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March 10, 1981
<br />
<br />At a regular meeting of the City Council held on March 10, 1981, there were present:
<br />
<br />J~ E. Johansen, Jack P. Barnes, Ben A. Beamer, Sr., J. Robert Gray, Edward L.
<br />Oast, Jr., Gloria O. Webb, Morton V. Whitlow, Steven Lieberman, City Manager,
<br />James T. Martin, Assistant City Attorney.
<br />
<br /> Vice Mayor Ben A. Beamer, Sr., Pastor, fbenezer Baptist Church, opened the meeting with
<br />prayer, £ollowed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
<br />
<br />Mayor Johansen welcomed all visitors in attendance.
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Gray and seconded by Mr. Beamer, minutes of
<br />24, 1981; minutes of the regular meeting of February 24, 1981,
<br />was adopted by unanimous vote.
<br />
<br />the called meeting of February
<br />to be approved as re=eived, and
<br />
<br /> 81-82 - Mayor Johansen presented Certificates of Appreciation to Berm B. Griffin, former
<br />member of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Advisory Council; John A. Bender, Jr.,
<br />former member of the Board of Electrical Examiners; L. W. Hammond, former member of the Board
<br />of Examination of Plumbers was not present to the receive his Certificate.
<br />
<br /> 81-83 - Motion of Mr. Gray and seconded by Mrs. Webb, to suspend the rules for the report
<br />from the Mayor's Coal Study Committee, and was adopted by unanimous vote.
<br />
<br /> Robert W. Wentz, Jr., Chairman of the Coal Study Committee, introduced Sandy Darly,
<br />Chairman of the Coal Train Traffic Impact Study, which was conducted by Mrs. Elizabeth Duke's
<br />Math Analysis Class, Churchland High School. Miss Darly introduced Mary St. George and Ralph
<br />Ca~migesof the group, who assisted in the presentation of a traffic ~mpact study of a coal
<br />train traveling through the Churchland area. The presentation was g~ven through printed hand-
<br />outs and slides furnishing information on the traffic impact as the train progressed through
<br />Churchland.
<br />
<br />Mr. Wentz presented the following report:
<br />
<br /> ~'The Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the mayor has met on several occasions and studied in
<br />depth ~eimplications of the proposed coal terminal in Portsmouth. The committee wishes to
<br />submit the following report and recommendations.
<br />
<br /> The Committee recommends that the city be directly involved in the feasibility study of
<br />the Coal Terminal Facility to be conducted by the state, and that the completed study be made
<br />available to the public prior to the ~nitiation of any condemnation proceedings. Further it
<br />is recommended that the city either consider the following actions or insure that the study
<br />specifically address the following points:
<br />
<br /> 1. A long term projection for the transport of coal through the proposed facility and
<br /> the basis for the projection of present and future economic benefit.
<br /> 2. The Employment Impact of the Coal Terminal facility including the economic loss to
<br /> the city of the potential for a more labor intensive industry on the site~
<br /> 3. A full public notice of all permits which will be obtained for the development of
<br /> the facility and the time frame for the permit process. In this regard, the city
<br /> should give serious consideration to the hiring of a professional consulting firm
<br /> to ~nsure adequate substantiation and representation of the position of the city.
<br /> 4. There should be a clearly defined basis on which payment-in-lieu-of ta~s will be
<br /> computed, the date from which the city would receive funds, and the guarantee of £utu~
<br /> payments including provisions for increases to reflect future inflation.
<br /> 5. The exact amount and location of the acreage involved should be defined and assurance
<br /> should be obtained that the city will be free to pursue other industrial development
<br /> activities on the remaining portion of the site without the remaining portion being
<br /> incumbered as being "reserved for port expansion". To this end, there should be ~
<br /> redoubling of the industrial development efforts by the city, the Port and Industrial
<br /> Commission and the Chamber of Commerce.
<br /> 6. Definite assurances for ~nvironmental controls over coal dust, noise, runoff, etc.
<br /> ~nCthis r~ard~ the ~i~y sh~ld consider including in a~y p~oposed legislation that
<br /> the ~as owner/operator of the facility must provide free access to the public to
<br /> voice their concerns and complaints on environmental problems, and that the VPA will
<br /> be held responsible for the promFt correction of problems as they occur.
<br /> 7. There should be a definite determination of the status of the Western Freeway Project
<br /> including any redesign to accommodate the new rail access route, the funding of the
<br /> Freeway in its entirety, and the priority and time table for the full completion of
<br /> the Western Freeway. In any event no usage of the existing tracks should be permitted
<br /> until alternative routes are completed, and then provisions should be made to ~ave th~
<br /> existing routes abandoned~
<br /> 8. The c~ty should immediately investigate all legal recourses available to prevent the
<br /> blockage of main traffic arteries for unacceptable periods of time, including the
<br /> adoption of the necessary ordinances which should provide for penalty and method of
<br /> enforcement. Further, the city Should study and be prepared to meet its responsibili-
<br /> ties as to public safety (i.e.police, fire emergency) in t~e event extended blockages
<br /> can not or are not prevented.
<br /> 9. The city should be awa~e that the potentia~ problems and solutions extend beyond city
<br /> lines, and t~er~fore should take the lead in working with the cities of Chesapeake and
<br /> Suffolk to protect the interest of the citizens of all the communities.
<br />10. The city should be prepared to assist the homeowners whose property will wholly or in
<br /> part be condemned to provide a right-of-way for the Western Freeway.
<br />11. Before any ~egislation is presented to the Legislature, the City Council should spons¢
<br /> a public meeting in the Ch~rchland area with the members of the legislature and
<br /> representatives of the VPA, Norfolk and Western Railway, the State Highway Department
<br />
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