Lynchburg City Council to consider real estate tax rate reduction; public hearing on Parks and Rec plan continues
Plus: Another list of other stories about events in the Fifth District
Today’s newsletter consists of a meeting preview for the Lynchburg City Council meeting this evening. Next time - Nottoway County gets the spotlight!
The seven Lynchburg City Councilors will meet today at 4 p.m. for a work session followed by a regular meeting. (meeting info)
The first item on the work session agenda is on pavement management. Mainly, how does Public Works decide which section of Lynchburg’s 809.26 lane miles of road will be paved each year?
“Each year we dedicate about $2,500,000 of our dedicated Highway Maintenance Funds toward Street Overlay (paving) in the Capital Improvement Program,” reads the staff report for a presentation from Deputy Director Clay Simmons. “Public Works uses a data-driven approach to determine which streets are eligible for re-paving. Data is collected on all 800 lane miles of our primary, secondary and residential streets approximately every five years using a specialized vehicle called an automatic road analyzer(ARAN).”
There are three business item briefings.
The first is an appropriation of a balance of nearly $1.1 million from the school system’s unexpended operating funds. The vote on this will take place at Council’s meeting on February 14, 2023. This request by the school system is allowable under a 1993 letter of agreement between the local government and the school system.
According to the materials, the school system wants to use $260,000 to install security vestibules at four schools. They also would use $749,856 for structural repairs to R.S. Payne as well as $90,000 to do structural analysis of three other schools.
The second is a review of that 1993 letter of agreement between Lynchburg City Council and Lynchburg City Schools.
“Council requested this item be included on an agenda for discussion on whether the 1993 agreement should continue as written,” reads the staff report.
The third is an extension of a lease with the Lynchburg Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union for the “Caretaker’s House” near City Stadium.
There will then be a roll call vote during the work session on a letter to the School System. This has the topic: “Lynchburg City Schools should seek parental permission before delivering sexually explicit/pornographic instructional materials to minors.”
“Parents are the expert when it comes to their children, and it should be at the sole discretion of the parent to grant the school system permission to provide sexually explicit materials to minors,” reads the letter. “This is no different than seeking parental permission, or “opt-in,” for a field trip.”
Then Council will go into closed session “for the purpose of a briefing by staff to Council on public safety and vulnerability.”
Regular session
The regular session begins at 7:30 p.m. There are three public hearings.
The first is on nearly $1.5 million from federal HOME Investment Partnership American Rescue Plan to Reduce Homelessness and Increase Housing Stability. Council was briefed on this on January 10, 2023. Learn more in the newsletter from January 9.
The second is for consideration of adding the Parks and Recreation Master Plan to the Comprehensive Plan. A first public hearing was held on January 10 and there were some concerns from one community member.
The third is to authorize the issuance of up to $78 million in general obligation bonds to cover the upfront cost of paying for a new police station as well as other projects
To speak at Lynchburg City Council, you have to request time in advance. There are eight people who want to speak tonight on various topics including transportation, housing, and the “opt-in” policy that will have been discussed at the work session.
Next there are several actions items.
There will be a vote on the appropriation of $85,000 for the Police Department to have a Drone Mobile Command Response Vehicle. Then a second vote on $387,250 for other equipment for the Lynchburg Police Department. This includes two-years subscription to the FUSUS “open and unified real-time intelligence” which “extracts live video footage for public safety.”
Next, Council will consider a request to the Virginia Department of Transportation to increase the number of lane miles for which is is reimbursed for paving.
Then a review of the city’s Finance Committee Guidelines followed by consideration of a resolution to reaffirm the city’s financial management policies.
Then a discussion of the concealed weapons permit and lowering the fee to $15
Then a vote to reduce the property tax rate. The proposal from the new Republican majority is to either reduce the rate from $1.11 to $1.03 per $100 of assessed value back to November 2021 or reduce the rate to $0.99 per $100 going forward.
Reading material:
Lynchburg City Council rejects Leesville Road townhome project, Bryson Gordon, Lynchburg News & Advance, January 13, 2023
Fire ant quarantine spreads to Lunenburg and Charlotte, Farmville Herald, January 14, 2023
Almost half of Charlottesville voters will have a new polling site this year, Dryden Quigley, NBC29, January 18, 2023
Water and sewer rates increase for Pittsylvania County residents, Makalya Shelton, WDBJ-7, January 18, 2023
Texas Roadhouse construction expected to start in spring on Danville Mall property, Charles Wilborn, Danville Register & Bee, January 22, 2023
Henderson to seek third term on School Board, Chatham Star-Tribune, January 23, 2023