Stephens City council adopts ordinance allowing flexible meeting start times, schedules public forum for police chief selection

Stephens City’s Town Council unanimously adopted an ordinance on Nov. 5, 2019, that amends Section 2-36 of the municipal code to allow the council to set or change the start time for its regular meetings as needed. The council also agreed to hold a community forum during the public-comment portion of its Dec. 3 regular meeting to gather citizen input on selecting the next chief of police.

Town Manager Mike Majher read the ordinance title aloud as part of the public-hearing process: "An Ordinance to amend section 2-36 of the Stephens City Code to provide a change to the start time of Town Council Meetings." Majher explained the amendment would give the council flexibility to move meeting times to accommodate scheduling conflicts; Mayor Michael A. Diaz added that the ordinance does not fix a single start time and suggested the town could offer streaming when meetings are moved to help maintain public access.

The amendment passed on a recorded vote with Aye votes from Fravel, Happek, Hollis, Nauman, Swygert-Smith and Bowers (no Nays or abstentions). The council handled both the first and second readings during the Nov. 5 meeting. Council also approved the minutes of the Oct. 1, 2019 meeting and later approved committee minutes by unanimous consent.

Council agreed to schedule a community forum to collect public input on the police chief search after the Public Safety Committee recommended the step. Town Manager Majher said the forum is intended to allow citizens to raise concerns and priorities before the town completes its selection process; Vice Mayor Jason Nauman described such forums as an increasingly common practice for high-level public-sector appointments. The forum will be held during the public-comment period of the regular meeting on Dec. 3, 2019.

Beyond the ordinance and personnel forum, the council received routine departmental and committee updates. Town Treasurer Steve Rickards reported that water and sewer bills had been mailed and are due in December. Fire Chief John Jones said the Stephens City Volunteer Fire Company had a record month for calls and announced a sausage-and-pancake breakfast at the fire hall on Nov. 16. Public Works Committee Chair Butch Fravel said engineers from Peed & Bortz have begun work on an inflow-and-infiltration study and that staff would provide updates as the study progresses.

Town Manager Majher summarized additional administrative items: leaf pickup by Public Works began on Mondays for residents who place leaves at the roadside in bags or piles; the town has been awarded a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) litter grant of approximately $1,000; advertising for the Chief of Police position has begun and drawn significant interest; Deputy Clerk Kelly Thatcher is assisting the police department to update citizen contact records; and the town will host COIA and FOIA training for elected officials and staff.

Council adjusted several committee meeting dates on the calendar for November and December, and Vice Mayor Nauman proposed an additional staff holiday on Dec. 27. Councilman Butch Fravel moved to adjourn at 7:29 p.m.; the motion carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance: Minutes approval (Oct. 1, 2019) — motion carried; Ordinance to amend Section 2-36 (meeting start time) — adopted on second reading, Aye: Fravel, Happek, Hollis, Nauman, Swygert-Smith, Bowers; Committee minutes — approved by unanimous consent; Meeting adjourned — motion carried unanimously.