I attended the City Council meeting last night and thought I’d share the highlights:
- City Council had a work session on the revamped sign ordinance which is in progress. They are consolidating the current ordinances so they are all in one place and making some changes. There are still changes and revisions to be made and still lots of talking to do on this before it’s finalized. But, it’s a good idea as a citizen in Poquoson (especially if you are interested in what kind of signs will/won’t be allowed on your personal property) to look at this and weigh in on the issue with your current City Council member.
- The new storm water pipes are being installed on Little Florida between Kathy Drive & Cedar Road beginning October 17th. The road will be closed from 9am to 4pm Monday – Friday for approximately 4 – 5 weeks. Traffic will be re-routed down Poquoson Avenue and Odd Road. City Council opted for road closure and re-routing of traffic rather than flaggers and one lane open as the second option posed greater safety risk and extended the length of the project by 3-4 weeks. (being someone who travels that route to and from work, I was glad they choose the detour rather than flagging.) They will be working closely with the schools on re-routing of buses and other issues with the construction. See the document in the agenda (link below) for details.
- Dominion Power made a presentation on their Skiffs Creek project increasing the power capabilities to the peninsula across the James River to handle the needed power once the required closing of the Yorktown coal plant happens in April 2017. This is a controversial, complicated issue. But, the bottom line is, with the coal plant closing, the peninsula will need additional power to avoid blackout periods. The project has many approvals pending, which will now extend it beyond the Yorktown coal plant closing date, creating about 80 days “at risk”. The longer the project start date is pushed out, the more at risk days there will be. Dominion stated they are working hard to find alternatives and avoid any blackout periods for the peninsula. There is a link to their full presentation in the Agenda (see link below).
- The city is purchasing a new roadside mower to replace current equipment that is 15 – 18 years old. The cost is $161,686 plus financing. There is a possibility of purchasing a second tractor if this one is found to work efficiently for the city’s needs.
- The Community Participation Team is working hard to get citizen input for the revised Comprehensive Plan. This is your chance to give your thoughts on where you want our city to go. There will be a community meeting next Tuesday, October 18th, 7pm at the high school. There are drop boxes throughout the city with postcards and flyers for input (there is one in the City Hall lobby). You can also submit your input on-line here: Link to provide on-line feedback for Comprehensive Plan
Below is the link to the agenda to see all documents associated with this city council meeting:
City Council Meeting Agenda – 10-11-16
Link to all City Council Meeting Minutes & Agendas
The minutes from the work session on the new sign ordinance won’t be posted on the website until they are approved at the next council meeting on 10-24-16. So, if you want to watch last night’s work session go here and the meeting to the most recent work session should be posted within the next few days.
Link to broadcast of most recent City Council meeting and Work Session
janaandrews.com 