City Council Meeting   4/22/2025

City Council meeting to order.

If you would please stand for the invocation, which will be a moment of silence or silent prayer, whatever you wish, and then remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

A few special recognition tonight.

I want to start with the proclamation recognizing May 11, 2024 as Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day.

and I think these are the people in the purple shirts.

So if you all would come up, John Samisa and your group and if you would turn around so you could face the audience and be on the camera.

Every whereas every year on the second Saturday in May letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food as part of the nation's largest one-day food drive distributing the donations to local food banks

and whereas the letter carriers stamp out hunger food drive is just one example of how letter carriers work to make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

Since the pilot drive was held in 1991, more than 1.9 billion pounds of food have been collected and whereas the city of Harrisonburg wishes to recognize all letter carriers for their hard work and their commitment to their communities,

but especially those in our own community whose efforts benefit those in need here in the Rockingham County area.

And whereas we also recognize the noteworthy milestone of 33 years that the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive celebrates in 2025.

Now therefore we, the City Council of Harrisonburg, by the authority vested in us, do hereby proclaim this the 10th day of May, 2025,

as letter carriers food drive day in the city of Harrisonburg and we encourage the citizens of our community to support the food drive by placing non-perishable food items in or near your mailbox on food drive day.

Your letter carrier will pick it up while delivering the mail and together we can help feed our hungry.

So I need Melinda Meadows and Mike Williams and Adam Fletcher to come up and stand up here on the platform and face the audience so you can be on TV.

It's usually your back.

Now they get to see what you look like.

All right.

This is me.

Proclamation recognizing Building Safety Month, May 2025.

Whereas our city of Harrisonburg is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depends on the safety and essential role our homes, buildings and infrastructure play both in everyday life and when disasters strike.

and whereas our confidence in the resilience of these buildings that make up our community is achieved through the devotion of vigilant guardians, building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespeople, design professionals, laborers, plumbers and others in the construction industry who work year-round to ensure the safe construction of buildings and whereas these guardians are dedicated members of the International Code Council, a nonprofit that brings together local, state, territorial, tribal and federal officials

who are experts in the built environment to create and implement the highest quality codes to protect us in the buildings where we live, learn, work, and play.

And whereas these modern building codes include safeguards to protect the public from hazards such as hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, wildland fires, floods, and earthquakes.

And whereas Building Safety Month is sponsored by the International Code Council to remind the public about the critical role

of our community's largely unknown protectors of public safety are local code officials who assure us of safe, sustainable, and affordable buildings that are essential to our prosperity and whereas Game On, the theme for Building Safety Month 2025 encourages all to raise awareness about building safety on a personal, local, and global scale and whereas each year in observance of Building Safety Month, people all over the world are asked to consider the commitment to improve building safety

Resilience and Economic Investment at Home in the Community, and to acknowledge the essential service provided to all of us by local and state building departments, fire prevention bureaus, and federal agencies in protecting lives and property.

Now, therefore, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Harrisonburg, we do proclaim this month of May 2025 as Building Safety Month.

Accordingly, we encourage our citizens to join us as we participate in the Building Safety Month activities.

Thank you.

Next we have a proclamation recognizing May 4th, 2025 as International Firefighters Day.

Whereas firefighters and community risk reduction personnel play an indispensable role in preventing and reducing the devastating effects of fire and other human cause and natural disasters.

And whereas firefighters are recognized for their bravery, commitment to service, and unwavering courage in the face of danger.

and whereas on a daily basis, firefighters place themselves between harm and the members of our community and whereas May 4th is designated as International Firefighters Day to commemorate those heroic individuals who have given their lives in service to others and whereas the United States Congress and the President of the United States have designated the day of the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

as a day to honor firefighters and emergency services personnel who have sacrificed their lives to save others by lowering the American flag on all federal buildings to half staff.

And whereas the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will recognize 140 fallen firefighters who courageously made the ultimate sacrifice and its annual service to be held May 4th, 2025 at the site of the National Memorial

and Emmitsburg, Maryland.

And whereas keeping our community safe compels us to increase our efforts to prevent fires wherever possible and reduce deaths, injuries, and property losses from fire.

Now, therefore, our Mayor, Deanna Reed of the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia, designate May 4, 2025 as International Firefighters Day in the City of Harrisonburg and call upon all members of our community

and upon all patriotic civic and educational organizations to observe this day in recognition of the patriotic service and dedicated efforts to our fire and emergency services personnel by lowering American flags on all buildings to have staff.

I respectfully encourage these same organizations as well as all residents of Harrisonburg to remember all fire and emergency personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their community.

and to pay respect to the survivors of our fallen heroes by participating in bells across America for fallen firefighters.

Toll a bell, pause for a moment of silence, or read a special passage to honor the sacrifices of these public servants and their families.

I further encourage these same organizations and residents to show

Thank you, Chief, for your service.

So our last proclamation is recognizing the 56th Annual Professional Municipal Clerk's Week, May 4th through May 10th.

Whereas the Office of the Professional Municipal Clerk, a time-honored and vital part of local government, exists throughout the world.

And whereas the Office of the Professional Municipal Clerk is the oldest among public servants.

And whereas the Office of the Professional Municipal Clerk provides the professional link between the citizens, the local governing bodies, and agencies of government and other levels.

and whereas professional municipal clerks have pledged to be ever mindful of their neutrality and impartiality, rendering equal service to all.

And whereas the professional municipal clerks serve as the information center on functions of local government and community.

And whereas the professional municipal clerks continually strive to improve the administration of the affairs of the Office of the Professional Municipal Clerk through participation in education programs, seminars,

workshops, and the annual meetings of their state, county, and international professional organizations.

And whereas it is most appropriate that we recognize the accomplishments of the Office of Professional Municipal Clerk.

Now, therefore, I, Deanna R. Reed, Mayor of the City of Harrisonburg, do recognize the week of May 4th through May 10th, 2025 as Professional Municipal Clerk's Week.

and further extend appreciation to our professional municipal clerk, Pamela Ulmer and to all professional municipal clerks for the vital services that perform their exemplary dedication to the communities they present.

Thank you, Pamela, for everything you do.

And I would like to recognize that we have

Harrisonburg Boy Scout Troop 40 in the back.

So if you can stand, please.

They are here to earn their citizenship in the community badge.

You're welcome.

Thank you for being here this evening.

Okay, that is it.

Any items placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and taken up as a separate matter.

If so, requested by any member of Council.

Madam Mayor, I move to approve the consent agenda as presented.

Second.

Vice Mayor Fleming.

Aye.

Councilmember Alsadun.

Aye.

Councilmember Dent.

Aye.

Councilmember Robinson.

Aye.

Aye.

We have no public hearings tonight, so we will go straight into our regular items.

You have before you consideration of a refund for a portion of the 2025 Business Professional and Occupational License Beephole Tax for One Business.

And this is something council does several times a year.

Beephole taxes are paid by businesses in the city at the beginning of the year.

And then if something happens at the business, either goes out of business or is sold, then they're entitled to a prorated refund of that amount paid for the beephole tax.

And that's what's going on here.

There was a business that paid

It's people tax at the end of the year and then late February, at the end of February, the business was sold.

So the pro rata refund that the business is due is $26,301.77.

And again, the situation where if a business goes out of business, we don't get that money back.

If the business is sold to a for profit entity, that new business will pay the amount.

Any questions?

I have a question.

I don't have a motion in front of me actually.

Second.

Any discussion?

Vice Mayor Fleming.

Aye.

Councilmember Alastadun.

Aye.

Councilmember Dent.

Aye.

Councilmember Robinson.

Aye.

Mayor Reed.

Thank you Madam Mayor.

Bringing back to you the item that you heard on April 8th of just this year, 2025, the rezoning request at 1211 to 1231 Smithland Road, the request from R1 to R8C.

I'm not gonna go through the entire presentation, just recap the things that have changed since we last discussed this item.

So for the folks that might be tuning in at home and listening, or maybe this is the first time, I'll at least give an indication of where this project is.

So the property outlined here in red

A little over 10 acres of property that has frontage along Smithland Road, the subject site here, the applicant is requesting to rezone the site from R1, that yellow color here, to R8 conditional.

There are several proffers, which I'll go over here in a minute.

The land use guide in this area is looking forward to a low density mixed residential, carries a lot of different characterizations of what we hope to have in this area, predominantly looking for single family detached dwellings.

and in special circumstances some duplexes can be built into that as well.

And then the aerial photograph, the site is an undeveloped tract as is much of the area south of the subject property.

Really this area, this sort of quadrant of the city is one of a few very large undeveloped acreages that we have here in the city.

So if you're familiar with this area, it is not too far from Smithland Elementary School and Skyline Middle School.

You can actually see the parking lot there, page left, in between the two white boxes.

So this is just a screenshot of the major changes that took place with the proffer since we last spoke.

It does look like quite a busy-ness going on here, but it's rather quite simple as to what they did.

So if we look at the bottom page, we'll work from the bottom up.

So they simply

Struck proffer number five and just replaced it, moved it up two spots to number four, so it's the exact same language.

They did it for just the flow of the reader of the proffers.

So that's what's happening in number four and number five there.

The significant change here is the blue text, where they added text within item number three, proffer number three.

And while this might seem to be maybe a small addition, it does add an additional context to what's happening here and it gives us an additional layer of certainty about potential public street layouts that could happen in this area.

And basically what this is saying is that that public street that they would be developing off of Smithland Road would only have one intersection on that street within the subject area.

So there would be one public street intersection only

and that intersection can be no closer than 330 feet from Smithland Road.

So, actually if I can back up, kind of difficult to see on this, but just to give an idea of where 330 feet is, if you look at this little dot right here, that is approximately 330 feet from Smithland Road.

So if you sort of just draw an imaginary line across that space, that just gives you an idea about how far away 330 feet is, which is the distance that offers up opportunity for safer traffic maneuverability when you're coming into public street intersections.

So that is the significant change with the proffers, but I do want to at least go over them quickly here just to remind ourselves and those that might be watching here the first time hearing about it or at home.

So the density is capped at 55 units,

Only single-family detached dwellings would be built, but 20% of the total number of units could be duplexes.

So, I should say single-family and duplexes would be permitted, but only 20% of the maximum number of units could be duplex units.

This one public street connection to Smithland Road, which shall be stubbed then to the south at tax map 71A13,

There would be no driveways on that, acting very much like an avenue type of facility that would help connect local streets off of that street as it continues through the undeveloped section in the future.

There's additional proffer detail here that only one intersection, less than 330 feet from Smithland Road.

There would be a minimum of one additional public street stub off of the internal network, so you're not gonna just get the one public street off of Smithland, but you're gonna have another connection

into that adjacent tax map off of the other public street that would be constructed within the subject site to continue that interconnectivity that we want within this area of the city.

There's a proffer about curb extensions being located at intersections where there is on-street parking that helps delineate that you're coming into a local street where there would be parking along the street.

It is something that we very much encourage and appreciate when these types of proffers that are offered up because it does help with

They would be dedicating Public Street right-of-way along Smithland Road which includes a turn lane and there are details about that more specifically in your staff report about the amount of Public Street right-of-way that would be dedicated.

There's a small triangular portion if you recall last last meeting I was talking about there's a small little section to the west of the subject site that if the city were to be needing that space for Public Street right away they would also be dedicating that as well.

So along the public street coming from Smithland Road, you would not only have sidewalk on one side of the street, but you would also obtain a shared use path along the other side.

That is also similar to what we have really on the way other side of this undeveloped track off of Country Club Road where we have an avenue type street coming off of Kiesel Town, excuse me, off of Country Club Road.

that also has a shared use path.

So we're starting that multi-use transportation facility in this area and really setting the precedent on what we want to happen and continue throughout the undeveloped sections of this area with that shared use path.

The public street stubs, the specific location of where they occur on the subject site will then determine whether or not they would be providing

a shared use path in a particular location on the subject site and I'll give details of this to help sort of picture where this is happening but it has to do with whether or not a public street location stubs into the adjacent parcel which is really headed in the direction of the school site and so if a public street stub is not provided in that specific location they would be providing a shared use path to make sure that there is connectivity and ease of traffic to set that tone for where we want a shared use path

or at least some other type of facility to help extend pedestrian access toward the middle school.

They've also proffered a bare minimum of 500 square feet of recreational play area.

And depending upon where that ends up, there could be some additional landscaping and fencing if it gets closer to Smithland Road.

And then lastly, they had proffered up specific locations on adjacent, adjacent to adjacent properties

as to where privacy fencing would be along, and the tax map identifications are shown there as to which properties they had proffered that detail to be.

So this is the most recent layout.

The layout has not changed since we last spoke, and that's because it is still conceptual.

But what this is, just giving a representation of what could be possible here, just a reminder that any cul-de-sacs that might end up in this subject property would have to be approved by Planning Commission, so again,

Still conceptual, but this is sort of a general layout of what we might end up with.

And with that additional proffer statement and proffer number three, it does sort of set the tone of exactly where a public street network will start to branch out.

So that's where we're getting a bit more of a comfort level here to be able to offer our favorable recommendation to city council.

Just a reminder, originally staff had recommended denial.

Planning Commission did the same with a split three to two vote.

Just pointing out some of the details here about our recommendation that yes, we are recommending approval of it at this point.

There does still remain some uncertainty with the street network and design.

So we want that to be a very well-known understanding and that at this time we are not specifically offering any favorable recommendations for any deviations that they might need in the future.

We will work out those details in the future when they turn in their preliminary plat and when they start through that process.

I will try to answer any questions you all might have.

Real quick on the stub.

So what I want to point out to the details right here these two lines these parallel lines are representing where a shared use path might extend that that proffer language was speaking to that

If during the platting phase they decide to actually stub a public street in this area, they would not provide the shared use path because we're still getting that interconnectivity where sidewalks would be and where people can walk along the public street facility because then this is starting to that street network and starting in the direction of where we want to be able to connect toward the school facility.

So the street would have shared use ability with it?

It wouldn't have a shared use path.

It would be just like any other local street where you have sidewalks and you can bike on the street and so forth.

We just didn't want to miss an opportunity to have the public have the ability to be able to connect into this space.

Well, I was really enthusiastic about the prospect of a

Anyone else?

Thank you.

Council?

Madam Mayor, I move that we approve the request from Janice Brown Enterprises LLC to rezone two parcels addressed as 1211 and 1231 Smithland Road as presented by staff.

I'll second that.

Any more discussion?

Yes, I think the amended proffers

You don't lock them into this design, but you kind of restrict what can be done on this parcel.

So the single street that goes through there and just the one connecting intersection there.

So whatever eventually comes out of that probably doesn't have a lot of ability to vary so much from this design, I think.

Could go to some level, but I think this is probably pretty close to what they're looking at.

I appreciate the extra work the staff and developer did on this.

I think as often happens with our staff, they have an idea of what would be most beneficial for the city on these properties and help move developers in that direction.

And at times when they can negotiate, arrive at a fairly good spot.

So I appreciate the work that's done by both the developer and

Yeah, I also second you, Vice Mayor.

I appreciate the staff, working the staff with the developer.

And I just want to talk about the concern of the residents over there.

Yes, I understand how you are frustrated of having a project like that near you.

But that's that's the growth of the city and we we have to do it concerns of the green area I think the contractor will do his best to keep as much as he can of trees because that will definitely help the community over there and Will keep

the clear area and the green over there to make it better for the residents over there if he could I wish they can and other concern about water line and other things like may have a load for having more than like 40 over there

Every year.

Thank you.

We sign up for committees and so just a reminder the Committees for VML are the community and economic development finance general laws human development and education and

and infrastructure, which is comprised of transportation and natural resources.

So two council members can serve on each committee, but I want to make sure I'm right because you said it in the briefing.

If you already served a year on the committee, you can't go back on.

I mean I can do it.

Do you want to stay on it?

I served on the legislative committee, which is not even a part of this And I guess I'm still serving on it because I didn't serve on any of these committees last year I just served on the legislative committee Second

The staff person for that for VML is really good.

Who is that?

All right, so we don't so right now nobody's gonna be General laws, that's another one.

All right, Human Development and Education.

Are you interested?

I thought that would be you.

Okay, somebody want to make a motion?

I nominate Nasser Alsadun for the Human Development Education Committee.

Second.

All right, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

And then the infrastructure which is comprised of transportation and national resource issues.

Okay.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

We have nobody.

No.

Okay.

I thought about it for about 10 seconds, but no.

Okay.

Well that takes care of that.

So now we can go over to other matters.

So we have comments from the public, limited to five minutes on matters not on the regular agenda.

If anyone would wish to speak, please state your name and address.

You'll have five minutes.

I know you're here for this.

I don't know why you're raising your hand.

Good evening.

My name is Candy Phillips and I'm the executive director of First Step and we are located at 129 Franklin Street here in Harrisonburg.

And I just come today just to talk to you a little bit about First Step and to let you all know we provide services to survivors of domestic violence and their kids from the city of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

We are the only agency in our local community that provides comprehensive services.

So we have 24 hour

seven day a week services.

We have a staff member on site 24 hours a day to make sure to have we have a hotline to do crisis intervention and advocacy and support to survivors and their kids.

So we're there when the HPD has or is working with a survivor and needs help they contact us.

When RMH, Sentara RMH has a survivor that's been injured they contact us.

When social services is working with a family in need of a safe place to go they contact us and we are there to help

survivors.

All of our services are free of charge and confidential.

We also have counseling, which is right now currently supported through the City ARPA Mental Health Fund, which we are very grateful for the opportunity to be able to be part of that project.

In 2024, we answered 644 hotline calls and we served 223 adult survivors of domestic violence and 52 kids.

And of those

We sheltered 56 adults and 47 children.

That was a 12% increase from 2023 and a 28% increase from five years prior.

I have spoken before about our partnership with the Harrisonburg Police Department.

We do the lethality assessment program, which is we did a grant through the Attorney General's Office, the State Attorney General's Office, and we've been trained and we participate in lethality assessment.

When HPD responds to an intimate partner violence call, all of their officers have been trained to assess survivors if they are at highest risk of lethality.

And if they are, they immediately contact our hotline and our staff has been trained to specifically work with survivors through this protocol who are assessed at highest risk.

We started that in January 1st, 2022, so we just finished our third year.

And I just want to say that in 2022, we had 74

Screenings completed and in 2024 we had 79 so not many more but this is the difference.

There were 45 survivors that were assessed at highest risk in 2022 and 55 in 2024.

So we're seeing an increase in survivors that are at highest risk of lethality.

And this is a number that really stuck out to me.

One of the questions is have you experienced strangulation or been choked by your partner?

and in 2022 that number was 38, but in 2024 is 50.

So that number is rising.

So it's very, very scary.

I just wanted to share this information.

The city of Harrisonburg has been such a supportive partner of First Step and many nonprofits in the community.

We cannot do this work alone.

We partner with many nonprofits that the city also supports.

and I just want to thank you all for that because it is very meaningful to know that your city that your community supports the work that's being done to help those who are most vulnerable in the community and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to apply again this year for I know that's not something that we're talking about tonight but I do just want to say that I do appreciate

that and the help of the staff that you all have staff the city has staff that is just above and beyond I just everybody is just so I'm just so grateful to work with everyone I do want to share two celebrations that we have had this past year one we're about to enter 45 years as an incorporate we started in the late 70s but we became a nonprofit

in June 1980, so 45 years.

Can you believe it?

And I've only been there 30.

So just, I've just been there a little bit.

But I've seen a lot of different things and a lot of changes.

But regardless of what happens, we are always there.

We're there to help survivors at any time, day or night.

And our celebrations this year is that at the beginning of March, we opened our second shelter location in the city.

And so we've been able to increase our bed space.

We have a very generous donor that is allowing us to use that space for, lease that space for free.

We have some additional costs that we have to do with utilities and heating, and it took us a little longer to make that a shelter than we thought it was going to, but we were really blessed to be able to open that in March, so we're very excited.

Also, we went through the accreditation process through the Department of Criminal Justice Services, which is fairly new.

They've only been doing that the last three years, and we were part of the first three-year

So in July of 2024, First Step became an accredited domestic violence agency under the State Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Thank you, Candy.

Thank you so much for everything that you do for us and for our community.

That is wonderful.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak.

Absolutely.

And it's really very complex work you guys do there.

Just can't be understated how challenging it is that you guys do what you do and then have to make your residents feel that all the stuff you're having to do is gone.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Okay.

Seeing none in person.

One minute, please.

Thank you.

On the 10th and 11th, I was part of a statewide delegation, which was part of my role for the VML infrastructure committee, which was the Chesapeake Bay Watershed tour.

So who's there, along with Sally Wolf Garrison, who is for the Virginia Association of Counties, also chairs the equivalent committee.

So Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, chair that for both those committees in Virginia.

And so we were down at the Chesapeake Bay for the Watershed Tour and visited a number of facilities down there.

We were at the Palatine Solar Array, which Dominion owns, which is a huge solar facility.

massive facility, it's a Dominion facility.

But really the most interesting thing that we did was we were at the stormwater called the Swift plan the stormwater investment for tomorrow project that is for the entire Newport News Chesapeake Bay area there so it covers kind of 17 municipalities and all the counties and they're under one stormwater

The facility is a billion dollar operation there and it is to replenish the Potomac aquifer that's there which has been losing water for a long time.

It doesn't replenish itself really.

There's a small area where rainwater comes in towards Richmond but it takes a thousand years for it to make it down to the aquifer so it doesn't really impact that but they've been using

Pulling water out of that for the last several hundred years, the last hundred years, they've taken a lot of water out, a lot of companies down there, a couple of paper operations down there that have taken a lot of water out of the area.

But it's not sustainable in the future.

They don't have water for the future if they don't have a solution to the loss of the water there.

They're surrounded by water on one side, the ocean.

They have the rivers, but that's not water they can make use of.

They need the water from the aquifer.

So this project is taking their stormwater, treating it, and pumping it back down into the aquifer several hundred feet down into it.

They have two plants that they opened up just over the last about six years.

They put this together.

The only place in the world that's really doing the work they're doing there.

And this hopefully will replenish the aquifer and allow them to be sustainable with water.

but what's really fascinating and they had anticipated this but the land has sunk there, right?

A lot of flooding in that area so that they've moved down.

The water they're pumping down in the aquifer, that's called a substation when the land drops.

The water is actually pushing the land back up so they're leveling off which would reduce flooding and again this is a Virginia investment there so

It's important for all of us across Virginia.

That next day, I guess on that Saturday, I also rang in the Black's Run cleanup day.

And that is an effort to clean up the water before it gets to the Chesapeake Bay down there.

So what we do here in Harrisonburg impacts Chesapeake Bay because that water ends up down there.

I think we had over 700 pre-registrants for that event.

I think they might have been the largest group, but on the city's website, the Black's Run Cleanup Day website, I believe we've done now 65 tons of trash we've pulled out of Black's Run that otherwise makes its way down the river.

So that's pretty amazing and I did tell the folks down there and they're very appreciative of what we do because we're at the Headwaters for the Chesapeake.

After that, I threw out the first pitch at Harrisburg Little League Park on their 50th anniversary of that facility there.

It's been around for a long time.

Let's see, we had an HRMPO meeting, but Councilwoman Dent, I'll let you kind of go through that.

A number of us were at

The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce celebration this past Thursday so I recognize a number of businesses in the area with simplicity was given an award so they are in Harrisonburg on Market Street and got an award for small business measure or for the facility kind of

their storefront, might have been, I forgot exactly what the award was for that.

And then I know Nadia Dames won an award as a small business entrepreneur, small business supporter.

She was from the community service.

Yeah, community service award.

There, so that was nice to see her recognized for really just the immense work she does in our community.

One other thing I wanted to mention, I just saw this earlier today.

Jack Smith, who was a teacher in the Harrisonburg public school system for 40 years, coached me in a number of sports.

He coached all sorts of things.

He staffed the scoreboard at GMU basketball games for probably 40 years.

There were three Jacks that all did it together.

Jack Cavanaugh,

Jack Smith and the other Jack from Harrisonburg High School as well.

And his wife, I believe, is the very first bus driver in the city of Harrisonburg.

So he taught at Thomas Harrison at the high school for many years, but he passed away yesterday.

He was up at

Masanetta up there.

So just wanted to remember him as someone that probably just about everybody who went through Harrisonburg High School during our years had him as a teacher.

His son was probably in your guy's class, Jeff.

Yeah, it was probably in your guy's class.

Today, Laura, Dany, and I both attended the Renew Rocktown celebration.

We had a chance to rub elbows with just about everybody all over town and talk about some zoning issues and questions about when our zoning rewrite would get back moving again.

Did the radio show this morning with

Okay, in other matters that weren't mentioned yet, we came in second in the Strong Towns competition, which, well, the good news is we got to the finals and that was a long competition and Marion, Ohio was just ahead of us.

That's a win here.

Yeah.

Another thing that hasn't come up yet is the Goodwill ribbon cutting that Mayor Reed and I attended.

and it's a shopping frenzy.

I mean, I got a lot of books, just what I need, right?

And in addition to the Arbor Day, I went over to Thomas Harrison Middle School to do tree planting, but they weren't planting trees.

They were cutting down invasive species that had grown up in their rain gardens, so they're maintaining it well.

And the HRNPO that Danny mentioned,

We have the UPWIP and the TIP and the CIP, you know, all these acronyms.

The UPWIP is the Unified Work Program or some such.

I was trying to look for it.

And there is an upcoming meeting that's important.

Let me just see if I can find it here in the agenda.

The six-year implementation plan.

Hold on.

That should be happening at

Gosh, where did I get?

Oh, here it is, yeah.

The VDOT Six Year Improvement Program meeting at Blue Ridge Community College in Weir's Cave, May 15th.

I think at three o'clock or four o'clock, I'm not sure.

Anyway, some of us are going to that, and that's a good opportunity to interact with the new Commonwealth Transportation Board representative to

advocate for us for our transportation needs.

Likewise, I went to the Chamber Awards and the Renew Rock Town today, and I wanted to mention that I highlighted some of the positive programs that the city is doing.

The pollinators, the tree program, especially the recycling, the ash trees that we had to take down, and

The EATS program, which is a certification program for green restaurants practices.

So there's a lot that the city has to offer as well as needing to do the zoning to have an effect.

So that's it.

Yeah.

One event actually I attended at Eastern Mennonite School.

It was with a group of students and I was invited by their teacher and they were exploring how new immigrants can take the path to run an office and be a good model for others and the journey how you can start from scratch and you build yourself and so it is message also for Harrisonburg

as a city for all.

So I enjoyed being with them a lot.

Other thing, we attended the HR Chamber of Commerce award celebration.

The good thing is that I saw a lot of entrepreneurs like immigrants, new refugees that being awarded, being distinguished.

And so I saw that happiness in their eyes more than actual

Award being recognized by leaders of this city.

So I really liked the event and people in the Chamber of Commerce really are looking for those individuals who are competing the life and building their selves.

At the event actually I attended

Poverty simulation which is hosted by MBU, Mary Baldwin University Social Work Club.

Simulation places participants in the role of individuals navigating real life scenario.

So they put you in a scenario that you are

A parent or your kid and your family should take care of you and they need to work and you need to stay here with your elder brother or sister and they cannot do other things, activities, so it was really a real life scenario.

And the goal is to foster empathy, awareness, and discussion on systematic barriers and solutions.

Last thing yesterday was the CSPDC meeting and we had the opportunity to see a presentation about 81 and that work and it's working hard that people are doing their best and nothing actually barrier

They are still working and trying to finish as it's a it's a longer process Other projects like for the 81 trying to improve it, but they are working and there's nothing actually Preventing them or any obstacles thankfully and they said that they're having a website which is improve 81 v dot dot Virginia dot gov for any

Okay, I don't have much if you're in higher ed you know that we're getting ready for commencement so we're in exam weeks and actually I finished teaching my 15-week class last night so I can put that check mark there.

I don't know if I ever do it again.

15 weeks, 7 to 9.30 every Monday night.

25 students.

So we had a big community dinner up at Sims.

So that was my personal thing.

But Goodwill Donation Center ribbon cutting, I went to that with Councilwoman.

Dent, and then several conferences.

So Hotel Madison is popping over there.

I had the pilot club.

I don't know where Pat Hayden is.

She's usually, she's the chair or the president of the local pilot club.

So they had their conference here, their chapter, Virginia chapter conference here.

And then the meeting planners international.

had their Virginia chapter conference here, and so I attended both.

I also want to say happy birthday.

Well, I will not say his age, but he is

And also want to acknowledge our city manager Credidation

Credential Manager, right?

Credential Manager.

Well, that would be a pinnacle, right?

I'm assuming within, so, because you, I'm sure you're not going to say anything, but the ICMA is the standard for city managers, right?

And so the credential you got would be the standard for the standard organization, in essence,

We also have to go through a self-assessment process, a commitment, a continued commitment to the professional ethics that are the cornerstone of ICMA and being a professional manager.

We should probably thank Alex for his patience.

So we certainly appreciate all of our school bus drivers and many of our school bus drivers are not just school bus drivers as well.

They pick up shifts on transit buses and just appreciate them getting our kids to and from school every day safely.

All right, so let's go to Boards and Commissions.

Who did this, Pam?

All right, so we have two vacancy on the Tree Advisory Board.

Well this was a tough one because it just so happens that today at the Earth Day celebration with Renew Rocktown, they gave the first annual Kathy Strickler Environmental Award.

How many we need?

We need two.

And I'm gonna have to say, since she said it, I have to say out loud that I have to support Ms.

She was my school counselor so she'll probably call me up when I actually read their applications I saw one who has passion which is the lady passion towards trees

Why is a county resident?

Can they serve?

And I know Bill Howe and he is fabulous and also has tree expertise.

Can we have all three of them?

So Strickler and Howe.

Yep.

So does somebody want to make a motion?

So I'll make a motion to appoint Catherine Strickler and then Howe to the Tree Advisory Board.

Second.

Alright, now we're going to a closed session.

Alright, go ahead.

Closed session.

Oh, we need you for a second.