2018-02-03 - Jeff Bueche Town Hall Notes

Jeff Bueche, James Monroe District Supervisor, hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Fairview Beach Fire Department building. The meeting was scheduled to last two hours but ended up going well over three. While there were presentations given by a bevy of County leaders, the bulk of the discussion was focused on the Service Authority and the water issues residents were experiencing.

Jeff Bueche, James Monroe District Supervisor

Jeff Bueche started things off by welcoming everyone to the first James Monroe Town Hall. He was aiming for a "conversation amongst neighbors" but reminded everyone that while Facebook is home to many comments and discussions, it isn't actively monitored by those in the County that make decisions. In other words, talk to your representatives via email, phone, or in person if you want to be heard. Bueche also said he filled his campaign promise of appointing someone that was non-political to the Service Authority Board of Directors. He said he wanted to work on his personal goals that included connectivity, a solution for the old Middle School, an emergency medical center, and budget goals that address the County's debt. He said that while "our growth is inevitable," we needed to be proactive to help guide the growth instead of reacting to what is happening to us.

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, spoke a little about the local news in The Free Lance-Star trending towards more positive news compared to the negative stories of the past. He said things are not as "doom and gloom" as the paper may have it seem and that there is hope.

Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor

Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor, started with a reminder that the budget work sessions are open to the public and that public comment is allowed. However, unlike regular Board meetings, they are not televised. She offered one potential solution for Service Authority debt in the pending legislation that would allow localities to collect an 8% meals tax. Brabo said all conversations point to everyone at the County level supporting the additional income from the increase going towards paying down the debt. But she cautioned that the meals tax increase wasn't a done deal yet and that without local citizens speaking up to their state representatives, namely Senator McDougle, Senator Stuart, and Delegate Ransone, the bill may not pass. She repeated her plea to contact state representatives about legislation that may block local authorities and land owners from having a say in broadband access.

TC Collins, James Monroe District School Board

TC Collins, James Monroe District representative on the School Board, was next and, despite getting the signal to hurry up, gave a long list of positive news and accomplishments for the school system. These included, but weren't limited to:

• being accredited at the state, national, and international level
• vertical math and literacy program
• e-learning backpack program at the high school
• nurses aid program at Heritage Hall
• updated division branding
• increased social media presence
• Honeywell energy partnership
• track improvements
• middle school expansion
• decreased teacher turn-over

Chief Dave Moody of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services

Chief Dave Moody of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, gave a brief history of the department, an overview of the department as it stands now, and a list of services provided in 2017. With 51 full-time and 14 part-time employees along with 42 volunteers, the department covers everything from fires to automobile accidents to medical transports. In 2017, he said there were roughly 126,000 man-hours worked and about 3,500 calls for service answered. He also said that all three stations are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He said if the station is ever empty, those that would have been there are likely out answering a call and that an emergency call box is present that will put you in touch with a 911 dispatcher. He said department's future goals include replacing the facility at Company 2 in Dahlgren and creating a new Company 4 in the Shiloh District.

Michael Bennett, James Monroe District Service Authority Board of Directors

Michael Bennett got his turn to talk next and joked that he may have been a little insane for volunteering to serve on the Service Authority Board of Directors. He said he's also the President of the Fairview Beach Residents Association and a former lawyer. He was upfront in saying he had no "magic wand" to get clean water tomorrow but reminded everyone that he is a customer too and, as many in the audience would mention later in the meeting, gets the same dirty water others do. Bennett said the current situation is a complicated issue but thinks it's a systemic problem and that it's not fair to have people buy bottled water when they're already paying for it.

Chris Thomas, Service Authority General Manager

Chris Thomas, General Manager of the Service Authority, was last to speak and kept his presentation short. He simply reminded everyone that he's been tasked with operating the Service Authority as a business and that a Utilities Master Plan is coming.

Audience

The presentations took only an hour and then the floor opened for the audience to ask questions, make comments, or give suggestions. The discussions were open, honest, and just that, discussions. Audience members had an open and two-way discussion with the leadership present unlike a typical Service Authority Board meeting where the public can only speak to the Board, not with them. Nearly everything brought up by the crowd was related to the water quality issues. A few highlights unrelated to the water issues included:

• someone in the audience asked Dr. Young about a survey he had mentioned during his presentation. Dr. Young replied that the "survey says we need internet."
• several Fairview Beach residents thanked Chief Moody and the fire and rescue workers that helped during the recent power outages and storms
• all fire and rescue personnel, and Sheriff's Deputies, carry naloxone

A few points that stood out about the Service Authority were the history behind its formation. In 1991, the State mandated that the County buy the private water systems and then mandated improvements be made. It was unclear how this was possible or legal. It was also noted that part of the recent, and large, increase in the Debt fees for Service Authority customers was that in years past, the Service Authority Board only approved debt payments to be made on the interest and not the principal. Once the principal amount of the payment came due, the bills customers received, reflected that large increase. There was also a suggestion or mention of all County citizens paying down the Service Authority debt. While non-customers of the Service Authority may enjoy the benefits of Service Authority services, such as those at all the schools, Courthouse, YMCA, or Smoot Library, this was not possible, yet. The discussion led to the revelation that it would impact the County's credit rating negatively, as would any outside funds being sent from the County to the Service Authority. In other words, until the County is financially out of debt far enough to absorb the Service Authority debt, this likely won't happen. Which is another reminder that the Service Authority and the County are two separate entities, even though they have close ties with each other.

The meeting ended around 1:30pm but there are still questions to be answered. Nearly all of the residents present were from Fairview Beach but they represent just a portion of the Service Authority customer base. The audience stayed civil but it was clear that many of them were angry about the current state. Be it the large debt or the poor water, the general consensus was not a happy one. The only shining light was the willingness to make positive changes by the current leadership on the Board of Supervisors and Service Authority Board as well as the County Administrator. The changes won't be immediate and things won't be fixed overnight but Dr. Young was willing to say that the light at the end of the tunnel looks to be only 4 or 5 years away. He didn't go into details as discussions were still being held in private but everyone seemed to have a positive view on the near future.

[All photos (c) 2018 by Yvonne Richard. Used with permission.]