* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
          I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. 
          ROLL CALL 
          [1. ROLL CALL]
MR. LEE, MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          HERE MR. DOOLEY. 
          HERE. 
          DR. MOORE. 
          HERE. 
          MR. CHAVIS. 
          UH, HERE. 
          FOUR BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL, UH, DO THE IMPLICATION AND AFTER THAT, WE'LL DUE THE PLEDGE FOR ALLEGIANCE. 
          PLEASE JOIN US. 
          I'LL FOLLOW WHO ARE IN HEAVEN. 
          HOW WILL BE THY NAME? THY KINGDOM COME. 
          TH THAT WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. 
          GIVE US, GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY PRAYER. 
          AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASSED AGAINST US. 
          AND LEAD US. 
          NOT A TEMPT TEMPTATION, BUT BUT DELIVER SOME EVIL FOR THY THE KINGDOM, THE POWER OF THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. 
          AMEN. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH EXPANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          [2. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA]
DO WE HAVE ANY? I'M NO AMENDMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'VE HAD TIME TO READ OVER THE CONSENT AGENDAS. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY? WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. 
          A ROLL CALL. 
          SECOND. 
          MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, 
          [5. CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA? NO. 
          ANY MOTION? NO MOTION. 
          IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES, IF NONE, I'LL MAKE A MOTION. 
          WE ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA, BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          OKAY, WE'RE 
          [6.A. Virginia Department Of Transportation]
GOING DOWN THE REPORTS. 
          VDOT. 
          MR. VDOT, MR. CHAIR, THE BOARD. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          COUPLE BIG THINGS COMING UP HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS IN THE COUNTY. 
          UM, I SPOKE WITH OUR CONTRACTOR FOR THE HARDAWAY MILLS ROAD PIPE REPLACEMENT. 
          WE DID HIT SOME DELAYS GETTING THEM PIPE MATERIAL FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          IT IS EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED NEXT WEEK AND THEY ARE GOING TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON THAT. 
          UH, CONSTRUCTION WILL PROBABLY BE A COUPLE WEEKS AT A MINIMUM DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER TO GET EVERYTHING REBUILT THERE. 
          UH, THE FOUR 60 UNDERCUT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. 
          FINALLY, HAVE A DATE FOR THAT. 
          YOU WILL, YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE MESSAGE BOARDS THAT WERE POSTED OUT THERE LAST WEEK. 
          STARTING TOMORROW, MY STATE CREW'S GONNA GO OUT THERE AND WE FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE, HOW WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THE TRAFFIC ADEQUATELY AS POSSIBLE OUT THERE WITH UNDERCUTTING. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA CUT THAT OUTSIDE, LAYING DOWN 40 INCHES MM-HMM . 
          AND SO WE CAN'T HAVE TRAFFIC DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO IT. 
          WE'RE GONNA USE THE LEFT TURN LANE FOR THE BUT WOOD ROAD CROSSOVER AS A THROUGH LANE. 
          WIDEN THE SHOULDER PAST THE CROSSOVER TO BASICALLY BUILD AN ADDITIONAL LANE PAST THE CROSSOVER PAST THE TURN LANE. 
          AND WE'LL PUT TRAFFIC ON THAT. 
          SO WE'LL, WE'LL SHIFT THEM OFF OF BEING RIGHT UP AGAINST THAT CUT. 
          SO STATE FORCE IS GONNA DO THAT THIS WEEK. 
          AND THEN THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, THE CONTRACTOR'S PLANNING TO MOBILIZE TO PERFORM THE ACTUAL UNDERCUT OPERATION. 
          UM, I BELIEVE THAT'LL BE A MONDAY MORNING. 
          THEY WILL START THAT FIRST MONDAY AND MARCH, WHETHER PERMITTING, OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL BE A 24 HOUR OPERATION. 
          ONCE THEY START WITH THAT PAVEMENT, THEY'RE GONNA EXCAVATE, BACKFILL, PAVE GRADE, EVERYTHING CONTINUOUSLY. 
          SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY DELAYS. 
          IT'LL BE ABOUT THREE DAY DURATION TOTAL. 
          UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST TIME LEADS MAY BE WAITING FOR THE ASPHALT TO COOL. 
          THEY'RE GONNA PUT BACK 10 INCHES ASPHALT THERE. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WE HAVE SOME, UH, A DECENT COOL, DECENTLY COOL DAY AND THAT ASPHALT COOLS QUICK AND WE CAN OPEN THOSE LANES BACK TO TRAFFIC, UH, RATHER QUICK, I'LL LET, UH, LET THE BOARD AND COUNTY KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES WITH THAT SCHEDULE. 
          WE WILL DO PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT AND EVERYTHING WITH THAT, GIVEN IT WILL BE A PRETTY LARGE PROJECT AND LIKELY SEE SOME TRAFFIC DELAYS OUT THERE, SHUTTING IT DOWN TO ONE LANE FOR THAT DURATION OF TIME. 
          UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME OTHER PROJECTS WHILE SIX 60 AND 7 0 3 WERE WERE SHOWN TO US FROM THE BIG RAINS SPEC. 
          UH, EARLIER THERE WERE SOME OTHER PIPES THAT WE ARE JUST FINALLY DISCOVERING. 
          I'VE GOT A LIST OF ABOUT 12 ACROSS MY THREE COUNTIES THAT WE FOUND SINCE THEN THAT, UH, WE'RE GETTING TO WORK ON RIGHT NOW. 
          OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I KNOW WE'VE GOT ONE ON TURKEY EGG ROAD, ONE ON NY CHURCH, AND A COUPLE MORE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING SCHEDULED SMALLER PIPES. 
          SO WE'LL GET THOSE DONE IN A DAY OR TWO AND DO THE PUB. 
          TYPICAL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION, UH, FOR THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL. 
          HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSIONS. 
          [00:05:01]
UH, WITH SOUTHSIDE ELECTRIC FOR THE RIGHT OF WAY DONATION FOR THE BAIN ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT. 
          THEY'RE AGREEABLE, SO DRAFTING UP AN AGREEMENT NOW. 
          ONCE WE GET THAT SIGNED, EVERYTHING WILL BE MOVING FORWARD. 
          BUT STILL HAVING CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BRIDGE GROUP ABOUT THE SCHEDULE FOR BAIN ROAD AND EVERYTHING IS LOOKING, UH, LOOKING PRETTY GOOD THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET INTO CONSTRUCTION ON THAT WITHIN THE YEAR. 
          GET THAT BRIDGE REBUILT THE HALIFAX THROUGH TRUCK RESTRICTION. 
          I AM STILL WAITING ON A LETTER OF CONCURRENCE FROM THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. 
          I DID SEND A REMINDER EMAIL LAST WEEK, SO HOPEFULLY I WILL HEAR SOMETHING BACK FROM THEM SOON. 
          AND ONCE THAT'S DONE, ONCE I GET THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC, UH, INVOLVEMENT PERIOD OF THAT PROCESS. 
          WE DID ISSUE A NOTICE TO PROCEED FOR PRIMARY LETTER PICKUP. 
          THIS IS SELECT PRIMARIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. 
          THEY WILL START TOMORROW. 
          THEY'RE GONNA DO ROUTE 4 62, 26 AND ROUTE ONE. 
          I BELIEVE THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO 40. 
          ANYTHING THAT'S ON 40 WILL HANDLE THE STATE FORCES AS NEEDED. 
          OUR RESURFACING CONTRACTORS HAVE STARTED FOR THE SEASON. 
          THIS IS OUR ANNUAL SCHEDULE WORK RIGHT NOW. 
          JUST THE THIN TREATMENTS HAVE BEGUN IN THE COUNTY. 
          I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING, UM, IN A SUBDIVISION OFF OF RIVER ROAD THIS WEEK, GETTING SOME PATCHING DONE BEFORE THEY START THEIR OVERLAYS. 
          UM, TWO WEEK LOOK, AHEADS WILL BEGIN TO BE SENT OUT AS WE GET INTO MORE WARMER WEATHER AND THOSE ASPHALT CONTRACTS RESURFACE THE CONTRACTS DO START TO PICK UP. 
          THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE THIS AFTERNOON. 
          WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE BOARD? ? ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO, I WAS JUST GLAD TO SEE OUR, OUR INDIVIDUALS OUT PICKING UP TRASH ARE ACTUALLY ON THE INTERSTATE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE TO COMMENT IN PARTICULAR AT 63. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, INTERCHANGES, JUST PEOPLE DOING THIS ALL THROUGH THE WINTER, SO IT, IT JUST SAD THAT THEY DO THAT, BUT I WAS JUST GLAD TO SEE 'EM OUT THERE PICKING UP MM-HMM . 
          SO, YEAH. 
          OH, UM, ON STERLING ROAD, I NOTICED THE, UH, TRUCK SIGN IS LEANING AS YOU'RE GOING IN OFF OF 2 26. 
          I DID SEE THAT SIGN AND I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, THE DRAINAGE AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RAIN AND EVERYTHING, BUT THE, A LOT OF THE ROADS, UM, ARE YOU ALL GOING TO, I GUESS, GO TO DIFFERENT AREAS JUST TO LOOK AT THE, UM, THE DRAINS? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF 'EM ARE C CLOGGED. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THEM AREA. 
          IT'S A LOT OF THEM I KNOW AREA THAT ARE CLOGGED. 
          UM, SOME OF THEM ARE AS WE HAVE GOTTEN RAINS SINCE THE BIG ONE. 
          YEAH. 
          THEY'VE BEEN HANDLED THROUGH WORK ORDER. 
          SOME ROUTES WE DO RIDE SYSTEMATICALLY AND CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE EVERYTHING DRAINING AND OPEN PROPERLY. 
          YEAH. 
          MOST OF, UH, MOST OF THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND MAINTENANCE STAFF HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF OUR HABITUAL PROBLEMS AS WELL AND THEY'LL GO AHEAD AND CHECK THOSE PREEMPTIVELY BEFORE WE HAVE A BIG EVENT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          I, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UH, JUST WANTED TO BRING TRANQUILITY LANE PAVING BACK UP. 
          UH, ONE OF THE FOLKS OUT THERE, I KNOW THEY HAD TALKED LAST YEAR AND THEY JUST ASKED ME IF, IF WE HAD AN UPDATE IN, THEY WANTED TO BE PUT, I THINK ON THE SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN. 
          YES. 
          SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. 
          AND SO MM-HMM . 
          JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK UP SINCE THEY BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION. 
          YES, SIR. 
          IT IS, UH, STILL, UH, IT'LL, IT IS A COMING DISCUSSION, UM, WITH, WITH ME AND THE RESIDENCY STAFF AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE SIX YEAR PLAN GETTING STARTED WITH THAT HERE IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. 
          UM, AND THAT'S A DECISION OF THE BOARDS AS WELL TO GO AHEAD AND AMEND THAT SIX YEAR PLAN. 
          BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS BEFOREHAND ABOUT ADDING TRANQUILITY ON, UM, AT, AT MY END, WE'VE GOT TO DECIDE WHAT LIMITS WE'RE GONNA DO, WHETHER WE'RE JUST GONNA DO THAT SECTION. 
          RIGHT. 
          WHETHER RESIDE RESIDENCE, THE DROP OFF IS A BIG DEAL, THE WHOLE ROAD. 
          YES, SIR. 
          WELL, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, IT'S IN MR. DOOLEY'S, UH, DISTRICT, BUT ON 40 SECONDARY ROAD, I FORGOT WHAT THE NAME OF THE ROAD WAS. 
          BRILEY, OR IS IT SOMETHING IN YOURS? UH, SOMEWHERE RIGHT OUT OF, UH, STONY CREEK UP AND YOU GO BACK IN THERE, THERE'S SOME TYPE OF DESIGNS THEY'RE PUTTING ON THE ROADS. 
          I MEAN, I'M JUST ASKING A QUESTION. 
          WHAT THEY SAID THEY SAW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT IT'S, UH, EMBLEM, UH, DOWN STAPLED TO THE ROAD. 
          STAPLED TO THE ROAD MAN OR WHATEVER. 
          INTERESTING. 
          JUST ASKING THE QUESTION. 
          I DON'T KNOW ACROSS, SO IT, IT, IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE HAPPEN IN, THEY'RE EITHER GONNA BE IN A CROSS OR KIND OF LIKE A CHEVRON SHAPE, LIKE A, A V ALMOST MM-HMM . 
          WHAT THOSE ARE IS PHOTO DAMAGE MARKER FOR AERIAL SURVEYING. 
          THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH VDOT AND THEY JUST COME AND PAINT 'EM ON A PAVEMENT. 
          WELL, I CAN GIVE HER AN ANSWER THAT DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH 
          [00:10:01]
YOU. 
          YES. 
          , I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT MR. BEAN ROAD. 
          UM, YES, SIR. 
          HE TALKED TO ME THIS WEEK AND HE'S VERY UPSET THAT IT WAS IN DECEMBER Y'ALL WERE SUPPOSED TO MET AND HE HAD GOTTEN EVERYBODY TOGETHER WAS GONNA DONATE THE PROPERTY LINES AND ALL THAT. 
          SO YOU DIDN'T, HE DIDN'T EVER GET AN ANSWER. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WOULD YOU PLEASE MM-HMM . 
          CONTACT MR. B? 'CAUSE HE'S DOING, WHEN HE FARMS, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE KNOW WHERE, HE KNOWS WHERE HE LIVES, BUT A LOT OF HIS FARMING IS ON, UM, COURTHOUSE ROAD, SO HE'S GOTTA LEAVE HIS HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG LOOP THAT HE HAS TO DO, GO DOWN, COME AROUND, HE HIT 40 AND COME BACK DOWN. 
          AND SO IT'S, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND HIS PAIN. 
          SO WHAT I'M DOING TODAY IS I'M TELLING YOU HOW MY CONSTITUENT FEELS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND HE ASKED ME AND PROMISED, I PROMISED HIM I WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO YOU ABOUT IT AND TO ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD CALL HIM TO HAVE A, A LITTLE CONFERENCE WITH HIM. 
          COULD YOU DO THAT FOR ME? ABSOLUTELY. 
          OKAY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          EXCELLENT. 
          YES. 
          I, I HAVE MR. BAG'S NUMBER. 
          I'LL GIVE HIM A RING. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON HALIFAX, UH, 12 YEARS. 
          AND YOU'RE PRETTY WELL MOVING ALONG PRETTY GOOD. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          TO THAT WITH THE HALIFAX ROAD THROUGH TRUCK RESTRICTION. 
          SO YOU'RE, I JUST WANNA WALK THROUGH PROCESS REAL QUICK. 
          SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE WAITING ON A LETTER FROM PETERSBURG. 
          SO YOU GET THE LETTER FROM MR. ALTMAN, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? THEN? I BELIEVE THERE'S A RESOLUTION AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IF YOU GET MR. ALTMAN'S LETTER THIS WEEK MM-HMM . 
          WE COULD POTENTIALLY PUT IT ON THE, THE AGENDA FOR A RESOLUTION AT THE MARCH MEETING. 
          YES, SIR. 
          SO RESOLUTION GETS ADOPTED. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS? PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, WE'VE GOTTA POST THE PUBLIC NOTIFICATION, RIGHT. 
          ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          WE CAN POST A WILLINGNESS OR DO A PUBLIC HEARING MEETING, THEN THE SIGNS HAVE TO BE POSTED ON THE ROAD FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, WHICH THAT'S PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          UM, AND PART OF THE ADVERTISEMENT PERIOD. 
          AND THEN ONCE WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT, IT GOES, WE'LL GO TO THE VIRGINIA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION AND THE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT GOVERNING BODIES FOR, FOR APPROVAL MORE OR LESS, AND THEN GO TO THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD AND COMMISSIONER FOR THE SIGN OFF, AND THEN WE CAN POST THE SIGNS AND ENFORCE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS. 
          , HOPEFULLY LESS THAN THAT. 
           AS SOON AS I, SO 12 YEARS IS NOT LONG. 
          RIGHT? NO. 
          , AS SOON AS I HAVE THAT LETTER OF SUPPORT, I WILL BE, I WILL BE GOOD. 
          BUT I HAVE FAITH IN YOU. 
          I MEAN EVERYBODY ELSE'S, BUT I GOT FAITH IN YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          IT, IT'LL HAPPEN. 
          UM, AARON, SECOND THING, SNOW REMOVAL. 
          I DON'T WANNA JINX THIS. 
          NO, WE HAVEN'T USED TOO MUCH OF IT, RIGHT? NO, SIR. 
          UM, IN THE EVENT I'VE HAD THIS QUESTION ASKED TO ME, SO IF, IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH THIS WINTER WITHOUT ANY SNOW, DOES THE DOLLARS THAT WERE SET ASIDE FOR SNOW OR REMOVAL, DOES THAT JUST STAY IN YOUR MAINTENANCE BUDGET? OR IS THAT MONEY THAT COULD BE REPURPOSED BY THE COUNTY FOR, OR IS IT GONNA BE STOLEN BY OTHER LOCALITIES? SO A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF MY OVERHEAD, ALL OF MAINTENANCE S IN THE AREA HEADQUARTERS, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF OUR OVERHEAD COST OF OUR SALARIES, OPERATIONAL BUDGET, EVERYTHING, IT'S FACTORED TO BE COVERED BY SNOW REMOVAL. 
          SO WHEN THE SNOW STARTS FALLING, I CHARGE MY TIME TO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. 
          WHEN I DON'T DO THAT THROUGH THE WINTER, WHEN ALL OF MY STAFF DOESN'T GET THROUGH, DO THAT THROUGH THE WINTER, IT PUTS US IN A BUDGET DEFICIT ON OUR NORMAL OVERHEAD COST. 
          AND SO THEN THAT SNOW MONEY GOES BACK TO OUR MAINTENANCE BUDGET TO COVER WHAT WE'VE GONE OVER BECAUSE WE, WE DIDN'T SPEND ANY MONEY ON SNOW, MORE OR LESS. 
          WE OVERSPENT A NORMAL RATE WITH MONEY AND WE BACK COVER THAT WITH SNOW MONEY MORE OR LESS. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK THE SAME THING HAPPENED LAST YEAR. 
          I THINK WE HAD AT THE RESIDENCY HALF A MILLION OR SO IN SURPLUS FROM THE SNOW THAT WENT RIGHT BACK TO COVER MAINTENANCE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T CHARGING THROUGH IT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          ANYONE ELSE? ONE, I GOT ONE COUPLE, JUST A COUPLE MORE. 
          SO, UM, THIS IS A QUESTION ABOUT COORDINATED LITTER PICKUP. 
          SO I KNOW DR. MOORE MENTIONED THAT WE WE'RE SEEING SOME STATE FORCES PICK UP, UH, AHEAD OF TIME, BUT IF, IF SOMEBODY, A CHURCH, A COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD, WHATNOT, WANT TO HAVE A, AND THEY'RE NOT ADOPT A HIGHWAY, BUT AT ONE TIME, I GUESS THE RESIDENCY WOULD, WOULD OFFER SOME TYPE OF COORDINATED SERVICES WHERE MAYBE A MESSAGE BOARD THAT THEY'LL BE PICKING UP BETWEEN 
          [00:15:01]
THE DATES OF X AND Y, MAYBE SOME SAFETY VESTS BAGS. 
          DID Y'ALL STILL DO THAT OR IS THAT, I DON'T SEE WHY WE COULDN'T FACILITATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, SO WHAT COMES TO MIND INITIALLY FOR ME IS SAFETY. 
          THAT WE WANT THEM TO BE SAFE. 
          THERE'S A VIDEO THAT ALL OF OUR ADOPT A HIGHWAY, UH, PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO WATCH. 
          IT'S ABOUT A 10 MINUTE VIDEO ON WORKING SAFELY ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. 
          IF, IF WE CAN RELAY THAT TO THEM OF, HEY, HERE, WATCH THIS SAFETY VIDEO, AND THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PROBABLY FACILITATE. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE LAST THING I HAVE FOR YOU, AARON, IS THE, THIS, AND MR. DOOLEY MENTIONED THAT THE SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN, UM, WE USUALLY START THAT MARCH APRIL TIMEFRAME, UM, MARCH 5TH, I GUESS IS OUR NEXT WORKSHOP. 
          IS THAT TOO SOON OR WOULD YOU PREFER US TO DO IT IN APRIL? I WILL TELL YOU IN APRIL IS OUR TAX HEARING, WHICH I DON'T KNOW, YOU WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM THE SAME TIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAXES , BUT YOU MIGHT WANNA BE. 
          SO I, IF WE CAN HIT MARCH 5TH. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK THAT WILL BE THE BETTER TIME. 
          AND THAT WOULD GIVE THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO COME AT LEAST LISTEN. 
          OKAY. 
          I'LL BOUNCE IT AROUND. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I HAVE TO GET SOME DUCKS IN A ROW PRETTY QUICK, BUT I'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT ACCOMMODATING THAT AND LET YOU KNOW. 
          THAT'D BE GOOD. 
          YEP. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE HARD, I JUST, I'M REPRESENTING PEOPLE THAT'S HARD ON ME. 
          . 
          YEAH. 
          SO THEY HAD THE PAIN OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SO I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I KNOW YOU WORK HARD, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK, THANKS AARON. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          [7.A. VA250 Commission]
REPORTS FROM OUTSIDE AGENCIES WHO WE HAVE. 
          STACY, MISS STACY ENGLISH, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. 
          GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, MR. COLIN ROENICK FROM PAMPHLET IS GONNA BE JOINING ME TOO. 
          HE JUST HAD TO STEP OUT SO WHEN HE GETS BACK IN, HE'S GOING TO JUMP IN HERE WITH ME. 
          UM, SO WE ARE PRESENTING ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TWO 50 COMMITTEE. 
          COMMITTEE, UM, AND I THINK YOU GUYS APPROVED THIS BEFORE I WAS HIRED HERE AT THE COUNTY. 
          SO I THINK THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE. 
          UM, BUT, UM, COLIN AND I ARE, UM, PART, WELL, SO WE CAN GO TO THE FIRST, UM, SLIDE. 
          SO THE VIRGINIA, UM, TWO 50 COMMISSION IS A STATE FUNDED COMMISSION OR STATE ORGANIZED COMMISSION TO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
          AND SO THE STATE GOVERNMENT, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, ASKED, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, UM, ESTABLISH THEIR OWN LOCAL COMMITTEES TO COMMEMORATE LOCAL HISTORY ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
          AND SO, UM, IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2020. 
          AND, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO CONVENE AND FACILITATE A MULTI-YEAR SERIES OF ROBUST EVENTS. 
          UM, THE COMMISSION IS COVERING THROUGH 2026 AT THIS POINT, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO COVER THROUGH 2031, WHICH WOULD BE, UM, THE YORKTOWN, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT YORKTOWN MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND SO THE WEBSITE FOR THE STATE, UM, COMMISSION IS WWW.VA TWO FIFTY.ORG. 
          AND DEN WITTY HAS WHAT THEY'RE CALLING A MICRO SITE ON THAT SITE. 
          SO THEY'VE SET UP A WEBPAGE FOR US TO SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT OUR LOCAL HISTORY AND ANY EVENTS THAT WE MIGHT BE PLANNING. 
          UM, SO OUR LOCAL COMMITTEE WAS FORMED BY YOU GUYS BY A RESOLUTION, UM, IN 2022. 
          AND WE STARTED MEETING IN EARLY 2023 TO DISCUSS OUR LOCAL HISTORY AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMMEMORATE. 
          UM, SO THE MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THE COMMITTEE, UM, OF COURSE, I, UH, MYSELF AND COLIN, WE HAVE MS. MARTHA BURTON, WHO REPRESENTS PART. 
          WE HAVE, UM, DAVID NIGEL, WHO REPRESENTS THE, UM, HISTORIC SOCIETY. 
          WE'VE GOT DAN ROBBINS, WHO IS A CITIZEN AND BUSINESS OWNER, AND HE WAS ALSO ON THE CWE ES ES QUA SESQUA CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE, ESAL. 
          UM, AND THEN CHUCK MALLS, WHO IS WITH THE SCHOOLS, HE IS A SPECIAL PROGRAMS COORDINATOR. 
          AND, UM, AFTER WE SUBMITTED THIS TO KAISHA, WE RECENTLY HAD, UM, TWO PROFESSORS FROM RICHARD BLAND, DR. 
          ZONI AND DR. FRANK. 
          UM, JOIN OUR COMMITTEE AS WELL. 
          AND SO I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO COLIN TO KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THE HISTORY THAT HAPPENED IN AND AROUND THE COUNTY, UM, FOR THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
          HELLO. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          AFTERNOON. 
          UH, LOTS OF GREAT HISTORY 
          [00:20:01]
WITH THE REVOLUTION, HISTORY IN GENERAL IN DENWITTY. 
          UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE. 
          UH, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF THE LOCALITIES THAT'S FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT ACTUALLY HAD A COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE FORMED EARLY ON IN 1775, UM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE EVENTS AMONG OTHERS THAT WERE GONNA BE COMMEMORATING LATER ON. 
          UM, AND THAT WAS KIND OF AN UNDERGROUND NETWORK FOR LIBERTY AND PATRIOTS TO PASS INFORMATION, MUCH LIKE BEN FRANKLIN'S, SONS OF LIBERTY GROUP. 
          THAT WAS KIND OF AN UNDERGROUND, BECAUSE OF COURSE THE BRITISH DIDN'T ALLOW US TO MEET LIKE THIS, SO YOU HAD TO DO THAT IN PRIVATE. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY GREAT. 
          THAT'S A PART OF DENWITTY HISTORY. 
          AND OF COURSE THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT RAIDS. 
          UH, BASTER CARLTON'S GONNA LEAD ONE OF THOSE, TWO OF THOSE THROUGH, UH, ONE OF 'EM DIRECTLY THROUGH DENWITTY GOES OUT TO CHARLOTTESVILLE. 
          IT'S A 14 DAY RAID, HUNDREDS OF MILES COVERED. 
          UH, BURNT CHIMNEYS IS PART OF THAT STORY AS WELL. 
          UH, THERE'S A RAID ON RICHMOND, SO THERE'S THREE BIG ONES WHERE THEY COULD TRY TO GO GET THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THAT WAS THE CAPITAL. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTERESTING OTHER HISTORY THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE, BUT THERE'S ALSO OVER 500 MILITIAMEN AT DIY COURTHOUSE THAT MUSTER IN 1775. 
          EVERYONE THINKS OF LEXINGTON AND CONCORD. 
          WELL THAT HAPPENED HERE. 
          NOT THE FIGHTING NECESSARILY, BUT THEY DID MUSTER IN THESE LOCALITIES OF CERTAIN COURTHOUSES, UH, AND ELSEWHERE. 
          AND THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY SERVE IN DIFFERENT UNITS THAT WERE MILITIA UNITS FORMED HERE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA, SOME OF THEM END UP ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WAR AT YORKTOWN. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT'S GREAT IS BOOK ENDING THIS. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE AND INTERPRET THAT WERE DENWITTY RESIDENTS AT THAT TIME, THAT WERE IN THE, YOU KNOW, REVOLUTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF 'EM WERE IN THESE MILITIA UNITS. 
          THEY SIGNED UP WITH THE CONTINENTAL ARMY. 
          THEY WERE IN REGULAR VIRGINIA LINE OR CONTINENTAL UNITS. 
          AND SOME OF THOSE ENDED UP AT YORKTOWN. 
          SOME OF 'EM I KNOW WERE AT GERMANTOWN IN NEW JERSEY, MONMOUTH IN 1777, WHICH WAS A BIG BATTLE. 
          AND WHEN YOU COULD SEE SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, FEMALE LIKE MARGARET CORBIN, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK OF MOLLY PITCHER, THAT'S REALLY A COMPILATION OF SEVERAL FEMALES THAT PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES IN THE REVOLUTION. 
          I MEAN, CORGAN'S ONE IN PARTICULAR. 
          AND WE CAN LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT CLASS STRUCTURES AS WELL, UM, BEING THEM BEING ON THE LOWER END. 
          THEN YOU HAVE KIND OF YOUR SAMUEL ADAMS, JOHN HANCOCK MORE FAMILIAR CHARACTERS ON THE HIGHER END OF THAT SOCIETY'S PYRAMID. 
          UM, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THAT AS WELL, L AND IF WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE, PRESS THE, PRESS THE RIGHT BUTTON ADVANCE. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ROLL INTO SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT I HAD MENTIONED. 
          A COUPLE, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. 
          ALSO A TREE PLANTING TO KICK THINGS OFF. 
          UM, AGAIN, THAT SIGNIFIES THE SUNS OF LIBERTY, BUT ALSO, UH, THE COMMITTEE OF CORRESPONDENCE, WHICH WOULD BE A, UH, A NEIGHBORING, UH, ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT. 
          UM, GOING THROUGH, OF COURSE, INDEPENDENCE DAY EACH YEAR IS AN OPPORTUNITY WITHIN ANY EVENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY. 
          UM, OF COURSE AT PAMELA HISTORICAL PARK THAT I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF, AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE DO AN EVENT EACH YEAR AND WE'RE INCORPORATING, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE HAD A HISTORICAL FIGURE. 
          WE'VE HAD PATRICK HENRY, UH, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE LAFAYETTE COMING UP. 
          UH, AND LAFAYETTE'S ONE OF THE CHARACTERS THAT ACTUALLY WAS HERE IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AS WELL WITH THE BATTLE OF PETERSBURG. 
          BUT OF COURSE THOSE TROOPS HAD TO MOVE TO AND FROM SOMEWHERE. 
          SO SOME OF THEM CAME THROUGH DENWITTY. 
          UM, WE'VE ALSO GOT, UH, THE VA TWO 50 GROUP IS GONNA BE DOING SOME DIFFERENT TYPE OF ASSETS THAT CAN BE MOVED AROUND. 
          ONE IS A MOBILE TRAILER, UH, IT'S KIND OF A BUS, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE HUNDRED 50TH OF THE CIVIL WAR, THE SUCO CENTENNIAL, THEY DID ONE FOR THAT. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SIGN UP AND HAVE THAT COME TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY EACH YEAR TO TRY TO GET THAT TO DENWITTY FOR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING THE FAIR WOULD BE A GOOD ONE TO GET A LARGE VOLUME THROUGH TO LEARN ABOUT THAT HISTORY. 
          UM, BUT WE COULD ALSO HAVE IT AT THE PARK PARK. 
          WE COULD HAVE IT AT THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, OTHER LOCATIONS. 
          UM, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS FAR AS THE PARK IS DOING A DEBATE, UH, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE HISTORICAL FIGURES, KIND OF FEDERALIST, ANTI-FEDERALISTS, COME IN, DO A DEBATE AT THE PARK. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE MUSTER WEEKEND THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, WE COMMEMORATE WHAT TOOK PLACE, UH, AT DEITY COURTHOUSE. 
          AND THEN GOING FORWARD, THIS WOULD GO THROUGH TO 2031, POTENTIALLY WITH, UH, THE CULMINATION OF WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S SEEING AS THE END OF THE WAR, UM, IN 1781 AT THE YORKTOWN CAMPAIGN IN THE VALLEY YORKTOWN. 
          SO THAT'S JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS LISTED THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET THINGS STARTED. 
          BUT THEN GOING FORWARD, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE LOOKING AT INTERPRETING IN OTHER LOCALITIES. 
          SO THERE'S A GREAT TOURISM OPPORTUNITY HERE TO WHERE YOU'LL SEE THE REQUEST. 
          WE'RE LOOKING AT GETTING SOME COSTUMING TO WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THE DENWOODY STORY OUT INTO OTHER COMMUNITIES, JOIN OTHER EVENTS, AND THEN WE COULD TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HERE. 
          THEY WOULD COME VISIT DENWITTY. 
          AND OF COURSE THAT BRINGS IN VISITORS AND REVENUE TO DENWITTY, WHICH WE ALL LOVE. 
          SO I'LL, UH, LET STACY TAKE OVER FROM HERE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND JUST LASTLY, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FUNDING. 
          SO, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT APPLYING FOR 
          [00:25:01]
TO HELP US, UM, PUT ON THESE EVENTS. 
          AND SO, UM, WHAT THE FIRST IS FROM VIRGINIA TOURISM, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT MARKETING WHATEVER EVENTS WE DECIDE TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. 
          UM, THE SECOND ONE IS THROUGH THE, UM, FOR VIRGINIA ARTS AND IT'S, UM, AN IMPACT GRANT. 
          AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS THROUGH VIRGINIA HUMANITIES, AND THAT IS KIND OF A CONTENT BUILDING GRANT. 
          SO, UM, WE'VE GOT OUR MARKETING COVERED AND THEN THE OTHER TWO CAN KIND OF HELP US WITH PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE THINGS THAT THE EVENTS ARE CENTERED AROUND. 
          AND SO, UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE PAMPLIN WE ARE PARTNERING WITH PAMPLIN ON A MAJORITY OF THE EVENTS. 
          SO OUR BUDGET FOR THE EVENTS IS KIND OF SMALLER THAN YOU WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT. 
          AND THEN, UM, SOME OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT PURCHASING, IF WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME GRANT FUNDING WOULD BE RETRACTABLE BANNERS THAT WE CAN USE AT ALL OF OUR EVENTS TO SHOWCASE THE DENWOOD EAST SPECIFIC HISTORY, UM, PERIOD, COSTUMES AND PERIOD WEAPONS TO GO ALONG WITH THOSE. 
          AND SO, UM, PAMPLIN, UM, ANTICIPATES PUTTING IN ABOUT $1,500 FOR THEIR EVENT EXPENSES THAT THEY WOULD BE SPENDING ALREADY FOR THEIR, UM, INDEPENDENCE DAY EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WE CAN USE AS MATCH. 
          AND SO, UM, THE COUNTY WOULD, WE ARE ASKING THE COUNTY FOR, UM, $5,000 TO LEVERAGE AS GRANT FUNDING THAT WOULD PURCHASE SOME OF THESE INITIAL STARTUP MATERIALS. 
          AND, UM, THEN ONCE WE APPLY FOR, SAY WE APPLY FOR THE $10,000 VIRGINIA TOURISM MARKETING GRANT, UM, AND WE SPEND THE $1,500 AND THE $5,000, WE COULD LEVERAGE ALL OF THAT ALMOST $16,500 IN OTHER GRANT APPLICATIONS. 
          UM, SO YES. 
          ARE THERE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? THANK YOU. 
          JUST A QUICK COMMENT. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          NO, NO, NO, NO. 
          SO, UM, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER OVER THE SUMMER I HAD, UM, COLTON REESE, WHO IS COLLIN'S NEPHEW KINDA SHADOW ME. 
          HE'S A STUDENT IN JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY, BUT HE, HE FOUND A, A CORRESPONDENCE, SO THE HANDSOME GUY ON TOP OF OUR SEAL AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DENWOODY. 
          SO AT, IN 1753, THE FRENCH HAD OCCUPIED THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. 
          AND SO LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DE WOODY AT THAT TIME, MILITARY GUY SENT HIS A SOLDIER THAT HE HAD THE UTMOST TRUST TO DELIVER A LETTER TO THE FRENCH. 
          THAT GUY HAPPENED TO BE GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
          SO THERE'S CORRESPONDENCE FROM DENWOODY, OUR NAMESAKE TO GEORGE WASHINGTON, AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO REWRITE HISTORY, RIGHT? WHOEVER HOLDS THE PEN. 
          BUT IN, IN EVEN THE DIM WIDY BOOK, THERE'S A LOT OF CREDIT GIVEN TO GOVERNOR DIM WITTY TO SEE THE MILITARY GENIUS OF, OF GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
          SO THERE'S ANOTHER LITTLE HOOK THERE TO TO THAT. 
          MM-HMM. 
          AND COLTON ACTUALLY FOUND THE LETTERS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN, BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND DIM WITTY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          THAT WAS 1753. 
          WE WERE FOUND IN 1752. 
          THAT'S INTERESTING. 
          AND TO CARRY THAT FORWARD, THERE ACTUALLY IS AN AID TO GEORGE WASHINGTON DURING THE REVOLUTION. 
          THAT WAS A DIM, WITTY RESIDENT THAT WAS ON HIS STAFF. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. 
          AND THAT'S SOME OF WHAT WE'RE RESEARCHING TO SEE WHAT OTHER STORIES AS WE GO ALONG THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE AND COMMEMORATE DIFFERENT EVENTS. 
          NEAT. 
          IS THAT WE PUT POSTER UP FOR MM-HMM. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          [7.B. Blackstone Area Bus System (BABS)]
MOVING ALONG. 
          BLACKSTONE AREA BUS SYSTEM. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD. 
          MY NAME'S ALEX DAVIS. 
          I'M THE NEW TRANSIT DIRECTOR. 
          I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE BLACKSTONE AREA BUS SYSTEM TO REQUEST CONTINUE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY OF DENWITTY FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR 2025. 
          THESE FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED TO HELP COVER THE EVERYDAY OPERATING EXPENSES FOR OUR DENWITTY EXPRESS ROUTE, WHICH RUNS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 
          MUCH LIKE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS, WE DID NOT MAKE ANY DRASTIC CHANGES TO OUR CURRENT BUDGET AND FOCUS MORE ON REPLACING NECESSARY FLEET SO THAT WE DID NOT REQUIRE ANY SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN LOCAL FUNDING. 
          THE CURRENT APPROVED FUNDS FROM DEN WITTY IS $21,200, AND BASED OFF OF OUR PROJECTIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP YOUR MATCH FOR FY 25, THE SAME OVER THE YEAR FY 23, THE DENWOODY EXPRESS SERVE A TOTAL OF 3,693 LOCAL RESIDENTS. 
          AND SO FAR FY 20 FOURS RIDERSHIP IS PROJECTED TO HIT AROUND THE SAME TOTALS. 
          ALSO, IN OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WITHIN A FEW SHORT MONTHS, WE'LL BE RECEIVING A NEW TRANSIT VEHICLE, WHICH WILL RESULT IN THE DENWITTY EXPRESS LINE GETTING A MUCH NEEDED UPGRADE. 
          A LOT OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT UTILIZE OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ARE 
          [00:30:01]
GOING TO AND FROM THINGS LIKE WORK OR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND OF COURSE BACK HOME AND DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF HAVING THEIR OWN PERSONAL MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. 
          SO WE ARE EXCITED TO BE REPLACING THE CURRENT BUS AND TO BETTER SERVICE THOSE RIDERS. 
          WHILE I HAVE THIS CHANCE TO SPEAK, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THIS TIME AND THANK YOU ALL IN PERSON FOR YOUR VERY GENEROUS SUPPORT TO OUR ORGANIZATION OVER THE YEARS. 
          IT IS NOT ONLY APPRECIATED BY US, BUT ALSO BY YOUR LOCAL DENWOODY COUNTY RESIDENTS AS WELL. 
          I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION REGARDING OUR FUNDING REQUEST. 
          I LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE THIS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY IN OUR UPCOMING NEW YEAR, BUT IN MANY MORE YEARS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? NO, SIR. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THE SCHEDULE, COULD WE GET A SCHEDULE ON WHERE YOUR STOPS ARE, UH, LOCATED IN? YES, SIR. 
          I CAN SEND THAT OVER. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT, SO I DON'T AND WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUDGET IS FEDERAL FUNDED? DO YOU THINK IT'S 80%? IT'S 80%. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST THINK A LOT OF TIMES, I DON'T KNOW, OUR CITIZENS UNDER, THEY THINK WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDING, BUT REALLY YOU'RE MATCHING OUR LOCAL DOLLARS IS GETTING 80% FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND NOW YOU MAY GET SOME STATE MONEY TOO. 
          I DON'T KNOW, GD SO IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT FROM A LOCALITY COMPARED TO WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE SYSTEM, BUT, AND GOOD TO SEE THE UPGRADES. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          [7.C. District 19 Community Services Board]
WE HAVE DISTRICT 19, MR. STEWART. 
          HELLO. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO COME AND PRESENT TODAY. 
          I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK AND PAINLESS . 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO, UH, KNOW YOU ALL FAMILIAR WITH OUR MISSION? WE JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT WE ARE HERE FOR THE CITIZENS OF OUR CATCHMENT AREA AND SOME OF THOSE THAT FIND THEMSELVES OFF 85 AND FOUR 60 AND THINGS AND STILL NEED OUR HELP. 
          SO WE HELP WHOEVER IS IN OUR CATCHMENT. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THESE ARE THE LOCALITIES THAT WE COVER. 
          WE TRY TO INCLUDE THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE NOT ONLY SERVE DENWOOD COUNTY, WE SERVE, UM, EIGHT OTHER LOCALITIES IN OUR CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGION. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THIS IS OUR CONTINUUM OF SERVICES WE SERVE, UM, FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED AND PLUS IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE BLESSED TO LIVE THAT LONG. 
          AND SO WE REALLY ARE WORKING ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. 
          AND THAT'S WHY SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MEDICAL SERVICES, UM, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, EARLY INTERVENTION FOR INFANTS, ALL CHILDREN'S SERVICES AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND RECOVERY ARE INCLUDED IN THE BATTERY OF SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          AND, UM, ALL OF OUR, UM, CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS SOME OF OUR REGIONAL OFFERINGS. 
          AND THIS IS A LISTING OF THE REGION PROGRAMS. OUR REGION IS COVERED BY, UH, RICHMOND, HANOVER, HENRICO, CROSSROADS GLAND, PALATAN, AND, UM, DISTRICT 19. 
          AND TOGETHER WE ALL, AS WELL AS CHESTERFIELD, REPRESENT THE REGION FOUR AREA OF THE STATE. 
          UM, DISTRICT 19 SUPPORTS THESE PROGRAMS, AND SO ALL OF OUR CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO GO FOR, UM, FREE, UM, INPATIENT SUD SERVICES. 
          WE HAVE 24 HOUR RESPONSE NOW FOR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT DON'T REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO, UM, RESPOND. 
          WE HAVE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNITS, INPATIENT, NO INSURANCE COVERAGES NECESSARY FOR CHILDREN AS WELL AS ADULTS. 
          WE ALSO JUST, UM, RECEIVED SOME, ABOUT A HUNDRED OR SO ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS. 
          SAY SOMEONE JUST GOT OUTTA THE HOSPITAL AND THEIR LIGHT BILL GOT CUT OFF WHILE THEY WERE IN THERE. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO PUT IN AN EMERGENCY FUNDING REQUEST AND GET THOSE TURNED ON FOR 'EM. 
          WE JUST RECENTLY DID ONE FOR A FAMILY WHO, UM, UH, THE MOTHER SHE WAS WORKING, SHE, UH, WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. 
          SHE WAS UNABLE TO PAY THEIR CABLE BILL AND HAVE INTERNET SERVICE. 
          WELL, SHE WORKS FROM HOME, SO THIS WAS GONNA SPIN HER RIGHT BACK INTO A STATE OF CRISIS. 
          SO WE WERE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THAT FAMILY. 
          UH, WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF, UM, THINGS FOR MILITARY AND VETERANS INDIVIDUALS. 
          WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN ACCESS THAT D 19 DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE STAFF OR A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDING FOR, BUT OUR CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS IT IF THEY NEED IT. 
          UM, THESE ARE OUR DENWITTY LOCATIONS CURRENTLY. 
          WE HAVE OUR OFFICE RIGHT ACROSS THE PARKING LOT HERE, AS WELL AS OUR ELLIS SQUARE TRANSITIONAL, UM, HOUSING PROGRAM. 
          THAT PROGRAM OFFERS SUPERVISED LIVING AND TRANSITIONAL LIVING OUT OF, UM, A STATE HOSPITAL SYSTEM. 
          OR SOMETIMES THE INDIVIDUALS COME FROM DOC, BUT THAT'S VERY RARE. 
          UM, THIS IS, UM, ACCOUNTING OF HOW D 19 SERVED DAN WITTY AND FY 23. 
          THIS WAS SENT TO YOU GUYS PREVIOUSLY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DID INCLUDE IT TODAY IN THE EVENT THAT I WAS ASKED ABOUT SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON HOW ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERVING THIS COUNTY. 
          AND SO IT COVERS OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, DEVELOPMENTAL 
          [00:35:01]
SERVICES, AS WELL AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND THEN EMERGENCY SERVICES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN THIS IS A TOTAL OF ALL THE SERVICES AND TIME THAT DISTRICT 19 SPENT SERVING THIS COMMUNITY FOR FY 23. 
          ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE ASK . 
          UM, CURRENTLY BASED ON THE UPCOMING, UM, STATE FUNDING THAT DISTRICT 19 IS PROPOSED TO RECEIVE, OUR ASK FOR THIS, UM, YEAR IS $123,258. 
          AND THIS IS BASED ON OUR PROJECTED AMOUNTS THAT WE'LL BE GETTING FROM THE STATE. 
          NOW, OUR STATE FUNDING DOES INCLUDE RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED FUNDING, BUT AS WE KNOW THAT EVERYONE HAS TO GET THEIR BUDGETS IN A LOT OF TIMES BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET OUR STATE BUDGET, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING FOR THIS YEAR. 
          UM, AND THE HOW WE MAKE UP OUR LOCAL MATCH IS ALL INCLUDED IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. 
          AND I OUTLINED THOSE SECTIONS HERE JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, I WAS ASKED ABOUT, HEY, HOW DO YOU ALL GET TO THIS 10%? AND JUST THE FYI THE 10% IS NOT JUST FROM, UM, DEN WITT COUNTY. 
          IT'S ALL NINE OF OUR LOCALITIES TOGETHER REPRESENT 10% OF OUR BUDGET, WHICH ROUGHLY SHOULD BE ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM ABOUT 1.6 TO PERHAPS ABOUT 1.9 MILLION OF OUR BUDGET. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN THIS IS JUST SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE CAME UP WITH THOSE NUMBERS. 
          CURRENTLY, IF WE STAY ON TREND FOR WHAT WE RECEIVED IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, IT'LL BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT 9.5 AND 11 MILLION FOR DISTRICT 19 FOR RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED, UM, STATE FUNDING. 
          AND IF THE BUDGET IS LAID AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE TO GO BACK IN AND DO SOME ADJUSTING BECAUSE WE MAY END UP GETTING MORE OR LESS WHEN THE BUDGET IS ACTUALLY SIGNED. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND JUST IN CLOSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. 
          WE CELEBRATED 50 YEARS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023, AND WE REALLY ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING BEST PRACTICES BASED ON STATE AND NATIONAL, UM, TRENDS. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM ALL OF OUR LOCALITIES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GROW DISTRICT 19 AND REALLY SUPPORT IN THE WAYS THAT YOU ALL MAY SEE THAT YOUR CITIZENS NEED. 
          SO, ANY QUESTIONS, CHAIR? HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DOES DISTRICT 19 HAVE? UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT 150, AND WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 30 VACANCIES. 
          MM-HMM. 
          RIGHT. 
          WOW. 
          MM-HMM. 
          YES. 
          AND OH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S A WIN. 
          WE, WE HAVE BEEN TRENDING UP FOR A WHILE NOW. 
          WE ARE SO HAPPY THAT IT'S ONLY 30. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          AND, UM, OH YEAH. 
          UM, AND TERRELL, YOU KNOW, SHE'S, UM, OF COURSE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. 
          SHE'S BEEN DOING EXTREMELY WELL. 
          LIKE I, I SIT ON THE BOARD WITH HER AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW. 
          THIS IS MY, THIS WILL BE MY LAST YEAR SITTING ON, UM, THE BOARD AT DISTRICT 19. 
          AND, UM, AS SHE SAID, WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL THE LOCAL LOCALITIES TO COME IN. 
          AND WHAT SHE DID, ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS ASKED ABOUT TRAINING TO KNOW HOW DISTRICT 19 WORKS, AND SHE, UM, SET THAT UP FOR EVERYONE. 
          PEOPLE CAME AND LEARNED, UM, ABOUT HOW DISTRICT 19 WORKS, LEARN FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM AND, AND BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND YOU HAVE ALL THIS PAPERWORK AND YOU, AND YOU COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU BASICALLY. 
          AND, UM, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS, UM, REQUESTED THAT FROM HER. 
          SHE SET THAT UP, CARRIED IT OUT, AND, UH, IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. 
          I, I DID ATTEND ONE OF THOSE. 
          UM, I DO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH BACKGROUND, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T. 
          AND SO THEY WANTED TO KNOW, THEY DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH WORKS. 
          SO SHE SET THAT UP. 
          SHE DID A GREAT JOB. 
          UM, SHE'S, UH, BEEN THERE FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT SHE'S BEEN AT DISTRICT 19 WORKING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. 
          UM, AND SHE'S DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS. 
          I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO KNOW HOW SHE'S TURNED IT AROUND AND, UM, TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND GETTING THINGS DONE. 
          SO IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE AND, UM, REALLY PROUD OF WHAT SHE'S DONE. 
          AND I THINK THE BOARD IS REALLY HAPPY WITH HER LEADERSHIP AT THIS TIME. 
          SO WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THAT SINCE SHE'S HERE IN FRONT OF US, TO KNOW, UM, HOW THAT WORKS, BECAUSE IT'S A TOUGH JOB. 
          BUT SHE'S DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          DON'T MAKE ME CRY, . 
          OKAY. 
          I AND MR. , WE ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING TOO. 
          SO HE'S ALSO BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN MY LITTLE SHORT TENURE. 
          IT'S BEEN SINCE JULY, 2023. 
          AND I'M JUST APPRECIATIVE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT THIS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, HAS PROVIDED TO ME OVER THE YEARS. 
          AND IN MY NEW ROLE, MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST MS. UH, YOU, MS. BONNER, EVERY, EVERY, ABOUT, EVERY TIME WE TALK, THERE'S SOME COMMENT ABOUT DISTRICT 19 AND REALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETIMES EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO RUN AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF AND UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE. 
          AND I MEAN, JUST THE, THE, THE STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT WE'RE IN NOW, IT, IT IT'S UNBELIEVABLY MORE DIFFICULT TODAY THAN WHAT IT WAS 
          [00:40:01]
PROBABLY WHEN YOU FIRST GOT INTO THE BUSINESS. 
          YES. 
          UM, BUT THEN YOU, YOU COMPOUND THAT TO WHAT, 20% VACANCY RATE AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S IMPROVEMENT FROM WHERE YOU WERE. 
          SO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT THE WORK STILL HAS TO GET DONE, EVEN THOUGH THE THE PEOPLE AREN'T THERE TO DO IT. 
          SO, UM, JUST DON'T, I MEAN, WE, IT WOULD BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T PUBLICLY TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW. 
          AND I, I KNOW I ECHO THAT ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY HERE. 
          NOW CAN I HAVE LIKE A, JUST A TECHNICAL QUESTION ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES. 
          THERE WAS A REGIONAL JAIL TEAM? YES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WHAT IS THAT? SO OUR REGIONAL JAIL TEAM, IT COVERS, UM, RICHMOND'S MAIN JAIL, RIVERSIDE, AND THEN SOUTH SIDE AND DOWN IN EMPORIA GREENSVILLE AREA. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WHAT THEY DO IS IF WE GET RESTORATION ORDERS THAT'S ASSAULT OR, UM, FOR INSTANCE, LET'S SAY WE GET A COLD CALL, MY LOVED ONE HAS BEEN SENT TO RIVERSIDE. 
          WHAT WE DO IS WE FILL OUT A JAIL TEAM REFERRAL AND IT SAYS, HEY, THIS PERSON IS OPEN TO US. 
          THEY'RE ACTIVE IN SERVICES, OR THEIR FAMILY IS CONCERNED. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM, BUT WE WANT THEM TO BE CHECKED ON THAT REGION FOR A JAIL. 
          TEAM GOES IN, THEY CHECK ON THE INDIVIDUAL, SEE IF THEY WANT SERVICES, AND KIND OF HELP NAVIGATE GETTING THE MEDS AND THINGS TO THE PERSON WHILE THEY'RE IN JAIL. 
          MM-HMM. 
          IF WE GET A RESTORATION ORDER FOR THEM AND THEY'RE IN THE JAIL, THE, UM, JAIL TEAM TAKES CARE OF THEIR RESTORATION TO COMPETENCY, UM, SERVICES AS WELL. 
          WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE A PART OF THE MEHERON RIVER REGIONAL JAIL. 
          YES. 
          YOU ALL ARE. 
          SO THAT OUR CITIZENS ONLY GET THAT SERVICE IF THEY ARE, UM, IN A REGION FOUR JAIL. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, WE'VE CHECKED, UM, SOUTH SIDE CSB IN THAT REGION DOES NOT HAVE A JAIL TEAM CURRENTLY. 
          DOESN'T MEAN THEY WON'T, BUT SHOULD A BEEN WITH A CITIZEN END UP IN MEHERON. 
          WHAT WE DO IS WE CALL SOUTH SIDE AND SAY, HEY, JUST A FYI, THIS PERSON IS THERE, THEY MAY NEED X, Y, Z, AND WE COORDINATE TO GET THEM THEIR MEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WAY. 
          OKAY. 
          COOL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          GOOD ENOUGH. 
          GOOD ENOUGH. 
          YEP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          NEXT 
          [7.D. The James House]
TO JAMES HOUSE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. 
          GOOD. 
          GOOD. 
          A MY NAME'S GENEVIEVE LAUREN, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS WITH JAMES HOUSE, AND I'M JOINED BY MY CO-DIRECTOR, DOLORES JEFFERSON. 
          UH, JAMES HOUSE IS, WE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, STALKING, CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, AS WELL AS ELDER ABUSE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE SOME FUNDING FROM YOU GUYS, AND I KNOW THAT OUR DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT HAS REQUESTED FUNDING AGAIN FOR THIS NEXT COMING YEAR. 
          SO I WANTED TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS WITH ALL OF YOU ABOUT OUR IMPACT WITH DINWITTY SPECIFICALLY. 
          AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. 
          SO JAMES HAS OFFERS SEVERAL DIFFERENT SERVICES, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE AS A 24 7 HOTLINE, THIS HOTLINE IS ALWAYS ANSWERED DURING THE DAY. 
          IT'S ANSWERED BY ONE OF US OUT AFTER HOURS. 
          IT'S ANSWERED BY A POWER NET, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME INFORMATION TO PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S AN EMERGENCY, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          THEY HAVE ALL OF OUR CELL PHONES, SO TRY TO MAKE THAT AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT'S HOW SOMEBODY WHO WOULD NEED EMERGENCY SHELTER WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO US AND WE ARE ABLE TO HELP THEM. 
          SO OVER THE LAST YEAR, THERE'VE BEEN ABOUT 50 HOT, OR UP TO THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THERE'VE BEEN ABOUT 50 HOTLINE CALLS FROM D DWI SPECIFICALLY TO OUR HOTLINE. 
          UH, PART OF THAT IS THE 20 SHELTER CLIENTS. 
          SO WE HAVE THE ONLY EMERGENCY SHELTER IN THE REGION FOR THOSE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, STALKING. 
          AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HOUSE 20 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FROM DINWITTY DURING THAT TIME. 
          UH, OUR LOCATION IS CONFIDENTIAL AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR VICTIMS, SO THEY HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO. 
          IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS BECAUSE THEY WORRY ABOUT OUR VICTIMS A LOT, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE IT AS EASY FOR THEM AS POSSIBLE TOO. 
          WE'VE SERVED 114 CLIENTS FROM DAN WITTY IN ADDITION TO OUR HOTLINE AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY SHELTER. 
          WE PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, COUNSELING SERVICES, UH, WE PROVIDE SOME LEGAL ADVOCACY SERVICES, AND WE ALSO HAVE A CLOTHING CLOSET AND A FOOD, A FOOD PANTRY. 
          SO ANYONE WHO'S OPEN TO SERVICES FROM US IS ELIGIBLE TO UTILIZE BOTH THE CLOTHING CLOSET AND THE FOOD PANTRY. 
          WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE 350 HYGIENE KITS. 
          THESE HYGIENE KITS ARE VERY SMALL, LITTLE PACKAGES THAT HAVE DEODORANT IN THEM. 
          FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS FOR OUR YOUNG LADIES, UH, TOOTHBRUSH, TOOTHPASTE, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO LAST FOREVER, BUT IT'S SOMETHING TO GET YOU THROUGH THAT MOMENT, WHICH IS VERY ESSENTIAL. 
          RECENTLY DOLORES AND I WERE ABLE TO DELIVER SOME OF THESE TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND WE WERE ABLE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE SCHOOL NURSE, AND SHE WAS SHARING WITH US HOW IMPORTANT THESE ARE FOR HER BECAUSE SOMETIMES KIDS GET TO SCHOOL AND THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS AND THEY NEED THEM. 
          SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT OUTREACH. 
          WE'VE ALSO WORKED ON A TRAINING WITH JEN WITTY AS WELL AS A COUPLE POPUPS. 
          OUR POPUPS ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT, SEE US, GET SOME INFORMATION, BUT ALSO 
          [00:45:01]
WE ALWAYS HAVE PRODUCTS, ITEMS THERE TO GIVE AWAY. 
          UH, AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, FINALLY, I PARTICIPATE WITH THE TWO GEN PROGRAM. 
          I'M ASSUMING YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT. 
          UH, AND I'M THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM JAMES HOUSE ON THAT TEAM RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, I AM A SOCIAL WORKER AND SO I LIKE TO THINK I'M ABLE TO BRING SOMETHING TO THE TEAM AND I REALLY ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THEM. 
          I, THEY'RE DOING SOME GREAT WORK. 
          SO, UH, IT'S KIND OF A SHORT SYNOPSIS OF WHAT WE DO. 
          I COULD KEEP YOU HERE ALL DAY WITH IT, BUT I WON'T, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OF COURSE. 
          IT'S, UM, I, I ALSO SIT ON THE BOARD OF JAMES HOUSE, WHICH WE APPRECIATE . 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEY'RE, THEY ALSO ARE DOING, UH, A GREAT JOB AND, UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF, UM, FUNDRAISERS COMING UP. 
          WE DO. 
          AND, UM, THE POP, THE PAPA JOHN. 
          YES. 
          SO WE ARE SELLING PAPA JOHN'S GIFT CARDS. 
          UH, THEY ARE $15 AND THAT COMES WITH A FREE CHEESE PIZZA AND 50% OFF YOUR NEXT 10 ORDERS. 
          15, 15 ORDERS. 
          SO IT'S THE ENTIRE ORDER. 
          THE ENTIRE ORDER. 
          SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT DEAL AND UH, BRENDA CAN PROBABLY HELP YOU WITH THOSE IF YEAH. 
          25 IS MY PURPOSE ALSO. 
          SO WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED. 
          YEAH. 
          I WANTED, I WANTED THEM TO MENTION THAT IN CASE SOMEONE WENT THAT'S A GREAT DEAL. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, FOR PIZZA, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FAMILY AND EVERYTHING, SO I WANTED THEM TO MENTION THAT. 
          PERFECT. 
          BUT THEY'RE ALSO DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YOU KNOW, HELPING PEOPLE AND REACHING OUT. 
          SO KUDOS TO YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO A LITTLE PLUG FOR PAPA PAPA JOHN'S. 
          THEY'RE LOCATED IN PETERSBURG IN THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE FOOD LINE IS AT. 
          MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS ONE IN PETERSBURG, NOT JUST COLONIAL HEIGHTS. 
          YES. 
          SO FOR OUR DEN WI RESIDENTS, THAT IS THE CLOSEST ONE TO GET TO CLOSE TO PIZZA. 
          OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. 
          IT'S IN THE SHOPPING CENTER WITH FOOD LINER WHERE OH, OKAY. 
          ON SOUTH GREATER ROAD. 
          I WENT THERE AND I ORDERED A HEARTBEAT ON VALENTINE'S DAY AND IT WORKED. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          ACTUALLY JUST, IT'S GOOD. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, THAT ANY GIFT CARDS YOU CAN USE? I THINK OVER 20, THE CARDS, OVER 20 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 
          YOU CAN USE THEM AT LIKE RICHMOND LOCATIONS. 
          CHARLOTTESVILLE, IF YOU GO ON OUR WEBSITE, I HAVE THEM LISTED ON ALL THE LOCATIONS THAT YOU CAN USE 'EM. 
          SO THAT'S COOL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ONLY SPECIFIC TO THE TRI-CITIES THAT IT COULD USE AS, UM, I WAS ADVERTISING FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, SO IF YOU KNOW A COLLEGE STUDENT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE ABLE TO USE 'EM BECAUSE IT'S PIZZA, YOU KNOW? YEAH. 
          SO JUST KEEPING THOSE GOOD GIFT IDEAS IN MIND. 
          YES. 
          GOOD. 
          MR. CHAIR, JUST, JUST TO COMMENT, JUST THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, A LOT OF LIVES TOUCHED THROUGH THE JAMES HOUSE. 
          WE WISH IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, BUT I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, 
          [8.A. Contract Amendment, Personal Protective Equipment For Fire & EMS]
WE HAVE ACTION ITEMS. MS. TUS DID IT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MR. LANGLEY'S BACK THERE RUSHING ME. 
          . 
          OH, TAKE YOUR TIME. 
          DON'T LET HIM PUSH YOU. 
          HE LIKED TO PUSH EVERYBODY. 
          I KNOW. 
          THAT'S HIS PERSONALITY. 
          UM, I HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY TWO ACTION ITEMS FOR YOU. 
          I'M DOING CHIEF HALE'S FIRST, WHICH IS CONTRACT AMENDMENT. 
          UM, EACH YEAR THE, THERE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE ALLOCATED IN OUR REGULAR OPERATING BUDGET TO THE, FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW AND REPLACEMENT PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT OR TURNOUT GEAR FOR FIRE. 
          UM, FOR FIREFIGHTERS. 
          IN THE 2023 DEN COUNTY, DENWITTY COUNTY ENTERED INTO THE NEW CONTRACT WITH MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, WHAT WE REFER TO AS MES FOR THIS PPE. 
          UM, THIS WAS PROCURED USING THE SOURCE WALL CO, UM, COOPERATIVE CONTRACT. 
          UM, AT THAT TIME, THE CONTRACT WAS CAPPED AT $50,000 AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL. 
          UM, FIRE AND EMS HAS INITIATED A PURCHASE OF 17 SETS OF THE PPE. 
          THIS INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OF OLD, UM, EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS NEW, UM, FOR NEW RECRUITS. 
          THE TOTAL PURCHASE CAME, CAME TO OVER $50,000. 
          UM, THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT, UM, ORDER IS FOR $52,360. 
          AND THAT WAS DUE TO THE INCREASE IN THE PRICING FROM THE MANUFACTURER. 
          SO THE COUNTY IS SEEKING APPROVAL TO AMEND THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH MES TO REMOVE THE $50,000 CAP. 
          AND THIS WILL ALLOW THE COUNTY TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT FOR THE FY 24 AND FUTURE PHYSICAL BUDGETS AS BUDGETED. 
          AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NO? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? IT PROBABLY WHEN WE STARTED THIS 50,000 WAS PROBABLY A BIG NUMBER, BUT IF YOU GO BACK 10 YEARS AGO, 
          [00:50:01]
IT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OVER THE PAST FOUR, FOUR YEARS. 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S AMAZING. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          DO WE NEED TO READ THE RESOLUTION, MR. CHAIR, OR JUST ADOPT YOU? DO TO ASK A MOTIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA. 
          BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ARE YOU STILL HERE? OKAY. 
          YEAH, I'M STILL HERE. 
          THANK YOU THOUGH. 
           HAVE ONE. 
          JUST ONE MORE. 
          [8.B. Contract Award, ZOLL AutoPulse]
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND, UM, ITEM THAT I HAVE IS, UM, FOR THE OLD ALL DUE PULSES, UM, YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL. 
          UM, THE FY 24 CIP PROVIDES $175,000 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF 13 AUTO PULSES. 
          UM, THE CURRENT QUOTE, QUOTE SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. 
          SO WE BASICALLY WENT BACK AND REVISITED THAT AND, UM, DECIDED THAT PURCHASING EIGHT UNITS FOR THE TRANSPORT UNITS, UM, WAS WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. 
          SO SINCE THE ORIGINAL PROJECT REPLACED THE DEVICES, UM, ON THE TRANSPORT UNITS, UH, WE DECIDED THAT THAT WOULD, UM, BE THE WAY TO GO AND WE WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THE ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT WE'RE LEAVING OUT AT ANOTHER TIME. 
          UM, AUTO PULSES ARE AUTOMATED CPR DEVICES THAT COMPRESS THE CHEST OF A PATIENT THAT'S SUFFERED CARDIAC ARREST. 
          UM, THE AUTOMATED DEVICES PROVIDE CONSISTENT COMPRESSION RATES AND DEPTH, UM, AND THEY ALSO DECREASE THE NEED FOR EXTENSIVE ADDITIONAL MOUND POWER. 
          UM, IT USE, THE USE OF THE AUTO PULSE ALLOWS THE EMS PROVIDER TO MANAGE THE AIRWAY, START IVS, AND JUST DO OTHER, UM, ADVANCED AIRWAY OR ADVANCED, UM, SERVICES FOR THE PATIENT. 
          THESE DEVICES HAVE BEEN ON OUR TRANSPORT UNITS AND FIRST RESPO, UH, FIRST RESPONDER VEHICLES FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. 
          AND THE CURRENT DEVICES ARE OLD AND WORN OUT AND, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY IS JUST FAR EXCEEDED TODAY WITH THEY, WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE. 
          UM, SO THE AUTO PULSES ARE PROCURED THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE CONTRACT WITH, UH, NAS O VALUE POINT CONTRACT. 
          UM, EACH UNIT IS 22,507 $7 AND 88 CENTS WITH A $1,500 TRADE IN ALLOWANCE FOR THE NET COST OF $20,007 AND 88 CENTS. 
          SO I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'VE WENT UP A WHOLE LOT TOO. 
          THEY DID . 
          THAT'S LIFE. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE MUCH NEEDED. 
          YEAH. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          THEY'RE AMAZING TECHNOLOGY. 
          THEY ARE AMAZING TECHNOLOGY. 
          YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT YOUR PLEASURE. 
          SO AGAIN, JUST A MOTION TO ADOPT AS PRESENT AS AS PRESENTED. 
          I MAKE THAT MOTION. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. IRAN. 
          BONARD. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, DAWN. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          AFTERNOON. 
          MM-HMM . 
          MR. LANGLEY. 
          [8.C. Contract Amendment, Painting Services And Task Order Approval, AC Epoxy Floors]
. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA RUSH YOU TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          DON . 
          IT'S NOTHING LIKE GETTING THROWED ON BY COWORKER, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AND SMILE TOGETHER, WE, WE STAY TOGETHER AND WORK LONGER TOGETHER. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          AMEN. 
          THAT'S A GOOD THING. 
          SO LET'S ALL BE HAPPY. 
          AMEN. 
          UH, I'LL STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ASKING FOR AN AMENDMENT, UM, TO A CONTRACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE WITH, UM, THE CARPENTRY AND PAINTING EXPERTS. 
          LLC. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM TO DO STUFF UP TO $50,000 BEING APPROVED BY THE BOARD. 
          I'M ASKING FOR THAT TO BE AMENDED. 
          UM, BACK IN 2013, IF Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAD TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE TO THE FLOORS AND STUFF THERE AT THE SHELTER. 
          UM, SOME EPOXY FLOORING TO GET THINGS UP TO STATE PARK SO IT CAN BE BUTTER, CLEAN AND SANITIZED. 
          WE'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES IN THE BACK AND WE JUST NEED TO REVAMP SOME THINGS BACK THERE. 
          AND THE PRICE WE GOT WAS $66,480 TO DO THAT. 
          AND THE WAY THE CURRENT TRIAL IS WROTE WITH THIS, WE CAN'T GO INTO A CONTRACT WITH THEM UNLESS WE GET Y'ALL TO AMEND IT. 
          AND WHAT WE NEED FOR IT TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, TO RETAKE THAT $50,000 OUT OF THE, UM, CONTRACT SO IT COULD GO OVER. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          NOTHING. 
          NO QUESTION. 
          NOPE. 
          YOU'RE DOING GOOD. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION? UH, YOU CAN DO IT AS PRESENTED. 
          OKAY. 
          MOTION IF THAT'S WHAT YOU OH YEAH. 
          APPROVE AS PRESENTED. 
          [00:55:01]
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA. 
          BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          THANK Y'ALL. 
          APPRECIATE HAVE A GOOD DAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU TOO. 
          UM, JUST FOR GOOD NEWS, UM, I HAD 40 SOME SOLDIERS FROM FORT GREG ADAMS OUT THERE TODAY. 
          AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE KIND OF WORK THEY CAN DO IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          AND THEY ACTUALLY BROOM SWEPT MY ROOF TODAY. 
          WOW. 
          AND I AIN'T GOT A PINE TAG. 
          ONE LEFT AROUND THE ANIMAL SHELTER, NO TRASH OR NOTHING. 
          SO HE REALLY LOOKED GOOD WHEN THEY LEFT THERE TODAY. 
          SO THAT'S A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WE HAD THERE. 
          SO WERE THEY ON A WHITE, A WHITE BUS? YES. 
          THAT'S WHY I MET MCDONALD'S. 
          YEP. 
          . 
          HE TOLD, HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO INUNDATE THEM. 
          HE WAS GIVING THEM A SPECIAL TREAT BY TAKING THEM TO MCDONALD'S. 
          YOU WERE MCDONALD'S. 
          HOPE YOU HAD A LOT OF MONEY. 
          . 
          I I HOPE YOU DID . 
          IF HE DID, I TOLD HIM WE COULD PROBABLY GET MR. CHAVIS TO GIVE HIM BLUE. 
          I HEAR HIM. 
          RIGHT. 
          THANK Y'ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          CONTRACT AWARD. 
          [8.D. Contract Award, Water Delivery Service]
UH, MSS ANN HOWARD. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. 
          HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. 
          THIS IS THE, UH, CONTRACT FOR OUR WATER DELIVERY SERVICE. 
          WE HAD BEEN UNDER CONTRACT WITH DIAMOND SPRINGS FOR OUR BOTTLED WATER IN ALL OF OUR, UM, COUNTY FACILITIES. 
          THEY WERE RECENTLY BOUGHT OUT BY CRYSTAL SPRINGS PRIMO WATER. 
          AND WITH THAT CHANGEOVER WE WERE THINKING WE NEEDED TO PUT IT OUT FOR BID AGAIN AND, AND SEE IF WE COULD GET A BIT OF A BETTER CONTRACT. 
          UM, SO WE HAD A, A JOINT RFQ WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR WATER, BOTTLED WATER NEEDS AS WELL. 
          WE HAD A COUPLE OF, TWO DIFFERENT VENDORS, UM, SIMBA AND LE LAB WHEN WE WENT WITH LAB BLUE, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          IT'S LAB BLUE. 
          YEAH. 
          SO WE WENT WITH THEM. 
          UM, THE, THE PRICING INFORMATION IS IN THE CONTRACT THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE BOARD MEMO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, SO WE'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF THE, THE WATER DELIVERY CONTRACT TODAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THEY BROUGHT SOME FREE WATER TOMORROW BECAUSE TASTE MIGHTY GOOD. 
          REALLY? OH GOOD. 
          SO ANYWAY. 
          OH, GOOD. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          YEP. 
          IT'S GOOD. 
          GOOD. 
          MAYBE I NEED THAT IN MY HOUSE. 
          HUH? YOU'LL BE HAPPY. 
          ALL THE EMPLOYEES WILL BE HAPPY. 
          OKAY. 
          DO WE HAVE A MOTION? ARE YOU MOTION TO ACCEPT A CONTRACT RESOLUTION AFTER PRESENTED? SECOND. 
          SECOND , MS. EBRA, BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OH, THAT WENT REAL WELL. 
          CITIZENS COMMENT, PERIOD. 
          DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? MR. CHAIRMAN? I HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. 
          REALLY. 
          COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, 
          [10. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS]
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          ME AND ANN MUST, WE MUST HAVE TAKEN SPANISH INSTEAD OF FRENCH. 
          THAT'S ALL THAT, IS THAT A WORD? I CAN'T SAY IT EITHER, BUT . 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT, SO, UH, FIRST THING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 
          WE, WE'VE MADE IT TO THE HALFWAY POINT , WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THIS IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SESSION. 
          UM, SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE, THE GOVERNOR IS PUSHING EXTREMELY HARD FOR THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA, UH, SPORTS DEAL WITH THE ARENA. 
          UM, IT'S BEING CONTEMPLATED TO ISSUE $2 BILLION IN BONDS TO, TO BUILD THAT NEW ARENA FOR THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS AND CAPITAL CAPITALS. 
          UM, SO THE, UH, THE AUTHORITY BILL, WHICH WAS ON THE HOUSE SIDE CLEARED, UH, BUT THEN THE SENATE KILLED THAT PIECE OF IT. 
          UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL FROM THE HOUSE BEING IT PASSED, IT'S GONNA GO TO THE CONFERENCE AND BE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. 
          SO THE GOVERNOR'S MADE IT VERY PUBLICLY KNOWN THAT THIS IS, IN HIS MIND, THIS $2 BILLION INVESTMENT YIELDS 12 BILLION AND THE NEXT 10 YEARS. 
          AND SO HE'S, HE'S PUSHING REALLY, REALLY HARD FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, TAXES WAS A BIG PART OF THE, OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET. 
          UM, AND HE WAS LOOKING AT ABOUT A 12% CUT ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE INCOME TAX. 
          BUT HE WAS ALSO LOOKING AT BUMPING UP SALES AND USE TAX. 
          REMEMBER, HE WAS GOING FROM 4.3 TO 5.2%. 
          UM, AND THEN TO ALSO DO AN EXPANSION INTO WHAT'S CALLED DIGITAL GOODS. 
          AND SO THAT'S MAINLY, UM, DIGITAL DOWNLOADS AND STREAMING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS GONNA TAKE A LOT OF EFFORT, BUT THE NO CAR TAX ROYS BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN THIS YEAR. 
          UH, THE DEMOCRATS, NOW THAT THEY CONTROL BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, THEY QUICKLY PUT FORTH OPPOSING 
          [01:00:01]
BILLS TO, TO TRY TO DISMANTLE A LOT OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS TRYING TO PUSH FORWARD. 
          UM, ONE I THOUGHT WAS AN INTERESTING PIECE OF THIS IS EVEN LIKE WITH COMPENSATION. 
          SO WE, WE DO KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR, WHEN HIS ORIGINAL BUDGET CAME OUT, HE WAS LOOKING AT A 1% FOR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND STATE SUPPORTED POSITIONS. 
          UM, NOW THE HOUSE HAS PROPOSED A 3% ADJUSTMENT, AND THEN THE SENATE IS AT TWO AND A HALF. 
          SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING, UH, FOR, TO GO UP FROM WHAT, WHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS RECOMMENDING. 
          SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE BIG QUESTION HERE IS, IS HOW MUCH, UM, IS THE DEMOCRATIC CONTROLLED HOUSE AND SENATE GONNA WANNA WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR TO NEGOTIATE SOME OF THESE ISSUES OUT? UM, AND I HOPE MS. STEWART'S NOT RIGHT. 
          I HOPE WE, WE GET A BUDGET BEFORE WE GOT A BUDGET LAST YEAR, BECAUSE THAT WAS UNPRECEDENTED. 
          AND ANN CAN TELL YOU HOW DISRUPTIVE THAT IS ON US. 
          UM, SO I WANTED TO KIND OF JUST SET THAT STAGE, 'CAUSE NOW IT'S AT THE MONEY COMMITTEES. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE OUT, WELL HERE WE ARE AT CROSSOVER, WHERE THINGS WILL GO, UM, AND HOW MUCH THE GOVERNOR'S WILLING TO COMPROMISE AGAIN. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S MADE STATEMENTS THAT HE'S NOT A PRO CANNABIS, BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN AREA THAT HE MAY BE WILLING TO GIVE SOME OF THE DEMOCRATS A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, LEEWAY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. 
          MENTAL HEALTH IS ANOTHER SUBJECT THAT, THAT HE'S GONNA BE SEEKING SUPPORT, UM, AND MORE DEMOCRATIC THE MOST CLOSELY TO US. 
          THE CASINO IN PETERSBURG IS A BIG INITIATIVE NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT FOR THE GOVERNOR WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF PETERSBURG. 
          AND IF YOU RECALL, THE ONE WHO OPPOSED THE BILL MOST STRONGLY LAST TIME WAS LOUISE LUCAS. 
          SHE ACTUALLY IS PATRONIZING THE BILL THIS TIME AROUND. 
          SO IT'S PASSED BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE. 
          SO, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE SHOULD BE A POTENTIAL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THAT CASINO, UM, COMES IN AND TALKING TO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, THIS IS AN ANNUALIZED INCOME ESTIMATE, CONSERVATIVELY AROUND $30 MILLION ANNUALLY. 
          UM, SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THINGS COME WITH THAT, RIGHT? SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KIND OF KEEP YOUR EYES ON. 
          UM, NEXT PIECE I WANNA TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 
          AGAIN, WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ON ON SOME OF THAT. 
          BUT FY 25 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, UH, ANN AND I SPENT A GOOD PART OF A WEEK SITTING DOWN WITH EVERY SINGLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT, ALL FIVE OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL, UH, OFFICERS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS TRYING TO COUNT IT UP THE OTHER DAY. 
          I THINK THIS WAS EITHER MY 21ST OR 22ND BUDGET THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF SINCE I'VE BEEN IN DI WITTY COUNTY. 
          UM, AND I THINK ANN AND I BOTH HAD AN EPIPHANY IN LISTENING TO THE BUDGET REQUEST. 
          USUALLY WE, WE KIND OF PUT THINGS IN, THIS IS VERY SIMPLISTIC, RIGHT? BUT IN LIKE THREE BUCKETS, THE THINGS THAT, OH MY GOSH, WE JUST HAVE TO DO THIS AND THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THESE THINGS. 
          AND THEN THERE'S THE THINGS THAT I CALL THE BUBBLE BUCKET THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IF REVENUE LOOKS GOOD. 
          'CAUSE WE ALWAYS, WE, WHEN WE'RE DOING THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET UP FRONT, WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS FROM THE COMMISSIONER REVENUE YET. 
          AND WE STILL, WE STILL HAVE 'EM AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REVENUE OUTLOOK IS. 
          HERE'S THE PROBLEM. 
          UM, OUT OF 21, 22 BUDGETS OUTSIDE OF THE YEAR THAT WE DID A REDUCTION IN FORCE WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD TO LAY PEOPLE OFF, UM, THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DIFF, MOST DIFFICULT BUDGETS BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE IN THAT CRITICAL BUCKET, RIGHT? SO EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE TO DEFER SOME TYPE OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT, UM, IT'S JUST GONNA COST, I THINK, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, UM, MOVING FORWARD. 
          SO WHEN WE GET TO OUR BUDGET TALKS, IT'S GONNA BE MORE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT THAN, THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD IN, IN MAYBE SOME PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          UM, AND I REALLY BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, WE, EVERYBODY WHO SUBMITTED A BUDGET THIS YEAR, I THINK THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING THROUGH WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY NEED. 
          UM, BUT I DON'T WANNA THROW THE NUMBER OUT THERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. 
          I MEAN, YOU JUST SAW A COUPLE COUNTY DEPARTMENTS COME FORWARD ASKING THAT WE, UM, INCREASE OUR CAPS BECAUSE WHERE IT IS THAT WE HAVE TO BUY, YOU KNOW, THINGS NOW IS, IS MUCH HIGHER THAN, THAN WHERE WE HAVE SO INFLATION, EVEN THOUGH THAT MAY SOMEWHAT WHAT WE'LL SEE, WHETHER IT'S, IT'S COMING DOWN A LITTLE BIT OR NOT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S MUCH HARDER, MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO BUSINESS NOW THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S JUST GOODS AND SERVICES. 
          AND THEN YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT, WHICH IS ABOUT 75, 80% OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE. 
          AND YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY THIS YEAR, I THINK WHAT Y'ALL WERE GOING TO SEE, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA START PROBABLY GETTING MORE INVOLVED WITH YOU ALL LEADING UP TO THAT, THAT 
          [01:05:01]
MARCH MEETING. 
          UM, BUT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE IS, IS ALMOST UNPRECEDENTED. 
          WE, WE DID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HIRED THE NINE, MR. CHAVIS AND I WERE ABLE TO GO TO THE GRADUATION WITH THE, THE FIRE EMTS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL THIS, THIS TIME AROUND WAS NINE MORE. 
          AND, AND WITH THAT NINE MORE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL MID-LEVEL STAFF TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE A SYSTEM THAT LARGE. 
          AND WHAT COMES WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY, UM, THIS TIME AROUND IS ACTUALLY STAFFING FOR THE FIRST TIME FIRE EMTS ALONGSIDE OUR MT ONLYS IN THE INE AREA IN THE NORTHERN END OF THE COUNTY. 
          SO, UH, WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME RESPONSE TIME ISSUES THERE. 
          AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT EVEN BEFORE THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, THAT THERE WERE SOME NEEDS IN THE NORTHERN END OF OUR COUNTY. 
          SOME, SOME BOAT BOTH ON THE FINE E EMS SIDE AND THEN KIND OF WALKS IN THE NEXT ISSUE, WHICH IS LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW THIS TIME AROUND AS WE SITTING DOWN WITH THE SHERIFF, UH, IS JUST THE STARTING PAY AND, AND COMPENSATION OVERALL FOR DEPUTIES. 
          I'M TALKING ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS. 
          AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEARLY 14 LOCALITIES, LOCALITIES AROUND US OR COMPARABLE TO US, UM, DENEE COUNTY IS DEAD LAST, DEAD LAST. 
          AND SO OUR, YOU KNOW, WE DID THE SALARY SURVEY IN 2019. 
          UM, WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS. 
          WE WERE, WE WEREN'T AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, BUT WE WERE KIND OF MIDDLE TOP, BUT NOT AT THE TOP. 
          AND SINCE THAT TIME, JURISDICTIONS HAVE JUST COME IN AND LEAPFROGGED ALL OF US. 
          SO WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT, AND WE'VE GOT SOME CREATIVE APPROACHES POTENTIALLY, UM, ON WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY LAW ENFORCEMENT, COMPENSATION. 
          UM, BUT THEN THE BIGGER PIECE OF THAT IS COMPENSATION FOR EVERYONE ELSE. 
          AND SO ANN AND I KIND OF CRINGE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR OVERALL REVENUE, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE NUMBERS SPECIFICALLY, BUT IF WE EVEN TAKE LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS AND, AND LET'S JUST HOPE IT'S THE SAME , WHICH IT MAY, IT MAY NOT BE, BUT IF YOU HOPE THAT IT'S THE SAME, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROBABLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE A 3% EVEN FROM THE STATE, I START TO GET NERVOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MATCH THOSE NON-STATE FUNDED POSITIONS AS WELL AS, UM, WE THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S, AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST PART OF WHAT WE, OF WHAT WE DO. 
          SO, UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, STILL IN THAT PUBLIC SAFETY CATEGORY, YOU KNOW, BILL AND I AS PART OF THE, UM, THE REGIONAL JAIL. 
          AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S JUST A BILL WE HAVE TO PAY, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT MEETING THIS THURSDAY TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH, UH, THE JAIL. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE KNOW THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FOUR AND FIVE, $600,000 MORE NEXT YEAR. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S AUTOMATICALLY STARTING TO, TO EAT UP, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR REVENUE THAT THAT WOULD BE COMING IN. 
          UM, SO WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, THE COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, I'VE ALSO DONE, I WAS HOPING TO WAIT UNTIL JULY ONE WHEN THE BUDGET COULD BE ADOPTED TO START DOING A CLASS IN COMPENSATION ANALYSIS. 
          'CAUSE IT'S BEEN FIVE, SIX YEARS SINCE WE DID THE LAST ONE IN 2019, UH, ANN HAS SENT US A COPY AND HOLLY OF THE LAST RFP WE DID, UH, MS. LEE AND MYSELF ARE LOOKING AT THAT NOW, MAKING SOME CHANGES TO IT. 
          SO I'VE ALREADY, I TALKING TO MR. CHAVIS ON THIS, WE WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND INITIATE, INITIATE THAT RFP NOW AS SOON AS WE CAN GET IT REWRITTEN, BECAUSE WE NEED, YOU KNOW, TIMES OF THE ESSENCE, WE HAVE TO GET IN FRONT OF DOING THIS CLASS IN COMPENSATION SO THAT WE'RE IN A BETTER POSITION NEXT YEAR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME, MAKE SOME CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE OPERATING BUDGET. 
          SO IF I HAVEN'T DEPRESSED YOU ENOUGH THAT THEN YOU GET INTO THE, THE CIP AND THE CIP WE LOOKED AT THIS YEAR AND WE, WE KNOW THAT, THAT WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT REQUEST IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN. 
          SO WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT APPROACH THIS YEAR. 
          UH, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A CIP COMMITTEE. 
          WE'VE HAD 27, 28 PEOPLE ON THAT CIP COMMITTEE. 
          UM, TYPICALLY AFTER EVERYONE SUBMITS THEIR, UH, THEIR REQUEST FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, ANN AND I REALLY KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FUND THIS PARTICULAR YEAR COMING UP. 
          UM, THIS YEAR WE SAID WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT DIFFERENTLY. 
          SO WE, WE WANT SOMEONE THAT IF YOU'RE, IF YOUR PROJECT LANDS ON YEAR FIVE OF THE CIP THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, WITH, WITH GENERAL CONFIDENCE, BE ABLE TO SAY, WELL, NEXT YEAR YOU'RE NUMBER FOUR. 
          YOU YEAR FOUR, THE FOLLOWING YEAR, YEAR THREE. 
          SO WHEN YOU GET TO THAT FIVE YEARS FROM YOUR ORIGINAL PUT DATE ON THE FIFTH YEAR, YOU SHOULD REASONABLY BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THAT PROJECT COMING ABOUT. 
          UM, SO FOR US TO GET TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT LIKE YEAR ONE IS JUST MAINLY URGENT 
          [01:10:01]
REQUESTS THIS YEAR. 
          UM, YEAR TWO AND THREE ARE HIGH REQUESTS. 
          I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN A, IN THAT BUCKET OF HIGH PRIORITY. 
          AND THEN AGAIN, LOOKING AT YEARS FOUR AND FIVE AS BEING BEING IMPORTANT, YEAR SIX THROUGH 10, WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANNING YEARS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, LORI'S GOT A, A STATEMENT OF LIKE, LIKE NAILING JELLO ON A TREE. 
          'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE WHEN YOU START GETTING SIX TO 10. 
          UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU JU JUST, JUST, I MEAN, IT'S WELL OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF CIP PROJECTS JU IN THE, IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. 
          UM, SO WE, WE HAVE OUR CIP COMMITTEE NOW OF THE 27, 28 PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF IT, THERE ARE ONLY 10 VOTING MEMBERS NOW. 
          AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA VOTE AS A CIP COMMITTEE ON THE PRIORITIES. 
          WE'VE ASKED THEM TO CHECK THEIR INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES AND LET'S LOOK AT THIS AS A TEAM AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE PUT THESE THINGS IN PLACE? UM, SO IF IT COMES TO A TIE, I'VE SAID I WOULD BE THE TIE BREAKER, BUT ULTIMATELY BY THE TIME WE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UM, IT'S GONNA BE A PLAN THAT I THINK CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC CAN GET A LITTLE BIT OF TRUST IN. 
          UM, AND THEN THE BIG PIECE THERE IS FOR YOU ALL, IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR THIS YEAR 'CAUSE I JUST TALKED ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET. 
          BUT FOR THE, THE BIG PIECE FOR YOU ALL, UM, IF, IF YOU JUST DO SCHOOL BUSES, POLICE CARS, FIRE APPARATUS REPLACEMENT, I MEAN YOU SPENT WELL OVER $2 MILLION EVERY YEAR. 
          IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE, YOU'RE JUST DOING THAT. 
          AND USUALLY WHAT WE WE'D LIKE TO PAY CASH FOR, UM, IS AROUND THAT $2 MILLION. 
          SO IT, YOUR BRICKS AND MORTAR PROJECTS ARE, ARE REALLY KIND OF GETTING, UH, CLOGGED UP AND SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE GONNA NEED SOME, SOME ATTENTION. 
          SO YOUR CIP IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT THIS YEAR TOO, AND JUST WANTED TO KINDA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF FAIR WARNING TO THAT. 
          SO WHERE DO WE LEAVE FROM HERE AFTER TODAY? SOME KEY DATES. 
          SO FEBRUARY 29TH IS THE DATE THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS, UM, TO GIVE US THEIR BUDGET REQUEST. 
          UM, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE BUDGET REQUEST IS GOING TO BE, BUT IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE'S REQUEST, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT. 
          MARCH 5TH, WE COME BACK TO THAT WORKSHOP. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE DOING SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN WITH MR. FRENCH TODAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTING AT, AT THAT MARCH 5TH MEETING. 
          MARCH 12TH AT EAST SIDE IS A JOINT MEETING THAT EVENING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. 
          SO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DR. 
          WESTIN WILL ACTUALLY PRESENT THEIR REQUEST TO YOU ALL. 
          UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I CALL YOUR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TOUGH WEEK FOR THE BOARD. 
          SO THE 13TH YOU'RE MEETING THAT TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THEN THE 13TH, 14TH AND 15TH, THAT WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, YOU'RE WITH ME AND ANNE AND KEY STAFF GOING OVER EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUDGET DURING THAT, THAT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          ON THE 14TH, THE NIGHT OF THE 14TH, NO, THE 13TH. 
          THE NIGHT OF THE 13TH, YOU'RE GONNA BE MEETING WITH THE FIRE AND RESCUE ASSOCIATION. 
          UM, SO YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF THAT PUBLIC SAFETY STORY FROM THE FIRE AND EMS SIDE AT THAT ONE AT THE 14TH. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO, BUT I DO, ME, LORI STEVENS AND GARY ES WITH WAMPS IS GOING TO THE COUNTYWIDE TON MEETING TO JUST START TO TELL THE TON CLUBS, WHICH USUALLY BRINGS IN TWO OR 300 PEOPLE WHAT THE REASSESSMENTS GONNA LOOK LIKE, WHICH I DO KNOW THAT THE SALES RATIO ACCORDING TO LORI, IS NOW DOWN TO LIKE 56%. 
          SO YOU'RE, IT'S STEADILY STILL COMING DOWN SOME. 
          SO IT'S A PRETTY, UM, THAT GENERAL REASSESSMENTS GONNA GONNA BE A, A BIG ONE. 
          SO THAT GETS YOU TO MARCH 19TH. 
          MARCH 19TH IS YOUR NEXT REGULAR 30 DAYS FROM NOW YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING. 
          AT THAT MEETING. 
          THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA DO TWO THINGS. 
          ANN GOT UPDATE IT TODAY ON INSURANCE, UM, WHICH DIDN'T SEEM TO BE TOO, TOO BAD, UH, ABOUT A 2.6% INCREASE IN OUR HEALTH INSURANCE NUMBER. 
          UH, THE SECOND THING WE'RE DOING IS TAX RATE. 
          SO WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT TAX RATE YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IN ORDER TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          AND THAT PUBLIC HEARING IS ON APRIL 2ND. 
          SO THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S THE GOAL TO GET THE TAX RATE ADOPTED AT THAT APRIL 2ND MEETING. 
          'CAUSE YOU REMEMBER THE COMMISSIONER AND THE TREASURER HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET TAX BILLS OUT SO THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE THOSE AHEAD OF TIME. 
          SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND YOUR FY 25 BUDGET. 
          UM, LEMME TRANSITION REAL QUICKLY TO A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          UH, VIRGINIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, I'M A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION. 
          UM, THERE'S 95 COUNTIES, 38 CITIES, 190 TOWNS. 
          WE JUST HAD OUR, OUR CONFERENCE THIS PAST WEEK. 
          UM, AND I, I JUST WANTED TO TELL THE BOARD THAT MANY 
          [01:15:01]
OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE THAT I'VE JUST KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE JOHNNY RAINCLOUD, BUT YOU KNOW, OTHER, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THESE ARE THE SAME ISSUES THAT, THAT MOST LOCALITIES ARE, ARE WORKING THROUGH AT THIS TIME. 
          UM, THE STATE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS JUST A LOT DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THE WAY IT USED TO BE. 
          AND SO EVERY, EVERYONE AND JUST SITTING AROUND TALKING TO, TO SOME OF THE OTHERS IN MY PROFESSION, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST ISSUE, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU NOT THAT, NOT THAT A A PUBLIC SERVANT OBVIOUSLY AS A, AS A NOBLE PROFESSION, BUT PEOPLE ARE HAVING A REAL DIFFICULT TIME NOW MAINTAINING AND ATTRACTING STAFF. 
          UM, SO I JUST, WE GOTTA BE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          UH, WHAT IS THE BIG ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING AND RETRACTING, UH, UH, ATTRACTING NEW STAFF COMPENSATION? SO, YOU KNOW, DR. MOORE, WE KIND OF GIVE HIM THE, THE SOAY AWARD FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO WHEN HE SAID THERE'S A, UH, THIS THING CALLED WAGE INFLATION THAT MAY BE COMING. 
          AND IT WAS A BIG ADVOCATE OF, HEY, WE GOTTA GET THIS CLASS IN COMPENSATION PLAN DONE. 
          WHO WOULD'VE THUNK THAT IN FIVE YEARS WE WOULD BE DEAD LAST . 
          I MEAN, IT, IT REALLY HAS COMPRESSED. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH MINIMUM WAGE, BUT IT, IT IS STEADILY STARTING TO, TO INCH UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, PEOPLE CAN DO OTHER JOBS, OTHER PROFESSIONS. 
          AND SO THIS IS STILL BECOME AN ISSUE. 
          SHRINKING REVENUES IS A PROBLEM ACROSS THE STATE. 
          YOU KNOW, THANK GOD, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR LAST CENSUS, YOU KNOW, OUR NUMBERS WERE ABOUT THE SAME. 
          WE DROPPED BY LIKE 47 PEOPLE. 
          THE WELDING COOPER NOW, UM, HAS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY PASSING AWAY, AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO DIM, WITTY AND BIRTH RATES, WE'RE ACTUALLY UP NOW BY ABOUT 600 PEOPLE. 
          SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THE NEW WELDING COOPER NUMBER SHOWS US GOING UP. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU SITTING ACROSS THE, THE POPULATION OF THE STATE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS IS DROPPING. 
          AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. 
          PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS BROADBAND. 
          UM, I, I WAS A LITTLE BIT GLAD TO SEE THAT NOT MANY LOCALITIES HAVE GOTTEN ANY FURTHER ALONG THAN, THAN WE HAVE. 
          AND SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A, THERE'S A FEW, THERE'S A FEW WHERE SPECIFIC COMPANIES WENT OUT AND BORROWED A LOT OF MONEY THEMSELVES TO SUPPLEMENT THE VA FUNDS THAT THEY WERE GETTING. 
          BUT EVERYONE IS STILL BEHIND. 
          NO, NO ONE IS HIT. 
          THE, THE MAGIC, EVERYBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED BY DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR. 
          AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T ANY, ANY CLOSER TO IT. 
          UM, OPERATING BUDGET, CIPS STILL BIG ISSUES. 
          SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AS AN UNSTABLE GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A, A GOOD BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          A LOT OF OUR, OUR KEY, UH, STAFF POSITIONS HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE. 
          UM, YOU ALL, AND I AND I, I WAS SAYING THIS EARLIER TO, TO MR. CHAVIS, BUT FOR THE BOARD HERE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON IS BEING UNITED BECAUSE THAT THERE ARE SOME HORROR STORIES ACROSS THE STATE OF JUST UP HERE ON THIS DEUS WHERE, WHERE THE BOARDS ALMOST DESPISE ONE ANOTHER. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU EVEN BEGIN TO, TO FIX SOME OF THE BIG PROBLEMS THAT'S BEFORE US WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN TALK TO EACH OTHER. 
          UM, SO THEN IT JUST HAS A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY TOO, THAT WAY. 
          SO I, I HAVE A FEELING IT'S KINDA LIKE BEING ON A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE 'CAUSE WE DON'T CONTROL IT FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. 
          UM, BUT WE GOTTA STAY, STAY TOGETHER. 
          UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, I'M NOT GONNA TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THE LIGHT, LIGHT UP, UM, THE COMMUNITY EVENT. 
          I THINK MR. CHAVIS IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. 
          BUT I WILL SAY THAT JUST FROM MY, MY SON WAS PLAYING BASEBALL, WE COULDN'T ATTEND THE EVENT. 
          UM, BUT JUST THE, THE PICTURES THAT I SAW ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ON FACEBOOK AND WHAT THAT EVENT IS DOING IN, UH, FOR DI COUNTY, I COULD BE MORE PROUD TO, TO LIVE IN DEWINE COUNTY WHEN YOU'VE GOT A COMMUNITY, UM, THAT HAS NEEDS. 
          AND TO SEE PEOPLE RALLY BEHIND INDIVIDUALS THAT WAY. 
          I TALKED TO ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENT, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME, HE HAD TALKED ABOUT WHEN HE, HE HIMSELF HAD EXPERIENCED SOME HEALTH CRISIS YEARS AGO, AND HE SAID, IF I LIVED IN CHESTERFIELD OR HENRICO, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD'VE GOTTEN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT. 
          NOTHING AGAINST THOSE COMMUNITIES IS JUST SO LARGE, BUT THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY CAN SUPPORT YOU IN THAT WAY. 
          SO I'M GONNA LET MR. CHAVIS TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, SPRING SPORTS FACILITY LAST WEEK, THEY CUT THE RIBBON ON THE SPRING SPORTS FACILITY. 
          UM, I KNOW MS. COLLINS WAS ABLE, ABLE TO GO TO THAT. 
          I JUST WANTED TO JUST PUBLICLY SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW PROUD I AM OF THAT. 
          THAT WAS, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A CREATIVE PROJECT WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO US WITH THAT PROJECT. 
          UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE LARGE FIELD FIELDHOUSE THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT. 
          AND THE, THE PRICES HAD HAD REALLY CREEPED UP TO 
          [01:20:02]
PROBABLY 1.3 TO $1.5 MILLION. 
          AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY REALLY COULDN'T DO THAT, BUT THEY HAD SOME SPECIFIC NEEDS. 
          AND YOU HAD SOFTBALL PLAYERS DRESSING FOR GAMES IN A PORTAJOHN. 
          UM, YOU HAD A, A HANDICAP, UH, PARTICIPANTS COMING TO GAMES THAT ALL THEY HAD WAS A PORTAJOHN. 
          AND SO NOT HAVING BATHROOMS OUT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NOT HAVING LOCKER ROOMS. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOFTBALL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIRLS TENNIS, TALKING ABOUT BOYS TENNIS, UM, THAT WILL BE USED IN THAT FACILITY AS WELL, MAYBE TRACK AND FIELD TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. 
          BUT IT PUTS BATHROOMS ON THAT, THAT SIDE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AND A CONCESSION STAND. 
          AND I HAVEN'T BEEN, HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GO IN IT YET, BUT JUST SOME OF THE PICTURES I SAW ONLINE AND FROM WHAT, UH, MS. COLLINS REPORTED BACK, THAT WAS A PHENOMENAL PROJECT. 
          KEEP IN MIND, THIS BOARD FOR THAT PART OF THE FACILITY ONLY GAVE $400,000 FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          AND YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, UM, THE POWER OF PUTTING IT IN THE BOOSTERS HANDS AND THEM BEING ABLE TO, TO WORK WITH CONTRACTORS TO GET THAT DONE. 
          SO CHRIS AND RANDY EVERETT, TODD WILLIAMS, UH, JEFF WALTERS, UM, ARCHIE TORTOISE, THEY ALL WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON, AGAIN, THAT WE GOT, WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET 'EM THE MONEY, BUT THEY, THEY BROUGHT IT OVER THE FINISH LINE. 
          AND I'M TOLD THAT THE BASEBALL, UM, RENOVATION PROJECT THAT'S BEING DONE, IT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE THE SAME BUILDING ANYMORE. 
          AND SO, UH, VJ SLADE AND, UH, SOME OF THE, THE COACHES THERE HAVE, HAVE PULLED THAT OFF AND THAT THAT SHOULD BE OPEN AND HERE, HERE SOON. 
          UM, WANTED TO ALSO SAY THAT THE DEITY COUNTY WORKFORCE BRIEFING THAT WE HAD ON JANUARY 29TH, UH, WAS A, WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. 
          IT'S KINDA LIKE THE KEVIN MASSEN STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS. 
          BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT, IT, IT ALLOWED US TO ALSO RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. 
          UM, SO I DIDN'T DO THE MATH HERE, MARIE DID, BUT IT WAS 131 EMPLOYEES THAT WERE RECOGNIZED FOR 1,535 YEARS OF COLLECTIVE SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF TIME. 
          AND WHAT AN AMAZING STAFF THAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS, UH, THE DEMEE COUNTY FIRE AND EMS IS HAVING THEIR SECOND ANNUAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION CEREMONY. 
          UM, MR. CHAVIS AND I SUPPOSED TO SPEAK AT IT, BUT THAT IS SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH AT 6:00 PM AND IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THAT, UH, WE NEED TO RSS VP YOU BY FEBRUARY 23RD FOR THAT. 
          SO JUST LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, UM, BUSINESS CASUAL AND THERE'LL BE A DINNER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT. 
          BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          THAT'S A LOT. 
          BIG REPORT THIS TIME, BUT THEY DID A GOOD JOB. 
          THAT'S A LOT YOU DIDN'T GET ASSIGNED BY FIVE . 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          A LOT. 
          OKAY. 
          [11. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
IT'S TIME FOR, FOR THE SUPERVISOR'S COMMENT. 
          I THINK I'M GONNA START WITH YOU TODAY. 
          HOW ABOUT THAT? UH, I WOULD, MR. DOOLEY, I WOULD JUST SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF ONCE AGAIN. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO, TO GET ALL THESE BUDGET REQUESTS AND GET ALL THIS INFORMATION PUT TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND, AND I JUST APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS PUT IN. 
          UH, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THINGS ON THE HORIZON FOR OUR COUNTY. 
          AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE A, A VERY GOOD BOARD OF, OF LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS WE SEE AT THE STATE LEVEL WHEN, WHEN GROUPS CAN'T WORK TOGETHER, IT PUTS US IN A, IN A BIND WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 'EM. 
          SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. 
          YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP THE LIGHT, THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHAT AN AMAZING EVENT THAT WAS. 
          UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT GIVE BIBLICALLY AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THEIR RIGHT HAND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THEIR LEFT HAND IS DOING. 
          AND SO, UH, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE DIDN'T SEE ALSO, OH YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES. 
          AND, UH, I REALLY ENJOYED BEING THERE. 
          IT WAS JUST A BLESSING TO OBSERVE. 
          AND SO THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, DR. MOORE. 
          UM, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO, TO GO UP TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, INTO THE NEW ASSEMBLY BUILDING. 
          UH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO, UH, SENATOR AD AS WELL AS DELEGATE TAYLOR AND DELEGATE WAXMAN FOR ALLOWING US TO HAVE SOME TIME TO SPEAK WITH THEM ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE CITIZEN OF DEAD WITTY COUNTY AS WELL AS THE STATE. 
          SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THEM. 
          UM, AND THEIR HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN IN THIS SESSION. 
          UM, MR. UM, CHAVIS AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN TO, TO RED CROSS THEIR ANNUAL MEETING, UH, LAST THURSDAY EVENING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE ROOM AND THE SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED IN THEIR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S 
          [01:25:01]
BEEN DISASTER RELIEF OR BLOOD DRIVES OR OTHER THINGS THAT THE RED CROSS IS ASSOCIATED WITH, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, UM, WHAT THEY DO IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT WAS US STEPPING UP OUR PLAN FOR BLOOD DRIVES. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR BLOOD AT THE CURRENT TIME, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STATE, BUT IN PARTICULAR IN OUR AREA. 
          SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN, UH, ROUND UP AT IT, WHETHER AT OUR CHURCHES OR OUR THROUGH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER PLACES THIS YEAR TO BE A, A RECORD YEAR FOR US, GIVING BLOOD, UM, TO THE RED CROSS. 
          OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR DISASTER RELIEF WHEN WE HAVE A HOUSE THAT BURNS OR OTHER THINGS THAT OCCUR, THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY STEP UP, WHATEVER THE NEED MAY BE. 
          SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO THEM. 
          UM, TALKING ABOUT MR. LANGLEY AND THE SOLDIERS, WE'VE, WE HAVE A CMC MEETING COMING UP TO BE A MILITARY COUNCIL THIS COMING THURSDAY. 
          UH, OUR HOST, UH, TEAM IS GONNA BE IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS. 
          WE'LL BE AT THE TRACTOR MUSEUM. 
          UM, BUT IT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MEET THE NEW GENERAL. 
          UM, DR. 
          UM, GENERAL SIM HAS GONE OUT, AND I DO NOT KNOW THE NEW GENERAL DONAHUE, DONAHUE GENERAL, DON GENERAL DONAHUE, UM, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT SOLDIERS COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELPING IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. 
          UM, AND I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST, THAT THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, WHATEVER THE, THE NEED MAY BE, UM, FOR LEE, EXCUSE ME, FOR GREG ADAMS IS IN A POSITION THAT THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION AND MOVING THAT FORWARD. 
          UM, THAT'S COMING THURSDAY. 
          AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE OF DEN WITTY. 
          WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIGHT ONE OF DAN LEE, DAN, IF YOU'RE WATCHING, YOU KNOW, THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MIND. 
          UM, SO THE EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED, UH, GOES BACK TO WHERE OUR FAITH IS. 
          AND, UH, GOD'S LOVE IS BEING SHOWN THROUGH THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT ARE TRYING TO HELP OTHERS. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT OUR OVERALL CALLING IS, IS TO BE. 
          UM, I WILL TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE BUDGET. 
          UM, I WILL SAY THIS YEAR AND MY, MY SITE WILL PROBABLY BE THE TOUGHEST BUDGET THAT THOSE OF US THAT CAME ON 12 YEARS AGO WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH. 
          UM, WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE ARE, IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY HARD TO HOLD THE LINE WHEN IT COMES TO REVENUE. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT, UH, SOME OTHER FORMS OF REVENUE, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          UM, WE DO HAVE SOME VERY GOOD PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA AFFECT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SO WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BRIDGE BETWEEN THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR, UM, WHEN WE HAVE REASSESSMENT AND NEW BUSINESSES WILL BE COMING ON BOARD. 
          UM, SO IT WILL BE A DIFFICULT, UM, BUDGET YEAR, THANK YOU TO STAFF. 
          UH, I KNOW OF THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, EVERYBODY HAS COME BEFORE YOU WITH THEIR REQUEST AND IT CAN BE OVER OVERWHELMING. 
          I KNOW THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'LL BE GETTING THOSE INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS FROM EVERY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR. 
          MM-HMM. 
          UM, TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES. 
          AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO, TO PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UM, YOU DON'T NEED A FIRE TRUCK TILL YOU NEED ONE. 
          YOU DON'T NEED AN AMBULANCE TILL YOU NEED ONE, BUT YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO DRIVE THE FIRETRUCK AND YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO, TO DRIVE THE AMBULANCE AND TO, TO DO THE HEALTH RELATED ISSUES THAT ARE RELATED TO BOTH OF THOSE. 
          SO, UH, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT. 
          SO WE'VE JUST GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW WE, HOW WE CAN FUND IT GOING FORWARD. 
          UM, SO, BUT THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR YOUR HARD WORK, MR. JACKIE. 
          THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR. 
          YEAH, MR. YEAH. 
          AND, UM, UH, FIRST YEAH, TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AS WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH. 
          IT'S GONNA BE, I THINK OUT OF THE, UM, 12 YEARS WE'VE BEEN HERE GOING ON 13. 
          I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, IT IS GONNA BE PRETTY TOUGH FOR US, BUT WE ARE GONNA JUST, JUST TRY TO HANG IN THERE AND TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE DONE. 
          AND, AND I JUST WANNA TELL THE, UM, STAFF THAT, UH, I KNOW IT'S HARD. 
          SO WE, AND WE ARE GONNA SIT DOWN NEXT WEEK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND, AND THEN WE WE'RE GONNA ALWAYS, AS WE ALWAYS DO, WE'RE GONNA PRAY ABOUT IT AND SEE WHAT, WHAT ELSE WE NEED TO DO TO GET THROUGH THIS. 
          UM, COUPLE THINGS. 
          I, UM, LAST SATURDAY I WENT TO EAST SIDE FOR THE TWO GEN PROGRAM, TWO GEN PROGRAM. 
          AND, UH, I WAS GOING HOME. 
          THEY SAID, OH NO, YOU NEED TO COME. 
          SO I SAID, ALRIGHT, I'LL 
          [01:30:01]
GO AND REPRESENT EVERYBODY . 
          SO AT THE TWO GEN PRO, UH, TWO, UM, TWO GEN PROGRAM, UH, FORT GREG ADAMS, THEY CATERED, THE SOLDIERS WERE THERE, SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. 
          AND THEY HAD A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM AND, AND, UM, THEY SEEM TO, UH, ENJOY. 
          UM, SO I DID DO THAT LAST SATURDAY. 
          I ALSO WENT TO, UM, THE INE AWARDS. 
          UM, THAT WAS, UM, IN JANUARY AS WELL. 
          AND THEY HAD A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE ON FIRE, EMTI, I MEAN, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE THERE. 
          AND IT, THEY RECEIVED AWARDS AND THEY HAVE GENERATIONAL PEOPLE THERE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AS WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, SOME OF THEIR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, UM, DECIDING TO GO INTO THE FIELD. 
          SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD AS WELL. 
          SO I, I, I GO EVERY YEAR. 
          AND, UM, THAT WAS REALLY, UH, GOOD. 
          AND, UH, AND WITH THE AWARDS AS WELL. 
          AND THEY ALSO, UH, RECEIVED SOME PEOPLE, I THINK, UM, THEY'RE GONNA WORK AT INE. 
          UM, THEY WERE IN THE CLASS, SO THEY WERE GONNA DO THAT AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, ALSO, OF COURSE, THIS IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH. 
          IT'S THE SHORTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR, BUT IT'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH . 
          AND WE, I WENT TO SEVERAL, UH, PROGRAMS. WE HAD A, UM, UH, COUPLE OF PROGRAMS AT OUR CHURCH. 
          AND I KNOW A LOT OF CHURCHES, UM, THEY HAD THEM. 
          AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I TALK TO PEOPLE, I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, 12 MONTHS IN A YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO BLACK HISTORY IN ONE MONTH. 
          I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KINDA STEER AWAY FROM. 
          AND IT'S SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. 
          AND SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, TO THE WORLD AS FAR AS, UM, BLACK HISTORY. 
          SO, UM, NOT ONLY JUST ONE MONTH, BUT IF YOU, EDUCATION IS GOOD, AND LEARNING IS ALWAYS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO AND FIND OUT ABOUT SOMEONE. 
          SO I, I FOUND OUT SOMETHING NEW THIS MONTH, SO I DECIDED, I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO DO SOMETHING, LEARN SOMETHING NEW, UM, EVERY MONTH. 
          'CAUSE HISTORY IS HISTORY. 
          YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH HISTORY, BUT YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT HISTORY. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO, UM, TRY TO DO. 
          AND THE OTHER THING, I'M ALWAYS WATCHING THE NEWS AND TRYING TO SEE WHAT I CAN SEE. 
          AND, UM, I SAW SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT AI, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND WHEN YOU THINK, UM, UM, THAT THINGS CAN'T GO ANY WORSE, THEY WERE SHOWING ON TV ABOUT, UM, HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR LAPTOP, BUT IT'S NOT FOR THE PUBLIC YET. 
          AND THEY CAN TYPE IN SOMETHING AND IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. 
          AND I THINK THE, UM, THE APP WAS SOMETHING SORA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT ANYWAY, AND THEN SOME, IT WOULD POP UP. 
          YOU CAN JUST SAY, I WON'T SEE PUPPIES RUNNING IN SNOW OR WHATEVER LIKE THAT. 
          AND IT POPS UP JUST LIKE THAT. 
          WHATEVER YOU SAY, IT POPS UP. 
          BUT IT'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT AND YOU CAN SEE IF IT'S WRONG OR NOT. 
          BUT WHAT KIND OF CON UH, CONCERNS ME ABOUT THAT IS MISINFORMATION WHEN PEOPLE, UM, DO THAT AND THEY SEE THAT AND THEY SAY, OH YEAH, THIS IS THE INFORMATION I NEED TO SEE. 
          SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF CONCERNING TO ME, BUT THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT A LOT MORE NOW. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, UM, LASTLY, UM, UH, MENTAL HEALTH, YOU KNOW, THAT I TELL YOU THAT HAS BEEN IN, IN THE NEWS AND THEY SHOWED PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, DOING, UM, AWFUL THINGS, KILLINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THEY ACQUIRED A WEAPON AND THEY WERE NOT LEGALLY, UM, SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT. 
          AND, UM, SUICIDE, ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE LAST WEEK THAT I SAW. 
          AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY, WE REALLY HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF MENTAL HEALTH. 
          WE REALLY DO BECAUSE, UM, IT'S GETTING WORSE NOW. 
          UM, IT, IT AFFECT, IT'S AFFECTING A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD A, UM, A FRIEND OF MINE, HER SON, UNFORTUNATELY, 22 YEARS OLD, UM, WAS UP, YOU KNOW, HE WAS STILL GRIEVING FROM HIS, UH, FATHER AND HE WAS GOING ALONG HIS DAILY LIFE, BUT IT WAS MORE, IT WAS, IT WAS BAD FOR HIM. 
          HE WAS NOT ABLE TO GET PAST THIS AND HE ENDED UP, UH, COMMITTING SUICIDE. 
          SO, AND, AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH AND EVERYBODY CAN'T, EVERYBODY DEALS WITH THINGS DIFFERENTLY. 
          SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IF WE SEE SOMEBODY OR IF WE THINK WE CAN HELP SOMEONE, PLEASE TRY TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UM, IT, IT'S GETTING WORSE. 
          IT'S GETTING WORSE. 
          AND, UM, UM, IF WE WORK TOGETHER AND TRY TO 
          [01:35:01]
HELP PEOPLE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO DO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOT GOING AWAY. 
          SO WE NEED TO TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE HAVE A FEW COMMENTS. 
          UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT DAN IS, UH, DOING A WHOLE LOT BETTER. 
          UH, HE DID ATTEND BEFORE, UH, THE, OUR LITTLE LIGHT, THE COMMUNITY EVENT THIS TIME. 
          HE, HE DID GO OUT AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WHOLE CROWD. 
          SO HE WENT WITH HIS, HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE THERE AND SPENT SOME TIME BEFORE WE GOT THERE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BUT THIS EVENT, THIS TIME, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THEY'VE HAD THIS EVENT, AND THIS IS THE LARGEST MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT WAS A REALLY, UH, GOOD INFORMATION. 
          WHEN THEY SAID THAT THE OTHER NIGHT TO ATTEND THAT WAS JUST OUT OF THIS WORLD, A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY WAS FOUNDED ON THE PREMISES OF IGNITING AND UNITING OUR COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES IDENTIFIED, BEING FACED WITH SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM MEDICAL NEEDS, WHICH DAN IS IN THAT DAN DAN'S BEEN OUT OF COMMISSION FOR A LONG TIME. 
          I THINK HE STAYED IN THE HOSPITAL 81 DAYS. 
          YEAH. 
          A LONG TIME. 
          YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO GO OVER AND SEE HIM AND TO SEE WHERE HE'S AT NOW REALLY TOUCHES ME, UH, TOUCHES MY HEART. 
          MM-HMM. 
          AND HE'S REALLY FIGHTING HARD MM-HMM. 
          TO GET BACK, UH, WITH US. 
          SO, UH, MR. MASSENGALE, UH, MENTIONED THE YEARS OF SERVICE AWARDS GIVEN THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          I HAD TO SIT DOWN AND  KA HAD SIGN ALL THOSE ORDER AND, AND MAKE SURE MY PENS DIDN'T RUN OUT, BUT TO SEE HOW LONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN THE COUNTY WORKING. 
          YEAH. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IT'S AMAZING. 
          I, SOME OF 'EM, WHAT IS THE LONGEST 40, 43, I THINK WAS, I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A LONG TIME. 
          THAT'S A LONG TIME. 
          UH, TO BE, WELL, THEY, IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO WORK. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, AND BUT TO SEE THAT, I WAS LIKE, WHEN THEY SHOWED ME WHAT I HAD TO SIGN, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS. 
          UH, SO WE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST BLESSED TO HAVE A DEDICATED WORKFORCE. 
          SO, UH, THANKS EVERYONE THAT, THAT DID THAT. 
          UH, THE, I'VE NEVER MADE THE TY T EXPO, BUT I WANT TO DO THAT. 
          SO, OOH. 
          I HOPE SO. 
          IT'S JUST PUTTING, YOU KNOW, PUTTING FORTH THE TIME. 
          I'VE ALWAYS HAD A 11-YEAR-OLD WITH ME EVERY WEEKEND, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAD ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT NOW HE IS OUTGROWN PAPA AND NANA. 
          OH, BRING CHRISTIAN. 
          SO MAYBE I CAN BRING HIM NOW. 
          HE'S 11 YEARS OLD. 
          HE'S IN THE BASKETBALL CAMP AND SEES HIM A LOT OF TIME. 
          I DO. 
          YEP. 
          TRYING TO PRACTICE TONIGHT. 
          TRYING TO PRACTICE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          HE GETS A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE AND WHEN HE SCORES ONE POINT , BUT HE'S GOOD. 
          , UH, DID, WE DID RECEIVE, UH, AN AWARD THE OTHER NIGHT. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO SOME FIREMEN THAT, UM, ABOUT THEIR WORKFORCE AND HOW THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME THING WE DEALING WITH. 
          AND I THINK IT WAS CHARLES CITY. 
          THEY HAVE WHAT, THREE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FULL, TWO FULL-TIME, TWO FULL-TIME. 
          AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ONE IS VOLUNTEERS. 
          SO IT WAS GOOD TO BE ABLE JUST TO COMMUNICATE AND THEY HAD TO SET UP AND SHE WAS EXCITED THE OTHER NIGHT HAVING TO SET UP EXTRA CHAIRS FOR EVERYBODY COMING IN. 
          IT WAS A GREAT, THAT'S GOOD. 
          UH, EVEN THOUGH I LEFT THERE AND GOT ON LONG DIRECTIONS. 
          OH, I NEED TO TELL THAT ON YOURSELF NOW. 
          NO, YOU BE DRIVING. 
          BUT THE, THE POLICE OFFICER, THE POLICE OFFICER SAW THIS AND SHE FELT SORRY FOR ME. 
          SO SHE SAID, SIR, JUST MAKE A TURN BACK THAT WAY. 
          WELL, YOU WEREN'T GOING BUT ONE WAY I DID. 
          WRONG WAY TOO. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UH, WE WELCOME YOU BACK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS. 
          AND SO, RIGHT 
          [12. CLOSED SESSION]
NOW WE NEED TO GO INTO CLOSE. 
          THE BOARD WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED SESSION UNDER 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A ONE. 
          PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS, APPOMATTOX RIVER WATER AUTHORITY, SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER AUTHORITY, CRATER PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION, CRATER DISTRICT AREA AGENCY ON AGING CRATER YOUTH CARE COMMISSION, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, PETERSBURG AREA REGIONAL TOURISM, PART 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A FIVE. 
          BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION CONCERNING PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY, OR THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY WHERE NO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. 
          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS UPDATE 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A THREE, DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD ROLE PROPERTY WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY. 
          ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 
          [01:40:01]
A EIGHT. 
          CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL. 
          LEGAL ADVICE CONCERNING REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION AND BROADBAND. 
          AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A 29, DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPONENTIAL OF PUBLIC FUNDS, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS OF BIDDERS OR OFFERS AND DISCUSSION OF THE TERMS OR SCOPE OF SUCH CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY BROADBAND CONTRACTS. 
          MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO GO? AND CLOSE PLEASE. 
          SO MOVED. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          WE WILL BE BACK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          WE HAVE A NEED TO CERTIFY. 
          WE NEED A MOTION TO COME OUT CLOSED. 
          SO, SO MOVE. 
          SECOND. 
          ROLL. 
          CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          WHERE THIS BOARD CONVENED IN A O IN A CLOSED MEETING UNDER 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A ONE. 
          PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS, APPOMATTOX RIVER WATER AUTHORITY, SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER AUTHORITY CRATER PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION CRATER DISTRICT AREA AGENCY ON AGING CRATER YOUTH CARE COMMISSION, BOARD OF ZONING, APPEALS DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND PETERSBURG AREA REGIONAL TOURISM, PART 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 180 5. 
          BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION CONCERNING PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY OR THE EXPANSION OF EXISTING BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY WHEN NO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. 
          ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS UPDATE 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 180 3. 
          DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY. 
          ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 8 8. 
          CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED A RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL. 
          LEGAL ADVICE CONCERNING REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION BROADBAND AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A 29 DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPONENTIAL PUBLIC FUNDS, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS OF BIDDERS OR OFFERS AND DISCUSSION OF THE TERMS OR SCOPE OF SUCH CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY BROADBAND CONTRACTS. 
          AND WHEREAS NO MEMBER HAS MADE A STATEMENT THAT THERE WAS A DEPARTURE FROM THE LAWFUL PURPOSE OF SUCH CLOSED MEETING OR OF THE MATTERS IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION DISCUSSED NOW BE IT CERTIFIED, THAT ONLY THOSE MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED IN THE MEETING. 
          I NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT PLEASE. 
          SO MOVE. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA, BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          WILL WE BE BACK IN SESSION AT SEVEN O'CLOCK TONIGHT? WE HAVE 
          [13.A. Hometown Heroes]
SOME, UH, SPECIAL PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT. 
          YOU CAN TELL WHEN YOU'RE LOVED . 
          LOOK AT ALL THESE FOLKS. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE SOME HEROES IN HERE TONIGHT, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT TIME. 
          I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. CAMERON WHEAT AND THE BOARD IF YOU COME DOWNSTAIRS. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO MY NAME IS KEVIN MASSENGILL. 
          I'M THE, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HERE IN DENWOOD COUNTY. 
          AND THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, THE BEST NIGHTS OF THE YEAR FOR US. 
          'CAUSE WE, WE GET TO RECOGNIZE, UH, TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WE THINK HAVE, HAVE DONE SOME TREMENDOUS WORK IN THEIR LIVES. 
          UM, AND IT'S NOT OVER YET. 
          STILL, STILL MORE WORK, STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE. 
          SO LEMME GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKDROP. 
          WE, WHEN THIS BOARD CAME INTO OFFICE IN 2012, UM, BRENDA, EVEN BONNER, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO START A PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT HAD HAD REALLY GONE THE EXTRA MILE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE MONTH OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH. 
          AND SO WE, WE REFER TO THESE INDIVIDUALS 
          [01:45:01]
AS HOMETOWN HEROES. 
          AND WE WERE, WE WERE DOING AN INTERVIEW, I WAS DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH, THIS IS THE ONLY CLAIM TO FAME I HAVE, RIGHT? . 
          SO I, I WAS DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PROGRESS INDEX AND THE PROGRESS INDEX REPORTER SAID, KEVIN, DO Y'ALL DO ANYTHING IN RECOGNITION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH? AND I SAID, WE DO. 
          AND WE WERE TALKING SPECIFICALLY, HE SAID, WELL, A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE HEROES FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, EVEN A STATE PERSPECTIVE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I'M, AND NOT ALWAYS QUICK WITTED, BUT I SAID, WELL, IN DENWOODY WE RECOGNIZE OUR HOMETOWN HEROES. 
          WELL, I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT I HAD SAID, I GUESS UNTIL IT CAME ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PROGRESS INDEX  AND IT SAID, DIM WOODY'S HOMETOWN HEROES. 
          AND WE SAID, WELL, WE'RE NEVER GONNA CHANGE THAT, RIGHT? IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THE HOMETOWN HEROES. 
          AND SO AGAIN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS AND I'M, WE'RE VERY BLESSED AND FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE SOME FORMER RECIPIENTS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, PREVIOUSLY HOMETOWN HEROES HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED. 
          I'M NOT GONNA POINT AT YOU, BUT IF YOU COULD STAND UP BEFORE WE RECOGNIZE THE NEW INDIVIDUALS, IF YOU'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THE PAST AND WE THANK Y'ALL FOR WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE AND, AND BEING RECOGNIZED PREVIOUSLY IN, IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO NOW. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING TODAY AND, AND BOTH ARE VERY SPECIAL, NOT ONLY TO THE BOARD, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE. 
          BUT BARBARA G GRAM IS HERE WITH US. 
          AND SO IT'S ALWAYS LADIES FIRST AND ALSO CHARLIE J TAYLOR IS HERE WITH US TODAY. 
          AND BEFORE WE, WE GO THROUGH THE OFFICIAL RECOGNITIONS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS TO FIRST, UH, HAVE OUR CLERK, KAISHA BROWN READ INTO THE RECORD THE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH THAT, LEMME JUST SAY THIS FIRST. 
          I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS AT THE BEGINNING. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          MARIE GRANT, IF MARIE WOULD STAND UP, MARIE. 
          SO LOOK, MARIE DOES A LOT FOR THE COUNTY. 
          NOT ONLY DOES SHE AS FAR AS OUR GRANT WRITER, UH, ALSO OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION INDIVIDUAL, SHE DOES OUR CITIZENS ACADEMY. 
          BUT, AND NOT THAT SHE HAS A FAVORITE, BUT I KNOW THAT SHE SAYS ONE OF THE MOST FAVORITE THINGS SHE DOES IN THE YEAR IS BEING ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND ALMOST BE THE HISTORIAN OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE DONE SO MUCH. 
          AND TO, TO PUT THAT INTO THE, SO SHE, SHE WROTE, UH, WHAT MS. BROWN'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. 
          BUT MARIE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT, WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          AND KAMI SAID THIS TIME, IF YOU COULD READ THE BIOGRAPHICAL SCRATCH SKETCH FOR MS. PEGRAM. 
          BARBARA GREEN WAS BORN AUGUST 25TH, 1948 IN DENWOODY COUNTY TO HOOVER AND SARAH GREEN. 
          SHE WAS THE SECOND OF SIX SIBLINGS AND WAS ALSO THE PLUS DAUGHTER OF HER AUNT GREEN WILLIAMS. BARBARA IS A PRODUCT OF DENWOODY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          HER EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION WAS LAID AT THE TWO ROOM EVANS SCHOOL IN CHURCH ROAD, VIRGINIA, AND SHE WENT ON TO SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL TO JOIN THE CLASS OF 1967. 
          BARBARA GREEN MARRIED HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, EDWARD PEGRAM. 
          LATER THIS YEAR, MR. AND MRS. PEGRAM WILL CELEBRATE 58 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. 
          THE TWO MADE THEIR HOME IN DEWITTE COUNTY AND RAISED THREE BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, PAMELA, ADRIA AND SHONDA. 
          THEIR DAUGHTERS YIELDED TWO SONS-IN-LAW, FIVE GRANDCHILDREN, TWO GRANDSONS IN-LAW, AND TWO GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. 
          SHE ALSO HAS A GODSON. 
          BRIAN GREEN CHILDREN ARE HER PASSION. 
          MRS. PEGRAM WORKED FOR 39 YEARS IN 11 MONTHS AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION PARAPROFESSIONAL FOR DEM WITTY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          DURING THAT TIME, SHE WAS ALSO A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER. 
          EVEN AFTER RETIREMENT FROM THE CLASSROOM, BARBARA PEGRAM CONTINUES TO TRANSPORT CHILDREN SAFELY TO AND FROM SCHOOL EACH DAY. 
          SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVES HER JOB AND CONSIDERS IT THERAPY MORE THAN WORK. 
          WHILE WORKING AS A PARAPROFESSIONAL, MRS. PEGRAM HELPED TO PLAN AND ORGANIZE THE FIRST EVER GRADUATION SLASH CROSSING OVER CEREMONY FOR DIM WITTY MIDDLE SCHOOL AS A BUS DRIVER. 
          IN 2008, SHE ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN OF THE FIRST BUS ROUTES THAT USED A PROGRAMMED MANIFEST SCHEDULE. 
          SHE LOBBIED HARD TO HAVE THE COMPENSATION OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS INCREASED FROM $8 PER HOUR TO $15 PER HOUR. 
          AND IN 
          [01:50:01]
2018 WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF DIM WITTY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          20 PEOPLE TO WATCH. 
          BARBARA PEGRAM FORMALLY SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE JOLLY SUNSHINE SENIOR CITIZENS OF AMELIA COUNTY AND THE POPLAR GROVE CHAPTER OF THE EASTERN STAR. 
          IN 1990, SHE WAS NAMED WOMAN OF THE YEAR BY THE DENVER WITTY CHARTER CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN ASSOCIATION. 
          SHE IS CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF THE DIMITY CHAPTER OF THE NAACP, THE UNITED CHURCHES OF DENWITTY, UNITED CHURCHES CHOIR, DENWITTY COUNTY BUS DRIVERS ADVISORY BOARD, AND IS A NOTARY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. 
          MRS. PEGRAM VOLUNTEERS WITH THE DIMITY CHRISTMAS SHARING FOUNDATION. 
          DIMITY FOOD BANK SERVED AS A DIMITY COVID VOLUNTEER AND ALWAYS SEES TO THE NEEDS OF HER NEIGHBORS. 
          BARBARA PEGRAM IS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF MARMORA BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE SHE WAS BAPTIZED AT THE AGE OF 12. 
          SHE HAS SERVED AS CHURCH CLERK AND OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS. 
          IN 2001, SHE WAS ORDAINED AS A DEACON AND IS PRESENTLY CHAIRMAN OF THE DIACONATE BOARD. 
          MRS. PEGRAM IS A MEMBER OF THE MARMORA CHURCH CHOIR AND FOUNDER OF THE CHURCH'S WOMEN'S MIS MINISTRY. 
          DEACON PEGRAM ENJOYS WORKING FOR THE LORD AND BELIEVES THAT ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING RIGHT. 
          HER FAVORITE SCRIPTURE IS PHILIPPIANS FOUR 13. 
          I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME AND HER FREE TIME. 
          MRS. PEGRAM LOVES TO SHOP. 
          SHE RIDES TO SHOP, WALKS TO SHOP, FLIES TO SHOP AND SHOPS ONLINE. 
          SHE ENJOYS OUTINGS WITH HER DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN, EVENT PLANNING AND COOKING. 
          HER MOM'S FAMOUS OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING. 
          BUT DON'T ASK FOR THE RECIPE. 
          SHE IS NOT SHARING. 
          . 
          MRS. PEGRAM ABSOLUTELY LOVES CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND ADDS TO THE DISPLAY IN AND AROUND THEIR HOME EACH YEAR. 
          SHE ONCE TOLD HER HUSBAND, IF HE STANDS STILL LONG ENOUGH, SHE'LL PUT LIGHTS ON HIM. 
          , HER MOTTO IS IN LIFE, WE MUST KEEP MOVING. 
          AND SHE CERTAINLY DOES. 
          BARBARA GREEN PEGRAM HAS IMPACTED COUNTLESS LIVES THROUGHOUT HER CAREER AND LIFE. 
          WE APPRECIATE HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO DITTY COUNTY AND THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FAITH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE HER AS A 2024 HOMETOWN HERO. 
          AND MS. PEGRAM AT THIS TIME, COULD YOU COME FORWARD? SO I HAVE THE PLEASURE TO, TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH A FEW LETTERS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO YOU. 
          I'M NOT GONNA READ EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT I, I DO. 
          AND THEN ALSO RECOGNIZE YOU WITH OUR, OUR, UH, OUR PLAQUE KIT THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU. 
          BUT, UH, THIS YEAR I THINK WAS A, A RECORD WITH THE NUMBER OF LETTERS THAT WE RECEIVED. 
          SO WE'VE RECEIVED LETTERS RECOGNIZING YOU, UM, AS THE HOMETOWN HERO FOR DEWINE COUNTY BY US SENATOR MARK WARNER. 
          WE ALSO HAVE, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN JENNIFER L MCCLELLAN. 
          WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA DELEGATE TAYLOR, SENATOR AYD AND SENATOR JO JORDAN ALL PLAN TO BE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT TO PRESENT ACCOMMODATIONS. 
          UH, HOWEVER THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT THEY HAD, 'CAUSE THEY'RE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 
          WE HAVE COPIES OF WHAT THEY PROVIDED, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING THE ACTUAL OFFICIAL LETTERS AND WE'LL GET THOSE TO YOU AS WELL. 
          AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATION HERE ON BEHALF OF THE, THE DEWINE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, MS. PIGG, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE YOU. 
          WE TRIED TO UP OUR GAME A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, A CRYSTAL PLAQUE HERE. 
          AND SO THAT, THAT SAYS THE 2024 DENWOODY COUNTY HOMETOWN HEROES, BARBARA G PILGRIM, AND RECOGNITION OF CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FAITH, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, WHICH NO DOUBT BY ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM, YOU HAVE BEEN A STANDOUT IN ALL THESE CATEGORIES AND YOU HONOR US TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 HOMETOWN HEROES. 
          DO YOU HAVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? OKAY, YOU 
          [01:55:01]
GOT IT? OKAY, GOT IT. 
          NOW I DUNNO IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM. 
          YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM? OKAY. 
          WONDER TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE GREAT THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE? I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO SAY THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT FELT THOUGHT THAT I WAS WORTHY OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD, UH, TO THE MANY THAT HAVE GIVEN ME THE THANK YOUS AND JUST HAVE BEEN A BLESSING TO ME ALONG THE WAY. 
          AGAIN, I SAY THANK YOU TO THE, TO MY FRIEND HERE, SISTER GRANT, GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL THAT YOU DO AND THE WAY THAT YOU RECEIVE ME. 
          WHEN I CAME HERE, IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING AS WELL TO THE ONE THAT, UH, SENT MY NAME IN AND TO, UM, AS I CALL IT, DO A SHOUT OUT FOR ME. 
          I THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, WHAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, IN THAT FIELD AS WELL. 
          I GIVE HONOR TO MY HUSBAND WHO'S HERE, JUST BRINGING HIM HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL. 
          BUT AGAIN, GOD IS GOOD. 
          HE'S MERCIFUL. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          AND AS I SAID, HE CAN DO, GOD, I CAN DO ALL THINGS, BUT I CAN ONLY DO IT THROUGH GOD WHO STRENGTHENS ME. 
          SO I'M THANKFUL FOR HIM. 
          MY FAMILY, MY CHILDREN ARE HERE. 
          UH, ALL OF MY FAMILY'S HERE. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T MET MY GRANDCHILDREN, YOU'LL MEET 'EM MY GREAT GRANDS. 
          I'M SURE BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER, YOU'LL HEAR THEM. 
          , MY CLASS OF 1967, THEY'RE HERE. 
          THANK YOU ALL. 
          PLEASE STAND . 
          YOU ALL WANNA STRETCH YOUR LEGS AND STAND CLASSES. 
          ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA BACK UP. 
          MY THREE DAUGHTERS ARE HERE. 
          MY DAUGHTER TRAVELED FROM MARYLAND TODAY TO GET HERE IN TIME. 
          ENOUGH FOR THAT. 
          SO THIS IS THE YOUNGEST ONE, SHONDA, THE MIDDLE DAUGHTER, ARA, AND HER HUSBAND MICHAEL, AND THE OLDEST PAMELA, ALL THE GRANDS. 
          PLEASE STAND ALL MY GRAND. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THIS IS WHAT SUNDAY'S DINNER LOOKS LIKE, SO WE MAKE THAT. 
          BUT I AM HONORED UNTIL MY SUPERINTENDENT, I'M SO THANKFUL THAT YOU STAYED OVER TONIGHT TO BE WITH ME AND TO SHARE THIS OCCASION WITH ME. 
          I'M GRATEFUL. 
          AND TO THE OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT, UM, ARE HERE. 
          I JUST LOVE YOU ALL. 
          I WORK WITH YOU. 
          I KIND OF SAY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID ON MY END, AND YOU ALL SAY WHAT YOU NEED TO SAY. 
          AND WE JUST GET ALONG. 
          , MY CHURCH FAMILY'S HERE, UH, MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, THE GREATEST CHURCH ON THE SIDE OF, UM, COZY COVE OVER THERE. 
          THEY'RE HERE. 
          WE LOVE YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR JUST WAVE YOUR HAND MEMOIR. 
          THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. 
          REVEREND ANDERSON, HE'S A LEGEND. 
          GOD BLESS YOU. 
          I DO. 
          IF I COMMITTED ANYONE, I I, I CHARGE IT TO MY HEAD AND NOT MY HEART. 
          BUT I DO INTEND TO JUST CONTINUE TO DO ANY AND ALL THAT I CAN DO TO JUST TO BE A SERVANT, TO BE A LEADER, TO JUST HELP SOMEONE ALONG THE WAY. 
          UH, WE ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO JUST A LITTLE BIT EACH DAY, THEN WHEN OUR TIME IS UP HERE, WE CAN TRULY SAY THAT OUR LIVING IS NOT IN VAIN. 
          WE'VE DONE SOMETHING HERE. 
          WE JUST CAN'T SIT DOWN ON THE MANY THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THIS TIME AND IN THIS, UH, ERA THAT WE ARE IN. 
          BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THIS. 
          I'LL MOVE OVER SOMETHING AND THIS WILL DEFINITELY GETS THE HIGHLIGHT IN THE, IN THE HOUSE. 
          AND, UM, I'M JUST GRATEFUL. 
          SO THANK YOU ALL. 
          THANK YOU TO THE BOARD. 
          MY DOCTOR, EYE DOCTORS BACK HERE, , HE KEEPS ME, UM, 
          [02:00:01]
SUPPOSED TO BE CLEARED. 
          I TOLD HIM I HAD SOME FLUTTERS. 
          HE SAID THEY'LL GO AWAY AFTER A WHILE. 
          SO I STILL HAVE THOSE, BUT THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. 
          GOD BLESS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE. 
          NOW, THE SECOND, UH, HOMETOWN HERO AGAIN IS CHARLIE J TAYLOR. 
          AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MS. MS. BROWN, UH, ROUND OF APPLAUSE. 
          AND MS. BROWN, IF YOU COULD AT THIS TIME, UH, AGAIN, THE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH FOR MR. TAYLOR. 
          CHARLIE JACKSON. 
          TAYLOR WAS BORN ON JANUARY 4TH, 1945 TO HOBERT, SR. 
          AND MAY TAYLOR IN ROANOKE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 
          HE WAS THE YOUNGEST OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH THREE OLDER BROTHERS DECEASED AND ONE SISTER. 
          HE GRADUATED FROM CARVER HIGH SCHOOL IN SALEM, VIRGINIA. 
          IN 1963, HE ATTENDED VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE. 
          NOW VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND LATER RECEIVED HIS MASTER'S DEGREE IN ADMINISTRATION. 
          HIS ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEGREE REQUIRED A SEMESTER OF STUDENT TEACHING, AND HE WAS ASSIGNED TO SOUTH SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS HOUSED IN THE SCHOOL ADJACENT TO WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THEN SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          NOW HISTORIC SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          ON HIS VERY FIRST DAY OF STUDENT TEACHING, MR. TAYLOR MET A BEAUTIFUL NEW TEACHER THAT TAUGHT FRENCH AT SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AFTER 54 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, MRS. THEA TAYLOR FONDLY REMEMBERS THAT CHARLIE WOULD BE WAITING FOR HER IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER SCHOOL. 
           THE COUPLE WAS MARRIED IN 1970, AND THEY ARE THE PROUD PARENTS OF TWO BLESSED AND GREAT CHILDREN. 
          THEIR SON, JUAN RACHEL LIVES IN BOND, NORTH CAROLINA AND THEIR DAUGHTER, KEISHA JAMAL ATLANTA, GEORGIA. 
          THEIR GRANDDAUGHTER, BRIANNA TAYLOR, WILL RECEIVE HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BIOLOGY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL. 
          THIS COMING MAY, MR. TAYLOR SPENT HIS ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN THE DEWITTE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          HIS FIRST JOB WAS A TEACHER AT SUNNYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN MCKINNEY, VIRGINIA. 
          AFTERWARDS, HE BECAME AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT SOUTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND LATER WAS NAMED AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT DENWOODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          HE WAS THEN PROMOTED TO PRINCIPAL OF DENWOODY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND 2000. 
          MR. TAYLOR RETIRED AS DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR DENWOODY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          TEACHING WAS HIS PASSION, ESPECIALLY MATH. 
          AND SO IN 2004, HE RETURNED TO THE CLASSROOM TO TEACH MATH AT DENWOODY COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. 
          MR. TAYLOR RETIRED FOR GOOD IN 2008 AND HIS FREE TIME MR. TAYLOR ENJOYED BOWLING. 
          HE ONCE BOWLED A 298 GAME WITH 11 CONSECUTIVE STRIKES, GETTING ONLY EIGHT PINS ON HIS LAST ROLL. 
          , HE ALSO ENJOYS TRAVELING, AND HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE VISITED HAWAII, ITALY, FRANCE, LONDON, AND CANADA. 
          HIS MOST MEMORABLE ADVENTURE, HOWEVER, WAS A TRIP HE TOOK WITH HIS DAUGHTER TO SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE, WHERE THEY WENT ON SAFARIS AND EVEN RODE ELEPHANTS. 
          MR. TAYLOR EXCITEDLY SHARED THAT FOR THEIR NEXT TRIP, THEY WOULD LOVE TO GO TO THE CARIBBEAN. 
          CHARLIE TAYLOR IS EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN HIS CHURCH AND COMMUNITY AS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF MOUNT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN DEWITT, VIRGINIA. 
          HE HAS SERVED AS TREASURER AND PRESENTLY AS A TRUSTEE AND DEACON. 
          HE IS A MEMBER AND PAST TREASURER OF THE VIRGINIA BIRDIES GOLF CLUB. 
          SERVED 17 YEARS AS TREASURER OF THE UNITED CHURCHES OF DENWITTY COUNTY AND VICINITY WAS A MEMBER AND PAST PRESIDENT OF THE DENWITTY OPTIMIST CLUB, MEMBER OF THE DENWITTY RETIRED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, AND A MEMBER OF THE DENWITTY CHAPTER OF THE NAACP. 
          HE SERVED MANY YEARS AS PRESIDENT OF THE VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, DIM WITTY CHAPTER, AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING AN ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR DIM WITTY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS. 
          PLANNING TO ATTEND VSU. 
          MR. CHARLIE TAYLOR IS WELL KNOWN, WELL RESPECTED, AND WELL LOVED BY THE DIM WITTY COMMUNITY. 
          WE APPRECIATE HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO DIM WITTY COUNTY AND THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FAITH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND ARE HONORED TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS A 2024 HOME TOWN HERO. 
          [02:05:10]
SO, MR. TAYLOR, WE, WE HAVE, AGAIN, A, A PLAQUE THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU, BUT ALSO YOU RECEIVE LETTERS FROM SENATOR MARK WARNER. 
          WE ALSO HAVE CONGRESSWOMAN MCCLELLAN, UH, THE GOVERNOR AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. 
          UH, ALSO YOUR DELEGATE OF DELEGATE TAYLOR, WHO ALSO WAS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY, BUT SHE ALSO SENT, UM, A RECOGNITION AND WE'RE GONNA GET THAT, UM, WHEN IT ACTUALLY IS SENT TO US, WE'RE GONNA GET IT TO YOU ALL. 
          , YOU GOT A COPY OF HERE, WHAT IT'S GONNA SAY. 
          AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT THE ONE HERE FROM, FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          UM, AND BEFORE I GIVE THIS TO YOU, I, I'VE GOTTA MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT PERSONAL WITH YOU AND THE FACT THAT, SO, JUST, JUST FOR, AND I, I'VE TOLD THIS STORY IN THE PRESENCE OF, OF MR. TAYLOR BEFORE, UM, MANY TIMES. 
          BUT THIS, FOR ME, I TELL EVERYBODY, I'M ONE OF THE WEIRDEST COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS EVER, RIGHT? BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE THAT DO THIS JOB DON'T DO IT IN THE, IN THE COUNTY THEY GREW UP IN. 
          AND SO THAT, THAT MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT ODD. 
          BUT I, I MOVED TO DIY WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD, AND I WENT, WENT ALL THROUGH DIY SCHOOLS. 
          BUT WHEN I GOT TO DIY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MS. YATES CAN TELL YOU THIS BECAUSE I LATER HAD HER AS WELL. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY QUIET, SOMEWHAT SHY. 
          UM, AND THERE WAS A, A PROGRAM WHERE YOU COULD, OVER YOUR SUMMER, YOU COULD READ IT JUST LIKE THE BOOK IT PROGRAM, WHERE YOU, THE MORE YOU WOULD READ, YOU COULD BE, YOU COULD BE RECOGNIZED. 
          AND SO I HAD MY PLANS FOR THE SUMMER, AND MY MOM AND DAD HAD OTHER PLANS, BUT I, I ACTUALLY PICKED UP READING IN THE FIFTH GRADE. 
          AND ONCE I STARTED READING, I DIDN'T STOP. 
          I JUST KEPT READING. 
          AND SO HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT YOU GOT. 
          SO YOU GOT A PIZZA PARTY, BUT IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A PIZZA PARTY. 
          THE PRINCIPAL WOULD TAKE YOU TO PIZZA HUT ON CRATER ROAD, , WHICH WAS A BIG DEAL TO GO TO CRA ROAD FROM DEMI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          BUT I RODE WITH CHARLIE TAYLOR ALL THE WAY THERE. 
          AND YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT TRIP, 'CAUSE I STILL REMEMBER IT, THE, THE CARING, THE COMPASSION, UM, TALKING TO ME ABOUT WHAT I HAD DONE, AND I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW I'D EVEN DONE THAT MUCH, RIGHT? BUT WE GET TO, WE GET TO PIZZA HUT, WE GET THE PIZZA. 
          I THINK I TURNED MY BACK, BUT HE, YOU KNOW, THE RED PEPPER FLAKES, , YEAH. 
          SO MR. TAYLOR SAID, WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE PIZZA WITHOUT RED PEPPER FLAKES, . 
          SO HE, HE SAID, PUT, PUT SOME ON THERE. 
          SO I PUT SOME RED PEPPER FLAKE ON, AND THEN HE SAID, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. 
          YOU NEED TO PUT SOME MORE . 
          SO I I, I LOADED IT UP AND TO THIS DAY, I CAN'T EAT PIZZA  WITH, WITHOUT RED PEPPER FLAKES AND WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT CHARLIE TAYLOR. 
          AND, AND THE OTHER THING I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT YEAR, OUR YEARBOOK CAME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SPECIFIC NAME FOR THE YEARBOOK. 
          BUT THAT YEAR, BECAUSE MY CLASS WAS SO GOOD, SUCH A GOOD CLASS, IT WAS CALLED CHARLIE'S ANGELS . 
          BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THIS, THIS PLAQUE AGAIN. 
          UM, JUST LIKE WITH MS. GRAM, I WANNA READ IT TO YOU. 
          UH, BUT YOU BOTH HONOR US FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. 
          UH, 2024 DEWINE COUNTY HOMETOWN HERO, UH, CHARLIE J TAYLOR, IN RECOGNITION OF CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, FAITH, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. 
          SO YOU HONOR US FOR BEING, UH, A HOMETOWN HERO. 
          THANK YOU, PETE. 
          I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO ASK ME. 
          I'M GONNA SAY, NO . 
          UH, FIRST GIVE HONOR TO GOD, MY LORD AND SAVIOR. 
          JESUS IS CHRIST. 
          I AM INDEED HAPPY. 
          AND, UH, KEVIN HAS A GREAT MEMORY. 
          I DIDN'T REMEMBER ALL THOSE THINGS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT, UH, I AM INDEED HAPPY TO RECEIVE THIS HONOR. 
          AND I DO CALL AN, AN HONOR. 
          UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND MRS. GRANT AND HER COMMITTEE FOR THIS RECOGNITION. 
          I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, I THINK I KNOW WHO MAY HAVE PUT MY NAME IN THE HAT, BUT WHO EVER THAT PERSON 
          [02:10:01]
IS, THANK YOU. 
          AND THAT PERSON KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, , BUT I PROMISE THAT PERSON, I WOULDN'T CALL THAT PERSON'S NAME. 
          UM, DENVER COUNTY HAS AFFORDED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, BE WHERE I AM TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          BUT I DIDN'T GET HERE ALONE. 
          UH, MY WIFE AND, UH, KIDS, UH, GREAT KIDS AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER, UH, HAVE SUPPORTED ME ALL THIS TIME. 
          AND, UH, UM, SHE PUT IT IN THE, IN MY BIO, ABOUT ME BEING DOWN AT THE  PARKING LOT EVERY AFTERNOON WHEN SHE CAME OUT , THAT WAS TRUE. 
          , UH, I REMEMBER FONDLY, UH, SHE HAD A GREEN, UH, TOR TOR TORINA SLANT BACK AND BACK IN THE DAY, UM, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LET OUT EARLIER. 
          SO IT GAVE ME A CHANCE THAT WHEN THE HIGH SCHOOL GOT OUT, I WAS ALREADY DOWN ON HER CAR, UH, WAITING FOR HER. 
          AND SO, UH, HERE WE ARE 54 YEARS LATER, AND WE ARE STILL TOGETHER. 
          UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF MY FRIENDS, UH, MY NEIGHBORS AND MY COMMUNITY. 
          UH, AND WHEN, UH, MS. P WAS MENTIONED, THE GREATEST CHURCH, I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, MAN, . 
          UM, BUT, UH, SHE, SHE CLEARED IT UP. 
          BUT THE GREATEST CHURCH IS MOUNT CARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN DWAY, VIRGINIA, . 
          AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY PASTOR, DR. 
          BRANDON. 
          I SAW HIM HERE EARLIER. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          AND ALL OF MY CHURCH MEMBERS AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS ENEMIES, IF I SHOULD HAVE ANY, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LOVE EVERYBODY. 
          AND I, AND I CAN'T SAY THAT I HATE REALLY ANYBODY. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S THE HONEST TRUTH. 
          AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, UH, MY STUDENTS. 
          AND AS, UH, AS WAS READ IN THE, UH, BIO, UH, I'VE HAD JOBS OF TEACHING, ADMINISTRATION, UH, SUPERVISION AND, UH, SOME OTHER JOBS. 
          BUT MY GREATEST JOB WAS TEACHING. 
          I LOVED IT. 
          AND I SEE, UH, SOME OF MY STUDENTS HERE TONIGHT, Y'ALL, PLEASE STAND IF YOU HEAR SOME OF MY STUDENTS, SOME OF 'EM WAVING BACK THERE. 
          HEY. 
          UM, YEAH, YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THAT HAS BEEN MY PASSION AS TEACHING. 
          AND, UM, UH, IF DURING THIS LIFE THAT I'VE HELPED SOMEBODY ALONG THE WAY, THEN MY LIFE HAS NOT BEEN IN VAIN. 
          AND SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I, I LOVE ALL OF YOU ALL. 
          GOD BLESS YOU, AND THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN. 
          KEVIN WAS A GOOD GUY IN, IN SCHOOL,  MOST OF THE TIME. 
          UH, I HAVE A LITTLE JOKE MY WIFE TOLD ME NOT TO DO, BUT I'M GONNA TELL Y'ALL ANYWAY, , SHE'LL GET ME ON THE WAY HOME. 
          UM, BEING THAT THIS WORLD IS LIKE, IT IS, SOMETIMES YOU NEED A GOOD LAUGH. 
          AND SO I WAS TALKING TO MY SISTER-IN-LAW, MY WIFE'S SISTER, AND, UH, HERE'S A JOKE. 
          NOW Y'ALL PLEASE LAUGH BECAUSE USUALLY WHEN SOMEBODY TELL ME A JOKE, THEY'LL, WHEN I FINISH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ME LIKE, ANN, YOU KNOW, BUT HERE'S THE JOKE, , UM, A HUNTER WAS OUT IN THE WOODS WALKING AROUND AND, UM, HE SAW THIS BEAR COMING TOWARD HIM. 
          SO HE STARTED TO PRAY. 
          HE SAID, LORD, PLEASE TURN THIS BAND TO A CHRISTIAN SO THAT HE WON'T KILL ME. 
          AND SO THE BAND SAW IT, AND SO THE BAND STOPPED AND THE BAND SAID, LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS MEAL. 
          I'M ABOUT TO RECEIVE THANK YOU'ALL. 
          SEE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FEW MINUTE BREAK, BUT WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS, UH, GET SOME PICTURES. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, UH, START OFF WITH, WELL, WHATEVER MARIE TELLS US, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TELL, PROBABLY DO MS. GRAM FIRST AND THEN GO TO, TO MR. TAYLOR. 
          BUT LET, LEMME TELL YOU THIS, UM, UPFRONT, UM, ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR, FOR SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS NOW. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE RECOGNIZED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE DURING, DURING THAT, THAT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          BUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT COMES BEFORE US, THERE'S A COUPLE COMMON THINGS ABOUT EACH ONE. 
          UM, IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM. 
          YOU KNOW, E EVERYONE THAT WE GET TO THIS POSITION, THIS IS REALLY LIKE ONE OF THE HIGHEST HONORS WE GIVE, UH, IN A YEAR. 
          EVERY PERSON THAT HAS STEPPED FORTH TO, TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION, IT'S NEVER BEEN ABOUT THEM. 
          [02:15:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT, AND I SAY THIS TO STAFF, OUR COUNTY STAFF, A LOT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN LIFE, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING SUCCESSFUL AND BEING SIGNIFICANT. 
          AND SUCCESSES IS REALLY ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE SEEN, THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THEIR PARTICULAR LIVES, WHAT THEY CHOSE TO DO. 
          UM, AND THEN ALL OF US WANT TO GET TO A POINT IN OUR LIFE, DID IT MATTER? RIGHT? DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? UM, WHICH COMES INTO NOT SUCCESS, BUT SIGNIFICANCE. 
          AND THE SIGNIFICANCE PIECE IS, IS REALLY NOT ABOUT YOU, IT'S ABOUT OTHERS, RIGHT? AND SO I, AGAIN, I JUST, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU BEFORE WE START TAKING PICTURES FOR THE SIGNIFICANT LIFE THAT, THAT EACH ONE OF YOU HAVE HAD AND WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO. 
          SHE'S WITH ME. 
          THAT'S OKAY, . 
          THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          I WAS GETTING READY TO PRAY FOR, TO TURN INTO A CHRISTIAN, BUT THAT'S OKAY. 
          I, ALL RIGHT. 
          SO AT THIS TIME, ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BOTH MS. PIGRAM, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD AND GET A PICTURE WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THEN, UM, WITH ANY OF THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          OKAY? WE'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER. 
          WHAT IS WE, DO YOU HAVE? OKAY, SO, MR. 
          [14.A. Appointments]
CHAIRMAN, THE NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA IS OLD NEW BUSINESS. 
          AND WE HAVE A, A FEW APPOINTMENTS TO MAKE TONIGHT. 
          SO THE FIRST APPOINTMENT WE HAVE IS TO THE APPOMATTOX RIVER WATER AUTHORITY AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER AUTHORITY. 
          MR. CHAIR, WE HAVE, UH, TWO APPOINTMENTS TONIGHT. 
          THE FIRST ONE WILL BE FOR KEVIN MADISON GILL, UH, TO SERVE A FOUR YEAR TERM TO EXPIRE. 
          1 31 20 28. 
          AND SECOND, SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THE SECOND ONE WILL BE FOR EDWARD PEARSON, THE THIRD WHO WILL SERVE AS THE ALTERNATE FOR FOUR YEAR TERM TO EXPIRE. 
          1 31 20 28. 
          SECOND. 
          SECOND, SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          CAN MR. CHAIRMAN NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO THE CRATER PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION? UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOTION THAT, UH, WE APPOINT SAMUEL W. HAYES TO THIS POSITION FOR A TERM OF FOUR YEARS EXPIRING ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 2028. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS AYE. 
          ALL VOTING AYE CAN NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO THE CRATER AREA AGENCY ON AGING? UH, I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR MS. EILEEN DRAKE FOR A TERM FOR FOUR YEARS FROM TWO TWENTY TWENTY EIGHT. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          MS. CHAIRMAN, LAST APPOINTMENT TONIGHT IS FOR THE, UH, CRATER YOUTH CARE COMMISSION AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPOINT CHARLES E LUCY THE THIRD TO THAT POSITION, A TERM THAT IS FOUR YEARS ENDING ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 2028. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S ALL THE APPOINTMENTS FOR TONIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND CITIZENS' COMMENT, 
          [15. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
PERIOD. 
          UH, IS EVERYONE SIGNED UP? YES. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, FIRST UP WE HAVE ANGELA. 
          I CANNOT READ THE LAST NAME. 
          MY APOLOGIES. 
          ORAL OR, SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          OH, SHIFTING GEARS. 
          . 
          . 
          WHAT A NICE NIGHT TO BE HERE. 
          ANGELA OREL. 
          1 6 5 6 3 CAN TREE ROAD. 
          MCKENNEY. 
          I WANNA JUST TALK TONIGHT, UM, ON MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CURRENT OR PRESENT STATE OF SOLAR ENERGY TODAY. 
          THE SOLAR INDUSTRY IS IMMATURE AND FLUID REGARDING CAPACITY UTILIZATION. 
          ITS VARIABLE. 
          ENERGY IS NOT OPERATIONAL. 
          73% OF THE TIME, TOO MUCH VARIABLE RESOURCE AND NOT ENOUGH BASE ENERGY CAN BE DISASTROUS. 
          THE ADDITION OF IT, UH, BY ITSELF IS NOT A BAD THING, BUT IT ONLY OPERATES 26% OF THE TIME OR 6.4 HOURS A DAY. 
          WINTER SOLAR FROM FIVE TO 5:00 PM TO 9:00 AM PROVIDES NOTHING. 
          AND TWO THIRDS OF PEAK ENERGY USAGE IS AFTER 5:00 PM THE GOAL FOR OUR COUNTRY IS 14 IPRS OR INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANTS FOR THE 
          [02:20:01]
MAJORITY, OR MAJOR, EXCUSE ME, UTILITIES. 
          FOR STATES THAT COVER 35% OF THE US POPULATION FOR THE 15 YEAR PLAN, THE AVERAGE UTILITY IS REDUCING, ITS ON DEMAND POWER OVER A 15 YEAR PERIOD BY 31%. 
          AND THIS INCLUDES DOMINION. 
          VIRGINIA DOMINION ENERGY MUST HAVE 16,100 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR FACILITIES TIED INTO ITS GRID BY 2035. 
          DOMINION CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 1600 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR FACILITIES QUOTING THE RICHMOND TIMES DISPATCH DELEGATE RIP SULLIVAN D FAIRFAX IS PROPOSING HOUSE BILL 6 36. 
          IT WOULD LET THE STATE STEP IN TO APPROVED SITES FOR SOLAR FACILITIES IF LOCAL OFFICIALS DO NOT ACT IN A TIMELY WAY ON A REQUEST TO INSTALL THEM. 
          SULLIVAN'S BILL SETS TIMELINES FOR VARIOUS STEPS A LOCALITY WOULD TAKE IN CONSIDERING A LARGE SOLAR WIND OR BATTERY PROJECT. 
          IF THE LOCALITY CANNOT ACT IN A TIMELY MANNER, A BILL WOULD ALLOW THE STATE CORPORATION OR THE BILL WOULD ALLOW THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND DECIDE WHETHER TO APPROVE THE PROJECT. 
          THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES OPPOSES THIS BILL. 
          THE GROUP ARGUES THAT LOCAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF UTILITY SCALE SOLAR, WIND, AND BATTERY STORAGE PROJECTS IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THEY THEY FIT THE LOCALITIES LAND USE OBJECTIVES. 
          THE STATE SHOULD NOT USURP LOCAL AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT DECISION. 
          THE ASSOCIATION SAID SULLIVAN'S PROPOSING MEASURES, SAY DATA CENTERS. 
          MAJOR ENERGY USERS CANNOT GET A PROMISED SALES TAX BREAK UNLESS THEY CAN PROCURE ENERGY THAT DOES NOT CREATE CARBON EMISSIONS EQUAL TO 90% OF THEIR ELECTRICITY USAGE. 
          DOMINION SAYS THE ENERGY DEMAND FROM DATA CENTERS OR LARGE INDUSTRIAL PLANTS MEAN IT WILL NEED TO KEEP OPERATING GAS FIRED PLANTS. 
          UTILITY SCALE SOLAR FARMS COST FIVE TIMES WHAT A CONVENTIONAL CONTINUOUS ENERGY PRODUCING COMBINED CYCLE GAS FIRED POWER PLANT COST TO BUILD FIVE TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE PER KILOWATT HOUR, LET ALONE THE TREMENDOUS NATURAL RESOURCE FOOTPRINT BASED ON SOLAR, WIND, AND BATTERY STORAGE THAT OPERATE PART-TIME DISPLACING REDUCTION OF DISPATCHABLE ENERGY, DISPLACING BASELOAD CONTINUOUS DUTY COAL PLANS AND NUCLEAR PLANS WILL CAUSE INCREASING BROWNOUTS AND SHORTAGES IN THE FUTURE. 
          ALTHOUGH FINANCIALLY ATTRACTIVE INITIALLY, THE COST OF THE TRANSITION TO REDUCED ENERGY VALUE RESOURCE CAUSE FIVE TO 10 TIMES TO SIMPLY MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM, WE WILL PAY FOR THIS SHIFT WITH INCREASED ELECTRICAL BASE RATES. 
          IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE WILL HAVE INCONSISTENT ENERGY AT HIGHER RATES. 
          INTERESTINGLY, ALSO, I JUST WANT TO ADD, THE EU HAS ENACTED ELECTRONICS RECYCLING LEGISLATION TO INCLUDE SOLAR PANELS. 
          THE US HAS NOT. 
          WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE AND WHAT IS THE END LIFE INFRASTRUCTURE? AS AN ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO COMMIT TO GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CITIZENS PROVIDING CONSISTENT ENERGY THAT IS CLEAN, UTILIZING THE MOST ADVANCED AND SAFE TECHNOLOGIES. 
          WE MUST PREVENT EXPLOITATION OF OUR CITIZENS AND NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTING FUTURE GENERATIONS, INCLUDING PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF PRIME FARM AND TIMBERLAND. 
          WE MUST ALSO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAMILIES TO GROW AND SET UP RESIDENTS. 
          MA'AM, IT'S TIME TO ROUND IT UP. 
          YEP. 
          DESTROYING CARBON SEQUESTERING TREES THAT PRODUCE OXYGEN AND OUR PRIME FARMLAND FOR A 26% RETURN IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNETHICAL. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. 
          I WILL BE BACK TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AGAIN AND, UH, TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          I WAS NERVOUS DAN ROBBINS. 
          YOU DID A GOOD JOB. 
          WHAT A JOYOUS NIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          AMEN. 
          AMEN. 
          THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK, UH, THE BOARD. 
          MR. MASSELL, I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND AN INVITATION TO YOU ON THIS JOYOUS NIGHT. 
          KIND OF IN THE SAME VEIN. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA BE UNVEILING FIVE WAYSIDE EXHIBITS FOR THE BATTLE OF DENWOODY COURTHOUSE ON MARCH THE 23RD, WHICH IS A SATURDAY AT NINE 30. 
          AND YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED TO BE THERE. 
          UM, YOU WANNA START THAT BACK OVER? 'CAUSE I WAS, MY APOLOGIES. 
          . 
          UM, I'LL, I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. 
          NO, YOU'RE SERIOUSLY. 
          UM, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU UNLIMITED TIME. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          CUT ME OFF TOO. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR, FOR MONTHS AND THIS IS THE GENESIS OF THIS IS FROM THE SESQUA CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS A VICE CHAIR OF. 
          HAD A GREAT TIME. 
          UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF SCHOLARLY 
          [02:25:01]
WORK ON MAPPING AND NARRATIVES AND THE UNVEILING WILL BE AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY. 
          WE'RE GONNA DO 'EM IN AN ARRAY, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA KIND SCATTER 'EM, MOST OF 'EM WILL BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. 
          WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK WITH STAFF ABOUT MAYBE ONE AT THE COURTHOUSE AND THE ARRAY THAT'S THERE. 
          UM, ALSO ON THAT DAY AFTER THE UNVEILING AT NINE 30, WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM WASHINGTON AND RICHMOND. 
          A LOT, LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PRESERVATION WILL DO A RIBBON CUTTING AND THEN THERE'LL BE A HISTORY IN YOUR BACKYARD, UH, PANEL DISCUSSION AT EAST SIDE THAT STARTS ABOUT 10. 
          SO WHEN I MOVED HERE 47 YEARS AGO, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, WHERE WAS THE BATTLE DEITY COURTHOUSE FAULT? NOBODY KNEW. 
          GENERALLY IN THIS AREA, WE'VE GOT IT DOWN TO THE SCIENCE. 
          AND SO THESE MAPS WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU. 
          IT'S, IT GOES FROM HERE TO THE BUS GARAGE TO, UM, CHAMBERLAIN'S BED. 
          IT'S ALL MAPPED OUT. 
          AND, UM, THE HEROES ARE NOTED IN THIS. 
          UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA TRY TO STEP IT UP A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME ICONS OR SOME QR CODES THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO DOWNLOAD SOME AUDIO. 
          SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES, UH, AND SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED. 
          SO JUST AN INVITATION ON A JOYOUS NIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          I HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP. 
          ALL RIGHTY. 
          MOVE ON TO 
          [16. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS, MS. BOLER. 
          YEP. 
          WELL, I THINK IT'S, UH, HAD A, UM, GREAT EVENING AND WITH OUR HONOREES TONIGHT. 
          SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK THEY WERE PLEASED AND, UH, JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT, I THINK THEY WERE, THEY WERE PLEASED AS WELL, UH, TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR BOTH OF THEM. 
          AND, UM, IT'S GREAT FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, ALTHOUGH IT'S THE SHORTEST MONTH, IT'S GOOD  THAT WE CELEBRATE, UM, BLACK HISTORY. 
          AND AS I SAID EARLIER IN THE DAY, UM, IT'S NOT ONLY ONE MONTH. 
          I, I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT WE DO IT ALL THE TIME. 
          IT'S JUST NOT JUST IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT ONE MONTH. 
          IT'S 12 MONTHS IN A YEAR. 
          SO WE CAN ALWAYS LEARN MORE EACH TIME. 
          SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT NOT ONLY IN FEBRUARY, BUT EVERY MONTH TO COME. 
          AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR SUPPORTING MM-HMM . 
          SURE. 
          UM, WOW. 
          THAT, THAT IS REALLY WHAT COMES TO MIND. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THIS FROM THIS SIDE OF, OF THIS ROOM TONIGHT TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER AND JUST HOLD EACH OTHER UP. 
          UH, AS DR. MOORE AND I WERE TALKING AS FOLKS WERE MINGLING AND, AND JUST FELLOWSHIPPING THE COUNTLESS LIVES THAT THOSE TWO PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE TOUCHED IN THEIR TIME HERE, IS IT, IT IT CAN'T BE MEASURED. 
          UM, SO I, I AM OVERWHELMED, UM, JUST BY THE SUPPORT THAT I SAW TONIGHT. 
          I'M BLESSED BY IT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THIS AGAIN FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. 
          AT LEAST. 
           . 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          SO I JUST, JUST BLESSED. 
          YEP. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          ALONG THAT LINE, IF YOU LOOK AT 39, 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO DIMITY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM, THE COUNTLESS LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN TOUCHED, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IS THEIR FAITH IN GOD. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND IT SHOWS THROUGH THEM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THEIR LIGHT SHOWS EVERY DAY. 
          OH YEAH. 
          IN THE PEOPLE THAT THEY TOUCH. 
          AND I END WITH GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME. 
          ALL THE TIME. 
          AMEN. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          I ALWAYS ENJOY THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, UH, WHEN WE CHOSE, UH, I'VE BEEN ON A BOARD WHERE WE'VE PICKED A CUB TWO OR THREE AT ONE TIME. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BUT I, I DO ENJOY THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. 
          WELL, UH, IT'S COME THAT TIME OF THE EVENING THAT I NEED A MOTION FOR ADJOURN. 
          SO MOVED. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS AYE. 
          ALL VOTING AYE. 
          MEETING IS ADJOURNED. 
          GOOD NIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HAVE A GOOD ONE. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.