By Lizzie Stone, city council reporter
People who usually vote at Spotswood Elementary, Keister Elementary and Thomas Harrison Middle have been reassigned to other locations when casting their ballot on a proposed constitutional amendment during Virginia’s April 21 special election.
The city made the three precinct changes because the number of snow days this year means city schools cannot close for the election, and voting locations in these schools aren’t feasible with students in the building.
Voters in the East Central precinct will move from Spotswood Elementary to City Hall, in the Southwest from Keister Elementary to the Heritage Oaks Golf Course, and in the West Center from Thomas Harrison Middle School to the Price Rotary Senior Center. Voters in these precincts will receive a letter informing them of the change along with other communication from the city.
Mark Finks, city voter registrar, said polling locations in all other precincts will remain the same. The layout of other schools means they can accommodate polling even while school is in session.
Virginia is slated to hold a statewide special election April 21 for voters to decide whether to approve an amendment to the state’s constitution that would allow for creation of a new congressional district map, starting in the 2026 election. Democrats in Richmond have drawn a map that would create more Democratic-leaning districts after other states, such as Texas, redrew their districts to favor Republicans.
To inform residents of the change of the three precincts, Finks said the city will update its website, send out press releases and post social media updates in addition to mailing letters to voters. Early voting will also begin next Friday in the city hall building, “barring any decision from the Virginia Supreme Court,” Finks said. Virginia Republicans have filed court challenges to block the redrawing of maps this year.
Mike Parks, the city’s director of communications and public engagement, said the location change will only add communication costs – for the letters, signage and any other channels – because the new locations are other city facilities.
Council amends chicken coop regulations
Council members adopted updates to the city ordinance regulating chicken coops to “ensure consistency, reduce ambiguity, and clearly define departmental roles in administ[ration]” according to the memorandum.
Among the changes is an expansion of the types of properties allowed to hold chicken coops. In addition to properties with one single-family detached dwelling, permits will be allowed for properties with a manufactured dwelling attached to a permanent foundation, and one coop will be allowed on properties with multiple single-family detached dwellings.
Additionally, both “pen” and “covered” will be explicitly defined in the description of required elements of chicken enclosures.
Adam Fletcher, director of community development, said the city began examining the ordinance in response to a resident’s question.
Applications for chicken coop permits will now be inspected and approved by the police department’s Animal Care and Control unit, and issued by the Department of Community Development. Previously, both steps were completed by the city’s animal control officer.
Violations of the ordinance will now be classed as a Class 4 misdemeanor rather than a Class 3, which comes with a lower maximum fine, because the Animal Control and Care officers thought the previous penalty was too harsh, Fletcher said.
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