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Watch and hear what Leslie had to say in Town Council meetings and on television news. |
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Interested in learning more about Blacksburg Town Council Meetings? View agendas for upcoming meetings, subscribe to RSS feeds, and listen to a full video of past meetings on the Town of Blacksburg website. |
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About Leslie |
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Blacksburg & You |
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Town Council |
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Topic: Enriching Our Lives in Community
Place: Blacksburg Town Council Meeting Date: November 24, 2009 Running Time: 3:28
Blacksburg is a “special place” for lots of reasons, but prominent among them is the people who have chosen this unpretentious, somewhat remote, small town for their home. Here’s a snapshot of two citizens who enrich our lives in community: Bill Ellenbogen and Susan Kaiser. |
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Topic: Demolition of the Bennett-Pugh House
Place: Blacksburg Town Council Meeting Date: January 13, 2009 Running Time: 3:47
Vice Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith casts the lone vote in favor of allowing demolition of the Bennett-Pugh House (Taylor’s Frames & Things) after three years on the market. Calling it the most troubling vote of her tenure, she outlines her thinking and suggests a middle way for council to proceed.
This was the issue that prompted council to initiate a zoning code amendment that would allow the Historic Design Review Board to have veto power over redevelopment plans for similar historic sites. |
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Topic: A Primer on the Importance of the Blacksburg Meals Tax
Place: Blacksburg Town Council Meeting Date: April 28, 2009 Running Time: 3:42
In 2008, Blacksburg raised the town meals tax by one percent, putting it on par with nearby Christiansburg. The following year, council voted to reduce the already-small fee restaurants retained as compensation for their effort in collecting taxes. So, Blacksburg restaurateurs have been asked to do the heavy lifting of balancing the public books for two years running . . . add to this the fact that Virginia Tech undercuts town businesses by refusing to collect meals & lodging taxes, and it is easy to see trouble ahead for all – businesses, residents, students, and visitors. |
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Topic: Transparency for All
Place: Blacksburg Town Council Meeting Date: June 23, 2009 Running Time: 8:24
The circa-1924 Blacksburg Motor Company was renovated in 2007 to house the departments of Planning and Building, and Engineering and GIS. The project gives Blacksburg citizens many reasons to be proud: Restoration was undertaken using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principals. By doing so, the town retrieved a former brown field and transformed a prominent, historic building with cutting-edge technologies. “Green” design features include a geothermal heat pump; carpet made of 77% recycled material; refurbished original tin ceilings; motion sensor lighting; and environmental site design including rain gardens, porous concrete, and native landscaping.
The project also complied with national standards for historic renovation projects. This enabled the Town of Blacksburg to recover approximately $1.2 million in state and federal historic tax credits. What’s more, the building is served by Blacksburg Transit, the Smart Way bus, and a network of sidewalks and trails encouraging alternative forms of transportation.
Some difficulties were surely unavoidable, given the very high standards the Town pursued in renovating the Blacksburg Motor Company. My interest – then, as now -- is not to discourage excellence but to encourage transparency in all things. Town staff who work so hard on behalf of our citizens deserve the trust and support of their superiors, as well as members of council. |
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Topic: Downtown revitalization on track for town of Blacksburg
Place: WLS10 Roanoke, VA. Date: November 2, 2009 Running Time: 2:31
Several new businesses and places have opened in Blacksburg including Green's Grill & Sushi Bar, Rita's Italian Ice chain, Main Street Inn and Theatre 101. WLS10 covers the revitalization of downtown Blacksburg and interviews Leslie Hager-Smith. |
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Copyright 2010 Leslie Hager-Smith |
