Comprehensive Plan

The current Town of Grottoes Comprehensive Plan for 2024 is currently in process and under review. The plan is available for review at Town Hall, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The Town of Grottoes' fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th.

‍Revenues for the Fiscal Year 24-25 Budget:
General Fund: $2,026,161
Water Fund: $392,866
Sewer Fund: $711,007
Parks and Facilities Fund: $954,128
Refuse Revenue: $308,200
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TOTAL REVENUES: $4,392,381

Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 24-25 Budget:
General Fund:
   Administrative: $529,509
   Public Works: $51,647
   Street Lights: $15,000
   Police Department: $769,988
   Highway and Streets: $660,017

Enterprise Funds:
   Water: $392,886
   Sewer: $711,007
Parks: $1,039,528
Refuse: $308,200

TOTAL EXPENDITURES: $4,392,381

Fee Schedule PDF

town code

Chapter 1 - General Provision ‍‍‍
‍Chapter 4 - Administration of Government ‍
Chapter 7 - Elections
Chapter 18 - Planning Commission
Chapter 22 - Police Department
Chapter 26 - Procurement Policy
Chapter 40 - Advertising
Chapter 44 - Alcoholic Beverages
Chapter 48 - Animals
Chapter 52 - Automobile Graveyards and Junkyards
Chapter 53 - Inoperable Motor Vehicles
Chapter 57 - Bingo and Raffles
Chapter 63 - Building Construction
Chapter 67 - Building, Numbering of
Chapter 71 - Buildings, Unsafe
Chapter 75 - Checks, Returned
Chapter 78 - Curfew
Chapter 84 - Fire Prevention
Chapter 91 - Health and Sanitation
Chapter 100 - Land Development
Chapter 113 - Noise
Chapter 117 - Nuisances
Chapter 119 - Parks and Town Property
Chapter 121 - Peace and Good Order
Chapter 125 - Precious Metals and Gems
Chapter 134 - Solid Waste and Weeds
Chapter 139 - Streets and Sidewalks
Chapter 144 - Taxation
Chapter 147 - Taxicabs
Chapter 150 - Telephones
Chapter 155 - Vehicles and Traffic
Chapter 160 - Water and Sewer ‍‍
Chapter 163 - Weapons
Chapter 166 - Wells Chapter
A172 - Cable Television Franchise

FOIA Request Policy

View/download FOIA Request Form

Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), the Town must guarantee access to public records held by the Town, its officers, and employees. A public record is any writing or recording prepared, owned, or possessed by the Town, its officers, employees, or agents in the transaction of public business. A public record may be in any format, including, but not limited to, a paper document, electronic file, audio recording, or video recording. The types of records maintained by the Town generally include personnel records for the Town’s employees and officials and records of the Town’s contracts. All public records are open and available for public inspection and may be withheld only if a specific statutory exemption applies.

A request for records can be written or verbal. The request must identify the records being sought with reasonable specificity. In other words, the request must be specific enough for the Town to identify and locate the records being requested. Each requestor is encouraged to complete the Town’s Record Request Form to ensure an accurate and complete response. If a requestor prefers to make a verbal request, Town staff will complete the form as completely as possible based on information provided verbally by the requestor. The Town maintains a copy of each Record Request Form along with its response.

Upon receiving a FOIA request, the Town must do one of the following within five working days:
   (1) Provide the requested records in their entirety.
   (2) Withhold the requested records in their entirety based upon a statutory exemption. The Town must provide a written response that identifies the volume and subject matter of the records being withheld along with the Virginia Code section authorizing the withholding.
    (3) Provide some of the requested records, but withhold other records which are exempt. If only a portion of a record is exempt, the Town will redact that portion of the record and provide the remainder. The Town must also provide a written response that identifies the Virginia Code section authorizing the redaction and/or withholding.
   (4) Inform the requestor in writing that the requested records cannot be found or do not exist. If the Town is aware of another public body that has the requested records, the contact information for that public body must be included in the Town’s response.
   (5) When it is not practically possible to provide the requested records or determine whether they exist within five working days, the Town must say so in writing and explain why. The Town may take up to an additional seven working days to respond to the request.

The five working day period for the Town’s response begins on the day after receipt of the request and does not include weekends or holidays. The Town may petition the court for additional time to respond to a request for a very large number of records if a response is not possible within 12 working days. The Town must make a reasonable effort to reach an agreement with the requestor for additional time prior to going to court.

The Town is not required to create records when a FOIA request seeks records which do not exist. A requestor may elect to receive electronic records in any format used by the Town in the regular course of business.

A requestor may ask to review records in addition to receiving copies. In this case, the requestor will be provided with a suitable place to review the requested records. The Town’s copies of any records provided for review are not permitted to leave the Town’s offices.

COST
With respect to costs, the Town follows the following policy pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-3704.1(A)(6):

A public body may make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. No public body shall impose any extraneous, intermediary, or surplus fees or expenses to recoup the general costs associated with creating or maintaining records or transacting the general business of the public body. Any duplicating fee charged by a public body shall not exceed the actual cost of duplication. All charges for the supplying of requested records shall be estimated in advance at the request of the citizen as set forth in subsection F of § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.

The Town may charge for the actual costs of responding to a FOIA request, including items like staff time spend searching for records, copying costs, and any other costs directly related to supplying the requested records. It cannot include general overhead costs. The requestor has the right to request an estimate of any charges for the requested records in advance. If any charges will apply, the Town will advise the requestor at the time of the request or as soon in the response process as it becomes known.

If the Town estimates that the cost of a response will exceed $200, the requestor may be required to pay a deposit not to exceed the amount of the estimate before the Town provides a response. If charges for a previous FOIA request have remained unpaid for more than 30 days, the Town may require payment of the overdue charges before responding to a new FOIA request from the same requestor.

The Town’s FOIA Officer determines whether a record or part of a record is exempt from disclosure. The Town commonly withholds records subject to the following exemptions:
   (1) Personnel records (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(1)).
   (2) Records subject to attorney-client privilege (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(1)) or the attorney work-product doctrine (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(4)).
   (3) Vendor proprietary information (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(6)).
   (4) Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract prior to the award of the contract (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(12)).

The Town’s general policy is to invoke the personnel records exemption when necessary to protect the privacy of the Town’s employees and officials. The Town generally invokes the contract negotiations exemption whenever necessary to protect the Town’s bargaining position or negotiating strategy.

A requestor who believes that FOIA rights have been violated may file a petition in district or circuit court to compel compliance with FOIA. In addition, a requestor may contact the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council for a nonbinding advisory opinion. A requestor may contact the FOIA Council with any questions about FOIA at (866) 448-4100 or foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov.

water & sewer billing

PAY BILL

Water bills are mailed on the 5th of every odd month and due on the 5th of every even month, as shown on the table below. If the 5th falls on a weekend or holiday, the bill will be due the following business day. Accounts are considered PAST DUE 45 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF INVOICE. A 10% penalty is applied to the outstanding balance on the 6th of the month the bills are due. Payments are accepted in the form of cash, check, credit cards, or money order. We also accept payment on our website. When paying by check or money order, please make payable to the Town of Grottoes. There is a $30.00 charge for returned checks.

Bills Mailed: Bill Due By:
January 5 February 5
March 5 April 5
May 5 June 5
July 5 August 5
September 5 October 5
November 5 December 5

The day after bills are due, a final notice will be mailed to all customers with an outstanding balance. This notice will provide a disconnection date and time. If full payment is not received by the given date, services will be disconnected. A reconnection fee will be due in addition to any remaining balance in order to restore your services. Reconnection fees are $30.00 during regular business hours and $70.00 during non-business and holiday hours.

Financial assistance is offered through different local churches & charities, as well as 211Virginia.org. If you need an extension to pay, please call Grottoes Town Hall Administrative Office to set up a payment arrangement with us.

Water and Sewer Rates
All rates are per 1000 gallons with the minimum billing being 2000 gallons. Each budget year there is a cost-of-living increase for water and sewer rates.

Gallons Used: Water: Sewer:
0-2000 $21.36 $49.21
Above 2000 $2.08/1000 gal. $3.88/1000 gal.

Turning on Water Service
To establish water service in a new name for an existing water and sewer connection, please contact the Town Office.

An Application for Water & Sewer Account must be completed and a deposit in the amount of $150.00 must be paid prior to the Town turning on the water service. This must be done in person and a photo ID must be presented to a Town official. Deposit payments are accepted in the form of cash, check or money order. Currently, we accept debit or credit cards for utility payments only. Utility payments may also be made by calling 1-877-885-7968. Convenience fees apply to online and phone payments. When paying by check or money order, please make payable to the Town of Grottoes. There is a $30.00 charge for returned checks. The deposit will be held on each account until services are terminated. Upon termination, the deposit will be applied towards the final billing and any overage will be refunded. A forwarding address is required to receive a refund.

New Service Connections
Connection Fees:
To receive new Town water and/or sewer services, the property owner is responsible to pay the connection fees. Paying the connection fees establishes the property owner's rights to connect onto the Town's water and/or sewer system. The connection fees are as follows: $5,000 for residential water connections $5,000 for residential sewer connections $5,000 for commercial water connections $5,000 for commercial sewer connections

Additional Costs:
The property owner is responsible for installing the service lines from the Town's main line to the building that will receive the water and/or sewer service. The property owner is also responsible for installing a septic tank for sewer and a water meter box with setter for water. Usually these tasks are preformed by an independent contractor, licensed by the state to perform such tasks. The property owner will hire the contractor of their choosing and make the arrangements to pay their fees.

Questions? Please contact us.

zoning permits

DIG WITH CARE
call 811 before you dig
(more information)PAY ZONING PERMIT FEE ONLINE

To construct a new building, make a structural alteration, install signage or fencing, or conduct a significant repair to your property, you must first obtain a Zoning Permit from the Town of Grottoes Zoning Administrator and then a Building Permit from the Rockingham County Office of Community Development.

Zoning permits establish setback requirements and similar regulations. Building permits are issued by the County and all inspections are handled by Rockingham County building officials. To apply for a zoning permit, you will need to contact the Town Manager/Zoning Administrator and provide the following information:

Name and Address of Property Owner
Name and Address of Contractor
Dimensions of Building/Addition/Signage
Plot Plan and Plat (if applicable)
Construction Plans (if applicable)
Estimated Cost of Project
Estimated Date of Completion

The cost for a zoning permit is $2.50/$1,000 cost of the project, with a minimum fee of $30.For questions about obtaining a zoning permit or to schedule an appointment, you may contact the Town Office at (540) 249-5896.

For questions about obtaining a building permit, you may contact the Rockingham County Office of Community Development at (540) 564-3030.

The official zoning map can viewed in the office of the Town Manager, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

The Town of Grottoes has the following zoning districts:
B1 General Business District
B2 Planned Business District
B3 Business District
R1 Low Density Residential District
R2 Residential District
R3 Residential Limited District
R6 Manufactured Housing District
R7 Planned Business District
M1 Light Industrial District
I1 General Industrial District

View/download table of regulations for each zoning district. For more specific information about a particular zoning district, please refer to Section 100 of the Town Code.

business licenses & town decals

PAY BUSINESS LICENSE FEE ONLINE

Business Licenses
Chapter 144 of the Grottoes Town Code establishes License Requirements to conduct business within the Town. If you have any questions contact the Town Office at (540) 249-5896.

Every person shall apply for a license for each business or profession when engaging in a business in this jurisdiction. All license taxes become due and payable on or before July 1 of the license tax year. (For license taxes based on gross receipts, penalty for late payment will begin July 2.)

A penalty of ten percent, or ten dollars, whichever is greater, shall be added to all license taxes which are delinquent and unpaid on the due date. Unless otherwise specifically provided, no license tax imposed under this Title shall be less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

Applications for existing businesses are mailed out during the month of April. If you have not received your Application for Town Business License, you may download it here or contact the Town Hall at (540) 249-5896.

Town Decals/Vehicle License Fees
Effective November 8, 2010, the Grottoes Town Council voted to eliminate the Town decal. Decals will no longer be issued or required for display on motor vehicles, motorcycles, trailers or semi-trailers.

To replace the decal a Motor Vehicle License Fee will be assessed each calendar year. This fee will be assessed on all motor vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and semi-trailers licensed in the Town of Grottoes as of January 1st of each year.

The license fee will be billed with the personal property bill that is due December 5th of each year. The Vehicle License Fee is levied on each motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer and semi-trailer for which a state license plate is required and which is normally garaged, stored or parked in the Town of Grottoes. A Vehicle License Fee is assessed each calendar year based on January 1st ownership/garage jurisdiction.

For calendar year 2011 and subsequent years the license fee is due December 5th of the preceding year and will be billed by the Treasurer at the same time as personal property taxes. Along with the Personal Property taxes, the Vehicle License Fee can be paid in person by cash, check or money order at the Town Office at 601 Dogwood Avenue, Grottoes, Virginia or by mail at P. O. Box 146, Grottoes, Virginia 24441.

Please make checks payable to Town of Grottoes.
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Employment

October 18, 2024

Public Works Director

Public Works

Full Time

Position responsible for all aspects of the Town’s Public Works (Maintenance) Department including but not limited to:

· Administration and operation of water and sewer systems, street maintenance, and contracted refuse collection.

· Inspects utility installations and street development by private contractors and developers.

· Assists with plan review and zoning administration.

· Works with Town Manager to provide long-term plans for facility maintenance, and capital projects and equipment.

Salary is based upon qualifications and experience. Position open until filled.

Further details can be found at the link below.

The Town of Grottoes offers an excellent benefit package, including health and life insurance, retirement, short-term disability insurance, and paid time off. Applicants must possess a valid VA driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. Applicants are required to pass a criminal background check and a substance abuse screening test.

Interested applicants are encouraged to complete and submit the Town of Grottoes Application for Employment, which maybe found at www.townofgrottoes.com . Resumes may be sent to Town Manager, P.O. Box 146, Grottoes, VA 24441 or the email below.

The Town of Grottoes is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Application Full Job Description townmanager@ci.grottoes.va.us

October 18, 2024

WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATOR

Public Works

Part-Time or Full-Time

Qualified applicants will have a high school diploma or GED, a valid Driver’s License with good driving record, technical and mathematical understanding, and a Class III Wastewater Operator’s License issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Oversee, operate and monitor plant operations, and adjust as necessary to maintain licensed treatment process;

Inspect machinery and instrumentation to ensure proper operating conditions; supervise and perform maintenance on equipment;

Ensure operations comply with standard safety practices and plant procedures; ensure laboratory testing procedures meet the required quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) protocols;

Prepare Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) monthly, annual sludge report, maintain documentation of all bench sheets, spreadsheets and other information necessary to prepare the reports;

Perform laboratory and field testing to monitor treatment plant efficiency as required for reporting purposes to regulatory agencies;

Performs landscape-related duties for ground maintenance such as mowing grass, edging sidewalks and curbs, operating weed trimmers, trims trees and shrubs;.

Assist with the maintenance and repair of the Town’s water and sewer system;

Required to be available to work outside normal work hours in on-call status and in emergency call-back incidents.

The hiring range is $24 to $30 per hour. Salary will be based on qualifications and experience. Position open until filled.

The Town of Grottoes offers an excellent benefit package, including health and life insurance, retirement, short-term disability insurance, and paid time off. Applicants must possess a valid VA driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. Applicants are required to pass a criminal background check and a substance abuse screening test.

Interested applicants are encouraged to complete and submit the Town of Grottoes Application for Employment, which maybe found at www.townofgrottoes.com

The Town of Grottoes is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Application Full Job Description townmanager@ci.grottoes.va.us

The Town of Grottoes is an Equal Opportunity Employer.