Waynesboro council backs $12M BUILD grant application, joins PFAS settlement and authorizes VDOT blanket funding
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Summary
At its Feb. 9 meeting, the Waynesboro City Council voted to support a $12 million BUILD grant application (with a $3 million local match), adopt emergency and VDOT-related authorizations, and opt into phase-two participation in a national PFAS (AFFF) class action; council also introduced two fiber-franchise ordinances and held a public hearing on proposed CDBG reallocations.
Waynesboro City Council on Feb. 9 approved a set of resolutions to pursue federal and state funding and to preserve the city’s legal options on PFAS contamination. Council members voted to support a proposed $12,000,000 BUILD grant application to create a bridge maintenance program, with a required local match estimated at $3,000,000, and they adopted other administrative resolutions including an updated regional emergency operations plan and a blanket authorization for VDOT project funding and signature authority.
Public works staff told the council the BUILD application would fund a $15,000,000 program if awarded — $12,000,000 in grant dollars plus about $3,000,000 in local match that staff proposed to accumulate over the next two to three fiscal years. "A number of our bridges are designated in lower rankings in terms of condition," Public Works (Mr. Hand) said, adding that the program would extend the useful life of those structures by 20 to 25 years and reduce near-term replacement needs.
Council also addressed potential liability and remediation tied to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS. City staff recommended that Waynesboro opt into a phase of nationwide AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) litigation and retain outside counsel identified in the briefing (transcript reference: "Stagg and Louisa"). The staff presentation described a process by which the city’s water would be sampled using specialized laboratories retained by counsel at no upfront cost to the city, with any attorney fees taken from potential recoveries. "Even if we have negligible and small detection, it's again a win," the presenter said, urging adoption so Waynesboro would not miss future eligibility if later testing shows contamination.
The council voted to adopt the PFAS participation resolution and retain counsel; the motion passed by voice vote with recorded "ayes." City staff also explained that unlike some prior nationwide settlements, this litigation’s recoveries are not strictly earmarked to narrowly defined abatement programs; any remainder could go to the general fund if the remediation costs are less than the award.
On transportation and project administration, staff described a VDOT-driven request for localities to adopt a blanket funding and signature-authentication resolution intended to standardize project agreements. The council adopted that blanket authorization while confirming that any specific award or funding commitment would come back to council for final approval. Staff also briefed the council on an anticipated VDOT Highway Safety Improvement Program award of roughly $800,000 to advance the Waynesboro Pedestrian Mobility Improvements project; council heard that about $67,000 in CDBG funds from prior years is proposed to be reallocated to help cover engineering and design costs for that project.
Council received a first reading and introduced ordinances to grant nonexclusive franchises to two fiber providers that had responded to the city's solicitation. City staff said submissions were received from Shenandoah Cable Television (referred to in the briefing as "Shantel") and Lumos Networks LLC (identified in the briefing as "Segra"). The franchise language requires restoration of rights-of-way to the standard and condition existing at the time of installation, bonding and insurance, and coordination with ongoing utility and roadway projects; final action and public hearings on the franchise ordinances were scheduled for the council's Feb. 23 meeting.
The meeting also included routine procedural votes — adoption of the agenda, consent agenda items, and the updated Staunton‑Augusta‑Waynesboro regional emergency operations plan — all approved by recorded voice votes during the session.
What’s next: The council will consider the substantial CDBG amendments and the citizen-participation-plan changes at its March 9 meeting after the 30-day public-comment period closes on March 5. The franchise ordinance hearings are set for Feb. 23; staff will report back on BUILD application outcomes and any project-specific VDOT awards when those items are ready for final council action.
