[Call to Order]
[00:00:48]
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THE YORK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR'S MEETING FOR MARCH THE 21ST, 2023.
I'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE A FORM? OKAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT TODAY'S MEETING IS THAT, UH, AND I, AND I SEE ALL THE, THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HERE, UH, WE'RE GONNA GET TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT TODAY.
SO WE'LL START OFF HERE, UH, WITH AN INVOCATION FROM RYAN, UH, EXCUSE ME, ADRIAN RYAN, WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION.
YOU'LL BE GIVING US THE INVOCATION.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND FOR THIS GATHERING THAT WE ARE HERE TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY THAT STRIVES FOR UNITY, STRENGTH, AND PURPOSE.
THANK YOU FOR FOR OUR ABILITY TO BE INVOLVED IN MEANINGFUL WORK THAT IS CENTERED AROUND THE WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY.
AND AS WE BEGIN THIS MEETING, GIVE US THE HEART TO ACT WITHOUT SELFISHNESS, TO SPEAK WITH KINDNESS, AND TO MAKE DECISIONS WITH WISDOM.
I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GRANT US NOT ONLY THE COURAGE TO LEAD WITH VIRTUE, BUT ALSO WITH THE HUMID HUMILITY TO SERVE WITH COMPASSION.
HELP US HAVE CLARITY AS WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO HERE TODAY.
AND ALL THAT IS DONE, BE DONE WITH THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE, TRUTH AND LOVE.
NOW, UH, ANOTHER PART, ANOTHER GROUP, UH, IT WILL BE TROOP 1, 2, 3 FROM SEAFORD WILL COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
SO EVERYONE, PLEASE STAND, STAND OVER HEART.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TWO, WHICH ONE NATION, GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE.
[1* Proposed FY2024 Budget Presentation. Receive presentation from Neil Morgan, County Administrator.]
TO STEP AWAY FROM THE YOUTH AND MOVE TO OUR SAGE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WHO WILL NOW GIVE US THE ONE OF OUR PRESENTATIONS, WHICH WILL BE THE PROPOSED FY 2024 BUDGET.UM, IT'S THE SECOND MEETING IN MARCH, WHICH MEANS IT'S TIME FOR THE STAFF TO PRESENT, UH, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR THE, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION.
AND, UM, TONIGHT MY INTENT IS TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, UH, I GUESS YOU MIGHT SAY THE ELEVATOR SPEECH VERSION OF THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
UH, AND AT YOUR SEATS IS A HARD COPY OF, UH, THE DOCUMENTS.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'M JUST GONNA PROCEED TO GIVE YOU A SUMMARY AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WHAT COMES NEXT ALONG THE WAY.
SO, IN RECENT YEARS, WE ALWAYS START BUILDING OUR BUDGET, KEEPING THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN MIND.
UM, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
HONESTLY, IT'S ALMOST A YEAR ROUND PROCESS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF THE TAIL END, THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS WHERE ALL THE PREPARATORY WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
UM, AND IT NOW, UH, COMES TO THE BOARD AND THE CITIZEN COMMENT PHASE, AND WE HOPE THAT IT, UH, ENDS IN, UH, ADOPTION IN MAY.
SO AS WE, THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, UH, AND I WORKED ON THIS BUDGET, UH, WE, WE START WITH, UH, YOUR PRIORITIES AND ALSO WHAT WE UNDERSTAND TO BE THE CRITICAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE ORGANIZATION.
AND, UM, THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, OR COMPENSATION AND THE LABOR MARKET WE'RE IN, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE
[00:05:01]
SCHOOL DIVISION AND, UH, TO SUSTAIN OUR, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE EMPHASIS ON THE SPENDING SIDE.
UH, I AM PLEASED TO, UH, REPORT THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECOMMEND A SMALL DECREASE IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE AND THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND THERE ARE NO RECOMMENDED FEE CHANGES IN THIS BUDGET.
SO IF YOU ADD UP ALL OF THE MONEY WE SPEND FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND, ENTERPRISE FUNDS, UH, INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS AND ALL THAT, AND THEN YOU RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME BACK AND FORTH TWEEN FUNDS, AND YOU HAVE TO KIND OF NET THAT OUT TO GET A PICTURE OF TOTAL SPENDING.
SO, SO MY RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR FY 24 WOULD BE, UH, JUST OVER $244 MILLION, UH, WITH COUNTING ALL THE FUNDS.
AND OF COURSE, WE TYPICALLY TALK MOSTLY ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS WHERE THE TAX DOLLARS, UH, COME INTO THE EQUATION.
AND THAT IS IN THE AMOUNT OF 174, UH, $0.7 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR IS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.
SO EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS, UH, INTERESTED IN, UH, TAX RATES.
AND SO, IN PARTICULAR, RECALL LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE REAL ESTATE TAX BY PENNY A HALF.
AND THIS BUDGET, UH, MOVES THAT DOWN ANOTHER PENNY TO 77 CENTS.
SO THAT'S ABOUT A 1.25% CUT IN REAL ESTATE TAXES FROM WHATEVER YOU WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE PAID.
AND ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY SIDE, OF COURSE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN OUR FINANCIAL RETREAT.
UH, WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS A SMALL, UH, STRAIGHTFORWARD, UH, RATE CUT OF 10 CENTS, WHICH WOULD TAKE US FROM $4 TO THREE 90, AND THAT'S ABOUT A TWO AND A HALF PERCENT, UH, CUT IN WHAT YOU WOULD OTHERWISE PAY.
UM, WE'VE PRETTY MUCH SORTED OUT THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED TAX RELIEF PROGRAM.
UH, LAST MONTH THE BOARD APPROVED A SORT OF AN AUTOMATED INFLATER ARRANGEMENT.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE SORT OF CHECKED THAT BOX AND WE'VE GOT ONE ITEM TONIGHT, UH, RELATED TO SURVIVING SPOUSE, SPOUSE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION, WHICH WILL HAVE A VERY SMALL IMPACT ON THIS.
IS MR. MR. MORGAN, IS THAT SOMETHING NEW? UH, DISABLED VETERANS AND, UH, SURVIVING SPOUSES? UH, NO.
SO, SO THAT'S BEEN ALLOWED BY, UH, STATE LAW FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, WE JUST HAD LIKE, SOME SET RATES AND WE HADN'T, DURING THE LOW INFLATION PERIOD, WE REALLY JUST HADN'T WORRIED ABOUT IT.
RECALL LAST YEAR, WE MADE SORT OF A ONE-TIME INFLATION JUMP, AND THEN WE COMMITTED TO SORT OF CIRCLE BACK AND PUT IT ON A SORT OF AN AUTOPILOT FOR INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS.
WHAT IF I MAY, IS IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE VETERANS GOTTA BE 100% DISABLED, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, NOT FOR THAT PROGRAM.
UH, THERE'S A, UM, THERE'S A DEGREE OF DISABILITY THAT IS FACTORED INTO THE PROGRAM.
THIS ONE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TONIGHT IS, UH, ACTUALLY IS ONLY APPLIES TO A SURVIVING SPOUSE FOR A VETERAN THAT WOULD, WAS KILLED IN ACTION.
I DO LIKE TO SLOW THIS SHOW, THIS SLIDE, AND I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE TO SEE IT.
UM, THIS IS THE COMPARATIVE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX RATE, UH, FROM MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES NEARBY.
UH, TO BE FAIR TO EVERYONE ELSE, EVERYBODY'S GOT DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOME HAVE VOLUNTEERS, SOME HAVE PROFESSIONALS, SOME HAVE A HEALTHIER TAX BASED THAN OTHERS, BUT HOWEVER YOU CUT IT, UM, UH, FOR THE HAMPTON ROADS AREA, OUR A REAL ESTATE TAX RATE IS, IS PRETTY LOW.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING LOTS OF, UH, HIGH VALUE PROPERTY.
WE ALSO HAVE THE DISADVANTAGE OF HAVING HALF THE COUNTY
SO THOSE, THAT'S KIND OF THE YIN AND YANG OF OUR SITUATION.
ARGUABLY, THE TWO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THE CLOSEST PEERS ARE JAMES CITY AND IS OF WHITE, THE TWO OTHER, UH, COUNTIES IN OUR IMMEDIATE AREA.
UM, AND WE COULD HAVE PUT IN GLO WE COULD HAVE PUT GLOUCESTER ON HERE.
THEY HAVE AN ALL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT THOUGH.
SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT KIND OF IS AN UNFAIR COMPARISON.
UH, AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE COMPARISON, UH, FOR THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AGAIN, THE RED SHOWS WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING AND SUGGESTING.
UM, AND SO IN TERMS OF RATE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE LOW END THERE AS WELL.
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IT'S A GENERAL FUND, UH, SUMMARY OF WHERE, UM, THE INCREMENTAL ADDITIONAL MONEY IS COMING FROM AS WE FORESEE IT.UH, WHAT JUMPS OUT AT YOU IS, UM, THERE IS SOME GROWTH IN REAL ESTATE, AND THIS IS BOTH A COMBINATION OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS SOME NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE BENEFITING FROM.
AND ALSO, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED IN, UH, PRIOR MEETINGS, UM, OUR ASSESSMENTS ARE PRETTY FAR BELOW MARKET, AND THE SECOND HALF OF THIS FISCAL YEAR WOULD CAPTURE, UH, NEXT YEAR'S REASSESSMENT.
OF COURSE, NEXT YEAR, THE BOARD WILL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, WE CAN, UH, HAVE A POSITIVE PROJECTION IN TERMS OF REAL ESTATE REVENUE.
THE, UM, THE CONSUMER TAXES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ESTIMATING THEY'RE GONNA GO UP A LITTLE BIT IF YOU ADJUST FOR INFLATION, THEY'RE BASICALLY STAYING STEADY.
UH, AND THE ONE INTERESTING ONE IS THE USE OF PROPERTY AND USE OF MONEY AND PROPERTY, WHICH IS FOR THE MOST PART INTEREST INCOME.
AND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN SUCH A SMALL REVENUE ITEM THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO TALK ABOUT IT.
UH, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING IN INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT, WHILE THAT HAS MANY DOWNSIDES, UM, IT ALSO HAS AN UPSIDE FOR THE COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, AN ALMOST MILLION DOLLAR POSITIVE REVENUE ITEM, UH, IN THIS TOTAL SPENDING PLAN.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE STATE STILL THERE USUALLY IS, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN USUAL BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE TO GET BACK TOGETHER.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT, I I MENTIONED REAL ESTATE AND INTEREST INCOME ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, UH, THE DOMINION ENERGY PROPERTY, WE, WE KNOW THAT THE FINAL TURBINE, THE OIL TURBINE, IS GOING TO BE, UH, TURNED OFF FOR THE LAST TIME AND DEMOLITION IS GONNA PROCEED.
IT'S SOMEWHAT OF, UM, SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
AND IT MAY NOT MATERIALIZE UNTIL NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
UM, BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING BECAUSE WE DO KNOW, UM, THAT THAT FACILITY IS, IS BEING DISMANTLED.
IT'S ALREADY STARTED, AND WE'LL CONTINUE.
AND, UH, B POLL, WHICH IS A GROSS RECEIPTS TAX, IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ITEM IN OUR BUDGET.
IT'S ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF MILLION OF THAT 174 YOU SAW.
AND, UH, THE WAY, UH, THAT COMES IN AND IS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBER WE HAVE FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT OF ALL THE MAJOR SOURCES OF REVENUE, IT'S ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S MOST ECONOMY SENSITIVE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TO HAVE A RECESSION, THAT WOULD BE ON YOUR WATCH LIST, YOU KNOW, FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, SO ON THE EXPENDITURE PRIORITY SIDE, IT'S REALLY PRETTY SIMPLE STORY.
COMPENSATION, SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION, AND CASH CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION.
UH, THE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION PROPOSAL THAT I'M MAKING IS 5% PLUS AN ANNUAL S $750 FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN GOOD STANDING.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, I TEND TO RECOMMEND AN INCREASE THAT COMBINES A ACROSS THE BOARD PERCENTAGE AND A DOLLAR AMOUNT, WHICH TENDS TO SKEW THE RAISE AND PERCENTAGE TERMS TOWARD THE LOWER HALF OF THE WORKFORCE.
SOME PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE DOING IN THIS AREA, OF COURSE, THEY'RE, EVERYBODY WATCHES EACH OTHER.
AND, UH, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEFORE WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN, UM, THE, UH, THE INCREASE IN COMPENSATION THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THE BUDGET IS NOT JUST THE 5% AND THE $750 RECALLED IN OUR LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
UH, YOU ALL DIRECTED ME TO ADD A MID-YEAR RAISE MM-HMM.
BUT WE HAVE TO PICK UP THAT 650,000, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND ALSO REACTING TO, UH, ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, JAMES CITY COUNTY, UH, IN THE FALL.
THEY DID SOME SUBSTANTIAL SURPRISE INCREASES ON THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, STAFFING, UH, IN TERMS OF TEAMS PAY AND SPECIAL ADJUSTMENTS.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAD TO REACT TO THAT MM-HMM.
UM, SO WE HAD TO CARRY OVER THAT COMMITMENT INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AS WELL.
THE SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION, UM, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I'VE FELT GOOD ABOUT THIS BODIES AND SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOLS IN RECENT YEARS AND, AND MY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE INFLATION ADJUSTED, UH, DATA ON THAT YOU RECALL AT THE FINANCIALS RETREAT, I WAS ACTUALLY, UM,
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A LITTLE BIT BOTHERED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HADN'T DONE THAT MUCH ONCE YOU ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.OF COURSE, THE STATE HAS DONE BETTER IN RECENT YEARS.
SO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND I HAVE APPROACHED THIS AS WE TYPICALLY DO.
UH, WE START MEETING IN THE FALL AND, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT EACH OTHER'S NEEDS AND PROBLEMS, AND WE SORT OF, UH, NEGOTIATE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN AFFORD AND HE THINKS WILL WORK FOR THEM.
WE CALL IT THE WORKING NUMBER.
AND SO, UH, THAT 2.35 MILLION INCREASE IS THE WORKING NUMBER THAT'S IN THE SCHOOL BUDGET AS A LOCAL CONTRIBUTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS OF TONIGHT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE NUMBER I'M RECOMMENDING AS WELL.
AND THE OTHER, UH, IMPORTANT THING THAT THIS BUDGET DOES ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE IS IT CONTINUES TO MAKE THE CASH CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE KEY THING THAT WE HAVE DONE IN RECENT YEARS, UM, TO GET OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS BOTH ON THE COUNTY SIDE AND THE SCHOOL SIDE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR EXAMPLES.
UM, THE SIGNATURE PROJECT RIGHT NOW IN THE SCHOOL SIDE, OF COURSE, THE SEAFORD ELEMENTARY AND ON THE COUNTY SIDE, YESTERDAY, YORKTOWN LIBRARY OPENED NEXT MONTH, FIRE STATION SEVEN OPENS, AND ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW, THE NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILDING WILL OPEN.
ANOTHER THING EVERYBODY ALWAYS IS INTERESTED IN IS WHAT ABOUT POSITIONS? AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, UH, WE LOOKED AT AFTER THE RETREAT WAS, YOU KNOW, HOW WAS OUR, HOW HAVE OUR POSITIONS TRACKED OVER THE YEARS? AND BASICALLY THEY PRETTY MUCH HAVE TRACKED WITH, UM, PROPORTIONALLY WITH GROWTH IN POPULATION.
AND SO THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET, UH, THERE'S NO NET INCREASE IN GENERAL FUND POSITIONS.
THERE ARE, UH, FIVE OR SIX REALLOCATED POSITIONS IN THE BUDGET.
I'M HAPPY TO COVER THAT DETAIL WITH YOU IN THE WORK SESSION.
UM, BUT THOSE POSITIONS WERE, UH, TAKEN FROM POSITIONS THAT WERE FROZEN OR VACANT.
SO THE NET NUMBER DOES NOT GO UP IN THIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF EXPENDITURE HITS OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE, UH, FROM REGIONAL, UM, COMMITMENTS WE'RE INVOLVED IN.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, WILLIAMSBURG REGIONAL LIBRARY COST IN OUR LAST WORK SESSION, SO THAT'S ONE.
AND THE PENINSULA REGIONAL JAIL.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT I MADE THE POINT THAT, UH, AND MAYBE FOR SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE LISTENING, THIS IS AN INTERESTING THING TO THINK ABOUT.
WE SPEND ABOUT AS MUCH ON INCARCERATION AS WE DO ON PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
UM, AND BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT'S THE COST OF LABOR FOR THE, FOR THE JAIL GUARDS, UH, OUR NUMBER AND, AND THE NUMBER FOR OUR OTHER REGIONAL PARTNERS, UH, GOES UP PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY.
GOT A QUESTION, UM, TIED TO THAT, UM, THE REGIONAL JAILS, THE MIRAMAX CENTER, RIGHT? YES.
SO, UM, EVERYBODY SAW IN THE NEWS WERE CERTAIN CHESAPEAKE I THINK HAD A REGIONAL, I GUESS A REGIONAL JAIL OR WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING, THEY WERE SHARING WITH, UH, OTHER LOCALITIES AROUND TO, UH, INCARCERATE, UH, THE YOUTH COURSE.
BUT SO MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, UH, THEN THEY HAD TO GO SHOP AROUND.
SEVERAL OF THE CITIES HAD TO SHOP AROUND AND THAT WE'RE PICKING UP, UH, IN THE MERRIMACK CENTER.
SOME OF THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE, UH, UH, JUVENILES IS, UH, HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT, UH, THE CENTER? UM, I DON'T BELIEVE, I KNOW SHERRY IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE, SHERRY, IF WHAT I SAY IS NOT, UH, ACCURATE, YOU KNOW, SPEAK UP, UM, IT'S SPREAD OUT OVER, WE'RE ONE OF ABOUT 16 COMMUNITIES IN THAT.
SO OUR PORTION OF THE OVERALL POPULATION AND THE OVERALL COST IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S 260,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE 2.9 MILLION LIKE THE REGIONAL JAIL.
WE ONLY HAVE FOUR PARTNERS AT THE REGIONAL JAIL, AND WE HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF PARTNERS AT THE MERRIMACK CENTER.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT JUST KIND OF ON THE MARGINS, YOU KNOW, REDUCES EVERYBODY'S COST A SMALL AMOUNT, BUT IT'S NOT TERRIBLY IMPACTFUL.
THE OUTSIDE, YOU NEED TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT ARE COMING IN ARE GONNA PAY A PER DAY PER DEAL.
THEY'RE GONNA PAY FOR THEIR KIDS TO BE THERE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE AN ADDED INCOME COMING IN TOO.
THE JUVENILE JAIL IS WHAT IT'S GONNA DO.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN EXTRA COST ON THE LOCALITIES, BUT AM I RIGHT THAT IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL POPULATION? IT'S NOT A HUGE PERCENTAGE.
IN FACT, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A 10 BED AT THE MOST.
THEY'RE GONNA HOLD 10 BEDS AND THEY'RE THINKING THEY'RE NOT EVEN GONNA FILL THAT.
AND, UM, THIS PARTICULAR OPERATING BUDGET HAS A SMALL DECREASE IN DEBT SERVICE.
I'D LIKE TO CLAIM THAT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY SMART THING THAT WE DID.
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IS JUST THAT OUR PARTICULAR, UH, DEBT SPENDING PROJECTED OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN ONE OF THE, UH, SCHOOL BONDS PAID OFF.SO JUST THE OVERALL DEBT SERVICE IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR WENT DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO BY, UM, DIFFERENT PROGRAMMATIC CATEGORY, THIS IS HOW THE NEW MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND IS SPREAD OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF TIMES IT'S HELPFUL TO THINK ABOUT, UH, SPENDING IN PROGRAMMATIC CATEGORIES, BUT EXCEPT FOR, UH, A COUPLE OF THESE, WHAT IT REALLY AMOUNTS TO IS JUST SPREADING OUT THE COMPENSATION INCREASE INTO DIFFERENT AREAS.
IT'S JUST CARVING THE, THE COMPENSATION INCREASE UP INTO PROGRAMMATIC CATEGORIES.
SO NOT SURPRISINGLY, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IS THE BIGGEST PART OF THE OPERATION.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGEST INCREASE IS.
CAUSE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO WE DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
UM, AND THE SEWER FUND IS BY FAR THE LARGEST.
WE HAVE SOME OTHERS NOT RECOMMENDING ANY FEE CHANGES.
UM, THE SOLID WASTE FUND IS, UM, UH, DOESN'T HAVE A LARGE RESERVE, SO IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD FOR THE MOMENT.
THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THESE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
SOME OF THEM, UH, ARE TIED IN WITH STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY, PARTICULARLY HEADSTART SOCIAL SERVICES.
YOU'VE GOT AN ACTION RELATED TO HEAD START LATER.
AND WE ALSO ACCOUNT FOR GRANTS DIFFERENTLY.
THE TOURISM FUND IS ONE OF THE, UH, SORT OF THE POSITIVES, UH, IN OUR BUDGETING ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW.
UH, CAUSE UM, TOURISM IN GREATER WILLIAMSBURG HAS, HAS COME BACK PRETTY STRONG.
AND WITH THAT, THE, UH, THE TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, LODGING, THESE ARE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS WHERE WE BASICALLY CHARGE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT SUPPORT, UH, EVERYBODY.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF IS WHAT IT IS.
AND ALL THE OTHER INFLATIONARY COSTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH, UH, EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOW THROUGH THIS.
AND OF COURSE HEALTH INSURANCE, THE BOARD WELL KNOWS OUR SIX YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, THE FIRST YEAR IS ACTUALLY CONNECTED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET AND WOULD BE APPROPRIATED AS PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
THE OUT YEARS ARE A PLAN, AND EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE MODIFY THAT AS TIMING AND COST ESTIMATES AND, AND PRIORITIES CHANGE.
IN DECEMBER, I GAVE YOU A PRETTY DETAILED PRESENTATION ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO IT IN GREAT DETAIL TONIGHT.
UM, OF COURSE, THIS IS, UH, WHAT WE USE TO PAY FOR BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT HAVE A LONG USEFUL LIFE.
AND THE WAY OUR FINANCES ARE SET UP, THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY FOR THE SCHOOL CAPITAL BUDGET AS WELL, CUZ THEY DON'T HAVE INDEPENDENT BORROWING AUTHORITY.
SO REALLY, UM, IN THE CLOSE IN YEARS, THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS, THERE'S NOTHING NEW.
IT'S REALLY, UH, ADJUSTMENTS FOR INFLATION AND SEQUENCING.
AND THERE ARE SOME, UH, NEW PROJECTS OR THINGS THAT HAVE MADE IT WITHIN THE SIX YEAR WINDOW, UH, THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND IT CONTINUES TO BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR REVIEW.
SO IT'S A LITTLE HARD FOR ME TO SEE WITH MY OLD EYES HERE,
BUT, UM, THE, UH, FY 24 IS OF COURSE THE, THE PART THAT'S TIED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE WOULD BE SPECIFIC APPROPRIATIONS THAT WE WOULD BE RECOMMENDING AS PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR DETAILED C I P, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THAT LINKS TO.
AND, UH, I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT EVERYTHING IN FY 24 IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IN VERY DETAIL.
AND THEN THIS IS JUST THE HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY FOR EACH YEAR GOING OUT.
AND AGAIN, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS BOTH WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD PROPOSE TO DO AND WHAT THE SCHOOLS WOULD PROPOSE TO DO, UM, OVER THAT NUMBER OF YEARS
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WISE.UM, ON APRIL 4TH, UH, WE'LL HAVE A, UH, WORK SESSION THAT AT LEAST IN MY MIND WOULD BE DEDICATED TO THE BUDGET, UM, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, UH, THE BIG DRIVERS ON EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE, UM, COMPENSATION AND HEALTHCARE AND CERTAINLY ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL IDENTIFY THAT YOU WANT US TO GO INTO.
BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF THE DEFAULT THINGS WE WOULD WANT TO COVER WITH YOU.
UH, SCHEDULE ALLOWS OTHER WORK SESSIONS IF NEEDED.
UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING HAS, I BELIEVE, ALREADY BEEN ADVERTISED, OR AT LEAST THAT WE HAVE IT PLANNED TO BE ADVERTISED FOR APRIL 18TH.
SO BEFORE YOU GET OFF THIS SLIDE, UM, SO ARE WE DOING, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KIND OF ENHANCE THIS PROCESS SO WE CAN HAVE MORE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION? WELL, UH, PRACTICALLY, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, WHAT WE HAVE AS A TEAM WORKING ON IDEAS FOR NEXT YEAR'S PROCESS, WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENT FOR THIS YEAR, BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, WE WERE PRETTY MUCH LOCKED IN WITH THE JANUARY CITIZEN COMMENT THING AND THE, YOU KNOW, MY SCHEDULE FOR DOING THIS.
SO, UH, CERTAINLY OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS TEAM, UH, PUTS OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED TOMORROW MORNING, UH, THIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET DOCUMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN LIBRARIES.
UM, SO THAT'S, THE STAFF AGREES WITH YOU THAT WE OUGHT TO COME UP WITH SOME NEW THINGS, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO GET THROUGH THIS BUDGET CYCLE SURE.
AND PUT A LITTLE ENERGY INTO WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
I GUESS WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP EMPHASIS ON GET, KIND OF CHANGING THIS PROCESS.
I MEAN, WE'VE WATCHED IT YEAR AFTER YEAR AND WE HAVE, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE AND I THINK THE METRIC OF SUCCESS MIGHT BE IF WE GET SOME PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY SEE, UH, INVOLVED MM-HMM.
SO, UM, WE ALWAYS, UH, ENCOURAGE COMMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO COME AND PUT IN A CARD AND SPEAK AT A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, AND SO THERE IS A, UM, A WAY FOR THEM TO EMAIL YOU ALL, UH, OR THE STAFF.
AND OF COURSE THE, THE BUDGET STAFF, UH, TAKES THE CALLS ON THE, ON THE, I GUESS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL THE BUDGET HOTLINE.
AND, UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
CHAD, YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT MR. SHEPHERD SAID, WE HAVE A PUBLIC WORK SESSION ON APRIL 4TH.
WILL THERE BE PUBLIC COMMENT AVAILABLE AT THAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, UH, MR. SHEPHERD OR YOU WERE SAYING NO SO THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT NO, OUR NORMAL PROCESS, CHAD, WE, WE END UP WITH PUBLIC HEARING MM-HMM.
WE MIGHT GET ONE, TWO PEOPLE SHOW UP.
THE JANUARY ONE IS THE ONE THAT I THINK IS, WE'VE BEEN MOST DISAPPOINTED WITH BECAUSE YEAH.
THAT'S REALLY BEFORE IT GETS GOING.
SO, UM, WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE DIRECTION TO BE IS FOR NEXT YEAR'S PROCESS, LET'S TRY TO BLOW IT UP AND COME UP WITH A, A NEW WAY TO DO IT.
SO THE WORK SESSION WOULD BE A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT THAT WOULD BE BETWEEN THE STAFF AND YOU ALL.
AND SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM THIS BUDGET IS A DECREASE IN REAL ESTATE TAX AND A DECREASE IN PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX MM-HMM.
SHEILA, YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
WE'RE JUST BEGINNING THE PROCESS.
SO WE HAD EXPLORED IN THE PAST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LAKEY YEARLY ANNUAL FEES, AND I KNOW THAT NONE OF THOSE KIND OF MADE THE CUT IN, IN THIS DRAFT.
I WONDER IF WE CAN MAYBE SPEND SOME TIME ON FOURTH MEETING, TAKING A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF ON, ON A COUPLE OF THOSE FEES AND YOU, YOU AND I COULD TALK ABOUT SURE.
SOME POSSIBILITIES THERE, BUT I'D STILL LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT BEFORE WE PUT A STAMP ON THIS IF WE COULD.
AND I THINK AT LEAST THE ONE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS THE CAR LICENSE FEE.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, PARTLY ARITHMETIC, UM, I MADE THE JUDGMENT THAT A SMALL CUT IN THE PROPERTY TAX RATE WAS THE BETTER OPTION.
UH, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT THAT.
CER CERTAINLY THE, WHAT YOU PROPOSED IS GOOD.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT WE CAN A LITTLE BIT MORE ICING ON TOP OF THE CAKE THERE, SO THANKS.
UM, THE CASUAL OBSERVER MIGHT THINK THAT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR, MR. MORGAN SPENT THE AFTERNOON PUTTING THESE CHARTS TOGETHER, UH, FOR THIS BRIEFING.
BUT IN POINT OF FACT, IT'S THE PRODUCT SO FAR OF A NUMBER OF MONTHS MM-HMM.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS.
WE GO THROUGH, GO THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR, BUT I, TELL ME HOW MANY MONTHS YOU THINK IN TOTAL FROM
[00:30:01]
START TO FINISH IT TAKES TO GET TO THIS POINT AND WE'RE STILL NOT READY TO APPROVE IT.YEAH, WELL IT REALLY, THE, THE HARD WORK REALLY STARTS IN OCTOBER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE PUBLIC PART THAT STARTS, GOES ON FOR THE NEXT 60 DAYS.
SO REALLY EIGHT MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.
AND DID YOU WANNA MAKE THE, MAKE THE POINT THAT THIS IS NOT A WEEK LONG PRO, PRO, UH, PROGRESS PROJECT? THIS IS NOT A MONTH LONG PROJECT.
IT IS ALMOST HALF A YEAR, QUITE FRANKLY, TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT EITHER YOU OR YOUR PARENTS WANNA GET INVOLVED, COME ON OUT FOR THE HEARING THAT'S STILL IN FRONT OF US BEFORE WE MAKE THE FINAL APPROVAL RELATIVE TO DECISIONS, THIS, THIS, UH, COUNTY.
AND, AND IF I MIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I WAS REMISS, I REALLY SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE WORK OF THE BUDGET STAFF AND MOST OF 'EM ARE HERE TONIGHT AS WELL AS THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING ON THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, IT BEGINS IN THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS AND IT WORKS ITS WAY UP, BUT THE, EACH DEPARTMENT HAS TO JUSTIFY AND AFTER THEY TALK TO THEIR STAFF AND THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THE WANTS ARE, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THEY CAN PRESENT TO, TO YOU, AND IT WORKS TOGETHER THAT WAY.
SO IT'S NOT ALL OF A SUDDEN TALK DOWN, IT STARTS, IT BUBBLES UP, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THIS OR THAT.
AND, AND MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE ARE HERE TONIGHT.
AND BASICALLY DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, UH, WE HAVE A MEETING WITH EVERY SIGNIFICANT UNIT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO KIND OF GO OVER WHAT THEY PROPOSE AND WHY, AND SORT OF UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE LEAVING ON THE TABLE MM-HMM.
THAT'S PART OF HOW WE INFORM, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I ULTIMATELY MAKE.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, TIED TO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS GOING BACK TO CHAD'S, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, UH, IS THAT, UH, THE FRUSTRATION IS, UH, OVER THE YEARS WHERE WE TRIED TO GET THE CITIZENS INVOLVED IN, UM, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY UNFAIR TO, UH, HAVE SOMEONE JUST SHOW UP HERE AND SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THIS, I LIKE THAT, UH, THAT'S GREAT.
UM, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO THINK OF THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE BUDGET ON, ON THE WHOLE COUNTY.
I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY THE POLICY OF THE COUNTY IS SET IN THE, IS REFLECTED ALL IN, IN THE, UH, THE BUDGET.
AND, AND, AND I'VE HEARD THIS TOP DOWN, BOTTOM UP.
UH, I THINK IT KIND OF, TO ME IT'S MORE OF LIKE, UH, IT KIND OF COMES TOGETHER, UH, WHERE, UH, HE, THE, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DIRECTS THE STAFF TO START, OKAY, START PUTTING YOUR DREAM SHEET TOGETHER AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO.
BUT THEN HE COMES TO US, OKAY.
IN THE EARLY IN THE PROCESS, AND HE TALKS TO US ABOUT THE IDEAS OF THAT, WHAT WE, WHAT HE'S SEEN, WHAT'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, WHAT WE THINK FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THEN HE TALKS TO EACH ONE OF US SEPARATELY OR MAYBE A GROUP AND, AND THEN, AND THEN WE KIND OF GIVE HIM OUR INPUT.
YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE, EH, WE WANT A TAX CUT OR, OR WHAT CAN WE DO IT, UH, TAKE, SEE IF YOU CAN, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT STANDING POUNDING ON THE DESK SAYING, YOU GOTTA DO THIS, GOTTA DO THAT, BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING HAS TO FIT TOGETHER AND IT HAS TO BE REASONABLE.
AND THEN THE CITIZENS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN WHAT OUR BUDGET IS BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE A REFLECTION ON THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
SO WHAT I'M FRUSTRATED ABOUT IS THAT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS COME IN AND ACTUALLY TALK TO US, UH, AS A RIGHT HERE, SO ALL OF US CAN HEAR IT AT ONCE, OR BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, THEN YOU CAN, YOU CAN WRITE TO US AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET IN A, UH, MANNER THEN, WHICH THAT, THAT WILL FIT WITHIN WHAT IS REASONABLE.
UH, SO IT'S, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE MORE PUB MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS OR KIND OF SHARE IDEAS, UH, WITH IT.
THAT'S WHAT I WANNA PROCESS THIS A LITTLE MORE.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE, UH, INVOLVED.
WITH THE, WITH THE CITIZENRY, NOW YOU GET TO A POINT, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GO SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE GOT 174 MILLION BUDGET.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU'S GOT 174 MILLION SITTING AROUND, BUT, UH, THAT, THAT'S GOT A LOT OF, LOT OF PENNIES AND NICKELS AND DIMES AND QUARTERS IN IT.
AND, UM, AND SO WE JUST, WE WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO DO IT IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, THAT'S WHERE IT'S REFLECTED IN OUR TAX RATES.
SO WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT OUR TAX RATES, UM, AND HOW MUCH YOU'RE PAYING IN TAXES FOR THE SERVICES, AND VERY SIMILAR SERVICES THAT YOU WOULD GET IN ONE OF THE CITIES IN OTHER COUNTIES.
THAT'S WHY WE DO A COMPARISON.
SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, AND WE ALWAYS USE THE TERM, WE DON'T ALWAYS USE IT, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE USE THE TERM FULL SERVICE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO COMPARE WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO YOU.
IT'S THE SAME THING AS WHAT WE'RE DOING AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTHER CITIES.
[00:35:01]
BUT FOR THE LAST COUPLE DECADES, FOR SURE, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT IN A VERY EFFICIENT MANNER.AND IT'S ALSO REFLECTED INTO OUR, FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, IT'S REFLECTED IN YOUR SCHOOLS, UM, WHAT THE, THE MATERIAL YOU HAVE, THE BUILDINGS YOU'RE IN, THE ELECTRICITY YOU USE, THE COMPUTERS YOU GET, THE TEACHERS YOU HAVE, AND ALL THAT ADMINISTRATION THAT'S ALL REFLECTIVE, UH, IN THIS, IN THE BUDGET AND THINGS THAT WE SPEND.
SO ANYWAY, THERE'S A LOT MORE TO COME AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING AND IT'S, UH, BUT IT'S, UH, ALSO A LITTLE PAINFUL IN THE PROCESS, SO MM-HMM.
WITH THAT, THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
[2* York County Youth Commission. Receive a quarterly report from the York County Youth Commission.]
INTO, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE YOUTH.AND THIS TIME DAVE, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE, UH, LET'S SEE, WE'RE GONNA CALL ON, UH, CAR CAROLINE MORRIS, UH, THE YOUTH COMMISSION TO GIVE US AN UPDATE.
HELLO AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, MR. STEVEN RON, THE YOUTH COMMISSION LIAISON, MS. LISA HANKS, MY FELLOW YOUTH COMMISSIONERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS CAROLINE MORRIS AND I'M THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION CHAIR.
TONIGHT, I WILL PRESENT ON ACTIVITIES WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AS WELL AS INITIATIVES WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT.
OUR MOTTO IS YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUTH COMMUNITY.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE OFFER A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND INVOLVEMENT, INCLUDING THE YORKTOWN MARKET DAYS AND OTHER EVENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A STUDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE THAT CONDUCTS SURVEYS AT EACH OF THE FIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.
OUR MISSION IS TO BRING LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLERS TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE, CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, AND HAVE A VOICE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AT OUR JANUARY MEETING, CAPTAIN JAMES SCRUGGS, THE COUNTY DOC MASTER, CAME TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS CAREER YOUTH COMMISSIONERS LEARNED ABOUT HIS DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES AND HOW HE BECAME INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY.
THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, MR. RON HAS LED A LEADERSHIP SERIES FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION DISCUSSING THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF LEADERSHIP AND HOW TO SET ACTIONABLE AND MEASURABLE GOALS.
AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING, MISS NANCY GARY YOGA INSTRUCTOR CAME TO SPEAK AND TAUGHT YOUTH COMMISSIONERS BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND YOGA POSES TO REDUCE STRESS AND TEST ANXIETY.
AT OUR MARCH MEETING, MISS JERRY MAR COLONIAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK SUPERINTENDENT CAME TO SPEAK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
MS. MARA ALSO ALSO TOLD YOUTH COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THE YOUTH CONSERVATION COURT, A PAID SUMMER WORK PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AGES 15 TO 18 THAT IS SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
THE YOUTH CONSERVATION COURT PLANS TO OPEN A NEW SITE IN YORKTOWN WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR TO MANAGE THE COLONIAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK.
THE YOUTH COMMISSION WORKED WITH THE SENIOR CENTER IN PARKS AND RECREATION TO HOST THE ANNUAL VALENTINE'S DAY.
SEVERAL LOCAL COMPANIES DONATED PRIZES AND OUR YOUTH COMMISSIONERS CALLED OUT BINGO NUMBERS.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN YORK, PACOIN SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN MARCH TO CLEAN UP SEAFORD ROAD.
OUR YOUTH COMMISSIONERS GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MAJOR RON MONTGOMERY AND MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
IN ADDITION, WE SELECTED WINNERS FOR OUTSTANDING YOUTH AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS, WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE MAY BOARD MEETING.
THE YOUTH COMMISSION ALSO PARTNERED WITH KEVIN RICHIE FROM THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR TO CREATE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YORK COUNTY YOUTH.
LAST MONTH WE VOLUNTEERED AT THE VALENTINE'S DAY MARKET AT YORKTOWN BEACH, AND HAVE RECEIVED LOTS OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM BOTH YOUTH AND PARENT PARENTS FOR VOLUNTEERING AT THESE EVENTS.
FINALLY, WE CONDUCTED STUDENT SURVEYS AT YORK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS.
IN TOTAL, WE SURVEYED THREE HUNDRED AND SEVEN SEVENTY SIX STUDENTS ACROSS THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
25% OF THE STUDENTS WE SURVEYED WERE NINTH GRADERS.
APPROXIMATELY 28% WERE 10TH GRADERS, 24% 11TH GRADERS, AND 22% 12TH GRADERS.
81% OF STUDENTS SURVEYED ANSWERED YES IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION IF THEY FELT SAFE AT SCHOOL.
WHEN ASKED TO EXPAND ON WHO OR WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL SAFE, MOST STUDENTS CITED TEACHERS ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICERS IN RESPONSE TO, IF YOU DO NOT FEEL SAFE, WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WOULD HELP YOU FEEL SAFER AT SCHOOL? COMMON RESPONSES INCLUDED INSTALLING METAL ME METAL DETECTORS AT ENTRYWAYS AND INCREASED MONITORING OF RESTROOM AREAS.
[00:40:01]
STATED YES IN RESPONSE TO IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGED ABOUT THIS CURRENT SCHOOL SCHEDULE.WHEN ASKED TO LIST THINGS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE, STUDENTS COMMONLY, UH, CITED SHIFTING TO A SEVEN BLOCK DAY, MAKING CLASS PERIODS SHORTER, PUSHING BACK START TIMES, AND ALLOWING FOR MORE FREQUENT BREAKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
AN OVERWHELMING 83% RESPONDED YES.
WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ENOUGH SOCIAL OUTLETS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDE NEW WAYS TO MEET PEOPLE AND GROW.
TOP COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO, IF THERE WERE NOT NOT ENOUGH SOCIAL OUTLETS, WHAT SPACES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? ADDED INCLUDED MORE STUDENT-LED CLUBS AND INCREASED ACCESS TO THE LEARNING COMMONS AT YORK HIGH SCHOOL.
AROUND HALF OF STUDENTS STATED THAT THEY HAD A JOB DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND OR SUMMER, ALTHOUGH 81% OF STUDENTS STATED THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN YORK COUNTY.
SEVERAL CITED A NEED FOR MORE DIVERSITY IN THE GREATER YORK COUNTY AND BRUTON AREA, ASSERTING THAT OPTIONS WERE MOSTLY LIMITED TO THE TOURISM AND FOOD INDUSTRIES, FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRIES.
MANY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DO MORE TO PROMOTE JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS, INCLUDING ADVERTISING, JOB LISTINGS IN SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS, AND OFFERING CAREER FAIRS.
APPLICATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S YOUTH COMMISSION ARE DUE TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION OFFICE BY FRIDAY, MARCH 24TH AT 5:00 PM THESE CAN BE FOUND FOUND ON THE YORK YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION INSTAGRAM PAGE, AND THE YORK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND YOUTH COMMISSION WEBSITES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE@WWW.YCYC.INFO OR CONTACT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
OUR PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING MONTHS INCLUDE IMPLEMENTING A TEACHER APPRECIATION PROJECT AT GRAFTON THAT INVOLVES DISTRIBUTING SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO STAFF.
WE'LL ALSO BE HOLDING A SPRING MOVIE AT BURTON FOR ALL YORK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PLAN ON PARTICIPATING IN THE YORK COUNTY SCHOOL DIVISION TOWN HALL MEETING IN PIRATE STATE MARKET AT YORKTOWN BEACH NEXT MONTH.
AND WE'LL ASK, UH, SEE WITH THE SUPERVISORS WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS THEY HAVE FOR YOU HERE.
SO, UH, START IN WITH, UH, CHAD, MY QUESTION IS MORE OF, OF A COMMENT AND HOW Y'ALL FEEL ON THIS.
UH, I WAS UP AT YORK HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES I WAS MEETING WITH PRINCIPAL BUTLER, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD WAS, UH, THERE WAS VAPING IN THE BATHROOM.
YOU SEE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF VAPE STORES THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT THEY'RE PROLIFIC, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UH, IS VAPING A PROBLEM, UH, WITH TEENS AND IN HIGH SCHOOL? AND, UH, WHAT, IF ANYTHING IS, CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? DON'T WANT YOU TO ANSWER THAT TONIGHT, BUT MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE TO THE, UH, COMMISSION AND, UH, COME BACK AND, AND REPORT TO US, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR LATER ON.
BUT, UH, IT, IT SEEMED TO BE A ISSUE THAT DAY AND WE SEE MORE AND MORE VAPE STORES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, ARE YOUR FRIENDS VAPING? UH, DO YOU, IS IT A PROBLEM? DO YOU SEE THAT? SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S MY ISSUE.
OTHER THAN THAT, Y'ALL ARE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB.
IT'S SO NICE TO SEE, UH, POSITIVE THINGS THAT THE YOUTH ARE DOING.
YOU, WE SO OFTEN HEAR ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS YOU DO, AND I'D LIKE TO COMMEND YOU FOR, UH, DOING GREAT THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, FOR YOUR SCHOOLS.
YOU SAY YOU HEAR NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT OUR YOUTH COMMISSION.
THEY'RE PULLING EACH OTHER'S LEG ON THIS ONE A LITTLE BIT.
I WANNA SAY HOW NICE IT IS TO SEE YOU WALK HERE TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HOPE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS HOPE IS THAT THE YOUTH COMMISSIONERS WILL LEARN A LOT MORE ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTY, NOT ONLY IN THE SCHOOLS, BUT WHAT WE DO.
AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL INTEREST YOU ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU GO OFF TO COLLEGE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, TO COME BACK AND VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR COMMUNITIES AND MAYBE EVEN RUN FOR OFFICE BECAUSE YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTY AND THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY.
SO I HAVE TO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, BECAUSE I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD TIME DOING IT, AND I HOPE YOU HAD A LOT OF FUN AND CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTURE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER? YEAH, HANG ON.
AND EVERYBODY JOIN US TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THE PLEASURES I HAVE AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD HERE TO SERVE AS LIAISON TO THE YOUTH COMMISSION.
UM, AND IT JUST MEET AN INCREDIBLE BUNCH OF, BUNCH OF PEOPLE YEAR AFTER
[00:45:01]
YEAR.AND, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN NO EXCEPTION.
NOW, ONE THING WE HAVE COMING UP, WE WANNA MENTION REAL QUICK ARE THE SCHOOL TOWN HALLS, I THINK STARTING IN APRIL, RUNNING THROUGH APRIL AT EACH OF THE AREA HIGH SCHOOLS.
UM, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE, UH, SELECT STUDENTS FROM EACH OF THE SCHOOLS GET TO COME TO THE AUDITORIUM AND SPEAK TO A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR AND A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AT THE SAME TIME TO ASK, ASK QUESTIONS AND GET SOME FEEDBACK AND SO FORTH.
AND PAULA, UM, PAST COUPLE YEARS DUE TO COVID, THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE OVER, UM, OVER VIDEO THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GETTING TO DO IT IN PERSON, BUT ARE WE ALSO GONNA BROADCAST THAT LIVE AS WELL, OR, SO IT'LL BE RECORDED AF AFTER THE FACT FOR ANYBODY TO, TO FOLLOW UP WHAT? DON'T KNOW YET.
I, I, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S A BIG CHANGE.
BROADCAST FACILITIES FROM THE SCHOOL.
BUT VERY HAPPY THAT WE'RE BACK IN THE SCHOOLS TO DO IT.
SO, UM, UM, ENCOURAGE YOUR, EVERYBODY WHO HAVE STUDENTS IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU ENCOURAGE THEM TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
THOSE ARE PRETTY, THOSE ARE GOOD DISCUSSIONS AND, UM, GREAT OPPORTUNITY, EVERYBODY TO JOIN THAT.
AND, UM, AND A ROLL, A QUICK PLUG FOLLOW UP, WHAT YOU SAID.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW MORE DAYS LEFT FOR TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR, UM, THE NEXT SESSION OF, UH, THE YOUTH COMMISSION.
SO IF YOU HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND YOU WANT TO HAVE THEM JOIN US, PLEASE GET THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED, UH, SOON.
UM, WE WON'T START THE SELECTION PERIOD UNTIL LATER ON, BUT NEED, NEED TO GET THEM IN.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, IT'S A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND, AND YOU CAN DO A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS YOU DON'T GET A CHANCE TO DO ANYWHERE ELSE.
WELL, JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS REAL QUICK.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE A GREAT BRIEFER AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THIS GROUP PICKED YOU TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
ONE SMALL RECOMMENDATION IS QUICK SMILE.
WE, NOBODY UP HERE BITES TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SO HAVE FUN WHILE YOU'RE MAKING THAT PRESENTATION, BUT IT WAS FIRST CLASS AND, UM, I THINK WE LEARNED A LOT.
UM, THE ONLY CRITICAL COMMENT I CAN MAKE TONIGHT, AND IT'S MEANT TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, TO IMPROVE YOUR ORGANIZATION.
AS I LOOK AROUND, I CAN, AND I, OF COURSE, I CAN'T SEE THROUGH THE PODIUM WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, DIVERSITY IN TERMS OF OUR CITIZENS AS SCHOOLS.
I SEE MAYBE ONE OR TWO OUT OF MAYBE 30 OR SO STUDENTS JUST KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OPEN TO THE 12,500 STUDENTS THAT MAKE UP K THROUGH 12 IN YORK COUNTY.
BUT IT'S, AGAIN, YOU'RE A GREAT BRIEFER.
I'M LOOKING FOR A PERSON, BY THE WAY, IN MY OFFICE, UH, WHO KNOWS HOW TO MEET WITH PEOPLE AND MAKE SOME PRESENTATIONS.
SO IF I CAN, I'VE GOT YOUR NAME DOWN HERE.
THANK, UH, THERE, THIS, I THOUGHT THE SURVEY, UH, WAS HANDLED.
IT WAS BRIEF VERY WELL AND, UH, VERY INTERESTING.
I I THE PART ABOUT THOSE, UH, THAT, UH, UNDER THE, UM, PART ABOUT THE OUTLET SOCIAL OUTLETS, THE MORE CLUBS, THAT'S CLUBS, I ASSUME, UM, MORE FOR LIKE WITHIN THE SCHOOL OR, YEAH, SO ONE OF THE COMMONLY CITED RESPONSES WERE MORE STUDENT-LED CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE SCHOOLS.
UM, CUZ I HAVE, UM, UM, AN EIGHT YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER AND A, UM, 11 YEAR OLD GRANDSON.
AND I'VE, AND SO I'VE BEEN REALLY THIS PARTICULAR YEAR INVOLVED IN TAKING TO ALL THE ACTIVITIES WE CAN AND, AND WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY GOOD ACTIVITIES.
UH, THE LAST ONE I WAS THE AMF BOWLING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS EVER BEEN THERE.
THEY HAVE A PROGRAM NOW DURING A SUMMER WHERE THE KIDS CAN COME IN AND GET FREE GAMES.
I MEAN, WELL, DO YOU SIGN UP FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, WHATEVER IT IS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE FEE IS, BUT IT'S NOT, DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VERY MUCH.
AND THEN THE KIDS, UH, YOUTH CAN COME IN AND, UH, BOWL THREE GAMES, UH, BASICALLY EVERY DAY.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO, NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO PLAY AROUND.
SO WE'VE GOT A FEW THINGS THAT IT'S, UH, POPPED UP AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
I THOUGHT THE BRIEFING WAS OUTSTANDING, SO THANK YOU.
Y'ALL HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB.
WE'RE GET VERY CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WHAT I'M GONNA DO, UH, IS BECAUSE I'VE GOT, UH, ABOUT SIX SPEAKERS HERE SIGNED UP, I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PRESS ON IN WITH THIS.
OUR, OUR SCHEDULE'S FAIRLY LIGHT.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, I THINK IT WAS ONE PUBLIC HEARING YOU CAN REMEMBER.
AND, UH, OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST GONNA PRESS ON.
[CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD]
SEE.START OFF WITH, UH, DOUG HOL ROY, YOU HAVE, UH, REMIND YOU YOU HAVE, UH, THREE MINUTES AND, UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND, UM, UM, OKAY.
IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU HAVE THIS STUFF, PLEASE HAND
[00:50:01]
IT TO THE, UH, SECRETARY.CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS? THANK YOU.
I'M DOUG HORO, 1 0 3, MARINA POINT, WILLIAMSBURG.
NEIL HAS ALREADY MADE A PRESENTATION TONIGHT ON THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET.
UM, I'LL REMIND THE SUPERVISORS THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE FOUR TIMES, UH, COMMENTING ON THE CI ON THE, UH, ON THE BUDGET.
SO YOU HAVE HAD SOME CITIZEN INPUT.
UH, I'LL BEGIN WITH THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS ON THE MARCH 7TH, UM, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING IN REFERENCE TO THE WORKSHOP HELD IN LATE JANUARY, MR. MORGAN STATED THAT THE JANUARY, 2023 VEHICLE ASSESSMENT VALUES ARE 1.7% HIGHER THAN IN 2021 FOR THE SAME VEHICLE.
MR. MORGAN WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE ASSESSMENT VALUES ARE CLOSE TO RETURNING TO THE NORMAL AVERAGE ON MARCH 9TH.
EACH OF YOU RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME HIGHLIGHTING MR. MORGAN'S ANALYSIS HAD FAILED TO REFLECT ON DEPRECIATION CAR VALUES SHOULD HAVE DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 12% PER YEAR OVER THAT SAME TWO YEAR PERIOD.
SO INSTEAD OF BEING EQUAL TO 2021, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOWER THAN 2021.
THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE COVID SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
THE GRAPH I'VE PROVIDED YOU, UH, ILLUSTRATES THE USE CAR PRICES FROM CARGURU.COM.
USED CAR VALUES CLIMB BY 42% ON AVERAGE IN 2022 VERSUS 21.
USED CAR VALUES AS OF MARCH 23RD OF THIS YEAR ARE STILL INFLATED BY 24% OVER WHAT THEY WERE IN 2021 PRE COVID.
THEY STEADILY DECLINED EACH YEAR.
IN MY EMAIL PRESENTATION TO YOU, I RECOMMENDED THAT THE COUNTY USED AN APPROACH TAKEN BY ALL OF OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS, UH, BY SETTING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX AT 80% OF THE CURRENT VEHICLE ASSESSMENT VALUE.
AND THAT'S BEEN MATCHED BY PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY OR $3 AND 20 CENTS AS A TAX RATE.
$3 AND 90 CENTS, YOU HAVE 70 CENTS TO GO.
UH, DOING SO WOULD REESTABLISH A LEVEL OF TAXATION EQUAL TO THE PRE 21 AVERAGE.
HELPING CITIZENS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH POST PANDEMIC PRICE INCREASES, CITIZENS DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE VEHICLE TAXES RETURNING TO THE MAY 22 LEVELS AFTER THE, UH, ONE TIME DEPRECIATION OR, UH, REBATE IN DECEMBER.
IN ADDITION, I HAVE MADE FOUR OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS BOARD OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE 24 BUDGET.
I'LL JUST, UH, REVIEW THOSE AGAIN, LOWER THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE BY ONE AND A HALF CENTS.
SO MR. MORGAN HAS LOWERED IT BY 1 CENT TONIGHT.
UH, THAT ONE AND A HALF CENT REDUCTION WOULD BE ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, AND IT LET BE EQUIVALENT TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX SURPLUS GENERATED IN 2023.
SO I STILL THINK YOU'VE GOT SOME ROOM TO GO ON THE, UH, TAX RATE, PROVIDE A SECOND CREDIT OR REBATE, UH, TO BE APPLIED AGAINST PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX FOR THE JUNE 23, UH, UH, INVOICES TO CORRECT FOR OVER PAYMENTS MADE IN JUNE 22.
AND THEN I HAD HIGHLIGHTED TWO PROPOSALS ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, A SENIOR CENTER TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, ON, UH, DISTRICT ONE ALONG MOTOWN ROAD AND AN ADDITIONAL HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF FUNDING FOR THE QUEENS LAKE, UH, DREDGING AND, UH, BANK IMPROVEMENT ISSUE.
NEXT SPEAKERS, CAROLINE MUN, MUN MUNFORD.
THANK YOU, UM, EVERYONE FOR LISTENING TO ME THIS EVENING.
UM, I JUST WANTED YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
UM, SO MY NAME'S CAROLYN MUMFORD AND I'M FROM 114 COMBS LOOP.
UM, THE REASON WHY I WAS BEING HERE WAS BECAUSE ON THE PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION, IT ONLY COVERS DISABLED AND KILLED IN ACTION.
AND AS OF APRIL 5TH, 2022, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED A BILL.
UM, IT WAS, UH, WHOOPS, IT WAS IT BILL, UH, HOUSE BILL 9 57, UM, GIVING SURVIVING SPOUSES THAT WERE, THAT THE SPOUSE WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, A TAX EXEMPTION.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, NONE OF THE YORKTOWN, UM, THE TAX COMMISSION OFF OFFICE DOES NOT HONOR THAT.
AND I WAS HERE TONIGHT TO ASK IF YOU COULD RECONSIDER THAT BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE, UM, KILLED IN THE LINE OF ACTION AND KILLED IN, IN THE LINE OF DUTY IS THE SAME THING.
SO THAT'S HELPFUL FOR, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
AND NEIL, YOU CHECKING THAT PLEASE? YES, THANK, I'M NOT FAMILIAR.
THERE'S A DISTINCTION TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
WELL, WE'LL, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
NEXT ONE IS, UH, IS IT DELILAH JOHNSON JOHNSON, I GUESS, OR JOHN'S
[00:55:01]
JOHNSON.DELILAH JOHNSON, TWO 16 ASHTON DRIVE, YOURTOWN.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS FOR A CODE OF ETHICS.
ETHICS IS THE DEFINE AS THE MORAL PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN AT PERSONS BEHAVIOR OR A CONDUCTING OF AN ACTIVITY.
UNLIKE JAMES CITY COUNTY AND MANY OTHER BORDERING COUNTIES ARE CURRENT, YOUR COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DOES NOT HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS.
MANY OF THIS BOARD MAY FEEL THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THE BOARD OF MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT AND ALL WATCHING AT HOME WHY A CODE OF ETHICS IS NOT ONLY NECESSARY BY THE MUST.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS.
I COULD ENUMERATE MANY SPECIFIC AND POWERFUL REASONS THAT WILL SUBSTANTIATE WHAT YOUR COUNTY SHOULD CREATE AND EMBRACE A CODE OF ETHICS.
HOWEVER, IN THE INTEREST OF BREVITY, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING.
A CODE OF ETHICS ENCOURAGES NONPARTISAN COHESION, INCLUSIVITY RATHER THAN DIVISION AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES AT A TIME WITH PARTISAN POLITICS, SO OFTEN DRIVES A PUBLIC CONVERSATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
A CODE OF ETHICS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY PROVIDE THE RESIDENTS OF, OF THE COUNTY NOT JUST A PRESUMPTION OF FAIRNESS AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF ALL TRANSACTIONS THAT OCCUR WITHIN THIS BODY ON THE DAILY OPERATIONS.
BUT IT WILL ENSURE THAT EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY ACTION OR VOTE THEY TAKE DURING THEIR MEETINGS, PRIVATE SESSIONS AND ACTIONS OUTSIDE.
IT WILL REASSURE EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTY THAT THIS BODY TREATS EVERY IDEA, SUGGESTION, AND OR COMMON WITH RESPECT, DIGNITY, AND WITHOUT BIAS.
THE BOARD DOES NOW HAVE TO AGREE WITH EVERY CITIZEN'S IDEA OR COMMON.
HOWEVER, THE CODE OF ETHICS WILL PROVIDE THE CITIZEN THE CERTAINTY OF FAIR TREATMENT REGARDLESS OF THE POLITICAL PARTY OR BELIEF SYSTEM.
YOUR COUNTY IS NO LONGER THE RURAL COMMUNITY ONCE WAS, WE ARE GROWING.
SO ADJUSTING AND IMPROVING HOW THIS BOARD OPERATES, BUT INCLUDING A CODE OF ETHICS WILL HELP CITIZENS KNOW, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT THIS BOARD OPERATES WITH THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
NOT BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW YOU DO IT AND YOU SAY YOU DO, BUT BECAUSE AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS BOTH ELECTED AND APPOINTED, THIS BOARD COMPLIES WITH BOTH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS AND POLICIES AFFECTING THE COUNTY THEY SERVE.
THE CODE OF ETHICS WILL BE A WRITTEN MANIFEST FOR EVERYONE TO SEE AND FOR YOU TO HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE.
AS A TEACHER, I AM HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY A CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS, WHICH I SIGN EVERY YEAR.
I'M ALWAYS TELLING MY STUDENTS TO PUT THINGS IN WRITING.
LIKEWISE, THE CODE OF ETHICS WILL DEMONSTRATE IN WRITING TO THE CITIZEN HOW THIS BOARD HOLDS THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER AND THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT THEM.
I URGE THIS FOUR OF SUPERVISORS TO CREATE ONE.
I'M TOM CHAMBERLAIN, TWO 70 BARLOW ROAD.
I GOT A COUPLE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO MENTION TONIGHT.
ONE IS TO, UH, I READ MR. MORGAN'S, UM, LETTER ON THE SPRINGFIELD ROAD, UH, ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION, UM, LAST MONTH.
I APPRECIATE WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEING LOOKED AT THERE.
UM, THE SECOND THING I WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT IS I'VE HAD THREE MORE LELAND CYPRESS TREES DIE ON IN FRONT OF MY PROPERTY.
I DON'T RECOMMEND YOU PLANT THOSE.
UM, I CUT THOSE DOWN CALLED THE, UH, THE WASTE MANAGEMENT FOLKS.
AND, UH, THE LADY ON THE PHONE SAYS, HEY, ARE THEY OUT THERE ALREADY? AND I SAID, YEP, THEY'RE READY TO GO.
SO SHE SAID, CAN YOU HAVE 'EM TOMORROW OR LET 'EM US PICK 'EM UP TOMORROW? AND AND THEY DID.
THEY WERE OUT THERE THE NEXT DAY, UM, TO PICK UP THE, UH, THE BRUSH THAT I HAD, UH, HAD CUT DOWN.
AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH THEY WERE THERE THE NEXT DAY.
UM, THOSE FOLKS ARE KIND OF THE UNSUNG, UH, HEROES OUT THERE.
AND UH, AND I JUST WANTED TO TO TAKE A MINUTE AND SAY, SAY WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT THEY DO.
THEY RAKED UP WHAT, UM, WHAT WAS STILL SPILLED ON, ON THE GROUND THERE AND JUST DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
NEIL, IF YOU COULD OFFER THAT TO THOSE FOLKS, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE COMMENT.
UH, WE OFTEN FIND THAT THEY MAKE THE PLACE CLEANER THAN IT WAS WHEN THEY FIRST, THEY FIRST FOUND IT.
UH, MR. HENDERSON, WELCOME AGAIN.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
UM, PETER HENDERSON, 4 0 5 ANGUS LANE, WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA.
[01:00:01]
YOUR COUNTY.AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING, UM, TRANQUILITY RESIDENTIAL AND TO TALK ABOUT TRANQUILITY AND SPRINGFIELD.
SO YORK COUNTY, BORN AND RAISED, UM, HERE ALL MY LIFE SINCE THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
UM, I WENT TO SCHOOL AT QUEENS LAKE AND BRUTON.
UM, CURRENTLY A RESIDENT OF YORK COUNTY.
UM, I RAISED KIDS IN YORK COUNTY.
I HAVE KIDS AT WALLOW MILL ELEMENTARY, QUEENS LAKE, UH, ANNE BRUTON AS WELL.
UM, ACTUALLY I JUST REALIZED MS. JOHNSON, MY DAUGHTER'S SPANISH TEACHER AT QUEENS LAKE HERE, UM, ALSO PART OWNER AND THIRD GENERATION LOCAL BUSINESS AND WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TRANQUILITY AND SPRINGFIELD ROAD.
UM, AS FAR AS THE HISTORY GOES, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, WE BECAME INVOLVED, UH, IN 20 20, 20 21, UM, WITH THE PROJECT.
THE PROJECT, MY UNDERSTAND WAS FIRST ENTITLED, UH, BACK IN 2018 WITH A PREVIOUS DEVELOPER.
AND, UM, SO AS FAR AS THOSE KIND OF, UH, RULES THAT WERE SET IN PLACE BACK, BACK THEN, UM, WE, UH, UH, CAME ABOUT THEN.
UM, AND WE UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
UM, WE WANT TO REITERATE THAT SPRINGFIELD ROAD IS, UNFORTUNATELY OUR ONLY PUBLIC STREET ACCESS CURRENTLY, UH, KINGS CREEK, AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, IS PRIVATE.
AND OUR, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UM, ACTIVITY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED THROUGH THERE.
UM, THE SPRINGFIELD RESIDENCE, UM, HERE, FIRST OF ALL, THEY ARE OUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, TO MY POINT, AS FAR AS BEING NEIGHBORS, I WALK DOWN SPRINGFIELD ROAD QUITE OFTEN THESE DAYS.
I DID IT FRIDAY WITH TWO FOLKS I WORK WITH AS WELL, JUST TO CATCH UP WITH A FEW RESIDENTS AND TALK WITH THEM.
AND WHEN I WALK DOWN SPRINGFIELD ROAD, I ALSO RECOGNIZE, UH, A COUPLE VEHICLES THAT I SEE IN CARLINE, UM, AT THE SCHOOLS WHEN I TAKE MY KIDS.
SO WE REALIZE THAT THESE NEIGHBORS ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WE WORK WITH, OUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL WITH.
UM, THEIR CONCERNS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, WE HAVE A CONCERN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ON THE RESIDENCE IN, IN SPRINGFIELD ROAD.
JUST AS THEY DO, UH, WE REALIZE, WELL, WHAT, WHAT IT IS.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN IMPACTS THAT UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT BE ELIMINATED, UM, THAT WE ARE AWARE OF, THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE RESIDENTS OF SPRINGFIELD ROAD, THE COUNTY, UM, COUNTY FOLKS HERE TO MITIGATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, AS RESIDENTS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, TRYING TO BE FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS.
UM, AND THERE ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS DO THAT.
I KNOW, UM, SOME OF THAT WILL BE TURNED ABOUT, BUT I'M GONNA, UM, RUN OUT OF TIME HERE.
UM, A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, HOSTED A MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF SPRINGFIELD ROAD AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS IN AUGUST OF 21.
UM, TRYING TO BE FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS FROM THE START, UH, MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO SPRINGFIELD ROAD ICLU, INCLUDING SOME PULL OFFS TO ALLOW SOME PASSING ADDITIONAL SIGNAGE, UM, IS IN, UH, BETTER CONDITION NOW THAN WE FOUND IT WHEN WE DID THE ONE SEWER EXTENSION, WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO BELIEVE IT'S MR. WHITE UP THERE.
UM, IT PATCHED PART OF THAT ROAD.
UH, WE INSTALLED TWO PRIVACY, UM, FENCES FOR THE BENEFITS OF TWO OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE, BUT DIRECTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND WORKED WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, UH, AS I MENTIONED ON, ON THAT ONE, SEWER CONNECTION, UH, PROVIDING DUST CONTROL.
UH, IF, IF IT'S TOO DRY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OF CONCERN TO THE NEIGHBORS.
WE INTEND TO CONTINUE THIS EFFORT AS WELL AS, AS I MENTIONED WALKING LAST FRIDAY.
WE INTEND TO DO A, A WEEKLY SORT OF SUPERINTENDENTS WALK DOWN THE ROAD.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE RESIDENTS, UM, EVEN AS WE ACCESS THROUGH THERE TO MAKE SURE TRASH IS BEING PICKED UP, PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO GO SLOW.
UH, PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY IN GENERAL TO EACH OTHER, AND WE WANT TO BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION.
UM, ALSO PART OF THIS, WE HANDED OUT A FEW PAPERS, WE'LL GO AGAIN AND DIDN'T CATCH EVERY RESIDENT, BUT, AND, AND THE GOAL OF, UH, PROVIDING A CONTACT NUMBER TO RECEIVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, CUZ WE REALIZED THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, CONTINUED, UH, SORT OF CONCERNS AS WELL AS WHEN WE WALK THROUGH THERE, WE INTEND TO, WHEN WE RUN IN THE RESIDENCE, TRY TO JUST UPDATE THEM ON ANY CURRENT INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS ARE GOING ALONG.
ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS? OKAY, SEEING NONE.
[01:05:01]
MOVE ON TO THE, UH, COUNTY.WHAT, MR. SHEL CLA OH, I'M SORRY.
MARSHALL ADAMS ONE 11 FINCH LANE.
I WAS LISTENING TO THE BUDGET.
I WAS HERE WITH ONE OF MY SONS HERE FROM BOY SCOUTS AND I HAVE NOT ATTENDED ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
I THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
I WAS ON A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION MEETING.
I WANTED TO JUMP OFF THE HIGHEST BRIDGE IN YORK COUNTY
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
MR. MORGAN HEARD YOUR, UH, YOUR BUDGET.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THIS YOUNG LADY HERE COMMENTED ABOUT IS SPOUSES THAT LOSE THEIR HUSBANDS IN COMBAT OR VICE VERSA, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, WHATEVER TAXES YOU WANT TO RAISE ON ME TO SUPPORT THESE WOMEN OR MEN WHO LOSE THEIR SPOUSES DEFENDING THE COUNTRY SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK FREELY HERE.
AND I KNOW I PROBABLY SPEAK FOR, I KNOW I'VE BEEN WITH YOU, MR. GREEN, YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR THE MILITARY.
I'VE BEEN TO SOME OF HIS SPEECHES AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE INSPIRED.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IF EVERY ONE OF YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU SERVED, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE HARDEST JOB.
BUT WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO SUPPORT WHERE THEY DON'T PAY ANY TAXES IN YOUR COUNTY, WE SHOULD REALLY, REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THESE SPOUSES, I KNOW SEVERAL OF THEM, THEY'RE HURTING, THEY'RE HURTING WHEN YOU LOSE A MEMBER.
THEIR, THEIR LIFELINE, THEIR THEIR PAYCHECK.
WE AS A COUNTY SHOULD STEP UP WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS.
JUST HEARD ABOUT IT AND THE BUDGET WAS AN INTERESTING PART THAT WE WERE GONNA DO A SMALL PORTION FOR THEM, BUT WE CAN DO MORE, I'M SURE.
AND I'M WILLING AS A CITIZEN OF YORK COUNTY TO SPEND WHATEVER I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
UM, ON THAT, ON THAT NOTE, UM, THE BOARD HAS, UH, HAS A HISTORY WITH THE MILITARY.
AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE THE LADIES TALKING ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN THE STATE, SOME OF THE TAXES THAT WE CAN WAVE OFF HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE STATE.
AND THAT'S, UH, AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HAD STATE CONSTITUTIONS CHANGES TO ALLOW THAT.
AND THEN WE, AND WE'VE GET THEN THE LAW ITSELF CHANGES AND PROVIDE THAT.
AND THIS BOARD, TO MY KNOWLEDGE IS EVERY TIME WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO WAVE OFF THAT TAX, WE DO IT.
BECAUSE ONE, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT THAT, THAT, THAT MANY, THANK GOD.
AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER FACT IS THAT WE NEED TO HONOR THE HONOR THOSE FOLKS.
UM, SO THAT'S THE SUBJECTS NEAR AND DEAR TO, TO ALL OUR HEARTS UP HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, ONE LAST PERSON THAT IS ASKED TO SPEAK.
WHERE ARE YOU, TIM? NOPE, HE'S WAVING OFF.
GOOD CLOSING CITIZEN COMMENT, PERIOD.
A COUNTY ATTORNEY REPORTS AND REQUESTS.
ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING FOR HIM? OKAY.
[COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS AND REQUESTS]
ON TO, UM, ADMINISTRATORS REPORTS AND REQUESTS.UM, WELL, MR. ZAREMBA ASKED ME TO, TO MENTION THE MEMO I SENT TO YOU ALL REGARDING SPRINGFIELD ROAD AND TRANQUILITY.
AND WE OBVIOUSLY HEARD A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM, UH, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
SO, UM, UH, AMONG THE DIFFERENT, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ IT.
THERE'S A FEW SORT OF SUGGESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT GOING FORWARD.
UM, BUT IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE QUESTION ABOUT A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR AN ALTERNATE ROUTE, UH, WE ARE ENGAGING WITH ONE OF OUR ON-CALL ENGINEERS, UH, AND THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GIVING US A PROPOSAL.
SO WE FULLY INTEND TO, UH, COMPLETE THAT STUDY.
UH, AS I, AS I CAUTIONED AT THE WORK SESSION WHEN Y'ALL ASKED ME TO DO THAT, EVEN GETTING SOMEBODY TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY WITH AN ON-CALL ENGINEER IS NOT FAST.
AND SO IT MAY BE 60 DAYS BEFORE THEY'RE REALLY WORKING.
UH, I KNOW THEY'RE MEETING ONSITE WITH ONE OF OUR LEADING ENGINEERS LATER THIS WEEK TO FINALIZE THEIR SCOPE.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW LONG IT TAKES, WHAT'S INCLUDED, WHAT THE COST IS MM-HMM.
AT THIS POINT, UM, WE, THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD.
I'M GOING TO, UH, SAY THAT TO THE END OF THE, UH, MEETING.
I'M GONNA TAKE A, UH, FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
SO UNLESS YOU WANT TO HANG AROUND FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE NEXT
[01:10:01]
ONE.AND BY THE WAY, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS PROPOSED COUNTY CODE AMENDMENT CLASSIFIED OF PROPERTY OWNED BY SURVIVING SPOUSES OF CERTAIN VETERANS.
SO, WE'LL, THAT'LL BE THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WE'LL DO THAT IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
[3 Proposed County Code Amendment - Classification of property owned by surviving spouses of certain veterans. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 23-6 to add York County Code Section 21-7.10, Classification of Real Property owned by certain surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces for tax purposes to bring it into conformance with the Code of Virginia. APPROVED]
UH, PROPOSED, UH, COUNTY CODE AMENDMENT, UH, ADDING CODE SECTION 21 DASH 7.1 10.CLASSIFICATION OF REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY CERTAIN SURVIVING SPOUSES, UH, OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR TAX PURPOSES.
SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, SOMETIMES I GET A LITTLE ANNOYED WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY GIVES US OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE AWAY LOCAL TAX MONEY.
UH, BUT IN THIS CASE, I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD ANY CONCERN WHATSOEVER ABOUT, UH, SOME SPECIAL CONSIDERATION ON REAL ESTATE TAXES FOR THE WIDOW OF SOMEONE WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
UH, SO TO ME, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THE, UH, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CREATED THIS OPTION.
IT'S PRETTY NARROWLY DEFINED, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
UH, THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE ASKED US IF WE WANTED TO DO IT, AND I SAID, YEAH, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD.
AND, UH, SO WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS CREATES A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR REAL ESTATE TAXES.
UH, FOR PURPOSES OF LOCAL REAL ESTATE TAXES, UH, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE ONLY, UH, TWO OR THREE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY THAT, YOU KNOW, MEET THIS TEST.
AND IT WOULD BE MY INTENTION TO, UH, NOT ASSESS THEM ANY TAX OR, YOU KNOW, $1 IF LEGALLY WE'RE ADVISED WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ASSESS SOMETHING MM-HMM.
AND THAT LITTLE CONFUSION ABOUT DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS.
WE JUST FOLLOWED WHAT'S, WHAT WAS IN THE STATE LAW ABOUT WHAT WAS ALLOWED.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GET IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEFINES AS, UH, YOU KNOW, DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
BUT, UH, IT IS, IT IS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF ITS BUDGET IMPACT SEEMS LIKE THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
ANY COMMENTS, OR EXCUSE ME, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THE BOARD? NO QUESTION.
CAN YOU SEE NO QUESTIONS? SO I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYONE CARE TO SPEAK TO THIS? OKAY.
UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS THERE.
IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY, THEN I'LL CALL FOR ROLL CALL.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. GREEN IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 23 DASH SIX TO ADD YORK COUNTY CODE SECTION 21 DASH SEVEN POINT 10 CLASSIFICATION OF REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY CERTAIN SURVIVING SPOUSES OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR TAX PURPOSES.
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
GOING TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, ITEM FOUR ON THE AGENDA AS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.ITEM FIVE, THE HEADSTART GRANT APPLICATION.
UM, ITEM SIX IS ACCOMMODATION OF RETIRING EMPLOYEE.
AND THIS ONE, LET'S SEE, I'VE GOT THE NAMES HERE AS RANDALL S ERNEST, UH, THEN ITEM SEVEN IS THE RETIRING EMPLOYEE, UH, MICHAEL GREEN.
AND ITEM EIGHT IS ACCOMMODATION OF RETIRING EMPLOYEE, JAMES E. BARNETT JR.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, YEAH, ANY BOARD MEMBERS HERE TO DISCUSS ANY OF THESE ITEMS? OKAY, FOUR AND FIVE.
WELL JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL ME, SO NEIL, I'VE GOT SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING THE MINUTES ABOUT, UM, NOT QUITE MATCHING UP PEOPLE'S RECOLLECTION OF RECOLLECTION OF WHAT WAS SAID.
CAN YOU, I KNOW WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE OUR, WE DON'T DO S COURTS SONOGRAPHER TYPE VERBATIM, UM, COPY OF THE, OF THE MINUTES.
SO WHAT IS IT WE TRY TO CAPTURE IN, IN THE MINUTES TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S THE PEOPLE'S COMMENTS AREN'T, AREN'T LOST? WELL, UM, I MIGHT WANT, YOU KNOW, HEATHER TO COMMENT, BUT, UM, GENERALLY IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, YOU KNOW, THE SUBSTANCE OF ANY ACTION OR SUGGESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THE FOLLOW UP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE
[01:15:01]
MULTIPLE PEOPLE READ THEM AND PROVE THEM.I MEAN, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET INTO A LENGTHY BACK AND FORTH NARRATIVE, UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T TRY TO, YOU KNOW, DO VERBATIM, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARCHIVE ALL THE MEETINGS.
AND SO IF THERE'S EVER ANY QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ANYBODY SAID, YOU CAN JUST GO LOOK AT IT AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE SAID.
SO I GUESS IN MY MIND, IF, HAVE WE FAIRLY CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF WHAT PEOPLE SAID? BECAUSE THAT'S THE GOAL, HEATHER? IS THAT, THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
WE DO NOT TAKE VERBATIM MINUTES.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE A COURT'S GRAPHER OR SOMEBODY TO THAT EFFECT.
WE DO SUMMARIZE THE ACTIONS AND ANY, UH, DIALOGUE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE, AS WELL AS ANY IMPORTANT STANCE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAY DIRECT STAFF A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR COUNTY ATTORNEY TO DO.
WE ALSO DO CATA, YOU KNOW, CA BLOG THEM OUT ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, AND, AND DO MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CORRECTIONS LATER ON IF THERE'S, IF THEY'RE NEEDED? I KNOW WE, I THINK WE'VE EVER DONE IT BEFORE, BUT THERE A MECHANISM FOR THAT? NO, THIS, RIGHT NOW THERE'S SOMETHING, AND I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THE GOOD NOTES.
WELL THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, HAND START APPLIC GRANT APPLICATION.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO GETTING THAT GRANT APPLICATION IN PLACE.
UM, AND WE HAVE MEMBERS FROM THE HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL HERE AND MM-HMM.
MS. AMBER, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE SOME THOUGHTS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT YOU CAME ALL THE AROUND HERE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST LEAVE YOU HANGING IN THE AUDIENCE THERE, CUZ I KNOW THIS IS, YOU PUT A LOT OF HEART, YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO, YOU KNOW, GETTING THIS APPLICATION IN PLACE ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE REST OF YOUR STAFF.
DO YOU WANT SOMEONE YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU ASK, ASK HIM A COME FORWARDS TO EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM OR WHAT? UM, WELL, YES, ACTUALLY WE HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES WITH, WITH THE NUMBER OF, UM, STUDENTS WHO WE'RE GOING TO COVER THIS YEAR.
SO WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR TWO MINUTES? OKAY, THANKS.
WELL, OKAY, SINCE HE'S NOT, HE'S NOT CHAIR, CHAIR, MR. ROME, OF COURSE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
SO BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF OUR GRANT APPLICATION.
UM, MOST RECENTLY YOU DID RECEIVE A, A CORRESPONDENCE MEMO THAT OUTLINED SOME KEY CHANGES IN OUR GRANT APPLICATION FOR THIS CURRENT, UM, OUR, OUR GRANT APPLICATION FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
IN THAT APPLICATION, IT DID LIST SOME CHANGES, WHICH INCLUDED AN EN A REDUCTION IN OUR ENROLLMENT, AND IT'S JUST BASED ON SHIFTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SINCE COVID, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CHANGES IN REFERENCE TO THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE INCREASE IN, UM, MINIMUM WAGE.
UM, WE HAVE HAD A SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP SOME STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES TO TRY TO RECRUIT, UM, CREDENTIALED TEACHERS.
AND SO WE ARE MAKING STRIDES IN THAT REGARD.
WE DO HAVE SOME UPCOMING INTERVIEWS, AND SO I'M REALLY, REALLY HOPEFUL.
BUT THE MAIN THINGS IN OUR GRANT APPLICATION IS THAT ENROLLMENT REDUCTION.
UM, WITH THAT ENROLLMENT REDUCTION, WE DO HAVE SOME COST SAVINGS AND WE ARE UTILIZING THOSE COST SAVINGS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR PROGRAM.
AND SO, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A REDUCTION THERE, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES, OF COURSE, AND OUR STAFF.
UM, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS THAT WE DID HAVE A PART DAY PROGRAM AS WELL AS A FULL DAY PROGRAM FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OFFERING FULL DAY SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, MOST RECENTLY THROUGH ART FUNDS, WE HAD A MENTAL HEALTH POSITION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING ON BOARD TEMPORARILY.
THAT FUNDING DID END IN MARCH.
AND BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF STUDENTS, UM, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT WE CREATE, UM, THAT POSITION SO THAT THAT POSITION CAN COME ON PERMANENTLY SO THAT WE CAN WORK WITH OUR FAMILIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT WILL INCREASE OUR TEACHER CHILD RATIOS IN CLASSROOMS. SO THAT WILL HELP OUR CONTINUITY OF CARE.
UM, WE WILL HAVE MORE TEACHERS INSIDE OF OUR CLASSROOM SO WE CAN BETTER INDIVIDUALIZE, WE CAN BETTER PROVIDE, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING BASED ON THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE MAKING TO OUR PROGRAM AS WELL AS A SUMMER PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS SUMMER LEARNING RETENTION.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE SUMMARY, AND I REALLY WANT TO APPLAUD YOU AND YOUR STAFF BEING PROACTIVE BY TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE OUR POPULATION IS TODAY AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO IT.
AND INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO, DOING THE SAME OLD THING, MAKING POSITIVE FORWARD THINKING CHANGES TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND BAIL, ALLOCATE OUR, THE LIMITED FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
SO YOU GOT YOUR TWO ITEMS. ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT
[01:20:01]
NEED TO BE, UH, DISCUSSED? OKAY.ANYBODY CARE? ANYBODY NEED TO PULL ONE OF 'EM FOR A SETTLE VOTE? OKAY.
I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION ON THE AGENDA.
THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION CHAIR.
UH, MR. ZERBE, UH, MOVED IT SO I HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. ZAREMBA IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS SUBMITTED.
WE'LL GO BACK TO, UH, SEE WE HAVE NO NEW BUSINESS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO INTO A CLOSED, UH, MEETING AFTER THIS.
[MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD]
UH, COMMENTS BY THE BOARD.SO, UH, WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? I'LL GO FIRST.
UH, LAST WEEK, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEKEND, I LOSE TRACK OF DATES, BUT I WENT TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HORTICULTURE EXTENSION PROGRAM.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE TURNOUT WAS WONDERFUL.
THEY HAD OVER 200 PEOPLE THERE, THEY HAD GREAT SPEAKERS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF COVID.
BUT THIS 2023 HORTICULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA HAD EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT SPEAKERS AND PARTICIPATION AND THEY HAD BOOTHS WHERE PEOPLE COULD GO UP AND LEARN ABOUT THE LAWN, LEARN ABOUT THEIR TREES, LEARN ABOUT THE PLANT, UH, LEARN ABOUT, UH, THE COMMUNITY PARK, COMMUNITY GARDENS.
AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO MEGAN TYRANNY, THE EXTENSION AGENT, BECAUSE SHE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO DO THAT.
IT TAKES A LOT OF COORDINATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST YOUR COUNTY, IT WAS THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE AREA THAT COME UNDER HER JURISDICTION.
AND ALSO, I WANTED TO POINT OUT TO CHARLES PARK, WHO WAS A COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, WHO HAS A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR AND HE, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS JUST A LOVELY, LOVELY DAY AND I ENJOYED IT SO MUCH AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY INVITED ME.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO WISH A VERY SPECIAL GIRL, A VERY HAPPY SIXTH BIRTHDAY WHO'S WATCHING THIS AT HOME.
UH, APPRECIATE MOMMY LETTING YOU WATCH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND STAYING UP LATE.
CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
UH, UM, STEVE, UM, JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT SOMETHING I WAS A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED ABOUT.
UM, SO, AND CAROLINE MENTIONED THIS DURING THE YOUTH COMMISSION, UM, REVIEW SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND THE, AND THE PREVIOUS, UH, WORK SESSION, THE YORK, UH, PRECO ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, YOUR PRECO SERVICE OFFICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, UNDER CHAIR DESHAW WRIGHT, UM, SPONSORED A ROADSIDE CLEANUP NAMED SEAFORD ROAD ON ONE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
UM, SHERIFF RON MONTGOMERY WAS THERE WITH US AND AS WELL AS SOME MEMBERS OF THE, UH, YOUTH COMMISSION.
AND WE WALKED UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD FROM SEAFORD ELEMENTARY ALL THE WAY UP TO THE INTERSECTION.
AND YOU DRIVE DOWN THE ROADS LIKE THAT AND YOU DON'T REALLY SEE A LOT OF TRASH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IN THAT SHORT STRETCH OF ROAD, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A LOT OF TRASH.
THERE'S LITERALLY A PICKUP TRUCKLOAD OF TRASH THAT, THAT WE PICKED UP IN, IN THAT COUPLE HOURS THAT WE RIGHT THERE.
AND I DISAPPOINTED TO SEE A ROAD SIZE BEING USED LIKE THAT.
AND I KNOW RECENTLY COUNTY STAFF ALSO DID A, A CLEANUP, WENT THROUGH 62 MILES OF, OF TRASH PICKED MILES OF TRASH PICKUP MENTIONED.
SO I KNOW I'M TILTING AT WINDMILLS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MINDFUL ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE BOTTLE, A LITTLE OF THIS CUZ THEY ADD UP PRETTY QUICKLY AND IT MAKES THAT ROADS LOOK BAD.
AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN THE DITCHES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WE LIVE VERY CLOSE TO THE WATER, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DRAINAGE THAT GETS BLOCKED UP BECAUSE OF TRASH IN THERE.
ALL THAT WORKS IS WAY OUT TO OUR RIVERS.
WE DON'T NEED THAT IN THE BAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT PEOPLE BE MINDFUL.
A LITTLE BIT OF TRASH FROM INDIVIDUALS GET PILED UP GOES A LONG WAY.
SO TRY TO KEEP THAT IN YOUR VEHICLES, MAINTAIN YOUR, MAINTAIN YOUR LOADS AND EMPTY THAT IN THE, IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SHEILA FORGOT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT I FORGOT IT, BUT I DIDN'T FORGET IT BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IN YOUR TOWN HAD A SOFT OPENING AND SO IT'S OPENED FOR YOU ALL TO GO VISIT AND TAKE SOME BOOKS OUT.
THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT STILL HAVE TO BE DONE, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO THE LIBRARY SERVICE AND THE CHILDREN SECTION ESPECIALLY IS IT'S SPECIAL.
I HAVE TO SAY IT, IT'S SPECIAL.
I WATCH LITTLE CHILDREN IN THERE PLAYING AND, AND TWEAKING AND GOING AROUND AND FEELING THINGS.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT I'M
[01:25:01]
NOT EXCITED FOR MYSELF.I'M EXCITED FOR THOSE WHO ARE GOING TO GET TO USE IT AND ENJOY IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO, TOM, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SAY A FEW WORDS AND WELCOME.
YEAH, I ALMOST DON'T WANNA BRING UP THE SUBJECT AGAIN CAUSE HAS MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES TONIGHT, BUT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES SURROUNDING SPRINGFIELD ROAD AND, UM, HAWKS NEST, WHICH IS AER ROAD THAT PARALLELS SPRINGFIELD ROAD.
UH, IT WAS AT ONE TIME THE ENTRANCE TO A, A PERCEIVED GOLF COURSE THAT WAS GONNA BE DEVELOPED IN THAT AREA AND IT WAS NEVER DONE.
ALRIGHT, SO LAST WORK SESSION LAST MONTH, I BROUGHT THE SUBJECT UP, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE ALONG SPRINGFIELD ROAD, MOST OF WHOM ARE FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOME.
ALRIGHT? AND, UH, WE HAD A LIVELY DISCUSSION AS I RECALL, BUT WE LEFT THAT WITH THE IDEA AND WE HEARD FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TONIGHT THAT, UH, HE'S ALREADY SET IN MOTION TO GET ON WITH PUTTING A CONTRACT IN PLACE, STUDYING THE ISSUE TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUES ARE ALL ABOUT.
SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
OKAY? AND I THINK FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE ALONG SPRINGFIELD ROAD, THAT'S A REAL POSITIVE KIND OF START.
WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I SUSPECT THAT ALMOST EVERY TIME WE MEET, WHICH IS TWICE A MONTH, I WILL BRING UP THE QUESTION TO MR. UH MORGAN.
WHERE ARE WE WITH RESPECT TO MOVING FORWARD WITH WHATEVER ANALYSIS HAS TO BE DONE SO WE CAN GET THIS THING SOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND IF AT ALL PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE, MOVE THAT HEAVY TRAFFIC THAT RIGHT NOW ENGULFS, UH, SPRINGFIELD ROAD SIDES OF THE VEHICLES NOT MENTIONED, THEIR NARROW NATURE OF THAT, THAT ROAD, UH, IF WE COULD MOVE IT TO, UH, HKS NEST, THAT MIGHT BE GREAT, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE OUT THERE THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE SOC, THE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD ROAD APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATOR AND THE STAFF SO THAT WE CAN AT SOME POINT IN TIME, HOPEFULLY BEFORE TRANQUILITY WITH ALL OF ITS HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS AND HOUSES ARE, ARE COMPLETED.
AND, AND ONE, UH, ONE CORRECTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE WAS A RESOLUTION R 23 DASH 21 IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE WAS AN R.
AND THE YES, SIR, BECAUSE OF SOME, I BELIEVE NEW MONEY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS A MINOR CHANGE, BUT WE NEEDED TO NOTE THAT.
UM, SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT A, AND THIS IS ALWAYS THE FUN STUFF.
WE GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF NEW BUSINESSES AND STUFF POPPING UP IN THE COUNTY AND, UH, WE ALWAYS LIKED THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE INSTITUTIONS, OH, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE'VE HAD HERE IS BOOTLEGGERS.
THAT'S WHERE YOU LEARN TO DANCE.
UH, IT'S A DANCE STUDIO AND IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
WELL, BOOTLEGGERS IT WAS SOLD AND IT'S NOW OWNED BY, UH, PATRICIA LAMPERT.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WAS HER NAME.
MY FIRST NAME IS PATRICIA, RIGHT? AND IT'S, I KNOW IT'S LAMBERT.
AND THEN, UM, UH, IT'S NOW CALLED OCEAN BREEZE DANCE STUDIO.
AND, UH, UH, THE, THE PREVIOUS, UH, OWNER IS, THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE TIED TO THE HIP AND, UH, UH, CINDY, UH, IS QUITE A CHARACTER.
IT'S, UH, THE INSTITUTIONS JUST MAY HAVE CHANGED ITS NAME, LOCATION'S EXACTLY THE SAME.
AND, UH, WE HAD A GRAND OPENING, UH, AT THE, AT THE, UH, THE NEW OCEAN BREEZE DANCE STUDIO.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I GOTTA ATTEND, UH, AND I ALWAYS LIKE DOING THIS, UH, ALTHOUGH NOT MANY IF ANY YORK COUNTY BUSINESSES ARE INVOLVED, IS THE ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION.
THEY DO IN WILLIAMSBURG, AND IT'S THE 38TH ANNUAL SER.
UH, THEY HAVE A CEREMONY RECEPTION AND, AND THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR GARDEN CLUBS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT THINK, WELL, GARDEN CLUBS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF UPPITY THING.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE THE IDEA IS THAT PEOPLE GET DOWN THERE AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY PRESENT AWARDS TO ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE REALLY GONE THE EXTRA MILE TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESSES LOOK ATTRACTIVE.
AND IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, THEY MAKE THE WHOLE AREA LOOK ATTRACTIVE.
AND IT GIVES, IT KIND OF LEADS INTO THAT.
AND SO, UH, BACK ABOUT 60 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS 21 GARDEN CLUBS.
THEY ALL CAME TOGETHER AND THEY FORMED THIS, THIS, UH, UM, THIS COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, THEY, AND THEY HAD THIS CELEBRATION AND THEY, THEY AWARDED A, UM, AWARDED THE, THE OUTSTANDING, UH, UM, GARDEN CLUBS AND, AND THE BUSINESSES THAT, UH, HAD PARTICIPATE.
WELL, SADLY, THIS IS THE LAST ONE.
THEY'RE, UM, UH, ALL THE 21 OVER THE YEARS, THE 21 GARDEN CLUBS HAVE EVAPORATED.
AND THEY GOT DOWN TO JUST A COUPLE GOVERNMENTS, UH, PARTICIPATING AND, UM, AND THEY'VE DECIDED THAT TO, UH, TO DISCONTINUE THE, UH, COMMITTEE.
[01:30:01]
SO ANYWAY, I WAS GLAD TO GET A CHANCE TO GO THERE.I'VE ALWAYS LEARNED A LOT ABOUT PLANTS AND, UH, AND, UH, I MEAN, IT WAS JUST, IT'S SAD TO SEE IT GO, BUT THEY DID A GREAT THING.
AND, AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS.
UM, ANOTHER BUSINESS THAT FINALLY CAME HOME CAME BACK HOME TO US AS THE DAIRY QUEEN.
AND MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE DAIRY QUEEN, UH, WAS ON 1 34 AND IT WAS BASICALLY THE ONLY DAIRY DAIRY QUEEN ALLOWED ON THE PENINSULA BECAUSE OF SOME CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT THEY HAD.
AND SO GENERATION, THAT'S A GENERATION, YOU'D GO TO THE DAIRY QUEEN, UM, I GUESS YOU'D BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THE THEATER WHERE WALMART IS TODAY WAS OPEN, PEOPLE WOULD GO TO WALMART, MAYBE GO DIGGING THE DAIRY QUEEN.
AND, AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF DEFINES, KIND OF DEFINES OUR PLACE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IF WE LOOK ON 17 AND I THINK OF, WE THINK OF 17 AS OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR MAIN STREET MM-HMM.
IT WAS, UM, WHAT HELPS DEFINE THESE BUSINESSES, HELP DEFINE YOUR COMMUNITY.
IF YOU GO TO PATRICK HENRY MALL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A DAIRY QUEEN IN THERE, AND THEY GOT THIS HUGE PICTURE OKAY.
AND, UH, THAT WAS TAKEN IN 1950, UH, DAIRY QUEEN OPENED IN 1940.
AND, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE ONE OPENED UP ON, UH, ON HAMPTON HIGHWAY, UH, WAS THERE, BUT I KNOW HE'D BEEN THERE LONG BEFORE I SHOWED UP.
AND, UH, SO THE GROUP THAT, THERE'S A GROUP THAT'S A FRANCHISE THAT, UH, IS UMM CALLED MYTH ATLANTIC GROUP.
AND, UM, THEY DECIDED THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD HEARD THAT PEOPLE WERE BEMOANING THE FACT THAT THE DAIRY QUEEN NO LONGER WAS IN YORK COUNTY.
AND SO THEY'VE PUT THE DAIRY QUEEN BACK ON 17 AND, UH, IT'S DOWNED BY JOAN MEAS, WHICH IS ANOTHER INSTITUTION.
AND UM, AND THEY WERE HAVING A, UH, I GUESS IT WAS ICE CREAM DAY OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT.
AND PEOPLE WERE HANDING OUT, FREE, FREE FREE, FREE, FREE, FREE CONE, FREE CONE CONE DAY.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S UH, WELCOME, UM, DAIRY QUEEN BACK TO YORK COUNTY AND IT WAS REALLY NICE.
UM, I DID HAVE A, SO, SO TOM MUST MENTION MATT BEAN AND THE MARKET DIRECTOR HAD GLOWING REVIEWS OF YOUR COUNTY YOUTH WHO COME THERE TO APPLY FOR JOBS, LOOK, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
HE THOUGHT VERY HIGHLY OF EVERYBODY THAT, THAT HE SPOKE WITH THIS.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, THEY WERE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT YORK COUNTY AND IT WAS INTERESTING TOO THAT, UH, UH, I THINK IT WAS THE, UH, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, C HK D MM-HMM
THEY, UM, THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED AROUND $400,000 TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND THEY'RE, I THINK THE, THE, THEY'RE ABOUT 7% OF THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION FROM DAIRY QUEEN COMES RIGHT OUT OF THOSE 15, UM, 15 STORES.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE IT BACK.
SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO GO DOWN THERE AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF FUN.
AND, AND ICE CREAM'S WONDERFUL.
UM, I DID GET TO MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT MAR, UM, I WAS KIND OF WEDGED THAT I GOT WEDGED IN AMONG MY, MY SCHEDULE.
A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO, I, I KIND OF BRIEF YOU GUYS ON.
BUT THERE WAS A WHOLE LIST AND, UH, THANKS FOR THE SETTING THIS ALL UP.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, THE, THE THING I HIT ON REAL QUICK WAS THE BOUNDARY ROAD IN SYCAMORE LANE, UH, ISSUE.
I WANTED TO, UH, UM, WELL I THINK THAT'S, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHOSE DISTRICT THAT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND I WANTED TO, UH, TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT IN THE ACCESS POINT.
AND THEY MADE THE, THE PARK SERVICES VERY CLEAR.
THEY DID NOT WANT PEOPLE COMING ON THAT ONTO THE PARK SERVICE PROPERTY.
UH, THROUGH THOSE, THROUGH THOSE ACCESS POINTS.
I MEAN, THEY WERE, I MEAN, THERE WAS LIKE NO DISCUSSION.
IT WAS JUST, THAT IS NOT AN ENTRY POINT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ALLOW.
UM, WHAT I DID FIND OUT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING FOR YEARS, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST WANDER AROUND THE PARK, YOU DRIVE DOWN SURRENDER ROAD, YOU GO DOWN THE OLD ROADS AND THAT TRAVELS BACK THROUGH THE PARK AND EVERYTHING.
UH, WELL NOW THAT'S KIND OF COMING TO AN END AS A FREE ACTION.
UH, THE PARK SERVICE REALLY GOT ONTO THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, DOWN HERE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CHARGE, UH, THE, THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CHARGE FOR.
AND THAT IS ACCESS TO THE, THE PARK.
UM, I THINK IT'S LIKE $15 A DAY AND THAT ACTUALLY WILL, NOT $15 A DAY, BUT $15.
AND THAT GIVES YOU LIKE A SEVEN DAY PASS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S, UH, THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT IS PARKING.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN, YOU COME INTO THE PARK AND YOU CAN JUST PARK AND GET OUT, WALK AROUND AND DO STUFF.
WELL, NOW THAT'S, THAT'S GOING AWAY.
[01:35:01]
SO PARKING NOW IN THE FEDERAL PARKS GONNA COST YOU MONEY.AND, UM, THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL CUZ IF YOU GO OUT TO YELLOWSTONE OR GLACIER OR NATIONAL PARK OR ANY OF THOSE PARKS, UH, YOU PAY, YOU PAY TO GET ON THE PARK.
NOW THEY ALLOW YOU TO DRIVE THROUGH THE PARK CUZ WE GOT A UNIQUE KIND OF SETUP HERE WITH OUR COUNTY BECAUSE THEY GOT, YOU MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE PARK, YOU GO TO THE, UH, YOU GO TO THE, UM, COAST GUARD STATION, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRAVELING THROUGH THE PARK.
SO IF YOU'RE DOING TRANSITORY, UH, TRAVEL ON THOSE MADE ROADS LIKE COOK ROAD, UM, THAT'S NOT GONNA COST YOU ANYTHING.
BUT IF YOU COME INTO THE PARK SERVICE, EVEN GOING UP TO THE, UH, THE WELCOME CENTER, IT'S GONNA COST YOU THE PARK IN THERE.
AND, UH, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE MONUMENT, YOU GOTTA PARK THERE, YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT REASON THEY'RE GETTING BEAT UP IS THAT WE HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO OTHER THINGS AND, UH, THE PARK SERVICE IS GOING WELL, WHY ARE YOU LETTING EVERYBODY COME IN FREE WHEN YOU NEED TO BE COLLECTING THAT MONEY TO HELP DO THINGS LIKE REMOVE THE BAMBOO, YOU KNOW, THAT BIG BAMBOO PILE THEY HAVE DOWN THERE AROUND THE, AROUND THE MONUMENT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT WAS AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION AND WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, THE, UH, UH, CRUISE LINER THAT'S GONNA COME IN.
AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE, KIND OF WORKING OUT THE DETAILS ON THAT TOO.
UH, THE, THERE WAS A LOT OF POSITIVE FEELING ABOUT THE WAR STREET DESIGN, UH, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UH, THAT WERE PROPOSED.
AND, UM, WE JUST CASUALLY MENTIONED THE DOCK MASTER BUILDING, WHICH IS GONNA BE A TWO-STORY, UH, BUILDING DOWN WHERE THE BATHROOMS ARE ON THE BEACH, BUT THAT SEEMED TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THEM.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, THERE WAS A BUNCH OF STUFF WE WENT THROUGH AND UH, IT WAS NICE TO, TO UH, UH, TALK TO HER.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND SO MORE THE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AS WE GO.
UM, SO WE HAVE COMPLETED EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CLOSED BUSINESS SESSION AND, UH, SUP, UH, SUPERVISOR RON, YOU CAN TAKE US IN THE CLOSED MEETING, CERTAINLY IN ACCORDANCE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
I MOVED THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONVENE ENCLOSED MEETING TO CONSIDER A PERSONNEL MATTER INVOLVING THE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
HEATHER, OR SORRY, MR. GREEN? YES.
OKAY, WE'RE DOWN IN THE CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE GOING AT THE CLOSED SESSION.