Council Affirms Town as Second Amendment Sanctuary
By DAVID QUESENBERRY
Patriot Publishing
The Pulaski Town Council on Tuesday, in a much-anticipated action, unanimously approved a resolution affirming the Town’s support for the Second Amendment and declaring the Town as a Second Amendment Sanctuary.
Council’s action affirmed a similar resolution approved in December 2019.
The Town of Pulaski now joins other communities across the state and the New River Valley in supporting the Second Amendment following controversial and what some believe are unconstitutional actions concerning firearms by the Virginia General Assembly.
Prior to voting on the resolution, Town Manager Todd Day said that after receiving some phone calls, he felt there was a perception that “whatever Richmond does, we’re going to take a different route and that is indeed not true.”
He said that he, elected officials and others were sworn to uphold the constitutions of both the United States and Virginia and the laws of the Town of Pulaski.
“We will continue to do that,” he stated. He referred to the resolution as an “outcry to recognize the right for that Second Amendment only.”
“We will not bypass rules or not enforce rules and laws that come down.”
Councilman Joel Burchett then read the following statement:
“We are blessed to live in a Constitutional Republic. Our country was founded on the principles that are prescribed by our Constitution, which defines our system of Government – of the People, by the People, and for the People.
“The upcoming vote tonight on our Resolution supporting the Second Amendment is Council’s way of defending our citizen’s right to keep and bear arms.
“Over the past week, I have personally witnessed, from our citizens, an overwhelming level of support for our Resolution. But I have and have been told by a very few people that our Resolution is only symbolic and has no real meaning or power. I agree that it is symbolic, but I strongly disagree that symbolism has no power.
“Symbolism has both purchase and power. We need only to look in our church yards to see the crosses and to feel the power of symbolism. Even in this room, we see the beloved symbol of our great nation. We all stood tonight with hands over hearts, and pledged allegiance to our flag, the most revered symbol of all.
“So, in closing, I will strongly support our Second Amendment right and stand with thousands of freedom loving Virginians in defense of our Constitution.”
Mayor Shannon Collins then read the entire resolution into the record, after which Council unanimously voted its approval.
Council next received an update on the Sewer Lift Stations from Matt Gross, Project Manager from Hurt and Proffit.
The update highlighted the overall condition of each station along with the current problems and needed upgrades and renovations.
His review of the condition of the four pump stations found that the two primary lift stations, 4A and 4B, constructed in the 1980’s, were in dire need of extensive upgrading and repairs, while the Critzer Pump Station was recommended for complete replacement.
Overall costs for upgrades and repairs for each lift station were estimated as follows: 4A, $4.5 million; 4B, $3.1 million; Critzer Pump Station, $2.2 million (replacement) and the James Hardie Direct Injection station, $70,000. The estimated cost of the projects together totaled approximately $10 million.
To fund these improvements, Hess said there were several sources available. One source is USDA Rural Development which offered planning grants and an open submission date for construction funding. The term for most RD loans is 40 years, which offered lower payments but over a longer period of time.
Another source, he said, is the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality which offers construction programs that are generally loan/grants. The deadline for submission for 2027 grants is July 2026.
Another possibility for funding is the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DCHD) block grants. A stipulation for obtaining these grants is the community has to be 60 percent of the low-moderate income figure, which most of the Town meets. The grants offer an open submission date, which means they can be applied for at any time, but required construction ready plans whose cost would have to be borne by the Town or funded from another source.
Manager Day said from an engineering/managerial standpoint, the stations were well designed to have functioned so long saving the taxpayers much in tax dollars, but now it is “time to pay the piper and that’s where we’re at.”
He also proposed that given the technical complexity of the system, it seems attractive to upgrade them to the point that a professional organization such a Peppers Ferry could administer them. Day noted that there are $7 million in distribution line projects in play now and the lift station costs would be in addition to that cost.
Councilman Brooks Dawson, noting the costs of utility projects that Council has learned of over the past year, expressed concern that the citizens would bear the financial burden of making the upgrades.
“I think it’s important for every citizen to know,” he said, “that their Town is doing and going to do everything they can possibly do to reduce that burden of how much it’s going to cost everyone.”
Next, Economic Developer Shannon Ainsley updated Council on the department’s recent activities.
Concerning business, she said the department is working with existing and prospective business to gauge their needs as well as seeking assistance from Virginia Main Street, Pulaski on Main and Main Street America for evaluating economic development.
Under Project Revitalize efforts are underway to identify unsafe properties and contact their owners and developers on redevelopment opportunities.
The department is also working on promoting the positive aspects of the community such as the new apartment projects and new businesses in the Town, and on Main Street in particular.
On brownfields, the department is actively working to identify properties for environmental assessment and is applying for funding for the Magnox site. The department is continuing a variety of projects by partnering with Radford University and expanding its overall communication by its website presence, publications and attendance at local and regional events.
Council received a request for funding from Jill Williams, Executive Director of the Calfee Community and Cultural Center. Noting the tremendous contributions of the Town in providing the manpower in assisting the Center, she requested that the Town give direct assistance to the center by appropriating $15,000 to be applied to the Center’s electrical bills.
Williams said the monthly electrical bills at the Center had doubled from $2,000 in 2025 to $4,000 in 2026. The funding would be of great help to the Center, she said especially with the expansion of services planned for later this year.
In other actions Council approved a resolution supporting the application for $1 million in funding for Phase 1 of Project Revitalize for Fiscal Year 2027 and reappointed Charles Underwood for another term on the Pulaski Redevelopment and Housing Authority. It also appropriated $15,625 in funds received from the County to the Town of Pulaski’s Volunteer Fire Service Expenditures and $675 in donations to the Pulaski Senior Center.
The next scheduled meeting of the Pulaski Town Council will be at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 in the Council Chambers of the Town Municipal Building at 42 First Street, S.W.