HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-06-26 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF ROANOKE
Date: April 6, 2026
Time: 9:00 A.M.
Location: Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building
Council Chamber, Room 450
215 Church Avenue, S.W.
Roanoke,Virginia 24011
CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL—9:07 A.M.
PRESENT: Chairman S. Terry McGuire, Mayor Joseph L. Cobb, Council Members
Nicolas Hagen, Vivian Sanchez-Jones, Phazhon Nash, Peter Volosin, and Evelyn
Powers.
OFFICERS PRESENT: Valmarie H. Turner, City Manager; Vanessa Bohr, Deputy
City Manager; and Laura Carini, City Attorney.
OTHERS PRESENT: L. Preston Bryant, Jr., Senior Vice President at McGuire
Woods Consulting, and the City of Roanoke's Legislative Liaison (via Microsoft
Teams);Clayton Cox and Scott Binkley,Federal Legislative Consultants(via Microsoft
Teams).
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SECRETARY: Cecelia McCoy, City Clerk, City of
Roanoke:
ABSENT: Deidre Trigg and Mary"Franny"Apel (RCPS Committee Members)
OPENING REMARKS:
Chairman S. Terry McGuire welcomed the Committee members, as well as all present at the
meeting.
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES—April 6, 2026
Committee Member Hagen moved that the reading of the minutes be dispensed with
and approved as recorded. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Volosin,
and adopted by the following vote:
AYES: Committee Members Hagen, Sanchez-Jones, Mayor Cobb, Nash, Volosin,
Powers, and Chairman McGuire-7.
NAYS: None-0.
(Committee Members Apel and Trigg were absent).
DISCUSSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS:
Legislative Update—L. Preston Bryant,Jr.—City of Roanoke Legislative Liaison
Mr. Bryant provided General Assembly review on the following topics:
o 2026 General Assembly Calendar
• Summary/Accomplishments
• Summary/Positions Supported
o Housing
• HB 181 (Rasoul); affordable dwelling unit program; adds City of Roanoke to
list of localities with authority to provide
• HB 474(Rasoul); real estate with delinquent taxes or liens; appointment of
special commissioner; increases value
o Public Safety
• HB 11 (McNamara); emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment
center
• SB 534 (Suetterlein); emergency custody orders; transportation to treatment
center
o Economic Development
• Virginia Transportation Museum; establish as a state agency
o Budget and Funding
• Downtown Roanoke Redevelopment Plan
• Restoration of state funding; Virginia Tech Carillon School of Medicine
expansion
o Transportation
• Amtrak; downtown Roanoke; $10 million
• Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport; terminal improvements
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• Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport; feasibility study of runway
improvements and expansion
o Environment
• Urban Tree Canopy
• Solar; sitting authority
o Civil Liberties
• Constitutional amendment; Repeal Article 1, Section 15-A; prohibiting marriage
between same sex persons
• Legislation of cannabis sales for adults 21 and over
• Reproductive healthcare; constitutional amendment; fundamental right to
reproductive freedom
• Voting rights; automatic restoration post-incarceration
• Roanoke city,charter; council and mayoral elections; move from May to
November
o Other Items of Interest
• Local option 1% sales tax; K-12 school construction, renovation
• Photo speed monitoring
Following the presentation from Mr. Bryant, several committee members made inquiries.
Committee Member Volosin asked about HB 181 regarding affordable dwelling units. Mayor
Cobb inquired about Delegate Rasoul's budget amendment to include the downtown
revitalization study. Committee Member Hagen asked about HB 681 and whether it included the
50-mile limitation; Mr. Bryant stated he was not certain and would follow up with additional
information. Chairman McGuire requested an update on any developments from the casino
lobbyists that would be relevant to the legislative update.
Clayton Cox gave a brief presentation on Federal Affairs Update, (Scott Binkley was not
present):
• Major Updates—Funding
o FY27 Earmark Requests
• In-River Kayak Park
• Amtrak Station Phase I
• Mill Mountain Greenway Bridge—Phase 1
• Roanoke Regional Airport Runway Extension Study
• Major Updates—Policy
o Right Now,
o On the Horizon
• Major Updates—Hill Outreach
o Roanoke Housing Meeting
o Councilman Volosin Hill visits
o Senator Kain Stop-in
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Following inquires and comments from Committee Member Nash, Volosin, City
Manager Turner, and Chairman McGuire.
Chairman McGuire moved a motion to request that City Council send a letter to Congress
opposing the Save Act. The motion was seconded by Committee Member Sanchez-Jones and
adopted by the following vote:
Ayes: Committee Members Sanchez-Jones, Mayor Cobb,Nash, Volosin, and Chairman
, McGuire-5.
Nays:None-0.
Committee Member Volosin made a motion to have representation and send opposition
letter to Congress regarding the housing program cuts to CDBG funding,house program, and
HUD Continuum of Care. The motion was seconded by Mayor Cobb and adopted by the
following vote:
Ayes: Committee Members Hagen, Sanchez-Jones, Mayor Cobb,Nash, Volosin, Powers,
and Chairman McGuire-7.
Nays: None-0.
Committee Member Volosin made a motion to direct staff to explore becoming a
community of interest in connection with the Union/Pacific merger with Norfolk Southern. The
motion was seconded by Mayor Cobb and adopted by the following vote:
Ayes: Committee Members Hagen, Sanchez-Jones, Mayor Cobb,Nash, Volosin, Powers,
and Chairman McGuire-7.
Nays: None-0.
Chairman McGuire announced the next meeting will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026.
With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 10:08 a.m.
APPROVED
ATTEST:
J-; Vne-Ar
Cecelia F.McCoy, CMC S.Terry McGu' e
City Clerk Chairman
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