The Tappahannock Town Council last week voted to give Mayor Roy M. Gladding the authority to sign an employment contract for Town Manager Eric S. Pollitt.
Pollitt, who is serving a two-year term at a base annual salary of $129,000, has served in the role since October 2020.
Pollitt graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in political science and minors in public management and economics. Graduating in 2017 from University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, Pollitt earned a Master’s in Public Administration. His concentration was in Public Financial Man- agement.
A City of Richmond native, Pollitt served as Town Manager of the Town of Glasgow in Rockbridge County from April 2019 until his arrival here.
In addition to his time in Glasgow, Pollitt has worked as a Management Analyst for Fluvanna County, Virginia; as an International City/County Manager Association (ICMA) Management Fellow in Templeton, Massachusetts; and was the Chief Financial Officer for Shelbyville, Kentucky.
At last week’s Council meeting, Pollitt’s monthly report was submitted to Council.
Ongoing Major Council Initiative Projects
1. Central Park Project – The plan set for Phase 2 of the project which includes design for all five structures: bathrooms & covered seating, larger pavilion for entertainment, and three smaller pavilions was approved by Essex County in December. Whiting-Turner is reaching out to local contractors for pricing estimates. They intend to provide Council with an update at the March meeting.
2. Hoskins Creek
Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG Grant) –The JPA will be submitted to the U.S. Army Corps this month. Engineers anticipate a 6–9-month time frame until the final permit is issued.
Shoreline Restoration – The substantial infrastructure aspects of the project are complete. After review of current and predicted future weather conditions, the wetland plantings will be installed early next spring.
Recreational Access Road – They anticipate publishing an RFP for construction in early 2025. The old house was removed and backfilled last month. Staff will be working on removing brush, invasive growth, etc. early this spring. Town Staff, engineers, and architects will meet over the next two months to finalize the footprint for the hospitality building.
3. Sewer Rehab Phase 2 Project – CHA is drafting a Phase 2 report for sewer infrastructure needs. This will include a variety of upgrades such as completing the lining and manhole work for downtown, and pump station repairs with electrical upgrades. Engineering design is anticipated to be finished in 2025, with a funding application to USDA-RD for grant and loan assistance. Construction for the next phase is expected to start in 2026.
4. Old Airport Development
Site Design VEDP – We received feedback for a first round of plan review by VDOT for the site. Staff have a meeting set with the engineer to discuss the comments.
A public hearing is required for donation/selling of land before Council may act. Town Staff will wait until after the economic impact study is completed before seeking federal earmark funding. In the meantime, Town Staff are researching other funding options for construction.
Other Initiatives in Progress
1. The Fall Retreat was facilitated by retired Manager/ Administrator Kim Payne from the Berkley Group. The work plan for the Council and Town Manager was adopted at the January Council meeting.
2. Davenport Financial will be working with Town Staff over the next few months on the logistics for financing upcoming capital projects.
3. Water System Mapping – The initial inventory was completed and submitted to VDH as required. Over the coming year, we will continue to update the inventory as additional field data is gathered to eliminate the remaining unknowns. We will also complete the water system mapping and use this to develop a hydraulic model.
4. USDOT RAISE Grant – Town Staff will begin developing the RFP for professional services in the new year.
5. Tourism & River Realm – The Communications Manager reached out to local businesses for events to populate the calendar for the upcoming months. A new itinerary for VisitTappahannock.com has been added for Valentines Day. A VisitTappahannock.com ad will be placed in the Local Scoop for advertising in their upcoming print publication. Now that the Town adopted the updated Short Term Rental (STR) Ordinance, those in Town who are registered will be listed on the Visit website. STR locations in Essex County outside of the town are already listed on the website.
6. Town Code and Zoning Text Updates – Staff will begin working on updates to our zoning text and sections of Town Code. Summit Design will be assisting us throughout the process. These changes are scheduled to be adopted in 2025 or early 2026.
7. Fleet Management – The new pump truck for the General Services Department was delivered in late December. Pollitt said this was critical to help with pumping of the Sycamore Pump station.
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