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.
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.
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