May 07, 2024 Board of Supervisors

SO WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT REALLY DOES IS WHEN YOU COME OFF 17, YOU CAN TAKE THAT SAME LANE ALL THE WAY TO KILN CREEK.

RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.

AND WHAT IT, WHAT IT DOES SAFETY WISE, IT, IT, YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THAT, THAT WEAVING I'VE SEEN.

I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN A LOT.

BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THAT SUDDENLY THEY RAN OUTTA LANE.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS WEAVING, AND THEN THEY WANT TO GET INTO CHEMICAL CREEK, SO THEY GOTTA WEAVE BACK OVER, SO, RIGHT.

EXACTLY.

SO GOOD.

UM, WITH CREEK ROAD PROJECT, UM, THAT PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF TWO PROJECTS, ONE IN HAMPTON, ONE IN POCOS, BUT IT, IT'S SO CLOSE HERE.

WE GOT KERRY'S CHAPEL ROAD THAT RUNS INTO IT.

UH, SO I MENTIONED THAT AS WELL, THAT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, STARTED MARCH 18TH, I BELIEVE.

UM, AND THAT HAS A, UH, COMPLETION DATE OF AUGUST 27TH, 2027.

SO, UM, THAT IS, UM, ADDING A LANE CENTER LANE, UM, DIRECTIONAL.

SO IT CHANGES DIRECTION AS THE DEMAND.

IT ALSO HAS NEW BRIDGE, HIGHER ELEVATIONS, UH, SOME SIDEWALK PEDESTRIAN.

UM, SO IT, IT SHOULD BE A GOOD, UM, SAFE EVACUATION ROUTE AS WELL WITH THE, WITH THE RAISED ELEVATIONS.

UM, AND THE, AND THE NEW BRIDGE.

SO THAT HAS BEEN, UM, OUT TO BED A FEW TIMES, SO I'M HAPPY TO, TO SAY THAT IT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE 1 1 34 BRIDGE REHAB OVER 17.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO, UH, REPLACE THE BRIDGE DECK AND APPROACH LABS AND MINOR REPAIRS TO THE SUB SUPERSTRUCTURE.

WILSON DRIVE, WHICH IS OFF OF DEER PATH ROAD, FOREST LANE, SHADY BLUFF POINT, UH, PHOENIX CIRCLE, UH, WHICH IS OFF NEWMAN ROAD.

, UM, THAT IS 1 34, RIGHT? OVER 17, THE RAMP.

WE'RE GONNA DO THAT UNDER TRAFFIC COMING FROM 17.

THERE IS, IF YOU'RE COMING FROM 1 34, YOU DO HAVE TO DETOUR.

UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA BUILD THAT ONE HALF AT A TIME.

UM, THERE IS A, A LITTLE BIT OF FEDERAL FUNDING ISSUE WITH THAT, SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.

BUT HOPEFULLY, UM, WE'LL GET THAT, UH, OUT OCTOBER OF 2025, UM, PLANNED ASPHALT PAVING FOR, UH, THE SUMMER.

IT'S A QUITE EXTENSIVE LIST COMPARED TO WHAT I'VE, UH, WHAT I'VE HAVE PROVIDED.

UM, I'LL RUN THROUGH 'EM REAL QUICK JUST FOR, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR AWARENESS.

[00:10:01]

TAB LAKES DRIVE, TIGER RUN, CUB COURT, SHALLOW LAGOON, UH, HEATH PLACE, JONATHAN JUNCTION, UH, NOREEN COURT, TIGER PAUL PATH, GARDENVILLE DRIVE, UH, RICHARDS RUN AND CONWAY COURT, WHICH KIND OF GOES OFF BRIDGEWOOD BOTH DIRECTIONS.

CUL-DE-SAC, UH, GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, UM, FROM WOLF TRAP TO FORT EUSTIS.

UH, BRIDGEWOOD DRIVE.

UH, IT'S OFF COVENTRY, UH, TO, TO TAB LAKES DRIVE.

ALL OF THESE ARE LESLIE LANE, UH, DELL, UM, COURT, MID-ATLANTIC PLACE, MONTE MANOR, ELISE PLACE, BIG BETHEL ROAD.

AND THAT'S THE SECTION THAT GOES TO HAMPTON, UM, FENTON MILL ROAD.

UH, TWO SECTIONS OF THAT, UH, MOTOWN ROAD, UM, BARLOW ROAD, WINTHROP ROAD, HARP LANE, UH, CATESBY LANE, UH, BURNHAM ROAD, CHARLES ROAD, PENMAN ROAD, HUBBARD LANE, UH, DODGE DRIVE, SEPER ROAD, NELSON DRIVE, COLONIAL AVENUE, UH, DALE AVENUE, SHEPHERD DRIVE, UM, WHICH IS ALL THESE AROUND HUBBARD LANE, UH, GLEN CIRCLE, AND, UH, SCOTTS DRIVE STILL, ALREADY DONE.

YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING THEM NOW, BUT YEAH.

BUT THAT WAS, UH, THIS WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR US, LET'S SAY THAT, UH, 2025, PROBABLY NOT AS MUCH, BUT, UM, IT WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR US.

SMART SCALEY, UH, SMART SCALE PROJECTS.

SO WE HAVE, UH, THE SMART SCALE, I CALL IT ROUND TWO, WHICH IS 18.

UM, THAT'S THE ROUTE 17 WIDENING BETWEEN, UH, WOLF TRAP AND, UH, FORT EUSTIS.

UM, THAT'S WIDEN ROUTE 17 FROM FOUR TO SIX LANES, UH, THROUGH THAT SECTION.

UM, LET ME MAKE SURE I GET THE DATES RIGHT.

SO PE WE ARE UNDER PE NOW.

WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND DEVELOPERS.

THERE'S SOME DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN THOSE SECTIONS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR, UH, PLANS ALIGN OR, OR WE ADJUSTED, UH, SO THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME CONTINUITY THERE BETWEEN THE CONSTRUCTION OF EACH.

UM, THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THIS PROJECT IS, UH, NOVEMBER THE 10TH, 2026.

AND, UM, UH, CONTRACT ADMINISTER START 4 15 20 17 TO OCTOBER 10TH, 2029.

UM, SO THERE'S A FEW YEARS OUT ON THAT PROJECT, BUT IT'S, UH, BUT IT'S UNDER PE NOW.

UH, RIGHT AWAY, UM, RIGHT AWAY.

THE RELOCATIONS, THE BETTERMENT, ALL THAT STUFF WILL BE, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION AND ADVERTISEMENT.

SO YOU'LL SEE SOME MOVE, YOU'LL SEE SOME MOVEMENT OUT THERE BEFORE WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING DOING SOME WORK.

UH, SMART SCALE 18, THIS IS ROUTE 1 71.

THIS IS WIDENING BETWEEN 17 AND ROUTE 1 34.

THIS IS ADDING A, UH, ADDITIONAL LANE IN THE EASTBOUND DIRECTION, UH, BETWEEN THOSE TWO ROUTES.

UM, THIS WILL MAKE ITS THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, SO THROUGH TRAFFIC, UM, AND IT IS CURRENTLY ADVERTISED.

SO, UH, WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR BIDS TO BE RECEIVED FOR THAT PROJECT, UH, RIGHT AWAY.

RELOCATION AND ALL THAT, UH, SHOULD BE CLEARED HERE IN ANY DAY.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THAT ONE MOVING.

UM, TELL ME, TELL ME IN THE ROAD YEAH, WHICH THIS IS VICTORY BOULEVARD BETWEEN 17 AND 1 34 GOING EASTBOUND.

AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT, SO WE'RE ADDING A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO LANES IN THAT DIRECTION.

THREE LANES COMING BACK.

WE'RE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL THROUGH LANE OR EXISTING LANE FROM 17 TO 1 34, WHICH IT'LL TURN AND INTO RIGHT TURN LANE.

WHEN YOU GET TO 1 34, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

GOTCHA.

US WITH THE PROJECT DESIGN FOR THIS.

UM, SO WE ADVERTISE THAT APRIL 9TH.

UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO, UM, START THIS PROJECT SOMETIME IN JULY, LATE JULY OF THIS, OF THIS YEAR.

UH, AND FINISH EARLY JULY OF NEXT YEAR.

SO ABOUT A YEAR LONG PROJECT, UH, SMART SCALE, UH, 20, WHICH IS THE ROUTE 1 71 CAPACITY ENHANCEMENTS BETWEEN 1 34 AND 1740.

THAT'S INTERSECTION TURN, LANE SHOULDER IMPROVEMENTS, SHARED USE PATH ALONG 1 71, UH, BETWEEN 1 34 AND HEAVEN'S WAY.

UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SOME PRES SKYPING AND ESTIMATES.

UM, BUT WE ARE, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING A CONSULTANT TO ASSIST

[00:15:01]

UM, NEXT MONTH STARTS THE OPENING OF THE PE PHASE FOR THIS PROJECT.

UM, CURRENTLY, UM, WITH THE ESTIMATE WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE FUNDING FOR IT.

UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME DATES, UH, PE 6 3 24 RIGHT AWAY WILL START AROUND 12 DECEMBER OF 26 AND CONSTRUCTION AROUND FEBRUARY OF 28, FEBRUARY, MARCH 28, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UM, SMART SCALE 22, WHICH IS THE AIRPORT ROAD, MOTOWN ROAD AND RICHMOND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, THIS, UH, THIS IS INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS FOR THOSE THREE ROADS, UM, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A ROUNDABOUT AT MOTOWN AND AIRPORT.

UM, IT'S APPROVED IN CENTER INTERSECTION OF RICHMOND ROAD AIRPORT ROAD TO INCLUDE A RIGHT ONLY ONTO RICHMOND ROAD.

UM, SORT OF A RCU THING WHERE YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE LANE ASSIGNMENTS AND U-TURN POINTS.

CURRENTLY PERFORMING PRES SCOPING ALSO, UH, LOOKING TO ADVERTISE THIS, UH, 2030 MARCH, 2030 IS CURRENT, IS THE CURRENT, UM, SCHEDULE, UH, WITH THE COMPLETION DATE OF DECEMBER OF 2031.

BUT WE'LL DO MORE ONCE WE GET TO START ACTUALLY OPENING PE.

BUT WE, WE STARTED SOME PRE, UH, PRES SCOPING WORK ON IT ALREADY, SOME PRES SCOPING FUNDS.

SO HOPEFULLY WHEN WE GET TO PE WE'LL BE AHEAD OF THE GAME A LITTLE BIT.

SO, UH, MS. MR. RONE, YOU AND I MET WITH MS. LARSON, THE CHAIR FOR JAMES CITY COUNTY.

SHE TALKED ABOUT TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO LOCALITIES, RIGHT? THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF COOPERATIVE WORK.

WE BOTH SUBMITTED THAT TOGETHER.

IT WAS APPROVED.

WE WORKED WITH VDOT THE WHOLE TIME.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT ABSOLUTELY HITS AT HER REQUEST THAT BOTH LOCALITIES BE MINDFUL OF TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO.

AND SO, I, I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT TO YOU IF YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF IT ALREADY.

YEAH, NO, YEAH.

THANKS FOR THAT.

I, I REMEMBER OUR CONVERSATION AND SOME OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUES DRIVING SOME OF OUR CONCERNS.

SO, YOU KNOW, JUST A GOOD FIT FOR WHAT WE WERE WORKING ON WITH THEM ALL.

YES, SIR.

EXACTLY.

AND THEN SMART 24, AND THAT'S THE I 64 GAP, UM, WIDENING, THAT'S THE LAST SECTION OF I 64 UNTIL YOU GET INTO NEW KEN COUNTY.

UM, THAT HAS A, UM, BEAR WITH ME ONE SECOND.

THAT HAS, SO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WERE FALL OF 23.

UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO AWARD THIS DESIGN BILL CONTRACT, UM, SPRING SUMMER OF THIS YEAR.

AND ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE SOMETIME AROUND FALL OF 2027.

UM, SO IT'S NINE MILES, UH, WIDENING SORT OF LIKE THE THREE SEGMENTS THAT WE ALREADY WIDEN.

SEGMENT ONE, SEGMENT TWO, SEGMENT THREE, THAT'S JUST SORT OF THE, WE CALL IT GAP C NOW'S THE LAST SEGMENT OF THAT ALL THE WAY TO BOTTOMS BRIDGE.

UM, AS YOU GET TO RICHMOND, UH, LAND USE HAS BEEN BUSY.

UH, WE'VE DONE 110 PLAN REVIEWS, UM, FOR THE COUNTY.

UH, WE'VE ISSUED 315 UTILITY PERMITS, UH, SINCE JULY 1ST.

AND WE'VE COMPLETED OR CLOSED OUT 293, UH, SINCE, UH, JULY 1ST.

THERE'S A LOT OF FIBER WORK, UM, GOING ON AROUND IN THE COMMUNITIES.

UM, AND ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, HAVE UTILITY PERMITS ASSIGNED TO THEM, AND INSPECTORS BEAT OUT INSPECTORS GOING OUT.

AND I INSPECTING, UM, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING STUDIES.

UM, WE HAVE THE INTERSECTION SIGN REVIEW AT MIDDLETOWN FARMS. UM, BASED ON THAT SITE DISTANCE IN LOW A A DT, IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO INSTALL YIELD SIGNS, UM, AT, UH, HAR UP LANE, SOUTHBOUND AT, UH, BARNUM ROAD AND, UH, BARNUM ROAD, WESTBOUND AT, UH, CATESBY LANE.

UH, WE DID A SIGN REVIEW AT CARIES CHAPEL ROAD FOR SOME SPEED LIMITS.

UH, MOST OF THE, THE SIGNS OUT THERE WERE IN REALLY GOOD CONDITION, UM, AND THEY WERE PLACED ACCORDING TO OUR M-U-T-C-D.

UM, SO WE DID NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL SPEED LIMIT SIGNS ON, UH, CARIES CHAPEL.

UH, WE DID SOME ROAD NARROW SIGNS, UH, REVIEW ON FELTON MILL ROAD, UH, BASED ON THE REAR.

THE FOLLOWING IS RECOMMENDED.

UH, WE INSTALLED THE MISSING 45 MILE PER HOUR, STEP DOWN SPEED LIMIT SIGN, UH, BETWEEN THE 55 AND 40.

UM, PER, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDED RESOLUTION OF THE LAST SPEED STUDY, IT WAS DONE, UH, INTERSECTION, INTERSECTION SIGNAL, FYA REVIEW, UH, ROUTE 17 AT 2 38, UH, BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED AND EVALUATED.

NO TRAFFIC SIGNAL, SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS WERE RECOMMENDED

[00:20:01]

AT THIS TIME.

HOWEVER, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE CRASHES AT THIS LOCATION.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, A FYA REVIEW FOR MORE TOWN ROAD AT BULL FONTS, AND THE, I GUESS THAT'S THE HOME DEPOT CHICK-FIL-A INTERSECTION.

UM, IT'S THREE OF THEM THERE IN A ROW.

SO, UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THOSE REVIEWS AS WELL.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE THE GOOLEY ROAD WILLIAMSBURG INTERSECTION STUDY UNDER WAY.

UM, AND I, I HAVE, I'VE LOOKED AT THIS STUDY, I'VE DISCUSSED THIS STUDY.

I, I, I DO EXPECT TO GET IT IN A WEEK OR SO.

UM, SO JUST WAIT FOR IT TO GET TO SIGNED AND SEALED.

UM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE RECOMMENDED FOR A FOUR-WAY STOP AT LEY OLD WILLIAMSBURG ROAD.

AND WHAT IS THE 2 38? YEAH, TWO 30.

WHAT, WHAT'S THE ROAD ACROSS, INTO, INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, DO YOU REMEMBER? THAT'S IT.

THERE'LL BE A SIGNAL STOP OR JUST STOP SIGNS.

IT'S GONNA BE STOP SIGNS.

AND, AND ARE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE SPEED LIMIT DOWN THERE AS WELL? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

SO IT'S ALL IN, IT'S ALL IN THE STUDY.

PERFECT.

PERFECT.

AND I, AND I REALLY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL IT SIGN AND SEAL, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION SAYS AT THIS POINT.

SO, GOOD.

UM, I KNOW IT GOT APPROVED BY THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER JUST WAITING FOR SOME SIGNATURES.

GREAT.

WOULD THE RECOMMENDATION ALSO INCLUDE LIKE, I DUNNO WHAT YOU GUYS CALL 'EM, BUT THE, THE RUMBLE STRIPS ON THE ROAD TO WARN YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GETTING ALREADY TO APPROACH A INTERSECTION SO YOU DON'T JUST BLOW THROUGH IT.

ESPECIALLY PEOPLE ARE USED TO DRIVING THROUGH LADDER STOP.

SO THERE IS SOME STUFF OF THAT.

I DON'T KNOW THE RUMBLE STRIPS, 'CAUSE IT'S COMMUNITY RIGHT THERE.

THEY, SOME PEOPLE LIVE RIGHT THERE ON THE ROAD, RIGHT? SO NOISE AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE.

BUT THERE ARE SOME, SOME ADDED TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC CHANGES.

THE LEFT TURN LANE ACTUALLY IS GONNA GO AWAY.

UH, SO THIS, IT'S A WHOLE RETRIP OF THAT INTERSECTION.

THEY'RE PUTTING BOLLARDS ON GOLY AS YOU COME IN, SO YOU CAN'T FALL INTO THAT MERGE LANE.

UM, IT'S, IT'S A LOT TO IT, BUT, UM, LET'S GET IT OUT AND I'LL GET IT OUT TO YOU.

I GOTCHA.

WE CAN DISCUSS IT FROM THERE.

APPRECIATE YOU ALL LOOKING.

BUT WHEN IT'S, WHEN YOU GET INTO MORE URBANIZED AREAS, SOMETIMES THERE'S RUMBLE STRIPS, EVEN THOUGH THEY MM-HMM.

, I, I'VE PUT 'EM DOWN AND TAKEN 'EM UP THE NEXT DAY.

GOTCHA.

NOT SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, TRISTAN BOULEVARD, BLEVINS RUN, GREENLAND DRIVE.

UM, THERE'S A BRUTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDY UNDERWAY, MOTOWN TOWNHOUSE IN BALLARD STREET, LAKESIDE DRIVE AND DARE ROAD, AND A PRODUCTION DRIVE, UM, IS CURRENTLY STUFF THAT WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE, UH, FOR STUDIES.

AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, SOME PROJECT PIPELINE, UH, STUDIES GOING ON AS WELL.

THAT'S, UH, LOOKING AT ROUTE 17 AT COOK ROAD, UM, TO DENBY BOULEVARD.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ROUTE 17 AT, UH, ROUTE 1 71, WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY OUR BUSIEST INTERSECTION IN MY RESIDENCY.

UM, AND LOOKING AT WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE.

AND, AND REALLY WHAT THEY DO, THEY GIVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ESTIMATES AND ROLL THIS INTO A PACKAGE THAT THE LOCALITY COULD UTILIZE FOR MAYBE FUTURE SMART SCALE FUNDING.

, UM, PAVEMENT MARKINGS.

SO, UH, ROUTE 1 0 5, FORT TIS REFRESH EXISTING LINES FROM 17 TO NEW NEWPORT NEWS LINE, UH, EAST AND WEST, UM, AND THE EXISTING ARROWS.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF STOP BARS LISTED, UM, FOR REFRESH, UH, ALONG 17.

UM, THAT'S COMING UP THROUGH A TASK ORDER.

UM, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT THOUGH.

THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

ANYTHING MR. CARROLL? THANK YOU.

CAN I TAKE ANY THANK YOU, MR. CAROL.

I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT LET'S GO AROUND THE ROOM, AROUND THE TABLE, MR. SHEPHERD.

APPRECIATE THE DETAIL AND STAYING ON TOP OF IT.

SO I HAD FOUR ITEMS, SO I'M THE EXCEPTION HERE, I GUESS.

I DON'T KNOW.

WE WAIT TO, HE'S TAKING CARE OF MINE.

SO YOUR COMMENT ON PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, RECOGNITION, AND I ECHO THAT.

THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO APPRECIATE ALL OF OUR FOLKS FOR.

RICHMOND ROAD INTERCHANGED.

UM, NUMBER TWO WAS KATE'S B AND BURNHAM, UH, THE MIDDLETOWN FARMS AREA.

HAVE, UH, SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORS HAVE CAUGHT BACK TO ME AND ARE THRILLED WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S REPAVED.

AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.

GOOD, GOOD.

I HAVE ONE, UH, ITEM ON THAT AIRPORT.

MOTOWN ROAD.

YOU REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER A U-TURN LANE.

UH, IT WOULD BE AT OLD TOWN WHERE THE TRAFFIC WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND GO THE OTHER WAY.

YOU SEE IT IN MANY OTHER STATES.

UH, I'M USED TO HOUSTON AND

[00:25:01]

WHEN YOU COME UP TO AN INTERSECTION, THERE'S USUALLY A DEDICATED U-TURN LANE THAT, THAT AVOIDS YOU HAVING TO WAIT AT THE LIGHTS.

WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT THAT AT THAT PARTICULAR INTERSECTION.

'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE DIRECTING OR DEFLECTING A LOT OF TRAFFIC.

UH, AROUND THAT CORNER.

AND LIKE I SAID, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT PROJECT IS, IT'S, IT IS, WE'RE GETTING STARTED, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CERTAINLY WHEN WE DO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS, WHEN WE DO OUR PRES SCOPING, ALL THIS TYPE OF STUFF, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE, UM, THOSE IDEAS AND SEEING IF THEY'RE, THEY CAN WORK OR NOT.

YOU KNOW? UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON 60 AND MOST OF THE TIME, EVEN WITH THOSE U-TURN LANES AND HEAVY VOLUME AREAS, THEY'RE SIGNALED AS WELL.

SO YOU MAY HAVE A BACK TO BACK SIGNAL IF YOU DID THAT.

UM, I THINK ONE OF THEM IS CENTERVILLE, THAT IT TURNS THAT MM-HMM.

UM, SO YEAH, WE'LL LOOK AT 'EM.

AND THEN, UH, FINAL ONE WAS, UH, WE DID, UH, RECEIVE THE FEEDBACK FROM YOU FOLLOWING OUR JANUARY MEETING ON, UH, ON LIGHTFOOT ROAD.

THAT'S SINCE BEEN, UH, REVIEWED WITH OUR ZONING ADMINISTRATOR AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

UH, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT FEEDBACK.

I THINK WE'VE GOT A COMMON UNDERSTANDING NOW ON, ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, DESIGNED INTO THE WAREHOUSING AT LIGHTFOOT ROAD.

GLAD WE COULD BE OF SOME HELP.

MR. MRS. NOLAN, YOU STARTED TO WORK ON TAB LAKES AND THEY'RE VERY HAPPY WITH IT.

SO AGAIN, IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER LAST MEETING.

EVERY QUARTER YOU, YOU DELIVER A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, UH, COMPLETED WORK TO US.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, YOU START OFF A MEETING SAYING THAT VIRGINIA IS THE THIRD MM-HMM.

LARGEST.

SO I'M GUESSING CALIFORNIA.

TEXAS, TEXAS PIZZA.

ALRIGHT, SO THERE'S YOUR TAP ROOM TRIVIA.

ANYBODY WANTS TO USE THAT LATER ON? THAT'S, THAT'S INTERESTING.

WANNA HAVE GUEST THIRD.

SO, OKAY.

UM, A FEW THINGS FOR YOU.

UM, YOU MENTIONED A STUDY FOR LAKESIDE DRIVE IN DARE ROAD.

WHAT, WHAT'S THAT STUDY? IT'S, UH, UH, LAKESIDE DRIVE IN DARE ROAD.

I'M ASSUMING THAT IT IS THE FOUR-WAY STOP.

THERE'S A, THERE WAS SOME SPEED LIMIT OR RUMBLE STRIP, I THINK IT WAS RUMBLE STRIP REQUEST, UM, THAT WE SENT TO OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT INTERSECTION.

YOU MEANT SPECIFICALLY AT THAT INTERSECTION, JUST MAKING SURE THAT IT'S, UH, THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THEY'RE COMING TO A STOP AT ONE TIME WE HAD FLAGS HANGING FROM YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT.

ALL THAT STUFF.

SO TIME HAS PASSED.

UM, AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE, I DON'T WANNA SAY AN INCREASE, BUT THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE ACCIDENTS THERE IN THAT INTERSECTION THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN HAVING LATELY.

SO I THINK THERE WAS A REQUEST TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT COULD BE DONE TO MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SHOW THAT, HEY, THAT'S STOPPED.

SOUNDS GREAT.

I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LOOKING AT THAT.

UM, A COUPLE THINGS FOLLOW UP ON OLD LAKESIDE DRIVE.

UM, SHORT STRETCH OF ROAD, BUT IT'S NARROW AND THE SHOULDERS ARE GETTING LESS.

WELL, THERE AREN'T ANY SHOULDERS, BUT THE, THE, THE ASPHALT'S BREAKING UP RIGHT THERE.

THERE'S A ROAD, THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD DROP OFF THERE.

UM, JUST EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA RUN OUTTA THE ROAD THERE.

UM, UH, RAILWAY RAILWAY DRIVE, THE DRAINAGE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DID THERE AND THAT SHOULDER REHABILITATION DID ON THAT ROAD.

I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THAT YOU PUT THAT NEW THAT WAS ON LINK.

WAS IT LINK? IT WAS LINK AROUND THAT CORNER.

YEAH, IT WORKED OUT.

IT LOOKS GOOD.

I WENT THROUGH THERE THE OTHER DAY.

I JUST WISH I COULD TAKE IT ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 3000 FEET AT LEAST.

WELL, LET'S, LET'S DO IT.

WELL, WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

UM, I, I HAD, I HAVE NOTICED THOUGH, THAT IN HEAVY RAIN, THE, IT DOES HAVE, IT IS CHALLENGING.

IT DOES SEEM TO BE CHALLENGED WITH DRAINAGE BECAUSE I NOTICED THE PROPERTY ON IT IN THE CORNER IS GETTING FLOODED.

SO LINK, SO WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID SOME WORK DRAINAGE WORK ON THE OTHER END OF LINK ROAD AND THAT SEEMS TO BE DRAINING.

WELL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OTHER SECTION IN OUR PLANS AND I MENTIONED THAT IN THERE, THAT, UM, THAT'S ALSO IN OUR BUSINESS.

I MEAN, OUR DRAINAGE PLANS.

KNOW, STUFF OF THAT NATURE.

ALONG WITH A, UH, OLD SEAFORD ROAD.

WE HAVE A, A, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF BREAKS OFF SEAFORD ROAD.

THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE ON OUR LIST TO DO FOR THAT AS WELL.

WORKING, WORKING ON SOME ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS RIGHT NOW.

ALL RIGHT.

I KNOW MY NEIGHBORS IN THE GRAFTON DARE AREA PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN BRANDYWINE, ARE INTERESTED IN, YOU SEE THE DITCH REHABILITATION WORK PICKED BACK UP.

IS THAT STILL ON TRACK FOR MID? SO WE, WE ARE, WE ARE DOING, I MEAN, WE ARE STEADILY MOVING.

UH, AS YOU CAN HEAR FROM OUR REPORT, I THINK WE'VE DONE A BUNCH, A LOT OF LINEAR FEED OF DITCHING.

BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO, UM, GO INTO A SUBDIVISION AND DO IT FROM START TO FINISH INSTEAD OF GOING FROM WORK ORDER TO WORK ORDER WHERE WE'RE NOT REALLY GETTING THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.

UM, SO IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE RAIN AND THAT TYPE OF WEATHER THAT KIND OF SLOWS US DOWN.

BUT WHEN WE CAN GO IN AND DO A WHOLE SUBDIVISION, YOU KNOW, FROM START TO FINISH, UH, THAT SHOULD BUY US SOME TIME, UM, WITH THAT, OTHER THAN LITTLE STUFF LIKE WASHING OUT PIPES OR FIXING CLOGS, YOU

[00:30:01]

BUT YOUR, YOUR TEAM HAD STARTED BRANDYWINE LAST YEAR AND IT HAD DONE CERTAIN SECTIONS AND I THINK THE PLAN IS TO COME BACK AND FINISH IT UP BECAUSE IT MAY, IT MAY BE BECAUSE THE WAY WE'RE, WE'RE SITUATED NOW IN BRANDYWINE, THE SECTION THAT AREN'T DONE IS HOLDING THE WATER FOR THE SECTION DONE SECTIONS THAT WERE DONE.

AND IT, IT, IT'S KIND OF WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE.

AND I KNOW THAT, UM, MR. KRIEGER OR SOMEWHERE YEAH.

HE, HE'S READY TO COME IN AND, AND CLEAN OUT OUR SECTION, THE COUNTY SECTION OF IT THAT ALL THE STUFF FLOWS INTO.

SO.

I I KNOW THE FOLKS THERE ARE EAGER TO SEE THAT.

SO THAT'S AUTOMATED INTELLIGENCE.

UM, AND I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING YOU TOLD ME TO DO AT THE INTERSECTION OF WOLF TRAP ROAD AND, UH, GUBER NECK ROAD AND IT STILL WON'T TRIP.

NO.

AND I DON'T WANNA BUY A BIGGER MOTORCYCLE , AND I DON'T WANNA HANG ON ONE CHROME OFF OF IT.

AND, AND AN INTERESTING THING, ONE OF THE TIMES I DROVE DOWN THERE, I WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER MOTORCYCLIST DOWN HORNSBY ROAD AND I TURNED RIGHT ON WOLF TRAP ROAD.

HE KEPT GOING TO HORTONVILLE ROAD.

I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING BACK THAT WAY.

UM, BUT THEN AS I'M SITTING AT THAT STOPLIGHT AND IT'S NOT TRIPPING, HE COMES DOWN GOWIN NECK ROAD, STOPS IT TRIPS WITH HIM AND THEN AWAY YOU GOES.

SO THAT'S SECTION, THAT SIDE WORKS FINE.

WORKS FINE.

SO I CAN, SO I CAN'T BE THE ONLY PERSON HUNG UP THERE.

SO I'LL, I'LL HAVE A LOOK AT THE LOOP DETECTION THERE.

AGAIN, IT IS WORKING.

I JUST, AND IT WORKS FOR VEHICLES BECAUSE THE VERY LAST TIME I RODE DOWN THERE I SAT AND WAITED AND THEN I WAS HOLDING UP TRAFFIC.

SO I HAD TO PULL LIGHT INTO THE CAR AND MOTIONED THE CAR BEHIND ME TO COME UP.

AND AS SOON AS THEY CAME UP, IT TRIPPED AND AWAY WE WENT.

IT KNOWS IT'S YOU .

I THINK THAT'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE.

AND LAST THING, NOT REALLY DIRECTED Y'ALL, BUT, UH, LOST TRACK OF THE, THE RAILROAD RAILROAD TRACK CROSSING THE CSX CROSSING.

, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEIR CLAIM WAS THEY WERE GONNA WORK ON IT IN MAY.

SO COMING UP SOON THEN, I HOPE.

THAT WAS THE LAST THAT THEY RESPONDED.

SO, ALRIGHT, GOOD.

I KNOW THE ONE ON NORTHBOUND 17 IS GETTING WORSE.

YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH YOU'S CRAZY.

THANK FOR COMING BY TODAY.

THANK YOU MR. ROME.

YES, SIR.

POINT OUT TOO THAT, UH, ROSSI WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE US WITH THE NOTES THAT HE USED TONIGHT.

I'VE SHARED THOSE WITH HEATHER AND SHE'LL BE SENDING THOSE OUT FOR YOU ALL SO YOU'LL HAVE EM FOR REFERENCE.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

I SAW SOME VERY STUDIO TELLING US AFTER WE WERE, WE USUALLY WE GET 'EM NORMALLY, NORMALLY YOU GET 'EM.

MARK GOT 'EM ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE I GOT HERE, SO IT'S NOT MARK'S FAULT.

I HAVE BEEN SORT OF UNDER THE GUN AND UH, I HAD TO FINISH HIM UP TODAY.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

I'D RATHER HAVE YOU GET THE ROAD WORK DONE AND DO NOTES.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK Y'ALL.

Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

NEXT TIME.

TELL US BEFORE PLEASE .

I BELIEVE THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

UM, ALL RIGHT.

MOVING INTO OUR NEXT SESSION.

UM, MUCH ANTICIPATE BUDGET, ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTION SECTION.

SO MR. BELLAMY,

[2 Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and Tax Rates. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 24-7 to set the Tax Rates for Calendar Year 2024 for the County of York and Approval of the Budget and Appropriation of Funds for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2024, and Ending June 30, 2025, for the County of York, and the York County School Division. ]

AND THERESA'S GONNA COME UP HERE AND SIT WITH US AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH US.

ONE THERE.

BOARD DECIDED THAT WE WOULD LET THE RESIDENTS VOTE WITH THEIR CHECKBOOK AS TO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.

I'M, START THE SLIDE CHECK.

YEAH, I'M WORKING.

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

I'M A VERY GOOD DRIVER.

I CAN'T SEE THE .

OH, THAT'S TERRIBLE.

I CAN'T SEE THE LITTLE ARROW.

SO HERE'S WHAT, UH, I, I JUST HAVE FOUR SLIDES SO THIS WON'T TAKE VERY LONG AND I'M NOT PLANNING ON READING EVERY ONE OF THEM.

SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON TALKING ABOUT.

JUST GIVE YOU A RE A REMINDER OF THE BUDGET TIMELINE WHEN WE STARTED WORKING ON IT, WHEN WE FINISHED, AND WHAT HAPPENED IN BETWEEN A SUMMARY OF THE TAX RATE AND FEES, WHERE I BELIEVE YOU ARE TONIGHT, AND A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM AS WELL.

AND THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT YOU'LL NEED TO VOTE ON TONIGHT.

SO THE BUDGET TIMELINE, THE BUDGET DID START IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE PROVIDED THE PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDED CIP TO YOU.

AND SO HERE WE ARE IN MAY, ALMOST, UM, SIX MONTHS LATER.

THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT.

UH, YOU ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE BY 3 CENTS.

UH, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE, UH, BASED ON YOUR INSTRUCTIONS WILL FALL TO THREE 80.

WE'LL ELIMINATE THE VEHICLE LICENSE FEE.

SO WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE REDUCTION ON THAT ONE THEN? 10 CENTS.

10 CENTS FROM THREE 90 TO THREE EIGHT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS 5 CENTS THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT.

IT IS 10 YES.

INCREASE IN THE, UM, SOLID WASTE FEE.

WE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS ON THAT AND THE

[00:35:01]

AND SO HERE'S A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES, UH, TO THE BUDGET.

AND THE CIP WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THE REAL ESTATE REVENUE BY, UH, $400,000 BASED ON AN ACTION OF THE BOARD EQUALS EQUALIZATION.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATES GOING DOWN 10 CENTS.

UH, REDUCE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL DIVISION BY 160.

UH, MR. KRIEGER IS GOING TO TAKE $140,000 HIT, UH, MR. HALL 50,000.

WE'RE ELIMINATING $870,000 IN PROJECTS FROM NEXT YEAR'S CIP.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE KAYAK LAUNCH AT NEW QUARTER PARK AND THE, UH, BATTING CAGES AT, UH, THE MCREYNOLDS ATHLETIC COMPLEX, THE NEW QUARTER PARK WINDOW.

I DO WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU THOUGH, THAT THAT WAS A, UM, THAT WAS ALSO A SPLASH PAD INCLUDED IN THAT.

SO THAT IS NO LONGER IN THE CIP AS WELL.

AND THEN WE MOVED SOME FIRE APPARATUS ONE AND, UH, REMOVE THE $750,000 CASH TRANSFER FROM, UH, THE GENERAL FUND TO CIP MS. OWENS.

DID I PRETTY WELL GET THAT? GOT 'EM ALL.

I NEED, I NEEDED YOU HERE FOR A LITTLE MORAL SUPPORT .

AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO, UH, SHARE WITH YOU.

AND THE NEXT, UH, PIECE WOULD BE TO START VOTING IF THAT'S YOUR DECISION.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE COMMENT ON LACK OF TRANSPARENCY COMES FROM AND PERHAPS LACK OF MEMORY.

SO JUST EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FORMAT.

'CAUSE THERE ARE SOME DISCREET THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS AND VOTE ON INDIVIDUALLY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DISCUSSION AND ASK FOR A MOTION ON THE BUDGET ITSELF.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION AND ASK FOR MOTION TO VOTE ON THE TAX RATE CHANGES.

UM, ANOTHER ONE FOR THE SOLID WASTE, UM, FEE CHANGES.

THEN WE'LL GET INTO DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND THEN DESIGNATION OF REAL PROPERTY TAX FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES.

SO, UH, EACH ONE OF THOSE ARE GONNA BE SEPARATE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS, ASK FOR MOTION AND VOTE ON.

WE'RE NOT DOING IT ALL TOGETHER.

SO HAVING SAID ALL THAT, LET'S TALK ABOUT TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY DISCUSSIONS BY THE BOARD FOR THE BUDGET ITSELF.

UM, WELL, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.

I THOUGHT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, WE HAD APPROVED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO.

I JOINED YOU WITH RAISING THE AMOUNT THAT YOU WANNA TAKE FROM THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.

AND EVEN THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE SHOULD BE DOING.

I'M LOOKING AT ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS YOU'VE PICKED FROM HERE AND THERE AND THERE AND EVERYTHING.

AND THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE MORE POLITICAL THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS.

AND I'M JUST REALLY HAVING A, A PROBLEM WITH IT.

I WILL VOTE FOR, FOR A, A BUDGET BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE DO FOR THIS COUNTY.

BUT I THINK AT THIS LOWER LEVEL, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY.

AND THERE HAS BEEN SO LITTLE TRANSPARENCY.

AND YET WHEN YOU ALL RAN FOR OFFICE, YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.

AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON IN THE BACK ROOM.

IT REMINDS ME OF TABY HALL IN NEW YORK FOR ENS AND ENS AGO, THE SMOKE FILLED ROOMS. AND SUDDENLY YOU COME UP WITH PICKING, NITPICKING, PICKING, PICKING, PICKING, PICKING HERE AND, AND THERE.

AND I DON'T THINK THE CITIZENS HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT IT.

AND YET WE'VE ONLY HAD LESS THAN 1% OF THE PEOPLE WHO RAISED ANY QUESTION ABOUT THE BUDGET IN THE FIRST PLACE.

AND I THINK AT THE LAST MEETING I SAID THAT WE HAD TAKEN ENOUGH OUT OF THE BUDGET AND I REALLY ASKED YOU TO THINK ABOUT WAITING UNTIL NEXT YEAR FOR ANY MORE ADDITIONS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THAT CONVERSATION NEVER GOT ANY FURTHER.

AND I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN IT.

UH, IT IS A BUDGET THAT I THINK IS SHORTSIGHTED.

AND I DO THINK THAT ALTHOUGH I WILL HAVE TO VOTE FOR IT, BECAUSE I WOULD, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO IN THE COUNTY, IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE EVER SEEN THIS, THIS BUDGET PROCESS BEHAVE, BE TAKEN LIKE THIS.

IT'S THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, THE LACK OF PUBLIC PROCESS IS JUST MIND BOGGLING IF YOU, EXCUSE MY EXPRESSION, MS. ALRIGHT.

GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT, WELL, I DON'T BUDGET, I DON'T AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS MS. NOEL HAS RAISED.

WE, UH, TALKED AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT GIVING MARK DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WHAT HIS STAFF NEEDED TO WORK ON.

UH, WE CAME CLOSE, BUT I WAS VERY CLEAR AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD FURTHER WORK TO DO.

I TALKED ABOUT THE CIPI TALKED ABOUT THE 750,000 REDUCTION.

I FELT THAT THERE WAS STILL ROOM TO GO ANOTHER 5 CENTS ON PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.

I MADE ALL THOSE COMMENTS AT THE LAST MEETING.

[00:40:01]

UM, BUT I I, I REACT TO BEING TOLD THAT I'M NOT TRANSPARENT.

UM, THANK YOU.

I THINK WE HAVE WORKED THIS VERY HARD.

I THINK, I THINK THE DISCUSSION WENT ON TURN BEHIND BACK, MR. NO, LET, LET MR. FINISH.

I THINK WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS.

I THINK MR. ROH HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF LISTENING TO EACH OF US AND TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE THAT AND BRING IT TOGETHER AND BRING US TO, UM, UH, I'LL CALL IT A HAPPY MEDIUM WHERE WE COULD, WE COULD ACCEPT OR AGREE TO GO FORWARD.

THERE ARE SOME IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO EVEN FURTHER ON COST REDUCTION.

WE DIDN'T DO THAT.

WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE JUSTIFICATION AT THIS POINT TO DO THAT.

BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD BUDGET.

I THINK MR. ROWAN HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN TERMS OF GETTING THIS GROUP TOGETHER AND, UH, PREPARED TO, UH, VOTE TONIGHT.

SO THANK YOU.

OKAY, MR. DURRY? UH, YEAH, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH DOUG.

UH, I THINK THERE WAS ZERO LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ON WHAT WE DID.

WE ASKED FOR THE MEETINGS.

STEVEN WAS VERY GRACIOUS TO MEET WITH ME FOR ALMOST THREE HOURS.

I THINK HE WAS, YOU WERE CLOSE TWO AND A HALF HOURS.

UM, TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE FELT LIKE NEEDED TO BE REDUCED MORE BECAUSE OUR CONSTITUENTS WERE ASKING US TO DO THAT.

ALL OF THEM.

I DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY SAYING, HEY, GREAT JOB ON THAT BUDGET.

AND HE AND I BOTH BROUGHT THAT UP AT THE LAST MEETING.

ALL THE STUFF THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REDUCTIONS.

SO I AGREE WITH DOUG.

THERE WAS NO LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AT ALL.

BUT I WILL SAY THIS, YOU NEED TO GET USED TO THIS 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN EVERY YEAR AS LONG AS I'M SITTING ON THE, ON THE BOARD.

AND I SUSPECT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE SAME WAY WITH DOUG.

WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH LOOKING AT THE BUDGET.

WE, IS THERE ANOTHER OBJECTIVE? SO I COULDN'T REALLY NECESSARILY TELL WHAT THE, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THE BUDGET.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR.

MS. SHEPHERD, I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP MYSELF TOGETHER HERE ON THIS BECAUSE I, I TELL YOU WHAT, WE HAD THREE MONTHS.

THREE MONTHS AND, UM, WHAT, UM, THE ISSUE OF TRANSPARENCY FALLS ON THE FACT THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE THIS PROCESS, THIS BUDGET WAS DONE ONE PHONE CALL AT A TIME.

IT WASN'T DONE IN A MEETING WHERE EVERYBODY COULD SIT HERE AND WATCH WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

NOW, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT, UH, I THINK A CRI CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.

FIRST OF ALL, STEVE, I KNOW YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU ABOUT DROVE YOURSELF CRAZY TRYING TO TALK TO PEOPLE.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU, YOU PROBABLY TALKED MORE THAN ANY, ANY TIME YOU PROBABLY EVER TALKED IN YOUR LIFE, RIGHT? SO YOU WERE DOING A LOT OF COORDINATION AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK IN DOING THAT.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS THAT, UH, FOR THREE MONTHS, UH, THIS COUNTY STAFF, IN FACT THEY WERE WAY BEFORE THAT, BUT THEY WERE, THEY, THEY WERE SPENDING TIME TRYING TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN THE BUDGET.

BUT I THINK A COUPLE THINGS HAPPENED.

FIRST OF ALL, THE TWO NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DID NOT BUY INTO THE, UH, THE CIP AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY, BECAUSE THEY INHERITED IT.

OKAY? IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY, THEY HELPED CREATE IT CREATE.

AND THAT CAN BE A PROBLEM.

I MEAN, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE SITTING THERE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND YOU'RE TRYING TO FI YOU DON'T KNOW ALL THE HISTORY AND THE BACKGROUND BEHIND IT.

AND THAT CAN BE A, THAT CAN BE A REAL CHALLENGE.

UM, BUT ALSO IN THIS PROCESS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOME MEMBERS ASKED FOR LIKE, LIKE YOU SAID, THE LARGE, UH, REDUCTION, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT $4 MILLION OR WHATEVER.

AND THEN, UH, THEN SOME WERE OKAY WITH WHAT THE BUD WHAT HAD BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE.

UM, BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE THEN WE THEN WE GO FROM, WE GO FROM, IN TWO WEEKS FROM A SITUATION WHERE WE SEEM TO AGREE ON WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHIN THAT TWO WEEK PERIOD, WE HAD A LOT OF CHANGES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED THAT WERE NOT BEING MADE IN A PUBLIC SETTING.

THEY'RE NOT MADE FOR US TO SIT HERE AND COMMUNICATE WHAT OUR POINTS OF VIEW ARE.

IN FACT, I WILL TELL YOU, IT WASN'T UNTIL THE DAY THAT I FINALLY, AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WAS ABLE TO REALIZE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT THAT WERE GOING TO BE DISCUSSED.

THEY WERE ACTUALLY ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION.

SO, UM, THE, THE, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, UM, AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU THIS, THE MONEY CHANGES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THEY'RE INSIGNIFICANT.

THIS IS, I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY INSIGNIFICANT CHANGES.

I I LOOK AT THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED AS MORE AS AN APPEASEMENT THAN AN ACTUAL CHANGE TO THE BUDGET.

I, I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS, UH, A MONTH AGO.

I HAD, I HAD $4 MILLION WORTH OF CUTS EASY IN, IN THE CIP.

OKAY? IF YOU REALLY, YOU KNOW, IF THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CUT, THEN YOU'D CUT.

IF IT IS NOT THE OBJECTIVE, THEN WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? OKAY? AND I MEAN, ARE

[00:45:01]

I GOT A CALL FROM YOU.

I SAW AN EMAIL AND THAT'S ALL.

THAT WAS IT.

I'M GETTING, I'M NOT GETTING A, I'M, I'VE TALKED TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

UM, AND SO THERE WAS, IT WAS JUST A LOT OF CONFUSION.

AND I, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE PROBLEMS THAT CAUSED COMMUNICATION WAS NOT OPEN AND TRANSPARENT AS WE HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS.

UM, WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE THURSDAY MEETINGS, WHICH WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE, WE COULD HAVE GONE, WELL I REMEMBER WE'VE SAT DOWN AND GONE DOWN WITH A RULER.

THEY EVEN ISSUED A RULER ONE TIME AND WE DIDN'T EVEN GO DOWN THAT LIST.

UM, BUT IT WAS A LACK OF COMMUNICATION.

SO I THINK IT WAS A BIG PROBLEM I HAD HERE.

UM, IT WAS NOT COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE STAFF AND THE STAFF.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB.

YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB OF PUTTING, TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND YOU PUT IT TOGETHER THINKING IT WAS DONE.

ONLY TURN RIGHT AROUND AND IT WASN'T DONE.

AND IT, UH, AND THE SAME WAY WITH THE SUPERVISORS DID NOT ALL HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT WAS IN THIS BUDGET.

SO, AND I SAID THAT, THAT THE PROCESS SEEMED TO BE ONE PHONE CALL AT A TIME.

THAT'S ABOUT WHAT IT WAS.

IT WAS THROUGH BEING DONE THROUGH PHONE CALLS.

SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIRMAN DOESN'T HAVE ANYWHERE IN ITS CHARTER THAT SAYS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE THE COORDINATOR FOR ALL THE BUDGET PIECES.

I KNOW YOU TOOK IT ON AND YOU SAW WHAT, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS THAT THAT MAN SIT DOWN HERE AT THE TABLE.

THAT'S THE ONE CAN GET IN THE MIDDLE OF ALMOST ALL THAT.

IN FACT, HE SHOULD BE THE PERSON THAT'S DOING THAT.

SO WE CAN SIT THERE AND FIGURE IT OUT, FIGURE OUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT.

SO I THOUGHT THE BUDGET WAS NOT TRANSPARENT, WAS NOT INCLUSIVE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL TO THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL OF OUR FELLOW SUPERVISORS.

AND IT'S DISRESPECTFUL TO THE CITIZENS OF YOUR COUNTY BECAUSE THEY NEED TO HEAR THE POINTS OF VIEW.

YOU, I MEAN, I I'M REAL CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T LEAVE OUT ANY DISTRICT.

I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE FIFTH OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTY.

TWO, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO HALS HERE.

UM, THE CIP AND ONE OF MY BIGGEST, MY BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS THAT THE CIP NEEDS TO STAY HEALTHY.

IT HAS GOT TO STAY HEALTHY.

IF IT'S NOT HEALTHY, I GUARANTEE YOU WE GOT, WE CAN END UP NOT EASILY, BUT YOU CAN END UP LIKE PETERSBURG WHERE THE STATE HAS TO COME IN AND TAKE OVER YOUR GOVERNMENT.

UM, NOW ALL THIS BEING SAID, THE BUDGET, I'M AGREE WITH BUDGET.

I MEAN, IT'S LIKE I SAID, THIS IS JUST, TO ME IT WAS JUST NOISE LEVEL STUFF.

A 1%.

I MEAN, IF WE BUILD A BUDGET AND YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T, LIKE, IF YOU WANNA REDUCE THE BUDGET, WELL JUST CHANGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.

A BUDGET IS JUST A GUESS OF WHAT THE REVENUES ARE GONNA BE.

THEY'RE GONNA BE JUST A, IT'S JUST A GUESS OF WHAT THE STATE'S GONNA GIVE US.

WE'RE GONNA STATE OF WHAT THE INFLATION RATE'S GONNA BE, ALL THESE THINGS.

'CAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

BUT IT'S JUST SIMPLY A GUESS.

AND IT'S BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS.

WELL, THE STAFF WILL CHANGE THE ASSUMPTIONS AND GUESS WHAT? YOU CAN GET RID OF A LOT OF MONEY THAT WAY.

YOU GET A LOT OF TAXES, A LOT OF REVENUE.

UM, THIS COUNTY'S NOT GONNA CAPSIZE.

SUN'S GONNA COME UP IN THE EAST TOMORROW, OKAY? UM, AND BE HONEST WITH YOU, IN MY OPINION, AFTER DOING, AFTER 22 YEARS OF DOING THIS, THE CITIZENS IN THIS COUNTY KIND OF TRUST US TO DO IT, GET IT RIGHT.

THEY DON'T GO AROUND THINKING ABOUT THIS STUFF.

NOW YOUR PEOPLE DOWN THERE MAY BE THINKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT I'LL GUARANTEE YOU, I HAVE NOT RUN INTO A LARGE MASS OF PEOPLE REALLY GIVING A CRAP ABOUT OUR BUDGET.

I CARE ABOUT, ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY, MY, CAN I GO, CAN MY KIDS GO TO A GOOD SCHOOL? AM I GONNA BE SAFE? DOES THAT SHERIFF GOT THE PEOPLE THAT NEEDS TO DO THE WORK? DOES OUR FIREFIGHTERS, CAN THEY RESCUE MY, GIVE MY, YOU KNOW, GIVE A THIS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO HELP ME BREATHE AGAIN IF I'M CHOKING? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE KIND OF INTERESTED IN.

VERY INTERESTED IN US GETTING IT DONE, UH, GETTING IT, UM, IN THE LONG TERM WORKING TOGETHER.

I KNOW THAT WAS YOUR OBJECTIVE.

I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG OBJECTIVE AND I UNDERSTAND AND I APPRECIATE IT AND WE GOTTA WORK TOGETHER.

SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ONE PERSON DOING THIS OR TWO PEOPLE DOING THIS.

THERE'S NOT THE NEW GUYS.

THERE'S NOT THE OLD GUYS.

WE'RE GONNA WORK FOR THE COUNTY AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO GET IT DONE, GET IT RIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO.

IT'S NOTHING MORE THAN THAT.

AND WE CAN'T, I MEAN, I, THIS WAS, THIS WAS A CHALLENGE.

YOU CAME IN ON A, ON, THIS IS CHAIRMAN CHAIRMANSHIP.

YOU CAME IN DURING A VERY TOUGH TIME.

YOU GUYS CAME IN DURING A, YOU KNOW, HIGH IN, UH, ASSESSMENT ON, ON THE PROPERTY.

AND THAT CREATES A LOT OF TURMOIL.

WE'VE SEEN IT ONLY TWICE IN I GUESS THE LAST, AGAIN, THE LAST 22 YEARS.

I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS TWICE AND IT WAS, IT WAS VERY TUMULTUOUS BOTH TIMES.

SO I WANT, I WANT TO WANT IT TO BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT I AGREE WITH YOUR POSITION THAT

[00:50:01]

WE NEED TO WORK.

IT'D BE NICE IF THIS BOARD TO WORK AND DO IT RIGHT, OKAY.

BUT FOR FUTURE CHAIRMANS, WE DON'T NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, HANDLING THE PROJECT.

THAT I THINK THAT THE COUNTY, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

BUT WE DO HAVE TO SIT AND IF WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE MEETINGS ALONG THE WAY, LET'S DO IT.

SO WHEN WE GET TO THE END, WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR, WHAT WE'RE DOING.

OKAY? UM, I KNOW IT WAS NEVER ANYBODY'S INTENTION TO DO ANYTHING IT THAT WASN'T, UH, TRANSPARENT OR ANYTHING THAT WASN'T, UH, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY.

I BELIEVE ALL OF US ARE DOING THAT.

BUT IT, I'M GOING TO SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, THAT THERE'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT JUST APPEARED THAT FOR SOME REASON IN A COUPLE WEEKS THINGS HAPPEN THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T GET A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

AND THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS, US ALL SIT AROUND AND I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR OPINION WHEN YOU DIDN'T THINK THINGS WERE GOING YOUR WAY, YOU DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO US.

I WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINION.

YOU NEVER STOPPED TALKING TO US.

SAME WAY, DOUG.

YOU'RE GOOD AT IT.

TALK TO US AND WE COMMUNICATE.

SO THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.

NOW I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE BUDGET, OKAY? I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE BUDGET.

I'M 22 YEARS.

I HAVE YET NOT TO SUPPORT A BUDGET.

OKAY? BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DO THIS IN A MANNER THAT'S OPEN AND EVERYBODY IN THE STAFF AND EVERYBODY CAN HEAR WHAT WE'RE DOING.

OKAY? THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR THEIR PERSPECTIVE.

UM, COUPLE THINGS I WANNA HIT UPON.

SO AT THE LAST MEETING WE DID RIGHT BEFORE WE ADJOURN, GIVE MR. BELLAMY DIRECTION ON AT THE TIME THE DIRECTION WE WANNA TAKE THE BUDGET.

AND THEY WENT AND WORKED THAT AND THEY DELIVER THAT FOR US.

BUT THAT WAS BY NO MEANS THE END OF OUR WORK.

WE STILL HAD TIME TO LOOK FOR OPTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE WHERE WE COULD FOR OUR CITIZENS.

NOW I THINK WE GOT SOME DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS IN OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.

UM, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU SHARED THAT YOU WEREN'T HEARING A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON THE BUDGET.

I THINK YOU SHARED WITH THAT AS ME AS WELL.

UH, I THINK I HAD A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH, WITH THE FOLKS THAT, THAT I REPRESENT.

CERTAINLY HAVE A, A NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS AND UM, AND EMAILS THAT I'VE RESPONDED TO ABOUT IT AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH THE BUDGET AND HOW WE'RE HELPING TO MAKE IT AS, AS BETTER, AS GOOD AS WE CAN.

UM, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, YEAH, WE DID CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE BUDGET AFTER WE GAVE MR. BELLAMY SOME DIRECTION.

AND, AND I KNOW THAT IT COSTS A, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE, MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WITH, UH, MR. BELLAMY AND MR. OWENS AND MR. GILLETTE AND SOME OTHER FOLKS AS WE WERE WORKING ON STUFF ON THE FLY, AS WE WERE LOOKING FOR, CAN WE DO THIS? CAN WE DO THAT? WHAT IF WE DID THAT? WHAT DOES THE IMPACT HERE? HOW DO WE GET FIVE MORE CENTS OFF THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE? HOW DO WE LOWER THE TAX BURDEN TO OUR RESIDENTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WHATEVER WE DO HERE TONIGHT, I CAN GO, I CAN LAY MY HEAD DOWN ON MY BED AND GO TO SLEEP KNOWING THERE IS NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED.

I DID THE BEST I COULD.

WE ALL DID THE BEST WE COULD TO DELIVER OUR RESIDENTS A BUDGET THAT MEETS OUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS, OUR OBLIGATIONS, LIABILITIES, AND AT THE SAME TIME BRINGS IT IN THE LOWEST COST POSSIBLE.

I I, I WAS SPEAKING WITH SOMEBODY TODAY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY, ANOTHER COUNTY, ANOTHER CITY THAT DELIVERS BETTER VALUE PER TAX DOLLAR THAN YORK COUNTY DOES.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

WITH, WITH WHAT WE DO HERE, WITH THE TAX DOLLARS WE HAVE AND THE INVESTMENTS WE MAKE, WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL AND ACCREDITED SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FIRE, WILDLIFE SAFETY DEPARTMENT.

WE GOT TOP RATED SCHOOLS IN THE AREA, UH, THAT PEOPLE GO OUTTA THEIR WAY TO MOVE TO.

WE HAVE GREAT PARKS OF RECREATION THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEK ENJOY.

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

SO WE DO A GOOD JOB WITH THAT.

AND IT'S ALL ABOUT DOING THE BEST JOB THAT WE COULD.

NOW I, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF TAMMANY HALL AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A FAIR CAPITALIZATION THAT, THAT WE WERE SITTING BACK IN SMOKE FILLED ROOMS MAKING, WELL YOU'RE NOT SMOKING ANYMORE, MAKING, MAKING, UH, DEALS UNDER, UNDER THE TABLE OR WHATNOT.

THAT IT WAS OPEN AND TRANSPARENT.

THE PROBLEM WE RAN INTO WAS WE WORKED OURSELVES INTO A BOX WHERE THERE WAS NO WAY TO HAVE THAT NEXT WORK SESSION LIKE, LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD BECAUSE THERE WASN'T TIME TO ADVERTISE IT AND TIME TO DO IT.

TO MEET, TO MEET THIS DATE.

AND THIS DATE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

WE ALL KNOW WHY THIS DATE'S VERY IMPORTANT.

SO WE, BUT WE COULDN'T JUST SAY, WELL, I GUESS THAT'S IT, WE'LL STOP.

NO, WE HAD TO CONTINUE WORKING AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

WE, WE INNOVATED, WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET IT DONE AND WE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS NOW TO ADDRESS THAT NEXT YEAR.

I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH MR. BELLAMY ABOUT AT LEAST SCHEDULING SOME THURSDAY, UM, BUDGET WORK SESSIONS TO HAVE IT ON THE, ON THE DOCKET, ADVERTISE READY TO GO.

IF WE NEED TO USE 'EM, GREAT.

IF WE DON'T NEED TO USE 'EM, THEN WE JUST, WE JUST WON'T HAVE 'EM.

BUT THEY'RE, THEY'LL BE THERE ALREADY.

SO ALREADY, ALREADY STARTING TO ADDRESS THAT.

SO, UH, I KNOW BEEN DIFFICULT, AND THIS IS ONLY MY FOURTH BUDGET AND I DON'T HAVE THE HISTORY OF SOME OTHER FOLKS.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS ONLY KIND OF HAPPENED ONE, ONE TIME BEFORE.

UM, SO, AND, AND, AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE LOST SOME SLEEP AT NIGHT TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME AND EFFORT THEY PUT INTO IT AND IT WAS A GOOD INVESTMENT IN TIME AND EFFORT.

WE ARE DELIVERING THE BEST BUDGET THAT WE CAN AT THIS TIME

[00:55:01]

TO MEET OUR CITIZENS' NEEDS TO MEET THE COUNTY NEEDS AND TO PUT US IN A GOOD SITUATION GOING FORWARD.

SO, YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY, REALLY IS UPSETTING NOW, I DON'T REALLY CARE.

IT'S NOT REALLY UPSETTING.

IT IS WHAT IT IS.

BUT WHEN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOLS AND THEIR PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AND, AND MASSAGE A BUDGET THAT THEY CAN PRESENT TO THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY AGREES TO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO, TO GIVE TO THE SCHOOLS, THAT IT, TO ME SHOULD STAND.

BECAUSE TO ME, JUST SHOW THAT WE ARE CUTTING THE SCHOOL BUDGET.

AND I DON'T CARE HOW LITTLE IT IS, IT IS THE PRINCIPLE ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE NEVER, AS A BOARD, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, THIS IS MY 28 YEAR, WE HAVE NEVER CUT THE SCHOOL BUDGET.

WE'VE CUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE DEPRESSION SO THAT WE COULD GIVE THE MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS AND WE COULD GIVE THE SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE.

SO THE CIP WAS WHAT SUFFERED.

AND EVER SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN BUILDING IT UP.

AND I AM, I ADMIT IT, THAT I AM VERY CONSERVATIVE AND I'M LOOKING THROUGH THE FUTURE.

AND I WOULD RATHER WE DO THINGS GRADUALLY, NOT JUMP IN WITH TWO FEET INTO THE WATER AND SAY, WHEW, LET'S TAKE IT ALL OUT.

NOW, I THINK A GRADUAL REDUCTION IS GOOD GOVERNANCE, NOT THIS, BUT YOU ALL HAVE DECIDED THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANNA DO IT.

AND I WILL SUPPORT IT.

I JUST DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE, ESPECIALLY TAKING THE MONEY FROM THE SCHOOLS.

AND I HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH DR AND I, I WROTE YOUR THING HERE, DR.

SANDOR, NONETHELESS, OUR SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT AND I, AND I BELIEVE HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND HOW WE ARE STILL VERY COMMITTED TO FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS.

I MEAN, 40% OF OUR BUDGET IS GOING TO OUR SCHOOLS.

WE'RE INVESTING OVER $70 MILLION WITH THEM AGAIN THIS YEAR.

THAT'S $2.35 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE DID BEFORE.

DON'T GET ME WITH THE NUMBERS.

I THINK THE THING YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.

AND, AND THE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A HUGE COMMITMENT TO, TO OUR SCHOOLS.

THE, THE, THE REDUCTION THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS AN EQUAL REDUCTION IN PART TO WHAT THE COUNTY'S DOING AS WELL, TO HELP DRIVE DOWN THE, THE TAX, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT THEIR CONTRIBUTION.

THAT THAT WAS THE EFFORT THERE.

I FELT LIKE HE WAS ON, ON BOARD WITH THAT, UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND THE END IN, AND IN THE END, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL.

WE DIDN'T DO THIS BEHIND, BEHIND HIS BACK.

IN FACT, I ASKED MR. BELLAMY, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ACCOMPLISH.

SO NOBODY, WE GET BLINDSIDED.

SO, UM, AGAIN, LESSONS LEARNED.

NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME BUDGET WORK SESSIONS SCHEDULED, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO WORK ON THIS STUFF, READY TO GO.

AND WE WON'T GET BOX IN THIS CORNER LIKE WE WERE LAST TIME.

WELL, I THINK YOU'VE ALL WORKED HARD ON THIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

I THINK WE NEED TO CAPTURE THAT BUDGET SESSION AFTER THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS MISSING THIS TIME.

WE HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WE HAD A LOT OF INPUT COME IN ON THAT NIGHT.

UM, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THEN GO AWAY AND WORK IT.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE SCHEDULED ALREADY TO GO.

THAT'S WHY WE TALKED ABOUT THE WORK SESSION AND WE, LET'S DO ONE AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IT HAS TO BE, IT HAS TO BE TRANSPARENT GUYS.

SO NEXT PART OF THE AGENDA IS GOING TO BE ASKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 25 BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO ROLL CALL.

SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE FFY 2025 BUDGET? SO MOVED.

ALRIGHT, SO, UM, FURTHER DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS? DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE WE WANT TO SHARE? I'LL, I'LL START IN THE MIDDLE THIS TIME.

A GREAT JOB, STEVE, STEVEN, TO DO WHAT YOU DID TO TRY TO HELP DO WHAT WE DID TO GET THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS.

I MEAN, WE HAD A, WE HAD A 12, 12.8% INCREASE.

THAT'S A BIG INCREASE WHEN OUR, WHEN OUR INFLATION RATE IS AT 3.5.

THAT'S A HUGE INCREASE AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT.

AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO GET THAT 12.8 DOWN SO IT DOESN'T LOOK SO DARN BAD.

AND WE DID, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT DOWN THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST LOOKED AT EVERYTHING WE COULD.

AND I KNOW Y'ALL DID A LOT OF HARD WORK TO DO THAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

ALL THE HE EFFORTS THAT WERE PUT INTO THAT.

UH, I THINK IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT AND, UM, AGAIN, I, I DON'T, I DISAGREE WITH THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

OKAY, MR. SHEPHERD.

THAT'S WHY I WAS STRUGGLING THE, GO AHEAD.

MR. ROY, UH, I JUST HAD ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION.

THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THE SCHOOL BOARD COSTS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY MATCHED UP WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR PROPOSED RESOLUTION.

WERE WE ABLE TO C CLOSE? YES.

THE CIP AS AS AS WAS SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE, THEIR APPROVED CIP AND THEY VOTED ON THEIRS MATCHES WHAT YOU HAVE TONIGHT, THAT THE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE ACTUAL FUNDING DIDN'T MATCH IT.

[01:00:01]

CAN I PLEASE? THE FUNDING IS HERE.

THIS IS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE APPROVING THE FUNDING.

THEY APPROVED THEIR CIP IN JANUARY AND THAT CIP THAT THEY APPROVED IN JANUARY IS WHAT'S IN HERE.

THANK YOU MRS. DO I SAID NO WORD? OKAY.

UM, YEAH, SO PROBABLY ENOUGH SET ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THE BUDGET.

LOT OF HARD WORK AND I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY HERE ON, ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM HERE.

AND THEIR EFFORT IN GETTING THIS BUDGET, AGAIN, VERY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR BUDGET.

A LOT, LOT OF, UH, VARIABLES IN PLAY THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.

SOME OBLIGATIONS COMING OUR WAY THAT TYPICALLY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE.

UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS, I KNOW YOU AND YOUR STAFF JUST WORKED HARD, YOU KNOW, I LOOK, I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS DOCUMENT, THESE DOCUMENTS HERE AND IT, AND IT JUST AMAZES ME HOW MUCH DETAIL GOES INTO IT AND HOW MUCH, HOW, HOW MANY VARIABLES YOU NEED TO CONSIDER TO PUT A SINGLE LINE ITEM ON, ON THE PAGE.

AND IT IS, IT IS, IT IS REMARKABLE THAT IT DOESN'T GET AWAY FROM YOU.

SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORT AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAD TO WORK HARD TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO FUND OUR DEPARTMENTS TO DO THE JOB THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING? AND IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

AND I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE EVERYBODY'S EFFORT HERE.

AND NONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID AROUND THIS ROOM HERE TO TRY TO PICK THAT BUDGET APART, TO DRIVE IT DOWN THE BEST WE COULD IS ANY REFLECTION ON ANYBODY'S LACK OF EFFORT.

IT IS JUST OUR JOB DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS.

WHAT ELSE CAN, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS GETTING US HERE.

AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE ARE READY FOR ROLL CALL.

THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 24 DASH 86 TO APPROVE THE BUDGETS AND APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK AND YORK COUNTY SCHOOL DIVISION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING JULY 1ST, 2024 AND ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2025.

MR. ? YES, MRS. NO? YES.

ALRIGHT, THANKS EVERYBODY.

ALL RIGHT.

NEXT ITEM ON THE DOCKET WILL BE ASKING FOR A MOTION FOR THE TAX RATE AND THEN FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION BEFORE ROLL CALLS.

SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE IT.

THANK YOU MRS. NOEL.

ALRIGHT, SO, UM, DISCUSSION MR. HOR, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

TAX RATES, I THINK, I THINK WE'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF PROVIDING AS MUCH OF A RELIEF TO THE CITIZENS AS WE COULD, GIVEN THE, UM, VERY HIGH, UH, ASSESSMENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THIS YEAR.

I THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR, UH, FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN APPROVING THE BUDGET AND GIVING US THAT, UH, CAPABILITY TO, UH, TO OFFER THAT RETURN.

THANK YOU MRS. NOEL.

I APPRECIATE, I'M GOOD.

THE STAFF FOR, UH, I DON'T KNOW, HAD TO DIG THROUGH THE, UH, THE NUMBERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALREADY JUST TOLD YOU GUYS WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT PERCENTAGES.

PERCENTAGES ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST NUMBERS.

UM, WHAT WE GOTTA DEAL WITH IS THE, IS THE REALITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT TAKING MONEY, WE TAKE MONEY OUT OF PEOPLE'S POCKETS, SO WE AIN'T GOTTA SHOW THAT WE'RE SPENDING IT WISELY AND, AND NOT THROWING IT AWAY.

AND YORK COUNTY'S GOT A STRONG HISTORY OF, UH, OF SETTING THE A TAX RATE THAT IS, UH, PRETTY LOW.

I MEAN, IT'S, UH, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN OUR TAX RATE WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER, SO AROUND 99%, 99, I THINK IT WAS 99 CENTS.

AND, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING ABOVE THAT.

BUT, UH, THEN OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE FRUSTRATING PART WAS THAT WE WOULD SAY, OH, WELL WE'RE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, WE'RE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, BUT THE CITIZEN'S NOT STUPID.

THEY SIT THERE AND SAY, WELL, THEY MAY BE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, BUT TAX, BUT THE TAXES ARE GOING UP.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA COME IN THIS COUNTY, THEY WANNA LIVE HERE, THEY WANNA BRING FAMILIES HERE, THEY WANNA STAY HERE.

IN FACT, IT'S HARD TO FIND A HOUSE, UH, FOR, UH, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE.

IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A POPULAR PLACE.

AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE, UM, HAVE A LOW TAX RATE AND HAVING A FULL SERVICE GOVERNMENT AND, UH, AND YOU'RE PAYING A WHOLE LOT LESS THAN YOU WOULD IN LACOON OR NEWPORT NEWS OR HAMPTON.

UM, UM, AND IF THINK FULL SERVICE GOVERNMENTS BE KIND OF IMPORTANT.

SO I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF GETTING THE TAX RATE ABOUT, ABOUT AS LOW AS WE CAN GET IT FOR RIGHT NOW AND MAKE IT LOWER NEXT, NEXT YEAR.

WHO KNOWS? BUT THAT'S NEXT YEAR.

SITUATION WHERE WE'RE SUDDENLY IN THE RED IN TWO YEARS AND NOT BE ABLE TO FUND THE, THE, UM, UH, COUNTY'S OPERATION.

AND, AND I AGREE, I, I'LL TELL YOU THE, THE WORK ON THE TAX RATE WAS A REAL THREAD IN THE MOMENT WHILE BLINDFOLDED EFFORT AS YOU HAD TO FIND THAT NARROW PATH WHERE YOU COULD DRAW THAT TAX RATE DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND STILL HAVE A, A, UM, A VIABLE BUDGET OUTLOOK IN, IN, IN THE OUT YEARS.

'CAUSE IT'S EASY TO DRIVE IT DOWN TOO LOW AND THEN FIND OURSELVES IN A

[01:05:01]

SO, UM, I, I THINK, I THINK WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.

I MEAN, IT WAS A LOT OF NEGOTIATION AND A LOT OF NUMBER WERE CRUNCHING TO GET TO THIS POINT.

UM, BUT I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO ACHIEVE THERE.

UM, SO LIKE I SAID, MAYBE LOWER NEXT YEAR OR MAY, MAY STAY FAST.

I I KNOW ONE OF, ONE OF THE FRUSTRATING THINGS IS, AT LEAST FOR ME, HAS BEEN THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO LOWER ANY OF THE TAX RATES AND CUT ENOUGH EXPENSES IN ORDER TO ZERO OUT THE IMPACT OF INFLATION AND THE INFLATION AND THE, AND THE PROPERTY, PROPERTY ASSESSMENT WITHOUT BREAKING CRITICAL COUNTY SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND NOBODY WANTED TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.

SO IT'S FRUSTRATING WE COULDN'T MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

BUT BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE ISN'T JUST ABOUT SLASHING EXPENSES AND CUTTING RATES.

IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THE FUNDING IS THERE TO GET THE JOB DONE AT THE LEAST IMPACT AS POSSIBLE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE ACHIEVE WITH, WITH THESE TAX RATES.

AND WITH THAT, LET'S, UH, HAVE ROLL CALL, THE MOTION MADE BY MRS. NOLL TO ADOPT THE, TO ORDINANCE NUMBER 27 TO OPPOSE TAX ALONE UPON TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY, MACHINERY AND TOOLS, MOBILE HOMES AND REAL ESTATE FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2024, AND TO PRIMARY TAXES ON MOBILE HOMES AS AUTHORIZED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.

NEXT ITEM IS ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE, UH, FEE.

SO WE NEED A MOTION FOLLOWED BY, I THINK FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION, RIGHT? MOVE ORDINANCE.

I MOVE ORDINANCE NUMBER.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS.

UM, KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, BUT WE'LL STOP MS. SHEPHERD, ANY NEED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE SOLID WASTE FEES? WELL, I MEAN, PEOPLE GONNA WAKE AT IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, PEOPLE PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO STUFF.

THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE IT'S A BILL THAT COMES ABOUT EVERY TWO MONTHS.

SO WE, THIS WHEN'S WHEN THE NEW BILL, WHEN WILL THAT BE ABOUT? IN, UH, JUNE? THE, IT'LL START IN JULY.

IN JULY.

JULY, OKAY.

JULY.

THEY'LL, UM, IT'LL BE JULY AND AUGUST.

BUILD IN SEPTEMBER.

SO, SO THEY'LL GET THEIR FIRST FILM IN SEPTEMBER.

GUYS BRACE YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THIS DOUBT WILL BECOME AN ISSUE, BUT LONG AFTER WE'VE APPROVED IT, UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO REALLY THINK ABOUT NOT JUST THE FEEL GOOD ASPECTS OF RECYCLING, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S A BUSINESS, IT'S A REAL SMART BUSINESS DECISION FOR US.

AND I, AND I HATE USING THAT WORD BUSINESS 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS, BUT THINK OF IT AS THE TERMS OF EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES.

'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA BE PAYING, YOU KNOW, FOUR TIMES THE, THE TRASH RATE JUST TO HAVE SOMEBODY HAUL JUNK IN THERE TO MAKE, MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD TO THE DUMP.

SO, I MEAN, THAT'S MY POINT ON THIS.

WE'LL DO THIS NEXT, NEXT TIME.

AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW, WHEN IS OUR, OUR REGIONAL CONTRACT UP? IT'S A YEAR.

IT A YEAR.

YEAR.

SO THIS IS SUPPOSED TO, THIS IS ACTUALLY, THIS IS ONLY FOR A YEAR, RIGHT? CORRECT.

SO THAT ONE, PEOPLE NOTICE THAT REAL QUICK.

THEY'LL NOTICE THAT FASTER THAN ANYTHING.

DON'T JUST SEE IT HAPPEN.

MR. JURY.

YEAH, I THINK, UM, LATE, I THINK, UH, SOMEBODY SAID THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD FOR PEOPLE.

THEY'RE GONNA VOTE WITH THEIR WALLET ON THIS ONE.

AND SO I THINK, UH, I AGREE WITH TOM.

I THINK WE DO NEED TO CONSTANTLY EVALUATE THIS PROGRAM TO SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE FOR THE CONSTITUENTS OF YOUR COUNTY.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP ON OUR AGENDA.

NOT WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE.

YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING MAYBE WE NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF DURING THE YEAR AND SEE HOW THIS IS GOING AND MAYBE MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE GO.

MS. ? WELL, I'VE SPOKEN TO LORI HALPER, UH, I UNDERSTAND JCC, UH, DO IN FACT RECYCLE GLASS AND THEY'VE FOUND AN AVENUE TO, UH, TO SHIP IT UP.

IF RECYCLING MEMBERSHIP HAS DROPPED OR IF IT'S STILL THE SAME OR GOING HIGHER AND THE CITIZENS ULTIMATELY MAKE THAT DECISION AS FAR AS WHETHER THEY WANT RECYCLING OR NOT.

OHIO OR MINNESOTA OR ONE OF THOSE STATES, UH, TO ACTUALLY DO RECYCLING.

UH, SO I'VE ASKED HER IF SHE CAN'T LOOK AT THAT ASPECT OF IT AND UH, COME BACK TO US WITH A, A MORE COMPREHENSIVE RECYCLING RIGHT NOW, IT, IT'S A SHAME THAT WE DO ALL THIS RECYCLING AND THEN TRASH IT.

AND THAT'S, THAT BOTHERS ME, BOTHERS ALL OF US.

AND, UH, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT BEFORE IT COMES BACK IN A YEAR.

WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I'M GONNA BE THE ODD MAN OUT, BUT TOM, YOU SAID RECYCLING'S A BUSINESS DECISION AND YES, IT IS A BUSINESS DECISION AND THE CITIZENS HAVE TO MAKE UP THEIR MIND WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT BECAUSE IT IS VOLUNTARY.

AND WE WILL KNOW AFTER SIX MONTHS OR SO IF,

[01:10:01]

AND, UH, I'M A TREE HUGGER, SO I REALLY LIKE RECYCLING.

NOT THAT I THINK THAT, I JUST WANNA KNOW IF WE DON'T RECYCLE, WHERE ON EARTH DO THEY GO TO PUT IT ALL? SO, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY POINT.

GO AHEAD.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM, YOU KNOW, I I LIKE, I LIKE OUR APPROACH COUNTY'S APPROACH TO SOLID WASTE AND THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S VOLUNTARY.

YOU DECIDE WHAT WHAT YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN AND THAT'S, AND, AND YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

AND I, I THINK YOU WERE GOING TO KIND OF, KIND OF CHIME IN ON IT TOO.

IT'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE AFTER THE RATE CHANGES HOW MUCH PARTICIPATION WE GET IN THE RECYCLING PROGRAM.

DOES IT GO UP? DOES IT GO DOWN? DOES IT STAY THE SAME? I THINK, I THINK I HEARD IN ONE OF THE PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS THAT THE LAST TIME WE RAISED RATES ON THE RECYCLING, WE ACTUALLY GOT MORE PARTICIPATION BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT, OH, THERE'S A PROGRAM.

SO I'M CURIOUS IF THIS WILL DRIVE MORE PARTICIPATION.

IF IT DOES, THAT MAY TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, OF WHETHER THEY WANT OR NOT.

BUT IF IT GOES DOWN DRAMATICALLY THAT MAY TELL US THAT, HEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO PAY.

SO DEFINITELY NEED TO KEEP THAT ON THE RADAR AND I'M GLAD, I'M GLAD WE DO IT AS A USE OF SPACE FEE AS OPPOSED TO JUST ROLLING THAT INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND MAKE IT A, A STRAIGHT UP TAX.

IT DOESN'T GIVE PEOPLE, UM, THE OPTION TO DECIDE HOW THEY WANNA PARTICIPATE.

SO I'M GLAD WE DO IT LIKE WE DO.

IT'S GOOD.

WE DON'T DO IT THAT WAY.

UM, UM, YOU'RE MISSING A ROLL CALL, I GUESS.

SAY YEAH, SEE, NOT SEE, IT'S NOT THE INSTRUCTIONS.

YEAH, IT'S, YEAH.

THE NEXT SECTION WE'RE MOVING INTO IS FOR THE, UH, UH, PROPOSED FFY 2025 TO 2030 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

SO, ALL RIGHT.

SO I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH, UH, DISCUSSION READY FOR ROLL CALL NOW.

THE MOTION MADE BY MR. HOLD IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 24 DASH SIX TO AMEND CHAPTER 19 SOLID WASTE GARBAGE AND FEE WEEDS OF THE YORK COUNTY CODE TO CHANGE THE FEES FOR THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICES AND CLARIFY DEFINITIONS AND LANGUAGE.

MR. DRURY? YES, MR. SHEPHERD? YES.

[3 Proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R24-87 to adopt the FY2025-2030 Capital Improvements Program as a long-range planning document. ]

DO YOU HAVE STUFF YOU WANNA SHARE WITH THAT ON US? ANYTHING WITH US? OKAY, SO, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

YEAH, YOU WRITE, SO THE, SO THE, THE CIP THAT WE HAVE IN, IN A BRIEF, OUR PACKAGE BALANCES WITH BUDGET, RIGHT? YES.

EVEN SURE.

TO SAY NO.

I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE PACKAGE IS.

THE, THE CIP, UM, WE'VE ELIMINATED THE TWO PROJECTS AND MOVED THE FIRETRUCK.

SO YES, THAT'S WHAT THAT AGREES TO.

BUT THAT IS, THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT WE CHANGED SINCE YOU'VE RECEIVED YOUR PROPOSED CIP OKAY.

SO THAT MR. BELLAMY, UM, PRESENTED TO YOU IN MARCH.

SO HERE'S MY, HERE, I'M JUST GONNA BRING THIS UP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THIS WITH OUR EYES WIDE OPEN.

SO WE TAKE A FIRETRUCK OUT OF NEXT YEAR, THE 25 OR THE ONE ABOUT WE'RE GETTING READY TO PROVE AND WE MOVE IT TO THE NEXT YEAR.

OKAY? NOW WE KNOW LEASE BASED UPON THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO THE BOARD, THAT BUYING OR PURCHASING THE TWO TRUCKS, I THINK IT WAS TWO IS WHAT THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS, RIGHT? OR THREE MORE? THREE.

I THINK IT WAS THREE.

THREE, OKAY.

SO PURCHASING THE THREE TRUCKS TOGETHER WAS SUPPOSED TO SAVE US MONEY IN TERMS OF THAT.

UH, THE LONG TERM, THE LONG LEAD TIME DOESN'T SAVE US MONEY SO MUCH, BUT IT IS THE INFLATION RATE ON THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY.

'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA EVENTUALLY GO TO A THIRD TRUCK.

UM, AND THEN, SO BASICALLY IT WAS THE COST.

IN OTHER WORDS, BUYING ONE VERSUS THREE IS GONNA COST US MORE THAN BUYING THREE TOGETHER.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE WAY, THAT'S THE WAY IT CAME ACROSS.

THERE'S, THERE'S A DISCOUNT FOR BUYING MORE THAN ONE.

SO HOW MUCH MORE IS THIS COSTING? I'D HAVE TO ASK THE CHIEF TO COME UP AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT.

SORRY.

AND THE REASON I BRING, THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS THAT THIS IS A DECISION TO LOWER THE TAX.

I MEAN, I CAN, I THINK THE, THE DECISION'S MADE TO BASE THE LOWER THE TAX RATE, BUT IN THE END, IF IT IS GONNA COST US MORE, IT'S GONNA COST US MORE.

UH, TWO REPLACEMENT POPPERS AND AN ADDITIONAL POPPER FOR FIRE STATION SEVEN, UH, SINCE IT DID NOT HAVE ORIGINALLY HAVE A PUMPER ASSIGNED.

SO EVENTUALLY WE GOTTA MAKE UP FOR THAT, EITHER SACRIFICING SOMETHING ELSE OR RAISING TAXES.

SO CHIEF, I JUST, COULD YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION PLEASE? SO, WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN, UH, THE, THE COST DIFFERENCE DOWN THE ROAD IS HARD TO DETERMINE WHAT THE COST OF A VEHICLE WILL GO UP A YEAR FROM NOW OR SO FORTH, SO ON.

SO WHAT WAS PROPOSED WAS,

[01:15:01]

AND SO IN THE DISCUSSIONS, WE PUSHED THAT OUT A YEAR.

SO EFFECTIVELY, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IT WILL BE ONE PUMPER, ALTHOUGH WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO BUNDLE TWO OF 'EM TOGETHER FROM FUNDING WE HAVE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR AND FUNDING FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

SO YOU'LL SEE THAT COMING BEFORE YOU SOMETIME, PROBABLY AFTER THE 1ST OF JULY, BUT TO KNOW, BUT THAT'S BASED, BUT THAT'S BASED ON THE REVENUE WE HAVE, RIGHT? YES.

THAT WOULD BE BASED ON WHAT PROJECTION YOU'RE GONNA BUNDLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND IT'S IN A CIP WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THE MONEY FROM IF YOU, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY IN THERE? IT'S, IT IS IN THERE.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, WE DROPPED THE MONEY, SO, I'M SORRY.

IT'S THE THAT'S OKAY.

IT'S, UM, APPROPRI FUNDING THAT YOU APPROVED IN 24, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.

AS WELL AS WHAT YOU, UM, APPROVE FOR 25.

HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO GET TWO NEXT YEAR.

THE TWO, THE TWO, OKAY, GO AHEAD.

SO NOT THREE WE TALKED, BUT MY QUESTION, MY QUESTION IS THIS, YOU KIND OF COME FROM FOUR BOARD SUPERVISORS, OKAY? WE, WE ARE AUTHORIZING TO BUYING THESE THINGS OKAY.

AND DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE.

AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T GIVE US AN ANSWER? WELL, I MEAN, THE PROPER, I I I CAN GIVE YOU AN APPROXIMATE COST RIGHT NOW FOR OKAY, FOR ONE PUMPER.

AND, AND IT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT CHIEF, I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE.

WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.

IT'S IT, WE MAKE A DECISION BASED ON INFORMATION THE STAFF PROVIDES.

ALRIGHT? AND SO IF WE ARE TALKING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ISSUES, ALRIGHT? AND WE, AND WE AND YOU GAVE US A PROJECTION OF THREE PUMPERS VERSUS TWO PUMPERS, THEN WE SHOULD KNOW FINANCIALLY THROUGH THE WISDOM OF THE STAFF WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.

I MEAN, OTHERWISE, WHY ARE YOU, WHY WOULD YOU JUST MAKE THIS UP? I DON'T THINK WE'RE MAKING IT UP.

WE ARE SO WELL, NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

I'M SAYING IF YOU DON'T GIVE US THE FACTS THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR JOB, THEN, THEN WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO RELY ON? WELL, WE IDENTIFIED NUMBERS IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND OUR REQUEST.

THAT INCLUDES A WHOLE, A NUMBER OF THINGS.

BUT GENERALLY WE WERE ANTICIPATING THE PUMPER COSTING IF WE WERE TO PURCHASE THREE, ABOUT 1 MILLION 1 25, THE 1,000,002 50.

AND BUT WHAT THAT THIRD PUMPER WILL COST A YEAR FROM NOW OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW? I, I CAN'T TELL YOU.

DO YOU THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COST BETWEEN BUYING THREE AND BUYING? THAT'S WHAT I, WE DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER YET.

WE ARE, WE ARE GOING, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE LATE TO BE LATE AND TOO LATE.

BUT THE POINT I'M SAYING FOR FUTURE, WE, WHAT? I, I WOULD, I WOULD, I CAN'T TALK TO ANYBODY IN HERE ABOUT THIS STUFF.

I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA PRESENT A PACKAGE OR SOME REASON OTHER THAN KENTUCKY WINDAGE.

AND WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M EXPECTING YOU TO DO IS TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING MORE SUBSTANTIAL SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A, UM, COMPARISON, AN AWARENESS CO.

WE, WE, WE HAVE AN AWARENESS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.

OKAY? WE HAVE A COMPARISON.

YOU, YOU NOW.

SO WE WE DID PROVIDE THAT.

I KNOW.

IN, IN OUR, I'M SORRY.

YOU STILL AIN'T EVEN GOT THE ANSWER.

AND I, THE POINT IS, YOU'RE LOSING A TRUCK, OKAY? AND NOW I'M THINKING OF IT.

OKAY, WE ARE LOSING A TRUCK NOW 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA DELAY IT FOR A YEAR.

SO THEN WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF LOSING THAT TRUCK? AND THERE'S, THERE'S BE MONEY, THERE COULD BE LACK OF RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES.

IT COULD BE A LOT OF STUFF.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST IS THIS, I WANTED US TO BE FULLY AWARE OF.

WE'VE NOT HAD THIS DISCUSSION AND I WANNA BE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

WELL, THE WHOLE THING IS IF YOU BUY THREE, IF YOU BUY THREE OF THEM, YOU, YOU, THAT'S AN ECONOMY.

YOU SAVE MONEY BY BUYING THREE HOW MUCH AT THE SAME TIME? HOW MUCH? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCE, JILL, HOW MUCH NUMBER IS THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO WELL, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO HAVE THIS, WELL I'M TRYING TO WORD IT A DIFFERENT WAY.

I'M NOT TRYING TO REDO THE CIP HERE.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS THIS, SINCE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT, I WANT YOU, DO YOU GUYS, ANYBODY IN STAFF, IT SHOWS UP HERE LIKE THAT.

IT'D BE READY TO ANSWER THAT KIND OF QUESTION.

SO WE, WE, WE IDENTIFIED THE NUMBER FOR TO PURCHASE THREE.

THE CIP NUMBER WORK AS BEST WE CAN TO PURCHASE THE, THE PUMPER NEXT YEAR.

WELL, ACTUALLY TWO PUMPERS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

ONE IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE, WE ANTICIPATE WE'VE GOT, HOWEVER, THE REDUCTION WAS BY ONE PUMPER, REDUCE IT BY ONE FIRE PUMPER.

SO WE WILL MAKE

[01:20:01]

WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS WHAT THE COST WILL BE AS YOU PUSH A PUMPER OUT.

BECAUSE I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE COST INCREASES WILL BE.

AS YOU KNOW, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN BUYING A A CAR.

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A WILL THINK A LOT D THREE YEARS FROM NOW, I THINK THE PUMPERS ARE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN A CAR.

SO, SO CHIEF, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HISTORICALLY FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, WHEN YOU BUY SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TRUCKS, WHAT IS THE INCREASE IN PRICE? HISTORICALLY? NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER.

WELL, I MEAN, THEY HAVE BEEN, SINCE THE, SINCE COVID, THE PRICES HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN, IN THE PROCUREMENT OF, OF FIRE APPARATUS.

I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL WHAT THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE, BUT IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE A 7% INCREASE EVERY, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX MONTHS.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING AT.

WE, WE ARE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO NARROW THOSE DOWN, THOSE COSTS DOWN WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A MANUFACTURER TRYING TO ANTICIPATE THEIR OWN COST FOR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AT FOUR YEARS OUT.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE DELIVERY TIME OF A FIRE PUMPER.

RIGHT NOW, DELIVERY TIME OF A MEDIC UNIT IS 32 TO 38 MONTHS.

AND THOSE ARE JUST THE FACTS.

AND SO HOW MUCH THAT WILL PUMPER WILL COST MORE A YEAR FROM NOW OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW? I IT, BUT WILL WE NEED A PUMPER TWO THEN? DO WE NEED A PUMPER THAT WE WELL WE, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF, WE HAVE A, A SMOOTH APPARATUS REPLACEMENT PLAN AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT SCREWING WITH IT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE OTHER OKAY.

MY POINT IS SIMPLY COME IN HERE WITH SOME NUMBERS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TALK AND DIGEST.

AND I KNOW THERE'S GOTTA BE PEOPLE OUT HERE IN THE, IN THE INDUSTRY OF BUYING EQUIPMENT THAT CAN DO THAT.

I CAN JUST GIVE US SOME JUSTIFICATION.

I I, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT, AT PROCUREMENT OF THREE PUMPERS, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE TWO ONE THIS FISCAL YEAR.

AND ONE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, PUTTING THEM ALL TOGETHER, IT WAS ROUGHLY $1,125,000 PER PUMPER.

NOW WE'VE GOTTA GO BACK, WE WILL HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT IT WILL COST PER PUMPER FOR PROCURING TWO, WHICH IS, AND I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT? I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER, BUT THEY WILL BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER.

AND AND REMEMBER MR. SHEPHERD, HE, HE, HE'S ONLY HAD TWO WEEKS TO REALIZE THAT HE'S NOT GETTING THE THIRD ONE.

YOU START SCREWING AROUND WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SCREWING AROUND WITH EDUCATION AND SCREWING AROUND WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

SO HE'LL, HE'LL COME BACK WITH THE OKAY, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I MEAN I'M LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM BECAUSE WE'RE JUST GONNA, WE GOT, WE GOT A CIP NOW WE'VE GOTTA PROVE, OKAY, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, IN THE FUTURE, THIS IS THE KIND OF DISCUSSION WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE IN SOME DEPTH SO WE CAN HAVE A, A RATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOVING OF A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LIKE THAT.

SO IN OUR CRP ESTIMATES, EVERY YEAR WHEN WE, WHEN WE SUBMIT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REQUESTS, WE TRY TO ANTICIPATE WHAT KIND OF COST INCREASES NO DIFFERENT THAN A BUILDING OR A A CAR OR ANYTHING.

WE TRY TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THOSE COST INCREASES WILL BE.

BUT AS, AS WE GET CLOSER TO THAT FUNDING YEAR, THOSE COSTS COME IN, COME IN MORE FOCUSED.

SURE.

AND SO MAKES SENSE.

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT WILL BE THREE YEARS FROM NOW, BUT WE TRY TO BUILD THOSE COSTS INTO OUR CIP REQUEST.

IN FACT, I THINK OUR 2025 CIP REQUEST THIS YEAR WAS, WAS BROUGHT INTO MORE FOCUS BASED ON, UH, I MEAN I THINK IT ACTUALLY INCREASED OVER LAST YEAR'S ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN COST INCREASES THAT WE EXPECTED.

SO, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THE CIP THAT'S BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED, WHICH INCLUDES FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 1 PUPPER.

AND JUST REMEMBER WE'VE GOT THE FISCAL YEAR 24 PUPPER THAT WE'RE GOING TO PURCHASE TOGETHER, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY SAVE US A LITTLE BIT.

BUT WE BELIEVE THAT FUNDING THAT EXISTS IN THE CIP WILL ALLOW FOR THE NECESSARY PROCUREMENT OF THOSE TWO PUMPERS.

FY 24 CIP AND FY 25 CIP IS MORE THAN WE'VE GOT THREE.

AND ACTUALLY WE'LL BE BRINGING FOUR MEDIC UNITS TO YOU AT, UH, UH, FUTURE MEDI, UH, FUTURE MEETING AS WELL.

AND WE KNOW WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE.

WELL THAT A CITIZEN, WHICH I AM OF YOUR COUNTY, THAT'D BE THE FIRST THING I WOULD GET REALLY UPSET WITH, IS IF

[01:25:01]

THOSE, THOSE THREE THINGS ARE PROBABLY MOST, MOST THEY'LL GET IN ANYBODY'S, UH, RADAR REAL QUICK.

SO THAT'S WHY I JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

SO ANYWAY, I, I THINK I'VE PROVIDED THE, THE CLOSEST NUMBER I CAN PROVIDE YOU TO WHAT WE THINK WE SEE.

THANK YOU CHIEF.

OKAY, CHIEF FOR FIRST SIT DOWN.

LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.

THAT INDUSTRY THAT PRODUCES THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES, HOW COMPETITIVE IS, IS THAT INDUSTRY? I MEAN, IF I WANNA BUY A PICKUP TRUCK, I GOT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS TO GO CHOOSE FROM, HAVE 'EM COMPETE FOR MY BUSINESS.

BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? COMPETE FOR YOUR BUSINESS? THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE MANUFACTURERS.

UH, WE USE A COOPERATIVE PROCUREMENT CONTRACT THROUGH HOUSTON GALVESTON COOPERATIVE, BUT WHICH IS THE SAME COMPANY WE'VE USED BEFORE.

UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, EFFORT TO HAVE STANDARDIZED EQUIPMENT THEN, YOU KNOW, UH, OUR FOLKS JUST DID A VIDEO WITH, UH, A, A HEALTH SYSTEM.

'CAUSE THE VIDEO HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET, BUT RECENTLY AND, AND THE CREWS DID TALKED ABOUT WHERE STUFF IS ON, ON THE MEDIC UNIT.

AND THAT'S CRITICAL FOR HAVING A STANDARDIZED PIECE OF FLEET SO THAT THAT FIREFIGHTER DOESN'T HAVE TO THINK, OKAY, WAIT A MINUTE ON THIS TRUCK, IT'S OVER HERE, RIGHT ON THIS TRUCK.

IT OPERATES THERE.

AND, AND THE FOLKS AT THE SHOP WORK ON THE SAME EQUIPMENT ALL THE TIME.

SO, I MEAN, BUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, IT'S A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS THROUGH THE, THROUGH A COOPERATIVE CONTRACT IN MOST CASES.

WELL, IN ALL CASES, THANK YOU CHIEF.

APPRECIATE IT.

I WANT TO COME BACK THOUGH.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE SCREWING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS TOM'S WORDS FOR IT.

THIS IS A FIRE, THIS IS FIRE DEPARTMENT SEVEN.

IT'S A BRAND NEW FIRE STATION.

IT IS PACKED UP BY FIRE STATION FIVE, NOT EVEN A MILE AWAY.

IT'S BACK UP BY JCC, NOT EVEN A MILE AND A HALF AWAY.

IT'S GOT WILLIAMSBURG VERY, VERY CLOSE.

WE HAVE A REGIONAL AGREEMENT.

I THINK WE'RE WELL PROTECTED IN THAT AREA.

SO WHEN I LOOK AT, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR STATION WHERE I COULD TAKE A DELAY? I THINK IT'S SEVEN, I THINK IT'S FIRE STATION SEVEN.

IT'S A GREAT STATION.

WE'LL HAVE AN EMT THERE, WE'LL HAVE A LADDER TRUCK THERE.

UH, WE HAVE CAPABILITY TO RESPOND.

WHAT WE'RE MISSING IS A, IS A PUMPER.

WE WERE MISSING IT FOR FOUR YEARS.

ANYWAY, THE QUESTION IS CAN YOU ACCEPT A FIFTH YEAR? AND, AND I FELT THAT WE COULD, AND I DON'T THINK I'M DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT ONE BY NOT HAVING THAT PUMPER TRUCK BECAUSE I'VE GOT SO MUCH ADDITIONAL BACKUP SERVICE AVAILABLE TO ME.

OTHER COMMENTS? I LIKE THE ECONOMY OF SCALE OF BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE THREE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT AT A LESSER OVERALL COST THAN IF WE HAD TO BUY THEM SEPARATELY.

AND THAT TAKES FORWARD THINKING AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE STAFF HAS REALLY TRIED TO DO.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALL TRY TO DO WITH THE CIP.

SO I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE CIP IN COMING YEARS.

I AGREE.

DOUG.

DOUG, REAL QUICK.

I WASN'T SAYING WE WERE SCREWING WITH SUB THAT IF, IF WE DID, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT GETS THEIR ATTENTION POINT.

THAT WAS THE THREE THINGS IF WE SCREW WITH US ALL.

UM, NO OTHER QUESTIONS.

LET'S MOVE INTO, ASK FOR A MOTION AND THEN FOLLOWED UP BY DISCUSSION FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

MAKE A MOTION.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU MR. SHEPHERD.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM ON, UM, COMMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS.

MRS. NOEL, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

WELL, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED IT A BIT, BUT I THINK WHAT WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN THE FUTURE IS THAT THE MORE MONEY THAT WE CAN PUT INTO THE CIP ANNUALLY LESSENS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO BORROW AND THE ULTIMATE CHARGES FOR BORROWING THE MONEY, WHICH ADDS QUITE A BIT SOMETIMES TO THE BUDGET.

ALRIGHT, MR. ROY AND I AM ALL IN FAVOR OF PUTTING MONEY INTO THE CIP AND I THINK WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE FALL OF EACH YEAR AT THE CLOSE OF EACH FISCAL YEAR WHEN THERE'S SURPLUS AVAILABLE.

AND I'M ALL ALL IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT.

SO THAT SHOULD BE OUR CONTINUED PATH TO MAKE, TO MAKE OUR CIP AFFORDABLE.

AND I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD THAT I, I AGREE.

WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR, OUR CIP HEALTHY.

YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE INTO THE COUNTY.

ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED AND PLAN FOR BY THAT, BY THAT CIP, YOU ATTRACT PEOPLE, YOU ATTRACT BUSINESSES WITH IT ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, HELPS THE COUNTY GROW AND, AND BE AND BE, UM, VITAL.

[01:30:01]

SO, UM, SO IT HURT.

WE HAD TO TAKE A LOOK HARD, LOOK AT SOME OF THE ENTRIES IN THE CIP FOR THAT COMING FISCAL YEAR AND SAY, HEY, DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO THIS? OR CAN WE NOT THIS YEAR? UM, UM, HADN'T HAD TO PICK IT APART LIKE THAT BEFORE.

STILL IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO FUND IT.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, LIKE MS. MR. HERRO SAID, WHEN WE DO HAVE A SURPLUS END OF THE YEAR, UH, WITHIN THAT THREE TO 5% TARGET, WE'RE NOT TARGET, BUT EXPECTATION THEN, UM, THEN HOW DO WE USE IT? AND THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD USE FOR IT.

SO I'M COMPLETELY ON BOARD WITH, WITH KEEPING IT HEALTHY AND, AND NOT PUTTING OURSELVES IN A BAD SPOT DOWN THE ROAD.

UM, BUT WE'VE CUT SOMETHING ALREADY.

WE, WE HAVE CUT SOMETHING, BUT AGAIN TIME'S A TIGHT ALL AND ROLL CALL PLEASE.

THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS SWIFT.

DO PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 24 DASH 87 TO ADOPT THE FY 20 25 20 30 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM AS A LONG RANGE PLANNING DOCUMENT.

[4 Designation of Real Property Tax for School Purposes. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R24-88 to designate a portion of the real property tax for school purposes. ]

ITEM.

DESIGNATION OF REAL PROPERTY TAX FOR OUR SCHOOL PURPOSES.

UM, NOTHING TO PRESENT.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD TO STAFF? ALRIGHT, WE'LL, CAN I HAVE A MOTION THEN FOLLOWED UP BY DISCUSSION PLEASE? I MOVE R 24 DASH 88.

ALRIGHT, UM, DISCUSSIONS AND COMMENTS.

LET'S START, START WITH YOU MR. ROY.

NOTHING TO ADD.

ALRIGHT, MR. DREWRY? NOPE.

MRS. NOR I'VE ALREADY MADE MY COMMENTS ON THAT.

UM, WELL LET'S GO TO ROLL CALL THEN.

I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED IT.

A MOTION MADE BY MR. ROY IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 24 DASH 88 TO DESIGNATE A PORTION OF THE REAL PROPERTY TAX FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES.

ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE MOVE, MOVE INTO THE CONSENT PART OF THE CALENDAR, I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE IN BRINGING THE TOTALITY OF THE BUDGET TO TERM AND GETTING US, UM, ON PATH FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

UM, ALRIGHT.

CONSENT

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

CALENDAR.

WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ITEMS. FIRST OF ALL IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

SECOND IS COMBINATION OF, UM, OUR YOUTH COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR.

UM, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF HARD WORK.

UM, ITEM SEVEN, TAX REFUND, UM, REFUND OF BUSINESS LICENSE TAX NUMBER EIGHT, TAX REFUND, UH, PROBATION REFUND OR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.

AND ITEM NUMBER NINE, UH, BAPTIST ROAD PUMP STATION.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ITEM THEY WOULD WANT TO PULL FOR SEPARATE VOTE OR ASK FOR ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT? IF NOT, I'LL MOVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? NO.

ROLL CALL PLEASE.

AND MOTION MADE BY MRS. KNOLL IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS SUBMITTED.

[OPEN DISCUSSION]

MOVING INTO OPEN, OPEN DISCUSSION.

UM, I HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT COMPLETELY.

WELL, LET'S, WELL, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S START HERE.

COULD POTENTIALLY WORK ON, UM, REDUCING THE, THE OVERALL COST OF THE COUNTY BUDGET.

JAMAR IS VIRGINIA SCHOOL NURSES DAY.

THE GOVERNOR SIGNED THE PROCLAMATION.

AND THE REASON I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER IS A SCHOOL NURSE AND SHE WAS INVOLVED IN, IN GETTING THIS DONE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL NURSES ARE WORKING TOWARDS HAVING A SCHOOL NURSE IN EVERY SCHOOL, NOT NOT SHARING.

AND WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN SCHOOLS TODAY AND ALL THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT WASN'T JUST PUTTING BAND-AIDS ON OR GIVING AN ASPIRIN.

I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY THANK THEM VERY MUCH FOR WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

AND WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A SCHOOL NURSE IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

I JUST HOPE THAT THE OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES WILL DO THE SAME.

THANK YOU MR. ROY.

UH, I JUST COME BACK ON THE, ON THE BUDGET.

I THINK THIS WAS A LONG EFFORT, UH, SUCCESSFUL ONE.

I, I'M PLEASED THAT WE'VE PASSED, UH, THE RESOLUTIONS TONIGHT THAT WE HAVE.

I THINK THE, THE TAKEAWAY FROM HAVING WORKED THIS FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS IS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO PUT THE EFFORTS IN UPFRONT NOW, UH, TO BE READY FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND I'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT I, I THINK THERE'S EXAMPLES THAT WE NEED TO WORK THE PUBLIC HEARING PRESENTED SOME EXAMPLES IN COST CUTTING AREAS.

AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THEY'RE ALL CORRECT OR THAT THEY ARE ALL DOABLE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE

[01:35:01]

UH, THAT WOULD BE ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GO FORWARD TO REALLY LOOK AT A COST EFFICIENCY PROGRAM AND SEE IF THERE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR THAT WE MIGHT BE SUCCESSFUL IN ELIMINATING THAT WOULD SAVE US ALL MONEY.

AND THAT WE WOULD AGREE THAT IT, IT'S WORTH, UH, WORTH DOING.

SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE ITEM.

UM, I'VE HAD A LOT OF SENIORS TALK TO ME DURING THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, ABOUT THE POTENTIAL NEED FOR A REDUCTION IN SENIORS TAX AS RELATED TO SCHOOL SCHOOL BUDGET.

AND I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THAT.

UM, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE AN EVALUATION DONE BY THE COUNTY BETWEEN NOW AND, AND THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.

IF WE WERE TO REDUCE OUR TAX TO THE SENIORS BY ANY SMALL PERCENTAGE AS ASSOCIATED TO THE COST OF OUR SCHOOLING, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? HOW WOULD WE FUND IT? AND WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT BE ON OUR BUDGET? I THINK IT'S WORTH HAVING THE COUNTY DO THAT, UH, DO THAT STUDY FOR US AND HAVING IT AVAILABLE.

CAN I COMMENT JUST REAL QUICK ON THAT? WE GOT TO BE AUTHORIZED BY THE STATE TO DO THAT.

WE CAN'T JUST, WE CAN'T JUST ELIMINATE, UH, TAXES.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THE STATE JUST REQUIRES US DO.

SO I MEAN, I, I, THERE'S, I GOT A WHOLE HISTORY OF THIS, BUT I MEAN, IT IS THAT I, I MEAN, I AGREE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TAX AND ALL KIND OF STUFF, IT FLORIDA, BUT YEAH, IT REQUIRES THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO STUFF.

SO UNDERSTAND THEN, THEN IT MAY BE A VERY QUICK ANSWER.

AND THEN, UH, I THINK, UM, AND I THINK THE LAST ITEM, AND, AND MARK HAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO HAVE AN APPRAISAL SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR OUR COUNTY AND POTENTIALLY LOOK AT MERIT-BASED PAY, UH, IF WE CAN'T DO IT THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, LET'S AT LEAST HAVE A CONSIDERATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD BE AN ELEMENT THAT WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER.

UM, YOU KNOW, BACK TO, UH, THE BUDGET, I HATE KEEP BRINGING THE BUDGET UP.

I, I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR DOUG AND I COMING ON, UM, FOR OUR FIRST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE GET, WE GET A, YOU KNOW, A 350 PAGE BUDGET AND SIX WEEKS WE GOTTA APPROVE IT.

AND SO YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU HAVE TO TRUST.

AND SO THERE'S A BALANCE THAT WE DO TRUST OUR STAFF AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY PUT IN IT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO ANSWER TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AS WE SAID EARLIER.

AND THAT, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR, FOR ME BECAUSE I RAN ON THE FACT THAT I WAS GOING TO LISTEN TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND I WILL STAND BY THAT.

UM, AND, AND, AND I WILL QUESTION THINGS THAT I THINK, UM, MAYBE THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

AND WE DID THAT AND I THINK WE CAME TO A GOOD RESOLUTION TONIGHT.

SO I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S HARD WORK ON THAT.

UM, I, YEAH, I'VE HAD PEOPLE CONTACT ME ABOUT THIS ATTACKS FOR SENIORS MORE A FREEZE INSTEAD OF A REDUCTION WHERE IT WOULD JUST STAY.

SO IF YOU'RE PAYING X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THIS YEAR, IT'LL NEVER GO UP.

BUT IF IT'S REGULATED BY THE STATE, YEAH.

IT'S AGAIN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE LOOKED AT THAT BEFORE.

WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS WE HAVE TO GET WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS NOW MM-HMM.

THAT ARE CALLING US AND EMAILING US AND STOPPING US IN THE GROCERY STORE AND SAY, YOU NEED TO START TALKING TO YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND THEN WE CAN HELP PUSH THAT AS WELL.

RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, ALONG THE WAY.

AND, UM, I THINK WITH THE, AGAIN, WITH THE BUDGET, I THINK IF WE START NOW, UH, LOOKING THROUGH THESE THINGS FOR NEXT YEAR, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE SO PRESSED DOWN TO TRY TO MAKE THESE QUICK DECISIONS ON A BUDGET THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.

SO, YEP.

THANKS.

I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT ONE LATER.

THERE'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

UH, REAL QUICK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, I I, I KNOW I'M NOT, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED IN LIFE IS I'M NOT AN ORIGINAL THINKER.

I, IF I'M THINKING OF SOMETHING NOW, I KNOW THERE'S A GAZILLION PEOPLE THINKING OF THE SAME THING.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M BEEN, THAT'S BEEN GNA AT ME FOR LAST COUPLE YEARS, AND IT'S PARTICULARLY THIS LAST, SINCE LAST SUMMER, IS I'M WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE TO HIT HERE.

HOUSES ARE BUILT FOR, I THINK THE STANDARDS 105 MILES AN HOUR.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M WAITING FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE WORLD'S HEATING UP.

WE'RE SEEING MORE, MORE TORNADOES.

HURRICANE, WE HAD MORE CATEGORY FIVE TO, UH, HURRICANES LAST YEAR THAN I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE EVER HAD.

AND UM, THEN THE CLOSEST IN THE, SINCE I THINK THE LAST ONE WAS 2003, THAT WAS ISABEL HIT AND IT GOT UP TO LIKE NINE.

IT WAS CAT ONE I THINK WHEN IT HIT DOWN HERE.

AND IT KIND OF MESSED UP A FEW THINGS.

WE WERE OUT WITHOUT POWER FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND WHATEVER.

UM, THE THING IS, CAT ONE HURRICANE IS, YOU KNOW, OUR

[01:40:01]

IF YOU'RE ON THE COAST, IT'S 95 MILES AN HOUR OR SOMETHING.

NO, IT'S 115 IF YOU'RE ON THE COAST, 105 MILES AN HOUR INLAND.

AND, UM, I WOULD HAVE IT JUST BEFORE THE STORM WAS HITTING, I WAS GETTING PHONE CALLS WITH MINOR FLOOD CATEGORY, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND THEY CHANGED THE FLOOD, ALL THE FLOOD CATEGORIES, AND THEY'VE GOT 'EM REALLY? THEY'RE, THEY'RE ONLINE.

YOU CAN FIND ALL THE STUFF IN THE COUNTY, UH, THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT WELL IN ADVANCE WHETHER YOU WANT A GENERATOR, ARE YOU IN A FLOOD ZONE? I MEAN, WE, WE'D SET UP A, WE SET UP, UM, UH, LIKE CITY PCOS, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE PRIMARY, UH, CENTER SHELTER FOR IS AT TAB HIGH SCHOOL.

AND, UM, AND A LOT OF THE STUFF YOU FIND OUT WHEN IT'S, EVERYBODY'S JUST JUMPING AROUND GOING, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH.

MY CONCERN IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HIT A CATEGORY TWO AND CATEGORY THREE? AND IF WE HIT A CATEGORY THREE, YOU BETTER NOT EVEN BE AROUND HERE.

OKAY? BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE YOUR HOUSE OUT AND THEN, THEN YOU CAN BE, YOU'LL BE CAMPING OUTSIDE, NOT NOT IN A HOUSE, UH, WORRYING ABOUT HOT WATER OR ELECTRICITY.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS. WE GOT 'EM IN YOUR DISTRICT.

OKAY? UH, I GOT SOME IN MY DISTRICT DOWN AROUND PCOS AND ALL THAT.

WE'RE EIGHT FEET ABOVE SEA LEVELS.

IT'S NOT GONNA CUT IT.

RIGHT? AND, UH, AND UH, SO YOU GOTTA START THINKING ABOUT HAVING A PLAN.

IT'S NOT GOING RUN INTO THE GROCERY STORE BUYING WATER.

THIS IS NOT, NOT A PLAN, OKAY? IT IS SOMETHING, BUT IT'S NOT THE PLAN THAT YOU NEED.

YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA EVACUATE OUT OF THE PLACE.

UH, SINCE, UH, THE LAST COUPLE DECADES IT CHANGED 64, SO IT'S ALL CAN GO IN ONE DIRECTION.

, THAT'S WHAT ALL THOSE GATES ARE DOWN HERE.

AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN THAT DON'T KNOW THIS STUFF.

AND, UH, SO I'M JUST, I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU JUST WATCH THE NEWS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING HOTTER AND HOTTER EVERY YEAR.

IT'S, I MEAN, GUYS, I'M OUT GOLFING AND IT'S, UH, IT'S A HUNDRED, 110 DEGREES HERE.

WHOEVER HEARD 110 DEGREES RUNNING AROUND HERE, .

SO BE READY FOR THAT.

UM, SO, UH, TOMORROW THEY'VE GOT A TOUR.

I'M GONNA TAKE A TOUR OF, UH, AT THE NORFOLK, OH, IS IT TOMORROW? INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR THE, UH, IT'S A 2024, THE HURRICANE EVACUATION HELP OR THE, THE, UH, THE AIRCRAFT THAT FLIES INTO THE STORM AND DOES THE EVALUATION.

SO THEN THEY GIVE US A TOUR TO SEE THAT.

UM, SO YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF, EVERY TIME YOU GET IN, YOU GET AND START TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF, YOU START WORRYING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

UM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BE VICE CHAIR.

I AM VICE CHAIR OF THE, UH, HAMPTON ROADS MILITARY AND FEDERAL FACILITY ALLIANCE.

UH, THAT'S AN ALLIANCE THAT'S CALLED RUMPA BASED FOR SHORT, THAT'S DESIGNED TO PROTECT ALL THE FACILITIES, UM, YES.

HERE IN THE, THE PENINSULA.

AND IT WAS IN, IN FACT, IN ALL OF HAMPTON ROADS.

AND IT WAS, IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE, UM, THE GUY IN A BATTLE WITH FLORIDA OVER TRYING TO TAKE AWAY ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT CARRIERS THAT'S ABOUT A $900 MILLION TAKEOUT OF OUR, OUR, OUR ECONOMY.

IF YOU MOVE OUT ONE OF THOSE THINGS LIKE TAKING A WHOLE BASE AWAY MM-HMM SOME BETWEEN 700 AND $900 MILLION.

SO WE CREATED THIS ORGANIZATION THAT WE'RE PART OF THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR.

AND, UH, THAT'S, AND SO NOW GONNA BE VICE CHAIR THAT.

THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, TOM.

WELL, IT'S, I MEAN, IT KIND OF TIES WITH ME BECAUSE I'M MILITARY EXPERIENCE TOO, SO THAT HELPS.

UM, THE, UH, THE CIP THE ONE THING I WANT FOR YOU, I WON'T, I'M NOT GONNA CALL YOU NEW GUYS MUCH MORE LONGER, BUT THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I, I WANT US TO FOCUS ON, YOU GOTTA BUY INTO IT.

OKAY? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY.

SO THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU GET A, A HUGE DOCUMENT AND I CAN'T GO THROUGH THAT BY MYSELF BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS WHERE SHE GO IT, I MEAN, I'M CONSTANTLY OVER CALLING SAY, HOW DO I FIND THIS? AND SO I'LL PUT MY FINGER ON ONE THING AND KIND OF FOLLOW.

SO YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE DOTS TO, SO WE GOTTA BUY IN ON THAT, ON THAT CIP UM, AND ONE THING ON THE, ON THE, ON THE SCENE, I MENTIONED THIS, THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

NOW WHERE DO I GET THE IDEA OF HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHERE I WAS PRETTY MUCH RAISED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION'S A GREAT IDEA.

YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF FLORIDA DOES NOT HAVE AN INCOME TAX.

OKAY? THEY WILL TAX THINGS LIKE STOCKS AND BONDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT YOUR PROPERTY, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU REACH A POINT THAT IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T, UH, THAT DOESN'T GO ANY HIGHER.

SO MY FAMILY, UH, MY DAD, WE MOVED THERE IN 1958 ON A FARM.

MY DAD HAD THIS FARM AND MY UNCLE HAD THE FARM RIGHT NEXT TO IT.

UM, AND, UH, MY DAD PASSED AWAY IN 2010.

AT THE YEAR HE PASSED AWAY ON HIS FARM, ABOUT 26 ACRES, 27 ACRES.

UM, HIS, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX WAS $419 OKAY.

IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.

NORMAN AND I, WE'D SIT DOWN AND I EXPLAINED TO, HE'D NEVER HEARD OF A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

AND THAT WAS BASED ON HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

SO I TAKE THIS IDEA AND I THOUGHT, JUST LIKE HE, I'M GONNA AGO, LET'S, I, WHY CAN'T WE DO IT HERE? SO I TAKE IT TO SENATOR

[01:45:01]

AND I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR OUR SENIORS THAT YOU REACH A CERTAIN AGE AT THAT POINT, YOUR HOUSE, UH, VALUE, UM, TAXES STOP.

OKAY? AND THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER WAYS TO HANDLE IT.

YOU CAN GET IT ON THE BACK END WHEN YOU SELL THE HOUSE OR THE PROPERTY'S INHERITED OR THAT'S JUST, THAT'S IT.

WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT IF YOUR HOUSE IS TAXES ARE $2,000 NOW, UH, 20 YEARS LATER, IT'S STILL $2,000.

DO YOU THINK OUR OUR TAX RATE'S GONNA BE THAT LOW? NO.

AND, UH, BUT THE THING IS, WHEN YOU SELL THE HOUSE, THEN IT, IT JUMPS UP TO ITS CURRENT VALUE AND THEN THE NEW OWNERS HAVE TO START PAYING TAXES.

UH, AND THAT'S HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

UM, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

BUT THE SENATE TO DO IT, THEY, THEY HAVE TO TAKE A MINDSET THAT GOES FROM THIS ANGLE TO THAT ANGLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO FIT IT INTO A, A, A LAW THAT, THAT OUR, THAT OUR INCOME IS BASED ON WHAT? BASED ON THINGS WE OWN, LIKE OUR REAL ESTATE, LIKE OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.

UH, WE GOT INCOME TAX AND HOW DO YOU PUT A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WITHOUT A HOME, WITHOUT INCOME TAX? AND HOW DO YOU DO ALL THIS STUFF? AND IT JUST, IT, IT MAKES, IT'S, IT'S MIND BOGGLING.

BUT, UH, I STILL ADVOCATE FOR THAT.

IT'S JUST HARD, JUST HARD TO FIT INTO THIS, UH, THE STATE.

SO I JUST BRING THOSE UP FOR YOU.

GO.

I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GOING TO GET INTO THAT CONVERSATION, BUT REMEMBER WE OFFERED THE CITIZENS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE TAXES THAT THEY HAD.

YOUR, YOUR TAX WOULD BE LEVEL AT WHAT YOU PAID AND WHEN YOU DIED, YOUR TAXES CAME OUT OF THE SALE OF YOUR PROPERTY.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU PAID UNTIL THEY, WE KEPT 'EM FROM MOVING AND THAT WAS AN OPTION THAT PEOPLE COULD TO CHOOSE FROM THAT WE TRIED IT SOMEPLACE ELSE, BUT PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT IT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO LEAVE THE LAND TO THEIR CHILDREN.

AND SO, BUT THAT WAS AN OPTION THAT COULD BE DONE.

SO YOU COULD FREEZE THEIR, THEIR TAX BILL.

AND UNTIL I THINK THE STATE GAVE US THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.

BUT I DON'T, OH YEAH, I KNOW.

BUT I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF HANDLING IT.

ALRIGHT, THANKS.

UH, SO GOOD COMMENTS.

UM, I'LL TOUCH UPON A FEW THINGS.

MR. SHEPHERD, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT STORM PREPAREDNESS AND I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE ALSO BE FOCUSED ON.

'CAUSE I THINK WE'VE HAD PRETTY GOOD RUN SO FAR, BUT EVENTUALLY, SO WE'RE GONNA GET HIT WITH SOMETHING AND WE NEED SYSTEM NEED TO BE READY TO GO.

YOU NEED, IF YOU NEED A GENERATOR, YOU NEED TO HAVE THE GENERATOR, YOU NEED TO HAVE IT FUELED UP.

YOU NEED TO HAVE SPARE OIL FILTERS READY TO GO AND SO FORTH.

AND THE MEDICATIONS YOU NEED.

SO, UH, STORM PREP IS IMPORTANT.

YOU MENTIONED ABOUT HOW, HOW OUR HOMES ARE BUILT TO A CERTAIN WIND STANDARD, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT I WILL, THAT, THAT YOUR HIGHEST CAN STAND UP TO A CERTAIN SPEED OF WIND.

BUT I WILL, UH, WILL REMIND EVERYBODY THE WISE WORDS OF, UH, OF THE SAGE RAW AND WHITE, WHERE YOU SAID, IT'S NOT THAT THE WIND BLOWS, IT'S WHAT THE WIND BLOWS.

SO YOUR HIGHEST MAY BE ABLE TO HOLD UP 150 MILE PER HOUR WIND, BUT IF IT'S GET, IF IT THROWS A FOUR BY FOUR AT YOUR HOUSE AT 115 MILES AN HOUR, IT MIGHT NOT WORK OUT SO GOOD.

UM, THE, THE IDEA AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND, UM, HOW CAN WE HELP OUR CITIZENS, OUR, OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, OUR HANDS MAY BE TIED AND WHAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALLOWS US TO DO, BUT IT'S STILL THE RIGHT THING TO LOOK AT.

WHAT OPTIONS COULD BE APPLIED, HAVE A VIABLE PLAN IN PLACE AND THEN, AND THEN PRESS YOUR, OUR STATE LEGISLATURE TO, TO ENACT IT AND GET THE HELP FROM OUR CITIZENS TOO, TO ALSO REACH OUT TO THEIR STATE LEGISLATURE, HEY, WE WANT THIS TO HAPPEN.

AND, AND I GUARANTEE IF IT'S A MODEL THAT WORKS OUT FOR YORK COUNTY, IT'S PROBABLY A MODEL THAT WILL WORK OUT ACROSS THE STATE AS WELL.

SO IT WOULDN'T JUST BE YORK COUNTY ASKING FOR IT, IT COULD BE EVERYBODY.

SO, BUT WE GOTTA TAKE THAT FIRST STEP AND GO, HERE'S, HERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO.

HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UM, PERFORMANCE BASED, UH, EVALUATIONS.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING, UH, MR. BELLAMY AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT.

AND I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT, THAT, THAT HAPPEN.

IT'S A MATTER OF, UH, OF OUR HR DIRECTOR FINDING A GOOD PLAN THAT WILL WORK FOR THE COUNTY AND GET THAT IMPLEMENTED.

SO YEAH, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT MERIT PAY, MERIT PAYS, PAY FALLS ON IT IMMEDIATELY, BUT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER THAT.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE, BUT THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

SO, YEAH, FOR SURE.

UM, SO WE REACHED THE END OF THE BUDGET CONVERSATION.

UM, A LOT OF FOCUS, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF APPROPRIATE FOCUS.

UM, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTY NOW THAT WE NEED TO TURN OUR FOCUS TO.

SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT TIME BACK TO DO THAT.

THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE NEED, NEED TO BE WORKING ON THAT WE'VE HAD TO KIND OF PUSH TO THE SIDE 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD TO GET THIS BUDGET DONE.

SO NOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THAT.

AND ONE PIECE OF GOOD NEWS I WANNA SHARE OR ENCOURAGE THE NEWS, UM, AND THAT'S ABOUT NEW BUSINESSES COMING TO THE COUNTY.

SO JUST THIS MONTH ALONE, I MENTIONED THIS OTHER NIGHT AT, AT A MEETING, JUST THIS MONTH ALONE, THERE ARE FIVE GRAND OPEN RIBBON, RIBBON CUTTING SCHEDULED HAPPENING.

THERE ARE TWO ON THE 17TH.

UH, MR. RO ON THAT AT THAT SAME NIGHT MADE A NOTE WHERE THE, UH, THE REPORT FROM THE, FROM THE COMMISSIONER REVENUES OFFICE SAYING THAT THERE WERE 22 NEW BUSINESSES AS PER THE LAST REPORT, WHICH OUTPACES THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT CLOSED IN THE COUNTY.

UM,

[01:50:01]

I LOVE THOSE BUSINESSES.

SO THE BUSINESSES ARE COMING TO THE COUNTY, THEY'RE GROWING.

THAT'S ENCOURAGING TO SEE AND NASCO TO HELP US OFFSET THE RESIDENTIAL TAX BURDEN AS WE GET MORE BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY AND GROWING A BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

SO THAT IS FANTASTIC.

ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, I THINK WE ARE DONE.

OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE AT, UH, ARE WE DOING ANY CLOSED SESSION? NOPE.

NOT TONIGHT.

THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE AT 6:00 PM UM, HEY, BEFORE WE GO YEP.

SOMETHING ELSE.

SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE ATTORNEY INTO THE ROOM AND BEAT HIM UP, RIGHT? MM-HMM.

UH, UM, WHAT IS IT, THE 400,000? YEAH.

$400,000.

WE LOST THAT.

I'VE ASKED THAT TO GET SCHEDULED.

I'M SORRY.

I HEAR THAT THAT'S EQUALIZATION BOARD.

HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.

NOT, NOT TONIGHT ENCLOS SESSION.

BUT I'VE ASKED MR. BELLAMY TO SCHEDULE THAT.

I WASN'T SURE WHETHER IT WAS MUCH .

SO, UM, SO OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE AT 6:00 PM TUESDAY, MAY 21ST.

UPSTAIRS IN THE BOARDROOM OF YORK HALL.

WITH THAT, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.