Collegiate Times

Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. — Blacksburg Mayor Ron Rordam's name was misspelled. The Colligate Times regrets this error.

Tuesday's Blacksburg Town Council meeting commenced with Mayor Ron Rordam holding a moment of silence in remembrance of the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, and paying tribute to local first responders and members of the military.

After, the town council discussed a motion to extend leniency on the construction of handicapped assistance ramps. This would enable ramps to be added on encroachments, and extending ramps so that both private and commercial ramps could be built to regulation and allow for more room for movement.

“(The ordnance) makes life easier for those who already have a difficult time,” said Councilor Cecile Newcomb. The ordnance was passed unanimously.

Next, the council moved to pass an ordnance that would allow for the town to recover costs incurred cleaning up a methamphetamine lab, should one be discovered by police in the future. Blacksburg has only had one such lab found.  The ordnance was also passed unanimously.

After, the council sought to pass an adjustment to the town’s  police definition of dangerous dogs, specifically loud or barking dogs.  The change to the ordnance would define a loud dog as making noise such as barking or howling for 10 consecutive minutes.

“It’s more again just a tweaking of the ordnance to say what in more definition of what a barking dog is.  It’s just making that more specific or exact so when officers go in, they have that,” Rordam said. This adjustment was passed unanimously.

Finally the council unanimously passed an ordnance to expand the enrollment of the Blacksburg New School from 120 to 135 students.  Other business discussed included plans to renovate the Alexander Black House and an upcoming Downtown Cash Mob.

A version of this article appeared in the Sep 12 issue of the Collegiate Times.