Virgin Town Council amends budget, authorizes interlocal code-enforcement pact and approves several projects

The Virgin Town Council voted on several measures at its April public meeting, approving a budget amendment to record recent capital expenditures, authorizing an interlocal agreement to share code-enforcement services with Rockville, agreeing to participate in a road repaving on Road 1420, awarding a stormwater drainage master plan study and approving a parks/open-space/trails request for proposals. The council also adopted a revised outdoor lighting ordinance and directed staff to pursue supportive education and financing options for residents.

The vote-packed meeting came after a publicly noticed hearing on the budget amendment required to record two recent payments: the town’s annual loan payment on a recently acquired church property and the purchase of a vacuum excavator. Councilmembers present approved the amendment by roll call.

Why it matters: the actions collectively adjust the town’s capital accounting, authorize shared services intended to stretch town staff capacity, and advance engineering and planning work the town says it needs to address drainage, parks and roadway concerns.

Votes at a glance - Budget amendment (Resolution R2025-B, third-quarter amendment): Approved by roll call (members recorded as voting “yes”: April, Paul, Jean, Valerie). The amendment added funds to record the church loan payment and to account for a vacuum excavator purchase; council documents show the town’s appropriated use of funds rising from $447,000 to $713,000 after the change. - Interlocal agreement for code enforcement (resolution authorizing mayor to sign): Approved (unanimous among members present). The agreement allows neighboring municipalities to use the town’s code-enforcement officer and obligates the partner to reimburse the town at an hourly rate for time actually worked in the partner jurisdiction. - Road 1420 west-side paving: Council authorized spending $16,323 to do the west side of Road 1420 at the same time a private developer paves the east side, conditioned on verification of any work in third-party right-of-way and approval by the town engineer. - Stormwater drainage master plan study: Contract awarded to Sunrise Engineering; motion to award passed (unanimous among members present). The scope includes inventorying existing drainage infrastructure and producing a townwide master plan. - Parks, recreation, open space and trails RFP: Council approved an RFP to produce a parks/open-space/trails master plan and to post the solicitation. - Outdoor lighting ordinance (adoption): Council adopted an updated lighting ordinance. Councilmembers also asked staff to prepare a follow-up resolution to create a low-interest (or no-interest) loan program and to prepare an outreach/education plan for residents about compliance and lower-impact lighting options.

Key details from the meeting - Budget amendment: The council held a public hearing before voting. Staff told the council the loan payment for the church purchase had been paid to meet its deadline while bank amortization detail (principal vs. interest amounts) remained outstanding; staff said they would correct GL code allocations when the bank provides the full amortization schedule. The budget material included changes to capital-expenditure GL accounts and an increase in appropriated use of funds from $447,000 by roughly $268,000 to about $713,000 (figures shown in the amendment spreadsheet provided to council).

- Interlocal agreement for code enforcement: Staff explained the town’s code-enforcement officer is a full-time employee whose workload does not fill a full-time enforcement schedule; the interlocal agreement lets nearby towns contract for the officer’s time, with those towns reimbursing the town at an hourly rate plus any agreed expenses. A member of the public asked for clarification; council described the arrangement as a reimbursement model rather than a shared-employee joint-hire.

- Road 1420 (LaBrie project): The developer is scheduled to repave and widen the east half of Road 1420 on or about May 1. The developer offered to do the west half at the same time if the town would pay half the total cost; the town’s share was stated as $16,323. Council members expressed concern about final design, right-of-way impacts (including proximity to a Desert Gardens sign), and whether pavement elevations/striping would match. The motion that passed included a condition that the town’s payment be contingent on confirmation that any work in third-party right-of-way had been authorized and on town-engineer approval of the roadway design.

- Stormwater drainage master plan: Public comment asked the engineering consultant to examine a small auxiliary wash that runs through private property at 640 North, 330 East (raised by resident Diane Peterson). Council asked the selected consultant to inventory existing drainage infrastructure and to review sites raised by residents.

- Parks/open-space RFP: The council approved an RFP to develop a parks, recreation, open space and trails master plan; councilmembers requested the RFP require an inventory of existing sites and a review of any informal agreements or memoranda of understanding with federal land managers (BLM) that affect recreation assets.

- Lighting ordinance: Council adopted the ordinance after discussion. Members noted a forthcoming resolution to create a loan or grant mechanism to help low-income residents bring exterior lighting into compliance and requested a community education campaign on lower-impact fixtures and permitted flag displays.

Meeting context and next steps: Council members said they expect to receive further documentation from the bank on the church loan amortization before the next formal budget amendment in June; staff will finalize the interlocal agreement signatures and billing procedures with Rockville; the town will sign an agreement with Sunrise Engineering and release the parks RFP. The town also scheduled follow-up engineering review and capital-improvement committee consideration for broader roadway improvements at the Road 1420 location.

Quotes (selected) "I've been in the trash business for 17 years, so if you wanna talk trash, let's talk," Jennifer Collins, a representative of Republic Services, told the council during open forum about recycling outreach and education.

"This little wash becomes a big wash when it hits the right storm," resident Diane Peterson said during the stormwater discussion, urging the engineering study to include a small auxiliary wash that has, at times, overtopped a driveway and right-of-way.

What the council did not decide: Council did not finalize a long-term plan to finance future roadway improvements beyond the single paving authorization. The lighting-ordinance adoption includes staff direction to return with a financing/residential-assistance proposal for council consideration.