Danville’s city council will consider several items related to public infrastructure at their regular meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The city is working to improve its infrastructure to provide a greater quality of life for residents and to prepare for the anticipated visitation that the Caesars Virginia casino resort will bring.
The council will hear five items related to infrastructure:
- A budget appropriation ordinance to provide for two Virginia Department of Health grants that will be used to complete and improve the city’s public and private water service line inventory.
- Three resolutions of support for three grant applications to the Virginia Department of Transportation that would address road quality, pedestrian safety and bridge maintenance.
- An ordinance allowing the city to access its borrowing capacity to finance about $6 million worth of general governmental projects and $10 million worth of utility projects.
- A resolution to allow the city to issue bonds to finance these projects.
- A first reading of an ordinance that would amend the fiscal year 2025 budget appropriation ordinance, anticipating proceeds from bonds issued to finance projects that could involve improvements to public streets, public buildings and the city’s water and electric systems.
One of the VDOT grant applications requests funding for pedestrian safety improvements on Nor Dan Drive at the Walmart Neighborhood Market and on North Main Street at Franklin Turnpike. The other two request funding for maintenance resurfacing on Franklin Turnpike and North Main Street and maintenance work on the bridge on London Bridge Drive over Pumpkin Creek, respectively.Â
City staff recommends that the council support all of the above items, according to the meeting’s agenda packet.Â
Several candidates in the Danville City Council election mentioned outdated infrastructure as a concern for the growing city.Â
“We certainly need infrastructure improvements, with the streets, with utility infrastructure,” said city Councilman Lee Vogler, who was re-elected for another four-year term.
The city’s newly updated comprehensive plan has a chapter focusing entirely on infrastructure, which makes policy recommendations around efficient and affordable energy, quality water systems, enhanced telecommunication, waste management, and community health and emergency preparedness.
The city’s planning commission unanimously recommended approval of the revamped comprehensive plan draft at its Nov. 12 meeting. The draft will now go on to the city council for further consideration at a future meeting.
Also this week, the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday and the Danville Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday.