A Positive Start

This month marks the halfway point of my current one-year term on Staunton City Council and I want to take an opportunity to look back and reflect on the experience, while also sharing what’s next as we work toward a full 4-year term on Council for the upcoming November 2024 General Election. 

The past six months have been rewarding, educational, and positive. It has been a pleasure to work together with my fellow Council members. Despite our diverse visions and approaches, it is clear that we are all working toward what we believe is best for Staunton and its residents. These very differences are what allow each of us to bring unique strengths and perspectives to meeting the challenges of city government.

In this position, I have had increased opportunities to collaborate with our city staff, and I cannot speak highly enough of them. Working closely with them on the day-to-day operations and long-term needs of the city has given me even more appreciation for all that they do and the variety and intricacies of their responsibilities. Over the past several months, our city staff has strengthened and continues to do so, upgrading its ability to deliver city services and meet the needs of our residents. Our city manager’s office is now fully staffed, and we have new leadership in important departments, including Tourism, Community Development, Public Works, and (soon) Economic Development. 

Progress on Juvenile & Domestic Relations (J&DR) Courts Project

Council and city staff’s most significant accomplishment is the successful advancement of our new J&DR Courts project. Through plan approval, contract acceptance, and funding acquisition, the city has kept this important public investment on schedule. Construction is now underway and the project is on schedule for the planned Fall 2025 opening. With the city’s planning and Council’s guidance, this major undertaking will deliver a generational investment to Staunton’s West End. It will meet the current and future needs of Staunton’s courts within our city budget, while saving the city millions of dollars in future interest payments by issuing a 15-year bond rather than a longer-term obligation.  

The FY 2025 Budget

Going into effect next month, the city has developed and approved a FY25 budget that balances city needs and fiscal responsibility. The budget process identified and evaluated necessary increases in water, sewer, and stormwater fees to ensure the operational costs of these utilities are met and to provide the foundation to address required capital projects in the coming years. The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a separate document within the budget that lays out five years of planned expenditure for city capital projects. It includes designated reserves to which funds are added each year for realizing targeted future projects. Current reserve categories include pedestrian improvements, greenway development, parks and recreation facilities, the library, and the West End and Uniontown revitalization. Staff has recently adjusted the city’s investment strategies of these reserves to take advantage of current financial conditions, generating higher interest returns. This additional revenue improves budget flexibility and provides options for expediting project delivery.

New Zoning for Uniontown

We have accomplished the initial action item from the Uniontown Neighborhood Plan, establishing a new residential zoning district that meets the characteristics and needs of the community. Council approved the rezoning of Uniontown to the Traditional Residential Development (TRD-1) District last month. This brings the residential community into zoning compliance, eliminating long-term obstacles preventing property owners from improving and investing in their properties. There has been enormous positive momentum in bringing back this historic neighborhood. But it is critical that we resist the inertia of self-congratulation and capitalize on this momentum to bring critically needed utility services to the taxpayers of this community. The city must be proactive and opportunistic in the design and funding of these utility improvements to continue the revitalization of Uniontown

New Engagement and Communications Manager Position

These accomplishments over the past several months have been accompanied by increased public awareness and improved opportunities for public engagement. Josh Knight, our city’s new Engagement and Communications Manager, began his duties in January 2024. I believe he has been doing an exceptional job enhancing city government’s social media presence and using these platforms to streamline the community’s access to timely information. He has worked closely with our Department of Community Development on a successful public engagement campaign to support the ongoing West End Revitalization Study with public input and feedback. Through in-person open house events, interactive community workshops, and online public surveys, the city has engaged with approximately 300 study participants, resulting in more than 1,300 public comments to assist in developing the vision, goals, and action items that will improve the quality of life in our long-overlooked West End.  

A Comprehensive Plan for the Next Five Years

After my swearing-in to the Council last December, I was excited to be able to maintain my involvement with our Planning Commission by now serving as City Council Liaison. The City Comprehensive Plan is a state-mandated 20-year planning document focusing on existing conditions, demographics, development trends, and future assumptions to generate recommendations for implementing the city’s vision moving forward. The Comprehensive Plan must be revisited or updated every five years. The Planning Commission and Community Development Department are in the process of establishing the committee that will lead this effort over the next 18 months, starting this summer. The goal of this update is a more refined and focused Comprehensive Plan that clearly defines action items–absent from the current plan–to accomplish the city’s objectives. Public input will be a critical component of this update, driving its vision, development, and implementation, and resulting in a final product that is approachable and conveys where the city is headed and how it will get there. I am excited to be a part of this vital process.

It has been a privilege to serve as a member of City Council, and I look forward to building from this positive start. I consider this one-year term a tremendous opportunity to prepare and continue to build community relationships to earn your trust to serve the City of Staunton for a full 4-year term. I am excited to continue to work together to deliver on the needs of our city and our residents. Look for more upcoming newsletters addressing specific topics and opportunities to share your voice, as we strive to make Staunton the best it can be for all within our community.