Virginia City committee approves construction change orders, personnel actions and moves to seek municipal cannabis license; travel policy and waste fund review

The Virginia City Committee of the Whole on March 4 approved several construction change orders for the new Virginia Public Safety Center, finalized routine agreements and personnel appointments, and directed staff to pursue a municipal cannabis license application while also asking staff to return with more detail on a revised travel policy and the solid‑waste enterprise fund.

The most time‑sensitive agenda item was an update from Sean Lewis, project representative with Cross Anderson, on the Virginia Public Safety Center. Lewis asked the committee to approve eight small change orders and two owner‑added enhancements to the project and said the building remains “within the budget” and is targeting a substantial completion in late July with furniture delivered in August and occupancy in September. He told the committee there is “a little over $768,000 remaining in contingency” to cover the recommended change orders.

Why it matters: The public safety facility is one of the city’s largest active capital projects; approvals of the listed change orders allow on‑site work to continue and set expectations for construction milestones and remaining contingency spending.

What the committee approved and discussed (highlights) - Public Safety Center change orders: Council approved a set of change order requests from Cross Anderson that included minor insulation and hardware work, relocation of a unit heater, heat trace to protect plumbing lines ($5,692.42), electrical work and outlets for welding in a workroom (owner added, $9,771.49), wall panels ($17,495.89) and an owner‑added plume vent system for a fifth apparatus bay ($28,776.32). Lewis said the project has experienced earlier weather delays but is not recommending a contract extension at this time.

- Rotary Park sanitary sewer / Seventh Street North storm sewer: The committee approved a supplemental letter agreement for construction services tied to the Rotary Park sanitary sewer and Seventh Street North storm sewer project so the engineers can proceed with the project bidding and construction oversight. The motion was moved and supported by councilors and carried by voice vote.

- No‑parking designation for Fourteenth Avenue South/Southern Drive: Council approved a resolution designating no parking along designated state‑aid route segments so the reconstructed road will meet state aid design requirements and qualify for municipal state aid funds. Officials said the change will be signed and that signage will be installed.

- Agreement for construction materials testing (alley project): The committee approved a work order with INTS to provide compaction and materials testing for the alley reconstruction project. One council member recused themself from that vote because the alley was their property.

- Contracted purchase of Lucas compression devices: The committee approved purchase of additional Lucas automated chest compression systems for the fire/ambulance service using a state EMS allocation. Staff said the city received approximately $194,000 from a one‑time statewide allocation and is using program funds for operational needs. The committee approved using those state EMS funds for this equipment.

- Permit fee schedule and annual review: Staff presented an updated residential and commercial permit fee schedule and comparisons with neighboring cities. Council voted to adopt the new fees as proposed and directed staff to develop a policy to review permitting fees annually.

- Solid waste enterprise fund review: Council reviewed the department’s 10‑year capital requests and asked staff for a follow‑up meeting focused on solid‑waste finances (fund balance targets, administrative fees and projected equipment replacement), to inform any needed rate adjustments.

- Personnel and hiring actions: The committee approved several personnel items including appointment of a fire marshal, hiring of a single‑role paramedic and dual‑role firefighter/EMT positions for the Virginia Fire Department, and authorization to seek external candidates for the open repair‑crew foreman position in public works (after the department completed an internal posting). The committee also moved to advance a community service officer job description for additional recruitment.

- Phased retirement for community development: The committee approved extending a phased‑retirement arrangement with a long‑serving community development specialist (Bill Cole) to provide mentoring and plan‑review support. The council added a requirement to review the arrangement again by December 31, 2025.

- Property acquisition: Council approved proceeding with acquisition of a small parcel west of Twelfth Avenue South for easement and limited development purposes for $22,500 plus closing costs; funding will be assigned to the 2024 contingency as discussed in the meeting.

- Sixth Avenue North parking: Council voted to remove no‑parking signs along the east side of Sixth Avenue North adjacent to the Rotary apartments, convert the area to regular (calendar) parking, and ask staff to discuss a dedicated bus/loader zone with the Rotary property management.

- Municipal cannabis license: By roll call (4–3), the committee directed staff to proceed with an application for a municipal cannabis license so the city would hold the municipal license slot and consider future options (lease to a private operator or other service models). The council’s motion authorizes the city to apply; it does not implement any retail operations or commit the city to operate a business.

Travel policy debate Councilors and department leaders spent significant time reviewing updates to the city’s travel policy, focusing on the “same‑day travel” language and how the policy should treat emergency and public‑safety travel. Councilor Johnson and Police/Fire leadership emphasized that emergency responses (crime scenes, urgent evidence transport, safety events) require flexibility and supervisor/department‑head approval without prior council sign‑off; staff and the city clerk requested a notification process so the clerk’s office and risk/insurance functions can be alerted when employees are traveling for liability and record‑keeping reasons. The committee asked staff to revise the policy to (a) remove contradictory 24‑hour language for same‑day travel, (b) add an emergency/exigent‑service exception for public safety, and (c) clarify reporting/notification exhibits and budget certification on travel request forms.

How the meeting closed The committee scheduled a public tour of the Public Safety Center for Thursday and indicated final procurement actions for building systems (phones, security, wireless, furniture) will return for future council approval where needed. The committee recessed to allow a closed session later in the agenda for a clinic lease matter under the attorney‑client privilege statute cited in the meeting.

Ending note: The committee’s approvals keep the largest capital project moving, advanced routine staffing and equipment requests, and set two follow‑up items that the council requested staff to return with more detail: an emergency‑aware travel policy revision and a focused financial briefing on the solid‑waste enterprise fund.