Town of Onancock Town Council Meeting January 27, 2020 7:00 p.m.  1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Public Business  3. Consideration and Approval of the Meeting Minutes from the December 16, 2019  Regular Town Council Meeting.  a. Onancock Main Street Initiative Update - Ms. Carol Tunstall b. State oft the Town Address - Town Manager William Kerbin Revised Road Maintenance Plan - Town Manager William Kerbin d. Northeast Project Update - Town Manager William Kerbin VPAA Application Grant Match for Ramp Repairs - Mayor Fletcher Fosque Town Council Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2020 - Town Manager  William Kerbin  5. Public Comment  6. Planning Commission Report - Councilmember Robert Bloxom 7. Waterfront Committee Report - Councilmember Robert Bloxom 8. Personnel Committee Report - Councilmember Catherine Krause 9. Sewer Transmission Line Steering Committee Report- Councilmember Robert  Bloxom  10. Mayor's Report - Mayor Fletcher Fosque 11.Town Manager's Report - Mr. William Kerbin 12. Financial Report - Mr. William Kerbin 13. Follow-up on Council Action Items - No Report 14. Council Comments 15.Closed. Session-ifneeded 16.Adjourn    Town of Onancock Town Council Meeting December 16, 2019 7:00 p.m.  Call to Order and Roll Call:  Mayor Fosque called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and roll was called. Mayor Fletcher Fosque and Councilmembers Robert Bloxom, Joy Marino, Ray Burger, Maphis Oswald and Matt Spuck were present. Councilmember Catherine Krause was absent. AI majority of members were present, and a quorum was  established.  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.  Consideration and Approval of the Meeting Minutes from the November 25, 2019 Regular Town Council Mayor Fosque asked for any changes, corrections or additions to the meeting minutes as submitted. With none, Councilmember Oswald made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted. Councilmember Bloxom. seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.  Meeting:  Public Business:  a. Onancock Main Street Initiative Update - Mrs.. Janet Fosque: Mrs. Barbara Johnsen, President of the Onancock Main Street Initiative (OMSI), shared with council that there will be an annual report presented to them int the. January meeting. Mrs. Johnsen expressed OMSI's appreciation of support for the FAB Friday's program. Mrs. Johnsen outlined the goal of the program along with the hope to grow it int future years. Mrs.. Johnsen also shared that she will be presenting their strategic plan to council int the. January meeting. Currently, OSMI is working on grant b. Discussion of the St. Patrick's Parade - Mayor Fletcher Fosque: Councilmember Marino shared that a volunteer has stepped up to co-chair the parade, Claire Marie Smith. Council discussion followed. Some items discussed were the parade financials, fund raising and Council decided to have staff continue what they have been doing for the parade.  submissions for additional funding.  the potential need for more direct town involvement.  Public Comment:  Mrs. Kathy Boyd, Market Street, shared that the town! looks fabulous for the holidays. She thanked the  town staff for all their hard work on the decorations and parade.  Planning Commission Report: No meeting.  1    Waterfront Committee Report:  Councilmember Bloxom shared that on their December 10th meeting the committee discussed the possibility oft the commercial oysterman renting slips in the off season. The committee also discussed the potential grant funding from the Virginia Port Authority to assist the town with repairing the boat  ramp.  Personnel Committee Report:  Mayor Fosque shared that the committee discussed the possibility of a floating holiday but decided that at present it does not make sense. The committee also discussed the potential adoption ofa a new  position in the personnel manual but that was tabled for a future meeting.  SewerTransmission Line Steering Committee Report:  Councilmember Bloxom shared that they have an upcoming meeting on December 23rd, which will be to  meet with Mr. Ted Henifin, Hampton Road Sanitation District General Manager.  Mayor's Report:  Mayor Fosque shared that the town looks great for the holidays. Mayor Fosque thanked the Sewer Transmission Line Steering Committee for their hard work. Mayor Fosque also shared that Northampton County voted to move forward with their petition to the courts to be added into the Hampton Roads! Sanitation District's service area and that the petition did include the Town of Exmore.  Accomack County is due to vote on the petition on December 18th.  Town Manger's Report:  Town Manager William Kerbin read his report aloud.  Taxes: Taxes were due on December 5. As of December 10, the town has collected 94.29ofreal Christmas Parade: Town staff finalized preparations for the annual Christmas parade. Town Code Review Update: Staff met on December 10, 2019 to confer on proposed changes to the Town Code. These changes will go to Municode for proofs and these changes should be finalized by February 29, 2020. The code will then go to Council for review and any proposed VDOT Transfer of Streets: Parks Paving is continuing to make repairs to East and West Streetsi in order to transfer these streets over to VDOT. (Mr. Kerbin explained that it should be Waples Tree Grant Proposal: Mr. Kerbin is continuing to work with Bill Burnham on submitting a grant for tree plantings fort the Outlaw building. The grant is due on. January 8, 2020. Town Audit: The town auditors, Robinson, Farmer & Cox & Associates, were here the week of  estate taxes and 99% of personal property taxes.  additions or changes. Mr. Kerbin estimates a 60-day review period.  Street not' West Street)  December2.  2    Mr. Kerbin also thanked the Public Works Department and Mrs. Lisa Fiege and Ms. Mariellen  Mearsheimer for their hard work on the recent Christmas Parade.  Mr. Kerbin then mentioned that council: seemed interested in reading the Code revisions prepared by staff prior to them being turned over to Municode, those will be sent to the council members for review. Mr. Kerbin also shared that that Accomack County is planning on submitting a $15,000 planning grant on Mayor Fosque asked about the status of the Civil War Trail sign. Mr. Kerbin said that it should ready by  our behalf.  the next council meeting. Financial Report: No report.  Follow-up on Council Action Items:  Councilmember Marino verified that Mr. Kerbin would be giving council the revised street plan. Councilmember Oswald stated that the town. looks wonderful for the holiday season. Councilmember Marino mentioned that the Onancock Business and Civic Association has been  Council Comments:  discussing the creation of a dog parki int town.  Closed Session, if needed: None was needed. Adjourn:  Councilmember Bloxom made a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Marino seconded the motion. The  motion, passed by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 7:48 p.m.  Fletcher Fosque, Mayor  Lisa Fiege, Deputy Clerk  3    Onancock Main Street Initiative (OMSI)  Strategic Plan 2020-2021  Our Vision: Historic downtown Onancock is the commercial and cultural heart ofa at thriving  waterfront community.  Our Mission: Make Onancock the place where residents are proud to live, and visitors want to return. We will do this by forging community partnerships, cultivating downtown businesses, enhancing our artistic and recreational assets, and celebrating our historic and cultural character. Virginia Main Street: Onancock Main Street is an affiliate of Virginia Main Street. The Virginia Main Street Program is a preservation-based economic and community development program that follows the Main Street Approach by the National Main Street Center. Virginia Main Street is a Main Street America State Coordinating Program that offers a range ofs services and assistance to communities  interested in revitalizing their historic commercial districts. The Four Points of a Main Street program:  Organization - A: strong organizational foundation is crucial for a sustainable Main! Street revitalization effort. This element of the Main Street Four Points focuses on building collaboration among al broad range of public and private sector groups, organizations and Promotion This element deals with marketing the district's assets to residents, visitors, investors and others through special events, retail promotion and activities thati improve the Design This element focuses oni improving the physical environment by renovating buildings, constructing compatible new buildings, improving signs and merchandise displays, creating attractive and usable public spaces and ensuring that planning and zoning regulations support Economic' Vitality This element concentrates on strengthening the district's existing economic base while finding ways to expand its economy and introduce compatible new uses. This worki is rooted in a commitment to making the most of a community's unique sense of place and existing historic assets, harnessing local economic opportunity and creating a supportive  constituencies.  way the district is perceived.  Main Street revitalization.  business environment for small businesses and entrepreneurs  Background and Context: The Town of Onancock has been a Virginia Main Street affiliate for about two decades. In 2017, a renewed effort began to put into place the organization and structure needed to pursue Virginia Main Street Designation, the highest level awarded by the Virginia Main Street organization and to take advantage of available resources and grant funding opportunities. Onancock Main Street Initiative (OMSI) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to support downtown revitalization efforts, ensuring that downtown Onancock is a commercial and cultural center for Over the past two years, the Onancock Main Street Initiative has solicited and analyzed input from the Town, business owners, community members: and visitors to Onancock to identify what these stakeholders feel is most important to increasing the vibrancy of our downtown. Additionally, a series ofl large and small meetings have been held to discuss and refine these findings. Based on these findings  residents and visitors.  and these meetings, our vision and mission statements were developed.    Organizationally, al board of directors has been actively engaged, and in 2019, OSMI achieved 501(c)3 non-profit status. OMSI has developed relationships with the Town, downtown businesses, community organizations, the ESVA Chamber of Commerce and ESVA Tourism. A position description for a program manager has been developed and we are actively seeking an individual to fillt this position. We have developed a two-year strategic plan to guide our activities over the next 24 months.  Our Goals: 2020-2021  1. Apply for and receive Virginia Main Street Designation.  2. Increase the organizational capacity of the Onancock Main Street Initiative 3. Develop andi implement a comprehensive funding strategy to sustain the organization. 4. Inp partnership with the Town, develop branding for the Town of Onancock. 5. Prioritize grant opportunities and apply for at least two substantial grants in the next two years.    Onancock Main Street Initiative (OMSI)  Strategic Plan 2020-2021  Goal 1. Apply for and receive Virginia Main Street Designation.  Achieving designation status will allow OMSI to take advantage of many additional services provided by the Virginia Main Street (VMS) organization, including organizational support, technical assistance and consultation, branding andi image development, public relations, as well as access and scholarships to VMS seminars and training. The value of these services is estimated to be around $100,000overa  three-year period. Objectives:  a. Attend "2020 Designation How-to-Apply" workshop to understand appliçation process b. Gather necessary data and complete application by March 31, 2020 deadline Goal2. Increase the organizational capacity of the Onancock Main Street Initiative. Successful Main Street programs are able to capitalize on the contributions of many stakeholders in a variety of roles. In this way the community works together to achieve revitalization goals.  Receive designation status  Objectives:  a) Fill program manager position in early 2020 and establish OMSI physical office b) Establish and strengthen partnerships with the Town, businesses, civic organizations and other c) Expand board membership toi include critical skill and experience sets d) Establish committees to achieve the strategic goals through volunteer recruitment Goal 3. Develop and Implement a comprehensive funding strategy to sustain the  stakeholders and community partners  organization.  Consistent and reliable funding is essential to sustaining the OMSI organization. As a non-profit, we will need to explore and take full advantage of all potential sources of funding in order to provide support to  our downtown community Objectives:  a) Develop a 3-year budget to identify expenses and funding needed sources and developing a strategy to secure required funding ) Implement strategy and ensure adequate funding is achieved  b) Engage services provided by Virginia Main Street to assist in identifying potential funding    Goal 4. In partnership with the Town, develop branding for the Town of Onancock. A defined look and message for Onancock will consistently convey who we are, what we have to offer and the experience people will have living, working and visiting our town. It will set Onancock apart from other towns, as well as help generate pride among residents, businesses and visitors who can more clearly articulate our assets. Itwill serve as a promotional tool for our town and our businesses.  Objectives:  a) Identify professional firm with which to collaborate b) Partner with Town to develop brand  c) Promote consistent use of brand on Town and business signage and language  Goal 5. Prioritize grant opportunities and apply for at least two substantial grants ini the next Ani important source of funding for OMSI and for downtown revitalization projects will be grant funding. We need to understand the range of grant opportunities available to us, identify those that are most promising and work toward maximizing our ability to successfullyapply: and receive this funding.  two years.  Objectives:  a) Compile a comprehensive list of grant opportunities and identify application requirements, timelines, partner organizations, match requirements, and other pertinent information b) Prioritize these grant opportunities considering OMSI organizational needs, current business needs, ability to improve the downtown physical environment, and ability to strengthen the Identify two to three grants that would have the most opportunity for success over the next two  downtown economic base to three years  d) Complete the application process for at least two oft these    2019 State of the Town Address January 27,2020  The regional sewer expansion project continued to move forward. Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission provided a series of informational sessions to residents on their plans to construct a sewer line from Nassawadox to Onancock. The Town subsequently formed as steering committee to gather data and information to forward to Town Council to aid ini its decision whether toj join the HRSD service area. An engineering study was commissioned to determine the operational costs ifthe wastewater treatment plan remained under Town ownership. The Onancock Main Street Initiative received its 501(c)3 non-profit designation and developed a strategic plan based on input from community meetings and following the Main Street process. The organization also coordinated and promoted Fab Fridays for Town businesses between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Christmas Homes Tour celebrated its 20th anniversary with 20 activities. New activities this year included a tree lighting ceremony and a decorating contest. Town staff continued to work with Municode to update the Town Code. An interpretive panel was installed at the wharf that includes information on the history of the town, and wildlife found in and around Onancock Creek. A Verizon cell tower was installed next to the water tower providing improved The Town applied for aj planning grant to assess potential community development improvements in the Northeast Section. The improvements may include new sidewalks, housing rehabilitation and demolition of dilapidated housing. East, Waples and Lee Streets were surveyed in order to be transferred over to The town received an advertising grant in the amount of$ 10,000 from the Boating Repairs to the harbormaster facility were completed. These repairs included new Planning began for repairs to the wharf ramp. The town will apply for a VPA  service within a 2-mile radius.  VDOT.  Infrastructure Grant.  flooring and renovations to the restrooms.  application in February, 2020 for funding to repair the ramp.    The police department received the following grants: $36,000 from 599 funds for department funding, $4,500 from the Department ofCriminal Justice for equipment and $3,800 from Highway Safety funds for overtime for enforcement of safety The Town participated in the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) program to evaluate our vulnerability to tidal flooding and storm events. The process included investigating flood control retrofits for the wharfand the creation The Central Accomack Little League boys' team won the state and regional championships and went to the world series and the girls' team won the state The Eastern Shore Home and Garden Tour was held in Onancock in May, 2019. Ap procurement policy was adopted for all town purchases over $5,000. Interior and exterior repairs to the Outlaw building continued along with site work on the grounds. Planning began for a May, 2020 grand opening.  violations.  ofemergency preparedness literature for citizens.  championship.    8o    A    Town Council Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2020  The Onancock Town Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting on the fourth Monday of ther month, except dates that may conflict with holidays, and have the following Thursday of that month as an alternate date. The following dates are proposed for calendar year 2020.  Monday, February 24, 2019 Monday, March 23, 2019 Monday, April 27,2019 Monday, June 22, 2019 Monday, July 27, 2019 Monday, August 24, 2019 Monday, September 28, 2019 Monday, October 26, 2019 Monday, November 23, 2019 Monday, December 28, 2019  Thursday, May 28, 2019 (4th Monday conflicts with Memorial Day)    Town Manager's Report January 27,2020  St. Patrick's Parade  Planning has started for the St. Patrick's Parade. Town staffi is working with the new coordinator, Claire Marie Smith to make plans for the parade. Iwant to extend a thank you to Claire Marie for assuming this  leadership role. Town Code Review Update  Staffa and the Town Attorney are finishing up review of the Town Code and will be forwarding a draft of  the code for review to Town Council around February 1.  Tree Grant Proposal  The Virginia Trees for Clean Water proposal was submitted in early January. The proposal includes tree plantings for the Outlaw Building property. The award should be announced in early February, 2020.  VPA Grant Application  T. Lee Byrd and Clark Nexson have been coordinating to prepare a VPA application for ramp repairs. The application presentation is set for February 11,2020 inl Norfolk. Iwant to extend a thank you to both  T.L Lee and Clark Nexson for their volunteer hours on this project.  Northeast Section Project  Ihave been working with Bobbie Wert from the ANPDC to fulfill requirements for a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant Planning Grant. The requirements include a public meeting, a window housing survey and an infrastructure assessment. All activities must be complete by February 7, 2020.    35    5  a a  388586 a6888 & e 888    a  1      8 86888  &    d0 B  -  888  8888 e  60 % e    o  &8 888  8 - 35  0  55 u 38  E  868 R88 #6$  88  a 80 y    $8  a  -    :e  88 8 85  £EE  888  n    88 60 6  66e    o  n  00  iy    a n D6