AdvanceChristiansburg

I apologize to regular readers for the unplanned hiatus since late February in keeping fresh material posted.  There's been a great deal happening in town government over the last several weeks that's taken considerable focus and time.  I'll use this opportunity to provide updates and insights on the bigger issues we've been dealing with:

1.  FY 2010 Town Budget Approved:  Tough economic times all around, at home and at town hall, but the budget for next year is now approved with no tax increase for town residents.  Highlights for the budget beginning 01 July 09 include prudent capital expenditures; no layoffs but no cost of living increases for town employees; freezing a number of unfilled staff positions and hiring only key council-directed positions like Director of Finance; funding to appropriately launch the aquatic center; and increased bus service for town residents.  This year's budget required the judiciuos use of reserve funds in lieu of further service reductions or tax increases, and a majority of council felt that this was an appropriate time and place to dip into it to get through the tight times we all find ourselves in.  We're all hopeful that recovery will take root and that next year's process will not present the extraordinarily difficult choices that this year's budget presented.  I know the Finance Committee of Council wrestled long and hard with Staff with the choices at hand, as did the rest of Council once the Draft Budgets were presented and reviewed in our two workshop sessions.  It's safe to say that although no one was completely satisfied with the final product, this year's budget is indeed the result of deliberate scrutiny, open and candid discussion, sometimes strong sentiment, and ultimate majority consensus.

Aquatic Center - Although an exact completion date is not defined nor guaranteed by contract, based on the information provided by town staff and the contractor, Council has planned our budget assuming an Opening Day of October 1, 2009.  We all hope that this will be the case.

Increased Bus Service - The response to last fall's Bus Survey to every household in town was extraordinary at 38%.  Typical survey response is 10%, with 20% considered very successful.  Of the 38% respondants, 60% indicated they would use the service.  Based on these results, and a thoroughly planned and attractive opportunity extended by the Blacksburg Transit (77% of the combined capital and operational costs will be state and federal money), the Town budget for 2009-2010 includes $163,000 to extend the bus service within Christiansburg.  If approved by Council, the funds will be used as a local match to provide for eight additional routes and accessibility by every household in town.  This will include four new "short" buses (decorated to the town's liking), a total of eight new program routes including flex service and direct house pickup for call-aheads, extended hours of service (to be established by Council by October), and special event service capabilities (think Downtown Events, Aquatic Center, Harkrader, etc.).  As explained to Council at the special workshop on public transit, the total value of this service is close to $1 M, so it was my opinion that the town and our residents will certainly benefit from the leveraged and cost-effective nature of this opportunity.  With many folks considering their transportation options from either an economic or ideological standpoint, this opportunity would provide a very real and cost-effective choice for the future.

Huckleberry Trail - Hot off the Press - Our 2009 Transportation Enhancement funding application was successful this year (hooray!) in the amount of $165,000.  Needless to say, this is outstanding.  Although this is not enough to extend the trail over Route 114 given the present budget, this will be enough to extend the trail to Route 114 and provide seed money for the bridge.  This funding will be available in the form of cash on October 1, 2009.  This will be combined with dedicated private match money, donated materials, and possible use of town forces for construction assistance to extend the project as far as possible.  Additonal dedicated funding is also being sought to keep the project moving, and updates on this will continue to be posted on this site.  The good news is that we will see construciton progress on this in 2009.     

Route 114 - Unfortunately Phase II of the Route 114 project (the widening from the present construction project limits into North Franklin Street) is not expected to be funded with Stimulus (ARRA) money.  The outlook from VDOT is equally bleak with all future urban allocations being further reduced to federal money only -- the state has adopted its new Six Year Improvement Plan that now offers NO money to localities for new projects over the next six years.  This is really crummy and needs to change.  So the Town's number one priority project continues to stay on the backburner, if it's on one at all, due to a lack of state funding.

Flooding -  Many areas of town received rainfall two weeks ago of between 4.5" and 6.25" in a predominately three-hour timeframe.  This is extraordinary by any measure, and by some federal metrics for intensity exceeded a storm that has a 0.1% (or 1 in a thousand) likelihood of occuring in any given year.  The town staff, and council members, have been hearing from numerous residents about the aftermath of this storm and we are working diligently to address these concerns and help out where possible.  This topic will be more thoroughly discussed as needs are addressed, information is gathered, and future decisions are made. 

Hope this is helpful.      

There've been some noticeable changes in the tenor and appearance of the Christiansburg Police Department under the leadership of Mark Sisson and the key staff that he has assembled since 2007.  For some time the town has a well-earned reputation as a no-fly zone for drugs and alcohol, and overall law enforcement.  What's different now is an increased emphasis on Community Based Policing, and the progress is evident.  Increased bicycle and foot patrols, community engagement for safe rides home, enforcement of internet crimes including child pornography and fraud, public relations and community-engaging activities, ability to identify and locate missing persons (especially children, seniors, and those with advanced dementia or Alzheimers), and now, as indicated by the below press release provided by Lt. Randy Bonds, a bicycle-theft program.  I don't have a background or family history in law enforcement, but I do recognize the value of such efforts in the overall health, safety, and sense of security within our community.  Sort of reminds me of the adage, "I don't care how much you know, until I know how much you care."  And so, hats off to the new face of the Department and to the measures they are taking to demonstrate to the community that we're not just a town that enforces laws, but that we care about our people's daily lives.        

PRESS RELEASE:

Beginning March 1st, 2009 the Christiansburg Police Department will be doing bicycle registrations. This registration includes placing a serial number somewhere on the bicycle, and filling out a registration form. Citizens may bring their bicycles by the Christiansburg Police Department to have the serial numbers placed on them, or they can stop in the Department and pick up the form and serial number and return the form at their convenience. The Department is also offering free bicycle helmets for children and teenagers.

Also in March the Christiansburg Police Department will be conducting a traffic safety initiative to focus on traffic enforcement in heavily traveled residential neighborhoods. The initiative, “Biking the Backstreets”, will be utilized primarily by officers that are part of the agency’s bike patrol program (weather permitting).

The following are a few updates:

1.  Public Meeting Notices - One of the more important aspects of the new town website is making it easy for folks to be aware of all public meetings (Council, Committees, and Commissions), events, etc. throughout the town.  One mechanism for doing this is keeping the Community Calendar updated, which we will continue to do.  Another feature is the "Notify Me" button on the Homepage Screen.  This is part of the E-Notification and allows interested individuals to register to receive e-mail notices of public meetings, agendas, and other events including recreation department.  Additionally, folks who register to receive Agendas are also provided with notification of recently approved Minutes (the main website has archived minutes for older meetings).  Some folks will undoubtably prefer to continue receiving hard-copy agendas via US Mail (and this will continue to be an option), but we are hoping that E-Notification will become a mainstay for public notice and will reduce the use/costs of paper products and postage over the long haul.  So please consider registering for this online, and if you would like assistance, please contact the Town Clerk.  We will be adding to the list of E-Notifications as we go along.

 2.  Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities - The Town's Street Committee (Councilman VanHoozier and myself) has been studying the Town's Recreation Master Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and some map information with the hope of advancing bike/ped projects.  We are considering a wide variety of funding sources and mechanisms to develop a list of prioritized projects that are cost-effective (funded partially or entirely with grant money), and can be recommended to the full council as actual projects.  Our standing Street Committee Meetings are the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00p in the Town Manager's office (or adjacent conference room if attandence dictates); feel free to attend and observe.  More updates on this as it takes shape.

3.  Stimulus Package Opportunities - Since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law last week, we are now looking for ways to accelerate candidate projects including Route 114-Phase II, the Huckleberry Trail Extension, and other potential projects (including possible bike/ped projects to sieve out from Item 2 above).

4.  Curbside Recycling -  At council's 03 Feb 09 meeting, a town staff report on curbside recycling was distributed to council members for review and consideration.  The report was based on research from other localities, available town resources (trucks and personnel), existing trash collection schedules and routes, and anticipated costs.  Numerous avenues exist for the town to actively lead this effort, each with its related costs and benefits.  The distillate of this report were three options ranging from a pilot program that would begin with recyclable pickup in limited sector of the town on a day when only three of the town's four trash trucks are being used, to the purchase of two new trucks and comprehensive town-wide collection. 

I usually avoid speaking for others on council, but I will note here that conversations with others on curbside recycling has been positive and I believe the interest is there to see a successful program be established in town. 

At our most recent meeting (17 Feb 09), Jeremy Hart of Valley Curbside Recycling (VCR) provided council with an update of where his new business is at in building a private program to meet this need.  Mr. Hart explained that VCR has already gotten traction in a pilot sector of town with 860 homes and several dozen customers, and has plans to expand the company's program to all town residents.  VCR's monthly rates are very reasonable at $12.50 to $15.00/month depending on the length of contract.  VCR's business model also includes incentives for Street Coordinators who sign up new customers.  And so, it appears the town has a capable and committed venture that's taking root that would not only fill an important community need, but also provide job and business expansion opportunities.  Following Mr. Hart's presentation, council deliberated on the staff report and on VCR's presentation.  The essence of this discussion, as I perceived it, was that there is interest by council to support recycling and that time and support should be provided to VCR (and others if they step forward) to fill this need for the next 12 months.  Council will then gauge the success of this approach and consider options at that time to meet the needs of our community.

As an aside, I learned on Tuesday that VCR's expanded service area now includes our neighborhood ... so we've signed up to support this in earnest.  I fully encourage others to do the same.  Based on the numbers, VCR is offering a deal to those who want to participate (likely the same folks who would actually participate if this was a town-led initiative).  Government's role should be providing services that folks generally can't do themselves, so my hope is that the private sector can show us it can be done better/faster/cheaper.  My fingers are crossed for good luck, and the larger context is that recycling seems to be growing roots in town.  This is a good thing.        

The Town Website Committee met for the last time before launch on Tuesday 20 Jan 09.  At this meeting, a punch list of finishing touches was developed and a launch date of next Friday 30 Jan 09 was established.  This effort represents a big step in open and accessible town government, and has been developed with the full support of Council with the goal of informing town residents, existing and potential business, and visitors with the activities, public meetings and information, and amenities that are available within the Town.  The Website Committee is comprised of two Town Staff Members (Adam Carpenetti and Nichole Hair), one Citizen Member (Kim Weitkamp), Mayor Ballengee and myself.  The Committee and the Council realize that the new website is a living project; a plan and commitment is in place to see that the website is not only maintained with current and useful information, but continues to grow.  A few highlights of the new website are as follows:

1.  Pulldown Menus for 'Living In', 'Doing Business In', and 'Visiting' Christiansburg

2.  Town Code, Comprehensive Plan, and Budget (Town Code is being reviewed and updated by end of 2009)

3.  Community Calendar (Public Meetings, Recreation, Emergency Services, etc.)

4.  E-Notifications (on-line registration for citizens to be notified of a variety of activities)

5.  Wide variety of downloadable documents, forms, applications, etc.

6.  Meeting Agendas and Minutes for Council and Planning Commission

The effort to reach next week's launch date has been significant, and by this time in 2010 it is likely that the amount of information available will double.  The point here is that a website is never really "complete" since it should always be evolving and becoming more useful, but at this time we should celebrate the step of progress that this represents for the Town. 

As we usher in the new year, and slightly beyond the mid-point of my first term on council, it's a good time for a reality check on some of the current and anticipated issues that we will be dealing with in 2009.  The following is a list of key opportunities and challenges (as I see them) that will take center stage over the next twelve months in town affairs; they're in no particular order and are provided simply for review, edification, and comment:

1.  The Aquatic Center - Getting the new Aquatic Center up and running - financially and programmatically - is perhaps the single biggest issue we will deal with this year.  The majority of planning and funding for the facility took place by 2004.  The anticipated completion date of April 2008 may still be ambitious, but it will most certainly come on line this year with both anticipation and sentiment resonating throughout the community.  Our focus now is making sure that a firm and comprehensive business plan is in place before budget discussions for FY 2009-2010 begin in the Spring, and that every angle and opportunity is explored to ensure that it is both a successful launch and a successfully-sustained program.  In the immediate future on this project, our next regular council meeting on Tue 06 Jan 09 includes a Public Hearing for the Town's Contract with Virginia Tech.

2.  Route 114 Widening -  A contract for Phase I of the Route 114 Widening Project is presently in the works between VDOT and Branch Highways of Roanoke.  This work will begin in March 2009.  As previously discussed, this first phase will take up to three construction seasons (years) to complete and will widen 0.6 miles of Route 114 from two lanes to five lanes beginning at the western corporate limits (near Dominion Drive) and ending near the Schewels Furniture store.  The remainder of the widening (Phase II) that will complete the project into North Franklin Street near the NRV Mall, is effectively unfunded for construction and presently has no realistic funding stream to even guess as to when the project might be built.  There is confidence that the Comprehensive Economic Stimulus Package that the new Congress and incoming President are working on will infuse somewhere between $60B and $250B into ready-to-go construction projects and we are working diligently with VDOT to see that the $12 - $15M necessary for Phase II can be programmed as part of this package.

3.  New Town Website -  To be launched in January 2009, and will go a long way toward open, accessible and responsive town government. 

4.  Huckleberry Trail Extension toward the Recreation Center - Hopefully will receive Federal Transportation Enhancement Funding in Spring 2009 and go to construction shortly thereafter.  The Federal Stimulus Program may also benefit and accelerate this project to the downtown area; we are also tracking this emerging opportunity through the Planning District Commission and VDOT. 

5.  Recycling - The time has come to expand recycling efforts within the Town and I am hopeful, actually confident, that we will make significant progress in this area as well during 2009.  It is well-documented that any townwide, curbside collection program will be a net cost to the Town, but it is hopeful that by Summer 2009 we will have a meaningful and cost-effective plan in place that will provide residence-based recycling within the town.

6.  Town Code - Updating the Town Code and making it more accessible.  During the development of the Town's new website, it became apparent that the accuracy and accessibility of the present Town Code needs attention.  Previous budgets have included funding to accomplish this work by an outside vendor (legal and digital overhaul).  The Website Committee directed the staff in October to advance this initiative as well and it is hopeful that this will be done.  For the time being, the new town website will include the entire Town Code in .pdf form, and downloadable by chapters. 

Of course these are only my personal opinions, but as 2009 rolls out these are a few of the highlights that I anticipate and will be providing updates on.