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GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UH, THE FEBRUARY 18TH BOARD SUPERVISORS MEETING.
I'LL NOW CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND CALL.
THE INVOCATION THIS EVENING WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR SEAN BROWN OF THE COASTAL CHURCH.
AND, UM, BEFORE I PRAY, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU GUYS, UM, IT IS A JOY TO SERVE IN YOUR COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN SERVING IN YOUR COUNTY FOR 25 YEARS AS PASTOR, AND, UH, IT'S A GREAT, GREAT COUNTY.
UH, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW WE HAD A CYBER CRIME COMMITTED AGAINST OUR CHURCH LAST YEAR, AND SHERIFF MONTGOMERY DID, AND HIS TEAM DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB, CAUGHT THE PERSON AND MADE US WHOLE.
SO, UH, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
AND, UH, I'M THRILLED TO BE A PART OF THE COUNTY.
IT STILL OPENS WITH PRAYER, SO LET'S DO THAT.
THE BIBLE SAYS IF WE LACK WISDOM, WE CAN ASK GOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR LEADING OUR COUNTY, EACH OF YOU, OKAY, AND LET'S PRAY SERMON'S OVER.
UH, FATHER, I DO THANK YOU FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OF MEN AND WOMEN, AND, UM, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY, TO GO TO CHURCH, TO SERVE AS A LEADER IN A CHURCH.
AND, UH, I THANK YOU FOR THESE MEN AND WOMEN AS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR LEADING OUR COUNTY, GOD.
AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM WISDOM.
AND WHEN YOU LEAD SOMETHING, IT'S DIFFICULT, GOD.
AND SO I PRAY FOR WISDOM AND HOW TO STEWARD THE, UH, THE RESOURCING OF OUR COUNTY AND TO BEST SERVE ITS CITIZENS.
AND SO I KNOW IT TAKES, UM, SOME HUMILITY AND THOUGHT AND KINDNESS AND UNITY TO DO THAT.
AND SO I PRAY THAT FOR THIS GROUP OF LEADERS.
AND, UH, I THANK YOU FOR EACH OF THEM, AND I PRAY YOUR BLESSING UPON THEM.
AND IT'S IN JESUS' NAME I PRAY.
WOULD YOU SAY THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE STAND.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION OF GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[1. Presentation of Service Recognition Pins*. 2. • Major Thomas West - York-Poquoson Sheriff s Office -30 years Captain Alan Sadler, York-Poquoson Sheriffs Office - 25 years Shelley Anderson, York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office - 25 years]
TONIGHT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PRESENTATIONS BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, SHERIFF MONTGOMERY.WOULD YOU CARE TO COME FORWARD? UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SERVICE RECOGNITION PINS FOR CAPTAIN ALLEN SANDLER AND SHELLY ANDERSON.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
IT IS MY DISTINCT PRIVILEGE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE TWO MEMBERS OF THE YORK PERCUSSION SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT HAVE BOTH REACHED THE 25 YEAR MARK IN SERVICE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO ASK SHELLY ANDERSON TO COME FORWARD.
SHELLY JOINED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN FEBRUARY OF 2000.
SHE IS WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH ENCOMPASSES CRIME PREVENTION, THE DARE PROGRAM, AND MANY OTHERS, THE SROS AS WELL.
SHE'S BASICALLY THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THIS DIVISION TOGETHER.
BUT THE TWO PLACES THAT I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS HER SERVICE TO THE, NOT ONLY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT THE COMMUNITY.
TONIGHT IS WITH THE DARE PROGRAM AND WITH OUR SHOP WITH THE SHERIFF PROGRAM.
SHE IS BASICALLY THESE PROGRAMS WITH ALL THAT SHE DOES WITH THE DARE PROGRAM.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO A DARE GRADUATION, SHE'S THE ONE THAT SETS THIS UP.
SHE'S THERE AN HOUR AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE.
SHE MAKES SURE THAT ALL THE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS ARE CORRECT, THAT THE CAKE IS OUT FOR THE KIDS.
AFTERWARDS, SHE SELECTS THE KINDERGARTNERS THAT DO A LITTLE SPECIAL PORTION OF THIS AT THE END, AND SHE HELPS GUIDE ALL THE KIDS AROUND THAT HANDED LITTLE TEDDY BEARS TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS, THE FOURTH GRADERS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE OVER 20 YEARS SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS, MORE THAN THAT, THE PROGRAM HAS ONLY GROWN UNDER HER.
AND WITHOUT HER, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE NEARLY AS SUCCESSFUL.
AND SECONDLY, IS SHOP WITH THE SHERIFF.
SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT VERY PROGRAM SINCE IT'S VERY INCEPTION.
SHE COORDINATES WITH THE LOCAL CHARITIES IN THE SCHOOLS TO GET THE KIDS AND THE LIST OF THE KIDS.
SHE WORKS WITH WALMART ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SHE SCHEDULES ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.
THAT PROGRAM NOW HAS GROWN TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALMOST AT 120 KIDS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND THE, AND THE DONATIONS HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY UNDER HER GUIDANCE AND HER DIRECTION.
AND I CAN'T THANK HER ENOUGH FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE TO GROW BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO, SHELLY, CONGRATULATIONS ON 25 YEARS.
AND NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP CAP CAPTAIN ALLEN
[00:05:01]
SADLER.CAPTAIN SADLER'S JOINED TONIGHT BY HIS WIFE MELISSA, HIS SISTER LISA, AND HIS FATHER WAYNE, CAPTAIN SADLER JOINED YORK CO SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN DECEMBER OF 1999.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE WAS THE LAST HIRE OF SHERIFF PRESS WILLIAMS AS HE WAS RETIRING THAT YEAR.
AND HE WAS OFTEN TEASED BY MY FORMER BOSS, DANNY DIGGS.
THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT HE WOULD KEEP HIM JUST A FEW DAYS LATER.
AND HE HAS EXCELLED DURING HIS TENURE HERE, HE CAME FROM THE NEW NEWPORT NEWS POLICE DEPARTMENT, WISED UP AND CAME TO YORK COUNTY IN 1999.
HE'S BEEN A MAJOR CRIMES INVESTIGATOR.
HE'S BEEN A PATROL LIEUTENANT.
HE WAS THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY AND CIVIL PROCESS LIEUTENANT.
AND HE, IN HIS CURRENT RANK, IS CAPTAIN OF THE COURTHOUSE IN THE CIVIL PROCESS.
NOW, NOW FOR A FEW YEARS, ALLEN IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TOGETHER.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE COURTHOUSE.
HE DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB IF ANYBODY'S EVER BEEN UP THERE BEFORE.
YOU SEE HOW SMOOTHLY THAT OPERATION RUNS.
AND A LOT OF IT IS JUST BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S ACCOMPLISHED IN A FEW YEARS.
WHENEVER I'M AROUND JUDGE RIZEK, HE ALWAYS TELLS ME THAT THIS COURTHOUSE IS HIS FAVORITE PLACE TO BE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN HIS PEERS COME AND VISIT AND SEE HOW WELL THINGS ARE RUN, HE OFTEN GETS COMPLIMENTS AND HE PASSES THEM BACK ON TO CAPTAIN SADLER AND HIS FAMILY.
HE WAS ALSO ON SOME SPECIALTY TEAMS WITH US.
HE'S BEEN PART OF THE BIKE PATROL.
HE'S BEEN PART OF THE HONOR GUARD AND PART OF OUR CRISIS NEGOTIATION TEAM.
AND HE HAS A GRADUATE DEGREE FROM CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY.
SO FOR YOUR 25 YEARS, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I HOPE TO SEE YOU FROM A 25 MORE YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT I'LL BE HERE AND I'LL, BUT I MAY COME BACK AND WATCH YOU.
BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON 25 YEARS WITH NEW YORK ION SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THAT CONCLUDES IT.
ANYBODY WANNA MAKE COMMENTS? I'M ALWAYS GOOD FOR COMMENTS.
I MEAN, THEY ARE, WE, WE APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED OVER THE GREAT SERVICE, UH, THAT THEY'VE, THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS PROVIDED OVER THE DECADES.
AND IT GOES NOT JUST FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT IT'S THE PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE SHARING OF, UH, OUR, UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPEN HERE.
BUT, UH, OUR MEN IN BLUE AND THE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT WORK BEHIND THE SCENE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN ARE JUST, JUST VITAL.
SO TO ME, THIS IS, THIS IS WONDERFUL.
AND, UM, I'M JUST, I, I'M JUST SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO, SO CAPTAIN SANDLER AND, UH, MS. SHELLEY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE 25 YEARS.
UM, AND, AND THE, AND THE BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE YOU GUYS BRING TO THE TABLE, UM, HERE IN, ESPECIALLY IN, IN, IN THE DEPUTY'S OFFICE IS, IS HUGE.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE THE NEWER GENERATION COMING ON BOARD THAT YOU CAN TRAIN UP WITH A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT AREN'T IN THE BOOKS.
YOU CAN'T TEACH IN A CLASSROOM THAT YOU CAN TEACH FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S PARAMOUNT TO HAVING A SMOOTH RUNNING SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT, THAT SHERIFF MONTGOMERY BRINGS BRINGS THE TABLE FOR US.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT IT.
WELL, I'VE BEEN IN YORK COUNTY SINCE 1967, AND I'VE SEEN LOTS OF CHANGE ACROSS THOSE YEARS.
AND, UH, SOME OF THE BEST CHANGE, I THINK, IS IN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE'VE GOT A FANTASTIC GROUP OF GUYS AND GIRLS THAT PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY DAY THAT THEY WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF NOT JUST YORK COUNTY, BUT EVERY CITIZEN FROM EVERY TOWN AND STATE AND COUNTRY, UM, ACROSS THE GLOBE THAT, THAT COMES TO YORK COUNTY TO VISIT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING A SON-IN-LAW, IN THE ENFORCEMENT BUSINESS WITH YOU GUYS, UH, IT'S DEAR TO MY HEART TO SEE YOU GUYS DOING A GREAT JOB.
UH, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT FIRSTHAND ON A RIDE ALONG, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GO DO THAT AGAIN.
UM, BUT I'VE SEEN PROFESSIONALISM.
UH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT REALLY STICKS OUT TO ME, IS THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE FRIENDLINESS THAT OUR, OUR DEPUTIES AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE DO HERE AT THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
[00:10:01]
CONGRATS TO YOU TWO TONIGHT FOR YOUR LONG TENURED SERVICE AND HOPE FOR MANY MORE.AND, UH, SO WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD, BUT I, I THINK IT'S JUST A FANTASTIC TEAM UNDER, UH, SHERIFF MONTGOMERY AND ALL OF CAPTAINS DEPUTIES MAJORS.
IT, IT, IT JUST, IT HUMS. IT'S, IT'S LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE AND IT JUST, IT JUST WORKS AND IT IS WELL RECOGNIZED IN THE COUNTY, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL.
WHAT I HAVE APPRECIATED SO MUCH WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES AS WELL, IS THE LONGEVITY AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAVE IN SERVING THE PEOPLE OF YOUR COUNTY.
THAT JUST DOESN'T COME OVER OVERNIGHT.
IT TAKES LONG TIME TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
I LOVE IT WHEN I, WHEN I USED TO SEE YOU AT THE, UH, AT SAFETY TOWN WITH THE, WITH THE SMALL CHILDREN.
AND I LOVED IT WHEN I USED TO GO TO THE DARE GRADUATIONS BECAUSE SHOWING YOUNG PEOPLE THE HUMAN SIDE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT YOU ARE JOE FRIENDLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY, PUT IT THAT WAY, AND THAT YOU DO CARE FOR THEM, THAT MAYBE THAT MIGHT KEEP SOME OF THEM OUT OF TROUBLE.
OR MAYBE IF THEY WERE IN TROUBLE, THEY WOULD COME TO ONE OF YOU AND SAY, PLEASE HELP ME.
HOW CAN, HOW CAN I BETTER WHAT I'M DOING? SO YOU, YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, BUT WE WANNA TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE.
NOW I HAVE VDOT QUARTERLY REPORT UPDATE.
DO WE HAVE V DO WE HAVE SOMEONE FROM VDOT WITH US THIS EVENING? WHAT? UNITED WAY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A TYPO ON THE SHEET.
[2. United Way of the Virginia Peninsula*. Receive presentation from Charvalla West, Chief Executive Officer.]
UH, SHABEL, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE WITH US.YOU, YOU'RE DOING UNITED WAY NOW.
HOW WAS HER STINT IN VDOT?
YOU WANNA BE UNITED WAY? YES, I DO WANT TO BE UNITED WAY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I'M CHARLA WEST, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR UNITED WAY OF THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA.
UM, YOUR NEIGHBOR HERE, WE'RE RIGHT OFF 17 IN YORKTOWN.
UM, IT'S MY TREMENDOUS PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE WAYS YORK COUNTY SUPPORTS OUR UNITED WAY AND OUR PARTNERS WITHIN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.
CHANGE THAT MATTERS FOR OUR WORKFORCE, FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR HELP.
IT TAKES THE COLLECTIVE TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED AND TO IMPROVE THE TRAJECTORIES OF FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UNITED WAY OF THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA IS PROUD TO BE THE CONVENER, THE BACKBONE THAT BRINGS GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, NONPROFIT, AND INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, WE'VE GROWN OUR IMPACT AND HAVE RISEN QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY TO ANSWER THE CALL OF OUR COMMUNITY, TO KEEP FAMILIES HOUSED, TO KEEP INDIVIDUALS WORKING, AND TO HELP GIVE OUR CHILDREN THE BEST CHANCE AT SUCCESS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
SINCE 2017, FOLLOWING OUR PATHWAYS OUT OF POVERTY COLLECTIVE IMPACT AGENDA, THE UNITED WAY AND OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON A POPULATION THAT WE REFER TO AS ALICE ASSET LIMITED.
INCOME CONSTRAINED, EMPLOYED, THOSE WHO ARE WORKING SOMETIMES MULTIPLE JOBS MM-HMM
BUT STILL LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.
ALICE HOUSEHOLDS OFTEN EARN TOO MUCH FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDED PROGRAMS, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SAVE, TO OWN A HOME, OR TO RECOVER FROM THE UNEXPECTED, LIKE A MIS SHIFT DUE TO SNOW OR ILLNESS.
ALICE CARES FOR AND TEACHES OUR CHILDREN.
ALICE DRIVES THE BUSES THAT GET US WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
ALICE TAKES CARE OF THE SICK AND ELDERLY.
ALICE ENSURES THAT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY FLOURISHES, BUT ALICE NEEDS OUR SUPPORT ON THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA.
41% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY
[00:15:01]
AT ALICE OR BELOW IN YORK COUNTY.32% OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE EXPERIENCING THAT KIND OF SCARCITY ACCORDING TO OUR LATEST DATA.
WHILE YORK COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY AT A LESSER EXTENT THAN NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES, WE KNOW THAT THE IMPACTS OF POVERTY KNOW NO BOUNDARIES.
AS MANY IN OUR REGION MAY LIVE IN ONE LOCALITY AND WORK IN ANOTHER.
MODELED AFTER THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD IN THE GREATER WILLIAMSBURG AREA AND WITH ALICE AS OUR PRIORITY.
IN 2021, UNITED WAY LAUNCHED THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK, WHICH WE OFTEN REFER TO AS CAN A CENTRALIZED ADVOCACY AND REFERRAL SERVICE THAT MOBILIZES THE POWER OF APPROXIMATELY 150 PARTNERS, FAITH GROUPS, CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, HUMAN SERVICES AGENCIES, AND OTHERS TO PROVIDE OUTCOME-BASED REFERRALS FOR ANYONE ON THE PENINSULA.
FACING A NEED CAN PROVIDES ONE PHONE NUMBER FOR OUR ENTIRE REGION TO ACCESS BASIC NEEDS, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND STABILIZATION SUPPORTS.
FROM ITS INCEPTION THROUGH JUNE OF 2024, NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN HELP TO KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, TO HAVE CHILDCARE OR TRANSPORTATION SO THEY CAN KEEP SHOWING UP TO WORK AND TO HELP FILL THE GAPS WHEN THEIR PAYCHECKS DON'T STRETCH QUITE FAR ENOUGH.
FROM JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2024, THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK HAS SERVED 161.
HOUSEHOLDS IN YORK COUNTY MOBILIZED OVER $118,000 THROUGH OUTCOME-BASED REFERRALS, HELPING 323 PEOPLE KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS, GET TO AND FROM WORK, INCREASE THEIR INCOME, AND ENSURE THAT BASIC NEEDS WERE MET WITH CAN, AS OUR FOUNDATION.
WE'VE SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS WORKING TO SYSTEMATICALLY AND EFFICIENTLY REDUCE EVICTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IN 2020, WE LAUNCHED THE PENINSULA'S FIRST EVER EVICTION REDUCTION PILOT FUNDED PRIMARILY BY THE STATE THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
OUR UNITED WAY HAS BEEN A LEADING PARTICIPANT IN THE STATE'S EFFORTS TO MAKE EVICTIONS RARE, BRIEF, AND HUMANE WHEN THEY HAPPEN.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HERE IN YORK COUNTY HAS BEEN A MAJOR PART OF MAKING THAT PROCESS HUMANE WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN.
AS THE HIGHEST FUNDED GRANTEE IN THIS STATE, SUPPORTING ALL OF THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA, THIS WORK HAS BEEN VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC GOALS, OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, AND THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE.
FOR CITIZENS WHO CALL THIS REGION HOME STATE FUNDS ARE BRAIDED ALONGSIDE PRIVATE FUNDS AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
THESE RESOURCES ARE NOT HELD BY UNITED WAY, BUT WE MOBILIZE THEM QUICKLY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO VETTED ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES ON THE FRONT LINES OF ADDRESSING HOUSING INSTABILITY.
YORK COUNTY HOUSING HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PARTNER COMING ALONGSIDE THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK AS ONE OF OUR EVICTION REDUCTION PILOT SUB-GRANTEES.
THIS PAST FRIDAY, OUR UNITED WAY HELD A COMMUNITY IMPACT CELEBRATION AND WE WERE SO PLEASED TO HAVE AWARDED THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARD TO ABBOTT WOODALL, JEN CARTER, AND THE YORK COUNTY HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
ALONG WITH OUR COLLABORATIVE, UM, EVICTION COURT NAVIGATION SERVICES THAT HELP ENSURE TENANTS AND LANDLORDS ARE GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE THEIR AGREEMENTS AND BRING LANDLORDS WHOLE AND OUR FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS.
WE HAVE SEEN MEASURABLE IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO REDUCE EVICTIONS THANKS TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR JUDGES AND SHERIFFS.
WE KNOW BETTER TODAY WHAT EVICTIONS LOOK LIKE BEYOND THE FILING.
AND WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ALMOST EVERY LOCALITY.
OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
THE NUMBER OF LANDLORDS FILINGS HAVE DECREASED MORE THAN 20% IN THE LAST SIX QUARTERS.
AND EXECUTED LOCKOUTS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWN.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR EVERY FILING, BUT THIS IS A SOUND INDICATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR COMMUNITIES' INTERVENTIONS AND OUR COMMUNITY-WIDE APPROACH TO A NATIONAL ISSUE IN YORK COUNTY SPECIFICALLY.
WHILE THE VOLUME OF UNLAWFUL DETAINER FILINGS AND EXECUTED EVICTIONS EBB AND FLOW, THE VOLUME HERE IS ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE REGION.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CHANCES OF A HOUSEHOLD BEING LOCKED OUT AFTER A FILING ARE LOWER IN YORK COUNTY THAN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION ON THE PENINSULA.
[00:20:01]
UM, THESE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL TRENDS THAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, RELATIVE, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND WE KNOW EACH CITY AND COUNTY IS UNIQUE.
UM, AND WITH THE INTER-JURISDICTIONAL NATURE OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT HAPPENS IN ONE CITY OR COUNTY OFTEN AFFECTS ANOTHER.
UM, WE CAN ALSO USE THIS INFORMATION, KEEPING OUR EAR TO THE GROUND TO KNOW WHAT'S WORKING WELL IN ONE AREA AND APPLY IT IN OTHERS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT AS SYSTEMS BECOME CONSTRAINED, PEOPLE FIND WAYS TO ADAPT TO MEET THEIR NEEDS FROM CO-SIGNERS TO SHARED LIVING ARRANGEMENTS.
LANDLORDS AND TENANTS HAVE FOUND WAYS TO ADJUST TO THE EMERGING DYNAMICS OF HOUSING SCARCITY.
AND IN SOME WAYS, THIS CREATIVITY HAS CREATED ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF VULNERABILITY FOR SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
THANKS TO SUPPORT FROM THE BERNADINE FRANCISCAN SISTERS FOUNDATION, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE OUR STATE DOLLARS AND EXTEND THE HOURS OF THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK SO THAT WE CAN, UH, BE AVAILABLE IN THE EVENING FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING DURING THE DAY, UM, AND STILL NEED HELP.
WE'RE ALSO ENHANCING OUR RESPONSE TO HOUSING LOSS WHEN IT IS IMMINENT.
KNOWING THAT THE PRESENCE OF CHILDREN IS ONE OF THE GREATEST INDICATORS OF EVICTION, WE CAN HELP PLAN FOR POST EVICTION TRANSITIONS SO THAT EVEN STILL, WHEN THAT CHILD GETS OFF THE BUS, HE OR SHE HAS A SAFE PLACE TO DO HOMEWORK, HAVE DINNER, AND PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL DAY.
AND WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS SO THAT WE ARE EQUIPPING AND SUPPORTING THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY TO CARE SO FAMILIES CAN CARE FOR THEMSELVES, AND THAT WE'RE NOT JUST RESPONDING TO CRISES.
THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SETTING A STANDARD ACROSS THE STATE FOR WHAT MULTI-SECTOR COLLECTIVE MODELS CAN ACCOMPLISH.
AND UNITED WAY OF THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA IS VERY PROUD TO BE A PART AND TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THESE EFFORTS.
WE KNOW THAT THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL WORKS AND THAT UNITED WAY OF THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA IS POISED TO MEET OUR COMMUNITY'S EMERGING NEEDS AS THE BACKBONE.
WE'VE APPLIED THIS COLLABORATIVE MODEL AS WE FOCUS ON CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS.
LEARNING LOSS, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEFICIENCIES AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
IN 2023, WE LAUNCHED THE PENINSULA YOUTH COLLABORATIVE, A COLLABORATION OF SCHOOL-BASED NONPROFIT AND OTHER PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WHILE IT'S STILL IN ITS INFANCY, WE'VE SEEN THE POWER THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU BRING GROUPS TOGETHER.
SHORTLY AFTER WE FORMED THIS COLLABORATIVE, WE WERE CALLED ON BY OUR PARTNERS AT BUS GARDENS TO HELP FILL OFF SEASON HIRING NEEDS.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, BUSCH GARDENS, THE HAMPTON ROADS WORKFORCE COUNCIL AND THE YOUTH COLLABORATIVE, WE LAUNCHED A YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PILOT AND 130 YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 16 TO 24, HAVE NOT ONLY BEEN EMPLOYED BY BUSCH GARDENS, BUT THEY RECEIVE FREE, RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THEIR SHIFTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE YOUTH COLLABORATIVE NEAR INCLUDES 70 ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS SERVING CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS ON THE PENINSULA.
ABOUT HALF OF THEM HAVE SOME VERSION OF A MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
AND WHAT EACH OF THOSE PROGRAMS HAS IN COMMON IS THAT EACH OF THEM HAS A WAIT LIST.
WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OUR ROLE AS A COMMUNITY-WIDE VOLUNTEER FACILITATOR, PLUS THE FORMATION OF THIS COLLECTIVE OF YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE POISED TO MOBILIZE THE CARING POWER OF PEOPLE TO IMPROVE THOSE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR OUR CHILDREN.
EQUIPPING OUR WORKFORCE FOR TOMORROW.
FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS, UNITED WAY HAS SERVED THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA MOBILIZING SUPPORT FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ADVOCATING FOR THE LESS FORTUNATE, AND PROVIDING FUNDING AND EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR TO MEET THE COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING NEEDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING POVERTY.
THIS ALSO APPLIES IN TIMES OF DISASTER AND EMERGENCY.
PLEASE KNOW THAT WE STAND READY TO HELP SHARE THE MESSAGE OF SAFETY TO MOBILIZE CRITICAL RESOURCES AND TO MOVE OUR COMMUNITY TO ACTION WHEN IT'S NEEDED.
WE MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT TODAY THAN WE DID WHEN WE FIRST LAUNCHED OR STARTED OUR ORGANIZATION AS THE COMMUNITY CHEST HELPING THE JOBLESS SPECIFICALLY.
BUT OUR PURPOSE AND OUR VISION REMAIN TO BE THE CONNECTOR BETWEEN WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN GIVE.
[00:25:01]
ENVISION A VIRGINIA PENINSULA IN WHICH EVERY PERSON CAN CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND MAYBE EVEN HELP THEIR NEIGHBOR.WHEN WE CAN DO THAT TOGETHER, OUR ABILITY TO GIVE HELP AND HOPE BECOMES INFINITE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE AND TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED WAY, VIRGINIA PENINSULA AND OUR PARTNERS.
THANK YOU, UM, TO ALL OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES THAT HAVE COME ALONGSIDE US IN THIS WORK, UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR BEING ADVOCATES WITH US, FOR ALICE HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY MS. WEST IS THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT, WELL PUT TOGETHER PRESENTATION.
ONE OF THE BEST ONES I'VE SEEN UNITED WAY EVER DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOVERNMENT UP HERE, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ALL.
WE NEED THE CHURCHES, WE NEED THE NONPROFITS, WE NEED THE SCHOOLS.
WE NEED EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER THAT FORMS THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND FOR PEOPLE IN THE PENINSULA.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? YES, MS. WEST, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
GOOD REFRESHER FROM WHAT I THINK YOU PRESENTED BACK IN DECEMBER, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THING I IMPRESSES ME ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PROGRAM IS HOW YOU AND YOU, YOU, YOU FOCUS ON ENABLING PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WHO WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
UM, PEOPLE WANNA WORK AND YOU, YOU, YOU STRIVE TO GIVE, YOU HELP THEM DO THAT FROM MAKING SURE, GIVING 'EM OPPORTUNITIES AND WAYS TO GET TO WORK OR WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, YOU HAD A CHART ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS UN LAW, UNLAWFUL DETAINMENT.
UM, SO IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS DISCUSSION, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND, AND THE IMPACT OF THAT AND WHAT YOUR PROGRAM IS DOING TO ADDRESS IT? I'D BE HAPPY TO.
UM, SO FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR, WHEN A HOUSEHOLD, UM, IS BEHIND ON THEIR RENT, UM, AND IT AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THE LANDLORD HAS TO FILE IN COURT TO EVICT, UM, IT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC THING THAT HAPPENS.
UM, BOTH PARTIES ARE INVITED TO SHOW UP TO COURT, UM, AND THE JUDGE THEN DETERMINES THE PROCESS FROM THERE.
THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN A LANDLORD WILL FILE WHAT'S CALLED AN UNLAWFUL DETAINER, THAT FIRST, UM, STEP IN THE PROCESS.
AND WE, THE COMMUNITY, SO UNITED WAY, OUR PARTNERS, UM, ARE ABLE TO INTERVENE AND THEREFORE THERE IS NO EXECUTED EVICTION.
SOMETIMES FOLKS ARE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE MEANS ON THEIR OWN.
UM, WE CAN'T ALWAYS DECIPHER WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THAT TIME.
UM, AND SO IF THERE ARE NO INTERVENTIONS, IF THE, UM, DEFICIT REMAINS, THEN THE LANDLORDS ARE GRANTED POSSESSION AT WHICH TIME THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN YORK COUNTY OFTEN IS THE ONES WHO HAVE TO EXECUTE THOSE EVICTIONS AND LOCK THE DOORS AND, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AS A COMMUNITY, IT WAS BACK IN 2018 AND 19 WHEN THERE WAS A NATIONAL REPORT ABOUT EVICTIONS.
AND, UM, HAMPTON AND NEWPORT NEWS ARE TWO OF THE HIGHEST EVICTING CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
THAT REPORT IS BASED ONLY ON FILINGS.
IT, THERE IS NO CENTRALIZED WAY TO COUNT OR MEASURE THE ACTUAL EXECUTED EVICTIONS.
AND SO THROUGH OUR COURT NAVIGATION PROCESS AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WE'RE ABLE TO COUNT THOSE FOR EACH LOCALITY AND MEASURE THE ACTUAL OUTCOMES OF THE PROCESS.
DO YOU GET ENGAGED BY PEOPLE COMING TO YOU OR DO YOU GET NOTICE WHEN AN UNLAWFUL DETAINER IS IS FILED? UM, WE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH
UM, WE, WE WORK REALLY HARD TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UM, THAT LANDLORDS KNOW ABOUT US.
WE, UM, HAVE A LOCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE SEVERAL LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS THAT WE WORK WITH WHO KNOW THAT WE EXIST.
WE MAKE OUR PRESENCE AVAILABLE IN COURT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HELP MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND WE GET THOUSANDS OF PHONE CALLS, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE NETWORK.
THE WAY WE HAVE, UM, IMPLEMENTED THIS WORK ALSO MEANS THAT FOLKS DON'T HAVE TO CALL US.
SO IF THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH JEN CARTER AT YORK COUNTY HOUSING, UM, SHE IS EQUIPPED AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOBILIZE ADDITIONAL FUNDING SO THAT SHE CAN GO AHEAD AND HELP THEM.
OFTENTIMES WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE THAN JUST A FINANCIAL NEED.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE OUR ADVOCATE TEAM CAN COME
[00:30:01]
ALONGSIDE JEN AND SAY, IN ADDITION, WE CAN MAKE A REFERRAL FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OR HERE ARE SOME LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES TO HELP OFFSET THE FOOD BUDGET.ELLA, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE GO FOR IT.
UM, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
GOING BACK TO HANDING OUT, UH, FOOD ON THIRD, THIRD THURSDAYS.
UM, COULDN'T BE HAPPIER AND MORE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU AS CEO OF UNITED WAY.
I'VE, I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN A DIFFERENCE IN THAT ORGANIZATION ALREADY SINCE YOU TAKING IT OVER.
I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON THAT AND THANK YOU.
[CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE'VE GOT CITIZENS' COMMENT REPORT AND I HAVE PAM PEO WHO SIGNED UP.UH, MS. PEO THREE MINUTES AND NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
UH, PAM PCHA 1 0 3, KIMBERLY COURT, YORKTOWN.
DURING CITIZENS' COMMENT AT THE LAST MEETING, I WAS TOLD TO SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN BECAUSE THE CHAIR DID NOT LIKE WHAT I HAD TO SAY.
I WAS TOLD THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS WERE NOT COUNTY BUSINESS, SO THERE WAS NO REASON TO SPEAK OF THEM.
ASK HOW THE YORK COUNTY RESIDENTS FEEL WHO ARE FIRED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THOSE WHO NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO HEAD TO START OR MEALS ON WHEELS OR FEAR OF LOSING MEDICAID, PELL GRANTS, LIFE SAVING MEDICAL RESEARCH, OR AGENCIES THAT WERE THERE TO HELP THEM OR TRANSGENDER HAVE KIDS WITH IEPS, DELAYED TAX REFUNDS, PRIVATE DATA HACKED OR PRICE INCREASES ON MOST PURCHASES.
I WANNA THANK TOM SHEPHERD AND STEVEN ROHN, WHO STOOD UP FOR MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
THE RULE OF LAW IS BEING DESTROYED IN OUR COUNTRY.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE AT THE MERCY OF AN OLIGARCHIC GOVERNMENT.
REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE EITHER WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREEING TO THIS OR ARE TOO AFRAID OF BEING PRIMARY OR PHYSICALLY ATTACKED TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND STAND UP FOR TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY.
WE HAVE NEVER BEEN A PERFECT NATION, BUT WE HAVE LEARNED SOME OF THE ERRORS OF OUR WAYS AND IMPROVED THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE.
TOO MANY OFFICIALS FEEL EMBOLDENED BY ELON MUSK AND HIS COURT JESTER, THE FOOL DONALD TRUMP.
THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT WHO YOU REPRESENT SHOULD ENJOY ALL THE RIGHTS BESTOWED ON THEM BY LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION.
INSTEAD, THE RIGHTS ARE BEING REVOKED OR IGNORED.
THE GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS THAT SERVE AMERICANS ARE BEING TRASHED WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE CONSEQUENCES, I SUGGEST THE PUBLIC PAY ATTENTION.
STOP GETTING YOUR NEWS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOX NEWS AND LEARN SOMETHING BESIDES ALTERNATIVE FACTS.
THIS COUNTRY ELECTED A PATHOLOGICALLY LYING IN NARCISS SOCIOPATH WHO ONLY CARES FOR WHAT BENEFITS HIMSELF.
THE REST OF US WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR DECADES TO COME.
THE CARNAGE IS HAPPENING JUST LIKE IN HITLER'S RING.
HITLER WAS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE AND HE KEPT HIS PROMISES.
OVER 10 MILLION PEOPLE DIED AND NATIONS WERE REDUCED TO RUBBLE.
WELCOME TO OUR OWN VERY OWN VERSION OF THE REPEAT OF HISTORY.
WE AS A NATION HAVE LEARNED NOTHING.
NOW ON ANOTHER NOTE, UM, HOUSE BILL 24 66 CALLS FOR ANOTHER INCREASE IN OUR SALES TAX BY 0.3% TO FUND TRANSPORTATION SUBSIDIES.
THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE ALREADY HAS THE HIGHEST SALES TAX IN VIRGINIA.
WE PAY THE TOMMY TAX FOR TOURISM PLUS A 400,000 YEARLY CONTRIBUTION TO THE WILLIAMSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND A REGIONAL VDOT TAX THAT RESULTS IN A CURRENT RATE OF 7%.
WHEN THE HRBT CONSTRUCTION IS FINISHED, THOSE OF US WHO PAID THE ADDITIONAL TAX WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY A TOLL TO ACTUALLY USE IT.
IF YOU DRIVE A HYBRID OR ELECTRIC VEHICLE, YOU ARE FURTHER TAXED, EVEN THOUGH YOU REDUCE POLLUTION AND RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT.
SENATOR DANNY DIGGS AND DELEGATES CHAD GREEN AND AC CORDOZA SUPPORTED THIS TAX INCREASE.
SO THANK YOUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATORS AT THE NEXT ELECTION, THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT TAX AND SPEND, AND YET THEN THEY DO JUST THAT.
AND PERHAPS I MISSED IT, BUT I DO NOT RECALL THIS BOARD OR LEGISLATORS INFORMING US OF AN IMPENDING TAX INCREASE.
SO WE COULD EXPRESS OUR OPINIONS ON THE ISSUE LIKE THE TOMMY TAX REMAINS SILENT UNTIL A DEAL IS DONE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD CARE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? IF NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
[COUNTY ATTORNEY REPORTS AND REQUESTS]
ATTORNEY REPORTS NOTHING THIS EVENING.[COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS AND REQUESTS]
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR? YES, MA'AM.UH, WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE YORKTOWN ADMIRALS WILL BE PLAYING THIS SATURDAY.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THERE.
UH, THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU, WITH THE IMPENDING WEATHER, UH, COUNTY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? TOM THOMAS' COMMENTS? HIS COMMENT? OH,
[00:35:01]
UM, YEAH, I JUST HEARD SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT'S NOT TRUE.UM, THE BILL THAT, UH, REFERENCE, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION, UH, COST, I WANNA CLARIFY THIS BECAUSE I, I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME AND I WANNA CLARIFY THIS.
I DON'T, JUST, MISINFORMATION JUST DRIVES ME NUTS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE BILL THAT THEY REFERENCED, THE, UH, UM, THE INCREASE ABOUT THE THREE TENTHS OF A PERCENT, ADDING TO THE, UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION TAX THAT, THAT NEVER EXISTED.
THE BILL, IS IT, IT STARTED OFF THAT WAY, BUT IT WAS, UH, THE, UH, DELEGATE GLASS SUBMITTED THE BILL AND OR STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT TO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND THEN IT WAS PULLED.
THE, UH, THERE WAS NO MONEY PUT IN THAT AT ALL.
ALL IT WAS WAS A A POINT OF DEPOSIT.
IT WAS A PLACE THAT IF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECIDES THAT THEY NEED TO PUT SOME MONEY FOR TRANSPORTATION SPECIFICALLY FOR HAMPTON ROADS, THEY COULD PUT WHATEVER MONEY THEY WANT TO IN THERE.
SO, AND THEN WHAT IF, UM, I KNOW CHAD GREEN AND, UM, AC I THINK AC VOTED FOR IT.
UM, IT WAS SIMPLY JUST A DEPOSIT.
IT'S A, IT IS AN ACCOUNT, IT'S JUST AN ACCOUNT FOR, FOR HAMPTON ROADS.
NOW THE BILL'S UP IN TRANSPORTATION.
UH, UM, OUR ATTORNEYS ASKED ME TO REBUILD NUMBER AND I DELETED IT, BUT, UH, UH, SENATOR DIGS SAID HE WAS GONNA SUPPORT IT.
UH, IT WAS GONNA BE SUPPORTED.
IN FACT, IT, IT, UH, I THINK IT CAME OUT OF THE SENATE, UH, TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
UH, AGAIN, NO REFERENCE TO ANY TAX.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY A DEPOSIT, A PLACE FOR US IN HAMPTON ROADS.
NOW, LATER ON, UH, UH, IF IT COMES UP FOR SOME SORT OF ATTACKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS, REFERENCE, REFERENCE ANY RAISING OF OF TAXES, IT WOULD BE, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD COME BACK OVER HERE AND WE WOULD ALL THE, ALL THE GOVERNMENTS IN, UM, HAMPTON ROADS WOULD GET A CHANCE TO, TO SAY SOMETHING ON IT.
UM, ALSO REFERENCE, UM, THE, THE TAXES IN YOUR COUNTY AND SALES TAX.
YOUR COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST SALES TAX IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
THE THING IS, OUT OF THAT 7%, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS, THE COUNTY I THINK GETS MAYBE A PENNY AND A HALF.
MAYBE I'LL PUSH IT UP TO 2 CENTS.
THE WAY THE LEGISLATURE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS PILED IT ON TO US, HAS ADDED IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT GOES BACK TO THE STATE.
ALL WE DO OUT OF THAT, SO WHEN I HEAR THIS, 7% WE'RE TAXED, WE'RE TAXED FOR TAX.
WE, WE ARE, WE WE'RE TAXED AT 7%, BUT WE ONLY GET, LIKE, WE GET 2% OR LESS OF THAT TAX.
SO IT'S UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE THINGS WORK AND THE STATEMENTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO GET THIS CORRECT.
[MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD]
STEVEN.SO WHENEVER I GET A CHANCE, I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GOOD WORKS THAT HAPPEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, ET CETERA.
UH, A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN THERE.
WE TRY TO DO THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, BUT BY FAR, LOCAL GROUPS DO SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT THE COUNTY COULD EVER ACCOMPLISH.
AND I GOT A, I GOT A, UH, SUMMARY OF 2024 COMPOSITES FOR THE CLASSIC CRUISER CAR CLUB OF YORKTOWN.
NOW, MANY OF Y'ALL, DURING THE WARM, WARM MONTHS, PROBABLY SEE THEM ALL LINED UP AT, UH, AT, UH, COASTAL CHURCH IN THE PARKING LOT THERE WITH ALL KIND OF HOT RIDES.
YOUNG, OLD CARS, NEW CARS, WHATEVER.
REALLY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM AS A CAR GUY.
UM, A LOT, A LOT OF FUN THINGS TO LOOK AT.
A LOT OF GOOD CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE OUT THERE WITH FOLKS.
BUT THEY DON'T JUST GET TOGETHER AND SHOW OFF EACH OTHER'S CARS.
THEY SERVE A FUND OR FUNDRAISING ORGANIZATION AND A PRETTY EFFECTIVE ONE AS WELL.
UH, ACCORDING TO MR. CRANE'S REPORT, UH, SUMMARY THAT HE SHARED WITH US, UM, UH, BACK IN OCTOBER, THEY RAISED $11,000 FOR THE CHILDREN HOSPITALS AT THE KING'S DAUGHTER.
UH, IN 2024, THEY RAISED ALMOST $20,000 FOR LOCAL CHARITIES SUCH AS THE NATASHA HOUSE COASTAL CHURCH.
NOW THE WOUNDED WARRIOR SUPPORT, ANIMAL AID SOCIETY, PENINSULA FOOD BANK, FAITH RECOVERY, THE G***O MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, WEST STRONG FOUNDATION, WEIGHTED ANGELS, AND SO FORTH.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THOSE, THOSE SHOWS OUT THERE, IT'S NOT JUST A BUNCH OF CAR ENTHUSIASTS GETTING TOGETHER AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE ALSO REALLY PRODUCTIVE, UM, CLUB WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, HELPING THE COMMUNITY OUT.
SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE ONE SATURDAY, SEE 'EM OUT THERE, UH, MAYBE SWING BY AND CHECK OUT WHAT THEY GOT GOING ON AND THEN TELL, TELL 'EM THANKS, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE MAKE, THEY'RE BIG POSITIVE IMPACT TO COMMUNITY AND I APPRECIATE THEM WHAT THEY DO.
SO, GO AHEAD, MR. UH, SHEPHERD ISSUED HIS NEWSLETTER THIS MORNING.
[00:40:01]
IT WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN.IN PARTICULAR, I THOUGHT HIS COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET WERE SPOT ON.
HE, HE, I'LL QUOTE, THE COUNTY'S FISCAL YEAR STARTS ON JULY 1ST AND ENDS ON JUNE 30TH.
IN PLANNING THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR MUST CONSIDER THE BUDGET SURPLUS FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 SURPLUS.
AND FISCAL YEAR 25 IS PROJECTED TO BE $3 MILLION.
NORMALLY, THE ANNUAL SURPLUS RUNS BETWEEN, UH, SIX AND $8 MILLION.
ANNUAL SURPLUS PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN FUNDING THE COUNTY'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR BUILDING SCHOOLS, FIRE TRUCKS, PARKS, ET CETERA.
THIS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, EXCUSE ME, THIS REPRESENTS A STRONG FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICE BECAUSE OF SURPLUS FUNDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS HELP REDUCE THE COUNTY'S RELIANCE ON DEBT.
IT WENT ON TO SAY THAT WHILE THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH TALKS ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 25, PROJECTIONS FOR FIF FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 INDICATE MINIMAL REVENUE GROWTH.
REVENUE GROWTH IS ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3 MILLION OR 2% ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR.
AND THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT FROM THE PAST FOUR YEARS WHEN THE ANNUAL BUDGET RANGED BETWEEN FIVE TO 9%.
ANTICIPATED LOW END SURPLUS OF, OF FISCAL YEAR 25, ALONG WITH THE MINIMAL REVENUE PROJECTION FOR 26, MAKES THIS A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING YEAR.
THE NEED TO SUSTAIN CURRENT SERVICES, SERVICE LEVELS AND, UH, ADMIT RISING COSTS ALONG WITH INCREASING DEMANDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, SCHOOL FUNDING AND COMPETITIVE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION WILL PLACE ADDITIONAL PRESSURES ON THE BUDGET.
TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS DIRECTED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXPLORE ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS OF FEES OR TAXES.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WILL PRESENT HIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET ON MARCH 28, UH, EXCUSE ME, MARCH 18TH.
I WOULD ADD ONLY ONE POINT TO MR. SHEPHERD'S NOTE.
WE ALSO NEED TO BE FRUGAL AND FIND COST SAVING MEASURES WHERE POSSIBLE, BOTH IN OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN A YEAR WITH MINIMAL SURPLUS.
I'VE BEEN QUOTED A COUPLE TIMES NOW IN OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS ON THE NEED FOR COST SAVINGS.
SO I THANK MY YYS, UH, YCSD BOARD FOR THAT RECOGNITION, BUT I WILL REEMPHASIZE THAT WE ALL NEED TO TIGHTEN OUR BELTS WHERE POSSIBLE.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE HARD AT IT WITH THE BUDGET AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE IT OUT, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GONNA BE QUITE A CHALLENGING YEAR, UH, FOR US THAT WE PROBABLY HAVEN'T HAD IN A WHILE.
BUT, UM, I AM CONFIDENT THAT PUTTING ALL THE HEADS TOGETHER, WE'LL FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND, UM, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE A GREAT COUNTY AT THE END OF THE DAY, SO JUST BEAR WITH US AS WE TRY TO WORK THROUGH ALL THE NICKELS AND DIMES AND NO MORE PENNIES.
SO I THINK THEY'RE GETTING, DOING AWAY WITH THE PENNIES, SO WE HAVE TO NICKEL AND DIME OURSELF TO DEATH NOW.
BUT, UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER, ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GONNA SAY IS I, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS IT'S THE SNOW COMING AND THE, AND THE COLDNESS IN THE AIR, BUT, UM, I CAME UP AND DOWN 17 A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY, AND THERE WERE THREE OR FOUR ACCIDENTS IN THE TIME THAT I FIVE, MY DEPUTY OVER THERE JUST CORRECTED ME FIVE ACCIDENTS ON ROUTE 17 TODAY.
UM, SO I'M, I'M, I, I AM SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE RUSHING TO GET TO THE GAS STATION AND RUSHING TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE.
UM, I HAD TO GET GAS TODAY, AND I HAVEN'T WAITED IN A LINE THAT LONG IN QUITE A WHILE TO GET GAS.
AND MY DAUGHTER CALLED ME AND SHE'S ON HER WAY INTO KROGER AND SHE GOES, DAD, IT'S A MADHOUSE.
SO, UM, JUST BE CAREFUL OUT THERE IN THE DAYS TO COME.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA GET HAMMERED A BIT AND, UM, GET YOUR STUFF TONIGHT OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING THAT YOU NEED, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE SITTING BY THE TOASTY FIRE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
I THINK YOU, YOU'VE TOUCHED ON ALL THE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS THAT I WAS GONNA MENTION.
SO I THINK WHAT, AT THIS POINT, WE WILL RECESS FOR A
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
FEW MINUTES.MAD MADAM CHAIR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THE CONSENT CALENDAR? OH, OF COURSE.
TWO HEADS, OR THREE OR FOUR HEADS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN ONE.
SO LET'S GO TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
DID YOU FIND IT? OKAY, THANK YOU.
OKAY, ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, NUMBER EIGHT IS, UH, COUNTY CAPITAL FUNDING.
UH, CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 32 TO AUTHORIZE THE FINANCING OF COUNTY PROJECTS, THE LEASING OF CERTAIN COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY, THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF NANCY DOCUMENTS AND OTHER RELATED ACTIONS RIGHT HERE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS SUBJECT? I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ONE QUESTION.
[00:45:01]
DO.SO THERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL EMAILS RECEIVED, UH, REGARDING HOW WE GO ABOUT ISSUING OUR BONDS OR, OR REQUESTING BONDS.
ASK OUR ASSISTANT COUNTY, UH, ADMINISTRATOR TO COME FORWARD AND MAYBE EXPLAIN THAT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL FOR OUR STAFF AND THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO'S GONNA SPEAK.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS OF FINANCING, BOND FINANCING OUR PROJECTS.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS A LOT OF COUNTIES DO IT IS THROUGH THE POOLED PROGRAMS. AND OUR POOL PROGRAM IS A VRA PROGRAM AND IT ALLOWS US TO ISSUE DEBT FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.
AND SO IT'S A WAY, IT'S A LOW COST, USUALLY A COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATE, UM, FOR US TO ISSUE BONDS.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION OR WHAT YOU CLAIM? I THINK SO.
DO WE HAVE, DOES IT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? DO WE HAVE ANY EXPECTATION ON WHAT THOSE INTEREST RATES MAY BE? UM, RIGHT NOW I THINK, UM, IT'S UNDER FIVE.
WE DO HAVE A MAXIMUM THAT I DO BELIEVE IS IN THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON ON THIS.
IS ANYBODY WANTED TO MOVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR? TOM, YOU GOOD? GOOD.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, WHO ACTUALLY MOVED THE, I'LL MOVE.
I'LL MOVE, I'LL MOVE THE CONSENT COUNSEL.
I JUST ASK IF HE'S GOOD TO GO.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. RONE IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS SUBMITTED.
UH, I THINK WE'LL GO INTO RECESS AND COME BACK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
TOPIC, UH, BOARD SUPERVISORS MEETINGS NOW BACK IN SESSION.
[3. Application No. ZT-203-25, Amendments to Landscaping, Transitional Buffer, and Greenbelt Regulations. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance Number 25-4 to approve amendments to various sections of the York County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 24.1, York County Code, concerning landscaping buffers and greenbelt regulations.]
AND WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS COMING UP.AND THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE ON THE AGENDA IS APPLICA, UH, AMENDMENTS TO LANDSCAPING, TRANSITIONAL BUFFER AND GREENBELT REGULATIONS.
SO THIS IS INDEED OUR OFFICIAL CONSIDERATION OF TEXT AMENDMENTS TO LANDSCAPING, TRANSITIONAL BUFFER AND GREENBELT REGULATIONS AND THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO, JUST AS A BRIEF REFRESHER OF WHAT LED UP TO THIS, THERE WERE TWO WORK SESSION MEETINGS THAT YOU ALL HAD HELD ON AUGUST 6TH AND DECEMBER 3RD, KIND OF TO ADVISE STAFF WHAT NEEDS CHANGING IN THESE SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE, WHAT NEEDS UPDATING? AND SO WE KIND OF COMPILED, SYNTHESIZED ALL THAT FEEDBACK.
WE ALSO GOT FEEDBACK FROM THE DEPARTMENTS OF FIRE LIFE SAFETY AS WELL AS PUBLIC WORKS AND STORMWATER, CHES BAY CONSIDERATIONS.
AND THEN SOME JUST GENERAL BEST PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS FROM VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION RECREATION AND THE EXTENSION.
SO WE COMPILED ALL THAT AND WE HAVE OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
UM, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG SOMEWHAT WITH YOUR DRAFT ORDINANCE THERE, THAT'S 25 4.
AND YOUR READ AHEAD, I WANNA NOTE I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE CHANGE.
AND A LOT OF THIS WAS REWORDING THINGS LIKE MAKE MERGING TEXTS INTO LISTS OR CLEANING UP SENTENCES TO MAKE THINGS EASIER TO READ.
SO JUST FOR BREVITY, LOT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE AGENDA, NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THOSE LINE BY LINE.
I'M GONNA HIT THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS AND SOME OF THE NEW CHANGES THAT WE MADE.
SO, BRIEF TOUR INTO ARTICLE ONE OF THE ORDINANCE.
THIS IS SECTION 24 1, 1 0 9, WHICH IS KIND OF THE ENFORCEMENT SECTION.
THIS PARTICULAR PROVISION IS ABOUT LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE AND ENFORCING THE MAINTENANCE OF YOUR SITE.
CURRENTLY, THAT TEXT SPECIFICALLY REFERENCES 24 1 2 42 LANDSCAPING STANDARDS.
HOWEVER, FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO JUST MAINTAIN YOUR MANDATORY SITE LANDSCAPING.
WE LIKE THE MAINTENANCE OF TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS AND GREEN BELTS AS WELL.
SO WE JUST CHANGED THAT REFERENCE TO REFERENCE ARTICLE TWO, DIVISION FOUR, ALL THE LANDSCAPING REGULATIONS.
AND SPEAKING OF ARTICLE TWO, DIVISION FOUR, THERE ARE PROPOSED CHANGES.
[00:50:01]
SUBSECTION TWO 40, THAT'S THE INTENT SECTION.WE CLEANED UP THE LANGUAGE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THERE.
AND JUST FOR REFERENCE, I'M ON PAGE TWO OF YOUR DRAFT ORDINANCE.
THERE'S TWO FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS IN THE INTENT SECTION.
THEY TALK ABOUT TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS, THE INTENT OF THOSE REGULATIONS AND THE INTENT OF THE GREEN BELT REGULATIONS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND PERHAPS YOU ARE PERUSING OUR ORDINANCE AND YOU SAY, OH, I WANNA LOOK AT THE TRANSITIONAL BUFFER REGULATIONS SO I CAN MAKE A LANDSCAPE PLAN AND I'M GONNA GO DIRECTLY TO THAT SECTION, WE FELT IT MADE MORE SENSE TO JUST MOVE THE INTENT PARAGRAPHS FOR THOSE PROSPECTIVE SECTIONS TO THAT.
SO WE JUST SHIFTED IT TO 2 43 AND 2 45.
SECTION 2 41 CONTAINS REGULATIONS FOR LANDSCAPE PLANS.
SO THIS TELLS A DEVELOPER OR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, HERE'S HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA SEE ON THE PLAN.
THIS IS HOW WE WANT YOU TO SHOW YOUR DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE SPECIES.
THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM THIS IS THE SITUATIONS YOU NEED A LANDSCAPE PLAN.
AGAIN, WE DIDN'T CHANGE A LOT IN THIS SECTION.
A LOT OF THIS WAS CLEANING UP LANGUAGE.
THIS IS WHAT LIKE A TYPICAL LANDSCAPE PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A LAYOUT FORM.
ONE OF THE CHANGES WE DID MAKE, AND I'M GONNA DIRECT YOU TO PAGE THREE.
NOW, AT THE VERY TOP OF THE PAGE, THERE'S A PROVISION THAT TALKS ABOUT WHICH KINDS OF PROFESSIONALS SHOULD PREPARE LANDSCAPE PLANS.
AND IT GIVES YOU A LIST THERE.
YOU CAN HAVE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, YOU COULD HAVE A HORTICULTURIST CERTIFIED NURSERY MAN, WE ADDED A CHESAPEAKE BAY LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL OR ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL THAT THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR CAN IMPROVE.
RIGHT NOW THERE THERE'S AN EXCEPTION FOR INSTANCES THAT REQUIRE PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE PLANS.
IN PARTICULARLY THIS WOULD BE FOR, IF YOU HAVE AN INDUSTRIALLY ZONED PROPERTY ON A SECONDARY ROAD LIKE WOLF TRAP ROAD, NOT ROUTE 17, THE PROPERTY OWNER CAN PREPARE A LANDSCAPE PLAN IF THEY'RE DEVELOPING THEIR SITE.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS NOW THAT HAVE TO GO INTO LANDSCAPE PLANS ASIDE FROM JUST, YOU KNOW, THE SELECTION OF YOUR VEGETATION AND WHERE IT'S GONNA BE PLACED, BUT FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS TOO.
SO KIND OF DO TO THOSE FACTORS WHAT YOU FELT WAS APPROPRIATE TO REMOVE THAT EXEMPTION.
AND IF YOU HAVE INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, YOUR LANDSCAPE PLAN SHOULD BE PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS FROM SOMEONE TO CHOOSE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
CAN WE ASK A QUESTION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WHO HAS A QUESTION? OKAY, SO I, I'M JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE I THAT, I MEAN, I REMEMBER US GOING THROUGH THIS, BUT DON'T MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS APPLYING.
SO EVERYTHING YOU'RE, THAT I REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIALLY REFERS TO A, A, UM, A A DEVELOPMENT OF NOT A BROWNFIELD BUT VIRGIN TERRITORY, IF YOU WILL.
CLEAN, CLEAR LAND NEEDS TO BE CLEARED AND DEVELOPED.
IS THERE, IS THIS, HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES? SO IF WE HAVE AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS AND THEY'RE COMING INTO A DEGREE THAT THEY WOULD NEED, LIKE A NEW SITE PLAN, WE ARE GONNA HOLD THEM TO THOSE CURRENT LANDSCAPING STANDARDS AS THEY'RE APPLICABLE.
RECOGNIZING THAT SOME WERE PRE-DEVELOPED BEFORE THE ORDINANCE.
SO WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO, OKAY, THERE'S, THERE'S REG, THERE'S WAYS TO WORK WITH THE REGULATIONS IF YOU HAVE A PRE-DEVELOPED SITE.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU'RE COMING IN TO AN EXTENT THAT MAYBE YOU'RE RIPPING UP ALL YOUR PARKING LOT AND YOU'RE DOING A NEW PARKING LOT, THEN YOU NEED TO PLANT TO THE CURRENT PLANTING REGULATIONS FROM PARKING LOT THAT WE REQUIRE.
SO HOW WOULD THIS APPLY TO EXISTING HOMEOWNERS, LIKE IN A, JUST A NORMAL SINGLE FAMILY, A NEIGHBORHOOD? OKAY.
SO THESE REGULATIONS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT REALLY ARE APPLICABLE TO LIKE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL SITE.
NOW YOU DO HAVE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, PLAN DEVELOPMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, HOAS HAVE COMMON AREAS.
THEY HAVE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS.
BUT IN TYPICALLY IN SUBDIVISIONS, THERE'S THESE THINGS CALLED STREET TREES THAT ARE PART OF THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ENGINEERING MM-HMM
UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH LANDSCAPING IS, UH, THERE WAS SOME REQUIREMENT, I THOUGHT I'M PROBABLY WRONG ON THIS, BUT THAT IF, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA MOVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DIRT THAT REQUIRES ACTUALLY AN ENGINEER, CERTIFIED ENGINEER.
LAND STUFF EVEN ON, EVEN ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THAT'S, THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS.
AND THESE ARE, AGAIN, THAT'S GOVERNED BY LIKE EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM, YOU KNOW, YOUR AVERAGE HOMEOWNER.
IF THEY'RE LIKE LANDSCAPING THEIR HOUSE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA MOVE THE AMOUNT OF DIRT THAT'S GONNA TRIGGER THOSE.
LIKE, LIKE NEED YOU TO GO GET AN LDA PERMIT.
OBVIOUSLY THE SCOPE OF THAT IS DEPENDABLE.
BUT AGAIN, THE ONLY REASON I BRING THIS UP MM-HMM
IS THAT WE HAVE LANDSCAPING, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BUSINESSES IN YOUR COUNTY THAT CANNOT DO THAT SORT OF THING SIMPLY 'CAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT CERTIFIED ENGINEER WISE.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAVE TO GO GET AN EXTERNAL, UH, ENGINEER TO COME IN IF THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE ON COMMERCIAL, ON, EXCUSE ME, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TO, TO, TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE MOVING OF, I DON'T, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT IS, A THOUSAND, 1500 FEET OR SQUARE FEET OF SOIL OR SOMETHING.
SO YEAH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THOSE LAND DISTURBING REGULATIONS AND THOSE REALLY FALL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF, SO THIS IS NOT PERTAINING TO THAT.
[00:55:01]
OF STORM WATER EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL.THAT THIS DOES HA THIS INTERACT.
THAT'S, THIS IS A SEPARATE, COMPLETELY SEPARATE.
THIS IS JUST WHO CAN PREPARE A LANDSCAPE PLAN IF YOU'RE LANDSCAPING.
I KNOW NOW I'VE GOT FRAMEWORK OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING THANK YOU ABOUT.
UM, KIND OF JUST FOLLOWING DOWN THAT PAGE, UM, I'M GONNA DIRECT YOU OVER TO PAGE FOUR.
YOU'LL SEE THAT AGAIN, WE JUST HAVE A NEW BIT OF LANGUAGE ABOUT PLANT PROFESSIONALS TO INDICATE HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THEIR PLANTS.
UM, IN C PARTICULARLY C3, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S A BIT OF NEW LANGUAGE THAT WE'LL SEE TWO AND THREE NEW LANGUAGE ABOUT.
IF YOU HAVE A SITE, FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A WOODED VAC, A VACANT SITE THAT'S WOODED AND YOU CLEAR TO DO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS LIKE EXPOSED STAND OF TREES, MAYBE YOU'RE PRESERVING IT FOR A BUFFER.
WHAT WE WANT A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL TO DO WHEN PREPARING THE PLAN IS TO CONSIDER, OKAY, HOW ARE THEY GONNA SOFTEN AND PROTECT THAT EDGE? BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS YOU HAVE THESE NEWLY EXPOSED TREES AND SUDDENLY THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THERE.
THERE'S NO MEASURES TAKEN TO MITIGATE THAT.
THEN THEY DIE AND THEN FALL DOWN.
SO WE WANT THAT, WE PUT THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE TO MAKE SURE A PLAN PROFESSIONAL ADDRESSES THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE A BUSINESS WHICH WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PLANT STUFF IN A-A-B-M-P OR THAT DOESN'T LIVE IN A, B AND P, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT THROUGH THIS.
NO, THIS IS REALLY, UM, REFERENCING EXISTING VEGETATION.
LIKE YOU HAVE AN EXISTING STAND OF MATURE WOODS THAT, LIKE YOU, LET'S SAY, IS A VERY SPECIFIC PIECE OF, OF, OF, OF CODE.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN PROBLEMS, UM, WHERE THERE'S BEEN CLEARING.
AND AGAIN, YOU HAVE THESE TREES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY KIND OF PROTECTED BY THIS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, REALLY LIKE A BUFFER OF EXISTING WOODS.
AND THEN THERE'S THAT THERE, THAT EXPOSURE AND THE THE, THE CARE ISN'T BEING TAKEN TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW DO WE SOFTEN THAT EDGE AND MAKE IT MORE HEARTY AND MORE ADAPTABLE.
AND SO THIS LANGUAGE WAS ADDED IN THERE TO JUST, AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE DOING A PLAN AND YOU HAVE THAT, THEN WE WANT REALLY TO, OR SIMILARLY, IF YOU HAVE A GROUPING OF TREES THAT ARE MAYBE KIND OF BY THEMSELVES AND THEIR MATURE TREES, IT'S TO PROTECT THOSE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEING TAKEN CARE OF WHEN THE PLAN'S BEING PREPARED AND WE DON'T CATCH IT WAY DOWN WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT'S HAPPENING.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE ON PAGE FIVE NOW.
THAT'S OUR SECTION ABOUT LANDSCAPING STANDARDS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT KIND OF TREES DO YOU NEED TO PLANT? WHERE, WHERE, WHERE DO THEY NEED TO GO? HOW MANY OF THE TREES OR SHRUBS OR VEGETATION DO YOU NEED TO HAVE? ET CETERA.
YOU'LL SEE KIND OF ON THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH, A ONE THERE.
UM, JUST A REQUIREMENT THAT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE VEGETATION THAT YOU PLANT AS PART OF YOUR COMMERCIAL SITE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'D LIKE YOU TO MAINTAIN THAT.
AND ALSO IF IT DIES OR BECOMES DISEASE, IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ONE-TO-ONE.
I'M GONNA TAKE YOU NOW TO PAGE SEVEN.
YOU'RE GONNA GO DOWN TO NUMBER SIX ABOUT EMERGENCY VEHICLE ASKS US ON PARKING LOTS AND DRIVE-THROUGHS.
SO THIS IS A REALLY COMMON COMMENT WE GET IN THE SITE PLAN REVIEW STAGE FROM FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY.
WHAT THEY DON'T WANT IS LIKE A TREE OR A SHRUB TO MATURE AND THEN SPREADS OUT INTO THE DRIVE AISLE AND SUDDENLY THE EMERGENCY APPARATUS CAN'T ACCESS SINCE THAT'S A REALLY COMMON COMMENT.
AND WE SEE THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY FREQUENTLY WE SAID LET'S JUST MAKE THAT A STANDARD THAT IS PUT IN HERE.
AND SO AGAIN, IF I'M A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND I'M PREPARING MY PLAN, I SEE THAT AND I ACCOUNT FOR IT.
I'M GONNA HAVE YOU FLIP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT TO PAGE 11.
YOU'LL SEE AT THE VERY TOP OF THE PAGE THERE'S A CHART.
THIS CHART'S THE LANDSCAPE CREDIT UNIT CHART FOR YARDS.
WE, EVERY SITE HAS A FRONT YARD, HAS SIDE YARD, HAS A REAR YARD, HAS A BUILDING PERIMETER, AND THEN YOUR PARKING LOT.
AND THIS TELLS YOU HOW MANY PLANTS NEED TO PLANT IN EACH OF THOSE YARDS.
WHAT WE SAW, AND THIS IS REALLY, I MEAN I EXPERIENCED THIS WHEN I WAS IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WHERE WE GET CALLS FROM A ENGINEER OR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT SAYING, HEY, I'M TRYING TO CALCULATE HOW MANY PLANTS I NEED TO PLANT ON MY SITE.
I DON'T SEE A REAR YARD IN THIS CHART.
HOW MANY PLANTS DO I NEED TO PLANT? AND AGAIN, IN PRACTICALITY, THE NUMERIC STANDARD FOR SIDE YARD WAS APPLIED TO REAR YARD.
SO WE JUST ADDED THE LANGUAGE TO THE CHART TO MAKE IT CLEAR.
I'M GONNA HAVE YOU BACK UP SLIGHTLY TO PAGE 10.
SO YOU'LL SEE TWO, THREE, AND THEN FOUR.
SO INVASIVE, INVASIVE SPECIES ARE A PROBLEM AND THEY'RE A PROBLEM IN VIRGINIA.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE ALL PRETTY AWARE OF, SUCH AS ENGLISH IVY, UM, YOU KNOW, TREE OF HEAVEN'S A REALLY INFAMOUS ONE WITH THE LANTERN FLY.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME NEW LANGUAGE IN THREE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A PLANT THAT'S ON DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION RECREATIONS, THEY HAVE THIS
[01:00:01]
LIST OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES.IT MIGHT LOOK PRETTY BUT IT'S NOT HEALTHY.
AS A CONVERSE TO THAT, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RECENT KIND OF REFOCUS ON NATIVE PLANT SPECIES IN OUR AREA, IN THE COAST VIRGINIA PLAN.
I'M NOT GONNA GO ON ABOUT IT 'CAUSE WE'D BE HERE ALL NIGHT.
BUT THEY'RE REALLY GOOD FOR BIODIVERSITY.
THEY DON'T REQUIRE AS MUCH MAINTENANCE.
AND SO AND THEY, AND THEY DON'T LOOK WEEDY.
I THINK THAT'S THE PERCEPTION.
THEY TEND TO LOOK REALLY WELL.
AND I THINK A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THAT IS OUR, YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN THERE, THE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN THAT THE EXTENSION PLANTS IN FRONT OF THE GOODWIN NECK OFFICES.
SO WE HAVE A NEW PROPOSED REQUIREMENT.
WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING A NEW SITE, WE WANT 35% OF YOUR PLANTS TO BE OF A NATIVE PLANT SPECIES TO THE VIRGINIA COASTAL PLAIN, ISN'T IT? TO SAY THAT ALL NATIVE PLANT SPECIES ARE GOOD AND WONDERFUL.
SOME DO HAVE ISSUES LIKE THE LA BALI PINE, NOT A VERY GOOD SCREENING TREE.
SO WE WANT YOU TO BE JUDICIOUS, WHICH, WHICH NATIVE PLANTS YOU PLANT.
BUT AGAIN, THEY HAVE BENEFITS.
AND THEN FINALLY YOU'RE GONNA GO BACK TO PAGE 11.
THERE'S A SECOND CHART AND THAT'S THE LANDSCAPE CREDIT CHART.
AND THIS CHART LISTS, OKAY, YOU HAVE TREES OF DIFFERENT SIZES, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS, AND THAT TELLS YOU HOW MANY OF THEM YOU SHOULD PLANT IF YOU'RE PLANTING A SITE.
THE SMALLEST TREE WE ALLOW YOU TO PLANT IS A ONE AND A HALF INCH DECIDUOUS TREE, OR A SIX FOOT EVERGREEN TREE.
RIGHT NOW IT'S WORTH THREE LANDSCAPE CREDITS.
AND SO WHAT WE SEE WITH A LOT OF DEVELOPERS IS THEY'RE, THEY JUST CHOOSE NOT TO PLANT IT.
BUT INTERESTINGLY, WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY WHERE THEY DISCUSSED THE SMALLER TREE ACTUALLY TENDS TO ESTABLISH A LOT FASTER AND GROW TO MATURITY QUICKER WITH, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THE ROOT BALL DOES.
SO WHAT WE PROPOSE IS, OKAY, MAYBE TO INCENTIVIZE PLANTING THESE SMALLER TREES.
WE'LL BUMP IT UP ONE CREDIT TO FOUR LANDSCAPE CREDITS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA RAISE IT UP A LOT.
'CAUSE IF YOU'VE SEEN ONE AND A HALF INCH CALIBER TREES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SMALL, THEY'RE NOT BIG TREES.
SO WE WANNA BE AWARE OF THAT, BUT INCENTIVIZE THE PLANTING OF THOSE A BIT MORE.
THAT'S ALL ABOUT TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS.
UM, AS A REMINDER, TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS ARE THOSE LANDSCAPE BUFFERS BETWEEN PROPERTIES WITH DIFFERENT ZONING INTENSITIES.
AND WE HAVE THREE TYPES, 25, 35 FOOT AND 50 FOOT.
YOU'LL SEE ON PAGE 12 LOOKING AT A 1, 2, 3.
WE DISCUSSED THIS IN THE WORK SESSION A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'RE PROPOSING TO KIND OF REBALANCE THAT RATIO OF SHRUBS TO TREES AND A TRANSITIONAL BUFFER.
AGAIN, WE WANT TRANSITIONAL BUFFER TO KIND OF LOOK LIKE THIS, WHERE YOU HAVE A NICE ROW OF FOLD OF GROUND EVERGREENS AND THEIR TREES.
THEY'RE GONNA GROW NICE AND TALL.
THEY'RE GONNA BLOCK THAT COMMERCIAL USE MAYBE FROM THE RESIDENTIAL USE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THAT HIGHER RATIO OF SHRUBS, IT'S NOT DOING THAT AS WELL.
SO WE PROPOSE TO JUST FIX THOSE BALANCES.
AGAIN, 50%, 50% AND THEN DOWN TO 35%.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE PLANTING MORE TREES, GET THAT SCREENING EFFECT.
A LOT OF THE OTHER LANGUAGE IN HERE, AGAIN, DIDN'T MAKE A LOT OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES.
WE JUST MADE THINGS A BIT EASIER TO READ, MOVE SOME STUFF AROUND.
ONE OF THE CHANGES WE DID MAKE, AND I'M GONNA DIRECT YOU NOW, I'M GONNA FLIP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT TO PAGE 16 ONE A AT THE TOP THERE.
SO THIS PART OF THE ORDINANCE HAS, GIVES YOU A LOT OF GREAT INSTRUCTION.
IF YOU'RE READING IT ON HOW DO YOU APPLY A TRANSITIONAL BUFFER IN A TON OF DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
LIKE WHAT IF BOTH THE PROPERTIES ARE UNDEVELOPED? WHAT IF ONE IS DEVELOPED? AND THE OTHER IS, AND WHAT IF ONE HAS A NON-CONFORMING SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE AND THE OTHER DOESN'T? LOTS OF LOTS OF INFORMATION THERE.
BUT THIS PARTICULAR PROVISION TALKS ABOUT, OKAY, YOU HAVE A RESIDENTIALLY ZONE PROPERTY, AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE PROPERTY, AND IT'S SPLIT BY A ROAD.
RIGHT NOW, THE ORDINANCE DOESN'T GIVE YOU ANY LATITUDE FOR RELIEF ON THE INDUSTRIALLY ZONE PROPERTY FOR THE WIDTH OF THE BUFFER.
A LOT OF THE COUNTIES, EITHER IT'S PRE-DEVELOPED OR REALLY VACANT INDUSTRIAL ZONE LAND HAS EITHER ENVIRONMENTAL OR PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS OF SOME KIND.
AND WHAT WE DISCUSSED WAS, OKAY, IF I PROPERTY OWNER CAN SHOW THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR THAT I HAVE A PHYSICAL CONSTRAINT ON MY PROPERTY AND TO ALLOW ME TO DEVELOP IT IN A MANNER THAT IS BENEFICIAL IN ITS HIGHEST USE, I CAN REQUEST A REDUCTION IN THE BUFFER.
AGAIN, THIS ISN'T, YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THE BUFFER.
YOU CAN REDUCE IT MAYBE BY UP TO 25% AND YOU'D HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA LANDSCAPE IT STILL.
YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE THAT SCREENING.
BUT AGAIN, ALLOWS THAT FLEXIBILITY IF NEED BE FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT IS SPLIT BY A ROADWAY FROM THE RESIDENTIAL, IT'S NOT RIGHT UP AGAINST IT.
THEN FINALLY ON PAGE 17 DOWN IN SEVEN, THAT JUST TALKS ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF BERMS. YOU CAN PUT, PUT A BERM IN A TRANSITIONAL BUFFER AND RECEIVE A REDUCTION IN THE BUFFER WIDTH.
WE WANT THOSE BERMS TO BE HIGH THOUGH AGAIN, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO SCREEN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GONNA SHRINK THAT BUFFER DOWN.
SO WE JUST BUMPED THE HEIGHT UP BY A FOOT FOR EACH IN SECTION 2 44 IN LANDSCAPE
[01:05:01]
YARD.WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING HERE.
WE MOVED THINGS AROUND INTO EASY TO READ LISTS AND KIND OF BULLETED SOME THINGS.
AGAIN, IF YOU'RE READING IT, IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO DECIPHER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET THROUGH A PARAGRAPH AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARE.
BUT WE DIDN'T FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE ANYTHING.
2 45, THIS IS OUR LAST, ALMOST LAST SECTION.
SO AS A REMINDER, GREEN BELTS 35 FEET, 45 FEET OR 300 FEET FROM ON THE COLONIAL PARKWAY ALONG DIFFERENT ROADS IN THE LOWER AND UPPER COUNTY.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT PAGE 20 DOWN IN C, THESE ARE THE STANDARDS.
AND THIS TALKS ABOUT IF YOU HAVE AN UNVEGETATED OR UNDER VEGETATED GREEN BELT, HOW DOES THAT GET PLANTED? ONE OF THE ISSUES WE RAN INTO, UM, THIS, WE MIGHT REMEMBER THIS ONE.
IT'S A PARTICULAR CAR WASH IN THE UPPER COUNTY
WHAT HAPPENED WAS, RIGHT NOW THE LANGUAGE DOESN'T SAY THAT THE LANDSCAPE CREDITS, IF YOU'RE PLANTING A GREEN BELT, HAVE TO BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED.
AND SO YOU END UP WITH A SITUATION LIKE THIS WHERE THERE'S A STANDARD TREES MM-HMM
RIGHT? WE WANNA REMEDY THAT BY A, ADDING THAT EXPLICIT LANGUAGE THAT IF YOU'RE PLANTING A GREEN BELT, IT NEEDS TO BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED.
AND WE ALSO INCREASE THE PLANTING REQUIREMENTS A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, THE INTENT FOR THIS IS TO BE A SCREEN.
SO WE ADJUSTED THE REQUIREMENT FOR PLANTING ACCORDINGLY.
WE REFORMATTED C THE STANDARDS D PERMITTED ACTIVITIES AND E MODIFICATIONS A LITTLE BIT.
MOST OF THIS LANGUAGE, EXCEPT WHICH I'LL GET INTO ANOTHER SLIDE, UM, WE ADD, MADE AN ADDITION TO E BUT A LOT OF THIS LANGUAGE WAS ALREADY IN THERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF PROVISIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THINGS YOU CAN DO IN A GREEN BELT.
LIKE YOU CAN PUT IN PEDESTRIAN OR BIKE FACILITIES.
YOU CAN CLEAR UP THE UNDERBRUSH SO YOU CAN SEE AND HAVE THOSE IN DIRECT SIGHT LINES TO A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS.
A PROPERTY OWNER CAN ALSO APPROACH THE BOARD AND ASK FOR PERMISSION TO CLEAR OR DEVELOP PORTIONS OF THE GREEN BELT.
THEY COME DIRECTLY TO YOU AND THEY MAKE THAT REQUEST.
HOWEVER, A GOOD POINT WAS MADE DURING THE WORK SESSION THAT THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENCE.
THERE'S SOME RESIDENTIALLY ZONED PROPERTIES, PARTICULARLY ON HAMPTON HIGHWAY THAT HAVE FRONTAGE ON A GREEN BELT.
IT'S NOT REALLY REASONABLE TO EXPECT A SINGLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER WITH JUST A HOUSE TO, WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE THEM GO OUT AND PLANT A GREEN BELT.
AND SO WE ADDED THAT FLEXIBILITY IN THE ORDINANCE THAT, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE THAT HAPPENS TO BE ON HAMPTON HIGHWAY OR ANOTHER GREEN BELT ROAD AND YOU HAVE JUST YOUR HOUSE, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO OUT.
COUNTY'S NOT GONNA GO OUT AND MAKE YOU PLANT A GREEN BELT.
APPENDIX A TWO MINOR CHANGES, FIGURE TWO SEVEN.
THIS IS A FIGURE THAT SHOWS, OKAY, IF YOU HAVE TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS OF DIFFERENT SIZES MM-HMM.
THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD PLANT THEM.
AND IT HAS BEEN SCANNED AND THEN PRINTED AND THEN RE-SCANNED TO A POINT WHERE IF YOU GO ONTO THE ONLINE CODE, YOU REALLY CAN'T READ THE FIGURE ANYMORE.
SO WE JUST RECREATED IT DIGITALLY AND WE ALSO ADJUSTED THE PLANTING RATIOS TO MATCH WHAT WE PROPOSED IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND LASTLY, IN OUR APPENDIX, THOSE ARE OUR LANDSCAPE CHARTS.
A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION IN HERE.
IT GIVES FOLKS INFORMATION ON DIFFERENT SPECIES AND THEN ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS ARE TOLERANT.
SO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF, I, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANNA CALL IT? WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT DESCRIBES WHAT ALL HIS COLORS ARE.
IS THIS IS ACTUALLY IN THE LE LEGEND.
I JUST CLIPPED IT TO MAKE IT, I I'M SORRY, MR. I, I CLIPPED IT TO MAKE IT FIT ON THE SLIDE, BUT THERE IS A, THERE IS A LEGEND.
I DON'T WANT BROWN TREE, BLUE TREE
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, YEAH, LANDSCAPE CHARTS.
REALLY THE ONLY THING WE MODIFIED HERE WAS IF WE'RE GONNA REQUIRE YOU TO PLANT NATIVE PLANT SPECIES, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU WHICH ONES ARE NATIVE.
SO WE DENOTED THAT WITH A FUN LITTLE VIRGINIA FLAG.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER MADE A GOOD SUGGESTION TO, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE LOB LOLLY PINE OFF THE CHART.
THAT'S NOT A RECOMMENDED PLANT.
SO THAT'S A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF ALL THE AMENDMENTS IN THIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR STEVEN? I DO, YES.
SO WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LANDSCAPE BUFFER OR THE GREEN GREENBELT ORDINANCE? SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT.
SO MY TAKEAWAY FROM IT IS THERE, YEAH, THERE ARE TWO, THERE ARE TWO MAIN DRIVERS BEHIND IT.
ONE, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR AREAS DEVELOPED, DEVOID A A PLANT LIFE, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE MM-HMM.
RIPE 17 VICTORY BOULEVARD, 1 34, WHAT HAVE YOU.
JUST LONG STRETCHES OF UGLY RECTANGLE CONCRETE BUILDINGS, DEVOID PLANT LIFE.
SO WE WANT TO ADD SOME GREENERY THERE TO HELP THE AESTHETIC APPEAL OF OUR COUNTY.
ANOTHER THING WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO CREATE BUFFERS BETWEEN BUSINESSES, RESIDENTIALS, THE BUSINESSES, BUSINESSES SO FORTH, SO THEY DON'T INTERFERE WITH THIS OTHER SOUND AND VISUAL BUFFER.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THIS AND IT'S RATHER VERBOSE, UH, OR ORDINANCE.
AND I GET THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF COVER ALL THE BASES.
WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH A LITTLE BIT HERE IS IF I'M THE CEO OF A BIG
[01:10:01]
NATIONAL COMPANY AND I SEE A PLOT OF LAND ON 17 AND I WANT TO DEVELOP IT FOR WHATEVER MY BUSINESS IS, I'M PROBABLY GONNA TAKE THIS AND HAND IT TO MY TEAM THAT DOES NOTHING BUT 40 HOURS A WEEK.WORK WITH LOCAL ORDINANCES ON THINGS LIKE GREENBELT AND FIGURE IT OUT.
GO HOLLER PEOPLE AND FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT IF I'M A, IF I'M A BUTCHER AND I WANNA OPEN UP THE FIRST, UM, PREMIUM BUTCHER SHOP IN YORK COUNTY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ONE HINT, HINT, ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK, LOOK AT THAT BUSINESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS WHEN I NEED TO DEVELOP THAT, THAT PLOT OF LAND.
SO WHEN Y'ALL WERE DEVELOPING THIS, DID YOU GET ANY INPUT FROM THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO WHEN THEY WANT TO DEVELOP NEW PROPERTY? YEAH.
AND DO, AND I'M NOT A LAND DEVELOPER, SO I, I CAN'T TELL WHETHER THIS IS EASY TO DIGEST OR JUST WAY OUTTA LEFT FIELD FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO DEVELOP PROPERTY.
SO I CAN ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
UM, A LOT OF THESE RE REGULATIONS IS WRITTEN, UM, WHEN 1995, WHEN THIS IS WHEN THE CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, THERE WAS A ZONING ORDINANCE COMMITTEE FOR LIKE 93 THROUGH 94.
AND A BIG PART OF THAT WAS BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND I READ THROUGH THE NOTES OF ALL THOSE COMMITTEES ACTUALLY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID THEY TALK ABOUT DURING THOSE DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO WRITE THE LANDSCAPING REGULATIONS.
AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF INPUT ON, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WELL WHAT'S, WHAT'S TOO MUCH? WHAT'S TOO LITTLE? YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE COUNTY TO LOOK NICE.
WE DON'T WANNA BURDEN A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNER.
AND SO A LOT OF THOUGHT WENT INTO THAT WHEN WRITING ALL THE REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, BOTH FOR LIKE YOUR REQUIRED SITE LANDSCAPING, THEN ALSO FOR TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS.
AND GREENBELTS GREENBELTS CAME FROM THE 1991 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND LIKE, LIKE YOU ALLUDED TO, UM, AND AGAIN, GREEN, I WANNA NOTE THAT GREENBELT BUFFERS AREN'T ON EVERY SINGLE ROAD.
THEY'RE REALLY ONLY PARTICULARLY ON HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH SPEED ROADS.
UM, SO YOU SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, VICTORY BOULEVARD MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, MOTOWN ROAD, MULTI-LANE, THEY'RE LARGE.
UM, AND PLACES WHERE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA WAS WE WANNA PROTECT FROM THE, THE NOISE AND THE TRAFFIC AND SOME OF THOSE IMPACTS.
AND AGAIN, WE, THERE'S A BIT OF VISUAL COHESIVENESS TOO.
AGAIN, IN THE UPPER COUNTY, IT KIND OF CAME OUT OF, YOU KNOW, JAMES CITY WAS HAVING THESE, YOU KNOW, TWO GREENBELT CORRIDORS.
AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WE HAVE THAT 45 WEEK IS TO MATCH WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND MAKE THAT COHESIVE.
IF YOU'RE GOING INTO THOSE TOURIST AREAS, YOU HAVE THIS LIKE VISUAL CONTINUATION.
ALRIGHT, SO, 'CAUSE WE WANT THE BUFFERS, WE WANT THE VISUAL APPEAL, THE AESTHETICS MM-HMM
BUT WE DON'T WANNA DO AT THE EXPENSE OF BUSINESSES LOOKING AT IT AND GOING, THIS IS TOO ARDUOUS.
I'M GONNA TAKE MY BUSINESS TO ANOTHER COUNTY.
WE, WE GOTTA HAVE, WE GOTTA HAVE THAT BALANCE.
WE ALSO GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN COUNTY STAFF WHO'S GOING TO INTERPRET THE SITE PLAN AND SO FORTH, THEY'RE NOT CONTRADICTING ONE ANOTHER 'CAUSE THEY'RE INTERPRETING IT DIFFERENT WAY.
'CAUSE THERE'S SOME AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE IN HERE, LIKE ON PAGE SEVEN, NUMBER FIVE, IMPERVIOUS SERVICE AREAS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE MINIMAL AMOUNT NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
WELL, WHAT IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT NECESSARY? WHO DECIDES IT? CAN WE BE CONSISTENT? MM-HMM
IN COUNTY STAFF FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
SO ONE PERSON'S GONNA SAY IT NEEDS TO BE 500 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S GOTTA BE A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
'CAUSE YOU NEED THAT CONSISTENCY.
SO ARE WE CONFIDENT THAT OUR STAFF CAN READ THIS AND INTERPRET IT? I AM ACTUALLY.
YOU KNOW, NOT TO TOOT OUR OWN HORN OR ANYTHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD.
WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN YOU KNOW PERSONALLY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE REACHES OUT AND HAS QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF TIME WE HAVE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS THAT WILL CALL US AND SAY, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE BIT BETTER? MM-HMM
SOME OF THIS IS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF LEGALESE 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW ORDINANCE TEND TO GET WRITTEN.
AND SO WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH, OKAY, WELL THIS IS WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO DO AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR SPECIFIC SITE, LET'S TALK THIS THROUGH.
WE CAN GIVE THEM THAT GUIDANCE.
AND THAT KIND OF ALSO WAS WHAT PARTIALLY DROVE US TO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2 44, IT WAS IN THESE VERY LONG PARAGRAPHS THAT IF YOU'RE READING IT, IT WAS LIKE, WOW.
IT'S JUST LIKE A WALL OF TEXT.
AND WE'D LIKE, WELL LET'S MAKE IT INTO A LIST.
SO IF I'M READING IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
I CAN READ THROUGH THOSE REGULATIONS AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THEM A LITTLE EASIER.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY TAKEAWAY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE, THEY'RE GONNA STRUGGLE WRAPPING THEIR HEAD AROUND THIS.
AND WHEN THEY COME TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOU REALIZE THAT THEY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THEY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ACCOMMODATE THIS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA NEED YOUR HELP AND GUIDANCE, MAKE IT HAPPEN.
ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, MADAM CHAIR, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
EVEN THOUGH YOU TOLD ME I WASN'T ALLOWED TO
I THINK YOU'VE INCORPORATED THE COMMENTS FROM AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER VERY WELL.
I WENT BACK AND READ MY NOTES FROM THAT TIMEFRAME MM-HMM
AND WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS AROUND TRANSITIONAL BUFFERS REQUIRED BETWEEN, FOR INSTANCE, RURAL, UM, UH, RR RESIDENTIAL AND UH, UH, SENIOR LIVING AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND WHERE WOULD I CAPTURE THAT? IS IT IN THIS SECTION OR IS THAT ELSEWHERE? SO, UM, I BELIEVE FROM THAT WORK SESSION, WE ARE THE PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS THE CONTEXT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE TRANSITIONAL BUFFER MATRIX.
[01:15:01]
TENDS TO BE DEPENDENT ON WHEN IT GOES TO A, WHEN IT GOES TO THE BOARD.UM, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IT DEPENDS ON LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE SAY SENIOR LIVING, YOU OCCASIONALLY THESE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, A COMMERCIAL LIKE, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ZONED LIKE GB FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THE COMMERCIAL NEXT TO THE RESIDENTIAL AND THEN THAT INVOKES THAT 50 FOOT, YOU KNOW, THAT WIDE BUFFER LIKE YOU SEE AT HARPER STATION BETWEEN THE RESIDE, I LOOK AT THE CHART, THERE'S NO NUMBER SHOWN FOR.
IT'S CONTEXTUAL ON WHEN IT GOES TO THE BOARD, THAT'S WHEN THAT BUFFER'S DETERMINED.
YOU CAN I TIE, MR, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
WELL IT WAS A, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THE, IT MAY BE RULE, IT MAY BE RR RURAL RESIDENTIAL WAS A, WHAT IS THAT ONE? EIGHT, A HOUSE PER I'LL USE FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE HOUSE PER ACRE.
BASICALLY THAT'S DESIGN AND BUILDING CLUSTER, WHATEVER.
BUT BY THE TIME WHAT IS PROPOSED TO US, THE PROPOSAL COMES WITH A RE REZONING SO THAT IT'S NOT RURAL RESIDENTIAL.
IT COULD BE R 13 OR SOMETHING, WHICH THEN CHANGES THE WHOLE BUFFER.
I MEAN THAT'S, I MEAN THAT'S A LOT OF OUR, THAT HAPPENS A LOT OF THE LAND THAT WE LOOK AT TODAY WAS ONCE FARMLAND.
BUT I WAS ASKING FOR THE TRANSITION BETWEEN, FOR INSTANCE, THE REZONED AREA AND THE IMMEDIATELY NEXT NEIGHBOR.
WOULD STILL BE AN RI, BUT I, I SEE THAT CH I SEE THAT INITIALLY I HEAR ABOUT IT.
SUPERVISORS WILL HEAR ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT AND MAY NOT THINK ABOUT THE, WHAT THE POINT YOU JUST RAISED WAS WHAT IS THAT BUFFER.
AND THEN THE BUFFER WILL CHANGE WITH THE REZONING.
SO IT'S A LITTLE TRICK IN THERE, SO.
ANYWAY, THAT WAS JUST, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MR. DREW, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT SHARP SHARPENING MY KNIVES, UH, STEVEN TO, UH, MAYBE OPEN UP A BUTCHER SHOP.
BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY DO NEED ONE IN YORK COUNTY.
I SUPPORT YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
YEAH, I BET YOU WOULD, UM, BE, BE THE FIRST CUSTOMER.
UH, REALLY IT'S JUST A COMMENT ON YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE LANDSCAPING PART.
AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, OF COURSE, BEING IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, UM, EVEN A BUTCHER WOULD HIRE A LANDSCAPER AND THAT PERSON PROBABLY HAS WORKED WITH YORK COUNTY OR OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES.
THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND SOME OF THIS STUFF AND THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM.
SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PUT THE BURDEN ON THE BUSINESS OWNER AS MUCH AS IT DOES THEM FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON TO DO THE LANDSCAPING IN A, IN A COMMERCIAL MM-HMM
LITTLE DIFFERENT IF IT'S IN A, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL WHERE PEOPLE DO IT THEMSELVES.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME COMMERCIALLY, THEY'LL HIRE A LANDSCAPER TO COME IN AND THEY, THEY'RE A LOT MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE CODES AND ORDINANCES OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT.
CAITLYN, A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
UH, NOBODY SIGNED UP FOR, FOR COMMENTS AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WOULD CARE TO SPEAK, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS OR COME FORWARD.
IF NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, UH, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? I'LL MOVE THE RESOLUTION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY FOR ORDINANCE, ACTUALLY MR. SHEPHERD.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 4 TO APPROVE AMENDMENTS TO VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE YORK COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE.
CHAPTER 24.1 YORK COUNTY CODE CONCERNING LANDSCAPE, LANDSCAPING, BUFFERS AND GREENBELT REGULATIONS.
[4. Proposed Amendments to Section 19-6 of the York County Code - Overgrowth of Shrubs, Trees, and Other Such Vegetation. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance Number 25-6 to amend Section 19-6, Maintenance of Premises; Duty of Owner, within Chapter 19, Solid Waste, Garbage, and Weeds of the York County Code to incorporate provisions for cutting overgrown shrubs, trees, and other such vegetation.]
UH, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER FOUR, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 19 DASH SIX OF THE YORK COUNTY CODE.UM, AND THE MOTION WE NEED EVENTUALLY WILL BE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE 25 DASH SIX.
AND JEAN, YOU'RE GONNA GIVE US THE REPORT? YEAH.
GOOD EVENING FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 19 DASH SIX OF THE YORK COUNTY CODE REGARDING OVERGROWTH OF SHRUBS, TREES, AND OTHER SUCH VEGETATION.
SO I'M GONNA START BY SUMMARIZING THE ISSUE.
ONE OF THE CO, UH, CODE OF VIRGINIA PROVIDES AUTHORITY FOR ANY LOCALITY WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT TO ADOPT PROVISIONS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CITY OR COUNTY CODES TO ADDRESS OVERGROWN SHRUBS, TREES, AND OTHER NOXIOUS WEEDS AND IVY.
AND ALSO TO ESTABLISH SPECIFIC PROVISIONS DEALING WITH VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES.
IT WOULD BE PRUDENT FOR THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY TO UTILIZE THE AUTHORITY OFFERED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, UH, AND AMEND SECTION 19 DASH SIX OF THE YORK COUNTY CODE TO INCLUDE PROVISIONS ADDRESSING OVERGROWN VEGETATION ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
SO I'M GONNA START, UH, BY GIVING YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
[01:20:01]
OVER THE YEARS, THE COUNTY, UH, HAS RECEIVED REQUESTS FROM CITIZENS TO ADDRESS OVERGROWTH ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES WHICH WERE AFFECTING NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.BUT THE AUTHORITY TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS IS NOT PROVIDED IN THE COUNTY CODE.
NOW, IN APRIL OF 2024, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AMENDED THE STATE CODE TO ALLOW LOCALITIES IN THE HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT TO ADOPT ORDINANCES, TO COMPEL PROPERTY OWNERS TO ADDRESS OVERGROWTH OF, UH, SHRUBS, TREES, AND OTHER SUCH VEGETATION, INCLUDING, UH, NOXIOUS WEEDS, VINES AND IVY, WHICH IS COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS OVERGROWTH.
ACCORDINGLY, AMENDMENTS ARE PROPOSED TO SECTION 19 DASH SIX, UH, MAINTENANCE OF PREMISES, DUTY OF OWNER OF THE YORK COUNTY CODE TO INCLUDE THESE NEW PROVISIONS.
SO LET'S MOVE INTO STAFF'S CONSIDERATIONS.
SO STAFF CONSIDERED THREE TOPICS.
THE FIRST REGARDS THE SITUATION TO WHICH THE AMENDMENTS WOULD APPLY.
THE SECOND INVOLVES VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES, AND THE LAST OFFERS AND IDEA OF COST TO THE COUNTY.
I'M GONNA START BY DISCUSSING THE SITUATIONS TO WHICH THE AMENDMENTS WOULD APPLY.
SO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ESTABLISH A DUTY OF PROPERTY OWNERS TO CUT OVERGROWTH IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE OVERGROWTH THREATENS THE SAFETY AND GENERAL WELL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IDENTIFY FIVE SUCH SITUATIONS.
NUMBER ONE, THE OVERGROWTH OBSTRUCTS THE VIEW OF ADDRESS NUMERALS ON BUILDINGS OR MAILBOXES OVERGROWTH.
THAT OBSTRUCTS ADDRESS NUMERALS CAN POSE A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE EMERGENCY SERVICES RELY ON ADDRESS NUMERALS TO LOCATE PROPERTIES.
NUMBER TWO, THE OVERGROWTH BLOCKS OR OBSTRUCTS PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY.
NUMBER THREE, THE OVERGROWTH OBSTRUCTS THE VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT INTERSECTIONS OR FOR VEHICLES EXITING A DRIVEWAY.
NUMBER FOUR, THE OVERGROWTH OF STRUCTS ACCESS TO EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENING POINTS AS DEFINED BY VIRGINIA UNIFORM STATEWIDE BUILDING CODE OR PATH OF TRAVEL FROM ANY STREET TO THE PRIMARY ENTRANCE OF ANY PRIMARY OR ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
OR NUMBER FIVE, THE OVERGROWTH IS GROWING INTO OR ON PRIMARY OR ACCESSORY BUILDINGS IN A MANNER THAT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE BUILDING OR IS CAUSED DAMAGE TO A BUILDING.
SO IF APPROVED, THE AMENDMENTS WOULD ONLY APPLY TO OCCUPIED OR VACANT DEVELOPED REAL PROPERTY.
IF THE PROPERTY WERE UNDEVELOPED IN ITS NATURAL STATE, THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS WOULD NOT APPLY.
SO NEXT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS PENALTIES AND UH, VIOLATIONS.
SECTION 19 DASH SIX ALREADY ADDRESSES TRASH ACCUMULATION, TALL GRASS OR WEEDS AND RUNNING BAMBOO AND FURTHER ESTABLISHES PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS.
THE SAME PENALTIES WOULD APPLY FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROPOSED OVERGROWTH PROVISIONS.
UH, THE PROVISIONS ALLOW THE COUNTY TO INVESTIGATE CONDITIONS EXISTING ON ANY REAL PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY AT ANY TIME AND ESTABLISH THAT THE OWNER AND THE PERSON PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROPERTY, IF DIFFERENT FROM THE OWNER, MUST RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE VIOLATION.
THE VIOLATION GIVES THE OWNER OR RESPONSIBLE PARTY SEVEN DAYS TO RECTIFY THE VIOLATION.
IF THE OWNER OR RESPONSIBLE PARTY FAILS TO COMPLY, THE COUNTY WILL ABATE THE OFFENDING CONDITION AND BILL THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE WORK.
IF THE PROPERTY OWNER FAILS TO PAY THE BILL WITHIN 15 DAYS, THE COUNTY TREASURER WILL PLACE A LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY.
FINALLY, I'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE COST BY DISCUSSING THE CURRENT COST OF MOWING.
THE COUNTY'S CODE ENFORCEMENT STAFF INVESTIGATES AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 TALL GRASS VIOLATIONS PER YEAR AND IS COMPELLED TO HIRE A LANDSCAPING COMPANY TO MOW PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
AN AVERAGE OF 16 TIMES PER YEAR.
THE COUNTY SPENDS AN AVERAGE OF $575 AND 72 CENTS AND A MEDIAN PRICE OF $348 AND 75 CENTS PER PROPERTY ON MOWING.
ADDITIONAL COSTS WILL LIKELY BE INCURRED IF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED AND THE COUNTY'S COMPELLED TO ABATE OVERGROWTH VIOLATIONS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY BY TRIMMING AND CUTTING VEGETATION.
SO I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 19 DASH SIX OF UH, THE COUNTY CODE WILL EMPOWER COUNTY OFFICIALS TO ADDRESS CITIZEN CONCERNS REGARDING VEGETATION OVERGROWTH ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES THAT THREATENS THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMEND THE BOARD APPROVE THIS AMENDMENT THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH SIX.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, TOM, DO YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? YEAH, JUST A COUPLE WHAT IFS HERE? OKAY.
SO HOW WOULD, UH, HOW DOES THIS ORDINANCE ADDRESS
[01:25:01]
A TREE THAT'S FALLEN ON A HOUSE AND THE ROOF PART OF THE ROOF'S COLLAPSED? SO, AND IT SITS THERE FOR A YEAR.WOULD THIS ADDRESS THAT? WELL, THERE'S ANOTHER THING IN THERE INVOLVES IF THE HOUSE IS ABANDONED, THEN IT'S, IT'S, I THINK A PREVIOUS, UH, COUNCILS SAID IT'S CALLED A ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE.
I THINK THERE'S A SUCH A TERM LEGAL TERM THAT WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER COULD ACTUALLY BE SUED, UH, IF SOME CHILD WERE TO GO INTO THE HOUSE AND GET HURT.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING THOUGH, FOR THIS SITUATION, I'M GIVING YOU A WHAT IF TREE ON A HOUSE PART OF THE ROOF'S COLLAPSED BECAUSE OF IT AND THERE'S NOTHING'S BEING DONE.
DOES THIS ORDINANCE ADDRESS THAT? SO IT SAYS IF THE OVERGROWTH IS GROWING INTO OR ON PRIMARY OR ACCESSORY BUILDINGS IN A MANNER THAT'S DETRIMENTAL TO THE BUILDING OR HAS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING, WE WOULD, IF THESE AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED, WE WOULD BE, WOULD BE EMPOWERED TO ADDRESS THAT.
EVEN IF THE BUILDING OR HOUSE IS ABANDONED.
WE WOULD, UM, 'CAUSE OF IT'S A CONSTRUCT.
I THINK YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT'S NOT DEVELOPED AND, AND A HOME THAT, THAT AND A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT HAS A HOME ON IT, BUT, OR A HOUSE WITH OR A BUILDING.
BUT SHE ALSO SAID VACANT OR, OR RIGHT.
AND, AND JUST TO COMMENT HERE, WE MAY WANT TO ADD SOME VERBIAGE TO THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE I WENT RIGHT BACK TO THAT POINT ABOUT THE OVERGROWTH IS GROWING INTO, WHAT IF IT'S NOT AN OVERGROWTH? WHAT IF IT'S A DEAD TREE THAT'S FALLEN INTO THE HOUSE? IT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WOULD WANT TO ADD SOME LANGUAGE THERE THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S DEAD AND FALLEN ON ON A HOUSE.
EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, VACANT LIKE TOM SAID, YOU KNOW, SOME KIDS COULD GO IN THERE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT COLLAPSES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, TOM? YES.
HOW, HOW WOULD THIS THEN, UH, APPLY TO A HOUSE THAT HAS IVY GROWING ON IT? THIS WOULD APPLY THE, UM, THAT IS ONE THING THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE OVERGROWTH AMENDMENT.
SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A, UM, AN IVY DESIGN? UH, I MEAN, IT WAS PLANTED ON PURPOSE.
THEY WERE ALLOWED TO GROW, UH, ONTO A HOUSE.
UM, AND ONE THAT'S JUST KIND OF, HAS BEEN KIND OF, OKAY, IT GROWS AND JUST LET IT GO FOR IT AND IT'S UP IN THE EASE AND, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT'S GOT BIRDS AND WHATEVER LIVING IN IT AND SQUIRRELS.
SO HOW DO WE DIFF DO WE DIFFERENTIATE? ARE WE, IS THERE OPINION IN THERE ABOUT THE DESIGN? SO, SO ONE PERSON, THIS IS MAYBE A, A VIEW OF A, OF A, AN OLD ENGLISH MODEL MM-HMM
AND ANOTHER VIEW, IT'S, IT LOOKS LIKE IT, THE HOUSE IS BECOMING OWNED BY POSSESS PEOPLE.
I MEAN, SO HOW DO, HOW DO WE DIFFERENTIATE? OR DO WE WE DO.
SO, UM, THE OVERGROWTH HAS TO FALL WITHIN ONE OF THE FIVE SITUATIONS THAT I'VE OUTLINED HERE.
AND SO IF IT'S NOT, UH, OBSTRUCTING ADDRESS NUMERALS OR NUMERALS ON A, UH, MAILBOX, IF IT'S NOT BLOCKING OR OBSTRUCTING PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY, IF IT DOESN'T ADDRESS, IF IT ISN'T, UM, IN ONE OF THESE FIVE SITUATIONS, THEN IS IT DAMAGED? IS IT, IS IS IF IT'S DAMAGING THE HOUSE, IS THAT, YES.
SO THAT'S ONE THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, IF IT'S DAMAGING THE HOUSE, THEN WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO OKAY, COME.
UH, WHAT IF THERE'S A, UM, A DEAD TREE THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A DEAD TREE IN THE YARD THAT HAS POTENTIAL TO FALL ON THE HOUSE BUT HASN'T BUT HASN'T DONE IT.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S INCLUDED IN ONE OF THE FIVE SITUATIONS THAT I'VE LISTED HERE.
UM, IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, IF IT, IF IT OBSTRUCTS ACCESS TO AN EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENING POINTS, THEN YES, WE COULD ADDRESS THAT.
SO IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
OVER THE YEARS, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE THAT SAID, HEY, THERE'S A TREE IN VDO T'S EASEMENT.
CAN YOU GET VDOT TO COME OUT AND CUT IT DOWN? VDOT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING ON IT, BUT IT'S A TREE THAT COULD FALL ACROSS VICTORY BOULEVARD, FOR EXAMPLE.
THAT I'M JUST WONDERING THAT THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO THIS.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IF, IF THERE'S A TREE THAT COULD FALL ON A PROPERTY, THIS ADDRESSES OVERGROWTH THAT DOES, UH, OBSTRUCT SOMETHING.
SO TO MY UNDERSTANDING, IF IT'S NOT ACTUALLY OBSTRUCTING SOMETHING, THEN STATE WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
NOT, WAIT, I'M NOT FINISH YET.
SO WHAT'S, SO WHAT'S YOUR ANSWER? IF THEY HAD A DEAD TREE THAT'S GOING, COULD POTENTIALLY FALL ACROSS THE ROAD.
DOES THIS ORDINANCE ADDRESS THAT? NOT THAT I SEE.
HEY, FINALLY, I THINK THE STATE'S GOT THIS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS, BUT WHAT ABOUT BAMBOO
[01:30:01]
RUNNING BAMBOO IN OUR CODE.SO MR. RI THINK I UNDERSTAND WELL, I UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE ORDINANCE AND THIS IS A GOOD, FIRST, I'M GONNA SHOW THIS A GOOD FIRST DRAFT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
THIS NEEDS MORE TIME IN, IN THE COOKER.
UH, 'CAUSE THERE'S SOME ISSUES I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MM-HMM
I, I, IF, IF ANYTHING, I WANT LESS GOVERNMENT IN MY LIFE AND NOT MORE GOVERNMENT IN MY LIFE.
UM, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT COLLECTIVELY THE GOVERNMENT IS HERE TO PROVIDE FOR THE COLLECTIVE, AS OPPOSED THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN'T DO ANYTHING ON THEIR OWN.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A BALANCE THERE.
UM, AND THEN FOR SAFETY MAT MATTERS, WE MAY NEED TO GET INVOLVED TO HELP MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ALSO, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE STAFFED TO HANDLE THIS.
IF WE GET A BIG INFLUX OF CALLS, HEY, THIS IS A PROBLEM, THIS IS A PROBLEM, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA HIRE MORE PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GROW THE SIZE OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THIS ORDINANCE.
I THINK WE STILL NEED TO WORK THROUGH THOSE DETAILS.
A COUPLE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THE, IN THROUGH THE SLIDES AS YOU'RE TALKING, THE OVERGROWTH OF VEGETATION COVERING UP THE HOUSE SITES.
I UNDERSTAND OUR FIRE LIFE SAFETY AND OUR SHERIFF DEPARTMENT RELY ON THOSE HOUSE NUMBERS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO THE RIGHT HOUSE WHEN THEY GET A CALL.
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF HOUSES OUT THERE.
YOU TAKE A LOOK, THERE ARE NO HOUSE NUMBERS ON IT AT ALL.
SO WE ALSO GOING TO APPLY THIS LOGIC TO THOSE HOUSES AND SAY, NOW YOU NEED TO PUT A HOUSE NUMBER UP WHEN THEY HAVEN'T HAD ONE.
SO IT APPLIES TO ADDRESS NUMERALS ON A BUILDING OR ON MAILBOXES.
DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS ON ON THE HOUSES.
SO MAILBOXES, MAILBOXES, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET CAN BE CONFUSING, BUT IT'S, THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE THERE.
SO UNDERSTAND WE WANT A CLEARANCE SHRUBBERY THAT'S OVERGROWN ON SIDEWALKS, HAS A PROBLEM WITH VISIBILITY.
NOW WE'RE GONNA PUT THAT ON, ON THE HOMEOWNER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IN THERE, WE'RE GOING TO SKEWS PROPERTY OWNERS OF UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S IN THEIR NATURAL STATE.
SO I'M GONNA BE IN, IN SITUATIONS WHERE I'M GONNA HAVE UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY THAT MAY BE OBSCURE IN VISIBILITY FOR TRAFFIC THAT I WILL NEED TO CALL A DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO COME HELP US WITH BECAUSE VDI CAN'T GET TO IT.
THEY'LL SEND A CREW OUT THERE TO TRIM IT, BUT THEIR, THEIR VERY NEXT NEIGHBOR WILL HAVE THE SAME SHRUBBERY THAT WE HAVE TO GO ASK THEM TO DO IT AT THEIR OWN EXPENSES.
THAT'S, THERE'S AN IMBALANCE THERE.
WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO ADDRESS THAT MM-HMM
UM, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, NOT EVERYBODY WHO HAS THESE PROBLEMS, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST BEING NEGLIGENT.
IT JUST MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT A FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THEM AND PUT A LIEN ON THEIR HOME IF THEY CAN'T PAY TO GET THEIR GRA GET THAT GRASS CUT.
I'M, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO FIND A BETTER SOLUTION FOR THAT.
SO AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION.
I UNDERSTAND, AND THIS IS A GOOD DRAFT, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS MORE TIME WITH THE COOKER AND I HOPE THIS BOARD WILL DECIDE TONIGHT TO CARRY THIS DISCUSSION ON SO WE CAN FINE TUNE THIS A BIT AND BRING SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS MORE EASILY DIGESTIBLE BY THE BOARD AND BY THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? WELL, ACTUALLY I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD DRAFT.
UM, I AGREE THERE'S PROBABLY A COUPLE OF ISSUES, UH, MR. ROWAN HAS POINTED OUT THAT, UH, WOULD CAUSE US TO, UH, RECONSIDER AND MAYBE TABLE THIS FOR ANOTHER SESSION.
UM, I'D BE ALL RIGHT WITH THAT.
I THINK IT'S VERY CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
WE ALL HAVE EXAMPLES OF THIS IN EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS.
SO HAVING SOME TEETH BEHIND AN ORDINANCE MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
WELL, BEFORE WE, WE DO THAT, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE.
I THINK I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP.
OH, YOU WISH TO SPEAK RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE MY TURN.
UH, JEAN, THANKS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I BROUGHT, UM, TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AS A CONCERN, UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
AND SO I ASKED IF WE COULD GET THE STAFF TO LOOK AT THIS ORDINANCE.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, I DO, UH, I DO THINK THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THAT'S MISSING HERE IS DEAD TREES AND PEOPLE'S YARDS THAT COULD FALL ON SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME.
I THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, I'VE HAD A, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN IT OVER TIME WHERE YOU'VE GOT DEAD TREES AND THEY'RE RIGHT UP BESIDE SOMEBODY'S HOUSE AND THEY REFUSE TO CUT IT DOWN, BUT THE NEIGHBORS ARE LIKE, IF THAT FALLS ON MY HOUSE, IT'S GONNA DAMAGE MY HOUSE AND PUT MY FAMILY IN JEOPARDY.
SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO, TO ADDRESS IN THIS ORDINANCE.
I THINK THE REST OF IT, I THINK LOOKS, UH, AND SOUNDS REALLY GOOD.
I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS WHEN YOU HAVE A A, A HOUSE LIKE THIS AND YOU'RE LIVING NEXT DOOR AND YOU
[01:35:01]
WANT TO SELL YOUR HOUSE, THE PRICE OF YOUR HOUSE JUST WENT DOWN QUITE A BIT BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WANNA MOVE IN WHEN YOU HAVE A HOUSE, LIKE THE PICTURES YOU JUST SHOWED AND NOTHING'S BEING DONE ABOUT IT.UM, AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO THE, TO THE CONSTITUENTS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE NEIGHBORS TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO DRIVE BY THAT HOUSE EVERY DAY AND LOOK AT THE OVERGROWTH AND THE WINDOWS BREAKING OUT AND SHINGLES POPPING OFF THE HOUSE BECAUSE OF VINES GROWING UP INTO IT.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT I, I'M BALKING ON WITH THIS IS THE SEVEN DAY TIME PERIOD.
I THINK GIVING THE HOMEOWNERS, UH, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU SEND THEM A LETTER OR WHATEVER WE DO, LET THEM KNOW.
THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE IN SEVEN DAYS.
NOW MAYBE WE PUT SOMETHING IN THERE THAT THEY CONTACT YORK COUNTY WITHIN SEVEN DAYS WITH A PLAN TO GET THAT DONE, AND THEN WE GIVE 'EM 30 DAYS OR 45 DAYS.
BUT I THINK, I, I PERSONALLY THINK SEVEN DAYS IS UNREALISTIC BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOTTA BE DONE IF IT'S JUST ONE LITTLE BUSH AND THEY'VE GOTTA TRIM AT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE SUMMERTIME FINDING A LANDSCAPER TO COME OUT IN SEVEN DAYS, MOST OF THE GOOD ONES ARE BOOKED UP AND YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE IN SEVEN DAYS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TIMEFRAME BUMPED UP TO AT LEAST 30 OR 45 DAYS.
I, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I'D THINK YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB.
SEVEN DAYS A GREAT JOB, BUT I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF OVERREACH AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MASSAGE A LITTLE BIT.
OH, WE WE'RE HAVING A, WE'RE ASKING THE STAFF RIGHT NOW.
I GOT A QUESTION YOU ALREADY HAVE.
DO, DO YOU MIND IF I, UM, COMMENT ON MR. DREW'S? WE, MIKE? YES.
WANTS COMMENT? I, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, THE SEVEN DAYS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE USED WITH TALL GRASS AND TRASH ACCUMULATION FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT, OR WHEN PEOPLE RESPOND TO ZONING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON ABATING THE ISSUE, USUALLY WE'LL GIVE THEM AN EXTENSION.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY'RE ON VACATION? I'M JUST, I'M JUST PLAYING A LITTLE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE HERE.
IF I'M ON VACATION AND MY HOUSE IS A WRECK AND I NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND I DON'T GET BACK WITH YOU WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, I THINK IT'S TOO SHORT.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK BACK AT.
THE ENFORCEMENT NOT, NOT, NOT, EXCUSE ME.
NOT ENFOR I GUESS IT'S ENFORCEMENT NOTIFICATION OR HOW WE COME ABOUT FINDING THESE VIOLATIONS.
WE DON'T GO AROUND THE STAFF GOING AROUND THE COUNTY LOOKING FOR IT.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL ENFORCEMENT STAFF AND WE ARE COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
IF THERE'S A VIOLATION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND THERE'S NO COMPLAINT ON IT, THEN WE LEAVE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ACTION.
NOW, I, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, MAYBE THE ATTORNEY DOES.
UM, THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE, UM, UNDER A REAL ESTATE LAW, I THINK THEY HAVE A TRIBUNAL THAT IF YOU'RE IN A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION THAT WHERE THEY PUT FINES ON YOU, THEY CAN PENALIZE YOU AND THEY LEAN YOUR PROPERTY.
UM, AND MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN LIKE THE ONLY THING THEY'VE GOT FOR US AND FOR A SUPERVISOR IS THEY CALL US UP, CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HOUSE? AND IT'S USUALLY, OKAY, WHAT'S THE GRASS LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
THAT'S THE ONE QUESTION, THE GRASS.
THE OTHER PART IS, DO YOU THINK YOU SEND THE STAFF OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT IT, EVALUATE AND SAY, OKAY, YEP, IT'S OVER A FEE, OVER A FOOT.
I GUESS THEY FIND A BRAND OR A TWIG OR SOMETHING.
AND ANYWAY, IT'S OVER A FOOT AND WE CUT IT AND WE PUT A LIEN ON THE PROPERTY IF WE HAVE TO.
UM, BUT WE GO THROUGH ALL THIS NOTIFICATION PROCESS, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY TAKE, MY EXPERIENCE IS TAKE OVER SIX WEEKS SOMETIMES TO GET THIS THING DONE.
UM, BECAUSE IF A PERSON DOESN'T LIVE AT THE HOUSE, RENTS IT, THE OWNER LIVES IN DC OR CALIFORNIA SOMEPLACE, YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS ON THE MAIL AND RUN 'EM DOWN AND LET THEM RESPOND.
SO PUTTING A LIKE SEVEN DAYS, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST A YARDSTICK MOVEMENT OR WHATEVER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'D HAVE MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO, OR SOME LEEWAY TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
SO IS THERE ANY LEEWAY? SO IS IT BY JUST SOMEBODY CALLS YOU UP AND THEN BOOM, YOU GOT SEVEN DAYS? WE ACT.
SO THE CODE DOESN'T OFFER ANY LEEWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN PRACTICE THEY, THEY MAY OFFER EXTENSIONS SOMETIMES IF THE, UM, IF THE VIOLATOR IS IN, IS MAKING EFFORTS IN GOOD FAITH TO ABATE THE ISSUE.
UM, BUT THE CODE DOES NOT OFFER THAT LEEWAY.
THEN, WELL, THE TRIBUNALS FOR THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UM, THEY GO BACK AND FORTH WITH CERTIFIED MAILS, NOTIFICATIONS, YOU GO THROUGH THE STEPS AND THEN THERE'S A TWO WEEK PERIOD IN WHICH SOMETHING'S GOTTA HAPPEN.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S A YARD STICK.
IF, I DON'T KNOW IF WE, IF YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED AT THE
[01:40:01]
YARD, I MEAN YOU SAID SEVEN DAYS, WHAT ELSE COULD YOU USE? IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, IS THERE ANOTHER YARD STICK OR SOME MEASUREMENT TIME? SO THE SEVEN DAYS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED FOR, UM, LONG TIME FOR OUR TALL GRASS AND FOR OUR, UH, TRASH ACCUMULATION.THAT'S HOW IT'S FUNCTIONED FOR AS LONG AS THAT'S BEEN AROUND.
YEAH, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY GRASS.
IT COULD BE TREES, IT COULD BE SHRUBS, IT COULD BE VINES.
IT COULD BE MORE THAN JUST TAKING A LAWNMOWER OUT THERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN AND I THINK PROBABLY IS WHAT TOM'S TALKING ABOUT TOO.
MAY I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW? YES.
I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FIRST SPEAKER I HAVE IS PAM EO
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SEVEN DAYS BECAUSE BY THE TIME SOMEONE MAKES A COMPLAINT, WE'RE ALREADY QUITE HIGH WITH THE, THE GRASS.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT GRASS AND WEEDS.
UM, BUT BY THE TIME SOMEBODY COMES OUT AND INSPECTS THE PROPERTY, GOES BACK TO THE OFFICE, WRITES UP A REPORT, GETS THE LETTER OUT FOR CERTIFIED MAIL
TWO OR THREE TIMES IN A GROW GROWING SEASON AND THE NEIGHBORS HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT.
AND THE PROPERTY VALUES PLUMMET.
UM, ONE THING I WISH YOU WOULD ADD TO IT IS LEAF REMOVAL.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK JUST PILING THEIR LEAVES UP AT A, UM, PROPERTY BOUNDARY IS SUFFICIENT TO GETTING THEIR LEAVES OFF THEIR GRASS.
SO THE NEIGHBOR GETS TO CLEAN IT UP ALL WINTER LONG AS THE WINDS BLOW.
I'VE GOT A HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET WHERE NOBODY'S LIVED IN IT FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE OR SIX YEARS NOW, AND HE'S NEVER PICKED UP THE LEAVES.
I'VE GONE OVER THERE AND ACTUALLY CLEANED HIS YARD, BUT I JUST GOT TIRED OF DOING IT AFTER A WHILE.
UM, HE HAS NO DESIRE TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND SO WE GET LEAVES, WE GET A STORM, WE GET STICKS AND BRANCHES AND THEY JUST LAY THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, IN MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WE DO NOT HAVE CURBS AND GUTTERS.
AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD, WELL IF IT'S ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE DITCH BY THE STREET, THAT'S A VDOT PROPERTY.
VDOT WILL COME IN MAYBE ONCE A YEAR AND CUT IF YOU CALL THEM.
BUT WHAT THEY CUT, THEY JUST PILE UP IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DITCH AND THEN WE HAVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
THEN WE HAVE TO CALL THE COUNTY TO CLEAN THAT OUT.
AND WHEN VDOT COMES THROUGH, BY THE WAY THEY BUTCHER THE AREA, THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THEY DESTROY.
THEY WILL CUT DOWN HEALTHY BRANCHES, HEALTHY LEAVES, I MEAN, UH, HEALTHY BUSHES AND KILL THEM.
I MEAN, I'VE, I'VE LOST SOME 'CAUSE MY BACK OF MY PROPERTY IS, UM, AT ELLA TAYLOR ROAD, BY THE WAY.
I LOVE THAT PHOTO OF ELLA TAYLOR ROAD.
WE DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS THERE, BUT THERE WERE SIDEWALKS AND IT SAID ELLA.
SO I ASSUME IT WAS ELLA TAYLOR.
UM, BUT WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH, UM, THE, THE, THE LEAVES THAT ARE CAUSING THE DITCHES TO BACK UP, THAT ARE CAUSING NEIGHBORS TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH A LOT MORE CLEANUP DURING THE WINTER TIME, ESPECIALLY AS THEY BLOW ACROSS.
AND, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST FOR WEEDS.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO YARD DEBRIS OF ANY KIND, SEVEN DAYS IS NOT ASKING TOO MUCH.
AND IF A PERSON IS AN OUT OF TOWN OWNER, UH OKAY, MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR THEM.
THANK FOR THOSE WHO LIVE HERE.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE IS MICHAEL HEDGE.
MR. HEDGE, YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES.
AND DO YOU KNOW HOW THE LIGHTS ARE WORKING? YOU GOT GREEN, THEN YOU GOT YELLOW, AND THEN WHEN THE RED GOES, THAT'S IT.
MICHAEL HEDGE, 1 0 7 AMBLER STREET ACROSS 17 HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH AMBLER AND PULASKI.
UH, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE ON THIS AMENDMENT IS JUST RIGHT AT HOME.
MR. DRURY AND MR. BELLAMY KNOWS ABOUT THIS HOUSE.
IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME.
IT'S BEEN ABANDONED FOR NINE YEARS NOW.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE COUNTY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UH, LIKE THE LADY SAYS IT'S AN EYESORE.
UH, AND JUST CUTTING DOWN SO YOU CAN SEE THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE ISN'T GONNA HELP IT 'CAUSE IT'S OVERGROWN ALL THE WAY AROUND.
I SUBMITTED SOME PICTURES TO MR. BELLAMY AND HE ASSURED ME THAT YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THEM.
[01:45:02]
AND OUR NEIGHBORS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE PRESENTED A PETITION TO, UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.EVERYBODY ON AMBLER STREET SIGNED IT.
AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NOTHING BEEN DONE.
UH, I'VE GONE OVER THERE MYSELF AND, UH, CUT WEEDS DOWN, UH, VINES BECAUSE THEY WERE GETTING READY TO GO ACROSS THE STREET TO MY PROPERTY ON THE TELEPHONE LINE AND I DIDN'T WANT 'EM OVER THERE.
NOW, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON THAT OWNS THIS HOUSE, ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY RECORDS, UH, THE LADY TOLD ME WHO LIVED THERE, WHO ABANDONED IT, WAS HER EX-HUSBAND.
SHE TOLD ME THAT HE SIGNED THE DEED OVER TO HER, BUT SHE HASN'T RECORDED IT YET.
SO THE COUNTY STILL HAS IT IN HIS NAME.
SO, BUT I'VE GIVEN THE, I'VE GIVEN INFORMATION TO THE COUNTY ABOUT HER NU HER NAME AND WHERE SHE WORKS AND HER TELEPHONE NUMBER.
SO, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE THE LADY SAID, OUR PROPERTY VALUE ISN'T ANYTHING WITH THAT HOUSE THERE.
I NOTICED THAT SINCE LAST SUMMER.
IT'S GOT A PLACE IN THE ROOF WHERE THE TAR PAPER'S OFF AND IT'S GOT, THE ROOF IS BUILT LIKE A DECK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GOT RAIN, IT'S GOT RAIN INSIDE OF IT AND MOLD AND MILDEW SINCE, SINCE SHE LEFT IT IN 2016.
UM, HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY WILL GET ON THIS, THIS NEW REGULATION, UH, SEEMS LIKE THAT.
BUT JUST LIKE I SAID, JUST DOING THE FRONT OF IT SO YOU CAN SEE THE NUMERALS, WHICH THERE'S NO NUMERALS ON THE HOUSE OR THE MAILBOX WON'T, UH, WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO I'VE GOT 41 SECONDS, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT TO MY NEXT PERSON.
MY NEIGHBOR HERE AND GOT TO SIGN UP.
DID YOU SIGN UP? NO, I, I FORGOT.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
SO IT'S INTRIGUING YET OVERWHELMING.
I'M NEXT DOOR TO THE ABANDONED HOME.
UM, I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN 2016.
THE RESIDENT, I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN MARCH.
SHE MOVED OUT SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER I MOVED INTO THE PROPERTY IN 2018.
UM, AFTER I RENTED IT OUT FOR TWO YEARS.
AND AT THAT POINT I REALIZED THAT I HAD A REAL ISSUE ON MY HAND.
THAT THE HOUSE I THOUGHT WAS OCCUPIED NEXT DOOR ACTUALLY WASN'T.
UM, I WENT AHEAD AND RENOVATED MY HOME AND, AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT I GARDEN HER YARD EVERY SPRING.
UM, MY PARTNER AND I HAVE GOTTEN UP ON TOP OF HER, UH, SINGLE CAR GARAGE TO CLEAR THE EXOTIC EXTERIOR.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT INVASIVE PLANTS.
UM, VIRGINIA CREEPER IS NOT AN EXOTIC, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL BE THE WAY IT INVADES.
SO I'M CONSTANTLY PULLING THOSE VINES OFF OF MY FENCE, OUT OF MY TREES.
UM, THERE ARE, I'VE SEEN ANIMALS, UM, ENTER THE OPEN ROOF AND NEST IN THE HOME.
UM, VIRGINIA CREEPERS ACTUALLY GROWING UP INSIDE THE HOME.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL VERY DISTRESSING AND YOU'VE SEEN THE PICTURES, SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO ON ABOUT IT.
UM, THE ORDINANCE I THINK IS A START, BUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME AND MIKE, IT DOESN'T DO ENOUGH.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU.
I JUST WANNA BRING AWARENESS TO YOU TONIGHT THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND WE REALLY WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, WE ARE PART OF THE HISTORICAL AREA HERE IN YORKTOWN.
WE'RE IN VILLAGE TWO WHERE THE, THE LITTLE ENCLAVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 17.
OUR HOMES ARE A LITTLE HUMBLER.
UM, BUT STILL WE HAVE TOURISTS COMING UP THROUGH OUR STREET ALL THROUGH THE SEASON ON SEGUES.
THEY GO TO THE END OF OUR STREET, GO TO THE TOP OF THE BLUFF BECAUSE THEY GET A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC BUTTE OF THE YORK RIVER AND THEY HAVE TO PASS THAT HOUSE EVERY TIME THEY GO UP THERE.
AND I'M EMBARRASSED FOR THE COUNTY BECAUSE THOSE OF US THAT ARE UP THERE, WE DO OUR BEST TO KEEP OUR PROPERTY TIDY.
I'M AN AVID GARDENER, SO MY YARD LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN MIKE, WHO'S MORE, HE'S VERY NEAT AND PRECISE.
BUT WE KEEP OUR PLACES TIDY AND THESE TOURISTS ARE COMING THROUGH AND SEEING THIS ABANDONED HOUSE AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR US AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, THEY COME AND THEY PAY GOOD MONEY AND THEN THEY'RE TOURING AND THEY, AND THEY SEE THIS.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT WE ARE IN THE PUBLIC'S VIEW.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ON THIS SUBJECT? IF NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? ARE WE GOING TO PUT THIS ASIDE FOR MORE WORK? WE MAKE A MOTION, I WOULD SUGGEST A POINT OF ORDER.
WE CAN MAKE, WE'D MAKE A MOTION, WHATEVER.
BUT THEN WE HAVE A DISCUSSION.
[01:50:01]
MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION, BUT I'M MAKING A MOTION TO APPROVE.IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO TABLE IT, THEN SOMEBODY CAN MAKE A MOTION TO START OFF WITH AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
I LIKE, I LIKE TO MOVE TO TABLE THIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND, AND AND REFINEMENT.
THAT'S, I I I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TIME AT LEAST KNOW IN A, IN A WORK SESSION TO, TO GET, GET THE DUCKS IN A ROW A BIT BETTER.
HOW DOES THE REST OF THE BOARD FEEL? DO YOU AGREE? SO THE MOTION'S BEEN MADE SO WE CAN DISCUSS NOW? NO, WE GOTTA DISCUSS, WE HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION.
DISCUSS IT AND THEN I CALL ON THE MOTION.
RIGHT NOW THE MOTION IS GOING TO BE THE TABLE TALK.
SO I MADE, AND THE REASON I MADE THE MOTION IS FOR WHAT I, WHAT I SAID EARLIER TO, AND, AND THE MORE I HEAR ABOUT THIS AND THE MORE I LOOK AT OTHER EXAMPLES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND ELSEWHERE, I I, IT, IT'S STARTING TO APPEAR TO ME THAT THIS IS MORE OF A, UM, AN ABANDONED HOME ISSUE THAT RESULTS IN THE OVERGROWTH.
'CAUSE NO ONE'S THERE TO TAKE CARE OF IT AS OPPOSED TO JUST NEGLIGENT HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE OCCUPIED.
'CAUSE IF YOU'RE LIVING A HOME, YOU'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW IVY TO GROW INSIDE THE HOME AND SO FORTH.
SO MAYBE WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO TACKLE IS HOW TO HANDLE THE ABANDONED HOMES WITH WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE COUNTY, WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MAYBE APPROACH IT FROM THAT DIRECTION.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE IMPLICATIONS OF, OF WHAT WE'RE STARTING HERE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A REALLY SLIPPERY SLOPE BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO TALK ABOUT IS THIS A SAFETY ISSUE? AND THEN START TALKING ABOUT, WELL, IT'S AN EYESORE.
I AND MAYBE WHAT IS AN EYESORE OF ONE IS NOT AN ISSUE, IS GOING TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
I DO NOT WANT THE COUNTY GET IN.
I DO NOT WANT GOVERNMENT TO GET IN.
I DON'T WANT THE COUNTY TO BECOME A LARGE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND, AND SPEAKING OF HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION, WHAT YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS MADE ME THINK, WELL HOW DOES THIS IMPACT WHAT HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION DOES? DO, DO WE GET, ARE WE GETTING INTO THEIR BUSINESS OR THEY SHOULD TAKE THAT'S A SEPARATE, THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SEVEN DAY THING, UM, THE ISSUE I GOT WITH THAT IS THEY CAN GIVE A SEVEN DAY, WE GIVE 'EM A SEVEN DAY NOTICE, BUT IT MAY TAKE US TWO OR THREE MONTHS BEFORE WE GO TAKE ACTION ON IT.
HOW WAS THAT FAIR TO THE HOMEOWNER? WE PUT A SEVEN DAY, UM, TIME FRAME ON THEM WHEN IT MAY TAKE US TWO OR THREE MONTHS TO DO OUR PART OF THE BUSINESS.
AGAIN, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO WORK OUT HERE AND TO GET THIS BETTER BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT IT.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA PUT SOMETHING ON THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY'RE NOT READY FOR.
UM, THIS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T JUST APPLY TO ABANDONED HOMES.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BRIEF HISTORY.
UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT, THAT I GREW UP ON IN A FARM AND IT WAS A PIG FARM.
PRINCIPALLY, BUT IT DID OTHER THINGS.
CATTLE, HORSES, GOATS DID EVERYTHING.
AND THEN OVER THE YEARS, AS I GOT OLDER AND OR AS I GREW UP, AND THEN MY PA MY FAMILY THAT LIVED AROUND US, WE'D HAD THIS, WE'D HAD THIS FARM FOR, FOR AGES.
UM, THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA MOVED IN.
AND SO WE ENDED UP ESSENTIALLY WHERE, UM, THEY WERE CREATING.
AND DUVAL COUNTY WAS A COUNTY AND WE LIVED AT THE TIME, 13 MILES FROM THE CITY.
AND UH, AND WE WERE DOING THINGS THAT YOU COULD NOT EVEN DO TODAY.
I MEAN, THEY WOULD JUST, THE EPA WOULD BE ALL OVER YOU, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A DIRTY BUSINESS.
AND, UM, BUT WHEN ALL THE FARMING PART WENT AWAY, WE ENDED UP WITH LAND THERE.
UH, THE CITY MOVED IN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE MY UNCLE WHO LIKED TO BILL SHEDS AND I MEAN BIG SHEDS, UM, THAT WAS GETTING THE NOTICE FROM THE CITY THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE THE SHED.
AND, AND SO THEY PULLED 13 CARS OFF THE PROPERTY.
YOU HAD TREES GROWING UP THROUGH 'EM.
WE HAD OLD SHEDS THAT, UH, THEY HAD TO PULL DOWN, UH, TONS OF OLD ANTIQUE FANS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, SEEING THIS ON THE OTHER END, BUT THEN THE SUBDIVISIONS ACTUALLY MOVED UP TO THE EDGE OF THE FARM, AND THEN YOU COULD NOT FARM LAND BECAUSE PEOPLE COULDN'T KEEP THE KIDS OFF THE EQUIPMENT.
SO THIS WHAT THIS, WHAT I'M GETTING TO HERE IS THAT AS I'M AS A SUPERVISOR OVER THE YEARS, WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD IS PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT PROPERTY WITHIN THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION THAT WAS NOT BEING MAINTAINED PROPERLY.
ABANDONED HOMES, IF YOU WILL, OR HOMES THAT WHERE THE RENTER LIVES SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RENTING IT ARE NOT GONNA SPEND THE MONEY TO UPGRADE THE HOME.
THE, THE, THE GRASS CUTTING BUSINESS.
THAT'S, THAT GOES BACK FOREVER.
UM, BUT WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT WE GOT, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT TWO ISSUES HERE THAT YOU LIVE IN YOUR COUNTY.
UM, PARTS OF YOUR COUNTY ARE VERY RURAL, ARE STILL RURAL.
PARTS OF IT ARE VERY DENSELY POPULATED.
[01:55:01]
DISTRICTS THAT ARE PRETTY YOURS ARE GETTING THERE, STEVE.UH, AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR A HOME NOW HAVE TO SIT AND LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT OBEYED ONE TIME, 20, 30 YEARS AGO OR A HUNDRED YEARS AGO WAS A VIABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY OR HOUSE.
AND, UH, SO I'M GETTING, I'M GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHAT CAN A COUNTY DO TO HELP US WITH OUR, WITH OUR PROBLEM, OUR HOUSING PROBLEM GENERALLY.
IT'S THAT, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO I GET TO THIS, I GET TO THE SENSE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE A CHOICE OF LIVING IN A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION WHERE THEY HAVE THE RULES AND HOW SCREWED UP THOSE RULES CAN BE.
OR THEY'RE LIVING, UH, THEY'RE LIVING ON AS IF THEY, THEY OWN, THERE'S NOTHING, NO RESTRICTION ON THEIR OWN, YET WE CAN GO THERE AND GIVE 'EM GRIEF ABOUT THEIR CUTTING THEIR GRASS.
BUT WE EVEN PUT LIMITS ON THAT.
SO I THINK WHAT WE GOT HERE IS A SITUATION, AND I KNOW THIS WILL HAPPEN, THAT ONCE THIS, IF IT GETS ACCEPTED, THEN WE'RE IN TROUBLE.
THE COUNTY IS GOING, JUST BE CAREFUL HERE.
THE COUNTY IS GOING TO BE USED AS A SLEDGEHAMMER.
AND WE WILL FIND OURSELVES IN THE HOMEOWNER HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION BUSINESS.
THAT'S RIGHT WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY NOW, OKAY, YOU GOTTA TAKE THIS OUTTA YOU.
YOU GOT EVERY, EVERY EXAMPLE I JUST GAVE YOU TREE ON A HOUSE.
THE BAMBOO, THE, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE IVY GROWING ON A HOUSE.
I MEAN, ALL THIS IS CURRENTLY GOING ON IN MY DISTRICT.
AND THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? I THINK WE CAN.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM RIGHT HERE.
'CAUSE I GOT THE BALANCE BETWEEN IF YOU GOT A, A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DUDE, YOU GOT AN 800,000, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HOME, AND YOU GOT A, A PLACE WHERE THE NEIGHBORS ARE LIVING LIKE A DUMP.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO TO FIX IT IF THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION CAN'T DO IT? OR THE SAME TOKEN.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE JOE JOE SCHMUCK A ROAD DOWN THE STREET HERE HAVING HAS TO LIVE WITH THE RULES.
NO, I THINK, I THINK WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS.
DID THE OTHER TWO GUYS WANT TO TALK? THE, THE, THE PENDING MOTION IS TO TABLE? YES.
BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WHAT YOU DO IS, IF THAT'S THE, IF THAT'S THE PREFERENCE OF THE BOARD MM-HMM
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO A DATE CERTAIN I KNEW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT.
AND THERE'S NOTHING PREVENTING YOU FROM INTERPOSING A WORK SESSION ON THE SAME TOPIC BETWEEN NOW AND THAT DATE.
SO THAT'S THE TRADITIONAL METHOD THAT WE USE, IS TO CONTINUE IT TO A DATE, CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO A DATE CERTAIN, IF YOU WANNA SCHEDULE A WORK SESSION, YOU CAN DO THAT.
WHAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, CONSIDERING THAT IS LOOKING FOR A DATE.
THAT'S AFTER WE DO THE BUDGET, MA'AM, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SO MUCH ON OUR PLATE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S, AND, AND I THINK THIS, THIS DESERVES A LOT OF CONSIDERATION AND A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT.
SO MADAM CHAIR, I AGREE WITH YOU.
AND THE FIRST DATE AVAILABLE AFTER THE BUDGET ADOPTION WOULD BE JUNE 3RD.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO THEN, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION FROM THIS ORDINANCE, THIS PROPOSAL TO, TO THE JUNE 3RD PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING DAY DISCUSS.
WE'VE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ALREADY TO, TO THE ADOPTION.
I'M, I'M GONNA SAY THE ADOPTION WEEKS CORRECT.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO REPEAT THAT SO THAT THEY COULD HEAR IT ON 17TH? YOU GET THE DATE RIGHT? WELL, IF WE WANT THE JUNE, WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO JUNE 17TH.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, HEATHER, DID YOU UNDERSTAND? WE CAN GOT IT.
IF SHE'S GOT, I'LL GIVE A MOTION SHOT.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. ROH IS TO CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH SIX TO THE BOARD MEETING ON JUNE 17TH, 2025.
[5. School Capital Project Funding. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R25-33 to authorize the issuance of a General Obligation School Bond of the County of York, Virginia, not to exceed $11,320,600, to be sold to the Virginia Public School Authority and providing for the form and details thereof.]
UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE SCHOOL CAPITAL BUDGET FUNDING.AND MS. OWENS, I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS JUNE WHAT? 17TH.
[02:00:01]
I FIGURED.UM, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS THROUGH THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL AUTHORITY BOND PROGRAM.
UM, THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPLEMENTING, UM, METHODS FOR FINANCING JUST FOR SCHOOL CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IT DOES PROVIDE FOR COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATES.
IT IS LESS, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN ON US.
IT IS A TAX EXEMPT FINANCING, UM, ISSUANCE AND, UM, THE CLOSING DATE TO GET THE PROCEEDS, UM, ON OR ARE AROUND MID-MAY.
SO THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE FINANCED BY THIS BOND ARE THE 2024 PROJECTS, WHICH ARE, UH, RENOVATING THE TAB MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, YORK MIDDLE SCHOOL TAB HIGH SCHOOL, YORK HIGH SCHOOL LOCKER ROOMS, UM, AND TEAM ROOMS REPLACING THE HVAC AT MOUNT VERNON AND TAB MIDDLE RENOVATING AND EXPANSION OF THE SEAFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF THAT THAT WAS GOING ON, UM, THE ROOF COATING AT BRUTON HIGH SCHOOL AND OF COURSE, MODULAR CLASSROOMS AT WATER MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S IT.
I'M, I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH SEAFORD ELEMENTARY, BUT SEAFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE BORROWED IN, UM, THIS IS THE, THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD.
IT WAS A 19 $20 MILLION PROJECT.
WE, WE BORROWED OVER THREE YEARS, BUT WE, BUT WE HAVEN'T FINISHED BUILDING YET.
OH, NO, WE FINISHED, WE FINISHED BUILDING IT.
THESE ARE 24 PROJECTS THAT, OH, THIS IS PAYING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE MOSTLY ACTUALLY, UM, COMPLETE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT NEW WORK.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO CARES TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT? SEE NONE.
I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MADAM CHAIR? I MOVE, UH, R 25 DASH 33.
ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, FULL CALL, PLEASE.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. ROY IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 33 TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF A GENERAL OBLIGATION SCHOOL BOND TO BE SOLD TO THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL AUTHORITY IN PROVIDING THE FORM AND DETAILS THEREOF.
[6. Application No. ZT-202-24, Large Passenger Vessels and Marina Regulations. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance Number 25-3 to amend various sections of the York County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 24.1, York County Code, to incorporate provisions concerning marinas, docks, and boating facilities.]
THE NEXT ITEM ON, ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, A MOTION ABOUT ORDINANCE 25 DASH THREE, WHICH CONCERNS LARGE PASSENGER VESSELS AND MARINE REGULATIONS.SO THIS APPLICATION IS A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE YORK COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE TO INCORPORATE PROVISIONS CONCERNING LARGE PASSENGER VESSELS.
THE AMENDMENTS WOULD ADD A DEFINITION FOR PASSENGER TENDER VESSELS, A FOOTNOTE TO THE TABLE OF LAND USES, AND WOULD AMEND THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE OR CLUB MARINAS, DOCKS AND VOTING FACILITIES.
I'M GONNA START BY GIVING YOU SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
THE YORKTOWN WATERFRONT IS AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR VISITORS TO THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE, AS EVIDENCED TO IN PART BY THE AMERICAN CRUISE LINES RIVERBOATS THAT HAVE VISITED THE COUNTY MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE PAST YEAR.
THESE SHIPS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL IN SIZE AT ABOUT 5,000 GROSS TONS AND CARRY BETWEEN 100 AND 200 PASSENGERS EACH IN 2022.
THE COUNTY ALSO RECEIVED A VISIT FROM A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL CRUISE SHIP NAMED THE WORLD, WHICH IS ABOUT 43,000 GROSS TONS IN SIZE AND CONTAINS 165 RESIDENCES.
HOUSING AND AVERAGE OF 200 PASSENGERS.
VISITS FROM SMALL CRUISE SHIPS HAVE OCCURRED FOR YEARS AND HAVE GENERALLY HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE COUNTY AND THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE AT LARGE.
AS MOST ARE PROBABLY AWARE, YORKTOWN WAS UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THE RECENT PAST AS A PORT OF CALL FOR MUCH LARGER CRUISE SHIPS.
COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING LARGE CRUISE SHIPS ANCHORING OFFSHORE AND UTILIZING TENDER BOATS FOR PASSENGER TRANSPORT TO SHORE GENERATED SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION REGARDING APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND REGULATIONS.
COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE CITED POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, UH, AND EFFECTS ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE COMMUNITY CHARACTER OF NOT JUST THE YORKTOWN VILLAGE, BUT TO OTHER LONGSTANDING MARITIME ORIENTED AREAS IN THE COUNTY.
WHILE THE CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE ADDRESSES VARIOUS WATER ORIENTED USES WITHIN THE COUNTY'S JURISDICTION, IT LACKS COMPREHENSIVE REGULATIONS FOR LARGE CRUISE SHIPS AND THEIR TENDER VESSELS.
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THE COUNTY CANNOT REGULATE VESSELS ANCHORING WITHIN THE WATERS OF THE YORK RIVER OR ITS TITLE TRIBUTARIES, THE ZONING ORDINANCE CAN OUTLINE REGULATIONS FOR SHORE FACILITIES THAT WOULD RECEIVE THESE LARGE SHIPS OR THEIR TENDER VESSELS.SO NOW LET'S MOVE INTO STOPS, CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.
THE OCEANS OF THE UNITED STATES ARE GOVERNED BY A VARIETY OF FEDERAL LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND AGENCIES.
THE AUTHORITY OF VIRGINIA AND ITS LOCALITIES IS LIMITED TO REGULATE MARITIME TRAFFIC.
IN VIRGINIA, WATER DEPENDENT FACILITIES ARE PRIMARILY REGULATED THROUGH A MULTILAYERED SYSTEM.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE VIRGINIA MARINE RESOURCES COMMISSION OR VMRC HAS AUTHORITY OVER SUBMERGED LANDS OR BOTTOM LANDS.
AND THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, OR DEQ HAS AUTHORITY OVER WATER QUALITY.
THE VMRC, AND IN CERTAIN CASES, DEQ MUST PERMIT ANY STRUCTURE OR ACTIVITY THAT ENCROACHES ON STATE OWNED BOTTOM LANDS, INCLUDING DOCKING FACILITIES.
THIS INTERSECTS WITH FEDERAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY THROUGH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE US COAST GUARD, AS WELL AS LOCAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY THROUGH WETLANDS BOARDS, RIP AREA AND RIGHTS AND ZONING OF COASTAL AREAS.
THERE ARE A FEW PLACES IN THE COUNTY.
UH, THERE ARE FEW PLACES IN THE COUNTY SUITABLE FOR LARGE CRUISE SHIPS TO DOCK DIRECTLY GIVEN THEIR SIZE.
WHILE THE YORKTOWN WATERFRONT IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION FOR A CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL, OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY SUCH AS THE PLAINS MARKETING AND DOMINION ENERGY PROPERTIES IN DANDY COULD POSSIBLY BE SUITABLE FOR A TERMINAL IF THEY EVER BECAME AVAILABLE FOR THAT PURPOSE.
HOWEVER, GIVEN THE LOCAL LIKELIHOOD OF THAT SCENARIO, STAFF EXAMINED LOCATIONS WHERE CRUISE SHIP TENDER VESSELS COULD DOCK AND UNLOAD.
THESE LOCATIONS ARE ALSO FAIRLY LIMITED GIVEN THE SIZE AND DOCKING REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSENGER TENDERS.
THE WATER ORIENTED COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL OR WCI LIMITED INDUSTRIAL OR IL AND GENERAL INDUSTRIAL OR IG ZONING DISTRICTS ALLOW FOR COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE MARINAS AS A BUY RIGHT USE.
MOST WCI ZONED PROPERTY IS ALREADY DEVELOPED WITH EXISTING MARINAS AND OTHER WATER ORIENTED BUSINESSES.
THE ONLY INDUSTRIALLY ZONED WATERFRONT PROPERTY IS OWNED BY DOMINION ENERGY PLANES MARKETING AND HRSD, NONE OF WHICH HAVE INDICATED THEY HAVE ANY PLANS TO BE REDEVELOPED WITH MARINA FACILITIES.
HOWEVER, SOME OF THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE MARINA PROPERTIES, IF THEY WERE SO INCLINED, COULD CONSTRUCT DOCKING FACILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE PASSENGER TENDER VESSELS FOR CRUISE SHIPS.
A LARGE SCALE PASSENGER DISEMBARKATION OPERATION AT AN EXISTING MARINA FACILITY COULD HAVE A NUMBER OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
THE COUNTY'S RECREATIONAL AND WORKING MARINAS NESTLED WITHIN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN SEAFORD, DARE AND DANDY HAVE HISTORICALLY BALANCED SMALLER SCALE COMMERCIAL MARITIME OPERATIONS WITH RESIDENTIAL USES THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRAFFIC IMPACTS FROM LARGE PASSENGER VESSELS OR THEIR TENDER TENDER VESSELS, AND THEIR ASSOCIATED SHORESIDE FACILITIES MUST BE CAREFULLY MANAGED.
THEREFORE, AN EFFECTIVE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK SHOULD BEGIN WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR MARINAS SERVING LARGE PASSENGER VESSELS AND OR THEIR TENDER BOATS.
THIS ALLOWS THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER THE PROPOSED USE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS WHILE GIVING THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
STAFF CONDUCTED THOROUGH RESEARCH OF PLANNING AND ZONING ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH DOCKING FACILITIES FOR LARGE CRUISE SHIPS AND TERMINALS BY SERVING AVAILABLE LITERATURE AND REVIEWING LOCAL REGULATORY ORDINANCES.
THE CITIES OF NORFOLK AND VIRGINIA BEACH PROVIDE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR CRUISE SHIP TERMINALS OR DOCKING FACILITIES FOR LARGE PASSENGER SHIPS IN THEIR ZONING ORDINANCES.
IN ADDITION, THE CITIES OF NEWPORT NEWS HAMPTON AND SUFFOLK CONTAIN SECTIONS IN THEIR MUNICIPAL CODES THAT SPECIFICALLY REGULATE BOATS, WATERWAYS, AND OR BEACHES TO THE EXTENT AUTHORIZED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT OUTSIDE OF THE COMMONWEALTH LARGE LOCALITIES SUCH AS THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA HAVE EXISTING WATERFRONT, UM, URBAN WATERFRONTS AND PORT AUTHORITIES, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME, AND PORT FACILITIES THAT INCLUDE, UH, CRUISE SHIP TERMINALS THAT ARE SEPARATELY REGULATED BY THEIR PORT AUTHORITIES.
THERE ARE SMALLER LOCALITIES LIKE THE CITY OF SHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN AND THE TOWN OF BAR HARBOR, MAINE THAT REGULATE LARGE VESSEL TERMINALS THROUGH ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
BAR HARBOR MOST CLOSELY MIRRORS YORK COUNTY WITH ITS SMALLER HISTORIC WATERFRONT AND ADJACENCY TO FEDERAL LAND BAR HARBOR AND SHEBOYGAN SHARE A COMMONALITY AND THAT THEY CONTAIN REGULATIONS FOR LARGE PASSENGER, I'M SORRY, LARGE VESSEL DOCKING FACILITIES ALLOWED BY RIGHT OR CONDITIONALLY.
IN SPECIAL WATERFRONT DISTRICTS, NONE OF THE LOCALITY ZONING CODES CONTAIN SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR TENDER VESSELS.
THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE MARINAS ARE PROVIDED IN SECTIONS 24.1 DASH 4 62 AND 4 63.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THESE SECTIONS WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR ANY MARINA DOCK OR BOATING FACILITY THAT WOULD SERVE VESSELS PERMITTED TO CARRY MORE THAN 400 PASSENGERS AND OR THEIR
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PASSENGER TENDER BOATS.A HIGH VOLUME OF PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING FROM LARGER VESSELS COULD BE DISRUPTIVE, ESPECIALLY AT A COMMERCIAL OR PRIVATE MARINA WITHIN THE COUNTY'S RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
THEREFORE, IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS WILL BE REQUIRED WITH AN APPLICATION.
THE PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT REQUIRES, UH, SEVERAL OTHER SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN, A DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED PASSENGER CAPACITY OF VESSELS TO BE SERVED, HOURS OF OPERATION, AND A SKETCH PLAN SHOWING PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROPERTY.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ALSO NOTE THAT THE BOARD MAY IMPOSE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL ON ANY APPLICANT.
ADDITIONALLY, A NEW DEFINITION HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR PASSENGER TENDER VESSEL IN SECTION 24.1 DASH 1 0 4.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO READ THAT.
AND A FOOTNOTE HAS BEEN ADDED TO SECTION 24.1 DASH 3 0 6 CATEGORY NINE THAT DIRECTS CITIZENS TO SECTIONS 24.1 DASH 4 62 AND 4 63.
SO MOVING INTO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, THE COUNTY'S WATERFRONTS ARE, UH, AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR SMALL CRUISE SHIPS LIKE PA LIKE RIVERBOATS, WHICH HAVE, UH, BEEN ESPECIALLY POPULAR AT THE YORKTOWN PIERS.
VISITS FROM THESE VESSELS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN POSITIVE.
HOWEVER, THE COMMUNITY HAS RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT LARGER CRUISE SHIPS, POTENTIALLY DOCKING AND UNLOADING LARGE VOLUMES OF PASSENGERS AT THE VILLAGE WATERFRONT OR OTHER MARINAS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
GIVEN THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS INFRASTRUCTURE STRAIN AND DISRUPTION TO NEARBY RESIDENCES, THE PROPOSED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE MARINAS OR DOCKING FACILITIES SERVING LARGE CRUISE SHIPS AND THEIR PASSENGER TENDER VESSELS.
AS SUCH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WOULD ENSURE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WOULD HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS TO REVIEW SHORT SIDE FACILITIES PROPOSED TO RECEIVE LARGE VOLUMES OF CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS TO ENSURE THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS APPLICATION THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH THREE.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERED THIS APPLICATION AT ITS DECEMBER 11TH, 2024 MEETING AND VOTED FIVE TO ONE TO RECOMMEND DENIAL WITH MR. TITUS DISSENTING AND MR. KING ABSENT.
SO THANK YOU AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? WOULD YOU HAVE SOME STATEMENTS? UH, YEAH, AND I'LL TRY NOT TO GET THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND SAY MY COMMENTS FOR LATER AND JUST ASK A QUESTION AT THIS TIME.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, VERY GOOD JOB ON THE PRESENTATION.
UM, SO I NOTICED THE, THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN TODAY COVERS ILIG AND WCI ZONE AREAS.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? WHAT IT COVERS CURRENTLY, BEFORE YOU ADOPT THIS, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED? YOU, YOU HAD IT UP ONE OF YOUR CHARTS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I GOT THAT RIGHT.
SO YEAH, IT WAS, YEAH, WCI, IIL AND IG.
SO DOES THAT MEAN, ALRIGHT, SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE ONLY PLACE THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE PERMITTED THROUGH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ARE THOSE THREE ZONE OF DESIGNATION.
ALL THE OTHER DE ZONE OF DESIGNATIONS IS NOT PERMITTED.
SO IF A RESIDENTIAL HOME AS A NICE PEER AND WANTS TO SAY, HEY, YOU CAN USE MY PEER AS A TENDER, THAT'S NOT EVEN AN OPTION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON NOW FOR A LONG TIME, AND THAT'S, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'RE COMING TO SOME AGREEMENT ON THIS.
UM, MY FEELING IS ON THIS IS WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING AND THIS IS A GOOD STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO DO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UM, SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY IT'S NOT FAR ENOUGH.
IS THAT A QUESTION? I'M QUESTION PERIOD.
I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION? THAT'S MY COMMENTS.
NO, MR. SHEPHERD, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTION FOR STAFF UNLESS OKAY.
THEN I'LL KNOW SOMEBODY'S GONNA ASK, UH, THE ATTORNEY TO, TO REINFORCE.
DO YOU WANNA DO THAT NOW OR DO YOU WANT ME TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN DO IT AFTERWARDS? PROBABLY TO DO IT BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PROBABLY NEEDS TO DO IT BEFORE PEOPLE COME UP AND START TALKING ABOUT IS DOING STUFF.
BUT, UH, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, YOU HAVE SOME COMMENTS TO MAKE.
I I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE OFTEN COMPARED TO BAR HARBOR, MAINE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN BAR HARBOR AND IN FACT, MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE LISTED AND VIRGINIA.
UM, PRIMARILY THE FACT THAT VIRGINIA IS A VERY SOLID DI RULE STATE, WHICH MEANS WE ARE NOT PERMITTED TO REGULATE
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OR DO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.UH, AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO FEDERAL STATUTES AND FEDERAL RULES THAT PREEMPT OUR ABILITY TO, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO STOP A LARGE, ANY SHIP FROM COMING INTO THE YORK RIVER AND FROM DOCKING SOMEWHERE OFFSHORE FROM YORK COUNTY.
THAT'S NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
UH, AND EVEN IF WE TRIED, IT WOULD BE PREEMPTED BY FEDERAL LAW.
THAT'S THE PROVINCE OF THE COAST GUARD.
SO THE POWERS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ABILITY TO REGULATE IN THIS AREA PRIMARILY LIE WITHIN OUR POWER OVER LAND USE, WHICH IS WHAT ZONING AMENDMENTS AND ZONING PROVISIONS ARE DESIGNED TO DO.
AND THESE, UH, AMENDMENTS IN THIS PROPOSAL IS CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNTY HAS CONTROL OVER THE LAND USE CONTROL OVER THEIR PROPOSALS AND THE ABILITY TO SAY NO, UM, AND ESSENTIALLY HAS PUT THE BRAKES ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE LARGER THAN, UH, A, A SERVING A SHIP LARGER THAN 400 PASSENGERS.
AND I, I BELIEVE AS INDICATED, THE 400 PASSENGER LIMITATION WAS PICKED AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE WE ALREADY PERMIT SMALLER CRUISE SHIPS OF THAT AT BELOW THAT CAPACITY TO UTILIZE, UH, COUNTY FACILITIES.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, WE ARE VERY CONSTRAINED IN WHAT WE CAN DO, AND WE ARE VERY LIMITED IN THE POWERS THAT WE HAVE, AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO REGULATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT STATE LAW AND WHAT FEDERAL LAW ALLOWS US TO DO.
AND SO THOSE WOULD BE THE, THE COMMENTS AND THE POINTS THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE.
I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW, AND THE FIRST PERSON, 1, 1 1 SECOND.
DO YOU WANNA COMMENT? BUT, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAY ON TOP OF OUR HARBOR CASE AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE CURRENT WITH THEIR LEGISLATION AND, AND THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, MR. ROY.
THE, THE, THE TOWN OF BAR HARBOR DID IMPOSE BY CITIZEN REFERENDUM A 1000 PER DAY LIMITATION ON THEIR CRUISE TRAFFIC THAT LED THAT PROPOSAL WAS, WAS, UH, IS, IS IN FEDERAL COURT AND IS, AND HAS BEEN, UH, UH, OPPOSED BY MANY OF THE BUSINESS INTERESTS AND THE TENDER BOAT DRIVERS WITHIN THAT AREA.
AND IT HAS NOW WORKED ITS WAY UP TO THE COURT OF APPEALS WHERE WE MAY GET AN ANSWER AT SOME POINT AS TO AS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT THEY CAN'T DO.
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE DISPUTE THAT IT IS POTENTIALLY HEADED TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THAT COULD BE A LENGTHY PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THAT OUR, OUR PROPOSALS PUT US WELL WITHIN THE LIMITS OF VIRGINIA LAW AND WELL WITHIN THE, THE CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS THAT ARE AT ISSUE IN THAT CASE.
I'VE OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE FIRST PERSON I HAVE TO SPEAK IS ROBERT HUDSON.
MR. HUDSON, YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES.
BOB HUDSON, 2 0 7 NELSON STREET.
THANK YOU FOR WORKING TO RESTRICT CRUISE SHIPS FROM YORK COUNTY.
THE SPECIAL PERMIT PROCESS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT I PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE.
THE SPECIAL PERMIT PERMIT PROCESS IS, IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT I THINK THE LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE STRENGTHENED AND A MORE PERMANENT PROHIBITION NEEDS TO BE PURSUED.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES A PLAN IDENTIFYING ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.
IN MY OPINION, THIS IS EXCEEDINGLY WEAK LANGUAGE.
I RECOMMEND REQUIRING AN INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
AND THERE'S GOOD REASON FOR THIS CHANGE.
FIRST, WITHOUT KNOWING THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT ALLOWING PERMITS FOR THESE LARGE SHIPS.
AND SECOND, IT NEEDS TO BE INDEPENDENT BECAUSE THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT THE CRUISE INDUSTRY HAS FUNDED STUDIES THAT ARE INACCURATE AND HAVE BEEN BEEN REJECTED BY RULE RULEMAKING.
BODIES LIKE THE IMOI CAN PROVIDE DETAILS IF SO DESIRED.
THERE ARE GOOD REASONS TO IMPLEMENT A CRUISE SHIP PROHIBITION.
OVER 7,900 PEOPLE SIGNED A PETITION ASKING TO STOP CRUISE SHIPS IN YORKTOWN.
THE MAJORITY OF THE YORK COUNTY COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSIONERS STATED THAT A PROHIBITION WAS NEEDED.
THE INDUSTRY HAS A TRACK RECORD OF OVERT TOURISM IN SMALL COMMUNITIES LIKE YORKTOWN.
THEY HAVE AN ABYSMAL POLLUTION RECORD, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT UNLAWFUL VIOLATIONS.
THE POLLUTION IMPACTS PUBLIC HEALTH, MARINE LIFE, AND THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY.
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INFLATED ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT ARE NOT REALIZED.THEY FLY FOREIGN FLAGS, UM, THAT THEY LEVERAGE US INFRASTRUCTURE AND DON'T PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES.
AND THEY HAVE A POWERFUL LOBBY WITH DEEP POCKETS, AND THEY CAN USE THAT TO INFLUENCE, UH, PUBLIC OPINION AND PUBLIC OUTCRY.
THEY'VE DONE THAT IN OTHER, UH, LOCALITIES.
THESE ARE, THESE STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM THE CRUISE INDUSTRY'S BEHAVIOR AND RESEARCH STUDIES.
I'VE SENT THE BOARD MEMBERS AN EMAIL WITH A LINK TO THE REPORT, A CASE AGAINST THE CRUISE INDUSTRY EXPANSION IN VIRGINIA.
IT CAN ALSO BE FOUND@PROTECT-VIRGINIA.ORG.
THE REPORT CITES AMPLE EVIDENCE AS TO WHY THIS INDUSTRY IS NOT RIGHT FOR US AND WHY STRONGER MEASURES ARE WARRANT.
HERE'S A COPY OF THE REPORT RECORD.
MY NAME IS ELIZABETH WILKINS, 2 28 CHURCH STREET HERE IN YORKTOWN.
I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING UP THE ISSUE OF TRYING TO RESTRICT LARGE CRUISE SHIPS IN YORK COUNTY, BUT I'M STILL SKEPTICAL OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AS A SHORT TERM CHECK ON THE CRUISE INDUSTRIES.
LUST FOR YORKTOWN, OF COURSE, AS A GATEWAY TO WILLIAMSBURG.
AND I'M STILL CURIOUS, UM, AS TO THE RATE OF DENIAL FOR SUVS IN YORK COUNTY SINCE I THINK THIS ONE WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST IN SHORT ORDER.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, WHATEVER MONETARY COST IS ATTACHED TO SUCH AN APPLICATION IN TERMS OF COMPLIANCE, LOBBYING AND PR, IT WILL BE PEANUTS FOR THE LIKES OF PRINCESS.
WE KNOW THIS, YOU KNOW THIS, AND OUR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS APPARENTLY HAD THE SAME CONCERNS WHEN THEY VOTED NO ON THE RESOLUTION IN DECEMBER.
FINANCIAL SHINY OBJECTS WILL BE DANGLED IN FRONT OF US YET AGAIN, ALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WILL BE WAVED AWAY.
TRAFFIC ISSUES WILL BE MINIMIZED AND SO ON UNTIL THEY GET THEIR WAY.
AS AN INDUSTRY, THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO PLAY THE LONG GAME IN ORDER TO WEAR OUT ANY OPPOSITION OR CLEAR BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES.
AND ON THE SUBJECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH THE EFFORT TO REVISIT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE REQUIRING MERELY AN ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN PRODUCED BY THE APPLICANT.
CRUISE LINE IS OBVIOUSLY INADEQUATE.
THESE COMPANIES HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
THEY COULDN'T GREENWASH OUT OF EXISTENCE.
ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY WOULD NEED TO BE INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED AND REVIEWED.
AND IN THE ORDINANCE, THERE'S NO DETAIL ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF SUCH A REQUIREMENT.
WOULD IT APPLY ONLY TO THE DIOXIDE ENVIRONMENT AND THE VESSEL TENDERS OR TO THE LARGE VESSEL ITSELF? AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A STUDY EXAMINING ONLY THE IMPACT OF THE TENDER VESSELS IN SEQUENCE WOULD BE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN ONE THAT LOOKED AT THE IMPACT OF A 900 FOOT VESSEL RUNNING ITS ENGINES 24 7 IN THE YORK RIVER.
IN CONCLUSION, THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN IS A MERE FINGER IN THE D**E APPROACH.
IT, IT SHOULD AT VERY LEAST, REQUIRE MORE MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT CLEARLY PROVIDES FOR A FUTURE PROHIBITION ON LARGE OCEANGOING CRUISE SHIPS.
OTHERWISE, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS WAS NEVER A CONSIDERATION, AND YET IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR ALL ALONG.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
ALSO, UM, YOU'VE ALL HEARD FROM YORK COUNTY CITIZENS AT MANY PAST PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT THEY EMBRACE CRUISE SHIP TOURISM AT THE APPROPRIATE SCALE AS EXEMPLIFIED BY AMERICAN CRUISE LINES.
YOU'VE ALSO REPEATEDLY HEARD OVER A YEAR FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, REQUESTS OF THIS BOARD TO IMPOSE AN ORDINANCE THAT PERMANENTLY RESTRICTS MASSIVE FOREIGN FLAGGED OCEANGOING CRUISE SHIPS FROM THE COUNTY.
THE CURRENT OPTION BEING DELIBERATED IS NOT UNEQUIVOCALLY ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL.
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AT THE WHIM OF THIS AND ANY FUTURE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I SEE THIS AS SIDESTEPPING.WHAT WE WERE TOLD FROM THE BEGINNING, NAMELY THAT MR. HILL WOULD LOOK INTO ESTABLISHING AN ACTUAL BAN ON LARGE CRUISE SHIPS, A PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
IT SHOULD BE TEMPORARY BECAUSE IT LEAVES CITIZENS FACING A LOOPHOLE THAT STILL ALLOWS THE PRESENCE OF THESE MASSIVE HIGHLY POLLUTING SHIPS THAT WOULD OR OVERWHELM HISTORIC, THE HISTORIC YORKTOWN VILLAGE.
I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS OVER THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY BY CRUISE SHIP COMPANIES FOR CREATING A PORT OF CALL, WHICH I CONSIDER REALISTIC, UH, POSSIBILITY.
EVEN THOUGH YOU HEARD FROM STAFF TODAY THAT IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY, UNLIKE, UNLIKELY, IN MY OPINION, ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
THIS OPTION HAS TREMENDOUS APPEAL BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY TO HIS, THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE ATTRACTIONS.
IF THAT HAPPENS, THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE LITTLE CONTROL AFTER THE FACT AND ONCE ESTABLISHED WOULD BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RID OF THEM.
I FEEL THAT THAT'S URGENT FOR THIS BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD SOON WITH A WRITTEN COMMITMENT TO PASS AN ORDINANCE RESTRICTING OCEAN GOING CRUISE VESSELS FROM THE COUNTY.
THIS COULD VERY EASILY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY APPROVING A LAND-BASED DISEMBARKATION ORDINANCE, RESTRICTING THE DAILY NUMBER OF PASSENGERS TO NO MORE THAN 400 AS WAS ALREADY MENTIONED.
YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT SUCH AN ORDINANCE.
PLEASE DO SO WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY.
I THINK TRYING TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD EVERY TIME A CRUISE SHIP VISITS IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS, IS A BURDEN ON THE, ON THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY AS WELL AS ON YOU ALL.
SO PLEASE, UH, CONSIDER A MORE EXPEDIENT WAY TO KEEP THESE CRUISE SHIPS FROM COMING TO YORKTOWN.
WELL, I GET THAT RIGHT, LARRY HEL.
I LIVE AT 1 1 4 CHURCH STREET, IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT HERE.
YES, MADAM CHAIRMAN, SUPERVISORS, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME TO THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, SERIOUS CONCERN YOU'RE GIVEN.
THE ISSUE AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK, INCLUDING MR. HILL THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO TRYING TO SORT OUT HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.
CLEARLY 7,900 SIGNATURES ON THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSITION THAT WAS OUT THERE SAYING, DON'T DO THIS, UM, AND MANY MORE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, I DO BELIEVE, UH, IT'S A MORE COMPLEX ISSUE THAN I REALIZED.
UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD FIRST STEP.
BUT AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY, AND YOU YOURSELVES HAVE SAID, WE'VE GOTTA KEEP GOING.
IF YOU ADOPT A RESOLUTION, YOU'VE STILL GOTTA KEEP GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, TO STOP THIS THING.
UM, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING THAT SAYS IT'S GOOD FOR YORK COUNTY.
UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD, IN FACT SAID IT WASN'T GONNA BE THAT LUCRATIVE FOR US.
WILLIAMSBURG IS WHERE ALL THE MONEY'S GONNA GO.
THESE FOLKS, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN GAMBLING, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN MONEY.
UM, THESE ARE NOT HISTORY FOLKS, OKAY? THESE ARE NOT ADVENTURE FOLKS.
THESE ARE PARTY BOATS COMING IN HERE AND THEY WANNA HAVE A PORT OF CALL THAT SOME FOLKS WILL LIKE THE HISTORY, NORFOLK HAS THAT FACILITY.
WE TRAVEL THROUGH THAT TUNNEL.
WE PEOPLE TRAVEL THROUGH THAT TUNNEL EVERY DAY, GOING TO WORK BACK AND FORTH.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY PEOPLE ON THOSE SHIPS CAN'T BE BROUGHT OVER HERE IF THEY WANT TO COVER THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE.
UM, SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES THEY'RE GONNA COME UP WITH.
I JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, PUT IN WHATEVER THE STRICTEST, YOU KNOW, LIMITATIONS ARE THAT YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S REALLY WHAT THE PEOPLE OF YORKTOWN WANT.
AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORKING ON IT AND YOUR, UH, CONTINUED, UM, LEARNING ABOUT THE SITUATION AND MOVING FORWARD, TRYING TO STOP THIS.
UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD CARE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? C NONE.
AND WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? THIS ORDINANCE 25 DASH 3 29.
YEAH, WE SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSION.
SO, UM, WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO LEARN AS MUCH ABOUT MARITIME LAW AS I WOULD'VE EXPECTED WHEN I STARTED HERE IN, BACK IN 2020.
BUT I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL.
UM, IT'S PROBABLY STILL A GREAT DEAL MORE TO GO.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN ONE OF THE SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS I'VE
[02:30:01]
HAD WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ABOUT THIS TOPIC, I, I LEARNED THAT IF A SHIP WERE TO SHOW UP IN, IN YORK RIVER AND THEY WANTED THEIR, UM, CREW TO COME ON SHORE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THIS ORDINANCE SAYS, OR ANY, ANY ORDINANCE WE COULD PUT, PUT OUT, WE'D HAVE TO LET THEM, UM, ACCESS TO OUR PEERS.THAT'S CORRECT FOR, FOR SEA CREW, CREW MEMBERS, SEAFARERS ARE PROTECTED BY FEDERAL LAW, NOT NECESSARILY.
SO A LARGE PASSENGER CRUISE SHIP COULD SHOW UP HERE AND NOT DISEMBARK PASSENGERS, BUT THEY COULD DISEMBARK, SEAFARERS.
AND ALSO LEARN THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE IN A BIT OF A BOX HERE, WHAT WE CAN AND WHAT WE CAN'T DO.
UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN MANY, A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON JUST OUTRIGHT BANNING CRUISE SHIPS.
AND BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR, THAT IS JUST NOT IN THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE AS A COUNTY CAN DO BASED ON STATE AND FEDERAL LAW.
UM, AS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE PRESENTATION, WE CAN'T STOP ANY SHIP COMING DOWN THE YORK RIVER.
CONCEIVABLY A LARGE CARGO SHIP COULD COME AND DOCK A HUNDRED YARDS OFF THE PIER AND THERE'S NOTHING YORK COUNTY COULD DO ABOUT IT.
NOT THAT THEY WOULD, BUT IT'S, THERE'S NOT OUR WARD TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT.
SO WE NEED TO DRAW BACK, LOOK AT IT FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE AS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY SAID, AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO FROM THERE.
AND THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NOTHING IN THE COUNTY CODE THAT ADDRESSES LARGE PASSENGER VEHICLES.
IF ONE SHOWED UP TOMORROW AND SAID, I GOT 2000 PEOPLE, I WANNA DISEMBARK, WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORK WITH.
THERE MAY BE MORE WE CAN DO, THERE PROBABLY IS MORE THAT WE CAN DO, BUT WHAT I DON'T WANNA DO IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PERFECT SOLUTION DOWN THE ROAD AND DO NOTHING NOW, STEP AT A TIME.
I THINK IT WAS, UM, PATTEN SAID, A A GOOD PLAN VOLUNTARILY EXECUTED TODAY IS BETTER THAN A PERFECT PLAN A WEEK FROM NOW.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, WHAT WE HAVE PROPOSE RIGHT NOW, AND WE CAN ALWAYS CONTINUE GOING FURTHER AS WE FIGURE OUT AND LEARN MORE AS WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT, AT BAR HARBOR AND OTHER LOCATIONS, WHAT LEEWAY WE HAVE.
BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP, AND THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU SAY? I DO.
AND I, I'D LIKE MR. HILL'S, UH, OPINION PLEASE.
UM, REGARDING THE COMMENT THAT CONTINUES TO COME UP ON ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE, ARE WE ABLE TO ESTABLISH OR SET ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITS ON A PASSENGER SHIP COMING INTO YOUR QUARTERS? I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THAT POWER CORRECT.
WE, WE CAN CONSIDER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF LAND USE USE, BUT IT HAS TO BE FOCUSED ON LAND USE WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION WAS ON THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
UM, I GUESS IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO BE, TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN OUR ORDINANCE.
UM, NOT THAT WE WOULD WANT TO APPLY A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, BUT TO AVOID, UH, LITIGATION, UH, AGAINST US THAT WOULD LIKELY, UM, MAKE THIS ORDINANCE, UH, IN INVALID.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT ASSUMPTION? I THINK I'LL NOT COMMENT ON THAT PUBLICLY.
BUT I WILL NOTE THAT YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS.
IF YOU WANTED TO NOT DO THAT, YOU COULD LIMIT IT TO ANY NUMBER.
MR. JOY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SAY THAT LAST PART AGAIN, RICHARD, IF YOU WOULD, YOU COULD SET A, YOU COULD SET AN UPPER LIMIT OR A BOUNDARY OF A CERTAIN NUMBER AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT PERMITTED TO HAVE ANY NUMBER ABOVE THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY, FOR INSTANCE, IN, IN THE EVENTUALITY THAT YOU'RE NOT FACTORING SOMETHING IN.
SO FOR INSTANCE, NEXT YEAR FOR THE, UM, 200, 250TH ANNIVERSARY FOR THE 250TH CELEBRATION OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THERE MIGHT BE A CONTINGENCY THERE THAT COMES UP.
AND HAVING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ALLOWS YOU SOME FLEXIBILITY TO ADDRESS SITUATIONS AND ALSO TO ADDRESS UNKNOWN CONTINGENCIES.
BUT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WOULD REQUIRE THE BOARD TO GRANT IT.
AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THE, THAT THAT THIS BOARD OR ANY BOARD WOULD EVER DO THAT.
AND I WOULD NOTE ALSO THAT EVEN IF YOU TOOK OUT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS, A FUTURE BOARD COULD COME IN AND NOT ONLY REPEAL THAT, BUT COULD REPEAL ANY LIMITATIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT WHY WE SET A PRECEDENT NOW AND NOT WAIT FOR SOMETHING LATER ON.
WELL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK AS IT GOES, I'LL JUST FINISH UP.
I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, UH, PROPOSAL.
I ONLY NEED, I, I I THINK WE, UM, CONTINUE TO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS AROUND US, INCLUDING THE BAR HARBOR CASE, AND JUST SEE IF THERE'S OTHER AVENUES THAT WE COULD INTRODUCE
[02:35:01]
IN FUTURE.AND, UH, WHO WAS GOING WELL? MY, MY COMMENTS I DIDN'T GET TO, I STARTED EARLIER IN THE QUESTION AND ANSWER, AND SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M OF THE, UH, INTENT AT THIS POINT THAT WE'VE GOT TO PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE.
UH, I, I THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING SOONER THAN LATER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR, FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS NOW.
AND, UH, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, HAS GOT THE LIMITATION TO KEEP THESE LARGE SHIPS, UH, OUT OF YORKTOWN.
I THINK, NOT SPEAKING FOR THE BOARD, BUT I THINK MOSTLY THE BOARD IS NOT AGREEABLE TO BRINGING IN LARGE MEGA CRUISE SHIPS TO YORKTOWN.
IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE FOR OUR TOWN FOR MANY REASONS, PERHAPS.
AND EVERYBODY MAY HAVE THEIR OWN DIFFERENT DIFFERENCES OF REASONS.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT AT THIS POINT, THIS, AS SOMEBODY SAID, YOU KNOW, DOUG OR STEVEN OR SOMEBODY SAID THAT THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT AND I'M GONNA SUPPORT THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS DOUG JUST SAID, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH BARR HARBOR.
AND THEN AS WE SEE THAT UNFOLD, THEN WE CAN ALSO COME BACK AND ADDRESS THIS, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
YES, AS A EXAMPLE, I JUST WANNA THANK THE PEOPLE FOR P YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY FOR, UH, UH, TAKING THE EFFORT.
THIS IS SAD THAT, THAT IT HAD TO COME OUT THIS WAY.
I MEAN, WE, WE GOT, WE KIND OF GOT BLINDSIDED BY THE WHOLE THING WHEN IT SHOWED UP.
UH, IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED ANY BETTER, BUT OVER THE TIME THIS THINGS PERCOLATED FOR QUITE A BIT.
I THINK STAFF'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY COULD DO.
THE, OUR, UH, OUR ATTORNEY HAS GIVEN US THE BEST LEGAL ADVICE HE CAN GIVE US ON THIS.
THERE ARE THINGS I THINK THAT POSSIBLY THAT WE COULD LOOK AT ADDRESSING WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO SEE IF THERE'S THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WOULD GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO DO STUFF.
UM, WE COULD TALK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, GET OUR, UH, ELL TO MAYBE PASS A BILL OR SOMETHING IN CONGRESS THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME SPECIAL AUTHORITY.
BUT I THINK WE'VE REACHED A POINT WHERE WE, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS AS FAR AS WE CAN GO, BUT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I CAN NEVER SAY NEVER.
SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYBODY.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH THREE TO AMEND VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE YORK COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE, CHAPTER 24.1 YORK COUNTY CODE TO INCORPORATE PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARINA'S, BOATS, AND VOTING MARINAS, DOCKS AND VOTING FACILITIES.
[7. York-Poquoson Boundary Line Adjustment. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R25- 29 to authorize the County Administrator to enter into an agreement with the City of Poquoson to adjust and relocate the common boundary line between the two jurisdictions in order to eliminate uncertainty as to the physical location of the boundary line and confusion in which locality certain property lies as specified in Virginia Code Section 15.2-3106 and to petition the Circuit Court for the County of York and City of Poquoson for approval of the change pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-31.07.]
OKAY.FINALLY, WE HAVE, UH, YORK COUNTY YORK, UH, POSA BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENT.
I BELIEVE OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S GONNA HANDLE THIS ONE.
THE, UM, I THINK AS YOU ALL RECALL, UM, NOT EVERYBODY WAS HERE ON THAT BOARD, BUT WE, BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2023, WE APPROVED A PROPOSED AGREEMENT TO ADJUST OUR COMMON BOUNDARY LINE WITH THE CITY OF POCOS.
AND THERE ARE PROPERTIES ALONG THAT, THAT LINE NOW THAT ARE SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO JURISDICTIONS.
AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR MANY YEARS TO TRY TO GET CLARITY AND CLARIFICATION ON, ON WHAT THAT IS AND WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO WE PASSED INITIALLY A BOUNDARY LINE ADJUSTMENT.
AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THE PROCESS REQUIRED US TO, UM, PETITION THE COURT AND COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL FIELD WORK.
AND WE DISCOVERED ALONG THE WAY WITH THE, UM, SURVEYORS THAT THERE WERE SOME TECHNICAL ERRORS IN THE SURVEYS THAT WE HAD, WE HAD BEEN USING.
AND SO RATHER THAN TRY TO FIX IT ON THE FLY, UH, THE BETTER PART OF VALOR IS TO SIMPLY HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPT THE PROPOSAL TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS, IS KOSHER.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY, IS TO DO THE, TO APPROVE THE, THE, THE AGREED UPON BOUNDARY LINE AND ALL OF THE MATERIALS SHOWING WHERE THOSE, THAT BOUNDARY LINE IS A COPY OF THE AGREEMENT ARE IN THE BOARD MATERIALS AND WERE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? YEAH, I, I HAVE A QUESTION.
HA HAS, HAS KOSSO VOTED ON THIS YET? THEY ARE.
THAT FOR US, THAT WILL BE HAPPENING MONDAY.
SO WHAT DO WE VOTE ONE WAY? THEY VOTE ANOTHER WAY?
[02:40:01]
SO THE NO, THE NO HAS IT NOT THE YAY ONE STEP AT A TIME.
THAT I WILL SAY THAT PCOS AND PREVIOUSLY THEIR, THEIR CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE THIS AGREEMENT BEFORE.
AND SO I HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND DOES THE NEW BINDER LINE COMPLETELY DO AWAY WITH THE SPLIT PROPERTY? DID WE YES.
I BELIEVE THAT THE, I, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO GET RID OF ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO JURISDICTIONS AND PUT THEM IN ONE OR THE OTHER.
AND I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT AS WAS THE CASE BEFORE, NOT MOST VIRTUALLY NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE THE PREVIOUS ONE, EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE MINOR TECHNICAL THINGS ON THE SURVEY WORK, UH, ON THE PLAT.
BUT THE, UM, THERE IS NO CHANGE OF RESIDENT.
NO PERSON IS BEING MOVED FROM ONE JURISDICTION TO THE OTHER WHERE THEY PHYSICALLY RESIDE.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN VOTERS, NO CHANGE IN LOCATION OF ANYBODY'S POLLING PLACE.
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE UNCHANGED.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S IN ALL CASES IT'S JUST, UH, ADDITIONAL PIECES OF PROPERTY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK IN THIS SUBJECT? SEE NONE.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WHAT'S THIS PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MADAM CHAIR? MADAM CHAIR, I PROPOSE, UH, RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 29.
ANY DISCUSSION? IF NO DISCUSSION, THEN ROLL CALL PLEASE.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. HOLROYD IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 29 TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF ACO TO ADJUST AND RELOCATE THE COMMON BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN THE TWO JURISDICTIONS.
AND FINALLY, ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR, WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS THE COUNTY CAPITAL PROJECT FUND, WHICH WE DID.
WE DID IT DURING THE FIRST HOUR.
[CLOSED MEETING]
NOW WE MOVE.SO I THINK AT THIS POINT, UH, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE US INTO CLOSED SESSION.
UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 22.2 DASH 3 71 11, A FIVE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONVENE AND CLOSE MEETING TO DISCUSS A PRO, UH, PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY, UH, OR EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY WHERE NO PREVIOUS, UH, ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE.
AND SECONDLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 71, UM, SORRY, 3 7 1 1 A SEVEN OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONVENE IN A CLOSED MEETING TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, CONSULTANTS, AND OR STAFF ON A MATTER OF ACTUAL LITIGATION IN WHICH THE COUNTY IS INVOLVED.
AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.