OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Harrisonburg City Council Meeting - July 14, 2026

City Council & Planning Commission — Tuesday, July 14, 2026
BodyHarrisonburg, Virginia
SessionCity Council & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, July 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:37:54

Transcript — Verbatim
0:19

All right.

0:20

Whenever you are, Mayor.

0:21

I got two minutes on my clock.

0:23

Okay.

1:31

All right, we're ready.

1:34

Okay, Pam.

1:36

All right, we're ready.

1:41

I'll call our Tuesday, July 14th, 2026, City Council meeting to order.

1:46

Roll call, please, Pam.

1:47

Mayor Reid.

1:48

Present.

1:48

City Manager Banks.

1:50

Here.

1:50

City Attorney Brown.

1:51

Here.

1:51

Vice Mayor Fleming.

1:53

Here.

1:53

Councilmember Al Sedun?

1:55

Here.

1:55

Councilmember Dent?

1:56

Here.

1:57

Councilmember Robinson?

1:58

Here.

1:58

Chief Tucker.

2:01

And before we get started, we need to have authorization of electronic participation.

2:06

Madam Mayor, members of council, as you know, you passed a policy allowing the electronic participation of members.

2:14

There is a physical quorum here.

2:16

We can see and hear the councilman, and he can hear us at least, which is all that really matters.

2:22

And he is coming to us from Massachusetts, I believe, and so is not here in Harrisonburg, and it does require a vote of the council members here to permit the participation.

2:35

So moved.

2:36

Second.

2:38

All in favor say aye.

2:40

Aye.

2:41

All right.

2:41

Thank you.

2:42

Uh we can now go into a moment of silence.

2:44

Uh please stand for a moment of silence or private prayer, as you wish, and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:09

Thank you.

3:19

Under God, indivisible, liberty, and justice for all.

3:30

Okay.

3:31

We do have a special recognition this evening.

3:38

So if I could have uh Susanna come on up, please.

3:43

And whoever you have with you, or just you.

3:46

Um June twentieth was World Refugee Day.

3:52

Um and we uh gave a uh proclamation in honor of that.

3:58

You all couldn't be here, unfortunately.

4:00

You all I think uh uh Councilman Al Sedun and a group of you were uh in DC at um at a conference.

4:09

And so we wanted to make sure that you at least got the proclamation and shared some words.

4:16

So um I'm not gonna re-read the proclamation, but I want you to know that as always uh we recognize the strength and contributions of our um refugees, and we stand in solidarity with families seeking safety and belonging and to renew our commitment to bring being a welcoming city for all.

4:39

So we are honored uh to uh bestow this proclamation.

4:44

Um and I would allow you and welcome you and honor for you to share some words.

4:50

Um accept your proclamation.

4:54

Thank you.

4:55

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of Harrisonburg City Council.

5:00

On behalf of everyone celebrating World Refugee Day, a little late.

5:05

Thank you for issuing this proclamation and for recognizing that refugees who have made Harrisonburg their home.

5:13

This proclamation sends a powerful message that our community values compassion, inclusion, and the contributions of people who have overcome tremendous challenges to rebuild their life in safety and dignity.

5:28

Refugees and all new Americans have strengthened Harrisonburg in countless ways.

5:34

Through their businesses, their work, their cultures, and their commitment to making our city a welcoming place for all.

6:02

Thank you for your leadership and for standing with refugees and their families.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████████████30%
Technology and Innovation████████████████████████24%
Procedural█████████████13%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Zoning And Land Use█████5%
Immigrant Rights███3%
Arts And Culture██2%
Immigration Concerns██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Harrisonburg City Council Meeting - July 14, 2026

The Harrisonburg City Council met on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a special recognition for World Refugee Day, approval of consent agenda items, two public hearings for special use permits, a presentation of the Board of Zoning Appeals annual reports, and a lengthy discussion and public comment period regarding the city's use of Flock Safety automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). The council signaled its intent to end the Flock contract and direct staff to create a policy prohibiting ALPRs, with a vote scheduled for the July 28 meeting.

Special Recognition

  • Mayor Reed read a proclamation for World Refugee Day, presented to Church World Services. Susannah Lepley, director, and Onyx Myanda shared remarks on the contributions and resilience of refugees in Harrisonburg.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the June 23, 2026 City Council meeting were approved.
  • Special Event Application for the annual Race to Beat Breast Cancer 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, October 24, 2026, was approved.
  • Special Event Application for HDR’s Skeleton Festival on October 24, 2026, from 1-5 PM, was approved.

Public Hearings

  • 6.a. Short-Term Rental Special Use Permit: Request from Sean Ryan and Lisa Lopez-Ryan for a short-term rental at 453 West Water Street. Thanh Dang, Deputy Director of Community Development, presented the staff recommendation (approval with 6 conditions). Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval. No public speakers. Council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the special use permit.
  • 6.b. Meat Processing Facility Special Use Permit: Request from Honest Meats LLC for a meat processing and storage facility at 256 Charles Street. Thanh Dang presented the history and staff conditions. Planning Commission recommended approval 5-0. Todd Rhea, attorney for the applicant, spoke in support, noting the facility has operated for 90 years and serves local farmers. Council voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the special use permit with the applicant's conditions.

Regular Items

  • 7.a. Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Annual Reports: Thanh Dang presented the 2024 and 2025 annual reports. Vice Mayor Fleming noted the low number of appeals reflects staff's effective guidance. The reports were received and filed.

Discussion Items

  • Flock Safety Cameras and ALPR Policy: Council members made statements before public comments. Mayor Reed acknowledged the community's concerns and shared a personal story of finding a relative with dementia using Flock cameras, but noted she had researched other cities and concluded the cameras should be removed. Council Member Robinson expressed support for ending the contract and directing staff to create a policy prohibiting ALPRs, stating the decision should have included broader public engagement. Council Member Dent emphasized the importance of trust in policing and thanked Chief Tucker for his outreach. Council Member Alsaadun affirmed his commitment to safety and privacy. Vice Mayor Fleming supported the direction. City Attorney Chris Brown outlined the process: staff would draft a policy to ban ALPRs and not renew contracts. The council agreed to place the policy on the July 28 agenda for a vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Over 40 individuals spoke during the public comment period, the vast majority opposing the Flock cameras and urging the council to cancel the contract and ban mass surveillance. Key points included: privacy concerns, fear of data misuse, disproportionate impact on immigrants and people of color, the risk of government overreach, and specific incidents of FLOCK data being used for stalking. Several speakers called for a broader ban on all mass surveillance technologies. A few speakers, including Pamela Cook, expressed support for the police department and the need for balance. One speaker read a statement from an immigrant resident who did not feel safe attending in person. The council chamber was filled to capacity, with an estimated 150 people outside.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Short-term rental special use permit approved (5-0).
  • Meat processing facility special use permit approved (5-0).
  • BZA annual reports received and filed.
  • Council directed staff to draft a policy prohibiting the use of ALPRs in the city, including ending the current Flock contract and not renewing. The policy will be presented for a vote at the July 28, 2026 City Council meeting.
  • Reappointments to the Harrisonburg Rockingham Regional Sewer Authority: Matthew Light and Brad Chewning were reappointed to terms expiring July 15, 2030, by unanimous voice vote.

Boards and Commissions

  • Harrisonburg Rockingham Regional Sewer Authority: Council approved the reappointment of Matthew Light and Brad Chewning to four-year terms.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Whenever you are, Mayor. I got two minutes on my clock. Okay. All right, we're ready. Okay, Pam. All right, we're ready. I'll call our Tuesday, July 14th, 2026, City Council meeting to order. Roll call, please, Pam. Mayor Reid. Present. City Manager Banks. Here. City Attorney Brown. Here. Vice Mayor Fleming. Here. Councilmember Al Sedun? Here. Councilmember Dent? Here. Councilmember Robinson? Here. Chief Tucker. And before we get started, we need to have authorization of electronic participation. Madam Mayor, members of council, as you know, you passed a policy allowing the electronic participation of members. There is a physical quorum here. We can see and hear the councilman, and he can hear us at least, which is all that really matters. And he is coming to us from Massachusetts, I believe, and so is not here in Harrisonburg, and it does require a vote of the council members here to permit the participation. So moved. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. All right. Thank you. Uh we can now go into a moment of silence. Uh please stand for a moment of silence or private prayer, as you wish, and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Under God, indivisible, liberty, and justice for all. Okay. We do have a special recognition this evening. So if I could have uh Susanna come on up, please. And whoever you have with you, or just you. Um June twentieth was World Refugee Day. Um and we uh gave a uh proclamation in honor of that. You all couldn't be here, unfortunately. You all I think uh uh Councilman Al Sedun and a group of you were uh in DC at um at a conference. And so we wanted to make sure that you at least got the proclamation and shared some words. So um I'm not gonna re-read the proclamation, but I want you to know that as always uh we recognize the strength and contributions of our um refugees, and we stand in solidarity with families seeking safety and belonging and to renew our commitment to bring being a welcoming city for all. So we are honored uh to uh bestow this proclamation.

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