Modern History of the Service Authority - Third Quarter 2017

by Neil Richard

Because of the severity and complexity of the issues surrounding the King George County Service Authority (KGCSA) in recent months, we are "jumping the timeline" by giving you an inside look at the operations at five local Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs). These five WWTPs are Dahlgren District, Fairview Beach, Hopyard Farms, Oakland Park, and Purkins Corner. These WWTPs are operated and maintained by KGCSA and are under the enforcement authority of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Continuing our modern history coverage of the King George County Service Authority, you can also read about the First Quarter of 2017 and the Second Quarter of 2017.

CAUTION - Some of the links below may show images of human waste.

July 2017

Based on an internal DEQ email dated July 5, 2017, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was holding back a little on pushing enforcement through the Service Authority. In short, DEQ was still trying to be cooperative with the Service Authority, especially with the recent developments of the last two weeks and the radically improved communication. As DEQ was preparing to meet with the Service Authority, they were hammering out a few details so that "...in that discussion, outlining all that has been done as we move into, hopefully, a collaborative resolution phase."

On July 6th there was a pump station overflow in Fairview Beach. According to emails between DEQ and Daniel Powell of the Service Authority, it occurred between 8th Street and 10th Street. Although Fairview Beach is never mentioned by name, it was the only logical location in King George County. The amount of the spill was undetermined and the area was appropriately limed.

Chris Thomas, General Manager, was working to remedy his past silence by continuing to provide DEQ with their required information. On July 7th, Thomas sent an email to DEQ to address the issues found during previous inspections at the Fairview Beach WWTP. Because these inspections occurred well in the past, December of 2015 and April of 2016, the Service Authority had long ago corrected many of the issues. Present in Thomas' report, and many other reports, violations, and inspections, was reference to the UV System. This disinfection system, present at multiple WWTPs, appears to be a common weak point in the treatment system and, in the case of the Fairview Beach WWTP, the likely cause of excessive amounts of Fecal Coliform and Enterococci being released.

Thomas again responded to DEQ notices on July 11th, this time regarding the Purkins Corner WWTP. Again, the response was to older inspections from December 2015 and April 2016 and again, many of the issues had already been corrected. That same day, DEQ visited King George and created an Diagnostic Report for Hopyard Farms and Purkins Corner WWTPs. As with previous visits, DEQ noted a lack of maintenance and repairs. The staff at Hopyard even stated the grinder broke "many years ago" and had yet to be repaired. DEQ went on to note "The grinder/macerator is missing from the facility. The unit was removed from its place at the influent to the plant headworks and was allowed to sit next to the headworks structure until the operators were told to move it out of sight, after which the unit disappeared. This unit needs to be located, repaired and returned to service."

Days later on July 13th, Thomas responded to DEQ with actions taken based on Oakland Park's previous violations. As with his response for Fairview Beach, the UV System was once again a primary source of many issues. Again, because these inspections and violations dated back to 2015, many of the problems had already been fixed.

On July 18, 2017, DEQ visited the Dahlgren WWTP and created a Diagnostic Inspection report. Once more, DEQ noted "...considerable evidence of maintenance issues at the facility." The equalization basin liner was the most notable issue, being in such disrepair that plants were growing through the holes in it. Despite such a major issue, DEQ did note that "Otherwise the overall appearance of the facility was very good." That evening, Chris Werle reported at the Board of Directors meeting that he had met with Chris Thomas, "the operations manager and a homeowner association manager" at Hopyard Farms to investigate the cause for higher than normal water consumption. During the same meeting, Thomas gave a short update on the Route 3 and Route 301 water expansion project.

July 20th saw DEQ issue three Notice of Violations documents for Purkins Corner, Oakland Park, and Fairview Beach WWTPs. Purkins Corner was cited for failing to submit a required response from January 2017. Oakland Park was cited for failing to submit required response from November 2015 through June 2017 as well as for a May 2017 measurement of TKN (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen) of 9.9 mg/L when the limit was 4.5 mg/L. Fairview Beach was cited for a May 2017 measurement of Fecal Coliform of 53 n/100mLs when the limit was 14 n/100mLs.

The next day, July 21st, Chris Thomas sent a message to DEQ in response to a more recent inspection at Oakland Park in June of 2017. In his response, Thomas notes that many of the issues were fixed immediately or shortly after the DEQ visit.

August 2017

August of 2017 began with a Board of Directors meeting on the 1st. According to the meeting minutes, there was also a large showing of the public at the meeting speaking in support of the Shymansky family who have been trying to resolve their conflict with the Service Authority. Chris Werle stated in his report that he had met with Chris Thomas, Ruby Brabo, and Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, on July 31st to discuss the issues faced by swimmers at Fairview Beach. This meeting also included Virginia Department of Health, DEQ, and the Fairview Beach Homeowner's Association. Werle also gave an update on the sewage pump station upgrade project in the industrial park and that the Army Corps of Engineers was in the early stages of funding a study in Fairview Beach.

One key event that occurred at the meeting was approval by the Board of Directors to allow Chris Thomas to fund an emergency repair of the equalization basin liner at the Dahlgren WWTP. Ruby Brabo asked during the presentation if it was required to submit the repair for bids however because it was declared an emergency, the standard bid process was not required according to King George County Code. Chris Thomas also gave updates during the meeting covering the industrial park project and the Route 3 and Route 301 water expansion.

Two days after the meeting on August 3rd, Thomas sent a response to DEQ regarding recent inspections at Dahlgren and Hopyard Farms. While the response for Hopyard Farms was short, a replaced sampling tube, the Dahlgren response was longer. The first item listed was the repair of the equalization basin liner that Thomas stated was expected to be repaired by October 2017. However, in this response, Thomas refers DEQ to the June 29, 2017 response as well. In his response from June, Thomas tells DEQ that "KGCSA has employed the services of Draper Aden Associates and Land Savers, Inc. to investigate, design and repair the synthetic liner within the EQ Basin. We estimate a completed repair by October 1, 2017."

This statement makes it unclear how Thomas could know on June 29, 2017 that the Board of Directors would approve his repairs on August 1, 2017. To put this point into perspective, here is a timeline of events:

• January 24, 2017 - DEQ states in an internal email "...I was unable to locate an operator at Hopyard even though the gate and facility building were open." This same email contains the Dahlgren inspection report that states "The water level in the lagoon had increased since previous inspection and the liner appeared to still be in need of repair."
• June 29, 2017 -  Thomas tells DEQ that "KGCSA has employed the services of Draper Aden Associates and Land Savers, Inc. to investigate, design and repair the synthetic liner within the EQ Basin. We estimate a completed repair by October 1, 2017."
• July 18, 2017 -  DEQ again inspects Dahlgren and states "The liner for the EQ basin has several holes and there was evidence of grassy vegetation growing through the holes. There was no indication of a timetable for repair of the EQ basin liner."
• August 1, 2017 - Board of Directors approves emergency repair of Dahlgren equalization basin liner and gives Thomas permission to proceed.
• August 3, 2017 - Thomas again notifies DEQ that "KGCSA has employed the services of Draper Aden Associates and Land Savers, Inc. to investigate, design and repair the synthetic liner within the EQ Basin. We estimate a completed repair by October 1, 2017."

Moving forward, on August 6, 2017,  Thomas responds to a DEQ inspection at Fairview Beach. Once again, the UV System appears to be the cause behind the high levels of Fecal Coliform. In the same email, Thomas also responded to inspections of Oakland Park and Purkins Corner, where again the UV System was a weak point.

On August 15th, DEQ issued a Notice of Violation for Fairview Beach, citing several issues. First, the June 2017 DMR (Discharge Monitoring Report) was due on July 10th and wasn't received until August 9th. Second, the June 2017 DMR reported a value of 67 n/100mLs of Fecal Coliform when the limit was 14 n/100mLs. Third, the June 2017 DMR reported a value of 5.2 mg/L of Dissolved Oxygen when the minimum was 6.0 mg/L.

That same evening, Chris Werle reported in the Board of Directors meeting that he had reviewed the draft changes to the Service Authority Regulations as well as the draft DEQ operating permits. There was a lengthy discussion and update on the Shymansky family's Rosedale Drive property, however no mention of any other outstanding issues with DEQ. On August 17th, Chris Werle issued clarifications on Facebook regarding the recent article in the Free Lance-Star.

September 2017

In internal DEQ emails in mid-September, staff and management are remaining positive that an amicable solution can be found to bring the Service Authority into compliance. One email from Jerome Brooks of DEQ, includes a great summary of recent events. Brooks states "I think things have gone very well in terms of our visits to each of the plants." After going over various details and future plans, he concludes his email with "One consistent observation by my staff at all the facilities was the lack of communication between the plant operators and management (disconnection), questionable staff, in terms of experience and knowledge, running a plant [several of the primary plant operators were unlicensed but allegedly received instructions from a licensed operator], and lots of broken equipment.  The external appearance of the plants (ground maintenance) and attitudes of the staff working with my guys were good."

In an ongoing string of emails that lasted much of the summer of 2017, Chris Thomas was working diligently to acquire the necessary parts to repair the UV System.

On September 21st, Chris Werle stated on Facebook that he met with numerous local leaders and staff from the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Fairview Beach erosion project.

DEQ closed out the quarter by issuing another NOV for Fairview Beach. This one cited an excess amount of Ammonia at 10.8 mg/L when the limit is 4.7 mg/L.

2018-06-19 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Board of Supervisors began their last meeting of the month at 7:35pm. There was an amendment to the Agenda to include an update from the Landfill Advisory Committee.

Public Comment opened with an update from McKenna Mollner and her fellow 4-H members Erin Baker and Emily Burkholder. They wanted to let the Board know they were working on fundraisers so they could attend the National 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) Competition. Ms. Mollner said their fundraisers included selling hand drawn wildflower greeting  cards, baked goods, and a booth at the July 7th Farmers Market.

Ruby Brabo then began to read into the record a public comment then realized it was for the Public Hearing on the nuisance ordinance later in the evening.

Richard Granger then read into the record a public comment from Carole Werle. She said there was a "new vocabulary" of  waivers, incentives, and grants and that there was a new bully in the neighborhood. She said the Economic Development Authority (EDA) was demanding grants or waivers and that the EDA was funded by bonds and the industrial park. She said the EDA was still one million dollars in debt. Mrs. Werle said there was so much misdirection and that all the trash that makes the newspapers hurts the County. Her comments continued with some apparent misdoings of  the EDA, the Tourism Advisory Committee, and the County.

John Jenkins began the Board reports by thanking the young ladies from 4-H for coming out and congratulating them. He then seemed a bit bewildered and said he was still trying to digest the public comment that Granger had just read. Jenkins said he attended the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) dinner on the 11th and a GWRC meeting on the 18th. He said the meeting on the 18th resulted in the approval of the Smart Scale projects and a slate of officers that included Ruby Brabo as Vice President. He said Congressman Rob Wittman spoke at the end of the evening and that most of his comments centered on broadband access in rural areas. Jenkins said Wittman gave King George a shout-out for making things happen. Wittman also discussed public-private partnerships (P3) as a method of supplying broadband to rural areas and the need to update coverage maps.

Jeff Bueche began his report by congratulating the 4-H ladies and for bringing positive news to King George County. On June 7th, Bueche said he hosted a Town Hall where the small crowd allowed for a more intimate conversation. He said he also attended the GWRC dinner on the 11th and, as a new Board member, learned a lot. On the 12th, he attended the Budget Work Session. He said he expected a two year budget but instead saw a three year budget and was very thankful to Dr. Neiman Young and his staff for putting it together. He felt like the right team was in place to look at things going forward. On the 16th he attended the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) sign unveiling at the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT). He said this new designation makes King George a part of over 800 miles of trails and thanked the Friends of DRHT for maintaining the trail "at no cost to taxpayers"  [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the Treasurer of the Friends of DRHT.]. On the 18th Bueche said he attended the Chamber of Commerce meeting and that it was great to see all the small business owners and a very motivated Chamber President, Don Smith. On the 19th, he met with a committee working towards bringing a barbecue festival to the County for the Fall Festival. Bueche finished his report by stating that he was personally caught in traffic along Route 301 (James Madison Parkway) due to the tree trimming work. He sent an email to VDOT and received word back promptly that the contractor would limit their work between 9am and 3pm during the week and would be authorized to work on Saturdays as well.

Ruby Brabo read her report next. On June 8th she attended the Chesapeake Bay Local Government Advisory Committee where she participated in a round table discussion. She said the majority of elected officials were not in office when watershed plans were put into place. On the 11th she attended the same GWRC dinner as the others. On the 12th she attended the Budget Work Session and noted that it was the first time King George has ever had a multi-year budget. She also thanked Dr. Young and his staff for all their hard work and effort. She said that while the state does not allow a multi-year budget to be adopted, the work session did allow for better planning for the future. On the 16th she attended the DRHT sign unveiling. She said it was a wonderful day and thanked Jenkins and Granger who were part of passing the resolution in support of the trail becoming a part of the PHNST. Brabo said that prior to the resolution, King George County had been skipped. She also noted that the DRHT had the honor of becoming a National Recreation Trail and she had the honor of getting poison ivy while helping put up the new sign. On the 19th she attended the COMREL meeting and noted that Dr. Young was invited to participate in their upcoming exercises on base. She noted that while the Dahlgren base has back-up generators "to keep operations flowing, there are no accommodations for the families in the housing areas." She said that in the event of a power outage, the base would need to rely on the County for assistance.

Brabo then nominated Candice Phillips to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and it was approved. Brabo said she was excited to appoint young adults from the community to these advisory boards as it adds a unique perspective and input. Brabo then reminded the rest of the Board that the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Summit would be in Fredericksburg this year and recommended they choose a committee to serve on.

Cathy Binder was next to report and also congratulated the 4-H ladies. Binder said on the 11th she attended the GWRC dinner and it was great to hear the issues related to environmental impacts to localities. On June 12th she attended the Budget Work Session. On the 16th she also attended the DRHT presentation and noted that she took a tour the week prior with Jim Lynch. She said she didn't realize how much was there for everyone to use. Binder noted that as a member of the King George Historical Society as well as a member of the Smoot Library Board of Trustees, she has been trying to work with the Historical Society to have a larger footprint at the library. Her thought was to allow more people to see what the Historical Society has to offer and that it was important to understand our history. Binder then nominated Dylan Teaford to the Economic Development Authority. He was approved. Binder said she felt he was a good fit based on his previous involvement with the king George DECA group.

Richard Granger began his report by congratulating the 4-H ladies and wishing them luck at the national level. He said he attended the GWRC dinner on the 11th and the Budget Work Session on the 12th. Granger said he thought of the multi-year budget as more of a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in that it was a planning document that wasn't set in stone. On the 14th he attended the Military Affairs Council meeting where the Dahlgren representative noted that the runway on base had been declassified, or decommissioned, which opened up acreage for future development.

With Granger being done, Brabo added a point she had forgotten about in her report. She said she received word from a resident that had an issue with a neighbor that planted bamboo near the property line. Because bamboo is an invasive species, he was concerned that the County did not have an ordinance that covered this topic even though state law allows for one. Brabo recommended, and the rest of the Board agreed, to send the subject to the Planning Commission for consideration.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

Tim Hatch, Vice Chair of the Landfill Advisory Committee, then updated the Supervisors on their quest to have a full, five member Committee. Hatch said the Chair resigned in April and that there has been a need for a representative from the Shiloh District since May of 2017. He also said he just learned that the representative from the James Madison District will resign in August. He said he knows of at least one citizen willing to serve that has yet to be appointed. Hatch said the Committee can't elect officers because the By-Laws require five officers. He asked the Supervisors to help in filling the vacancies. On a more positive note, Hatch said the Committee is making progress on the litter issues in the County by looking into the formation of a Keep America Beautiful chapter as well as a litter crew from the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Hatch mentioned a scholarship that was available to attend Virginia Tech for a week but while there was some interest online, nobody from King George applied. He finished his report by saying the Committee was looking into a location for a Dahlgren Convenience Center and hope to have a final recommendation in the future.

Brabo said that Westmoreland County has signs related to keeping the County beautiful and that something similar may benefit King George. She also suggested asking the Sheriff's Office if there was a way to assess fines for littering. Brabo said Cathy Binder, the Supervisor for Shiloh District, is actively looking for a citizen to serve on the Landfill Committee and had found one but they backed out. Brabo said that if Binder, or Granger, are unable to find a citizen that lives in their district to serve, they are allowed to appoint someone from outside of their district. Brabo finished her comment by saying that Binder could appoint someone tonight if she wished but it was up to her and that the Shiloh District appeared to be the most difficult district to fill vacancies for. Based on the vacancies listed in the Agenda, Shiloh, James Madison, and Dahlgren all have two vacancies while the At-Large District vacancy was filled earlier in the meeting.

The first of two Public Hearings then began. First on the docket was the proposed amendment to the open burning ordinance. Chief Moody gave a brief summary of the amendment that states open burning is not to be allowed within 1,000 feet of a school building during school hours as well as prohibits burning a structure without getting prior written approval.

Binder said she has been present at Potomac Elementary School when students have had to go inside due to asthma attacks. Jenkins said he supported the amendment because anytime a kid can't go outside for recess because of this type of issue is tragic. The amendment was approved without any public comment.

The next Public Hearing was regarding the amendment to County Code related to the issue of nuisance and unsafe buildings and structures. Gregory, the County Attorney, said the topic had been presented and discussed at earlier Board meetings and that the current amendment had minor revisions to include trailers and other structures.

Jenkins asked how a citizen would make a complaint, assuming the amendment passed. Gregory said there were a number of avenues for a complaint to be made from the fire department to the County Development Office to the County Administration Office. He said there was no official process once the complaint was made. He said the property would be inspected and, if necessary, the code would be enforced.

Brabo then read into the record a letter from Mary Ann Dawes who said she had lived and worked in King George County for several years and is proud to call it home. Dawes said she lives in the same neighborhood as a nuisance property near Potomac Elementary School and was highly in favor of the new changes as it would help local government solve these types of problems.

The amendment to the Code was approved without further public comment.

Next on the Agenda was the debt mitigation presentation by Kyle Laux of Davenport and Associates. Along with his associate Griffin Moore, Mr. Laux gave an updated plan that gave more finite amounts now that the budget has been adopted. Giving a brief review, he said that the County is currently in a good financial position with solid cash-flow, strong reserves, and good credit. He said a debt reduction or mitigation plan would make the County's financial standing stronger. He showed the Supervisors the payment sheet that showed the County's current debt and that it would take until 2038 to pay it off, assuming no new debt was incurred. Laux said that by pulling money from various sources to pay off debt in large increments early, the County could save a large amount of money by avoiding interest. He said the money that was saved could then be put back into the County coffers or rolled back into paying down the debt.

Moore presented the planned source of the funds to pay the debt with the first being roughly $1 million coming from the surplus in the General Fund and the second being roughly $2 million coming form the Capital Improvement Fund. He said the third source would be the additional revenue generated by the real estate assessments which was estimated to be about $760,000 over the next four years. In addition to that, over the next four years there was another roughly $1 million that was estimated to be available just from good financial management in various department budgets. In other words, operating surpluses.

Brabo interrupted at this point stating that in previous conversations about the year-end surplus, the County has planned to use that money to cash-fund any necessary projects instead of borrowing money. She said that if the County uses the surplus to pay the debt then they have to borrow money to do something, it defeats the purpose. Laux agreed and said that the plan was designed to be flexible. He said the intent was not to take money away from cash-funding projects and that the debt reduction would be a priority level below cash-funding.

Moore continued his presentation by saying that the various sources of funds would result in about $3 million by the end of this year and about $4.76 million by 2022. He said the funds would be used in multiple phases to then pay down the debt. He then presented two scenarios for the County to consider. Both scenarios were based on the assumption that the debt payments would be made in FY2019, FY2021, and FY2023. The first scenario was the County just made payments on the debt while the second scenario was the County made payments on the debt but rolled the money it saved back into future payments on the debt.

Laux also suggested that the Board update the County's Financial Policy Guidelines to include the Debt Mitigation and Reduction Plan. He said this would make it difficult for future Boards to change, but not impossible. He also suggested the Board consider putting 25% of the year-end surplus into the debt reduction fund. Laux said the debt reduction issue was similar to a budget or Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in that it can always be amended before being adopted.

Brabo had reservations about committing to 25% of the surplus funds going into the debt reduction fund. She said the County has relied on the surplus to cash-fund capital projects and didn't want to be locked into specific language. She would rather adopt something with looser terms to allow the Board to cash-fund projects as needed and then use the remaining surplus into the debt fund.

Laux said the intent wasn't to hamstring the County but rather to develop a framework for a plan. He thought the language could be worked out but that a specific percentage would give the plan more teeth.

There was some confusion on the two different scenarios and what money was being reinvested. After some clarity was added by Laux and Dr. Young, the Board seemed to agree that the first scenario was the better choice.

Bueche added that the Board needed flexibility in this and wanted something that makes us focus on addressing the debt. He said he wanted to set a precedent for future boards to move forward with this.

Next on the Agenda was an Action Item to approve the acceptance of the Fairview Beach Stabilization Project Phase I Award. It was approved as was the appropriation of the same funds. Lavita Cobb, Procurement Manager, noted that while the total amount to be paid to Schnabel Engineering for the project was not to exceed $300,000, the County would be reimbursed with grant funds monthly.

Chief Moody and Chief Lynd from the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services Department and Sheriff Dempsey from the Sheriff's Office then gave a joint presentation. Chief Lynd stated that the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) was issuing the County just over $37,000 due to the January 2016 snowstorm. He was before the Board tonight to ask that $25,000 of that money be appropriated to a Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), also known as a drone program. He said about 1,000 agencies use drones, including the Stafford County Sheriff. He said many times they have called on Stafford to use their drone in King George. He also gave an example of a fire in the Dahlgren area where they were able to use Caroline County's drone to locate the source.

Granger asked if during those times of mutual aid if the agency also supplied the drone pilot. Lynd said yes, the pilot came with the drone. Granger asked how many times they've used drones from other agencies. Lynd said he's known of a couple in the last year. Granger asked about maintenance for the drone and Lynd said it was fairly simple. He said updates come via the app and the big issue was just keeping the batteries charged. Lynd said they have reached out to other localities to get their best practices. Granger asked about the cost for the pilot's license and Lynd said it was about $150.

Binder asked if enough staff would be available and Lynd said yes, they would have an operator available 24 hours a day. Later he would add that between the fire department and Sheriff's Office, they would have six to eight pilots. Brabo asked about the potential to use the drone to survey County property and wanted to clarify that it was only County owned property, not private property. Lynd said yes, that was keeping in line with the best practices from other agencies. Brabo asked about the base in Dahlgren and the potential for electromagnetic interference that could cause the drone to crash. She also asked if they were planning to buy just one drone. Lynd said there were two drones, one smaller one for training and daylight flights and a larger one with a FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) camera for night flights.

Brabo said she knew Stafford used them to clear traffic accidents faster but felt further research and partnership was needed with the base in Dahlgren. She said she felt it would be a waste of money if they flew too close to the base and crashed. Bueche asked about the $37,000 reimbursement and Lynd said the money was coming regardless of approval or lack of for the drone program.

Dr. Young said he understood the concerns about how expensive it is but reminded the Board that this is a commercial grade drone with night vision. He said he has been working with Chief Moody and Chief Lynd to get into the mindset of being more prepared for emergency responses and to be self-sustaining rather than relying on mutual aid so much.

Bueche asked if the $25,000 they were asking for could be better used elsewhere within their budget to buy other equipment. In other words, asking if there was something more essential than the drone program. Moody and Lynd didn't feel there was and Sheriff Dempsey cited the recent search for a missing girl in the Pumpkin Neck area. To address Brabo's concerns, he said the drone did fly over Navy property and they only lost the signal and it returned safely. Dempsey also noted that as other agencies use their drones more and more, it becomes less available to King George to borrow them.

Bueche said that there are amateur radio operators in the County that are sometimes used in emergencies and wondered if something similar could be done with local drone operators. Brabo said that was a good idea but those drones would not have a FLIR camera. She said she supported the drone program but cautioned that more work needed to be done to partner with the base.

Dempsey said during the search for the girl, they did send a Detective to the base and they helped but did not give away any secrets about their programs. In other words, they gave no secret information on how they were able to stop the drone flying over Pumpkin Neck. Brabo said the base should be aware that a drone is being used but understands they may not disclose government information. Binder asked if the drone had some sort of signature that could be given to the Navy to help with any potential issues. Bueche said it sounded like a team wasn't in place yet and asked if they were at a point in the project where it needed to be approved tonight or if it could be tabled until later.

Chief Moody said that the dialogue with the base is certainly something that can be worked on and that the money for the drone program doesn't have to be spent tonight. He also said the prices for drones are dropping and there is no contract for a purchase. Bueche said he would like to see more structure before a decision. Jenkins said their next meeting wouldn't be until August and asked if that was enough time.

Moody said they have a great dialogue with the base but doesn't expect them to give away secrets. He said the sooner the drone can get on board, the better. He said there is already a waiting period for mutual aid with some agencies.

Jenkins said he'd rather vote now and get it out there based on the response time of other jurisdictions. Brabo said she just remembered the snake bite incident at Caledon where a hiker was stranded in the woods at dusk and didn't know what trail they were on. A drone would have helped in that scenario. She again reiterated her request to have a conversation with Dahlgren and said Moody should be prepared to give more details at the August 7th meeting.

Bueche asked if they approved the drone program tonight if it would be ready to respond by Fourth of July. Lynd said the equipment would be ready but the FAA waivers take from 30 to 60 days. Bueche asked if they needed the drone before getting the waivers and Lynd said yes, they need to be able to demonstrate that they can fly at night before getting the waivers. He also said the aircraft they would purchase is also used to inspect radio towers and power lines so it is designed to withstand strong magnetic interference.

Binder asked how long it took to get a license and Lynd said about a month. A motion was made and approved to grant the request with the caveat of presenting additional information at the August 7th Board meeting.

Annie Cupka, Grant Writer, then presented an update on the Commonwealth of Virginia DCJS Resource Officer Grant Award. She thanked Sheriff Dempsey, Dr. Benson, King George County Schools Superintendent, and VDOT for all their help in writing the grant. She said the grant will cover two-thirds of the School Resource Officer's (SRO) salary and the position would begin this upcoming school year. She said that because of how only two schools were prioritized by the Board of Supervisors, only those two schools were eligible for the grant. And with only being awarded one grant, Potomac Elementary School would be the school getting an SRO this fall. Cupka said there is a potential to fund the position for up to four years but that the County would need to create a plan to sustain the staff after the grant ends.

Sheriff Dempsey said he was prepared to make a selection on the officer to serve as SRO at Potomac. He also said that in order to serve as an SRO, you needed to have at least three years experience.

Granger thanked them both for the clarifications and the thorough presentation. Jenkins said it was an incredible amount of work. Bueche said Cupka was a rock star and that because of her hard work, an SRO would be present in every elementary school. The Board then approved the grant.

Next to the podium was Saundra Pearson of the Tourism Advisory Committee. She presented the Committee's recommendations for funding the Farmers Market and Fall Festival. Beginning with the Farmers Market, which applied for $4,000. Celebrating the ten year anniversary of the market, they were looking for more advertising and signage. Brabo said she reviewed the documents in the application and the amounts given did not add up to $4,000 but instead added up to $2,900. Caroline Phelps, the Farmers Market Board of Directors President, apologized for the discrepancy. The Board approved funding of $3,000 for the Farmers Market. Brabo asked if DeLaura Padovan would be recognized for her past contributions. Phelps said there was nothing official yet but they would certainly look into it.

Pearson then presented the Fall Festival Committee's request for funding. She said their original request was for $14,000 but the Tourism Advisory Committee modified it to only $5,000. Brabo said she also went through their submitted figures and noted last year's marketing expenses were about $5,800 and suggested they award them $6,000. Brabo also noted that maybe there was a better way to get participation in their survey and that maybe they should purchase banners without a specific date on them so they could be reused. She said it didn't seem prudent to remake banners every year. Brabo also noted that the Fall Festival Committee apparently didn't get the message last year that inflatables, such as a rock wall or bounce house, were not qualified under the grant request. Binder said she asked them about the inflatables last year and it sounded like there was a promise made to not charge residents to enjoy them.

Brabo said that in the past, tourism funds were being illegally put into the General Fund. Once corrected, the Board has made it a point to follow the law regarding what the tourism funds are spent on. Pearson said there appeared to be an expectation to fully fund the Fall Festival but that the Tourism Advisory Committee felt it should be self sustaining.

Binder then asked why nobody was here from the Fall Festival. She noted that Phelps was present from the Farmers Market but nobody representing the Fall Festival was present. Brabo said they're not specifically invited but that the groups all know they're here. Annie Cupka added that earlier in the day Janine Paulsen asked about the status of the grant application and she said the Tourism Advisory Committee made a recommendation and would be at tonight's meeting. Brabo easily summarized the situation by saying they knew about the recommendation and knew that this was the time and place to argue their case. The Board then approved the grant to the Fall Festival in the amount of $6,000.

Dr. Neiman Young then gave his report by saying that the White Plains Plantation has been nominated to be put on the National Historic Register and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Brabo asked if the property owner was aware or involved and Young said they were involved in the application process. Brabo said she just wanted to make sure they knew about it. According to the application, the White Plains Plantation is located off Route 301, about 2 miles north of the Rappahannock River.

Dr. Young then said that the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion contacted him and would like to return to King George County in September of this year for another exercise. The Board had a consensus to welcome them again.

Young said the fire department was awarded a $24,000 grant for a capital improvement project and that, even though he didn't like to talk about himself, he was invited to sit on the Executive Committee for the Virginia Local Government Management Association.

The Board then went into Closed Session at 9:50pm and invited attorneys Ed Spivey and Kevin Sharp. There was some confusion about Mr. Sharp not being there and that another attorney was present in his place. The Board returned from Closed Session at 10:33pm and adjourned a 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 August 7, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

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

2018-06-19 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors kicked off their meeting at 6:31pm. There was an amendment to the Agenda to add a Closed Session. Though no surprise to me, most in the audience sighed or groaned at the potential for another long evening.

There was no Public Comment.

Mike Bennett began the Board Reports by stating he attended a Town Hall on June 7th, hosted by Supervisor Jeff Bueche. He said about 10 or 12 citizens attended, which allowed for a more informal discussion.

Richard Granger, Ruby Brabo, and Cathy Binder had no report.

Chris Werle, Chairman, said he visited the Oakland Park Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and was impressed by the dramatic changes led by Tim Maceijewski, the plant's Class 2 Operator. He joked that a WWTP may not be high on the list of places to visit by his fellow Board members but encouraged them to visit Oakland Park. Werle's Facebook post had more details and photos of the improvements. Werle said he and Chris Thomas, General Manager, conducted interviews and went through negotiations on June 13th and 14th related to the Fairview Beach Stabilization Project. He said details were still pending but the cost should not exceed $300,000. Also on the 14th, Werle said he watched Service Authority crews use a directional drill to install a new water line on Windsor Drive in Owens to replace a leaking line that went under the road. He said the new line would eliminate future leaks, allow for increased water pressure, and would be cheaper to maintain in the future.

Ruby Brabo asked if the cost of the replacement was covered by the developer that was tasked with making the Owens to Dahlgren water system connection and Thomas said no. Werle said Thomas would give more detail during his report.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

The first Action Item was a Request to nominate a Proposal Review Committee for the Interim General Manager position. Chris Werle, Ruby Brabo, Mike Bennett, and Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, were nominated and approved. The second Action Item was to Authorize the Chairman to negotiate and enter in to a contract to retain an Interim General Manager. Chris Werle was nominated and approved after a slight correction in the nomination to ensure it was an Interim Manager and that the cost was not to exceed $20,000 per month. The last Action Item was to Authorize the General Manager to negotiate and enter in to a lease with Sprint. Thomas reminded the Board that this lease was for five years at $2,500 per month. This Action Item was approved.

Chris Thomas then broke his General Manager's report down into three main points. The first topic was the water line leak repair on Windsor Drive in Owens. He said the leak was discovered under the pavement between Route 206 (Dahlgren Road) and Route 301 (James Madison Parkway). He said the line had been repaired in the past at this same location and that the previous repairs had caused a major traffic disruption. Thomas said it was decided to use directional drilling instead to allow traffic to continue pass more easily during the repair as well as to allow for a valve to be added for future repair work. Thomas said a new cap was also installed at the day care center nearby. He said it will prevent any leaks under the pavement as the new line is now parallel to the road.

Werle added that the previous repair cost about $60,000, largely due to the requirements to bring the road back up to VDOT requirements while this repair only cost about $12,500.

Thomas' second topic was about the Service Authority's Master Plan. He said Wiley Wilson was contracted to develop the plan and that Phase 1 was nearly complete. He said they were on site that day to finish gathering data and visited the sewer pump stations to ensure they meet Class 1 levels. Thomas said he expects the report back within two or three weeks.

Thomas' third and final topic was an update on the minor fire that was at Dr. Wendy Moore's dentist office on June 12th. He said that during the fire department's response, they found that the nearby hydrant was inoperable. Service Authority staff was notified by both Dr. Moore and the fire department about the hydrant. They discovered that it should have had an Out of Service ring on it and Thomas suspected that the ring was removed during a recent painting operation. He said that staff conducted a flow rate test on the hydrant, which is fed by the Presidential Lakes main, and it did not produce enough pressure so staff installed an Out of Service ring and painted the bonnet, or top, red. According to the National Fire Protection Association 291, a red bonnet signifies a Class C hydrant that produces less than 500 gallons per minute. Thomas said he coordinated with Dr. Moore's office and the fire department to discuss how they respond to fires in areas when little or no water is available as well as fire extinguisher training. He said that thankfully the fire was put out with limited damage and no injuries.

Granger asked if the hydrant had ever been usable. Thomas replied that it was never usable for fire fighting purposes because it was pretty much at the end of the Presidential Lakes system so it's fed by small diameter lines. Thomas said that typically a hydrant like that is only used for flushing. Brabo asked about the Out of Service tag being removed during painting and why, if it was never an operating hydrant, it was painted like a regular, functional hydrant. Thomas said it was painted silver. Brabo then asked if it was historically never an operable hydrant, how was it missed during the painting operation. Thomas said he assumed it was painted silver and crews just never went back to paint it all red. Brabo then asked if the Service Authority is doing regular maintenance checks on the hydrants, is staff ensuring that things have been painted appropriately. Thomas said yes. Brabo continued to question Thomas, this time asking if it was painted several years ago as previously stated, and we're doing regular service checks, how was it missed. Thomas said he didn't know. Bennett added that he also received an email from Dr. Moore and that he wasn't even aware that the street her office is located on, Grover Drive, and the adjoining Francis Folsom Drive had hydrants. He said he noted another hydrant on the street that was painted silver and that when he revisited the area both hydrants were painted red and had Out of Service signs on them.

The Board then went into Closed Session at 6:52pm and invited Dr. Neiman Young and Eric Gregory.

The Board returned from Closed Session at 7:31pm and adjourned a minute later.

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)
(plus 2 assistants)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on August 7, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.

Modern History of the Service Authority - Second Quarter 2017

by Neil Richard

Because of the severity and complexity of the issues surrounding the King George County Service Authority (KGCSA) in recent months, we are "jumping the timeline" by giving you an inside look at the operations at five local Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs). These five WWTPs are Dahlgren District, Fairview Beach, Hopyard Farms, Oakland Park, and Purkins Corner. These WWTPs are operated and maintained by KGCSA and are under the enforcement authority of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Continuing our modern history coverage of the King George County Service Authority, you can also read about the First Quarter of 2017.

CAUTION - Some of the links below may show images of human waste.

April 2017

On April 4, 2017, the Board of Directors meeting minutes report that Ruby Brabo and Chris Werle, Chairman, gave detailed reports. Brabo and Werle both reported on the recent tour of the Dahlgren Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) where regional officials were invited to see some of the improvements at the plant. Werle gave a short overview of the recent Oakland Park water emergency but left it to Chris Thomas, General Manager, to give more details.

Thomas said the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) requires that the Service Authority conduct monthly testing of the water supply. In a sample drawn on March 8, 2017, there were no bacteriological elements present. After receiving a customer complaint on March 20, 2017, samples were taken and it was found that the chlorine levels were lower than expected. Thomas said this same sample was also tested for bacteria and there was coliform and E. coli present. A second sample was then collected according to VDH rules on March 22nd and it also tested positive for coliform and E. coli.

Thomas said that VDH directed them to collect more samples and if any tested positive, a boil water notice would be necessary. He said samples were collected on March 23rd with results arriving the next day. Two samples, one taken on French Court and another on Garner Drive, tested positive for coliform and E. coli. Thomas said that VDH then required a boil water notice to be issued and that Service Authority employees hand delivered these notices by late in the day on the 24th.

On April 18, 2017, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) sent an email to Chris Thomas regarding a future visit of the Fairview Beach WWTP to assist in regaining compliance. This email was from DEQ's Office of Water Compliance Manager, Jerome Brooks, who also sent an internal email that day regarding the lack of communication from Thomas. Brooks said "I haven’t heard from Mr. Thomas since our conference call the 21st of last month [March 2017].  At that time Mr. Thomas and his supervisor gave the impression they were accepting of DEQ’s proposal for assistance..." He also added "We will continue to pursue voluntary compliance assistance but at some point will look toward alternatives to regain  compliance at all 5 plants."

That same evening, Thomas gave an another update on the Oakland Park water issue at the Board of Directors meeting. In his update, Thomas said that the required "...samples were collected on Friday April 14th. All samples were absent for both total coliform and E. Coli."

Within a few days, Chris Werle gave the public two updates via Facebook. In his first update on April 20th, he said new water lines and hydrants were being installed along Mount Rose Drive as part of the project to extend water to the Route 3 and Route 301 intersection. The following day, April 21st, he gave an update regarding the presence of E. coli in the water in the Oakland Park system. In this update, he gave various potential reasons for the E. coli being in the water but no clear source was found.

On April 25, 2017, DEQ issued five Notices of Violation (NOVs) for each WWTP; Dahlgren, Purkins Corner, Oakland Park, Fairview Beach, and Hopyard Farms. Again, all five were cited for their lack of responses since November 2015.

Additionally, Oakland Park was cited for high levels of Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), and Total Recoverable Copper. The February 2017 Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) recorded the following levels with applicable limits:

• TSS - 19 mg/L weekly average (limited to 10 mg/L)
• TKN - 3.6 mg/L weekly average (limited to 3.0 mg/L)
• Total Recoverable Copper - 33 ug/L weekly average (limited to 20 ug/L)

Dahlgren was also cited for not filing the industrial user survey by June 9, 2015 and Fairview Beach was also cited for not filing the February 2017 DMR by March 17, 2017.

There was a small sewage spill on or about April 25, 2017. According to the report filed with DEQ, there was a clogged main at Oakland Park WWTP and technicians had to use industrial equipment to unclog it. Less than 500 gallons was spilled in the woods where a manhole cover is located.

May 2017

Chris Werle began May with several updates for the general public via Facebook. They included details on the debt service fee, clarifications from a recent article in the Free Lance-Star, and an update on the water line expansion to the Route 3 and Route 301 intersection.

Also in early May, DEQ was once again trying their best to work with the Service Authority to bring the WWTP systems into compliance. In a May 11 email, Jerome Brooks said "Since we have been forced to go with the unannounced approach I think this will start off very similar to an inspection but end as a diagnostic evaluation in terms of us trying to work with the Service Authority through compliance assistance versus enforcement in our attempt to improve DEQ’s working relationship with them and the operation of that facility." The next day, he emailed colleagues at DEQ stating he again attempted to contact Chris Thomas but was unsuccessful.

DEQ made good on their plans to make an unannounced visit to the Fairview Beach WWTP on May 15, 2017. The Diagnostic Inspection report was detailed and lengthy. In it, there are several occurrences of parts or equipment that is either broken, difficult to use, repaired but yet to be placed back into service. This is plainly obvious in the Plant Maintenance section of the report which begins with "There was considerable evidence of maintenance problems at the facility."

On May 22nd, DEQ issued a Referral of Potential Violation for all five WWTPs; Dahlgren, Purkins Corner, Oakland Park, Hopyard Farms, and Fairview Beach. Three days later on May 25th, each of the same plants received a Notice of Violation. Dahlgren was again cited for failing to submit the industrial user survey. Oakland Park was cited for the March 2017 DMR reported value of 3.3 mg/L of TKN (the limit is 3.0 mg/L).  Purkins Corner, Fairview Beach, and Hopyard Farms were only cited for their lack of required responses dating back to November of 2015.

The Board of Directors met on May 2nd and May 16th, but neither meeting included any information on the above activities. Chris Thomas did mention a planned upgrade at the industrial park pump station and both he and Werle gave updates on the Route 3 and Route 301 intersection project.

June 2017

The Service Authority reported a sewage spill on June 6 of unknown amount. The report stated that the main pump station at Fairview Beach WWTP lost power. The generator appeared to be functional but the battery backup unit was not.

The minutes for the June 6th Board of Directors meeting are currently unavailable. On June 7th, Chris Werle entertained several officials for a tour of the "Fairview Beach Riverbank Stabilization Project site."

On June 13, 2017, Rebecca Johnson, DEQ Water Compliance Inspector, sent Chris Werle an email stating that DEQ has been unable to effectively communicate with Chris Thomas and that Werle would become the new point of contact for the Service Authority.

Personal information has been redacted.

To his credit, Werle responded to the email within four hours stating he would have Thomas respond to the backlog with the required responses by June 30, 2017 and respond to the NOVs that were attached to the email by June 16, 2017. Even before responding to DEQ, Werle responded to Thomas telling him that "Not responding to these notices eventually catches up with us, could result in substantial fines and penalties, and if the BOS end up getting involved/upset, I might not be able to protect you." While Werle wouldn't inform the Board of Directors of the severity of the issue until March of 2018, he clearly was not pleased with the contact from DEQ.

The NOVs were issued the same day as the email, June 13th. In brief, the NOVs repeated the same citations as in the past. In summary, they were:

Dahlgren
- "The industrial user survey information was due to DEQ by June 9, 2015 but has not been received as of the date of this letter."
- "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to May 22, 2017."
- "This facility had 12.0 points in the Compliance Auditing System at the end of April 2017."

Purkins Corner
- "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to May 22, 2017."
- "This facility had 6.0 points in the Compliance Auditing System at the end of April 2017."

Oakland Park
- "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to May 22, 2017."
- "The April 2017 DMR reported values of 4.2 mg/L and 6.5 mg/L for both the monthly concentration average and weekly concentration average maximum limits for TKN, respectively."
- "The April 2017 DMR reported a value of 18 mg/L for the weekly concentration average maximum limit for Total Suspended Solids (TSS)."
- "This facility had 6.0 points in the Compliance Auditing System at the end of April 2017."

Hopyard Farms
- "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to May 22, 2017."
- "This facility had 7.0 points in the Compliance Auditing System at the end of April 2017."

Fairview Beach
- "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to May 22, 2017."
- "The April 2017 DMR reported a value of 31 n/100mLs for the monthly concentration average limit for Fecal Coliform."
- "This facility had 7.0 points in the Compliance Auditing System at the end of April 2017."

In a flurry of emails between Chris Werle, Chris Thomas, and numerous employees at DEQ, the general feeling was one of progress. One email in particular from Jerome Brooks to his fellow DEQ counterparts summed it up nicely; "It appears something occurred to spark collaboration and communication that previously didn’t exist. ... Purely speculation but possibly Chris was given instructions to work with us after our conversation a couple months ago, by his supervisor, but didn’t follow through. Something has helped bring about this quick change.”

In the June 20th meeting minutes of the Board of Directors, Chris Werle's report consisted of the following short paragraph:

"I have a very short report. On June 12th, I prepared a newsletter article on fire hydrant operation and maintenance. On June 15th, I met with the general manager to review the DEQ-issued discharge permit for the Dahlgren Wastewater Treatment Plant. That’s all I have there."

While Werle made no mention of the new developments with DEQ, Thomas gave a longer update, which was a short update on the Route 3 and Route 301 water line extension project, but still neglected to share any updates related to the recent developments.

On June 23, 2017,  DEQ issued a Compliance Inspection Report for Oakland Park WWTP. In it, several tasks are listed as needing corrective action and a response was required by July 21, 2017. The report cited several of the previously documented issues in previous NOVs.

On June 29th, Chris Thomas responded to both the Dahlgren and Hopyard Farms NOVs. These responses included many of the items that DEQ had cited as violations over the recent months, including the industrial user survey responses and the liner repairs at Dahlgren. On the same day, DEQ conducted a Diagnostic Inspection of the Oakland Park WWTP and Daniel Powell, an employee of the Service Authority, sent an email to DEQ about a "plant upset" at Oakland Park earlier in the week that was related to an excessive delivery of Bio-Carb. The inspection report noted "...several critical areas of the plant that required maintenance..."

The next day, June 30th, DEQ closed out the month by sending two Compliance Inspection Reports, one for Dahlgren and one for Hopyard Farms WWTPs. As with the similar report issued for Oakland Park WWTP a week prior, these reports noted previous issues and requested corrective action be taken. Dahlgren's biggest issue was the liner in the lagoon having fallen into disrepair while Hopyard Farms had a smaller issue of biological growth in the sampling tube.

Also on the 30th of June, Chris Thomas responded to outstanding questions from DEQ related to previously issued NOVs. There was also in internal DEQ email related to potential future enforcement. Within this email, DEQ worked to set the timeline of past events to better aid them in providing a way towards getting the Service Authority within compliance. Once again, DEQ shows an overwhelming willingness to help the Service Authority.

OPINION - Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - The End

by Neil Richard

While I had assumed the previous meeting of the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee was the last one, I apparently proved the adage correct about what making assumptions does to "u and me." So when I went to the June 12, 2018 Board of Supervisors budget work session meeting, I was not prepared to join the Board at the grown-up table and was rather content to sit in the audience.

Instead, as the Board settled in, somebody asked where the rest of the citizens were. Within seconds, I was directed to step up and participate in the discussions on a two-year budget.

It quickly became apparent that it was a three-year budget and that it was not set in stone. In fact, if I could reach through whatever screen you're reading this on and make this so painfully clear, I would. The budget Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, presented was a draft, expenditure-based budget that could almost be called a wish-list. While that phrase, "wish-list," was used a few times, I'm hesitant to use that label as it feels a little unprofessional. And based on the numbers discussed and the department leaders that presented them, I didn't think it was quite the right phrase to use.

Dr. Young was quick to dive into the FY2020 and FY2021 projections by saying they were based largely on the formats used by Fairfax and Fluvanna. He said he originally planned to develop a two-year budget but staff recommended a three-year budget due to the financial demands that would be coming in the future. Again, Dr. Young said the budget he was showing was for planning purposes only, not set in stone, and not adopted. He also cautioned the public to not use it as a gauge for what future tax increases would look like since the County's revenue was also due to increase. In other words, Dr. Young did his best to make it clear that this was simply a draft budget.

For FY2020, Dr. Young said some of the key factors in the roughly two percent increase included the beginning of digital archives, new County employees, and IT upgrades. Most interesting to me was the plan to digitize the County's documents. While the initial process would take a few years to complete, Young said the general idea was to make over 300 years of material available to the public. He said his fear was that a single natural disaster could erase the history of the County as well as impact present-day operations. By having a digital archive stored outside of the County, the records would be preserved and easily accessible to the staff and general public.

I remained quiet as Smoot Library was once again discussed. As in previous sessions, I stayed quiet on the sensitive topic. While I didn't agree with the stance of the Board, I feel like I did, finally, get a better understanding of where they stand on things. Because the Library is not a County department, the Board feels they are not as obligated to fund them in ever-increasing amounts. And not that the Board doesn't want to fund the Schools, they too are in a similar boat as they get funding from multiple sources. In the end, the Board appeared to be intent on level-funding the Library going forward. While I wholeheartedly disagree with that stance, I at least have a better understanding of where the Board is coming from.

For FY2021, Dr. Young said the three percent budget increase was largely due to the increased cost of firefighters. He said the grant that currently covers their pay will expire and the County will be required to pick up the tab going forward. He also cited other reasons such as potential retirements of County employees, increased staffing at the Sheriff's Office, and other needs.

Also discussed was the desire to have the County School system partner with the County itself on sharing resources. There was also a desire to start the next budget cycle earlier and suggestions were given on other ways to save County money.

With the budget presentations over, Dr. Young and Annie Cupka, Grant Writer, then presented the Economic Development Strategic Plan. The presentation was essentially a final draft of what will become the Strategic Plan going forward. It's the end result of the SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) Analysis done by Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, over the past few months. By engaging various individuals and groups across the County, the idea was to gather information and develop a plan to improve economic development.

The presentation included a lot of the same information from previous meetings but in a more refined and polished format. There was discussion about various points in the presentation but a few stood out in my mind as important. As a fan of history, and as an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Museum, I took note of the section about historical assets. My previous theory on where the Board stood with the library was emphasized again when the Board didn't want language that said the County would provide a location for a historical museum. Instead, it was changed to language more along the lines of fostering growth of a museum and providing an amenable environment for one. In other words, the Board was not willing to completely fund a museum or to just give them a location to operate out of, but rather they were more inclined to help the museums become self-sufficient.

Another interesting point for me was the idea behind a lack of entertainment in the County. Having been recently fascinated with the concept of the "Third Place," I've begun to wonder what was missing in King George. For me, it really is that third place behind home and work that you go to for socializing, community building, food, drinks, and everything else. Hopefully this plan will help address that community need for a place to gather.

One final topic that was interesting for me was the discussion of leveraging Mixed Use Development (MUD) to help meet the need of affordable housing. The Planning Commission was holding a Public Hearing at the same time elsewhere and unbeknownst to the Board, had voted against adding the new MUD amendment to the zoning ordinances. But during the Board's discussion of MUD in the County, there was concern over too much development and how it could trigger a scenario where an MS4 Permit would be required. The MS4, or Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, Permit is how the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors and controls storm water runoff. The consensus among the Board was that in order to avoid the MS4 Permit, solid planning would need to be in place for any MUD development, private or public.

Ryan Gandy, having arrived partway through the previous presentation, delivered the next presentation on the Broadband Planning Grant Decision Points. He had previously been at the Planning Commission meeting to present the MUD amendment.

Gandy's Broadband presentation got off to a bumpy start as some of the Board seemed surprised that the end result of the grant application would be a Request For Proposal (RFP). After clarifying that point and that it would not create a monopoly or exclusive contract for a broadband provider in the County, and that any decision would be dependent upon the County's budget, the Board was ready to press on. They did so quickly with only a few clarifying questions related to various specific points. In the end, the Board agreed that a hybrid approach was best in that it gave the most flexibility. By sharing some assets and investing some capital, as the budget allows, the County would provide a reasonable and positive environment for companies to provide broadband to the citizens and businesses within its borders.

In closing, it should be noted that John Jenkins was absent from the meeting as was every other member of the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee. In fact, aside from myself, the four Board of Supervisor members, Dr. Young, and County staff, there were only two members of the public present. Compared to the 20 to 30 citizens that attended the Planning Commission meeting in the Board Room, I'm left to wonder if there was some confusion among the public about who was meeting where or if the Mixed Use Development topic was more important than I thought. Regardless of the reasons for my fellow Committee members being absent, I was, am, and will be happy that the public was involved at such a level in creating the County's budget. It may not be perfection, but it is progress.

Modern History of the Service Authority - First Quarter 2017

by Neil Richard

Because of the severity and complexity of the issues surrounding the King George County Service Authority (KGCSA) in recent months, we are "jumping the timeline" by giving you an inside look at the operations at five local Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs). These five WWTPs are Dahlgren District, Fairview Beach, Hopyard Farms, Oakland Park, and Purkins Corner. These WWTPs are operated and maintained by KGCSA and are under the enforcement authority of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

To give a little background on the documents below from the DEQ and the KGCSA, the analogy of a speeding ticket seems to work best. If you break the law by speeding, you might get a warning or a speeding ticket. If you get a ticket, it may be a simple one that you can pay online or it may be a harsh one that requires you to go to court. In some cases, you may get arrested or lose your license because of how fast you were driving. With the documents below, DEQ is the arm of the state government that is enforcing the rules while KGCSA is the entity that is breaking them. Instead of a speeding ticket, DEQ will issue a Notice of Violation (NOV). Depending on the severity, DEQ could be lenient and issue a Warning Letter (WL). And for clarity, just because there is a rule being broken, it does not mean there is any criminal activity.

CAUTION - Some of the links below may show images of human waste.

January 2017

The Service Authority began the year with a Board of Directors meeting on January 3, 2017. Cedell Brooks was nominated by Ruby Brabo to serve as Chairman but he declined. Chris Werle was nominated by Richard Granger for Chairman and all voted in his favor. Brabo then nominated Richard Granger to serve as Vice-Chair and again, all voted in his favor.

Five NOVs are issued, one for each WWTP, on January 9, 2017. The Dahlgren District WWTP NOV states that the "industrial user survey information was due to DEQ by June 9, 2015 but has not been received as of the date of this letter." It also states that "DEQ has not received the required responses from compliance documents sent from November 18, 2015 to November 16, 2016." Purkins Corner WWTP, Oakland Park WWTP, Hopyard Farms WWTP, and Fairview Beach WWTP are also missing the same compliance documents from November 18, 2015 to November 16, 2016. Additionally, the Fairview Beach WWTP is cited for "a value of 31 n/100mL for the monthly mean concentration average limit for Fecal Coliform." based on the November 2016 discharge monitoring report (DMR). The monthly legal limit for Fecal Coliform is 14 n/100mL.

The General Manager disclosed none of these violations during his report at the January 17, 2017 Board of Directors meeting.

In three Compliance Reports dated January 24, 2017, DEQ informed Chris Thomas, General Manager, that Dahlgren WWTP, Purkins Corner WWTP, and Oakland Park WWTP were inspected. In the Dahlgren Compliance Report, the inspector requested "1) a narrative either outlining a plan to resolve or confirming the resolution of the solids and sheen on the clarifier water surface and solids in the effluent tanks, and 2) a timeline on when maintenance will be conducted on the lagoon liner." In the Purkins Corner report, the inspector asked for a narrative on how solids in the clarifier weirs, UV alarms, and other items would be fixed. The Oakland Park inspection noted UV treatment issues as well as effluent trough issues.

February 2017

During the February 7, 2017 Board of Directors meeting, Chris Werle reported that he and Chris Thomas met with DEQ regarding the permit for the wells at Hopyard Farm. Neither mentioned any previous violations at the WWTPs. Thomas did suggest that Werle be compensated for his service on the Board and that such compensation is allowed per Virginia Code but would need to be adopted in a resolution from the Board of Supervisors. During the Board of Supervisors meeting, the resolution to pay citizen members $75 per meeting was adopted.

On February 15, 2017, each of the five WWTPs was again issued a form from DEQ, this time a Referral of Potential Violation. Once again, DEQ informs KGCSA that they have not received any of the required responses from November 18, 2015 through January 9, 2017. This same verbiage is used for Dahlgren WWTP, Purkins Corner WWTP, Oakland Park WWTP, Hopyard Farms WWTP, and Fairview Beach WWTP.

The next day, DEQ again issues NOVs for the same five WWTPs. Dahlgren and Purkins Corner WWTPs are again hit with the same failure to communicate language. The other three WWTPs also see the same language but have additional violations.

Oakland Park WWTP shows amounts above the legal limits for TKN (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen or organic nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen), cBOD5 (carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand or the amount of oxygen used to breakdown organic material), and Total Nitrogen. The TKN in December 2016 read 15.8 mg/L for the week and 4.2 mg/L for the month when the limits were 4.5 mg/L and 3.0 mg/L respectively. The cBOD5 was reported at 17 mg/L for December 2016 when the limit is 15 mg/L. The Total Nitrogen was 16.3 mg/L in December 2016 when the limit was 15 mg/L. Hopyard Farms WWTP had 1.79 mg/L of Total Phosphorus in the December 2016 DMR while the limit was 1.0 mg/L. Fairview Beach WWTP also had an excess of Total Phosphorus in the December 2016 DMR with a reading of 1.5 mg/L. This was above the same 1.0 mg/L limit.

The February 21, 2017 Board of Directors meeting once again showed no signs of any of the DEQ violations.

March 2017

On March 2, 2017, Jerome Brooks, the Office of Water Compliance (OWC) Manager at DEQ, sent Chris Thomas an email. In brief, the email stated that DEQ was willing to help the KGCSA come into compliance. Brooks said "Additionally, some of your facilities have been and continue to be listed in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database as having significant violations of permit requirements, which means the level of attention is higher in terms of the oversight and potential involvement by the EPA." Brooks goes on to say that the EPA has the authority to enforce the rules before the State.

Brooks also says "...the OWC would like to offer our assistance by means of a comprehensive performance diagnostic evaluation of your facilities.  This degree of compliance assistance provided by the OWC, independent of the regional office support and involvement, is resource intensive and rarely offered but we believe in this case it will add a great deal of value in terms of working collaboratively to get these facilities back into compliance and to continue operating in compliance moving forward." Essentially, Brooks is offering the services and support, and presumably to some degree the financing, of DEQ to help KGCSA come back into compliance. The willingness of DEQ to come to the aid of the Service Authority struck me as something they rarely do but were more than willing to offer.

Nearly three weeks later, Brooks still had not heard from Thomas. When Brooks finally did hear from Thomas and a conference call was scheduled, Thomas asked to "...have his boss available for the call..." This is rather confusing as Thomas only answers to the five member Board of Directors. When it comes to the daily operations of the Service Authority, Thomas is the boss. Even the Service Authority Regulations state that the General Manager is the "Chief Administrative officer appointed by the King George County Service Authority Board of Directors."

The March 7, 2017 Board of Directors meeting had Chris Werle report about issues Faddis Concrete Products was having pumping waste water into the KGCSA sewer system. He also posted to Facebook about technicians relieving pressure in the industrial park sewer system to prevent damage to customers' grinders.

On March 14, 2017, DEQ sent Chris Thomas a letter regarding an additional violation at the Fairview Beach WWTP. In this case, the KGCSA was awarded a Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) Grant in the amount of $330,493. However, because of excessive amounts of Total Phosphorus at Fairview Beach, the Service Authority was assessed a fine of $1,704 for the violation. This amount was paid a month later on April 18, 2017 as shown in the Agenda for the same date however nothing was mentioned during the General Manager's report that night or in previous meetings.

On March 15, 2017, all five WWTPs once again received NOVs. Yet again, all five were cited for a failure to communicate required information from 2015. Dahlgren and Hopyard had relatively minor violations. In addition to that, Purkins Corner WWTP in January 2017 had a reported value of 16.6 mg/L of TSS (Total Suspended Solids) where the limit is 15 mg/L. Oakland Park WWTP had 5.4 mg/L for TKN with a limit of 4.5 mg/L in January 2017. It also showed a value of 22 mg/L of Total Recoverable Copper when the limit is 20 mg/L. Fairview Beach WWTP had excess Fecal Coliform and Enterococci in January 2017. Fecal Coliform was reported at 64 n/100mLs with a limit of 14 n/100mLs and Enterococci was 104 n/100mLs with a limit of 35 n/100mLs.

The March 21, 2017 Board of Directors meeting made no reference to any violations at any of the WWTPs. However on March 24, 2017, Chris Werle reported on Facebook that several elected officials from the region toured the Dahlgren WWTP to see the upgrades that allow for "reduced effluent nitrogen and phosphorus."

On March 27, 2017, the repeating record of NOVs is again playing the same song of non-compliance. Dahlgren, Purkins Corner, Oakland Park, Hopyard Farms, and Fairview Beach WWTPs all received a Referral of Potential Violation. All reference a lack of communicating to DEQ the required documentation since November 2015.

2018-06-07 - Jeff Bueche Town Hall Notes

Jeff Bueche, King George County Board of Supervisors, held his second Town Hall of 2018 at the Fire Department's Company 1. Unlike his last Town Hall, which was standing room only and lasted nearly four hours, Bueche saw very few citizens turn out to participate. The general consensus among those present was that the recent actions by the Service Authority Board of Directors to accept the resignation of Chris Thomas, General Manager, and to censure Chairman Chris Werle was enough to quell many complaints from the community. With barely ten citizens in the audience, this made for a much more intimate conversation among those present.

T. C. Collins, the James Monroe District representative on the School Board, started things off with a short overview of how well the school system is doing with accreditation and teacher retention. In answer to a question from the audience, he said making teacher pay competitive has helped keep talent in King George. Collins said when he first attended orientation for new teachers at the beginning of the year, there were large groups of new teachers. More recently, he said the group of new teachers is much smaller, giving proof that the teachers are staying on the job longer.

TC Collins, James Monroe District School Board

He gave a brief update on the Middle School track saying it should be done soon and that progress is being made on the modular buildings at Potomac Elementary School. He wasn't sure if they would be ready by the start of school this fall but hoped they would be. There were also some unanswered questions about if the bathrooms inside would be plumbed and usable. Bueche also added that the fact that some teachers are moving up to administrative roles, even if they move out of the County, is a sign that professional development is occurring.

There was a question about the orange fencing up at the Middle School and it was explained that it was part of the preparation for staging equipment for the expansion project. The King George County Registrar's Office issued a notice about voting for June 12th, stating that voters will need to park in the Staff Parking Lot and use the front or side entrances to access the polls. For those unfamiliar with the Middle School, the front of the school and a large portion of the rear is blocked off. Citizens will need to park where the Farmer's Market is located and use the doors either at the front of the building or those nearest the Sheetz.

To add to the construction discussion, Collins said the plan was to expand the Middle School to give more room at the Middle School and all three Elementary Schools. He said this is part of a long term plan to meet needs. He credited Dr. Benson, Superintendent, for being a great leader during this process.

Answering another question from the audience, Collins said there is a plan to have a security audit done to ensure the school system has the resources in place to keep students and staff safe. Because of a previous family commitment, Collins had to leave early.

Jeff Bueche, James Monroe District Supervisor

Jeff Bueche then gave a brief introduction for tonight's Town Hall and a short overview of his previous Town Hall. He said that while the location for the evening's Town Hall at Company 1 wasn't exactly in his district, it was right across the street. He read a comment from a citizen that was on Facebook and gave a rebuttal. In short, he said that while Werle was key in getting the shoreline stabilization grant for Fairview Beach, he did not agree with his unilateral decisions and should step aside as Chairman of the Board of Directors. However, he did feel that the Board of Directors made a rational, measured, and unemotional decision at their last meeting. He said he felt that there is a change of culture coming to the Service Authority and considers the personnel matters resolved. He also added that in his personal opinion, a government takeover of the Service Authority was not the best choice.

Michael Bennett, James Monroe District Service Authority Board of Directors

Mike Bennett, Vice-Chair of the Service Authority Board of Directors, then gave a few qualifying statements before speaking. He said that while the Notices of Violation (NOVs) issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and therefore public information, the current negotiations with DEQ are under an enforcement order, meaning it is not public information. He said that he does want to share information with the public but that until the negotiations are over, he's not able to do so.

With that caveat said, Bennett said he was very impressed with the County's ability to draft and publish a Request For Proposal (RFP) within hours of Thomas' resignation. He also said that both the Board of Directors and Chris Thomas agreed to a non-disparagement clause, meaning that neither side could say anything negative about each other. Bennett and the audience then had a long discussion on NOVs and enforcement issues with a lot of questions and suggestions from the audience. Bennett said there was already a plan to be more transparent in the future, not just with the Board but also with the public. He said that they were really looking to get the best solution for the customers of the Service Authority.

With all of this positive news though, Bennett did say that things may get worse before they get better. Using an analogy about surgery to help explain it, he said that typically when you get a diagnosis, you still have to go through recovery after your surgery. He said the Service Authority has had their diagnosis and is in the middle of treatment right now. Recovery will be coming soon but it will take time. His best advice came after the meeting was over though, when he said give "us a chance," meaning the Board of Directors.

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator

In other news, Bueche said he has been working with Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, on a long term plan to make the Fall Festival self-sufficient. He said they had hopes to bring in a larger audience with a concert, barbecue festival, and other activities. Dr. Young also took some constructive criticism from the audience on how to improve the County's website and how to make it easier to find information.

Bueche arrived at the Town Hall at 6pm but the majority of the small crowd didn't arrive until 6:30pm. By 8pm the gathering had begun to break up as everyone had a chance to speak.

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

2018-06-14 UPDATE: A previous version of this article had an incorrect quote from Mike Bennett. Instead of saying "give peace a chance" he said "give us a chance." To quote his clarifying email, Bennett stated: "I said give us a chance, meaning the whole Board, to straighten things out."