The Roanoke Times Current touched on two Christiansburg hot topics Sunday: curbside recycling and the town's future aquatics center.
Former councilman Steve Huppert was recently appointed to the Planning Commission, and asks citizens to look at recycling options in a guest commentary. His concern for quality of life issues and increasing citizen awareness remains apparent. In the meantime, some residents of Christiansburg can look into curbside recycling via a new local enterprise. One hurdle to pass with the community is overcoming a past failure that broke public trust, where NRV citizens diligently sorted and recycled only to learn everything ended up being taken to the landfill by local governments, anyway.
An editorial asks valid questions about the lack of a business plan for the aquatics center and the town's contract with Virginia Tech for a project that was dreamed up over a decade ago, and was first promised to be complete years ago (2004). If the original "dive in date" had been met the town would have a facility with at least four years of operation under its swim trunks at this point, yet a business plan is still something promised for some uncertain future date (and presumably after the 2009-2010 town budget process is started).
These are not new topics, rather ones the council has still not satisfactorily addressed. Both the VT lease for the aquatic center and recycling will be matters heard during Public Hearings scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 6th.
Other Public Hearings set for this same night include an unscheduled land purchase by Montgomery County, shifting property away from the town's Comprehensive Plan vision by increasing industrial activities, and special provisions for parking structures in the downtown area. The parking garage is another entirely new issue for Christiansburg and again in response to a county need, the proposed $31 Million - Phase I of court house renovations.
All of these issues have a direct bearing on tax rates and fees, quality of life and service levels. Voters should make it a point to come and observe the proceedings -- before budget discussions begin or aquatic center user fees are set. These issues cross voter precinct districts or town boundaries, and have implications for all residents in the New River Valley.