2018-02-06 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

The February 6, 2018 Board of Supervisor's meeting began at 7:17pm with comments from Kim Dodge, a resident of Hopyard. She said she was back again because she appreciates whoever calculated the equalization rates but she said she wasn't sure if that rate included the residential assessments or if it included retail as well. She said that some people are mentioning that they don't mind if tax rates could go in another direction, presumably meaning up, and she wanted to speak on behalf of those that don't come to the meetings that "yes, we do mind." She said it took her three months to find a home and she picked Hopyard because everything was new. Dodge said she was upset to learn that Hopyard had the newest water system and the internet, which was great, but worried that this meant she and the other residents of Hopyard may need to help build up the County. She said the Service Authority is old and needs to be replaced and finds it frustrating that not everyone in the County has internet.

The Board reports began with John Jenkins thanking Mrs. Dodge for her comments and stated that the process of equalization was still in the discussion phase. He said that on January 15, 2018 he attended GWRC (George Washington Regional Commission) and FAMPO (Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) meetings.

Jeff Bueche went next and thanked Dodge as well for her comments. He encouraged her and her neighbors to attend the budget work sessions and that public comment was welcome there. He said there is a big debt issue and the County may finally be at a point where it can be addressed. Bueche said he attended a Northern Neck Tourism Commission on January 29 as well as a meeting of Potomac Landing residents. He thanked everyone that came to his Town Hall on February 3 and that the discussions were insightful. He said he hears the customers and was optimistic that Michael Bennett, his appointment to the Service Authority Board of Directors, would provide a positive impact. He then made a motion to nominate Christina Buck to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee. The nomination was approved.

Ruby Brabo gave a lengthy summary that included a large number of updates, learnings, and quotes. The FAAR (Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors) event she attended on January 25 showed that there was a lack of home inventory listed below $400,000 in the County and that the average home value was $293,000. She also noted that three homes there were nearly sold in King George had their contracts pulled because of a lack of high speed internet. She also said that she's continuing to work with a group of local leaders to determine why the chem/bio lab in Dahlgren is being moved to Indian Head. Brabo said she exchanged several emails with those involved but has yet to find proof that a feasibility study was done to prove why there was a need to move the department. She said the move has a huge financial impact on the region, not just King George.

Cathy Binder's report was brief and included a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) event where she enjoyed seeing students get excited about STEM. She also attended a VDOT briefing on the Route 301/207 corridor and went to Jeff Bueche's Town Hall on February 3. She ended with today's event, January 6, at the King George Middle School where she participated in Career Day and enjoyed talking to young adults about what they're interested in.

Richard Granger thanked Kim Dodge as well for her comments. He re-iterated that it was still early in the process. Granger said the water systems are under the purview of the Service Authority and, while three of the Supervisors do sit on that Board, she might be better served by making comments to the Service Authority Board of Directors. He then directed a comment to Brabo that it was interesting to hear about the real estate market in King George and that when he last checked, only 89 homes were for sale in the County. Granger then said he attended a Bay Consortium Workforce Development meeting on January 24 and the budget work session on January 31.

The Consent Agenda was passed without comment.

County Attorney, Eric Gregory, stated that Aqua Virginia sent a letter regarding their upcoming Public Hearing on April 4, 2018 at 4pm at the Ladysmith Community Center Gymnasium in Ruther Glen. He said that while Aqua Virginia does not serve a large number of residents in King George, they do serve a lot of households in Caroline County. Gregory said Aqua is trying to raise their rates and that Caroline officials have been working to stop the increase. He said that all Aqua customers, including those living in Presidential Lakes in King George, would receive a notice about the meeting in the mail.

The Board then heard from Waste Management. Angelique Ferra was filling in for David Howard, Senior District Manager, who was absent due to a family emergency. She said the final tonnage for 2017 was 1,694,701 tons. She added that Cell 16A has been completed and is accepting trash while the earth work has been completed for Cell 16B and a liner should arrive this week. She also said that 30 wells are being laid out and the permit for the vertical expansion has been received for final approval.

Brabo requested that she pass along to David Howard that the Board would like his opinions on how to prolong the life of a landfill. She said some areas are using composting programs or thrift shops to generate revenue while reducing the long-term environmental impact.

Next to present was Kim McClellan and Chip Taylor of the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors (FAAR). The presentation noted that between 2007 and 2015, the population in King George County has grown 15% and has about 8,300 households. While the median income for homeowners is relatively high at about $93,000, the median income for renters is much lower at less than $57,000. She cited Dahlgren as being a big influence. McClellan said over 60% of homes in King George were built before 1980. She said 2017 saw about $102 million in sales where the average price for a detached home was $299,816. She added that the average home spent only 74 days on the market.

(c) 2018 Kim McClellan, used with permission

Chip Taylor then added a few more details stating that the current demand for rental properties was at or under the $1,250 a month range and that there were only four homes currently listed in the under-$250,000 sweet spot. He said new homes on the market start at $330,000 and only go up from there. While Granger had previously mentioned there were 89 homes on the market, Taylor said there were currently 67 homes for sale in King George. He said that while he isn't necessarily advocating one way or the other for town homes or apartments, there is clearly a need. He said only eight homes are available for rent at less than $1,200 a month in the County. McClellan closed by stating FAAR was happy to help if the Board had any real estate needs.


Brabo commented that town homes unfortunately do bring extra traffic and density. Taylor agreed and added that apartments often have a negative stigma attached to them but the key is really the management of the rentals. He said that sometimes we lose sight of the people that want to be here because we don't have options for them so instead they go elsewhere to live. He concluded that a large force behind King George's growth has been Southern Maryland, saying things are much cheaper and easier here than they are across the river.

Granger had a small question about the 15 year study and McClellan said it was based on a George Washington University population growth study.

Marcie Parker from VDOT was next to present to the Board. She said she was there to ask the Board for their action on three items. Before getting to each request, she gave a brief review of the upcoming Route 301 Harry Nice Bridge replacement over the Potomac River. She said the bridge carries about 20,000 cars a day for a total of 6.6 million vehicles a year. She said Maryland MDTA is using a design-build process and that if the bid is low enough, they would use the larger structure that gives bikes and pedestrians a separated space to travel. Otherwise the smaller option would be used where cyclists would need to share the road with vehicular traffic. She did clarify that regardless of which design was used, bicycles would be allowed on the new bridge.

Parker then got to her first request regarding a noise abatement wall. She said that installing one would reduce the decibel levels by about 6 decibels but would obscure the view of the Wayside Park and make patrolling the area more difficult for law enforcement. She also commented that the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) has already asked for no noise wall around the Dahlgren Heritage Museum (DHM) as they felt it would prevent drivers from knowing it was even there [EDITOR'S NOTE: Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is an employee of the Dahlgren Heritage Museum]. The Board spoke back and forth in low tones and seemed to be on the verge of making a decision for no noise wall when Neiman Young, County Administrator, asked how soon a decision was needed. Parker stated that the new NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) application is due in March and would like a decision tonight. The County Attorney then stated he would rather advise his clients in closed session and that a letter would be acceptable by VDOT and a vote wasn't required. Brabo looked confused and said that in order for a letter to be sent, a vote would need to be taken, which would require an official meeting. Jenkins then chimed in that, since the impacted area was in his district, he wouldn't mind asking citizens for their input via social media. The decision was deferred until the next Board meeting.

Parker then went to her second request, which was for the Board to agree that some of the changes to the land exchanges were minor, or "de minimis." She said that in meeting with VTC and DHM, it was agreed that everyone wanted to preserve the Museum building. This would result in a decrease in the land needed in some areas and an increase in other areas. Parker said that this decision would need a letter from the Board. The Board was upfront in their agreement that they needed more time before deciding. Parker did note that delaying the decision would mean a new Section 4(f) study would be necessary which could in turn delay the project. She did clarify that she wasn't trying to influence the Board's decision but was just informing them as the land owner. Again the County Attorney chimed in with some legal counsel and again the decision was deferred to the next meeting.

Parker's last request was regarding the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between VDOT, MDTA, VTC, the County, and others. The request was to sign a new MOA that had changes in the language regarding who would pick the replacement property and how much would be exchanged for the replacement. Regarding the latter, instead of a 2:1 replacement ratio, she said the Federal Code states it must be of an equal value and usefulness. Granger asked if the Federal regulations had changed or if the original MOA used the wrong language. It was unclear but Parker did say that if the Code did change after the MOA was signed, the MOA would be grandfathered in. Bueche asked about the equal value portion of the Federal Code and the County Attorney said he would need to research the regulations to get more information. As there were still outstanding questions, the Board again deferred making a decision until the next meeting.

Parker concluded her presentation by commenting that VDOT would soon be applying for Wetlands Impact permits from the County. Granger apologized for not having any finite answers for her.

Next on the Agenda was a list of Action Items starting with the Tourism Advisory Committee applications. Saundra Pearson and Annie Cupka spoke to the Board regarding the five applications for funding the Tourism Advisory Committee received. The request from the Fall Festival Committee raised questions from Brabo asking if it was an additional $4,000 requested or an amount that was already approved. Pearson said the Board had already approved about $11,000 for the Fall Festival and this was an additional $4,000 on top of that. There was some confusion as to what was said during the original presentation and approval for the $11,000 and Brabo requested that the decision be tabled until the minutes could be reviewed from the meeting. Binder also asked that members of the Fall Festival Committee attend the next meeting to help everyone get on the same page. She said she had heard some conflicting stories regarding the funds for the festival.

The Girl Scout Project for the sign at Lambs Creek Church also raised questions with Brabo regarding the amount shown on the receipt from the supplier versus what was being requested by the Scout. Brabo said the receipt looked like the final bill for the project was $500 and wanted to fund half of that to ensure that the Scout raised funds as part of the project just as an Eagle Scout would. Some on the Board seemed to think the receipt said the sign would cost $1,000 and the Scout was only asking for half of that amount. Because of the confusion, it was requested that this project's approval also be tabled until clarity could be found.

The other applications for the Belle Grove Spirits event, King George County Museum sign, and last year's Little League Tournament were approved.

Pearson and Cupka stayed at the podium to introduce their next item, the proposed changes to the Tourism Advisory Committee Charter. The changes were largely to the categories represented on the Committee and Brabo said she was not a fan of seeing the Chamber of Commerce removed from the list. She also said she wanted to see lodging split separately and thought restaurants should be included in the hospitality category. Binder also asked about the removal of museums on the list and felt it would be less inclusive of historical entities. Pearson said their goal was to be more inclusive and that the Chamber of Commerce was replaced because of their lack of involvement. She did note that the Chamber has recently begun attending meetings again and was hopeful they would continue. Cupka also added that the Committee felt that museum was too narrow of a category. The Board approved the changes but with their recommendations to add back the Chamber of Commerce, split out Lodging, and add Restaurants.

Jamie Carter, Deputy Director in the Finance Department and Procurement Manager, then made a short presentation on the request to purchase a new ambulance and fire engine. She noted that both were already in the budget but their costs did come in under the projected amounts. It was approved as presented in the Agenda.

The County Administrator then asked for authorization to advertise the sale of the Passapatanzy Voting Office. He said the building was no longer in use and voting now occurred at Sealston Elementary School. It was approved as presented in the Agenda. He then said the Board of Equalization members had been finalized and that their training would begin soon with hearing dates posted shortly after. His final update was that he had previously mentioned a grant being awarded to the Angelwood Marshall Homes Project but he had neglected to ask for the Board to accept the grant and is doing so now. The Board approved and shortly thereafter went into Closed Session at 8:55pm.

The Board returned from Closed Session at 9:31pm and adjourned the meeting one minute later.

Meeting Attendees:

John Jenkins (Board of Supervisors)

Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)

Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)

Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)

Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)

Neiman Young (County Administrator)

Eric Gregory (County Attorney)

Meeting Agenda

Next Meeting:

The Board of Supervisors will next meet on February 20, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:

Read about the previous Board of Supervisors Meeting.

2018-02-06 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

The February 6, 2018 meeting of the Service Authority Board of Directors was highlighted by emotional comments from the public and Chris Werle, Chairman of the Board.

The meeting opened at 6:31pm with public comment from Kym Shymansky of Rosedale Drive. She said she was here with her family to comment on recent developments at their Rosedale Drive property. Shymansky said she had information from two different sources that a bathroom was used in the building as late as 2013, before they purchased the property. They hired a local contractor to excavate part of their property to follow the original copper pipe where they found the end of the pipe was cut just inches from the tap. She said Chris Thomas, General Manager, and another Service Authority employee came out and accused the owners of putting the pipe there. She said two videos of the encounter can be found on YouTube.

Shymansky said the Service Authority continues to accuse them that they, the owners, installed the pipe. She also referenced a letter from Howard Yarus where he states that he had knowledge of a working bathroom in the original building. She said that the previous owners, the King George County Board of Supervisors, were a paying customer. Shymansky said they should be entitled to the same water connection that was previously present. "Have you not put our family through enough already?" she asked. She offered one quick side-note that the connection would take just minutes to complete, then handed the Board a stack of photos from the excavation.

Next to speak was Deborah Shymansky, also of Rosedale Drive, and mother-in-law to Kym Shymansky. She said she and her husband are residents of the property being discussed. She said that her husband, seated behind her, has Stage 4 COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and the building was purchased in an effort to make his trips to the doctor easier. Shymansky said that maybe they were wrong in making the assumption that if a bathroom was present that running water was also present. She said the Board of Supervisors owned the building for nearly 50 years and they should have been aware of any issues with the property before selling it to her son and daughter-in-law. She said that after digging up the yard, they discovered that a connection was present in the past and they should be entitled to that same connection and shouldn't have to pay the roughly $15,000 impact fee because they only made a few renovations inside. In closing, she said they feel trapped until a connection is made and is asking for the Board's help in making that connection.

The Board of Directors then made their reports, starting with the newest member, Michael Bennett. He had a brief laugh at himself as he struggled to turn on the microphone. Bennett thanked Jeff Bueche for appointing him to the Board. He said he was a retired attorney and while he used to be a "weekender," he is now a full-time resident of Fairview Beach for the last ten years. He said his wife has had a home in King George for the last 30 years. Bennett is also the current President of the Fairview Beach Residents Association and a member of the King George YMCA Board. He said he has worked closely with many of the officials in the County in the past and looks forward to working with them in the future.

Bennett then gave his update from the the recent Town Hall hosted by Jeff Bueche on February 3, 2018. He said four hours is a long Town Hall but it shows the level of interest that residents have. He appreciated those that came out to attend the meeting and said his neighbors and friends were concerned about the debt as well as the water quality issues. Echoing some of what he said at the Town Hall, he said he sees the issue as complex and systemic and that a better job needs to be done at figuring out what is wrong. He said that some new pipe was laid in the recent upgrades but that there is still older pipe in the ground. Bennett said that even though he has a tank-less water heater and a new line from the meter to his house, he still experiences dirty water just like his neighbors. He closed by saying he wants to work with residents in collecting data to determine the source of the issue.

Richard Granger had no report.

Ruby Brabo began her report by mentioning the Town Hall and said nobody expected it to last as long as it did. She said she had a prior commitment and had to leave early but otherwise would have stayed for the duration. She hopes there are ways to tackle the problem. Brabo welcomed Bennett to the Board and is excited to see the Board transition to a customer-populated Board, taking the politics out of it. She closed by echoing her plea from the Town Hall for citizens to contact their local representatives, specifically Senator McDougle, Senator Stuart, and Delegate Ransone, to ask for their to support in the pending legislation allowing localities to increase their meals tax to 8%. She said the general feeling from the Board is that if the bill were to pass, the Board would support the additional income from the 4% raise to be directed to the Service Authority debt.

Cathy Binder reported that she was also present at the Town Hall and that it was great to listen to other residents voicing their concerns over their water issues.

Chris Werle then gave his report by stating he, Chris Thomas (General Manager), and Annie Cupka (King George County Grant Writer), toured the trailer park on January 25, 2018 in Fairview Beach. They toured the area with the Tri-County Soil and Water Conservation District to look at data for a potential DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) grant. Werle said that they participated in a conference call on January 29, regarding the potential 319 Grant (Section 319 NonPoint Source Pollution Management Grant). He said that unfortunately, because the trailer park was privately owned, the owner would need to pay half of the cost-share and at this time the owner was not willing or able to pay. Therefore they would no longer pursue the grant but he hopes to find other solutions. Werle also attended the Town Hall on February 3, where several Service Authority customers voiced concern over quality of water issues over the span of several years. He said determining the source has been elusive and that system upgrades have only slightly improved water quality. Werle said they do plan to increase the frequency of flushing in the system from twice a year to four times a year. He said they may be able to neutralize the iron and manganese in the water but that may in turn create a problem by increasing the phosphorus in the discharge. He cautioned that it needed to be carefully studied to ensure additional problems aren't created. He also said that the long-term goal was to replace the lines in all of Fairview Beach and that the aging infrastructure is an issue across the system as a whole. He said the Utilities Master Plan should help determine when and where to invest in replacements, repairs, and new infrastructure. Werle said grants may be available but realistically, it will require more money to be borrowed, which then leaves the question of if rates increase for just the customers or all residents as a whole.

Werle then addressed Kym and Deborah Shymansky and their comments by saying the Board has discussed the issue as a whole and he saw nothing new that would change their decision. Currently, he said, the decision rests with the Community Development Office. He said he was present on March 21, 2017 when the area was excavated and that no copper line was present.

This is where the meeting deviated from normal procedures. Typically public comment is a one-way communication path from the public to the Board of Directors. The Board comments are also typically one-way from the Board to the public. There is typically no two-way discussion between the two parties. This same policy is in place for meetings of the School Board and Board of Supervisors.

Werle's comment about the prior excavation showing no pipe prompted the Shymansky family to speak up from their seats that the line was present. Werle tried to intervene by saying "you need to stop" but the family continued to speak up and said the pipe was there before them. Werle and the family continued to argue back and forth for a few minutes with the exchanges overlapping each other and voices being raised. At one point Werle stated that "someone put the pipe there" upsetting the family further and causing them to question how that was possible when the line went under the foundation of the house. They said neither they nor their neighbors saw any excavation take place. Despite the palpable tension in the room, the raised voices on both sides, and a few colorful adjectives thrown into the argument, the Sheriff's Deputy present in the Board Room never felt the need to interject himself into the discussion.

Werle eventually stopped speaking to the family and asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which was passed. The Shymansky family was still expressing their anger as they left the Board Room. During their departure, the County Attorney said he had no report.

With the tension in the room dissipating, the next item was an update on the Canterbury Estates water system. Chris Thomas read through an extensive list of repairs, replacements, and improvements that have been completed since July 2017 as well as a list of things planned for the future. The list Thomas read was nearly identical to the list Werle posted to his Facebook page on January 27, 2018. He finished by stating that he had a high confidence level that when everything was done, all the issues would be resolved. Thomas also said that while the amount of repairs being completed seems like a lot but the cost should not be too bad and gave a rough guess of about $20,000 just for parts. Brabo asked about overtime and who was making the repairs and Thomas said that some overtime was being accumulated but most of the repairs were being made during normal business hours by Service Authority employees and a few repairs were made by third-party contractors.

Chris Thomas then went into his General Manager's report by commenting on the emergency repair of the Dahlgren Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) equalization basin liner that he brought to the Board in August 2017. He said there was discussion at the time to not use stone unless needed and that it turned out it was needed so the final cost would be larger than expected but it would still be less than the original bid. He said he would have the final cost at the next Board meeting.

Werle then set the first budget work session for February 27, 2018 at 6:30pm with a location to be determined but most likely it would be held at Company 1.

There was no Closed Session and the meeting adjourned at 7:11pm.

Meeting Attendees:
Christopher Werle (Chairman, Board of Directors)
Christopher Thomas (General Manager of Service Authority)
Michael Bennett (Citizen)
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 Service Authority will next meet on February 20, 2018 at 6:30 pm at the Revercomb Building.

Previous Meeting:
Read about the previous Service Authority Meeting.

2018-02-08 - Public Notice

Public Notice - February 7, 2018

2018-02-03 - Jeff Bueche Town Hall Notes

Jeff Bueche, James Monroe District Supervisor, hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Fairview Beach Fire Department building. The meeting was scheduled to last two hours but ended up going well over three. While there were presentations given by a bevy of County leaders, the bulk of the discussion was focused on the Service Authority and the water issues residents were experiencing.

Jeff Bueche, James Monroe District Supervisor

Jeff Bueche started things off by welcoming everyone to the first James Monroe Town Hall. He was aiming for a "conversation amongst neighbors" but reminded everyone that while Facebook is home to many comments and discussions, it isn't actively monitored by those in the County that make decisions. In other words, talk to your representatives via email, phone, or in person if you want to be heard. Bueche also said he filled his campaign promise of appointing someone that was non-political to the Service Authority Board of Directors. He said he wanted to work on his personal goals that included connectivity, a solution for the old Middle School, an emergency medical center, and budget goals that address the County's debt. He said that while "our growth is inevitable," we needed to be proactive to help guide the growth instead of reacting to what is happening to us.

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, spoke a little about the local news in The Free Lance-Star trending towards more positive news compared to the negative stories of the past. He said things are not as "doom and gloom" as the paper may have it seem and that there is hope.

Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor

Ruby Brabo, At-Large Supervisor, started with a reminder that the budget work sessions are open to the public and that public comment is allowed. However, unlike regular Board meetings, they are not televised. She offered one potential solution for Service Authority debt in the pending legislation that would allow localities to collect an 8% meals tax. Brabo said all conversations point to everyone at the County level supporting the additional income from the increase going towards paying down the debt. But she cautioned that the meals tax increase wasn't a done deal yet and that without local citizens speaking up to their state representatives, namely Senator McDougle, Senator Stuart, and Delegate Ransone, the bill may not pass. She repeated her plea to contact state representatives about legislation that may block local authorities and land owners from having a say in broadband access.

TC Collins, James Monroe District School Board

TC Collins, James Monroe District representative on the School Board, was next and, despite getting the signal to hurry up, gave a long list of positive news and accomplishments for the school system. These included, but weren't limited to:

• being accredited at the state, national, and international level
• vertical math and literacy program
• e-learning backpack program at the high school
• nurses aid program at Heritage Hall
• updated division branding
• increased social media presence
• Honeywell energy partnership
• track improvements
• middle school expansion
• decreased teacher turn-over

Chief Dave Moody of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services

Chief Dave Moody of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, gave a brief history of the department, an overview of the department as it stands now, and a list of services provided in 2017. With 51 full-time and 14 part-time employees along with 42 volunteers, the department covers everything from fires to automobile accidents to medical transports. In 2017, he said there were roughly 126,000 man-hours worked and about 3,500 calls for service answered. He also said that all three stations are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He said if the station is ever empty, those that would have been there are likely out answering a call and that an emergency call box is present that will put you in touch with a 911 dispatcher. He said department's future goals include replacing the facility at Company 2 in Dahlgren and creating a new Company 4 in the Shiloh District.

Michael Bennett, James Monroe District Service Authority Board of Directors

Michael Bennett got his turn to talk next and joked that he may have been a little insane for volunteering to serve on the Service Authority Board of Directors. He said he's also the President of the Fairview Beach Residents Association and a former lawyer. He was upfront in saying he had no "magic wand" to get clean water tomorrow but reminded everyone that he is a customer too and, as many in the audience would mention later in the meeting, gets the same dirty water others do. Bennett said the current situation is a complicated issue but thinks it's a systemic problem and that it's not fair to have people buy bottled water when they're already paying for it.

Chris Thomas, Service Authority General Manager

Chris Thomas, General Manager of the Service Authority, was last to speak and kept his presentation short. He simply reminded everyone that he's been tasked with operating the Service Authority as a business and that a Utilities Master Plan is coming.

Audience

The presentations took only an hour and then the floor opened for the audience to ask questions, make comments, or give suggestions. The discussions were open, honest, and just that, discussions. Audience members had an open and two-way discussion with the leadership present unlike a typical Service Authority Board meeting where the public can only speak to the Board, not with them. Nearly everything brought up by the crowd was related to the water quality issues. A few highlights unrelated to the water issues included:

• someone in the audience asked Dr. Young about a survey he had mentioned during his presentation. Dr. Young replied that the "survey says we need internet."
• several Fairview Beach residents thanked Chief Moody and the fire and rescue workers that helped during the recent power outages and storms
• all fire and rescue personnel, and Sheriff's Deputies, carry naloxone

A few points that stood out about the Service Authority were the history behind its formation. In 1991, the State mandated that the County buy the private water systems and then mandated improvements be made. It was unclear how this was possible or legal. It was also noted that part of the recent, and large, increase in the Debt fees for Service Authority customers was that in years past, the Service Authority Board only approved debt payments to be made on the interest and not the principal. Once the principal amount of the payment came due, the bills customers received, reflected that large increase. There was also a suggestion or mention of all County citizens paying down the Service Authority debt. While non-customers of the Service Authority may enjoy the benefits of Service Authority services, such as those at all the schools, Courthouse, YMCA, or Smoot Library, this was not possible, yet. The discussion led to the revelation that it would impact the County's credit rating negatively, as would any outside funds being sent from the County to the Service Authority. In other words, until the County is financially out of debt far enough to absorb the Service Authority debt, this likely won't happen. Which is another reminder that the Service Authority and the County are two separate entities, even though they have close ties with each other.

The meeting ended around 1:30pm but there are still questions to be answered. Nearly all of the residents present were from Fairview Beach but they represent just a portion of the Service Authority customer base. The audience stayed civil but it was clear that many of them were angry about the current state. Be it the large debt or the poor water, the general consensus was not a happy one. The only shining light was the willingness to make positive changes by the current leadership on the Board of Supervisors and Service Authority Board as well as the County Administrator. The changes won't be immediate and things won't be fixed overnight but Dr. Young was willing to say that the light at the end of the tunnel looks to be only 4 or 5 years away. He didn't go into details as discussions were still being held in private but everyone seemed to have a positive view on the near future.

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

Public Notice - Week of February 5, 2018

OPINION - Citizen Budget Advisory Committee - Part 1

For those of you that may have missed it in my previous coverage of the Board of Supervisors meeting on January 23, 2018, I was appointed to the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee by the Board of Supervisors. On January 31, 2018, I attended our first meeting and was generously granted the opportunity to sit at the table with the Board of Supervisors, County Administrator (Neiman Young), several County employees, and fellow citizens serving on the Committee. What follows will be my report from that meeting.

But before I get into the report, I want to get a few things cleared up. First, I'm labeling this article as an opinion piece because I will be including a lot of my opinion in it. Second, unlike my coverage of the Board of Supervisors and Service Authority meetings, I'll try not to be so dry and technical in my writing style. But it will still be a long report. Finally, if anyone has questions, comments, or concerns, I recommend you reach out to your representative on the Board of Supervisors or on the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee. I'll list their names at the end. And before you reach out to your representative, keep in mind that this Committee is ONLY for the Board of Supervisors budget and NOT for the Service Authority budget NOR the School budget. While all three budgets may be related and linked together, they are handled differently.

The first thing that I noticed about the meeting, and was able to confirm later at the end of the meeting, was that this was an open discussion, productive, and educational. Unlike most meetings I've attended in my life, I was able to walk away feeling like I not only contributed but also learned something. I hope to share as much of what I learned as possible.

Before the meeting progressed very far, Ruby Brabo nominated and the Board voted and approved Renee Parker as the citizen representative on the Committee for the At-Large district.

The first thing Dr. Young, our County Administrator, did was give a State of the County presentation. As he does at a regular Board meeting, he read from his notes and gave a solid presentation. But unlike at Board meetings, several of us interrupted him at various points to ask questions, to raise concerns, or to make statements.

Breaking into a few of the key takeaways from his presentation, it was interesting to note that the metrics he listed for 2017 included four capital projects. Of those, three of them (Route 3/301 water extension, High School track, and a new fire engine) were cash funded and incurred no new debt to the County. Only the Middle School expansion added to the County's debt (roughly $20 million). I'll get more into the debt situation in a minute.

Dr. Young then explained how the County's credit rating was obtained. It wasn't strictly finances as I had assumed but instead looked at the County as a whole. Yes, finances were part of the math, but the credit agencies also looked at the stability of the County. In other words, things like the leadership, employees, cooperative relationships with other entities, etc. The overall theme though was "develop or die." The best analogy I could walk away with was something my parents always told me when I was growing up as a teenager. While they wanted me to go to college, even expected me to go, they would be okay if I didn't. But if I wasn't in school, I had to be working a job. I had to contribute to the family in some way, either financially or by bettering myself. Very similar to what I mean by "develop or die" in that the credit agencies expect the County to grow or make improvements in some form or fashion. And when that doesn't happen, lower credit ratings happen.

Getting into the financial aspect of the presentation, the key word was debt. Young looked at comparable Counties both in our region and of a similar size and found that despite how bad our debt may seem, it's not as bad as many people think. As he summarized at the end, he said our "house is not on fire" and that the debt was manageable but cautioned that our "appetite for capital projects is insatiable." In other words, there is hope of getting out of debt. But just like paying off that credit card debt or home mortgage, there are trade-offs and costs associated with that.

Comparing the County debt to my home mortgage was the best way I could think of to make sense of it all. Most, if not all, mortgages have a principal portion and an interest portion of the payment. In other words, for every $100 you pay on your house payment every month, $80 goes to pay off interest and only $20 pays off the principal. The same thing with the County debt, except the numbers are much larger. So while we have about $80 million in debt, we have $33 million in interest. And just like a home loan, we can pay down on the principal to reduce the interest, therefore reducing our overall debt. One shocking tidbit of information was that if we did not use our landfill income to fund our projects, we would need to raise our tax rate 23 cents to cover costs. That goes back to support his comment about that insatiable appetite for capital projects.

As he progressed into his presentation, my education level about County finances increased ten-fold. Sure, I knew some of the County expenses were mandated by Federal or State law, but some payments are also mandated by previous agreements or contracts. But things got interesting when he began talking about income. First, I learned that the Capital Fund and the General Fund could not be combined or cross-pollinated. In other words, they aren't allowed to play with each other. But the landfill income portion of the presentation was what scared me the most.

Currently, the landfill has a lifespan of another 29 years. That's 29 more years of income the County can expect to get. Except 20 years of that income is already spent or allocated to be spent. In other words, we've already borrowed against two-thirds of that income. Not at all ideal. Especially when you consider that because the landfill income is funding the Capital Fund, we're looking at a dim view of capital improvements in 30 years. Unless we look at other sources of income before that well runs dry.

Which ties back to the debt and paying off the principal early. If we can manage to pay down the debt early, then we can use the landfill revenue early. Or save it for a rainy day. But it gives us more opportunities to be fiscally and financially stable going forward.

The hardest pill to swallow though was one of the options to paying down that debt early. As I said at the start, it'll cost us as citizens. And one of those costs may be no equalization. While many developers will tout our low real estate tax rates as a way to attract home buyers, it means lower income for the County coffers. While many citizens will tout our history of equalizing tax rates based on assessments, it's not necessarily true for the last decade. Although, admittedly, the last decade has been rather hard on real estate values in general. But if the County didn't equalize rates this year, it would mean higher mortgage bills for residents. It would mean, however, more debt principal being paid off for the County.

Now before anyone goes ballistic about increased bills, be patient. Remember, this was just a presentation and a discussion. Nothing is set in stone. It's just an option on the table. And as I learned, the County is required to hold a Public Hearing if their income is more than one percent over their projected amount. In other words, something like this (meaning no equalization) would require a Public Hearing. So residents can voice their opinion for or against that option. Currently, our tax rate is $0.70 cents per $100. If the County equalized, it would drop to $0.67 cents. But just like raising rates, a Public Hearing would need to be held and the County would need to hear from residents on what that extra money is spent on. This was wildly educational for me as I always just assumed the County needed my permission, as a resident, to increase rates. I never knew it worked the other way too.

Transportation was another key discussion topic and Dr. Young said we were in what he called the "eye of the traffic congestion hurricane." In other words, that Route 301 corridor is forecast to have twice the amount of traffic in the coming decade and there are few, if any, plans to maintain or improve the road. So even though the Board of Supervisors is exploring the option of creating a Regional Transit Authority (RTA), as the home of a major thoroughfare, we need to plan for the future.

And that was probably the most important takeaway from the presentation. Future planning. It was again emphasized in discussing County Staff needs, capital improvement priorities, and potential future projects. I think most residents can agree that our County needs certain things such as a well staffed fire department but there are other needs that may be a little more obscure like a new accounting software system.

Wilma Ward, Director of the Finance Department, then gave her presentation on the County Budget. It was a fairly straight-forward overview of how each department completes a line-item budget and submits it to the County Administrator for review. From there, the Board of Supervisors reviews it before everything gets approved. As with any budget this complex, there are certain variables and changes that need to be made throughout the year as well as during the budget creation. The best example I know of is actually the School's budget. They may have a pretty solid guess on how many students will attend every year, but they don't know how many kids will move into or out of the district during the school year. And because their budget is partially based on their Average Daily Membership (ADM), it's hard to set certain amounts in stone for the entire year. The County is the same way. This is also true for income, largely from the State and Federal governments as their respective budgets are not finalized yet. In simple terms, we can't finalize our numbers until we get their numbers. And even when we do get their numbers, they may change them during the year thus requiring us to change ours.

Ryan Gandy, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, gave his presentation next. It was largely focused on reviewing feedback from County leadership, staff, and citizens in an effort to develop a vision for the future. Again, future planning was the cornerstone of the night. By reviewing his SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), the goal was to create a Vision Statement.

It was important to differentiate the Vision Statement from the Mission Statement as they are technically two different things. Personally, I've never seen much of a difference between them and have found common sense to be a much better mission in life. But over the years I've found that common sense doesn't always work and isn't very finite. So like civil, criminal, and tax law, there needs to be a concrete measuring stick to use. The current Mission Statement reads:

From 2018-2023, King George County will maintain a comprehensive economic development program that encourages controlled development and diverse revenue streams in order to manage our inevitable growth while preserving the historical, cultural, and rural character of our community.

While it may look like a boiler-plate mission, there are some key focal points that stood out to me like "diverse revenue streams" and "inevitable growth" and "controlled development."

One last thing I noticed during the meeting was that the mood was cooperative. While there were disagreements, I wouldn't say they were heated or disrespectful. They were simple discussions about complex topics where there were many sides to be seen. And as with any meeting dealing with complex issues, there's bound to be a difference of opinion. But the fact that everyone at the table was willing to listen and given the opportunity to voice their own opinion in turn gave me hope for our future work sessions.

In conclusion, or the tl/dr if you prefer, the meeting was productive and educational. Our debt is large but there are solutions. There are a lot of myths to be dispelled about our County's Budget. Future planning and a forward-thinking vision is key to our County's survival.

Meeting Attendees:

Jeff Bueche (Board of Supervisors)

Richard Granger (Chairman, Board of Supervisors)

Ruby Brabo (Board of Supervisors)

Cathy Binder (Board of Supervisors)

Neiman Young (County Administrator)

Wilma Ward (Director, Finance Department)

Neil Richard (Citizen)

Sherry Allwine (Citizen)

Renee Parker (Citizen)

Keith Conner (Citizen)

Ryan Gandy (Director, Economic Development and Tourism)

*Others were present at the table but I did not catch their names.
*Other County officials and members of the public were also present in the audience.