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Monthly Archives: May 2009

A Little Used Source of Revenue for the Town & Controlling Storm Water, Pollution Issues

20 May

(This is a duplicate of http://depotdazed.com – it you’re looking for additional comments, look there.)

Section 10 of the Town Code, even the shortened version on the Town’s website has some interesting information on how the Town could raise revenue without raising taxes.

It is something called Codes Enforcement. From Sec.10-11 (e) of the Town Code:

(e) In addition to any criminal penalties provided under this chapter, any person who violates any provision of this chapter may be liable to the Town in a civil action for damages. The civil penalty for one such violation shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) except that the civil penalty for commencement of a land disturbing activity without an approved plan shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Each day during which the violation is found to have existed shall constitute a separate offense. In no event shall a series of specified violations arising out of the same operative set of facts result in civil penalties which  exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000.00), except that a series of violations arising from the commencement of landdisturbing activities without an approved plan for any site may result in a civil penalty of not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00). Pursuit of a civil penalty may be in lieu of criminal prosecution. The following schedule, which is nonexclusive, of specific additional violations, with the prescribed civil penalty, shall also be in force:

  • Failure to properly install and maintain perimeter controls . . . $100.00 per violation per day
  • Failure to properly install and maintain temporary stone construction entrance . .$100.00 per violation per day
  • Sediment or debris transported onto paved public road by vehicular traffic or runoff . . .$100.00 per violation per day
  • Failure to install and maintain storm drain inlet protection . . . $100.00 per violation per day
  • Failure to install and maintain storm drain outlet protection . . . $100.00 per violation per day
  • Failure to install and maintain vegetative, structural, or any other measure as specified in the minimum standards . . . $100.00 per violation per day
  • Failure to seed and mulch disturbed areas within fourteen (14) days of notice to comply .. . $100.00 per violation per day

When I first saw this, my immediate response was “Good grief, we could pay for the Aquatic Center in less than 2 years if all of this was enforced (given the number of observed and reported violations I’m aware of and how long they have been going on). But, you have take into account cost of staff to handle this. So, okay, 5 years to pay off the Aquatic Center.

There are areas where they have gone to the General Assembly to create ways to utilize volunteers to help make this type of enforcement occur:

§ 15.2-1132. Volunteer property maintenance and zoning inspectors in certain cities.

The Cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Richmond and Virginia Beach may provide that the agency charged with the enforcement of local ordinances adopted pursuant to §§ 15.2-901, 15.2-903, 15.2-904, 15.2-905 and 15.2-908 or city charter relating to the external maintenance of property or local zoning ordinances relating to motor vehicles or trailers as defined in § 46.2-100 may utilize supervised, trained and qualified volunteers to issue notices of noncompliance with such ordinances. Such volunteers shall have any and all immunity provided to an employee of the locality doing an identical job.

(Acts 2000, c. 673; 2002, cc. 31, 451; 2005, cc. 265, 318.)

What a great way to make sure that all of the area is covered! Oh, and that reduces expesnses so now we could pay for the Aquatic Center is maybe 3 years. Remember though that this is only one small section where such violations exist.

(To the person who suggested I be a write in candidate for Mayor: You wouldn’t want that to happen unless you wanted to see stuff like this developed with the Town of Christiansburg.)

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Posted by on May 20, 2009 in Environment, Land Use, Your Tax Money

 

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Stormwater Management Ordinances for Town of Christiansburg are MIA

19 May

I have dropped a lot of hints to see if people would look but nobody has mentioned anything yet. The Town of Christiansburg has posted the Town’s Code on its new and improved website.

At the webpage you will find options to be able to see or download individual chapter or the overall ordinance. Funny thing is that (I haven’t finished the line-by line analysis yet) in the individual Chapters there is a Chapter 10 Erosion and Sediment Control. It is a 14 page .pdf document.

Now, if you go to the full copy of the Code, Chapter 10 is titled: Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management. It is 47 pages long and broken down into 3 sections. These sections are: Article I. Erosion and Sediment Control, Article II. Stormwater Management, Article III. Illicit Discharge.

Maybe that is what was meant by the State of Virginia directive that the Town must update it’s Storm Water Management section of the Town Code. Maybe it was to remove it from visibility in order to be able to ignore it more effectively. Maybe the Town is actually working on the updates, but such a note should be found. Where is this update that was ordered? If the codes were out of complaince was that a significant part of why all of the flooding occurred.

What happened here was what is known as Urban Flooding, Flooding due to increases in impervious surfaces and sections of disturbed land surface. T he same amount of water fall would NOT have had the same impact 5 or 10 years ago.

I can just see the new real estate ads now: Free Personal Flotation Devices with Every Home Purchase!

New photos on myvaresources.com. Check ‘em out!

This omission in the Codes would be funny if the very thing that got me started on this whole process had not been the fact that I raised an issue on parking and was told I had no standing. To prove the point, I was provided a copy of the relevant State Code that did show that I had no standing. Unfortunately, the copy I was given was not complete. I went to the actual State Code and found that the lines that were omitted clearly stated that I did have standing and my request was valid. Once someone lies to me I never believe that person again without checking out what that person said. In this case the person was the Town of Christiansburg. Over time, they have proven that my beliefs were well founded.

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Posted by on May 19, 2009 in Citizen Participation, Land Use

 

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The Town Manager’s Learning Curve, or What another lie or bad information?

19 May

The Town Manager of Christiansburg was heard to say that he had been told by the National Weather Service that Christiansburg recently suffered what was more than a 1000 year flood. 1000 year event classification per National Weather Service is 4 1/4″ in 3 hours is 1000 year storm; 6 1/2″ in 3 hours. First off, try to find any reference to a “thousand year flood”. You will find a few but these are floods where hundreds of acers are flooded. You will not find it a definition of this ‘concept’ anywhere online. A phone call to the National Weather Service will yield that there is no such set standard for inches of rainfall in a specific timeframe to determine flood events.

Wikipedia does have informtion on the 100 year flood: A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any single year. Based on the expected flood water level, a predicted area of inundation can be mapped out. This floodplain map figures very importantly in building permits, environmental regulations, and flood insurance.

First, let me point out a few little details that the Town Manager may want to check out:
1. the National Flood Insurance Program has copies of current flood plain maps available online. More of that nasty Freedom of Information, Empowering Citizens junk:) Just looking at the section in Cambria, if this most recent rainfall would have met the criteria for a 100 year (much less than a 1000 year flood) businesses on both sides of Crab Creek along Cambria and Depot Streets would have been flooded, including some of those on the far side of Depot. The railroad tracks would have been underwater. All of those areas on the opposite side of the track from the Depot would have been underwater.
2.A Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service in Blacksburg VA notes unofficial precipitation totals for a 15 hour period ending at 8 AM Friday and shows the Christiansburg level at 2.37″. Having been in the Cambria area, I would argue that it was closer to a 4″ rainfall there, and there was one report of over six inches there from a source who had positioned a personal rainguage in a location where the level was compromised by flow from a roof.
3. A local Storm Report from National Weather Service Blacksburg, VA notes that there was a flash flood on North Franklin Street at Spradlin Farms that closed the road due to high water reaching a depth of 3 feet. Road was re-oped around 4:00 AM (What creeks are there in Spradlin Farm area? Shouldn’t that be high and dry if storm water management is adequate?)
4. At 2:40 AM the National Weather Service Blacksburg, VA released a flash flood advisory reporting flash flooding all across the town. (Flooding should be the result of water having no place to go. If there is more water trying to go into the same location, a phenomenon that occurs when you significantly increase the amount of impervious surface without upgrading stormwater management features to accomodate that flow.)
5. Also at 2:40 AM several basements reported flooded in various locations across town.

I spent part of today out taking more photos of damage in Cambria and in other areas. Those photos will be loaded on online in the next few days. They are currently enroute to storage. Those photos clearly show that the elevation of the railroad track is higher than either the Cambria Emporium or the Depot and the buildings on the other side of Crab Creek.

It should further be noted that the large grassy areas which are at a lower elevation that the Cambria Emporium or the Depot but are on the opposite side of the track are untouched by water flow or debris. In full investigative mode, I wandered down the track looking and taking photos on both sides. No evidence of flooding was found on the Creek side of the railroad tracks. However, there is extensive evidence to indicate that water running downhill from properties on the otherside of the track pushed debris up to the very edge of the track. A lot of debris flowed down a channel along side the track headed straight for….yep you guessed the Cambria Depot and Emporium, which ironically (NOT) did get flooded.

I’ll be loading the audio of today’s PC meeting in a bit but I was in another meeting with the camera so I only have partial videos of that meeting. The audio fortunately caught something I would have missed. A citizen asking for a rezoning to allow a used carlot, uphill from the depot and the train track, which will include a newly paved area for the cars to be parked upon.

The owner of the property noted that he had some problems with water running off of Depot St. onto his property but that the town had a drain there and that took care of it, pretty much. But, in the past 2 years he did add two drains of his own to keep his buildings from flooding. Those drains run downhill and drop off the slope at the tracks……(at about the same place I found where part of the slope had been washed away, several large limbs had been washed down, oh, and a large black cable that runs between two large wooden poles has been pulled down and is now tangled in the debris. Wanna bet the next good rain takes out that power line?

Walking down the track shows a clear path of water running down the track headed to Cambria Street. Debris is pushed up onto the track, maybe a train derailment in the future?

What in the heck is it going to take for these guys to get a clue and realize that it is stormwater management that is the issue? The Town needs to have professionals come in to look at these. (I have a nightvision feature on my camera and I can’t wait to see what the shots from the grates down inside those drains show:)

Back to processing audio and video recordings:) Got some more photo albums to put together on stormwater. Keep checking at http://myvaresources.com for updates of existing and new photo albums.

Mr. Terpenny, you might want to get those comments from ‘specialists’ in writing to present to Town Council. It is probably just that you accidentally mispoke again, but that is so common, you really should take steps to help keep those mistakes from happening. If you come up with a document I can verify, I will be happy to post it on my website.

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Posted by on May 19, 2009 in Land Use

 

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Is Crab Creek shrinking? NOT!

16 May

Crab Creek begins in Christiansburg, runs through the center of the Town and meanders out into the County. I’ve got some photos of some of the nice features of the Creek on my website.

I began looking more closely at Crab Creek when I found out that it was being damaged by runoff because of developments and stormwater. And I did a blog specifically related to Stormwater.

The Roanoke Times article provided more information.

Heavy rains fuel isolated flooding

The final piece came in the form of a statement by a property owner:

McCoy said Crab Creek floods every five to 10 years. “Each flood, it gets worse,” he said. “We’ve had a few floods,” Vickie McCoy said, “but nothing like this.”

Well, unless the average amount of water in a raindrop has increased, or the creek bed has shrunk, you have to look at some other reason for a pattern of flooding that is worsening over time. That common element is the loss of pervious surfaces.

Wikipedia reports:

Because impervious surfaces (parking lots, roads, buildings, compacted soil) do not allow rain to infiltrate into the ground, more runoff is generated than in the undeveloped condition. This additional runoff can erode watercourses (streams and rivers) as well as cause flooding when the stormwater collection system is overwhelmed by the additional flow. Because the water is flushed out of the watershed during the storm event, little infiltrates the soil, replenishes groundwater, or supplies stream baseflow in dry weather.[3]

We have existed in what is essentially considered a drought condition for the last decade. Decisions were made by the Town of Christiansburg to allow rapid growth with huge expansions in the amount of impervious surfaces. Well, the water has to go somewhere. Maybe you don’t care because it doesn’t affect you. Or does it? Will it affect your insurance rates as these flood damage claims continue to climb over the years when we go back into normal water fall patterns? Will it affect the value of your property? It is obvious from the statements in the Times article that Christiansburg residents are not the only ones who will suffer the consequences. The storm water doesn’t stop in Christiansburg, it continues on down the Creek doing damage, creating fear, potentially spreading disease and providing great breeding grounds for mosquitos (that also carry disease).

Decisions made by Town Council affect more than just Christianburg residents. Issues of stormwater have been brought before Town Council before and those citizens with the courage to complain have been brushed aside and/or laughed at by those in power.

It is time for this type of arrogance and ignorance to stop. We need to elect Town Council members who take the job seriously. We need to elect Town Council members who get accurate information and follow their own codes. We need Town Council members who will make sure that the codes of the town are followed by those who work for the town. For instance:

From Chapter 25 of the Town Code (found on myvaresources.com and at christiansburg.org):

Sec. 25-4. Grading–Plans to show elevation or lowering.
Whenever the paving, grading or making of sidewalks or streets anywhere in the Town is ordered by the Town Council, it shall be the duty of the Town Manager, when in his opinion such street or sidewalk should be so graded as to raise or lower the same materially with reference to the property of abutting lot owners, to make his plans of such improvement, showing accurately in feet and tenths of feet the elevation or lowering of the street with reference to such adjacent property. (Code 1972, Sec 25-4)
State law reference(s)–Grading streets, etc., Code of Virginia, Sec 15.1-368 et seq.

Sec. 25-5. Same–Waiver of damages by property owners.
Before proceeding with the work mentioned in Section 25-4, the Town Manager shall obtain from the owners of the property to be affected by such change of grade a written waiver of all damages. If such property owners refuse to sign such waiver, the Town Manager shall report
the situation to the Town Council and receive authority from that body before proceeding with the work.
(Code 1972, Sec 25-5)

It would seem that in situations such as the one in Cambria where the road surface was raised higher than the entrances to buildings, this would be an appropriate step to take. It was not done.

I’ve gone around Town looking at other areas where the same situation has evolved. Is this incompetence, arrogance, or a combination of both?

What do you, as a citizen, have a right to expect from your town? Is this what you are happy with?

I’m still waiting to see the updated stormwater management code that the State came in and required Christiansburg to complete.

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Posted by on May 16, 2009 in Land Use

 

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Stormwater Photo Gallery

15 May

check out the highlighted link for the Stormwater Photo Gallery at http://myvaresources.com/

Let me know if you have photos you would like to include.

My compliments to the front line workers who tried to keep damage to a minimum. They displayed a high level of competence, customer service, and professionalism. Of course, they can only do what they are allowed to do.

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Posted by on May 15, 2009 in Historic Preservation, Land Use

 

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Storm water Management? Duh! Christiansburg VA gets an “F”

15 May

Okay, so you make estimates on stormwater based upon recent years flow. You don’t take into consideration that recent years are essentially drought years. Then the rain comes and what happens. We currently have flooding all over the Town of Christiansburg.

Despite the fact that the Town was out fighting stormwater problems during a fairly light rain a few days ago (I’ll get those pics up when I can), a bigger rain comes and low and behold, the Cambria Emporium has a new mud floor, the Historic Cambria Depot has a watermark about 16″ up from ground level on the side of the building.

Some of this can be attributed, I’m sure, to the fact that a local business’s dumpster turned over and blocked the one extra drain in the area that diverts stormwater under the railroad and into the Creek. (By the way, the Creek level is fine, it never flooded.)

Some of this, particularly given how extensive this flood damage has been throughout the town, is more likely due to poor planning for stormwater management.

By the way, did you know that per the Town Code any work done on streets/sidewalks, etc. that raises the level of that entity requires that the Town Manager provide written notices to adjacent property owners and that waivers are obtained before the work begins? (Just a quick aside.)

Please let me know what you are hearing as to the flooding in Christiansburg. I want to know where it occurred and, if possible, the types of damage done. Thus far, I have heard that a tremendous amount of it has been in the Mall area. (Let’s see….massive, expansive development, poor stormwater management, and flooding? Is there a relationship?)

So I guess the goal of saving taxpayer money by taking shortcuts only works if you live on the higest property in Town.

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Posted by on May 15, 2009 in Citizen Participation, Environment, Historic Preservation, Land Use

 

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Capital Improvement Plan? Christiansburg? Will it comply with State Law?

13 May

From Virginia State Codes:

§ 15.2-2239. Local planning commissions to prepare and submit annually capital improvement programs to governing body or official charged with preparation of budget.

A local planning commission may, and at the direction of the governing body shall, prepare and revise annually a capital improvement program based on the comprehensive plan of the locality for a period not to exceed the ensuing five years. The commission shall submit the program annually to the governing body, or to the chief administrative officer or other official charged with preparation of the budget for the locality, at such time as it or he shall direct. The capital improvement program shall include the commission’s recommendations, and estimates of cost of the facilities, including any road improvement and any transportation improvement the locality chooses to include in its capital improvement plan and as provided for in the comprehensive plan, and the means of financing them, to be undertaken in the ensuing fiscal year and in a period not to exceed the next four years, as the basis of the capital budget for the locality. In the preparation of its capital budget recommendations, the commission shall consult with the chief administrative officer or other executive head of the government of the locality, the heads of departments and interested citizens and organizations and shall hold such public hearings as it deems necessary.

Localities may use value engineering for any capital project. For purposes of this section, “value engineering” has the same meaning as that in § 2.2-1133.

(Code 1950, § 15-966; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-464; 1975, c. 641; 1976, c. 650; 1996, c. 553; 1997, c. 587; 2006, c. 565.)

Once again, if you head back to the minutes and documents of the past, this is something that has been only partially done (at best) or all but ignored (at worst). Many of the items included in the Town’s alleged Capital Improvement Plan are not even Capital Improvements! Capital Improvements do not include money to non-profit agencies and the Planning Commission has no business offering decisions/suggestions to the Town Council on that. Heck! It’s not a land use issue.

This is one of the reasons why we desperately need to get Planning Commissioners to complete the certification program. They have little knowledge of what their role is and boundaries are crossed on a routine and regular basis.

Since this is where most of of Town Council members come from, it creates an even worse issue when the people they are reporting to have the same lack of training as the people doing the reporting. This lack of knowledge serves to encourage BAD decisions. This tool, if it were provided as it is intended, would help the Town Council make fact-based decisions that are in the benefit of the public while maintaining a high level of accountability to the taxpayers for use of tax funds.

Although the Town Manager has informed me that the Town does a Capital Improvement Plan instead of a Capital Improvement Program, there is no separate distinction with the State Codes. Why even Wikipedia shows the terms are interchangeable. In fact, Wikipedia does a superb job of clarifying the purpose and components that comprise a Capital Improvement Program/Plan. You really should take a few minutes to read this. Then you’ll know more than the Planning Commission and Town Council members about the topic:)

After having raised this issue several times over the last year, I had hoped to see some positive movement on this front. Alas, I am again disappointed. Maybe next year….may the next NEW TOWN COUNCIL!

Come watch the festivities on Monday afternoon, maybe…just maybe, they will prove me wrong. (I keep hoping.)

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Posted by on May 13, 2009 in Citizen Participation, Land Use

 

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Budgets are not created equal. Christiansburg’s unique perspective ain’t progressive

12 May

If you are one of those who is watching the budget process unfold, I hope you will take a few minutes to look at the Christiansburg budget document and then look at the one for Montgomery County (2009 approved budget). I think most everyone looking at those two documents would have to admit that the one for Montgomery County is far easier to read and understand.

Several times I have heard comments from Town Council members that indicate that there is a feeling that money paid into the County tax folds do not come back to Christiansburg. Several things such as the Rescue Squad and the Fire Department, Christiansburg takes a lot of pride in but gives little credit to the fact that your town and your county tax money both pay for those.

If you will look at the County’s proposed 2010 budget expenditures, you find that there are a lot of services provided by the County that the Town cannot provide: Commissioner of Revenue, Schools, Courts, Jail, Animal Control, Human Services (Juvenile, RSVP, and others), Public Health Department, Social Services, Public Library, Free Clinic, New River Community Action, Women’s Resource Center, New River Family Shelter, NRV Literacy Volunteers, Agency on Aging, NRV Senior Services, Boys & Girls Club, NRV Cares, NRV Community College, Montgomery Museum, Rosa Peters Community Park, multiple economic developement agencies, a large number of recreation facilities throughout the county (not as fancy as Christiansburg’s but quite functional) including one of the most accessible trail systems in the state.

As to the Christiansburg Fire Department:
In 2008 the Christiansburg Fire Department received $95,253 from the County. In 2009 the Christiansburg Fire Department received $100,270 from the County
In 2010 the Christiansburg Fire Department is scheduled to receive $100,270 from the County

As to the Christiansburg Rescue Squad:
In 2008 the Christiansburg Rescue Squad received $95,700 from the County.
In 2009 the Christiansburg Rescue Squad received $99,000 from the County.
In 2010 the Christiansburg Rescue Squad is scheduled to receive $99,000 from the County

Additionally, there is another subset of the Christiansburg Rescue Squad that works out of Riner:
In 2008 the Riner Rescue Squad received $48,200 from the County.
In 2009 the Riner Rescue Squad received $53,000 from the County.
In 2010 the Riner Rescue Squad is scheduled to receive $53,000 from the County

Of the County’s basic budget, Christiansburg gets approximately 1/4 of all money set aside by the County for Fire Departments.

Of the County’s basic budget, Christiansburg gets approximately 1/3 of all money set aside by the County for Rescue Services. If you include the money going to the Riner substation, that jumps up to approximately 1/2 of all money set aside by the County for Rescue Services.

The budget for the County even breaks it down into what that money is directed to go to: Equipment, Training, Retirement, Insurance (Accident, Group Life, Worker’s Compensation, Motor Vehicle, Liability) and Gas Card Incentives.

It is true that the Town of Christiansburg contributes to Fire and Rescue Services, but they are not the sole provider. If Christiansburg were a City instead of a Town, they would have to foot the entire bill for those services. It is also true that the County provides support to other amenities that the citizens of Christianburg enjoy within the town limits and many more outside those limits.

The County would still provide all of those services if the Town of Christiansburg did not exist. It looks like the bulk of tax money for Christiansburg citizens goes to water, sewer, garbage, sports facilities, staff, vehicles, etc. Oh, and don’t forget the right to pay elected and appointed officials for running the town.

I have to wonder when I look at the budgets for those two jurisdictions why there is such a difference in how effectively information is presented. Does the Town of Christiansburg lack the expertise to produce an understandable document? Does the Town of Christiansburg lack the will to produce an understandable document? Does the Town of Christiansburg have a vested interest in making sure the document does not include the types of details that would inform citizens of just how and where money is spent?

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Posted by on May 12, 2009 in Citizen Participation

 

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Christiansburg, VA Town Council Worksession – Bus Route

10 May

This just in:
Christiansburg Town Council will meet in a special work session Monday, May 18, 2009 at 2 p.m. at Christiansburg Town Hall located at 100 East Main Street, Christiansburg, VA.

Purpose of the meeting will be to review information from Blacksburg Transit on a proposal to extend bus service within the Town of Christiansburg.

Well, it is certainly not at a time that makes it easy for people to attend but the upside is it leaves you plenty of time to call or write your Town Council members, time to write those letters to the editor of the Roanoke Times or the Messenger.

I’ll do my best to record the meeting but storage space and time is becoming cumbersome. I will probably just start putting those parts of the meetings that are most important up online rather than the whole meetings. I will make cd’s available upon request for those who want full copies though. Hope to see you at this meeting.

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Posted by on May 10, 2009 in Citizen Participation, Economic Development

 

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Christiansburg Bus Service: People and Council Failure will it never end?

07 May

I have been a bit busy with some research, but I just had to stop and write because this issue has really upset me.

What he said!!! Council stalls plan to add to bus service. In this Roanoke Times article, Lerone Graham hit the proverbial nail on the head. When I left Town Council meeting Tuesday night, I was livid. I could not believe that 2 of the Town Council members and the Mayor were trying to shut down negotiations on extending bus service when they have had weeks to study this issue and have their questions answered. Now, they suddenly want more questions answered, they want more information. Well, it is pretty clear to me that either they haven’t a clue as to how grants and such work, or they are simply postponing until the deadline is close enough that they can then blame it on someone else. These additional questions have been bantered around with citizens but NOT to the people with the answers. A great example of smoke and mirrors government.

What the article does not go into is that these very council members and the mayor were very active participants in planning commission recommendations to the town council concerning the ongoing unplanned growth that is consuming the Town of Christiansburg like a cancer. Items like the Aquatic Center and even a Civic Center were discussed by the Planning Commission and included in the Comprehensive Plan. However, look for areas where traffic concerns, walkways, sidewalks, accessibility by citizens to shopping, healthcare, etc. (i.e., through a bus service), small neighborhood parks suitable for families and neighborhoods to use (many of the ones the Town claims are actually the retention pond areas of developments…isn’t that sweet of them!) and other issues which have a direct impact on daily quality of life.

A tremendous amount of energy has gone into finding ways to take money from the Tourism Development Committee so that Christiansburg can do its own promotions for tourist, yet they can’t take the time to research and investigate what it is that would make the lives of citizens better.

As one planning commissioner recently noted: bringing in businesses increases taxes and therefore is good. Duh!  Bringing in businesses without proper planning, assessing the impact on neighborhoods, traffic, law enforcement, fire department, rescue services, roads needing to be built, other infrastructure being over stressed or needing to be expanded, all of those take up more tax money than that business is going to generate.

It is time for elected and appointed officials to get a clue! YOU WORK FOR US!

Kudos to Michael Barber, Brad Stipes, and Henry Showalter. All of them showed that they had taken the time to do some of the homework and they supported having the means to support the bus routes ready should a decision be made to do so. The way that Ernie Wade, Jim VanHoozier, and Mayor Ballengee want to do it means that it would be another year or more before grants could be reapplied for…given that the town didn’t have to pay for those grants, one can only wonder if that opportunity will even exist next year. Other people and agencies are not going to keep doing the town’s work for them.

Chritiansburg doesn’t do grants because they do not have the staff or the expertise. Instead they sit back and wait for someone else to come up with grants …. maybe that’s what “wait and see” is really all about….”let’s wait and see if someone else will do it for us, that way we don’t have to do anything except show up at meetings.”

We need Town Council members to start looking out for citizens, or we need citizens to start looking out for new Town Council members. Wonder which one it will be.

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Posted by on May 7, 2009 in Citizen Participation, Economic Development

 

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