by Neil Richard
The Board of Supervisors started their meeting at 7:44pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
Public Comment opened with Renee Parker voicing her thanks and a reminder. She said she has watched meetings of late and the actions of the Board appeared to be antagonistic at times. She said their duties may result in stress but the bond they shared in their first year working together, and the respect they had for each other, was obvious. Parker said each member brings their own strengths and that in the past they reached out to others for help and that set a wonderful example for the young in the community. She thanked the Board for their hard work and reminded them that they have achieved a lot. She said people probably aren't beating down the door to thank them. Parker closed by urging the Board to keep the competitiveness out of their meetings.
Next to speak was Vera Means who wanted to voice her deep concern over the proposed gun range at the former Cameron Hills Golf Course, specifically citing that the application appeared to be a work around for the developers by making it a campground. She then went on to note specific issues with the application, as well as the interviews in a recent newspaper article, including a lack of a signature block, discrepancies in the number of ranges desired, and the confusion of the associated uses. She said an application like this would open the door to allow campgrounds to be developed on farm land and then gun ranges allowed as part of those campgrounds. Means also cited issues where the developer noted that neighboring properties already have a high usage of firearms and said she would like to see that evidence because she doesn't hear it. She also asked to see the evidence that the developer talked to neighboring property owners because they never talked to her.
Jeff Bueche reminded Mrs. Means during a pause that she had exceeded her allotted three minutes. Means apologized and wrapped up her statements saying she also had concerns about the developers claim that they could recycle lead, would perform sound testing, and promote small business. She said this was not an issue of gun rights but rather an issue of wants versus needs.
Next to speak was Kim Dodge. She said that on Thursday she left King George and saw a Sheriff's unit at Port Conway and Route 3 and noted that the traffic on Route 3, Kings Highway, has increased massively. Dodge said that many people complain that they have to stop at the stoplight at Hopyard, Port Conway Road and Kings Highway, but she's thankful for it. She said she noticed the recent installation of the blinking yellow turn signal and felt it was a danger as she was almost hit at the intersection. She warned the Board that Hopyard wasn't even half full yet and that traffic is continuing to get worse in the neighborhood with people speeding and not stopping at stop signs. Dodge said she would like the flashing yellow turn signal to be removed and said they were dangerous.
Linda Petersen then spoke about her opposition to the proposed gun range near her. She thanked the Board for their service, time, and energy. She said they have to take into consideration a lot of issues and it takes them away from their families. Petersen said she grew up in a small town in rural Iowa with a lot of hogs and farms. She said when she first drove into King George, she was reminded of her home town with all of the farmland on both sides of Route 3. She said the rural quality is what makes King George special. As Board members, Peterson said they have seen the growth, the financial responsibilities, and specific concerns of residents. She said when considering the special exception permit for the gun range, she felt it had a new name but was the same business. She said as with any business venture, the most profitable will likely be built first, meaning the gun range. Petersen closed by saying the new application was like a father telling a kid no and then the kid going to their mother to see if they can get what they want.
Billy Clift was the last to speak during Public Comment. He said he has spoken many times before the Board and didn't want to take up too much of their time tonight. Clift said when he saw the application that had campground on it, it felt like a poor attempt to slide one in on the County, maybe even a bold attempt. Clift said there were vague comments and inconsistencies in the application and that residents still don't know what the plan is other than they know it's a gun range.
John Jenkins began his report by thanking everyone for coming out to speak. He said he always appreciates them. Regarding the campground and shooting range, he said the Board would cross that bridge when it came to it. As for the application, Jenkins said the associated uses seem vague and it might be best to forward those concerns to the Community Planning Department. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, said that Community Development is tracking the concerns and that detailed discussions are taking place.
Jenkins continued that the stoplight at Hopyard was in Granger's district so he wouldn't comment too much on the issue but said Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would be the one to talk to about the issue. Continuing, Jenkins attended the budget work session on the 13th. He said on the 17th, the King George High School Wrestling Team had the highest placement in the State Tournament in school history taking 8th place. Murrill took 6th place, Murgas took 4th place, and Indseth took 1st place. Jenkins said that Indseth was only the second State Champion in wresting from King George and that it was pretty amazing. Jenkins said they did better than he did but he's not bitter or jealous. He added that sadly, he was informed of the passing of Brian Albertson. Jenkins said he either wrestled or coached somebody in the Albertson family and that Brian had a positive influence on the community. Jenkins said that in talking to the family, they have asked that, in lieu of flowers, for donations to be made to a memorial fund set up by Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, and Chris Clarke, Director of Parks and Recreation. Jenkins said donations can be mailed to the Parks and Recreation Department at PO Box 71, King George, VA and to include Brian Albertson Memorial on the memo line.
Richard Granger opened his report by thanking Mrs. Parker for her comments on civility. He said that things can get heated but thanked her for her comments. Regarding the proposed gun range, Granger said that he apologized for his comments at earlier meetings that the project would require a special exception. He said he had no malicious intent and no intent to mislead anyone. He said the project would need a special exception permit to be approved by the Planning Commission. Regarding the traffic light, he said he would reach out to VDOT. Granger continued by saying he also attended the budget meeting on the 13th. He then clarified that at the last meeting there was a briefing by Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, about the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (FRA). He said there was a misunderstanding in reading the information presented and that the budget amounts listed were set by the localities, not the FRA. In other words, Granger said, the return on investment wasn't quite the same as they originally thought.
Cathy Binder was next to report. She also thanked everyone for their comments and appreciated Mrs. Parker's comments on civility. She said Parker is usually right on when looking at everything. Regarding the gun range, Binder said she understands everyone's feelings. To Dodge, Binder said she was also amazed at how much traffic has increased. Binder continued, saying she was at the Service Authority budget meeting on the 11th and the County budget meeting on the 13th. She said it was wonderful to hear about the good work and education that the Social Services Department contributes to the community. Binder also thanked the Finance staff and other employees for helping the Supervisors make better decisions. Binder said she regretfully had to inform the Board that Nancy Haenlein was resigning from the L. E. Smoot Library Board of Trustees but wanted to nominate Joseph Gaborow to take her place. The Board approved.
Ruby Brabo was next with her report, noting that on the 7th she met with the President of Atlantic Builders, Chip Taylor, and others to discuss affordable housing. On the 8th she met with the Pitts family to discuss Medicaid Waivers. On the 12th, Brabo met with the Annie Cupka, Economic Development Specialist, and Dr. Young at the Total Machine business in the Industrial Park. Brabo said that between King George and Richmond there are 15 shops like this that could hire about ten people right away to work Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machines. She said that Rappahannock Community College (RCC) is already working to train students in this field. Brabo attended the budget meeting on the 13th and participated in a National Association of Counties (NACo) conference call on the 14th. She joined the Friends of Caledon on the 18th to tour the Lake Caledon area to learn more about the property and potential fundraising efforts to aid in Caledon State Park annexing the site. To Mrs. Dodge, Brabo thanked her for the information on the blinking yellow light. Brabo said the Board has no say over that but will allow Granger to look into since he's already doing so. Regarding the proposed gun range, Brabo said she appreciated the diligence of Mrs. Means in looking at the application and noting the discrepancies. Brabo said it was unfortunate that she had to do all of that documentation but complimented her for her dedication. She said that for everyone else that comes to speak before the Board, their feedback is important but many people don't realize it. Brabo said that citizens notice things they are passionate about. She said she herself had raised a concern over the campground area and how much acreage was going to be used for camping compared to the gun range and it didn't measure up. She then moved to appoint Daniel Hughes to the Landfill Advisory Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The Board approved. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Richard, co-founder of Project94, is also a member of the Landfill Advisory Committee.]
Jeff Bueche was next to give a report. He started by thanking everyone for speaking and taking time away from their evening to do so. He told Mrs. Parker that her words didn't fall on deaf ears. Regarding the gun range, Bueche said people often wait too long to comment and appreciated them for coming out early in the process. To Mrs. Dodge, he thanked her for her comments and had faith that Granger was on top of it. On the 11th, Bueche said he attended the joint meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, the King George Builders Association, and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Board. He said the presentation about the apprenticeship program was enlightening and could be beneficial to various stakeholders in the community. He recommended any business that needed a skilled workforce to look into the program at www.doli.virginia.gov or to reach out to the King George County School system.
Bueche continued, saying he attended the Social Services meeting on the 12th, the budget work session on the 13th, and enjoyed a great breakfast at the high school on the 18th to benefit the Student Lunch Fund. Bueche said he will be hosting a Round Table Discussion at Caledon State Park on March 22nd at 6pm. Expected to attend are Mike Bennett from the Service Authority Board of Directors and T. C. Collins from the School Board. Bueche then moved to appoint Shellie Renz to the Smoot Library Board of Trustees. The Board approved. Bueche also asked that if anyone was willing to serve on the Planning Commission, to please email him at Monroe@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
Next on the Agenda was a request from the Department of Community Development to accept Willow Hill Road into the VDOT Secondary Road system. The Board approved.
Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, then asked for the Board to approve the updated Credit Card Policy. Brabo asked for some clarity around the purchase of gift cards. Ward said that generally only Parks and Recreation and the Sheriff's Department use the County credit card to purchase gift cards. The Board approved the updated policy.
Ward stayed at the podium and asked for the FY19 Budget to be amended to appropriate the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RASF) grant for the Emergency Services Department. The Board approved.
There was then some discussion about removing the preliminary plat review process from the Supervisors. Dr. Young said that the Board had already removed the final plat reviews from their work load and was seeking guidance on if the preliminary plat review should also be removed. Early consensus seemed to be that the Board was okay with that but after some discussion the Board decided they would like to keep the process in place. Bueche noted that he didn't want to impede on property rights but summed up the concern of others and himself by saying that he preferred to have the preliminary plats come before the Supervisors even though they can't necessary deny a by-right use. He said he would rather know about a project coming in than be kept in the dark. Brabo agreed and added that the Oakwood Estates development was a prime example where the Planning Commission approved the development but that the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said septic systems needed at least an acre. She said past Supervisors chose to ignore that and felt that a second set of eyes was beneficial.
Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, had a short report, noting that he would like the Board to consider reappointing Robb Harling to the Economic Development Authority. The Board approved. Young also said that Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) would be hosting a public meeting on March 14th in the Board Room regarding the CROPS, Inc. permit request. Young said he also had a last minute addition to his report with the request from Section Three of Potomac Landing to include their newly completed roads in the VDOT system. Young said they wanted to add Section Three to the golf cart community and that VDOT would need an application for the land use on behalf of the Homeowner's Association. Brabo asked if this would cost any money aside from staff time. Young said no, the application fees are waived. The Board gave consensus to proceed.
The Supervisors then went into Closed Session at 8:44pm and invited Annie Cupka, Ryan Gandy, Dr. Young, and Eric Gregory to attend. Cupka left the meeting at 9:03pm and Gandy left at 9:12pm. The Board returned from Closed Session at 9:38pm.
The meeting adjourned at 9:38pm.
Meeting Attendees:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (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 February 26, 2019 at 6:30 pm at Company 1.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
The Board of Supervisors started their meeting at 7:44pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
Public Comment opened with Renee Parker voicing her thanks and a reminder. She said she has watched meetings of late and the actions of the Board appeared to be antagonistic at times. She said their duties may result in stress but the bond they shared in their first year working together, and the respect they had for each other, was obvious. Parker said each member brings their own strengths and that in the past they reached out to others for help and that set a wonderful example for the young in the community. She thanked the Board for their hard work and reminded them that they have achieved a lot. She said people probably aren't beating down the door to thank them. Parker closed by urging the Board to keep the competitiveness out of their meetings.
Next to speak was Vera Means who wanted to voice her deep concern over the proposed gun range at the former Cameron Hills Golf Course, specifically citing that the application appeared to be a work around for the developers by making it a campground. She then went on to note specific issues with the application, as well as the interviews in a recent newspaper article, including a lack of a signature block, discrepancies in the number of ranges desired, and the confusion of the associated uses. She said an application like this would open the door to allow campgrounds to be developed on farm land and then gun ranges allowed as part of those campgrounds. Means also cited issues where the developer noted that neighboring properties already have a high usage of firearms and said she would like to see that evidence because she doesn't hear it. She also asked to see the evidence that the developer talked to neighboring property owners because they never talked to her.
Jeff Bueche reminded Mrs. Means during a pause that she had exceeded her allotted three minutes. Means apologized and wrapped up her statements saying she also had concerns about the developers claim that they could recycle lead, would perform sound testing, and promote small business. She said this was not an issue of gun rights but rather an issue of wants versus needs.
Next to speak was Kim Dodge. She said that on Thursday she left King George and saw a Sheriff's unit at Port Conway and Route 3 and noted that the traffic on Route 3, Kings Highway, has increased massively. Dodge said that many people complain that they have to stop at the stoplight at Hopyard, Port Conway Road and Kings Highway, but she's thankful for it. She said she noticed the recent installation of the blinking yellow turn signal and felt it was a danger as she was almost hit at the intersection. She warned the Board that Hopyard wasn't even half full yet and that traffic is continuing to get worse in the neighborhood with people speeding and not stopping at stop signs. Dodge said she would like the flashing yellow turn signal to be removed and said they were dangerous.
Linda Petersen then spoke about her opposition to the proposed gun range near her. She thanked the Board for their service, time, and energy. She said they have to take into consideration a lot of issues and it takes them away from their families. Petersen said she grew up in a small town in rural Iowa with a lot of hogs and farms. She said when she first drove into King George, she was reminded of her home town with all of the farmland on both sides of Route 3. She said the rural quality is what makes King George special. As Board members, Peterson said they have seen the growth, the financial responsibilities, and specific concerns of residents. She said when considering the special exception permit for the gun range, she felt it had a new name but was the same business. She said as with any business venture, the most profitable will likely be built first, meaning the gun range. Petersen closed by saying the new application was like a father telling a kid no and then the kid going to their mother to see if they can get what they want.
Billy Clift was the last to speak during Public Comment. He said he has spoken many times before the Board and didn't want to take up too much of their time tonight. Clift said when he saw the application that had campground on it, it felt like a poor attempt to slide one in on the County, maybe even a bold attempt. Clift said there were vague comments and inconsistencies in the application and that residents still don't know what the plan is other than they know it's a gun range.
John Jenkins began his report by thanking everyone for coming out to speak. He said he always appreciates them. Regarding the campground and shooting range, he said the Board would cross that bridge when it came to it. As for the application, Jenkins said the associated uses seem vague and it might be best to forward those concerns to the Community Planning Department. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, said that Community Development is tracking the concerns and that detailed discussions are taking place.
Jenkins continued that the stoplight at Hopyard was in Granger's district so he wouldn't comment too much on the issue but said Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would be the one to talk to about the issue. Continuing, Jenkins attended the budget work session on the 13th. He said on the 17th, the King George High School Wrestling Team had the highest placement in the State Tournament in school history taking 8th place. Murrill took 6th place, Murgas took 4th place, and Indseth took 1st place. Jenkins said that Indseth was only the second State Champion in wresting from King George and that it was pretty amazing. Jenkins said they did better than he did but he's not bitter or jealous. He added that sadly, he was informed of the passing of Brian Albertson. Jenkins said he either wrestled or coached somebody in the Albertson family and that Brian had a positive influence on the community. Jenkins said that in talking to the family, they have asked that, in lieu of flowers, for donations to be made to a memorial fund set up by Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, and Chris Clarke, Director of Parks and Recreation. Jenkins said donations can be mailed to the Parks and Recreation Department at PO Box 71, King George, VA and to include Brian Albertson Memorial on the memo line.
Richard Granger opened his report by thanking Mrs. Parker for her comments on civility. He said that things can get heated but thanked her for her comments. Regarding the proposed gun range, Granger said that he apologized for his comments at earlier meetings that the project would require a special exception. He said he had no malicious intent and no intent to mislead anyone. He said the project would need a special exception permit to be approved by the Planning Commission. Regarding the traffic light, he said he would reach out to VDOT. Granger continued by saying he also attended the budget meeting on the 13th. He then clarified that at the last meeting there was a briefing by Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, about the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (FRA). He said there was a misunderstanding in reading the information presented and that the budget amounts listed were set by the localities, not the FRA. In other words, Granger said, the return on investment wasn't quite the same as they originally thought.
Cathy Binder was next to report. She also thanked everyone for their comments and appreciated Mrs. Parker's comments on civility. She said Parker is usually right on when looking at everything. Regarding the gun range, Binder said she understands everyone's feelings. To Dodge, Binder said she was also amazed at how much traffic has increased. Binder continued, saying she was at the Service Authority budget meeting on the 11th and the County budget meeting on the 13th. She said it was wonderful to hear about the good work and education that the Social Services Department contributes to the community. Binder also thanked the Finance staff and other employees for helping the Supervisors make better decisions. Binder said she regretfully had to inform the Board that Nancy Haenlein was resigning from the L. E. Smoot Library Board of Trustees but wanted to nominate Joseph Gaborow to take her place. The Board approved.
Ruby Brabo was next with her report, noting that on the 7th she met with the President of Atlantic Builders, Chip Taylor, and others to discuss affordable housing. On the 8th she met with the Pitts family to discuss Medicaid Waivers. On the 12th, Brabo met with the Annie Cupka, Economic Development Specialist, and Dr. Young at the Total Machine business in the Industrial Park. Brabo said that between King George and Richmond there are 15 shops like this that could hire about ten people right away to work Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machines. She said that Rappahannock Community College (RCC) is already working to train students in this field. Brabo attended the budget meeting on the 13th and participated in a National Association of Counties (NACo) conference call on the 14th. She joined the Friends of Caledon on the 18th to tour the Lake Caledon area to learn more about the property and potential fundraising efforts to aid in Caledon State Park annexing the site. To Mrs. Dodge, Brabo thanked her for the information on the blinking yellow light. Brabo said the Board has no say over that but will allow Granger to look into since he's already doing so. Regarding the proposed gun range, Brabo said she appreciated the diligence of Mrs. Means in looking at the application and noting the discrepancies. Brabo said it was unfortunate that she had to do all of that documentation but complimented her for her dedication. She said that for everyone else that comes to speak before the Board, their feedback is important but many people don't realize it. Brabo said that citizens notice things they are passionate about. She said she herself had raised a concern over the campground area and how much acreage was going to be used for camping compared to the gun range and it didn't measure up. She then moved to appoint Daniel Hughes to the Landfill Advisory Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The Board approved. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Richard, co-founder of Project94, is also a member of the Landfill Advisory Committee.]
Jeff Bueche was next to give a report. He started by thanking everyone for speaking and taking time away from their evening to do so. He told Mrs. Parker that her words didn't fall on deaf ears. Regarding the gun range, Bueche said people often wait too long to comment and appreciated them for coming out early in the process. To Mrs. Dodge, he thanked her for her comments and had faith that Granger was on top of it. On the 11th, Bueche said he attended the joint meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, the King George Builders Association, and the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Board. He said the presentation about the apprenticeship program was enlightening and could be beneficial to various stakeholders in the community. He recommended any business that needed a skilled workforce to look into the program at www.doli.virginia.gov or to reach out to the King George County School system.
Bueche continued, saying he attended the Social Services meeting on the 12th, the budget work session on the 13th, and enjoyed a great breakfast at the high school on the 18th to benefit the Student Lunch Fund. Bueche said he will be hosting a Round Table Discussion at Caledon State Park on March 22nd at 6pm. Expected to attend are Mike Bennett from the Service Authority Board of Directors and T. C. Collins from the School Board. Bueche then moved to appoint Shellie Renz to the Smoot Library Board of Trustees. The Board approved. Bueche also asked that if anyone was willing to serve on the Planning Commission, to please email him at Monroe@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us.
The Consent Agenda was approved.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
Next on the Agenda was a request from the Department of Community Development to accept Willow Hill Road into the VDOT Secondary Road system. The Board approved.
Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, then asked for the Board to approve the updated Credit Card Policy. Brabo asked for some clarity around the purchase of gift cards. Ward said that generally only Parks and Recreation and the Sheriff's Department use the County credit card to purchase gift cards. The Board approved the updated policy.
Ward stayed at the podium and asked for the FY19 Budget to be amended to appropriate the Rescue Squad Assistance Fund (RASF) grant for the Emergency Services Department. The Board approved.
There was then some discussion about removing the preliminary plat review process from the Supervisors. Dr. Young said that the Board had already removed the final plat reviews from their work load and was seeking guidance on if the preliminary plat review should also be removed. Early consensus seemed to be that the Board was okay with that but after some discussion the Board decided they would like to keep the process in place. Bueche noted that he didn't want to impede on property rights but summed up the concern of others and himself by saying that he preferred to have the preliminary plats come before the Supervisors even though they can't necessary deny a by-right use. He said he would rather know about a project coming in than be kept in the dark. Brabo agreed and added that the Oakwood Estates development was a prime example where the Planning Commission approved the development but that the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said septic systems needed at least an acre. She said past Supervisors chose to ignore that and felt that a second set of eyes was beneficial.
Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, had a short report, noting that he would like the Board to consider reappointing Robb Harling to the Economic Development Authority. The Board approved. Young also said that Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) would be hosting a public meeting on March 14th in the Board Room regarding the CROPS, Inc. permit request. Young said he also had a last minute addition to his report with the request from Section Three of Potomac Landing to include their newly completed roads in the VDOT system. Young said they wanted to add Section Three to the golf cart community and that VDOT would need an application for the land use on behalf of the Homeowner's Association. Brabo asked if this would cost any money aside from staff time. Young said no, the application fees are waived. The Board gave consensus to proceed.
The Supervisors then went into Closed Session at 8:44pm and invited Annie Cupka, Ryan Gandy, Dr. Young, and Eric Gregory to attend. Cupka left the meeting at 9:03pm and Gandy left at 9:12pm. The Board returned from Closed Session at 9:38pm.
The meeting adjourned at 9:38pm.
Meeting Attendees:
John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (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 February 26, 2019 at 6:30 pm at Company 1.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
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