2020-03-03 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 6:30pm.

There was an amendment to the Agenda to add a Closed Session.

Mike Maldonado was the only speaker during Public Comment. He wanted to tell the Board about two things. First, he attended the Father and Daughter Princess Ball with his daughter. He said the dance, hosted by the Parks and Recreation Department, was fantastic. Second, his daughter attends Potomac Elementary School and she asked him who the Mayor of King George was. He thought this meeting was the perfect place to ask.

In breaking from the usual process of being a one-way comment period, Cathy Binder addressed Maldonado's daughter who was in the audience. Binder said there were five people up here and four represent a specific voting district and one represents the whole County. She added that there's no one person that's the head but that every year they elect a Chairperson. Binder said she would love to come to Potomac and talk to the kids there and asked the young Maxie Maldonado what grade she was in. The young lady said "my grade is Kindergarten" and her teacher was Mrs. Brinkman. Binder said her daughter goes to Potomac too but she had Mrs. Shaw for Kindergarten.

2020-02-18 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Supervisors began their regular meeting at 6:32pm.

There was an amendment to the Agenda to add a Closed Session.

The sole speaker for Public Comment was Don Shelton. Shelton said he's been traveling through the intersection at Indiantown Road and Dahlgren Road since 2001 and it's an extremely dangerous one. He said he was almost involved in an accident there a few weeks ago. He said he did some research on the turn-about [meaning the proposed round-about] and felt the intersection could use it. He also asked if local law enforcement could slow drivers down in the meantime, perhaps by sitting in the American Legion parking lot running radar.

2020-02-04 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

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.

2020-01-21 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 6:34pm.

There were amendments to the Agenda to add Closed Session.

Kim Dodge was the only speaker for Public Comment. Dodge said she wanted to speak on the part of the taxpayers and said she knew budget season was coming up. She wanted to thank everyone for their work in getting the County out of debt and keeping taxes low and hoped the Board could continue to do that. She said that when the Board increases property taxes, it takes money from each household and many families do not get pay increases. Dodge said she was proud to see a chart of the 2018 budget and that property tax revenue wasn't being used to pay for everything. Dodge said that the schools seemed like an endless money pit and that they'll ask for money and say it's for the children but there needed to be something else that paid for teacher salaries. She said that when she asks the Board to not increase taxes, she's asking on behalf of the poor, the single family households, and those that don't have dual incomes. Dodge said she gets that a lot of citizens in the County would support a tax increase but said it was because they thought it would increase their salary. She said she saw something on Facebook about the Sheriff's Department hiring and the salary was low but people said they would be willing to pay more in taxes if that meant the Deputy's salary would go up. Dodge said that she would rather see more grants used to pay for salary increases. She said we only hear from the people being paid from taxpayers and not the rest of the population and they would like to keep their taxes low.

OPINION - King George Gets Waylaid Over Wayside

by Neil Richard

Cathy Binder hosted another Town Hall meeting on December 10, 2019. She and Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, were on hand to discuss infrastructure issues and potential solutions. Binder began the Town Hall with a newer, shorter iteration of her previous presentation on infrastructure. She again went through the slides quickly and gave a high-level view of some of the issues faced by current County-owned properties and potential ways to fix them. With a lot of vacant buildings and unaddressed maintenance needs, the solutions ranged from restoration to demolition to selling. Binder again reiterated that this was simply her vision and any future action would need to be taken up by the Board of Supervisors as a whole.

Wayside Park is highlighted in green.

After Binder answered a few questions, Dr. Young then gave a short presentation on the replacement of the Wayside Park. This would end up dominating the discussion for the next 90 minutes with a lot of questions, concerns, and emotions. Even though the crowd was small, roughly 20 to 30 people, there were plenty of questions to be answered. One gentleman at the end asked if somebody would publish a story that gave the true story of how the land swap took place. He felt there was a lot of misinformation out there but was worried about some of the larger, Federal agencies would be upset if they were called out for their actions.

2019-10-01 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Board of Supervisors began their meeting after another quarterly, and short, Wireless Authority meeting.

There was an amendment to the Agenda as Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, asked the Board to move the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) presentations to the beginning of the meeting as requested by Steve McKeever who was from out of town. The Board approved.

Public Comment began with Dan Hingley, Operations Manager for AQUA and former Interim General Manager of the Service Authority. Hingley wanted to take a minute of the Board's time to make them aware of a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) in Presidential Lakes. He said about 750 gallons of untreated waste water leaked due to a break in a force main. Hingley said the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was notified as required and the issue had been corrected. He said that several residents notified the Supervisors and he just wanted to give them additional information.

Next was Alan Tye who was there to speak about the noise ordinance and said he appreciated everyone looking into the issue. He thanked Sheriff Dempsey who introduced him to Richard Granger. He said that the noise laws don't grow and account for the neighbors that shoot guns all night long. He was talking about large caliber rifles and handguns that would begin shooting at exploding targets after dark and go all the way into the morning. Tye said you can't cut grass after 10 pm but you can shoot guns 24 hours a day. He knew that because Sheriff Dempsey has sent officers to his house for years concerning his neighbor. Tye asked the Supervisors to consider the information given but also offered anecdotal evidence when his mother in law nearly fell out of her chair one night because of the noise. Tye said the noise impacts the health and welfare of residents.

2019-10-09 - Speed Limit Public Notice

The Board of Supervisors of the County of King George, Virginia will hold a public hearing to receive public input concerning a speed limit increase on Routes 3 and 301, from 55 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour, on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room.

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2019-09-03 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Supervisors began their meeting at 7:41 pm and the Supervisors voted to recognize and approve Ruby Brabo's remote attendance.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

First to speak during Public Comment was Miles Hastings. He said he was coming before the Supervisors as a last resort to attempt to solve ongoing issues with the unauthorized use of his private property. He said he spoke to Richard Granger last year about the same issue with large trucks using a right of way that no longer exists and that damage had been done to a bridge. He said that the state did put up No Outlet signs and that helped curb the issue. However he is now seeing a large number of cars use his property and private driveway to access the Rappahannock River. Hastings said that when people Google access to the river, they somehow find their way onto his property. He said he was concerned about safety and liability. While most of his interactions were good, he said some people get upset when told they're in the wrong place. As a farmer, Hastings said he was responsible for the bio-security of the crops. He felt that the policy of making a road a public road when there are three houses on it was not a good thing. He said when the information goes public, companies like Google use that information. Hastings said he has talked to the Sheriff about the issue but has yet to find a viable solution. Hastings said he was there to ask the Supervisors to consider having the County attorney draft a letter to Google to change their data before somebody gets hurts. He said there's no claim to fame for his property other than passing by the old 1720 Courthouse site and didn't feel that justified other people coming onto his property. He said in one instance he didn't feel safe on his own land because a passenger from a trespassing car confronted him. Hastings said he's asking for the Supervisors to help.

2019-08-06 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 7:12pm much to the delight of Jeff Bueche.

There were amendments to the Agenda to shuffle the order of the meeting in order to move the Service Authority resolution out of the Action Items to just before the County Attorney's report.

Public Comment began with Jim Lynch giving the Supervisors an update on the recently held 50k and half marathon races on the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT). Lynch said everyone was happy that the weather cooperated and that none of the runners got "cooked" out there. He said a total of 121 runners, the largest for the event, participated and some came from as far away as California. He said Steve DeSantis finished his 11th year running the 50k this year. Lynch also said he had never seen a woman outrun the male competitors to win a race but this year's half marathon winner, Leigh West, was able to do just that by about two minutes. He also thanked all of the volunteers that helped make the event possible, including King George High School Cross Country Coach Paul Koepfinger and his team as well as Jack Deem and the King George Radio Operators. Lynch also thanked Don Kirkpatrick and the Fredericksburg Railroad Historical Society, the neighbors in the Meadows and Indiantown Road, as well as sponsors High Mark Brewery and River Rock Outfitters. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the Treasurer of the Friends of DRHT.]

Next to speak was Justin Grimes who came to voice his concerns over the special exception request from the Estate at Whitehall. Grimes, a neighbor of the Estate, said that wineries in Lake Anna and other parts of the state hold weddings and events but they are not held in subdivisions like his. He said he would be the figurehead of the opposition even though he has been threatened by patrons of the Estate. Grimes said he could not enjoy a peaceful weekend at home when over 350 people attend events. He said his children can't ride their bikes or go for walks because of the increased traffic on the road. Combined with alcohol being served, he felt it was a recipe for disaster. Grimes said that large and wide party buses frequently miss the entrance and have even run a neighbor off the road. He said he can hear the music in his daughter's bedroom when putting her to bed at night. Grimes said that the evidence is there to prove the Estate holds more than what the owners have stated while under scrutiny from the County. He said he moved to Whitehall Road for the peace and quiet. While Grimes has no problem with people running a business, he said ruining a neighborhood isn't right. Grimes said the discrepancies between the application and the documents is easily seen and asked the Supervisors to imagine living across the street from this event venue.

John Jenkins opened his report by thanking Lynch and Grimes for speaking. To Lynch he said it was good to hear about the trail and the events hosted there. He said it was a great reflection on the community bringing people in. He hoped some of those people spent money in the County. To Grimes, he said he appreciated his comments and concerns. On June 20th, Jenkins attended a joint meeting with the Service Authority and the Economic Development Authority (EDA) to discuss the small business incentives and was glad that the discussion is still continuing. On June 24th he attended the Comprehensive Plan meeting and on the 26th he was honored to swear in the newest class of fire and rescue personnel.

Richard Granger thanked Lynch for his report and told Grimes he appreciated him coming out early. He said there was no vote before the Board tonight to approve the Special Exception but instead it's a vote to send it to the Planning Commission. He thanked Grimes for his input and said the more info, the better. He encouraged him to continue to be engaged and that he valued Grimes' input. On June 20th, Granger attended the same joint meeting previously mentioned as well as the one on the 24th. On June 27th he said he attended the Northern Neck Tourism Commission meeting and said the group is trying to get the Northern Neck designated as a National Heritage Area. He said the first step, a study, has already been completed but they still need approval from the Secretary of the Interior and Congress. On July 15th he attended the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (FRA) work session and said an upcoming meeting would focus on Amazon's new Headquarters and how surrounding communities worked together as regional neighbors to help each other.

Cathy Binder thanked Lynch for his update and said she wishes she could still run that far. She thanked Grimes for voicing his concerns. Binder attended the County Employee picnic on June 27th and visited Belle Grove on July 4th. She said because of the rain she managed to avoid the crowds and got a great tour of the house. On July 1st she attended a joint meeting with the base in Dahlgren, the County, and the Service Authority about joint purchasing needs. On July 18th and 19th she attended a conference and on the 24th she met with Wiley Wilson regarding the decommissioning of the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant. Binder also attended a Dahlgren Heritage Foundation meeting in July. Binder said she also attended the welcoming event for teachers and loved talking with teachers that taught her kids and those that she had worked with. Just prior to the meeting, Binder went to the National Night Out event at the High School and mentioned the Sheriff's Office had an internship that may be beneficial to students. She ended her report by saying she would be doing a trial run on Tuesdays in September at the Library from 11am to 1pm where residents could come and talk to her. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Foundation.]

Ruby Brabo gave a lengthy report beginning with the work session meeting on June 24th. On June 25th she participated in a National Association of Counties (NACo) conference call. Brabo attended the County picnic on June 27th and a conference call on veteran suicide later in the day. On July 2nd she met with Dr. Young and others regarding the potential annexation of Lake Caledon as part of Caledon State Park. Later in the day she met with the owner of Mary's Cakery regarding the limitations of the sign ordinance. On the 9th she participated in another NACo conference call and then attended the NACo annual conference from the 11th to the 16th. On the 22nd she attended the Virginia Rural Center's Board of Directors meeting and had another NACo conference call on the 26th. On August 3rd she visited the DRHT 50k and half marathon race. Prior to tonight's meeting, Brabo also attended the welcome back lunch for teachers and the National Night Out event. She thanked Grimes for coming out and then asked Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, what it means to the County if the Estate at Whitehall is just now filing for a Special Exception but has been operating in violation prior to that. Eric Gregory, County Attorney, said the matter is currently in enforcement and part of the agreement was to require the Estate to apply for a special exception. He said the Supervisors have been informed during the process.

Jeff Bueche began his report by addressing Dr. Young and saying he was pleased to notify him that he was awarded the Distinguished Budget Award along with certificates of recognition for those being primarily responsible for achieving the award. With that, he called Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, and Barbara Howard-Johnson, Accounting Manager, forward to be recognized.

Wilma Ward, Jeff Bueche, and Barbara Howard-Johnson pose in front of John Jenkins, Richard Granger, Cathy Binder, Ruby Brabo, Dr. Neiman Young, and Eric Gregory. (l to r)

After photos, Bueche thanked Lynch for the update on another successful trail run. Bueche said "that's tourism." He said he's never run the trail and never will but he enjoys going there and thinks the caboose is awesome. With the majority of the trail running through his district, he said the trail was a treasure. To Grimes, he said thanks and repeated earlier comments to come out early to speak on issues. Bueche said he appreciated Grimes putting it on their radar. On June 20th Bueche attended the joint meeting. On the 21st he attended the Friends of Caledon picnic. After the Comprehensive Plan meeting on the 24th, Bueche went to the County picnic on the 27th before hosting a Town Hall at Caledon. Bueche went to the CTE Expansion Committee meeting on July 2nd and was happy to report that over the Fourth of July weekend, the Sheriff's Office and Fire and Rescue Department kept Fairview Beach safe and secure. Bueche said he posted to his Facebook page on July 12th about making improvements to Route 206 (Dahlgren Road) and three days later Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began their repaving project. He said he couldn't take credit for VDOT coming out so quickly and that it was just a happy coincidence. Bueche said that while the repairs are inconvenient, they are necessary. On July 15th he attended a Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) meeting. On the 18th he received approval from the Coast Guard to retire effective December 1st, 2019. On the 27th he attended the Fairview Beach Residents Association and reminded other local groups and homeowner associations that he is willing to meet with them as well. Prior to the night's meeting he also attended the welcome lunch for teachers and thanked Dr. Benson, Superintendent of Schools, for the opportunity to speak. Bueche said he has a good working relationship with the School Board and the County has an outstanding school system. He also stopped by the National Night Out event and thanked law enforcement for doing an amazing job protecting and serving the community. Bueche ended his report by saying he was going to begin a community outreach program by walking around neighborhoods. He said his retirement would give him plenty of time to get fat and that he was also planning to quit smoking so he wanted to get some exercise while meeting with local residents. He said he would post details on these events via social media.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

As amended earlier in the evening, the next item on the Agenda was the Line of Credit Resolution in support of the Service Authority. The Board approved it.

Next on the Agenda was VDOT's Steve McKeever to discuss the Speed Limit Increase Study. McKeever was absent so Dr. Young said he would see if he would be available for the next meeting. Brabo added that the request was for the section of Route 3 (Kings Highway) from Hopyard to the Stafford County line and the section of Highway 301 (James Madison Parkway) from Tractor Supply to the Caroline County line.

Next was a detailed presentation by Bob Dick, Vice President of SCS Engineers regarding the Landfill Odor Study. Dick detailed the primary odor sources as being the waste being received, landfill gas emissions, and leachate. He said when waste was received, handled, and placed at the landfill, it mostly arrived via truck with about one third arriving via train car. He said the smell generated from this was fairly obvious and could be compared to what people would experience in their own kitchen garbage can. He said the landfill gas was being collected via wells throughout the facility but it was fugitive gases, the gas that wasn't collected, that led to the smell. He said Waste Management has more gas wells than is required by law, more than is required by their permit, and is installing them sooner than most other landfills. The leachate, the liquid runoff from the waste, was also a source of odors and was being collected and processed. Dick said that his company found that the landfill was operated just as comprehensively as others. He said they felt like the Supervisors would want recommendations and listed several, including accelerating the final cap installation, increasing the vacuum on landfill gas wells, and using air dispersal modeling software. In conclusion, he said the landfill meets all requirements and standard industry practices. He said it was operating consistent with other landfills and was progressive enough to meet nearly all of the requirements in the Draft Odor Guidance from DEQ. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the Secretary of the Landfill Advisory Committee.]

Granger said he appreciated the presentation and had already sent his questions earlier. He asked Dr. Young if it would be good to have Waste Management come and give their feedback on the recommendations from SCS Engineering. Dr. Young said he would invite Waste Management to the next meeting. Brabo said she was interested in the modeling software because she and other Supervisors have been contacted multiple times by residents living in Oakland Park about the smell. She said the answer she has heard Waste Management give is that they can't smell anything but thought the software would be great because it would help understand how weather impacts the dispersal of the odor. She said it may also help so that residents don't feel like they're being called a liar when in reality it may have smelled bad earlier due to the weather. She said that if residents know the odor is coming they may not be as upset about it. Dick clarified that there is no meter than can be used to measure odor. He said each individual has different sensitivities and everyone has a different opinion on what smells bad. He said some people may like the smell of a certain flower but others may not. Brabo said she had heard Waste Management responds to odor complaints with a meter. Dick said this was a Jerome 631-X meter that measures hydrogen sulfide which is commonly referred to as a "rotten egg" smell. He also said there's no such thing as a zero odor landfill yet.

Next on the Agenda was Heather Hall from the Department of Community Development who presented the request from the Estate at Whitehall for a Special Exception Permit. Hall stated that the County had received complaints about the venue and issued the Estate a notice of violation in June 2018. With no response from the owners, David and Bethany Cassell, another violation notice was sent in July 2018. This finally prompted a meeting between the owners and the County in August 2018 where Hall said the Cassells felt they were exempt from the requirement to get a permit because they were a winery. At that same meeting it was agreed that the County would cease issuing violation notices and the owners would cease holding events until a permit was approved. Hall stated the Estate continued to host events for all of 2018 and 2019 and didn't obtain a Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Authority License until May 2019.

Granger said he felt like the Public Hearing should go before the Planning Commission first. He said he spoke to Grimes and the Cassells before and he was under the impression that the Estate would stop holding events and would respect the County's ordinances. Gregory said there were some flaws in the violation notices and the County encouraged them to file for the Special Exception Permit. He reiterated that the County agreed to suspend further notices until they got the permit but that the enforcement actions were still outstanding and that each additional event was another infraction that potentially exposes the owners. Bueche said "that's bullshit." Granger gently chided Bueche on his language before stating it was upsetting to him that the owners want to move towards compliance but the continue to not care. Granger asked rhetorically what that does for the County trying to enforce ordinances with others. Bueche asked what good an ordinance was if it wasn't going to be enforced.

Gregory said the issue with farm wineries is a matter of great controversy and that other localities are in litigation over the issue. He said there are ordinances on the books and that action of the owners to continue to hold events has an impact on the Supervisor's decision. Gregory said he hesitated to offer further commentary because of the sensitive nature of the topic but would be happy to discuss it further in Closed Session.

A motion was made and seconded to table the decision until a Closed Session discussion could be held. Before approving that decision, there was more discussion. Brabo said she found it disturbing that the County is encouraging small business and entrepreneurs when it appears someone has a blatant disregard for zoning, ordinances, and the health and welfare of neighbors. Jenkins added that he may not have the legal background but felt it was setting a precedent. He said he was a pretty fair guy but felt this was insane. Binder said she knows another winery is looking to get a Special Exception Permit and they were doing all the right things and wondered what kind of message this sent to them. Brabo said there needed to be a serious course of action taken. Bueche said there are things everyone would like to see or not like to see but there was a process to go through and it can be time consuming. He said it wasn't right they should be able to take a short cut, especially with a special exception.

Heather Hall stayed at the podium and presented her next item, an amendment to the County's Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance. Hall said this was mostly a housekeeping change to stay in line with state code. The Board approved putting it before the Planning Commission as a Public Hearing.

Next was a presentation by the Department of Economic Development for the approval of tourism funding through the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). Dr. Young said that Kim Young was scheduled to present but was celebrating the birth of her first grandchild who was born earlier in the day. Bob Baird was there to present on behalf of the TAC. Baird gave a summary of the four applications that included:

• $1,000 - Parks and Recreation - Electrical improvements for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony
• $11,500 - Parks and Recreation - Ceiling tile and lighting replacement and improvement at the Citizen's Center
• $40,000 - Jazz in the Country - Expenses
• $7,500 - Backporch Vineyard - Advertising expenses

Baird and Young said the TAC and County staff recommended full funding for both requests from Parks and Recreation. Brabo said she appreciates that it's tourism related but wanted to know if it was part of regular maintenance or not. She said the Citizen's Center was not something used by tourists all the time. Binder said she was torn on that one because the Historical Society could use that $1,000 to improve the electrical connection but it could also fall under maintenance. Brabo said she felt the electrical request was an upgrade, not regular maintenance. Granger asked how many events were held at the Citizen's Center that brought in people from outside the county. Young said he wasn't sure but that four events were scheduled to be held there for the 300th anniversary. Baird added that David Zabelsky, the manager at the Holiday Inn Express in Dahlgren, was looking forward to an improved facility to recommend his clients to that need a larger space. Bueche asked if it was an enhancement or a repair to which Baird said a little bit of both. Young agreed and said the electrical request was more of an upgrade while the Citizens Center request was due to a lack of maintenance. Binder asked if there was enough money in General Properties to cover the costs and Young said there were other properties to maintain as well. Brabo said that issues were created in the past when tourism funds were used to cover regular maintenance and repairs instead of using general funds. With that the Supervisors approved the request to make electrical improvements and denied the request to replace and repair ceiling tiles and lights.

The Board then tackled the large request from Jazz in the Country. Baird said the TAC recommended funding only $5,000 for advertising but also recommended a second tier of funding of $15,000 to cover expenses only if the event did not meet first year attendance level goals. He said the TAC wasn't keen on adding to the profit margin of the group but felt the first year of any event was risky and felt that covering some expenses was good. Young said that staff recommended funding only $1,000 and had severe reservations on giving so much money, especially to one without a proven concept. He said staff couldn't see giving twice as much to a brand new event than what is given to something with a long history like the Fall Festival. The Supervisors approved $1,000.

Regarding the Backporch Vineyard's request, Baird said the TAC recommended $2,500 while Young said staff recommended tabling the decision until more information could be gathered. Young said some of the information in the application appeared to be related to start-up costs instead of advertising. Brabo asked if their special exception permit had been approved yet and said she didn't feel comfortable giving money if they haven't gotten their permit yet. Young said they didn't have a lot of information on them yet and would rather wait. With that, the Supervisors tabled the decision.

Brabo added that she was excited about the Jazz in the Country event but said that there needs to be some caution used when dealing with a new event. Bueche said that the KG Que Fest lost a lot of money from outside investors but the TAC didn't put money into it.

Next to the podium was Lavita Cobb from the Department of Finance who presented a request for a $246,973 change order on the Middle School expansion project. Binder said she was a little upset about this because the building is old and there should have been some forethought used when considering the upgrading of communication lines. Brabo agreed and said that some things can't be controlled like the discovery of the power line or the price of asphalt but the upgrade to existing communication lines should have been planned for. After some side discussions and commentary, Young added that the project is large and complex and that change orders are to be expected. He added that this wasn't a "bait and switch" and that the contractor has found ways to save money along the way. Bueche said that while he would normally like to see something like this go through the Capital Improvement Process (CIP), he felt the best decision for the taxpayer was to do the work now while the building is under construction rather than wait until later. The rest of the Board agreed and approved the request.

Wilma Ward, Director of Finance, then presented a grant for the School Resource Officer that required a local match of $22,853. The Board approved.

Next on the Agenda was a discussion on work session dates for the Comprehensive Plan and the CIP. The Board settled on August 21, 2019 at 5:30 pm for the Comprehensive Plan meeting. For the CIP meetings, the Board agreed to meet on September 10, 2019 and September 18, 2019 at 5:30 pm and planned to include the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee members.

Dr. Young then gave his County Administrator's report giving the Board short updates on the 98th Civil Affairs bringing in a small team in August for an exercise. Young also said that all of the positions on the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) would expire at the end of August and that he recommended Kim Wilson replace Ryan Gandy on several tourism related seats, which the Board approved. Brabo noted that there were several empty seats on the TAC and suggested her peers come with recommendations at the next meeting. Young added that the County had published their Economic Development Strategic Plan and said printed copies were available as well as electronic copies online. He said printed copies were limited and when they ran out, he would need to talk to the Board before printing more as they cost about $13 per copy to print.

Young also gave kudos to the Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services Department. He said dividends had paid off in their purchasing a drone. Young said a boat went missing on the Rappahannock River and both the Coast Guard and Caroline County emergency services were unable to locate it. He said they called in King George to assist with their drone and the boat was quickly located.

Young also updated the Board on the recent request for a broadband grant. Young said two businesses came forward but only one, KGI Communications, was a good match. He said that the proposal from KGI was much better than their proposal in previous years and had addressed previous concerns. The Board gave consensus to move forward.

The Board then went into Closed Session at 9:17 pm with Dr. Young and Eric Gregory invited to attend. They returned from closed session at 10:11 pm. The Board then approved a third amendment to Dr. Young's employment agreement.

The meeting adjourned at 10:12 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 20, 2019 at 7:00 pm at the Revercomb Building.

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

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2019-05-07 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Supervisors opened their meeting at 7:09pm to a full crowd of citizens in the Board Room.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Public Comment opened with Jeron Hayes and Sandy Pearson stepping up to the podium. Hayes said she was the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for the Navy's base in Dahlgren and was there on behalf of Captain O'Leary. She read a letter from the Captain stating that the base would host a Fourth of July celebration in 2020 to help King George County celebrate its 300th anniversary. Hayes said the celebration is advantageous for the base and the County and that Pearson was an amazing asset to the County. Hayes said they are already discussing planning and budgets and said the Dahlgren Heritage Museum would host a tourism event later this summer as well. She said it was a rare occasion when everyone can come on base for an event. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Foundation.]

Pearson added that it was a pleasure to on the event even though they had to keep things quiet until now. She said they've been working closely with the base to make it the centerpiece of the 300th celebration.

Next to speak was Claudette Jordon, President of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association (RBAA). She asked for her fellow RBAA members in the audience to stand, of which about 15 people did so. Jordon said that instead of all them standing in line behind her to speak, she would ask the Supervisors if she could speak on their behalf. Jeff Bueche, Chairman, allowed it.

Jordon began her presentation by saying she had sent the Supervisors two letters, one from the RBAA Executive Committee and General Membership and another letter from the Center for Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington. Both letters rescinded their support for the Ralph Bunche Arts and Humanities Center (RBAHC) and their proposed preservation and development of the Ralph Bunche property. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a member of the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association and a Board member of the Ralph Bunche Arts and Humanities Center.]

Jordon continued by saying that the RBAA was excited when Echelon, a developer, was working to develop the property. Jordon said that when Echelon backed out of the deal, Marsha Stonehill came up with a plan. Jordon said everything works on paper with the plan but she felt they didn't read the fine print and should have. Jordon said she was an original member of the RBAHC Board and tried to help as much as she could. She said some things were antagonistic and rigid and that the whole thing was built on the fact that they could do this. Jordon said the group never got to meet with the architects and developers and that the previously estimated cost of $6 million was too high. Jordon said the promised $2.5 million donation never materialized, there are no officers, and ten months was wasted working on a logo. She said Stonehill was not developing money to work on the development and that Federal and State grants were "poopooed" because Stonehill felt there were too many regulations involved. Jordon said nothing was getting done. She said you don't turn on the oven and put the pan in and then worry about the ingredients. She felt Stonehill parachuted into the project but didn't have the resources. Jordon said RBAA will continue to work this thing but doesn't think they should wait for a neophyte organization, the RBAHC, to come into their own while nothing happens. Jordon said there are other developers out there that have experience and funds to get started and that's what they're looking for. She said it's okay that Stonehill wants to develop the RBAHC group but not at the expense of the project. Jordon said the RBAHC will probably do a presentation later and that if Julie does it, it will be nice since she has skills. She said it became apparent to her that no input was going to be accepted and decided to rededicate herself to the Ralph Bunche project instead. Jordon said too much was at stake. She ended her comments with a scripted call and response from the crowd by asking "how long?" and the audience responding "too long."

Phyllis Cook was next to speak. She read an open letter to the RBAHC Board announcing her resignation from the Board. She said as a lifetime member of Alumni Association, she served as one of two members to represent the RBAA on the Arts and Humanities Board. Cook said she concurred with the recent votes of no confidence and, like others, was distressed to hear of the unauthorized removal of plans from the Ralph Bunche building by Marsha Stonehill. Cook said she was relieved to hear that Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, retrieved them. She said that Stonehill has a dream and she's heard a lot of talk but not a lot of progress. She said she heard about the no bid architect but there was an inability to follow through and report Board decisions accurately. Cook said that Stonehill has no President, no CEO, no executive leadership, and no funding yet still says there is no problem in getting $6 million in funding in three years. Cook also said the $10,000 in seed money was never mentioned and the proposed Letter of Intent (LOI) on tonight's Agenda will only delay the realities. Cook said she was confident that an experienced developer can be found by Dr. Young and appreciated Young's support.

John Jenkins started his report by thanking everyone for making comments. He said it certainly gives him something to think about regarding Ralph Bunche and that it was great to hear about the upcoming base event. He finished his report by saying he attended the budget work sessions on April 23rd and 30th.

Richard Granger also thanked everyone for coming out to comment. He said he was also excited to hear about the 300th celebration on base and thanked everyone for sharing their concerns with Ralph Bunche. He said he had not received the letters until that morning so had not had time to talk to staff or other parties about the issues. He finished his report by saying he also attended the budget work sessions on April 23rd and 30th.

Cathy Binder thanked everyone for coming out to speak and echoed previous comments that the base event was great news. She said her older son enjoyed past events but her younger daughter hasn't had the chance. She also thanked everyone for coming out to speak about the history of Ralph Bunche and the school's legacy. She said one of her many degrees is in history and that many don't know she has made it a mission to scan all of the high school yearbooks, including 11 from Ralph Bunche.

Ruby Brabo said that on April 17th she attended the Fredericksburg Chamber Legislative award ceremony and was happy to see her good friend Bob Thomas be recognized as Delegate of the Year. She said she and Bob have worked well together over the six years when he served on the Stafford Board of Supervisors and that the relationship has continued now that he's at the state level. On April 18th, Brabo spoke at the Hopyard Homeowners Association meeting. She attended the budget work session on the 23rd and 30th as well as the Electoral Board appreciation dinner on the 25th. On May 1st she was the guest of Stu Ashton at the Community Foundation Philanthropy Luncheon. On May 2nd she attended the National Day of Prayer and on the 4th she spoke at the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association meeting.

Brabo continued and said it was fantastic news about the base fireworks. She also thanked RBAA for sharing their concerns and letters and felt that it was obviously their project and their history and that their support was extremely important. Brabo said that the Mallows Bay issue needs to stay on the radar and asked for a new, updated letter be sent to all of the representatives as it has a big impact on the base. She then asked if the language in the No Wake Zone ordinance could be clarified as some residents were worried it applied to the entire Upper Machodoc Creek. Dr. Young said the ordinance is named after the Upper Machodoc Creek but the No Wake Zone boundaries are approved by Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF). Young said they deliberately measure the boundaries. Brabo asked if there was a way to add that as a reference point int he ordinance and Young said the purpose was to allow other property owners to pursue a No Wake Zone if they wanted so that constant amendments to the ordinance wouldn't be needed. Brabo asked again if that was the only area, and Young said yes it was.

Brabo then read a letter from Juan Marte, CEO of KGI Communications, thanking her for speaking with the National Association of Counties (NACo) regarding the delay in acquiring approval for the non-line-of-sight frequency. Brabo then went on to issue County Challenge Coins to Heather Hall, Angela Foroughi, Louis Pancotti, and Brad Hudson, for their hard work in helping the County. Additionally, she read a Resolution to this effect stating that they "went above and beyond to ensure due diligence was done regarding the Heilman project..." and for "Making a Difference" in the County.

(l to r) Foroughi, Hudson, Pancotti, and Brabo.

After the Board approved the Resolution, Dr. Young further clarified the No Wake Zone was hard to miss as the bouys were already in the water and very conspicuous.

Jeff Bueche, in a report nearly as long as Brabo's, made up for not giving reports at the last few meetings. On April 9th, he participated in the Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting which he felt was very educational. He said the information in the Tier II Facility Summary Report prepared by Monique Dina was going to be useful to the fire department for training as well as hazmat responders. On April 10th he participated in the Meet In The Middle torch run and was proud of his wife Ann and everyone else who worked to put on an amazing event. That same day he also went to the Tappahannock Region Local Government Round-table to discuss the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Phase III. Bueche said he had concerns about the WIP as it straddled the line between appropriate regulation and over regulation. He said the Bay needed an intervention but that due to years of regulations and oversight, the grasses and crabs are returning to the Bay in numbers that haven't been seen in decades. Bueche said he felt like the initial phases of the WIP worked but putting the financial burden on localities to enforce stricter rules was concerning.

Bueche continued his report saying he participated in the April 16th Board meeting remotely and was there for the budget work sessions on the 23rd and 30th. Also on the 23rd, Bueche said he visited the Purkins Corner Convenience Center and was pleased to see the employees were helpful and that the site was clean. He said there's a tendency to only hear the negative complaints and felt it was nice to share some positive news. Bueche said he felt the experience was not the exception but rather the norm. On the 25th, Bueche attended the Election Workers Appreciation Dinner and was impressed by the volunteers who dedicate so much time to protect the integrity of our democracy. He thanked Lorrie Gump, Registrar, for her help. On May 2nd, Bueche attended the National Day of Prayer. Regarding the comments from the public, he said it was good to hear both sides to gain insight.

Brabo added that as a point of interest, she had reengaged discussions with Vakos and Jarrell and would be meeting with them this week. Binder asked what the discussions concerned and Brabo said the Ralph Bunche building, the old King George Middle School, and the School Board Office buildings.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

Bueche then asked for an update on the Fairview Beach Residents Association and a letter of credit related to the Army Corps of Engineers study. Gregory said the letter of credit was part of the agreement and amendments to the agreement are allowed. Bueche asked when a draft could be reviewed and Gregory said he would try to provide one by the next meeting.

Next on the Agenda was Steve McKeever from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to discuss the proposed Secondary Six Year Plan. McKeever asked the Supervisors if they had the drafted list in their packets and Brabo said they do but it's sideways and hard to read. After some wrangling of paper copies McKeever continued without any formal presentation in an attempt to simplify the process. He said that Peerless Lane is nearly complete and Chatterton Lane will begin construction in about two months. McKeever said he and his crews visited each road in question and even videoed each one, to get an estimate of how much it would cost to pave them. He said based on that, he highlighted in the list which roads he thought would be best to pave with the funds available. He asked the Board to approve the final list by their first meeting in June.

Binder asked about Alden Road and said it was mentioned last year. She said a lot of elderly residents live on the road and that it is subject to flooding in some areas and that it washes out in others. Brabo said that because of the low vehicle count and the length, it couldn't be done but agrees that it's dangerous and problematic. She suggested maybe there could be a temporary fix. McKeever said they could look at it again but that some drainage pipes fall under the definition of bridges because of their size.

Brabo reminded McKeever that the Board has looked to stretch funds by paving shorter roads in an effort to pave as many as possible on the list. She chided him for changing the order and that citizens are going to be mad. McKeever said he hasn't changed the order of the list and that they were simply listed in order of vehicles per day. Brabo said that citizens don't see it that way. McKeever said he didn't rank anything as a priority, just listed them in order of vehicle traffic. Brabo asked why he suggested paving the roads he did to which he said it based on numerous factors. In addition to the number of vehicles traveling the road each day, McKeever said he also looked at length, estimated cost, and the number of homes on each road. He said many of the ones he suggested were off Highway 301 in the Dahlgren District and they totaled 2.2 miles of improvements and would serve 53 homes and one church. McKeever said he felt that would give the biggest bang for our buck but that he wasn't trying to push the Board into picking these roads, instead he was just explaining his methodology.

Brabo asked if this was the year for revenue sharing to which Dr. Young said it was. Brabo said that would give the County more funding and McKeever cautioned that would be the case only if it was approved. McKeever added that some of the shorter roads also faced more complex issues, such as drainage and wetlands, and that's why their estimated costs were higher. He said if money was still left over he could try to pave part of Alden Road. Brabo said she didn't have any heartburn but hasn't heard from citizens. To Binder, Brabo said that residents may not like Chestnut Hill Loop getting paved before Alden but the Board didn't have to decide tonight.

Bueche said he had a few more wrenches to throw at him but felt if McKeever could dodge a wrench, he could dodge a ball. Bueche said Dixon Lane looked like a better choice as did Woodland Way. Granger said he drove all the unpaved roads in the past and took notes on each one. He said some have school buses and that families may have moved into those areas since then. Binder said she knows a bus used to go down Ivy Hill Loop but doesn't this year. McKeever also added that between Chestnut Hill Loop and Dixon Lane that there was a large gap in the number of homes they served. He said he thought about adding Dixon Lane but needed to keep some money on hand to address other issues in the County as they arose. Brabo asked if he needed a motion and Dr. Young said the Public Hearing had already been advertised. McKeever added that before their next meeting, he would like to know what the Board was thinking so he could enter it into the work portal before it closed.

Next on the Agenda was the Ralph Bunche Arts and Humanities Center (RBAHC) Letter of Intent Presentation by Marsha Stonehill and Julie Chatman. Before they began, Dr. Young added for clarity that he has never had a conversation with either Vakos or Jarrell and that the meeting was only set up a few hours earlier. Stonehill and Chatman took turns presenting various portions of the planned development of the Ralph Bunche High School. With a timeline of three years to raise $6 million dollars, specifically $2 million each year, the Arts and Humanities Center would restore the school and provide museum space for the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association (RBAA) as well as meeting areas for a variety of events. A restaurant could help provide revenue over the life of the project as well as leased office space. Artist studios and a gallery is also planned along with classrooms that could be used to teach art. With economic benefits to King George County, especially related to tourism and tax revenue, Stonehill and Chatman said the project is unique and offers a service unlike any other in the area. They said the location and history are great and the project is aligned with community planning.

Binder asked for clarification on the items that were removed from the building. Stonehill said that when she and others went to the building to get a program estimate, they discovered architectural plans and documents in a non-climate controlled environment. She saw it as an opportunity to better preserve them and thus removed them and notified Dr. Young.

Bueche asked for clarity about the funding. He said there was a lot of talk about $6 million and wanted to know if there were benchmarks along the way. Chatman said that yes, in the drafted Letter of Intent (LOI), the Ralph Bunche Arts and Humanities Center would be required to obtain $2 million in funding each year for three years. Bueche asked that if the LOI was ratified, could the County come back in a year and nullify the agreement if RBAHC didn't get the necessary $2 million. Chatman said that was correct, if RBAHC didn't get the $2 million in a year, the agreement was void and the property would remain under the control of the County.

Brabo said that, recognizing the current situation with the earlier revocation of support from the Alumni Association, could this plan be considered for a different building. Stonehill said not for her personally because the proposal was inspired by the importance preserving the African American heritage of Ralph Bunche. Stonehill said she felt that now that the plan is public, the County's endorsement would allow for a more aggressive pursuit of donors and philanthropists.

Binder asked how can RBAHC do it better than a big corporation or big developer. Chatman said the RBAHC can do it better because we live in the County and care about the County. She said the facility is something feeds back into the County while developers may be more concerned with adding something else like apartments. Stonehill added that there's a potential that a developer would donate money to the project but said these types of things are more about collaborating rather than competing. She also said that previous statements frequently mentioned only her name and she felt that instead of it being "Marsha Stonehill will, it's we will." Stonehill said it's an effort of many people and has to be endorsed by the community. She said there has been a lot of apprehension but with the County's endorsement, she feels that apprehension will subside.

Granger said that because of some of the comments tonight, he would like to do more investigating. He asked what the impact would be if the Board waited two weeks before deciding. Chatman said there would not be an impact and offered to address anything mentioned previously in the meeting. Granger said he would prefer to table the decision until later.

Jenkins said it was too important of a project to make a rushed decision. However, he did not want to just continue to kick the decision down the road and would like to make a decision by the next meeting. Binder said that most on the Board only heard about the project the day before. She said her daughter plays soccer on the fields below the school and there are a lot of broken windows. She added that the mold is bad inside and that it should be addressed sooner rather than later. Chatman asked if it was the project itself of the opposition that Binder had just learned about and Binder said it was the project. Binder said she would like to study it more before making a decision. Brabo said that Bueche and Binder didn't have the historical knowledge on the project.

Bueche said that, speaking for himself, he liked the concept. However, he did not like two nonprofits that have a similar vision but can't seem to get along. He felt it was a power struggle over a building that belongs to the citizens. Bueche said he wants to see something happen with the building and there have been a lot of dreams and delusions of grandeur, but nothing has happened. He said that the building is still there decaying and that it was unfortunate that three organizations, the Dahlgren Heritage Museum, the King George Historical Society, and the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association, can't collaborate to house everything in one place. He felt that would be a benefit to everyone in King George. Bueche said he was not willing to commit any County money to building at Ralph Bunche as long as there are other needs in the County. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]


Brabo moved to postpone any decision until the next Board meeting and the rest of the Board approved.

Stonehill added that Larry Abell was present in the audience and it might be a good time to ask him about the building. Abell stood and said he was the President of the Maryland Veterans Museum at Patriot Park in Maryland. He said it felt like deja vu with all the discussions that occurred. He said the project in Maryland had a building with a similar age but in worse condition. He said the county was going to demolish the building but his non-profit group worked to get involved to preserve it. He said it took them eight years to deal with a bad roof, mold, asbestos, and lead paint but in the end they had 20,000 square feet of exhibit space covering everything from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. Abell said their plan was for a county museum but it has turned into a state museum instead because of their support. He said a project like this can happen and that it's a place for the community. Abell said they've hosted everything from weddings to funerals. He said they have to take the first step and believe in each other.

Dr. Young said he wanted to address two things that were left a little ambiguous. First, he said the Board was not aware of the proposal's details because, as with any project proposal, the Supervisors see the highlights. He said that a proposal of 80 or more pages, regardless of who it comes from, it too much for the Supervisors to digest. Instead, he said the full proposal goes to staff and has the development office give the Supervisors a summary of the proposal and keeps the full proposal in his office for their review if they desire to do so. Second, regarding the removal of documents from the school, Young said that normally he would lead the tour of a County building. Due to scheduling conflicts, and that there was County staff in the building, he felt comfortable not being present. He said that Stonehill was going on vacation shortly after her tour so he went to pick up the documents himself since they did belong to the County. He added that having documents like this in a non-climate controlled environment was part of his reason for pushing to implement a document scanning project.

Bueche asked if County staff reviewed the proposal and if they did, what was their recommendation. Young said they had reviewed the proposal and the recommendation was to approve the signing of the Letter of Intent. He said that was before the concerns were raised by the Ralph Bunche Alumni Association. Brabo added that previously the Arts and Humanities Center had letters of support from the Alumni Association. Bueche asked if Jordon could stand again and answer a question about their vote on Saturday. Jordon said the Executive Committee had met earlier and voted for no confidence and then the general membership voted for no confidence on Saturday. Bueche asked when the Executive Committee met and made that vote and Jordon said she didn't have the date on hand but they meet once a month.

Bueche said the plan looks good on paper and seems like a viable project. He asked Jordon what would the Alumni Association do if this project didn't go forward. Jordon said the Alumni Association's plan has never changed. She said the County spent $65,000 on the Wiley Wilson report and that it was to be an education project. She said that every time a developer gets involved, the plan morphs. She said there was nothing wrong with the original plan from Wiley Wilson and the Alumni Association recommends every developer look at it. Bueche said that the previous plan didn't come to fruition. Jordon said that was because the developer couldn't work with the County. She said that whoever comes next, they need to have the funding to hit the ground running with shovels in the ground and hammers on the wall. Jordon said the building is going down and so are the alumni. She said there was no conflict between the groups, it just fell apart when the funding wasn't there. She said again that she was a founding member of the Arts and Humanities Center's Board.

Binder asked how can we be promised that a new developer can offer anything. She felt the important part was to keep the story alive for the people here instead of arguing about it. Jordon said she was just saying that a neophyte group isn't the one to use but rather an established group is the way to go. Bueche said he thinks things may have changed when a developer showed interest and that it may be a single organization's project instead of a joint project. Brabo said that was what she mentioned earlier but that the general membership of the Alumni Association had already voted before that. Binder said that not all members knew about it beforehand. Brabo said there was no disclosure to them beforehand and that she spoke to Vakos and Jarrell only this morning. Granger interrupted and said he felt the meeting was getting out of order with the discussion.

Next on the Agenda was Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development, who proposed a new tax rate be created for data centers. He said this would allow King George to be competitive with surrounding counties as current zoning does not address data centers and therefore a tax rate can't be adopted for them. A Public Hearing was approved.

Gandy then presented along with Pearson about the Civil War Trails Application for tourism funding for signage. There were four proposed signs to be installed in the County to mark significant events from the Civil War. The funding would not be a grant but rather straight funding to pay for five years of membership. The Board approved. Jenkins added that he was excited to finally see this happen. He said the Civil War industry was huge and he could see a lot of tourism in the area. He thanked Annie Cupka for putting in a lot of work prior to her leaving to make it happen. Binder added that Elizabeth Lee is also working on a new John Wilkes Booth book about his route through the County.

Gandy and Pearson were joined by Jordon to discuss the Fall Festival applications for tourism funding. Brabo said every year they go through the same thing and ask for explanations and consensus from the Board and recommended they give the Fall Festival Committee the same amount as they gave them last year. Pearson said the decision was tabled in order to get the after action report on the Fall Festival and that the report is in the Tourism Advisory Committee agenda where they talked about inflatables. Brabo said that wasn't the intent of the funding but rather it was for marketing. She said they've removed inflatables in the past and again recommended they do so this year and explain that the funds were for marketing. Pearson said that was why they tabled the decision and didn't know it would be on the Agenda for tonight.

Binder asked if she could get a copy of the state law because she continues to hear about inflatables but needs to know what the law says about funding. She said that in the minutes there was an obsession with attendance but felt it was hard to track. Pearson said Brabo suggested they try to capture demographics in an effort to improve attendance because that drives tourism funding.

Gregory offered to cite the law on tourism funding. After reading it, he said it authorizes the County to levy a transient occupancy tax and as long as the County consults with those tourism organizations, it can spend money on tourism. He added that the Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) has that as part of their Charter. Binder joked that there was no mention of inflatables. Bueche said he had no problem moving forward with the staff recommendation. Gregory said the organizations only need to provide input and the Board doesn't have to agree. Granger said he felt the TAC needed to make a decision first before the Board did. Everyone voted in favor of a motion to table the decision except for Binder.

Brabo said it was enlightening. After misguidance six years ago she felt the need for clarity going forward. She asked if the TAC had a copy of what Gregory just read. Gregory repeated himself that the language is in their Charter. Gandy added that each jurisdiction does it different. Some hire employees while others spend tourism funds on events. Gregory agreed saying that some counties hire staff while others build ball fields.

Next on the Agenda was Chris Clarke, Director of Parks and Recreation. He began with a presentation on the proposed update to the Bylaws for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. Brabo said she had concerns about his staff putting up and taking down signage. Clarke said that was his next point and that he was talking about the Bylaws. Binder said she appreciated the update to the Bylaws because she used to serve on that Committee. Clarke said they had to make several updates because what the Committee was doing, such as meeting times, was different than the Bylaws. Additionally, some new changes needed to be made to address quorums and the student representative. The Bylaws were approved.

Clarke then presented his request for the creation of a policy regarding signs and banners for facilities. He said there is currently no policy on the construction of signs, size, or content on signs and banners that are displayed in parks. Brabo repeated her earlier concern about staff placing or removing signs. She said that was a concern to her because it seemed like additional work for staff. Clarke said that as the policy states, either County staff or the organization can put a sign up or take it down. He said right now it's just the King George Little League that has a lot of signs. Brabo again asked why staff would be involved. Clarke said the intent was to make the policy work for future plans of the Parks and Recreation Department installing sponsored signs. Clarke further explained that these would be affiliate signs that the County could earn revenue from. Brabo asked Gregory if the language needed to be clarified to address this. Gregory said he felt the language was clear enough. Bueche commented that it sounded like he was proposing what they suggested the schools do for their fields so seasonal signs could be installed. Dr. Young said the reason for the request was that the Little League was asked to install a sign for a political candidate. Because of the request, they realized there was no policy in place. Young said the policy would ensure there is a guideline, not just for political signs but also to prevent hate speech. The Board approved the policy.

Clarke then presented information on the Complete Census Count Committee. Brabo asked if the meetings would be in the evenings. Young said he wasn't sure since the Committee hasn't been established yet. Brabo asked if they would meet during business hours and Clarke said it wasn't clear yet. Young said it was best to assume they would meet in the evenings for now. Brabo asked if anyone was interested on the Board in serving since her plate was already full. Granger offered to serve as the representative. Bueche asked if he was sure since he had already taken one of his seats in a previous meeting. The Board approved Bueche serving as the representative as well as the rest of the individuals listed in the Agenda. Bueche thanked Granger for being willing to take on another duty.

Dr. Neiman Young then gave a brief report saying that all of the air conditioning units had been replaced at the Courthouse and the mold remediation had been completed. He said Mike Muncie, Director of General Properties, spent over 30 hours of his own time on weekends ensuring the project was completed. Young said the Deputy Treasurer, Camyell Pratt, completed the necessary training to participate in the Virginia Department of Taxation's Debt Set Off Collection Program, allowing the County to realize over $300,000 in revenue. He thanked Muncie and Pratt for their hard work and service to the community.

The Board then went into Closed Session at 9:20pm and invited Gregory and Young to attend. They returned from Closed Session at 9:50pm.

Once back in Open Session, the Board voted to remove Sandy Pearson from the Tourism Advisory Committee. All of the Supervisors approved with Brabo abstaining.

The meeting adjourned at 9:51pm.

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 May 21, 2019 at 7:00 pm at the Revercomb Building.

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

2019-05-07 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Service Authority Board of Directors opened their meeting promptly at 6:30pm as a few audience members took their seats.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Mike Bennett, Chairman, gave the audience a brief reminder that there would be two Public Comment sections tonight. The first was for general comments to the Service Authority Board while the second comment period would be for the Public Hearing on the new rates later in the evening. With that, he opened the floor for comment.

There was no Public Comment.

Christopher Werle began his report with an update on the April 26 meeting he attended with Bennett, Jonathan Weakley, General Manager, and Dan Sweeney, Vice President of Hazel Land Company [Editor's Note: Dan Sweeney is not related to former Service Authority employee Scott Sweeney]. Werle said the meeting was to get information on the Hopyard Farm water and sewer needs for the planned residential and commercial developments. Werle said the current permitted capacity of Hopyard Farm Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is 375,000 gallons per day but could be increased to 500,000 gallons without any plant modifications. He said the plant could handle 1 million gallons per day but would need a physical expansion to do so. Werle ended his report by saying he attended the April 30 budget work session.

Cathy Binder opened her report stating she had also attended the budget work session as well as numerous other agenda meetings. Binder said she had also met with several citizens about their concerns with the Service Authority. She also thanked County employees Kim and LaWanda who found several scrap books that documented much of the history of the Service Authority from the mid 1970s to the 1990s. She aid they were really big books so they can't be scanned easily but was surprised to see that many of the same problems we have now were present back then. Binder said the Board wants to fix the problems as best as they can but it's hard to right a ship that's been tilting for awhile.

Ruby Brabo echoed Binder's comments and said that a lot of people expect the Board to fix things overnight. She said the problems happened over several decades of mismanagement. Brabo said she also spoke on April 18 at the Hopyard Farm Homeowners Association and attended the same April 30 budget work session.

Mike Bennett reported that he attended the April 26 meeting as Werle had already stated and felt it was a productive discussion on current and future needs. He also echoed Binder in attending several other agenda meetings. Bennett said that the scrapbooks Binder mentioned were a great find but he couldn't decide "if it's comforting or horrifying that we face the same issues." Bennett ended his report saying he also attended the April 30 budget work session and again wanted to thank the citizens for all their help.

The Consent Agenda was approved.

The County Attorney, Eric Gregory, had no report.

The Public Hearing on the proposed rates was next. Weakley gave a solid overview of the changes prior to the floor opening for Public Comment. Weakley said his presentation was similar to the April 30 budget work session but included a few extra details for the public. He said the total expenses would be $6,528,884 which was a $632,944 increase over last year. He said the increase was larger due to water and sewer maintenance needs. Water maintenance increases $175,728 and sewer maintenance increased $356,142. Out of $6.5 million in expenses, $2,270,851 was just for debt payments. With debt fees for water and sewer totaling $1,863,980 in revenue, there is a shortfall of over $400,000.

Weakley said the proposed ten percent increase would be across the board except for bulk water charges, unusual waste water charge, and septic disposal fees. He also said that deposits and tampering fees would remain the same. When Weakley said that the unmetered customers would also see a ten percent increase, Bennett asked about a letter that was sent to all unmetered customers. Weakley said the Service Authority was unable to locate any records of a letter being sent but the Finance Department may have done so. Either way, he said they'll work with the roughly 75 unmetered customers to develop plans to install meters.

Weakley continued his presentation by saying the minimum bill, based on 3,000 gallons per month, would increase by $6.67 per month or $13.33 per bill. He said the average rate increase, based on the average bill of 10,000 gallons per month, would go up by $11.95 per month or $23.90 per bill. Weakley said the rate increase would address the water and sewer maintenance backlog as well as the current Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Consent Order. Additionally, he said it should reduce or remove the need for payouts, or fees, for under-performing WWTPs. He said lyear, the Service Authority paid over $140,000 in these payouts. Weakley said the rate increase "won't fix everything at once but would give us solid footing moving forward."

The floor then opened for Public Comment. There was none.

Bennett said the plan was to vote on the budget and the rate increase at the next meeting so their was no vote tonight.

Weakley then gave a brief General Manager's report. He said they were working to update the lead and copper sampling plans and since the issues in Flint, Michigan, everyone was more concerned about them. He praised Kyle Conboy, GIS Manager, for making his life easier in using the GIS system for their plans. Weakley said that if the Service Authority calls citizens about this sampling, it's not because they feel there is any danger but rather because they need to take samples and send them to the Virginia Department of Health. He said regardless of the test results, they are shared with the residents. As it was explained to me when I volunteered to participate, residents will be given instructions on how to collect samples from inside their home later in the summer, usually August. Once the samples are collected, they're sent to a lab for testing and then the results are sent to VDH, the Service Authority, and the resident. The purpose of the test is to ensure the water supplied by the Service Authority isn't causing a homeowner's pipes to leach lead into their drinking water.

Weakley continued his report saying they did a pre-inspection of the School Board Office building and the old King George Middle School prior to VDH inspecting them. Additionally, they met with Potomac Landing Developers to discuss the utility infrastructure and sent several alerts regarding the upcoming hydrant flushing in Fairview Beach on May 9th. Bennett interrupted and said that if anyone is a Service Authority customer, he recommended signing up for KGALERTS. Bennett said you could sign up just for those alerts related to the Service Authority so you don't necessarily need to be flooded with school or gym class cancellations.

Weakley said they will meet with Wiley Wilson regarding the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) for the pump stations and met with DEQ regarding Purkins Corner WWTP improvements. He said he met with a developer to discuss an upcoming rezoning request in the Dahlgren Gateway Plaza and continued to hold weekly management meetings.

Brabo said she wanted to remind everyone that round table discussions regarding developments in Dahlgren should include representatives from the Dahlgren Navy base. She said the base has concerns about rezoning in Dahlgren which is why the Board of Supervisors voted to "undesignate Dahlgren as a Primary Settlement Zone." She said she wanted to make sure a base representative was present. While it remains unclear if the Supervisors did indeed make this vote, it is clear that the Navy supports keeping Dahlgren as a Primary Settlement Area.

Weakley said there was somebody there from the base but he forgot her name. He said there was also representation from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and other parties. Bennett thanked him for all of his hard work, especially considering this was his first budget cycle.

The meeting adjourned at 7:03pm.

Meeting Attendees:
Christopher Werle (Board of Directors)
Jonathon Weakley (General Manager of Service Authority)
Richard Granger (Board of Supervisors)
Michael Bennett (Chairman, Citizen)
Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)
Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)
Neiman Young (County Administrator)
Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:
The Service Authority will next meet on May 21, 2019 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.

2019-02-19 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

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.