For Southeast Roanoke...

Today, between 1:30 and 3:30pm at the Police Substation (old firestation #6) at 1015 Jamison Ave SE.

The Southeast Action Forum will be holding a free Ice Cream Social..

Games for kids, Sno-Cones and Ice Cream for all, and a great way to come meet the New Forum.

Come on down, especially if you are a resident of Southeast. Come meet your neighbors.

The shortest one yet.. which makes it unnerving..

ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL

MAY 14, 2007

2:OO P.M.

COUNCIL CHAMBER

AGENDA

Call to Order - Roll Call.

The Invocation will be delivered by Council Member Alfred T. Dowe, Jr.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America will

be led by Mayor C. Nelson Harris.



NOTICE:

Meetings of Roanoke City Council are televised live on RVTV Channel 3.

Today’s Council meeting will be replayed on Channel 3 on Thursday,

May 17, 2007, at 7:OO p.m., and Saturday, May 19, 2007, at 4:OO p.m. Council

meetings are offered with closed captioning for the hearing impaired.



ANNOUNCEMENTS:

THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE NOW PROVIDES THE MqJORITY OF THE CITY

COUNCIL AGENDA ON THE INTERNET FOR VIEWING AND RESEARCH PURPOSES.

TO ACCESS AGENDA MATERIAL, GO TO THE CITY’S HOMEPAGE AT

WWW.ROANOKEGOV.COM, CLICK ON THE ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL ICON,

CLICK ON MEETINGS AND AGENDAS, AND DOWNLOAD THE ADOBE ACROBAT

SOFTWARE TO ACCESS THE AGENDA.



Statement of Purpose. Mayor Harris.



Introduction and Consideration of Ordinances and Resolutions:



A Certificate of the Director of Finance advising that funds required for the

2007-2008 General Fund, Civic Facilities Fund, Parking Fund, Market Building

Fund, Department of Technology Fund, Fleet Management Fund, Risk

Management Fund, School Fund, School Food Services Fund, and Grant Fund

budgets will be available for appropriation.

1. Amendment of the City’s Fee Schedule (Compendium) in connection with certain fees for training at the Police Academy, Fire/EMS inspections, parking rates, and Civic Center rental, effective July 1, 2007.

2. Amendment of the City Code to exclude complimentary tickets from the

assessment of the Admissions Tax, effective July 1, 2007.



3. Amendment of the City Code to eliminate the motor vehicle decals and

City’s motor vehicle license tax structure, effective January 1, 2008.



4. Amendments of the City Code to establish a program for special

taxation of certain energy-efficient buildings and to set a special tax

rate for such buildings, effective July 1, 2007.

5. Adoption of the Annual General, Civic Facilities, Parking, Market

Building, Department of Technology, Fleet Management, Risk

Management, School, School Food Services, and Grant Funds



6. Appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007 and ending

June 30, 2008.



7. Adoption and establishment of a Pay Plan for officers and employees of

the City, effective July 1, 2007, and providing for certain salary

adjustments and merit increases; authorizing annual salary increments

for certain officers and employees; continuation of various programs;

payment of a monthly stipend to certain board and commission

members; salary of the City’s General Registrar; salaries of the City’s

Constitutional Officers; and salaries of the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and

Members of Council. Approval of certain supplemental benefits under the City of Roanoke Pension Plan, effective July 1 , 2007.



8. Endorsement of an update to the Capital Improvement Program for fiscal

year 2008-201 2; and appropriation of funds.



9. Appropriation of funds for the YMCA Aquatic Center, in the amount of

$200,000.00; and Greenway Development Projects, in the amount of

$200,000.00.



10. Appropriation of $335,000.00 in connection with local incentives for

Enterprise Zone Projects.



11. Approval of the 2007-2008 Annual Update to the 2005-2010

Consolidated Plan and authorization to submit the complete Annual

Update to the United States Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) for review and approval.



12. Adjournment.



By the by - you can view the entire budget yourself, online here. (.pdf)



have fun with the "lack of information society."

New Roanoke 5 - Part 2

Somewhere in this 42 square mile city, someone sits.. gnashing teeth and grumbling about the City council, the "piss-poor" jobs in Roanoke, the general misery of being here - now.



That someone sits in an apartment, or a house left to them by a long dead relative. The lawn has not been mowed in months or years, the apartment not cleaned in ages.



Why bother? No one else cares. Not my problem, let the landlord deal with it.



And they leave to go to work - with the same miserable attitude, apathetic outlook, and free from responsibility - they amble through the work day, putting in a half-assed effort. Not stressing about work except to find a way to get out of it.



Where is the drive? The motivation? Is it any wonder why we are represented by who we are represented by? I'd be willing to peg it at 65% of Roanokers have absolutely no interest in anything the city does, with the exception of grumbling about it.



Wonder why a substantial majority of our City Council members come from certain sections of the city? Because they are the only ones who bother organizing.



If Roanoke were a nation, it would out-do France in "We Surrender" jokes..



For lack of a better concept - it's as if the city and it's citizens were neutered.



Well, somewhat anyway. More than happy to play Brutus, or even Bluto..



I know you cannot change society, but you can ask them a simple question..



Why the complete and utter lack of drive?



Where is the cities cohones?



Ambition? Anyone?



This is the only New Roanoke post that does not offer solutions, because that's not why I wrote this one. This is something to take back and think about, think about the kids who are born and raised to people like this, think about the loss of the "brains" of Roanoke and realize perhaps that this is why.



Is it a liability to have a sense of determination and drive in Roanoke?



Answer that.. thats the challenge of New Roanoke.



Sometimes the answers are fine, it's the questions that are ugly.

NewRoanoke #5 - Part 1

You all know the song.. this is just a newer version of it I happen to like.

I said the next NewRoanoke would be about class - and I meant it.

When you don't work to better yourself, show a little ambition, and make something of yourself - you lose. And in that regard, there's a good number of low-class citizens in this town. Symptomatic to the civic problem is the civil one. Even our leaders have shown a penchant for being guttersnipes and engaging in beyond-political back-stabbing.

It's easy to see too. Trinkle lost his Roanoke-Political virginity rather quickly - when he soon found that he was one man, standing alone.

But thats the easy side of the equation.. the much harder side will come tomorrow.

When we get down to street level.

And this is how it begins...

Back room dealings and shaded motions.



I clearly remember just months ago hearing that Station 1 (the historic one) was NOT going to close..



And of course, this act defies ALL logic considering the concentration of businesses (in high buildings) that are downtown. You have now removed the main ladder truck from the immediate area.



Yea, sure it's not that far out.. but hey - it's not where it was.



Anyway.. once again - this relates directly to that NewRoanoke post on class. Where it would be classy for the City Council to stand up and be honest, tell the FF's exactly what they were planning on doing - and the rest of the free world.



But no.. sadly you need to read it here.



Station #1, the longest-active fire house in Virginia, will eventually be sold. It's part of the City's effort to divest itself of properties, a kick certain contract employees seem to be on as of late.



Anyway - everyone check out RoanokeFire.com as I am sure there will be much to say about these things.



I've got a very long day today - so I make no promises.

I know I've been quiet

There is due reason behind it though. Things going on behind the scenes, a project long due coming soon (but only for residents of SE - HA!), and other general depravity.



As I said, the Sentinel is watching. Roanoke is turning.



The stalled New Roanoke post has direct bearing on the latest news.



It's about class, outside of school that is. Self-respect and the flailing municipal self-esteem.



But that's coming soon. I promise it.



And for those of you who were able to read the psychic post, thanks for your comments. Glad to see I'm not alone in this world.

This post is only for psychics