by Neil Richard
The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 6:57pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Jeff Stonehill began his report by saying he had a little bit of a busy week. On the 22nd he spent some time with Dominion Power and they spoke about a lot of things. He said they were working on keeping a good relationship with the County. On the 23rd, he attended the first quarterly networking breakfast where local businesses come together to meet. Stonehill said he met the new Senior Account Manager for Atlantic Broadband who was new to the area but eager to bring more broadband to the region. On the 24th he met with the base liaison and they talked a lot about traffic and how to resolve it, including ideas like carpooling, buses, and off site parking. Stonehill attended the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services awards dinner and said they were a great, professional group of men and women. He was astounded by the call volume and said it was increasing each year. Stonehill also thanked Mission BBQ for the great food. On the 25th, Stonehill attended the High School's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He said the cast and crew crushed it and gave a shout out to the two student directors, Abigail Elia and Jason Knott. On the 28th, he attended the budget work session and thanked Dr. Young, County Administrator, for a great State of the County address. On the 3rd, Stonehill attended the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance meeting. With that, he asked to appoint Joe Dequarter to the Planning Commission. The rest of the Board approved.
Jeff Bueche said he also attended the awards banquet and was in awe to hear what the fire and rescue crews face on a daily basis. He said as the new liaison with the department, he was able to speak at the ceremony and assured the fire and rescue staff, as well as the Sheriff's deputies, that the Board was looking at a compensation package. Bueche said they were aware of the public safety impact and the need to be competitive. On the 28th he also attended the budget work session and also thanked Dr. Young for his presentation. Bueche said that since there was no public comment, he wanted to note that something needed to be done about the traffic at B-Gate in Dahlgren. He said he knew it wasn't in the realm of the commanding officer with funding but maybe the County could work with them to get it into their budget request.
Annie Cupka said she has a meeting coming up with the base and would relay those concerns. On the 24th, she attended the awards banquet as well and thanked Chief Moody and staff for hosting. She said the County was blessed to have so many career and volunteer personnel to serve the community. On the 27th, Cupka attended a George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) meeting where they discussed the upcoming census. After that meeting, she went to the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) where Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) presented an update on the Interstate 95 improvements. She noted that one of the major strategies VDOT is using to ease traffic was re-routing drivers onto alternate routes, including Highway 301 (James Madison Parkway). On the 28th, Cupka was at the budget work session and thanked Dr. Young and staff for their presentations. Cupka attended a meeting of the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors (FAAR) where she said the region had a great year but King George still faced issues like traffic and affordable housing. Cupka went to the YMCA Board of Directors meeting on the 30th and said March 14th was the date for the annual Casino Night. Cupka said she hosted office hours at the L. E. Smoot Library on the 1st and enjoyed speaking to residents about their concerns. She will he hosting office hours again on the 15th from 10:00 am to noon. Cupka said she was informed of a resignation from the Board of Zoning Appeals and recommended Tony Scaramozzi as a replacement. Cupka concluded her report with praise for County staff in getting the Agendas out a day earlier than in the past. She said the hard work allowed residents and Supervisors more time to review the documents prior to the meeting.
Cathy Binder said she attended the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting on the 22nd and the King George Historical Society meeting on the 23rd. She said she has been talking with the area museums to work on more collaboration between them. Binder also attended the awards dinner on the 24th and the GWRC and FAMPO meetings on the 27th. Binder added that at the FAMPO meeting, the savings from the proposed removal of state car inspections would be offset by the proposed increase in fuel taxes. Binder was also at the FAAR presentation and said that infrastructure was a main component of a community's growth being done right. She also said that despite pleas from residents, King George just didn't meet the minimums for bringing a Chick-fil-A.
[EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]
The Consent Agenda was approved.
Sheriff Giles then gave his first presentation as Sheriff before the Board. He said that he was happy to work with them over the next four years. Sheriff Giles then presented his request to modify the local ordinances to allow for an e-ticket or electronic summons system to be created. Giles said the new system would add a $5 fee to each criminal and traffic case and the revenue would be used solely to fund software, hardware, and maintenance of the system. He said the fiscal impact would be about $30,000 to fund the system initially and then about $10,000 a year to maintain it. He also said that the funds raised could be held until there was enough money raised to fund the system. Giles said Deputies would use the system by scanning a driver's license during a traffic stop and having the information automatically populate the ticket. He said this would save time for the officer and driver as well as eliminate the need to manually enter the information. Giles said they were still looking at ways to capture a signature on the summons. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, recommended that County staff advertise a Public Hearing to amend County ordinances. The Board approved.
The County Attorney pro tempore, Eric Gregory, had a report. He said the Board was asked by the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to offer support for taxing parity legislation. Gregory said there is currently a House Bill (HB 785) and a Senate Bill (SB 484) that are in committee to allow Counties to tax sales on cigarettes, meals, admissions, and more. Gregory said that both appear to be on track to be passed but there are other proposed bills in process too, including Senate Bill 921 that is limited to the tax on cigarette sales. Gregory said should the other bills pass, this one would be moot. He advised the Board to forward their letter of support to state representatives and include letters written in the past that support local taxing authority. The Board approved.
Gregory ended his report by saying Joint Resolution 135 was passed by both the House and the Senate. He said the bill was in celebration of the 300th Anniversary of King George County.
The Board then heard a presentation from Chris Chalkley about the upcoming Sheetz to Sheetz Run. Chalkley said he came before the Board in the past to give them a report on last year's run. He said this year's run was scheduled for March 7th and was a non-competitive event that was not timed. He said the purpose of the run was to get people out on the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) and to raise money for a charity. Last year's charity was Ainsley's Angels and this year the two charities that would benefit were Sheetz For The Kidz and the Friends of DRHT. Chalkley said that in 2018 there were only 24 runners and last year, with very little advertising, it grew to 60 runners. He said this year's run was limited to 100 runners mainly because of transportation issues and the limited amount of swag, or free prizes, for the runners. The wait list had over 90 people on it and people from three states had registered.
Chalkley said he was here before the Board to ask for their endorsement to make the event a County sanctioned event. He said if he had the endorsement of the County, he could then rent a school bus. Chalkley said that when he spoke to Dr. Benson, Superintendent of Schools, Benson's concern was the use of a County school bus for a non-sponsored event. Chalkley said that if the event could fall under the umbrella of the 300th Anniversary or Parks and Recreation, then Benson would be okay with it. Chalkley said that by adding a school bus, he could add another 50 runners to the event and send more money to the charities. He said he had looked at other sources of transportation but a school bus was the most cost effective.
Bueche said the event adds a lot to the County and helps make our small community unique. He also said it promotes one of our assets, the DRHT. While he was willing to endorse the event as a County event, he didn't want to stretch too far and call it a 300th Anniversary event. Bueche said there was a committee for that and he didn't want to overstep. Granger asked if there would be a school bus driver supplied of if there would need to be somebody else. Chalkley said the schools would supply a driver with the bus and they would give the driver a swag bag. Stonehill said he agreed with Bueche in supporting it as a County event as it clearly benefits tourism. Cupka said that Parks and Recreation already has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Friends of DRHT and it definitely supports tourism. She also said the schools provide buses for the Fall Festival so there's already a precedent of sorts. She asked if the runners had to sign a liability waiver and Chalkley said they do. Cupka said she would only ask that Gregory review the waiver to make sure it's okay but was otherwise okay with the support. The rest of the Board agreed.
The next presentation was by Chris Clarke, Director of Parks and Recreation, on the Wayside Park replacement project. Before Clarke began, Binder said she wanted to point out that this was the beginning of the discussion, not a decision. With that, Clarke said the County was now in possession of the new property that comprised of 166 acres that abutted the existing Barnesfield Park and the home at 3321 Roseland Road. Clarke said he wasn't going to discuss the large section of property tonight but rather the house on Roseland Road. He gave a quick overview of the home and showed a few photos and floor plans. He also gave a brief timeline of the discussion to turn the house into a museum by partnering with the Dahlgren Heritage Museum, Ralph Bunche Alumni Association, and the King George Historical Society. Clarke also mentioned water access wasn't easy and the house would need to be renovated to become ADA compliant. He asked the Board to approve a Town Hall to gather input from residents, especially those on Roseland Road. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Foundation and a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]
Bueche thanked Clarke for his presentation and thanked Binder for addressing this issue early. He said the reason the Board was adamant on having water access at the replacement property for Wayside Park was a direct finding from multiple Town Halls where residents asked for it. Bueche said he was under the impression the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee would develop multiple potential uses for the replacement property. Bueche said it felt like the cart was before the horse by proposing it would be a museum or even proposing a Town Hall. He felt that a Town Hall would not be the best environment to develop potential uses. Bueche said he didn't think the museum idea was a bad one, just that it was too soon.
Stonehill also thanked Clarke for coming out and said the whole process gives him heartburn. He said it's in the District he represents and every person he has spoken to has been against the property being taken. Stonehill said he didn't like anything about it. He added that with the prevailing winds, especially during summer, it would be difficult to launch from the waterfront there. He said one of his goals was to lessen the impact on the neighborhood on Roseland Road and a museum would be a lesser impact.
Cupka thanked Clarke and said she would like to hear from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee because that's part of their responsibility. She thought it was premature to move forward with the steps before hearing from them and agreed with Stonehill. Cupka said her family has used Wayside Park and when she organized a school field trip to the beach there, students collected 27 bags of trash. Cupka said they need to be cautious on how they go about doing this and that she and Stonehill inherited this project. She felt that slowing down and pressing pause was the way to go and wanted to hear from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.
Clarke said that the Committee has discussed this many times but has not come to a consensus.
Granger said he appreciated Clarke coming out and asked if the Committee wanted to hold a Town Hall or if it was Clarke's idea. Clarke said the Town Hall idea came from Binder's earlier Town Hall. Granger said he didn't think the Town Hall was a bad idea as it would generate ideas.
Binder said she appreciated everyone's comments and said she made the promise to residents at her Town Hall to keep them involved in the process. She said the Town Hall was her effort to fulfill that promise. She said there has been a lot of misunderstanding about what can be done with the house on Roseland Road. She said the covenants from Wayside Park transferred to the replacement property which meant the house could not be moved or sold and it had to be available for public use.
Clarke added that instead of the County purchasing kayaks and hiring guides as part of a kayak rental program, they could hire a vendor to operate thereby allowing the County to not be stuck with kayaks should the operation fail. Cupka said a vendor did that exact thing for Stafford County. Binder said another promise she made to residents was that the property would not sit vacant.
Bueche said that while Stonehill represents Dahlgren, he represents James Monroe and he needed to do what was right for the residents in his district as well. He said those residents are looking for water activities and that any trespassers on the property don't care what the site is used for. He said one of the ideas suggested was moving some of the Parks and Recreation offices to the house on Roseland Road freeing up storage room at the Citizen's Center while maintaining a presence on Roseland. Stonehill said no matter what they do, he wanted to make sure residents were involved and Bueche concurred.
Cupka tried to summarize the discussion and said that there would be no decision on holding a Town Hall tonight but that Clarke would work with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to come up with ideas. With a little more discussion, the Board agreed to hear from the Committee via Clarke in April on their findings.
Brad Hudson, Director of Community Development, then presented his request for funding for three properties that had been deemed a public nuisance. In his presentation, Hudson said the house at 370 Emory Lane was damaged in a fire and his funding request would cover boarding it up and securing it but not tearing it down. The other two properties, 17289 and 17316 Osprey Road, would require more funds to remove the abandoned trailer, outhouse, and more. Stonehill asked how the County would recover the expense and Hudson said via tax liens. Granger asked Young if the County had the funds to cover the expense and Young said yes but asked the motion to include language to transfer the amount from the contingency fund to the general fund. The Board approved.
Clarke returned to the podium to present changes made to the Parks and Recreation policies regarding Park Use, Service Projects, Affiliates, and Athletic Field Use. Stonehill said that maybe a local ordinance would help with some of the trash and alcohol use at the parks, especially Barnesfield Park. He said that with the State Code, an open container meant an individual would be arrested and transported to Stafford to the jail. He felt this may be resulting in lower enforcement where a local ordinance that allowed for a citation to be written may result in more enforcement. Gregory said it was within the power of the County to enact an ordinance and it was something that could be looked into however he cautioned that increased enforcement of existing laws may be an easier route. He said that it would of course mean increased staffing from the Sheriff's Office and increased funding from the Board. Clarke said the updated policies would help give Parks and Recreation and the Sheriff's Office more teeth in their enforcement of rules. Cupka thanked Clarke for his work on the policies and said that as a Little League and travel ball parent she felt that King George teams should come first over teams from outside the County. The Board approved the new rules.
Dr. Young then presented his request for funding for another 300th Anniversary event, this time to celebrate the L. E. Smoot Library and the contributions made to the community by Mrs. Smoot. He also said that the event would be a fundraiser for the library. Young said that the library has frequently been asked to increase their fundraising in the past, especially at budget work sessions, and this would help fulfill that request. Young said another benefit would be to act as a proof of concept to use the library as a venue for future events. The Board approved the funding.
Next was Nick Minor, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. He returned to await the Board's choice on SMARTSCALE projects. Of the four he presented at the last meeting, the Board agreed to move forward with the joint submission with Caroline County and GWRC on the Highway 301 Corridor. They also agreed to move forward with the roundabout at Dahlgren Road and Indiantown Road. The Board also agreed on the other two projects, the 301/205 and 301/206 intersections. However, the Board did not like the proposed improvements from VDOT, a Median U-Turn and a Quadrant Roadway respectively, and asked that alternate proposals be sought from VDOT.
The softball dugouts at King George Middle School were next on the Agenda. The previously denied Change Order was for $37,425.71 and Dr. Young noted that he and the County Attorney recommended approval. Granger said there was a County engineer there and involved in the process and that declining to pay may result in other companies not wanting to do business with the County in the future. Cupka said that at the end of the day, it's the 12 and 13 year old girls playing softball at the Middle School that suffer. She felt it was unfortunate how the process played out but felt that because the decision was made somewhere in Dr. Young's chain of command, it should be left to him to deal with administratively. Bueche said it has nothing to do with the School Board, it was County staff that approved it and felt the Board should approve it and move on. Stonehill put it succinctly that the County has a bill and they should pay it. He felt the County got a little hosed on it and that it was ungodly expensive but it should be paid. Binder said that going forward, the Board needs to be more diligent in big projects like this and that Change Orders should be reviewed a little more closely. The Board approved the Change Order.
Dr. Young's report was brief. He shared that interviews concluded today for County Attorney and he asked the Board to agree on a date to conduct interviews with the two finalists. The Board agreed on a date.
The meeting adjourned at 8:55pm.
Meeting Attendees:
Cathy Binder (Chair, Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)
Annie Cupka (Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Stonehill (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)
Meeting Agenda
Next Meeting:
The Board of Supervisors will next meet on February 11, 2020 at 6:00 pm at Company 1.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 6:57pm.
There were no amendments to the Agenda.
There was no Public Comment.
Jeff Stonehill began his report by saying he had a little bit of a busy week. On the 22nd he spent some time with Dominion Power and they spoke about a lot of things. He said they were working on keeping a good relationship with the County. On the 23rd, he attended the first quarterly networking breakfast where local businesses come together to meet. Stonehill said he met the new Senior Account Manager for Atlantic Broadband who was new to the area but eager to bring more broadband to the region. On the 24th he met with the base liaison and they talked a lot about traffic and how to resolve it, including ideas like carpooling, buses, and off site parking. Stonehill attended the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services awards dinner and said they were a great, professional group of men and women. He was astounded by the call volume and said it was increasing each year. Stonehill also thanked Mission BBQ for the great food. On the 25th, Stonehill attended the High School's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He said the cast and crew crushed it and gave a shout out to the two student directors, Abigail Elia and Jason Knott. On the 28th, he attended the budget work session and thanked Dr. Young, County Administrator, for a great State of the County address. On the 3rd, Stonehill attended the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance meeting. With that, he asked to appoint Joe Dequarter to the Planning Commission. The rest of the Board approved.
Jeff Bueche said he also attended the awards banquet and was in awe to hear what the fire and rescue crews face on a daily basis. He said as the new liaison with the department, he was able to speak at the ceremony and assured the fire and rescue staff, as well as the Sheriff's deputies, that the Board was looking at a compensation package. Bueche said they were aware of the public safety impact and the need to be competitive. On the 28th he also attended the budget work session and also thanked Dr. Young for his presentation. Bueche said that since there was no public comment, he wanted to note that something needed to be done about the traffic at B-Gate in Dahlgren. He said he knew it wasn't in the realm of the commanding officer with funding but maybe the County could work with them to get it into their budget request.
Annie Cupka said she has a meeting coming up with the base and would relay those concerns. On the 24th, she attended the awards banquet as well and thanked Chief Moody and staff for hosting. She said the County was blessed to have so many career and volunteer personnel to serve the community. On the 27th, Cupka attended a George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) meeting where they discussed the upcoming census. After that meeting, she went to the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) where Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) presented an update on the Interstate 95 improvements. She noted that one of the major strategies VDOT is using to ease traffic was re-routing drivers onto alternate routes, including Highway 301 (James Madison Parkway). On the 28th, Cupka was at the budget work session and thanked Dr. Young and staff for their presentations. Cupka attended a meeting of the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors (FAAR) where she said the region had a great year but King George still faced issues like traffic and affordable housing. Cupka went to the YMCA Board of Directors meeting on the 30th and said March 14th was the date for the annual Casino Night. Cupka said she hosted office hours at the L. E. Smoot Library on the 1st and enjoyed speaking to residents about their concerns. She will he hosting office hours again on the 15th from 10:00 am to noon. Cupka said she was informed of a resignation from the Board of Zoning Appeals and recommended Tony Scaramozzi as a replacement. Cupka concluded her report with praise for County staff in getting the Agendas out a day earlier than in the past. She said the hard work allowed residents and Supervisors more time to review the documents prior to the meeting.
Cathy Binder said she attended the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting on the 22nd and the King George Historical Society meeting on the 23rd. She said she has been talking with the area museums to work on more collaboration between them. Binder also attended the awards dinner on the 24th and the GWRC and FAMPO meetings on the 27th. Binder added that at the FAMPO meeting, the savings from the proposed removal of state car inspections would be offset by the proposed increase in fuel taxes. Binder was also at the FAAR presentation and said that infrastructure was a main component of a community's growth being done right. She also said that despite pleas from residents, King George just didn't meet the minimums for bringing a Chick-fil-A.
[EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]
The Consent Agenda was approved.
Sheriff Giles then gave his first presentation as Sheriff before the Board. He said that he was happy to work with them over the next four years. Sheriff Giles then presented his request to modify the local ordinances to allow for an e-ticket or electronic summons system to be created. Giles said the new system would add a $5 fee to each criminal and traffic case and the revenue would be used solely to fund software, hardware, and maintenance of the system. He said the fiscal impact would be about $30,000 to fund the system initially and then about $10,000 a year to maintain it. He also said that the funds raised could be held until there was enough money raised to fund the system. Giles said Deputies would use the system by scanning a driver's license during a traffic stop and having the information automatically populate the ticket. He said this would save time for the officer and driver as well as eliminate the need to manually enter the information. Giles said they were still looking at ways to capture a signature on the summons. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, recommended that County staff advertise a Public Hearing to amend County ordinances. The Board approved.
The County Attorney pro tempore, Eric Gregory, had a report. He said the Board was asked by the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) to offer support for taxing parity legislation. Gregory said there is currently a House Bill (HB 785) and a Senate Bill (SB 484) that are in committee to allow Counties to tax sales on cigarettes, meals, admissions, and more. Gregory said that both appear to be on track to be passed but there are other proposed bills in process too, including Senate Bill 921 that is limited to the tax on cigarette sales. Gregory said should the other bills pass, this one would be moot. He advised the Board to forward their letter of support to state representatives and include letters written in the past that support local taxing authority. The Board approved.
Gregory ended his report by saying Joint Resolution 135 was passed by both the House and the Senate. He said the bill was in celebration of the 300th Anniversary of King George County.
The Board then heard a presentation from Chris Chalkley about the upcoming Sheetz to Sheetz Run. Chalkley said he came before the Board in the past to give them a report on last year's run. He said this year's run was scheduled for March 7th and was a non-competitive event that was not timed. He said the purpose of the run was to get people out on the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) and to raise money for a charity. Last year's charity was Ainsley's Angels and this year the two charities that would benefit were Sheetz For The Kidz and the Friends of DRHT. Chalkley said that in 2018 there were only 24 runners and last year, with very little advertising, it grew to 60 runners. He said this year's run was limited to 100 runners mainly because of transportation issues and the limited amount of swag, or free prizes, for the runners. The wait list had over 90 people on it and people from three states had registered.
Chalkley said he was here before the Board to ask for their endorsement to make the event a County sanctioned event. He said if he had the endorsement of the County, he could then rent a school bus. Chalkley said that when he spoke to Dr. Benson, Superintendent of Schools, Benson's concern was the use of a County school bus for a non-sponsored event. Chalkley said that if the event could fall under the umbrella of the 300th Anniversary or Parks and Recreation, then Benson would be okay with it. Chalkley said that by adding a school bus, he could add another 50 runners to the event and send more money to the charities. He said he had looked at other sources of transportation but a school bus was the most cost effective.
 |
| Chalkley shows a map of where runners are coming from. |
Bueche said the event adds a lot to the County and helps make our small community unique. He also said it promotes one of our assets, the DRHT. While he was willing to endorse the event as a County event, he didn't want to stretch too far and call it a 300th Anniversary event. Bueche said there was a committee for that and he didn't want to overstep. Granger asked if there would be a school bus driver supplied of if there would need to be somebody else. Chalkley said the schools would supply a driver with the bus and they would give the driver a swag bag. Stonehill said he agreed with Bueche in supporting it as a County event as it clearly benefits tourism. Cupka said that Parks and Recreation already has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Friends of DRHT and it definitely supports tourism. She also said the schools provide buses for the Fall Festival so there's already a precedent of sorts. She asked if the runners had to sign a liability waiver and Chalkley said they do. Cupka said she would only ask that Gregory review the waiver to make sure it's okay but was otherwise okay with the support. The rest of the Board agreed.
The next presentation was by Chris Clarke, Director of Parks and Recreation, on the Wayside Park replacement project. Before Clarke began, Binder said she wanted to point out that this was the beginning of the discussion, not a decision. With that, Clarke said the County was now in possession of the new property that comprised of 166 acres that abutted the existing Barnesfield Park and the home at 3321 Roseland Road. Clarke said he wasn't going to discuss the large section of property tonight but rather the house on Roseland Road. He gave a quick overview of the home and showed a few photos and floor plans. He also gave a brief timeline of the discussion to turn the house into a museum by partnering with the Dahlgren Heritage Museum, Ralph Bunche Alumni Association, and the King George Historical Society. Clarke also mentioned water access wasn't easy and the house would need to be renovated to become ADA compliant. He asked the Board to approve a Town Hall to gather input from residents, especially those on Roseland Road. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Foundation and a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]
Bueche thanked Clarke for his presentation and thanked Binder for addressing this issue early. He said the reason the Board was adamant on having water access at the replacement property for Wayside Park was a direct finding from multiple Town Halls where residents asked for it. Bueche said he was under the impression the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee would develop multiple potential uses for the replacement property. Bueche said it felt like the cart was before the horse by proposing it would be a museum or even proposing a Town Hall. He felt that a Town Hall would not be the best environment to develop potential uses. Bueche said he didn't think the museum idea was a bad one, just that it was too soon.
Stonehill also thanked Clarke for coming out and said the whole process gives him heartburn. He said it's in the District he represents and every person he has spoken to has been against the property being taken. Stonehill said he didn't like anything about it. He added that with the prevailing winds, especially during summer, it would be difficult to launch from the waterfront there. He said one of his goals was to lessen the impact on the neighborhood on Roseland Road and a museum would be a lesser impact.
Cupka thanked Clarke and said she would like to hear from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee because that's part of their responsibility. She thought it was premature to move forward with the steps before hearing from them and agreed with Stonehill. Cupka said her family has used Wayside Park and when she organized a school field trip to the beach there, students collected 27 bags of trash. Cupka said they need to be cautious on how they go about doing this and that she and Stonehill inherited this project. She felt that slowing down and pressing pause was the way to go and wanted to hear from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.
Clarke said that the Committee has discussed this many times but has not come to a consensus.
Granger said he appreciated Clarke coming out and asked if the Committee wanted to hold a Town Hall or if it was Clarke's idea. Clarke said the Town Hall idea came from Binder's earlier Town Hall. Granger said he didn't think the Town Hall was a bad idea as it would generate ideas.
Binder said she appreciated everyone's comments and said she made the promise to residents at her Town Hall to keep them involved in the process. She said the Town Hall was her effort to fulfill that promise. She said there has been a lot of misunderstanding about what can be done with the house on Roseland Road. She said the covenants from Wayside Park transferred to the replacement property which meant the house could not be moved or sold and it had to be available for public use.
Clarke added that instead of the County purchasing kayaks and hiring guides as part of a kayak rental program, they could hire a vendor to operate thereby allowing the County to not be stuck with kayaks should the operation fail. Cupka said a vendor did that exact thing for Stafford County. Binder said another promise she made to residents was that the property would not sit vacant.
Bueche said that while Stonehill represents Dahlgren, he represents James Monroe and he needed to do what was right for the residents in his district as well. He said those residents are looking for water activities and that any trespassers on the property don't care what the site is used for. He said one of the ideas suggested was moving some of the Parks and Recreation offices to the house on Roseland Road freeing up storage room at the Citizen's Center while maintaining a presence on Roseland. Stonehill said no matter what they do, he wanted to make sure residents were involved and Bueche concurred.
Cupka tried to summarize the discussion and said that there would be no decision on holding a Town Hall tonight but that Clarke would work with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to come up with ideas. With a little more discussion, the Board agreed to hear from the Committee via Clarke in April on their findings.
Brad Hudson, Director of Community Development, then presented his request for funding for three properties that had been deemed a public nuisance. In his presentation, Hudson said the house at 370 Emory Lane was damaged in a fire and his funding request would cover boarding it up and securing it but not tearing it down. The other two properties, 17289 and 17316 Osprey Road, would require more funds to remove the abandoned trailer, outhouse, and more. Stonehill asked how the County would recover the expense and Hudson said via tax liens. Granger asked Young if the County had the funds to cover the expense and Young said yes but asked the motion to include language to transfer the amount from the contingency fund to the general fund. The Board approved.
 |
| One of the properties still has an outhouse. |
Clarke returned to the podium to present changes made to the Parks and Recreation policies regarding Park Use, Service Projects, Affiliates, and Athletic Field Use. Stonehill said that maybe a local ordinance would help with some of the trash and alcohol use at the parks, especially Barnesfield Park. He said that with the State Code, an open container meant an individual would be arrested and transported to Stafford to the jail. He felt this may be resulting in lower enforcement where a local ordinance that allowed for a citation to be written may result in more enforcement. Gregory said it was within the power of the County to enact an ordinance and it was something that could be looked into however he cautioned that increased enforcement of existing laws may be an easier route. He said that it would of course mean increased staffing from the Sheriff's Office and increased funding from the Board. Clarke said the updated policies would help give Parks and Recreation and the Sheriff's Office more teeth in their enforcement of rules. Cupka thanked Clarke for his work on the policies and said that as a Little League and travel ball parent she felt that King George teams should come first over teams from outside the County. The Board approved the new rules.
Dr. Young then presented his request for funding for another 300th Anniversary event, this time to celebrate the L. E. Smoot Library and the contributions made to the community by Mrs. Smoot. He also said that the event would be a fundraiser for the library. Young said that the library has frequently been asked to increase their fundraising in the past, especially at budget work sessions, and this would help fulfill that request. Young said another benefit would be to act as a proof of concept to use the library as a venue for future events. The Board approved the funding.
Next was Nick Minor, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. He returned to await the Board's choice on SMARTSCALE projects. Of the four he presented at the last meeting, the Board agreed to move forward with the joint submission with Caroline County and GWRC on the Highway 301 Corridor. They also agreed to move forward with the roundabout at Dahlgren Road and Indiantown Road. The Board also agreed on the other two projects, the 301/205 and 301/206 intersections. However, the Board did not like the proposed improvements from VDOT, a Median U-Turn and a Quadrant Roadway respectively, and asked that alternate proposals be sought from VDOT.
The softball dugouts at King George Middle School were next on the Agenda. The previously denied Change Order was for $37,425.71 and Dr. Young noted that he and the County Attorney recommended approval. Granger said there was a County engineer there and involved in the process and that declining to pay may result in other companies not wanting to do business with the County in the future. Cupka said that at the end of the day, it's the 12 and 13 year old girls playing softball at the Middle School that suffer. She felt it was unfortunate how the process played out but felt that because the decision was made somewhere in Dr. Young's chain of command, it should be left to him to deal with administratively. Bueche said it has nothing to do with the School Board, it was County staff that approved it and felt the Board should approve it and move on. Stonehill put it succinctly that the County has a bill and they should pay it. He felt the County got a little hosed on it and that it was ungodly expensive but it should be paid. Binder said that going forward, the Board needs to be more diligent in big projects like this and that Change Orders should be reviewed a little more closely. The Board approved the Change Order.
Dr. Young's report was brief. He shared that interviews concluded today for County Attorney and he asked the Board to agree on a date to conduct interviews with the two finalists. The Board agreed on a date.
The meeting adjourned at 8:55pm.
Meeting Attendees:
Cathy Binder (Chair, Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)
Annie Cupka (Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Jeff Stonehill (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)
Meeting Agenda
Next Meeting:
The Board of Supervisors will next meet on February 11, 2020 at 6:00 pm at Company 1.
Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.
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