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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-17-24 Town Council PacketAgenda Town Council Meeting Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Reasonable accommodation will be provided for persons with disabilities, if requested. 6:00 p.m. Closed Session Council Chambers 1. Meeting Called to Order (Mayor Collins) 2. Roll Call (Clerk of Council) 3. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 (2 items)- Consultation with Legal Counsel a. Town Owned Property b. Filter Plant 7:00 p.m. Public Session Council Chambers 1. Certification of Closed Session (Mayor Collins) 2. Pledge of Allegiance (Councilman Reis) 3. Invocation (Councilman East) 4. Guests and Visitors (Mayor Collins) 5. Modification to Public Session (Mayor Collins) 6. Presentations (15 minutes) a. Pulaski Area Transit Request for Funding- Monica Musick (Voting) b. T.G. Howard Request for Funding- Guy Smith (Voting) 7. Discussion a. NRVRC Office Building Project and Charter Amendment (Manager Day) b. EDA Bylaws (Manager Day) c. 155 Acres (Manager Day) 8. Public Comment Period (The Town Council welcomes your input. You may address the Council by completing a speaker’s slip available at the door and giving it to the Clerk of Council prior to the meeting. At this time, you may address Council on items that are not on the agenda. The limit is three (3) minutes for each speaker.) 9. Consent Agenda (Voting) a. Consideration of September 3, 2024 Town Council Meeting Minutes 10. Council Comments 11. Manager’s Report (Manager Day) 12. Reminder of Future Council Meeting (Mayor Collins) a. October 1, 2024 Closed Session 6:00 p.m., Open Session 7:00 pm Presentation Materials Discussion Materials Strengthening the Region through Collaboration Counties Towns Higher Education Floyd │ Giles Blacksburg │ Christiansburg Virginia Tech Montgomery │ Pulaski Floyd │ Narrows │ Pearisburg Radford University City Pembroke │ Pulaski New River Community College Radford Rich Creek MEMORANDUM To: Members of the New River Valley Regional Commission From: Kevin Byrd, Executive Director Date: August 9, 2024 Re: Office Building Purchase for the Regional Commission + Charter Agreement Amendment Since 2018, the New River Valley Regional Commission board of directors has been evaluating office space options for the agency due to the expansion of staff needed to deliver projects and programs on behalf of the members. Currently, the Regional Commission leases an office suite and three external offices at the Pulaski County Innovation Center. In November 2018, the board appointed an office space committee to consider options that involved making building modifications at the current location in the Pulaski County Innovation Center or relocate to a different facility. As that process progressed with an architect, the pandemic struck, and the work of the committee paused as the agency became highly involved in the regional pandemic response. In late 2023, the Regional Commission picked up the effort once again given continued staff growth and engaged the services of a commercial real estate broker to help identify options for office space in the region. The office space committee asked for the search include properties central to the region in the City of Radford, Pulaski County, and Montgomery County. Following the property search, two properties were visited for further evaluation. Shortly after the site visits, a third option was made available to the agency which re- oriented the process from renting space toward the potential to purchase. In working with the real estate broker, property owner, Regional Commission Executive Committee, and full board of directors, it became readily apparent the opportunity to purchase the selected property would be the best financial option available given the purchase price (below assessed value), location, and condition of the building. At the New River Valley Regional Commission meeting on June 27th the board took action authorizing the Executive Director to execute a purchase agreement with Atlantic Union Bank to acquire the former American National Bank building located at 2950 Market Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073. On July 16th a purchase agreement was executed for the property in the amount of $2.0M. While the purchase agreement was being negotiated in May/June, the Regional Commission worked with a local architecture firm to prepare preliminary architectural designs that would allow for the construction of a large meeting room (60-80 people) and a mid- sized meeting room (30+ people). These two meeting rooms are needed to host the frequent meetings coordinated by the agency and will be available for members to use as needed. The preliminary costs for these two projects combined is approximately $1.25M. The total project cost is projected to be $3.25M. The purchase agreement allows for 90 days of due diligence then an additional 30 days to close on the property. A thorough environmental report was conducted in 2023 by the bank and no concerns were identified. A building evaluation was conducted on the property on August 6th and a report is due back soon. Recently, the Regional Commission engaged the services of Davenport and Associates to serve as financial advisors for the project. Davenport will assist with identifying the best financing path. Their services will include a RFP process for banks to respond with financing terms along with preparing information for inclusion with the next round of pooled financing with the Virginia Resources Authority. A determination on financing options is likely to happen in September. The Regional Commission will be looking to the 16 members of the agency to participate with the debt service for the project on a per-capita basis utilizing the same formula applied to calculate annual dues. There are three options for members to consider; 1) lump sum payment, 2) pay as you go (annual contribution to debt service over the length of the note, likely 20 years), or 3) hybrid - portion of lump sum and pay as you go for the remainder. Attached is a table prepared by Davenport which illustrates the preliminary cost for each member depending on the option selected. To explain the table, the Regional Commission members are identified on the left, the population per member follows, which calculates the population factor. The lump sum amount is calculated by dividing the project cost of $3.25M by the population factor. Moving to the right, the blue boxed area assumes all members select “pay as you go” and shows the cost per-member annually depending on the length of the term and anticipated interest rate. This project will likely be a 20-year term and will go with the best interest rate and terms identified through the process above. The green boxed area assumes one member with a larger obligation opts to pay lump sum, while the others choose to pay as you go. Going into the financing process, one local government has preliminarily indicated a willingness to back the loan, and the same local government may provide lump sum payment. The single local government backing the loan will help secure a more attractive interest rate on behalf of all the members. Each member of the Regional Commission will need to indicate their preferred option; pay as you go, lump sum payment, or hybrid. Ideally, this decision should be made by the end of August or beginning of September in order to line up financing ahead of closing. A formal moral obligation is not required; however, declaring the payment option and communicating that to the Regional Commission is needed. The timing of payment will be dictated by the option selected by each member. If opting for lump sum payment, that will likely be needed this fiscal year to close the loan. If opting to pay as you go, the only cost this fiscal year would be interest on the construction aspect of the project ($1.25M) taking place later in the year, so the cost would be minimal. Some members are discussing using their ARPA funds for the lump sum option, and this is an eligible activity if that is a consideration. After the declarations for debt service payments are made, the Regional Commission board of directors will need to amend the agency’s Charter Agreement pertaining to principal office location. The Charter Agreement states, “Section 2. The principal office of the COMMISSION shall be in Pulaski County, Virginia. The location of the principal office may be changed by the concurrence of three-fourths of the COMMISSION members present at the regular meeting, provided that the clerk of the governing body of each member governmental subdivision has been notified of the contemplated relocation in writing at least thirty days before such meeting.” The Charter Agreement amendment is likely to take place in November, thereby issuing notices to clerks in late September. However, this timeline may be adjusted depending on the relocation date for the organization. This would mark the third principal office location change for the agency. The first 30 years the agency was in the City of Radford (1969-1999), then relocated in 1999 to present day (25 years) at the NRV Competitiveness Center, ultimately named the Pulaski County Innovation Center. A project of this scope necessitates all members participating and it will yield a place everyone will be proud to come around the regional table. Should anyone have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Cooper Center Pop Estimate for 2022* Population Factor Lump Sum Payment Calculation VRA - 25 Years VRA - 20 Years VRA - 15 Years Bank Loan - 25 Years Bank Loan - 20 Years Bank Loan - 15 Years VRA - 25 Years VRA - 20 Years VRA - 15 Years Bank Loan - 25 Years Bank Loan - 20 Years Bank Loan - 15 Years Office Building Assessment $1.20 $1.35 $1.60 $1.30 $1.43 $1.70 $1.22 $1.37 $1.63 $1.31 $1.44 $1.71 Floyd County 15,160 8.3%$269,380.70 Floyd County $18,227.46 $20,466.00 $24,287.28 $19,708.00 $21,678.80 $25,772.00 $18,495.20 $20,769.20 $24,710.80 $19,859.60 $21,830.40 $25,923.60Town of Floyd 449 0.2%$7,978.36 Town of Floyd $539.85 $606.15 $719.33 $583.70 $642.07 $763.30 $547.78 $615.13 $731.87 $588.19 $646.56 $767.79 Giles County 9,915 5.4%$176,181.38 Giles County $11,921.19 $13,385.25 $15,884.46 $12,889.50 $14,178.45 $16,855.50 $12,096.30 $13,583.55 $16,161.45 $12,988.65 $14,277.60 $16,954.65Pearisburg2,832 1.5%$50,322.31 Pearisburg $3,405.02 $3,823.20 $4,537.04 $3,681.60 $4,049.76 $4,814.40 $3,455.04 $3,879.84 $4,616.16 $3,709.92 $4,078.08 $4,842.72 Narrows 2,046 1.1%$36,355.73 Narrows $2,459.99 $2,762.10 $3,277.82 $2,659.80 $2,925.78 $3,478.20 $2,496.12 $2,803.02 $3,334.98 $2,680.26 $2,946.24 $3,498.66Rich Creek 735 0.4%$13,060.34 Rich Creek $883.72 $992.25 $1,177.52 $955.50 $1,051.05 $1,249.50 $896.70 $1,006.95 $1,198.05 $962.85 $1,058.40 $1,256.85 Pembroke 1,129 0.6%$20,061.40 Pembroke $1,357.44 $1,524.15 $1,808.73 $1,467.70 $1,614.47 $1,919.30 $1,377.38 $1,546.73 $1,840.27 $1,478.99 $1,625.76 $1,930.59Pulaski County 22,083 12.1%$392,396.71 Pulaski County $26,551.25 $29,812.05 $35,378.37 $28,707.90 $31,578.69 $37,541.10 $26,941.26 $30,253.71 $35,995.29 $28,928.73 $31,799.52 $37,761.93 Town of Pulaski 8,904 4.9%$158,216.74 Town of Pulaski $10,705.63 $12,020.40 $14,264.77 $11,575.20 $12,732.72 $15,136.80 $10,862.88 $12,198.48 $14,513.52 $11,664.24 $12,821.76 $15,225.84Montgomery County 33,389 18.3%$593,295.01 Montgomery County $40,144.90 $45,075.15 $53,491.30 $43,405.70 $47,746.27 $56,761.30 Blacksburg 36,610 20.0%$650,529.52 Blacksburg $44,017.63 $49,423.50 $58,651.54 $47,593.00 $52,352.30 $62,237.00 $44,664.20 $50,155.70 $59,674.30 $47,959.10 $52,718.40 $62,603.10 Christiansburg 22,562 12.3%$400,908.14 Christiansburg $27,127.17 $30,458.70 $36,145.75 $29,330.60 $32,263.66 $38,355.40 $27,525.64 $30,909.94 $36,776.06 $29,556.22 $32,489.28 $38,581.02City of Radford 13,885 7.6%$246,725.00 City of Radford $16,694.48 $18,744.75 $22,244.65 $18,050.50 $19,855.55 $23,604.50 $16,939.70 $19,022.45 $22,632.55 $18,189.35 $19,994.40 $23,743.35 Radford University 2,950 1.6%$52,419.07 Radford University $3,546.90 $3,982.50 $4,726.09 $3,835.00 $4,218.50 $5,015.00 $3,599.00 $4,041.50 $4,808.50 $3,864.50 $4,248.00 $5,044.50Virginia Tech 9,500 5.2%$168,807.17 Virginia Tech $11,422.22 $12,825.00 $15,219.60 $12,350.00 $13,585.00 $16,150.00 $11,590.00 $13,015.00 $15,485.00 $12,445.00 $13,680.00 $16,245.00 New River Comm. Coll.752 0.4%$13,362.42 New River Comm. Coll.$904.16 $1,015.20 $1,204.75 $977.60 $1,075.36 $1,278.40 $917.44 $1,030.24 $1,225.76 $985.12 $1,082.88 $1,285.92 Total Assessed Pop 182,901 $3,250,000.00 Total $219,909.00 $246,916.35 $293,019.00 $237,771.30 $261,548.43 $310,931.70 $182,404.64 $204,831.44 $243,704.56 $195,860.72 $215,297.28 $255,665.52 Building Price 2,000,000.00$ Max Debt Service Payment #VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE!#VALUE! Construction Est.1,250,000.00$ All-In Borrowing Rate 4.55%4.42%4.21%5.35%5.15%5.04%4.62%4.51%4.33%5.42%5.23%5.14% Total 3,250,000.00$ Full Project Cost 3,250,000.00$ Full Project Cost (MGM Lump Sum)$2,656,704.99 Full Project Cost - $3.25 million MGM Lump Sum - Total Borrowing Amount of $2.656 million FOR SALE FORMER BANK BRANCH 2950 MARKET STREET NE CHRISTIANSBURG, VIRGINIA 24073 Thalhimer Center | 11100 W. Broad Street | Glen Allen, VA 23060 | www.thalhimer.com PROPERTY OVERVIEW FLOORS Two (2) ZONING B-3 (Town of Christiansburg) PARKING 44 spaces (4.1 per 1,000 SF) TRAFFIC COUNTS 18,500 VPD – North Franklin Street FEATURES •Freestanding former bank branch and offices along high-traffic North Franklin Street •Top retail corridor in Christiansburg •Well-maintained two-story building with elevator, constructed in 2013 •Accessible via signalized intersection of North Franklin Street & Arbor Drive Northeast •Large pylon & building signage •Proximate to new Christiansburg Marketplace retail development BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS 2013 BUILT 10,762 TOTAL SF 1.55 ACRES AERIAL OVERVIEW LOBBY & TELLER AREA 22,074 DAYTIME EMPLOYEEPOPULATION 21,047POPULATION 61,282 DAYTIME EMPLOYEEPOPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS 1 MILE 3 MILES 5 MILES Population 1,809 21,047 57,442 Median Household Income $78,238 $65,782 $61,282 Daytime Employee Population 4,561 16,742 40,351 $65,782MEDIAN INCOME PROPERTY PHOTOS 2nd Floor Balcony Area Private Office Break Room Board Room Conference Room Pylon Sign FLOOR PLAN 1ST FLOOR FLOOR PLAN 2ND FLOOR Independently Owned and Operated / A Member of the Cushman & Wakefield Alliance Cushman Wakefield | Thalhimer ©2024. No warranty or representation, express or implied, is made to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, withdrawal without notice, and to any special listing conditions, imposed by the property owner(s). As applicable, we make no representation as to the condition of the property (or properties) in question. Thalhimer Center 11100 W. Broad Street Glen Allen, VA 23060 www.thalhimer.com KENT ROBERTS Senior Associate540 767 3012 kent.roberts@thalhimer.com WILL MCGOOGAN First Vice President804 697 3463 will.mcgoogan@thalhimer.com RETT TURNER, CCIM, SIOR Senior Vice President804 697 3438 rett.turner@thalhimer.com By–Laws of the Economic Development Authority of the Town of Pulaski, Virginia Article I. Purposes, Powers and Duties The Economic Development Authority of the Town of Pulaski, Virginia (hereinafter, the “Authority”) shall have the following express powers and duties: a. To enter into contracts; b. To purchase, acquire, or lease property, or sell or convey real property owned by the Authority; c. To issue Bonds, however, all new bonds must be approved by a Town Council Resolution, after a required public hearing held by the Authority; d. To distribute funds to pay employees, agents, real estate brokers, etc.; e. To appoint and create committees to assist as needed; and f. To accept contributions, grants and other financial assistance. However, before any debt or financial obligation is authorized, a recommendation must be made to the Council for the Town of Pulaski for consideration and approval. Further, the Authority shall fulfill all of the purposes and intents of the General Assembly of Virginia, as expressed in Chapter 49, Subtitle IV of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, and by any other enactment that may hereafter be adopted by the General Assembly. Said Authority shall also fulfill all purposes and intents of the Council for the Town of Pulaski, Virginia, as may hereafter be provided; and the general purpose of the Authority shall be to promote industry and develop opportunities for business and trade in the area within its jurisdiction for the general good of the people of the Town of Pulaski and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Authority shall have any and all powers that have been granted to it by the Acts of Assembly of Virginia, as aforesaid, and the powers that may hereafter be granted to it by any enactment of the General Assembly and, also, those powers that may be granted to it by any delegation of authority hereafter granted by the Council for the Town of Pulaski, Virginia. Article II. Limitation of Powers The Authority shall not have the power: a. To operate a facility or a business (other than as a lessor only); and b. To hold the Town of Pulaski or any individual representative or Director responsible for actions taken by the EDA. Article III. Board of Directors Initially seven (7) directors shall be appointed by the Town Council of the Town of Pulaski for terms of one, two, three and four years; three being appointed for one-year terms; two being appointed for two-year terms; two being appointed for three-year terms and one being appointed for a four-year term. At the end of the first year following the adoption of these By-laws by the Town, the number of directors shall be seven (7) until changed by recommendation of the Town Council, with only two of the three one (1) year appointments being filled at that time. All subsequent appointments shall be for terms of four years, except appointments to fill vacancies which shall be for the unexpired terms. Each Director shall, upon appointment or reappointment, before entering upon his/her duties, take and subscribe the oath prescribed by §49-1 of the Code of Virginia. Article IV. Board of Director Qualifications Any person who is qualified to vote in the Town of Pulaski, Virginia (“Town”) at the time of his/her appointment, and thereafter resides in the Town, or who owns real property and operates a business in the Town and is qualified to vote in Pulaski County, Virginia at the time of his/her appointment, shall be eligible to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Economic Development Authority. Article V. Organization The Directors shall elect from their membership a chairman, a vice-chairman, and from their membership or not, as they desire, a secretary and a treasurer, or a secretary-treasurer, who shall continue to hold such office until their respective successors are elected. The officers shall hold their office for the term of one (1) year and until their successor has been elected or chosen and assumed office. a. The Chairman or, in his/her absence, the Vice-Chairman shall preside over all meetings of the Authority. In the absence of both, a temporary presiding officer shall be elected from among the members present. b. The Secretary shall keep detailed minutes of all proceedings and shall keep a record of all correspondence and business transactions of the Authority. The Secretary shall send notices of meetings by mail or as otherwise required to members of the Authority. The Secretary shall keep roll of the members and shall perform all other duties usually appertaining to the office of Secretary. c. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the keeping of suitable records of financial transactions of the Authority, which such records shall be audited annually and a copy sent to the Town Council and Town Manager of the Town of Pulaski. The Treasurer shall perform all duties incident to the office of the Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Authority. All checks drawn on deposits of the Authority shall bear the signature of the Treasurer of the Town of Pulaski, Treasurer of the Authority, and the signature of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman. All contracts, bonds, notes, deeds, conveyances, and formal documents shall be signed on behalf of the Authority by the Chairman, or in his/her absence by a Director designated by resolution of the Board of Directors. Article VI. Vacancies If at the end of any term of office of any Director a successor thereto has not been appointed, then the Director whose term of office has expired shall continue to hold office until his/her successor is appointed and qualified. Article VII. Removal Members of the Board shall serve their designated term as previously stated. However, any member convicted of a felony shall there by forfeit his/her office upon conviction. Further, any Director may be removed from office by the Town Council without limitation in the event that the Director is absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board, or is absent from any six (6) meetings of the Board within a twelve-month period. Additionally, if during his/her term a Member ceases to qualify for service under the criteria set forth hereinabove in Article IV, said Director’s seat on the Board shall be deemed vacant. In the case of removal or a vacancy, a new Director may be appointed by the Town Council to fill the remainder of that Director’s term. Article VIII. Meetings a. Open to public. All meetings shall be open to the public, and any citizen may have access to the minutes and records thereof at a reasonable time; however, by majority vote of the members, the Board may convene an executive session to consider matters of appropriate subject matter as provided by the Code of Virginia. b. Annual meeting. The Authority shall be required to have an annual meeting by all members held in January. The Secretary shall be responsible for contacting all members and arranging a suitable date, time and location. c. Regular meetings. The Board shall meet the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am. Meetings shall be held in the Council Chambers for the Town of Pulaski, if the Chairman or the Vice-Chairman in his/her absence or incapacity shall determine, after consultation with the Secretary, that there are no matters pending requiring action by the Board of Directors at any scheduled regular meeting, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman in his/her absence or incapacity may cancel any such regular meeting. d. Special meetings. Special Meetings of the Authority may be called at any time by the Chairman or, in his absence, by the Vice-Chairman by written request of a majority of the members of the Board of Directors. Written notice stating the place, date, hour, and purpose of the special meeting shall be given not less than five days, nor more than twenty days before the date of the meeting, either personally delivered or by mail, to each Director. This notice may be waived by the Directors. e. Quorum. Four (4) members of the Board shall be considered a quorum for the purpose of conducting business and exercising the powers granted to the Board of Directors. f. Voting. All members appointed to the Board of Directors pursuant to statutory authority are entitled to one (1) vote, and a minimum of four (4) affirmative votes must be present to carry any measure, pertaining to leasing or disposing of facilities owned by the EDA. All other actions require a majority vote of the board when a quorum is in attendance which could be only three (3) affirmative votes. g. Minutes. Once approved by the Board, all minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors shall be signed by the Secretary and the presiding officer of the particular meeting. Article IX. Records The Board shall keep detailed minutes of its proceedings, which shall be open to public inspection at all times. The Board shall keep suitable records of its financial transactions and, unless exempted by §30-140 of the Code of Virginia (1950, as amended), the Authority shall arrange to have the records audited annually. Article X. Management of Funds The Town of Pulaski shall handle all deposits and disbursements for the Authority, keeping funds in an account separate from the Town of Pulaski and specifically designated for the Authority. The Authority will manage the accounts and authorize disbursements of funds up to $1,500.00. For all disbursements over $1,500.00, a recommendation shall be made to Town Council for consideration, and written approval must be obtained from the Town Council before such funds are released. The Town Council shall have the authority to impose conditions and safeguards to protect the Town of Pulaski as the Council deems necessary. Article XI. Compensation The Directors shall receive no salary but may be compensated such amount per regular, special, or committee meeting or per each official representation as may be approved by the Council for the Town of Pulaski, not to exceed $50.00 per meeting or official representation. The Directors may also be reimbursed for necessary traveling and other expenses incurred in the performance of their duties upon proper documentation and approval by the Town Manager and Treasurer for the Town. Article XII. Modifications and Amendments The regulations, restrictions and boundaries established in these By-laws may, from time to time, be amended, supplemented, changed, modified or repealed by a favorable majority of vote of the Town Council and the Industrial Development and Revenue Bond Act (§15.2-4900, et seq., Code of Virginia of 1950, as amended). Adopted and Approved, as AMENDED, this the _____ day of June, 2024. _____________________________________ Chairman ATTEST: _____________________________________ Clerk Consent Agenda Town Council Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 3, 2024 Work Session 1. The Mayor called the Work Session meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. and asked for a roll call for Town Council. Gregory C. East- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye 2. The Mayor asked for a roll call for the Economic Development Authority Ron Hall- Absent Peter Huber- Aye Roger Bell- Absent Collette Hash- Absent Robert Huttick- Aye Jeffrey Worrell- Aye 3. Economic Development Authority Bylaws Discussion Manager Day began the Work Session by giving a brief history of the EDA and why the EDA was recreated for the Town and their powers legislatively. Scot Farthing, Town Attorney stated the goal of the EDA is to help existing businesses grow or have a business that’s interested in coming to the Town, establish here and offer incentives. The Town Council decides how much funding to invest, and the EDA funnels the money to the company or investor to get them to establish a business in Town, along with grants. Councilman Reis questioned an article in the EDA bylaws which would require the EDA to have approval from Town Council to appropriate available funds. Manager Day stated if Town Council has obligated funds to the EDA without restrictions, they could appropriate funds without Town Council approval, although it’s not very healthy. Mr. Huber asked if Article 10 in the bylaws could be stricken stating the EDA has the authority to manage the accounts and the disbursement of funds up to $1,500 and anything exceeding that amount requires Town Council’s written approval and replace it with an annual meeting with Town Council to discuss how the Council wants to see the Town develop economically. With the EDA not having a quorum, there was no action taken on the amendments to the bylaws. 4. With no further discussion, the Mayor adjourned the Work Session at 7:19 p.m. Open Session 5. The Mayor called the meeting to Order at 7:23 p.m. 6. Councilman Reis lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 7. Councilman East gave the invocation. 8. The Mayor welcomed all in attendance and viewing online. 9. Modification to Public Session- No modifications were made. 10. Presentations a. Rhythm by the Rails John Ross, President of the Board of Directors for the New River Valley Fine Arts Center thanked Town Council for their support and funding for the Rhythm by the Rails festival that was held in Jackson Park in August. b. GIS Update Austin Painter, Project Manager for the Engineering Department reported the Town has a new GIS program which is available on the Town’s website. The new GIS program has a map of the Town’s Utility System, which we did not have previously, that includes each manhole and water meter in the Town. The new software also includes overlay of the flood zones, historical districts, Enterprise Zones, revitalization areas, opportunity zones, and zoning maps. Each district/zone has a color-coded map with different viewing options. Councilman East, Councilman Dawson, and Councilman Reis all commented on how great the new software looked and thanked Mr. Painter for his work. 11. Resolution 2024-41 Appointment to the Pepper’s Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority (Voting) Manager Day reported the Pepper’s Ferry Regional Wastewater Treatment Authority, has a vacancy for an alternative position and this resolution would appoint him as an alternative to the board. The motion was made by Councilman East and seconded by Councilman Clark to adopt Resolution 2024-41. Gregory C. East- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye 12. Public Comment Period- No speakers were present. 13. Consent Agenda a. Consideration of August 20, 2024 Town Council Meeting Minutes The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilman Dawson to adopt the minutes. Gregory C. East- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye 14. Council Comments Councilman Clark asked for a section of road on the corner Newbern Rd and MacGill St. to be paved or packed with more gravel from a water line break that was fixed. Councilman Dawson asked if future projects, such as grass cutting or cosmetic projects, could be contracted out to relieve the work and stress Public Works employees and for them to be able to focus more on critical projects. Councilman Radcliffe asked for the Christmas lights in Jackson Park be untangled and straighten up in the trees. Councilman Reis suggested a notification alert system for citizens to sign up for to better communicate what’s going on in the Town to the residents. Mayor Collins asked for an update on the streetscape project for Main Street. Manager Day stated bidding for the construction was open today and hopefully the announcement will be made later in the week. 15. Manager’s Report Manager Day thanked staff in the various departments for their continuous hard work and stepping up to the challenges each day. He also reminded listeners of Coffee with Chief on September 11th from 9-11 a.m. at Starbucks in Food City. 16. Reminder of Future Council Meeting a. September 17. 2024 Closed Session 6:00 p.m., Open Session 7:00 p.m. Closed Session 17. The Mayor asked for a motion to enter into Closed Session at 7:55 p.m. to discuss the following items: a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 (1 item)- Personnel Matter i. Fire Department b. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 (1 item)- Acquisition/Disposition of Real Property i. Hogans Dam c. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 (1 item)- Consultation with Legal Counsel Regarding Specific Legal Matters i. Collection System Agreement The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilman Dawson. Gregory C. East- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye Mayor Collins The following councilmembers and staff entered into Closed Session: Councilman East, Councilman Clark, Councilman Dawson, Councilman Radcliffe, Councilman Reis, Mayor Collins, Town Manager, Todd Day, Town Attorney, Scot Farthing, and Clerk of Council, Ms. Hale. Open Session 18. Certification of Closed Session- The Mayor asked for a motion that only the following items were discussed in Closed Session. a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 1 (1 item)- Personnel Matter i. Fire Department b. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 3 (1 item)- Acquisition/Disposition of Real Property i. Hogans Dam c. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 (1 item)- Consultation with Legal Counsel Regarding Specific Legal Matters i. Collection System Agreement The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilman Dawson. Gregory C. East- Aye James A. Radcliffe- Aye Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Absent Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Michael P. Reis- Aye Mayor Collins 19. With no further business, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 9:02 p.m. Financial Information Revenue Report Expenditure Report