The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) – Mr. Irvine, Mayor of Clifton Forge, called to order the last council meeting of 2024 on December 10, 2024 promptly at 7pm with a full agenda planned for discussion. Several residents and business owners in attendance were anticipating the announcement for the winner of the storefront decorating contest and Mayor Irvine was excited to present the award to the owner of Depot on Main, Betsy Rogers. In accepting the award, Mrs. Rogers stated that she would use the monetary award to establish a new booth within the Depot called “The Give Back Booth” to offer an opportunity for local businesses and residents a way to give back locally.
Susan Hammond, Resident Engineer for VDOT, presented promising updates regarding new projects. She also announced a reimbursement to the town of approximately $830,000 for roadway improvements from the Urban Maintenance Program. She then spoke on possible collaboration with the town that would allow for rehabilitation projects on several bridges to be funded by the state.
Several ordinances and resolutions were read, considered, and accepted at the meeting. First, the council was able to approve the ordinance to initiate a vacant building registry. Also approved was an ordinance to allow the rezoning of Jefferson School Building which will allow for new business renovations and upgrades. A first reading of an ordinance that would provide property tax relief for widows of fallen officers to also include widows of all first responders.
Also approved was an important resolution to address current property tax bills for the town of where the original bills were not issued with the appropriate assessment values and needed to be reprinted. After working to collect the correct assessed value, new tickets needed to be printed and mailed. To avoid penalties for all residents, the Clifton Forge Town Council approved the measure to postpone personal property tax deadlines until February 5, 2025. No penalties or interest will accrue as long as the payment is made on or before February 5th. Anyone who has previously paid before the problem was identified is eligible for a refund. New tax bills should be received by Clifton Forge residents within the next couple of weeks.
Bill Atherholt then presented a gift of appreciation to each member of the council to celebrate their efforts of support during the unforgettable and moving demonstration of the Wall that Heals which visited the area in October. Each member of the council expressed their own heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Atherholt for his hard work and the privilege it was to be a part of the event.
Chuck Unroe, Town Manager, then gave an exciting update regarding new system upgrades and possible collaborations for the upcoming new year. First, the town, has chosen a new software package from Edmunds that will streamline financing for the town, allow for ease of access to billing and online payments for residents, and also offer online access for payroll management of town employees. The transition to the new software will take 12-15 months but will offer faster, more accurate service for area residents. He then explained several waterline projects are in progress and moving according to schedule. Unroe praised the public works department, indicating they had been working hard to decorate the town, been supportive of several town events, and had been dealing with several water leaks recently. He also announced two new police officers that will hopefully be on duty in the town by Spring 2025. Finally update regarded a new opportunity for Clifton Forge to be part of a study that will focus on the vacant and debilitated structures and research the best way to move forward. It will involve several redevelopment workshops with residents and stakeholders to be included. The results of the study will indicate the areas with the highest level of need and allow data to be integrated into decision-making processes. The goal of the study would be to engage in redevelopment and revitalization and have those identified needs funded by state programs and not the locality. Unroe encouraged the citizens that they had worked hard in 2024 but that the work would result in very hopeful changes as we move into a new year in 2025.
In public comment, Ann Foster highlighted the controversial cancellation of the 2024 Clifton Forge Christmas Parade. She suggested that the Main Street organization should offer a make-up date during planning that would offer more flexibility in the coming years. Mrs. Foster also spoke of the possibility of a new parade but with limited days left before Christmas, scheduling a new parade seemed like too large of a task.
Lastly, in council comments Debbie Laudermilk praised the town for so many beautiful opportunities to enjoy holiday decorations and lights. Between storefronts, Clifton Forge School of the Arts, and the Sensory Trail, the town is full of holiday spirit. Laudermilk went on to speak about how many residents go out of the area to seek holiday attractions and she pleaded with the audience to “Stay here. Come see the lights and support the community.” Council members encouraged everyone to enjoy the remaining events around town for the holidays and wished everyone a safe and memorable season. The next council meeting will be held on January 9, 2025 at 7pm.
