Grottoes council reaffirms ethics, approves minutes and routine measures; Peggy Counts honored

The Grottoes Town Council on Jan. 12 handled routine business including approval of meeting minutes, financial reports and several administrative items, and read a resolution honoring longtime librarian Peggy Counts on her retirement.

The council approved the Nov. 10, 2025 minutes after a motion and vote in which one member abstained and another said they had not been present. The council also approved the town's financial reports as presented.

Councilman Chim reviewed a proposed one-year rolling extension for the little league lease that eliminates the need for annual reaffirmation unless issues arise; council approved the amendment and discussed identifying a council liaison to receive updates.

Council approved the 2026 roster of officers for the Grotto Volunteer Fire Department, affirmed David Raines as vice mayor, adopted the 2026 meeting schedule (second Monday of each month beginning Jan. 12, 2026, with the October meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 14), and reaffirmed the council's code of conduct and ethics as presented in the meeting packet.

During the petitions and complaints period, resident Glamour Sullivan commended progress on code updates and urged the council to post planning documents and to ensure notice requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were met for other public bodies. Mayor (speaker 1) thanked staff and said 2026 held "a lot of wonderful things in store." The council adjourned at the end of the meeting.

Items approved without extended debate included committee assignments for 2026 and the meeting schedule; council members agreed these administrative items would be posted on the town website and included in the upcoming newsletter.