City Council Meeting   6/24/2025

Roll call please Pam.

Mayor Reed.

Aye.

City Manager Banks.

Here.

Deputy City Attorney Russ.

Here.

Aye.

And so we're going to start with Nadia.

Note to ice and free Palestine.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Does everybody want to come up?

That's why I took them.

That way you can get in between the flags.

Hold on, Danny.

I've got something on the floor.

You ready, Helen?

We will now go into our public hearings item 6a Adam

I'll try to answer any questions you might have, and our applicants are here to answer any questions.

If we can have, we'll open it up for public hearing because we definitely want to hear from the lawyer and Dr. Nash as well.

I wonder if there's some buffer zone requirements, given that the cemetery would then be backing up directly to residential lots, but that's a few steps down.

and as we continue to learn more we want to just be able to prevent some of those those situations but allow just public access to be able to like just walk through those spaces.

I don't know the answer to that but I think for example Woodbine Cemetery I know there are properties that abut Woodbine and really all that's separating is that wall that's there so there is property to property I believe with Woodbine and a number of folks along Odd Street.

Yeah, we were hoping to, so from a planning perspective,

But our recommendation of denial does not in any way overlook the significance of these spaces, which is why we're just looking for an opportunity to just have pedestrian access so long as no one's walking over any potential graves.

So that's an adequate pedestrian access.

This one at the bottom is a little bit different being that it's adjacent to the residential properties that have their access.

But then, Vice Chair Finnegan raised the possibility that if someday they put a fence around the cemetery, that alley, that access could be closed, but that's another several steps down the road.

And I'd like to correct myself, I think I said that there was GPR over Effinger Street, and I think it was actually Sterling Street, yes, there was some GPR.

Let's open this up for public hearing if we can be able to But I didn't hear this in the Planning Commission it so I believe New Towns of Virginia historical site Right, so is that alley part of that or I guess if not I don't then would that become then part of it by default

Well, my guess on that would be... Can I open this up for public hearing?

If they acquire title, then it would be theirs.

Thank you.

I think it would be an important thing to do the next step to protect these burial locations and potentially expand this piece of history inside our city.

So the trustees would actually like to see option one?

Option one.

talk through exactly what you did.

and also understanding the complexities that exist with this.

Anyone else?

Thank you.

Pam, do we have any callers?

Mayor Reed, there are no callers.

Put in a motion and discuss it.

And that's the access that I see many people using.

So I think that's the appropriate thing to do here and it's the only way to ensure that this has a chance to become part of that and you can investigate more.

you know at some point just unanticipated you will find you know something there that marks another spot where someone was and that's just so incredibly important to recognize that.

Alright roll call please Pam.

Mayor Reed.

Let's go to 6B, Karen.

Questions?

You answered the one I had right at the end.

The apartments above.

The apartments above their office.

Right.

We did that last year.

Yeah.

So that's what is out of order.

And then the assessment I have in here was just breaking out just the apartment section.

So that apartment, is there a way that that would be considered part of their program use?

Right, it is not correct.

You said it wasn't

Any that we've exempted as residents and based on the ordinance are going based upon that.

But the residential use isn't for strengthened peers, clients, it's a... Yeah, it's just a partner.

So Pam, do we have any callers?

Mary, there are no callers.

Council.

Yes.

No.

I thought because I was specifically pointing out it's just the van.

That's the personal property, not the real estate.

Well, you know, mine is real estate on the first part.

Please tell me I don't have to amend that.

We're all safe, Wesley?

All right, roll call please, Pam.

I'm sorry.

Vice Mayor.

Mayor Reed?

Karen?

Madam Mayor, I move that we

Approve amendments to Title IV, Chapter 2, Article 5, Sections 4-2-76.1 through 4-2-80 related transient occupancy tax of the Code of Ordinances, City of Harrisonburg, as presented by the Commissioner of Revenue.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Roll call, please, Pam.

Vice Mayor Fleming, aye Councilmember Dent, aye Councilmember Robinson, aye Mayor Reed, aye Thank you Andrea 7B Good evening

So we'd like to keep it going so I'm closing with our request to be able to use the Turner Pavilion and the adjacent lot for the next three years should we be lucky enough to get another three years of funding from the Levitt Foundation.

It's incredible we're moving on to year three.

Came fast.

I think you're doing a great job at that.

These are volunteers who listen to the community and are trying to make it happen.

That'll pull a lot of people from the neighborhood.

I'm so excited.

Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance requests to use the Turner Pavilion, an adjacent lawn, to host the 11 amp Harrisonburg Concert Series from June to September in 2026, 27, and 28, as presented by Andrea Dono and Forever.

Roll call, please Pam.

Mayor Reed.

We'll see you there

I would like to see in the future if it is true that you guys cannot answer to us when we come over here to talk to you because we put our time into the meeting as you notice I stay from the beginning to the end I do not put my motion and go away so thank you so much for giving the opportunity to talk and I'm always willing to talk and answer and help in any way that I can I think that all of you are really great citizens you are really great people it doesn't matter what I think but I do think you're doing a lot of great work like I told you before the lecture thank you so much

I just would like to ask you if you have a strategy, a plan in terms of investments and also improving our system in terms of artificial intelligence.

and we can talk about that.

Perfect.

Anyone else?

Hi.

Hi.

I'd hoped to be here earlier, but I wanted to just provide that background information, so thank you.

Pam, do we have any callers?

One moment please.

Vice Mayor?

I think that's about it for me.

CCJB is meeting on July 14th and just reminding folks that Thursday night there's the ice cream social at Silver Lake Nature Trail out in Dayton from 5 to 7.

I don't know exactly where that stands and I won't steal the mayor's thunder about the spray grounds.

Yeah, that is very short.

July 1, 10am, Ralph Sampson Park.

Bring her on.

I do want to mention one other thing real quick.

recognition for being really such an important and well developed program to help spur the development of daycare centers and so kudos to Amy and staff who built really a great program.

City Manager.

you know endeavor to make it through these hot days.

And then also if you need to really cool off

So yes one appointment and I mean I know Sandy she's done an excellent job on that board Sandra Hernandez Yeah and I think I think the it came with the recommendation from Dr. Downey for Ms.

on the Blue Ridge Community College Board of Trustees.

Thank you.