WEEKLY
MANAGER'S REPORT
March 19, 2010
T. Jon Ellestad
(540) 462-3700; Fax: (540) 463-5310
e-mail: jellestad@ci.lexington.va.us
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
1) Enclosed are the February Police Department, Utilities Processing Department, Planning and Development Department and Social Services Department monthly reports.
2) Attached is information from the Virginia Municipal League concerning the State budget and the consumer utility tax. As you may remember, a few years ago, the State consolidated all the telecommunications taxes that local governments imposed into one comprehensive tax rate collected by the State and sent back to the localities based on previous collection rates. It now appears as if the State considers this to be a State revenue that they share with localities. While nothing much was done to this revenue source this year, it does not bode well for future year’s budgets. We will need to make this a major point of emphasis with our State legislators when we meet with them.
3) Last year, we leased the Peebles property that we had just purchased to a group of individuals for hunting. We honored the agreement that Mr. Peebles had made with that group as hunting season was right on us. This year, I would like to know if Council is again interested in leasing out this land. If so, I believe we should make this a public process by putting out a bid for the lease. I will bring this issue up on the next Council agenda to determine your wishes.
4) The VML has once again asked for nominations to their various policy committees. Attached is the package of information concerning these committees. If you are interested in serving on one, please fill our the form and return it to Sharon and she will see that it is submitted.
5) Attached is my attempt to incorporate the changes suggested by City Council to the 2010 City Work Program. Please take a look at it to ensure that it accurately reflects your comments. I will place it on the agenda for the next City Council meeting for possible modification and/or approval.
6) I will be meeting with VMI next week to discuss the results of their deer herd thinning program and talking about their future plans. I will make sure to emphasize that public notice should be a major component of their planning. I am assuming that City Council still believes that the overabundance on deer in town is a problem and that we support VMI’s efforts.
7) Dave Woody and I met this past week with representatives of the County and County PSA to further discuss a modified proposal for the water loop project that could be significantly cheaper. This option would place a water tank near the present location of the County’s North Lexington tank. We are working with them to develop a proposal for engineering services to evaluate this option to determine whether or not it will meet all our region’s needs. So far the Maury Service Authority has not bought into this concept, but we will be discussing it with them further next week.
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