Ward System of Government for Roanoke City?

When are five heads better than seven? Are two heads better than one?

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The second question first: Two heads are better than one if they work together for the good of the whole doing twice the work. If the two heads are looking in opposite directions and sitting on their heads then I say cut off the other head (figuratively) and give me one head with common sense.

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Roanoke County has five supervisors with more population. Though county residents may differ on their performance they represent districts, Cave Spring, Hollins, etc. Do they stay in touch with the citizens they represent? I hope so as that is the whole idea of having district representation.

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Is it time to visit the Ward system of government in Roanoke City? Wait this was considered in July of 1997. What happened then? I was not living in Virginia at that time and can find nothing but a brief comment about it. So anyone knowing what transpired during that time and this map - CLICK HERE FOR MAP.

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Would we be better represented in what would be Ward No. 1 according to the 1997 consideration. If the current Council members who live in "our Ward" had to actually answer to us I think it would be better. I think this would keep out the moneychangers from the election.

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When I did a google search for fun with "when are five heads better than seven"? I came up with this:

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In Revelation 17, John sees a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast. This beast has seven heads and ten horns. Who is the woman and what are the heads?

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And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Rev. 17:18)

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And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Rev. 17:9)

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What does this have to do with Roanoke City Government you ask? This is all yours to answer.

Councilwoman Tours Countryside

Councilwoman Gwen Mason toured the Countryside Neighborhood, golf course, and pool. According to our tour guide, Mike Higgins of Countryside Drive, Mrs. Mason was sympathetic to our cause and thought the area was beautiful. She also thought it very sad that the pool had been neglected. Other then the golf cart tour and sympathetic comments per Mike Higgins this is all I know. Please attend the October 15th meeting where Mike will be available for questions.

"Chipping" away at Countryside Golf Course

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Right is view of Trane from Frontage Road

CLICK to enlarge any of these pictrues.
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"Chipping" in this case is not meant to be a golf term. It is what has been happening to the Countryside Golf Course over these many years. As we know, Newbern Properties, LLC, wants to expand it's Trane tenant's building adjacent to the 2nd and 3rd fairways. The Trane building has already taken away the beauty of these two fairways as it is and now Mr. Newbern tries to tell us what a "win-win" this will be for all concerned if he gets more of the Countryside property. Excuse me, but when someone starts using the "win-win" political theme it is code for "it will be a win for me" and though I am making you think I care about you I really don't give a damn. Now as I understand it, it is some footage around the area in these pictures that Newbern wants for the Trane expansion or they will take their toys and go elsewhere. You know how any mention of a business leaving Roanoke City strikes fear into the hearts of City Council and the Administration. Mr. Newbern knows how to push the right buttons. In my opinion any more intrusion on these two fairways will only be another nail in the coffin for the golf course's continued existence. The City of Roanoke (Administration and Mayor) have made it perfectly clear they do not plan to put a dime into the property to reconfigure holes or anything else.

View from Third Green (left)

View of Corner Second fairway and Third Tee (right)

Some may say it is only a few feet hear and a few feet there. Believe me when I say Newbern wants more than the few feet he may ultimately get. History shows that this beautiful 18-hole championship golf course has been "chipped" away over the years as owners of the golf course only sought to reap as much money as they could by selling off bits and pieces. Perhaps it was because of the impending demise of the the airport property lease in November 2008. Perhaps it was just greed. Perhaps a little of both.

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Second Fairway and back of Trane

Meadowbrook, the current operators of the golf course as we all know have reaped the profits of the operation and applied little of the revenue toward upkeep. I do not think they have any vested interest in caring whether this portion of the City's golf course property is sold to Trane or not. After all Meadowbrook's days are numbered and I wager they will not bid on any Request for Proposal (Services) as planned for Spring 2008 when the RFP is put out for operators (per City Council's plan). Topic to be continued.

September Sunflower at Countryside

Roanoke City Council Meeting - Word for Word

Item 6 - a) - 8. Authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the Operating Agreement with the Meadowbrook Golf Group, Inc., on behalf of the City of Roanoke, providing for an extension for the term November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008.

Councilman Lea asks "in talking with some citizens over at Countryside about this golf course there has always been a concern about maintenance and that the golf course has not been maintained the way it should be. Is there anything here that assures us that it will be maintained properly?"

Mrs. Burcham's response, "We have had discussions with Meadowbrook golf and they are willing to add as an attachment to the lease their Standard Operating Procedure which is used in all their golf facilities as the maintenance standard by which this particular facility, Countryside, will be judged and will be maintained. I don't know if you were a recipient of the email or not from Ms. Garner over the weekend where she said that she was pleased to see that we have in fact addressed the maintenance issue . Now these are core standards that are applied to the golf course itself and so any concerns you have heard about the play area or the area that is used by the golfers is clearly going to be covered by this standard operating procedure that Meadowbrook has agreed to adhere to."

Vice-Mayor Trinkle, "I'm glad the maintenance is covered in this because this has been a common .. we've mentioned I guess a few meetings ago that we'll over the next year we'll go through a process of reevaluating the financial impact of the golf course and sort of re looking at where we go from here ... do we have a timeline on when that will occur or when we'll start on that?"

Ms. Burcham, "well I actually have a meeting I think next week to talk to at least one individual to start gathering that kind of information - we haven't really set out a specific timeline but obviously would want to do our due diligence and come back to the Council in advance of a schedule that would call us asking for responses to a a specific request for services. so it would be in the early Spring I would anticipate that we would come back to Council - we've got a number of other other projects that are consuming allot of staff time right now so that one would be scheduled toward the end of this year and the beginning of next calender year."

Extension of Operating Agreement with Meadowbrook

Monday, September 17th, 2:00 PM on Agenda Item 6. a. 8 (7:00 PM meeting canceled):

Dear Mayor Harris and Members of City Council:
Subject: Extension of Operating Agreement for Countryside Golf Course

Background:
On November 10, 2005, the City executed an agreement with Meadowbrook Golf Group, Inc., to operate the Countryside Golf Course for a period of one year. The agreement was extended in October 2006 and is due to expire October 31, 2007. The agreement provides that it may be extended for an additional year on terms and conditions agreed upon by .the parties. City staff and Meadowbrook have agreed to an additional one year extension period.

Considerations:
Meadowbrook will continue to pay the City $1 7,500 for the additional one year term, from November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008. In response to neighborhood concerns regarding maintenance of the facility, staff if finalizing with Meadowbrook their commitment to adhering to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) used at their other facilities.

Recommended Action:
Authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the Operating Agreement with the Meadowbrook Golf Group, Inc., on behalf of the City of Roanoke, providing for an extension for the term November 1, 2007, through October 31, 2008, and incorporating certain maintenance requirements in such form as approved by the City Attorney.

Authorize the City Manager to take such further action and execute such additional documents as may be necessary to provide for the implementation, administration, and enforcement of such Amendment, as well as the Operating Agreement and any other Amendments.

Darlene L. Burcham
City Manager

Monkey on your back?

Literally a monkey on her back!

I have been waiting for a topic that would reflect this picture that I took on the city market during the Peach Festival. It is just too cute to let linger unseen any longer. The only analogy I can make is that we all in the Countryside community have a monkey on our back figuratively. Speaking of monkeys .... no, I won't go there.

Now that I have your attention with the cute picture here is a Sept. 4th response from Brian Townsend, Assistant City M_____, on the 4 points we talked about at our meeting Sept. 10th:

1. Ms. Garner, as we have told you repeatedly, the City cannot execute a management agreement with Meadowbrook until the City Council authorizes such. I anticipate that this item will be on the City Council agenda for their September 17th meeting.

2. As to the airport land swap, the city staff and airport commission staff continue to work on details of the process, and I don't have a specific time as to when the City Council would consider the land conveyance, but it would require a public hearing by the City Council before such conveyance could take place.

3. We continue to have discussions with Mr. Newbern and his tenant as to their interests in expansion. Once the City receives a specific proposal as to amount of land that Trane and Mr. Newbern consider necessary for their anticipated expansion, the City shall solely determine whether to consider further their request based upon a number of factors, the preeminent one being the affect on golf course play. Obviously, if any portion of the Golf Course is considered for disposition, that disposition would require a public hearing by the City Council.

A CLARIFICATION A FEW MINUTES LATER ON #3:

Ms. Garner, let me clarify that last point, while it would obviously be the City Council's decision on disposition on any of the golf course....the administration would review any proposal from Mr. Newbern and would also consult with Meadowbrook Golf and obtain their opinion as to the potential impact on play prior to making a report/recommendation to City Council as to the merits (or lack thereof) of disposing of any property in that context.

4. The City is not actively marketing the golf course property, as indicated by the Mayor's letter to the City Council, and has indicated pending one year renewal for golf course operation with the current operator, and further identified steps we would consider taking next year to seek out other potential operators of the course in additional future years.Ms. Garner, we receive unsolicited inquiries about a wide range of city-owned properties on an ongoing basis, in addition to the golf course,and in each case the administration responds to the context of the inquiry and the identified availability of the property. At this time, if we were to receive any informal inquiry about the golf course, we would respond to that inquiry with the content of the Mayor's letter to the City Council,which outlines our policy currently as it pertains to the future of the golf course. In all cases, the administration cannot consider disposition of publicly owned real estate without the City Council's initial concurrence, and ultimately, upon a public hearing and formal action of the Council.

Brian Townsend

Assistant City Manager for Community Development

Neighborhood President's Council

Ken Cronin,

General Services,

Roanoke City

Valerie Garner. CNA Chair

Susan Hall, CNA Treasurer

Last night's President's Council was well attended. A big "thank you" to Ken Cronin for his informative slideshow on Global Warming - what Roanoke City is doing - what we can do.

Countryside Neighborhood Meeting Sept. 10th

Look For The Neighborhood Meeting Sign

Prior to the Countryside Neighborhood 7:00 PM meeting we will host the Neighborhood President's Council at 5:30 PM in the same room. From Bob Clement, Roanoke City Neighborhood Services:

"The next President's Council meeting is scheduled for Sept 10 at 5;30 pm at the Holiday Inn on Ordway Drive(behind the Wyndham). This month the meeting is being hosted by the Countryside Neighborhood Alliance and promises to be a very informative meeting. Ken Cronin, Director of General Services for the City of Roanoke, will discuss how the City is reducing their energy consumption and carbon footprint while helping to save our environment and saving you tax dollars.Ken will also provide information on how we as individuals can assist in this endeavor and at the same time, save our own household dollars being spent on rising energy costs."

All are welcome to attend at 5:30 where refreshments will be served then roll over to our regular meeting at 7:00 PM.

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Preliminary Agenda

• Regular business - Minutes and Treasurer's report
• Officer Election Committee Assignment
• "Party Animals" will suggest future event ideas (National Night Out was a blast and we are hungry for more fun.)
• Discussion of August 20th Council Meeting and the "paternal expression of disappointment in us"
• Update from City Administration on the 4 Points directed by City Council (see below)

1) Given that the current management contract on the golf course ends on October 31st and requires the contractor to provide all business operational equipment, we believe there is insufficient time to develop a thorough RFP and to secure meaningful responses. Accordingly our first recommendation is to renew the current contract for one additional year and plan to issue a RFP next spring for any additional management services needed.

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2) Long-term use of the property requires that the clear zone issue be resolved through the proposed property exchange with the Airport Commission. Therefore, we recommend that we conclude this transaction.

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3) An existing business [Jess Newbern Properties - Trane] adjacent to the golf course desires to expand immediately. I recommend that staff be authorized to determine if such expansion can be accommodated without undue interference with the current golf course operation and negotiate the sale of this limited area of the property, and,

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4) Not seek formal proposals for the balance of the property's development for at least a year to allow time to assess the current housing market conditions.