Me first, okay.

I'll call our Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, City Council meeting to order.

World Call, please, Pam.

Mayor Reed, President, City Manager Banks.

Here.

City Attorney Brown.

Here.

Vice Mayor Fleming.

Here.

Councilmember Al Sadun.

Here.

Councilmember Dent.

Here.

Councilmember Robinson.

Here.

Interim Chief Pollard.

And Chief Toby Antier.

If you would uh please stand for the invocation, which would be a moment of silence or silent prayer, whatever you wish, and then remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

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

Okay, we have a few special recognitions tonight.

Stamp out hunger food drive day.

And I think these are the people in the purple shirts.

So if you all will come up, uh Johnisa, Samisa, and your group, and if you would turn around so you can face the audience and be on the camera, Councilwoman Dent will read your proclamation.

It's actually for May 10, 2025.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Letter carrier stamp out hunger food drive day.

I said the wrong date.

May 10th, 2025.

Every whereas every year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food as part of the nation's largest one-day food drive, distributing the donations to local food banks.

And whereas the letter carrier stamp out hunger food drive is just one example of how letter carriers work to make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

Since the pilot drive was held in 1991, more than 1.9 billion pounds of food have been collected.

And whereas the City of Harrisonburg wishes to wish wishes to recognize all letter carriers for their hard work and their commitment to their communities, but especially those in our own community whose efforts benefit those in need here in the Rockingham County area.

And whereas we also recognize the noteworthy milestone of 33 years that the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive celebrates celebrates in 2025.

Now therefore, we, the City Council of Harrisonburg, by the authority vested in us, do hereby proclaim this the 10th day of May 2025 as letter carriers food drive day in the city of Harrisonburg, and we encourage the citizens of our community to support the food drive by placing non-perishable food items in or near your bail mailbox on food drive day.

Your letter carrier will pick it up while delivering the mail, and together we can help feed our hungry.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, next we have a proclamation recognizing Building Safety Month, May 2025.

So I need Melinda Meadows and Mike Williams and Adam Fletcher to come up and stand up here on the platform and face the audience so you can be on TV.

Like Adam, you're not on TV.

It's usually your back.

And then I get to see what you look like.

All right.

This is me.

Proclamation recognizing Building Safety Month, May 2025.

Whereas our city of Harrisonburg is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety, an essential role.

Our homes, buildings, and infrastructure play both in everyday life and when disasters strike.

And whereas our confidence in the resilience of these buildings that make up our community is achieved through the devotion of vigilant guardians, building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespeople, design professionals, laborers, plumbers, and others in the construction industry who work year-round to ensure the safe construction of buildings.

And whereas these guardians are dedicated members of the International Code Council, a nonprofit that brings together local, state, territorial, tribal, and federal officials who are experts in the build in the built environment to create and implement the highest quality codes to protect us in the buildings where we live, learn, work, and play.

And whereas these modern building codes include safeguards to protect the public from hazards such as hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, wild end fires, floods, and earthquakes.

And whereas Building Safety Month is sponsored by the International Code Council to remind the public about the critical role of our community's largely unknown protectors of public safety, our local code officials, who assure us of safe, sustainable and affordable buildings that are essential to our prosperity.

And whereas game on, the theme for Building Safety Month 2025 encourages all to raise awareness about building safety on a personal, local, and global scale.

And whereas each year, in observance of Building Safety Month, people all over the world are asked to consider the commitment to improve building safety, resilience, and economic investment at home in the community, and to acknowledge the essential service provided to all of us by local and state building departments, fire prevention bureaus, and federal agencies in protecting lives and property.

Now, therefore, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Harrisonburg, we do proclaim this month of May 2025 as Building Safety Month.

Accordingly, we encourage our citizens to join us as we participate in the Building Safety Month activities.

Thank you.