409 S. Main Street  
City of Harrisonburg  
Harrisonburg, VA 22801  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
City Council  
Tuesday, June 23, 2026  
7:00 PM  
Council Chambers  
1.  
Roll Call  
3 -  
Present:  
Absent:  
Mayor Deanna R. Reed, Vice-Mayor Dany Fleming and Council Member Nasser  
Alsaadun  
2 - Council Member Laura Dent and Council Member Monica Robinson  
5 -  
Also Present:  
City Manager Ande Banks, City Clerk Pam Ulmer, Chief Matthew Tobia, Deputy  
City Attorney Wesley Russ and Police Chief Joseph Tucker  
2.  
3.  
Moment of Silence  
Mayor offered a moment of silence.  
Pledge of Allegiance  
Mayor Reed led the Pledge of Allegiance  
Special Recognition  
Consent Agenda (any item placed on the consent agenda shall be removed and  
4.  
5.  
taken up as a separate matter, if so requested by any member of Council, otherwise all  
items will be voted on with one (1) motion)  
A
motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming  
,
seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to  
accept the consent agenda as presented.  
as follows:  
The motion carried with a recorded roll call vote  
3 - Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming and Council Member Alsaadun  
Yes:  
No:  
0
2 - Council Member Dent and Council Member Robinson  
Absent:  
Minutes from the June 9, 2026 City Council meeting  
5.a.  
5.b.  
5.c.  
These minutes were approved on the consent agenda  
Consider a request from Robin L. Lake to rezone 850 Canterbury Court  
This rezoning request was approved on second reading  
Consider approving an ordinance amendment to Section 7-4-1(a)(1)(a), 7-4-1(a)(1)  
(b), 7-4-1(a)(2)(a), 7-4-1(a)(2)(b), 7-4-1(a)(3), 7-4-1(a)(4), 7-4-1(b)(1)(a), 7-4-1(b)(1)  
(b),7-4-1(b)(2)(a), 7-4-1(b)(2)(b), 7-4-1(b)(3) of the Harrisonburg City Code increasing  
water, sewer/authority, and a seasonal tiered rate structure.  
This ordinance amendment was approved on second reading  
5.d.  
5.e.  
5.f.  
Consider amending and re-enacting Section 10-4-19 - Erosion Control and  
Stormwater Management Fees of the Code of Ordinances, Harrisonburg, Virginia  
This ordinance amendment was approved on second reading  
Consider adopting an Ordinance amendment Section 6-5-4(c) - Stormwater Utility  
Fee, of the Code of Ordinances, City of Harrisonburg, VA  
This ordinance amendment was approved on second reading  
Consider the special event application request for the Block Party in the Burg on  
Saturday, August 29, 2026.  
This special event application was approved on the consent agenda  
5.g.  
5.h.  
5.i.  
Consider the special event application request for the African American Festival on  
Saturday, September 12, 2026.  
This special event application was approved on the consent agenda  
Consider the special event application request for Eastern Mennonite University’s  
Royals Go Downtown on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 5-8pm.  
This special event application was approved on the consent agenda  
Consider the special event application request for Eastern Mennonite University’s  
Homecoming & Family Weekend celebration on Saturday, October 10, 2026.  
This special event application was approved on the consent agenda  
Consider a supplemental appropriation for the General Fund  
5.j.  
This supplemental appropriation was approved on second reading  
5.k.  
Consider a supplemental appropriation for the General Fund and General Capital  
Projects Fund  
This Supplemental Appropriation was approved on the Consent Agenda.  
6.  
7.  
Public Hearings  
Regular Items  
Blue Ridge Community College annual update  
7.a.  
Dr. John Downey, president, Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC), provided an  
update on BRCC. He stated BRCC transforms the lives of the students they serve  
and in turn supports the economic development of the city and the region by  
developing the workforce of the valley. He reviewed the following:  
·
·
·
Percentage of Fall 2025 residents attending BRCC;  
Partnership with Harrisonburg City Public Schools;  
the upcoming 2026 inaugural class of the BRCC Career Academy;  
Packets were provided to City Council which included the Annual Report, Fast Fact  
Sheet, and Community Link Newsletter.  
He thanked the city staff for their support and partnership.  
Dr. Downey spoke on BRCC's relationship with James Madison University (JMU).  
Council thanked Dr. Downey for his leadership at BRCC. Discussion took place  
regarding workforce changes, specific employment demands, and the work BRCC  
does to help immigrants/refugees with credential certifications.  
This Presentation was received and filed.  
Consider adoption of the 2026 Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan  
7.b.  
Jamison Ryder, acting deputy emergency coordinator, Harrisonburg Fire Department  
(HFD), presented the 2026 Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan. He review  
the following:  
·
·
·
·
·
·
What and why the plan exists;  
Risks that are driving this plan;  
how the Plan reduces risk;  
the Plan identified 21 action items for the city;  
Key focus areas;  
What adoption of the plan enables;  
Discussion took place regarding how the Plan provides access to funding if needed  
in case of emergencies.  
A
motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to  
adopt the resolution approving the 2026 CSHMP.  
follows:  
The motion carried with a roll call vote as  
3 - Mayor Reed, Vice-Mayor Fleming and Council Member Alsaadun  
Yes:  
No:  
0
2 - Council Member Dent and Council Member Robinson  
Absent:  
7.c.  
Presentation on the Communications and Public Engagement Plan for the Zoning  
Ordinance Update Project  
Michael Parks, director of Communications and Public Engagement, presented  
information regarding the Zoning Ordinance Update Project's community strategy.  
He reviewed the following:  
·
·
·
Goals of the outreach;  
Strategies;  
Tactics and Activities;  
Discussion took place on the strategy to meet people where they are at for outreach;  
messaging tactics; the importance of including our residents; translations available;  
help from community organizations and community leaders; procedure of input  
received by the community during the outreach meetings; and other engagement  
tools;  
This Presentation was received and filed.  
7.d.  
Presentation on a new City of Harrisonburg-James Madison University Working  
Group  
Brian Vandenberg, assistant to city manager, presented an update on one of  
Council's priorities: A Thriving Educational Epicenter.  
He reviewed the following:  
·
·
Council's priority;  
The creation of a working group of city staff, JMU staff, residents, and  
students;  
·
·
The purposes of the group;  
Next steps;  
Discussion took place regarding the appointment of the members, noting Council will  
not be appointing members for this group; outreach to residents for interest to be on  
the working group; diversity of residents in the group; and selection process;  
This Report was received and filed.  
8.  
9.  
Supplementals  
Other Matters  
9.a. Comments from the public, limited to five minutes, on matters not on the regular  
agenda. (Name and address are required)  
Panayotis “Poti” Giannakouros, spoke on the recent candidate forum and early voting.  
Bucky Berry spoke on the new Harrisonburg Fire Department ladder truck  
9.b. City Council and Staff  
Council Member Alsaadun stated he was traveling overseas;  
Vice Mayor Fleming spoke on a recent Bridge of Hope meeting; and an upcoming  
VML meeting which will have a presentation from the Joint Legislative Audit and  
Review Commission (JLARC).  
Mayor Reed spoke on a previous City/EMU Liaison meeting; the new EMU  
President, Rev. Dr. Shannon Dycus; a recent visit to Lorton, VA to witness a bill  
signing; a speaking engagement at Hampden-Sydney College; and the recent  
Juneteenth NAACP event.  
Ande Banks, city manager, reminded everyone of the 24th Annual Pizza Night /  
Smoke Detector event on July 8, 2026 from 4pm to 8pm.  
NEW ITEMS:  
Consider a request from Trenton Inc. and Bernard LC to rezone 435, 445, 457, 473,  
483 & 495 South Main Street and 282, 288, 294 & 298 South Liberty Street (The Link  
Apartments)  
Wesley Russ, deputy city attorney, stated the rezoning application for the Link  
development has been referred back to the Planning Commission due to changes in  
the proffers offered by the developer. Since City Council took action at the June 9,  
2026 meeting to table this item for this development until tonight, it is required that  
City Council now vote to refer back to Planning Commission.  
A
motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to  
refer this item back to Planning Commission due to additional proffers that were offered by  
the developer.  
10.  
Boards and Commissions  
Community Services Board  
10.a.  
A
motion was made by Vice Mayor Fleming, seconded by Council Member Alsaadun, to  
appoint Kelley Crouse to the Community Services Board to a first full term to expire on July  
28, 2030. The motion carried with a unanimous voice vote.  
11.  
12.  
Closed Session  
Adjournment  
At 8:15 p.m., there being no further business and on motion adopted, the meeting  
was adjourned.  
________________________  
CITY CLERK  
________________________  
MAYOR