The January 23, 2018 Board of Supervisors meeting began at 7:21pm and opened with a public comment from Jim Lynch. He brought before the Board two items of interest, the first being an upcoming meeting of the Northern Neck Land Conservancy. The meeting will be on January 31, 2018 at St. Paul's Church [5486 St. Paul's Road] at 6pm and will cover how the conservation easement process works. His second comment was related to the new Route 301 bridge crossing at the Potomac River and was happy to report that cyclists would be allowed to cross the new bridge according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA). He also reminded the Board that the comment period on the new bridge is open through February 20, 2018 and encouraged everyone to submit their opinions.
The Board then began with their reports. John Jenkins did not arrive until shortly after 8pm so was not present to give his report.
Jeff Bueche met with Sheriff Dempsey on January 18, 2018 to discuss operational needs and was given a tour of the facility by Captain Giles. On January 19, 2018, Bueche attended the fire and rescue award ceremony in Fairview Beach and was shocked by the number of calls for service that were answered and said county residents were certainly getting their money's worth. He also noted that one volunteer accumulated over 1,300 service hours on top of their job at school. On January 22, he attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting and was excited for a future that is more business friendly. On the 23rd he met with Chief Moody and was given some background information on the fire and rescue services. On February 3, 2018 at 10am, Bueche said he will be hosting a Town Hall meeting at Company 3 in Fairview Beach. He said there will be no formal presentations, just briefs on some of the county services provided and would focus on mostly on Q&A and open discussions. Invited to attend the Town Hall will be Chief Moody (Fire and Rescue), T.C. Collins (School Board), Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors), Michael Bennett (Service Authority Board of Directors), Chris Thomas (Service Authority General Manager), and Neiman Young (County Administrator). Bueche concluded his report by stating that even though he appointed a citizen to the Service Authority Board, he was still going to be engaged in the community. TO that end, he was seeking someone to fill a vacancy in the Recreational Advisory Committee and asked to be invited to any Homeowner Association (HOA) that holds regular meetings.
Ruby Brabo's report started with attending a military affairs meeting on January 18 where a future military spouse job fair was discussed. She attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference call on January 19 where the opiod crisis was discussed. She also commented that the conference has historically only filled two hotels but has now booked a fourth due to popularity. Regarding the new Nice Bridge, she concurred that it was good that bike lanes are back in the plan and would like to request the Board submit a letter to MDTA voicing their pleasure to this point. Brabo then commented on the sign ordinance and has heard a lot from local business owners regarding it. Specifically she mentioned that Belle Grove Plantation has miles of road frontage but is limited to only having a single sign. She recommended the Planning Commission review the sign ordinance and seek input from the Chamber of Commerce to ensure it's beneficial for current and future businesses. A motion was made to this effect and approved. Brabo then commented on the meals tax legislation that is currently being proposed that would allow localities to increase their rates to 8%. She proposed that a letter from the Board be written to the County Attorney to allow him to lobby for these potential bills. Bueche questioned if the funds could be used for certain things, such as the county debt and Brabo clarified that yes it can be but the County would need the permission granted by the proposed bill first. In other words, the bill needs to be passed before the County can collect the increased tax.
Cathy Binder said she spent about three hours with Chris Thomas, Service Authority General Manager, learning about the county systems, including the one in Canterbury. She then commented she was contacted by residents of Alden Drive about the difficulty they were having traveling on the road due to a spring running underneath it. Binder said she contacted VDOT on January 23 and they responded the same day by applying gravel to the road. She said VDOT would return in one or two weeks with larger gravel. She said she also attended the fire and rescue awards on January 19th and enjoyed seeing people she coached in the past working hard for the county. She concluded by asking anyone who is interested in serving on a board or committee or if anyone has any issues, to send her an email. She reiterated her comment from the earlier Service Authority meeting that she does not use Facebook or social media.
Richard Granger's report began with him thanking Mr. Lynch for his comments. He also attended the awards ceremony on January 19, 2018 and thanked everyone who serves, both paid and volunteer. He said he hopes we never have to see you in the line of duty. He then presented Barbara Howard Johnson, Accounting Manager, with the Government Finance Officers Association Budget Presentation Award.
The Consent Agenda passed without comment and the County Attorney had nothing to report.
Next was the Duff McDuff Grant presentation by Tim Smith, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Smith reminded the Board that the project, previously discussed in Board meetings, was an ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliant observation deck in the Brooks Park off Ridge Road. Daniel Merigan, an Eagle Scout candidate, said he has already worked with Lowe's and will be working to get funding from local organizations. He said construction is expected to begin in April 2018. Smith further said the observation deck would have two viewing binoculars, similar to what's found at National Parks, with one being lower for handicapped access. He also said four interpretive signs would be installed.
Brad Hudson of the Department of Community Development gave a presentation regarding the Planning Commission being asked to update their public notification process. He said currently, they follow the process as written by state law but that the public is asking for more notices. He commented that localities can make their own public notice requirements but they cannot contradict or replace the state laws. He said the request for more notices was partly driven by the loss of the local newspaper [The Journal] and the recent solar farm discussions. He said the new web site could help. A motion was made and approved to have the Planning Commission look at the issue.
Next, a motion was made and approved to appoint Heather Hall the Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Agent for King George County.
The Tourism Advisory Committee then presented their request for the Board to approve a LOVEwork Design Contest to create two LOVE signs to help promote tourism in the County. The signs would be paid for in whole or part by a grant of $1,500 from Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC). The Tourism Committee was looking at placing one at the Dahlgren Heritage Museum and another elsewhere in the County [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is also an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Museum]. The Committee will ask the Board to select locations and finalists or winners and also said that the Committee would be funding any extra cost over the $1,500 grant from tourism funds. Brabo clarified some confusion that there could be more than one grant request. She also said that even though the average cost of each sign is $1,500, it was possible for it to cost less. She expressed her concern that the contest didn't have a maximum cost for the sign. Annie Cupka said a maximum cost wasn't included in the contest details but that the VTC, Board, and Tourism Committee would all need to approve the project. The Board seemed to be in favor of a maximum cost of $3,000. It was also clarified that the grant was a reimbursement, meaning the signs would be paid for from tourism funds and then the VTC would reimburse the County. Brabo also mentioned that the idea behind the sign was community and that VTC wanted citizens to be invested in the project.
Next, the Local Emergency Planning Committee was appointed as presented in the Agenda with Jeff Bueche being the representative for the Board. Neiman Young, County Administrator then discussed the request from the General Properties department to lease a property off Bloomsbury Road to store equipment, house personnel, and provide work space for employees. Granger clarified that this did not include school buses. Bueche asked if this included the Parks and Recreation Department. Young said it did not but by moving equipment out of its current location, space in various sheds would be freed up for the Parks and Recreation Department to use. The lease was approved.
The Citizen Budget Advisory Committee Charter was approved as presented in the Agenda. Nominated and approved as the citizen representatives were Jeff Stonehill (Dahlgren), Neil Richard (James Monroe), Sherry Allwine (Shiloh), and Keith Conner (James Madison) [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard is a co-founder of Project94]. Ruby Brabo said the citizen she had planned to nominate still had a few questions about the role and wasn't ready for the appointment yet.
Wilma Ward, Director of the Finance Department, presented the current status of the County's revenue and expenditures for the fiscal year. She noted that historically the County is in a deficit at this stage of the year due to the timing of certain large payments.
Neiman Young then opened discussion about the creation of a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) for neighboring counties (Westmoreland, Caroline, Richmond, and Lancaster). The idea behind the creation of this RTA is to protect the major corridor of Route 301 and 207. Brabo volunteered to serve on the RTA but commented that the Chair of each Board should send a letter to local legislators requesting a bill to allow for the creation of the RTA.
Dr. Young continued into his report as County Administrator that he had received a letter from Eldon James regarding pending legislation that would eliminate a locality's ability to control the wireless industry within their jurisdiction. The legislation, HB1258 and SB405, would eliminate the County's control over the construction and operation of wireless facilities and remove the ability of citizens and businesses to provide input. Eric Gregory, County Attorney, concurred that the bills would limit or remove wireless and broadband authority at the local level, including local zoning ordinances. A motion was made and approved to adopt a resolution that voices the Board's displeasure at the legislation. Brabo "respectfully requested" that the letter also go to Senator McDougle, the bill's sponsor, Delegate Ransone and Senator Stuart. She also expressed shock that McDougle would introduce legislation that could potentially further restrict access to broadband internet in the Shiloh District, that he represents, one of the most under-served portions of King George County.
Dr. Young concluded with a reminder to the Board that their conflict of interest filings were due by the end of the month.
The Board then went into closed session at 8:29pm and returned at 9:10pm. A motion was made and approved to adopt the employee agreement first amendment for the County Administrator. The meeting adjourned at 9:11pm.
The Board then began with their reports. John Jenkins did not arrive until shortly after 8pm so was not present to give his report.
Jeff Bueche met with Sheriff Dempsey on January 18, 2018 to discuss operational needs and was given a tour of the facility by Captain Giles. On January 19, 2018, Bueche attended the fire and rescue award ceremony in Fairview Beach and was shocked by the number of calls for service that were answered and said county residents were certainly getting their money's worth. He also noted that one volunteer accumulated over 1,300 service hours on top of their job at school. On January 22, he attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting and was excited for a future that is more business friendly. On the 23rd he met with Chief Moody and was given some background information on the fire and rescue services. On February 3, 2018 at 10am, Bueche said he will be hosting a Town Hall meeting at Company 3 in Fairview Beach. He said there will be no formal presentations, just briefs on some of the county services provided and would focus on mostly on Q&A and open discussions. Invited to attend the Town Hall will be Chief Moody (Fire and Rescue), T.C. Collins (School Board), Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors), Michael Bennett (Service Authority Board of Directors), Chris Thomas (Service Authority General Manager), and Neiman Young (County Administrator). Bueche concluded his report by stating that even though he appointed a citizen to the Service Authority Board, he was still going to be engaged in the community. TO that end, he was seeking someone to fill a vacancy in the Recreational Advisory Committee and asked to be invited to any Homeowner Association (HOA) that holds regular meetings.
Ruby Brabo's report started with attending a military affairs meeting on January 18 where a future military spouse job fair was discussed. She attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) conference call on January 19 where the opiod crisis was discussed. She also commented that the conference has historically only filled two hotels but has now booked a fourth due to popularity. Regarding the new Nice Bridge, she concurred that it was good that bike lanes are back in the plan and would like to request the Board submit a letter to MDTA voicing their pleasure to this point. Brabo then commented on the sign ordinance and has heard a lot from local business owners regarding it. Specifically she mentioned that Belle Grove Plantation has miles of road frontage but is limited to only having a single sign. She recommended the Planning Commission review the sign ordinance and seek input from the Chamber of Commerce to ensure it's beneficial for current and future businesses. A motion was made to this effect and approved. Brabo then commented on the meals tax legislation that is currently being proposed that would allow localities to increase their rates to 8%. She proposed that a letter from the Board be written to the County Attorney to allow him to lobby for these potential bills. Bueche questioned if the funds could be used for certain things, such as the county debt and Brabo clarified that yes it can be but the County would need the permission granted by the proposed bill first. In other words, the bill needs to be passed before the County can collect the increased tax.
Cathy Binder said she spent about three hours with Chris Thomas, Service Authority General Manager, learning about the county systems, including the one in Canterbury. She then commented she was contacted by residents of Alden Drive about the difficulty they were having traveling on the road due to a spring running underneath it. Binder said she contacted VDOT on January 23 and they responded the same day by applying gravel to the road. She said VDOT would return in one or two weeks with larger gravel. She said she also attended the fire and rescue awards on January 19th and enjoyed seeing people she coached in the past working hard for the county. She concluded by asking anyone who is interested in serving on a board or committee or if anyone has any issues, to send her an email. She reiterated her comment from the earlier Service Authority meeting that she does not use Facebook or social media.
Richard Granger's report began with him thanking Mr. Lynch for his comments. He also attended the awards ceremony on January 19, 2018 and thanked everyone who serves, both paid and volunteer. He said he hopes we never have to see you in the line of duty. He then presented Barbara Howard Johnson, Accounting Manager, with the Government Finance Officers Association Budget Presentation Award.
The Consent Agenda passed without comment and the County Attorney had nothing to report.
Next was the Duff McDuff Grant presentation by Tim Smith, Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Smith reminded the Board that the project, previously discussed in Board meetings, was an ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliant observation deck in the Brooks Park off Ridge Road. Daniel Merigan, an Eagle Scout candidate, said he has already worked with Lowe's and will be working to get funding from local organizations. He said construction is expected to begin in April 2018. Smith further said the observation deck would have two viewing binoculars, similar to what's found at National Parks, with one being lower for handicapped access. He also said four interpretive signs would be installed.
Brad Hudson of the Department of Community Development gave a presentation regarding the Planning Commission being asked to update their public notification process. He said currently, they follow the process as written by state law but that the public is asking for more notices. He commented that localities can make their own public notice requirements but they cannot contradict or replace the state laws. He said the request for more notices was partly driven by the loss of the local newspaper [The Journal] and the recent solar farm discussions. He said the new web site could help. A motion was made and approved to have the Planning Commission look at the issue.
Next, a motion was made and approved to appoint Heather Hall the Zoning Administrator and Subdivision Agent for King George County.
The Tourism Advisory Committee then presented their request for the Board to approve a LOVEwork Design Contest to create two LOVE signs to help promote tourism in the County. The signs would be paid for in whole or part by a grant of $1,500 from Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC). The Tourism Committee was looking at placing one at the Dahlgren Heritage Museum and another elsewhere in the County [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is also an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Museum]. The Committee will ask the Board to select locations and finalists or winners and also said that the Committee would be funding any extra cost over the $1,500 grant from tourism funds. Brabo clarified some confusion that there could be more than one grant request. She also said that even though the average cost of each sign is $1,500, it was possible for it to cost less. She expressed her concern that the contest didn't have a maximum cost for the sign. Annie Cupka said a maximum cost wasn't included in the contest details but that the VTC, Board, and Tourism Committee would all need to approve the project. The Board seemed to be in favor of a maximum cost of $3,000. It was also clarified that the grant was a reimbursement, meaning the signs would be paid for from tourism funds and then the VTC would reimburse the County. Brabo also mentioned that the idea behind the sign was community and that VTC wanted citizens to be invested in the project.
Next, the Local Emergency Planning Committee was appointed as presented in the Agenda with Jeff Bueche being the representative for the Board. Neiman Young, County Administrator then discussed the request from the General Properties department to lease a property off Bloomsbury Road to store equipment, house personnel, and provide work space for employees. Granger clarified that this did not include school buses. Bueche asked if this included the Parks and Recreation Department. Young said it did not but by moving equipment out of its current location, space in various sheds would be freed up for the Parks and Recreation Department to use. The lease was approved.
The Citizen Budget Advisory Committee Charter was approved as presented in the Agenda. Nominated and approved as the citizen representatives were Jeff Stonehill (Dahlgren), Neil Richard (James Monroe), Sherry Allwine (Shiloh), and Keith Conner (James Madison) [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard is a co-founder of Project94]. Ruby Brabo said the citizen she had planned to nominate still had a few questions about the role and wasn't ready for the appointment yet.
Wilma Ward, Director of the Finance Department, presented the current status of the County's revenue and expenditures for the fiscal year. She noted that historically the County is in a deficit at this stage of the year due to the timing of certain large payments.
Neiman Young then opened discussion about the creation of a Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) for neighboring counties (Westmoreland, Caroline, Richmond, and Lancaster). The idea behind the creation of this RTA is to protect the major corridor of Route 301 and 207. Brabo volunteered to serve on the RTA but commented that the Chair of each Board should send a letter to local legislators requesting a bill to allow for the creation of the RTA.
Dr. Young continued into his report as County Administrator that he had received a letter from Eldon James regarding pending legislation that would eliminate a locality's ability to control the wireless industry within their jurisdiction. The legislation, HB1258 and SB405, would eliminate the County's control over the construction and operation of wireless facilities and remove the ability of citizens and businesses to provide input. Eric Gregory, County Attorney, concurred that the bills would limit or remove wireless and broadband authority at the local level, including local zoning ordinances. A motion was made and approved to adopt a resolution that voices the Board's displeasure at the legislation. Brabo "respectfully requested" that the letter also go to Senator McDougle, the bill's sponsor, Delegate Ransone and Senator Stuart. She also expressed shock that McDougle would introduce legislation that could potentially further restrict access to broadband internet in the Shiloh District, that he represents, one of the most under-served portions of King George County.
Dr. Young concluded with a reminder to the Board that their conflict of interest filings were due by the end of the month.
The Board then went into closed session at 8:29pm and returned at 9:10pm. A motion was made and approved to adopt the employee agreement first amendment for the County Administrator. The meeting adjourned at 9:11pm.
Meeting Attendees:
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)
Absent:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors) (late - arrived at 8:07 pm)
Next Meeting:
The Board of Supervisors will next meet on January 31, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
