City Council

Agenda — 2 items

1. PUBLIC MATTERS FOLLOW-UPKatie Hedrick, Inclusive Services Manager, reported on the following matters from the August 18 and September 2 City Council Meetings: Dogs at LargeBrett Lovell has had ongoing issues with his neighbor’s dogs escaping their yard. He has recorded over 150 instances in the last 5 years and this has led to his dog and his fiancé being bit and needing medical attention. He has called the animal warden and filed charges with the Magistrate’s Office, but the issues persist.Report Back:Sgt. Noel, who supervises the Animal Control and Protection Unit, was familiar with this case and said that the Animal Wardens are continuing to follow it. They have documented all of Mr. Lovell’s calls and investigated the situation. One of the Animal Wardens has also been in touch with the Commonwealth’s Attorney regarding the issue. Unfortunately, as the code is currently written, none of these incidents carries a charge beyond a Class IV Misdemeanor. The charges that were previously brought against the neighbor were dismissed in court.Monitoring PropertyDr. Perneller Chubb Wilson shared that a neighbor fenced in part of her property while she was hospitalized. Dr. Wilson asked that a program be put in place where the City monitors the properties of senior residents who are hospitalized, in rehab facilities, or in assisted living.Report Back:There is not currently any type of program or inspection for properties like this. However, the Department of Planning, Building, and Development is exploring options to address these types of concerns.Manns PropertyDr. Manns shared that her home on 10th Street has been neglected by City officials, citing water issues and failure to install a concrete driveway.Report Back:In speaking with several City departments and staff members involved with the 10th Street project, it appears that the City did offer to install a driveway at the property at the time of construction. However, the offer was declined. While the concern may stem from a misunderstanding or a change in circumstances, the City did make the offer in good faith.Bulk Set Out TagsMr. Howard shared his concern that the pink tags put on inappropriate bulk and brush items can easily be blown away or overlooked by residents. He suggested something more visible, like door hangers.Report Back:The Communications team is working with Solid Waste to create these door hangers and to launch a social media campaign reminding residents of the parameters for bulk and brush set outs and highlighting the new door hangers.Flooding ConcernsMr. Githire shared concerns on behalf several residents in the Fairland neighborhood. Their area sees flooding with increasing frequency. As a result, home values have decreased while property taxes have increased. Residents are also paying for flood insurance.Report Back:Ian Shaw, Stormwater Manger, met with both Mr. Githire and the co-owner of this property at their home immediately following the Council meeting. The house is located in the FEMA floodplain for Tinker Creek, so addressing flooding concerns is not a simple matter of improving local drainage. The Tinker Creek tributary saw the biggest impact from the August 21 storm, with the nearby Airport rain gauge (about one mile away) recording the highest rainfall totals. The team discussed with Mr. Githire the possibility of including this property in a future application for acquisition of repetitive loss properties. While there is not an open grant application period right now, he expressed appreciation for being considered in a future funding round.
2. A communication from Mayor Joseph L. Cobb requesting that the City Council convene in a Closed Meeting to discuss the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711 (A)(10), Code of Virginia (1950), as amended.

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