Will council please come to order and will the clerk please call the roll?

Anderson present.

Oliver here.

Or here.

Agre Smith.

Here.

Mattingley?

Here.

Set Finn?

Here.

Watson.

Present.

We'll begin today with the consent agenda.

And that includes town council minutes, approval of January 2nd and January 9th minutes.

Also a Blacksburg Fire Officers and Bless Blacksburg Rescue Squad Officers for 2024.

We're confirming the naming of those officers.

And also item C Blacksburg 2024 legislative priorities.

What is council's pleasure on the consent agenda?

I move approval of the consent agenda.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Will the clerk please call the roll?

Oliver.

Aye.

Ford.

Aye.

Hegar Smith.

Aye.

Set Finn.

Aye.

Watson.

Aye.

Anderson.

Aye.

You know, I didn't leave any time just then for um discussion.

But Larry, do you want to do you mind explaining what the 2024 legislative priorities are?

If you can remember.

Well, the town does this every year, and um it tries to find things that you know.

Generally, we there's some statements in there.

We're concerned about things that would take away the town's land use authority and taxation authority.

Um so there's references to um certain bills that are out there that may be doing that.

Um there's also a lengthy part in the back where Carol Davis um uh analyzed a whole bunch of sustainability um measures, and um she she conferred with me and she picked the ones that she thinks will have the most impact.

So there's really two pages of that.

Um and there's some certain things that were interest of certain council members.

Um we put in there that we support the uh Virginia Bike Federation's uh legislative agenda that we support the Virginia Municipal League.

Um and a couple bills like a bill to uh provide enhanced retirement benefits for 911 operators and a um bill that would uh try to address uh rent gouging.

Um those are some of the bills in there.

But the general theme is to um let the town be able to have local solutions to uh local issues and the last thing which is to me one of the most important um uh is to uh a call for more mental health funding to avoid situations where um our citizens can't get help and our officers are stuck at the hospital waiting for them to be able to get help.

So thank you.

I'm sorry to put you on the spot.

I did kind of draw a blank there for a moment.

Sorry.

But I but it's important stuff, and it's our effort to stay in conversation with our representatives in the General Assembly.

Um we're moving on now to public hearings, and there are none scheduled.

I will open it up to citizen comments.

So anyone who would like to speak, please come forward.

Um have three minutes and please begin with your name and address.

Okay.

Seeing no one, uh, we will go on to unfinished business, and that is a resolution adopting our capital improvement program for fiscal years 24 25 through 28-29.

Um our public hearing on the CIP was held January 9th, and um we allow a little space in between, and this is our opportunity to um close the loop and pass this resolution.