Board Meeting Notes

Notes from the Board of Supervisors Meeting, July 11, 2023

View the July 11, 2023, Board of Supervisors meeting video for more information about the items below.

As its first order of business during the July 11 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution congratulating the Northside High School Boys Basketball Team for winning the Virginia High School League (VHL) Class 3 Championship.

Above: The Northside High School Boys Basketball Team and coaches with Chair Martha Hooker (center) and NHS Principal Jill Green.

The Board of Supervisors also recognized the Roanoke County Public Library staff for receiving the Outstanding Staff Member Award and the Outstanding Service Innovation Award from the Virginia Public Library Directors Association. Jennifer Whitcomb (Senior Library Assistant, Vinton Branch Library) was recognized for her leadership abilities, commitment to the library profession, initiative, willingness to share her skill with others, and for the excellent service she provides to the community. The Library’s Books to Grow program, developed and launched by the South County Library Children’s Department (Rebecca Ventola, Tara Smith, Julie Scanlon, Di Gagnier, Julianne Woodson, Kennah Hebert, and Haley McCoy), was honored in this category. The program offers a story time kit-in-a-box service for all patrons, supporting their efforts to focus on early literacy skills in the home. The service was recognized for its innovative approach, and its potential to be replicated at other libraries throughout the state.

Above: Left to right, Julie Scanlon, Tara Smith, Library Services Director Jim Blanton, Chair Martha Hooker, and Jennifer Whitcomb.

The Board heard the first reading of an ordinance accepting $325,799 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and appropriating such funds for use by the Roanoke County Police Department for eight new school resource officers. This grant will allow the Roanoke County Police Department to fund salaries and benefits for the eight new School Resource Officers that will be assigned to eight of the sixteen elementary schools located within the county. The second reading and the final vote on this measure are scheduled for July 25. See more details about this action within the Board Report.

In a separate action, the Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance accepting and appropriating $339,000 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to the Roanoke County Police Department for Law Enforcement Equipment. The funds can be used to assist law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime and gun violence, which has disproportionately increased due to the pandemic and impacted communities. Funds may be used to purchase equipment that improves or enhances the delivery of daily law enforcement services to the community and/or ensures the safety of citizens and officers. See more details about this action within the Board Report.

The Board also approved an ordinance accepting and appropriating $170,680 in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and $88,140.30 from the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection for the purchase and installation of an emergency generator at the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection Animal Shelter. This generator will help supply electrical power to the shelter in the case of outages, further safeguarding animals within the shelter. See more details about this action within the Board Report.

The Board approved an ordinance accepting $280,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation and appropriating such funds to the grant fund, and accepting $18,333 from Botetourt County and appropriating such funds to the grant fund, and accepting $4,434 from the Town of Vinton and appropriating such funds to the grant fund, and reallocating $47,233 from fiscal year 2023 Planning Department operating funds to the grant fund and to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan for Roanoke County, Botetourt County and the Town of Vinton as part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary grant program. The action plan will include crash analysis and mapping, strategic project prioritization, community engagement including meetings with Planning Commissions and Boards of Supervisors/Town Council, the final action plan with detailed conceptual plans and estimates for each locality’s top prioritized project. It is anticipated that these top projects would then be submitted for funding as projects in 2025. See more details about this action in the Board Report.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Supervisors approved the following items in the form of one resolution under its consent agenda:

• A resolution requesting the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to accept Foxfield Court of Section 6 in the Windsor Hills Magisterial District into the VDOT Secondary Road System;
• An ordinance approving easements and a memorandum of understanding with the Western Virginia Water Authority for sanitary sewer improvement projects at Starkey Park and C. Darrell Shell Park;
• A resolution accepting and approving recommended changes to the Comprehensive Financial Policy.

See more information beginning in the Consent Agenda Resolution.

Work Session

The Board of Supervisors moved to a work session to discuss lot drainage recommendations from the Development Services staff. See more information about this work session within the Board Report.

Closed Meeting

The Board of Supervisors held a closed meeting for discussion concerning the expansion of existing businesses or industries where no previous announcement has been made of the business or industry's interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community, namely in the Hollins Magisterial District. Section 2.2-3711.A.5.

For More Information...

More information on each of these items, along with the meeting video can be found under the Past Meetings section of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Meetings and Videos page.