Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - June 26, 2024
Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - June 26, 2024
The Blacksburg Town Council held a regular meeting on June 26, 2024, at the Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 S. Main Street. All council members were present. The meeting lasted from 6:30 p.m. to 6:44 p.m. The agenda included a consent agenda with five items, citizen comments, appointments to boards and committees, and council announcements.
Consent Agenda
- Approved minutes from May 21, June 4, and June 11, 2024.
- Adopted Resolution 6-D-24 transferring $110,000 between Water and Sewer Fund Capital Projects for Harding Ave Sewer #2.
- Adopted Resolution 6-E-24 appointing Steve Ross to the New River Valley Home Consortium Board.
- Adopted Resolution 6-F-24 authorizing the Town's participation in the proposed settlement of opioid-related claims against Kroger and its related corporate entities.
- Adopted Resolution 6-G-24 re-referring a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment to the Planning Commission to establish a new, optional Downtown Northwest Zoning District. The consent agenda passed unanimously on a roll call vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Beth Barber of Radford, Virginia, presented a petition with 114 signatures requesting a warning light on Peppers Ferry Road near the Radford Arsenal, citing danger from a hidden red light around a curve. She urged the Town Council to support the addition of a warning sign similar to one at the Prices Fork and Uppers Ferry intersection. Mayor Hager-Smith suggested she also bring the issue to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and VDOT.
- James Hardell of 233 Price Street expressed concerns about traffic flow at the proposed development at the old Blacksburg High School site. He argued that the developer should use an existing sidewalk connection to Grove Avenue instead of extending Hamlock Street, and suggested a stop sign to prevent right turns onto Hamlock, preserving the current street layout. Councilmember Ford noted that the Planning Commission had already held a public hearing and recommended approval, and the item would be coming to Council soon.
Appointments
Mayor Hager-Smith presented a slate of reappointments and new appointments to various town boards and committees. The appointments included:
- Blacksburg Planning Commission: Susanna Rinehart (reappointment) and Blaine Kessee (new).
- Housing and Community Development Advisory Board: Joel Goodhart, Brendan Ahrens, and Nikki Herschler (new).
- Board of Building Code Appeals: Patrick Hogan (reappointment).
- Board of Zoning Appeals: Gregg Moneyhun (reappointment).
- Corridor Advisory Committee: Ellen Rabun, Molly Larson, and AJ Prussin (new).
- Historic or Design Review Board: McKenzie Klatka and Gretchen Distler (new).
- Public Arts Committee: Anne McClung (new) and Jess Jones (reappointment).
- New River Valley Agency on Aging: Councilmembers Lauren Colliver and Susan Mattingly (reappointment).
- Montgomery Solid Waste Authority: Sharon Scott (reappointment) and John Boyer (staff liaison).
- VT Airport Authority: Steve Ross (new).
- NRV Alcohol Safety Awareness Program Board: Captain Jessica Moye (new).
- Cemetery Trustee Advisory Board: Rachel Knapp (new). The appointments were approved unanimously on a roll call vote.
Council Announcements
- Councilmember Mattingly reminded the public that the Community Foundation of the NRV's annual Giving Day begins at noon on June 27.
- Councilmember Anderson announced upcoming summer events: Friday night concerts (Music Road Company on June 28), free classic movies at the Lyric (Some Like It Hot on June 29), and the July 4th celebration with a parade at 2 p.m. from the new police station to Alumni Mall.
Key Outcomes
- The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
- All board and committee appointments were approved unanimously.
- The meeting adjourned at 6:44 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Well, council please come to order. And will the clerk please call the roll? Anderson. Present. Oliver. Here. Board. Here. Here. Mattingley. Here. Set there? Here. Watson. Present. We will begin today with a consent agenda. And the first item is town council minutes. We will approve of them for May 21, June 4, June 11. We have resolution 6D 24, transferring 110,000 dollars between the water sewer fund capital projects. We have a resolution 6E24 appointing Steve Ross to the new River Valley Home Consortium Board. We have a resolution 6F24 approving the town's participation in the proposed settlement of opioid related claims against Kroger and its related corporate entities. And directing the town attorney and town manager to execute the documents necessary to effectuate the town's participation in the settlement. And lastly, on the consent agenda, we have resolution 6G24 re-referring a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment to the planning commission that would establish a new optional downtown northwest zoning district. What is council's pleasure? I move approval of the consent agenda. Second. We have approval. We have a motion and a second. Will the clerk please call the roll? Oliver. Aye. Ford? Aye. Eager Smith. Aye. Addingly. Aye. Sutton. Aye. Watson. I Anderson. I we have no public hearings scheduled for this evening, but we do have citizen comments as ever. And I would like to invite anyone who'd like to speak on a topic of their choice to come forward. Uh speak at the podium, state your name and address, and direct comments only to town council. Would anybody like to speak under citizen comments? Beth Barber. Beth Barber, but somebody that cuts here, B-A-R-B-E-R. Um okay. I've never been in here before, so I don't know exactly. Take your time and exactly how this works.
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