to allow for consolidation with adjoining parcels. A public hearing will precede the vote.
- A budget amendment to provide for receipt and appropriation of $1.6 million from the issue of special no-interest bonds. The money will be used for the planned precision machining program at George Washington High School.
- A budget amendment to provide for receipt and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $125,000 to pay the salary and benefits of a new crime analyst position and to pay patrol overtime, travel and training and equipment and supplies as needed in efforts to reduce violent crime. The grant will require no matching funds. The award is the second year of an anticipated three-year grant program.
- A budget amendment to provide for receipt and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $18,000 to review and update the Police Department’s policy manual and to create a separate procedural manual.
- An appointment to the Danville Community Policy and Management Team.
In addition to these votes, City Council will hold a first reading on two matters:
- A budget amendment to provide for receipt of a grant in the amount of $413,269 to renovate the house at 407 Holbrook St. for use as the Williams Community Resource Center. The project is designed to protect and enhance the integrity of the historically significant structure as well as create a location open to the public where the past, present and future of African American Civil Rights can be displayed, discussed and advanced.
- A budget amendment to provide for receipt and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $60,000 from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for use by the Danville Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team. The grant would require no local matching funds.
A first reading is an introductory step required by City code before certain matters can be voted upon by City Council. This step serves to provide public notice of pending action. Council cannot vote on the budget amendment Tuesday. The earliest vote that can take place will be the March 7 City Council meeting.
For the second work session, the agenda includes the following items:
- Discussion of a resolution to authorize the director of utilities to serve as a member of the board of trustees for American Municipal Power.
- Discussion of an ordinance to create a civil penalty system for maintenance code violations.
- Discussion of an ordinance to provide for civil penalties for zoning violations.
- A closed meeting as allowed by state law to discuss a prospective business or industry.
River City TV, the city’s government access channel, will air the business session. Watch it live on cable (Comcast channel 10 and Gamewood channel 122) or streaming on the River City TV Facebook page.
River City TV does not air work sessions, but they are open to the public.
