City Council

409 S. Main Street City of Harrisonburg Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Meeting Minutes - Final City Council Tuesday, April 22, 2025 7:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Roll Call Present: 5- Mayor Deanna R. Reed, Vice-Mayor Dany Fleming, Council Member Laura Dent, Council Member Nasser Alsaadun and Council Member Monica Robinson Also Present: 5- City Manager Ande Banks, City Attorney Chris Brown, City Clerk Pam Ulmer, Deputy Police Chief Rod Pollard and Chief Matthew Tobia 2. Invocation Mayor Reed offered a moment of silence 3. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Reed led the Pledge of Allegiance 4. Special Recognition 4.a. Proclamation recognizing May 11, 2025, as Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day Council Member Dent presented the proclamation to John Semisa recognizing May 11, 2025, as Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day. 4.b. Proclamation recognizing Building Safety Month - May 2025 Vice Mayor Fleming presented the proclamation to Adam Fletcher, director of Community Development, Michael Williams, Building Official, and Melinda Meadows, Senior Permit Technician recognizing May 2025 as Building Safety Month. 4.c. Proclamation recognizing May 4th, 2025 as International Firefighters Day Mayor Reed presented the proclamation to Matthew Tobia, chief, Harrisonburg Fire Department, recognizing May 4th, 2025, as International Firefighters Day. 4.d. Proclamation recognizing the 56th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week May 4 - May 10, 2025 Mayor Reed presented the proclamation to Pamela Ulmer, city clerk, recognizing May 4 to May 10, 2025, as the 56th Annual Professional Municipal Clerk’s Week. Mayor Reed also recognized the attendance of the Harrisonburg Boy Scout Troop 40. City of Harrisonburg Page 1 Printed on 5/27/2025 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 22, 2025 5. Consent Agenda (any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and taken up as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of Council, otherwise all items will be voted on with one (1) motion) A motion was made by Council Member Dent, seconded by Council Member Robinson, to approve the consent agenda as presented. The motion carried with a roll call vote as follows: Yes: 5- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming, Council Member Dent, Council Member Alsaadun and Council Member Robinson No: 0 5.a. Minutes from the April 8, 2025 City Council Meeting 5.c. Consider a request from Divine Unity Community Church to rezone 1680 Country Club Road This rezoning request was approved on second reading 5.d. Consider a request from James A. Herr to rezone 532 Hawkins Street This rezoning request was approved on second reading 5.e. Consider a request from Cat’s Cradle of the Shenandoah Valley, Inc. to amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow pet adoptions in B-1 This ordinance amendment was approved on second reading 5.f. Consider a supplemental appropriation for the General Capital Projects Fund This supplemental appropriation was approved on second reading 6. Public Hearings 7. Regular Items 7.a. Consider a refund for a portion of the 2025 Business Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax for one business. Chris Brown, city attorney, presented a request for a refund of the 2025 Business Professional and Occupational License tax. He stated the business was sold in late February 2025. He stated the refund request is in the amount of $26,301.77. A motion was made by Council Member Dent, seconded by Council Member Robinson, to approve the request as presented. The motion carried with a roll call vote as follows: Yes: 5- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming, Council Member Dent, Council Member Alsaadun and Council Member Robinson No: 0 City of Harrisonburg Page 2 Printed on 5/27/2025 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 22, 2025 7.b. Consider a request from Janis Brown Enterprises LLC to rezone two parcels addressed as 1211 and 1231 Smithland Road Adam Fletcher, director of Community Development, presented the changes made to this rezoning request since the April 11, 2025, City Council meeting. He reviewed the land use guide for the area, changes in the proffers submitted, and the most recent layout. He stated staff and Planning Commission (3-2) recommend denial originally. However, staff is now recommending approval with the understanding that: ·There remains some uncertainty with the street network and design. · At this time, the City is not offering support for known or unknown variances without further information during the preliminary platting process. Discussion took place regarding the street stubs and potential shared use path; the work the developer and staff had done to reach an agreement; concerns of the surrounding property owners. A motion was made by Council Member Dent, seconded by Vice-Mayor Fleming, that this PH-Rezoning be approved. The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote taken as follows: Yes: 5- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming, Council Member Dent, Council Member Alsaadun and Council Member Robinson No: 0 7.c. Consider nominations for the Virginia Municipal League (VML) Policy Committees 2025 Discussion took place regarding the appointments to the Virginia Municipal League Committees. No one was appointed to the Finance Committee. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to appoint Council Member Robinson to the Community & Economic Development. The motion carried a unanimous voice vote. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Dent, to appoint Chris Brown, city attorney, to the General Laws Committee. The motion carried a unanimous voice vote. A motion was made by Council Member Robinson, seconded by Council Member Dent, to appoint Council Member Alsaadun to the Human Development and Education Committee. The motion carried a unanimous voice vote. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to appoint Council Member Dent to the Infrastructure Committee. The motion carried a unanimous voice vote. A motion was made by Council Member Dent, seconded by Council Member Robinson, to appoint Vice Mayor Fleming Dent to the Infrastructure Committee. The motion carried a City of Harrisonburg Page 3 Printed on 5/27/2025 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 22, 2025 unanimous voice vote. 8. Other Matters 8.a. Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not on the regular agenda. (Name and address are required) Candy Phillips, executive director, First Step, provided information as to the purpose of the organization, and noted they answered 644 hotline calls, served 223 adults and 52 children who are survivors of domestic violence, and sheltered 56 adults and 47 children. She stated the city’s Community Contributions funding is greatly appreciated. Council thanked Ms. Phillips for all the great work that they do for the people in the community. 8.b. City Council and Staff Vice Mayor Fleming spoke on his participation in the Chesapeake Watershed Tour; his throwing the first pitch for the Harrisonburg Little League; and his attendance at the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce awards event. He stated Jack Smith, former teacher and coach, for over 40 years passed. Council Member Robinson spoke on her attendance to the Renew Rocktown birthday celebration; and the upcoming Earth Day Service on April 27, 2025, at 9am at the Turner Pavillion. Council Member Dent spoke on our 2nd place recognition in the Strong Towns competition; the Goodwill ribbon cutting; the upcoming VDOT 6th year Improvement Program at BRCC on May 15th, 2025; her attendance at the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce awards event; her attendance at the Renew Rocktown birthday celebration; Council Member Alsaadun spoke on an event he attended at Eastern Mennonite School related to immigrants; his attendance to the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce awards event; his attendance to a Poverty Simulation by Mary Baldwin University; the recent Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) meeting; Mayor Reed spoke on exam week and upcoming graduations; the Goodwill ribbon cutting; her attendance at the Pilot Club conference and the Meeting Planners International conference at Hotel Madison; she wished Vice Mayor Fleming a happy belated birthday; and she recognized Mr. Ande Banks for receiving the Credentialed Manager certification through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Ande Banks, city manager, shared his appreciation to all the bus drivers in the city for National School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day. City of Harrisonburg Page 4 Printed on 5/27/2025 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final April 22, 2025 9. Boards and Commissions 9.a. Tree Advisory Board A motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Dent to appoint Catherine Strickler and William Howe to the Tree Advisory Board to first terms to expire on April 22, 2028. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote: 10. Closed Session 10.a. Closed Session as authorized by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A), under: Subsection 3 for the discussion of the disposition of publicly held real property and; At 8:04 p.m., a motion was made by Council Member Robinson, to enter into closed session as authorized by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A), under: Subsection 3 for the discussion of the disposition of publicly held real property. The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote taken as follows: Yes: 5- Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming, Council Member Dent, Council Member Alsaadun and Council Member Robinson No: 0 11. Adjournment At 8:51 p.m. the closed session ended and the regular session reconvened. City Attorney Brown read the following statement, which was agreed to with a unanimous recorded vote of Council: I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge (1) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under Chapter 37 of Title 2.2 of the Code, of Virginia, 1950, as amended, and (2) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed or considered in the closed meeting by the City Council. At 8:51 p.m., there being no further business and on motion adopted, the meeting was adjourned. ________________________ ________________________ CITY CLERK MAYOR City of Harrisonburg Page 5 Printed on 5/27/2025