Good evening, everyone.

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

Anderson.

I.

Campbell.

I.

Oliver's absent for Goodhart.

Present.

Cas office absent Sutfin.

Aye.

We'll move on to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Will the Vice Mayor please lead us in the pledge?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

So I'll start off with a proclamation on National Bike Month.

I think this might be a record for proclamations at a town council meeting, so everyone get excited.

So I'll start with this one.

Whereas Blacksburg citizens have expressed strong support for expansion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and amenities, whereas Blacksburg's roads and trail system are used and enjoyed by thousands of bicyclists each year, both for recreation and commuting, whereas Blacksburg supports ongoing efforts to enhance bicycle infrastructure, connectivity, and amenities for residents and visitors alike.

Whereas creating bicycle-friendly communities has been shown to improve citizens' health, well-being, and quality of life, to boost community spirit, to improve traffic safety, and to reduce pollution and congestion.

Whereas bicycling activities and attractions have great potential to have a positive impact on Blacksburg's vibrancy and to stimulate economic development by making the community attractive to businesses and citizens who enjoy the outdoors and healthy lifestyles.

Whereas Blacksburg's bicycle master plan, climate action plan, and comprehensive plan all support land use and transportation policies that will continue to improve the safety, convenience, and accessibility of bicycling for people of all ages and abilities.

Whereas for the past 70 years, the month of May has been declared and recognized as National Bike Month.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I'm Michael Sutfin, mayor of the town of Blacksburg, do hereby observe the month of May as National Bike Month and Bicycle Safety Month and recognize the week of May 11th through the 17th to be a week-long celebration of bicycling in Blacksburg, and urge residents and visitors to support and participate in bicycling events planned and share the road safely.

So whereas Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month provides an opportunity for communities across the nation to recognize, celebrate, and reflect upon the history, cultures, and contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

And whereas the National Observance formally recognizes a month-long celebration in the 1990s, is celebrated each May and highlights the diverse experiences and lasting contributions of people of Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi Heritage to the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States.

And whereas the town of Blacksburg is home to a vibrant community of Asian American and Pacific Islander residents as well as students, faculty, and staff at Virginia Tech, who contribute in meaningful ways to the life of our town.

Whereas the APIDA Plus Center at Virginia Tech fosters a welcoming and intentional space where individuals are encouraged to explore their identities, engage in community, and build understanding across cultures.

Whereas Virginia Tech observes Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month during the academic year through a programs held in April, including cultural events, educational programming, and opportunities for dialogue organized by the APIDA Plus Center, the Asian American Student Union, and other affiliated student organizations.

And whereas these activities, along with ongoing efforts throughout the year, provide meaningful opportunities for residents to learn from one another, celebrate cultural traditions, and strengthen the sense of connection that enriches the town of Blacksport.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Michael Sutfin, mayor of the town of Blacksburg, to hereby proclaim May 2026 as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and encourage all residents to take time to recognize and reflect on the history, cultures, and contributions of these communities, and to carry forward the spirit of learning and connection created through local programs and events.

So thank you all so much for being with us today and for all of the work.

Thank you.

And the next proclamation we have is for emergency medical services week.

Do we have some folks from the Blacksburg Rescue Squad here today?

Yep.

Thank you for being with us as well.

Whereas emergency medical services provide a vital public service, whereas the members of medical emergency medical services teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whereas access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury, where there whereas emergency medical services fills health care gaps by providing important out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to telemedicine.

Whereas the emergency medical services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, emergency medical dispatchers, paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officers, educators, administrators, nurse, physicians, trained members of the public, and other out-of-hospital medical care providers.

Whereas the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving skills.

Whereas it is appropriate to recognize the value, selflessness, and accomplishments of all emergency medical services providers.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Michael Sutfin, mayor of the town of Blacksburg, you hereby proclaim the week of May 17th through 23rd as emergency medical services week, and encourage the community observed this week by showing their support for local EMS providers and the essential services that they provide.

So here you go.

Thank you very much.

I'm going to turn it over to our police chief John Claire for a police promotion ceremony.

If I might have our promotees and their loved ones come up, we'll do them both at the same time.

So I'd like to present to you Sergeant Andrew McPhee and Lieutenant Evan Quigley.

We recently went through a promotion process at the police department and selected these two fine police officers out of a group of very qualified candidates.

And one thing I want you to notice is the amount of family members that they have with them.

First responder families share in the employment of their loved ones, perhaps like no others.

And I think I think you see that here this evening.

And so I won't labor the point much longer, but I just hope that everyone welcomes them into their new roles, and much like police officers are the entire embody embodiment of government when they're working, uh, in many ways uh these gentlemen are the embodiment of the leaders of the town.

And I think that's something they take seriously.

So we're going to ask their uh loved ones to pin on pin on their rank.

Congratulations.

Thank you all for being here.

We will now move on to our consent agenda.

We have four items on the consent agenda.

Item A is the town council minutes for April 14th, April 21st, and April 28th, which will be approving tonight.

Item B is ordinance 2111, an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2526 operating budget by accepting and appropriating 451,012 of Department and Conservation and Recreation Community Preparedness Grant Funds to the Stormwater Fund and transferring $50,112 in stormwater capital funds.

We'll be introducing that ordinance and scheduling the public hearing for June 9th.