Minutes 05/23/2023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 23, 2023 Ayes: Hugel, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Tillage, Whitaker, Glover Nays: None 23 - 178 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting class action settlement funds in the amount of $22,414.03 from the City of Long Beach, et al. v. Monsanto Company, et al. class action PCB litigation and: (1) appropriating said amount in the FY 2023 Stormwater Fund Budget; and (2) transferring said amount to the VSMP Permit Compliance Project in the FY 2023 Capital Improvement Fund Budget. Background:  Monsanto Company is the manufacturer of the weedkiller “Roundup” and other products.  Several US localities filed lawsuits against Monsanto alleging that the company’s products caused damage to stormwater and sewer facilities and impaired water quality.  In 2022 the lawsuits were consolidated as a class action in the US District Court for the Central District of California. The certified class includes all localities (including Portsmouth) with a stormwater discharge permit.  In October 2022 the Court approved a settlement requiring Monsanto to pay up to $550,000,000 to be distributed among class members. Discussion:  Portsmouth received $22,414.03 as its share of the settlement.  The proposed ordinance accepts and appropriates these funds to the Capital Improvement Fund for stormwater compliance projects. Financial Impact:  No local match is required as a condition of the funding. Recommended Action:  Adoption of the Ordinance. Next Steps Following Council Action:  Finance will make the appropriate budgetary adjustments. Motion by Ms. Lucas-Burke, and seconded by Mr. Hugel, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: “ORDINANCE ACCEPTING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $22,414.03 FROM THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, ET AL. V. MONSANTO COMPANY, ET AL. CLASS ACTION PCB LITIGATION AND: (1) APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT IN THE FY 2023 STORMWATER FUND BUDGET; AND (2) TRANSFERRING SAID AMOUNT TO THE VSMP PERMIT COMPLIANCE PROJECT IN THE FY 2023 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND BUDGET. ” Ayes: Hugel, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Tillage, Whitaker, Glover Nays: None 23 - 179 - Adoption an ordinance accepting grant funding in the amount of $5,370,352 and appropriating said amount into the FY 2023 Portsmouth Public Schools Grants Fund Budget. Background:  City Council appropriated $23,497,541 to the FY 2023 Grants Fund for the Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) by Ordinance 2022-37 adopted on May 10, 2022.  At the request of PPS, by Ordinance 2022-108 adopted on November 22, 2022 City Council re-appropriated funding in the amount of $4,004,537 that was unexpended prior to July 1, 2022 from the FY 2022 PPS Grants Fund to the FY 2023 PPS Grants Fund.  At the request of PPS, by Ordinance 2023-22 adopted on March 28, 2023 City Council reduced the appropriation to the FY 2023 PPS Grants Fund by $12,757.