City Council - Regular Meeting

first amendment protected activity. So it cannot by itself form the basis of an investigation. But the best way to filter that out is to work with your intelligence colleagues who are looking at the target set overseas and to find people who are connected to overseas players. In this case would be people affiliated with the Iranian government, people known to have terrorist ties, that sort of thing. So to have so you want to start with an individual here who you believe is connected to individuals overseas because that's a you know your your chances of finding someone who is legitimately intending some harm are much higher with someone like that than they are just kind of culling social media to look for people who are saying things in support of Iran.

Right. Right. Well Andrew, Iran, as we know has a network of proxy groups across the Middle East. not only Hezbollah but other groups and militias like the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq that aren't directly controlled by Thrron. So from a US homeland security perspective, how difficult does it make it for authorities to detect and link threats back to Iran?

It's incredibly challenging. Uh particularly when you're talking about people who might be affiliated with, let's say, Hezbala, right? Hisbala is a terrorist organization. It's a known, it was created by the government of Iran back in the early 1980s. They are trained by Iranian intelligence operatives. They have all of the technology and the capabilities of Iranian uh military operatives and they are probably the most formidable, high disciplined, highly trained terrorist organization in the world. We also know for a fact that Hisbala and their external security organization, those are the people within their group who are designated to commit terrorist attacks overseas, they have been seeding people in the United States for decades. We know this because we've found some of them and prosecuted them and arrested them and some of them are serving time. Recently, as recent as 2022, uh Alexe Assad was arrested in the New York area, prosecuted in the Southern District of New York. Sad joined the external security organization in 2000, the same year he moved to the United States. So, he'd been here for 22 years conducting surveillance, getting trained by Hezbala, learning how to build bombs, learning how to assess targets. He'd been doing that for decades. Of course, we finally caught up with him and he is now serving a long prison sentence. So, those are the number one priority people that the FBI needs to find right now.

Right. Long long time sleeper agents. All right. There has not been a new national terrorism advisory bulletin issued um by the Department of Homeland Security. Does that mean we're at low risk or does that mean they're still assessing the situation? I mean, we're definitely not at low risk. Anytime we go to overt hostilities with a foreign nation, you have to consider the the very real prospect of retaliation here in the homeland. And nowhere is that more possible than with Iran, uh, who's been kind of, you know, preparing for this fight for years. I I would suggest that the lack of communication, which would typically come as a joint communication from the FBI and DHS, is because they're not quite ready. They don't know quite what they want to tell us. They're probably they don't have that assessment in final form yet. But honestly, we should expect to see that very soon. The sooner the better. Um, the FBI needs the general public to be aware of this threat and to have their eyes open and to be contacting the FBI if they see or know something suspicious.

Andrew, in just 30 seconds that we have left, how much does the funding fight and the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security affect its operations and our safety in the homeland right now? I don't think very much right now. I think the the uh DHS got a massive chunk of money just a few months ago. They certainly have enough to coast on for a while and this is all absolutely essential work. This is the sort of work that gets done whether or not the government is open or shut down. All right. Well, we will be coming back to you, I hope, to hear more about how concerned Americans should be [music] in the coming weeks and months as we know more. Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe, thank you so much. Thank you. It's been a pleasure.

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On the next fresh air, Jesse Buckley, the star of Hamn for which she's nominated for an Oscar and already has won a Golden Globe. She launched her career on a British TV [music] singing competition with judges Andrew Lloyd Weber and director Cameron Macintosh. We'll hear what that sounded like. Join us. That's fresh air Monday [music] through Thursday at 2 p.m. on radio IQ. Funding for Here and Now comes from the listeners of WBUR Boston where the program is produced and your NPR station and Math Works creator of mat lab and Simulink software for technical computing and modelbased design. Math works accelerating the pace of discovery in engineering and science. Learn more at mathworks.com. And biking, committed to exploring the world in comfort, offering small ship experiences with a shore excursion included in every port and programs designed for cultural enrichment. Learn more at viking.com. It's here and now. The rising cost of food has become a major source of stress for more than half of Americans, according to the Associated Press. One food tracker found the average cost of a dozen eggs rose from $1.93 in January 22 to a high of $623 in March of last year. A pound of coffee that was $5.14 ago jumped to $9.37 this January. Dairy, beef, pork prices are near record highs. Brian Vines knows all about this. He's co-host of Talking Carts, a podcast from Consumer Reports about shopping on a budget. His team has a new report out and we've got him here to talk about it. Brian, welcome to Here and Now.

My pleasure to be here. Thank you. So, Consumer Reports compared prices of common items from mainstream grocery chains in six cities across the US. The highest priced baskets cost on average onethird more than the cheapest ones, which is kind of staggering if you think about how much that is. Listeners may not be surprised that the national average found Costco was cheapest and Whole Foods was the most expensive. Tell us more about how the stores stacked up.

Well, to begin, we used Walmart, the closest thing America has to a national grocery chain, as the sort of baseline. So things fell above or below what Walmart charged for them. So we went across the country to six different regions and did some shopping based on the density of the amount of stores that we were able to put into the group. So we had a market basket and it had a lot of items in it. So we tried to make the best apples to apples comparison of looking for those national name brands and the results were something that is startling on one hand but on the other hand you know where the expensive grocery stores are but there were some surprises in the way that things stacked up.

All right. So tell me some of those surprises. Well something that may be surprising is just the amount of money in the price differences in Chicago. We saw a box of Cheerios that was $8.99 at a Jewelco store there, but $444 at the Walmart. So, there's several instances of these items across the country depending on your respective region where the savings were really bananas across town.

Okay. So, you talked about apples to apples comparisons. I I saw what you did there. I like that. But you tally these prices over a 48hour period. Grocery stores though carry different brands. They have various sales and loyalty programs. So is it difficult to make apples to apples comparisons?

It is difficult to make apples to apples comparisons based on those and a lot of other variables. But we did work that into our methodology. Now, should we also be factoring in quality, like choosing organic produce, uh, hormonefree chicken, or even just convenience when we're talking about the cost of grocery shopping? I mean, there's also the cost of not having to drive an extra 20 miles to a Costco or a cheaper store, right?

You're absolutely right. While we can look at the dollars and cents of it all cents, we don't know if it makes sense for you to have to go all over to find the best prices on something. So, when you're talking about if you're a fan of organic or you have to have a particular thing that makes sense for your family, those are all individual factors that we assign value to ourselves, but we were looking at the dollars and cents of it all.

Yeah. Well, I love a bargain as much as the next person, but it can be a lot of work finding the best deals. And I remember my mom used to clip coupons back in the day, but that is timeconuming. So, if folks want the best deal but not the hassle, what should we be looking to do? So, while shopping is something that most Americans do at two stores or more, if you really want to manifest those savings, you're going to have to pour some time into it. Whether it's just looking at circulars or doing that sort of cross town dash when it's worth it,

right? Right. We also know that in the 2024 election, grocery prices, including the cost of a dozen eggs, was a huge factor um in the way people voted. So, are you hearing their concerns about food? Is that a common refrain? People are always asking us how to save on food because they feel it's the one thing in their budgets that they may be able to control. You've got to pay your rent. You've got to pay your utilities. But food is a place where people can manifest some savings and they're always looking for ways to cut that bill but to continue to give their family nourishing meals.

Brian Vines, co-host of the Consumer Reports shopping podcast talking carts, telling us about his new study on the cheapest and most expensive shopping carts in America. Brian, thank you so much. Happy shopping. You can hear the latest NPR news in just a few minutes. will be here throughout the day with up tothe-m minutee reporting on [music] the war in Iran and the the uh tension that has been unleashed throughout the [music] Middle East. There's even more this afternoon on All Things Considered. Here and now is a production of NPR and WBUR. I'm Indira Lakshman. I'm Robin Young. Yes, what she said. Stay right here with your terrific member station here and now. [music]

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Buckley, the star of the film Hamnet, for which he's nominated for an Oscar and already won a Golden Globe. She plays William Shakespeare's wife, facing conflicts in their marriage and the death of their son from the plague. [music] After portraying a mother's grief, she found out she was pregnant a week after the film wrapped. She got her first big break when she was a [music] teenager and appeared on a British TV singing competition. The judges included Andrew Lloyd Weber. And all of a sudden at 17 I was standing in [music] front of Cameron Macintosh and um Andrew Lloyd Weber and I was getting to perform and sing and and I was so raw and ignorant [music] and innocent but full of passion.

We'll hear how she sounded. [music]

First news live from NPR News. I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Trump administration is predicting the US and Israeli war against Iran will not be drawn out. The president's outlook is four to five weeks. President Trump was presiding today over a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House where three US Army soldiers were being honored for their sacrifices, two of them postumously. Addressing the country's latest losses, President Trump expressed condolences for the deaths of four American soldiers in Kuwait as a result of the current war. NPRC Basharam reports Trump defended his decision to take military action. Trump says there were quote grave threats posed to America in the Iranian regime. He says the US warned Iran not to rebuild their nuclear capabilities and that Iran didn't listen to those warnings. Trump also says that Iran would have soon had missiles that were capable of hitting the US.

An Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people, our country itself. Trump claims the strikes on Iran. Good afternoon and welcome to our 2 o'clock p.m. session of the Rono City Council on March 2nd. I'll ask our clerk, Miss McCoy, to please call the role. Mr. Volison here. Miss Powers here. Mr. Hagen, Miss Sanchez Jones here, Vice Mayor Maguire here, Mr. Nash here, Mayor Cobb

here, and a quorum is present. I'm delighted to welcome the Reverend Joanna Pesor, pastor of Green Memorial United Methodist Church to lead us in our invocation. And I will then follow that by leading the pledge of allegiance. Stand. Let us pray. Holy one, be here in this room, in this space, in these conversations, in these decisions. But more than that, beyond be beyond these walls where children play, people convene, hungry are fed, and lives are lived. Make our community into a place where divisions are broken down, wholeness is restored, diversity is a delight, peace is prolific, and unity is ubiquitous. Be with every one of your children here in our community, the ones who live in lovely homes with well-appointed doors, and the ones for whom are waiting the doors to open, whose bed is concrete or campground. be with those creating better spaces and neighborhoods. Our city employees, our teachers and administrators, our doctors and nurses and staff and emergency personnel be with all those who show up to help. This day we also come and remember that blessed are the peacemakers and that that has to start with us and it has to start soon. Bring about your peace in Ronoke and around the world. Peace for each of our sister cities, for Ukraine, for Iran, for Gaza, for our own neighborhood corners and communities. For every mother worried about her child, for every parent anxious for their loved ones. For every neighbor concerned for another. For all of us hoping for you to make a way for shalom

for all. May we not take for granted the blessings that we have, but may we utilize them to work for liberty, justice, safety, dignity, and hope for all as we see you in the holy mystery of life, of community, of creation, of our own breath in our lungs. Help us to offer your hope more and more. Give us broader imaginations, braver kindness, and deeper love. We pay trusting not in the work of our own hands but in your power. Amen. [clears throat] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Reverend Pes. I'm going to ask our vice mayor, Mr. Magcguire, to please um certify our closed meeting. I move with respect to any closed meeting just concluded that each member of city council in attendance certify to the best of his or her knowledge that only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and only such public business matters as were identified in any motion by which any closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed or considered by the members of council in attendance.

You do have a second. Second. Thank you, Councilman Bollison. Madame Clerk, will you please call the role? Bison. I. Miss Powers. Mr. Hagen is out. Uh, Miss Sanchez Jones.

I, [laughter] Vice Mayor Maguire. Hi, Mr. [snorts] Nash. I and Mayor Cobb.

I And the motion is passed. Thank you. Couple of announcements this afternoon. Um the council of the city of Ronok is seeking applications for various vacancies on council appointed authorities, boards, commissions, and committees. You may access the city the application online at ronova.gov uh to complete an application. Uh the city's city clerk's office is also accepting applications for two upcoming vacancies on the Rowanoke City School Board for three-year terms of office expiring on June 30th, 2026. Three-year terms of office will commence July 1st, 26, and end on June 30th, 2029. Incumbent school board trustees are Christopher T. Link and Elizabeth CS Jameson, who is not eligible for reappoint. We are grateful to Dr. Jameson for nine years of service on the school board. Application and information describing the duties and responsibilities of trustees of the Ronach City School Board are available on the city of Ronok's webpage at ronukva.gov. gov or may be obtained by contacting the city clerk's office on this floor, room 456 uh between the hours of 8 and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline to receive applications is Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. For any additional questions or information, you may contact the clerk's office at 5408532541 or by emailing clerk at ronava.gov. We move now to our presentations and acknowledgements. And we're going to begin this afternoon with our council shoutouts. These are opportunities we have to celebrate things that we've been a part of or witnessed uh in between meetings uh as council members. So, I'm going to start with Councilwoman Vivian Sanchez Jones today. [clears throat] [laughter]

Uh my council shout out goes to Battalion Chief Roar for his 34 years of service with the with our fabulous fire department. So, thank you Chief Roar on you lifetime of service. Vice Mayor. Oh my goodness, this is the first time that I did not have one ready. Um, completely forgot to pull one together. Um, I will just thank everyone that has come out and reminded me to wear green for Women's History Month. I know we're going to get hear a proclamation on that very shortly. Um, so I'll keep my time today short and pass it along to you, [laughter] Councilman Nash.

Yeah, I will um keep my comments. They're not really one is a local comment that's uh unfortunate. I want to acknowledge and give my condolences to the family of Miss Kim who was um shot and killed yesterday. And um I'm very happy that our wonderful police department were able to apprehend and find the suspect and now we are in the phase of awaiting justice. But I just wanted to number one give my condolences to her and her family and then also just make sure the community is aware that you know we as a city, the gun violence prevention commission, our council, our city manager, our police department, we do everything we can and are always thinking about innovate in innovative ways to prevent crime. whether that be from the community standpoint or from policing strategies. But unfortunately, sometimes evilness prevails and people do things that we cannot comprehend or plan for. So, it's also just as important to make sure that we have well-trained police officers, um the latest technology, forensics tools, and all the above to be able to go after those that perpetrate crime to bring those who commit it to justice. And we are committed to doing that. And um separately from that, I wanted to just acknowledge all of those um who have family members in the military. I have a cousin who's in the Navy and he's on the way right now to the Middle East on a naval ship, the USS Ford. And so um you know, we know what that feels like. And so our thoughts and prayers are with you all and um we pray for the safe return of all of our family members in the military. Thank you, Mr. Bison.

My shout out is to the um Virginia Asian Advisory Board that was in town this uh past weekend for a town hall. Um the if you're not aware, they're a a board that liazes with our state uh governor uh to make sure that AAPI rights are being followed and uh improved here in the city or I'm sorry in the state. Um and so Mayor Cobb and I got an opportunity to talk with the leaders and um it was really great for them to come to Reno. A lot of them are from Richmond and Northern Virginia and they were not aware of how diverse our community is and so it was great to be able to drop that knowledge on them and make sure they spread that throughout the Commonwealth. Um and it was really great discussion with our local business leaders uh in that community. So, my shout out is to the Women's History Month, and we've got some incredible um people that are getting awards today and to welcome Laura Carini as our first um female city attorney. Um we appreciate everything that you've done. And I also want to do a shout out to our libraries. Um now, since I've been retired, I've had the opportunity to get to go to the libraries and tend some of the wonderful things that they do there. They have a a a quilting group that meets, a sewing group that meets, and all just all kinds of things. And so, um, they're doing some remarkable things at our libraries. And so, I just want to shout out to them and their staff for those fun things that we get to do. Thank you,

thank you, may for giving me a second chance. I know when I pull up my calendar and look back a couple weeks, I can always find something that I got to do or attend that I appreciated and I want to shout out. And I was looking back and um council member Nash actually joined me on this one. But uh on February 21st, I participated in the 11th Street Stakewater stake holder group walking tour uh that was pulled together with some of our economic development staff and a number of community members and I was really impressed with that and I just want to give everyone a shout out um through economic development and our neighborhood groups that are working on revitalization of the different neighborhood villages around the city. I think that is an integral part of our economic development work is uh revitalizing and making those more vibrant. Um and I really enjoyed that walk on 11th Street. So, thank you for giving me a chance to uh refresh my memory and thanks to everyone who participated in that.

Thank you. Um so, I want to give a couple shoutouts. One is to our young docs program in Rowan Oak. Uh Saturday night I was able to attend their third annual give them their flowers gala which was held at the Holiday Inn uh airport and about 15 young docks from Washington DC rode the train down that morning to join the celebrations here in support of our five young doc rowanoke u participants. This is a program that was started three years ago. It was created by uh Dr. U. Henry Woodland um to introduce um young people, primarily young African-American men, to the field of medicine to consider what it might be to become a medical student or to have a career in life sciences, health sciences, or medicine. And um this is the third year of our program. Uh we actually are graduating one of our first students. and he also received during that a $1,000 scholarship in memory of Ares Curtley um who unfortunately died as a result of gun violence but his family wanted to create this scholarship in his memory to pass it on to a young man who is going forward in in a career like this. So, it was a phenomenal event and an exciting program and I want to express my thanks to Miss Marian Wear and Miss Cheryl Mosley who uh really initiated this effort locally and have been the the visionaries behind it. So, and then secondly, to kind of uh build on something that um Councilman Nash was talking about with the conflicts in our world right now, we have a number of citizens and leaders in Rowan Oak whose home of origin is Iran. And so, I want to make sure we uh remember them, think of them. Um some of them have family

members who are currently in Iran and it's a very tenuous time for them. So, um thank you for that reminder. We're going to do a little shuffling around. Uh I know that the real reason everyone is here for is because of Women's History Month um and proclamations regarding that, but we're going to delay that just a little bit until our city manager is able to get back with us. Um so we're going to do right now um one proclamation for American Red Cross month and then a little bit later after some of our business and we don't have a lot today, we'll come back to that. So, I'm gonna ask Sandra Pratt, who is the Well, Sandra's on every board in the universe, but she's the board vice chair for the local chapter of the American Red Cross, and I'm honored to serve with her on that board.

Here we are. Show everybody your awesome sweater. Oh, yeah. I'm just trying to spread the word cross.

Whereas since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross more than 140 years ago, generation after generation has stepped up to to deliver relief and care across our country and around the world, bringing out the best of humanity in times of crisis. Whereas advancing this noble mission, the volunteers and supporters who now give back to the Red Cross remain unwavering in their commitment to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of today's emergencies. Whereas the American Red Cross has provided critical humanitarian services, including disaster relief, health and safety education, blood donation, and support to military families for over a century. Whereas the efforts of the American Red Cross are made possible through the selfless contributions of volunteers, donors, and supporters who give their time, resources, and compassion to help others in need. Whereas the American Red Cross continues to embody the values of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, interdependence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, promoting a world where people are cared for and protected no matter their circumstances. Whereas March 2026 marks the celebration of the Red Cross's long-standing commitment to providing essential services, fostering resilience in communities, and supporting the well-being of individuals across the nation and the globe. Whereas, by recognizing March as Red Cross Month, we honor the dedication of the countless volunteers, donors, and staff who make the mission of the American Red Cross a reality and inspire others to become involved in these efforts. Now therefore, I, Joseph El Cobb, mayor of the city of Rowanoke, do hereby proclaim March 2026 throughout this great eight-time all-American city as American Red Cross Month. Congratulations.

Thank you. [applause] I just would like to accept this on behalf of the board of directors, our volunteers, our staff, and our donors for this recognition. We appreciate the support of the city council, of the city, and this region for all the work that is done. We couldn't do it without it. And it's so very important right now. Don't forget, give blood if you can, if you're eligible. There's always shortages, especially if you have O type blood. And just let's lift up and support each other during this time. Thank you again for the recognition. Get a picture. Before we do that, I want to say how easy it is to donate blood.

It is. And the American Red Cross has made incredible advancements and are currently working on initiatives to increase outreach to people uh with cickle cell disease. So um there there have also been great changes made u for people in the LGBTQ community to give blood. Uh how often can you give blood? Every 56 days. Every 56 days. So, when you download the app and you donate blood, um it tells you the date for your next donation. So, you can just confirm it and show up the next time.

The uh donation station and the offices are just down the street from the municipal building on Church Avenue. And there's also a very robust schedule of uh blood donor events throughout the community and throughout the region. So, we're going to pop up here and get a picture. Okay. Right. Moving on to our hearing of citizens upon public matters. We set this time as a priority for citizens to be heard. All matters will be referred to the city manager for response recommendation or report to the council as she may deem appropriate. And we're grateful to Deputy City Manager Angie O'Brien for being here with us uh the first part of the meeting. Well, the whole meeting, but you're in this chair for the first part of the meeting. All right. Do we have citizens signed up to speak?

Two citizens. Okay. Um before we get to their names, just a reminder,

uh if you haven't spoken before council before, you'll just come up to the podium. The mic [clears throat] is live. Uh there's a box in the upper right hand corner. Um, green, yellow, red. Green means go. Um, yellow means you have a minute left and then red means please wrap it up. If you're mid-sentence, mid thought, we'll work with you to uh help you finish. We have two speakers today, which means that they can have up to five minutes. And so, Miss McCoy is going to call out those speakers, and you're invited to come up one at a time. The first speaker will be Jasper Wilson followed by Owen Maguire.

See Mr. Maguire. I don't know that the other speaker is here. What was the first name again? A Jasper Wilson.

I don't see Mr. Wilson. So, Mr. Magguire, you'd like to come on up? Welcome. Thank you. Hope I don't talk too loud into this microphone. Uh my name is Owen Guire. I live on Brambleton Avenue next to Fishburn Park. I've addressed this council before. Uh I think most of you all know me. Um, I'm here today to speak about the proposed amendment to the uh deed of the uh property at Fishburn Park, the cottage property. Uh, I have a handout. I don't know if they did you all get the handout there.

Here it is.

Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay. Uh, I'm going to go back to May of 2023, which uh was when council actually rejected the zoning uh proposal by the developers uh at Fisherman Park. Uh about two months after that, the developers came back with a secondary proposal. And one of the main differences in that proposal is they uh portioned off uh about a half acre of land along Bramamilton Avenue and Clifford Street to be treated as quote recreational open space just like the rest of the o the park is zoned. Uh since that time, within the last two years, the developers have allowed uh a food truck to operate directly in front of the cottage uh in direct violation of their own proposal to keep the property as strictly recreational and open space. If you'll look at the first page, you'll see a letter from city c from the uh previous city manager stating what I just told you, how the property is to be treated as recreational open space. Um, and then that is confirmed again uh in the highlighted sections of the contract that you see presented to you. And then on the third page is a uh picture of the lot uh drawn up and uh the X marks the spot where the food

truck is. Okay, this is only just one example of how the developers have sidetracked, have misled uh the community, the city, the council throughout this whole process. when council was uh um asked to approve uh the contract as as they did approve it uh I think back in 2024. They were told by the previous city attorney and the previous city manager that the financing and everything was in order and they're ready to go. Then since that time, it's been one amendment after another after another asking for more time, more leniency. Forgo, forego the the fines that uh we owe. Uh we're going to get to it. It's just goes on and on. And now they were relying heavily on historical tax credits to use to finance the project. Well, there's just recently I received a letter from the uh from the uh Commonwealth ask if I approved it or not to have the uh uh the parcel designated as historic. Well, I'm wondering why is that just now coming out? Why is it coming out now? They were supposed to have done that when they signed the contract three years ago just more and more. So, what am I asking you uh is to please delay your vote to modify the deed on the Fisherman Park

caretaker's house or vote no on their request. Uh the developers have a history of making promises they don't keep. The city has a history of not holding them accountable. It's time to for accountability for their lack of being able to fulfill their obligations. Now that the city has a new manager and a new lawyer, there needs to be an investigation about the special treatment that's that the vamp the developers have received and how to proceed next uh with their uh incapable uh ability to uh complete the project.

Thank you for listening to me today. Appreciate your time today. I think I appreciate your time today. Thank you. I always appreciate you guys listening to me. That's our only speaker. Okay. All right. Thank you. We will now move into our consent agenda. All matters listed under the consent agenda are considered to be routine by members of city council and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of the items. However, if discussion is desired, that particular item can be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. So, I'll ask now for a motion and second on approval of the consent agenda.

Move the consent agenda. Second. Thank you. Council members Vol and Nash. Madame Clerk, will you please call the role? M. Mr. Hi. Miss Powers. Hi. Miss Sanchez Jones. Vice Mayor Maguire. Hi, Mr. Nash. I, Mayor Cobb,

I and the consent agenda is adopted. Regular agenda, we have no public hearings. Um, so we'll move to our petitions and communications. And I'm going to head back down to the podium and invite Allison. Allison's not here. So, I'm going to invite Amanda Hulcom uh and um Robo [laughter] to join me at the um podium. Uh these folks are with the Council of Community Services and also with 211 Virginia. So, a couple of weeks ago, uh we were all in Richmond together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 211 Virginia. It's a very special day. Um, we were able to spend some time in both chambers uh to be recognized, the Senate and the House of Delegates. Uh, we had an incredible day of learning about the history of 211. Um, Governor Kaine was uh the governor when it was begun. He made the first call to 211. 10 years later, Governor McAuliffe made the 10-year anniversary call. And this year, Governor Spanberger joined us to make the 20th anniversary call. and 211 Virginia has just expanded uh through the years and we're going to hear more about that in a few minutes. But as part of the celebration that day, I was able um to share portions of this proclamation, but I wanted to share it here in Rowan Oak because the the the contracted provider of this service throughout its history has been the Council of Community Services right here in Rono and they've done an extraordinary job. So whereas established in 2006, 211 Virginia is a free, confidential, and easy to remember

statewide resource that connects individuals and families to essential health and human services through information and referral. Whereas 211 Virginia is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through phone, text, chat, and online search, ensuring assistance is accessible whenever and however Virginiaians need help. Whereas 211 Virginia supports individuals and families during both everyday challenges and times of crisis, including housing instability, food insecurity, behavioral health needs, utility emergencies, and disaster response. Whereas in recent years, 211 Virginia has served approximately 100,000 Virginiaians annually by connecting them to trusted nonprofit organizations, healthc care providers, and public agencies across the Commonwealth. Whereas 211 Virginia is administered by the Commonwealth of Virginia and operated by the Council of Community Services, a nonprofit organization that has been headquartered in the city of Rowanoke since 1960. Whereas through trained and compassionate specialists and a modern dataininformed platform, 211 Virginia strengthens coordination across the health and human services system and helps communities respond to emergency needs. Whereas February 11th, 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of 211 Virginia service, providing an opportunity to recognize its lasting impact and its strong operational roots in the city of Rono. Now therefore, I, Joseph El Cobb, mayor of the city of Rowan Oak, Virginia, do hereby proclaim February 11th throughout this great eight time all-America city as 211 Virginia Day. Congratulations. [applause] So, let's do a we'll do our photo first

and then Amanda and Rob are going to give us a brief update on 211 Virginia. Just a little bit that way. Thank you. No, you're good. You're good. So, I wasn't sure what order I was going in. So, some might be a little redundant to what was in the proclamation, but happy to also speak off script on anything that we've been doing um within 211 Virginia. But I am Amanda Hulcom. I am our I serve as the director of community engagement at the council of community services and as u Mayor Cobb mentioned we are a Rono Valley nonprofit organization that's been serving our community since 1960. So one of the older nonprofits within the Rono Valley. We're dedicated to improving health, ending homelessness and increasing access to resources. And one of the ways we do that is through 211 Virginia. 211 is a contracted service of the Commonwealth of Virginia administered by the Virginia Department of Social Services and the council proudly serves as a sole contractor operating 211 Virginia connecting Virginiaians to the help they need. This year, as Mayor Cod mentioned, we celebrated 20 years um in our 20th anniversary. However, it's important to note that the council has been involved in information referral long before that. We were one of the six original centers that helped lay the foundation for the statewide system we have today. This work was codified in the code of

Virginia in 1984. And in 2006, 211 Virginia officially launched, transitioning from a toll-free number to the easy to remember three-digit dialing code we have today, 211. And what a difference that made. By 2007, the 211 Virginia was serving three times as many unique individuals as we did in 2006. So knowing going from 11 digits to three really made quite an impact through our state. Since then, we have served nearly 2 million individuals and provided more than 4.7 million referrals to Health and Human Services. A lot of times we're answering the call, but it's truly the nonprofits, faith-based organizations, government programs, and services who are doing that work behind the scenes. We accomplish this through the largest health and human services database in the state, which we maintain, and we are proud to be the only accredited information referral service in Virginia. And I know we highlighted we had a really great event on February 10th. today. Um I handed out some or you thankfully um handed out some of those um packets that are in your um we have some totes some packets. They include a 20th anniversary report presentation. It details kind of the trends and highlights on the last 20 years. One unique aspect of 211 is that we collect real da real time data on community needs. And so Rob is here with me. He's our director of data services. So he works with all the data and it really does tell a picture of our localities but also our statewide trends and to no surprise they mirror some of our national trends as well that are happening. So I invite you to um look at your packets. You have a copy of the oped that um Senator Kaine wrote the

anniversary report and additional information fun goodies. Um I know Mr. Cob is familiar with those, but um invite you to have those and if you want more, just reach out. So, in closing, as a Rono Valley nonprofit, the Council of Community Services is proud to have been central to the statewide system. This milestone underscores our own ongoing commitment to connecting individuals to the resources they need and supporting the city of Ronoke and localities across Virginia in building stronger, healthier communities. 211 Virginia is available to all Virginiaians 247365 by dialing 211, texting connect to 247211 or going online at 211verirginia.org. To chat, email or search our public directory. So on behalf of the Council of Community Services and 211 Virginia, thank you for having us today.

Thank you both. Um, any council members want to ask any questions or any comments? I would just want to say thank you. I actually have a couple of people that I know that you have helped and they just would not have survived without your help. So, thank you so very much. And this data right here is to Virginia, but can y'all get location specific like down to like Ron Oak City purely or

we can. And so we don't want to steal Rob our director Davis Thunder, but um we kind of split the state in six regions. We're within the Southwest region. So you will see Rono pretty represented as the most populous city within Southwest. So absolutely, we can narrow all the way down to the zip code. We know when someone is contacting us. We're collecting where they're contacting us from, what they're contacting us about, and how we're able to connect them to help. So, um, Rob would be, uh, willing to dive into all of all of the data that we have. Yes,

I just want to say thank you. Uh, for many years, I worked at the refugee office and many of my clients used 211 and I also, my daughter worked for you guys until last year, so I know firsthand the challenges and the good that you do in the community. So, thank you. We truly miss your daughter. [laughter] She was one of our bilingual community resource specialists, which thank you for highlighting that. We have a limited amount of bilingual Spanish speaking community resource specialists. What makes 211 Virginia truly special and unique, you're speaking to a live person. Um, when you can not do that, we do have translation services in over 200 plus languages. And recently, our public search is offered in 10 over 10 languages. So, if you go to 211verirginia.org, check out that public search. So, thank you for for bringing that up and we hope she joins us back on our staff soon.

Okay. I'll let her know. Yeah. Well, not only is this program a great resource to the state and to Virginia, but in terms of data, um, for any organization that's trying to get some real-time data on any number of of topics, um, on how these kinds of issues, what people are calling for, where the gaps in services are, um, connecting nonprofits with each other to provide even more resources. Um, 211 is a great resource for that. And my favorite swag is this mobile phone, cell phone. You can neither make calls on it, nor can you receive calls on it. And you can squeeze it.

So that's why it's my favorite. It's a little stress reliever. Right. You can also throw it. And you can throw it [laughter] and it and it won't hurt anybody. Thank you both very much. Thank you. We appreciate it. So, now we are going to move to our uh recognition of Women's History Month. And I'm going to invite uh council members Evelyn Powers and Vivian Sanchez Jones to head down to the podium and I'm going to turn this portion over to you, Miss Turner.

Thank you so much. Um Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of city council, the month of March is Women's History Month. is an opportunity for us to honor the role of women in our society. This afternoon, we are proud to honor the role of six women in our community. The official colors of the women's history month are purple, green, and white. These colors represent purple represents dignity, justice, and loy loyalty to the cause of equality. Green represents hope and new beginnings. white, equality, purity, and freedom. These colors represent women who have empowered other women, helping to pave the way for future generations while lifting and raising up our community. As your name is called, we ask that the honore comes forward. Each bio will be read by either council councilwoman Vivian Sanchez Jones or Councilwoman Evelyn Powers. you start to do first. Yes.

Okay. Our first is Natasha Dudley. Natasha Dudley is a respected entrepreneur, real estate professional, and community leader with more than 27 years of experience in sales, finance, and business development. Her career reflects a deep commitment to economic empowerment, relationship building, and long-term community investment. As a successful landlord and real estate investor, Natasha understands firsthand the power of property ownership and strengthening families and communities. Her work in real estate is rooted in education, empowerment, and legacy building. In addition to her real estate career, Natasha is a dedicated small business owner whose longevity and business reflects resilience, adaptability, and a steadfast commitment to serving her community with excellence. Beyond her professional achievements, Natasha is a proud mother of two sons and a devoted grandmother. Her relationship is grounded in family values, faith, and a genuine passion for uplifting others. She believes strong communities are built through opportunity, mentorship, and service principles that she lives out daily. Natasha Dudley's impact extends beyond business. She represents perseverance, entrepreneurship, and community advancement. [applause]

Can I read this? Yeah, why not? You want them to go ahead and read the proclamations? Yeah. And it's just it's the same one. So they can just read one. No, we're not going to read the same proclamation six times. [laughter]

Women's History Month. Whereas in the United States, Women's History Month traces back to the first International Women's Day in 1911 and was extended to Women's History Week in 1978. Whereas in 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a proclamation declaring National Women's History Week, stating, "From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often, the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions were unnoticed." Whereas a year later, Congress provided bipartisan support and in 1987 extended the week to Women's History Month. Since 1998, the United States of America has recognized March as women's women's history month. Whereas the theme of 2026 is leading the change, women shaping a substantiable future, this theme honors the women who have and are re-imagining and rebuilding systems to ensure long-term sustainability, environmental, economic, educational, and societal. It recognized the powerful leadership of women in creating a future that is rooted in equity, justice, and opportunity for all. Whereas from environmental advocacy to financial reform, from community organizations to policy innovations, women are at the forefront and driving holistic change. Their leadership is not only addressing today's most urgent challenges, it's laying the foundation for a more resilient and inclusive tomorrow. Now I therefore, Joseph Elcom, mayor of the city of Reno, Virginia, by virtue of authority vested in me by the city of Reno, do hereby proclaim the month of

March 2026, Women's History Month, given under our hands in the seal of the city of Reno, the second day of March in the year 2026. Mayor Joseph Hop, not Evelyn H. [laughter] You're very welcome.

Next we have Dr. Brenda Louise H. Dr. Brenda Louise Hail is a non-term president of the Renault branch NAACP and brings with her an impressive portfolio of service, achievement, innovation, and collaboration. Dr. Hail has been a division leader since 1994 as a financial representative with Premier Financial Services. She was with the Salem Veterans Affair Medical Center as an LPN from 1982 to 1989 and as an RN from 1989 to 1994. She served in the NCOA non-commission officers association in Honolulu, Hawaii from 1977 to 1982 as a counselor advising military retirees and veterans regarding financial planning. She spearheaded Vanguard programs in various arenas, including fundraising for Special Olympics and was president of the NCOA Tripler Army Medical Center chapter from 1976 to 1978. Sergeant First Class E7 Hail retired from the United States Army in 1978 and is 100% service connected disabled veteran. She is a gold life member of the NAACP and holds other life memberships. She serves as the secretary of the TAP board directors. Other board memberships to include Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Renick City Rescue Mission, Community Housing Corporation, and Local Colors. Dr. Hill is also the first African-American elected as secretary for the Virginia State Board of Nursing in January 2008 and is the recipient of nu numerous

awards. Dr. Hill is an individual of high integrity and is professionally respected within the region for community service. She works well with individuals and groups of diverse cultural, religion, social, economic, and political identities. She is always committed to community and service. As an advocate for justice, she possesses the ability to act as an agent of change at the professional level in the military, health care, and financial environments. [applause] It is my honor to introduce our third honore is a dynamic duo Kat Pascal and Ilana Seul who represent the Latina's network of Rono Virginia a nonprofit organization dedic dedicated to empowering Latina women through connection professional development business engagement and representation in the Rono Valley oh [laughter] kas Pascal is a is an entrepreneur, real estate professional and community leader based in Rodale, Virginia. She is the co-founder and president of Latinas Network where she champions economic empowerment, connection and leadership development for Latina women. Born and raised in Rono to Colombian immigrant parents, Pascal brings a deep appreciation for heritage representation and community advocacy to her work. In addition to her leadership with Latinas Network, Pascal works in real estate and serves with the Renault County Public School as a lean for Spanish-sp speakaking families, helping them navigate navigate the resources and opportunities within the public school system. Her entrepreneurial background

and civic involvement have positioned her as a respected voice in the region's business, education, and nonprofit sectors. In 2003, Pascal Cat was introduced into the Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia Hall of Fame, recognizing her outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship, youth mentorship, and community leadership across the Ron Oak Valley. [applause] Iana Seulva. Ilana is a technology professional and community leader who serves as vice president and co-founder of Latinas Network. She plays a key role in shaping the organizations and strategic direction and programming, advocating for increased professional development opportunities and professional representation for Latina women in the region. Professionally, Ilana works as at the Appalachian Power where she serves in the telecommunications planning group. In this role, she has had the opportunity to contribute to infrastructure initiatives that expand broadband that expand broadband access and streng regional regional connectivity particularly in rural communities. Her work support economic development, education, access and technology advancement across southwest Virginia. Diana is a past president and current current board member of the project management institute southwest Virginia chapter reflecting her strong background in project management and professional leadership as a part of the Rono 40 under 40 40 class of 2024. Though both her career and volunteer service, she is deeply recognized to building inclusive systems and ensuring that diverse communities have access to opportunities and growth. [applause]

Next we have Isabelle Thornton. Isabelle Thornton. Miss Thornton is the executive director of Restoration Housing, which she founded in 2014 out of a passion for historic preservation and affordable housing. She received a BA in architectural history from the University of Virginia and an MHP and MPL in historic preservation and urban planning from the University of Southern California. She serves on the board of directors and the real estate development committee for community housing partners, the board of directors for Curillian Medical Center, the board of directors of the Grove own Patterson and on the Blue Ridge inter agency council on homelessness. Isabelle lives on a farm in Bodatak County with her husband and four children. CONGRATULATIONS [applause] NO, you

okay. Next we have Miss Laura Canini. Everything Kadini. [laughter]

Today we have the honor of recognizing our first female city attorney for the city of Reno, Laura Carini. Miss Garini, who joined the Renick City Attorney's Office in 2012 and has served as deputy city attorney since 2024, is a seasoned municipal attorney with ex expertise in Virginia municipal law, governance, litigation, economic development, procurement, public administration, and community initiatives. Her previous work to advance economic development objectives and her proven success in safeguarding the city's interest made her the ideal candidate to take over as city's chief legal counsel. Carini, a graduate of the William and Mary School of Law and the University of Virginia, recently completed the certificate and leadership training for new and aspiring Virginia local government chief legal counsel. Completion of the two-year course of study certifies that she possesses the legal management and leadership skills necessary for success as a city attorney. We are grateful for the contributions of each of these women and for serving as trailblazers in our communities. Thank you. [applause] Our next honore is Sharon Puns. Sharon Pon has lived in Rodok for approximately 20 years. In 2016, Miss Pon and her family purchased Little Greenhive and in 2024, elderberries. Since then, her focus has been on expanding these businesses. Miss Pon has been married to Leopon for many years and they have three children, Liliana, Gabriel, and Lucas. Miss Pon is proud is proud to operate as a family business

and working alongside several of her brothers and sister-in-law. Liliana Pon is the daughter of Sharon and Leo Pon. Come on. She is a proud She is a proud product of Rono City Public Schools and is an English mayor at a Holland University. She is a lead barista assistant manager and has been instrumental in training new hires and mentoring baristas at the Little Green Hive. The Little Green Hive has three locations, downtown Royok, Granding Village, and Daleville. Their coffee shop features fair trade organic and locally roasted coffee that strives to make each location a space for where all people feel welcome. The hive supports the community and partners with Sarah empowering survi survivors of sexual violence. Uh recently the owners have expanded elderberries and will open a new location in downtown this week. Congratulations [applause] We are going to have to as much as we can. our city manager and deputy city manager would like to [laughter]

Yep. Yep. That's perfect. Got it. You are great. This is perfect. One, two, three. Thank y'all so much. HEY, [applause] [snorts] Congratulations everyone and thank Thank you so much for being here today and I am really excited about elderberries downtown. [laughter] You of course right

two to three weeks. Three weeks. Sweet. Okay. Nice. All right. Now into our reports of city officers and the city manager. and we have a briefing which is our monthly um budget report briefing and I'll uh invite Miss Turner to introduce that briefing. Thank you um Mayor Mr. Mayor. I'd like to introduce um Aquaneta Harris the deputy director of finance who will be providing our monthly update for the month of January.

Welcome Miss Harris. Good afternoon, Mayor Cobb, Vice Mayor, members of council, Miss Turner. January 2026 monthly financial report provides an overview of year-to-ate financial performance, including revenues and expenditures. I would like to begin with our revenues. Just wanted to highlight a few of our revenues. We continue to see an increase in penalties and interest compared to prior year. It is $396,000 higher. This is again due to delinquent collections in real estate and personal property taxes. Sales tax, we continue I'm sorry, sales tax continues to remain flat year-over-year and we continue to see an increase in transit occupancy tax compared to prior year. That is $260,000 higher. Continuing with our revenues, non-local taxes are currently tracking below compared to prior year. The variance is mainly due to the timing difference in the receipt of funding in grants and aid in Commonwealth. Other non-local taxes are performing as expected. Moving to our next slide, which represents the base sales of the prepared food and beverage base sales. During the first five months of the physical year, we observed a consistent month-over-month increase in prepared food and beverage base sales. However, in December, we saw a decrease, marking the first decline this fiscal year in prepared food and beverage base sales. This is a new slide in the financial

report. This slide highlights the timeliness discount for each month. The prepared food and beverage timeliness discount is an incentive that allows restaurants to retain a small percentage of the tax collected when payments are submitted on time. Our deferred capital maintenance projects and related financial commitments are highlighted in this slide. Elevator replacements, our total commitments are 3.5 and HVAC, mechanical and electrical upgrades, our total commitments are at 1.8. Finance will maintain detailed tracking of deferred capital maintenance projects and report the total of commitments on a monthly basis in the financial report. At 7 months into the fiscal year, expenditures should be approximately at 58% of the annual budget. Currently, total expenditures are at 52% of the FY26 budget. Finance will continue to monitor expenditures on a monthly basis. The next two slides provide a comparison of overtime and temporary wages expenditures which reflect current year actuals compared to approved budget as well as a comparison of the prior year actual expenditures. Compared to prior year, we I'm sorry, compared to prior year, we are seeing a slight decrease in overtime expenditures. However, when compared to current year budget, overtime continues to trend slightly above the budgeted amount.

Monthly temporary wages expenditures are currently averaging approximately 200,000. If monthly spending remains at or below 247,000, we are projected to remain within the approved overall temporary wage budget for the fiscal year. While some departments may exceed their individual temporary wage allocation, these overall I mean I'm sorry, these overages may be an offset by personnel savings resulting from vacant positions within those departments. This concludes the January monthly financial report. Finance will continue to closely monitors revenues and expenditures and will provide updates on any significant changes throughout the remaining of the fiscal year. Do you have any questions?

Thank you, Miss Harris. Uh questions. I was Can you go back to the um slide where it shows the mills tax for the month of December and where it was with the discount or the No, the one before that, please. I couldn't see that. Okay. 7 7,740. Couldn't see that. I'm sorry. I'll make it bigger. Oh, no. It's It's me. I need glasses. [laughter] I got to I have glasses and that's still hard to see. Yeah. [laughter]

Uh I did want to if you can go to the next slide. Um thank you. Um I did want to uh share a little bit of additional information from the commissioner of the revenue who track helps track this for the payment discount. So when we when we approved the 2-year um increase in the food and beverage tax, we also included a 1% discount for on-time payments. And um as of December 25, we had a total of uh [snorts] 507 businesses reporting receipts subject to prepared food and beverage tax. Of those, 372 qualified for the timely filing and payment discount. So, um I I'm glad that our restaurants are and food food and beverage providers are taking advantage of this and and from the ones I've talked to, they're grateful for it. The other thing I wanted to ask about, I know we've been making a conscientious effort to not only reduce the amount of overtime and temp wages, but to transition most of that to the budget as opposed to paying for it with vacancy savings or end ofear funds. Um, and I know we're seeing some improvement in that regard. Can you share a little bit more information about how that process is going? Yeah. So, finance is doing a really good job, not just finance, but finance and the department directors are doing a really good job of tracking um and really being um um looking at it holistically and ensuring that we stay within budget. We do have certain areas um like our public safety um but we're also looking at those that are under um their budgeted amount and hopefully we can offset it by that. So um I think we're doing a much much better job of making sure that we're tracking it. Um our budget team meets with the departments on a monthly basis

and they're going over their budgets and their numbers to ensure that everyone is on the same page as relates to where we are budgetarily. Thank you. Any other questions? All right. Thank you, Miss Turner. Thank you, Miss Harris. We appreciate it. Now, we're going to move into our items recommended for action. Oh, I'm sorry. I have one more question. Yeah. And I wrote this down to remember to say this and then forgot to say it. When we [laughter] when we do these um like for our like budgeting process and things of that nature, can we make sure to send it to our um senators and delegates? our delegates and our senator at the state level so that they're aware um or give them some sort of like

our draft as we're as we're moving forward. So when we present our draft budget that budget Yeah. Yeah. or just something so that they they're connected on our financial position because I've reached out to some of them and talked to some of them and I've had to do a lot of like telling them of like what's going on exactly in detail and I can't do it as good as y'all do it. um but just something we can send them so that they're a breast of what's going on in our current situation that we're facing. So what we'll do um for the March 23rd um briefing which is where we prevent present the um recommended budget, we'll give them send them a link to that um and we'll also provide them with a copy of the presentation. Perfect. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Great point. All right. Now, we're going to move into our uh items recommended for action. Item A is the adoption of the 2025 Rono Valley Alagany Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which includes the city of Rono. We have one measure, a resolution, and I'll entertain a motion and second on the resolution. Move the resolution. Second.

Thank you, council members and Nash. Madame Clerk, will you please read the title paragraph? a resolution adopting the 2025 Rono Valley Alagany Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which includes the city of Rono and authorizing [clears throat] the city manager or designate to take such action as may be needed to adopt and implement such plan. Thank you. Uh we did receive a briefing on this at our last meeting. Uh is there any discussion or Miss Turner, do you have anything to add to this? No. Okay. Thank you. Any questions or comments by councel? Madame clerk, if you will please call the role. Mr. Bison, I. Miss Powers. Hi.

Miss Sanchez Jones. Hi. Vice Mayor Maguire. I. Mr. Nash. Hi. Mayor Cobb. I. And the resolution is adopted. Item B is the acceptance and appropriation of VBR sports and USA cycling event proceeds. We have one measure and ordinance. Entertain a motion and second on the ordinance. I move the ordinance. Second.

Thank you, council members Powers and Nash. Madame clerk, will you please read the title paragraph? An ordinance accepting and appropriating funding presented by the Virginia's Blue Ridge Sports and USA cycling authorizing the execution and filing of appropriate documents to obtain such funding appropriating funds detailed more fully infra and dispensing with the second reading of this ordinance by title. Thank you, Miss Turner. Anything to add?

Yes. Um the majority of these uh proceeds um from the 2025 USAC race are designated for trails and greenway maintenance. So we're excited that we get the 10,000 and we're going to move forward with it. Thank you. And I'll just add that we'll be hosting the USA cycling uh endurance mountain bike national championships again this year. Right. Any questions or comments from council? Madam clerk. Mr. I. Miss Powers. Hi, Miss Sanchez Jones. Hi, Vice Mayor Maguire. Hi, Mr. Nash. Hi, Mayor Cobb.

I And the ordinance is adopted. Item C is the acceptance and appropriation of the operation ceasefire supplemental grant. Uh, we have one measure and ordinance and I'll entertain a motion and second on the ordinance. Move the ordinance. Second.

Council members Allison and Nash. Madame Clerk, will you please read the title paragraph? An ordinance authorizing the acceptance of the operation ceasefire supplemental grant made to the city of Rono by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services authorizing execution of any required documents on behalf of the city appropriating funds detailed more fully infra and dispensing with the second reading of this ordinance by title. Thank you. Uh any uh further comments?

Yes. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services has awarded the Royal Oak Police Department an additional 250,000, increasing the total supplemental ceasefire award to 450,000. The funds will support the purchase of supplies, equipment, and training for the police department employees. Any uh questions or comments from council? I just want to say uh express our gratitude for these continued uh funds to sustain this program. Uh we've appreciated the longtime support of the state at many different levels and and this is just an extension of that work. Right. Madam clerk, will you please call the role? Mr. I. Miss Powers. Hi. Miss Sanchez Jones.

Hi. Vice Mayor Maguire. Hi. Mr. Nash. I. And Mayor Cobb. Hi. And the ordinance is adopted. Item D is the approval of an agreement to modify the deed to the special warranty deed conveying approximately 1.1 acres and improvements for the former Fishburn Park caretakers cottage at 2424 Brambleton Avenue Southwest. We have one measure and ordinance and I'll entertain a motion and second. Move the ordinance. Second.

Thank you. Uh madame um sorry that was council members and Sanchez Jones. Madame clerk, will you please read the title paragraph? An ordinance approving the terms of an agreement to modify deed to Fishburn Perk LLC between the city of Rono and Fishburn Fishburn Perk LLC authorizing the city manager or designate to execute such agreement and dispensing with the second reading of this ordinance by title. Thank you, Miss Turner. Okay, I know we have um economic development folks here. We also have the Van Bleracams here. If there are any questions from council, I had a question, mayor. Yeah,

I was just wondering, and maybe this is for city staff, but if there was any response to we heard an allegation that there was an improper use of the property with a food truck. Um, and I just wondered if there was any response or comment to that available for counsel. The advice we've received from the zoning department is that a food truck is a temporary use and that does not require a zoning permit or any types of approval by the zoning department. You're welcome.

I Yeah, thank you. And I also understand that um that now um in fact I received a letter that this has been received um well Ben Blair comes can you come up and update us on the historical designation. I I know I received a letter and I can't confirm whether it was the application or if it was the actual awarding [clears throat] of the designation. Welcome.

Yeah. So we um Carrie has been working on since the beginning of this whole thing has been working on historic tax credits as we promised the public that we would pursue. Um we've met the deadlines for pursuing that for submitting the first application. It's a multi-stage process. Um the current stage we're in is that we go before um the uh Virginia or I guess it's the historic department of historic resources on the 19th to get it designated as a um you can sell the bulldog. No, that's okay. That's there's two parts, two applications going on, but the one that you've most recently received is for the National Register of Historic Places. So, that goes before the board um March 19th in Richmond, too, which looks like it's a it's a great property. Mike Pulis um has been arm-in- arm with me working and submitting that application as he is our region's historian um or historic architect for this side of the area. and he works for Department of Historic Resources. So that's huge. So that's been many many months of work with him this really this last year helping push that through to get it. So that is a nomination and we'll hear after March 19th if it's been approved. And then second to that is the historic tax credit program which was referenced earlier. So, that is an ongoing process that I've been um I have a reviewer and you're technically not supposed to renovate the property before you get their 100% approval. But with the reviewer, I've been working for time constraints. I went ahead last year, as you've seen, and the renovations that have been done, I did based on someone who was a contractor and extremely familiar with the tax credit program. So he has had many submissions himself that have been as successful. So I felt comfortable moving in that direction for the sake of our contract and performance

agreements and and that. So that's still an work in progress, but you don't actually get the final tax credit approval until right before your CO is obtained at that time. So those are a lot of the behind the scenes that's been going on. Any other questions? Another question. So, I just want to make sure from what um our city attorney is saying is that there's not the food truck is okay to do. It's allowed to be there since it's considered a temporary use. Yes. And we are not doing anything with the zoning today. This is just an extension of the the date the deed.

This is one of the performance obligations that they were required to complete. Correct. Yes. Not the zoning. Just want to make sure I understand. 100%. While we have you here, thank you for that information. I hear a lot of interest in the uh perk. Can you give us kind of like a highlevel overview of timeline of how things are looking? I know you can't maybe swear to an opening date, but yeah.

No, I wish it would didn't take this long. As you guys know, half of you are on this journey of perseverance and patience. So, um I I really hope asking for a year, I hope that's more than what I need. Um, as we, you know, we lost Nuke Vanco in a fire last April. So, we're coming up on a year of just massive tragedy and change of livelihood and that changes where, you know, money and resources also go. So, I am thankful after sort of that process that we've been through that we're looking up and moving forward. So, really the very next steps are continuing this state application. um surveyors need to come back to the property for me and we've got some grading to do. So I'll I'll leave that to their expertise as to how much you know around the exterior of the building and then the interior as well. So,

yeah. Yeah, we're hopeful. Uh, as I mean, we'd love it to be already done, but life throws other things at you sometimes. And, um, so we we have, uh, like Carrie spoke to, we've had tragedy by um, in April of Novanco burning to the ground with um, so overnight we lost $3 million and that we're still trying to fight the insurance company to get get money back for our customers, our employees. Um, but through that we reallocated our resources to keeping all of our employees. And so with the community's help and a lot of other things, we were able to keep all 20 of our employees employed the whole time. Um, and we've reopened. Um, but obviously there's trade-offs in life. And so the trade-off is that this this we still were working on the back end of it, the historic tax stuff, the preservation, but it took a back burner um to allocating our resources because people matter more than than the property. But it's going to be beautiful when it's done. So, I can't wait till I actually have some renderings. I'm looking at doors and mantels and some more fun things for the inside now, which feels feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank Thank you all for your perseverance. Yep. Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk, Mr. Volison. Hi, Miss Powers. Hi, Miss Sanchez Jones. Hi, Vice Mayor Maguire. Hi, Mr. Nash. Hi, Mayor Cobb. Hi. And the ordinance is adopted. Thank you all. Now, I'll turn to Miss Turner for comments.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I have three comments for today. Public works stormboard utility will begin two downtown drainage improvement projects this spring to address reoccurring street ponding during heavy rain. First street down First Street downtown project is the first. additional storm water inlets along First Street Southwest between Luck Avenue and Kirk Avenue. These improvements will increase system capacity and improve runoff removal during heavy rainfall. The second project will take place on Kirk Avenue between Jefferson Street and Mark Market Street. This project will add three new storm water inlets to further enhance downtown drainage during major rain events. Project scheduling has been carefully planned to avoid impacts to Martin St. Patrick's Day event and ensure completion before the Blue Ridge Marathon in April. Together, these projects provide targeted near-term improvements to downtown storm order management while continuing to support local businesses and major community events. Number two, last week staff removed shrubbery, excuse me, at the municipal building near the second street entrance as part of our continued efforts to improve both the appearance and functionality of this important civic space. In the coming weeks, crews will level and mulch the beds in preparation for new planning scheduled for the spring season. These updates will refresh and modernize the entrance while also improving visibility of buildings building signage and creating better access to the adjacent lawn area. Overall, these enhancements will result in a cleaner, more welcoming and more accessible entry point for residents, visitors, and staff. In my last comment last month, I shared

that the skate park ribbon cutting was scheduled for Friday, March 6, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. To ensure that our community partners who help make this project possible are able to attend, we have made one final adjustment to the date. The ribbon cutting has been rescheduled for the last time and will now take place on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. We look forward to celebrating this exciting addition to our community together.

Thank you. We are looking forward to that. Right. We have no reports from our city attorney or director of real estate valuation. So, we will move to reports of committees. And we have a report of the Rono City School Board requesting appropriation of funds for various educational programs and a report of the city manager recommending that city council concur in the request. Before we consider this, we have two conflict of interest statements and I'll turn to the vice mayor and councilman Sanchez Jones to read those into the record. I, Vivian Sanchez Jones, state that I have a personal interest in item number 8.1 on the March 2nd, 2026 to PM agenda regarding a general appropriation of funds because I am an employee of the city of Rono public school division and as such I have a personal interest in this matter. Therefore, in accordance with Virginia code section 2.2-3112, 2-3112. I will refrain from participation in this matter and I ask that the city clerk accept this statement and ask that he may that he may be made uh a part of the minutes of this meeting. I, Terry Magcguire, state that I have a personal interest in item number 8.1 on the March 2nd, 2026 2 PM agenda regarding a general appropriation of funds because I am an employee of the city of Rono public school division and as such I have a personal interest in this matter. Therefore, in accordance in accordance with Virginia code section 2.2-3112, I will refrain from participation in this matter. I ask that the city clerk accept this statement and ask that it be made a part of the minutes of this meeting.

Thank you both. And um we have one measure, a budget ordinance, and I'll ask for a motion and second. I made the motion. Second. Thank you. Council members Powers and Nash. Madame Clerk, will you please read the title paragraph? An ordinance to appropriate funding from the Commonwealth Federal and private grant for various educational programs amending and reordaining certain sections of the 2025 2026 school grant fund appropriations for fiscal year 2026 and dispensing with the second reading by title of this ordinance.

Thank you. Any questions from councel? Madame clerk, we are ready to call the role. Mr. Volison. Hi, Miss Powers. Hi, Mr. Nash. Hi, Mayor Cobb. Hi. And the budget ordinance is adopted. Okay. Thank you. The super majority of the quorum. Correct. Yes. Including the recusals. Yes. I was doing ESP with our attorney. [laughter] Make sure. Are there any council members who are liaison to any of our authorities, boards or committees that have any reports for us today? Thank you, Mr. Nash.

At the most recent housing authority meeting, uh David Busamanti um during his report commented on they've stopped receiving monthly crime reports from the police department for all of the housing authority properties and have to go through a foyer process now to obtain those. And so if we could look into those, they've used those reports um one to coordinate where they put their resources to help deter crime, help make sure they're, you know, going after troubled areas. I can check on that. So yeah, thank you.

Any others? Okay, then we will move into our uh motions and miscellaneous business. Uh any additional inquiries or comments by any members of council? Right. Then we'll move on to our vacancies on certain authorities, boards, commissions, and committees appointed by council. And I'm going to ask Vice Mayor Maguire to report out our appointments and reappoints. And then uh when we prepare to vote, if council members could just respond with all nominees.

Thank you, Mayor. To the Architectural Review Board. Council is appointing Ann Marie Carol to the board of trustees, city of Rono pension plan. The council is appointing Timothy Spencer to also to the board of trustees uh city of Rono pension plan appointing Michael Crowley uh who will need a residency waiver. Deputy Chief Michael Cwley. Also to that same board, uh, James Yansy. And last but not least, um, Adena Reese Atmore and James Yansy is going to need a residency waiver. All of those one, two, three, four, which to the board of trustees, city of Rono pension plan to the board of zoning appeals council appointed Don Erdman to the city of Rono finance board appointed Adena Reese Atmore to the defined contribution board. also appointing Adena Reese Atmore to the Gun Violence Prevention Commission. Uh reappointing Valerie Keell to the Regional Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program Policy Board. Uh appointing Deputy Chief Adam Pucket who will also need a residency waiver. To the Rono Arts Commission, we are appointing John Weirchek. To the Rono Regional Airport Commission, we are reappointing Dr. Enl Bishop, who will also need a residency waiver. To the Rono Valley Alagany Regional Comprehensive Economic Development

Strategy Committee, we are reappointing Matt Clark. And that's it. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Roll call. Mr. Vison, all nominees. Miss Powers, all nominees. Miss Sanchez Jones, all nominees. Vice Mayor Maguire, all nominees. Mr. Nash, all nominees. And Mayor Cobb, all nominees. Thank you all for that work. And there being no further business set forth to come before this council, this meeting is adjourned. Thank you all.