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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/15/2025 - Public Hearing1 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE VINTON TOWN COUNCIL AND OF A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE VINTON TOWN COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION HELD AT 6:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 311 SOUTH POLLARD STREET, VINTON, VIRGINIA. COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Bradley E. Grose, Mayor Laurie J. Mullins, Vice Mayor Keith N. Liles Sabrina M. McCarty Michael W. Stovall PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS PRESENT: Keith N. Liles, Chairman Robert W. Benninger, Commissioner Jonathan P. McCoy, Commissioner Joshua Mullen, Commissioner MEMEBERS ABSENT: David R. Jones, Vice Chairman STAFF PRESENT: Richard Peters, Town Manager/Town Clerk Megan Lawless, Administrative Operations Manager Jeremy Carroll, Town Attorney Fabricio Drumond, Chief of Police Timothy Lawless, Deputy Chief of Police Jesse Dibble, Police Corporal Andrew Keen, Finance Director/Treasurer William Herndon, Public Works Director Anita McMillan, Planning and Zoning Director Nathan McClung, Planning and Zoning Assistant Director Jill Loope, Special Projects Assistant to the Town Manager Mayor Grose called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. The Administrative Operations Manager called the roll with Council Member Liles, Council Member McCarty, Council Member Stovall, Vice Mayor Mullins, and Mayor Grose present. Roll call After a Moment of Silence, Council Member Liles led the Pledge of Allegiance. Under Upcoming Community Events/ Announcements, and Council Activities, Council Member McCarty announced the following: On July 26, Mingle in the Market will host Big Daddy Ray and Abbey & Andy bands. On August 2, the Vinton History Museum is having their Christmas in 2 August Sale. August 5, the Vinton Police Department will host National Night Out at 5:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Community Center. Vice Mayor Mullins announced the following Council Activities: On June 24 & June 30, Mayor Grose attended RVARC Executive Committee meeting. June 26, Mayor Grose attended the RVARC Board meeting. On July 4, Mayor Grose attended the Four on the 4th Race for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. On July 4, Mayor Grose and Council Member Stovall attended the Town of Vinton’s Independence Day Celebration. On July 5, Mayor Grose and Council Member Stovall met with Senator Tim Kaine regarding federal funding for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. On July 9, Vice Mayor Mullins and Council Member McCarty attended the Public Works Committee meeting. On July 15, Mayor Grose and Council Member Stovall attended the Finance Committee meeting. Under requests to postpone, add to or change the order of the agenda: Council Member Stovall made a motion to add to the agenda a Resolution for Support on the federal funding of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Mullins and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0, Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Vice Mayor Mullins made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented with the minutes of the Regular Meeting on June 17, 2025 and the minutes of the Planning Commission Joint Work Session on June 3, 2025; the motion was seconded by Council Member McCarty and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) -Liles, McCarty, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Approved minutes of the Regular Meeting of June 17, 2025, and the minutes of the Planning Commission Joint Work Session of June 3, 2025. Under awards, introductions, presentations, Chief Drumond recognized Corporal Dibble as Office of the Year for 2024. Corporal Dibble shared his gratitude for the recognition. Council shared their appreciation for Corporal Dibble’s dedication to keeping Vinton a safe community. 3 Under citizens’ comments and petitions, there were no comments or petitions from citizens. Under Items requiring action, consider a motion to adopt a Resolution to amend applicable requirements and standards for Planned Unit Development districts within the Town’s Zoning Ordinance. Mr. McClung advised that state code requires a Resolution when a zoning amendment is needed. This Resolution is the first step in initiating the process. Town staff and the Planning Commission will review the zoning ordinances along with the needs of the Town and will present specific amendments later. Council Member McCarty made a motion to approve the Resolution to amend applicable requirements and standards for Planned Unit Development districts within the Town’s Zoning Ordinance; the motion was seconded by Council Member Stovall, carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Approved Resolution No. 2647 to amend applicable requirements and standards for Planned Unit Development districts within the Town’s Zoning Ordinance. Mayor Grose opened the Joint Public Hearing at 6:17 p.m. to receive public comments on the repealing of Ordinance 806 in its entirety by the 2004 Town of Vinton Comprehensive Plan, adopted on September 7, 2004, and adopted by reference the Vinton 2050 Comprehensive Plan, Volumes I and II. Mrs. McMillan advised this is a Joint Public Hearing with the Planning Commission and Town Council. Planning Commission Chairman Liles called the meeting to order. Mrs. McMillan called roll with Robert Benninger, Jonathan McCoy, Joshua Mullen and Chairman Liles present. Vice Chairman David Jones was absent. Mrs. McMillan gave a synopsis of events that led us to creating the Vinton 2050 Comprehensive Plan Volumes I and II while acknowledging the community engagement surveys and work sessions. Advisory Committee Member Tiffany Rawling spoke about how she is a proud citizen of the Town of Joint Public Hearing Opened Roll Call for the Planning Commission 4 Vinton and has been a lifelong resident. She is honored to have served on the Advisory Committee. She went on to say everyone worked very hard to balance growth while maintaining the small-town charm and culture. Mayor Grose thanked everyone for the hard work that was put into this plan. Advisory Committee Member Seth Wilkinson shared his appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of this project and believes Vinton’s best days are ahead. Mayor Grose asked if anyone on the Planning Commission had any comments to provide. Commissioner McCoy acknowledged a lot of hard work has been put into this plan and went on to say the real hard work is about to begin as they prepare for implementation. Mrs. McMillan shared appreciation for the Planning and Zoning staff, Mr. McClung and Mrs. Tucei along with Mr. Peters, Mr. Sexton and Mrs. Loope for their efforts in putting this plan together. Mayor Grose asked if Council had any questions or comments. Council Member/Chairman Liles commented that it was a very rewarding process to go through from start to finish. Council Member McCarty said it was fun working with everyone. She complimented Mrs. McMillan and the work that was put into this plan. Vice Mayor Mullins thanked the staff and citizens for their input. She went on to acknowledge 3TP Ventures and complimented the work of Mr. Callahan and Mr. Gavrilovic. Council Member Stovall described the comprehensive plan as a legacy and people will look back and realize the fortitude we had. He congratulated the citizens that participated in developing the comprehensive plan and thanked them for their hard work. Council Member McCarty thanked everyone who filled out the community survey. 5 Mayor Grose thanked the citizens as well along with those that served on the committees. He reminded everyone that the comprehensive plan will be reviewed every five years, adding that adjustments can be made. Mayor Grose asked if there were any further comments or questions. No one offered comments or questions. Mayor Grose closed the Public Hearing at 6:35 p.m. Chairman Liles asked the Planning Commission if they want to make a recommendation to the Town Council to repeal in its entirety the 2004 Town of Vinton Comprehensive Plan adopted on September 7, 2004, by Ordinance 806 and adopting by reference the Comprehensive Plan 2050 Volumes I and II. Commission Benninger made a motion to recommend; the motion was seconded by Commissioner McCoy, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Benninger, McCoy, Mullen, Liles; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) – Jones. Council Member Liles made a motion to repeal Ordinance 806 and adopt the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Volumes I and II; the motion was seconded by Council Member McCarty, carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Under Items requiring action, Council Member Stovall presented the Town Council a Resolution to support the end of the federal funding freeze for the approved FY25 21st Century Community Learning Center funding from the Bipartisan Safter Community Act. Council Member Stovall advised that Senator Tim Kaine visited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia along with parents and members from Town Council to gather information on the impact of the federal funding freeze. Council Member Stovall shared that if the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia do not receive funding by mid-September, they will have to close. Council Member Stovall made a motion to approve the Resolution to support the end of the federal funding freeze on the approved FY25 21St Century Community Learning Center fund Public Hearing Closed Approved Ordinance No. 1069 adopting the 2050 Comprehensive Plan Volumes I and II. Approved Resolution No. 2648 to support the end of the federal funding freeze for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia 6 provided under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to the Commonwealth of Virginia to help fund the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia; the motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Mullins, carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Under Briefings, Mrs. Loope provided an Economic Development update. Mrs. Loope briefed the Town Council on a recommended redevelopment project at the 7 Walnut Avenue / McClung property. Mrs. Loope showed a PowerPoint presentation that will be filed in the Town Clerk’s office as part of the permanent record. Mrs. Loope advised a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued for the property to redevelop the building into a multi-tenant facility. The goal is to have the developer complete interior modifications along with managing the tenant leases and overseeing all operations and maintenance for the building. Mrs. Loope advised a response to the RFP was received from the Wilkinson Group. Their goal is to create a destination retail services space that will connect the downtown area. Mrs. Loope added the due-diligence timeline is six months which will allow time for a Performance Agreement. Mrs. Loope ended the presentation noting that this redevelopment project incorporates elements from the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Volumes I and II. Mrs. Loope established the next steps, which include the acceptance of a proposal and directing staff on terms that need to be specified in the Performance Agreement. Mayor Grose asked the Town Council if they had any questions or comments. No one offered questions of comments. Mayor Grose asked Seth Wilkinson if he wanted to share comments. Mr. Wilkinson said they are very excited about the project due to the key location since downtown is growing and thriving. Their goal is to create a vision that does not compete with the current downtown district but add to the customer base that already exists. Mr. Wilkinson advised they have already 7 found a few tenants to help bring families into town on a regular basis. Town Council had no questions. Mayor Grose said he looks forward to this project and thanked Mrs. Loope for her presentation. Under reports from committees, Mr. Herndon provided an update from the Public Works Committee that was held on July 9, 2025. He advised stormwater improvements are still underway with a few more details to work out before the RFP package can be posted. Next, he advised, ECS conducted five drillings for samples of the material under the road on June 23, 2025. We should have the results from the samples in about four weeks. The next step will be to meet with the engineer to discuss how to fix the road. Mr. Peters added that the novice look is that this is not as bad as we thought it was going to be. The primary concern is the weight of the vehicles that now travel on it and the age of the surface itself. Mr. Herndon continued with the analysis of the 4- way intersection at East Cleveland Avenue and Poplar Street. He reminded the Council that VDOT completed a traffic survey with a conclusion to not add a 4-way stop sign; however, Public Works did add additional signage to include Dangerous Intersection Ahead along with stop bars to help bring attention and awareness to drivers. The next project that Mr. Herndon spoke about was Mountain View Road where the road is breaking away on the shoulder. A meeting was held with VDOT on July 2, 2025, to devise a plan. Once the road is repaired, the Public Works Department will paint white lines to help slow down vehicles and keep drivers on the roadway. Mr. Herndon advised the Street Signs project is about 90% finished. Once the signs are replaced, we are going to sell the old street signs. Mr. Herndon explained that a citizen shared a speeding concern about Ruddell Road. The Public Works Department is continuing to investigate the issue and is trying to come up with options to slow down traffic. Suggestions include adding stenciling 8 to the pavement in addition to the digital speeds signs that have already been installed. Mr. Herndon advised a trash compactor is going to be installed at the Farmer’s Market. Fencing will be added to conceal the trash compactor. Businesses will have access to the trash compactor by either a key or a fob. Mr. Herndon is excited about the trash compactor’s ability to flip the regular trash cans as this will make it much easier for business owners to dispose of their trash. Last, Mr. Herndon advised plans are underway for the name change of Bypass Road to Dogwood Boulevard providing the Council approves the name change. The plan includes cutting back bushes along the roadway, repainting curbs and adding stripes to give the road a fresh look. Mr. Herndon asked if the Council had any questions. Council Member Stovall thanked Mr. Herndon for the work being put into Mountain View Road. Mr. Peters added that VDOT has some good recommendations on how we can mitigate the separation of Mountain View Road. Mayor Grose thanked Mr. Herndon for the report. He appreciates all the improvements being made around town. Mr. Peters expanded on the trash compactor that is being installed at the Farmer’s Market. He went on to explain that it was originally planned to be installed just for Farmer’s Market vendors but as we have expanded business opportunities in the downtown area, there are a few landlocked restaurants that do not have the ability to have their own dumpster. The refuse carts are maximizing ability with trash collections every day, which is a good sign of success from the businesses. Having the trash compactor with the lifts will allow businesses to discard trash more often. He noted the smell will be contained as well due to the trash compactor being enclosed. Under reports from committees, Mr. Keen provided an update from the Finance Committee meeting that was held on July 15, 2025. He explained that early FY25 trends were positive and continued to carry on through the end of the year. 9 Mr. Keen highlighted that the revenue came in at 107% and expenses came in at 95%. Mr. Keen provided a list of high revenue items that came in above the budgeted amount to include real estate tax at $50,000.00 above; sales and use tax at $115,000.00 above and meals tax came in at $2.1 million which was over $300,000.00 above the budgeted amount. He shared that business licenses brought in over $60,000 above the budgeted amount with over 600 licenses issued. Mr. Keen then explained that we anticipated cigarette tax to come in at $170,000.00; however, it came in above that at double the amount. Mr. Keen continued by advising the Vinton Business Center, which is a joint project with Roanoke County, continues to grow in revenue. Pari-mutuel tax was budgeted at $1.3 million, and the total received was close to $1.7 million. Mr. Keen commented on the investment earnings which were budgeted at $50,000.00 for the revenue line. The total investments earnings were over $300,000.00. Mr. Keen shared the spring tax collection percentages. There was a 2% increase in real estate tax collection, a 7% increase in personal property tax collection and a 6% increase in vehicles licenses fees. Last, Mr. Keen discussed the remodel of the Vinton War Memorial. We hosted a pre-bid meeting where 11 contractors participated. Mr. Keen went on to say this project will be partially financed. Final details will come after we receive all the bids from the contractors. Once the bids are received, we can analyze the reserves to see what we want to cash fund versus finance and what the timeline will be like. A package will be put together for the Council to review. Mr. Peters added that bids are expected by August 4, 2025. Renovations are on schedule to begin in September providing a contract is awarded. Mr. Keen asked Council if they had any questions. No questions were asked. The Council thanked Mr. Keen for the presentation. 10 Council Member Stovall made a motion to approve the Financial Statements for May 31, 2025, and June 30, 2025; the motion was seconded by Council Member Liles, carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Mayor Grose shared that he is honored to be on the Finance Committee with Council Member Stovall. He complimented the staff and how well they always keep information up to date. He went on to say that today’s update was a good indication and reminder that there is a lot of hard work that has gone into economic development. In addition, the budget indicates the Town is being run efficiently by staff. He thanked the staff for the job they do all year long. Approved the Financial Statements for May 31, 2025, and June 30, 2025. Under Town Attorney, Mr. Carroll advised he is going to work on the 7 Walnut Avenue agreements. He also shared that the stormwater contracts should be completed soon. Under Town Manager’s Project Updates and Comments, Mr. Peters acknowledged staff and the legal team on the creation of a MOU for traffic mitigation barricades with the City of Roanoke. We were able to borrow the barricades from the City of Roanoke for use at the 4th of July Celebration. The goal is to acquire our own barricades and then reciprocate the MOU with the City of Roanoke. Mr. Peters encouraged everyone to attend National Night Out that will be held on August 5, 2025. Mr. Peters acknowledged all the departments for their contributions to the 4th of July Celebration. He went on to advise there will be a lot of construction going on around town, from Gish’s Mill, Vinton War Memorial Community Park and the hotel. Mayor Grose thanked Mr. Peters for the report and asked Council if they had any questions. No questions were asked. Under Council and Mayor Comments, Mayor Grose asked if Council had anything to share. Council Member Stovall commented on the budget and how it shows the goal of turning Vinton into a 11 stop-by town. He went on to compliment the 2050 Comprehensive Plan and recommended everyone to go online and review the plan. He thanked all the staff that were involved in the budget process. Council Member Stovall then thanked the Chief of Police, Town Attorney and staff for the efforts in deterring homelessness. Council Member Stovall continued by saying he likes the idea of the town turning into a Main Street Community. He acknowledged it is not an easy process to complete. There is grant money available to support the transition. He believes it is something worth looking into and discussing in the future. Last, Council Member Stovall commented on how great the 4th of July Celebration was. Vice Mayor Mullins shared compliments on tonight’s meeting. She is very excited about what is happening around town. She shared appreciation for Mr. Keen’s financial report. Council Member McCarty shared appreciation for all the reports given. She is excited to see the remodel of the Vinton War Memorial. She went on to share that the Town of Vinton is in the top 11 in the state for retirement. Last, she gave a shout out to RND Coffee for their delicious coffee. Council Member Liles commented on the 4th of July Celebration and how awesome it is year after year. He thanked the staff for the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. He acknowledged we are not a go-thru town anymore, but a go-to town and it shows in our financial reports. Mayor Grose echoed what he heard from all Council members. He thanked the staff again for all the work they put in every day. He shared that he has received more positive comments about the 4th of July Celebration than he ever has. He went on to say the event was well organized and executed very well. Mayor Grose asked if there was anything else to add to the meeting. No other comments were offered. Commissioner McCoy made a motion to adjourn the Planning Commission meeting; the 12 motion was seconded by Commissioner Mullen, carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 4-0; Yeas (4) – Benninger, McCoy, Mullen, Liles; Nays (0) – None; Absent (1) – Jones. Council Member Liles added a recommendation to attend National Night Out. Mayor Grose asked if there were further comments to be made. No other comments were offered. Council Member Liles made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Mullins and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0, Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Mullins, Stovall, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Meeting Adjourned at 7:24 p.m. ATTEST: _______________________________ Richard W. Peters, Jr., Town Clerk APPROVED: _______________________________ Bradley E. Grose, Mayor