THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994 TAG: 9406160182
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL REED, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940617 LENGTH: Medium
In early May the two had voted against spending $1.98 million to add a swimming pool, gym and locker room to the Birdneck Road facility.
{REST} As a result the measure failed in a 7-4 vote. Because the money would have come from charter bonds, approval required an eight-vote majority.
On May 24, however, the pair voted to put the expansion over the top by a 10-1 vote and they did the same Tuesday when the measure was passed on a final vote by the same margin.
Only Councilman Robert K. Dean stuck by his May resolve. He stayed with his conviction that other low-income areas of the city are in equal need of a top-of-the-line recreation center.
Both Moss and Parker apparently were swayed by the entreaties of Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, their political ally on the council. She argued that the money would be well spent to save ``at-risk young people in low-income areas'' from the dangers of the streets.
An upgraded Seatack recreation center help accomplish that purpose, she reasoned.
There is no guarantee that Seatack will have an indoor pool, although leaders in the community deem it a necessity.
City Manager James K. Spore said the city will hire an architect to determine if an indoor pool can be built for under $1.98 million. If not, council members will have to decide whether or not additional funds should be spent to accommodate the wishes of Seatack leaders.
In other action Tuesday the council also took action on these issues:
PAY PLAN FOR CITY WORKERS: The council adopted, with some changes, a revised pay plan for some 5,000 municipal employees - not including school employees. The original plan had not been changed in 30 years, said Spore. The revisions would streamline and simplify the pay plan and eliminate a variety of ranges within the plan. It would include new language encouraging performance improvement rather than grading past performance.
Also included are provisions for bonuses for outstanding job performance.
PARKING RESTRICTIONS: The council adopted changes to the city's parking ordinance that will allow residents in areas that restrict on-street parking to obtain permits for curbside parking - if they can prove they have no off-street parking available.
The changes also will allow the city to hire a Hampton contractor to ticket city parking meter violators and to collect parking meter revenues. The cost: $46,000.
CROATAN PARKING: Adopted a plan to alleviate summer parking and behavior problems in the oceanside community of Croatan by continuing to allow on-street parking. The city will paint markings on some Croatan streets to maintain orderly parking patterns.
The plan also will provide free parking at the Camp Pendleton parking lot in Croatan and extend lifeguard services near the parking lot from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the summer. It also calls for paying $45,025 in overtime for police protection in the community from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily during summer months.
by CNB