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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-16-251 C Town Council Meeting Minutes September 16, 2025 1. The Mayor called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. and asked for a roll call. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 2. Modifications to Closed Session- No modifications were made. 3. The Mayor asked for a motion to enter into Closed Session to discuss the following item: a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 (1 item)- Consultation with Legal Counsel i. Horner Arce Farm LLC The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilwoman Cope. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye The following council members and staff entered into Closed Session: Councilman Clark, Councilwoman Cope, Vice -Mayor Dawson, Councilman Clontz, Councilman Erickson, Councilman Burchett, Mayor Collins, Town Manager, Todd Day, and Town Attorneys, Scot Farthing and Andrew McBride. 7:02 p.m. Open Session 4. Certification of Closed Session- The Mayor asked for a motion to certify that only the following item was discussed in Closed Session: a. VA Code 2.2-3711 (A) 8 (1 item)- Consultation with Legal Counsel i. Horner Arce Farm LLC The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Vice -Mayor Dawson. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 5. Councilman Burchett led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 6. Councilman Clark gave the invocation. 7. Mayor Collins welcomed all in attendance and viewing online. Page 1 of 7/ September 16, 2025 8. Modification to Public Session- Mayor Collins asked for a motion to remove Discussion Item A, Rezoning & Special Exception Application from SHAH Development and add a discussion topic related to Calfee Community and Cultural Center. The motion was made by Councilman Clontz and seconded by Vice -Mayor Dawson. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye 9. Public Hearing G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye a. The proposed sale of small portions of town -owned property identified on Pulaski County's tax map as Parcel ID #63-1-219, Parcel ID #63-1-220, and Parcel ID #63-42-1, to adjoining owners for the adoption of an ordinance to transfer portions of the said property. The Mayor read the public hearing advertisement published in The Patriot on August 29, 2025 and September 5, 2025. The Mayor read the public hearing guidelines. Manager Day explained that the town owned approximately 177 acres of land, around which several adjoining property owners had built structures encroaching onto town property. The properties identified included addresses on Red Fox Lane (1017, 1021, 1025, 1045) and Peppers Ferry Road (1967). Square footage of each encroachment was detailed, ranging from 538 to over 8,000 square feet. The valuation method used was the county's existing per -acre land value, broken down into square footage to determine sale costs. Manager Day confirmed that no correspondence or objections had been received regarding the proposed ordinance. The Mayor opened and closed the public hearing as there were no speakers. b. Ordinance 2025-04 Authorizing Sale of Town Property to Adjoining Owners The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilwoman Cope to adopt Ordinance 2025-04. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 10. Presentations Page 2 of 7/ September 16, 2025 a. Finance Department Update- Jackie Morris, Finance Director Ms. Morris began with a summary of the department's structure and recent work. The department has eight employees, including accounts payable staff, utility billing specialists, four clerks with responsibilities in real estate tax, personal property tax, business licenses, online payments, meals and occupancy taxes, and work orders. The department also oversees the meter reader. Ms. Morris herself is both director and acting assistant finance director. The department handles billing for approximately 4,300 customers each month across water, sewer, and garbage services. Around 686 customers use ACH payments, and 476 receive e-bills. Utility shutoffs for nonpayment average 120-130 per month, and a retired police officer, Officer Carpenter, provides security on cutoff days while also assisting with customer service when needed. Ms. Morris reported that personal property tax bills were recently issued, due October 15t", while the second half of real estate tax bills will go out later in October, due December 5`". She highlighted the department's strong efforts in delinquent tax collections, crediting staff dedication. Using the Virginia debt set- off program, the town collected $99,417 in personal property taxes during the last fiscal year, along with $74,845 from DMV stops. Payment arrangements were offered, with mixed results: 25 individuals entered agreements, 12 paid in full, 8 defaulted, and 5 are still making payments. For utilities, the debt set-off program collected $13,211, bringing the combined total of set-off collections to $20,598. On delinquent real estate taxes, $118,856.54 was collected. Nuisance and abatement liens on properties generated an additional $24,094.42. Forty property owners completed payment arrangements, while 19 real estate accounts and 8 lien accounts remain in active arrangements. The town works with Sands Anderson, a collection law firm, to escalate delinquent cases when necessary, including contacting heirs of deceased property owners. This process can lead to tax sales. Currently, 99 properties are under the attorney's management, and 14 are candidates for an upcoming tax sale, expected in spring 2026. She explained that the supplemental report provided to council lists all properties with active liens, including names, addresses, and reasons for the lien. Most cases involved mowing, though some included cleanup of debris, trash, or demolitions. The total lien amount is substantial, but the tax clerk continues efforts to collect. When delinquent properties go to tax sale, liens are included in the proceedings, helping recover costs. Page 3 of 7/ September 16, 2025 Ms. Morris continued her presentation by discussing the upcoming fiscal year 2025 audit. Pre -audit work with consultants was scheduled for the week of September 29th, with the full audit planned for the week of October 201h. Results were expected to be presented to council in December or January. She reviewed revenue reports, noting that some line items exceeded budget expectations while others fell short. For the previous fiscal year, real estate collections were at 95% of the target, slightly below projections. Cigarette, meals, and occupancy taxes were highlighted as areas of concern. For the current fiscal year, July through August, real estate revenues had not yet reflected second -half payments, making projections difficult. Business license revenues came in slightly above expectations, though monitoring would continue. Cigarette tax collections were slightly above target, while meals tax was boosted by a large delinquency payment from one business. Occupancy tax was under by approximately $3,700. Ms. Morris also addressed water and sewer utility revenues, which had been a concern during budget planning. In the first two months, water revenues were about $12,000 short of target, while sewer revenues lagged by about $50,000. These items would be closely monitored throughout the year. She then updated council on the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. She provided a detailed breakdown of expenditures, noting that $94,360.84 remained, primarily earmarked for Main Street streetlights and pump station upgrades. The funds must be fully spent by July 31, 2026, though she hoped to close them out by June 30, 2026, to avoid repayment. Finally, she gave an update on Virginia Investment Pool accounts as of August 30, highlighting balances and earned interest across various accounts. 11. Resolution 2025-34 Reappointing Conner Compton to the Town of Pulaski, Virginia Planning Commission The motion was made by Councilwoman Cope and seconded by Councilman Clark to adopt Resolution 2025-34. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 12. Resolution 2025-35 Appropriating Funds to the Town of Pulaski, Virginia Senior Center Page 4 of 7/ September 16, 2025 The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Vice -Mayor Dawson to adopt Resolution 2025-35. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 13. Discussions a. Calfee Community and Cultural Center- Jill Williams Executive Director Jill Williams presented an update and request for approval of grant -funded construction contracts. She explained that the town's role was limited to managing and administering the funds, with no financial obligation beyond that. Two major grants had been awarded: • A National Park Service grant of $500,000, matched by Calfee with another $500,000, to fund a new roof, windows, and doors for the school building. Rising costs meant only the front -facing windows and doors could be completed at this stage. • An Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant of $640,000, supplemented by Calfee's contribution of just under $20,000, to expand the existing kitchen into a 1,400-square-foot commercial shared -use facility. The expanded kitchen would support a "donate -what -you -can" cafe and be available for local food entrepreneurs and caterers. Following a competitive bidding process, Thor Construction was selected as the lowest responsive bidder for both contracts. Ms. Williams reiterated that the town bore no financial responsibility. The motion was made by Vice -Mayor Dawson and seconded by Councilman Clark to authorize the Town Manager to enter into a contract to sign off on the construction agreements with Calfee Community and Cultural Center. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye b. Route 99 Signage- Manager Day Manager Day briefly updated the council on Route 99 signage. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wished to play a more significant role in Page 5 of 7/ September 16, 2025 revising road signage than initially expected. Previous changes to one-way and two-way streets had created confusion, and clarification of Route 99's designation was needed. He explained that he would bring more detailed information to council after further meetings with VDOT. 14. Public Comment Period- No speakers were present. 15. Consent Agenda a. Consideration of September 2, 2025 Town Council Minutes The motion was made by Councilman Clark and seconded by Councilwoman Cope to adopt the minutes as written. Jeremy L. Clark- Aye G. Tyler Clontz- Aye Mayor Collins- Aye Sunshine N. Cope- Aye Steven W. Erickson- Aye Brooks R. Dawson- Aye Joel B. Burchett- Aye 16. Council Comments Vice -Mayor Dawson reported no board updates but highlighted several positive developments in town. He emphasized the large number of ribbon -cutting events this month, reflecting business and community growth. Recently, Premier Auto held its ribbon -cutting ceremony on LaGrange Street, marking the addition of a new business that had already been operating for a few months. He also noted that Garland Properties would soon open newly renovated apartments on First Street. These apartments, housed in long -vacant historic warehouse buildings, represented the second major apartment project completed in a short time, bringing new residents to downtown Pulaski. Additionally, he previewed an upcoming Halloween experience planned for Main Street. He described it as a significant event that would attract sustained traffic and attention to the downtown area, something he had not seen before in other small towns. He concluded by observing that these projects and events collectively showed positive momentum for Pulaski. Councilman Burchett spoke in support of Vice -Mayor Dawson's comments, referencing a recent tour of the Pulaski Lofts at the former middle/high school. He noted that even before opening, 20-25 of the units had already been rented. Importantly, most tenants were relocating from outside Pulaski, including from Blacksburg and Christiansburg. He highlighted this as encouraging news for the town's growth and appeal to new residents. 17. Manager's Report Page 6 of 7/ September 16, 2025 Manager Day announced that the town had submitted a second sidewalk project application. While there was no obligation to proceed, he confirmed the application was filed in time for consideration. He also updated council on Main Street streetlights. While the new poles looked good, Appalachian Power (AEP) had delivered disappointing news regarding delays in installing the permanent lights. However, staff acted quickly, and AEP agreed to install temporary lighting. He cautioned that the temporary fixtures would not be cosmetically appealing, but they would ensure Main Street had adequate lighting until the proper lights arrived. 18. Reminder of Future Council Meeting a. October 7, 2025; Closed Session 6:00 p.m.; Open Session 7:00 p.ni. 19. With no further business, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:36 p.m. u ATTEST Olivia C. Hale Clerk of Council 7 TOWN of PULASKI, VIRGINIA W. Shannon Collins Mayor Page 7 of 7/ September 16, 2025