This upcoming week has three government meetings citizens would do well to attend. Several have unstated, subtle yet sizable cost to taxpayers embedded within agenda items.
On Monday, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will have a closed session that includes discussing property acquisition for the courthouse and government center. Most county citizens probably have some awareness about the courthouse project, yet little is currently known about plans for the government center. This continues discussions which have been on the agenda for closed session fairly regularly over the past 3 to 6 months, and appears to involve something the Christiansburg Town Council will be holding a Public Hearing for on Jan. 6th. A regular session begins at 7:15 pm, and includes another Christiansburg related item for a boundary line adjustment for 153 acres located along Buffalo and Mud Pike Roads. The town already approved subdivision plans to allow 59 single family homes on this property. When the new middle school was being built adjacent to this property, there was a high level of concern about these roads (College, Moose and Buffalo) being narrow and transporting students on buses or seeing increased young walkers present. The area intersections are configured oddly and have seen greatly increased traffic due to the new school, Harkrader Sports Complex, and residential development already present when the new CMS opened in 2003. These roads have not been improved, however, and there are still no sidewalks so pedestrians are forced to the road. The Board's full agenda can be viewed here, but be forewarned -- even though it was provided by the County, it has an incorrect date listed -- and these meetings are at the Government Center, 2nd Floor.
Also on Monday, Christiansburg's Planning Commission will meet at 4 pm in the Town Hall and pick up discussions on Chapter 3 - Advertising. Previously, focused on providing better definitions for interpreting code relative to marquee and roof signs, council's appointed liaison to this public body, Ann Carter, wanted digital signs regulated when the "hood was already open" instead of further delaying this element of the code.
On Tuesday, Christiansburg Town Council will have its Public Hearing on the aforementioned boundary line adjustment with the county "and potentially an additional approximately 15 acres." Not sure why this was added by the town since the Supervisor's haven't addressed it yet, but this "potential" discussion relates to property that involves a revenue sharing agreement for future taxes and is relative to a developer's denied rezoning by the county. Another Citizen Hearing will be held to obtain comments on the Planning Commission's recommendation from the meeting it holds on Monday. Additionally, comments may be made relative to the town's amending its Erosion and Sediment Control ordinance, required for compliance to minimum State standards. The Mayor's recommendations for appointments to the Aquatic Center Advisory Commission and two items from the Street Committee are also scheduled. Council's full agenda can be read here. And, yes -- this agenda was again provided a minimum of three (3) business days in advance of the meeting.