Blacksburg Town Council Work Session - March 25, 2024

Note: The official minutes indicate this meeting occurred on March 19, 2024, while the provided timestamp states March 25, 2024. The summary below reflects the content from the minutes and agenda. The meeting was held at Blacksburg Motor Company and adjourned at 1:13 p.m. Present were Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith, Vice Mayor Michael Sutphin, Councilmembers Lauren Colliver (arrived late), Jerry Ford Jr., Susan Mattingly, and Liam Watson. Councilmember Susan Anderson was absent. Staff included Town Manager Marc Verniel, Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer, Deputy Town Manager Matt Hanratty, and Town Clerk Lorraine Spaulding.

Review of FY24/25 Operating Budget

• Town Manager Marc Verniel provided a broad overview of the FY 2024/25 Recommended Budget. He indicated that Town revenues were recovering but the Town faced economic impacts due to inflation, personnel costs, benefits, and new positions. Staffing levels have improved significantly since last year. Verniel summarized expenditures and revenues related to the General Fund, Utility Fund, and Transit Fund. Recommended expenditures fund employee salary and benefit increases and several new positions. The budget public hearing will be held on April 9th, with a Town Council vote scheduled for April 23rd.

Town Council Retreat Follow-Up – Work Plan

• Town Manager Marc Verniel and Deputy Town Manager Matt Hanratty reviewed items from the retreat, identifying areas of focus: expansion of recreational opportunities, downtown economic development, transportation, community wellbeing, housing, and communications. Staff plans to provide updates three times a year on the Town’s progress.

JustFOIA Software and Process

• Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer discussed the JustFOIA software for managing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. He explained how FOIA requests have been handled prior to the software. JustFOIA creates a streamlined process for making and managing FOIA requests. The Town will implement this software over the next few months.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during this work session. Next steps include the budget public hearing on April 9th, council vote on April 23rd, implementation of the JustFOIA software in the coming months, and staff providing work plan updates three times per year.