Superintendent Jennifer Parish presented findings from a school consolidation committee that has been looking at the issue of possibly closing a school since last fall. The committee was charged with deciding if closing one of the city's four schools is the best course of action, and if so which school should be closed.

The committee recommended that schools officials wait until 2016 to see if a projected enrollment decrease occurs, and if necessary at that time to close Poquoson Primary School and modestly augment Poquoson Elementary School.

Council unanimously approved resolutions reducing the boat tax to 75 cents and increasing the cigarette tax to 20 cents. The $100,000 difference in revenue from the reduction of the boat tax and the lower increase in the cigarette tax will be covered with funds from the city's undesignated fund balance.

An increase in the meals tax was also approved from 5.5 percent to 6 percent. A 15 percent increase in the solid waste fee and an increase in the sewer fee from $50 to $62 were also approved. The real estate tax rate remained the same at 92 cents per $100 of assessed value.

The budget also included a .7 percent pay increase for city employees to make up a net income loss from tax deductions on a state-mandated raise to cover a 5 percent employee contribution to the Virginia Retirement System. Council approved allocating $42,050 for a similar raise for school employees.

Lovell, 57, has taught technology education for 26 years. She earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech and a master's degree from Potsdam (N.Y.) College.

What attracted you to teaching technology education?

I have always loved working with my hands and making crafts. Teaching tech. ed. lets me teach hands on activities as well as work with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).