Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
David Christopher Ramsey has taken the oath of office as Christiansburg’s new Police Chief with an effective start date of Sept. 1, 2023.
The appointment of a new police chief came after the announcement of Chief Mark Sisson’s retirement, which will become effective on Oct. 31.
“Major Ramsey brings a total of 28 years of law enforcement to his new role, 23 of those years with our own Christiansburg Police Department and in the last seven years as assistant to Chief Sisson, ” Mayor Michael Barber said. “He’s a well-seasoned veteran and has one of the most impressive resumes our selection committee has ever seen.”
Barber asked Tiffany Couch, Clerk of Montgomery County Court, to administer the oath of office to the soon-to-be Chief Ramsey during the Christiansburg Town Council’s regular meeting. Ramsey’s family was asked to join Ramsey as he raised his right hand in a pledge to support his community and the Commonwealth of Virginia to the best of his abilities in his new role. Fellow police officers were also present to witness and celebrate Ramsey’s new role as Chief of Police.
“I would take an opportunity to thank the mayor and Council for having the confidence to appoint me to this position and thank my family for the support they’ve given me, not only through this process but throughout my career,” Ramsey said. “I also want to thank the officers of the police department that have come out tonight to show their support, it means a lot. They are the ultimate and consummate professionals, and we are lucky to have them working for the town of Christiansburg.”
Sisson was present and made comments following the oath of office commending the council on their handling of the job search for the new Chief of Police and reflecting on the 27 years in total that Ramsey has worked for the Christiansburg police department and as his assistant. Considering his retirement, Sisson also expressed his feelings for the community and Christiansburg police officers that he has served with over the years.
“I love this community. I love these men and women that are here tonight and everybody that serves in our organization and I’m proud to have stood by them and serve every day,” Sisson said.
A public hearing for the conditional use permit requested by NRV Marketplace, LLC, the property owner, and Balzer and Associates, the applicant, to allow a revision of the Comprehensive Sign Plan which was approved on Sept. 24, 2019. This request is in concern of 2505-2785 Market Street, NE in Christiansburg.
Steven Semones of Balzer and Associates addressed the Council on the request.
“What we’re asking for tonight is, as you all know it’s been in the news for the last couple of months, Academy Sports is under contract and currently working on tenant upfits and building upfits for this section of the property…where Tractor Supply had been prior to everything in Marketplace kind of shutting down,” Semones said.
The request is not related to the prior approval that had involved higher signage than typically permitted by the Town Code. The new request would be for signage that would be on the front of the Academy Sports building itself of just over 322 square feet. Semones stated in his presentation to the Council that a similar approval was permitted to Walmart in 2017.
Semones also addressed the Council on the conditional use permit request to allow 21 townhomes at the western end of Montgomery Street, NE between the south side of Church Street, NE and the north side of Lucas Street, NE. Four different components have been amended, according to Semones, in response to concerned citizens responding to the proposed development.
“A no outlet sign would be placed just west of the intersection of Montgomery Street and Norwood Street, so anybody turning down Norwood Street would not think there’s a cut-through there,” Semones said. “We would install a private road no-thru traffic sign at the end of Montgomery Street. “We would install a speed bump or a speed table on our side of the property within or private drive to negate some of those folks coming through and on the project side as you’re leaving the parking lot…we would have an emergency vehicles only signage to again, you know, discourage any of the residents within our property from using Montgomery Street.”
Christiansburg Town Council voted 5-1, with Henry Showalter voting against the permit to allow the 21 townhomes; therefore, the motion carries to approve the conditional use permit.
Council members Henry Showalter and Johana Hicks requested an update on the hiring of the three school resource officers (SROs) that were promised by the County.
Randy Wingfield, Town Manager, had spoke to Sheriff Hank Partin prior to the Council meeting and stated that conditional offers had been made to two candidates for the SRO positions and that the bonus sign-on had been increased from $2,500 to $5,000.
Tim Wilson commented that given the amount of time, once approval for the SRO positions and funding had been released, the sheriff has been “working and this is, you know, taking him as a man on his good faith that he told me last night, that he is working diligently to get them.”
“SROs are the hardest people to recruit,” Wilson added.
