Blacksburg Town Council Meeting: December 12, 2023 – Recognition of Councilmember Bush & Public Hearings
Blacksburg Town Council Meeting: December 12, 2023 – Recognition of Councilmember Bush & Public Hearings
The Blacksburg Town Council met on December 12, 2023, from 6:30 PM to 6:57 PM in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The meeting featured a recognition of outgoing Councilmember John Bush for 14 years of service, a consent agenda, and six public hearings, all of which were approved unanimously. No citizen comments were made.
Recognition of Councilmember John Bush
- Vice Mayor Susan Anderson presented a plaque to Councilmember John Bush, honoring his 14 years on Town Council (2009–2023), his prior service on the Historic Design Review Board (1999–2009), and his contributions as an architect and advocate for neighborhood integrity, sustainable development, and affordable housing. Other council members expressed gratitude for his dedication.
Consent Calendar
- Town Council Minutes (November 21 & 28, 2023): Approved.
- Capital Improvement Program FY2024/2025–2028/2029: Public hearing scheduled for January 9, 2024.
- Resolution 12-A-23: Transferred $108,783 between general capital projects (adopted).
- Contract for Professional Services: Multi-Modal Transit Facility – authorized Town Manager to sign.
- Ordinance 2045: Appropriated $927,000 (water/sewer) and $800,000 (stormwater) from bond proceeds – introduced, public hearing set for January 9, 2024.
- Ordinance 2046: Granted a lease of office space at 141 Jackson Street, NE to NRV Land Trust – introduced, public hearing set for January 9, 2024.
- All consent items passed unanimously on a roll call vote (5–0).
Public Hearings
All six public hearings had no public comment. Each was approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 2032 – Utility Easement Vacation (215 Cork Drive): Town Engineer Shawn Veltman explained that vacating a portion of an existing easement would protect two 48-inch diameter oak trees on the property. The new sewer alignment avoids root damage. Passed 5–0.
- Ordinance 2034 – Industrial Waste Surcharge Amendment: Updated Town Code Section 18-401 to allow permits for small dischargers (e.g., microbreweries) and to tie surcharge rates to the Sanitation Authority’s rates. This resolves a situation with Spectrum Brands, which discharges BOD/TSS slightly above 250 mg/L; they will pay a surcharge of about $75/month instead of a $300,000 pretreatment capital cost. Passed 5–0.
- Ordinance 2039 – Tax Exemptions for Elderly/Disabled: Increased income limits from $51,000 to $68,000 and net worth limits from $150,000 to $200,000, aligning with Montgomery County changes effective January 1, 2024. The sliding scale provides 100% exemption for income under $43,200 and 40% exemption up to $68,000. Passed 5–0.
- Ordinance 2042 – Lead Inventory Grant: Accepted an additional $194,000 from the Virginia Department of Health, for a total of $250,000, to perform a lead inventory in the water system. Passed 5–0.
- Ordinance 2043 – Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG): Accepted $76,680 from the Department of Energy for bike lane marking improvements. Passed 5–0.
- Ordinance 2044 – VDOT Primary Extension Paving and ADA Funding: Accepted $406,038 for paving (South Main Street from 460 Bridge to Davis Street, and North Main Street from Givens to Mount Tabor) and $168,750 for ADA improvements, with paving expected in spring 2024. Passed 5–0.
Key Outcomes
- All consent agenda items and public hearing ordinances were approved unanimously (5–0).
- Public hearings were scheduled for January 9, 2024, for the CIP, Ordinance 2045, and Ordinance 2046.
- Councilmember John Bush was recognized and thanked for his 14 years of service.
- Vice Mayor Anderson announced free downtown parking from December 15, 2023, through January 1, 2024.
- The next meeting is a work session on December 19, 2023, at 11:00 AM; the regular meeting on December 26, 2023, is canceled.
Meeting Transcript
Will council come to order? Will the clerk please call the roll? Anderson. Present. Bush. Here. Oliver. Here. The board is absent. Smith is absent. Mattingley? Here. Here. Will you all please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Tonight we have a special recognition for Councilmember John Bush. It's a bittersweet night for me, probably a joyous one for John. John began his service to our council well before actually running for town council. He uh had great civic service prior to 2009. He was chair of Blacksburg Historic Design Review Board from 1999 to 2009. He was also chair of Blacksburg Historic Architecture Review Board in 1998 and 1999, also serving on that committee in 1997. He also was chair of the 16 Square subcommittee from 2006 to 2009, and again, that was all before he was elected to town council. I searched through my old campaign files and I found John's handbill when he first ran for council that year, 2009. In that election cycle, 10 folks, including John and me were running for four seats, three regular four-year terms, and one two-year term due to a council member's death. That election was the most stressful intensive one that I have ever been in, and I suspect John would say the same. We were both fortunate to earn seats that year on council. In part, John's campaign handbill read. During my 25 years in Blacks and in the NRV, I have been a timber framer, a graduate student, a competition runner, a musician, and a parent of Blacksburg High School athletes. Currently I'm a staff architect at Virginia Tech and Service Chair of the Town's Historic Design Review Board. As a Blacksburg Town Council member, I want to help preserve the quality of life we cherish in Blacksburg as future growth occurs, and to keep citizen involvement at the center of an open, accountable town government. His priorities included quality of life, sustainable and green development, neighborhood integrity, open, accountable town government, safe, walkable, bikeable Blacksburg for all lifestyles, clear lines of communication, strengthening downtown businesses, vital, lively, mixed-use downtown, affordable housing, smart growth, intelligent zoning, protection of neighborhoods and property values, promoting Blacksburg as a retirement destination, partnering with businesses and developers to grow Blacksburg responsibly and aesthetically, supporting high-tech biodesign sustainable development for other businesses for a prosperous Blacksburg, promoting cooperation between Blacksburg, Virginia Tech, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County, and ensuring fiscal oversight and integrity of tax dollar expenditures that benefit all citizens. And I want those people to be heard. You can see he was a very elated younger man. We were both younger then. And it was it was a good night for us all. Now John has consistently and continuously promoted his original priorities throughout his service on town council. And as new needs have arisen, he has added to those priorities. He earned a Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech in 2001, and his knowledge and skill as an architect have hugely aided town council's discussions and decisions throughout his entire time on council. John is smart, he has a wonderful memory, and he adds substance to any council discussion. He has been a most excellent colleague, and I'm glad he will continue to be my friend. In 2024, John and Elizabeth will still be living in town, we'll still be involved in community activities, and we'll still be helping to build a better Blacksburg. But John Bush will be missed on our town council by both our council members and our Blacksburg residents. Thank you. You're very welcome. And I don't know if anybody else wants to add anything. I don't have prepared remarks, but I just say a few things. So I got to know uh John then. Um I didn't win that election, but I stayed involved in the community ran two years later.
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