Leanne Tyler shared a power-point presentation of the fiscal year 2023 operating and capital improvement budget for the Town of Clifton Forge on Tues., May 10 at the Town Hall.
The proposed FY23 operating budget was prepared by Tyler, and the proposed budget, $6,105,271 in addition to the American Rescue Pan (ARPA) funds total $11,955,290.
The breakdown for the proposed budget was presented in three parts, general, water and sewer, and $4,875,790 was for the general category, $5,168,000 for the water and $1,911,500 for sewer.
In other business, Council heard the first readings and public hearing: proposed FY 2022-2023 operating and capital budgets.
Council also heard the reading of an ordinance imposing and levying taxes within the Town of Clifton Forge, Va. upon real property for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023, and upon personal property and machinery and tools for calendar year beginning Jan. 1, 2022 and ending Dec. 31, 2022.
Additionally, Council heard an ordinance to amend Section 86-95, water services charges and fees beginning July 1 and an ordinance to amend “Section 86-556, Wastewater Service Charges and Fees” beginning July 1.
Council considered a resolution for adopting the fiscal year 2022-2023 operating and capital budgets for the Town of Clifton Forge and appropriating the requisite funds for said budgets.
Kristen McConnell, a veteran’s attorney who opened her law office recently in Clifton Forge in order to represent veterans, made a power-point presentation that revealed that there are 192 veterans in the Clifton Forge area and 18.7 million veterans nationwide.
She informed Council that Virginia has the second highest number of veterans of all 50 states with only Alaska having more.
Her presentation noted that she is there to help veterans file for benefits, file disability claims, and help interpret the law that can be confusing and frustrating for veterans to deal with on their own.
She reported that there are now six appeal lanes for veterans whose claims are denied since the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) was passed in 2019.
Following McConnell’s presentation, Jeremy Holmes from the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) spoke to Council to explain the role that RVARC plays in working with towns and cities.
He announced the hiring of Robin Bruns, a resident of Clifton Forge, who will now serve as a local contact for Town Manager Chuck Unroe and the Clifton Forge Town Council. Bruns will communicate with local officials and report local needs, concerns and ideas to Holmes.
Council also heard from Dr. Ronald Goings who reported about the progress that is being made on the consolidation of Alleghany County Public Schools and Covington City Schools.
He noted that 10 candidates have interviewed for the four new school board positions that the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors will select, and he reported that the Alleghany-Covington Dept. of Social Services located at 110 Rosedale Ave. in Covington is hopeful of locating to another facility more conducive for enabling their workers to effectively serve those in need of their assistance, and he revealed that if the Town of Clifton Forge has an appropriate building to accommodate the move that the Alleghany-Covington Dept. of Social Services is willing to move to Clifton Forge.
Council voted 5-0 to accept Martha Edwards’ letter of resignation from the Board of Zoning Appeals that she submitted on April 22.
Another 5-0 vote was taken to permit Clifton Forge Main Street to conduct the downtown market on Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. beginning on June 2 and ending on Sept. 1.
The approved permit also allows for an additional market to operate on Monday, July 4, in front of The Historic Masonic Theatre from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and to use Commercial St. between ACE Hardware and Primis Bank for the market which will require closing the area off by 2:45 p.m. for vendors to set up.
Unroe provided Council with a report about the water leaks that are being repaired, noted that a $50,000 community planning grant to Virginia Housing is being prepared by a grant writer and that EMT job interviews will begin on May 21.
As for the building for which the $50,000 community planning grant is being written, Unroe remarked, “The community will be engaged in the planning, and the community will have a lot of input in what happens to the building.”
Unroe informed Council that the building where the Clifton Forge Health Department is located has been renovated but that due to complications brought about by COVID-19 the plans to move service personnel back into the building that was supposed to happen in May has been delayed until October.
He noted that repairs at the River Road water leak and the leak under the Ridgeway St. Bridge that will require an extended line to avoid shutting water off from three customers is underway.
He praised Leanne Tyler for her work on the budget, and he thanked those who spoke at the meeting for sharing important information.
Unroe also noted that May is Better Hearing & Speech Month and that millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss or speech impediments.
In other actions taken, Council approved by 5-0 votes to accept the minutes from previous meetings on April 12 and on April 26 and for the following departments: Code Enforcement, Police Dept., Public Works, Library, Water Plant and Fire Department.
After each member of Council expressed opinions about ongoing issues such as the selection of school board members and improvements being planned in the Town of Clifton Forge, Council voted 5-0 to adjourn the meeting and move to a closed session.
