Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - November 12, 2024
Blacksburg Town Council Meeting - November 12, 2024
The Blacksburg Town Council met on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers of the Blacksburg Municipal Building. All seven council members were present. The meeting included a modified consent agenda, four public hearings, citizen comments on youth recreation facilities and other topics, and adjournment at 8:27 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the October 8, 2024 and October 22, 2024 Town Council minutes.
- Removed Consent Agenda Item B (Ordinances 2061(a), (b), and (c), consolidating erosion and stormwater management regulations) and postponed it to a future agenda.
- Introduced Ordinance 2067, amending Town Code sections pertaining to animals and fowl, and scheduled a public hearing for December 10, 2024.
- Adopted Resolution 11-A-24 honoring Tina King for 41 years of service, including leadership at the New River Valley Agency on Aging; King addressed Council and thanked them.
- Adopted the Blacksburg Transit Strategic Plan.
- Approved a contract for professional surveying services for the Town corporate limits survey.
- Authorized the Town Manager to sign the 414 North Main declaration of restrictive covenant (DEQ remediation process).
- The motion to approve the modified consent agenda excluding Item B passed on a roll call vote with all members voting yes.
Public Hearings
Ordinance 2030: Emergency Medical Services Vehicle Charges
- Rescue Chief David English presented the proposal to establish EMS revenue recovery by billing insurance providers. He noted a 40% increase in call volume over the past 10 years, that 92% of current transports are residents, and that non-residents make up about 8%. Rates would be set at 170% of Medicare rates, with a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025. He stated that no resident would receive an out-of-pocket bill and that hardship waivers would be considered.
- Public comment: Zach Weiss of 1711 Whipple Drive raised concerns about non-insured and non-resident patients and asked why the charge is 170% above Medicare. Chief English explained that hardship waiver policies are used elsewhere and that the Town plans to follow Montgomery County practices.
- Council discussion: Councilmember Watson opposed the ordinance, saying it could deter some people from calling for emergency care. Other council members supported it as fiscally responsible and noted that residents would not be billed.
- Vote: Motion passed 6-1. Councilmember Watson voted no; all other members voted yes.
Ordinance 2053: R-4 Small Lot Development Option
- Assistant Planning Director Kinsey O'Shea presented the proposed ordinance to allow by-right residential development on lots between 3,000 and 7,499 square feet in the R-4 district, with a two-acre minimum development size, design standards, and an occupancy standard of a family plus one or no more than two unrelated persons. The Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0 with one abstention.
- Public comment included: Deborah Olsen of 402 Landsdowne Street expressed concern about affordability for lower- and middle-income families. Jonas Ivasauskas of 118 Primrose Drive opposed it, saying it would only help developers. Javad Torabinejad read a statement against the ordinance. Zach Weiss recommended adding native perennial landscaping requirements. Eric Bissey of 115 N. Main Street spoke against it, saying Blacksburg is no longer a small town.
- Council members expressed support for increasing missing middle housing and noted the Town lacks authority under state law to require affordable units. Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer confirmed the Town would need General Assembly authority for inclusionary zoning.
- Vote: Motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote (7-0).
Ordinance 2064: Elderly and Disabled Tax Exemptions
- Deputy Town Manager Steve Ross presented the ordinance to increase the income limit from $68,000 to $70,000 and the asset limit from $200,000 to $205,000 for tax exemption eligibility. It will be effective January 1, 2025 and is coordinated with Montgomery County, which approved its changes on October 15, 2024. About 29 people currently benefit.
- No public comment was offered.
- Vote: Motion passed unanimously (7-0).
Ordinance 2065: Transit Center Lease with Virginia Tech
- Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith read a disqualification statement because her spouse is employed by Virginia Tech, and she abstained from voting.
- Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer explained the ordinance authorizes a lease with Virginia Tech for space in the new Transit Center on the Virginia Tech campus. The lease has a 40-year term with nominal rent as required by Federal Transit Authority regulations.
- No public comment was offered.
- Vote: Motion passed 6-0, with Mayor Hager-Smith abstaining. Vice Mayor Michael Sutphin signed the ordinance.
Citizen Comments & Testimony
- Nancy Lowery of Hutchinson Drive reported chronic late-night noise violations from a neighboring property between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., described limited police response, and asked whether the police force is understaffed. The Mayor said the Town Manager would follow up.
- Multiple residents spoke about youth recreation facilities: Matt Wright, Chris McDowell, Dave Robertson, Eric Johnson, Jen Lalli, Mike Jackson, Steve Watkins, and Jesse Hilmandolar described poor field maintenance, drainage and lighting problems, unsafe conditions, limited field access, and declining participation. They urged the Town to invest in upgrading and maintaining athletic fields and to involve parents in solutions. Jen Lalli showed photos of an uncovered drain and unmaintained fields.
- Zach Weiss of 1711 Whipple Drive read a poem about Palestine, commented on over 50,000 noncombatant deaths, and discussed broader moral and local responsibilities.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved excluding Item B (Ordinances 2061(a), (b), and (c)), which was postponed to a future agenda.
- Ordinance 2030 approved 6-1, with Councilmember Watson voting no.
- Ordinance 2053 approved unanimously (7-0).
- Ordinance 2064 approved unanimously (7-0).
- Ordinance 2065 approved 6-0, with Mayor Hager-Smith abstaining.
- Ordinance 2067 was introduced and scheduled for a public hearing on December 10, 2024.
- Councilmember Watson assured citizen speakers that the Town is committed to addressing their concerns about recreation facilities. Councilmembers also announced local events, including Small Business Week and the holiday parade.
Meeting Transcript
Will council come to order and will the court please call the roll. Anderson, present. Oliver. Here. Board? Here. Ingrid Smith. Here. Addingly? Here. Here. Watson. Present. We will begin this evening with the Vice Mayor leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance. To the Republicans. One nation. Under indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. We will move on now to our consent agenda. And I'll begin by uh saying that tonight there uh is a modification to the consent agenda that was previously published. Item B, and that is ordinance twenty sixty-one A, twenty sixty-one B, and also C, we'll postpone those for about a month. Um starting with A, Town Council minutes of October 8 and October 22. Our action there will be to approve them. Item C is ordinance twenty sixty-seven, amending chapter five of the town code pertaining to animals and fowl by repealing section five-105 and amending sections five-107 and five-200. We're going to introduce that ordinance and we're scheduling the public hearing for December 10. We have a resolution 11A24 honoring Tina King. Uh we'll adopt that this evening, and I'd like to read it in a short while here. Um we have a Blacksburg Transit Strategic Plan. We're adopting that this evening. We'll approve that. And uh at 414 North Main Street, a declaration of restrictive covenant. Uh DEQ remediation process. We're going to authorize the town manager to sign that. And at this time, I'd like to read the Tina King resolution. Shall we shall we get Tina up here? Yeah. Seems a good idea. Our last opportunity to embarrass you, Tina. We we don't need the uh microscope. That this should pick you up. Okay. This is a resolution honoring Tina King. Whereas Tina King has served the town of Blacksburg and the New River Valley for decades through her work with the agency on aging. Whereas Tina came to the New River Valley in 1981 and started her career with the agency by working in the in-home services program and was promoted shortly thereafter to manage nutrient nutrient wait nutrition programs in the community. Whereas Tina worked to help develop and improve programs and services, including the health insurance counseling program, the long-term care program, and legal services. Whereas Tina was promoted to executive director of the agency in 2007. Whereas Tina's foresight and determination have earned the agency the prestigious state level award for best practices three times. This award identifies programs that meet an identified need and that are replicable for other agencies to institute. And whereas Tina has decided to retire after serving for 41 years that were marked by her exemplary dedication that has helped enhance our community now, therefore be it resolved that the Blacksburg Town Council hereby expresses its appreciation of Tina King for her devotion to our community, her Hallmark characteristics as a devoted leader, and her untiring commitment to the town's quality of life. Thank you all very much.
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