Joe Short, Culpeper Town Council

06/05/2026

For Town residents living near Floyd T Binns:

Notice: Please be advised that there will be law enforcement training at Floyd T Binns Middle School next week, Monday, June 8 through Friday June 12, 2026 during the hours of 8am to 5pm. The school office will be open, but we advise calling ahead if you plan to come to the school.

Virginia State Police and the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office will be conducting the training and it does not involve CCPS.

05/30/2026

Zandra’s has become a part of Culpeper’s downtown culture - our community is devastated with this loss and so thankful no one was hurt. Grateful for the immediate and professional response from Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department, Culpeper Police Department, Culpeper County Sheriff's Office - Timothy W. Chilton, Culpeper County Emergency Services and other first response agencies.

Today has been an incredibly difficult day for the Zandra’s

Early this morning, a fire caused catastrophic damage to our building in Culpeper . While the restaurant is a total loss, we are grateful beyond words that no one was injured and that everyone appears to be safe.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to the Culpeper Fire Department, emergency responders, law enforcement, and all of the agencies that responded. Their professionalism, courage, and tireless efforts helped contain a very difficult situation, and we are incredibly thankful for everything they did.

We also want to thank the Culpeper community for the support you have shown us over the past two years. Since opening our doors, we have been welcomed with open arms, and today the calls, messages, and words of encouragement from so many people have meant more than we can express.

Right now, our focus is on supporting our team members and their families as we work through what comes next. We do not yet know what the future holds, and there are many questions that still need to be answered.

While today is heartbreaking, we are thankful that everyone is safe. We will take this one step at a time, and we will share updates as they become available.

Thank you, Culpeper, for your support, your prayers, and your kindness.

— Miguel

05/22/2026

Today was a great day for Culpeper as Culpeper County Parks & Recreation led a ribbon cutting celebration for the new Culpeper Community Pool.

This project represents years of partnerships, planning, and hard work between the Town of Culpeper, Culpeper County, Parks & Recreation staff, local contractors, donors, and many community supporters who helped bring this vision to life. Community feedback throughout the process was also incredibly valuable and helped shape the vision for this facility.

I was fortunate to have had a walk-through early this morning before this afternoon's opening ceremony and was very impressed with the level of detail in the pool design and operation, the readiness of new staff, and the accessibility features that make this a facility one our entire community can use.

What stood out during today’s ceremony was the reminder that this facility is about far more than recreation. It is about teaching children and adults to swim, bringing families together, offering classroom and lifeguard training events, providing space for groups and parties, and investing in quality of life for our community.

Even before opening, there is already strong interest from community organizations and local swim teams looking to use the facility, which speaks to how important this resource will become for Culpeper.

Thanks to everyone who played a role in making this happen!

CELEBRATE WITH US!!! The Town and County of Culpeper would like to invite you to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the newly constructed Culpeper Community Pool located within the Culpeper Sports Complex at 16390 Competition Dr. Culpeper, VA 22701. This memorable event will take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 promptly at 2:00pm followed by public tours until 6:00pm.

***Please note that the Department is closely monitoring the weather. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held within the Culpeper County Fieldhouse.

LIVE HERE. PLAY HERE.

05/20/2026

This year’s VML Small Towns Conference brought together mayors, town council members, town staff and industry experts from across the Commonwealth to focus on solutions specific to towns. Sessions provided practical training in several key areas:

-- Local government law, FOIA, procurement, zoning, and Dillon’s Rule
-- Responsible budgeting, audits, capital planning, and infrastructure finance
-- Workplace impacts from changing ma*****na laws
-- Rural economic development and investment-ready projects
-- Working effectively with the General Assembly and state agencies
-- Green infrastructure, stormwater, and water quality
-- Council/manager relations and the importance of clearly defined roles
-- EMS, emergency management, and lessons from Chincoteague
-- Downtown revitalization, historic preservation, small business support

Many of us share concerns regarding population growth, aging infrastructure, commercial/residential development, and budget/revenue constraints. Between these informative sessions and valuable networking conversations, it is clear that small towns need strong partnerships, strategic planning, clear communication, and a steady commitment to protecting local character while preparing responsibly for the future.

Thank you to the Virginia Municipal League for organizing this valuable training, and thank you to the Town of Chincoteague, Inc. for being such gracious hosts.

05/17/2026

A proposed rezoning request (from Residential to Commercial) in the Zeuswyn Drive area is scheduled to come before the Town of Culpeper Planning Commission at its meeting on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, at 6:00 PM (803 South Main Street).

Residents have raised fair questions about traffic, safety, road conditions, lighting, screening, compatibility, and character.

At the same time, private property rights matter: the owner has requested the rezoning.

The Town’s responsibility is to evaluate these requests based on facts, adopted planning documents, lawful land-use standards, and the public interest.

Please attend the meeting if you'd like to share your thoughts during the Public Hearing session. Your concerns deserve to be heard respectfully and considered carefully. If you are unable to attend, email your concerns to the Town Clerk's office at [email protected] or submit them here: https://www.culpeperva.gov/government/town_clerk/contact_us.php.

Agenda link:
https://culpeperva-gov.community.highbond.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=2848

05/16/2026

05/14/2026

Join the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday, May 28, 2026 for the Fire Departments Annual Parade starting at 6:30pm on Main Street! 🚒 It's a fantastic opportunity to support our brave firefighters and enjoy a fun-filled community event in historic downtown. Don’t miss out!

For more information please visit www.culpeperfire.com or call 540-825-8777. If you would like to be in the parade visit https://culpeperfire.com/parade-entry-form/ . Registrations will be accepted up to May 25, 2026.

05/13/2026

Members of Town Council periodically get questions or feedback regarding our local schools, usually follks new to the area and unaware that all of our public schools fall under County authority, not the Town.

While the Town does not operate the county school system, I want to make it easy for everyone to reach the right elected officials. Each Culpeper County Public School campus is located in a specific magisterial district. Your Board of Supervisors member and School Board representative for that district are the best points of contact for school-related matters.

Here is the current list (as of April 2026):

-- Catalpa District --
BoS: Paul Bates
School Board: Barbee Brown
1) Culpeper County High School — 14240 Achievement Drive
2) Culpeper Middle School — 14300 Achievement Drive
3) Phoenix Alternative Education — 14270 Achievement Drive

-- Cedar Mountain District --
BoS: Mandy Brown
School Board: Betsy Smith
4) A.G. Richardson Elementary School — 18370 Simms Drive
5) Pearl Sample Elementary School — 18480 Simms Drive

-- East Fairfax District --
BoS: David Lee
School Board: Pat Baker
6) Farmington Elementary School — 500 Sunset Lane

-- Jefferson District --
BoS: Keith Farrish
School Board: Toni Sheads
7) Emerald Hill Elementary School — 11245 Rixeyville Road

-- Salem District --
BoS: Tom Underwood
School Board: Kelley Pearson
No public schools in this district

-- Stevensburg District --
BoS: DeWayne Payne
School Board: Elizabeth Hutchins
8) Eastern View High School — 16332 Cyclone Way
9) Culpeper Technical Education Center — 17441 Frank Turnage Drive

-- West Fairfax District --
BoS: Gary Deal
School Board: Chrissy Burnett
10) Yowell Elementary School — 701 Yowell Drive
11) Sycamore Park Elementary School — 451 Radio Lane
12) Floyd T. Binns Middle School — 205 Grandview Avenue

To contact your Board of Supervisors member:
https://web.culpepercounty.gov/bos/page/members-board

To contact your School Board member:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/culp/Board.nsf/Public

As always, let me know how I can help!

Tom Underwood, ChairmanSalem District(540) 717-5263 Gary M. Deal, Vice ChairmanWest Fairfax District(540) 219-8835 Paul W. BatesCatalpa District(540) 827-9072 David C. LeeEast Fairfax District(540) 718-9432  Mandy Brown, Cedar Mountain District(540) 718-2459 DeWayne Payne, Stevensburg District (54...