by Neil Richard
At 8:06 pm, just six minutes after the Service Authority adjourned their meeting, Jeff Bueche, Chairman, said the Board of Supervisors would delay their meeting so a "side meeting" could be held beforehand. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, met behind closed doors with Joseph Jagdmann, the Senior Assistant Attorney General for Virginia, and two representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Marcie Parker, the District Administrator for the Fredericksburg area, and Michelle Shropshire, the Assistant District Engineer.
Editor's Note: Although very strange, we could find nothing that would prevent County staff from holding a private meeting. All of the Supervisors remained at the podium.
The Supervisors began their meeting at 8:24 pm.
There was an amendment to the Agenda to remove the broadband grant presentation. It was approved.
Public Comment opened with Peter Karabots. He spoke against the proposed Wayside replacement plan that would take his neighbor's house. He said he and his neighbors on Roseland Road were worried about increased traffic, environmental issues, and trash. Karabots said he and his wife moved there 14 years ago and decided to live there the rest of their lives. His wife is working in Hong Kong now and is coming home to determine what to do now. He said he was confused at how the County could choose a property in the middle of a neighborhood, in the middle of million dollar homes. Karabots said he really just wanted to ask each of the Supervisors if they'd want the same thing to happen to them. He said a public park would reduce their privacy and property value and they may never be able to sell their home because of it. He then presented a petition signed by several of his neighbors that opposed the property being used as a park as well as the adjacent property across the street being used for a parking lot.
Next to speak was Yvonne Richard who dialed into the meeting remotely. She said the Wayside Park replacement plan shows immediate improvements being made and she found that troubling since there were already other buildings int he County's inventory that needed attention. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the spouse of Yvonne Richard.]
John Jenkins said he appreciated the comments regarding the land issue. He said he would save his comments for when the Board moves forward but wanted to say the Supervisors have looked at the issue for some time. He also wanted to reiterate that there is no actual plan currently. He said that when Karabots mentioned water access and kayak rentals it was news to him.that there would be a Kings Dominion on the water there. He then apologized for joking about it but repeated that there is no current plan and that the County doesn't own the land. On the 15th, Jenkins attended a Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) summit where they discussed fuel taxes. Jenkins said that vehicle traffic has increased three percent while revenue from fuel taxes has decreased by half a percent. He said the reduction in funds is an issue that needs to be addressed at all levels. On the 19th, Jenkins said he attended the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) meeting with Brabo and the group had come to an understanding with the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO).
Richard Granger thanked everyone for their comments and said the Supervisors have been looking for years for a property to replace Wayside Park. He said they're working through that still and hopefully will come to a conclusions soon.
Cathy Binder said she would be brief but would continue as long as her voice held out. She said she didn't go to the VACo conference because she was busy taking her son to college and wanted to wish everyone going back to college good luck. She began to comment on the meeting she attended with Wiley Wilson regarding the decision to decommission or upgrade the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant but her voice gave out.
Ruby Brabo met with the Spotsylvania Hospital Board on the 7th and was present for the My Place groundbreaking on the 8th. She said Binder was also present at the groundbreaking in Dahlgren for the new extended stay hotel. Brabo added that many people may question the need for another hotel but said the current hotels are at capacity and that many have to stay in Fredericksburg. On the 14th she attended a workshop at Fort A. P. Hill where she learned more about how communities can work with military installations to form better partnerships and save money in the procurement process. She said she had a good discussion with a VDOT representative there and shared that maybe they could help VDOT by taking over the mowing of medians if VDOT paid them. Brabo also attended VACo meetings on the 15th and 16th where there was some discussion over the plans by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to implement stricter standards than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She repeated some of what she said earlier in the evening at the Service Authority meeting and said that the goals were not achievable and too expensive. Just like the Service Authority Board, she asked for consensus to send a letter to the Virginia Governor Ralph Northam as well as Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew Strickler. With consensus given, Brabo continued with her report stating she attended a GWRC meeting on the 19th where they voted to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FAMPO. On the 20th she was asked to visit the Thurman Brisben Center where she learned that the center had served twenty King George County residents and used 718 days at the center for about $23,000. Brabo said King George contributed $7,000 to them last year and that she opposed an increase in their funding largely because she never knew the true numbers. She said that during the next budget cycle she would like to see the information she had brought back up again as a reminder that the center requests less than it actually costs to run.
Jeff Bueche thanked everyone for their comments. He said one of the first things he was given when he took office was a list of options for the replacement of Wayside Park. He said the County isn't paying for the land and that it's an arrangement to mitigate what the County is losing. Bueche said they negotiated with VDOT and stressed that they were not willing to compromise on the ability to access the Potomac River. He said the County hasn't taken over any property yet but they have looked at property that was on the open market. Bueche said that as a county between two rivers, the focus was water access. On the 13th, Bueche attended the funeral of Gene Clift. Bueche said Clift served as a volunteer for the fire department for over 70 years and was driving the relief truck as recently as last month. He said the County has lost a hometown hero. That same day, Bueche attended the Career and Technical Education (CTE) expansion committee meeting as well as a Social Services meeting. On the 14th he attended the workshop at A. P. Hill and participated in the education break out group. He said he took advantage of that time to speak to Caroline County School officials about potential partnerships with them.
Although the Consent Agenda was approved, there was some discussion about clarifying why the Supervisors voted against funding the repairs at the Citizens Center. Brabo wanted to make sure everyone knew it was because tourism funds couldn't be used for regular repairs.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
David Howard and John Dottellis, both from Waste Management, presented their response to the odor study from the last Supervisor meeting. Regarding the suggestion to cap the waste sooner, Dottellis said there are 20 acres with a final cap and 40 acres with an interim cap. Another 17 acres are planned to be under final cap in 2020 as well as more acreage to be placed under an interim cap. Regarding the de-watering pumps, the more gas that can be collected, the more that can be sold to Dominion through the on-site power plant. Dottellis said the use of pin wells, another recommended action, could introduce oxygen into the landfill mass which would increase the risk of an underground fire. He said they've used them in other locations and found to be not very effective. In addition to that, they are placing larger wells faster than most locations. The suggestion to increase the vacuum on the gas collection system also presents the potential to increase oxygen levels. It could also introduce liquid into the gas well making it less efficient. Dottellis said they monitor the vacuum on a regular basis and have found the best level. He said changing it may have a negative impact. He said Waste Management currently monitors odor levels at the facility and attempted to set up monitoring stations outside the perimeter but could never find an amenable location. He also said that Waste Management collects data when a complaint is made and responds to that location as soon as possible. Dottellis said the landfill is also meeting nearly all of the drafted air quality requirements from DEQ even though they have not been passed into law yet. He said the use of modeling software does work when there is a specific location like a stack or vent but said a large landfill is much more difficult to pinpoint plumes from because of the large footprint. In addition to this, he said the modeling software would not be able to provide advance notice for when a specific area would be impacted by odor.
Granger asked for some clarity regarding the vacuum level and Dottellis went into a little more technical detail about how the pipes are laid out at the landfill and that 42 seemed to be the magic number. He said the vacuum is based on several variables including pipe size, length, and more.
Brabo asked if there were any takeaways from the study that could be used for improvements. Dottellis said that as with anything, improvements can always be made. He said they were constantly looking at the vacuum, gas collection, and de-watering systems to see what improvements could be made as well as new areas to place wells. He said that although they could cap the waste faster, there were logistical and engineering details that created challenges. He said the landfill meets all the requirements in their permit and that placing an interim cap could result in loss of access to certain sections of the landfill.
Granger asked about the blowers and flares and if there were plans to expand them. Dottellis said they were nearing their load capacity but they have already begun plans to add another flare and a larger blower to meet their needs. He said the improvements were planned for next year and would more than meet their needs.
Bueche commented that he wasn't an engineer but it sounded like Waste Management was being very proactive.
Next on the Agenda was the Sealston Convenience Center Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) presentation by Tim Hatch, Chair of the Landfill Advisory Committee. There was some awkward silence as Hatch stood at the podium expecting the Supervisors to ask questions and the Supervisors waited for Hatch to give a presentation. It was quickly determined that the Supervisors did not get a copy of the SOP in their Board packet before the meeting. Dr. Young had a staff member go make copies and asked Hatch to return to the podium after the SOP could be handed out.
With that, the Wayside Park and Barnesfield Park replacement was next on the Agenda. Dr. Young gave a brief overview of the plan for the additional land but was sure to caution everyone that it was non-binding and the more specific details of what went where in the new property was a "back of the napkin" plan. The Board approved the plan without any discussion.
Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, was next to present a request to amend and appropriate revenue and expenditures for Social Services. The Board approved.
Dr. Young presented the Tourism Advisory Committee's request to place an ad in the Virginia Travel Guide for the County's 300th anniversary. The Board approved.
Hatch then returned to the podium. Brabo asked if the County Attorney had reviewed the Sealston SOP. Upon hearing he had not, Brabo asked to delay the presentation until the next meeting to give Gregory time to review the document. Other Supervisors agreed, saying they wanted more time to review the document. Bueche thanked the Landfill Advisory Committee for their hard work and said it was greatly appreciated.
The Board then went on to address the appointment of the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). Binder asked if it would be good to amend the TAC Charter so there's no specific category that limits them in making appointments. Brabo said that would need to be a conversation for a later time. Binder said that was fine but wanted to go on record that the Charter should be reviewed. With that, the Board approved the following individuals for the Tourism Advisory Committee.
Dr. Young then thanked Chris Dines and Mike Muncie for their hard work in getting the Board Room updated with new technology. He also presented a petition from the residents of Woodstock Road on Mathias Point asking the Board to help reduce the speed limit from the existing 45 mph and 35 mph to 35 mph and 25 mph. Brabo and Young discussed if the road was paved and what state rules said about unpaved roads and speed limits. All of the Supervisors were a little unclear on if Woodstock Road was paved although Granger did pull up Google Maps to look at the satellite imagery. The Board seemed amenable to proceed with reducing the speed limit as requested. Dr. Young also presented a request from Backporch Vineyard to waive their rezoning fees. Brabo said she wanted to incentivize and support new business but felt the request should go before the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to see if they could cover the costs.
The Board then went into Closed Session at 9:30pm and invited Dr. Young, Eric Gregory, Heather Hall, and Brad Hudson to attend. Hudson and Hall left at 10:12 pm and the Board returned from Closed Session, and adjourned the meeting, at 10:22 pm.
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 August 21, 2019 at 5:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
SUBSCRIBE OR DONATE
You can subscribe via email here. You can make a charitable donation here.
At 8:06 pm, just six minutes after the Service Authority adjourned their meeting, Jeff Bueche, Chairman, said the Board of Supervisors would delay their meeting so a "side meeting" could be held beforehand. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, met behind closed doors with Joseph Jagdmann, the Senior Assistant Attorney General for Virginia, and two representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Marcie Parker, the District Administrator for the Fredericksburg area, and Michelle Shropshire, the Assistant District Engineer.
Editor's Note: Although very strange, we could find nothing that would prevent County staff from holding a private meeting. All of the Supervisors remained at the podium.
The Supervisors began their meeting at 8:24 pm.
There was an amendment to the Agenda to remove the broadband grant presentation. It was approved.
Public Comment opened with Peter Karabots. He spoke against the proposed Wayside replacement plan that would take his neighbor's house. He said he and his neighbors on Roseland Road were worried about increased traffic, environmental issues, and trash. Karabots said he and his wife moved there 14 years ago and decided to live there the rest of their lives. His wife is working in Hong Kong now and is coming home to determine what to do now. He said he was confused at how the County could choose a property in the middle of a neighborhood, in the middle of million dollar homes. Karabots said he really just wanted to ask each of the Supervisors if they'd want the same thing to happen to them. He said a public park would reduce their privacy and property value and they may never be able to sell their home because of it. He then presented a petition signed by several of his neighbors that opposed the property being used as a park as well as the adjacent property across the street being used for a parking lot.
Next to speak was Yvonne Richard who dialed into the meeting remotely. She said the Wayside Park replacement plan shows immediate improvements being made and she found that troubling since there were already other buildings int he County's inventory that needed attention. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the spouse of Yvonne Richard.]
John Jenkins said he appreciated the comments regarding the land issue. He said he would save his comments for when the Board moves forward but wanted to say the Supervisors have looked at the issue for some time. He also wanted to reiterate that there is no actual plan currently. He said that when Karabots mentioned water access and kayak rentals it was news to him.that there would be a Kings Dominion on the water there. He then apologized for joking about it but repeated that there is no current plan and that the County doesn't own the land. On the 15th, Jenkins attended a Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) summit where they discussed fuel taxes. Jenkins said that vehicle traffic has increased three percent while revenue from fuel taxes has decreased by half a percent. He said the reduction in funds is an issue that needs to be addressed at all levels. On the 19th, Jenkins said he attended the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) meeting with Brabo and the group had come to an understanding with the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO).
Richard Granger thanked everyone for their comments and said the Supervisors have been looking for years for a property to replace Wayside Park. He said they're working through that still and hopefully will come to a conclusions soon.
Cathy Binder said she would be brief but would continue as long as her voice held out. She said she didn't go to the VACo conference because she was busy taking her son to college and wanted to wish everyone going back to college good luck. She began to comment on the meeting she attended with Wiley Wilson regarding the decision to decommission or upgrade the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant but her voice gave out.
Ruby Brabo met with the Spotsylvania Hospital Board on the 7th and was present for the My Place groundbreaking on the 8th. She said Binder was also present at the groundbreaking in Dahlgren for the new extended stay hotel. Brabo added that many people may question the need for another hotel but said the current hotels are at capacity and that many have to stay in Fredericksburg. On the 14th she attended a workshop at Fort A. P. Hill where she learned more about how communities can work with military installations to form better partnerships and save money in the procurement process. She said she had a good discussion with a VDOT representative there and shared that maybe they could help VDOT by taking over the mowing of medians if VDOT paid them. Brabo also attended VACo meetings on the 15th and 16th where there was some discussion over the plans by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to implement stricter standards than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She repeated some of what she said earlier in the evening at the Service Authority meeting and said that the goals were not achievable and too expensive. Just like the Service Authority Board, she asked for consensus to send a letter to the Virginia Governor Ralph Northam as well as Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew Strickler. With consensus given, Brabo continued with her report stating she attended a GWRC meeting on the 19th where they voted to approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FAMPO. On the 20th she was asked to visit the Thurman Brisben Center where she learned that the center had served twenty King George County residents and used 718 days at the center for about $23,000. Brabo said King George contributed $7,000 to them last year and that she opposed an increase in their funding largely because she never knew the true numbers. She said that during the next budget cycle she would like to see the information she had brought back up again as a reminder that the center requests less than it actually costs to run.
Jeff Bueche thanked everyone for their comments. He said one of the first things he was given when he took office was a list of options for the replacement of Wayside Park. He said the County isn't paying for the land and that it's an arrangement to mitigate what the County is losing. Bueche said they negotiated with VDOT and stressed that they were not willing to compromise on the ability to access the Potomac River. He said the County hasn't taken over any property yet but they have looked at property that was on the open market. Bueche said that as a county between two rivers, the focus was water access. On the 13th, Bueche attended the funeral of Gene Clift. Bueche said Clift served as a volunteer for the fire department for over 70 years and was driving the relief truck as recently as last month. He said the County has lost a hometown hero. That same day, Bueche attended the Career and Technical Education (CTE) expansion committee meeting as well as a Social Services meeting. On the 14th he attended the workshop at A. P. Hill and participated in the education break out group. He said he took advantage of that time to speak to Caroline County School officials about potential partnerships with them.
Although the Consent Agenda was approved, there was some discussion about clarifying why the Supervisors voted against funding the repairs at the Citizens Center. Brabo wanted to make sure everyone knew it was because tourism funds couldn't be used for regular repairs.
The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.
David Howard and John Dottellis, both from Waste Management, presented their response to the odor study from the last Supervisor meeting. Regarding the suggestion to cap the waste sooner, Dottellis said there are 20 acres with a final cap and 40 acres with an interim cap. Another 17 acres are planned to be under final cap in 2020 as well as more acreage to be placed under an interim cap. Regarding the de-watering pumps, the more gas that can be collected, the more that can be sold to Dominion through the on-site power plant. Dottellis said the use of pin wells, another recommended action, could introduce oxygen into the landfill mass which would increase the risk of an underground fire. He said they've used them in other locations and found to be not very effective. In addition to that, they are placing larger wells faster than most locations. The suggestion to increase the vacuum on the gas collection system also presents the potential to increase oxygen levels. It could also introduce liquid into the gas well making it less efficient. Dottellis said they monitor the vacuum on a regular basis and have found the best level. He said changing it may have a negative impact. He said Waste Management currently monitors odor levels at the facility and attempted to set up monitoring stations outside the perimeter but could never find an amenable location. He also said that Waste Management collects data when a complaint is made and responds to that location as soon as possible. Dottellis said the landfill is also meeting nearly all of the drafted air quality requirements from DEQ even though they have not been passed into law yet. He said the use of modeling software does work when there is a specific location like a stack or vent but said a large landfill is much more difficult to pinpoint plumes from because of the large footprint. In addition to this, he said the modeling software would not be able to provide advance notice for when a specific area would be impacted by odor.
Granger asked for some clarity regarding the vacuum level and Dottellis went into a little more technical detail about how the pipes are laid out at the landfill and that 42 seemed to be the magic number. He said the vacuum is based on several variables including pipe size, length, and more.
Brabo asked if there were any takeaways from the study that could be used for improvements. Dottellis said that as with anything, improvements can always be made. He said they were constantly looking at the vacuum, gas collection, and de-watering systems to see what improvements could be made as well as new areas to place wells. He said that although they could cap the waste faster, there were logistical and engineering details that created challenges. He said the landfill meets all the requirements in their permit and that placing an interim cap could result in loss of access to certain sections of the landfill.
Granger asked about the blowers and flares and if there were plans to expand them. Dottellis said they were nearing their load capacity but they have already begun plans to add another flare and a larger blower to meet their needs. He said the improvements were planned for next year and would more than meet their needs.
Bueche commented that he wasn't an engineer but it sounded like Waste Management was being very proactive.
Next on the Agenda was the Sealston Convenience Center Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) presentation by Tim Hatch, Chair of the Landfill Advisory Committee. There was some awkward silence as Hatch stood at the podium expecting the Supervisors to ask questions and the Supervisors waited for Hatch to give a presentation. It was quickly determined that the Supervisors did not get a copy of the SOP in their Board packet before the meeting. Dr. Young had a staff member go make copies and asked Hatch to return to the podium after the SOP could be handed out.
With that, the Wayside Park and Barnesfield Park replacement was next on the Agenda. Dr. Young gave a brief overview of the plan for the additional land but was sure to caution everyone that it was non-binding and the more specific details of what went where in the new property was a "back of the napkin" plan. The Board approved the plan without any discussion.
 |
| The areas expected to be impacted by the new 301 Bridge construction. |
 |
| The two major land masses that will be added to the County's existing park land. |
 |
| The "back of the napkin" plan for the new property. |
Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, was next to present a request to amend and appropriate revenue and expenditures for Social Services. The Board approved.
Dr. Young presented the Tourism Advisory Committee's request to place an ad in the Virginia Travel Guide for the County's 300th anniversary. The Board approved.
Hatch then returned to the podium. Brabo asked if the County Attorney had reviewed the Sealston SOP. Upon hearing he had not, Brabo asked to delay the presentation until the next meeting to give Gregory time to review the document. Other Supervisors agreed, saying they wanted more time to review the document. Bueche thanked the Landfill Advisory Committee for their hard work and said it was greatly appreciated.
The Board then went on to address the appointment of the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). Binder asked if it would be good to amend the TAC Charter so there's no specific category that limits them in making appointments. Brabo said that would need to be a conversation for a later time. Binder said that was fine but wanted to go on record that the Charter should be reviewed. With that, the Board approved the following individuals for the Tourism Advisory Committee.
- Agriculture - Caroline Phelps
- Arts - Justyn Cox
- Restaurants - Vacant
- Chamber of Commerce - Don Smith
- Civic Organizations - Vacant
- Cultural/Historical - Bob Baird
- Education - Dee Strauss
- Outdoor Recreation - Warren Veazey
- Lodging - David Zabelsky
- NSF Dahlgren Liason - Jeron Hayes
Dr. Young then thanked Chris Dines and Mike Muncie for their hard work in getting the Board Room updated with new technology. He also presented a petition from the residents of Woodstock Road on Mathias Point asking the Board to help reduce the speed limit from the existing 45 mph and 35 mph to 35 mph and 25 mph. Brabo and Young discussed if the road was paved and what state rules said about unpaved roads and speed limits. All of the Supervisors were a little unclear on if Woodstock Road was paved although Granger did pull up Google Maps to look at the satellite imagery. The Board seemed amenable to proceed with reducing the speed limit as requested. Dr. Young also presented a request from Backporch Vineyard to waive their rezoning fees. Brabo said she wanted to incentivize and support new business but felt the request should go before the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to see if they could cover the costs.
The Board then went into Closed Session at 9:30pm and invited Dr. Young, Eric Gregory, Heather Hall, and Brad Hudson to attend. Hudson and Hall left at 10:12 pm and the Board returned from Closed Session, and adjourned the meeting, at 10:22 pm.
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 August 21, 2019 at 5:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
SUBSCRIBE OR DONATE
You can subscribe via email here. You can make a charitable donation here.
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