Harrisonburg City Council Meeting Summary - September 22, 2026

The Harrisonburg City Council met on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. Mayor Deanna R. Reed presided, with Vice Mayor Dany Fleming and Council Members Laura Dent, Nasser Alsaadun, and Monica Robinson present. Council Member Dent participated virtually from New York City after the Council approved her electronic attendance. City Manager Ande Banks, City Attorney Chris Brown, City Clerk Pam Ulmer, and police and fire chiefs were also present. The meeting adjourned at 8:38 PM.

Special Recognition

• Mayor Reed read a proclamation honoring the life of former Mayor and Council Member Rodney Eagle and presented it to his family. The proclamation highlighted his city council service, community involvement, support for public safety, and role in bringing Heritage Oaks golf course to Harrisonburg.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the September 8, 2026 City Council meeting.
• Approved on second reading the rezoning request by Trenton Inc. and Bernard LC for properties at 435-495 South Main Street and 282-298 South Liberty Street (The Lindsey Apartments).
• Approved on second reading a Zoning Ordinance amendment creating a new term and definition for 'poultry hatchery.'
• Approved on second reading a supplemental appropriation of $22.1 million for carryover of prior-year encumbrances, unexpended grants, and new grant awards.
• All consent agenda items passed by a 5-0 roll call vote.

Public Hearing: Lease of City Real Property

• The Council held a public hearing on an ordinance granting a lease of City-owned property at 2230 Ramblewood Road to the Virginia Municipal Energy Association (VMEA) for construction of a battery energy storage system. City Attorney Chris Brown explained that HEC and VMEA negotiated with LightShift Energy for a 20-year lease, with cross-default provisions; the fire chief reviewed the design and had no issues.
• Following public comment and discussion of cost savings, clean energy benefits, and peak-shaving, the Council adopted the ordinance by a 5-0 roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During the Ramblewood Road lease hearing, Panayotis 'Poti' Giannakouros said he attended the HEC meeting about the storage facility and raised concerns about HEC destroying a friend's pollinator habitat. He asked the City to add positive ecosystem maintenance to the lease's environmental provisions, noting that 80% of qualitative responses in the Downtown landscape survey affirmed native plants.
• During the regular public comment period, Giannakouros criticized enforcement of the tall grass and weeds ordinance and what he described as retaliation by City staff over a meadow. He proposed a 'no HON' pledge for Council candidates and elected officials to avoid over-regulating private property, arguing that most property actions should not require permitting unless there is a compelling health or safety purpose.

Discussion Items

• Battery Energy Storage System Agreements: The Council approved a resolution allowing HEC to enter into a BESS interconnection agreement with LightShift Energy and a member agreement with VMEA. HEC Manager Brian O'Dell said the project has no net costs to members and that energy cost savings will be allocated among the seven participating localities.
• Utility Bill Write-Offs: The Council approved writing off 312 utility bills and 9 accounts receivable bills from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, totaling $37,247.62, equal to 0.15% of total billings for that period. City staff will continue collection efforts.
• Downtown Master Planting Plan: Sustainability and Environmental Manager Keith Thomas presented the plan, timeline, survey results, and revisions. The online survey received 134 responses; respondents rated investing in downtown landscaping 4.7 out of 5 in importance, and 4.07 out of 5 for improving appearance and welcoming feel. The most requested features were native plants and pollinators, street trees and shade, inviting parks, and parking-lot vegetation. 62% of respondents supported strong investment in installation and long-term maintenance, and 62% supported adding dedicated staff. Revisions removed invasive species and increased native pollinator plants. The Council approved the plan 5-0.
• Roadless Area Conservation Rule: Council Member Dent introduced a discussion on the U.S. Forest Service's proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, with a comment deadline of October 6, 2026. Lynn Cameron of Friends of Shenandoah Mountain and Pete Bsumek of the Virginia Sierra Club - Shenandoah Chapter requested that Harrisonburg submit a formal comment supporting the rule. The rule was reported as adopted in 2001; the approved minutes contain a typographical reference to 2021. They noted the rule protects 58.5 million acres nationally, about 394,000 acres in Virginia, and that seven roadless areas are within an hour of Harrisonburg. They highlighted drinking water protection, recreation, and a 2018 JMU study estimating $13.7 million per year in ecosystem services from the Dry River watershed. Council directed staff to draft a support letter to the Forest Service before the October 6 deadline.
• Passenger Rail Expansion: The Council adopted a resolution endorsing passenger rail service expansion to the Shenandoah Valley and asking the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to include the City in future planning and evaluation. The vote was 5-0.
• Prohibition on ALPR Systems: The Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting the City from procuring, installing, maintaining, or using stationary Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras. The ordinance includes exceptions for vehicle-mounted cameras, the emergency communications center, and information received from another entity's camera not under a prohibited arrangement. The vote was 5-0.
• Tow Company Policies and Fees: The Council approved the amended Harrisonburg Police Department policies and equipment requirements for tow companies and the amended fee schedule, with staff-recommended changes. Attorney Brown advised removing the proposed cap of eight towing companies on the list because a cap would require an ordinance amendment, and removing a proposed $100 non-refundable deposit for retrieving personal property because state law requires access without such a fee. The approved motion passed 5-0.

Supplementals and Reallocations

• Opioid Abatement Authority Grant: The Council approved a supplemental appropriation of $200,000 from the Opioid Abatement Authority grant, with the City serving as fiscal agent in partnership with Rockingham County, to subgrant to Strength in Peers for peer recovery center operations. Vote was 5-0.
• ARPA Fund Reallocation: The Council approved reallocating roughly $37,350 in remaining ARPA funds from the completed Northeast Neighborhood Sidewalk and Trails Project to the Northeast Neighborhood Paving Project, an open active project meeting federal deadlines. Vote was 5-0.

Boards and Commissions

• The Council appointed Brian Vandenberg as alternate City representative to the Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT), replacing City Manager Ande Banks as alternate; Amy Snider remains primary representative. The appointment was approved by unanimous voice vote.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted the Ramblewood Road lease ordinance, BESS agreements resolution, ALPR prohibition ordinance, passenger rail resolution, and Downtown Master Planting Plan.
• Approved consent agenda items, utility write-offs, tow policy and fee amendments, OAA supplemental appropriation, and ARPA reallocation, all by 5-0 roll call votes.
• Directed staff to draft a letter supporting the Roadless Area Conservation Rule to the U.S. Forest Service by October 6, 2026.
• Appointed Brian Vandenberg as CPMT alternate City representative.
• Public comments were received from one resident on the lease and one resident during the public comment period.