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Home My WebLink About7/13/2026 - City Council - Minutes - Regular CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Monday, July 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM Regular Session, 6:30 PM, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia 24153 City Council Agenda Monday, July 13, 2026, 6:30 PM Regular Session, 6:30 PM, City Hall, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia 24153 WORK SESSION WORK SESSION IS CANCELLED FOR JULY 13, 2026 REGULAR SESSION 1. Call to Order A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Salem, Virginia, was called to order at 6:30 p.m., there being present the following members to wit: Renée Ferris Turk, Mayor; Anne Marie Green, Vice-Mayor (participated remotely); Council members: Byron Randolph Foley, Hunter Holliday (absent), and John Saunders (participated remotely); with Renée Ferris Turk, Mayor, presiding together with Chris Dorsey, City Manager; Rob Light, Assistant City Manager and Clerk of Council; Rosie Jordan, Director of Finance; Will Simpson, Assistant Director of Community Development/City Engineer; Mike Stevens, Director of Communications; and Jim Guynn, City Attorney. 2. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Turk asked Mr. Light to provide background reference information on remote participation. Mr. Light confirmed that a quorum was present. He noted that, in addition to Mayor Turk and Councilman Foley on the dais this evening, Mr. Saunders was participating remotely pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3708.3(B)(1) due to a temporary medical condition. Upon review with the City Attorney, it was noted that, under this section of the state code, a member participating remotely is counted toward the quorum as if physically present and does not require approval by the remaining Council members. Mr. Light further noted that Vice Mayor Green was also participating remotely; however, because her participation was requested under a different provision of the Virginia Code, approval of her remote participation by Mayor Turk, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Saunders was required. Mr. Light noted that Vice Mayor Green asked him to read the following request on her behalf. “In accordance with Section 2.2-3708.3 (B)(4) of the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Remote Participation Policy of the City of Salem, I hereby request to participate remotely due to a personal matter, specifically that I am out of town." Randy Foley motioned to accept the remote participation of Vice Mayor Green. Renée Turk seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: Anne Marie Green Mayor Turk thanked both Councilman Saunders and Vice Mayor Green for participating remotely in the meeting this evening. 3. Awards & Recognitions There were none this evening. 4. Consent Agenda A. Citizen Comments Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not already having a public hearing at the same meeting. No citizens signed up to speak this evening. B. Minutes Consider acceptance of the June 8, 2026, Regular Meeting minutes. The minutes were approved as written. Mayor Turk requested that the City Manager provide an update on current items in the City of Salem. City Manager Dorsey provided an update on recent and upcoming activities and events in the City of Salem. 5. Old Business There was no Old Business this evening. 6. New Business A. Ordinance approving the Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement Regarding the Roanoke Valley Greenway. Consider first reading of the ordinance authorizing the City Manager to finalize and execute the Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement transitioning the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission to the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission. Mayor Turk requested that Mr. Dorsey share background information on this item. The City Manager explained that the participating localities have reorganized the regional Greenway Commission to improve efficiency and ensure continued coordination of the regional greenway system. Council was asked to consider two ordinances: one approving a Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement and another terminating the previous 2016 agreement. Under the new agreement, the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission will assume primary responsibility for regional greenway planning, coordination, and community engagement through its annual work plan. The existing Greenway Commission will be dissolved and reconstituted as an advisory Greenway Committee to assist with planning, funding opportunities, and public-private partnerships. Ownership and maintenance of individual greenways will remain with the locality in which they are located. Participating localities will continue funding the regional greenway program using the same calculation model currently used for the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). The City Manager noted that all participating localities support the reorganization and emphasized the continued importance of the Greenway Committee in advancing regional greenway initiatives. Randy Foley motioned to adopt on first reading the ordinance authorizing the City Manager to finalize and execute the Second Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement transitioning the Roanoke Valley Gree nway Commission to the Roanoke Valley- Alleghany Regional Commission. John Saunders seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None B. Ordinance Repealing the Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission. Consider first reading of the ordinance to repeal the Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission. Mayor Turk reiterated that the existing agreement must be terminated in order to implement the new agreement. The City Manager affirmed that this was correct. Randy Foley motioned to adopt on first reading the ordinance to repeal the Amended and Restated Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission. Anne Marie Green seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None Mayor Turk requested that Denise P. King, Planning Commission Chair, come forward to introduce a visitor this evening. Dee King, one of Council's representatives on the Greenway Commission, 611 Lou Ann Street, introduced Molly Maxwell, the newly hired Recreation Planner for the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, who will serve as the regional Greenway Coordinator. Ms. King also acknowledged the presence of Russ Craighead, a member of the Greenway Commission, and invited Ms. Maxwell to provide an overview of her background. Molly Maxwell, 640 Day Avenue, SW, Roanoke, VA, Recreation Planner and Greenway Coordinator for the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, introduced herself and expressed appreciation for the City of Salem's long -standing support of the regional greenway system. She also congratulated the City on the recent completion of the Apperson Drive greenway segment and offered to answer questions regarding the proposed reorganization, noting that legal questions would be referred to the City Manager or City Attorney. Mayor Turk thanked both of them for their participation in the Commission and noted that Council looked forward to working with them. C. Appropriation of Funds Request to appropriate funding from Salem RidgeYaks Baseball Club for Lighting Renovation. Audit - Finance Committee Councilman Foley noted that in November of 2025, Council appropriated funding for projects that were necessary to meet Major League Baseball’s Professional Development League (PDL) standards for Salem Memorial Park. This included replacement of the field lighting. The Salem RidgeYaks Baseball Club requested to upgrade the fixtures with a color lighting system and agreed to fund the additional cost of $36,000. Randy Foley motioned to appropriate $36,000 in Capital Reserve Fund From Other Agencies revenue account, and in the Capital Reserve Fund Salem Memorial Park Renovations expenditure account. I also move that the budget appropriation be completed in Fiscal Year 2026 to match the billing of the funds and when work was completed. John Saunders seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None D. Appropriation of Funds Request to appropriate Transportation Alternatives federal funding and local match for the Western Roanoke River Greenway Mill Lane connector. Audit - Finance Committee Councilman Foley shared that the City of Salem was awarded $858,525 in federal Transportation Alternatives funds from VDOT for the construction of approximately 1.320 feet of shared-use path along West Riverside Drive. A local match of $214,631 is needed to fully fund the project. Prior City funding of $100,500 already exists for this project. The additional $114,131 is available in the Capital Projects reserve account. Randy Foley motioned to appropriate $858,525 to the Capital Projects federal grants account and to the Western Roanoke River Greenway account. Also, transferring $114,131 from the Capital Projects Reserve account to the Western Roanoke River Greenway account. John Saunders seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None E. Appropriation of Funds Request to appropriate Revenue Sharing state funding and local match for the Franklin Street Improvements project. Audit - Finance Committee The Franklin Street Improvements project will reconstruct and add capacity to an approximately 0.3 mile section of Franklin Street between Upland Drive and Bent Ridge Lane. VDOT awarded $2,378,563 in state Revenue Sharing funds for the project. A local match of $2,378,563 along with additional local funds of $727,628 are needed to fully fund the project at a total local cost of $3,106,191. $1,720,000 was included in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget for this project and an additional $955,000 is programmed in the Fiscal Year 2028 Capital Improvement Plan. The remaining $431,191 is available in the Capital Projects reserve account. Randy Foley motioned to appropriate $2,378,563 to the Capital Projects state grants account and to the Franklin Street Improvements account; also, transferring $431,191 from the Capital Projects Reserve account to the Franklin Street Improvements account. Anne Marie Green seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None F. Boards and Commissions Consider appointments to various boards and commissions. Randy Foley motioned to reappoint Denise P. King, Reid Garst, and Mark Henrickson for four-year terms ending July 31, 2030, to the Planning Commission and NPDES Citizens' Committee. Anne Marie Green seconded the motion. Ayes: John Saunders, Randy Foley, Anne Marie Green, Renée Turk Nays: None Absent: Hunter Holliday Abstaining: None 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 6:48 p.m. Submitted by: Approved by: H. Robert Light Renée Ferris Turk Clerk of Council Mayor