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Radford pastor warns council of dangerous speeding on Fourteenth Street and raises concern about high church utility bills
Summary
Pastor Jerry Williams told City Council that speeding on Fourteenth Street endangers residents and described high residential and church electric bills, asking whether a 'sanctuary worship fee' applied to houses of worship is justified; council said it would investigate and follow up.
Pastor Jerry Williams told Radford City Council during the public-comment period that persistent speeding on Fourteenth Street has created dangerous conditions and that high electric bills are imposing serious financial strain on residents and houses of worship.
Williams identified himself as a local pastor and taxpayer and described multiple incidents, including a past crash that he said damaged several houses, including his, with “about $100,000” of damage and came “inside the house.” He said he and his wife have had close calls while walking in the neighborhood and that drivers have occasionally been airborne over the crest of a hill near the route used by a school bus.
Williams also raised concerns about rapidly increasing electric bills and asked the council about a listed “sanctuary worship fee” that he said appears on some church bills; he said one neighbor reported a residential electric bill of about $2,400. Williams said he had asked the utility-billing and treasurer’s offices for an explanation but had not received a clear answer.
Mayor (presiding officer, not named in transcript) acknowledged the complaint and said the council understands that electric charges have been challenging; the mayor explained that wholesale power costs are a major driver of recent increases and said the city would investigate the sanctuary worship fee and report back. The mayor also noted that the electric department transfers about $3.9 million to the general fund and said without that revenue property taxes would be roughly 38¢ higher.
Councilor Kelli (first name used in transcript) thanked Williams for bringing the safety concern to the council and said staff would look into speeding on Fourteenth Street. City staff present took notes and said they would follow up.
No formal action was taken during the public-comment period; council members directed staff to research the sanctuary worship fee and to review traffic-safety options for Fourteenth Street.
Williams’s comments came during the public-comment portion of the meeting; council members and staff noted that further investigation and possible future agenda items would be required before the council could adopt any traffic-calming measures or make changes to the utility-billing structure.
