Blacksburg Town Council Regular Meeting - August 13, 2024
Blacksburg Town Council Regular Meeting - August 13, 2024
The Blacksburg Town Council met on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers. The meeting included approval of the consent agenda (with one item deferred), two public hearings on grant budget amendments, citizen comments regarding the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation operating agreement, and the appointment of Em Shawish to the New River Valley Regional Commission. The meeting adjourned at 6:49 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approved the minutes from June 25, July 2, and July 9, 2024.
- Resolution 8-A-24: Approved setting regular meeting dates for Town Council.
- Resolution 8-B-24: Approved renewal of the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation operating agreement.
- Community Garden License Agreement: Approved with Live, Work, Eat, Grow (LWEG).
- Purchase Order Change: Approved change to the Adams Construction contract.
- Transit Center Easement: Item F (amended deed of easement for the Transit Center) was removed from the consent agenda and moved to the August 27, 2024, meeting due to a potential conflict of interest (Councilmember Watson's spouse employed by Virginia Tech).
- Statement on Councilmember Watson: Mayor Hager-Smith read a statement from August 5, 2024, reaffirming the council's trust in the legal system and commitment to transparency regarding the arrest of Councilmember Liam Watson.
Public Hearings
- Ordinance 2058 (Community Conservation Program Grant): Staff presented a $232,335 grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment for invasive species removal, native replanting, and maintenance along Toms Creek and Heritage Park (19 acres, 2-3 year project, 10 years of maintenance commitment). No public comment. Approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 2059 (Police Equipment Grant): Staff presented a $54,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for police department equipment upgrades. No public comment. Approved unanimously.
Citizen Comments
- Jody Booze-Daniels (909 Allendale Court): Expressed concerns about the five-year operating agreement between the town and the Blacksburg Museum, citing lack of public comment, funding transparency, and equitable support of St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall. She noted the museum's IRS 990 filing indicates a public nonprofit status, contradicting the agreement's "private nonprofit" language, and estimated public funding at 85%. She urged revision of the agreement.
- Tori Pitts (1131 Treetop Ridge Road): Raised concerns about exclusion of interested community members from working with Odd Fellows Hall, emphasizing the need for equity and inclusion.
- Christine King (Montgomery County): Described a personal experience on the St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall Committee, alleging a personal attack on her integrity, questioning of her nationality, and lack of vision for the hall's future. She stated that the committee chair said the building would be "an empty building" after current occupants leave, contrary to the deed's provisions for preservation and programming. She urged a change in leadership.
Appointments
- Em Shawish: Appointed to the New River Valley Regional Commission. Approved unanimously.
Council Announcements
- Councilmember Mattingly congratulated Olympic gold medalist Cole Hocker (trained in Blacksburg) and Virginia Tech athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics, noting a future town celebration.
- Councilmember Anderson thanked volunteers for the Steppin' Out festival.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved (items A-E) with item F deferred to August 27, 2024.
- Ordinance 2058 and Ordinance 2059 passed unanimously.
- Em Shawish appointed to the New River Valley Regional Commission.
- Citizen comments were heard but no formal action was taken on the museum agreement concerns.
Meeting Transcript
Will council please come to order and will the clerk please call the roll? Anderson present. Oliver here. Board? Here. Egar Smith? Here. Addingly? Here. Set Finn? Here. Watson. Present. We will begin with a uh with the Pledge of Allegiance. Will the Vice Mayor please lead us? I pledge allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation. Under God. Indivisible with liberal. And justice for all. We'll begin tonight with our consent agenda, and that has several uh items. The first is approval of the town council minutes for June 25, July 2, and July 9. We have a resolution 8A24 setting the regular meeting dates for Blacksburg Town Council in the year to come. We have a resolution 8B 24 to renew the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation operating agreement. Our action there will be to approve it. The community garden license agreement with Live, Work, Eat, and Grow. We will approve that license agreement. We have a purchase order change to Adams Construction Contract. Our action there will be to approve the change. And finally, the uh we authorize the acceptance of amended deed of easement for the transit center, formerly called the multimodal transit facility, and we'll approve that. What is council's pleasure on our consent agenda? Um you may wish to pull the last item off because we talked about that, but there's not a statement ready on the uh authorized because of your personal interest of Virginia Tech. What's the okay? Um why don't we if we could amend the agenda and put that on for approval next two weeks from today? Two weeks. Okay. So for the deed. Yes. It's a they changed the um the the footprint. Yeah, I can I understand to make sure I had the right item. Thank you. I forgot that we talked about it. And the connection there is that uh my husband is presently employed by Virginia Tech. So I guess I can go ahead and make a motion to approve the consent agenda items um A through E, not including item F. Second. We have a motion and a second. Will the clerk please call the roll? Oliver, aye. Board?
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