Blacksburg Town Council Work Session – January 16, 2026

Note: The agenda and minutes list the meeting date as January 20, 2026, but the provided metadata indicates January 16, 2026. This summary uses the metadata date.

The Blacksburg Town Council held a work session on January 16, 2026, at the Blacksburg Motor Company, 400 South Main Street. The meeting convened at 11:00 a.m. and adjourned at 12:58 p.m. All council members were present: Mayor Michael Sutphin, Vice Mayor Susan Anderson, Councilmembers Darryl Campbell, Lauren Colliver, Jerry Ford, Jr., Marc Verniel (Town Manager), Lawrence S. Spencer (Town Attorney), and Lorraine S. Spaulding (Town Clerk).

Follow-Up on Interim Town Council Appointments

• Mayor Sutphin opened discussion on two nominees for interim council vacancies: Joel Goodhart and Andrew Kassoff. Council expressed overall support for both nominees. No formal vote was taken.

Capital Improvement Program Follow-Up

• Town Manager Marc Verniel reviewed citizen comments from the public hearing and emails regarding the recommended Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Key topics included: the pavement condition index informing paving recommendations, the need for the Progress Street parking deck, ensuring the Draper Road Streetscape project serves the wider community, and the cost and schedule of the Clay Street sidewalk. Verniel responded to council questions.

Financial Planning – Large Capital Projects

• Courtney Rogers and Stephen Geisz of Davenport & Company presented factors influencing the Town’s credit assessment and recommendations for proceeding with major capital projects (e.g., the Recreation Center). They analyzed the first five years and years six through ten.

Review of Public Hearings Scheduled for February 10, 2026

• Ordinance 2108: Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer described an ordinance to vacate public utility easements at 3503 and 3511 Holiday Lane, allowing a quit-claim deed to MH Development of Virginia, LLC.
• CUP-25-5: Zoning Administrator Paul Patterson explained a request for a 1980 Special Use Permit amendment at 207 W. Roanoke (OTR-Old Town Residential) to reinstate missing front and rear landscaping and a bicycle rack for five bicycles.

Community Relations Office Upcoming Projects

• Community Relations Manager Kenna Jewell outlined proposals for new town branding and a new website. The branding effort will create an updated organizational and place brand, refresh partner branding, and support consistent communications. The website update will modernize design, improve accessibility and functionality, enhance internal staff tools, and add new communication features. The two projects will follow a staggered timeline.

Floodplain Overlay District Discussion

• Engineering Director Carolyn Howard reviewed the Flood Plain Overlay District, which aims to protect life, property, public health, and local services while minimizing flood costs and preserving the tax base, in compliance with federal flood insurance standards. Recent developments led to ordinance revisions following the DCR template, updating terminology from “floodplain” to “special flood hazard areas” and from “100-year flood” to “one percent annual chance flood.”

School Speed Zone Camera Enforcement Update

• Town Attorney Lawrence Spencer described a potential five-year contract with Altumint, Inc. to install and operate automated school speed zone enforcement, including citation processing. Two payment options were proposed. Initial citation verification could burden the police department, though retired officers could assist under a pending General Assembly bill. Delinquent citations would be handled through Taxing Authority Consulting Services (TACS).

Key Outcomes

• Council expressed unanimous support for the interim nominees (Goodhart and Kassoff).
• No formal votes were taken on CIP, financial planning, floodplain revisions, or the speed camera contract; discussions advanced understanding of these items.
• Public hearings for Ordinance 2108 and CUP-25-5 are scheduled for February 10, 2026.
• The branding and website projects will proceed with a staggered timeline; further council review is expected.
• The speed camera enforcement contract with Altumint remains under consideration, with a decision pending clarification of citation verification responsibilities.