MINUTES
WARSAW TOWN COUNCIL
JOINT PUBLIC HEARING
78 BELLE VILLE LANE
OCTOBER 12, 2017 – 7:00 P.M.
Mayor Randall L. Phelps called the Warsaw Town Council to order at 7:00 p.m. and led in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members present were Mayor Randall L. Phelps, Vice-Mayor Paul G. Yackel, Ralph W. Self, Rebecca C. Hubert, Roger R. Lee, Ogle E. Forrest Sr. and Auriel Walker. Councilman Faron H. Hamblin was absent
Mayor Phelps reported Sergeant Mark Taylor passed away early this morning and asked that we observe a moment of silence in honor and recognition of his service to the Town of Warsaw. A more formal recognition will be observed at next month’s meeting.
Warsaw Planning Commission members present were Chairman Gary W. Palmore, Vice-Chair Mary Beth Bryant and Jonathan B. English. The Commission did not have a quorum present. Commissioners Harold W. Donovan, Barbara Jean Lefon, Julia Blackley-Rice and
Faron H. Hamblin were absent.
Town Staff present were Joseph N. Quesenberry, Town Manager, Lee H. Capps, Director of Planning & Economic Development, Chief of Police Joan N. Kent, David Lee Ambrose, Jr. and Linda S. Holsinger. Town Attorney Diane M. Lank was also present. Others present were Sara Carroll, Donna Jackson of the Northern Neck News, J. Lawrence Thorn and Frances Baylor.
Approval of Agenda
Councilman Forrest moved to approve the agenda as presented. Councilman Lee seconded and the motion carried by the following votes.
Randall L. Phelps Aye Paul G. Yackel Aye
Rebecca C. Hubert Aye Ogle E. Forrest, Sr. Aye
Roger R. Lee Aye Ralph W. Self Aye
Auriel Walker Aye
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Approval of Minutes – September 14, 2017
Mayor Phelps asked if there were any corrections or additions to the minutes of September 14, 2017. Councilwoman Walker moved to accept and approve the minutes of September 14, 2017 as presented. Councilman Forrest seconded and the motion carried with the following votes.
Randall L. Phelps Aye Paul G. Yackel Aye
Rebecca C. Hubert Aye Ogle E. Forrest, Sr. Aye
Roger R. Lee Aye Ralph W. Self Aye
Auriel Walker Aye
Financial Report - September 2017
Mayor Phelps asked if there were any questions or comments on the Financial Report. Vice-Mayor Yackel moved to approve the Financial Report for September 2017 as presented. Councilman Lee seconded and the motion carried by the following votes.
Randall L. Phelps Aye Paul G. Yackel Aye
Rebecca C. Hubert Aye Ogle E. Forrest, Sr. Aye
Roger R. Lee Aye Ralph W, Self Aye
Auriel Walker Aye
Joint Public Hearing – Zoning Ordinance Amendments
Mayor Phelps opened the Public Hearing and read the following proposed amendments to the Development Management Ordinance as advertised in the Northern Neck News.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Notice is hereby given that the Warsaw Town Council and Planning Commission will be holding a Joint Public Hearing during the regularly scheduled Town Council Meeting on Thursday October 12, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Warsaw Town Council Chambers, located at 78 Belle Ville Lane, Warsaw, Virginia. The Public Hearing is to review the following proposed amendments to the Development Management and Zoning Ordinances:
- Permitting 24 Hours Operations in Commercial (C-1, C-2, C-3), Traditional
Town Overlay (TT) and Industrial (M-1) districts with an approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP).
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- Bed and Breakfasts and Airbnb permitted in Limited Residential (R-1) Zones
with a CUP.
- Nano and Micro Breweries permitted in Commercial (C-1, C-2, C-3) and Residential/Office (R-12) Zones with a Conditional Use Permit.
- Residential use as a secondary component within all Commercial parcels, based upon the square footage of the primary structure.
A copy of the existing Ordinances and proposed amendments are available at Town Hall. Any questions may be directed to Joseph Quesenberry Town Manager, at jquesenberry @town.warsaw.va.us, or at (804)333-3737.
Mayor Phelps asked if there was a recommendation from the Warsaw Planning Commission. Commission Chairman Gary W. Palmore stated they had met several times and recommended the amendments to the Development Management Ordinance as advertised. Mayor Phelps asked if there were any comments from Council. Councilman Forrest stated he thought they were all good changes requiring a CUP. He has discussed it with Chief Kent regarding police protection for 24-hour gas stations & she felt they could provide adequate police protection. Councilman Lee agreed stating he liked the commercial/residential option as well. There were no public comments. At that time Mayor Phelps closed the Public Hearing and asked if there were any further discussion from Council. Councilman Lee moved to adopt the amendments to the Development Management Ordinance as recommended by the Warsaw Planning Commission and advertised in the Northern Neck News. Councilman Forrest seconded and the motion carried with the following votes.
Randall L. Phelps Aye Paul G. Yackel Aye
Rebecca C. Hubert Aye Ogle E. Forrest, Sr. Aye
Roger R. Lee Aye Ralph W. Self Aye
Auriel Walker Aye
Mayor’s Report
Mayor Phelps stated he is looking forward to moving ahead with the Bid Package process on the demolition of the old buildings on the former Gannon property and would like the removal of dirt, removal of pads etc to be included in the bid package.
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Town Manager’s Report
Gannon Property Update: Engineers have been on site to do the inspection for black mold and any other potential health hazards before we proceed with the demolition. We need to do this the right way to protect all involved in the process.
Lighting Plan Update: Andrew Hammond, a Tappahannock Town Councilman is drawing up plans for the lighting on Main Street and we hope to have it all completed in 6 months.
Town Park Renovation Update: The new fence has been completed but it could not have been done without our dedicated employees. The Dog Park was completed under budget. Thank you to everyone who worked very hard to get this all done in time for Warsaw Fest this weekend.
Upcoming Events in Town:
- Warsaw Fest & October Fest – Saturday, October 14th from 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Warsaw Town Park. This is the first time of combining the two events and we are excited to see how it will work out this year.
- Warsaw Super Decathlon- This event will be Saturday, November 4th from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rappahannock Community College.
- Remote Area Medical Health Clinic will be held Saturday, November 4th and Sunday, November 5th at the Richmond County Elementary School. This is a free screening for dental, vision and other that is free to all and is not income based.
The Town Manager appreciates the efforts of all involved in obtaining the $1,000,000 grant. The schedule is yet to be determined but approximately $518,000 will be used on the Gannon “The Bottom “project.
Town Attorney’s Report
Diane Lank, Town Attorney reported she continues to work with Municode and hopes to have that completed soon. She has also been working on “The Bottom” project and will have more to report next month. She hopes everyone likes her sign.
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Police Chief’s Report
Chief Kent was sorry to report Sergeant Mark Taylor lost his battle with liver disease this morning. There was a “last call’ from the Richmond County Sheriff’s office this morning at 6:45 a.m. His patrol car is on display in front of the future home of the Warsaw Police Department. Flowers have been placed there in his memory. His funeral will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, October 20, 2017 at Rappahannock Church of Christ. This has been a difficult couple of months for the Warsaw PD, but everyone has pulled together to keep the town covered during this time. Chief Kent apologized that she does not have the record of calls for the month but she will have that information ready for next month’s report.
Warsaw Planning Commission Report
Lee Capps stated the Planning Commission had been working very hard on the amendments to the DMO. A lot has been accomplished and he thanks them for their effort.
Wastewater Treatment Facility Report - Lee Ambrose
Lee Ambrose reported the average flow from Town for September was 170,300 gallons, a decrease of 1,400 gallons from August’s average flow of 171,700 gallons. The max flow from town was 195,100 gallons, a decrease of 20,000 gallons from August’s max flow of 215,700 gallons. The average total phosphorus for the month of September was 0.13mg/l, which resulted in a monthly discharge 5.6 lbs.. This puts us at 56.5 lbs for the year. Year to date, we are around 21% of our allowable amount of 274 lbs., which ends December 31st. The average Total Nitrogen for September was 3.28 mg/l. This resulted in a monthly discharge of 143.0 lbs. This puts us at 1,097 lbs. for the year. Year to date we are around 30% of our allowable amount of 3,655 lbs, which ends December 31st.
Lee Ambrose further reported we had a pump go down at the WWTP, this pump is essential to the proper operation of our facility. For the time being a pump has been donated to us by Matt at Winschel Environmental. The donated pump is just enough for us to get by but does not have operating capabilities of the designed pump. We have been talking to Matt on a replacement from a different manufacturer as the WILO pump that was originally installed is no longer available.
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We were able to rebuild the polymer pump which is used for sludge solids and because of this we have been able to operate the sludge dewatering facility continuously allowing us to get both of the digesters to a low operating level. We also had a mixer go down in the pre-eq pond but we were able to install a new motor starter we had on hand to get it back up and running. We have completed the bi-yearly greasing of all motors, and effluent pump station maintenance. He further reported that Berkley Cash is attending class to sit for his next license this week.
Councilman Forrest noted the low amounts that are listed on your report are not indicative of the normal discharge amounts and should not be considered as a basis for changing the expected total in the future.
Northern Neck Regional Jail Report
Larry Thorn reported things have calmed down a bit, but they still anticipate a higher than normal amount of federal prisoners as with all that has been going on in Texas and Florida hurricanes, the Marshall’s Services have not been able to move them in and out as they normally do. Overall it has been a good month for jail and the town. The average jail population was Federal 213, Gloucester 110, Northumberland 36, Richmond 32, Westmoreland 75 and Other 4 for a total average of 470.
Economic Development Report – Lee H. Capps
Lee Capps reported there are a lot of good things going on in Warsaw. He was very excited to receive the $1,000,000 grant. The Food Lion Grand Reopening was well attended. People there seemed to like the changes made. He was glad to see 3 Council Members were in attendance. McDonalds reopened their restaurant after an extensive remodeling. Also, the old Warsaw Small Engine Service has been purchased by Capital Repair Services based in Richmond. There are new businesses on St John’s Street and China Inn is expanding their business & remodeling. He is pursuing 3 bona-fide clients to open businesses in town and exploring available grants.
Committee Reports
Personnel Committee Chairman Paul Yackel noted they have been meeting with employees to get their opinions on how things are going from their perspective on what they would like to see in the future. He would like the committee to meet before next month’s meeting.
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Police Station Subcommittee
Councilman Lee reported they have a preliminary drawing of plans and rendering of what it will look like including a metal roof as was just put on St John’s Church. It will be a very attractive facility. There will be dual heating systems as well as security systems and a bullet proof area for the safety of our officers and people entering the building. He thinks everyone will be surprised and happy when it is completed. Mayor Phelps asked to be kept informed as he doesn’t want Council to be surprised.
New Business
a. Halloween Hours
Council set the Halloween door to door Trick or Treating for 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. as in the past. The Warsaw/Richmond County Main Street Committee will be holding their annual Trunk or Treat in the Town Park from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. This event was very successful last year and they are looking forward to another successful and fun time. Chief Kent said the Warsaw PD is prepared to assist with traffic control again and it should be a great event for the kids in the area.
b. WarsawFest/OctoberFest
Sara Carroll stated they are very excited for this year’s activities. The fence and the Dog Park are great additions to the park. She has been over there all morning to get prepared for Warsaw Fest. There will be a Family Night Friday evening (weather permitting). There is a chance of rain, so they will be making a decision on that tomorrow morning. As always there will be a Beauty Contest for children of certain age groups. There will be some rides for the children including a Mechanical Bull that should be exciting. Of course, there will be craft and food vendors again as well. It is all coming together and will be “awesome and amazing”. The Car and Truck show will be held along Main Street from 12:00 to 3:00. The parade will start at 3:00 from Belle Ville Lane to Hamilton Boulevard. Once Warsaw Fest has concluded around 4:00, get ready for OctoberFest sponsored by the Warsaw Rotary.
c.The Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting ceremonies will be at 11:00 a.m. to unveil recent improvements of the new fencing and additions to the Dog Park. A special Thank You to our employees for all their hard work on this project. Their efforts are appreciated.
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Closing Comments
Councilman Self said it has been a busy summer and looks like a busy fall coming up. Good things are happening in Warsaw and looking forward to it continuing.
Councilwoman Hubert said she is happy to see the way things are progressing in Warsaw.
Councilman Forrest stated he is proud to see everything that is happening. We have a great staff and we are doing it right.
Vice -Mayor Yackel stated he thought the Dinner in Main was a great event. It was well planned and he hopes they will do it again next year.
Councilman Lee said there is a lot happening and he is excited to see “the Bottom” project get going. He is happy to see the changes at McDonalds and Food Lion and the proposed renovations at China Inn.
Mayor Phelps stated Joseph and Lee are doing a great job of promoting Warsaw. We tend to want it now, but it doesn’t work that way. Things take time and he is glad to see the way things are coming together.
There being no further business Mayor Phelps adjourned the meeting at 7:58 p.m.
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By: Linda S. Holsinger, Assistant Clerk
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