Tax Increase on Hold, Additional Budget meetings, DEQ Consent Order, Castlewood Park Safety Concerns and Business Parking were all on the agenda Wednesday.
I want to start off by saying I’m extremely proud of all citizens and businesses that came forward Wednesday for their voices to be heard. I also believe that council did a good job of listening and I am hopeful we can make this right for the people of Colonial Beach.
Approval of Minutes for April 17, 2024 and May 1, 2024 – Vote 7-0
Council Member Liaison and Commission Reports
Wood- The Westmoreland Tax meeting is Monday June 10th 6pm
Planning Commission- June 13th 5:30p public hearing on RVs in town.
NGO - several events were announced including the 73rd Potomac River festival this weekend.
School - 48 students graduated last month. The new town local match is $3.24 million.
Public safety – 24/ EMS is now in place in CB and CBVRS is taking donations for their new building. The next neighborhood watch meeting will be June 27 at 5PM – Police Station.
Finance – real estate bills are now due.
Mayor - Attended Memorial Day service, and save the bay day.
Public Comment -
· 24/7 EMS started this week, Board of Supervisors meeting Monday. The County Administrator was fired.
· Thanked the town for transparency and assume that they dug into the details. Ask Town to consider a holiday and meals tax during the winter.
· The mobile vending court on Washington should have two food trucks starting Saturday. Grandpa shaved ice and a dessert truck.
· 50 businesses have signed, petition against tax increase. Business numbers are down and this increase will hurt them significantly please reconsider.
· Believe town can make cuts examples town manager budget - salaries, etc.
· Business owner very much opposed to the increase, significantly impacts tourism.
· Against tax increase, but especially real estate.
· Against increase and trying to squeeze more out of businesses.
· Tourism is vital to our town and tax and fees, impact tourism.
· Believes town needs to look at spending, example buying rundown hotel.
· The 50+ businesses that signed the petition by the Chamber not to raise the meals and lodging taxes. All names were read, and the businesses they represented, which were the majority of the businesses in town.
Unfinished Business
Ordinance No 761, Amends Chapter 20, Article III, “Transient Lodging Tax,”
Section 20-31, “Levy,” to increase transient occupancy tax and Article IV, “Meals
Tax,” Section 20-43, “Levy,” to increase meals tax, Director of
Finance/CFO - This was the big topic of the night whether to increase meals and lodging taxes. Staff tried to diminish the impacts by saying it would only be a few dollars added to your dinner bill. There was a lengthy discussion by council. Caryn Self Sullivan made motion to approve the new rates said 2% extra for meals and 4% extra for lodging, but said she did not support. I stated that I did not support the increase and thought we needed to find ways to cut and gave several examples. Wood said he was OK with meals and lodging versus real estate. Krista said she was not OK but thought we should look at the short-term rental revenues. The mayor amended the motion to change to one percent for meals and one percent increase for lodging. Both motions failed and in the end council decided to have staff go back to the drawing board to make more cuts.
The VOTES: 1% increase vote 1-6 The only yes vote was Kenny Allison.
Increase of 2% meals and 4% lodging Vote 2-5 Wood and Roberson voted YES and the rest of council voted NO, including myself.
PUBLIC HEARING Resolution #22-24, Adoption & Appropriation of Fiscal
Year 2025 Budget and Adoption & Appropriation of Fiscal Year 2025 Budget for
the Colonial Beach School Board, Director of Finance/CFO - After another lengthy discussion I suggested that we have an additional budget meeting to go over the numbers and make cuts. Council voted against considering increasing real estate. Currently, the only item on the table would be to increase meals and lodging. I made a motion that we have a meeting to discuss the budget and that meeting was approved unanimously by council for June 11th at 6 PM. Vote 7-0
PUBLIC HEARING Resolution #23-24, Adopts the 2025-2030 Capital Improvement
Plan, Town Manager - There were a lot of discussions about the inadequacies of this plan and comments from the public about having a $10M municipal center, and the lack of identification of funding sources and confusion surrounding this plan. In the end council voted to send it back to the planning commission, and I suggested that council provide me as liaison feedback so that I could bring it to the Planning Commission. Vote 7-0
DRAFT, Ordinance No. 762, Zoning Text Amendment 24-02, Amends Article
13, Parking, Director of Community Development & Planning - Mayor had concerns over some of the new parking requirements as burdensome on businesses and in the end, council agreed to send this back to the planning commission for further review. Vote 7-0
DRAFT, Resolution #24-24, Condition Use Permit Application #24-01, Director of Community Development & Planning (Set Public Hearing Date for June 20, 2024) - this is a public hearing to request an accessory dwelling rental apartment be added to the back of the property, and the only real concession is that the apartment is 30% of the size of the current existing structure versus the current limit of 25%. - vote 7-0 to set public hearing.
Pedestrian Safety Concerns for Castlewood Beach and Parking, Councilmember
Williams - I requested this be added to the agenda to address safety concerns brought up by myself and other constituents. The parking lot at Castlewood is rather dangerous in my opinion and was added haphazardly with no entrances or exits or organization to the parking. There’s also a lack of crosswalks and many roads merge into one so it can get a bit chaotic there. I did a slideshow, addressing my concerns and after some back-and-forth council said we would add this to our strategic planning meeting. Allison said I seemed to be the only one concerned about this but I do not believe this is NOT TRUE because many citizens stood up years ago when they tried to destroy Castlewood. I will say that the mayor and other council members promised citizens that the parking lot would be addressed years ago and while the fencing was added other items still need to be addressed. Safety should always be #1 so now that Council is fully aware of the unsafe walkway and parking lot I’m hoping they make it right.
Downtown Business Parking, Councilmember Williams - I have been approached by businesses regarding parking primarily signage and employee parking along with business owners and discuss this with council. In the end, it was suggested that we have a public forum of sorts, possibly at our planning commission meeting while discussing other parking items. More to come on this.
Closed Meeting
Pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 (A) (7 and 8) for the purpose of
consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members or consultants
pertaining to probable litigation, where such consultation or briefing in open meeting
would adversely affect the negotiating or litigating posture of the Town Council, and
consultation with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision
of legal advice by legal counsel retained by the Town Council - Council went into closed session to discuss the DEQ consent order and once out we came to vote to allow the town manager to sign it. Apparently, council is not even allowed to read the agreement first, but it will go out to the public at the beginning of July for any comments (30 days). DEQ could make changes based off of public comments and then the final agreement would be ratified after that.
Please email or call with questions or comments:
540-604-4335
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