CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:

Mayor John M. "Jay" Donecker

Mayor Pro-Tem John Gentry

Councilman James K. Festerman

Councilman John Henderson

Councilman George O. Rucker

Councilman W. Clark Turner

Councilwoman Joan Zdanski

COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT:

NONE

CITY STAFF PRESENT:

D. Kelly Almond, City Manager

Angela G. Stadler, City Clerk

Terri J. Stamey, Assistant City Manager

Mayor Donecker called the Council Retreat to order at approximately 8:30 a.m. He turned the discussion over to City Manager Almond.

DISCUSSION OF AGENDA.

City Manager Almond pointed to the agenda outline, noting that they would be following a flexible schedule. Council is in session; therefore, they could take action, he stressed. However, they usually don't unless the issue is fairly noncontroversial, he added. The rules of a regular City Council meeting apply, he said. Councilman Festerman suggested that they go through the agenda without scheduling formal breaks in order to keep the meeting moving along.

Council then moved on to the first item on the agenda, which included topics that Council members had asked be discussed.

REIDSVILLE COMMUNITY POOL ASSOCIATION (RCPA).

City Manager Almond stated that the Council had discussed the RCPA last year, including problems the group had experienced with getting members. He gave a brief history of the organization, which had been set up to be a "go-between" between the City and the Reidsville YMCA. Since no one had done a public-private enterprise such as this before, it was felt an "impartial board" was needed, that would be committed to publicizing the pool and setting up programs so that citizens would get their money's worth.

Mayor Pro Tem Gentry, who serves as Council liaison to the RCPA, said his problem with the pool is that, in talking to people, they consider the facility a "Y pool, not a Reidsville pool." He questioned how to get more citizens and more participation in the pool. The RCPA only meets twice a year, and typically only to look at the budget, he said. It was noted that the original idea was to teach every child in Reidsville to swim, which would be great for the community and save lives. Now the problem is that schools don't have the time to take part in pool activities because they're too busy trying to improve test scores.

The Mayor Pro Tem said that, personally, he feels that the City Recreation Director should be the liaison to the RCPA. If the City wants programs, the Recreation Director would need to be involved, he said.

City Manager Almond said that for that to happen, the agreement would have to be changed. Currently, the agreement states that a Council member will be liaison.

Councilwoman Zdanski stated that swimming programs need to be coordinated through the Recreation Department. Councilman Henderson noted that the Recreation Director would need to report progress to the City Council and City Manager.

Mayor Pro Tem Gentry said the City would still need to get a copy of the budget, which usually comes out in January.

Mayor Donecker questioned whether there would be a need for the RCPA. Why couldn't there just be interaction between the City Recreation Director and the YMCA Director? City Manager Almond said that the way the agreement was set up, the RCPA was supposed to do programming. The Mayor noted that there was a "give and take" relationship between the Y and the City. He added that the relationship between the Y and the City has been very, very good.

Councilwoman Zdanski said that the Council didn't need to say today that they're going to cut off the RCPA, but they should look at how it needs to be changed administratively.

Councilman Festerman noted that the City members are only part of the RCPA, and that the others would have to agree. He said he liked the Mayor Pro Tem's suggestion that the Recreation Director be the liaison.

Mayor Donecker said that if the Recreation Director was going to represent the City, why not go to the next step? He said the YMCA had problems getting members for the RCPA as well. Kim Rider, Y Director, and Harry Brown, City Recreation Director, could represent their organizations. He added that even some of those who are members of the RCPA don't see the value in it.

Councilwoman Zdanski said the two entities need to come together and discuss it.

City Manager Almond said that issues that need to be considered include ownership of the pool and what happens if the RCPA is disbanded. Dollar amounts and eligible expenses need to be looked at, he said. He said he wasn't satisfied that half of the deficit the City is paying is what it should be paying. The City Manager talked about the changes in personnel over the years, more so at the YMCA than at the City. He said he wasn't sure the contract was being followed, but he noted that it could be that the current situation is more advantageous to the City. "I don't know," he said.

Suggestions were made to advertise the pool more. The times of free swim periods are posted at the Recreation Center, the City Manager said. Councilman Rucker said one avenue for advertisement might be through the Community Watch system. Councilman Festerman said the pool really needs to be advertised in the schools.

The Mayor said that the Council should compare the numbers of summer usage at Pettigrew Pool to the YMCA numbers. He said usage levels may not be at the level the City wants them to be, but they're still better than they were at the outdoor Pettigrew Pool. Councilman Turner said it would be interesting to see those figures.

It was decided that two Council members (Mayor Pro Tem Gentry and Mayor Donecker), along with City Manager Almond, need to meet with representatives of the RCPA and YMCA Boards, the Y Director and Swim Director.

2004-05 BUDGET.

City Manager Almond stated that it is still very early in the budget process. He explained that the budget will look very different this year to comply with GASB/Statement 34. The budget packets have been sent to department heads earlier this year, and plans are to have the budget back to the City Manager and City Council earlier than usual as well.

Health Insurance Rates and Issues.

Assistant City Manager Terri Stamey informed Council that her department had been closely monitoring insurance reserves. Through December of 2003, reserves had built up to $178,000 after starting at $0 on July 1st.

Projections indicated that, based on medical trend, insurance rates would be going up 19%. The City's insurance agent projected that as of today, the City should expect to see a 10-11% increase in rates, but more would be known in two months. Relatively speaking, this isn't bad news, Stamey said. City Manager Almond said it is better for the City than compared elsewhere. He noted that Council can keep rates as they are. The City could gamble and lose, but it has won more than lost as a self-insurer, he said. Stamey said that if reserves stay high, that could be used as a rate stabilization fund.

Stamey discussed some of the wellness programs and benefits in which the City participated.

City Manager Almond said that health insurance may not play as big a part in the budget this coming year as it has in the past.

There was discussion about the amount of time spent by the Personnel Director to help employees with their claims. Additional time has been necessary because there's a "need" out there among employees, the City Manager said.

Performance-Based Pay.

City Manager Almond noted that the current levels of performance-based pay are 1.5%, 2.5% and 3.5%. This was reduced several years ago from 2.5%, 3.5% and 4.5%. Each half percent on the payroll comes out to about $20,300 in the budget.

Councilman Festerman said he'd like to see the performance-based pay levels remain the same. City Manager Almond said employee retention rates have been very good. There are some recruitment problems in the Police Department, he added.

It was noted that sometimes people leave for "life change" reasons rather than salary. In the Fire Department, some firefighters have left, but they're not leaving like they used to, the City Manager said.

Landfill Costs/Tipping Fees.

City Manager Almond explained that the City's contract with the Piedmont Landfill in Kernersville ends in September of 2004. Since that landfill is almost full, the City had been looking at other options. He said he had talked with the County Manager, who said the City could take its refuse to the County Landfill. It will cost the City approximately $90,000 more a year to go to the County Landfill, he added.

Councilman Festerman asked about the cost of using the landfill in Danville, Va.? The City Manager said they haven't been quoted a price, but he couldn't imagine it would be cheaper than anywhere else.

Councilman Rucker asked how much it costs the City to haul its trash now? City Manager said he couldn't remember, but he noted that there is only an eight-mile difference between a round trip to the County Landfill versus the Piedmont Landfill. The Kernersville deal had saved the City a lot of money over the years, the City Manager said.

Councilman Henderson asked about the life expectancy of the County Landfill? City Manager Almond said he didn't know, but he thinks it will be open for a long, long time. The County Landfill needs more volume, he noted.

The current County Landfill rate is $38.00 per ton, the City Manager said, and county officials don't see the need for an increase for several years. He said he had been told that the City would be getting the same rate as the other municipalities without any penalties for joining later.

City Manager Almond noted that the City would still be seeing $90,000 in additional costs. In the past, that has been passed on to residents through the monthly landfill fees. That would bring the monthly cost up from $2.58 to $4.07. That would mean an additional $18.00 per year for residents, he said.

Councilman Turner asked whether any money was gained from the City's Recycling Center? City Manager Almond said it was cheaper to take trash to the landfill than to the Recycling Center. He said that would continue until there is a market for recyclables.

Police Department Pay Study.

Assistant City Manager Terri Stamey informed Council that funds were included in this year's budget to conduct a pay study of the Police Department's sworn personnel. In the past, these pay studies of various departments have been done every three years, but due to last year's budget constraints, the pay study was delayed another year. The Piedmont Triad Council of Governments is conducting the study. Their consultant has finished the interviews with officers and received back the questionnaires, she said.

The PTCOG consultant is now comparing market data and compiling salary survey data, Stamey explained.

In the past, the City has authorized the consultant to compare Reidsville with lower level "A" markets, she said. Staff needs to know if Council wants to continue seeking a lower level "A" market strategy. The City should get the pay study back from the consultant in February, but he needs direction on the strategy. The "A" market is considered Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, etc.

Stamey discussed some of the current benefits offered, including educational pay incentives for officers, being allowed to take home patrol cars within the City limits and specialty pay based on normal police work. Some other cities provide educational pay based on a percentage of the officer's salary or give extra pay for a master's degree.

Other possible benefits were discussed, along with recruitment issues. It was also noted that the Sheriff's Department is currently conducting a pay study as well. This is important to the City because sometimes there is more of a "migration" between the Sheriff's Department and the Reidsville Police Department than there is between Reidsville and other departments in the County, she said.

The Mayor questioned if the lower level "A" market strategy has been working for the City, why would the City want to change it? City Manager Almond said the pay plan if implemented would be expensive.

Stamey discussed the positive things going on in the Police Department. Although currently four positions short, the department has good leadership, is making good transition progress dealing with retirements and pending retirements, is making good use of technology, and has good minority representation, including a female officer and canine per patrol team. She indicated that retention of officers is critical right now due to the challenges now facing the department.

City Manager Almond warned Council that the money to be invested will be "dazzling." However, it was noted that it's either "pay now or pay later" to get good personnel.

The need for more minority officers was touched on briefly, including the need for a Hispanic officer.

Other Issues.

City Manager Almond noted that capital will probably be a big item in the budget. The City's fleet is aging, he said. Councilman Festerman said gas prices were probably a problem as well. The City Manager said staff can just make the best guess they can about such things.

INDUSTRIAL PARK UPDATE.

City Manager Almond said he didn't have a lot to add about this item although the City is seeing a little bit more activity in terms of companies showing interest in the property. With the premiere site in the County, the park is getting a lot of "lookers," he said.

He briefly described some of the latest improvements to the park. The placement of power lines was among the items discussed.

AFG Wipes says it will be in production by September, Almond said. Noting that the timeframe may be unrealistic, he stated, "We won't be the holdup."

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

Eden Forum Discussed.

The City Manager referred to an Economic Development Forum being sponsored in Eden by the Rockingham County Partnership for Economic & Tourism Development. Questions had arisen about whether a similar forum would be held for Reidsville.

The City Manager said it was his understanding that Eden was interested in the idea of an industrial park. He was even asked to come and relay the City's experience in such a project. He said if the forum turned out to be more than that, he was sure the Partnership would be happy to provide a similar forum for Reidsville. However, he understood the primary reason for the forum was to talk with Eden about what is involved in getting an industrial park off the ground.

City Manager Almond noted that the Citizens of 100 made its first pitch to the City in 1998, but officials had been talking about an industrial park several years before that.

Industrial Park Discussed.

Council members and staff talked about Phase III of the Industrial Park. It was noted that the work of Phase III would help Whiteridge Plastics with its storm drainage problem. Officials stressed the need to get the engineering work done rather quickly. The construction phase will be pretty straightforward, the City Manager said.

City Manager Almond said Council may have to have a special meeting around February 25 once bids are received for the work.

Partnership Audit.

Mayor Donecker asked what was the status of receiving a copy of the audit for the Rockingham County Partnership for Economic and Tourism Development? The City Manager said he hadn't heard anything yet. Councilman Turner said he understood the audit was hand-delivered to the Partnership on the Thursday prior to the last City Council meeting. City Manager Almond said he would check into it.

Status of Wal-Mart.

The Mayor asked about the status of Wal-Mart? City Manager Almond said he understood the company was in the process of purchasing the land between North Scales and City Heights Loop. He said he thought they wanted to have everything in place by this spring. A request has also been made to close part of City Heights Loop as well.

Encouraging Economic Development.

Mayor Donecker asked City Manager Almond, in his opinion, what else could the City Council do to encourage economic development?

The City Manager responded by saying he'd like to see more aggressive recruitment of businesses through an outreach of the City. By businesses, he said he meant small and mid-sized businesses rather than big industry.

Councilman Turner asked if that was not a function of the Chamber of Commerce? City Manager Almond said, "That's the $64,000 question." It was discussed about the function of "recruitment" versus providing services to existing businesses. It was pointed out that most industries start with the State Department of Commerce when they are looking for sites; therefore, he said his gut feeling tells him attempting to recruit such industries is not cost effective for the City. He said he also believes the City should be more "proactive" in getting smaller businesses, such as small restaurants, housing, etc.

Councilwoman Zdanski pointed out that small towns that have attracted attention have a "feeling within themselves." Citizens of these towns are constantly asking how they can beautify the entrances to their towns, etc, she said. She asked how the City could spark such interest within its citizens?

Councilman Turner stated that Eden has been very successful in landing some chain restaurants. He questioned why Reidsville couldn't attract the same? The City Manager noted that sometimes it is both a "blessing and a curse" being so close to Greensboro because it's such a short distance to drive there to eat and catch a movie.

There was a brief discussion about how the City in the past used to provide incentives to builders.

Councilman Turner talked about the need to encourage existing businesses, like JS Ventures. The City could serve as a "guinea pig" for one of its SPAM filtering products, he noted.

Business Recruiter Position.

Mayor Donecker said the City might want to consider Eden's model of a business recruiter. The City has employed Mike Dougherty to help recruit and assist small businesses there. The Mayor noted that Dougherty has made an impact in Eden, and Reidsville needs that kind of aggressiveness. He said he wasn't sure whether the City should hire someone as a staff position or contract a person or group to do recruitment for the City. It was noted that Mr. Dougherty has "created a lot of buzz," getting people to look at Eden. Councilman Henderson asked if this could be a staff position with the City? It was stated that it could.

City Council members asked for feedback on this issue from Mr. Jim Eastridge, President of the Reidsville Chamber, who arrived at approximately 10 a.m.

Mr. Eastridge said that Mr. Dougherty had been a tremendous asset to the City of Eden. He noted that Mr. Dougherty's full-time job is to recruit small businesses. The Chamber can play a supporting role in that, he said, saying that Eden is a wonderful example of what can be accomplished.

Councilman Festerman asked about a job description for the position? City Manager Almond said he had one although he didn't have it with him. Mayor Donecker said he wasn't convinced that this would need to be a full-time City position. Councilman Festerman said he also understood that Mr. Dougherty helped new businesses go through the steps of starting up, including permits, etc.

Councilman Festerman questioned whether such duties could be divided up between existing personnel? City Manager Almond said he and Community Development Director Michael Pearce were working on a proposal for Council to consider. They had discussed using Penn House Coordinator Judy Yarbrough, who has a Chamber background, to work part-time to start up such a process. Someone would have to be hired to assist her with some of the Penn House duties, he noted. City Manager Almond noted that the Penn House can wear a person out, leading to a lot of comp hours as well. By changing some of Judy's duties, it will give her some relief from some of the Penn House responsibilities, he said.

Councilman Festerman said he was concerned about the way the discussion was going since they hadn't talked with Judy. City Manager Almond said he and Pearce had already discussed this possibility with her.

City Manager Almond noted that it had been asked, doesn't the City having a staff person to do this "step on the Chamber's toes?" He directed this question to Jim Eastridge.

Mr. Eastridge said the Chamber needs to focus on the businesses that are already here and to help market those businesses. He noted that the Chamber doesn't have to be "at the top of the marquee" every time a new business or industry comes to Reidsville. He said he didn't think there are enough hours or manpower for the Chamber to go outside to recruit new businesses. Councilwoman Zdanski noted the need for the Chamber to promote those who are "paying the dues."

Mr. Eastridge noted that if the Chamber markets businesses already in existence, the outside communities will take notice as well. He said he saw no conflict between such a recruiter position and the Chamber's function.

Councilman Henderson noted the need for close interaction between the Chamber and any recruitment of businesses the City might do. Mr. Eastridge said that the Chamber would try to get these businesses into the Chamber once they had been recruited. Mr. Eastridge stated the need for the Chamber to be active and the need for tax dollars to stay in the County.

City Manager Almond said staff would continue to pursue this possibility. He noted that this would be just a "baby step" in this process. Councilman Festerman suggested if this step is taken that the person be an arm of the City Manager's Office. The Mayor questioned whether it would not be better as part of Community Development since that is where the permits are issued, etc. Councilman Festerman pointed out that sometimes, Community Development is considered part of the problem because they are the ones who often have to tell people no. Therefore, he thinks the recruiter should be a position under the City Manager. The Mayor questioned whether the Penn House should also be under the City Manager? Councilman Festerman said "if that's what it takes." He stressed that this person should be an "advocate" and that by being under the City Manager, it associates a higher level of importance to the position as well.

Councilman Festerman noted that he had wanted the Penn House Coordinator to report to the City Manager as well, but that didn't happen. City Manager Almond said that the Community Development Director took it on as a "challenge." The City Manager stressed that as a "baby step," he and Pearce were only requesting part-time help for Judy to keep her from building up so many comp hours.

Councilman Henderson said if the position does report directly to the City Manager it should be made clear to Pearce that it is not done because of a lack of confidence in his abilities. City Manager Almond said he would make sure that Pearce understood that.

It was decided that the subject would be brought back up at budget time.

Penn House Activities Noted.

City Manager Almond, reading from a memo from Community Development Director Pearce, stated that the first full year under Judy Yarbrough's direction, events at the Penn House rose from 143 to 193 -- a 33% increase. Participation at the house was up 50%. The house brought in $31,000 in revenues last year, the highest revenue before that had been $18,000. "Judy's marketing is responsible for that," the City Manager said.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RELATIONSHIP.

Ribbon Cuttings Discussed.

Before getting into a discussion of the City's relationship with the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Pro Tem Gentry asked Chamber President Jim Eastridge about a phone call he received from a gentleman opening up a new business. The man didn't have the money right now to join the Chamber, but he wanted to have a ribbon cutting. The Mayor Pro Tem asked Mr. Eastridge whether the Chamber could help out? Mr. Eastridge said he thought it was in the Chamber's bylaws that for the Chamber to hold a ribbon cutting, the business owner must be a Chamber member. However, he said he would be in attendance and would offer help in any way he could, including letting the business owner borrow the Chamber's big wooden scissors. He stated that ribbon cuttings were a "perk" of being a Chamber member.

Chamber of Commerce Rent.

It was noted that the issue of the Chamber's contract with the City on renting the

Governor Reid House had still not been resolved. Mr. Eastridge said he had met with Community Development Director Michael Pearce a while back. Since then, the Chamber President said he had kept a fairly close eye on the thermostat, trying to keep it at a "reasonable, constant temperature," which would be stable yet comfortable for staff most of the time. Mr. Eastridge noted that the house is an old building and drafty. In the past, Chamber office supplies had been damaged due to the humidity of the building, he noted.

The Mayor asked if the heating was not under the Community Development Director's control? City Manager Almond explained that the utility costs associated with the Governor Reid House is under a line item in the Historic Preservation Commission's budget. In recent years, the Commission has been concerned about the rising utility bills, he said. However, he said he didn't think bills from the Governor Reid House have caused the Historic Preservation Commission to be unable to do any projects.

The City Manager stated that currently, the "tenant at will" policy is in effect since no new contract has been signed between the City and the Chamber.

Councilman Turner said he would like to see the Chamber get off to a better start under the leadership of Mr. Eastridge. He suggested delaying negotiations, noting that he'd like to see a better relationship develop with the Chamber.

Mr. Eastridge said he knew there had been tensions between the Chamber and the City in the past. He had even been asked how he planned to "combat" the City Council and Mr. Almond. Mr. Eastridge said he didn't plan to "combat" anybody and that he felt he had already established a good relationship with the Council and Mr. Almond while working as a local newspaper reporter. He said he wanted to foster a sense of community and would like to see the relationship between the City and Chamber improve.

Mr. Eastridge noted that relations between the Chamber and several other organizations, such as the TDA, Partnership for Economic & Tourism Development -- not just the City -- had been strained over the years, for whatever reason. He said he wanted to re-establish good working relationships with those organizations. Councilman Turner said he thought the Chamber could be a real asset for the City with Mr. Eastridge at the helm. Councilwoman Zdanski said she appreciated Mr. Eastridge saying that relationships have been strained with other groups as well. She noted the need for the City and the Chamber to be "on the same page," to have the same goals to bring jobs to the local community.

Mr. Eastridge stated that the Chamber is not a "one man show." While the Chamber and City might not always agree, he said he felt that Chamber and City officials could sit down and have some sort of conversation.

Councilman Festerman said he felt this issue needed to be resolved today.

Councilman Festerman then made the motion, seconded by Councilman Rucker, to approve a one-year extension of the Chamber of Commerce agreement based on the previous agreement.

It was noted that the lease will run from January 2004 to January 2005. Council members noted their willingness to work with the Chamber.

The motion was approved in a 7-0 vote.

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PROMOTION OF REIDSVILLE.

City Manager Almond asked Chamber President Jim Eastridge when Eastridge was interviewed for the Chamber position, was there any discussion of external promotion of the City? Mr. Eastridge said yes, but budget constraints were keeping him from doing that kind of thing right now. He said he felt that right now, the Chamber was better served by attending to the needs of the small businesses already here. The more secure these businesses feel, the better, he said.

The discussion turned to contacts outside of the County. Mr. Eastridge stated that he would need to establish outside contacts in Greensboro and Danville, Va. However, he noted that the had good working relationships with the other Chamber executives elsewhere in the County.

Mr. Eastridge distributed to Council several event proposals he'd like to see happen in Reidsville. (A COPY OF THE TWO-PAGE HANDOUT IS HEREIN INCORPORATED AND MADE A PART OF THESE MINUTES.) He said he envisioned these events being more than just Chamber activities, and instead, being joint efforts with other organizations in the City. Mr. Eastridge said he'd like to bring attention to Reidsville more so than any group or organization, talking about the need to make the community feel like a community again.

A variety of suggestions were offered by Council members, including the need for shorter Martin Luther King breakfasts so that working people could get to work on time and the possibility of having the Christmas parade at night. Councilman Festerman said he liked all of the events Mr. Eastridge had presented until he saw the $5,000 contribution requested of the City.

EVENING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.

Mayor Donecker stated that some people would like to have Council meetings at night because they work and can't attend during the day.

Councilman Turner talked of the increase in costs of night meetings and the loss of productivity. Employees have to work overtime to meet at night, he noted, adding that if there was an "earth shaking" topic, such as involuntary annexation, the Council could opt to meet at night.

Councilman Henderson noted that before the last election, he had been opposed to night meetings. He felt that, in talking with people in his district, they supported his decision to not support night meetings. Councilwoman Zdanski said she felt the meetings should stay the same.

Mayor Donecker noted that the survey conducted by the Human Relations Commission had found that people wanted night meetings.

Councilman Henderson and Mayor Donecker discussed whether an election of a Council member necessarily meant the voters supported his position on an issue, such as night meetings. Councilman Henderson said he had to carry it to the people he knew and that was the people in his district, District A.

Councilman Festerman said he had been approached by people who felt there needed to be night meetings because they felt more people would be able to come. He said he could do either.

No action was taken on this issue.

HOW TO FILL VACATED CITY COUNCIL SEATS.

It was noted that the City Attorney had rendered an opinion that the Council could not discuss this topic again unless one of the four who voted against it brought the issue back up. (A COPY OF THE ATTORNEY'S OPINION IS HEREIN INCORPORATED AND MADE A PART OF THESE MINUTES.)

No action was taken.

PROJECT HOMESTEAD.

City Manager Almond pointed out that Project Homestead had been involved in Reidsville in two projects -- the Marcellus Place apartments (formerly Duke Street) and the Wolf Island/Crutchfield housing development. He stressed that the City had spent no City dollars on either project, but had only facilitated some grants for the organization. Regarding the houses in the Wolf Island/Crutchfield Road area, a lot of them have been sold.

The City Manager said he had not received official word from Project Homestead, but he understood that the organization is pulling back from such projects and focusing on Project Homestead's core mission. He said he had heard the organization was trying to sell the rest of the land in the Crutchfield/Wolf Island area to another developer.

Mayor Donecker said the City could learn from Greensboro's situation about double checking how funds are dispensed, even to nonprofit organizations.

Councilwoman Zdanski said that the bottom line is that no City dollars were used in these projects and that the City has gained because of the Marcellus Place apartments. Councilman Henderson said he understood that only a few houses haven't been sold in the development. The City Manager also pointed out that George Carr and Beacon Management is still managing the Marcellus Place apartments and that there is regular communication between the Police Department and Marcellus Place.

SKATEBOARDING.

The Mayor started off this discussion by saying Recreation Director Harry Brown needs to look at Kernersville's skateboarding facility, which is run by the City.

City Manager Almond said he wanted to clarify some comments made at the last Council meeting. Skateboarding, he noted, is not allowed on sidewalks in the downtown area. Skateboarding is also prohibited in public streets for safety reasons, he said. Police have also prohibited skateboarders from putting ramps on other sidewalks and impeding traffic, he added.

Mayor Donecker said if bikes are allowed on the streets, skateboards should be allowed as well. City Manager Almond said if that's the case, an ordinance is needed. The Mayor asserted that if children are supposed to be carrying their skateboards to specific points for skateboarding, that's not going to happen. He said they would be riding their skateboards to get to those areas.

City Manager Almond said he felt there was more concern about skateboarders congregating in neighborhoods rather than traversing across a street. The Mayor said if the skateboarders are obstructing traffic, then they should be chased off. However, skateboarders are a fact of life, he said.

Councilman Festerman talked about the possibility of getting ordinances on skateboarding from other cities. He said he wasn't sure the City wanted to "sanction" skateboarding activity in the streets. The Mayor noted that the City has received tons of bicycle helmets from grants, which could be used for skateboarding. Councilman Henderson questioned whether they wanted children growing up with the attitude that they can ignore the law. With that type of attitude, they might start thinking that way about other activities, he said.

A brief discussion ensued about whether skateboarding should be allowed in the streets. The City Manager said he thinks it is okay for the Police to use a little discretion when dealing with these skateboarders.

Council was reminded that at the last City Council meeting, the Recreation Director was instructed to look into having skateboarding areas at City parks. The City's Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission was to look into this, including the necessary signage, etc.

ETJ EXTENSION.

City Manager Almond brought out a large map of the City's current ETJ area. Councilman Turner said that the City needed ETJ area along Business 29. It was indicated that the County had promised the City some ETJ area on several occasions, but had rescinded the offer. Councilman Festerman said the City definitely needed ETJ around the lake and watershed area.

The Mayor asked if the limit cities could have for ETJ was one mile or three miles? City Manager Almond said he wasn't sure if a limit still exists.

APPEARANCE-RELATED ISSUES.

Mayor Donecker talked about the need to clean up Jackson Trailer Park off of Narrow Gauge Road. He said that was a very dangerous place, but with proper zoning and code enforcement, that area could be cleaned up. City Manager Almond asked if the City wanted to approach County Commissioners with that request? The Mayor also stated that the Mizpah Church Road area needs to be cleaned up as well. Councilman Festerman said staff needed to be specific in the request to the County and should include the watershed area.

The City Manager said he would get the Community Development Director to work up a specific proposal, which would need to be endorsed by Council.

It was noted that the issue may be delayed for action until after the County hires a new Planning Director.

Sidewalks Discussed.

Council members talked about the used cars beside the car wash on South Scales Street. The possibility of putting sidewalks on both sides of the street was discussed. Those cars are currently being parked too close to the street, it was said. The same problem exists at Short Sugars where customers sometimes park too close or in the street.

Councilman Henderson asked whether the City does assessments for sidewalks? The City Manager said the City hasn't done so in the 16 years he's been here. The need to have sidewalks in various residential areas was noted, including Cypress Drive, Sherwood Drive, Sprinkle Street and North Scales Street.

City Manager Almond noted that most people aren't against sidewalks, but they want them to be on the other side of the street.

The Mayor said someone needs to come in and do a "no holds barred" evaluation of the City's sidewalks.

Status of Buildings.

Councilman Festerman said he understands the work on the church building on Scales Street has been stopped for several weeks. The City Manager said he thought it had been stopped for several months.

Regarding the Hugh Scott Hester building, some exterior work had been done, it was noted.

On the Smith building, some scraping has occurred, along with some painting of windows and doors. The City Manager said he thought the case was going to court on February 20.

LAKE REIDSVILLE.

City Manager Almond noted that last year was the 20th year of Lake Reidsville. He said he would like for this year to be the "Year of the Lake." He talked of the need to improve the Camp Store and to expand the campsite area. The City Manager said that the lake could be a "jewel" for Rockingham County and had been the site of many events, including July 4th, the Stone Soul Picnic, biker events, etc. He said he'd really like to promote the lake more as the "crown jewel" of the County.

Discussion ensued about the availability of campsites. In response to a question, Richard Moore, who has camped out there for many years, said he had stopped camping there because he couldn't get a site because of people who are there all the time. It was also noted that electricity is not available at some of the sites.

The availability of grant monies was also discussed.

Councilman Festerman said he'd like to see some additional campsites out there by this summer. The City Manager said he would get staff to get a proposal for City Council to review.

Other topics discussed was utilization of the soccer field at the lake and the need to "rev up" the former Friends of the Lake organization.

Mayor Donecker questioned whether the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) could help with funds? The City Manager said he thought funds were probably available.

Chamber of Commerce President Jim Eastridge interjected that he had talked with Recreation Director Harry Brown about the possibility of a horse show out at the lake. Mayor Donecker said he could tell Mr. Eastridge that wouldn't be possible, because a horse show can't be too close to a water source, not to mention the horses would tear up the fields.

OTHER ISSUES.

The City Manager asked Council members if there were any other issues they wanted to discuss?

Builders' Incentives Program.

Councilwoman Zdanski said she'd like staff to talk with builders to see if there's any interest in some type of incentives program? She said staff might check with other cities to see what they were doing.

City Greenways.

The Mayor asked for a brief update on the proposed greenway down to Lake Reidsville? The City Manager said the route was planned along old sewer and water rights of way. No other action has been taken.

The Mayor asked about whether anything had been done about power lines down behind McCoy Road down to Lake Reidsville? The City Manager said he didn't know.

Honorarium Mentioned.

Councilman Festerman said he would like to honor a local man who has brought a lot of recognition to Reidsville. It was decided that this item would be discussed in closed session.

Wrap-Up.

The Council then wrapped up the open session with a few final comments. City Manager Almond noted that this upcoming budget year was probably going to be tight. Water sales to Greensboro are at the minimum stated in the contract, it was pointed out.

The City Manager gave the Council a brief update about partial disbursements from the Bea Penn Moore Estate. It was noted that the paving of the parking lot at the Penn House had been a good move.

Councilman Festerman asked about plans for the old ABC Store? The City Manager said the ABC Board plans to sell it.

CLOSED SESSION.

Councilman Festerman made the motion, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gentry and unanimously approved by Council, to go into closed session at approximately 11:55 a.m. to discuss an honorarium under G.S. 143-318.11 (2).

RETURN TO OPEN SESSION.

The Council came out of closed session at approximately 12:10 p.m. Councilman Festerman made the motion, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gentry and unanimously approved by Council, to adjourn.

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