Blacksburg Town Council Work Session - March 26, 2026

Note: The provided agenda and minutes indicate the meeting occurred on March 3, 2026, but the instructions specify to use March 26, 2026; this summary uses the instructed date.

The Town Council held a work session from 11:00 a.m. to 12:48 p.m., followed by a closed meeting from 12:48 p.m. to 1:03 p.m., covering updates on camera technology, downtown parking management, strategic goals, and a closed session for real property acquisition.

Camera Technology

• Deputy Town Manager Matt Hanratty reviewed the Town's non-police camera systems, which are used for accountability, investigations, traffic monitoring, crash review, and safety. Public Works uses pavement cameras for road conditions; Parks and Recreation cameras monitor equipment and patron safety at community, aquatic, and golf centers; Fire and Rescue have cameras on vehicles and at their pharmacy; and Blacksburg Transit buses have interior and exterior cameras.
• Police Chief John Clair reviewed police-related cameras, including those downtown, in buildings, vehicles, and body-worn units. These cameras support public safety, emergency response, investigations, staff security, and evidence collection. Dash cameras capture audio/video and aid training, while body cameras document interactions and support court proceedings.
• Council was informed that all Flock camera footage is deleted after 21 days, and Flock cameras do not use facial recognition or collect traffic speed data.

Downtown Parking Management

• Deputy Town Manager Matt Hanratty presented an overview of downtown parking, highlighting the lack of evening turnover during Virginia Tech's fall and spring semesters.
• To address this, extending enforcement hours from Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., was recommended, with free parking during winter break and relaxed hours in the summer.
• A transition to a pay-by-plate mobile payment system was proposed, potentially using a hybrid approach that retains pay station kiosks while eliminating single-space meters. The change would improve user convenience, reduce operational costs, and provide better data and analytics on parking demand and usage.
• Next steps include engaging Downtown Blacksburg Inc., evaluating mobile options, determining the preferred approach, developing a communications plan, and targeting implementation in Summer 2026.

Town Council Strategic Goals

• Mayor Sutphin distributed the Town Council Strategic Goals for Council review, noting only minor edits had been made. He reviewed the revisions with Council and asked for additional input.
• Council members expressed general agreement with the proposed updates. The item will be placed on an upcoming agenda for further consideration.

Closed Meeting

• Councilmember Anderson moved to adjourn to a Closed Meeting pursuant to the acquisition of real property exemption permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A)(3) for discussion of the potential acquisition of real property in south Blacksburg for a public purpose, since discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the Town's bargaining position/negotiating strategy. The motion carried.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken on the camera technology or downtown parking management items; they were presented for discussion and information.
• The Town Council Strategic Goals will be placed on a future agenda for formal consideration.
• Resolution 3-A-26, certifying the propriety of the closed meeting, was adopted unanimously on a roll call vote (Anderson, Campbell, Colliver, Ford, Goodhart, Kassoff, and Sutphin voted yes; none voted no; none absent).