SouthsideCentral was LIVE! at Tuesday’s Danville City Council meeting. This article is now complete, so enjoy the recap. We’ll have BonusCentral articles with more photos from this meeting coming soon. As for now, enjoy the recap!
We’re underway! Buddy Rawley and Fred Shanks are out tonight. Gary Miller leads the prayer, and the Danville Area Girl Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sherman Saunders reads the proclamation for National Girl Scouts Week.
The Girl Scouts have rehearsed their presentation and are ready to swing into action.
Mae Gayle Dalton speaks on behalf of the Danville Area Girl Scouts. The girls give all council members and staff a box of Girl Scout cookies.
Faith Stamps, executive director of the local Boys & Girls Club gets her proclamation for Boys & Girls Club week. She talks about the difference that the club has made in the community. Alonzo Jones asks a question about the new sign at the club.
Danville Regional Medical Center CEO Alan Larson gives an update on hospital operations. He says that the hospital did $44 million in indigent care last year, has bought three local physician practices and have a resident staff of 50 doctors. All council members praise Larson for the hospital’s service to the community.
Here’s a look at the left side of the audience, quite filled with Girl Scouts.
And here’s the right side of the audience gallery. City Council candidates Sheila Baynes & Madison Whittle are in Row #3, and Robin Dabney & Philip Haley are in Row #5
We move to the public comment section. Mike Miller is up first.
He starts talking about his past careers and accomplishments, including owning the Casa Perez restaurant. Mike and his wife are well known in the world of disc golf. He says that the city has poorly managed the disc golf course in Ballou Park. He is banned from all Parks and Recreation properties. He asks to be consulted on disc golf course issues since he’s banned from talking to Parks & Recreation.
Harold Garrison only needs 75 of his 300 seconds to sharply criticize the IDA’s recent activities. R&B reporter Denise Thibodeau is making her way to her seat. She’s been extremely busy tonight, hanging out at the registrar’s office to check on last minute candidate filings.
Harold Garrison is up next, objecting to the IDA’s bidding against a private citizen in the recent bankruptcy auction.
David Corp knows the Danville Historical Society.
David Corp is the last one to speak. He talks about the Danville Historical Society’s upcoming events and invites everyone to the reception for the “HOME” sign downtown.
It’s time for regular business, and it’s going to fly through quickly with almost no discussion. Social Services is getting grant money to pay overtime costs of entering client data into a new software program, Von Wellington gets his Special Use Permit for his River District Event Center and the Parks & Recreation Master Plan is approved. Von Wellington is so cool, he doesn’t even need to come to the podium for his permit request and Showtime Jones introduces him to the audience. Heh.
Around the horn time. Everybody thanks the Girl Scouts and also says nice things about the hospital. James Buckner hilariously falls apart during his statements and gives one of the best shruggies I’ve ever seen. We heart James Buckner. Lee Vogler talks about the “HOME” sign being displayed downtown. Council members also express disappointment that Danville Mall is eliminating the city bus there. And we’re done with the business meeting. The work session is coming up.
Tonight’s work session starts with discussion on a mutual aid agreement between Danville Public Schools and Emergency Services. There’s noting controversial on this and city council will approve it at the next business meeting.
Steve Dishman is in the house tonight!
Here’s tonight’s work session audience.
Every six years, Danville Transit has to compile a comprehensive plan to analyze their operations. Transportation Director Marc Adelman does a presentation with the results and council will officially approve it at their next meeting.
Marc Adelman makes his presentation.
Since Buddy Rawley is out tonight, Sherman Saunders hops into his chair to see the presentation. No, Larry Campbell has not dozed off. This time. Heh.
It’s budget time. Round #1 of the budget is tonight. City Manager Ken Larking presents to preliminary draft of the 2017 budget. Budget Director Cynthia Thomasson stands by to answer any questions.
Ken Larking is at the podium, and Cynthia Thomasson is at the desk.
No tax increases (though reassessments may generate around 1.5% more property taxes), flat budget for the school system and $1.6 million to implement the precision machining program at GW. That’s the highlights, but all of that is a long way from being finalized as budget meeting will happen every Tuesday in March. In April, the final version of the budget will come out and that’s when the public starts their comment period.
We wrap up the work session with an update from Economic Development. Telly Tucker comes to the podium and immediately hands it off to Corrie Teague after introducing the presentation. Telly Tucker is smooth. We heart Telly Tucker. Teague’s presentation is designed to get more information out about what Economic Development does, but I have to note that no members of the public are going to see this great presentation unless they’re here at the work session. Oh well, Corrie does a great job.
It’s the Corrie Teague show! , introduced by Telly Tucker.
It’s closed session time. The listed reason for closed session is “acquisition or disposition of real estate”, and that means it’s about talk about the value and plans for the Sutherlin Mansion. However, Troy Simpson & Friends come in at the last minute and stay for the closed session, so there’s something going on with that. I’ll find out about that soon. We’re done here!
Oops. Sheila Baynes doesn’t make it to to elevator in time and the door close. She looked sad. But I stuck around to make sure that she got out of the building OK. Heh.
We’ll have bonus photos from this meeting in separate SouthsideCentral articles because we already have 15 photos in this article. Thanks for reading the most comprehensive recap of Tuesday’s Danville City Council meeting… and it’s only here on SouthsideCentral!
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