Gate City: Budget ready for final passage

GATE CITY – Gate City residents will not see any tax hikes in the upcoming budget year, but water rate hikes are a sure thing for fiscal year 2028.That news came after Tuesday's budget public hearing by Gate City Town Council. Town Manager Greg Jones, outlining the draft 2027 budget, said that residents can expect no changes in real estate, personal property or other rate increases once the $5.6 million general fund and $2.17 million water fund budgets are passed by council.The new budget will include a 4% raise for town employees along with capital expenses: $70,000 for a replacement police cruiser, $10,000 for a new salt spreader and $35,000 for new accounting software.Because of inflation, Jones added, the town water rates will have to increase in the fiscal year 2028 budget. Council - which passed a continuing resolution to allow limited spending for payroll, bills, debt payments and existing contracts - will vote on the final budget at its July 14 meeting. Food trucks After almost a year of discussion, council passed the final form of a town-wide food truck policy effective Aug. 1.The policy sets a $10 fee per truck for the food truck permit during a calendar year with renewals starting Jan. 1, 2027. Truck operators also have to obtain a town business license before getting the truck permit and file monthly sales tax returns whether they have made sales or not.Business licenses run from May 1 to April 30 each year and are $30 or more depending on gross sales receipts in the previous year.Truck permit holders may be subject to other fees by an event organizer. While the town's new Community Park has power connections for food trucks, operators must request advance approval to use them.Food trucks also must not be parked "directly in front of an existing business that offers substantially similar food products" or be within 100 feet of a restaurant. Business district zoning change Council approved a change to building setback for the town's C-1 and C-2 business districts to simplify requirements for existing and new buildings.The two districts – Kane Street as C-1 and Jackson Street as C-2 – now will require setbacks to be up to one foot from the property line abutting the right-of-way on both streets' business districts. Housing grant application A planning grant could help the town identify as many as 18 homes in the Margie Street neighborhood for future housing rehabilitation efforts. LENOWISCO Planning District planning specialist Thomas Lawson told council during a public hearing on the grant application that the town could seek up to $75,000 under the state Housing and Community Development grant program to assess homes and identify the extent of work needed for eligible homes.Tuesday's public hearing and council endorsement is part of the grant application process, Lawson said. Council later designated a housing rehabilitation management team – also required for the grant – to be involved in the assessment and any future grant for the actual rehabilitation work. New businesses Two entrepreneurs attended Tuesday's meeting regarding a new and a planned business in town limits.Council approved a special-use permit for Thomas Hoff's Thomas D Auto for a towing business site on Water Street next to Broadwater Trading Company. The lot would contain no more than four vehicles at any time.Council also approved a request to advertise for a public hearing on Billy Robinson's request for a special use permit to open a self-storage facility on East Jackson Street near the intersection of Broadwater Drive.Robinson said plans call for two 9,000 square-foot buildings, each housing approximately 60 storage units, enclosed by a fence with coded access gate. He said lighting would be designed to minimize impact on neighboring homes.The hearing will be held at council's regular July 14 meeting. Historical Society building Scott County Historical Society President Cindy Williams asked council for help with drainage issues and parking access at the society's Jackson Street office.Williams said missing mortar at the top of one wall is allowing water to run inside the building's rear area. Storm drainage from homes and buildings behind the office is also collecting and running into the building, she added.The society's second-floor museum will open by the first week of July – in time for the county's VA 250 celebration in Gate City – and Williams said a parking area at the upper level needs paving. Disabled access also depends on that upper parking level, she added, and a handrail along the outside stairway needs replacing.Mayor Jamie Lawson said the mortar problem can be handled by the town, but the drainage and disabled access would need to be referred to an engineer. Foam exemptions Council approved what could be one the last exemptions from Virginia's law phasing out the use of Styrofoam food containers by restaurants and food service operations. Exemptions can be granted by localities to food businesses that replacing the foam containers with alternate packaging would cause a negative financial impact.After council granted an exemption to Kane Street Smokehouse, Town Attorney Michele Brooks said it was likely that the General Assembly would phase out the exemptions. Community Park drainage Council tabled action on a proposal by contractor Quesenberry's Inc. to correct drainage problems at the Water street Community Park's basketball courts. Contractor representatives told council members during a Monday park walkthrough that the company could install drains near the court's goalpost bases to prevent water polling there after rains.Quesenberry's officials said the corrective work would be done at no cost to the town.