2019-04-02 - Wireless Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Wireless Authority opened their quarterly meeting at 8:07pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

There was no Public Comment.

John Jenkins and Richard Granger had no report.

Cathy Binder said she has struggled with wireless issues and understands the pain experienced by residents. She said with her job and her business, she needs that connection to put everything online.

Ruby Brabo shared an update that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had teams of employees dedicated to helping service providers but only one employee to help with rural areas in the entire country. She said that because of this staffing shortfall, the local internet provider, KGI Communications, has been waiting nine months since winning the auction for the white space to provide services. She also asked that residents download and use the TestIT app to help provide a better source of data on internet speeds.

Jeff Bueche had no report.

The was no Consent Agenda.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

The County Administrator, Dr. Neiman Young, had no report.

The meeting adjourned at 8:12pm.


Meeting Attendees:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Wireless Authority will next meet on June 18, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Wireless Authority Meeting.

OPINION - Economic Development Town Hall

by Neil Richard

The Department of Economic Development has been hosting Town Halls in each voting district over the past two weeks, beginning with the James Madison District on December 6th. That Town Hall was followed by an At-Large Town Hall on December 10th and the Dahlgren District on December 11th. The last Town Hall, for the Shiloh District, is to be held on December 17th at 6:30pm at the Fire Department's Company 1 building.

The purpose of these Town Halls is to gather feedback from residents regarding the draft Economic Development Strategic Plan. For those residents that are unable to attend a Town Hall, the County has provided a survey in the news section of their website. During the December 14th Town Hall, hosted by Supervisor Jeff Bueche, there was a brief presentation on how and why the plan was created. Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, gave the presentation with Annie Cupka, Grant Writer, and Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, giving a few extra points along the way.

After the short presentation, the floor was opened for public comment from the small audience of about ten to fifteen people. The questions asked, answers given, and comments made were all productive and amiable in nature. That's not to say that the questions were easy as some of them challenged Gandy and the rest on how they arrived at their plan and what the path forward was going to be.

For those that have not read the draft plan, its purpose is to develop a guideline for the County to make smart development decisions and to encourage different sources of revenue for the County all while preserving the rural and historical aspects. All of this is being driven by the impending increase in traffic because of the major construction projects on Interstate 95 and the new Nice Bridge. Without doing an in depth analysis of the plan, here are a few highlights from the Town Hall and the applicable portions of the draft Strategic Plan.

• The Mission Statement includes "rural character." It was mentioned that at previous Town Halls, residents wanted to know how that was defined. No clear definition was given.
• "Appendix A" is mentioned but not included in the draft plan.
• There are six priorities listed in the draft plan but they are not listed in any particular order. Although it may be easy for someone to assume the County feels "Healthcare" is lowest on the list of priorities because it is listed last, that's not the case. The overall feeling during the Town Hall is that all six topics are equally important as each other.
• Two of the priorities list a desire to "stunt telecommuting." Dr. Young clarified that it was a typo and it should read "stunt commuting." He further clarified that this was specifically directed towards those individuals that work in King George but live elsewhere. He said the desire was to make King George attractive enough for those individuals to live in the County and thus spend more of their money here.
• It was noted that under the Tourism and Recreation section, there was no agritourism listed. It was also noted that the desire to "Foster the continued expansion of all of the County's museums." was listed twice.
• It was noted that the school system was not mentioned in the Strategic Plan even though it would be a crucial point of it being successful. This led to a lengthy discussion on education in the County, including primary grades, secondary grades, post-secondary education, and vocational courses.
• There was some discussion and debate over the definition of affordable housing and how best to reflect the desired state of more housing options for those at various income levels. Just as different people have different definitions of "rural," the same can be said for "affordable housing."

A few key resources were either missing or only mentioned in the draft plan. In addition to the schools being missing, emergency services and the Service Authority were also missing. Dr. Young clarified these absences a bit at the beginning of the meeting and later in the evening. First, he said the school system was working on their own strategic plan. Second, both the schools and the Service Authority were their own separate entity. So even though the Service Authority was mentioned in the draft plan, and even though the schools and emergency services are vital to the success of the plan, the primary focus of the Economic Development Strategic Plan was economic development. Young said that these services would be impacted by any economic growth but if everything was included in the strategic plan, it would be too complex and too much of a burden to read.

The biggest news from the meeting came from Bueche who alluded to a plan in the works to bring a major healthcare provider to the County. Although he wasn't privy to all the details and couldn't share all of what he did know, it did sound like a promising development.

Overall, this draft Strategic Plan is one of many steps forward the County has been making. An updated Comprehensive Plan, new zoning ordinances, and other updated documents are either in progress or complete. By looking towards the future, the County is finally taking its proverbial head out of the sand and aiming to make intelligent decisions on growth. And even though growth is inevitable, this plan aims to control it in a way that is best for the residents now and into the future.

2018-12-04 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George Service Authority Board of Directors began their meeting promptly at 6:30pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Josh Houston opened Public Comments by apologizing for his ignorance as he hasn't lived here long and wasn't sure who to address regarding his high utility bills. He said his main question was why his water bill is so high, over $400, adding that it was absolutely ridiculous. He said that the debt incurred was from before his time here and he said he understood they were trying to work through it but he just wanted to understand why families were being charged so much. Houston said the water and sewer fees are the highest he's ever paid from all the places he's lived and it is so bad that he's recommended to those stationed with him to not live here. He said he didn't want to put the blame on anyone on the Board or anyone else but said it is a strain on the family's budget. He also asked if there was some sort of plan or brief to give to residents so they could make sense of their bills and get an idea of what progress is being made on the debt. Simply put, he wanted to know where his money is going. He closed by again repeating that his bills were high and wondered if there was pixie dust in the water that caused such a high rate.

Kim Dodge spoke next, saying she had previously discussed her water bills costing too much. She said she's lived here for a decade and over the last three years, the bills have gone up a lot. She said she's discussed this before with the Supervisors and felt there needed to be something done to help families with the large financial burden. Dodge said the rates here are the highest in the state and if it were possible, she'd move because of the water bills alone. She closed by saying that washing the linens at home from her massage business are eating into her profits.

Mike Bennett began his Director's report by responding to the comments about the water bills. He said we know they're high and we pay them too. He said he wasn't going to sugar coat it but the dilemma is the system is old and the customer base is small. He said systems in northern Virginia have twenty to thirty thousand customers while King George only has four thousand. He said that the $400 bill sounded high and may need to be looked into further. Bennet said he met with Service Authority employees on November 13th after their last Board of Directors meeting and learned about additional issues. Primary among these were a lack of safety policies, limited purchasing power for administration, and an undocumented sewage spill. He said the new General Manager, Jonathon Weakley, would be determining how to handle many of these newly discovered issues. Despite the safety policy being just a piece of paper, Bennett said if it saves one person, it's more than worth it. He also said that the sewage spill, which occurred in March of 2017, was reported to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) later that week. Bennett said that DEQ informed them that no further corrective action would be taken regarding the failure to report the spill. Bennett attended a Town Hall hosted by Supervisor Jeff Bueche on the 16th and met with KGI Communications on the 20th. Bennett said the meeting with KGI was to discuss their request to use the Service Authority's existing electrical lines to power their broadband equipment. The Service Authority, in exchange for the electricity, requested that KGI provide internet for the Service Authority. Bennett said that all parties agreed in principal on the exchange of utilities. Bennett also said he met with the new General Manager for several hours on the 26th and looks forward to helping him tackle the long list of challenges.

Richard Granger thanked those that spoke during Public Comment and again reiterated that the Service Authority has a small customer base. He said the expansion of the water lines to the new Tractor Supply was an effort to get more customers. Granger also said that the Service Authority has acquired no new debt over the past three years.

Chris Werle met with several parties involved in the construction of an extended stay hotel in the Gateway Shopping Center near Murphy's Express gas station. He said construction would start next year and take about six months to complete. Werle said they would provide usage estimates and consumption data based on similar facilities. Werle echoed Bennett's update on the meeting with KGI and the new General Manager. Regarding the water bills, Werle said that it goes without saying that they're outrageous. He said based on the latest report from Davenport, King George has the fourth highest rates in the state. As for the specific bill in question, Werle said he wasn't sure of the details. He said he himself pays the minimum but that he only has two users in his house. He said the debt fees on the bill would not go up as long as the Service Authority does not acquire any new debt. He said the current debt is $32.7 million with $25 million in principal. Werle says he hopes to see a lower debt fee in the future. He said the cost of operating wastewater treatment plants is more than that of providing water, thus the higher fees for sewer. He ended his comments by saying, with some hesitation, that there is a maintenance backlog and that may mean raising rates.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

The new General Manager, Jonathon Weakley, then gave his first update to the Board of Directors. Weakley said he wasn't a big fan of self-promotion but wanted to give a brief introduction on himself. He entered his career in the water and sewer business in 2000 as a Wastewater Operator Trainee. Over the next 18 years, he learned about water and wastewater systems. He said he was honored to be selected as the new General Manager. Weakley said there were challenges ahead, as mentioned already, but felt confident that, from the top down, "we will steadily move ahead to be an organization that excels in quality of product and quality of service."

Weakley then began his report by saying he didn't have a PowerPoint presentation but may use them in the future. On the water side of the Service Authority, Weakley said he is working on the Insurance Services Office (ISO) pre-survey for Chief Moody. He said he will start developing a Request For Proposal (RFP) to paint the water tanks in Purkins Corner and Oakland Park and plans to meet with Virginia Department of Health (VDH) staff this week to establish a rapport with them and to get an idea of where things stood. Weakley also said the annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) would be mailed this week to customers. He added that the Courthouse system interconnect project is complete and that Well #3 in Fairview Beach should be online soon. He finished the water report by saying the water storage tanks in Cleydael and Fairview Beach have been painted. Weakley did add that the maintenance staff has been putting in many hours and that their dedication shows.

Weakley then gave an update on the wastewater side of the Service Authority. He said he has reached out to DEQ and plans to meet with them to build the same rapport as with VDH. He said he met with staff to discuss reporting and expectations for sewage overflows as well as alarm and alert systems. Weakley said he is working with staff and DEQ to finalize the outstanding issues at Purkins Corner and added that annual limits may not be met due to issues early in the year. He finished the wastewater report by saying he has reached out to Marta Perry, the District Manager of Tri-County/City Soil and Water to discuss pollution issues in Fairview Beach.

Bennett asked if the colder weather would make it more difficult to meet the limits of Total Nitrogen and, if that were true, to explain why.

Weakley said the microbes in the wastewater system indicate how well it is performing and that during cold weather, nitrification is difficult. He said "in cold weather, kind of like myself, you slow down and aren't as active." Weakley said that things are very sensitive in cold weather and if the nitrification process is lost, you essentially need to start over.

Werle added that adjustments can be made.

Weakley agreed and added that as a rule of thumb, you increase sludge during colder months so you can get better numbers and make better adjustments. He added that some of these adjustments are chemical.

Bennett said he was just concerned because we were already over the limits earlier in the year and it wasn't cold during some of that time. He then asked how cold it needs to be before the process stops.

Weakley said ten degrees Celsius is what they teach but he's seen it happen at lower temperatures. He added that adjustments will need to be made and it should sustain it. He said ideally, those adjustments would be biological instead of chemical.

In the written update he handed to the rest of the Directors, Weakley left out a few miscellaneous items of little import. He did summarize a few ongoing projects, including working on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), procurement thresholds, and touring the existing facilities. He also extended invitations to each of the Directors to meet with them one on one and to "break bread." He said he wanted to hear ideas and concerns and felt it was not solely on him to move forward but rather wanted to include staff, Directors, and the community.

Weakley closed his remarks by saying his motto was "patience and persistency." He said he wasn't asking for an excuse or extended grace period, but noted that going through changes and adjustments takes calm and patience. He said everyone needs to be on the same sheet of music and that's the culture the Service Authority will have and the culture we want to cultivate. He said his hours and contact information are on the County's webpage if anyone wants to reach out to him. He said he can't promise to have all the answers but he would give an honest answer. In response to the earlier statements about the high water bills, he gave an example of a leaky toilet. He said if it leaked a gallon a minute, that was 1,440 gallons a day multiplied by 30 days a month and again by two months per billing cycle. He said that was roughly 60,000 gallons of water. He said the Service Authority will work with customers because they're paying for a service.

Werle added that if the Service Authority investigates a leak and finds that it's on the customer's side, the homeowner can bring in the receipts from the repairs and the Service Authority will adjust their bill.

The meeting then adjourned at 7:15pm.

Meeting Attendees:
Christopher Werle (Chairman, Board of Directors)
Jonathon Weakley (General Manager of Service Authority)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Citizen)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Absent:
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on December 18, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.

2018-10-16 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 7:25pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Public Comment began with John Marlowe speaking as the President of the Potomac Landing Home Owners Association (HOA). He said that Planning Commission had approved the subdivision application of Section 4 of Potomac Landing despite 72 residents attending the meeting in opposition. He said eleven people made comments at the meeting against the planned subdivision and said the developer would be in violation of the HOA rules by turning the existing 18 lots into 87 lots. Marlowe said the investment company that purchased the lots said they had invested millions of dollars in the property and had no intentions of being stopped. Marlowe also said the HOA had been threatened with legal action by the investment company and that they claim to have the money to sidestep the HOA if needed. He closed by asking the Supervisors to not approve the subdivision.

Next to speak was a resident of Potomac Landing Drive who endorsed the previous statements but wanted to add that the additional homes would impact school needs as well as increase the number of cars on the road. He said when entering Route 218 (Caledon Road) from Potomac Landing Drive, it can sometimes be dangerous.

Richard MacDonald spoke next, stating that the Planning Commissions approval to change ten acre lots into two acre lots was a 500% increase. He said the additional homes meant additional traffic and additional water runoff into the existing retention pond. He said one of the main attractions of King George was the rural setting and didn't want us to turn into Stafford County. He said the development company would increase their profits at the cost of the County and homeowners in the area. He closed by saying the developers should be forced to live with what they bought.

Glenna Marlowe was next to speak, stating she made comments at the Planning Commission meeting. During that meeting she shared photos from behind her house showing the runoff that was already present and that additional runoff from new homes would be dangerous. She shared the concerns of those that spoke before her but also wanted to add her concerns about the amenities. She didn't feel that the existing amenities could handle such a large number of people. Marlowe also said that she felt the attorney from the investment company minimized residents' concerns and that it felt like he questioned why they were even there to raise issues. She said a lot of people felt like their intelligence was questioned at the meeting.

Geoffrey Florschutz was next to speak simply stating that he wanted to voice his opposition to the proposed subdivision and that he concurred and agreed with the comments made before him.

The next resident spoke about their runoff concerns and the increase in non-permeable surfaces a large subdivision would bring.

Alice Austiff added that she concurred with those speakers before her and added that the runoff that goes to the pond is only held back by a dirt berm. She said any overflow goes directly into the Potomac River. She closed by saying that there are no bathrooms at the small beach below them and that with the additional people using it, it could contribute to the contamination in the river.

The next speaker against the proposed development also mentioned the potential increase in run-off as an issue as well as the flaunting of the covenants by the developer.

The next speaker was Reverend Leonard Bland, the pastor of Salem Baptist Church. He said the proposed gun range off Salem Church Road could be neighbors with the 150 year old church. Reverend Bland said they're concerned about the sound of gun shots and felt they would be detrimental to church services, funerals, burials, and children. He prayed the Board would not partake of this proposal. He then asked for the church members in the audience to stand and they did so.

Reverend Bland speaks out against the potential gun range off Salem Church Road.

John Jenkins thanked everyone for coming out to speak. As he did so, many in the audience began to leave to which Ruby Brabo said they could stay and listen to the Board's responses if they wished. A few continued to leave while some returned to their seats.

Jenkins continued by again thanking those that spoke and voiced their opinions. He said it gave him motivation to look further into the matter. Regarding the gun range, he reiterated that the Board has not received any plan or proposal but when that moment comes, he would certainly take the concerns to heart. On October 7th, he attended the KG Que Fest and that he looked forward to seeing it progress in the coming years. He then congratulated Jeff Bueche and Dr. Neiman Young for taking third place.

Dr. Young jokingly asked if he said the barbecue was "pretty good" to which Jenkins said "really good." Jenkins also thanked law enforcement for their help during the festival. He added that he attended the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) work session on the 9th, the Fall Festival parade on the 13th, and a George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) meeting on the 15th.

Jeff Bueche thanked everyone that gave public comment and said that when it does come before the Board, it gives them something to look at. Regarding the gun range, he also said that nothing has been brought before the Supervisors but that he has gotten numerous emails both for and against the potential gun range. He said that while he is interested in the opinion of neighbors in the region, the opinion of King George residents matter more.

Bueche said October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that he was wearing a pink tie in honor of his cousin who is currently fighting breast cancer.

On October 6th and 7th, Bueche attended the KG Que Fest. He said it was an honor to compete with Dr. Young and they placed 3rd in pork. He also thanked the numerous sponsors, the Sheriff's Office, Fire and Rescue Department, and the many other people that worked to make the event a success. He noted that Tim Smith, Ryan Gandy, Dr. Young, and Annie Cupka went above and beyond to help. Bueche then presented Dr. Young with a pig trophy to recognize their efforts.

On the 9th, Bueche attended a Social Services meeting and the CIP work session. He thanked the emergency services crews for their help during the remnants of Hurricane Michael. On the 12th he attended a team building exercise with department heads and on the 13th participated in the Fall Festival parade. On the 14th he noted the Commonwealth Foxhounds group sponsored a trail ride in Caledon State Park and that the Dahlgren Naval base would celebrate their 100th anniversary on the 19th.

Ruby Brabo began her report by saying the Planning Commission makes their decision based on how a project fits with the Comprehensive Plan while the Board of Supervisors make their decision based on what citizens want. She said it is important to make sure residents get involved early and was glad to see so many citizens speaking. Regarding the potential gun range, she also echoed previous comments that no proposal has been put before the Supervisors yet. She then said that petitions don't help. She said that in the past, some Supervisors have just thrown them in the trash but hoped that wouldn't be the case with the current Board. She said the real issue is that an online petition doesn't show the address of the person signing it so Supervisors don't know if they're King George County residents or not. She also said with a written petition that it was difficult to verify the signatures were valid. Brabo said that because of these issues with petitions, voicing concerns in person or via email were the best.

Brabo then asked if Dr. Young had an update on Port Conway Road and the damage done by recent storms. Dr. Young said that he had been in contact with VDOT and that currently there was no estimate on when final repairs would be made.

On October 3rd and 9th, Brabo participated in conducting interviews for the Service Authority General Manager position. On the 9th she also attended the CIP work session. During a conference call on the 11th for the National Association of Counties (NACo), there was hope that the current population limit of 16,000 would be raised to 40,000 for grants. She said this would help King George "pursue improving our broadband infrastructure" as well as fire house and Service Authority needs. On the 13th, Brabo participated in the Fall Festival parade and on the 15th she attended a GWRC meeting.

Brabo closed her report by saying Canterbury would be submitting an application in the future for approval as a golf cart community.

Cathy Binder thanked everyone for coming out to speak at public comment and that she would take their thoughts on Potomac Landing into consideration. Regarding the potential gun range, Binder said she has also gotten a lot of emails, noting that at one point she received over 75 in one day.

On October 6th and 7th, Binder attended the KG Que Fest and her daughter really enjoyed the bounce house and pony rides. Binder enjoyed speaking with residents and thanked law enforcement for their help in keeping the event enjoyable. Binder attended the CIP work session on the 9th, the team building event on the 12th, and the Service Authority General Manager interview session on the 16th.

Binder then resigned from her position on the Smoot Library Board of Trustees representing the James Madison District and asked to be appointed to the Trustees as a representative from the Shiloh District. The Board approved.

Richard Granger thanked the residents from Potomac Landing for coming out and said he would investigate the issue further. To Reverend Bland who had already left the meeting, he thanked him for the prayers saying he could really use them.

On October 7th, Granger attended the KG Que Fest and judged the competition. He said it was a lot of fun and that the tasting was a blind tasting so there was "no collusion." He said the barbecue was delicious but said "I think I had a barbecue hangover" by the end.

Granger attended the CIP work session on the 9th, the Fall Festival parade on the 13th, and an FRA meeting on the 15th. He said he now has open positions on the Smoot Library Board of Trustees, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, and the Social Services Board and asked anyone interested in serving to reach out to him. He then nominated Kris Parker to serve on the Smoot Library Board of Trustees and the Board approved.

Granger then asked for a moment to recognize County staff and had Brad Hudson come forward to speak. Hudson then spoke of the accomplishments of Travis Self, stating he was the only inspector he's known to become fully certified within a one year period. He said that not only did Self need to attend multiple modules and take four exams, he did it all while working a new job. Because of Self's determination, Hudson nominated him for the NACo High Performance Leadership Academy and he was accepted.

Hudson then went on to celebrate the accomplishments of Heather Hall. Hudson said she started with the County as a permit technician in 2005 and has been promoted several times since. He said she has also made great strides by improving the process for permits and planning and zoning. As part of his nomination letter to the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials (VAZO), Hudson said Hall was "firm, fair, and consistent." He said VAZO only gives five awards each year and said Hall had earned the Annual Achievement Award for Certified Zoning Officials from them.

Richard Granger, Heather Hall, and Brad Hudson.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

Next on the Agenda was the Capital Budget Presentation by Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator. Dr. Young said he invited Sheriff Dempsey and Chris Dines, Director of Information Technology (IT), to the meeting to provide answers to some outstanding questions from the Supervisors. Dr. Young also said that he researched the potential for a 50,000 square foot Courthouse and the estimated cost was $306 per square foot for a total of $21.9 million but cautioned the Supervisors that his estimate was based on 2017 prices. Young said with an industry standard inflation increase of 3%, it would be closer to $22.5 million.

Sheriff Dempsey then came forward to answer questions regarding his CIP request for new laptops. Brabo said that some of the Supervisors couldn't remember how old the current laptops were and also wanted to know if there was a cost savings to making a bulk purchase and what the benefits were for training officers on matching devices.

Sheriff Dempsey said a bulk purchase allows them to use the same docking equipment as well as a 25% cost savings. He said the current laptops were six years old and seven of them no longer worked. The Supervisors seemed pleased to hear his answers.

Chris Dines then came forward to answer questions about his IT requests. Brabo asked the same question, if it was necessary to do both projects, related to fiber and server upgrades, at the same time. Dines said both projects don't need to be done at the same time, however the point of the projects was to create redundancy for the County, including for emergency services. Brabo asked Dines to explain, for herself and for citizens, the reason for redundancy and if the project was split over multiple years how that would impact redundancy. Dines said the idea behind having a back-up was for emergencies and natural disasters. He said by virtualizing the servers to a secure cloud platform, it would allow employees to access data and systems from anywhere. Dines also said that it would act as a backup for data and provide increased connection speeds which would be essential for the next generation 911 system.

Dr. Young added that the 911 Dispatch Center went offline twice last year and King George had to rely on neighboring Counties for assistance. Young said he tasked Dines with creating a redundancy plan to ensure the County could still operate should something happen, like a loss of a fiber connection. He said he really didn't want to rely on neighbors to address their needs in the future.

Dines also said that with Atlantic Broadband being the sole internet provider, it would be good to have a back up and would eventually save money by cutting costs. Jeff Bueche asked about the fiber lines that were installed by the schools and if the five year waiting period was over to tap into those lines. Dines said the section on Route 3 was available but the ones to Potomac and Sealston Elementary Schools were not. Bueche asked if there would be a cost savings if Dines only focused on providing fiber to the Fire and Rescue Department. Dines said there would be a cost savings to not do all of the upgrades but didn't have an exact number. Dr. Young interjected and said he would advise against splitting up the project like that because it would be like kicking the can down the road and added that later in the meeting he would explain that the County would be healthier than expected compared to last week. Brabo added that they would eventually pay more by doing the project in pieces. Bueche said he understood that but was thinking about the still undecided solution for the Courthouse and that installing new fiber to the Courthouse now may not be a benefit if they build a new building later. Dr. Young said that regardless of which Courthouse solution is chosen, faster internet would still be necessary as none of the plans call for the existing Courthouse to sit empty. The Supervisors appeared to come to a consensus on both the laptops and the IT upgrades.

Moving on, the Board then had a discussion on the future of the Courthouse. There was some discussion about funding and how much was needed, but in the end, they voted to approve funds to do a study to determine the best method of delivery for whatever solution is eventually decided upon.

The Board then approved the CIP projects and their respective budgets.

Brabo noted that this was the third year in a row that the Supervisors have cash funded projects without accumulating any new debt.

Dr. Young said they would still need to vote to adopt the CIP projects and appropriate their budgets but that no waiting period was required. He recommended the Supervisors do this prior to their training session on October 30th, thus giving County staff time to get the paperwork ready. Dr. Young also said that with the approvals tonight, there was no need for the previously scheduled meeting on October 23rd.

Next on the Agenda was an update from Eric Gregory, County Attorney. He said he had finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County Parks and Recreation Department, the Friends of Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT), and the trail's owner, David Brickley. He said the DRHT, a trail over 15 miles long in the County, would continue to be privately owned and that the Friends of DRHT would continue to maintain it. The big change would be the Parks and Recreation Department would take over management of the trail as a County park and a DRHT Committee would be formed to ensure all parties would be represented. Jim Lynch, Friends of DRHT Secretary, was present to answer questions and said he felt that Gregory captured everything. Lynch also said that the Friends group felt this was the right step along the way to becoming a part of the State Park System. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the Treasurer of the Friends of DRHT.]

The Supervisors approved the MOU. Brabo added that this was a "long time coming" and that for those that have been involved from the beginning, they now get to see the benefit. She also thanked everyone and said the Board sees the trail as an asset. Gregory added that the Parks and Recreation Department was enthusiastic about the addition of the trail.

Dr. Young then proposed a request to transfer funds so the Parks and Recreation Department could purchase a new gymnastic spring floor for the Quonset Hut, also known as the Old King George Elementary School Gymnasium. He said the current gymnastics team, the Astros, would be moving to a new location and they would be taking the spring floor with them because they purchased it. Young said the spring floor was an important part of the Parks and Recreation Department's gymnastics program. Brabo asked if the team was leaving because of the condition of the Quonset Hut and Young said no, they just got a better deal elsewhere. The Board approved of the expense.

Dr. Young then presented two amendments to the Landfill Agreement. The first amendment was for the County to assume operations at the convenience centers. He said the County would hire two full-time employees and three part-time employees. John Jenkins asked when the job announcement would go out and Young said very soon. Brabo said she heard rumors that the convenience center hours would be reduced. Dr. Young said that Jeff Jenkins, Director of Landfill Operations and no relation to Supervisor John Jenkins, and the Landfill Advisory Committee have been taking a hard look at the impact but would not be reducing hours. He said that the hours may change and there was discussion about holiday closures but he didn't want to get ahead of the Committee. The Board approved of the first amendment.

The second amendment was to accept additional tonnage at the landfill. The increase in trash being accepted would result in just over $3 million in additional revenue. The Board approved the second amendment.

Dr. Young began his report by asking for the Board to choose a representative for the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to attend the annual business meeting. Jeff Bueche was chosen as the primary representative with Ruby Brabo as the alternate.

Dr. Young then informed the Supervisors of additional VACo communication and information from VDOT regarding upcoming meetings. He also recognized Amanda Sumiel, Director of Human Resources, for her work on getting King George County certified as a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certified employer. The audience applauded her efforts.

The Board went into Closed Session at 8:51pm. Darell Hertenstein and three others were invited to attend but were given hand signals to wait a few minutes before they did. Hertenstein and his associates eventually joined the Closed Session at 9:02pm and left at 9:19pm. The rest of the Board ended their Closed Session at 9:23 pm.

The meeting adjourned at 9:24pm.

Meeting Attendees:

John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)

Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)

Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)

Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)

Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)

Neiman Young (County Administrator)

Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:

The Board of Supervisors will next meet on October 30, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:

Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.

2018-05-15 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

 The King George County Board of Supervisors got off to a late start at 9:07pm thanks to a very long Closed Session by the Service Authority Board of Directors.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Richard Granger opened the floor for Public Comment and clarified for Kim Dodge, who had stepped to the podium, that there would be time for her to comment later at the Public Hearings if she wanted to comment about the equalization rates. As Mrs. Dodge sat down, Granger asked if there were comments from any online attendees. Seeing as the speaker could not be heard and staff attempted to troubleshoot the issue, Granger read a statement from William and Margaret Heath. The Heaths wrote to express their concern about the recent decision of Sentara Pratt to end it's agreement with Dr. Rosier Dedwylder. They requested that the Supervisors secure a new medical association so Dr. Dedwylder could continue to serve the community.

Staff was unable to determine the cause of the issue with the online comments so they instead read what the individual wrote in the chat. Yvonne Richard asked the Supervisors to remove Chris Werle from his role on the Service Authority Board of Directors [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the spouse of Yvonne Richard.].

The Board then began their reports. John Jenkins had no report.

Jeff Bueche wished everyone happy belated Mother's Day. He attended the National Day of Prayer on May 3rd in front of the Courthouse and was impressed to see so many united in prayer. On the 4th he attended the Evening Under The Stars event with his wife and felt honored to represent the district that is home to Caledon State Park. On the 12th he and his son volunteered at a cleanup in Fairview Beach. He thanked Lisa Shrewsberry for her efforts in organizing the event. On the 14th he attended a stakeholder meeting in Dahlgren. Bueche said it was Military Appreciation Month and thanked Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, John Jenkins, and Ruby Brabo for their service and their family's service. He also said it was Police Appreciation Week and thanked the Virginia State Police as well as the King George County Sheriff's Deputies for their service.

Ruby Brabo then began her report by reminding everyone that a lot of positives have happened in the County over the years. Despite many people focusing on the negatives, she said big improvements have been made since she took office seven years ago. Schools are accredited, teachers have better pay, many projects have been cash funded, and other examples were given. On May 2nd she attended a Spotsylvania Hospital Board of Directors meeting. On the 3rd and 4th she assisted in interviewing candidates for the George Washington Regional Commission Executive Director position. From the 6th to the 13th she was on vacation without internet and now has a lot of catching up to do. On the 14th she met with Dr. Young, Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, and KGI Communications. KGI informed the County of FCC Spectrum which could be a potential source of income for the schools. On the 15th she attended the Dahlgren Joint Land Use meeting where she learned the runway on base is scheduled to be declassified or taken out of service to allow for re-development. She reminded everyone that the Public Hearing on the Mixed Land Use Ordinance is scheduled for June 12th at 7pm.

She appointed Elody Shojinaga to the Smoot Library Board of Trustees. The appointment was approved.

Brabo then read "a resolution expressing King George County's position in support of Congressman Rob Wittman's request for a detailed analysis of the potential move of the Chemical Biological Radiological Defense Division from Dahlgren to Indian Head." Essentially, the resolution was a way for the Supervisors to provide support of Congressman Wittman's provision that was inserted into the state's budget. The provision essentially requires the Navy to provide a report that shows "the timeline, costs, risks, and benefits" of the move.

After Brabo read the proposed resolution, Granger began to express his concerns. Brabo interrupted and said she had made a motion to to accept the resolution and was waiting for a second. Jenkins seconded the motion and Granger apologized for speaking out of turn. He then asked to table the decision until everyone could review the resolution due to it's significance. He didn't want to approve it without having a chance to think about it.

Brabo said Stafford County Supervisors are going to approve the same resolution tonight and Caroline County Supervisors will do so soon. She then asked if Granger supported the move. Granger said he supported the resolution but took issue with one clause and hasn't had time to read or think about it until now. Bueche said he agrees with the resolution in spirit but some language he would like to look into further. He said he wasn't sure about the paragraph that included the past history as he wasn't sure what was done in the past and would like to know. He also said he has concerns about how much it would cost to retrofit.

Brabo said that was what had been asked of the Navy and Vice Admiral Moore stated at a meeting in 2017 that everything was written down and that it would be shared within the week. Brabo said it was never shared. Bueche said the Department of the Navy should have had a long process to go through before making such a move as this. Brabo agreed and said Congressman Wittman, who is on the House Armed Services Committee, never heard about the move. There was some more discussion with Brabo appearing to get a little frustrated at the hesitancy and she called for a vote. Jenkins suggested tabling it until later. After some brief clarity from Eric Gregory, County Attorney, Brabo made a substitute motion to table the decision. Everyone vote for this with Brabo casting the lone dissenting vote.

Cathy Binder then began her report by saying she attended a meeting on April 18th at the Dahlgren Heritage Museum [EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Museum.]. She loved the meeting and one of the key phrases she particularly enjoyed was "relationships make a difference." On May 2nd she attended a meeting of the Rappahannock Area Agency On Aging where they discussed accessibility issues. On the 8th she attended a Smoot Library Board of Trustees meeting where they discussed fundraising efforts. She finished by congratulating the graduating class of high school seniors, including her son.

Richard Granger's report began with a meeting on May 2nd of the Bay Consortium Workforce Investment Board along with Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development. On the 14th he attended the same stakeholder meeting in Dahlgren as Bueche. He then read a resolution of appreciation for Mildred Ashton Holmes which was approved.

The Consent Agenda was approved and the County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

Thus began the first Public Hearing of the night regarding the proposed Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Secondary Six-Year Plan (SSYP) for FY2019-2024. Dr. Young gave a brief overview before turning over the presentation to Stephen McKeever of VDOT. McKeever reviewed the details of how the formulas were used to determine funding for roads and also highlighted some of the changes. He said the paving of Chatterton Lane is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2019 and the bridge replacement on Ashland Mill Road is already completed. He said the remaining funds from that project will need to stay in the bridge fund as he's not allowed to move it to other projects. McKeever said paving Ivy Hill Loop was moved up to a spot just below paving Peerless Road and would be followed in priority by paving Kings Mill Road. He said that Peerless was identified last year and that Ivy Hill was moved up based on previous discussions. He said that in regards to the plan to use revenue sharing, there may be enough funds to accomplish paving these roads, and maybe more, without revenue sharing.

Brabo said that the Supervisors came to a consensus based on old data, meaning before knowing about the potential of extra money, and asked if there was a possibility of another project being completed. She also asked Gregory how to proceed if the money comes in and the list hasn't been updated. She said that the Board didn't really look beyond the first couple of roads in the rankings because they didn't expect to have enough funds to take care of those projects.

Gregory asked McKeever if there was a deadline, to which McKeever replied no. Brabo asked if there would be a need for another public hearing and McKeever said yes. Granger suggested adopting it now and amending it later.

When there floor opened for public comment, there was none.

McKeever then introduced Dennis Massey as the new Maintenance Manager. He said Massey was hired in September and that he's a native of King George so if the Board had any questions, "he's the one to talk to." McKeever said that Kings Mill Road was discussed but due to costs he may not be able to complete it.

The Supervisors approved the plan and then immediately had some confusion as it appeared that Peerless needed to be added to the SSYP by resolution. Brabo and Gregory discussed how to proceed and it was determined that Brabo could rescind her prior motion. She did and that was approved. Brabo then moved to adopt the SSYP as presented with the amendment of adding Peerless and that was approved.

The next Public Hearing was for the Equalization Rate for FY2018. Mrs. Dodge again approached the podium and again Granger asked her to wait just a moment before speaking. Dr. Young then proceeded to explain in brief why the staff recommends no equalization. The highlights of his reasoning for keeping the same $0.70 per $100 tax rate as last year included mandated expenses, additional County staff that was necessary, additional School Resource Officers (SROs), and a debt reduction fund.

With the floor now open for Public Comment, Kim Dodge finally had her chance to speak. She said we elect our officials to take our interests. Her goal was to keep as much of her money as she could while the Supervisors' goal was to provide services and spend money. In a long and somewhat rambling opinion that continued for many minutes, Dodge's bottom line appeared to be that she was not in favor of the tax rate staying the same. Instead she wanted to see if reduced to an equalized rate of $0.67 per $100 or at least something less than $0.70. She felt the cumulative effect of ever increasing tax rates, homeowner's fees, and water and sewer fees were becoming an undue burden on her.

After several minutes, Granger politely reminded her to try to keep her comments to three minutes. Dodge closed by saying she wanted to limit the cumulative effects and didn't like the distortion of facts.

Next to the podium was Jim Lynch. He said he listened to Dr. Young's presentation and has read various news reports but did not have any problems with keeping the rate at $0.70. He thought Dr. Young made a compelling case on where the money goes and that we're getting a very good value on our tax dollars. He also said debt reduction is a very wise move. Lynch said that people want to move here to work here now. He said that for those of us that have lived here a long time, we have seen the positive changes and that life is better. He closed by saying the Supervisors and Dr. Young do a good job.

Once again, Yvonne Richard gave her comments via remote connection. Due to technical difficulties her short comment was read by a staff member. Mrs. Richard said she is in favor of the Board keeping the same rate of $0.70 and that if funds become available to ask the Supervisors to add an SRO at all schools, including the Preschool and Head Start building.

Bueche then said he wanted to give Dr. Young the opportunity to explain the debt fund to Mrs. Dodge. Dr. Young said the bottom line was the Supervisors are using three tiers of funding to pay down the debt. Some of it will be added to the fund now, some will be surplus funds added later, and some will be reserve funds added later. He said these will establish a debt mitigation fund and it will continue to be fed over the next five years at which time it will be used to make a payment on the County's debt. He said this payment would result in the County saving roughly $3.7 million in interest over the life of the loans. He closed by saying he couldn't think of a better way to invest our tax dollars.

Bueche thanked Dodge and Lynch for their comments. Addressing Dodge, he said we may not agree on things but he does like her passion. He said this was his first budget cycle and it was a learning experience. When he started, he had delusions of grandeur, specifically that the tax rate could be lowered. He said he learned that no matter what you fund or don't fund, there are always needs beyond what we have. He said the Board's job is to not take as much money as we can but "to rather spend wisely and make hard decisions." He said he stands by all of his votes and is proud of the budget.

Granger also addressed Dodge saying he was sorry she felt like there's a divide and a battle between the Board and the citizens. He said his actions on the Board impact him as well and that he's not a fan of paying more money. But he said he wants services that provide health and safety and pay down the debt to save money in the future. He said he's willing to move forward to get those gains. Granger said he hoped Dodge didn't look at it as "us versus you" because we're a team. He appreciated her speaking out at the meetings and liked that citizens were involved as it has an impact on everyone. He also thanked Lynch and Richard for their comments.

Brabo said that from her first day of campaigning in 2011, she wanted people to get involved, even if they had a different opinion. She said the only way officials can develop a community you want is to get involved. She said that County employees suffered immensely in the past because of a lack of tax increases. She said that 911 calls were abandoned in the past or could be put on hold for as much as eight minutes. Brabo said because of a tax increases from the Board in the past, it impacted the lives of employees and citizens. She said some services are mandated by the state and that the County is trying to be innovative in finding other ways to increase revenue.

Cathy Binder thanked all of the speakers for their public comments. She said she had a rude awakening when she learned about the mandated services in the budget process.

No action was taken by the Board.

Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development was next to the podium and he presented an update on the Broadband Survey. In short, he said broadband is quickly becoming a necessity instead of a luxury for residents and businesses. He was also careful to clarify that the survey results were the opinions of those in the County, not himself. He asked the Board to take a stance on supporting broadband in one of three ways. The first option was that the County can share local assets only, such as towers, roofs, or land. The second option was that the locality would pay for the capital investment while a private partner would run it. The final option, the one recommended by the committee, was a hybrid approach where the assets and capital investment were shared by the County and a private partner. In essence this is a private-public partnership (P3).

Binder said she had no questions but needed time to absorb everything before making a decision. Granger also said he was not prepared to decide and that discussing it at a work session sounded like the best bet.

Gandy apologized for submitting the presentation so late but that the committee had met the day prior. He said he would like a decision by the end of June in order to capitalize on the grant. The Board decided to add it to the Agenda for the June 12th meeting.

Brabo said she had no problem marketing something through free avenues but did have a problem with the County paying for direct mailings on behalf of a private company. She also said that providing assistance for deployment should be dependent on the County's return on investment.

Tim Ware was next to present and promptly asked if the Board wanted the short presentation or the long presentation. After the laughter subsided, he began by saying his presentation should be easy as he was giving the County something, not asking for it.  Ware gave a summary of the plan that was developed to create a rain garden at the Cedell Brooks, Jr. Park. He said there were three applicants for the grant, but two were in state parks. As he preferred to keep the money local, the County was chosen. While the grant will need to be resubmitted, he saw no issue in getting the funds. He said the funds will need to be spent by the end of the year, thus making the completion of the project happen soon. He said the County won't need to spend any money but that they may need to help water the plants the first few years until they take hold. The Board approved the plan.

Next up was Wilma Ward, Director of Finance. She asked the Board to adopt the proposed FY2018-2019 King George County Schools Operating Budget and the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA) for 2019 and 2020. The Board approved both.

Steve Lynd, Emergency Management Coordinator, presented the 2018 King George County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) or the County's disaster playbook as he called it. The Board approved.

Next was Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, and his request to advertise for special meetings. He requested meetings on May 23rd and May 29th in an effort to adopt the County's budget. He said the effort was because of concerns raised by the Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue. Young said if the current timeline was not altered, the first half tax bills and revenue from them may not be received in time for the County's year-end audit.

The Supervisors then began to check their calendars to find the best date. They settled on May 24th at 5:30pm for the Public Hearing on the County Budget and May 31st at 6:30pm for votes on the Equalization Rate and County Budget. Brabo received prior approval to attend the meeting on the 24th remotely because she will be on travel. The regular schedule of meetings will resume on June 5th with the appropriation of the County Budget.

Dr. Young also asked to add VDOT to the meeting on the 31st so the Board can make a decision on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) about the noise wall and de minimus use.

Brabo asked Gregory about a question that was raised on social media about state law allowing the collection of personal property taxes quarterly instead of twice a year. Gregory said he didn't know but could look it up. Brabo then added a follow-up question for Dr. Young asking for him to find out if it were allowed, how much of a burden, financially and time, it would be for County staff.

Eric Gregory, County Attorney, then presented his update on the sale of the old Passapatanzy Voting Office. Gregory said he would try to make it brief to which Granger replied "that would be appreciated." Gregory said that a deed restriction was found from when the County acquired the property in 1951 but that efforts to reach the heirs were unsuccessful. Therefore the County could sell the property. The Board approved.

Gregory then presented an update on the nuisance or unsafe buildings ordinance. He said there was a question of including abandoned structures in the ordinance. Gregory said the word abandoned is used elsewhere in state code but it applies to ships and water vessels. He did feel the current language was capable of covering the issue. Brabo said a public hearing would be key.

Dr. Young began his report by saying he received correspondence from the Middle Peninsula Alliance (MPA) regarding the PamunkeyNet initiative. The MPA wished to have a representative for an advisory team and Dr. Young requested Ryan Gandy to serve as such. Gandy was approved by the Board with Annie Cupka, Grant Writer, to serve as an alternate.

Young then asked the Board to appoint Jim Howard, former Supervisor, to fill a vacancy on the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB). The Board approved.

Brabo then began whispering to Granger and Granger asked Gregory about a potential conflict of interest. He asked if his position as an employee of Dahlgren would impact his voting on the resolution previously discussed in support of Wittman. Gregory said he would need to know more about what Granger does on base. Granger said he works in software development and has nothing to do, that he's aware of at least, with the chem-bio department that is moving. Gregory said it shouldn't impact conflict of interest but the Commonwealth's Attorney is the one to go to for an official legal opinion and that he could only give an off-the-cuff response. Granger said he did want an official response before an official vote. Binder also chimed in to say that she would need to have the same discussion as her husband worked on base.

There being no Closed Session, the meeting adjourned at 11:06pm.

Meeting Attendees:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Board of Supervisors will next meet on May 24, 2018 at 5:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.

UPDATE 2018-05-22: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported the next meeting time. The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held May 24, 2018 at 5:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

UPDATE 2018-05-25: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Board of Supervisors member John Jenkins. His first name is John, not Jeff.

2018-04-17 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 9:11 pm after a long Closed Session of the Service Authority finally ended.

Opening up public comment was Jim Lynch who was there as a representative of the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a member of the Friends of DRHT]. He stated that the National Trails Systems Act of 1968 was amended in the 1980s to provide for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) to run from the headwaters of the Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay. He said a couple of years ago the Board of Supervisors supported PHNST routes through the County and that DRHT is considered the "spine" of these inter-woven routes. He said the National Park Service recently delivered two signs to be installed on the DRHT to show it's location on the PHNST. The sign was in the front of the room and he offered to stick around and answer any questions they may have.

Kim Dodge was next to speak at the podium. She said she was disheartened to hear that lowering the tax rate wasn't considered at all. She said she heard it would be kept at 70 cents per $100 and that next year it would be increased. She said that even if property taxes went down to 6.7%, she still wouldn't see any benefit. She said she wanted to know what the amount of taxes collected last year was and that the Supervisors should know this number "off the top of their head without looking it up." Dodge said that equalization is to protect taxpayers when there is going to be a big windfall for the County and wants to know the bottom-line figures. She said the County, statistically, is a group of people that have a political viewpoint of budgetary restraint. She said the majority of taxpayers follow this point of view and that she knows the County is in tons of debt but there's nothing to show for it. She said there was nothing wrong with paying off the debt early to save interest. Dodge also said the public hearing is a procedure and that the decision is already made. She said she wants to keep her money. Dodge closed by saying she wanted to know what the figures were for the real estate property taxes from last year, what's being brought in this year with the 70 cent rate, and what the windfall difference is between them.

Joe Frank was next to speak. He introduced himself as the King George County representative with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He handed the Board fact sheets showing the various programs offered by the USDA. He said one issue that has come up recently among local farmers is the closure of the fertilizer plant in Sealston. He said the concern wasn't that the plant is gone, it was that the site is contaminated. He said with it not being in use, there is nobody there to monitor the water which means it will eventually leach into the local water supply. He said the local farmers wanted County residents to know that if they test their water, the contamination isn't coming from them, it's the fertilizer plant that's the problem.

Representatives from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) then stepped forward to speak. They handed out a draft of their current plan showing projects and funding for the coming years. They began summarizing the projects, including Chatterton Lane, the replacement of the Pine Hill bridge, and countywide traffic services. Dr. Young, County Administrator, interrupted their presentation by saying this wasn't appropriate to use up public comment time nor to have a back-and-forth discussion. He said he wasn't being rude but suggested setting a date for a work session in the future to allow more time. Ruby Brabo suggested adding it to the already scheduled work session on April 24th and the rest of the Board concurred.

John Jenkins began his report by thanking all of those speaking for their comments. He attended the Farm Bureau dinner on April 9th and a GWRC and FAMPO meeting on the 23rd. He commented that there should be an update on the Route 301/Route 207 Study coming soon.

Jeff Bueche began his report by also thanking those who spoke during Public Comment. He then addressed Mrs. Dodge's comments by saying that a real estate tax rate of 70 cents on every $100 is low by comparison. He said comparing it to Westmoreland County isn't quite fair because of the different population sizes. He said home values went up, including his, and that was a good thing. Bueche said this was a sign that the economy was good and that the value of our largest investment went up. He said as the population grows, so does the need for personnel to provide services to the citizens. While he understood Dodge's point of view, he wanted to have an "intellectual discussion." He said she could afford the changes by buying two fewer cups of coffee per month and that if she was concerned about taxes going up, she should look at how the debt pertains to this. Bueche said he campaigned on reducing the debt and that for the first time, local leaders are finally addressing the debt instead of making promises. He said many things are required by Federal or State law but are not funded by those government entities. He said all five Supervisors and all of the citizen advisors [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a member of the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee] wanted the same thing and he never had anyone say the rate should be lower. He said building a budget "was no easy task" and that it was hard and that you can't fund everything. Bueche continued by saying you need to assess the needs of the whole County and that they're elected to make the best but hard decision. He closed by saying he also wanted to address the constant reference to "Ruby taking your money" on social media. He said he took offense to this and that, even though he may not always agree with Ruby, they do the best they can and the Supervisors all have ownership and accountability to their constituents. Bueche then made a motion to appoint Jeremy Crowley to the Landfill Advisory Committee. Brabo commented that he attended the last meeting and was very engaged. The appointment was approved. Bueche said he attended the Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness on April 9th, a Social Services meeting on the 10th, and the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion jump into Fort A. P. Hill on the 13th. He also asked for an update on the blighted property ordinances and Eric Gregory, County Attorney, said he should have a draft ready by the end of the week.

Ruby Brabo began her report by saying she attended a National Association of Counties (NACo) summit from the 4th to the 7th and learned a lot about sugar cane and rice products and crops as well as the proposed Farm Bill, SNAP program, and work force training. She attended the All-Hazards Preparedness Workshop on the 9th and the main question asked was "are you ready?" She said everyone needs to be ready and understand their role in a disaster and that local government is a key or main player. She said she would like to have the Sheriff's Public Affairs Office be the single voice during a disaster and all seemed to concur. She said she would also like to appoint a single Supervisor to act as a liaison with the Emergency Operations Center and volunteered herself with Cathy Binder as an alternate. Again, everyone seemed to agree. She also asked that the building codes be reviewed to make sure they were up to date for any local weather events. She said she also attended the Farm Bureau dinner on the 9th and the Landfill Advisory Committee meeting on the 10th. She said the Landfill Committee was excited to move forward and was already looking into finding a location for a Dahlgren convenience center and scheduling clean-up events. She said it was a very good meeting. Brabo said she attended a GWRC meeting, the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion jump on the 13th, and a lunch with 98th Civil Affairs Battalion leaders on the 16th. She said she learned of an upcoming FRED Transit pricing offset that started in 2019 and supposedly would make the cost cheaper to localities and wanted Dr. Young and others to meet with FRED.

Dr. Young said that he has already met with FRED three times and they still are not willing to listen to the needs of the County. He said FRED worked with FAMPO to get a consultant and presented the findings of their study but didn't talk to anyone in the County. He also said FRED offered to provide a shuttle from Dahlgren to Fredericksburg but the cost was too high and the bus would only drop passengers off at the gate and not drive on base.

Brabo summarized things succinctly by saying " I guess we're back to working without FRED."

Brabo continued her report by saying composting was still a topic of interest and wanted to have Jeff Jenkins, Director of Landfill Operations, and David Howard, Waste Management Landfill Manager, to attend a meeting to learn more. She had an update regarding the chem/bio department move from Dahlgren to Indian Head, Maryland and said the move still continues to progress and Congressman Wittman and Senator Warner were given a tour of the new facility despite local officials being excluded. She also reminded everyone that there were numerous vacancies on various Boards and Committees and that anyone interested should see the Agenda for a complete list. Brabo thanked Jim Lynch for speaking and sharing the new sign. She also thanked Joe Frank for sharing details regarding the plant situation. She then addressed Kim Dodge by saying "everyone up here is a taxpayer" and that if Dodge would like to give her questions to either of the employees in the room, Dr. Young could address them later. Brabo said that the Federal and State mandates have requirements and to maybe contact those entities to discuss why they aren't funded. She said most residents are happy in the direction of the County and that three years ago, the Board didn't support the Sheriff's need for more staffing but the current Board has.

Cathy Binder began her report by saying she attended the All-Hazards Preparedness Workshop on the 9th, the Smoot Library Board of Trustees meeting on the 10th, and the lunch with 98th Civil Affairs Battalion leaders on the 16th. Regarding the Library meeting, she said her goal is to provide dialog between the Board of Supervisors and the Trustees by sharing concerns and successes and to make everyone aware of the topics.

Richard Granger began his report by saying he attended the Farm Bureau dinner on the 9th and the lunch with 98th Civil Affairs Battalion leaders on the 16th. He then tried to appoint Dixie Lee Washington to the Smoot Library Board of Trustees and Brabo said he couldn't because Bueche already did it at the last meeting. Granger then gave an update on the last meeting's topic of appointing Beth Elkins to the RACSB. He said he spoke to both Elkins and leaders at RACSB and it was clear that Elkins had a passion for serving those with special needs. He also said she has served in the past but due to term limits had to rotate off the Board. He said Elkins is now serving again and this would be her second term. He also said there is still a vacancy on the Board. Her appointment was approved and Brabo suggested reaching out to former Supervisor Jim Howard to see if he would fill the vacancy.

The Consent Agenda was approved without comment.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

The Board them listened to KGI Telecommunications repeat their request from the previous Service Authority meeting. Steve and Michele Wido, asked the County to waive lease fees for tower space for 18 months and to waive other fees involved in setting up. They also asked the County to expedite permits. Dr. Young asked Brad Hudson, Director of Community Development, to give his recommendations. Brabo said only waiver of fees, permits, and speeding up the permit process was under the purview of the Supervisors. She asked Hudson if he could expedite permits with the staff he has and he responded that he can't give a specific date due to staffing. He said he works through permits as fast as he can. Brabo asked about waiving fees and Hudson said he was afraid it would set a precedent and that it's never been done before to his knowledge. Jenkins said they needed to support them and Bueche said it provides critical infrastructure to the entire County. Brabo said she doesn't think anyone disagrees but staffing is an issue. Mr. Wido added that due to the local topography, there are dead zones where people want service and that small towers or tall poles could do this. Mrs. Wido, the company's President, said that points two, three, and four on their slide showing their request came straight from the County.

Hudson said that expediting things may not necessarily work. Brabo said she felt that point was already addressed, that there was not enough staff to move permits through faster. Hudson said a new cell tower would cost less than $400 in fees. Brabo suggested that a joint public hearing with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors could help save time. Hudson said the time to review a new tower would take longer than just adding an antenna to an existing structure. Dr. Young said his advice is that broadband is a priority in the County right now and that he knows there's a concern over setting a precedent. But he felt that there's only one internet company right now and he highly advises the Board to consider waiving fees. Jenkins agreed and Brabo made a motion to that effect that was approved.

Dr. Young began his comments by addressing Mrs. Dodge's comments. He said the prior year's tax resulted in roughly $18 million and the current tax would result in roughly $19 million with a "windfall" of just over $1 million. He said the tax increase based on the average value of a home in King George would be $88 per year. He said the information has been "exhaustively" given to the public then began to list some of the many dates where the topic was discussed at public meetings. He also said there is information on the County's website available for all citizens to view regarding the matter. He then began to address Mrs. Elkins' appointment to RACSB then realized it was already taken care of. He also said the liaison Supervisor for the Emergency Operations Center was addressed and moved on to the issue of Binder's place on the Smoot Library Board of Trustees. He said she was previously appointed to serve under the Shiloh District however after review, that seat was already filled. He then suggested Binder serve under the At-Large District. Brabo said she would like to defer until the next meeting making it sound like she already had somebody in mind to serve in that role.

The Board then went into Closed Session at 10:22 pm regarding the acquisition or sale of property, prospective businesses, and consultation with legal counsel. Tim Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation attended the first portion of Closed Session and was replaced by Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development about fifteen minutes later. The Board returned from Closed Session at 11 pm and adjourned one minute later.

Meeting Attendees:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Board of Supervisors will next meet on May 1, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.

2018-04-17 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

The Service Authority Board of Directors was slightly delayed in starting their meeting as Cathy Binder was a couple minutes late. The meeting began at 6:34pm as soon as she took her seat.
The sole public comment came from Kim Dodge. She started by saying there were some positives about the Service Authority but the $38 million in debt was bad news and that there has been no investment in infrastructure. She said it was great news that the rates were not going up next year. Dodge said when she moved here years ago, she paid just over $100 for both water and sewer with five people in her house and is now paying more than twice as much with only three people in her house. She also said Hazel Homes had to construct the infrastructure in Hopyard but she expressed concern over the existing infrastructure in Hopyard being able to handle the increased load of the expected 900 homes and commercial center. She said she has spoken to Mr. Werle, Chairman, about this several times and he told her it would run more efficiently. She said she has started a small business in the County doing massage therapy and found it hard to find an affordable place to operate. She said she does laundry at home for this business and her water bill "is going out of control." She closed by commenting that her Homeowner's Association (HOA) fees would probably be going up because they need to pay for the water in the pool.

The Board then began their reports with Mike Bennett and Richard Granger having nothing to report.

Ruby Brabo said she drove by the well compound in Owens the other day and saw several unmarked SUVs and an open gate and called Chris Thomas, General Manager, to report the suspicious activity. She wanted to remind everyone to say something if they see something. She responded to Mrs. Dodge that the developer of Hopyard, Hazel Homes, wasn't required to build the infrastructure but instead it was a proffer as part of the re-zoning request. In other words, the County didn't force Hazel to build it, instead they offered to build it. Brabo said that if anyone with a pool calls the Service Authority before filling it, they won't be charged for sewer for those gallons used.

Cathy Binder had nothing to report.

Chris Werle said he had nothing to report but thanked Mrs. Dodge for speaking. He said that Brabo had addressed all of the questions but explained further that the debt was acquired through the purchase of the old systems and the debt increased due to upgrades that were mandated by the State and Federal governments. He said the good news is that the debt fees are not going up, assuming of course that there is no new debt taken on. Werle said he's a customer too and as a low consumption user, his debt fees are nearly twice what he pays for water and sewer services. He also explained that the Hopyard sewage plant currently operates at about one tenth of its potential and can be expanded as future demand requires.

The Consent Agenda was approved without comment.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

KGI Telecommunications then presented a request to the Board. The request, made by Michele, KGI President, and Steve Wido, began with a simple brief about their company and the services they provide. They said they are a local company looking to meet the need for faster internet in King George County by using the 5.8 and 3.65 gigahertz (GHz) bands. They are currently leasing space on two towers and supply broadband internet to 14 very satisfied customers. They listed various benefits to broadband internet such as working from home, streaming videos for college courses, and virtual doctor visits. They said they are currently waiting on approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use the 3.6 GHz band and that this was their biggest hurdle at the moment. They have another 200 potential customers that could use that frequency. Their request tonight was to have the Board of Directors waive rent on the Arnold's Corner tower for 18 months, waive building, zoning, and planning fees, allow special use permits for new structures, and to expedite the processing of permits. They closed by saying things were going well but just waiting on the FCC approval.

Granger asked why they were asking for 18 months and if there was a reason for that time frame. Steve Wido said it would give them the needed time to get to the customers on the waiting list and would help their cash flow. Werle asked why there was a sudden change when they had a tentative agreement at their last meeting that was a 12 month lease and seemed to be acceptable by all parties. Wido said they didn't expect to hit a snag with the FCC approval process. He said they had the equipment on the tower but didn't realize it would take such a long time to get approval. Werle asked if they could get a better deal with their other leases and Wido replied that they can't renegotiate a contract because it's already signed and in place. Binder said things didn't sound like they were planned very well. Wido replied that they didn't know it would take so long and that ultimately the Board doesn't have to approve their request. Werle said his concern was that it would be setting a precedent for future companies, then suggested maybe they could waive the fees and KGI could get a grant from the Economic Development Authority (EDA). Brabo agreed. Werle suggested meeting with Chris Thomas, Dr. Young, County Administrator, and Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, to look into the idea of an EDA grant or other potential options. Brabo again agreed and said the Board was happy to continue to negotiate. She also said that while she was sure the Widos did their due diligence, some things are out of their control, especially regarding wait times for government approval. She added that a week ago she met with a customer of KGI and they were very happy at the cheaper but faster connection.

Dr. Young spoke up that he had missed the suggestion. Werle repeated the suggestion that they meet to work out a lease agreement to delay lease payments while customers got on board and the suggestion for an EDA grant to help pay lease fees. Dr. Young asked what if the grant application was denied. Werle said the lease payments would be due when they were due. Brabo said she hoped broadband was important enough to get such a grant. Young said he rarely speaks up during Service Authority meetings but didn't want to see any delays because of his involvement and hard work in getting broadband access to the citizens. Werle said it wasn't being delayed and that there was already an agreement between the interested parties but the Widos are the ones that brought this proposal forward. Brabo asked what the current agreement was, specifically how much was the Service Authority asking the Widos to pay. Werle answered $1,000 per month. Brabo said maybe consider an incremental payment over time because any income is still income. She said she doesn't want to inhibit the expansion of a valuable service. Young said he wants to reiterate that previous attempts to bring broadband to the County have failed until KGI came forward and that he doesn't want to wait. Werle committed to calling for a vote on the issue at the next Board meeting.

Next on the agenda was the authorization to advertise a proposed change to the Service Authority's regulations, specifically in Section 9, Paragraph I. This change would strengthen the Service Authority's ability to enforce fines, and increase fines, for meter tampering. This was approved without comment.

Chris Thomas, General Manager, gave his brief report that as discussed during the last meeting, flushing would increase in frequency. He said the Courthouse, Hopyard, and Oakland Park systems were flushed on April 16, 2018 and the Fairview Beach and Dahlgren systems were flushed on April 17th. He said there were very few calls about discolored water but there were several calls in Oakland Park about low water pressure. Thomas said these calls were expected and that they used the KGALERT system and website to give the public warnings about the flushing.

The Board went into Closed Session at 7:04 pm to consult with legal counsel about possible litigation. Unseen to many that attended was that three individuals had previously been directed to the private meeting room before the Board opened their meeting. Those three individuals left the Closed Session meeting at 8:17pm. During that time, Dr. Young and Jeff Bueche left the meeting briefly, presumably for a short bathroom break. During this time Jim Lynch also gave a short speech to the audience about the sign at the front of the room that showed the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a member of the Friends of DRHT] and how it was included in the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST). He also offered to answer any questions anyone may have.

The Board returned from Closed Session at 9:10 pm, over two hours after starting, and adjourned their meeting.

Meeting Attendees:
Christopher Werle (Chairman, Board of Directors)
Christopher Thomas (General Manager of Service Authority)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Citizen)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on May 1, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.

2018-04-19 UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the owners of KGI Telecommunication as "Michelle and Steve Wido" and gave an incorrect spelling of Michele Wido's name. Juan Marte is the owner of KGI and Michele Wido is the President.

2018-04-25 UPDATE: The three unknown individuals that went to Closed Session prior to the meeting starting were later identified as representatives from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): "Jeff Reynolds, Director, Division of Enforcement at DEQ; Kristen Sadtler, Water Enforcement Manager at DEQ; and Ed Stuart from DEQ's northern Virginia regional office" according to an email from Chris Werle, Chairman of the Board of Directors.