Blacksburg Town Council Work Session - June 6, 2023

The Blacksburg Town Council held a work session on June 6, 2023, at 11 a.m. in the Blacksburg Motor Company Conference Room, 400 South Main Street. Attendees included Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith, Vice Mayor Susan Anderson, Councilmembers John Bush, Lauren Colliver (arrived late), Jerry Ford Jr., Susan Mattingly, and Michael Sutphin, along with Town Manager Marc Verniel, Town Attorney Lawrence S. Spencer Jr., and Town Clerk Lorraine S. Spaulding. The session covered ARPA projects, a Downtown Northwest zoning amendment, a tourism lease agreement, and a closed meeting on potential real property acquisition.

Discussion Items

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Update: HCD Initiatives Manager Kim Thurlow provided Council with an overview of selected upcoming ARPA projects and their funding, explaining the timeline and rationale for each project. Projects included the sidewalk infill project, retail economic recovery plan, North Main trail, Meadowbrook greenway, Huckleberry Trail widening project, Community Gardens, the Affordable Housing Fund, food security, and the childcare workforce initiative.

• Downtown Northwest Zoning Amendment Update: Planning Director Anne McClung reviewed the background of the district creation, including the Downtown Strategic Plan and the development of the zoning district amendment. McClung discussed details of the proposed district and a proposed timeline, emphasizing that the Downtown Northwest vision as a whole, as well as the interests of the town, needed to be at the forefront in the creation of the district.

• Tourism Lease Agreement Discussion: Town Manager Marc Verniel mentioned the potential use of the former Blacksburg Police building at 200 Clay Street as a local office for the Montgomery County Tourism Council. The lease would be effective as of July 1 and would authorize the lease of several offices and common space in the building.

Closed Meeting and Certification Resolution

The open work session adjourned at 11:58 a.m., after which Council held a Closed Meeting pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A)(3) to discuss the potential acquisition of real property (two parcels) for a public purpose, because discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the Town's bargaining position and negotiating strategy.

Council reconvened in open session at 12:20 p.m. and adopted Resolution 6-A-23, certifying the propriety of the closed meeting. Vice Mayor Susan Anderson moved adoption, Councilmember Lauren Colliver seconded, and the resolution passed unanimously on a roll call vote with Anderson, Bush, Colliver, Ford, Hager-Smith, Mattingly, and Sutphin voting yes and none voting no.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the three open discussion items; the ARPA update, Downtown Northwest zoning update, and tourism lease discussion were informational reports presented to Council.
• Council unanimously adopted Resolution 6-A-23 certifying the closed meeting held on June 6, 2023.