City Council

Agenda — 3 items

1. Katie Hedrick, Inclusive Services Manager, reported on the following matters from the March 17 and April 7 City Council Meetings:Riverland Road SidewalksVice-Mayor McGuire noted an increase in pedestrian traffic on the side of the road and even in the street along Riverland Road in the area of Primrose Street and the Star Trail parking lot. The request was made to add this to the list of upcoming infrastructure projects.Report Back:A design from Public Works is attached that shows the plan to connect the Star Trail on Riverland Road to the Garden City Greenway with a concrete sidewalk. Currently, Riverland Road is fully connected via the greenway to Dollar General, Food Lion, and Garden City Boulevard SE as far as Craig Robertson Road SE. However, to reach Dollar General, pedestrians must backtrack using existing sidewalks from the Greenway exit at Bennington Avenue. As a result, many choose to walk along Riverland Road instead. To address this, the Engineering Division has developed a preliminary engineering report for a sidewalk connection between the Greenway exit at 9th Street and the Star Trail parking lot on the south side of Riverland Road. Due to high construction costs associated with steep slopes and multiple utility conflicts, this project will require outside funding, likely through FY27 VDOT Revenue Sharing. During the last regular session, Council approved a modification to the engineering contract for design of the sidewalk connecting the Star Trail Parking lot to the sidewalk that currently terminates at the Dollar General parcel line. This project is 100% funded by the federal funds from the Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) and Highway Infrastructure Plan (HIP). Together these two projects will create a more direct route for pedestrians to reach destinations on the south side of Riverland Road between the Greenway exit at 9th Street and Garden City Boulevard. The Department of Public Works is at 90% design drawings for this final connect and plans to have construction awarded this summer.Evans HouseSeveral residents and representatives of Friends of Washington Park spoke in favor of preserving the historic Caretaker’s Cottage.Report Back:A letter of support has been written on behalf of the Evans House and a grant application is underway.EV Charging StationsVice-Mayor McGuire asked if there is a locally housed map showing the locations of electric vehicle charging stations.Report Back:Mr. Holmes noted that the Virginia Department of Transportation maintains a map of EV charging stations; however, the frequency with which this resource is updated is uncertain. Additionally, City staff are actively developing a Community Resources Map that will integrate publicly available data to provide residents and internal stakeholders with access to a broad range of information. The map will feature interactive tools allowing users to filter by topic, census tract, and other demographic or geographic indicators. As part of this effort, the project team is currently exploring the feasibility of including EV charging stations as a selectable data layer within the platform.Budget ConcernsThe primary budget concerns voiced by residents at the last two Council meetings were related to the school funding formula and the proposed meals tax increase.Report Back:There are public hearings scheduled for tonight’s 7 pm Council meeting regarding the proposed budget generally as well as the proposed Real Estate Tax increase and proposed Prepared Food and Beverage Tax increase. Residents wishing to speak may still sign up through the City Clerk’s Office or in person before tonight’s meeting begins.Concerns about HomelessnessTwo residents raised concerns about the City’s unhoused residents, specifically an increase in the population, and cited challenges with mental health and substance-use disorders.Report Back:While there are many departments and organizations providing services to those experiencing homelessness, the Police Department recently launched the STAR Initiative (Supporting Transition Assistance and Recovery). Led by Officers Bri Dickerson and Jacob Underwood, the outreach team includes representatives from Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, BrightView, Bradley Free Clinic’s HOPE Initiative, The Least of These Ministry, and the Homeless Assistance Team. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the team goes out to encampments to meet with residents and connect them to services.
2. FY 2024 HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant Award – Homeless Assistance Team (HAT).Adopted Ordinance No. 43176-042125. (7-0)
3. FY 2024 HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) Grant Award - Coordinated Assessment System (CAS).Adopted Ordinance No. 43175-042125. (7-0)

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