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GOOD EVENING,[Call to Order]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE MARCH 18TH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING.
DO I SAY PRESENT OR HERE?
MADAM CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HEATHER, FOR THE INDICATION TONIGHT.
PLEASED TO HAVE WITH US PASTOR ROBIN MUSCA FROM THE GRAFTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.
GRAFTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH HAS BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1834, AND SO IT'S AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING TONIGHT AS ONE OF THE MAINSTAYS IN OUR COUNTY AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE OPEN OURSELVES TO YOUR WILL AND TO YOUR ILLUMINATING PRESENCE.
WE PRAY TODAY THAT WE WILL BE READILY HERE TO RECEIVE YOUR WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT IN EACH AND EVERY DECISION THAT WILL BE MADE.
WE HUMBLY ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS FOR ANY ACTIONS OR OPINIONS THAT MAY NOT HAVE MATCHED YOUR DIVINE GUIDANCE.
WE ENTREAT YOU TO OPEN PATHS BEFORE US THAT LEAD TO YOUR OVERARCHING GRACE AND GOODNESS.
WE ASK FOR A BOUNTY OF BLESSINGS TO ENLIGHTEN AND ENGAGE US IN THE NEEDS AND REQUESTS OF OUR NEIGHBORS HERE IN YORK COUNTY, VIRGINIA.
WE ARE RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
WE ARE STUDENTS AND VISITORS AND CUSTOMERS.
WE ARE ABOVE ALL YOUR CHILDREN AND ARE IN PURSUIT OF RESOLUTIONS AND ENVISIONING THAT WILL PROTECT AND BENEFIT OUR LIVES IN THIS PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR PRAYERS EXTEND BEYOND THESE WALLS AS WE ASK FOR CARE AND LOVING KINDNESS FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE IN NEED.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE OUR FIRST AND SECOND RESPONDERS, FOR NOT ONLY OUR LOCAL LEADERSHIP, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO LEAD OUR COMMONWEALTH AND OUR NATION.
WE THANK YOU FOR HEARING AND ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
WE HAVE ABIGAIL SHELTON FROM THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN FUL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[1* Presentation of Service Recognition Pin*. o Major Thomas West, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office - 30 years]
TONIGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SERVICE RECOGNITION OF OF TOM THOMAS WEST, BUT IT'S BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL THE 15TH.[2* York County Youth Commission Quarterly Report. Receive a quarterly report from Cameron Thorson. ]
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A QUARTERLY REPORT.MY NAME IS CAMERON THORSON AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION PRESENTING TO YOU A REPORT ON OUR ACTIVITIES THIS QUARTER.
THE MOTTO OF THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION IS YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUTH COMMUNITY.
AS A COMMISSION, OUR GENERAL PURPOSE IS TO SERVE AS A COMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN THE YOUTH OF YORK COUNTY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF YORK COUNTY.
OUR PRIMARY, OUR PRIMARY GOALS ARE CENTERED AROUND SERVICE, PRIMARILY SERVICE TO OUR COMMUN COMMUNITY.
IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS OF COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT, WE ALSO CONDUCT STUDENT SURVEYS WITH THE INTENTION OF IMPROVING IMPROVEMENT IN STUDENT LIFE.
THIS QUARTER, WE HAD FOUR SEPARATE MEETINGS AND WE HAD SEVERAL GUEST SPEAKERS.
IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, WE HOSTED MR. STEVEN ROHN OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO GIVE THE MOST RECENT LESSONS OF HIS ONGOING LEADERSHIP LECTURES.
IN FEBRUARY, WE INVITED MR. DESHAUN WRIGHT TO SPEAK TO US ON HIS EXPERIENCES GROWING UP, WHAT HE HAS LEARNED OVER HIS MANY YEARS OF LIFE EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO KNOW YOUR INDIVIDUAL VALUE.
THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION ALSO HELD A FOOD DRIVE FOR THE THRIVE FOOD PANTRY.
WE COLLECTED CANNED GOODS AND OTHER NON-PERISHABLES TO HELP OUT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IN MARCH, WE VISITED THE YORK PECOS SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HAVE DR.
SHANDOR, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOLS, SPEAK TO US ON FURTHER KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH PUBLIC
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SAFETY AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS.WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR GUEST SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE VISITED SO FAR AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT GUESTS.
THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION HAS ALSO HELPED OUT AT SEVERAL MARKET DAYS.
THIS QUARTER WE ATTENDED TO HELP OUT THE MISSILE TOE MARKET, VALENTINE'S DAY MARKET, ST.
PATRICK'S MARKET, AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS.
THIS IS JUST A SMALL WAY WE CONTINUOUSLY HELP OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HELP WITH GIVEAWAYS, ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND ANYTHING ELSE AS NEEDED.
THE 2025 OUTSTANDING YOUTH AWARD APPLICANTS WERE DUE TO PARKS AND RECREATION OFFICE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH, 2025.
OUR SELECTION COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF TWO YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSIONERS, ONE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR AND ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MET LAST THURSDAY TO SELECT THIS YEAR'S WINNERS.
THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMING MONTHS AND WILL BE RECOGNIZED AT A FUTURE BOARD MEETING IN MAY.
THE 20 25, 20 26 YORK COUNTY YOUTH APPLIC YOUTH APPLICATIONS WILL BE DUE TO PARKS AND RECREATION OFFICE NEXT FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH, 2025.
THIS APPLICATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON YCS INSTAGRAM AND THE YORK YORK COUNTY BOARD'S COMMISSION PAGE.
OUR FUTURE PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING MONTHS INCLUDE CREATING AND SENDING STUDENT SURVEYS TO ALL OF YORK COUNTY'S HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
HOSTING OUR TOWN HALL MEETING NEXT MONTH AND WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND A AND SCHOOL BOARD ON ONGOING ISSUES.
THE YORK COUNTY YOUTH COMMISSION PLANS, PLANS TO PLAN AND COORDINATE A FIELD DAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
LOOKING TO BE SOMETIME IN MAY.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S WONDERFUL.
THAT'S QUICK
ANOTHER, ANOTHER STRONG YEAR WITH THE YOUTH COMMISSION.
I'VE BEEN SERVING WITH THEM FOR A WHILE AND I ALWAYS ENJOYED MY TIME WITH THEM.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING ANOTHER FANTASTIC JOB.
YOU GOT A LOT OF STUFF THAT YOU'VE DONE ACCOMPLISH SO FAR.
KNOW YOU GOT SOME MORE THINGS LINED UP AND FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE, WELL, TWO MORE MEETINGS BEFORE THIS COMMISSION'S OVER WITH.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, APPLICATIONS ARE BEING, UM, PICKED UP NOW FOR THE NEXT CLASS.
SO, AND I'LL TELL THIS TO THE TV AUDIENCE TOO, AS WELL AS EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM.
YOU HAVE KIDS, GRANDKIDS, YOU KNOW OF KIDS AND OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS.
AS YOU THINK, BE A GOOD, GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THE YOUTH COMMISSION, PLEASE ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO FILL THE FORMAT, GET IT SUBMITTED IN TIME.
'CAUSE WE WANNA BUILD UP ANOTHER STRONG CLASS NEXT YEAR.
YEAH, JUST A VERY QUICK COMMENT.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOOD DRIVES AND MARKET DAY, UH, HELP OUT.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE ALL GREAT INITIATIVES WITHIN THIS COUNTY AND, UH, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND I THINK, UH, A LARGE PORTION OF THIS COUNTY IS VERY APPRECIATIVE AS WELL.
YEAH, I JUST ECHO THE SAME THING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT IN THE EXTRA HOURS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO DO.
GOING TO SCHOOL AND HOMEWORK AND SPORTS AND FAMILY AND ALL THAT STUFF.
KEEP IT UP TO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT, YEAH, I WAS JUST, UH, I WAS TALKING TO, UM, MR. ROH HERE ABOUT THE SURVEYS AND STUFF.
UH, I I, SORRY, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THE SURVEY.
DID YOU GUYS DO THE SURVEY ALREADY? NO, I PROBABLY, OH, TO THE MIC, MIKE.
SO I'M IN CHARGE OF STUDENT RELATIONS
SO WE'RE THE ONES DOING THE SURVEY BECAUSE OF TOWN HALL.
WE HAD TO PUSH BACK OUR STUDENT SURVEY AS WE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TOO MANY SURVEYS IN A ROW BECAUSE WE FELT LIKE MOST STUDENTS WOULDN'T ANSWER THEM 'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY ALREADY ANSWERED A SURVEY.
SO AFTER TOWN HALL'S COMPLETED, WHICH IS THE LAST MONTH, THE LAST WEEK OF APRIL, THEN WE WILL BE SENDING OUT THE SURVEY, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH MANY OF THE THINGS THAT U-HAUL HAVE ASKED US TO FIGURE OUT ABOUT THE STUDENTS.
SO WHEN YOU SAY SEND IT OUT, THAT'S WHEN YOU'LL PRESENT IT TO THE OTHER STUDENTS TO FILL OUT? OKAY.
AND HOW DO YOU DO YOUR SURVEYS? UM, I, WE USE GOOGLE FORMS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SEND IT OUT TO ALL, UM, ALL PRINCIPALS AND ADMIN TEAMS FOR AT ALL SCHOOLS SO THEY CAN APPROVE IT.
AND THEN AFTER WE DO THAT, IT WILL BE SENT OUT AS AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON CANVAS, WHICH IS THE PLATFORM THAT ALMOST ALL YORK COUNTY SCHOOLS USE.
AND THEN THEY CAN JUST CLICK THE LINK THERE AND THEY'LL FILL IT OUT AND WE'LL GET THE RESPONSES.
SO FOR ME AS A SUPERVISOR, YOUR SURVEY IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR.
I MEAN, I, I REALLY, UH, I LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION, I KNOW IT'S COMING FROM THE STUDENTS.
UM, I'M HOPING, AND I THINK THEY DO.
I I STILL AS OLD AS I AM, I STILL REMEMBER BEING A STUDENT AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS, YOU KNOW, OUR ENVIRONMENT.
AND I SAY TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, IT'S EVERY, EVERY ASPECT OF IT.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SURVEY.
I HOPE IT'S A, UH, I HOPE IT'S A GOOD ONE.
YOU KNOW, THE BIG THING I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN IS SAFETY.
UH, HOW, HOW THE, THE YOUTH IN OUR, UH, UH, COUNTY LOOK AT THE, LOOK AT THE GOVERNMENT, HOW THEY LOOK AT THE SCHOOLS, HOW DO THEY LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT, HOW DO THEY FEEL ABOUT IT? IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING, EVERY TIME YOU COME UP HERE, YOU PRESENT SOMETHING, YOU ARE, YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE GOVERNMENT.
OKAY? IT'S A REPORT, IT'S A GOVERNMENT REPORT.
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I TAKE IT REALLY SERIOUS.SO BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE HEARD FROM STUDENTS IN THE PAST, OVER THE LAST 22 YEARS, WE HAVE MADE CHANGES AROUND TAB HIGH SCHOOL FOR SURE.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN THE OTHER AREAS ABOUT SECURITY.
UM, SO WE GET IT NOT ONLY FROM THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, THE THE PRINCIPALS, THE TEACHERS, BUT ALSO FROM THE YOUTH THAT ARE PART, MAKE A PART OF IT.
SO YOU'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
ALRIGHT? AND I APPRECIATE EVERY TIME YOU REALLY COME UP HERE AND DO IT.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SURVEY.
YOU JUST MADE ME THINK OF SOMETHING JACOB, TOO.
BUT JUST MADE ME THINK OF SOMETHING.
YOU MENTIONED YOU GO TO NINTH OVER CANVAS ABOUT THE, UM, SURVEY DOES IS CANVAS AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENT BODY OUTSIDE OF THE YORK COUNTY SCHOOL DIVISIONS OR
SO WE HAVE SOME FOLKS IN, UH, IT'S KIDS IN, IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND SO FORTH TOO THAT, THAT ARE IN YORK COUNTY.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM AS WE'LL.
GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
SO MAYBE SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW TO GET THE WORD OUT.
SO, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT
BUT I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE YOUTH COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE THIS IS A START OF GOOD LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND HOPEFULLY YOU'VE LEARNED A LOT THIS PAST YEAR OR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT YOU HAVE.
AND YOU'LL TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.
AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT SERVICE IS TO YOUR COMMUNITY NOW.
AND SO ALWAYS PUT ASIDE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO SERVE OTHERS.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH TONIGHT.
[3* Proposed Budget FY2026. Receive presentation from Mark Bellamy. ]
NOW WE'RE COMING UP TO WHAT, WHAT EVERYBODY'S HOLDING THEIR BREATH ABOUT.AND IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT THE BUDGET IS EVERY YEAR, LIKE DEATH AND TAXES.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET.
AND I THINK MR. BELLAMY IS GOING TO START WITH THAT AS SOON AS HE GETS THE, SOON AS I GET MYSELF SITUATED.
WELL, WHILE I WAS SITTING THERE LISTENING TO CAMERON, I HAD THE THOUGHT THAT IF I WAS WONDERING IF SHE WOULD TAKE A $50 IOU TO DO MY PRESENTATION,
SO, MRS. NOLL AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, TONIGHT, UH, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU MY PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE FY 26 YEAR.
TYPICALLY WHEN WE DO THESE, WE, UM, DO THE THANK YOUS AT THE END, BUT I THOUGHT WE'D DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
WE DO 'EM IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU THIS HAS BEEN MORE OF A CHALLENGE THAN IT HAS BEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BRIAN FULLER AND SUSAN GOODWIN, THERESA OWENS, GREG GILLETTE, AMY HOLLAND, SAM ARTHUR, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY HAVE PUT IN OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS TO GET US TO TONIGHT.
IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN A JOURNEY FOR SURE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UH, DR.
CAROL AND BILL BOWEN AND THEIR HELP WITH THIS AS WELL.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
SO THE GUIDING PAR, THE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE BUDGET WERE DEVELOPED WITH THESE, UM, ITEMS CRAFTED, TAKING A DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, ENSURING LONG-TERM FISCAL STABILITY, WHILE MAINTAINING THE HIGH STANDARDS EXPECTED BY OUR CITIZENS.
WE'RE MEETING ALL THE LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO RECRUITING, RETAINING, AND RECOGNIZING OUR EMPLOYEES ALL WHILE CONFORMING TO YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
THE BUDGET, THIS BUDGET IS BASICALLY A MAINTENANCE BUDGET WITH NO NEW PROGRAMS THAT WERE NOT ALREADY IN PLACE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS THAT SHAPE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET.
WHILE THE RATE OF INFLATION HAS STABILIZED, IT'S STILL HIGHER THAN IT WAS PRE PANDEMIC.
AND AS DISCUSSED AT THE BOARD RETREAT, THE OVERALL, THE OVERALL REVENUE GROWTH IS NOT AS STRONG AS IT HAS BEEN IN PAST YEARS.
TAX CUTS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THE LAST THREE BUDGET CYCLES, AND THOSE CUTS HAVE A CUMULATIVE, HAVE CUMULATIVE EFFECT ON REVENUE.
FEDERAL POLICIES ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BRINGING WITH THAT ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES.
THE HAMPTON ROADS AREA IS ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO THIS, GIVEN THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS AND SPENDING.
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AND REGARDING REVENUE, AS MENTIONED IN THE MID-YEAR FINANCIAL REVIEW THAT SUSAN GOODWIN DID FOR YOU, WE HAVE LOWER REVENUE GROWTH AND THE TAX EXEMPTIONS ARE RISING.WE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO MEET OUR REAL ESTATE REVENUE BUDGETED FOR FY 25, AND THAT TRANSLATES IN TO LOWER REVENUE GROWTH FOR REAL ESTATE.
AND FY 26, WHICH IS OUR LARGEST SOURCE OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, AND CURRENTLY CONSUMER SENSITIVE TAXES ARE FLAT.
AND WE EXPECT THAT CURRENT ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES TO AFFECT DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
SO FORMING THE BUDGET, AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS WHEN WE START THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE LOOK AT EXPENDITURES FIRST, WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE MUST DO.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT PAST INFLATION HAS BEEN NOMINAL, BUT SINCE THE PANDEMIC, THAT'S NOT BEEN THE CASE.
AGAIN, WHILE IT HAS MADE IMPROVEMENTS, IT HASN'T GONE AWAY.
AND IT BECOMES A REAL FACTOR FOR US IN THIS BUDGET.
DEPARTMENTS MINIMIZED NEW SPENDING WHERE POSSIBLE AND REDISTRIBUTED FUNDS AND RESOURCES IN OTHER PLACES WHERE POSSIBLE.
WE DID HAVE ADDITIONAL DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS THIS YEAR, MOSTLY DUE TO THE DEBT THAT WAS ISSUED FOR SEAFORD ELEMENTARY AND THAT RENOVATION INVESTING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND EMPLOYEES WERE KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT AS THEY ARE IN YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
FOR FY 26, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS $288 MILLION LESS TRANSFERS BETWEEN THOSE FUNDS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
MOST OF THE GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES THAT ARE CITIZENS SEE DAY IN, DAY OUT ARE ACCOUNTED IN THE FOR, IN THE GENERAL FUND AND FOR THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, THAT'S $200 MILLION.
SO LET'S SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND AND THE EXPENDITURES THERE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE WE START ENSURING THAT OUR BASE BUDGET COVERS OUR CURRENT SER SERVICE LEVELS AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS.
WE'VE TRIED TO MAINTAIN A CONSERVATIVE, DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO MANAGING THE RISING OPERATIONAL COSTS QUITE CANDIDLY, WE'RE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE.
THIS SLIDES HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF MATERIALS AND SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS.
WE TRIED TO GIVE YOU A BROAD BRUSH HERE.
THE SHERIFF HAD TO PAY FOR FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY AND TURNOUT.
GEAR FINANCE IS A, IS A, UH, SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION ASSURES US CYBERSECURITY SOFTWARE, SUBSCRIPTION, PUBLIC WORKS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HERE ON THIS LIST HAS EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN OUR COST.
AND IF THAT INCREASES THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS, THEN AS MR. RONE HAS SAID TO ME RECENTLY, WE HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVES HERE ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS.
WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE COVER SOME OF THESE RAISES OR WE CHOOSE ANOTHER PATH OFF.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE BUDGET IS A MAINTENANCE BUDGET, MAINTAINING THE SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS, INCREASE ONLY WHERE NECESSARY AND ACCORDINGLY, THERE WERE OVER $15 MILLION IN REQUESTS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE IN THERE.
THERE WERE MANY THINGS THAT DEPARTMENTS REQUESTED IN ADDITION TO THE RECENT, RECENT STAFFING STUDY, WHICH IDENTIFIED SEVERAL INITIATIVES FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
UH, THEIR REQUESTS AND INITIATIVES WERE CAREFULLY EVALUATED, BUT WE COULD NOT DO IT BASED ON THE FUNDING AND RESOURCES THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE.
SOME OF THESE INCLUDE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FROM THE SCHOOL DIVISION, NEW POSITIONS INCLUDING ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, ADDITIONAL OVERTIME, CAREER LADDERS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DELAYED OR WILL BE DELAYED, AND A COMPENSATION STUDY AND FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT IT, WHICH WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE BERKELEY STAFF STUDY.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF THAT WERE REQUESTED AND STAFF HAS SAID.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE JUST CAN'T DO GIVEN OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO WHAT'S DRIVING THE BUDGET? I JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THE BUDGET.
LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BUDGET.
WHILE WE'VE TAKEN A DISCIPLINE APPROACH TO MANAGING THE COST, THERE'S SOME KEY EXPENSES THAT ARE DRIVING THE BUDGET INCREASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, A SUMMARY OF THOSE BUDGET DRIVERS ARE HERE, WHICH TOTAL $11 MILLION.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE IN
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A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.RECRUITING AND MAINTAINING HIGH QUALITY EMPLOYEES TO PROVIDE THE EXCELLENT SERVICES THAT CITIZENS EXPECT IS A PRIORITY IN THIS BUDGET.
AND THE BUDGET INCLUDES A GENERAL WAGE INCREASE SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR OF 4% AND $500 FOR EACH EMPLOYEE.
THIS CONTINUES AN APPROACH THAT WE HAVE USED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND EMPLOYEES BENEFITS ALSO REMAIN A KEY PART OF OUR COMPENSATION STRATEGY.
HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE COSTS ARE GOING TO RISE 8% NEXT YEAR.
THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS FOR SCHOOL DOUBLING THE INITIAL WORKING NUMBER THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT AND I DISCUSSED EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
EVEN AFTER THIS INCREASE, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET STILL HAS A SHORTFALL OF JUST UNDER $3 MILLION.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS RECOMMENDED SEVERAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD INCREASE THE STATE'S SUPPORT.
AND SHOULD THE GOVERNOR SIGN OFF ON THOSE BEFORE THE 24TH OF THIS MONTH, UH, THAT SHOULD COVER THEIR SHORTFALL.
SOME OTHER ITEMS HERE, THIS BUDGET ALSO INVESTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE BUDGET FULLY FUNDS FOUR SHERIFF'S POSITIONS IN THREE POSITIONS ADDED HALF YEAR.
IN OUR LAST BUDGET, IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD SEVEN POSITIONS THAT WE DIDN'T ADD UNTIL JANUARY.
THERE IS AN INCREASING FUND FOR OVERTIME WORK IS REQUIRED AND CERTIFICATION PAY.
TWO FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY POSITIONS TO THE STATE MANDATED PHARMACY PROGRAM THAT WE HAD TO STAND UP.
AND TWO IT POSITIONS TO SUPPORT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S GROWING TECHNOLOGY NEEDS.
AS DISCUSSED EARLIER, OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE INCREASING ACROSS THE BOARD, AND THESE COSTS INCLUDE INCREASES TO VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SUPPLIES AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
IN ADDITION, FUNDING IS INCLUDED FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO RETURN TO MOWING FREQUENCY.
IT WAS DECREASED IN 2025 WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS REDUCTION.
THERE'S ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS, UH, BUDGET, AN INCREASE IN THE LIBRARY FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION EBOOKS.
THIS INCLUDES A REQUIRED FUNDING FOR OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS TOGETHER, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS INCREASED BY $800,000.
AND THIS LISTS JUST A FEW OF THE AGENCIES THAT WE DEAL WITH WHERE WE HAVE MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING OR MEMORANDUMS OF AGREEMENT.
ONE OF THE ITEMS REDUCED AS PART OF THE FY 25 TAX CUT WAS THE CASH CAPITAL TRANSFER TO CIP.
IF YOU RECALL, THAT WAS $750,000 LAST YEAR.
THE BUDGET RESTORES THAT FUNDING AND INCREASES TO SUPPORT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAMS. OUR DEBT SERVICE FOR THE SCHOOL AND THE COUNTY WILL INCREASE BY $1.1 MILLION THIS YEAR.
INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND CSA HAS INCREASED OUR LOCAL SHARE TO PROVIDE THE PROGRAMS THAT SOCIAL SERVICES DOES.
THIS IS A CHART HERE, THAT TABLE RATHER THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT SHOWS OUR EXPENDITURES, OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION COMPARED TO THE FY 25 BUDGET.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY OF $11 MILLION BUDGET INCREASES IN PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION AND TRANSFER TO OTHER FUNDS, WHICH INCLUDES CASH, CAPITAL, DEBT SERVICE, AND OUR LOCAL SHARE OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
HERE'S THE SAME INFORMATION GRAPHICALLY AND NOTE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAKE UP 62% OF THE GENERAL FUND.
HER NEXT TABLE HERE DESCRIBES EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND BY TYPE.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY TYPE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, INTERNAL SERVICES TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUND, WHICH INCLUDE CASH, CAPITAL, AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND DEBT ARE THE PRIMARY DRIVERS OF THAT INCREASE.
AGAIN, GRAPHICALLY AND TOTAL PERSONNEL SERVICES, SCHOOL OPERATIONS SUPPORT AND SCHOOL DEBT MAKE UP OVER 75% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT EXPENDITURES, SO LET'S SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE REVENUE.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION,
[00:25:01]
WHEN WE STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS, OUR INITIAL REVENUE OUTLOOK WAS $4.6 MILLION.THE BOARD WILL RECALL THAT DURING OUR MIDYEAR UPDATE AND AT THE BOARD RETREAT AS WELL, WE TALKED ABOUT REVENUES AND HOW THEY WERE TRENDING.
MARK, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASE, RIGHT? Y YES.
PUBLIC SURF PUBLIC SERVICE CORPS, WHICH ARE ASSESSED BY THE STATE ANNUALLY, SAW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 25.
HOWEVER, REAL ESTATE IS EXPECTED TO COME IN UNDER BUDGET BY $2 MILLION.
AND CONSUMER BASED TAXES ARE STABILIZING, BOTH OF WHICH WERE THE BASE FROM WHICH THE 26 BUDGET ESTIMATES WERE BUILT.
WHILE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR REVENUES SINCE THE RETREAT, WE ARE ONLY ESTIMATING 2.5% GROWTH IN TOTAL REVENUES, WHICH EQUATES TO $4.6 MILLION.
SO WITH AN $11 MILLION INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES AND A $4.6 MILLION IN TOTAL REVENUE GROWTH, THAT LEAVES US WITH A GAP OF $6.4 MILLION.
WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT PROCESS, WHAT I ASKED FOR, THERESA, WAS, UH, THERESA WAS UNFORTUNATELY THE ONE THAT GOT THIS ASSIGNMENT.
UH, I ASKED THERESA TO BRING ME A BUDGET WITH NO TAX INCREASE AND A 4% GENERAL WAGE INCREASE FOR STAFF.
AND SHE WENT BACK AND CONSULTED WITH STAFF.
AND OVER MANY WEEKS SHE CAME BACK TO ME AND SAID, MARK, THIS IS MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
WE CANNOT DO THIS GIVEN THAT WE WANNA MAINTAIN THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, IF YOU WANT TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONSIDER A TAX INCREASE.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, BUT WE HAD TO MAKE UP THIS $6.4 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT NOW, OKAY.
TO GET THERE, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS A 4 CENT TAX INCREASE TO TAKE US BACK TO 78 CENTS PER HUNDRED ON REAL ESTATE AND A 20 CENT TAX INCREASE ON PURPLE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, WHICH WILL TAKE US BACK TO $4.
AND I WOULD ALSO EMPHASIZE TO YOU THAT THERE'S BEEN NO TAX INCREASE, NO RATE INCREASE FOR NINE YEARS.
OKAY, SO THIS GRAPHIC HERE REPRESENTS THE TAX RATE SINCE 1998 TO PRESENT DAY.
UM, THIS CHART IS, UH, OVER THE LAST 26 YEARS, AND IF YOU RECALL IN, UM, 23, WELL, 24, 23 AND 22, WE LOWERED IT.
EACH ONE OF THOSE YEARS STARTED OFF WITH A PENNY AND A HALF, DID A PENNY, AND THEN WE DID 3 CENTS.
SO WHILE WE WOULD TALK ABOUT INCREASING AT 4 CENTS, WE'RE STILL BELOW THE HISTORICAL HIGH OF 86 CENTS AND STILL BELOW THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEAR HIGH.
THIS IS HOW WE STACK UP TO OUR NEIGHBORS, AND WE HAVE NOT ADJUSTED FOR ANYTHING THAT WE BELIEVE THEY MIGHT DO.
THESE ARE THEIR CURRENT TAX RATES.
SO, AND THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD STAND IF WE MADE THIS CHANGE.
SO WE'RE STILL ON THE LOW OR THE BETTER END OF THE SCALE ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION.
THE RED LINE REPRESENTS THE INFLATION, WHICH REMAINS RELATIVELY FLAT OR EVEN DECLINES SLIGHTLY OVER TIME.
SO I KNOW WHAT WILL BE SAID NEXT, THAT THE ASSESSMENTS HAVE INCREASED AND ACCORDINGLY OUR REVENUE.
BUT WHEN ADJUSTED FOR ILA INFLATION, AS THIS CHART HERE SHOWS OUR PURCHASING POWER HAS NOT KEPT PACE WITH THE MONEY REQUIRED TO OPERATE AT THAT LEVEL.
SO THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THEM? SO MARK? YES, SIR.
JUST GO, GO BACK TO THAT LAST SLIDE.
SO I, I THINK THE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THAT SLIDE IS EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SEEN SEEN MORE REVENUE FROM, UM, REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENTS COME IN, THE RATE OF INFLATION HAS BEEN SUCH THAT THE COST TO DOING BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IS SUCH THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A NEGATIVE AS FAR AS REVENUE COMING INTO THE COUNTY.
[00:30:01]
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY B BEHIND IS WHAT IS THAT? THAT, WHAT IS THAT? MY TAKEAWAY FROM THAT CHART, I HAVE IU FOR YOU FOR $50 IF YOU WANNA COME DOWN HERE AND FINISHI WAS JUST MAKING SURE I YES SIR.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTE UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY.
AND MUCH AND MUCH MORE ELOQUENTLY PRESENTED.
LET ME ADD ANOTHER TWIST TO IT.
THE WAY I SEE IT IS THAT RED LINE REPRESENTS WHAT THAT VALUE WOULD BE IN THEN DOLLARS.
SO THE 80, YOU SEE THAT SECOND ONE FOR THE COLOR, THE THIRD ONE FOR THE COLORS CHANGE AT 85 SO THAT THE, THE, ALL THAT ABOVE THE MONEY, ABOVE THE MILLIONS, ABOVE THAT RED LINE IS WHAT IT'S REQUIRED JUST TO KEEP US AT, AT THAT POINT.
AND YOU SEE THAT LINE NOW HAS ACTUALLY DROPPED A LITTLE BIT MM-HMM
THAT LINE BEING WHAT THE VALUE.
SO IT IS KIND OF LIKE THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR IS WHAT IT IS.
AND WITH THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, WHY IS THINGS COSTING MORE, WHY'S GROCERIES COSTING MORE? WELL, THERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE INFLATION, AND SO THAT'S HOW I SEE THAT.
SO, UH, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR.
THAT LAST, THAT LAST SLIDE AND, UH, THE 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS INFLATION? WHAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE USING THERE? IS IT CURRENT INFLATION RATE? WE'RE WE'RE USING THE NUMBER TO BUY THE GOODS AND SERVICES THAT WE BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE.
AND IT COULD BE A DIFFERENT NUMBER FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ME TO TELL YOU, AM I TRYING TO COVER 3% INFLATION? I, I I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING.
INFLATION'S COMING DOWN AND I THINK IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO COME DOWN.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ARE WE BASING IT ON OUR TODAY'S INFLATION RATE OR ARE WE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE TO GO? NO, THAT INFLATION RATE'S PROBABLY GONNA COME DOWN.
WE'RE BASING IT ON WHAT WE KNOW GOODS AND SERVICES COST US TODAY.
AND WE, WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE.
SO THE IMPACT TO THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER, IF YOU RAISE THE, UM, REAL ESTATE RATE BY 4 CENTS ON A $200,000 HOME, THAT WOULD RE THAT WOULD CREATE AN ADDITIONAL $80 A YEAR, $40 PER BILL AND LESS THAN $7 A MONTH.
A HOUSE THAT'S VALUED AT 400,000 WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $160 A YEAR, $80 PER BILL, OR A COST OF LESS THAN $14 PER MONTH.
A HOUSE VALUED AT $800,000 IS AN ADDITIONAL 320 SPLIT IN TWO BILLS AS ONE 60 PER BILLING WITH A COST OF LESS THAN $27 PER MONTH TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IT MEANS.
MARK THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN HAMPTON AREA IS ABOUT 386,000, I THINK.
THIS THIS CHART SHOWS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE OVER THE LAST 26 YEARS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT HASN'T CHANGED IN DECADES UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO.
AS YOU SEE, THE TENCENT REDUCTION IN 23 WAS THE FIRST PERSONAL PROPERTY CHECK TAX REDUCTION IN DECADES AND WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER DECREASE IN 2024, JUST LIKE WE DID FOR REAL ESTATE.
WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE SIT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHETHER THEY WILL ADJUST FOR THIS YEAR.
WILLIAMSBURG HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE LOWEST.
SO WE ARE THE LOWEST FULL SERVICE, UH, AS MY PREDATOR, MY PREDATOR
AS MY PREDECESSOR USED TO SAY.
UH, WE ARE THE LOWEST FULL SERVICE, UH, LOCALITY ON THE PENINSULA MI MR. BELLAMY, REAL QUICK BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
I KNOW FOR A COUPLE YEARS WE'VE BEEN, OR MAYBE LONGER WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH INFLATED CAR VALUES DUE TO SUPPLY AND AS WHAT ARE WE SEEING CAR VALUES? NOW I'M GONNA ADDRESS THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES.
I
PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION IS AGAIN, JUST SLIGHTLY OVER WHAT MONEY WOULD BE WORTH AT 2016.
SO HERE'S THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA PAY LESS BECAUSE CAR VALUES HAVE GONE BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PROBABLY CALL NORMAL.
SO IN 2023, THE OWNER OF A 18 CRV PAID 596
[00:35:01]
AT THIS PROPERTY RATE TODAY, THEY'LL PAY $400.I'M SORRY, I'M NOT, I WHERE'S THE NUMBER? THE ANNUAL PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
AND THE NEXT VEHICLE'S THE F-150 AND HE WENT THE OTHER WAY.
UH, MR. GILLETTE DID THIS WORK AND HE WENT AND LOOKED THROUGH THE ROLLS TO FIND THE MOST COMMON CARS.
AND WE PUT, ORIGINALLY PULLED FOUR, BUT WE DECIDED THAT WAS TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
UH, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST COMMON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS A REAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT FOLKS COULD EXPECT TO SEE.
SO HOW DID YOU, SO WE'RE OKAY WHEN YOU SAY IT WAS LESS.
YOU'RE GONNA, THAT'S YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW ME TO USE SOME TECHNOLOGY.
THIS, YOU'RE GONNA TEST MY REAL ABILITIES HERE.
OKAY, MAN, WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE A CHART? 96 LEFT.
I'M CRITICIZING THE, UH, CHART MAKER HERE.
SO THE REALITY IS IT'S A TAX DECREASE FOR OUR CITIZENS, ALTHOUGH THE RATE YES.
IT IS AN OUT OF POCKET DECREASE.
EVEN THOUGH THE RATE MAKER GO UP AS, AS COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
STILL HAVING A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT MANY PEOPLE DRIVE A FORD.
BUT, UM,
SO, I, I DO WANNA SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON THIS SLIDE BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS REALLY TELLING AND, AND IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
IF YOU TAKE ALL THESE TAX RATE REDUCTIONS IN THEIR TOTALITY, THIS ADDS UP TO $22 MILLION.
THREE, IF WE HAD NOT MADE THESE CUTS AND WE HAD PUT THIS FUNDING ASIDE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED TOWARDS CAPITAL PROJECT, LIKE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILDING OR A SEAFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND WE WOULD'VE REDUCED OUR RELIANCE ON DEBT TO GET THOSE PROJECTS DONE.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO TAKE NOTE OF.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IS THAT THE $23 MILLION GOT TO STATE IN PEOPLE'S BANK ACCOUNTS TOO.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, LET'S SEE, NO WRONG SLIDE.
IT'S HERE IN MY NOTES, BUT IT DIDN'T SAY IT.
REALITY IS, SO, LEMME, LEMME TELL.
REALITY IS, PEOPLE NEEDED A REDUCTION WHEN, WHEN THE VALUE OF CARS ALMOST DOUBLED.
UH, AND WE WERE STILL CHARGING THE SAME AMOUNT OF PERSONAL TAX.
IT, IT WAS A REAL HIT ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY.
WELL, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE REAL ESTATE TAX IS A LION'S SHARE OF THIS.
WELL, IT'S GONNA COME TO THAT NEXT 21% INCREASE IN ASSESSMENT VALUE.
HIT PEOPLE HARD THAT FIRST YEAR.
WE, WE TOOK SOME REDUCTIONS LAST YEAR NO.
BUT WHAT I'M ALSO TELLING YOU IS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY COST TO THAT AS WELL, AND, AND UNDERSTOOD.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT WAS OUR MONEY.
I'M, I'M JUST, AND, AND BANK IN THOSE YEARS SHARING THE FACT WITH YOU, WE OWED OUR, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR TAXPAYERS A REDUCTION.
THAT'S TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT IT.
BUT THE, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS IF WE BORROW MORE MONEY NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BANK, IT'S GONNA COST US MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
OR WE AND OUR CITIZENS MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.
OR WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO SOME OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS MORE EFFECTIVELY AND LESS COST.
AND, AND ON THE FLIP SIDE IS THE ECONOMY GETS STRONGER AND INFLATION GOES DOWN.
OUR ABILITY, YOU KNOW, OUR ABILITY TO PAY THAT BACK IS STRONGER.
ALL, ALL OF, I MEAN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE, ALL OF YOU ARE RIGHT.
IT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF COMING UP WITH THE RIGHT BALANCE.
SO ONE OTHER THING HERE, UH, THAT WE WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION.
ONE OF THE TAX RELIEF MEASURES HAS HAD A HUGE, HUGE EFFECT ON THE COUNTY, IS A DISABLED VETERANS TAX RELIEF.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST CONCENTRATIONS OF VETERANS HERE IN THE COUNTY.
WE ARE THE, WE HAVE THE THIRD HIGHEST,
[00:40:02]
UH, CONCENTRATION OR USE OF THIS, UH, RELIEF IN THE STATE.UH, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY DONE IN 2011.
AND WHEN THIS PROGRAM FIRST STARTED, WE PAID OUT OR FORGAVE $200,000.
TODAY THAT NUMBER IS 4 MILLION.
AND JUST SINCE 2019, THE VALUE OF THAT HAS TRIPLED JUST SINCE 2019.
IN ADDITION TO THE LOST REVENUE FROM THE RATE REDUCTIONS AND FEED DECREASES, THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THE DISABLED VETERANS TAX RELIEF IS $11.2 MILLION IN THREE YEARS.
ALSO NOTEWORTHY, THE DISABLED VETERANS ARE EXEMPT FROM PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX FOR ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES, WHICH IN 26 WILL LIKELY BE ABOUT $1.3 MILLION IN VALUE.
AND WHILE WE SUPPORT THE PREMISE OF THE PROGRAM, THE STATE NOR THE LOCALITIES ENVISIONED THAT IT WOULD GROW AT THIS RATE.
SOME OF THE OTHER GENERAL FUND REVENUES WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, WE ARE PROJECTING A SMALL INCREASE IN OUR CONSUMER SENSITIVE TAXES FOR SALES MEALS AND LODGING JUST A LITTLE OVER $400,000.
PERMITS, FEES AND FINES ARE PROJECTED TO BE UP ABOUT $260,000.
THIS WILL INCLUDE SOME OF THE FEES THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT ADDING FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
CHARGES FOR SERVICES IS UP $430,000 BASED ON OUR CURRENT TRENDS AND OUR RECOVERED COSTS AND USE OF MONEY.
CATEGORY IS $590,000, MOSTLY DRIVEN BY INCREASED REIMBURSEMENT RELATED TO THE JAMES CITY COUNTY 9 1 1 CONSOLIDATION.
SO TO THOSE FEES AND PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WANNA BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT, THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FROM THE BOARD ABOUT DOING SOME OF THESE.
AND WHILE THE FEES DO NOT MAKE UP A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE BUDGET, WE HAVE DISCUSSED ADJUSTMENTS, UH, TO THE FEES PREVIOUSLY WITH YOU ALL.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING INCREASES TO SEVERAL, UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FEES TO BETTER REFLECT THE COST TO PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
UH, IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD A BIG CONVERSATION ABOUT RESUBMITTAL OF PLANS, UM, AND WHAT THAT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO RESUBMITTAL FEES WILL BE APPLIED STARTING ON THE THIRD SUBMISSION OF A PLAN REVIEW AND EACH SUBSEQUENT SUBMISSION, A FEE TO COVER THE COST OF REQUIRED ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDIES, A $5 TECHNOLOGY FEE TO BUILDING PERMITS TO RECOGNIZE THE INCREASED COST TO PROVIDING THE SERVICE AND CONSISTENT WITH OUR NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES, AN INCREASE TO THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FEE TO COVER THE INCREASED COST ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERTISING AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO ADDITIONAL REVIEW AND INSPECTION FEES.
AND THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
THIS IS A TOTAL RECOMMENDED GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES THE RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENTS FOR TAXES AND FEES THAT I'VE JUST GONE THROUGH WITH YOU.
AND $11 MILLION INCREASE OVER PRIOR YEAR OR STATED ANOTHER WAY, 5.8%, AGAIN, GRAPHICALLY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE.
SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT HERE, ENTERPRISE FUNDS, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, AND THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS FOR FY 26 FIRST ARE THE INTERNAL YEAH.
THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH TOTAL $31 MILLION FOR FY 26.
THESE FUNDS BY DESIGN ARE MEANT TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING, MEANING THAT FEES ARE CHARGED FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED.
UH, THE ONE THAT WE'VE MOST RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT IS A SOLID WASTE FUND.
AND WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT AT, UH, TWO WORK SESSIONS.
THE INCREASE IN COSTS ARE MOSTLY DRIVEN BY INCREASE IN CONTRACTUAL COSTS.
AND AS DISCUSSED IN THE WORK SESSIONS, THE CONTRACTS FOR THIS FUND HAVE CPI ESCALATORS AND THE COSTS ARE OUTPACING THE GROWTH IN REVENUE.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA RECOMMEND THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THESE FEES ARE THE SAME AS THE ONES PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE WORK SESSION ON MARCH 4TH AND INCLUDE A $2 BIMONTHLY INCREASE FOR SERVICES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SENIOR DISCOUNT, WHICH IS $7 BIMONTHLY INCREASE.
MR. BELLAMY, JUST TO REMIND ME, THESE INCREASES, PUT THAT AT A BREAKEVEN POINT.
THE GOAL OF INTERNAL SERVICE ENTERPRISE FUND.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DIP IT INTO THE
[00:45:01]
GENERAL FUND TO PAY FOR IT AT A TAX DOLLARS.SO THIS IS BASICALLY JUST PAYING FOR THE SERVICE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE USING.
THE SEWER FUND INCREASED BY $1 MILLION.
THAT'S MOSTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE WHITES FAULKNER PROJECT AND POTENTIALLY THE SPRINGFIELD ROAD PROJECT SHOULD YOU ALL APPROVE THAT LATER.
OTHER FUNDS INCLUDE THE WATER UTILITY FUND, WHICH IS LEVEL FOR 26, AND NOMINAL INCREASES THE YORKTOWN OPERATIONS FUND AND OUR REGIONAL RADIOS SYSTEM.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ACCOUNT FOR SPECIFIC REVENUE THAT'S RESTRICTED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
AND SOME OF THE MAJOR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS INCLUDE SOCIAL SERVICES AND CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.
THE SOCIAL SERVICES FUND INCREASED BY JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, AND THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN CSA ACT COSTS AS WELL AS ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE CASES.
SOME OF THESE COSTS ARE OFFSET BY THE STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUE, UH, COAST, AND ALSO OFFSETS SOME OF THESE COSTS.
MOST CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICE EXPENSES ARE IN THE HEAD START PROGRAM, WHICH IS GRANT FUNDED.
MARK, WOULD YOU, YOU SAY THAT THEY'RE OFFSET, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE OFFSET IS, ROUGHLY? I DO NOT.
DO YOU, DO YOU KNOW THERESA? YEAH.
YOU WANNA STAND UP? THANK YOU.
SORRY, THERESA, GET YOU DO NOT BELIEVE SHE'S HERE.
USUALLY, USUALLY BETWEEN THE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, WE GET ABOUT 60% OR SO.
SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE MORE FEDERAL, SOMETIMES A LITTLE MORE STATE, DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAMS. SO 60% PROB SOMEWHERE AROUND 60% ON AVERAGE OR SO HOW ABOUT FROM OCN? OCN? WE GET, UM, PITOCIN PAYS A PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION AS WELL AS CASES.
AND, UM, THEY PAY SOME DIRECT COSTS FOR CSAI BELIEVE, AND WE GET ABOUT THREE OR $400,000 FROM KOSIN FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE AND THEIR KIDS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD THAT BE? IT'S NOT A HUGE PERCENT, THE BUDGET'S ABOUT $9 MILLION, SO OKAY.
TH IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A LOT.
ONE AND A HALF PERCENT OR SOMETHING? YEAH.
BUT IT'S BASED ON THEIR POPULATION AND CASELOAD.
THE TOURISM FUND INCLUDES THE LODGING TAX, THE $2 OCCUPANCY TAX, AND THE FREIGHT SHED REVENUE.
IN ADDITION TO THE COUNTY'S YEARLY EVENTS LIKE 4TH OF JULY SOUNDS OF SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AND MARKET DAYS, THE COUNTY WILL HOST AN INTERNATIONAL EVENT SALE TWO 50 AND JUNE, 2026.
ALSO IN THIS FUND IS THE INCREASE IN THE TRANSFER TO H-T-R-F-A OF $400,000, INCLUDING IN INCLUDED IN OTHER FUNDS, IS THE GRANT FUND.
THIS, THE COUNTY APPLIES FOR GRANTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND NORMALLY FUNDS ARE APPROPRIATED, APPROPRIATED AS THEY'RE RECEIVED.
AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES ESTIMATES OF GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE TYPICALLY RECEIVED EVERY YEAR ON A NON-COMPETITIVE BASIS, LIKE FIRE FUNDS DARE AND FOR, FOR LIFE GRANT REVENUE OFFSETS THE EXPENSES AND THE PROPOSED GRANT FUND BUDGET IN THE INTERNAL SERVICES FUND.
THE LAST TWO INTERNAL SERVICES FUNDS ARE WORKERS' COMP FUND WITH A SLIGHT INCREASE IN PREMIUMS AND THE IT FUND, WHICH ALSO HAS A SMALL INCREASE IN FUNDS WHICH GO BACK TO THE, UH, HEALTH AND DENTAL, PLEASE.
YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THAT 8%.
COULD WE, COULD WE TALK ABOUT THAT? ARE THERE OPTIONS? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO THERE? WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE? I WONDERED IF, IF WE CHANGED OUR DE DEDUCTIBLE LIMITS OR, OH.
TO RE, UH, WORK OUR PLAN? YEAH.
AND AS I RECALL THE PLAN, OUR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN IS UP FOR RENEWAL.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR, AND OUR PLAN IS TO GO OUT AND, AND REBID THE PLAN.
SO WOULD THIS WOULD BE INCLUDED THIS YEAR COMING WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT THAT'S CURRENTLY DEPLOYED? NO, NOT UNTIL AFTER WE FINISH.
WE'LL START BIDDING IT ONCE THIS NEW FISCAL YEAR STARTS NEXT YEAR.
FOR NEXT YEAR'S 27 BUDGET? FOR 27 BUDGET, YES.
SO WE NEED TO REVISIT THE, UM, CAPITAL PROGRAM AGAIN, SINCE THE, UM, CHANGES THE MOST RECENT DISCUSSION AT THE MARCH 4TH WORK SESSION, UH, YOU GAVE ME GUIDANCE TO MAKE A COUPLE CHANGES TO THE CIP
[00:50:01]
AND THOSE TWO CHANGES WERE TO ADD A CATEGORY FOR STRATEGIC PROPERTY ACQUISITION AND BUILDING RENOVATION IN THE SPACE STUDY.SO SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS CREATE A FUND, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, WAS TO CREATE A FUND WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BUY SELECT PIECES OF PROPERTY WITH THE INTENTIONS OF HELPING THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN THE BUILDING AND RENOVATION SPACE STUDY, UH, ITEM.
WE HAD MONEY IN THERE FOR THE SPACE STUDY, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.
AND SO IT, IT APPEARED TO ME TO BE THE DESIRE OF THE BOARD THAT WE BE ABLE TO DO SOME CONCEPT PLANS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SPACE STUDY MIGHT REVEAL TO US.
SO WE DID ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY FOR THAT.
SO WITH THE PREVIOUS CHANGES IN THESE TWO FINAL CHANGES, THE SIX YEAR OVERALL PROPOSED CIP FOR THE GENERAL FUND SUPPORTED PROJECTS IS NOW $219 MILLION AND 47 MILLION FOR ALL OTHER FUNDS.
I INCORPORATED THE FIRST YEAR OF THE CIP INTO MY RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
THE TOTAL FY 26 CAPITAL PROJECTS IS $40 MILLION.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES THE SCHOOL PROJECT AND PROJECTS FOR OTHER FUNDS TOTALS $9 MILLION.
SO REMEMBER WE TALK ABOUT THE CIP OVER, ITS SIX YEARS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PLAN IS THE ONE THAT YOU FUND.
THE REST OF IT IS A PLANNING GUIDE.
SO WE ARE INCLUDING THIS IN OUR GENERAL FUND UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE FUNDING SOURCES.
THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT.
I'M JUST GONNA SIT HERE FOR A SECOND AND LET YOU LOOK AT IT.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, LET ME KNOW, BUT ONCE WE GET PAST THE AWKWARD SILENCE, WE'LL MOVE ON.
AND WHAT DOES THAT DEBT FINANCE, UM, PERCENTAGE REPRESENT AGAINST OUR TOTAL, UH, OPERATING BUDGET? I, WE HAD A CAP OF 10%.
WHAT DO WE HAVE NOW? I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THAT IN A SLIDE NEXT, HOW THAT IMPACTS US.
BECAUSE WITH BOARDS WORK, YOU HAVE REDUCED THE CIP AS I ORIGINALLY PRESENTED IT TO YOU.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN THEY WERE TO START WITH.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN THE DEBT FINANCE NUMBERS? YOU BACK IT UP.
CAN YOU BACK IT UP? MAIN, MAINLY THE, THE, THE TAB.
HV HVAC, THE TAB PROJECT IS THE NEXT BIG PROJECT.
SO OF THE 24.7 MILLION FOR DEBT FINANCING OF THOSE PROJECTS, DO YOU HAVE A TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE ACTUALLY CASHED? WE USE CASH.
YOU THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION? YES.
IS THAT THE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY, I I DIDN'T ASK YEAR WHAT HE SAID.
SO IN THE 26 BUDGET, THE, WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE FOR CASH, THERE'S $5 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET.
THAT'S INCLUDED IN MARK'S OPERATING BUDGET.
THERE'S $3 MILLION THAT IS, UM, FROM THE RES REVENUE STABILIZATION FUND TO FUND SCHOOL PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE ARE USING 6.1 MILLION THAT'S IN THE RESERVE FOR CAPITAL THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CAPITAL FUNDS.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER GRANTS OR PROFFER, SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER MONIES FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES OF $1.6 MILLION.
SO FROM THE SCHOOL CAPITAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE CASH CAPITAL FROM THE SCHOOL.
SO THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO GET APPROVAL FOR THAT, RIGHT? YES.
WITH THIS, AND I RESERVE THE, UH, 6.1 MILLION FOR THE RESERVE.
HOW IS THAT, UM, AFFECTING OUR, UH, RESERVE, TOTAL RESERVE? UM, IT TAKES IT DOWN, I THINK ABOUT A THIRD OR SO.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER SOMETHING LIKE THAT, A THIRD TAKES DOWN MM-HMM
BUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE, THE PLAN IT THIS COVERS, UM, WILL INCREASE OR DECREASE IN ITS USE OF RESERVE OR SURPLUS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S ABOUT 12 MILLION LEFT OVER IN THE CAPITAL IN THE RESERVE? YES, SIR.
SO WILL THAT COVER, UH, ANY EMERGENCY CONTINGENCIES THAT WE MIGHT NEED? IT SHOULD, I HOPE.
AND PART OF, PART OF THAT, UH, GRANTS, UH, THE RESERVES IS THE USE OF, OF YEAREND SURPLUS AS WELL.
IT'S NOT JUST THE RESERVE, BUT YEAREND SURPLUS.
BUT THE YEAR IN SURPLUS, UH, WAS LESS THAN
[00:55:01]
WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE.AND WE THIS YEAR, AND WE, SO WE DON'T KNOW.
AND WE TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
THAT'S WHY IF YOU LOOK, THE RESERVE FOR THE FIRST YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THE RESERVES FOR THE OTHER YEARS BEING USED.
BUT THE, THE RESERVE ISN'T JUST A RANDOM NUMBER.
WE TARGET A PERCENTAGE OF OUR, OF OUR REVENUE TO KEEP, KEEP, OH, THIS IS THE CAPITAL RESERVE.
THIS IS NOT THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE.
THIS IS MONEY WE'VE SET ASIDE FOR CASH PROJECTS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO FINANCE THEM.
BUT EVEN THAT, WE HAVE A BEST PRACTICE ON HOW TO COME TO THAT NUMBER.
WE DON'T JUST RANDOMLY GUESS EVERY YEAR.
I, IT'S NOT RANDOM, BUT WE DO USE IT ACCORDINGLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN COVER OUR, OUR PLAN.
BUT THERE'S NOT A SET NUMBER IN THERE LIKE IT IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WHY WAS SIX? WHY WAS, SO, WHY WAS 6.1 MILLION CHOSEN AS THE NUMBER? 'CAUSE IT'S WHAT WE NEEDED.
THEY DIDN'T JUST DRAW IT OUTTA THE AIR.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S WHAT THE BUDGET'S REQUIRED.
IT'S THE GAP TO BE ABLE TO FILL.
WELL, IF PER MILLION, YOU COULD HAVE USED MORE OF THAT.
YOU COULD HAVE HAD THAT INCREASE THAT, UH, PAY RIGHT THERE.
WELL, WE LOOKED AT THE WHOLE, WE LOOKED AT THE WHOLE PLAN.
I'M NOT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NEED? WELL, WE LOOKED AT THE WHOLE PLAN AND IN ORDER TO DO THE WHOLE PLAN AND THE YEARS AND THE SIX YEAR PLAN, YEAH.
WE DECIDED TO USE THE $6.1 MILLION IN THIS FIRST YEAR AND THEN MOVE FORWARD INTO DEBT FINDING LESS.
SO I'LL BACK TO MR. RON'S COMMENT.
AND IT, IT LEADS TO SOME LEVEL OF, UM, POLICY.
I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE, BE THE WORD HERE.
UH, THAT WHEN YOU GET TO THE END, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SIX YEARS, 28 POINTS, $8 MILLION IN, IN RESERVE MONEY BEING USED AS TO, TO CASH THESE, WHAT IS IT? $133 MILLION IN PROJECTS? WELL, WE'RE DONE FINANCING 133 MILLION, WHICH 3 MILLION.
BUT YOU CASH, YOU WERE USING, WE'RE USING $28 MILLION OF CASH OF THIS SECURE PLAN.
SHE MILLION CASH AND $34 MILLION IN NINE.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT IS, I'M TRYING TO GET A COMFORTABLE FEELING THAT, I MEAN, YOU'RE OKAY WITH NUMBERS, BUT I MEAN, WHAT, IT KIND OF GOES TO WHAT YOU WERE ASKING.
IS THERE A POLICY THERE THAT THAT DICTATES HOW MUCH WE USE IN THE RESERVE AND THE CAPITAL RESERVE? WE DO NOT HAVE A POLICY, NO.
BUT I'M, I'M SURE YOU USE STANDARDS, YOU LOOK AT STANDARDS AND YOU LOOK AT NUMBERS, YOU LOOK AT MATRIX, YOU LOOK AT AVERAGES.
BUT IT GOES, TOM, IT GOES BACK TO THE RETREAT.
YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, WE CAN'T KEEP BORROWING OURSELF OUTTA MONEY.
I MEAN, I, I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WE CAN'T, WE, THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE WHOLE ISSUE OF, UH, AND OF THE SIX YEAR PLAN, WE'RE SPENDING ALMOST A QUARTER OF A BILLION DOLLARS.
ONE OF THE THINGS, I'M SORRY, TOM, I DIDN'T TO INTERRUPT.
SO MY POINT IS I WANNA UNDERSTAND, HAVE A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE'RE CARRYING THAT MUCH DEBT AT $133 MILLION.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT ASSUMES THERE ARE NO OTHER TAX INCREASES THAT ASSUMES THERE'S SOME BIG ASSUMPTIONS HERE ABOUT INFLATION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT ASSUMES ABOUT GROWTH, BUT WE, DO YOU GUYS SIT IN, IN THE ROOM WITH THE, THE GREEN EYE SHADES AND DO THIS STUFF? SO WE DID, WE DID GO OVER THIS PLAN WITH PFM, THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS.
AND SO WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE.
WE LOOK AT WHAT OUR RESERVES ARE, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE DEBT POLICIES ARE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
AND SO IN ORDER TO STAY WITHIN OUR DEBT POLICIES TO HAVE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO, TO FUND WHAT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE, THIS IS THE PLAN TO USE THE SIX POINT MILLION DOLLARS.
DO WE HAVE A SPECIFIC RESERVE NUMBER FOR, FOR CAPITAL RESERVE? NO.
BUT DO WE HAVE OUR DEBT POLICIES TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GO OVER OUR DEBT POLICIES? MM-HMM
WE DO FACTOR IN SOME ASSUMPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO GROWTH AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EXPENDITURE GROWTH AND, AND IT, THEY'RE VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, SO I, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTION WHAT TOM IS ASKING.
YOU HAVE POLICIES WE DO THAT YOU FOLLOW? YES.
THE CIP YOU'RE STILL FOLLOWING THOSE POLICIES FOR THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT, NOT GONNA GO OVER THE DEBT SERVICE LIMIT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA OUTSPEND YOUR CAPITAL.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE A WINDOW TO WORK WITH.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT TOM IS ASKING.
WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT'S THE MATRIX YOU'RE USING? YOU HAVE A POLICY IN THE GENERAL FUND AND YOU BASICALLY JUST MIMIC THAT POLICY AND THE CIP AS WELL, CORRECT? WELL, WHAT I'D I'VE LIKED, UH, ABOUT OUR CIP OVER THE LAST, UH, I DON'T KNOW, EIGHT OR NINE YEARS, IS THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T, IT WAS A BIG MESS ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, EIGHT, NINE YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, AND WHAT WE'VE, WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT STAYS THAT WAY.
I DON'T WANNA SEE IT TURN INTO A, WHERE WE, WE START PUSHING, KEEP PUSHING STUFF OFF,
[01:00:01]
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST, I MEAN, IT BECOMES A NIGHTMARE TO FIX.WE WERE LUCKY, UH, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DIG OUR WAY OUT OF THAT ONE.
SO, AND, AND A AND A BIG DRIVER WITH THE DEBT FINANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ISN'T JUST THE SCHOOL PROJECT, BUT IT'S TO MEET THE SCHOOL'S REQUEST THAT WE CONDENSE A FIVE YEAR PROJECT TO TWO YEARS.
AND THAT NUMBER JUST GOT SO BIG.
THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA WRITE A CHECK TO COVER ALL THAT AS IF YOU COULD IF YOU SPREAD IT OUT OVER FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S, AND WE SEE THE IMPACT ON OUR RESERVE FUNDS BY RIGHT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT, THOSE ARE THE, THOSE CONSEQUENCES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO, SO, UH, I KNOW THIS IS GONNA GET EVERYBODY, GET EVERYBODY'S BACKUP, BUT SO WHEN WE THROW $48 MILLION ON IT FOR TAB HIGH SCHOOL, HOW'S THAT? HOW'S THAT COMING OUT? HOW IS THAT BEING FIGURED IN HERE IN TWO YEARS? I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA DEFER THAT TO MARK BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IN A MINUTE, THE VERY NEXT SLIDE.
AND I DID, I DID NOT JUMPING THE GOOD.
YOU'RE JUMPING THE GOOD, RIGHT? THANK YOU.
RIGHT? SO, MR. ROH ASKED EARLIER ABOUT OUR DEBT POLICIES AND WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE.
SO THIS IS A DEBT POLICIES REFLECTED WITH THE CHANGES THAT YOU SAW TONIGHT, WHICH IS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE LAST TIME YOU SAW THIS, WHICH IS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER THE TIME BEFORE YOU SAW IT.
SO BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE ASKED US TO DO, YOU CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, UH, WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO ORIGINALLY WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU, WE WERE AT 9.22%.
WE'RE DOWN TO 8.63 NOW, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT.
NOW, ONE THING I DO NEED TO TELL YOU, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THIS, THIS IS THE EXPENDITURES FOR THE GENERAL FUND SUPPORTED BY DEBT SHOULD NOT EXCEED 10%.
SO OF THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE, SO IF YOU RAISE THE TAX RATE, THAT PUTS MORE MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH GIVES YOU MORE ROOM AT 10%.
SO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE, THIS NUMBER 8.63 ASSUMES A 4 CENT INCREASE.
SO THIS GETS YOU A BETTER RESULT IN TERMS OF YOUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW US DURING THE COMING WEEKS, UM, THE ISSUE OF WHAT HAPPENS IF WE LOWER THE TAX RATE FROM FOUR TO THREE OR TWO.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT YOU CAN SHOW US, SIR, IF WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON THE POLICY, RIGHT.
IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGES AND HOW THAT WOULD CHANGE, WE CERTAINLY COULD PUT THAT TOGETHER FOR YOU IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT.
I, I THINK WHAT WE'RE MISSING MARK, IS WHAT, WHAT DO WE GIVE UP IF WE CHOOSE A LOWER TAX RATE? AND THAT'S NOT OBVIOUS TO US UP HERE.
SO I, I THINK WHAT WE'D WANT TO DO IS, IS GO IN INCREMENTS OF 1 CENT AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IN TERMS OF SERVICES OR CUTS IN, CUTS IN, UH, IN POPULATION OR EMPLOYMENT OR ET CETERA, WHAT IS THE OVERALL OPTICS OF A 3 CENT, UH, RAISE OR A 2 CENT RAISE? THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND WE ARE PREPARED TO GIVE YOU THAT.
WE, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO INCLUDE IT IN THIS PRESENTATION, UH, UNTIL YOU ASKED US FOR IT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PREPARED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
WE'RE ASKING, I THINK WE WERE ORIGINALLY PLANNING, NOTED PLANNING TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ON THE 20TH.
NOW THAT, MEANING WE'VE CHOSEN TO CANCEL.
UM, SO WE, WE WILL PROBABLY WANT TO REVIEW SOME OF THAT ON THE 27TH AFTER DR.
AND IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN GET AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE THAT MEETING SO WE CAN PREP FOR THAT? CAN, CAN WE PUT THAT TOGETHER BEFORE WE GET ENOUGH TIME? OKAY.
SO MY, UH, I'M WITH, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING WITH DOUG, THAT WE NEED TO SEE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, 4%, 3%, 2% AND SEE WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE.
IF, IF WE HAVE TO SCALE BACK SOMETHING.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE OPTIONS? NOT JUST, OKAY, IT'S JUST IN SERVICES OR IT'S JUST IN THIS, BUT WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE FIELD OF OPTIONS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AND GO, OKAY, IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO THIS YEAR TO, TO HOLD OUR BUDGET CLOSE? SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, FROM, YOU KNOW, TO ME, LIKE A GRADUATED SCALE ON THE MOST, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY WOULD NEED TO DO DOWN TO SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN GO WELL, CAN WE MOVE THAT? WE, WE, WE WILL COME UP WITH SOME OPTIONS FOR YOU JUST AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
KEEP KEEPING, JUST AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I KNOW 1 CENT ON THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE IS POINT, COMES IN 1.4, 1.3, $1.3 MILLION.
REMIND ME WHAT IT IS ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX PROPERTY.
[01:05:02]
10 CENTS IS 1.5 ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, 10 CENTS REPRESENTS 1 CENT OF PROPERTY TAX.THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT IT TOO.
SO, UH, MR. DREWRY SAYS HE LIKES OPTIONS, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME MORE OPTIONS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, UM, OUR CLOSING SLIDE HERE, BUT I WANT TO FINISH IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE NOTE OF, UM, EACH YEAR, CALENDAR YEAR, THE RATE, THE TAX RATE ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE.
AND WE MUST, AND IT MUST BE ADVERTISED.
AND WHILE I AM RECOMMENDING 78 CENTS FOR THE TAX RATE, I'LL BE ADVERTISING THE RATE OF 80 CENTS TO GIVE THE BOARD ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO IMPLEMENT ANY OTHER BOARD PRO PRIORITIES THAT YOU MIGHT COME UP WITH, LIKE STRATEGIC PROPERTY ACQUISITION, INCREASE SCHOOL SUPPORT, ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS, OR ANY OTHER BOARD INITIATIVES NOT CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
THERE ARE TWO TOWN HALL LISTENING SESSIONS THIS YEAR, INSTEAD OF ONE, ONE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY ON THE 25TH, A WEEK FROM TONIGHT AT GRIFFIN YATES, AND ONE IN THE LOWER END OF THE COUNTY ON THURSDAY, UH, APRIL 3RD AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
BOTH OF THOSE ARE EVENING EVENTS FROM SEVEN TO NINE, AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COME OUT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ABOUT THE FY 26 BUDGET.
WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED FOUR ADDITIONAL WORK SESSIONS IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL WORK SESSION THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THIS FIRST ONE BEING IN MARCH, UH, 27TH, AND YOUR CALL FROM FOUR TO 6:00 PM WHICH WE HAVE INVITED THE SCHOOLS TO DISCUSS CIP UH, LAST YEAR.
EACH BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBERS WILL HAVE, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR, EACH BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE FINANCE STAFF, UH, TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET WILL BE HELD ON APRIL 15TH WITH THE PLANNED ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET ON MAY 6TH.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE.
THE FIRST BUDGET MEETING IS FROM FOUR TO SIX, YOU SAID? MM-HMM
I MEAN, I, I, 'CAUSE MS. NOLAN AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS AND IN FACT, UH, UH, DOUG AND I TALKED ABOUT ALSO IT, IT LISTED AS A LISTENING SESSION.
BUT IF I RECALL DURING OUR LAST, UH, TOWN HALL MEETING OF THIS, IT WAS THE, THE BOARD ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO EXCHANGE COMMENTS.
SO THAT'S NOT SO MUCH A LISTENING SESSION AS IT IS, UH, PEOPLE COME UP AND ASK US QUESTIONS AND WE CAN ANSWER IT.
AND SOMETIMES THE SUPERVISORS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT ANSWERS.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT THAT'S THE SAME FORMAT.
WE HAVE USED THOSE TERMS INTERCHANGEABLY, BUT THAT IS THE WAY WE HAVE PROPOSED THAT TO HAVE AN INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH THE BOARD TO BE ABLE TO ASK AND ANSWER.
SO IT'S A FORUM SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR.
AND, AND TEAM, THERE'S ARDUOUS TASK TO GET HERE, BUT WE'VE GOT A STARTING POINT.
MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD ASK ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
WE, WE AGREED ON, UH, MARCH 20TH MEETING, BEING A CANCELLATION.
I BELIEVE THERE WERE TWO OTHER DATES.
AND WE WERE ALSO LOOKING TO, UH, TO CANCEL.
UH, I THINK THE BOARD WOULD NEED TO AGREE ON THAT.
AS LONG AS WE GOT ENOUGH OTHER MEETINGS ALREADY ON THE DOCKET.
I THINK WE'RE ONLY CANCELING THREE OF NINE MEETINGS.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK AS LONG AS WE GOT.
UM, NOW THAT YOU'VE HEARD THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP.
SO LET ME GET MY LISTS AND I'LL START CALLING YOU.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ME.
GIVE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WHO'S ON THE LIST IS MARK WILLIAMS. MR. WILLIAMS, I KNOW WHO I YOU WANNA TURN THE LIGHTS ON, PLEASE? ON THE WHAT, WHEN HE, WHEN HE, WHEN HE, WHEN HE, WHEN HE DOES HIS NAME AND ADDRESS.
OH, MY NAME IS MARK WILLIAMS, FIVE 13 CHARLES ROAD.
[01:10:01]
YOU.I WANT TO FIRST START OFF BY SAYING, UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB, BUT IT'S WELL ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
PASTOR ROBIN MUSK GOTTI, I BELIEVE HER CHURCH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE BRICK CHURCH.
THE HISTORY OF THERE GOES BACK FURTHER THAN WHAT SHE SAID.
IF I'VE SEEN ANYTHING HERE TONIGHT, RATHER THAN HAVING LEADERS, HAVING GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR MONEY AND OF OUR COMMUNITY, HAVING LEADERS FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN BE VERY HELPFUL FOR VOLUNTEERING.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM THE YOUTH, THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IMPLEMENTED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, OUR NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER BUILDING THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THERE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, THE DEDICATION OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND EMT SERVICES TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY, THE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO OUR SCHOOLS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE.
THOSE ARE ALL COMMENDABLE ACTIONS.
AND I, I WOULD WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY.
IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED TONIGHT, LISTENING TO THAT BUDGET, JUST AS PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSES HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS TO MAKE THEIR FINANCIALS MEET FOR THE END OF THE YEAR AND THERE'S EXPENDITURES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, SEVEN YEARS, 10 YEARS OUT, LOOKING FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN COST SAVE MONEY OR SAVE ON MONEY THAT'S EXPENDED, AS WELL AS ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COULD BE GIVEN FROM THE STATE OR FEDERAL OR OTHER OPTIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO FINANCE US.
I ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO DO YOUR JOB DILIGENTLY, CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY JUST AS YOU HAVE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU GUYS AS WE WRAP THIS BUDGET UP.
THE NEXT PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP IS, UH, MS. PAM POCHO.
DID WANNA READ THE AGENDA TO YOU?
UM, DISTRICT FOUR PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT SAID THE FOLLOWING, TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE MUST BE NO CRITICISM OF THE PRESIDENT, OR THAT WE ARE TO STAND BY THE PRESIDENT.
RIGHT OR WRONG IS NOT ONLY UNPATRIOTIC AND SERVILE, BUT IS MORALLY TREASONABLE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
PATRIOTISM MEANS TO STAND BY THE COUNTRY.
IT DOES NOT MEAN TO STAND BY THE PRESIDENT OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC OFFICIAL.
SAVE EXACTLY TO THE DEGREE IN WHICH HE HIMSELF STANDS BY THE COUNTRY.
IT IS UNPATRIOTIC NOT TO OPPOSE HIM WHEN HE FAILS IN HIS DUTY TO STAND BY THE COUNTRY.
HOW PROPHETIC? THE CHAIR OF THIS BOARD HAS EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO STIFLE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT IS CRITICIZED, THE PRESIDENT IS ORDERING THE ARREST OF THOSE WHO EXPRESS THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
TRUMP ORDERED ICE TO ARREST AND DEPORT A PALESTINIAN COLUMBIA GRAD STUDENT WITH A GREEN CARD WHO PEACEFULLY SPOKE HIS MIND.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIS POINT OF VIEW, BUT HE HAS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS IT.
THE HYPOCRISY OF THIS IS THAT DURING THE WHITE SUPREMACY AND NEO-NAZI DEMONSTRATION IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, A GROUP THAT CARRIED TORCHES WHILE CHANTING JEWS WILL NOT REPLACE US, RESULTING IN ONE DEATH AND INJURIES TO MANY OTHERS, TRUMP SAID THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE.
TRUMP HAS DECLARED IT ILLEGAL TO BOYCOTT A COMPANY OWNED BY MUSK.
YOUR RIGHT TO SAY SOMETHING DEPENDS ON WHAT TRUMP THINKS OF IT, WHICH DEFINES CENSORSHIP.
TRUMP SILENCES MEDIA THAT DISAGREES OR QUESTIONS HIM IN ANY WAY.
TRUMP SHUT DOWN VOICE OF AMERICA, WHICH BROADCAST TRUTH TO COUNTRIES THAT LIVE IN DICTATORSHIPS, TRUMP AND MUSK HAVE SAID, ANYONE IN CONGRESS WHO DOES NOT BOW DOWN TO THE KING WILL BE PRIMARY AND THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE BY HIS MAGA SUPPORTERS.
TRUMP FIRES THREATENS ARREST OR WITHHOLDS FUNDING FROM ANY INSTITUTION THAT SPEAKS TO FACTUAL HISTORY.
IF ONE IS BLACK FEMALE, L-G-B-T-Q OR ANY MINORITY OR HISTORY IS BEING ERASED.
[01:15:01]
AIRMEN, THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS, AND EVEN WORLD WAR II, HIROSHIMA BOMBER NAMED NOLA GAY BECAUSE IT SOUNDS HOMOSEXUAL ARE BEING ERASED IN THE MILITARY.ROSA PARKS, ELLIE SME, MULALA YUI, SALLY RIDE, AND FRANK AMELIA EARHART.
WELLS JOAN OF ARK, SUSAN B. ANTHONY SHIRLEY CHISHOLM KAJI, BROWN JACKSON, KAMAL HARRIS.
R JUST DEI HIRES MARTIN LUTHER KING, JESSE OWENS, JACKIE ROBERTSON ROBINSON, ARTHUR ASH, BARACK OBAMA, JAMES BALDWIN, THURGOOD MARSHALL, JOHN LEWIS AND FREDERICK DOUGLAS ARE JUST MORE DEI HIRES JODY FOSTER EL FROM JOHN ELLEN DEGENERES, HARVEY MILK, PETE BUTTIGIEG, RENEE RICHARDS MORE DEI HIRES.
TRUMP HAS PROMISED TO ARREST PEACEFUL PROTESTORS.
SUPPORTERS WHO GATHER WHETHER PEACEFULLY OR VIOLENTLY INVADING THE CAPITOL ARE PRAISED.
TRUMP TOOK AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
HE'S IN VIOLATION OF HIS OATH OF OFFICE AND IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.
AMERICANS MUST OPPOSE ANY PRESIDENT WHO WANTS TO RESCIND OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OR ANY OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED UP IS ANNA GLIDER.
MY NAME IS ANNA GLIDER AND I RESIDE AT HEATHER WAY YORKTOWN, 2 3 6 9 3.
I'M A FOUNDER OF A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION IN PROJECT THAT FOCUSED ON PREVENTION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
IN 1865, PRESIDENT I ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE US CONGRESS RATIFIED THE 13 AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION, WHICH STATES NEITHER SLAVERY NOR INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE SHALL EXIST WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
NO SENSIBLE PERSON BELIEVES THAT SLAVERY CAN HAPPEN IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
FOR A LESSEN OUR SHORES, WE COULDN'T BE MORE WRONG.
WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THE WORDS HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THEY OFTEN THINK OF A SCENE FROM THE MOVIE TAKEN WHERE WOMEN ARE DRUG KIDNAPPED AND FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION.
WHILE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS DO EXIST AND MUST BE STOPPED, THE ISSUE IS EVEN MORE EXTENSIVE THAN WE WOULD LIKE TO THINK.
VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAN BE FOUND IN SCHOOLS, THEIR BODIES SOLD BY THEIR FRIEND OR PARTNERS SO THAT THEY CAN EARN MONEY OR DRUGS.
THEY CAN BE IN A RESTAURANT WORKING LONG HOURS FOR A LITTLE TO NO PAY UNDER THE THREAT OF DEPORTATION.
THEY CAN BE IN A CULT COERCED INTO THINKING THAT THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THEM.
THEY CAN BE IN THEIR OWN HOMES, TRAFFICKED BY THEIR FAMILY.
THE CLOTHES THAT WE WEAR AND THE PRODUCE THAT WE INGEST CAN BE MADE BY ADULTS AND CHILDREN THAT ARE FORCED TO WORK LONG HOURS AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
LADY AND GENTLEMEN, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF OUR TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOT JUST A BORDER ISSUE.
IT REQUIRES NO FORM OF MOVEMENT.
I STAND IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AS A YOUR COUNTY RESIDENT AND A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE TO ASK FOR YOU TO JOIN ME IN PREVENTION IN OUR COUNTY.
I WOULD APPRECIATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS IN A MORE PRIVATE SETTING.
UH, NEXT PERSON IS SEAN ASKIN, OR ASK YOU ASK, SORRY, OFF KILTER.
IF I COULD JUST INTERRUPT FOR A SECOND.
UH, I FORWARDED A NOTE TO EACH OF THE SUPERVISORS ON THE QUEENS LAKE, AND SEAN IS HERE TO SPEAK TO THAT TOPIC.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THE SIGNED VERSION HERE.
WE EMAILED MR. ROY AHEAD OF TIME.
I LIVE AT 1 27 LITTLE JOHN ROAD IN THE QUEENS LAKE COMMUNITY.
I AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE QUEENS LAKE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND I DRIVE AN F-150
I'M CERTAINLY SORRY TO HEAR THAT.
AS A SMALL GROUP OF OUR RESIDENTS FROM QUEENS LAKE HAVE QUESTIONED AND OPPOSED OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTED IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
I WANT TO REASSURE THE BOARD THAT THIS GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS DOES NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS AS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED WITH AN OVER 90% APPROVAL IN OUR VOTE.
OUR COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WITH WAS A RESULT OF 18 MONTHS OF GOOD FAITH RECOGNITION OR NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN A SPECIAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTING OUR COMMITTEE, UH, THEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. MORGAN, MR. ZAREMBA, AND MR. HORO AND OUR RESPECTIVE ATTORNEYS, MR. FRANK AND MR. HILL, AND INCLUDED OPEN COMMUNITY FORUMS. THE RESULT OF THAT AGREEMENT EXPENDED THE, UH, FY 24 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR QUEENS LAKE STORM WATER BASIN TO INCLUDE REPAIRS TO OUR DAM AND THE SPILLWAY
[01:20:02]
STABILIZATION OF, UH, STORMWATER RAVINES.WE HAVE A FINANCIAL OBLIGATION WE, UH, WHICH INCLUDES 110,000, UH, CAPITAL OUTLAY, A 20,000 A YEAR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CONTRIBUTION FOR 20 YEARS, UH, EASEMENT ON OUR DAM AT NO CHARGE.
AND IN ADDITION, WE'VE ALSO PAID, ALREADY PAID 170,000 IN ENGINEERING, UH, WETLAND CREDITS AND CONSULTANT FEES THAT THE COUNTY IS GETS TO USE.
UM, OUR COMMITTEE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY SECURED A 1 MILLION STATE GRANT FOR STORMWATER LOCAL ASSISTANCE FUND TO HELP MITIGATE THE DAMAGE FROM, UM, UH, FROM I 64.
SO SOME OF YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP EXISTS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHY THE COUNTY SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
IT IS A PRIVATE LAKE, AFTER ALL.
WELL, THE ANSWER IS PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
NOT ALL OF THE DURING AGENDA TO QUEENS LAKE ORIGINATES FROM IN OUR COMMUNITY.
EARLY STORM, EARLY COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS IDENTIFIED QUEENS LAKE AS A NATURAL STORMWATER CHANNEL FOR BRUTON, UH, DISTRICT BASIN.
UH, MEANING THE ISSUE OF LAKE SILTATION IS NOT OURS.
ALONE TO SOLVE DECADES OF RUNOFF FROM OUTSIDER COMMITTEE HAVE LED TO SIGNIFICANT SILT ACCUMULATION IMPACTING PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
A PROBLEM FURTHER EXACERBATED BY EXPANSION OF I 64 AND THE ONGOING COLONIAL PARKWAY PROJECT, RECOGNIZING THAT OTHERS ARE INVOLVED.
WE, WE HAVE TAKEN PROACTIVE STEPS BEYOND OUR LOCAL RESOURCES.
IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH THE YORK COUNTY STAFF AND THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, WE HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO CONGRESSMAN WHITMAN'S OFFICE AND THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO EXPLORE FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY STAFF IN THIS, AND WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, NOTABLY MR. KRIEGER, MR. BROGAN, ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THAT WAS THE LAST PERSON WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD AT THIS TIME? IF NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND NOW A COUNTY
[COUNTY ATTORNEY REPORTS AND REQUESTS]
ATTORNEY REPORTS NOTHING THIS EVENING, MA'AM.[COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS AND REQUESTS]
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.MR. BELLAMY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU FURTHER YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? IT, UH, FEELS LIKE I'VE SAID PLENTY, BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
UM, I DID SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO STAFF AFTER WE HAD THE BIG SNOW.
SO WE'VE TRADED SNOW FOR POLLEN, BUT I DID WANT TO TAKE ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK STAFF FOR THAT, UH, EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT THAT THEY MADE DURING THE SNOWSTORM TO GET US BACK OPENING AND OPERATING ON FRIDAY.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO ECONOMIC AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DISTINGUISHED BUSINESS AFFAIR THAT A FEW OF US HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND.
IT WAS GREAT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ALL THEY'VE DONE TO HELP THE, OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SO, UH, VERY NICE WORK FROM CHRISTIE AND DARREN AND THE REST OF THEIR STAFF.
AND THEN, UH, TO FURTHER ON A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD EARLIER, AND I'LL LEAVE THIS UP TO YOU AS TO HOW TO HANDLE IT, BUT GIVEN THE CALENDAR WITH THE EXTRA MEETINGS AT SOME POINT IN TIME, I DO NEED SOME GUIDANCE ABOUT TOPICS, AGENDAS, THE TOPICS AND WHICH, AND WHICH DATES WE'LL ACTUALLY BE USING.
REMEMBER THAT WE WILL NEED SOME TIME TO, UH, PREPARE FOR THE MEETING DEPENDING ON THE AGENDA.
[MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD ]
OF THE BOARD.TOM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? UH, YES.
UM, I HAVE OVER TIME, I'VE TALKED LATELY, IT SEEMS MORE THAN NORMAL, BUT, UH, ABOUT, UH, THE ROADS.
AND, UM, I GOT A CALL TODAY FROM ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS AND HE WAS, UH, HE WAS JUST FRUSTRATED.
HE WAS VERY POLITE, BUT HE WAS VERY FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE ROADS, UM, IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HE WANTED TO KNOW, UH, COULD, HOW COULD WE GET SOMETHING DONE? AND I'VE, OVER THE YEARS, I'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I JUST, SO, JUST REAL AND JUST ENCAPSULATE THIS REAL QUICK, THE STATE BUDGET FOR ROADS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA MM-HMM
IS ABOUT EIGHT, IS ABOUT $10 BILLION.
OF THAT $10 BILLION, HALF OF THAT MONEY, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DO IT THIS WAY, BUT THEY DO IT HALF THAT MONEY, $5 BILLION COMES FROM US, RIGHT? IN HAMPTON ROADS, THE 17 JURISDICTIONS.
SO THAT LEAVES THE STATE WITH REALLY $5 BILLION.
THIS STATE OF VIRGINIA HAS THE THIRD LARGEST HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE WHOLE UNITED STATES.
RIGHT? SO WE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF ROADS, WHOLE BUNCH OF BRIDGES, WHOLE BUNCH OF TUNNELS THAT WE TRY TO MAINTAIN.
[01:25:01]
TO MAINTAIN FOUR OR $5 BILLION.IT DOESN'T WORK, I'LL JUST TELL YOU IT DOESN'T WORK.
SO THE STATE PRIORITIZES HOW IT SPENDS ITS MONEY.
THE STATE SET UP FOR THIS IS THAT WE HAVE THE GOVERNOR, WE HAVE A SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WHO IS CHAIR OF A THING CALLED THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD.
AND THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD, THE ENGINEERING ARM OF THAT IS THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, KNOWN AS VDO OT.
AND UNDER THAT, VDOT IS BROKEN OUT INTO DISTRICTS.
AND EACH DISTRICT HAS TO COMPETE ITS PROJECTS WITH THE WHOLE STATE FOR THIS $5 BILLION.
UM, SO WHEN THEY ASK, CAN YOU COME IN AND PAVE A ROAD IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, THE, THE, THE QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ASK OR SAY, IS THERE, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET THE MONEY FROM? MM-HMM
SO IN YOUR COUNTY, AS, AS ALL OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, 17 IN, THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE IN THE, IN THE VDOT DISTRICT.
BUT IN HAMPTON ROAD 17 JURISDICTIONS, WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH PLACES LIKE CHESAPEAKE.
I MEAN, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO CHESAPEAKE, YOU WANNA SEE A TRAFFIC JAM, FOLKS THAT IS A TRAFFIC JAM OVER THERE.
WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH NORFOLK, VIRGINIA BEACH, SUFFOLK, ALL THESE, THE NEWPORT NEWS, HAMPTON, UH, WILLIAMSBURG, JAMES CITY CAMP.
WE HAVE TO COMPETE FOR EVERY PENNY THEY, THEY HAVE.
AND SO VDOT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN'T PUT, WE CAN'T COME IN, PAVE YOUR ROAD.
SO THEY DO THINGS LIKE PUT DOWN SLURRY AND GRAVEL AND ALL THAT DOES IS UPSET PEOPLE.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT THEY DO IS JUST PATCH THE ROAD.
THAT'S THE BEST THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
UH, WE HAVE, SO OUR COMPETITION FOR ANY ROAD PROJECT HAS TO BE WHAT IS THE ROAD THAT YOU HAVE MOST OF THE TRAFFIC ON? SO THEY, THEY LOOK AT WHAT THEY CALL THEIR, THE ROADS OF STATE SIGNIFICANCE, WHICH IS ROUTE 17.
THEY LOOK AT ROADS, UH, LIKE I 64, UH, THE TUNNELS, THE BRIDGES.
UH, YOU SEE 'EM DOING BITS AND PIECES OVER TIME.
WHEN THEY GET THROUGH WITH THOSE PROJECTS, THAT $5 BILLION IS GONE.
IT COSTS RIGHT NOW, PROBABLY MORE THAN THIS, BUT THE LAST TIME I LOOKED, IT WAS AROUND $25 MILLION A MILE.
IT, UH, THE, THE ASPHALT WAS RUNNING OVER.
UM, YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THIS ASPHALT WHO WAS RUNNING OVER $150 A YARD.
OKAY? I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT, $150 A YARD.
ALRIGHT? AND SO THE SAD PART IS THAT'S THE WAY OUR STATE SET UP THEIR BUDGET.
AND THE STATE HAS THE BUDGET FOR THIS.
AND YOU HEAR THESE THINGS ABOUT, WOW, THEY GOT THIS BILLION DOLLAR WINDFALL.
WELL, I'M TELL YOU WHAT, THAT'S NOT TRUE, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO IT.
BUT THAT'S, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF MONEY UP THERE.
SO MY, MY SUGGESTION, AND THEY WANNA KNOW, HOW DO I MAKE A POINT ON THIS? WHO DO I TALK TO? WELL, YOU CAN TALK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU.
AND THEN THEY'LL TELL YOU, CONTACT, CONTACT THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES, YOUR DELEGATES.
THERE'S 100 DELEGATES IN THE, IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, AND THERE'S 40 SENATORS.
ALRIGHT? THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT SET THE BUDGET, THAT GIVES VDOT THE MONEY.
THAT GIVES THE MONEY TO VDOT TO DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
SO, UH, RECENTLY WE DID HAVE, UM, AN, UH, SUCCESS WITH, UH, THE GENERAL LEGISLATION THAT THEY CREATED A FUND JUST FOR US.
IT'S CALLED A PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ROAD FUND.
BUT THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY MONEY IN IT.
ALRIGHT? BUT AT LEAST NOW, IF SOMEBODY COMES UP WITH A BRIGHT IDEA OF GIVING US SOME MONEY, ONE OF OUR SENATORS, UH, SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN YOUR DREAMS. YEAH.
THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THAT FUND.
AND THEN WE GET TO MANAGE IT THE WAY WE WANNA SEE IT.
WE BEING THE CITIZENS OR THE, THE JURISDICTIONS OF THE HAMPTON ROADS.
SO THE BEST THAT, SO IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR ROADS AND YOUR STREETS, OKAY, YOU CAN SCREAM AT US ALL DAY LONG IF YOU WANT.
UH, BUT THE POINT IS, YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
AND THAT'S YOUR SENATORS, AND THAT'S YOUR HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
THEY'RE THE ONES YOU HAVE TO TALK TO.
IF YOU'RE GONNA GET MORE MONEY, WE TALK TO 'EM ALL THE TIME ABOUT IT.
THE MORE CITIZENS THEY HEAR FROM, THE MORE LIKELY THEY'RE GOING TO ACCEPT STUFF THEY'RE GONNA DO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT DOWN SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST, THAT'S A REALITY.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S TALK ABOUT TRASH A LITTLE BIT.
SO I, I KNOW I HAVE, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED SOME NUMEROUS MESSAGES ABOUT TRASH ALONGSIDE THE ROADWAYS HERE, UH, IN
[01:30:01]
NEW YORK COUNTY.UM, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE I TALKED TO ONE BUSINESS OWNER WHO HAD A VISITOR COME DOWN FROM NEW YORK CITY AND THE VISITOR FROM NEW YORK CITY NOTICED THE TRASH SIDE THE ROAD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, YEAH, I KNOW WE TALKED INTERNALLY ABOUT SOME WAYS TO HELP MITIGATE THAT.
UM, UH, MR. BELLAMY, MAYBE WHEN THE WEATHER GETS NICER CONSISTENTLY, WE CAN LOOK TO SEE IF THERE ARE SOME VOLUNTEERS FROM THE REGIONAL JAIL THAT MAY WANT TO HAVE SOME OUTSIDE TIME TO HELP HELP OUT WITH THAT.
UH, I KNOW THE YOUTH COMMISSION HAS JUST AGREED TO ADOPT A ROAD GUBER NECK ROAD.
UM, AND THEY'LL DO CLEANUP THERE.
I KNOW THE, UH, SERVICE DEPARTMENT, UM, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL DO A ROADSIDE CLEANUP, UH, ON THE APRIL 21ST.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY TO DO SOME STUFF THERE.
AND ALSO WANT TO SAY, I GOT A COUPLE, UH, MESSAGES FROM FOLKS FRUSTRATED LOOKING FOR MR. MR. KRIEGER RIGHT THERE.
UM, THERE WAS OVER THERE, UM, ON SEEING THE, THE TRASH TRUCKS OUR VENDOR USES TO CARRY THE TRASH BACK, DEBRIS FLYING OUTTA THAT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT AS WELL.
BUT AT END OF THE DAY, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO PEOPLE BEING DILIGENT, NOT THROWING TRASH OUTTA THE CARS.
I WAS BEHIND SOMEBODY TODAY, JUST, JUST TODAY, COMING UP HERE TO THE MEETING, GOT BEHIND HIM AT THE STOP SIGN.
HE COMES TO STOP SIGN, FLICKS A CIGARETTE OUT.
WE, WE, I JUST HOPE EVERYBODY CAN TRY TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER WITH THAT.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY GONNA, IT HELP DRIVE THAT, THAT, UH, TRASH.
IT'S NOT ABOUT PICKING UP, IT'S ABOUT PREVENTING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, UM, SECOND THING I I WANT TO SAY, THANKS TO, UH, MR. BELLAMY AND MRS. NOEL SENDING A LETTER TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, AS WELL AS OUR STATE DELEGATES ASKING FOR, AND, AND OUR, UH, UH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AS WELL, AND A PROPOSED SECRETARY OF NAVY TO ASK THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO CONSIDER NAMAN A NEW SHIP, A NEW FIGHTING SHIP, THE USS YORKTOWN.
UM, YES, WE'VE BEEN OVER 20 YEARS WITHOUT HAVING A SHIP NAMED AFTER OUR GREAT COUNTY.
WE HAVE A LEGACY WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME NAVY SHIP GOES BACK TO THE SIX, UH, TO THE 17 HUNDREDS, I THINK THAT WAS NAMED.
THE USS YORKTOWN HAD A FAMOUS, UM, AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN WORLD WAR II.
THE MOST RECENT WAS A HOE NAGA CLASS, UH, MISSILE CRUISER.
AND WITH SOME OF THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT DATES COMING UP, THE 250TH CELEBRATION OF THE SIGN AND DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY, UH, THE BATTLE OF YORKTOWN, NOW'S A GREAT TIME TO GET A NEW SHIP NAMED THE USS YORKTOWN.
SO WE SEND OUR LETTERS, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY OUT THERE, REACH OUT TO YOUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AS WELL.
SEND, SEND LETTERS, SEND EMAILS, MR. WARNER, MR. KANE, MR. WHITMAN, AND SAY, WE WANT A NEW USS YORKTOWN.
DOUG, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? A COUPLE COMMENTS.
UM, SO SUNDAY MORNING I WAS OUT PICKING UP TRASH BECAUSE MR. KRIEGER AND COMPANY HAD DONE A WONDERFUL JOB ON ROCHE BO ONLY TO HAVE THREE BIG BEVERAGE BAGS, UH, FLY OFF SOMEBODY'S TRUCK AND MAKE A HECK OF, HECK OF A MESS NEAR BREWTON HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, I HAD TWO OTHER ITEMS. UH, NO MEETING WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT ME TALKING ABOUT SPRINGFIELD ROAD.
SO, UH, I'VE PASSED ALONG A, A NOTE TO, UH, TO MARK TO REQUEST, UH, TO WORK WITH VDOT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE DUMP TRUCKS AND, AND CEMENT TRUCKS GOING UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD HAVE KIND OF TORN THE ROAD APART THIS SPRING AFTER THE, AFTER THE HARD WINTER.
AND, UH, AND ALL THE, UH, UPHEAVAL OF, OF ASPHALT THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU ADD A LOT OF HEAVY TRUCKS TO IT, IT'S, IT'S EVEN WORSE.
WE'LL GET, UH, WE'LL GET SOME ACTION TAKEN BY VDOT.
UM, I DO WANT TO REACH OUT AND SAY THAT WE'VE HAD, UH, GOOD SUPPORT FROM BOTH HENDERSON AND NOW THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, UH, IS, UH, IS RUN BY UNITED PROPERTIES ASSOCIATES, AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE WORKED WITH THEIR CITIZENS TO, UH, TO KEEP AS MANY OF THE RESIDENTS AS POSSIBLE OFF OF SPRINGFIELD ROAD, HAVE THEM USE THE PROPER EX ENTRY AND EXIT THROUGH, UH, UH, KINGS GATE OR, UM, I FORGET THE NAME OF IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S THE MAIN ENTRANCE.
UH, AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, QUITE WELL WITH US TO, UH, TO TRY AND KEEP THE TRAFFIC TO A MINIMUM ON SPRINGFIELD.
I HAD ONE OTHER ITEM, AND I'D RAISED IT AFTER OUR LAST MEETING.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FEEDBACK AROUND MARCH 1ST, OR IN THIS CASE, MARCH 3RD THIS YEAR ON THE, UH, HOMEBASED BUSINESSES LICENSE.
AND I'VE, I'D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY, UH, SARAH WEBB HAS, HAS INDICATED THAT THERE ARE SOME CHANGES THAT THEY COULD MAKE TO THE WHOLE PROCESS FOR DOING BUSINESS LICENSES FOR HBB.
I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE THE COUNTY AND, AND, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUES OFFICE TO GET TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WE COULD MAKE ON THAT OVERALL PROCESS.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THEY HAVE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, MARCH 3RD IS PRETTY EARLY TO BE DECLARING YOUR INCOME, AND YET YOU'RE
[01:35:01]
REQUIRED BY THE LI BY THE LICENSING PROCESS TO GIVE YOUR INCOME FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.WELL, MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT READY FOR MARCH 3RD.
THEY HAVE IT READY FOR APRIL 15TH.
BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S UNUSUAL TO HAVE IT FOR, UH, THAT EARLY IN THE YEAR.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE COULD MAKE.
I, I THINK THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE RECOGNIZES THERE, UH, ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO BE MADE.
AND SHE'S REACHED OUT WITH A, WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, WORK WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT SUBJECT.
UH, WELL, STEVEN, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH IN OUR PACKET THERE WAS A 500 AND, UH, 48 BAGS OF TRASH REMOVED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN YORK COUNTY.
SO, UH, THANKS TO MARK AND HIS CREW TO GETTING OUT THERE AND, AND GETTING THE TRASH OFF.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LIST, IT'S A LIST OF ALL THE BAGS THAT THEY COLLECTED, UM, IN THE LAST COUPLE THREE WEEKS.
AND ACTUALLY, MARK STOLE MOST OF MY THUNDER BECAUSE I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA CONGRATULATE THE COUNTY STAFF FOR SNOW REMOVAL.
UH, I THINK IT WAS DONE PROFESSIONALLY AND QUICKLY AND HAD PEOPLE BACK ON THE ROADS.
AND I EVEN SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE POSTING ON FACEBOOK HOW OUR ROADS LOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN NEWPORT NEWS AND ALL THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND.
ALWAYS WANT TO THANK OUR, OUR DEPUTIES AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND EMTS AND YOUR STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS PUT INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE AND SAFETY AND, AND PROTECTION.
AND, UM, FINALLY, UH, MARK ALSO MENTIONED IT WITH THE EDA, THE CELEBRATION FOR THE TWO BUSINESSES OF THE YEAR, UH, WAS A GREAT JOB.
CHRISTIE AND DARREN, UH, VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER, UH, THE CELEBRATION AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK THERE.
UH, THANK YOU, STEPHEN, FOR MENTIONING ABOUT THE USS YORKTOWN.
UH, LAST NIGHT I ATTENDED THE ROTARY MEETING AND CONGRESSMAN WHITMAN WAS THE SPEAKER OF, OF THE EVENING.
AND SO I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESS THE, THE USS YORKTOWN DESIRE OF US TO HAVE A NEW USS YORKTOWN.
IT, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THE LAST ONE, WHICH WAS A CHIP OF THE LINE WAS DECOMMISSIONED.
AND HE PROMISED, 'CAUSE I, WE SAID HE, HE GOT THE LETTER THAT I SIGNED AND HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
AND, UH, THE ROTARY SAID, UH, MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY WOULD SEND OUT LETTERS IF I WOULD GIVE THEM THE LIST OF THE PEOPLE TO CONTACT, AND THEY WOULD SHARE THE LIST WITH THEIR OTHER ROTARY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THE AREA.
SO I THINK WE CAN, IT'S A GROUNDSWELL.
ALL I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR IS FOR THEM TO DESIGNATE A SHIP OF A LINE, THE US AS YORKTOWN.
WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE BUILT TOMORROW, BUT WE WANT TO HAVE THE NAME LOCKED IN SO WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IT IN THE FUTURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THANK YOU ALL.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO WRITE LETTERS, PLEASE DO.
AND I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING LATE, MADAM.
CAN I INTERRUPT? UH, I FORGOT TO MENTION ONE THING.
JACOB, IF YOU WOULD STAND UP, PLEASE.
THIS YOUNG MAN JUST ACHIEVED HIS EAGLE SCOUT AWARD.
LET'S GIVE HIM A HAND FOR THAT.
AND, UH, I WAS INVITED TO THAT, UH, CEREMONY.
UH, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN TO ONE OF THOSE.
AND, UH, UH, MY SON-IN-LAW IS ALSO EAGLE SCOUT.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TIME, EFFORT, ENERGY, UH, BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS THAT GOES INTO A, A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND, UH, FOR ONE OF OUR YOUNG LEADERS, UH, COMING ALONG.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK, DEDICATION, AND, AND A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING IT.
I HAVE A SON WHO IS AN EAGLE SCOUT, AND I HAVE ONE WHO IS A LIFE SCOUT.
SO, SCOUTING'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOUNG PEOPLE, AND IT'S THE START OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU'VE LEARNED A LOT IF YOU, IF YOU GOT YOUR EAGLE, YOU LEARN WHAT LEADERSHIP IS ALL ABOUT AND SERVICE IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, I'M GOING TO RECESS FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL START THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
TAKE WHAT, TAKE A FIVE MINUTE OR 10 MINUTES.
THE MEETING'S BACK IN SESSION AND NOW
[4. Home Ported Tall Ship Agreement - York River Cruises, LLC. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R25-36 to authorize the County Administrator to execute a lease be tween the County and York River Cruises, LLC, for the lease of certain docking space at the Riverwalk Landing T-Pier for the masted vessels “Alliance II” and “Serenity” for passenger excursions.]
WE'LL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.AND THE FIRST ONE THAT IS LISTED, IT'S HOME PORTED TALL SHIPS AGREEMENT WITH YORK RIVER CRUISES.
AND I'M GONNA ASK CAPTAIN JIMMY SCRUGGS TO COME FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT IT.
[01:40:02]
GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, COUNTY ATTORNEY, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE ECONOMIC AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT.I'M THE DOT MASTER AND WATERFRONT OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE Y'ALL A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HOMEPORT TALL SHIP, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD HERE.
ALLIANCE AND SERENITY WE'RE OWNED AND OPERATED BY GREG AND LAURA LOSIE.
WHEN THEY GOT NEAR THEIR RETIREMENT, THEY DECIDED TO SELL THE BUSINESS.
AND GREG LOWE'S SON ERIC, EXPRESSED INTEREST TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY HERE IN YORKTOWN.
UM, THIS WAS FACILITATED THROUGH AN ASSIGNMENT BY MUTUAL AGREEMENT OF EXISTING LEASE, WHICH IS NOW EXPIRED.
THE PURPOSE IS TO RETAIN A UNIQUE ATTRACTION WHICH PROVIDES DAY SALES, PIRATES, CRUISES, AND SUNSET CRUISES.
THIS AGREEMENT SOLIDIFIES A UNIQUE ATTRACTION AMENITY TO THE YORKTOWN WATERFRONT AND RIVER WATER LANDING PIERS THE NEW LEASE AGREEMENT.
THE NEW LEASE AGREEMENT OUTLINES AGREEMENT TERMS PERMITTED USE OF THE DOCK SPACE.
OPERATING SCHEDULE FEES WILL BE A FIXED DOCK RATE AND A HEAD TAX, A PER PASSENGER CHARGE.
YOU SEE THE DRAWING, THIS IS WHERE SCHOONER ALLIANCE TWO AND SCHOONER SERENITY WERE DOCKED LAST YEAR AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE DOCKED ON OUR T PIER, WHICH IS OUR PIER FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE COLEMAN BRIDGE.
OUR RECOMMENDATION OF THE ECONOMIC AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STAFF RECOMMENDS THE ADOPTION OF THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 36, WHICH WILL AUTHORIZE THE EXECUTION OF LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE YORK RIVER CRUISES, LLC.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEP.
SO, CAPTAIN GROSS, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT AND WORKING WITH THE, THE, THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO GET THEM BACK HERE AND NEW, NEW LEASE.
IT IS A, A, UH, A NICE AMENITY HERE.
YORK COUNTY BRINGS PEOPLE HERE INTO THE COUNTY AND IT'S GREAT USAGE OF THAT SPACE.
WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR WILL THEY BE AT THE PIER OPERATING OUT OF? OPERATING OUT OF? UM, THE BASIS WILL BE APRIL 1ST THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER.
UH, SOMETIMES THEY STAY A LITTLE BIT LATER, DEPENDING IF THEY'RE, UM, LIKE LAST YEAR THEY WERE PART OF OUR MARITIME FESTIVAL.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA MISS THAT AND LEAVE.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY WEATHER DEPENDENT.
UM, YOU GET TOWARDS OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, YOU GET SOME ROUGH NORTHEAST WINDS AND THEY MIGHT WANT TO GET OUTTA THERE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT THAT'S, THE MAINFRAME IS APRIL 1ST TO END OCTOBER.
AND IT'S ALL, ALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK? WHAT, WHAT? YES SIR.
IT'S SEVEN DAYS A WEEK DEPENDING ON, UM, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE CRUISING.
AND REALLY THE WEATHER IS THEIR, THEIR MAIN FACTOR OF IF THEY GO OUT, IF THERE'S CERTAIN WINDS OR EYE TIDES OR WEATHER, THEY, UM, WILL NOT SAIL FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE ON THE SHIP.
I JUST WONDER WHAT THE STATUS OF THE, UH, REPAIRS ON THE ANCHOR LINES ARE FOR THE PIER AND DOES THIS AFFECT WHERE THEY'RE DOCKING? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO ADJUST? NO, SIR.
THE, UM, THE ANCHOR LINES ON THE PIER WERE FINISHED UP LAST YEAR.
THEY'RE DOING SOME OTHER STUFF, BUT IT WILL NOT AFFECT ANY OF THAT AT ALL.
WAYNE, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
WELL, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, GREG AND LAURA HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB FOR YEARS DOWN THERE.
WE'RE SORRY TO HEAR GREG'S PASSING AND, AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT HIS SON'S STEPPING UP TO WE ARE AS WELL TO, TO KEEP THE LEGACY GOING ON THERE.
THEY'VE BEEN GREAT FOR YORKTOWN.
PEOPLE LOVE GOING OUT ON THOSE, THOSE CRUISES AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, EXTENDING THEIR CONTRACT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO CARE TO SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE? SEE NONE.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND IT'S PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
SOMEONE LIKE TO MOVE IT? I'LL MOVE.
R 25 36 DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. ROHN IS TO ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION R 25 DASH 36 TO GO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH YORK RIVER CRUISES LLC FOR THE LEASE OF CERTAIN DOCKING SPACE AT WALK LANDING.
[5. Application No. ZT-204-25, Accessory Chicken/Duck-keeping on residential properties. Consider adoption of proposed Ordinance No. 25-7 to approve the amendment of the per formance standards within section 24.1-414.1, Standards for Domestic Chicken-Keeping as an accessory activity on residential property, York County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 24.1, York County Code.]
IS THE ACCESSORY, UH, CHICKEN DUCK KEEPING ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.UH, UH, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, HOWEVER, IS I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DEFER ANY ACTION ON IT UNTIL THE APRIL 15TH MEETING.
UH, THERE IS, WHAT HAPPENED IS SOME,
[01:45:01]
AN APPLICATION CAME IN, IT'S STILL IN THE PIPELINE AND THIS MIGHT AFFECT IT.SO THE STAFF HAS ASKED THAT WE POSTPONE OUR VOTING ON THIS UNTIL THE 15TH.
SO ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT IT? YES, MA'AM.
SO, AS MS MRS NOLES SAID, THIS APPLICATION IS TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WITHIN SECTION 24.1 DASH 4 4, 1 OF THE YORK COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE STANDARDS FOR DOMESTIC CHICKEN KEEPING AS AN ACCESSORY ACTIVITY ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
WE'RE REQUESTING TONIGHT THAT YOU OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO HEAR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL THE APRIL 15TH, 2025 MEETING.
WE'RE MAKING THIS REQUEST BECAUSE, UM, SORRY.
WE'RE MAKING THIS REQUEST BECAUSE IF YOU APPROVE THIS APPLICATION, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WOULD REMOVE THE OPTION FOR CITIZENS TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW REDUCED SETBACKS FOR A CHICKEN ENCLOSURE.
THE CONTINUANCE WOULD ALLOW A COUPLE THAT HAS APPLIED FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO REDUCE THE SETBACKS FOR THEIR CHICKEN ENCLOSURE, UM, TO BE HEARD BY THIS BOARD BEFORE YOU ACT ON THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS.
SO I'M GONNA START, UH, WITH, UM, SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR YOU.
THE YORK COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE HAS ALLOWED DOMESTIC CHICKEN KEEPING AS AN ACCESSORY ACTIVITY ON PROPERTIES WITH AN OCCUPIED DWELLING AND WITH LESS THAN TWO USABLE ACRES, AN AREA IN THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION OR RC AND RURAL RESIDENTIAL OR RR ZONING DISTRICTS SINCE 2014.
THE SAME HAS BEEN TRUE ON PROPERTIES WITH AN OCCUPIED DWELLING IN THE, UH, LOW DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, UM, MEDIUM, UH, DENSITY, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HIGH DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND WATER ORIENTED COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS.
OVER THAT TIME, 143 ADMINISTRATIVE PERMITS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR RESIDENTIAL CHICKEN KEEPING, AND STAFF HAS RECOGNIZED A VARIETY OF CHANGES REQUESTED BY CITIZENS, UH, WHICH HAVE BEEN NOTED FOR CORRECTION.
NOW LET'S MOVE INTO STAFF'S CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.
THESE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS INCLUDE THREE MAJOR ALTERATIONS.
THE FIRST IS THE REMOVAL OF DUCKS FROM THE PROHIBITED SPECIES LIST.
THE SECOND WOULD ALLOW RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS IN THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR PD ZONING DISTRICT TO KEEP CHICKENS AND DUCKS IN THEIR BACKYARDS.
AND THE LAST WOULD REMOVE THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO REDUCE THE SETBACKS FOR PENS, COOPS, AND CAGES.
ADDITIONALLY, MINOR CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE, UH, LANGUAGE ARE PROPOSED FOR CLARIFICATION AND MODERNIZATION PURPOSES.
I'M GONNA DISCUSS THE REMOVAL OF DUCKS FROM THE PROHIBITED SPECIES LIST FIRST.
SO WHILE SECTION 24.1 DASH 4 4 1 ALLOWS CITIZENS TO KEEP DOMESTIC CHICKENS ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THE CURRENT REGULATIONS PROHIBIT THE KEEPING OF GAME, UH, GAME BIRDS, DUCKS, GEESE, PHEASANTS, GUINEA FOWL, AND SIMILAR FOWL OR POULTRY.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD ALLOW CITIZENS TO KEEP DUCKS IN ADDITION TO CHICKENS BY STRIKING DUCKS FROM THE PROHIBITED SPECIES LIST.
SO JUST AS BACKYARD CHICKEN KEEPING HAS RISEN IN POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS, SO HAS DUCK KEEPING.
MANY PEOPLE REPORT THAT CARING FOR DUCKS IS SIMILAR TO CARING FOR CHICKENS AND PEOPLE OFTEN KEEP BOTH SPECIES FOR EGG PRODUCTION.
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BIRDS, UH, PERMITTED.
RATHER, IT WOULD ALLOW ONE CHICKEN OR DUCK PER 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF LOT AREA NOT TO EXCEED A MAXIMUM OF 16 CHICKENS AND OR DUCKS COMBINED.
SO THE SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT ADDRESSES CHICKEN AND DUCK KEEPING IN THE PD ZONING DISTRICT.
THE CURRENT REGULATIONS ALLOW CITIZENS TO KEEP CHICKENS AS AN ACCESSORY USE ON OCCUPIED RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN THE R 33, R 20, R 20 R 13, AND WCI ZONING DISTRICTS AND UNOCCUPIED RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT HAVE LESS THAN TWO USABLE ACRES IN AREA IN THE RC AND RR DISTRICTS.
CITIZENS LIVING IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE PD ZONING DISTRICT HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT IN BEING BARRED FROM RESIDENTIAL CHICKEN KEEPING.
IN THE PAST, THE PROPOSED TAX AMENDMENTS WOULD ADD PD AS A PERMITTED DISTRICT FOR BACKYARD CHICKEN OR DUCK KEEPING, AND CLARIFY THAT BACKYARD CHICKENS AND DUCKS ARE ONLY ALLOWED ON PROPERTIES WITH OCCUPIED DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS BECAUSE THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS WOULD REQUIRE CITIZENS TO CONDUCT THEIR CHICKEN AND DUCK KEEPING ACTIVITIES ON PROPERTIES WITH AN OCCUPIED, DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING IN ALL ALLOWABLE DISTRICTS, THERE'S NO REASON TO EXCLUDE THE PD ZONING DISTRICT DURING THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING IN WHICH THIS APPLICATION WAS CONSIDERED.
CONCERNS WERE EXPRESSED ABOUT THE TENDENCY OF LOT SIZES IN THE PD ZONING DISTRICT TO BE SMALLER AND THE IMPACT OF ALLOWING CHICKEN KEEPING IN HIGHER DENSITY COMMUNITIES.
CITIZENS MUST OBTAIN AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHICKEN KEEPING PERMIT BEFORE ESTABLISHING A CHICKEN KEEPING
[01:50:01]
OPERATION.IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHICKEN KEEPING PERMIT, THE APPLICANT MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
ONE SUCH REQUIREMENT IS FOR ALL CHICKEN ENCLOSURES TO BE LOCATED AT LEAST 10 FEET FROM ADJOINING PROPERTY LINES AND 25 FEET FROM ANY DWELLING LOCATED ON A PROPERTY NOT OWNED BY THE APPLICANT.
IF THE PROPERTY IS TOO SMALL OR LA LOCATED TOO CLOSE TO ANOTHER DWELLING TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, THE PERMIT CANNOT BE ISSUED.
IN ADDITION, AND AS I MENTIONED ON A PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE NUMBER OF CHICKENS ALLOWED IS DEPENDENT ON THE SIZE OF THE LOT, ONE CHICKEN OR DUCK PER 2,500 SQUARE FEET FOR A MAXIMUM OF 16 CHICKENS OR DUCKS.
SO THE LAST PROPOSED AMENDMENT, UH, REMOVES THE REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO, UH, TO REDUCE SETBACKS FOR A CHICKEN OR DUCK ENCLOSURE.
THE CURRENT REGULATIONS UNDER 24.1 DASH 4 4 1 ALLOW CITIZENS TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IF THEY WISH TO PLACE A CHICKEN ENCLOSURE CLOSER TO THEIR PROPERTY LINES THAN THE STANDARDS PERMIT.
NORMALLY, IF A CITIZEN WISHES TO BUILD A STRUCTURE OR ACCESSORY STRUCTURE CLOSER TO THE LOT LINE THAN THE ZONING ORDINANCE PERMITS, THEY WOULD REQUEST A VARIANCE FROM THE BOARD OF ZONING AND SUBDIVISION APPEALS NOT REQUEST A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
ACCORDINGLY, A REQUEST TO OBSERVE A LESSER SETBACK FOR CHICKEN OR DUCK ENCLOSURES SHOULD BE HANDLED THE SAME WAY SINCE THE REQUEST IS NOT FOR AN APPROVAL OF A PARTICULAR LAND USE, BUT FOR AN EXCEPTION FROM THE LOCATION STANDARD PRESCRIBED BY THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THEREFORE, THE PROPOSAL REMOVES THE REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO OBSERVE SETBACKS OF A LESSER DIMENSION FROM THIS SECTION.
THIS ACTION WOULD STILL ALLOW A CITIZEN TO APPLY FOR A VARIANCE AND FURTHER REQUEST TO BE CONSIDERED AT A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I'M GONNA CLOSE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS WOULD REMOVE DUCKS FROM THE LIST OF PROHIBITED FOUL, ALLOW CHICKENS AND OR DUCK KEEPING ON PROPERTIES WITH OCCUPY DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THE PD ZONING DISTRICT, AND REMOVE THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO LOCATE A CHICKEN OR DUCK ENCLOSURE CLOSER TO THE PROPERTY LINE THAN THE CODE PERMITS.
THE ADDITION OF DUCKS AS A BACKYARD POULTRY KEEPING ACTIVITY WOULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE IMPACT ON THE COUNTY'S NEIGHBORHOODS THAN CHICKEN KEEPING ALONE BECAUSE ALL RESIDENTIAL POULTRY KEEPING OPERATIONS MUST OCCUR ON PROPERTIES WITH OCCUPIED, DETACHED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.
UH, NO NEGATIVE IMPACTS ARE ANTICIPATED BY ALLOWING THE KEEPING OF CHICKENS AND DUCKS IN THE PDS AT DISTRICT.
FINALLY, THE REMOVAL OF THE OPTION TO APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO OBSERVE A CHICKEN OR DUCK ENCLOSURE, SETBACK OF A LESSER DIMENSION REPRESENTS A SIMPLE PROCEDURAL CHANGE, UH, TO BRING THIS SECTION INTO CONFORMANCE WITH HOW SUCH ZONING VARIANCES REQUESTS ARE CONSIDERED AND APPROVED.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF PROPOSED, UH, ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH SEVEN.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERED THIS APPLICATION DURING THEIR FEBRUARY 12TH MEETING AND VOTED SIX TO ZERO WITH, UH, MR. SMITH ABSENT TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, TOM? YEAH, I JUST, FOR THE FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, UH, MS. NOLAN AND I HAD, UH, HAD A, A ROUGH EXPERIENCE WITH AGRICULTURE ON THIS AND, UH, AND MANY OF THE, THE SETBACKS YOU SEE IN THERE WERE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE IN FARMING, FARMING, UM, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS.
I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHY IT CAME BACK AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T THINK OF DUCKS.
I MEAN, IT, I ALWAYS THINK OF DUCKS AS IN, IN A HUNTING MODE.
I DON'T THINK OF 'EM AS, YOU KNOW, THE BIG THE SWAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IN FACT, IS THAT A SWAN? WOULD THAT BE APPROPRIATE? NO.
WHY NOT? OR GEESE? NEITHER ONE.
SO THE CODE CURRENTLY PERMITS, UH, CHICKENS AND WERE PROPOSING THAT.
WHY DID YOU NOT CONSIDER THAT? UM, OR GEESE? WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY REQUESTS FOR THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE, WE HAVEN'T PUT THAT ON THAT.
WELL, THEN I'M SHOW YOU OUGHT TO HAVE, WE OUGHT TO HAVE A GOOD THING IN HERE FOR WANS.
BUT I, I MEAN, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO DO THAT, NOW I UNDERSTAND THE GUINEA, HES, BECAUSE THEY'LL USE THOSE AS LIKE GUARD DOGS AND, UH, AND, UM, LET'S THE OTHER PHEASANT, NOT PHEASANTS, BUT, UM, PEACOCKS.
PEACOCKS, THEY JUST, THEY'RE THE NOISIEST, ONE OF THE NOISIEST BIRDS AROUND.
BUT THINGS LIKE QUAIL, UM, SWANS KE OH, YOU ALREADY SAID THE KEITH ARE IN THERE.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THIS AGAIN, ARE WE? UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO RAISE AND BECAUSE THEY EAT, THEY EAT, UH, QUAIL EGGS.
SO YOU CAN RAISE QUAIL JUST FOR THE, JUST FOR THE, YOU CAN RAISE IT FOR THE MEAT OR, AND FOR THE, UM, FOR THE EGGS, RIGHT?
I MEAN, QUAIL'S NOT MENTIONED IN HERE.
NO, IT'S NOT PROHIBIT IT'S NOT MENTIONED.
IT'S A GAME GAME GAMER THOUGH.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE OWN CHICKENS, DO THEY, ARE THEY, UH, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO KEEP 'EM ON THEIR PROPERTY? YES.
IF YOU GET A CHICKEN KEEPING, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CHICKEN KEEPING PERMIT.
IF YOU ARE GRANTED THAT PERMIT, YOU CAN KEEP CHICKENS ON YOUR PROPERTY.
HE'S SAYING DO THEY HAVE TO STAY ON YOUR PROPERTY? WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SHOCK COLLARS FOR CHICKENS,
[01:55:01]
SO YOU SAID IN YOUR, IN YOUR BRIEFING HERE, UH, THAT, SO THE, THE COOP HAS TO BE 10 FEET, UH, FROM THE, THE LINE, FROM THE, THE BOUNDARY LINE.
BUT YOU ALSO MENTIONED IT HAS TO BE 25 FEET FROM ANY OTHER STRUCTURE, DWELLING FROM ANY OTHER DWELL RESIDENTIAL DWELLING STRUCTURE.
SO IF A PERSON HAS A HOUSE THAT COULD BE CLOSER THAN 50 FEET OR SO, OR 25 FEET, THEN THAT CHICKEN COOP WOULD HAVE TO BE FURTHER AWAY FROM THE LINE.
UH, CHICKEN ENCLOSURES HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 25 FEET AWAY FROM ANY OTHER RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE.
THAT'S NOT, NOT THE RESIDENTIAL ON APPLICANTS PROPERTY.
S IS THAT JUST, IS THAT WHAT ABOUT A SHED IF I BUILD? NO SIR.
SO THAT'S NOT, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE DWELLING.
DWELL RESIDENTIAL WHERE YOU ACTUALLY LIVE.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS HERE? OH, I'VE GOT ONE OVER HERE.
I DON'T TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO, NUMBER THREE LEAVES ME HANGING.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION.
YOU'RE REDUCING IT FROM 10, BUT YOU HAVEN'T SAID TO WHAT AND WHEN DOES IT COME BACK TO A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR? IF SOMEBODY WANTS ZERO, ARE WE GONNA ALLOW THAT? I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LIMIT SET WHERE, WHERE THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR HAS OPPORTUNITY TO AUTOMATICALLY, UH, ACCEPT.
UH, BUT BEYOND THAT, THERE IT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO S-U-P-I-I DON'T THINK ANYTHING LESS THAN FIVE FEET IS ACCEPTABLE FOR, UH, FOR A REDUCTION ON THE, IN THE SETBACK.
AND, AND I DON'T SEE THAT HERE.
I DON'T SEE ANY PRACTICAL LIMITS SET BY THE NEW GUIDELINES.
AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING IF YOU FEW RECOMMEND THAT CURRENT SETBACK, UH, CAN BE REDUCED BY 50%, I WOULDN'T HAVE AN ISSUE.
BUT I, BUT TO HAVE IT GO ALL THE WAY TO ZERO BOTHERS ME.
I I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO THIS PROPOSAL IS TO, UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, ANYONE WHO APPLIES FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A REDUCED SETBACK, MAYBE GRANTED THAT BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU APPROVE THIS APPLICATION, THEN THEY WOULD GO TO THE BOARD OF, UM, ZONING AND SUBDIVISION APPEALS INSTEAD.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU WANT A MINIMUM THAT THEY, THAT IS NOT ALLOWED TO, TO I YOU CAN'T GO BELOW THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A, A MINIMUM SETBACK THAT THEY CAN'T GO BELOW UNLESS, UNLESS THEY THEN TAKE THAT TO AN SUP.
NOW IT'S A CLARIFICATION HERE WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR MM-HMM
THE CURRENTLY THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEAL.
IF, IF WE WOULD GO WITH THIS WOULD USE THE SETBACK AS WE SET AS A GUIDELINE.
THEY WOULD, THEY COULD VARY OFF OF THAT.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IF IT'S ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT IS, WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THE PERSON TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO, TO HAVE A CHICKEN.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL THEY GONNA, THEY GOT 25 SQUARE FOOT OF PROPERTY, THEY CAN HAVE ONE CHICKEN AND THEN THAT CASE THEY COULD GO TO BORDER OF ZONE PEEL BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT AN ODD PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT COMES TO A POINT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEY CAN PUT IT CLOSE TO THE BOUNDARY BASED UPON A OVERALL DESIRE TO ALLOW A CITIZEN TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT, TO HAVE CHICKENS OR ONE CHICKEN.
UM, BUT THE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE BOARD ZONING APPEAL DOESN'T JUST ARBITRARILY GO WELL, I THINK EIGHT FEET TODAY OR 10 FEET OR FIVE FEET OR SOMETHING.
THEY GOTTA GO BY THE GUIDELINES THAT WE SET NOW FIVE FEET.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I DON'T, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FIVE FEET WOULD DO OTHER THAN DEAL WITH THE AESTHETICS OF LOOKING AT A HOUSE.
THE, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL ELIMINATES ANY RIGHT MENTION OF THE SETBACK AND, AND NO SIR.
THE SETBACK WOULD REMAIN THE SAME 10 FEET.
HOWEVER, THE PROCEDURE CHANGES.
IF YOU NEED, IF, IF YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR A VARIANCE ON YOUR, ON THE SETBACK DISTANCE INSTEAD OF APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, YOU WOULD INSTEAD APPLY FOR A VARIANCE THROUGH THE BOARD OF BOARD ZONING, ZONING AND SUBDIVISION APPEALS.
THE SETBACK DOES NOT CHANGE AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT I THINK IF YOU GO LESS THAN HALF OR 50% OF THE SETBACK, FIVE FEET, UH, I THINK IT BUMPS UP TO THIS LEVEL.
I THINK THE REASON IT WAS IN HERE AS AN ISSUE WAS NEIGHBORS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW CLOSE TO THEIR FENCE LINE THIS COULD BE.
IF YOU, IF WE APPROVE THIS, IT NEVER COMES BACK TO US.
AND ON IN ADDITION, IT NEVER COMES BACK.
BECAUSE LIKE EVERY, EVERY, LIKE EVERY, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD, THAT'S WHAT DOUG SET A MINIMUM DISTANCE THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
WELL, CAN, CAN WE DO THAT BY SETTING POLICY THROUGH THE ZONING, ZONING APPEALS AND SAY JUST SAY FIVE FEET SET BOARD POLICY IS 50% OR WHATEVER NUMBER YOU WANT TO GIVE 'EM.
THAT WAY THEY, THEY HAVE THAT GUIDELINE ALSO AN APPLICANT THINK THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS MUST PROVE THAT THEY HAVE A HARDSHIP BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL OR PHYSICAL
[02:00:01]
CONSTRAINTS ON THEIR PROPERTY.THEY, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THE BOARD OF ZONING AND SUBDIVISION APPEALS WOULD APPROVE THAT TYPE OF VARIANCE.
SO WHAT I'M, WHAT IT SAYS IS THAT WE COULD SET 10 FEET, SO WE COULD SET FIVE FEET, THEY COULD HAVE STILL BLOW IT OFF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEAL BASED UPON WHAT HE JUST SAID.
COULD GO UP TO A COUPLE INCHES OR MAYBE WHATEVER IS COMMON SENSE, PUT A FENCE IN.
DOES THE, DOES THE VARIANCE PROCESS ALLOW FOR NEIGHBORS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS AS WELL? IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
IT'S A PUBLIC, SO THAT WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THEY WOULD'VE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO, HEY, I, IT'S, IT'S TOO CLOSE TO MY PROPERTY.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA PUT MINE TOGETHER.
ONE, UH, WELL GOOD JOB ON THE ED.
'CAUSE I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND YOU ALSO, WE ALSO JUST COVER THE VARIANCE THING.
SO THE ONLY QUESTION I GOT IS, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH DUCKS AND PEARS, THEY TEND TO BE PRETTY QUIET AND COMPLACENT TO, YOU KNOW, THERE.
BUT WHEN YOU GET, WHAT? 16 MAXIMUM, WHAT'S THE TOTAL MAX? 16.
YOU CAN HAVE ONE PER 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF LOT AREA.
SO IF YOUR PROPERTY IS SMALLER, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE OKAY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT CONFIDENT THAT 16 DUCKS IS NOT, ARE NOT GONNA CREATE A NOISE ISSUE FOR NEIGHBORS.
WE'RE NOT USED TO 'EM IN A FLOCK, SO I DON'T OKAY.
AND IS THERE IS A REQUIREMENT THAT THE CHICKENS AND DUCKS HAVE TO BE KEPT IN A PEN OR JUST ON THE PROPERTY? THEY NEED TO BE KEPT IN A PEN.
THEY OUGHT ALL 24 7 HAD TO BE IN A PEN.
BUT IF THEY'RE OUTTA THE PEN, THEY STILL NEED TO BE KEPT ON THE PROPERTY.
THEY CAN'T JUST WANDER THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S DUCK RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DUCKS CAN FLY.
SO I, UNLESS YOU PUT A NET OVER THE TOP OF YOUR HOUSE, I WAS GONNA WONDER HOW THEY'RE GONNA HANDLE THAT.
BUT I'M, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO KEEP DUCKS ALREADY, SO I GUESS THEY'VE GOT CHICKENS A LITTLE BIT HARDER.
MAYBE THEY CLIP WING, FLY WING, THE WINGS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYBODY OUT HERE WOULD LIKE TO TALK? ANY QUESTIONS? YES SIR.
MARK WILLIAMS. FIVE 13 CHARLES ROAD.
AH, A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER HEARTED THAN BEFORE.
SO I'LL START OFF BY SAYING I WISH NOT TO RUFFLE ANY FEATHERS.
THE, UM, COUPLE IDEAS POPPED UP WHILE THIS WAS ALL BEING DISCUSSED.
I ACTUALLY HAD TO CALL, UH, WHICH OPERATES OUT OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, OUR ANIMAL CONTROL.
ONE DAY BACK WHEN WE HAD RIPS ON DEBY BOULEVARD AS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S SINCE BEEN CHANGED AROUND.
SO THAT PART OF DEBY BOULEVARD DOESN'T BELONG TO US ANY LONGER.
THE SHORT OF IT IS CHICKENS AND ROOSTERS HAD GOTTEN LOOSE FROM SOMEWHERE AND THEY HAD TAKEN OVER A RIPS PARKING LOT AND THE POOR LADY IN THERE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO GET NEWPORT NEWS IN TO HELP 'EM 'CAUSE ONE PERSON COULDN'T ROUND UP A GROUP OF CHICKENS NOR ROOSTERS IF HE WANTED TO.
SO NEWPORT NEWS GOT INVOLVED AND THEY, THEY ROUNDED THEM UP AND DONATED THEM TO, UH, GET THROUGH MY POINTS WITHIN, UH, ANOTHER MINUTE.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT WATERWAYS.
I KNOW THAT THERE CAN BE CHICKEN POLLUTION THROUGH WATERWAYS DEPENDING ON HOW MANY CHICKENS ARE RESIDING ALONG THE WATERWAY.
THE, UM, OTHER CONSIDERATION THAT MAY NEED TO BE MADE HERE OR THROUGH THE ZONING BOARD OR CONSULTING WITH RO MONTGOMERY IS THERE, YOU KNOW, COULD THERE BE A THREE STRIKES RULE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE YOUR CHICKENS THREE TIMES AND THEY'RE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU AND DONATED TO A HOMELESS SHELTER OR SOMETHING FOR UNCONTROLLABLE CHICKENS? THE OTHER THING, MR. ROME, STEVEN IS, UH, THROUGH EXPERIENCE.
MY PARENTS ATTEMPTED TO RAISE SOME CHICKENS A WHILE BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, IF YOU DON'T COOP 'EM, THERE'S A PREDATOR NAMED AN AL OR A HAWK.
AND THE PROBLEM IS INSTANTLY GONE, RIGHT ABOUT DUSK.
THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF, UH, FEEDING THEMSELVES OFF THAT CHICKEN AND OR DUCK.
WITH THAT SAID, I THINK, UH, 45 MINUTES, I, I RETURN IT TO THE NEXT CITIZEN.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD CARE TO SPEAK TO THE SUBJECT? PLEASE COME FORWARD.
UM, I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, DUCKS ARE
[02:05:01]
LOUD AND IF GEESE ARE LOUD AS WELL, THEY'RE EVEN LOUDER THAN DUCKS.UH, CHICKENS ARE NOT AS LOUD, BUT THE, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I WASN'T IN HERE FOR THE ENTIRE, UH, PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, ROOSTERS, ARE THEY ALLOWED IN THIS? NO.
'CAUSE THEY DO MAKE A LOT OF NOISE.
BUT DUCKS AND, UH, WE USED TO HAVE IT IN GROUND POOL AND WE DON'T LIVE TOO FAR FROM, UH, THE RESERVOIR.
AND WE HA AND THE SWAMP, UH, EXCUSE ME, WETLANDS, UM,
AND THEY CAME INTO OUR POOL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MESSED UP THE POOL, BUT THEY WEREN'T QUIET EITHER.
WE HAD DUCK LA AND DOUG BILL AND THEIR FAMILY THAT CAME TO LIVE WITH US FOR A WHILE UNINVITED, UM, THEY DID FINALLY MOVE ON.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ALLOW SLAUGHTERING OF THESE ANIMALS ON THE PREMISES? THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION I'D LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE RAISING THEM FOR MEAT RATHER THAN NOT JUST EGGS, AND EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A LITTLE OLD FOR THE EGGS TOO, THAT MEANS KILLING THEM.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IS IT GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO RAISE ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTER? IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE, AND I JUST DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO REALLY LOOK AT THE, THE, UH, FACILITIES THEY'VE MADE FOR THE, UM, FOUL THAT THEY'D RATHER MOVE IT CLOSER TO ME.
I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT I WOULD LIKE THAT QUESTION ANSWERED ABOUT SLAUGHTERING THEM.
OH, YOU CLEAN FISH ON PROPERTY, YOU CLEAN ON PROPERTY.
I DON DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH FOUL.
SO, MS. PUZO'S FIRST QUESTION WAS, UM, ASKING IF ROOSTERS ARE ALLOWED, THEY ARE NOT PERMITTED BY RIGHT.
HOWEVER, A CITIZEN CAN APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO BE GRANTED PERMISSION TO HAVE A ROOSTER ON THEIR PROPERTY.
SLAUGHTERING OF CHICKENS IS ALLOWED, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, THE LIMIT IS 16 CHICKENS.
IF YOU HAVE A PROPERTY LARGE ENOUGH FOR THAT, AND MOST PEOPLE GIVEN THAT LIMIT, DON'T SLAUGHTER THEIR CHICKENS.
OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
AND WHAT IS WHAT THAT, WHAT'S BEFORE THE BOARD IS THE EXTENDING THIS TO THE APRIL 15TH MEETING, MEETING TABLING BASICALLY, WELL, IT'S TABLING AND BRINGING IT BACK UP ON THE 15TH.
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MOVE THAT I JUST DID.
OR WE'RE CONTINUING THE PUBLIC HERE UNTIL THE 15.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO CONTINUE ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH SEVEN TO THE APRIL 15TH MEETING.
UH, NEXT I NO ONE FINISHED BUSINESS, BUT WE HAVE A CONSENT CALENDAR
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
AND THE NUMBER SIX IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.NUMBER SEVEN IS THE HEAD START GRANT.
UH, NUMBER EIGHT IS THE VETERANS EXEMPTION MEMORANDUM NUMBER NINE IS A STREET ACCEPTANCE OF QUESTA VILLAGE.
NUMBER 10 IS CELL PHONE TOWER LEASE WITH TO SINGULAR WIRELESS.
NUMBER 11 IS EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER, FOURTH QUARTER 2024.
AND FINALLY THE LAST ONE, NUMBER 12 IS RETIREMENT RECOGNITION OF SENIOR FIREFIGHTER WILLIAM LUGO.
DOES ANYONE CARE TO DISCUSS ANY OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS OR WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MOVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR? I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS, MS. LUGA GOT TO THAT POINT.
I JUST THINK YOU'RE WAY TOO YOUNG.
AND I'M SURE CHIEF SKI WILL LOVE TO HAVE YOU FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, REMEMBER I STARTED VOLUNTEERING WHEN YOU DID.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THESE MUCH.
SO WHO CAN TALK TO THIS? HEY, TERRY.
SO, UM, SO THIS IS, IT'S ON PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I MEAN, I, IT DOESN'T, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT HOW TALL THIS THING IS.
IT'S A 400 FOOT TOWER, 400 FOOT.
IT'S THE ONE, IT'S THE EXISTING TOWER THAT'S BEEN THERE.
I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE THEY'RE PUTTING UP A NEW ONE.
WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MOVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR, PLEASE? I'LL MOVE IT.
UM, MR. SHEPHERD HAS MOVED IT.
THE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS SUBMITTED.
[02:10:01]
YES.AND NO CLOSED MEETING TONIGHT.
SO THERE'LL BE NO FURTHER BUSINESS.
AND THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL
[FUTURE BUSINESS ]
BE HELD AT SIX O'CLOCK TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST.OH, THAT'S A TERRIBLE DAY TO HAVE A MEETING.
UH, IN THE EAST ROOM IN YORK HALL.
UH, BUT THERE IS A TOWN HALL MEETING.
DO WE HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THAT? YEAH.
BUT I, I THINK I MENTIONED IT EARLIER.
UH, THIS IS IN THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY AT GRIFFIN YATES.
UH, BETWEEN SEVEN AND 9:00 PM AND 27TH IS ALSO BEFORE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING? YES SIR.
AND WHERE IS THAT? UH, THAT WILL BE HERE.
AND WHERE IS THE APRIL 3RD? IS THAT YOUR PROPERTY? UH, THAT'S AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
OH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, RIGHT? YES SIR.
AGAIN, I WILL SAY THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.