1 00:00:42,976 --> 00:00:44,684 >> We will move on to the consent agenda. 2 00:00:44,684 --> 00:00:46,300 We have a live agenda tonight. 3 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:49,644 The only item on the agenda is the town Council minutes from 4 00:00:49,644 --> 00:00:53,244 August 11th, 2026, which will be approving. 5 00:00:55,105 --> 00:00:58,124 What is Council's pleasure on the agenda? 6 00:00:58,124 --> 00:01:00,964 >> I move approval on the consent agenda. 7 00:01:00,964 --> 00:01:01,789 >> Second. 8 00:01:01,789 --> 00:01:03,164 >> We have a motion and a second. 9 00:01:03,164 --> 00:01:07,364 Would the clerk please call the roll? 10 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:09,720 [members voting] 11 00:01:10,750 --> 00:01:12,551 >> The motion passes. 12 00:01:12,551 --> 00:01:13,980 We will move on to public hearings 13 00:01:13,980 --> 00:01:15,605 but we have no public hearings tonight. 14 00:01:15,605 --> 00:01:17,897 So then we will move on to citizen comments. 15 00:01:17,897 --> 00:01:19,524 During this section of the meeting, 16 00:01:19,524 --> 00:01:21,468 please come up to the podium state your name 17 00:01:21,468 --> 00:01:23,364 and address, and direct your comments 18 00:01:23,364 --> 00:01:27,297 to Town Council with a maximum speaking time of three minutes. 19 00:01:27,297 --> 00:01:30,400 This is the section of the agenda where anyone can speak 20 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:32,388 about any topic of interest. 21 00:01:32,388 --> 00:01:34,884 We are now in citizen comments. 22 00:01:34,884 --> 00:01:37,884 Would anyone like to speak? 23 00:01:53,662 --> 00:01:54,329 >> Good evening. 24 00:01:54,329 --> 00:01:55,758 My name is MacK Hollins. 25 00:01:55,758 --> 00:01:56,471 Address? 26 00:01:56,471 --> 00:01:59,634 Just come here to see how the meeting goes. 27 00:01:59,634 --> 00:02:01,874 Don't see anybody saying anything. 28 00:02:01,874 --> 00:02:04,678 So just seeing how things are going and about 29 00:02:04,678 --> 00:02:09,404 if I want to make a petition to the town, 30 00:02:09,404 --> 00:02:11,226 how would I go about doing such a thing? 31 00:02:11,226 --> 00:02:16,884 I guess this is not a question and answer thing. 32 00:02:16,884 --> 00:02:20,201 >> I'd be happy to talk to you after the meeting. 33 00:02:20,201 --> 00:02:20,743 >> Thank you. 34 00:02:20,743 --> 00:02:21,964 Thank you for your time. 35 00:02:21,964 --> 00:02:22,844 >> Thank you. 36 00:02:22,844 --> 00:02:23,430 Anyone else? 37 00:02:23,430 --> 00:02:27,300 We are still in citizen comments. 38 00:02:29,634 --> 00:02:32,900 Seeing none, we will go ahead and close citizen comments. 39 00:02:32,900 --> 00:02:33,564 I will move on to appointments. 40 00:02:33,564 --> 00:02:34,897 We have one appointment tonight. 41 00:02:34,897 --> 00:02:36,597 This is appointment of Brad Saint Clair 42 00:02:36,597 --> 00:02:42,597 as a jointly appointed board member To the River Valley 43 00:02:43,575 --> 00:02:44,617 communications Authority. 44 00:02:44,617 --> 00:02:49,232 This is a joint appointment with the Blacksburg Christian Port 45 00:02:49,232 --> 00:02:50,774 and Virginia Tech are all in involved 46 00:02:50,774 --> 00:02:52,354 in making this appointment. 47 00:02:52,354 --> 00:02:56,563 Saint Clair comes recommended by the authority Board as well. 48 00:02:56,563 --> 00:02:58,950 This is to fill the remainder of a term 49 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:03,844 by the current at large member retired Chief Catherine Foust. 50 00:03:03,844 --> 00:03:05,900 Brad Saint Clair is a retired from a leadership 51 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:07,900 role with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office 52 00:03:07,900 --> 00:03:09,436 and served as an interim director 53 00:03:09,436 --> 00:03:11,692 of the authority before the current director 54 00:03:11,692 --> 00:03:13,360 assumed the role. 55 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,228 So he comes well qualified. 56 00:03:15,228 --> 00:03:17,604 What is Council's pleasure on this appointment? 57 00:03:17,604 --> 00:03:22,404 >> I move approval appointment of Brad Saint Clair 58 00:03:23,948 --> 00:03:28,738 to the jointly appointed-- to be the jointly appointed board 59 00:03:28,738 --> 00:03:29,238 member. 60 00:03:29,238 --> 00:03:29,354 >> We have a motion and a second. 61 00:03:29,354 --> 00:03:29,979 Any discussion? 62 00:03:29,979 --> 00:03:35,379 Seeing none with the clerk please call the roll? 63 00:03:39,808 --> 00:03:40,576 [members voting] 64 00:03:40,576 --> 00:03:41,451 >> The motion passes. 65 00:03:41,451 --> 00:03:41,457 We'll move on to unfinished business. 66 00:03:41,457 --> 00:03:41,463 Is there any unfinished business tonight? 67 00:03:41,463 --> 00:03:44,244 New business any new business? 68 00:03:44,244 --> 00:03:46,300 Now we move on to council reports. 69 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:48,550 For those who have been following town council meeting 70 00:03:48,550 --> 00:03:51,167 we have not had a council report section. 71 00:03:51,167 --> 00:03:52,584 Although we had it many years ago. 72 00:03:52,584 --> 00:03:54,157 We have decided to bring it back. 73 00:03:54,157 --> 00:03:55,907 This is an opportunity for council members 74 00:03:55,907 --> 00:03:57,642 to share what they are working on, 75 00:03:57,642 --> 00:03:59,170 especially committee appointments 76 00:03:59,170 --> 00:04:01,590 or other initiatives that you might follow with. 77 00:04:01,590 --> 00:04:03,628 If anyone would like to share any council now 78 00:04:03,628 --> 00:04:08,428 would be the >> I attended the Economic Development 79 00:04:15,259 --> 00:04:16,134 Commission last week. 80 00:04:16,134 --> 00:04:16,137 We meet monthly. 81 00:04:16,137 --> 00:04:16,146 And we had the report of the Montgomery County 82 00:04:16,146 --> 00:04:16,813 Fire and Rescue. 83 00:04:16,813 --> 00:04:20,230 So I'm looking forward to when we get that at council as well. 84 00:04:20,230 --> 00:04:21,964 It was really well done. 85 00:04:21,964 --> 00:04:23,964 >> Excellent. 86 00:04:32,882 --> 00:04:36,118 >> I have been attending the stormwater advisory group. 87 00:04:36,118 --> 00:04:38,201 And we have been hearing from other municipalities 88 00:04:38,201 --> 00:04:38,207 about how they're handling stormwater utilities. 89 00:04:38,207 --> 00:04:40,624 We have been learning a lot about how the town has managed 90 00:04:40,624 --> 00:04:45,424 these stormwater utility to date, capital projects that 91 00:04:49,226 --> 00:04:50,809 are completed in capital projects that 92 00:04:50,809 --> 00:04:57,409 need to be performed to maintain compliance with the MS4 permit 93 00:05:01,295 --> 00:05:02,128 that the town holds. 94 00:05:02,128 --> 00:05:02,135 We meet every two weeks and continue 95 00:05:02,135 --> 00:05:02,140 to do so through December. 96 00:05:02,140 --> 00:05:04,307 We will be reevaluating the stormwater fee structure 97 00:05:04,307 --> 00:05:06,164 as the committee moves forward. 98 00:05:06,164 --> 00:05:08,564 >> I have a report. 99 00:05:14,473 --> 00:05:17,347 It is from the Parks and Rec Advisory Board. 100 00:05:17,347 --> 00:05:19,472 Have been diligently working through several drafts 101 00:05:19,472 --> 00:05:19,479 of a survey going out in September. 102 00:05:19,479 --> 00:05:19,588 This survey is designed the community's feedback 103 00:05:19,588 --> 00:05:21,880 on the investment the town is making 104 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,199 and some of our athletic facilities at the Winfrey 105 00:05:24,199 --> 00:05:27,289 and Kip baseball fields and at the old Blacksburg High School 106 00:05:27,289 --> 00:05:28,248 track and field. 107 00:05:28,248 --> 00:05:30,574 The survey designed to help guide the town's priorities 108 00:05:30,574 --> 00:05:32,706 on which upgrades to make and where. 109 00:05:32,706 --> 00:05:34,456 Please keep an eye out and an era 110 00:05:34,456 --> 00:05:36,844 for when the survey goes live in September. 111 00:05:36,844 --> 00:05:40,444 >> I have got one as well. 112 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,223 I'm currently chair of the new River Valley Regional 113 00:05:53,223 --> 00:05:53,723 Commission. 114 00:05:53,723 --> 00:05:59,123 We have an up meeting this Thursday, August 27th. 115 00:06:00,970 --> 00:06:02,140 One section that I think is really interesting 116 00:06:02,140 --> 00:06:02,240 every month is a review of mutual concerns and commission 117 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:02,350 reports where we share what is going on in our communities. 118 00:06:02,350 --> 00:06:02,542 The regional can for you all out there has 119 00:06:02,542 --> 00:06:05,900 in it Floyd County, Pulaski County, Montgomery County, 120 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:07,460 the city of Radford. 121 00:06:07,460 --> 00:06:09,734 And every single town in those counties. 122 00:06:09,734 --> 00:06:12,990 And so all of us get a chance to talk to each other about what 123 00:06:12,990 --> 00:06:15,452 is going on in our community. 124 00:06:15,452 --> 00:06:18,137 Sometimes you get good pointers and sometimes commiserate. 125 00:06:18,137 --> 00:06:21,668 But that is a really wonderful spot on that agenda. 126 00:06:21,668 --> 00:06:24,364 This upcoming meeting we're going to have our bylaws update. 127 00:06:24,364 --> 00:06:30,364 We are also gone a model artificial intelligence or AI 128 00:06:30,684 --> 00:06:31,377 use policy. 129 00:06:31,377 --> 00:06:33,524 We had a draft. 130 00:06:33,524 --> 00:06:36,524 Good practices draft from another regional commission. 131 00:06:36,524 --> 00:06:38,116 And so I think this document is going 132 00:06:38,116 --> 00:06:39,970 to be useful not only to our commission 133 00:06:39,970 --> 00:06:41,834 but maybe to other organizations that 134 00:06:41,834 --> 00:06:45,524 are struggling with what you do and what kind of policies 135 00:06:45,524 --> 00:06:47,524 you should have. 136 00:06:54,579 --> 00:06:58,179 It's always open to the public. 137 00:07:06,352 --> 00:07:07,269 The public is welcome. 138 00:07:07,269 --> 00:07:07,279 It is at some Thursday at the Pulaski County Innovation 139 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:07,280 Center. 140 00:07:07,280 --> 00:07:07,289 And I can report on what happened next time. 141 00:07:07,289 --> 00:07:09,372 >> Is that AI policy for AI use by the Commission? 142 00:07:09,372 --> 00:07:15,972 >> By the Commission, yes, but it could be used for other 143 00:07:22,225 --> 00:07:22,808 organizations. 144 00:07:22,808 --> 00:07:26,856 >> I will share two quick council reports. 145 00:07:26,856 --> 00:07:28,689 I think both of these with Susan and I serve 146 00:07:28,689 --> 00:07:28,694 as a representative on the. 147 00:07:28,694 --> 00:07:28,704 One is the Virginia Tech Liaison Group which meets monthly. 148 00:07:28,704 --> 00:07:30,496 We discussed the start of the fall semester 149 00:07:30,496 --> 00:07:37,696 at our most recent, similar to what we did as a council 150 00:07:41,323 --> 00:07:42,656 at our most recent work session. 151 00:07:42,656 --> 00:07:42,666 We also had Juan Espinoza, the Vice president of Enrollment 152 00:07:42,666 --> 00:07:42,675 management, joined us and gave an update on enrollment 153 00:07:42,675 --> 00:07:42,686 at Virginia Tech in case anyone was curious at the time 154 00:07:42,686 --> 00:07:42,693 that he gave his presentation to us. 155 00:07:42,693 --> 00:07:42,698 There were 7480 incoming students, 156 00:07:42,698 --> 00:07:42,710 which is a little bit above what their target was, 157 00:07:42,710 --> 00:07:44,850 but the numbers change every day. 158 00:07:44,850 --> 00:07:48,285 We learned about just how complicated enrollment 159 00:07:51,523 --> 00:07:55,123 management can be at Virginia Tech. 160 00:08:13,178 --> 00:08:15,221 You might have seen some recent coverage 161 00:08:15,221 --> 00:08:15,228 about graduate enrollment declining for a variety 162 00:08:15,228 --> 00:08:15,233 of reasons at Virginia Tech. 163 00:08:15,233 --> 00:08:15,237 Those are moving targets. 164 00:08:15,237 --> 00:08:15,244 The other council report I will share 165 00:08:15,244 --> 00:08:15,249 is the Blacksburg Partnership Board 166 00:08:15,249 --> 00:08:15,254 of Directors that met recently. 167 00:08:15,254 --> 00:08:15,262 We saw a presentation on the Midtown development 168 00:08:15,262 --> 00:08:15,268 by Ian Friend with SAS builders. 169 00:08:15,268 --> 00:08:15,276 I think we as a council have probably 170 00:08:15,276 --> 00:08:15,286 seen all the information that he provided in different chunks 171 00:08:15,286 --> 00:08:15,733 like when we're looking at this hotel or this. 172 00:08:15,733 --> 00:08:18,764 But presentation went over the entire Midtown development. 173 00:08:18,764 --> 00:08:21,790 So I thought that was kind of helpful for the group to share. 174 00:08:21,790 --> 00:08:24,464 The Blacksburg partnership is also working to organizing 175 00:08:24,464 --> 00:08:29,264 a shop Blacksburg Saturday event on October 3rd. 176 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,404 As we get closer to that, we can share more information 177 00:08:33,404 --> 00:08:34,404 about that. 178 00:08:34,404 --> 00:08:36,964 There may even be a proclamation about that. 179 00:08:36,964 --> 00:08:38,544 Get excited, everyone. 180 00:08:38,544 --> 00:08:40,704 Any other council reports? 181 00:08:40,704 --> 00:08:43,104 What about council announcements? 182 00:08:43,804 --> 00:08:45,534 Any announcements? 183 00:08:45,534 --> 00:08:50,699 With that, our next council meeting is Tuesday September 1st 184 00:08:50,699 --> 00:08:52,830 at 11 a.m. 185 00:08:52,830 --> 00:08:54,280 In Blacksburg Conference Room. 186 00:08:54,280 --> 00:09:00,628 Our next regular meeting we are voting on issues is Tuesday , 187 00:09:09,222 --> 00:09:11,222 September 8th.