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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/21/2026 - Regular 1 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE VINTON TOWN COUNCIL HELD AT 6:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2026, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF THE VINTON MUNICIPAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 311 SOUTH POLLARD STREET, VINTON, VIRGINIA MEMBERS PRESENT: Bradley E. Grose, Mayor Laurie J. Mullins, Vice Mayor Keith N. Liles Sabrina M. McCarty Michael W. Stovall STAFF PRESENT: Richard Peters, Town Manager Cody Sexton, Deputy Town Manager Megan Lawless, Town Clerk Jeremy Carroll, Town Attorney Tim Lawless, Deputy Chief of Police Myke Caldwell, Lieutenant Sean McKittrick, Community Services Officer Tiffany Stewart, Director of Finance Kimberley Ramsey, Town Treasurer Leigh Phillips, Senior Treasury Administrator Jill Acker, Interim Director of Public Works Administration Mandy Adkins, Director of Cultural Placemaking and Events Morgan Poplawski, Manager of Guest Experiences and Events Mayor Grose called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The Town Clerk 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 events: July 25 – Mingle at the Market with Abbey & Andy Neikirk & Gasoline Alley from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. August 4 – National Night Out with Vinton Police Department from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Farmers’ Market. August 8 – Mingle at the Market with Five Dollar Shake from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Vice Mayor Mullins announced the following Council activities: July 8 – Mayor Grose attended the Regional Chamber’s Good Morning VBR meeting. 2 July 14 – Council Member Liles attended the VML CEDS Committee meeting. July 15 – Vice Mayor Mullins and Council Member McCarty attended the Public Works Committee meeting. July 21 – Mayor Grose and Council Member Stovall attended the Finance Committee meeting. Requests to postpone, add to or change the order of agenda items, no requests were offered. Council Member Stovall made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented; 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, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Approved minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 7, 2026. Under Awards, Introductions, Presentations, Mrs. Ramsey introduced Mrs. Leigh Phillips, Senior Treasury Administrator, who joins the Town of Vinton with 18 years of financial experience from Botetourt County Public Schools Administration. Under Awards, Introductions, Presentations, Mrs. Adkins introduced Miss Morgan Poplawski, Manager of Guest Experiences and Events, who joins us with an extensive background in wedding and event planning from Harrisonburg. Under Awards, Introductions, Presentations, Deputy Chief Lawless introduced Officer McKittrick as the Community Services Officer. Officer McKittrick has been with the Vinton Police Department since 2023 and has experience in community policing and public engagement. Under Citizens’ Comments and Petitions, no comments were offered. Under Briefings, Ms. Collins provided an update to changes that have been made to the Employee Handbook. Section 4 – Safety and Security: added Emergency Closure Policy to provide guidance to staff when the Town may close, delay or modify working conditions for inclement weather or another emergency. Staff should use their own discretion 3 concerning safety when returning to the office when it reopens. If the employee has the ability to work remote, it is expected he or she work. If the employee does not have the ability to work remote or the employee chooses not work remote, he or she must use some form of leave. Essential and non-essential personnel were defined. A Safety Glasses program was developed to ensure that employees who require prescription eyewear have access to properly fitted and compliant prescription safety glasses, to maintain both vision clarity and eye protection in the workplace. The Town will provide up to $200 every two years on approved prescription safety frames and lenses that meet ANSI Z87.1 standards. Section 6 – Pay Practices: this update clarifies the pay practices that the Town currently has. The temporary tax deduction for the half of percent of the overtime premium. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) was passed on July 4, 2025, that allows a Federal income tax deduction for qualified overtime compensation. The tracking requirement took effect January 1, 2026. Some leave types under the OBBA do not qualify for the tax deduction, such as Paid Time Off, Awarded Leave, and Voluntary Leave. The overtime tax deduction is another way for employees to earn money back when they file taxes. A clause for Discretionary Time was also added to this section of the policy. This applies to exempt employees who are paid for the job that they do rather than non-exempt employees who are paid by the hour for the work that they do. Discretionary Time can be used up to eight hours at one time; it is not accrued leave or tracked internally. It cannot be used in place of Paid Time Off therefore an employee cannot use 40 hours of discretionary time for a full week off. Last, it cannot be used continuously without using Paid Time Off. A Remote Work policy was also added to Section 6. Remote Work has been in place for some positions if the job duties allow for it, but there was no policy implemented. 4 This policy explains the requirement of covering operational needs and the need for approval from the department head. Remote Work capability can be changed at any time as it is not entitlement to work remotely. The employee must stay accessible and protect confidential information while being remote. Lastly, a signed Remote Work Acknowledgement form must be on file. Section 7 – Time Off: this section notes the maximum payout that an employee will receive when his or her employment ends, which is the Paid Time Off maximum threshold. Threshold amounts are based on the Virginia Retirement Plan of the employee, such as Plan 1, Plan 2, and Hybrid. There were no questions. All Council Members shared appreciation for the briefing. Action to adopt this policy will take place at the next Town Council meeting on August 18, 2026. Under Items Requiring Action, Deputy Chief Lawless presented an Ordinance amending Chapter 82: Streets, Sidewalks, and other Public Places of the Vinton Town Code. It was requested to add Article VII, Use of Town Parks and Trails 82- 210 and 82-211, to the Vinton Town Code. Article VII outlines the supervision and management of all the public parks, trails, and greenways under the Town Manager and provides a list of prohibited conduct. There were no questions or comments offered. Council Member Liles made a motion to approve the Ordinance as presented; 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. Under Items Requiring Action, Lieutenant Caldwell presented an Ordinance to permit individuals who are in charge of real property to designate the Vinton Police Department as a person lawfully in charge of the property for the purpose of barring people from going upon or remaining upon the property. Approved Ordinance No. 1078 amending Chapter 82: Streets, Sidewalks, and other Public Places of the Vinton Town Code by adding Article VII: Use of Town Parks and Trails, 82-210 and 82-211. 5 A PowerPoint presentation was shared with Town Council. A copy of this presentation is on file at the Town Clerk’s Office as part of the permanent record. It was noted by the Town Attorney that the effective date will be immediately. There were no comments or questions. Council Member McCarty made a motion to approve the Ordinance as presented; 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, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Under Items Requiring Action, Mrs. Ramsey presented an Ordinance to authorize a Temporary Cash Transaction Rounding Policy. It was noted that this will remain inactive until the penny supply becomes an issue. A permanent Ordinance is expected in July 2027, pending action by the Virginia General Assembly. There were no comments or questions. Council Member Stovall made a motion to approve the Ordinance as presented; the motion was seconded by Council Member Liles and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Under Public Hearing, there were no items. Under Reports from Committees, Mrs. Acker provided a briefing on the topics that were discussed at the Public Works Committee meeting on July 15, 2026. The existing projects included: Pollard Street and Cedar Avenue storm drain repair. Gus Nicks Boulevard and Gish Mill Waterline project is making great progress. The waterline will be extended up to Highland Avenue. This extension will help with water supply at Billy Byrd Apartments and the surrounding area. Approved Ordinance No. 1079 to permit individuals who are in charge of real property to designate the Vinton Police Department as a person lawfully in charge of the property for the purpose of barring people from going upon or remaining upon the property. Approved Ordinance No. 1080 to authorize a Temporary Cash Transaction Rounding Policy. 6 The Public Works Department completed five large road repairs last month. The staff shoveled and raked 76.5 tons of asphalt. The roads included S. Maple Street, Vinyard Road at Bojangles, Vinyard Road at Autozone, Ruddell Road, and then 1St Street at Cleveland Avenue. New projects included: There are other road repairs that are larger than what the Public Works Department can take on, so these projects will be evaluated by an asphalt contractor. Bowman Street and areas of E. Madison Avenue will be repaired. Other areas will be evaluated for repairs as well. Mr. Peters shared that a citizen requested a 4-way stop sign at E. Cleveland Avenue and S. Poplar Street. Traffic studies and consultants show that it is not feasible to install a 4-way stop sign. The Public Works Committee discussed other options to help with traffic and speed such as rumble strips, speed cushions, halo signs, along with other options. It was decided by the committee to install speed cushions and halo speed limit signs. The Town will make notice to the public that those speed control devices will be implemented. The next item discussed was the storm ditch repair on Claiborne Avenue. Upon inspection of stormwater runoff, the Public Works Department determined this was an emergency repair due to the ditch being filled with sediment and trees. The Long John Silver’s entrance is being completed to meet VDOT specifications. Lastly, the committee discussed staffing within the Public Works Department to include Heavy Equipment Operator certifications for five employees and staffing shortages. Vacant positions include two permanent positions and two seasonal positions. The Public Works Department has ordered a new dump truck with a spreader and plow. The goal is to have it back by the end of September or the first of October after it is outfitted. Staff are looking to purchase a new kuckleboom truck and a one-ton dump truck. All Council Members shared appreciation for the report. 7 Under Reports from Committees, Mrs. Stewart provided a briefing on the topics that were discussed at the Finance Committee meeting on July 21, 2026. Mrs. Stewart reported on the May 31, 2026, and June 30, 2026, Financial Statements. The May Financial Statements showed the operating cash and investments at a total of $9.3 million with a 6% increase over April’s balances due to an increase in real estate and personal property tax collection. There was a 7% increase in meals tax over April as well. In addition to the increase in tax collection, May was a low expenditure month. The June Financial Statements had the operating cash and investments at a total of $8.5 million. This is a 9% decrease from May. While $305,000 were collected in real estate and personal property taxes, the Town had large expenditures on paving, Gish Mill project reimbursement, and expenses for the Vinton War Memorial renovation. Also discussed in the Finance Committee meeting on July 21 was the year-end department budget summary. This summary showed that each department met or exceeded budget in revenue and collections. All departments ended FY2026 year between 90% and 103% of budget spent. There was an in-depth audit discussion with Brown Edwards on the FY2024 Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards which will conclude any discussions of the FY2024 audit. Next, Mr. Sexton shared details on the Request for Proposals for the financing of the Vinton War Memorial renovation project. The Town received three proposals to include Bank of Botetourt, Carter Bank, and Pinnacle. After reviewing and discussing each proposal, the Finance Committee recommended moving forward with Bank of Botetourt. There will be a public hearing and presentation of a Resolution at the next Town Council meeting on August 18, 2026. There were no comments or questions. Council Member Stovall made a motion to approve the Financial Statements for May 31 and Approved the Financial Statements for May 31 and June 30, 2026. 8 June 30, 2026; the motion was seconded by Council Member Liles and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Under Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees, Mrs. Lawless shared that the Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement regarding the Roanoke Valley Greenway was adopted on July 7, 2026. Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission is responsible for carrying out the work, through its own forces or through contractors or partners and in consultation with the Greenway Committee, of planning, supporting, coordinating and community engagement with the Greenway System. Council was asked to appoint members to the Greenway Committee under this new agreement. Staff recommended the following individuals be appointed for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2029. Janet Scheid Arthur (Bud) LaRoche Staff are working towards filling the third position. Council Member McCarty made a motion to appoint the members as presented; the motion was seconded by Council Member Liles and carried by the following vote, with all members voting: Vote 5- 0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. Appointed Janet Scheid and Arthur LaRoche to the Greenway Committee under the newly adopted Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement regarding the Roanoke Valley Greenway for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2029. Under Town Attorney, no comments were offered. Under Town Manager’s Projects Updates, Mr. Peters shared that a name was provided by Council Member McCarty for the vacant position on the Greenway Committee. Staff will follow up with this potential candidate. He reminded Council of a few items coming up: National Night Out is August 4, 2026. 9 Town Council Work Session is at 4:00 p.m. on August 18, 2026. Joint Work Session with the Planning Commission is September 1, 2026. The Town Council meeting scheduled for October 20, 2026, has been cancelled. This cancellation is due to administrative staff being out of the office for work-related training. Next, he shared that the Environmental Planner position has been posted within the Planning and Zoning Department. Gish Mill is having an Open House on July 27, 2026. This open house is hosted by the two owners of Gish Mill. The goal of the Open House is to seek potential tenants. The Town is not hosting this event. The Cedar Avenue and Pollard Street storm water project is going well. The road will be closed for a few more days. Lastly, he shared that Council, and a group of staff members will be attending the American Planning Association: Virginia Chapter luncheon to receive the Comp Plan of the Year award for population of up to 100,000. Under Council and Mayor Comments, all Council Members expressed their appreciation for Ms. Collins and the card that she gave. Council Member Stovall commented on the status of the Town and said that it is due to the staff and the work that gets put in. He then clarified the misconception that Rosie's "runs the Town." While Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is a valued business partner, it is only one part of the Town's diverse revenue base. Meals tax continues to be one of the Town's largest and most consistent sources of revenue. Vice Mayor Mullins complimented all the good things going on in the Town. Council Member McCarty shared appreciation to staff by congratulating Chief and welcoming the new staff. She then gave a shoutout to Woods Auto Service. 10 Council Member Liles shared that a customer of his complimented the paved roads in the Town of Vinton, and he is looking forward to National Night Out. He reminded everyone it will be at the Farmers’ Market. Lastly, he welcomed new staff. Mayor Grose welcomed the new staff. He then spoke about the Good Morning VBR series where localities gather every other month to share what is going on in their community. He complimented the staff who participated in this series. He continued by complimenting how well things are going in the Town. No further comments were offered. Vice Mayor Mullins made a motion to adjourn the meeting; the motion was seconded by Council Member McCarty and carried by the following vote 5-0; Yeas (5) – Liles, McCarty, Stovall, Mullins, Grose; Nays (0) – None. ATTEST: _______________________________ Megan Lawless, Town Clerk Meeting Adjourned at 7:07 p.m. APPROVED: _______________________________ Bradley E. Grose, Mayor