Discussions and decisions made during the upcoming week have the potential to affect Christiansburg residents for years to come.
The stalled tourism "negotiations" will see a meeting at the Parks & Rec center Monday afternoon. Since the funding authorities (county and two towns) chose to have the Tourism Development Council (TDC) set up so that "Sunshine Laws" do not apply to this unique entity -- and since only one elected official is expected to be present and represent the town (the Mayor) -- this meeting is not open to the public.
Business leaders throughout Southwest Virginia will be watching to see how the town manages this process. If town officials are not satisfied with a return on investment made to the TDC thus far, stakeholders will be watching to see the town explain how it can do a better job.
Later on Monday afternoon, the Planning Commission will meet. One item on their agenda is a review of candidates for an upcoming vacancy. With who applied and what their related credentials are under review -- as well as how the process for making this decision will be made being unveiled -- this promises to be a meeting worth observing. The Planning Commission has a vital role in determining current and future tax values through land use rulings, and is currently examining Historic District Overlays and sign ordinance changes -- both decisions will send a statement about what investments are being encouraged. This meeting will be held at Town Hall beginning at 4 pm.
Although no agenda has been published, the Town Council is also expected to hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, August 19 at 7:30 pm. Once the agenda is made available to the public, we'll post it here. This will be the last council meeting for Dan Canada and Steve Huppert. To be sworn in by September 1st, Councilmen VanHoozier and Showalter will see their first meeting in September which includes organizational assignments.
The type of development and potential tax values, the types of businesses and how these are marketed, and new council members -- each have the potential to affect future tax rates and town budgets. As always, citizens are encouraged to come and watch the proceedings. (If you ever have an issue that may come before these official bodies, you might find it helpful to have an understanding of the processes first.)