City Council will meet Tuesday, June 4, in a business session at 7 p.m., followed by a work session. Both sessions are open to the public.
The business session will be held in the Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Municipal Building, which is located at 427 Patton St.
The work session will be held on the same floor, but across the hall in the Council Conference Room. In work sessions, Council reviews non-routine matters that will be voted upon in future business meetings.
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.
During the business session, the City Council is scheduled to vote on three proposed tax increases. The three increases proposed are as follows:
- A four-cent increase in the real estate tax rate from 80 cents per $100 of assessed value to 84 cents per $100 of assessed value.
- A one percentage point increase in the hotel/motel occupancy tax from 7 percent to 8 percent. The increase would be effective July 1 if approved.
- A 10-cent increase in the tangible personal property tax from $3.50 per $100 of assessed value to $3.60 per $100 of assessed value. The increase would be effective Jan. 1 if approved.
City Council also is scheduled to vote on the implementation of a proposed hotel/motel room occupancy fee $2 per night. The fee would be effective on July 1 if approved.
Public hearings were held on the proposed tax increases and the proposed fee earlier this month. They are a part of a proposed budget for the next fiscal year that invests additional money in public schools, crime reduction, and public safety initiatives, and projects designed to grow Danville.
As proposed, Danville Public Schools would receive an increase of $2.3 million or 11.2 percent. Crime and public initiatives total $1.5 million, and $2.1 million would be dedicated for economic development grants and incentives.
In addition, the Danville Life Saving Crew would receive a $280,000 increase – from $80,000 to $360,000.
The budget will serve as a framework for city operations from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. A public hearing on the budget will be held at Tuesday’s meeting; however, City Council cannot vote on it that night. City Code requires a first reading.
A first reading is an introductory step required by City code. This step serves to provide public notice of pending action. The earliest vote that can take place will be the June 18 City Council meeting.
Final adoption must take place no later than June 30.
Several other matters are on the agenda for the business session. Votes are scheduled on:
- A grant of $117,083 for the continuation of the City's Victim Witness Assistance Program, which is operated through the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
- A grant of $44,635 to be used to fund the salary of an attorney or victim's advocate to work in the Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court dealing with victims of domestic violence.
- Appointment or reappointment of 19 people to various boards and commissions, including the Airport Commission, Utility Commission, and Danville Development Council.
- Proposed changes to the City of Danville personnel regulations, compensation plan, and classification plan.
- A request for a special use permit to allow Riverside BP to expand a building at 3027 Riverside Drive. A public hearing will precede the vote.
- A request to rezone the former YWCA building at 750 Main St. to allow the building to be used for a restaurant, commercial kitchen, and indoor recreational facility. A public hearing will precede the vote.
- A request to rezone the property at 201 Eastwood Drive to allow for product manufacturing involving hemp processing. A children’s consignment shop, furniture rent-to-own businesses, and a truck distribution business have operated on the property in the past. A special use permit also is required and is scheduled for a vote by City Council. Public hearings will precede the votes.
- Conveyance of 0.843 acres of land at 119 Cane Creek Blvd. in Airside Industrial Park to allow the Industrial Development Authority to complete the sale of the property to PRA Group. A public hearing will precede the vote.
- A resolution supporting a request by LifePoint Health for implementation of a local hospital fee to support the additional Medicaid payments for which SOVAH Health Danville qualifies.
- A first reading on granting a lump sum bonus to qualified City of Danville retirees.
During the work session, City Council will review a plan for projects and activities supported by federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investments Partnership Program (HOME) funds.
In addition, City Council will hold a closed meeting as allowed by state law to discuss a prospective business or industry related to economic development and to discuss the acquisition of real property or disposition of publicly held real property.