[00:00:07]
[1. ROLL CALL]
ROLL.WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN ME WITH IMPLICATION FOLLOWED BY THE IONS? I, FATHER, FATHER LORD IN HEAVEN.
HOWEVER, THY NAME OUR KINGDOM.
COME TH TH THAT WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US TO DAY OUR DAILY BREAD AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASSED AGAINST US.
AND LEAD US ON TO TEMPTATIONS WITH REST.
FOR THE TH THE KINGDOM FOR THE POWER.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
DO WE HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA? NO AMENDMENTS FROM STAFF.
WE NEED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, MR. CHAIRMAN.
[4. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA]
THE AGENDA.[5. CONSENT AGENDA]
THE CONSENT AGENDA SUMMARY AND CLAIMS HAD OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THOSE.SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA, BONNER.
[6.A. Virginia Department Of Transportation]
ON TO REPORTS.MR. AARON FRENCH, I DON'T THINK HE'S HERE TODAY.
DIANA, HE DON'T LOOK AS GOOD AS YOU.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MR. MASSENGILL, HOW ARE YOU? UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE KENNY HAWTHORN.
HE'S OUR, UM, SUPERINTENDENT FROM THE PRINCE GEORGE AREA HEADQUARTERS.
AND HE'S ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE MAINTENANCE MANAGER MENTORING PROGRAM.
SO, UM, HE'S TAGGED ALONG WITH ME TODAY TO SEE HOW OUR, UH, REPORTING GOES HERE AT THE BOARD MEETING.
WELCOME TO WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.
UM, I WANTED TO REMIND, UM, THE BOARDS THAT WHEN WE HAVE HEAVY RAINS, SUCH AS WE HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND WE CLOSE ROADS THAT ESPECIALLY HAVE BRIDGES OR PIPE STRUCTURES ON THEM.
EVEN THOUGH THE WATER RECEDES OFF OF THOSE ROADWAYS, THE ROADS WILL STILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL A, UM, INSPECTION IS DONE ON THAT STRUCTURE.
SO, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL FIND THAT THERE'S DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE FROM THE WATER.
AND THAT'S WHY WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CALL AND COMPLAIN THAT THE SIGNS ARE STILL UP IN THE WATER, HAS RECEDED.
AND THEN AS SOON AS THE STRUCTURES ARE INSPECTED AND CLEARED, THEN WE WILL REOPEN THOSE ROADS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, AND TO REMIND YOU ALL OF THAT.
SO IF YOU GET ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU CAN TELL THEM WHY THAT IS.
UM, SO THE WEATHER'S CAUSED US A FEW DELAYS AND GETTING OUR SHOULDER CLIPPING DONE ON ROUTE FOUR 60, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'RE WORKING ON SOME OF THOSE LOW SHOULDER AREAS AS WELL.
THE PIPE ON ROUTE SIX 60 HARDAWAYS MILL ROAD, THAT REPLACEMENT IS STILL ONGOING.
UM, THAT'S HAD A COUPLE SETBACKS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAINS.
UM, THE CONTRACTOR'S BACK FILLING THE PIPES RIGHT NOW AND WORKING ON RECONSTRUCTING THE ROADWAY AND ANTICIPATE REOPENING THAT ROAD PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO.
UM, THE MCKINNEY AREA HEADQUARTERS COMPLETED, UH, INSTALLATION OF A FAILED PIPE ON ROUTE 7 34 RAINY ROAD.
UM, THE BAIN ROAD PROJECT, UH, MEETING WAS HELD WITH THE UTILITY CONTRACTOR LAST WEEK, AND, UH, THEY ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN FALL OR WINTER AFTER THE RELOCATION OF THE UTILITY IS COMPLETE.
UM, AARON IS WORKING ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR THE THREE TRUCK RESTRICTIONS ON HALIFAX AND STERLING ROAD, AND HOPES TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE FOR THE JUNE AGENDA.
UM, THE MOWING UPDATE FOR CHURCH ROAD, UM, THAT AREA IS ABOUT 60% COMPLETE ON PRIMARY MOWING AND SECONDARY MOWING IS SCHEDULED TO START NEXT WEEK IN THE CHURCH ROAD AREA.
UH, THE MCKINNEY AREA, PRIMARY MOWING IS COMPLETE AND SECONDARY MOWING ACTUALLY STARTED YESTERDAY AND I'LL BE BACK
[00:05:01]
AT SEVEN O'CLOCK TO DO THE SIX YEAR PLAN PUBLIC HEARING.SO THAT IS ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT I HAD FOR YOU.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR US? I JUST WANT TO ASK ABOUT HALIFAX.
IS IT GONNA BE A SURPRISE ON WHAT HE HAS OR IS IT MOVING FORWARD ON THE RESTRICTIONS THAT I, I DON'T KNOW.
HE'S, HE'S BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN IT.
I WAS JUST PROVIDING YOU AN UPDATE.
I TELL YOU, I RIDE THAT ROAD AND IT IS TERRIBLE.
I MEAN, I, I ALMOST GET HIT EVERY TIME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
YOU GOTTA GET WAY OVER SO, AND STERLING TOO, SO.
ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST, UM, WANNA THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE MOS FOR THE OVERPASS BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, HIGH, UM, THE OTHER DAY, BUT THEN WHEN I WENT BACK IT WAS ALL CLEARED.
SO THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE GETTING READY TO EXIT ON 85, YOU KNOW, UH, COMING FROM NUMBER ONE IS KIND OF HIGH SO PEOPLE COULD, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T SEE.
THE CONTRACTORS PUT THAT ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE.
MR. HAWTHORNE, JUST MAKE SURE YOU GO BACK TO PRINCE GEORGE THAT YOU TOLD HIM HOW, HOW CIVIL IT WAS HERE IN DENBURY COUNTY.
[6.B. Dinwiddie Chamber Of Commerce]
DENBURY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.ACTUALLY, IT'S DEBORAH CARPENTER AND NOW JUNE ROBBINS.
I'M THE CURRENT ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE DUNWOOD CHAMBER.
SO IT'S JUNE P JUNE ROBBINS, AND, UM, SHE'S OUR TREASURER NOW.
AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE DEWEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
UM, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE FUNDS YOU PROVIDE HELP US TO HELP THE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA.
AND WE DO SPONSOR SEVERAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO IN 2023, THE, THE EVENTS WE HOSTED WAS THE GENTY CHRISTMAS PARADE, WHICH IS AT THE VIRGINIA MOTOR SPORT PARK THIS YEAR.
IT WAS AN INTERESTING EVENT, BUT IT HAD A PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT.
WE THOUGHT IT WENT PRETTY WELL.
I GOT TO BE ONE OF THE JUDGES AND IT WAS FUN SEEING IT COLD.
THERE WAS GOOD HOT CHOCOLATE
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS, UM, PRESENTATION.
WE DO THAT IN DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR.
AND WE DID THAT THIS PAST DECEMBER AT THE RIVERSIDE BONDS, UM, WHICH IS A NEWER VENUE TO DI WITTY COUNTY.
THE, THE AWARDS WENT REALLY WELL.
THE BANQUET WENT REAL GOOD, I THOUGHT, AND CERTAINLY WOULD RECOMMEND USING THAT FACILITY AGAIN.
UM, WE HAD HAD HIRED A PART-TIME MARKETING SPECIALIST TO HANDLE OUR ADVERTISING, PROMOTIONS AND MEMBERSHIP WEBSITE, THAT SORT OF THING.
UNFORTUNATELY, SHE JUST RECENTLY RETIRED
WE HOSTED A JOB FAIR AT THE SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL, UM, HISTORICAL EDUCATION CENTER.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT AS WELL.
WE HAD HAD HELD A MEETING AND GREET FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE DENWOODY AIRPORT, UM, TO HEAR FROM AND MEET OUR LOCAL CANDIDATES IN THE AREA.
UM, THAT WAS A REALLY NICE EVENT AS WELL.
WE PRESENTED $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS TO TWO DESERVING DWI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
WE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT EACH YEAR.
UM, WE HAD MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES AS WELL THAT COME OUT.
WE, WE HAVE A PRETTY TIGHT BUDGET AS SHE CAN ATTEST.
UM, BUT THE OPERATIONS FOR THE CHAMBER INVOLVES ADVERTISING, SUPPLIES, OUR MEMBERSHIP TO THE VIRGINIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ES CELL PHONE, WEBSITE COST.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, DONATIONS THAT WE ALSO GIVE TO THE TEAM EXPO EACH YEAR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? EACH OF YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF YEAH, YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF 5 23 BUDGET EXPENSES AND THINGS, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
ANYTHING FOR US? ANYTHING GOOD.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AGAIN.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MARRIAGE.
[7.A. Contract Award, Third-Party Ambulance Billing And Collection Administration Services]
ITEM CONTRACT AWARDS.CONTRACT AWARD, THIRD PARTY AMBULANCE BILLING AND COLLECTION.
I DIDN'T MAKE IT LOUD ENOUGH, I GUESS.
UM, ONE LAST HOORAH UP HERE TODAY.
I, YOU KINDA LIKE I TOLD KAISHA, THE SCOTTY MCCREARY
[00:10:01]
SONG SAYS THE NEXT TIME TO GET IN HERE, I'M LIKE TO BUY A TICKET.THE NEXT TIME I COME UP HERE, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENT.
I'VE ALREADY TOLD HER TO SIGN ME UP FOR THE NEXT 60 MONTHS.
ANYWAY, UH, UM, WHAT AN ISSUE TO END ON WAS THIS THIRD BILL PARTY BILLING CONTRACT.
UM, WE HAD EXECUTED THIS CONTRACT IN JUNE OF 2022 FOR FIVE YEARS.
THOUGHT WE WERE PRETTY WELL SET.
OUR BILLING CONTRACTOR GOT BOUGHT OUT IN OCTOBER OF 2024, AND SUBSEQUENTLY NOTIFIED US IN FEBRUARY THAT THE NEW OWNER WOULD NOT HONOR THE REST OF OUR CONTRACT AFTER, AT OUR NEXT RENEWAL, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN JULY 1ST.
SO WE THOUGHT WE WERE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS FINDING, HAVING SOME TIME TO FIND A NEW CONTRACTOR.
UM, FROM FEBRUARY TO JULY, AFFECTED ABOUT 30 PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
SO THIS WAS NOT UNIQUE TO DENWITTY.
LO AND BEHOLD, TWO WEEKS LATER WE GET TOLD THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CYBER ATTACKED AND RANSOMWARE AND ALL OF THEIR DATA WAS STOLEN.
NOW, FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO DISCONNECT OUR SYSTEMS FROM THEM IMMEDIATELY.
AND AT THIS POINT, WE DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF OUR DATA OR ANY OF OUR SYSTEMS WERE AFFECTED.
SO ALL OF OUR PATIENT CARE STUFF HAS BEEN THERE.
THE SECOND PIECE NOW IS WE HAVE NOT BILLED A TRANSPORT FOR EMS SINCE FEBRUARY 21ST.
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE STILL UNDER CONTRACT, THEIR SYSTEMS ARE STILL NOT UP TO DATE AND THEIR SYSTEMS ARE HACKED BAD ENOUGH.
UM, THEY WON'T, WE, WE CAN'T EVEN COMMUNICATE BY EMAIL.
THEY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY MAILING US STUFF IN THE REGULAR MAIL TO TRY TO WORK THIS OUT.
BUT AS OF TODAY, WE ARE STILL NOT, WE HAVE NOT BILLED A TRANSPORT IN ALMOST 4, 3, 4 MONTHS NOW.
SO, SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, KNOWING THAT THE, WHERE WE WERE WITH LOSING REVENUE FROM NOT BILLING, UM, WE DECIDED TO SEE IF WE COULD PARTNER.
AND KNOWING THAT THERE WERE 30 JURISDICTIONS OUT THERE LOOKING AT THE SAME TIME, WE FELT LIKE WE WERE GONNA GET PUSHED TO THE BACK IF WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING.
SO WE PARTNERED HOLLY CASEY HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK TO PARTNER US WITH THE CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS AND WITH GLAND COUNTY.
SO TO MAKE US A LITTLE BIT BIGGER FISH, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY IN THE POND.
UM, AND GET SOME BETTER, UM, ATTENTION FROM NEW CONTRACTORS.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, HIGHLY ISSUED AN RFP ON BEHALF OF ALL THREE JURISDICTIONS.
UM, WE GOT FOUR RESPONSES TO THAT RFP.
UM, WE NARROWED IT AS, UM, FIRE CHIEFS INTO FINANCE FOLKS FROM THOSE COUNTIES.
WE NARROWED IT TO THREE, WHICH WE INTERVIEWED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND WE ACTUALLY UNANIMOUSLY SETTLED ON THE COMPANY DIGITECH, UH, COMPUTER LLC TO SERVE ALL THREE COUNTIES ON A SINGLE CONTRACT.
UM, WHICH ACTUALLY SWEETENED THE POT FOR THEM A LITTLE.
'CAUSE WE, THEY WENT FROM DOING ABOUT 2200 TRANSPORTS FOR US TO, THEY'LL HAVE ABOUT 7,000 TRANSPORTS NOW.
THE SECOND PIECE OF THAT IS THEY ALSO AGREED THAT IF WE WANTED TO, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD TAKE EVERYTHING THAT CHANGE HAD NOT DONE SINCE FEBRUARY.
AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE BACKLOG AND CLEAR IT FOR US TOO, AS PART OF THE NEW CONTRACT.
SO, UM, I THINK ALL THREE JURISDICTIONS WILL READ THE SIGH OF RELIEF.
'CAUSE WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN THOSE TRANSPORTS WILL BE BILLED.
WE'RE ALL HOLDING THEM, THANK GOODNESS.
AND WE WILL DUMP THOSE TO DIGITECH ONCE THEY HAVE US UP AND RUNNING.
SO WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH DIGITECH, REVALIDATING, WITH MEDICARE, ALL THE INSURERS.
WE'VE STILL GOTTA GO THROUGH ALL THE STEPS TO GET BACK UP AND RUNNING, BUT AT LEAST WHEN WE DO, WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD THIS BACKLOG AND BILL FOR US FOR FIVE YEARS GOING FORWARD.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
AND IF YOU'LL NOTICE THE RATE THAT THEY GAVE US AT 4.25% OF NET RECEIPTS, THAT IS THE EXACT SAME RATE WE WERE PAYING CHANGE.
IT'S ABOUT A HALF A PERCENTAGE DECREASE FOR GLAND AND A QUARTER PERCENT INCREASE FOR COLONIAL HEIGHTS.
BUT WE ALL KIND OF LANDED RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE WHEN WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE CONTRACT.
SO IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE.
HOLLY DID A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK FOR THREE JURISDICTIONS TO GET THIS PULLED OFF AND GET IT PULLED OFF IN TIME FOR US TO DO THIS BY JULY 1ST.
SO I WANT TO GIVE HER KUDOS AND, UM MM-HMM
BUT WHAT WE NEED TODAY IS THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TO APPROVE US TO ENTER THAT CONTRACT WITH DIGITECH, UH, TO BE OUR THIRD PARTY BILLER FROM GOING FORWARD.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR, SO I NEED A MOTION.
MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED.
[7.B. Contract Award, Grass Cutting And Lot Cleanup For Code Compliance]
GRASS CUTTING AND LOCK CLEANUP FOR CODE COMPLIANCE.[00:15:02]
THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.AS YOU INDICATED, UH, TODAY WE'RE HOPING TO, UM, HAVE YOU ALL APPROVE THE CONTRACT AWARD FOR GRASS CUTTING AND LOCK CLEANUP FOR OUR CODE COMPLIANCE IS FOR OUR TALL GRASS, JUNK AND TRASH AND OP VEHICLES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UM, LAST YEAR ABOUT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE PUT OUT A RFP AND WE AWARDED NEW CONTRACTS TO THREE VENDORS.
UH, SINCE THAT TIME, ONE OF THE VENDORS HAS GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO WE HAVE TWO THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW.
THAT'S OAK RIDGE ENTERPRISE AND WHITE'S LANDSCAPING.
UH, SO RECENTLY AGAIN, UH, THANK YOU TO HOLLY.
HOLLY RELEASED THE RFP FOR GRASS CUTTING AND LOCK CLEANUP SERVICES.
UM, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, WE HAVE INFORMATION IN THERE THAT THEY PROVIDE TO US.
SEE IF THEY CAN HELP US WITH LARGE SCALE PROJECTS AS WELL.
FROM TIME TO TIME, WE DO HAVE THOSE, UM, AND NEED SERVICES FOR THOSE.
UM, SO WE DID HAVE FOUR VENDORS, UH, RESPOND TO THE RFP.
AND AFTER REVIEWING ALL THOSE PROPOSALS, UM, WE CHOSE TO AWARD CONTRACTS TO KENTON GROUNDS MANAGEMENT, LLC AND WARDEN ROBERTSON LANDSCAPING AND LAWN CARE LLC.
AND TODAY WE'RE JUST HERE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, UH, GRANTING THOSE CONTRACTS TO THOSE TWO ADDITIONAL VENDORS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION AS PRESENTED.
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER.
[7.C. Appointment Of Interim Zoning Administrator]
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR MR. TYLER SOUTH HALL.MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR RECENTLY RESIGNED AND THERE IS A NEED TO APPOINT AN INTERIM ZONING ADMINISTRATOR UNTIL THAT VACANCY CAN BE FILLED.
UM, IN THE LAST TWO INSTANCES, UH, MR. MARK BASSETT PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS AGREED TO TEMPORARILY FILL THE POSITION OF ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
AND SO IT IS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THAT MR. BASSETT BE APPOINTED INTERIM ZONING ADMINISTRATOR AND THAT WOULD GIVE HIM THE FULL LEGAL POWERS OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATORS WHO CAN EXERCISE THOSE AS NEEDED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE COUNTY HIRES AND APPOINTS A NEW ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? I GUESS IT'S GOOD.
HE JUST LEFT SO HE DOESN'T
WALKED OUT, HUH? THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.
[7.D. Proclamation: Crater District Area Agency On Aging World Elder Abuse Awareness Day]
DISTRICT AREA AGENCY ON AGING.UM, SO THE, THE CRATER DISTRICT AREA AGENCY ON AGING WANTS, UH, DENWOODY COUNTY TO PROCLAIM JUNE 15TH, 2024 AS ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY.
AND SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, INTRODUCE THIS.
OBVIOUSLY THE PROCLAMATION IS, IS IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY WHEN, WHEN I FIRST STARTED, MORE TO MORE SUPERVISION, I GUESS WITH SOCIAL SERVICES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICES WAS, WE TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS SIDE, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE ADMIN SECTION THAT WE HAVE.
BUT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SERVICES THAT ARE ON THE SERVICE SIDE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CHILD ABUSE, BUT SOMETIMES ELDER ABUSE ISN'T, ISN'T AS AS PUBLICIZED AS MUCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT THIS PROCLAMATION DOES IS IT REALLY PUTS OUT AWARENESS OF, OF THE SPECIFIC ISSUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE NEVER TALKED TO ANYBODY WHO FELT LIKE FROM A VULNERABILITY STANDPOINT OF OUR SOCIETY WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE ELDER ELDERLY AND THE RESPECT FOR THE ELDERLY.
UM, AND IF, IF YOU REALLY KNEW, I THINK DONNA, UH, SHE PROBABLY COULD TELL STORIES FOR DAYS.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT STAFF HERE WITH, WITH DEVIN AND KENDALL AND ROBIN, THAT'S WITH US.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ELDER ABUSE CAN BE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SEXUAL FINANCIAL ABUSE, UM,
[00:20:01]
NEGLECT AND ABANDONMENT.AND SO WE, WE'VE SEEN CASES LIKE THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT MY CAREER HERE AT DENWOODY.
AND, AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON OUR STAFF TO, TO WORK THROUGH THESE CASES.
AND IT'S NOT JUST LIMITED TO, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES, IT'S ALL THE ANCILLARY DEPARTMENTS, SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND OTHERS THAT, THAT WORK THROUGH THIS.
BUT THE, THE FIRST STEP, I THINK, AND I, THAT'S WHY I WAS PLEASED TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AFTER TALKING TO THE CHAIRMAN, UM, ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PIECE OF THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SECOND PIECE OF THIS IS, IS WORKING REALLY CLOSELY, I THINK WITH THE LEGISLATURE, UH, WHEN WE TALK TO OUR SENATORS AND OUR DELEGATES AND, AND, AND HOW ACTIVE WE ARE AT VACO, UM, YOU KNOW, STRONGER LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
AND, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE SEE, UM, AS PEOPLE AGE, AND I'M GETTING THERE TOO, AS I'M GETTING OLDER AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HOW, HOW MUCH, UM, THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE PREYED UPON, UM, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, ESPECIALLY AS THEIR HEALTH STARTS TO FAIL AND THEIR MENTAL ABILITY, UM, AND IS IMPACTED BY THAT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT SYSTEM, I THINK ABOUT THAT'S THE NEXT PIECE OF THIS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE RESOURCES, BUT TO BETTER EDUCATE US AS A SOCIETY AS IT RELATES TO ELDER ABUSE.
AND THAT KIND OF GETS INTO THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PIECE.
AND THIS WHOLE, IF YOU, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO MANY TIMES WE, I HEAR ABOUT CASES AND THE CASES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND SOMEONE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW NECESSARILY IT WAS THEIR PLACE.
UM, BUT SO MUCH COULD BE AVOIDED IF WE, UM, IF AGAIN, IF WE JUST WERE MORE VIGILANT, MORE PROACTIVE.
UM, AND IF WE SU SUSPECT AT ALL, THAT ABUSE TAKES PLACE, UH, THESE LADIES THAT ARE IN THE ROOM HERE DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF EACH ONE OF THESE, UM, EVALUATING THE CASES WITH, WITH LOVE AND CARE AT THE SAME TIME OF BEING FORCEFUL IF WE NEED TO BE.
UM, SO MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY ON THAT OTHER THAN WE DO HAVE DONNA IN THE VERY BACK.
UM, IF Y'ALL COULD JUST STAND, JUST SO THE BOARD COULD, COULD SEE WHO YOU ARE.
UM, IF WE COULD GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
MS. CHAIRMAN, IT WOULD HONOR ME IF YOU WOULD PROCLAIM JUNE 15TH AS ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY.
AND WE'LL GET THAT OUT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
I KNOW IT'S HARD WORK, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU.
[8. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
HAVE CITIZENS' COMMENTS.UH, DOES ANYONE SAY THAT? YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE HAVE ERIC FLY.
WELCOME MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, ERIC FLY.
I REPRESENT CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION.
UH, FIRST I WANNA THANK DR. MOORE AND, UH, MR. MASSING FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN TRYING TO HELP US RESOLVE SOME ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
UH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION WAS FOUNDED IN DE WITTY COUNTY.
IT'S BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
UH, IT'S A SMALL VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES JOBS TO DENWITTY COUNTY AND SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE FOR THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
I NEED TO STATE RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT IN THE 30 YEARS OF BUSINESS, CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION HOUSED AT THE AIRPORT, HAS NEVER BEEN LAID ON A SINGLE LEASE PAYMENT, HAS NEVER BEEN LAID ON ANY FUEL PAYMENTS, AND HAS NEVER VIOLATED ANY AIRPORT POLICY.
ON OCTOBER 4TH, 2023, CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION RECEIVED SIX LETTERS FROM THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY STATING THAT THEIR HANGAR LEASES WOULD NO LONGER BE RENEWED AS OF JANUARY ONE, UH, 2024.
THERE WAS NO WARNING GIVEN OF THESE LETTERS, IMPENDING LETTERS.
THERE WAS, UM, NO DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE BETWEEN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION AND THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
UH, BEFORE THE EXECUTION OF THESE NON-RENEWAL LETTERS, NO LETTERS OR FORMS OF COMMUNICATION AND FORMING CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION OF VIOLATIONS OF AIRPORT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WERE GIVEN, NOR HAVE THEY BEEN GIVEN SINCE THAT DATE ON OCTOBER 4TH.
UM, I NEED TO STATE AGAIN BECAUSE IT, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION FOR 30 YEARS HAS BEEN A BUSINESS IN DEITY COUNTY, HAS NEVER MISSED A SINGLE PAYMENT TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
[00:25:01]
FOR SOME REASON, THE LEASES ARE NOT BEING BEING RENEWED.CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION HAS BEEN USEFUL TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
THE NUMBER OF PLANES THEY KEEP AT THE AIRPORT ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO RECEIVE STATE AND FEDERAL, FEDERAL GRANTS.
THE OWNER OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION, AS YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL PUBLICLY CONCERNING THE DAMAGES AND THE NEGATIVE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT THE LOSS OF THESE HANGERS WILL HAVE AND ARE HAVING ON CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION.
FORTUNATELY, CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION HAS BEEN ASSURED BY THE, UH, THE AUTHORITY THAT THE ACCIDENTS BEEN TAKEN BY THE AUTHORITY AND THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION ARE NOT PERSONAL.
THEREFORE, IT MUST BE STRICTLY BUSINESS BETWEEN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION AND THE AUTHORITIES.
CENTRAL VI VIRGINIA AVIATION REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AUTHORITY IN NOVEMBER OF 2023 TO DISCUSS THESE, UH, ISSUES THAT THEY HAD.
THAT MEETING REQUEST WAS DENIED SEEING THAT THE AUTHORITY NO LONGER WANTED CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION TO DO BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY, CENTRAL VIRGINIA.
A AVIATION PROVIDED AT THE APRIL AUTHORITY MEETING, A THREE YEAR EXIT PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW THE COMPANY TO EXIT DENWITTY COUNTY WITH THE SMALLEST FINANCIAL IMPACT POSSIBLE IN MOVING A LARGE AIRPORT, UH, AVIATION, UH, BUSINESS OUT OF THE COUNTY.
THIS REQUEST WAS REJECTED AT THE APRIL MEETING.
AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION, I WAS DIRECTED TO ONLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE AUTHOR'S, ATTORNEYS AND AIRPORT MANAGER.
EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO PENDING LITIGATION.
THERE'S STILL NO PENDING LITIGATION BETWEEN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION AND AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ONLY DEAL WITH THEIR ATTORNEY.
THE LOSS OF FIVE OF THE SIX HANGERS DISPLACED 13 AIRCRAFT FROM THE HANGERS ONTO THE TARMAC AT THE AIRPORT IN DENWOODY.
THE AUTHORITY REQUESTED THAT THESE AIRCRAFT BE REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AIRCRAFT, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AND VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE IN THE, A STATE OF REPAIR OR REFURBISHMENT.
AND APRIL, CENTRAL VIRGINIA AVIATION REQUESTED IN A LETTER TO THE AUTHOR'S, ATTORNEYS AND AIRPORT MANAGER TO AT LEAST 10 TIE DOWN SPACES TO GENERATE REVENUE SPACE FOR THE AUTHORITY AND TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE OF THESE PLANES BEING ON THE TARMAC.
SO FAR TO THIS DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE TO OUR REQUESTS.
WELL, LET ME JUST FINISH IN SAYING WE HOPE THE BOARD WILL INTERVENE IN SOME WAY.
I KNOW IT'S AUTHORITY, BUT WE BELIEVE IF COMMUNICATION CAN BE REESTABLISHED, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WE CAN RESOLVE THESE ISSUES AND WE ASK FOR YOUR HELP.
[9. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS]
ONE IS OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.UM, I WANTED TO START OFF, UH, I KNOW THAT MS. BRYANT MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE STERLING ROAD, UH, THROUGH TRUCK TRAFFIC, AND IT, IT STRUCK ME AS SHE SAID THAT, THAT SOME OF YOU ON THIS BOARD MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S RECENTLY HAPPENED WHEN IT COMES TO STERLING ROAD, WHEN IT COMES TO STERLING ROAD.
SO ON, UM, A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH MR. FRENCH ON MAY 2ND, UH, INITIATED ME BEING ABLE TO WRITE A FORMAL REQUEST TO STUDY THE, THE PROHIBITING OF TRUCK TRAFFIC ON STARLAND ROAD.
AND YOU MAY SAY, WELL, MR. MASS, THAT'S ALREADY NO TRUCK TRAFFIC OR NO THROUGH TRAFFIC ON, ON STARLAND ROAD.
AND PRESENTLY THE SIGNS ARE UP THAT SAY THAT MM-HMM
SO WE HAD A REQUEST TO LOOK AT POSTING THE PENALTY OF A TRUCK IF IT WERE TO GO THROUGH STERLING ROAD, WHICH CREATED A REVIEW WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE HISTORY OF THAT ROAD TO, TO COME BACK.
THAT IT, THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE.
THE STUDY HAD NEVER BEEN DONE APPROPRIATELY BEFORE THE SIGNS WERE ACTUALLY PUT UP.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE COMMUNITY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRUCK VOLUME GOING THROUGH, AND WE WERE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO, TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE TRUCK DRIVERS, THAT THERE'S A PENALTY ASSOCIATED WITH YOU CUTTING THROUGH.
UM, IT RESULTED IN THIS FINDING.
SO AS SOON AS I FOUND OUT, UM, MR. FRENCH ASKED THAT I PUT A FORMAL LETTER TOGETHER, I DID, I'VE SENT THAT ON TO, TO VDOT.
MS. BRYANT MENTIONED IT EARLIER, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO GET, GET THAT MOVING FORWARD AS FAST AS WE CAN.
UM, NOW TYPICALLY THESE STUDIES TAKE SOME TIME.
AND SO I, I ASKED, UM, IN MY CORRESPONDENCE TO THE STATE THAT THE PETERSBURG RESIDENCY UNDERTAKE THE STUDY IN COLLABORATION WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY INITIATE THAT AS PO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER.
UM, NOW AFTER THE STUDY IS COMPLETE, THEN WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FORMAL PROCESS OF THE BOARD ACTUALLY PROHIBITING THE TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THAT ROAD.
BUT I HAVE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AS FAR AS MAY 2ND,
[00:30:01]
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO LET THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BE AWARE THAT IF THEY PULL ANYBODY FOR THAT PROVISION, THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY, UM, ALLOWED.AND SO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE DEPUTIES ARE AWARE THAT IT'S NOT ENFORCEABLE AT, AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO IT APPEARS TO BE A BIT OF ADMINISTRATIVE HOUSEKEEPING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ITEM.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT UP TO YOU IN CASE YOU DIDN'T, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.
THE SECOND ISSUE, I CAME AT THE LAST MEETING AND TALKED ABOUT THE VDOT SAFETY SERVICE PATROL.
AND THIS IS THE F TWO 50, F-150 THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD, KIND OF A CRASH TRUCK.
IT'S THE VEHICLE THAT'S GETTING TRAFFIC TO MOVE OVER WHEN THERE'S AN ACCIDENT.
AND IF, IF YOU RECALL, MECKLENBURG COUNTY INITIATED THAT AFTER THEY HAD A LADDER TRUCK DESTROYED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
UM, THEN AFTER MECKLENBURG BRUNSWICK CAME IN AND, AND REQUESTED, AND THEN I WROTE A LETTER ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO VDOT ASKING THAT THAT WHOLE 85 CORRIDOR, UH, INCLUDE NOW THE SAFETY SERVICE PATROL.
UM, TO OUR SURPRISE, IT CAME BACK THAT THEN WHAT HE ALREADY HAS A SAFETY SERVICE PATROL, BUT IT COMES OUT OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS AND IT WOULD END, UM, AT THE FOUR 60, UM, EXIT.
NOW, SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE STATE THAT THEY HAVE REEVALUATED, AND INSTEAD OF IT STOPPING AT EXIT 61, NOW IT'S GONNA STOP AT EXIT 48, WHICH WILL, THEY'LL GO ALL THE WAY TO DEWITT, UH, AND THEN THEY WILL FURTHER EVALUATE THE OTHER PARTS OF THE, UM, OF THE AREA.
BUT, UH, EFFECTIVE, UM, MAY 14TH, THE SAFETY SERVICE PATROL WILL GO TO DEWITT TO EXIT 48.
THEY STARTED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UH, PATROLLING THAT AREA FROM 5:00 AM TO 9:00 PM BUT AS FAR AS MECKLENBURG, BRUNSWICK AND THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF DENWITTY COUNTY, THAT'S NOT INCLUDED.
SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL TURN AROUND AT EXIT 48 AND GO BACK TO PETERSBURG, UM, AT THAT TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON, ON WHERE THAT IS.
UM, ALSO, AND I, I'LL HAND Y'ALL THIS LATER, BUT I, I RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE FROM SENATE FINANCE, FROM SENATOR AD'S OFFICE.
WE HAD REQUESTED AN I, UH, AN UPDATE ON WHAT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE IN, IN DENWOODY, UH, WHAT THEY COULD EXPECT FOR FY 25 AND FY 26 FOR FAR OUR STATE FUNDING NOW THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET.
AND SO FY 25, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $3,210,036.
AND FOR THE SECOND END OF THE BIENNIUM FY 26, THAT'S 3 MILLION, UH, $461,051.
SO DIY COUNTY OVER THE BIENNIUM RECEIVED 6.67 MILLION, UM, OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH IS, I WAS TALKING TO MS. HAMILTON EARLIER ABOUT THAT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT COMPARED TO WHAT THE REST OF THE, THE SENATORS, UM, DISTRICT WAS ABLE TO GET OTHER THAN HENRICO IS GETTING 40 MILLION.
UM, PETERSBURG OVER TWO YEARS IS GETTING 2.5 MILLION.
WE'RE, WE'VE GOT HOPEWELL GETTING 6.6 MILLION PRINCE GEORGE AT 3 MILLION MORE CHARLES CITY COUNTY AT 598,000, UM, SURY AT 537,000, SUSSEX AT 1.7 MILLION OVER THE, THE BIENNIAL DIMITY AT THE 6.67 MILLION.
SO HERPES SPECIFIC SENATORIAL DISTRICT, 62.3 MILLION MORE, WHICH IS A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, UM, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS PAST.
BUT JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT.
ALSO, LET LET YOU KNOW THAT ON, UM, LAST MONDAY, MAY 13TH WEEK, WEEK AGO, UM, THE CHAIRMAN AND I AND, UH, MORGAN INGRAM WAS ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH THE DEITY COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY TO START HAVING A REAL GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE, WE TALKED STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE SYSTEM PRESENTLY, UH, IS ALLOWING WHAT THE STRENGTHS OF OUR SYSTEM ARE, WHAT SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES ARE, AND MAYBE SOME OPPORTUNITIES OF FUTURE, UH, INVESTMENTS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK AT REALLY FOCUSING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN AND, AND WHERE WE MAY WANT TO GROW.
I THINK SINCE THAT, UH, MS. COLLINS INDICATED TO ME THAT MS. INGRAM'S BEEN INVITED BACK TO THE MONTHLY MEETINGS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A REAL PUSH BY THE WATER AUTHORITY WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY SEE GROWTH OCCURRING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN.
AND THEY'VE GOT SEVERAL OPTIONS OF, OF WHERE THAT COULD COULD GO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REPORT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD MEETING, AND I THINK THE
[00:35:01]
PART THAT UNDERSCORES THIS FOR ME IS THAT THERE'S FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW TO DO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER AUTHORITY IS, THEY ARE A SEPARATE AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY, BUT THEY ARE OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR PUBLIC WORKS, IF YOU WILL, WHEN IT COMES TO WATER AND SEWER, THAT, UM, IF WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT EXPANSIONS, MAYBE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS, WE EXHAUST THOSE OPTIONS THE BEST WE CAN.
AND THEN TUESDAY, MR. CHAVIS AND I WERE INVITED TO HAVE, UH, DINNER WITH THE INCOMING GENERAL MICHELLE DONAHUE, GENERAL DONAHUE, UH, HAD A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION.
SO THEY TOLD US IN THIS, UM, THIS DINNER MEETING, WE WERE PARTNERED WITH CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, SO WE WERE PAIRED WITH CHESTERFIELD.
UH, THE GENERAL HAS, UH, BROUGHT THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS BACK.
THEY USED TO BE DONE IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES AND HADN'T BEEN DONE SINCE.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WAY OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SHE SAID, LOOK, IF WE WANT TO TALK BUSINESS, WE CAN TALK BUSINESS.
WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, BUT WE JUST WANNA GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IN MY, MY 20 YEARS HERE, PLUS THAT, THAT I'VE SEEN THAT TAKE PLACE.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, UH, CONVERSATION WAS THE CAPITAL REGIONAL MILITARY ADVISORY COUNCIL.
WHICH IS BEING REFERRED TO AS KARMA.
AND THAT'S, UH, IT'S PRESENTLY BEING HOPE, UH, HOSTED BY HOPE WELD AND PRINCE GEORGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
BUT IT'S LIKE A, A MILITARY, AGAIN, A MILITARY ADVISORY COUNCIL.
AND SO THERE'S LIMITS THAT THE US MILITARY HAS IN BUILDING SUPPORT ALONG THE, OR IN THE BASE, BUT THERE ARE THINGS AS AN ADVISORY COUNCIL CAN DO AND EVEN RAISE FUNDS THAT CAN FORMALIZE THAT RELATIONSHIP AND BUILD ON THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UH, SO SHE, SHE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE COMMA OPPORTUNITY THAT'S EXISTING, UH, THE VETERAN COMMUNITY NETWORK OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA.
AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE ARMY'S PARTNERSHIP FOR YOUR SUCCESS, WHICH IS PAYS.
AND THAT'S, UH, PETERSBURG HAS ACTUALLY STARTED THAT PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REPORT TO YOU THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION AND WE, WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE CLOSER NOW THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN TO, TO FORT GREG ADAMS. UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING.
JUST WANTED TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR.
I KNOW DAVENPORT HAS REACHED BACK OUT TO MS. HOWTON AND MYSELF.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DO, UM, DURING OUR CIP DEVELOPMENT WAS FOR YOU AND THE SCHOOL BOARD TO GET A GOOD FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOUR OVERALL DEBT CAPACITIES ARE AND WHAT YOUR DEBT AFFORDABILITY IS WHEN IT COMES TO DOING SOME OF THESE, THESE PROJECTS.
SO I'M GONNA BE WORKING WITH YOU ALL TO TRY TO GET SOME DATES FOR A JOINT MEETING WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TRY TO GET THAT DONE.
I THINK THAT'S A REAL GOOD SUMMER OPPORTUNITY, MAYBE LATE SUMMER.
AND THEN EARLY FALL, WE'RE GONNA GET BACK INTO, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD ADVANCE AND BEFORE BUDGET AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND PROBABLY LATE SUMMER, I'M THINKING AUGUST TIMEFRAME, MAYBE EVEN SEPTEMBER, UM, OF, OF GETTING, GETTING THAT DONE.
THE TOWN OF MCKINNEY HAS REACHED OUT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEETING, WE CALL IT A LEADERSHIP MEETING WITH THEIR MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UM, AS WELL AS THE BOARD HERE.
UM, THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT, UM, THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE SERVICE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN THE, UM, MCKINNEY AND, AND AND DI WITTY.
WE HAVE A, THAT INNER AGREEMENT, IF YOU WILL, OF WHAT WE PROVIDE AND WHAT THEY DO.
AND, UM, AND ONE OTHER AREA THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT NOW IS THE AREA OF, UM, TAXATION.
AND SPECIFICALLY IF THERE ARE WAYS OR ANY SYNERGIES THAT MAY EXIST WITH THE COUNTY TREASURER AND THE TOWN TREASURER WORKING TOGETHER.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO, UM, OUR TREASURER AND THE COMMISSIONER REVENUE.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND IF THERE'S A DES DESIRE FOR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF IT, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND, AND DO IT WITH BOTH BOARDS.
I I DON'T KNOW THE LAST TIME THE BOARD AND THE TOWN HAVE MET.
YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK WHEN I FIRST GOT TO THE COUNTY 20 SOME YEARS AGO, WE, WE USED TO DO IT EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE SINCE THEN, MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
THE OTHER THING I'D, I'D LIKE TO START DOING, AND, AND I'VE TALKED TO MANY OF YOU ABOUT IT ALREADY, IS, IS THE, WITH THE LOOMING REASSESSMENT AND THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ASSOCIATED WITH EVEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF, OF WHAT THE REASSESSMENT IS ALL ABOUT, WE, WE KNOW OUR SALES RATIO NOW IS 56%.
UM, WE KNOW HOW SIGNIFICANT, PROBABLY ONE OF THE, THE MOST DIFFICULT REASSESSMENTS WE EVER HAD, THE SALES RATIO GOT DOWN TO ABOUT 70%.
[00:40:01]
AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT IN SIX YEARS, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO START EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT THAT REASSESSMENT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.SO TOWN HALL MEETINGS, SPECIFIC GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE INDICATED THAT Y'ALL WANNA START DOING SOME OF THAT.
AND I JUST WOULD RECOMMEND THAT OUR, OUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE, SO IF IT'S DISTRICT ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE YOUR SCHOOL REP FOR DISTRICT ONE.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE SOCIAL SERVICES.
UM, YOU HAVE AN ADVISORY BOARD THAT YOU ALL HAVE MADE APPOINTMENTS TO, AND IT'D BE A GOOD I IDEA TO, I THINK INCLUDE THEM AS YOU GO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO, UH, HAVE THAT BOARD REPRESENTATIVE WITH YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOCIAL SERVICES AND, AND START TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON, ON WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
UM, JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, CITIZENS ACADEMY IS THE 23RD, THAT'S THURSDAY NIGHT HERE.
SO WE GET TO KICK THAT OFF, UM, IN THIS ROOM.
AND THEN, UM, WANTED TO, TO, UH, INTRODUCE YOU.
I THINK YOU, YOU KNOW HER, BUT JAMAICA WEAVER JAMAICA IS ON THE FRONT ROW HERE.
GRADUATED OF DEY HIGH SCHOOL LAST YEAR, UH, AND DECIDED TO GO TO THIS LITTLE SCHOOL CALLED UVA
HER FIRST YEAR SHE WAS ON, SHE WAS THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE.
SO SHE'S FAMILIAR WITH, AS A STUDENT AT DEY HIGH SCHOOL TO THE, TO THE SCHOOLS.
BUT SHE'S MAJORING IN PUBLIC POLICY.
AND SO, UM, WE HAD A CHANCE HER FIRST DAY TO, TO TAKE HER TO FORT GREG ADAMS. SHE MET THE GENERAL, SHE'S STARTING TO GET INVOLVED WITH, UM, SHE'S GONNA BE SHADOWING, UH, ME THIS SUMMER AND WORKING IN MY OFFICE AS AN INTERNSHIP.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, UM, WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING.
AND IT'S THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN JAMAICA'S FUTURE HERE, WHETHER SHE DECIDES TO STAY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH WE'RE PULLING FOR, BUT, YOU KNOW,
SHE'S GOT A TREMENDOUS HEART OF PUBLIC SERVICE ALREADY.
AND, UM, GLAD THAT SHE'S GONNA BE HERE.
AND SPEAKING OF A PUBLIC SERVANT'S HEART, UM, YOU KNOW, CHIEF HALE IS NOT HERE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE OUR TIME TO, TO GIVE HIM HIS DUE CELEBRATION.
UH, BUT 20 YEARS, NEARLY 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, TWO DECADES TO DIMITY COUNTY.
AND I, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU ALL, AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT KEY STAFF LIKE DENNIS, TO THINK ABOUT ALL WHAT, WHAT DIY LOOKED LIKE 20 YEARS AGO WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PAID SYSTEM THAT WAS MOSTLY VOLUNTEER.
UH, WE COULD COUNT ON ONE HAND, UH, HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS WE HAD THAT WERE, AND WE, WE GOT INTO EMS FIRST 'CAUSE WE HAD TO, AND THEN MOST RECENTLY WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT ON THE FIRE SIDE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, IT TOOK A SPECIAL PERSON AND A SPECIAL TALENT TO BRIDGE THE VOLUNTEER TO PROFESSIONAL STAFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FELT LIKE DENNIS BEING FROM THE INSIDE AS A VOLUNTEER HIMSELF GROWING UP IN DIM WITTY COUNTY IN CHESTERFIELD, TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT EXPERTISE HERE, UM, WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR DIY.
UM, AND HAS HIS LAST DAY APPROACHES ON THE 23RD.
UM, YOU KNOW, HE, IT IS GONNA BE WITH SOME MIXED EMOTIONS.
I KNOW THAT, 'CAUSE HE'S, HE WANTS TO, TO RETIRE, BUT I KNOW HIS HEART IS STILL IN DIY COUNTY.
HE STILL WILL BE VOLUNTEERING FOR US.
SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER DENNIS LEAVES, UM, WHEN DENNIS LEAVES ON THE 23RD, UM, AND WE'LL MAKE A, UH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS, MARIE'S WORKING ON A ANNOUNCEMENT NOW, UH, THAT WILL GO OUT ON THE 23RD, BUT I'VE DECIDED TO TAP, UM, DAWN TITUS, OUR ASSISTANT CHIEF.
AND SO SHE'S GOING TO END HER CAREER.
SHE'S, SHE'S LOOKING AT RETIREMENT IN, IN A FEW MONTHS HERSELF.
BUT SHE'S AGREED TO BE THE ACTING CHIEF FOR THE SYSTEM AS WE'RE PRESENTLY RECRUITING FOR, UM, FOR THAT POSITION.
SO I, I THINK WE, I MEAN, SHE, SHE'LL DO A WONDERFUL JOB IN, IN THAT CAPACITY.
AND THE ONLY THING ELSE THAT I'LL MENTION IS, IS ON MONDAY, IF YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING OR YOU'RE HERE, UM, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION THAT WE DO OUR CEREMONY WITH, UM, THE MASONIC LODGE.
THAT'S A 10:00 AM ON THE, THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE LAWN.
IT DOESN'T LAST BUT ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
IT'S A, IT DOES, I THINK EVERY YEAR I KIND OF LEAVE, LEAVE WITH CHILLS BECAUSE IT'S THE, THE RIGHT BALANCE OF, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH HAPPENS ON MEMORIAL DAY WITH PICNICS AND BARBECUES AND, AND, BUT TO STOP IN PAUSES JUST FOR 30 MINUTES AND THINK ABOUT THE REAL REASON FOR THAT, THAT HOLIDAY, I, IT IS ALWAYS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I INVITE YOU TO COME TO THAT AS WELL.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT THIS, THIS TIME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK MR. FLY TOO FOR, IF ANYTHING, HE'S BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF TRYING TO COME UP WITH
[00:45:01]
SOME TYPE OF AMICABLE SOLUTION HERE.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, DR. MOORE, YOU'RE OUR REP TO THAT, TO THAT BOARD.
AND SO WE JUST KIND OF, BUT THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING TODAY AND, AND, AND SPEAKING TO THE FULL BOARD ON, ON THE CONCERNS.
[10. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS, UH, I'D LIKE TO START WITH YOU, MR. DOOLEY.I, NOTHING AT THIS TIME, DR. MOORE.
UM, THANK YOU ERIC FOR COMING AND, AND SPEAKING THIS EVENING.
UM, THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY IS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED IN THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, AND IT, AND IT'S THROUGH THE AUTHORITY AND WE'LL, WE'LL WORK THROUGH IT.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO ANY DEN WITTY STUDENTS THAT GRADUATED FROM RBC THIS PAST WEEK.
UH, AND WHATEVER THEIR FUTURE MAY HOLD FOR THEM GOING FORWARD.
AND I BELIEVE NEXT WEEK WE HAVE OUR DEN WITTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, WHICH WE WERE ALL PART OF LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE GRADUATES.
A LITTLE AROUND 300 IN THE CLASS, SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT THAT WILL BE NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STAFF, UH, ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATION FOR DIGNITY HIGH SCHOOL AND THOSE STUDENTS AND BLESSING THEM GOING FORWARD AND THEIR ENDEAVORS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE.
UM, FLAR, UM, HAS A RIBBON CUTTING ON THE 31ST AT THEIR NEW FACILITY, WHICH IS GONNA BE, UH, ON MARKET STREET, ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM THE RIVER.
UM, UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO GO TO THAT ON THE 31ST.
UM, THEY WERE GIVING AWAY SOME AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE HELPED IN THAT.
OF COURSE, WE ARE PART OF FLAR FLAR IS REACHING INTO DENWITTY COUNTY AND, AND OUR RIVERSIDE PARK AND GOING UP TO THE BRASWELL DAM.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO THE PARTNERSHIP THERE AND BEING ABLE TO BE AT THAT EVENT.
UM, OF COURSE OUR CITIZENS ACADEMY THIS THURSDAY NIGHT KICKS OFF ALL OF US THAT WILL GIVE OUR, UH, OUR THIRD CITIZENS ACADEMY.
WE'LL ALL GIVE OUR VIEWPOINT OF GOVERNMENT, UH, AT THIS LEVEL.
UM, AND THEN WITH THAT, UM, I WILL ALSO, THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENT ON MONDAY.
UM, I AM AN ARMY BRAT, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW.
I WAS BORN AT FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
MY FATHER SERVED IN THE TWO TOURS IN KOREA AND, UH, MET HIS BRIDE AT CAMP LEE, UM, MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT EVENT AND, UH, BLESS EVERY FAMILY AND EVERY PERSON THAT'S EVER SERVED THIS COUNTRY.
AND, UH, REMEMBERING THE FREEDOM COMES WITH A SACRIFICE MM-HMM
FOR THOSE THAT HAVE SACRIFICED.
UM, I, I JUST HAD A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, I, UM, ATTENDED A SEMINAR, UM, IN NORFOLK FOR BEHIND DISTRICT 19.
AND, UM, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE CAME TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE CSBS AND ALL WHAT THEY DO FOR EVERYONE AND THEIR SACRIFICE.
IT WAS, UM, REALLY, UM, A MOVING TIME LISTENING TO, UH, THE DIFFERENT, UM, INDIVIDUALS.
AND ONE, UM, ONE PERSON TALKED ABOUT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT HOW OUR BRAIN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DICTATES THINGS TO US AND HOW IT'S, UH, SO IMPORTANT TO, UH, LISTENING, LISTEN TO OUR BRAIN.
AND I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY SOMETHING I HAVE SOME PAPERWORK ON GUYS, UM, TO, UM, JUST LISTEN TO, UM, HOW WE RESPOND TO THINGS.
SO THAT WAS, UM, REALLY INTERESTING.
HE WAS A VERY, VERY GOOD SPEAKER.
AND THEY HAD, UH, PLENTY OF BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND, UM, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEING ON D 19 BOARD THAT I ATTENDED A SEMINAR.
SO IT WAS, UM, REALLY SOMETHING AND I ENJOYED THAT.
I ALSO, UM, OF COURSE THIS IS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.
SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY, UM, NOT ONLY THIS MONTH, AND I OFTEN, AND I STILL, I OFTEN TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH AND LOOK AT, UM, INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT A, HOW A PERSON IS STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
AND, UM, WE DON'T, WE THINK ABOUT IT, SOMEBODY ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HOMELESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUITS ON AND WALKING AROUND AND, UM, HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON THEIR SHOULDERS.
SO WE, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT QUITE A BIT TOO.
[00:50:01]
I OFTEN TALK ABOUT IT, AND, AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE SOMEWHERE, AND I THINK AS WE, AS INDIVIDUALS, WE KIND OF WONDER WHAT OUR JOB IS OR MAYBE WHAT OUR MINISTRY IS.I SAID, ALL RIGHT, LORD, YOU, YOU MUST BE PUTTING THIS IN MY SPIRIT TO DO THINGS.
IT, I CAN GO PLACES AND SIT DOWN AND TALK TO SOMEONE, AND THEN MENTAL HEALTH COMES UP.
THEY WILL SIT THERE AND TALK ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND A SON THAT HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST SITTING THERE TALKING AND IT ALWAYS GOES BACK TO SOMEONE, THEM OR THEIR FAMILY, OR THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
AND I JUST CANNOT TELL YOU HOW THAT, THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO ME.
AND, UM, I COULD BE AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, DENTIST'S OFFICE, I'M IN THE CHAIR, YOU GOT YOUR MOUTH OPEN AND SOMEBODY'S TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, BUT YOU CAN'T, CAN'T REALLY RESPOND BECAUSE
BUT JUST GOING BACK AND, AND JUST TALKING AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE, IT'S, UM, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ISSUES.
AND, UM, I I, I JUST COME TO REALIZE THAT I, I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING.
YOU JUST SIT THERE AND TALK AND, AND THEY WILL START TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE.
SO IT'S, UM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF ALL THE TIME.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I TALK ABOUT 9, 8, 8, THAT, THAT, UM, SERVICE THAT HAS EXPANDED.
AND I KNOW DONNA'S BACK THERE, SHE SITS ON DISTRICT 19 BOARD AS WELL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IT HAS EXPANDED.
SO YOU CAN CALL AND TALK TO SOMEONE WITH THEIR NINE, THE NUMBER OF 9 88, AND IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE, AND, UM, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE ELDER ELDERS AND, UM, ABUSE.
I, UM, I SORT OF WITNESSED SOMETHING LIKE THAT NOT TOO LONG AGO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN HOSPICE COMES IN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THINK THAT'S, OF COURSE, THAT'S THE END.
AND, UM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU MAY BE YOUR LAST DAYS HERE.
WELL, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO UNFORTUNATELY TRY TO RUSH THAT WITH THE ELDERLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE, UM, THIS FAMILY AND THESE, THEIR, UH, THE, THE MOTHER'S CHILDREN, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST TIME.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND THEY WERE TRYING TO RUSH WITH EVERYTHING.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, SENIOR ABUSE, IT'S A LOT.
AND, UM, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT THE COMPANY DID WAS REPORT, UH, WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THEIR, THEIR MOTHER.
SO JUST WANTED KIND OF TO BREAK, UM, MAKING, UH, PEOPLE AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE IT IS A PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF, UH, FAMILIES.
AND I THINK THAT IS ALL I HAVE MY SPIEL TODAY.
THE ELDERS, UH, THEY DO HAVE A, A, A LONG ROAD.
UH, YEAH, GEORGE AND I HAVE, WE HAVE A BUSINESS WHERE WE DEAL WITH GEORGE DEALS WITH A LOT OF, UH, ELDERLY MM-HMM
AND A LOT OF 'EM DON'T HAVE SIBLINGS.
UM, SO THEY HAVE TO DEPEND ON HIRED HELP.
WE SEE THAT A LOT AND ALL THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD.
SO, UH, UH, IT WAS GOOD HAVING THOSE EMPLOYEES IN HERE TODAY, UH MM-HMM
SUPPORTING THAT NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THAT, AND IT WAS FANTASTIC.
UH, IT WAS AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX.
WE HAD A HUNDRED ATTENDEES AND UH, THAT'S GOOD.
HAD A DIVERSE PA UH, PANEL OF PASTORS.
WE HAD TWO ANOINTED, AND I CAN SAY THIS,
I THOUGHT THEY WERE HAVING, UH, REVIVAL, BUT THEY TOUCHED ME.
AND YOU, YOU CAN TELL THAT THEY WERE, UH, TAUGHT AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR US.
UH, THEN WE KIND RECEIVED 29,000 GRANTS FROM THE VIRGINIA TOURISM COMMISSION.
TOURISM MARKETING, 20,000 IN WINDY COUNTY FAIR WAS 9,000.
SHE, UH, SHE'S THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING MANAGER.
SO SHE'S ALWAYS, UH, YOU CAN'T PRAISE THEIR PEOPLE THAT WHEN THEY STEP UP TO WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, THEY DO.
THE SUMMER WORKFORCE, UH, BASED LEARNING PROGRAM WELCOMES, UH, APPROXIMATELY 30 PARTICIPANTS THIS SUMMER IN A VARIETY OF POSITIONS WITH A VARIETY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTAL OFFICES FOR THE MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY.
[00:55:01]
THAT.RIGHT? SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.
FIVE FORKS BATTLEFIELD MUSEUM WILL REOPEN ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC BEGINNING JUNE THE SEVENTH, FRIDAY'S THROUGH SUNDAYS EACH WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU RIDE BY AN ESTABLISHMENT LIKE THAT AND YOU SEE IT'S DOWN AND OUT, I WAS SORT OF HOPING IT WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO US, BUT I'M GLAD IT'S BACK UP AND, AND GOING CITIZENS ACADEMY.
I KNOW MARIE, UH, WORKS HARD ON THIS AND I, I ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITIES EVERY TIME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
I HOPE WE GET TO DO IT AGAIN THIS TIME.
AND, UM, WE HAVE, UH, UH, THE CLASS OF 24.
I DON'T HAVE ANY, I MEAN, ALL MY KIDS AND GRANDKIDS ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL MAKE IT TO THE REST OF 'EM, BUT, UM, I WELCOME, WELCOME 'EM ALL AND HOPE THEY HAVE A GREAT TIME.
IT'S A BIG DECISION WHEN YOU'RE THAT AGE.
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? MM-HMM
SO, YOU KNOW, MY THING IS THERE'S A LITTLE PLACE DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT WHILE YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL WAN.
[11. CLOSED SESSION]
AND THAT WE NEED, UH, TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.THE BOARD WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED SESSION UNDER 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 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.
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 AND BROADBAND.
AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A 29, DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPENDITURE 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 INTO CLOSE PLEASE? SO MOVED A ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER.
WE WILL BE BACK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAVE A NEED TO COME OUTTA CLOSE.
I NEED A MOTION TO COME OUTTA CLOSED SESSION.
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER.
WHEREAS THIS BOARD CONVENED INTO A CLOSED MEETING UNDER 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A FIVE.
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION CONCERNING PERSPECTIVE 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 1 180 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 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 180 8.
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 BROADBAND 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 8 29.
DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPENDITURE 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.
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.
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. ABRAM BONNER.
RECESS, SEVEN O'CLOCK, CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, WE CALLED A MEETING ORDER.
[01:00:03]
FIRST THING IN ORDER[12.A. Virginia Department Of Transportation Secondary Six-Year Plan]
WOULD BE PUBLIC HEARING FOR VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN.GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. MASSENGILL.
UM, I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE PROPOSED SIX YEAR PLAN IN YOUR PACKETS.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS GO OVER THE PROPOSED PROJECTS IN THE BUDGET FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS.
UM, SO DIMITY COUNTY FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF THE SIX YEAR PLAN, UM, RECEIVED 69,000 INTEL FEES AND 196,000 IN, UM, UNPAVED MONEY FOR A TOTAL OVER THE SIX YEARS OF 415,000 IN TFE FUNDS AT 657,000 IN UNPAVED ROAD MONEY.
UM, SO THE FIRST PROJECT THAT'S IN THE SIX YEAR PLAN IS CONSIDERED A REGULAR PROJECT SINCE IT'LL BE FUNDED WITH TFE.
AND THAT'S THE, UM, ROUTE 6 28 TRANQUILITY LANE FROM BOBCAT TO 1.1 MILES SOUTH OF BOBCAT.
THAT'S AN ESTIMATE OF $355,000 WITH AN AD DATE OF AUGUST OF 25.
THE SECOND PROJECT IS ROUTE SIX 60, THE QUAKER ROAD REALIGNMENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE ONE.
THAT PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO COST $600,000 WITH AN A DATE OF APRIL OF 26.
THE RURAL RUSTIC PROJECTS ROUTE 6 0 9 CHERRY HILL, UM, THAT IS FROM ROUTE 40 TO ROUTE SIX 19 COURTHOUSE ROAD WITH AN ESTIMATE OF SIX, I'M SORRY, $285,000 WITH AN A DATE OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON THAT ONE THIS SUMMER.
THE NEXT PROJECT IS ROUTE 6 64 REESE ROAD.
THAT IS BETWEEN, UM, I'M SORRY, IT'S FROM OLD STAGE ROAD TO THE END OF STATE MAINTENANCE.
THAT ONE IS AN ESTIMATE OF $162,000 WITH AN A DATE OF MAY OF 2026.
THE NEXT PROJECT IS ROUTE 7 0 9 S ROAD.
THAT PROJECT IS FROM ROUTE 40 TO ROUTE 6 0 9 CHERRY HILL ROAD.
THE ESTIMATE FOR THAT PROJECT IS 286,000 WITH AN A DATE OF APRIL OF 2027.
THE NEXT PROJECT IS ROUTE 7 35 GOOSE POND ROAD.
THAT IS FROM ROUTE SIX 19 TO THE INTERSTATE MAINTENANCE WITH AN ESTIMATE OF 154,000 AND AN ADD DATE OF JUNE, 2028.
THE NEXT PROJECT IS ROUTE 7 57 MAR MOORE DRIVE.
THAT PROJECT RUNS FROM ROUTE 7 0 8 TO THE END OF STATE MAINTENANCE WITH AN ESTIMATE OF 91,000 AND THE ADD DATE OF JUNE OF 2029.
AND THAT IS ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR THIS SIX YEAR PLAN.
NOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANYONE? OKAY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING, THANK YOU.
SO ALL WE NEED IS JUST THE RESOLUTION FOR THE PLAN.
MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION, MS. BRYANT? YES, SIR.
HOW, HOW WAS THAT INCORPORATED? I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION PREVIOUSLY WITH MR. FRENCH ABOUT TRANQUILITY SOMEWHAT BEING INCLUDED IN, I GUESS, USING SOME TFE MONEY.
YES, WE'RE GONNA USE THE TFE MONEY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T QUALIFY BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
UM, IT DOESN'T QUALIFY UNDER THE RURAL RUSTED GUIDELINES.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO USE THE TFE AND BE ABLE TO DO MORE OF WHAT THAT ROAD NEEDS DONE, UM, THEN WE CAN DO UNDER THE RURAL RUSTIC PROGRAM.
I, I JUST WANTED FOR THE BOARD TO HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT, WHAT THAT WAS TO BE.
AND THEN I, I GUESS MY QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT THE PART OF, OF THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE? I KNOW YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO THE ROCK, THE ROCK.
WELL, FROM I UNDERSTAND THE OTHER SIDE OF TRANQUILITY, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF, UM, LOGGING DONE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
[01:05:01]
UM, WE'RE GONNA WAIT UNTIL AFTER THAT'S DONE BECAUSE A LOGGING OPERATION JUST DESTROYS A NEWLY BUILT ROAD.AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME WE BUILD A NEW ROAD, A LOGGER MOVES IN ON IT, AND THEN IT'S, IT'S A CONSTANT BATTLE TO KEEP IT MM-HMM
BUT I GUESS WHAT I, I, AND WHAT I'M GETTING AT, I THINK YES, IT, IT NEEDS TO GO ON THE SIX YEAR PLAN.
IT WOULD AT THE END OF THE PLAN OR WHATEVER TO GIVE THAT TIME.
BUT WHEN, WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT, WE ONLY LOOKED AT THAT ONE SIDE.
SO WE CAN EVALUATE THE OTHER SIDE AND SEE IF YOU KNOW, WHAT IT, WHAT IT COULD QUALIFY FOR.
MR. CHAIRMAN, AGAIN, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WE'RE USING EE MONEY GONNA GET AS MUCH AS TRANQUILITY UP TO THAT, THAT ROCK, AND THEN FROM THE ROCK BACK TO, UM, SIX 13, THAT WE WOULD ADD THAT POTENTIALLY NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT WAS AFTER THE EVALUATION, NOT FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT THE END OF THE PLANS JUST AS A PLACEHOLDER.
UM, AND THEN THAT WOULD LET Y'ALL FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH LONGER THE LOGGING OPERATION WOULD TAKE PLACE.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, IN THE MINUTES, WE'LL, WE WILL, WE'LL REFERENCE THE FACT THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR'S SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN.
MR. CHAIRMAN, OTHER THAN THAT STAFF DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
ANYONE LIKE TO, I, WHATEVER YOU WANNA, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
WE ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE SIX YEAR PLAN.
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER.
[12.B. Lily Pond Solar, LLC]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS EARLY POND SOLAR, LLC MR. MARK BASSETT.AS YOU INDICATED, THE, UH, WE HAVE TWO HEARINGS, UH, BEFORE US TONIGHT.
UH, THE FIRST IS THE REZONING CASE, UH, FOR LILY POND SOLAR, LLC.
AND AS PART OF THAT, THERE'S ALSO A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST, UH, WITH THE REZONING REQUEST.
UM, ON THE SLIDE WE HAVE, UH, BEFORE YOU, UH, THIS IS JUST AN OUTLINE OF THE OVERALL PROJECT SITE EXTENDS FROM REAMS ROAD DOWN TO CARSON ROAD, UH, AND A STRAIGHT LINE IS APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES, UH, GOING FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH ALONG THE SITE, UM, ACROSS 19 PARCELS.
ALL OF THE PARCELS AND ALL THE SURROUNDING PARCELS ARE ZONED A TWO AGRICULTURAL GENERAL.
AND AGAIN, THE APPLICANT THIS EVENING IS REQUESTING TO REZONE THE SUBJECT PROPERTY TO SCD UTILITY SCALE SOLAR ENERGY DISTRICT.
AND AS PART OF THAT, UM, YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AS WELL, UH, TO OPERATE A UTILITY SCALE SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S THE, UH, APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO OPERATE AN 80 MEGAWATT, UH, FACILITY ON 1,891 ACRES.
APPROXIMATELY 500 ACRES, UH, WOULD BE UNDER PANEL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE ON THE, UH, NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES.
UH, THE TANNED AREA SURROUNDED IN RED.
UM, THE PANELS WOULD BE SURROUNDED, UH, FENCED IN AREA.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE ARE, UH, SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE SITE, MOVING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, UM, ALLOWING FOR, UH, WILD WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, UH, WETLANDS AREAS, UH, CROP LANDS, OTHER VEGETATIVE LANDS THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
UM, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 500 ACRES OF CONSERVATION AREAS FOR BUFFERS, SETBACKS, WILDLIFE QUARTERS, NATURAL HABITAT.
THERE'S A POLLINATOR GARDEN SHOWN ON THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN AND ALSO BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION.
UM, WHILE TALKING ABOUT BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION, UM, ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS TO THE STAFF REPORT IS A LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST.
AND, UM, SINCE THE, UH, LAST APPLICATION CAME BEFORE YOU ALL,
[01:10:01]
UH, INTERJECTS HAS WORKED WITH THE BATTLEFIELD TRUST AND INTERJECTS WILL DONATE 27.45 ACRES OUTRIGHT TO THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST, UH, TO ENSURE ITS PERMANENT PROTECTION.AND ALSO, UH, AS PART OF THAT, UM, THERE WILL ALSO BE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, UH, 61.4 SENSITIVE ACRES TO CREATE INAPPROPRIATE BUFFER, UH, BETWEEN THE CORE BATTLEFIELD AND THE, UH, PANEL ARRAYS THEMSELVES.
UM, THERE'S ALSO A POINT OF INTERCONNECTION, THERE'LL BE A SUBSTATION CONSTRUCTED AS, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, UM, THE WEST OF, UM, HALIFAX ROAD, APPROXIMATELY IN THE, THE CENTER OF THE OVERALL SITE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE THE POINT OF INTER INTERCONNECTION INTO THE EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINES AS PART PART OF THE PROJECT.
UM, THEY BE, THE APPLICANT WOULD BE RETI REQUIRED TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL PERMITS.
AND IT, UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE, UH, WORK THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE, UH, RELATED TO THE SITE PLAN, ADDITIONAL PERMITS WOULD COME FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO FILED A NOTICE OF INTENT, UM, AS PART OF THE PERMIT BY RULE, UH, FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE OVERALL SITE, UH, THE GEN THE AREA IS GENERALLY RURAL AND USED FOR SILVA CULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL PURPOSE PURPOSES INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT THE SITE WITH RURAL RESIDENTIAL, UH, SINGLE FAMILY LOTS.
THE SITE INCLUDES FORESTED AND OPEN AGRICULTURAL LAND, UM, UH, WITH CLEARED UTILITY CORES.
THOSE ARE THE TRANSMISSION LINES, UM, THAT CROSS THE SITE.
UM, AND THERE ARE COMMERCIAL PINE, TIMBER AND WETLAND SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRICK KILN BRANCH, WAN CREEK AND PERKINS POND, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT SITE AS WELL.
UH, ALSO AS SHOWN ON THE OVERALL SITE PLAN FOR THE PROJECT, UH, THE APPLICANT HAS ATTEMPTED TO DESIGN THE SITE, UH, TO MINIMIZE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND TO MINI MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO THE AQUATIC RESOURCES, RESOURCES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
RESIDENTIAL LAND MAKES UP 1.2% OF THE PROJECT SITE.
AGRICULTURAL LAND MAKES UP 8.6% OF THE PROJECT SITE PLANTED PINES MAKE UP 13.6% OF THE PROJECT SITE AND MAKES PINE UPLAND FOREST MAKES UP 42.1% OF THE PROJECT SITE AND WETLANDS MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY 19% OF THE PROJECT SITE.
UH, PRETTY MUCH THE OVERALL SITE, MORE THAN 99% OF THE SITE EVENTUALLY DOES DRAIN TO THE NOT AWAY RIVER.
UM, LOOKING AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES DISCUSS, UH, PRESERVING PRIME AGRICULTURAL, LAND SENSITIVE LANDS AND HABITATS, AIR AND LIGHT, AND DISCUSSES ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE.
UH, CHAPTER SEVEN OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNED LAND USE INCLUDES, UH, RELEVANT PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS, BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION AND PLANNING GUIDELINES AS PART OF CONSERVATION LANDS.
UH, THE FUTURE LAND USE FRAMEWORK, UM, DESIGNATES THIS AREA AS THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THERE'S A PRIORITY FOR THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREA AND PRESERVING THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE, PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL AGRITOURISM AND FORESTRY AS THE PREDOMINANT USES.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY USES MAY BE APPROPRIATE IN THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREAS WITH DISCRETIONARY APPROVAL AND THE PURPOSE OF THE RURAL CONSERVATION AREAS TO PRESERVE EXISTING FARMLAND, FOREST LAND, AND NATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES.
WE ALSO HAVE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, THAT DISCUSS, UH, DISCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT OF PRIME FARMLAND TO PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND PROMOTE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER HISTORIC RESOURCES, PRESERVE EXISTING FLOODPLAINS CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS AND STEEP SLOPES.
AND AGAIN, SITE RENEWABLE ENERGY USES IN A MANNER THAT HAS MINIMAL IMPACT
[01:15:01]
TO SCENIC VIEW SHEDS AND NATURAL RESOURCES.UM, LOOKING AT THE IMPACTS I DID, UH, OUTLINE, UM, ALL OF THE, UH, PERMITS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED, UM, AS PART OF THE PROJECT IF THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD FOR DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THE APPLICANT DID SUBMIT A FINANCIAL FINANCIAL IMPACT, UM, FOR THE PROJECT.
UH, CURRENTLY, UM, ALL, MOST OF THIS PROPERTY IN THIS AREA IS UNDER LAND USE AND IT, UH, PRODUCES APPROXIMATELY $6,800 IN ANNUAL REAL ESTATE TAX.
AND THE PROJECTED REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE OVER THE 45 YEAR PROJECT LIFESPAN, UM, UH, WOULD BE A LITTLE OVER, UM, $300,000.
UH, WITH THE NEW USE PROPOSED, THE SOLAR FACILITY, UH, THE TAX GENERATED, UH, WOULD BE IN PER YEAR WOULD BE ESTIMATED AT 2 220 $5,000 AND OVER 45 YEARS.
THE ESTIMATED REAL ESTATE TAX GENERATED, UM, IS OVER $10 MILLION.
UH, THE PROJECT IS SUBJECT TO MACHINERY AND TOOLS TAX AND ALSO, UM, THE REVENUE SHARE OPTION IS ALSO AVAILABLE, UH, FOR THE PROJECT UP TO $1,400 PER MEGAWATT OF SOLAR CAPACITY, UH, WITH AN ESCALATOR OF 10% EVERY FIVE YEARS, BEGINNING IN 2026.
UM, THAT WOULD PRODUCE $8.2 MILLION OVER 45 YEARS.
THE MACHINERY AND TOOLS TAX, UH, WOULD BE AT APPROXIMATELY, UH, OVER $4 MILLION EVERY 45 YEARS.
SO THE PROJECT AND DIRECT PHYSICAL IMPACT FOR THE PROJECT FOR THE COUNTY WOULD BE 14 MILLION TO $18 MILLION, UH, OVER THE PROJECT LIFETIME.
UH, JUST TO TOUCH ON THE TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS, UH, ROADS AROUND THE PROJECT SITE, UH, AS WELL AS ROADS USED TRAVELING, UH, TO THE PROJECT SITE, UM, VDOT RECOMMENDED THAT A CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN BE REQUIRED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS.
UM, THE CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN INCLUDES A PLAN TO SHOW PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION ACCESS ROUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT SITE FROM THE STATE, PRIMARY ROUTES, A PRE-CONSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT OF THE CONDITION OF THE SECONDARY ROADWAYS TO BE USED AS HAUL ROUTE TO THE, TO THE FACILITY WITH A COMMITMENT FROM THE APPLICANT TO REPAIR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED DURING CONSTRUCTION AND TO RESTORE THE ROADWAYS TO PRE-CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS.
AND A PLAN TO IDENTIFY ONSITE AREAS SUITABLE FOR PARKING FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND AREAS EXIST ON THE SITE TO ALLOW TRUCKS TO BE UNLOADED AND TURN AROUND WITHOUT HAVING TO BACK ON THE STATE MAINTAINED ROADWAYS, UM, AT DIFFERENT AREAS THROUGHOUT THE SITE, OF COURSE, THEY WOULD HAVE, UM, ENTRANCES TO THE SITE AND, UH, VO WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE WOULD BE LOW VOLUME COMMERCIAL ENTRANCES AND THOSE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
UH, TO NOTE, UH, IN THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, THERE ARE CONDITIONS, UH, THAT DISCUSS THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ITEMS RELATED TO THAT.
UM, AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, MEETING THEIR, UH, MARCH MEETING, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, UH, VOTED, UH, BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO TWO TO RECOMMEND, UH, DENIAL OF THE REZONING REQUEST, UH, THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS EVENING.
UH, AS PART OF THE, UH, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT I MENTIONED, UH, IF THE REZONING IS APPROVED, THE APPLICANT AGAIN DOES HAVE TO RECEIVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, TO ALLOW THE, UH, PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WOULD LIKE TO JUST HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE PROPOSED AND REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RELATED TO THE, TO THE PROJECT.
UM, LOOKING AT THOSE CONDITIONS, UH,
[01:20:01]
THE PROJECT SITE IS DESCRIBED AND DEFINED, UH, FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.UM, THE DURATION AND OF USE AND PERMIT IS DEFINED AS WELL.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS DEFINED AS PART OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT STUDIES AND PLANS, THESE ARE OUTLINED IN THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THERE WILL BE A CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT PLAN SUBMITTED.
ALSO, CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN AND TRAFFIC MITIGATION PLAN AND ROAD REPAIR PLAN, UH, WOULD HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED AND SUBMITTED AND APPROVED AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT.
UM, ALSO THERE WOULD BE A, A SEPARATE LANDSCAPE PLAN THAT WOULD BE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.
UM, TO NOTE, A $20,000 LANDSCAPING BOND WOULD BE POSTED FOR 10 YEARS TO ENSURE MAINTENANCE OF THE VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
UM, WITH THE LANDSCAPING PLAN, OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE BUILDING AND ELECTRICAL PLANS SUBMITTED.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO, UH, MEET THE CODE IN PLACE AND, UH, HAVE TO BE SUBJECT TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL APPROVAL.
ALSO, FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL, HISTORIC ENVIRONMENTAL AND HISTORIC SURVEYS.
STUDIES, UH, WOULD HAVE TO BE FILED, UH, WETLAND AND STREAM DELINEATION, INCLUDING PRELIMINARY JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THREATENING ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT ASSESSMENT, AND A PHASE ONE ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE PROJECT.
UM, LIABILITY INSURANCE IS ALSO INCLUDED, UH, AS PART OF THE CONDITIONS.
A GRADING PLAN, UH, WOULD BE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE PROJECT AND EROSION SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN, A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND ALSO, AS RELATED TO THOSE PLANS, UH, THERE IS REIMBURSEMENT THAT'S INCLUDED, UH, FOR THE COUNTY AS NEEDED TO CONDUCT THIRD PARTY REVIEWS AND ALSO, UM, INSPECTIONS OF THE SITE.
UM, DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT PLANS, UH, THE APPLICANT, UM, WOULD CONTRIBUTE $50,000 PER YEAR FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROVISION OR EMPLOYMENT OF OUTSIDE EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS NECESSARY TO REVIEW SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE PROJECT OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY'S EXPERTISE OR FOR THE COUNTY.
HAS IN QUITE INADEQUATE FULL-TIME STAFF IN THE COUNTY SOLE DISCRETION TO USE AS PART OF THE, UH, PROJECT REVIEW.
ALSO, UM, AS I INDICATED, UH, THE APPLICANT IN THE CONDITIONS IS INDICATED, UH, THAT THEY WOULD, UH, PROVIDE, UH, REIMBURSEMENT TO THE COUNTY FOR ACTUAL COSTS FOR INSPECTIONS ON THE SITE, NOT TAKE, EXCEED 10 HOURS PER WEEK FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF GRADING OF THE SITE THROUGH FINAL STABILIZATION.
UM, LOOKING AT THE SITE FEATURES, UM, IN THE CONDITIONS, IT IS DEFINED THAT A 250 FOOT SETBACK WOULD BE MAINTAINED FROM THE FENCE LINE OF THE PROJECT.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE, THE FENCE LINE WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE PANEL ARRAYS AND, UM, THERE'D BE A 250 FOOT SETBACK BETWEEN THE HALIFAX ROAD RIGHT AWAY AND ANY, UM, PANEL ARRAYS.
THERE'D ALSO BE 150 FOOT WIDE SETBACK FOR THE REMAINING PERIMETER OF THE PROJECT SITE.
UM, THAT WILL BE MAINTAINED AGAIN, BETWEEN THE FENCE, SOLAR RAYS AND ALL PROPERTY LINES AND PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS.
UM, ALSO TALK ABOUT IN THE CONDITIONS, UM, LIMITED ACCESS TO THE SITE, UM, THE PROJECT WILL HAVE ACCESS AS SHOWN ON THE CONCEPT PLAN.
UM, AND THERE SHALL NOT BE ANY ACCESS ALLOWED EITHER, UH, FROM LEE POND LANE OR FROG LICK LANE.
UM, LIGHTING IS ADDRESSED, UH, TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE DARK, DARK SKY COMPLIANT, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS AND INSPECTIONS, UM, DEFINING THAT, UH, TO BE SURE THAT, UH, STAFF AND ANYONE NEEDING TO ACCESS THE SITE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, DO THAT TO PERFORM, UM, INSPECTIONS TO THE SITE.
APPLICANT IS ALSO OFFERING TO, UM, PROVIDE
[01:25:01]
TRAINING FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS FOR THE COUNTY, UM, INSTALLING DRY HYDRANTS THROUGHOUT THE SITE.UM, ALSO GROUNDWATER MONITORING IS DETAILED IN THE CONDITIONS, UM, THAT WOULD HAPPEN PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION, DURING CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN AFTER, UH, THE PROJECT, UH, IS CONSTRUCTED, THERE WOULD BE GROUND MONITOR GROUNDWATER MONITORING OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
UM, THE APPLICANT, UH, HAS ALSO AGREED TO OFF OFFSET, OFFSET THE IMPACT TO AGRICULTURAL USES THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
AND AGAIN, UM, THE APPLICANT HAS INDICATED, UH, THAT NO MORE THAN 30 ACRES OF CROP LAND, UH, WOULD BE IMPACTED, UH, BY THE PROJECT.
AND THEN DECOMMISSIONING, THERE'S AN EXTENSIVE DECOMMISSIONING PLAN, UM, IN THE CONDITIONS AS WELL.
AND THEN AGAIN, ALL PERMITS AND REPORTS ARE ADDRESSED IN THE CONDITIONS, UH, THAT THE COUNTY SHALL RECEIVE A COPY OF THOSE IN ANY OUTSIDE, UH, AGENCY REPORTS.
WE WOULD HAVE THOSE ON FILE AS WELL.
APPLICANT HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A PROJECT LIAISON, UM, THAT WOULD ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS, UH, BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
AND THERE'S TIMELINES, UH, TO ADDRESS ANY COMPLAINTS AND RESOLUTION FOR THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT ARE RECEIVED BY THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
ALSO, IN THE CONDITIONS ARE ADDRESSED, UH, ANY STOP WORK ORDERS THAT ARE NEEDED, UM, DURING CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT, AND, UM, ALSO ADDRESSING ANY NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS AS WELL.
UH, AFTER REVIEW OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST AND THE CONDITIONS AS ATTACHED TO THE REQUEST, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO TWO, UH, FOR DISAPPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE AT THIS TIME, MR. CHAIR.
BE GLAD TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AT THIS TIME.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOT A QUESTION.
THIS IS PERTAINING TO THE FIRST PAGE OF THE REPORT THAT THE MEMORANDUM THAT WE RECEIVED FROM MR. BASSETT, AND AT THE END OF IT IS, IT SAYS, AFTER HEARING THE REQUEST OF THE REZONING, THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED FORWARDED TO, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REZONING REQUEST.
I'M SORRY THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A TYPO.
THEN THE NEXT STATEMENT SAYS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED FOUR TO TWO TO RECOMMEND DISAPPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO BOTH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIS YES, BOTH SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I'M SORRY, EXCHANGED IN THE, IN THAT, THAT, YES, OUTLINED THE FIRST LETTER.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO CHAIRMAN CHAVIS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
I'M HERE TO REPRESENT LILY POND SOLAR AND, UH, RENEWABLES.
BEFORE I START ON THE PROJECT, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ENERGIX.
UH, WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA.
WE HAVE 15 OPERATIONAL PROJECTS, 14 OF WHICH ARE RIGHT HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
SEVEN MORE PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION THIS CALENDAR YEAR WITH FOUR OF THEM HERE IN VIRGINIA.
A COUPLE THINGS I WANNA MENTION THAT WE LIKE TO, UH, REFERENCE UP FRONT THAT KIND OF DIFFERENTIATES US FROM, FROM OTHER DEVELOPERS.
WE ARE A LONG, LONG-TERM OWNER OF THESE PROJECTS.
WE'RE A LONG-TERM MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE TODAY THE SAME WAY WE, WE WILL BE HERE AT 45 YEARS FROM NOW.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE LIKE TO, UH, COMMENT ON IS OUR COMMITMENT TO AMERICAN MADE EQUIPMENT.
UH, OUR PANELS, OUR RACKING CABLING, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN SOURCE DOMESTICALLY.
UH, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, OUR LOCATIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
HERE ARE THE COUNTIES WE'RE OPERATIONAL IN.
WE'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME REPEAT BUSINESS, UH, GETTING MODEL PROJECTS IN, IN LOCALITIES.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE PARTNERSHIPS AND
[01:30:01]
INVOLVEMENT THAT WE'VE CREATED IN ALL THESE COUNTIES.SO, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LILY POND SOLAR, UH, OVERVIEW IS, IT'S AN 80 MEGAWATT, UH, SOLAR FACILITY.
UM, SOME FEATURES OF, OR SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IS THEY CREATE NO POLLUTION.
THEY CREATE NO NOISE, AND AFTER CONSTRUCTION, THEY CREATE NO TRAFFIC.
THEY CREATE NO NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON A COMMUNITY.
THEY, THEY HAVE NO, UH, LONG-TERM NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON COMMUNITY'S BUDGET.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONCE IT'S BUILT, YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW IT'S THERE OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT'S A NEW REVENUE SOURCE FOR D WITTY COUNTY.
UH, IT'S ON ABOUT, IT'S UNDER 500 ACRES OF THE PROJECT.
UM, AND DURING CONSTRUCTION, IT'LL, IT'LL PRODUCE 300 WELL PAYING CONSTRUCTION JOBS.
THAT'S GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON NOT JUST LOCAL CONTRACTORS, BUT ALSO LOCAL HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
A BIG HIGHLIGHT HERE, OR A BIG POINT TO TO MENTION IS IT'LL CREATE IN, IN A, IN EXCESS OF $28 MILLION OF REVENUE FOR DINWITTY COUNTY.
AND THAT IS, UH, INCLUDING LONG-TERM REVENUE AS WELL AS VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS.
SO THAT INCLUDES FOUR $14 MILLION WORTH OF VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS, 10 MILLION OF WHICH, UH, THE COUNTY WOULD REALIZE, UH, UPON THE START OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS PROJECT A LOT.
SO JUST KEY FEATURES THAT HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED, UH, IT'S NET ZERO IMPACT ON DINWITTY CROPLAND, UH, ENHANCED SETBACKS TO ENSURE VISUAL SCREENING.
UH, KEY UPGRADES THAT WE'RE GONNA WALK THROUGH, UM, OUR ENDORSEMENT FROM THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, UH, BRINGING, BRINGING THIS PROJECT TONIGHT WITH THAT ENDORSEMENT, UH, COMMITMENT TO AGRI VOLTAIC.
THIS IS A NEW ADDITION THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE, UH, PROJECT, UH, BUT WE'LL GO OVER THAT IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN, LIKE I MENTIONED, ENHANCED, UH, VOLUNTEER PAYMENTS IN THE CITING AGREEMENT OFFER.
SO THE PROJECT MAP, UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT
THESE ARE ALL THE, THE, UH, INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE NEARBY THE PROJECT.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT NET ZERO IMPACT ON CROP LAND.
UH, I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE PROJECT, UH, IN, IN MULTIPLE ITERATIONS.
SO THIS IS OVER 80% REDUCTION IN, UH, IMPACTS TO CROP LAND FROM THE ORIGINAL PLANS THAT WERE BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND WE'RE, SO WE'RE MAKING UP FOR THAT 30 ACRE IMPACT WITH 45 ACRES THAT WE ARE, UM, SETTING ASIDE FOR, UM, THOSE 30 DISPLACED ACRES.
AND YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE IN THE LITTLE BLACK CIRCLE, UH, THE AGRICULTURAL AREA ALONG BRICK ROAD.
SO A LITTLE BIT ON THE NUMBERS THERE.
UH, THIS, THE TOTAL IMPACT ON DENWITTY LAND.
THE, THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS 0.1348% OF THE TOTAL LAND IN D WITTY COUNTY.
AND OF THE TOTAL CROPLAND FARMLAND IN DWIN COUNTY, IT'S 0.03%.
SO IT'S AN EXTREMELY DI MINIMIS IMPACT ON THE, THE, THE LANDSCAPE OF DENWITTY COUNTY.
UH, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO INTRODUCE THIS.
I, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS, UH, LATE EDITION, BUT I, I, IF THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS PROJECT, WE WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THIS BEING ADDED AS AN ADDITIONAL CONDITION THAT WE ARE WILLING TO ENSURE THAT, UM, SOLAR GRAZING AND, AND, UH, BEEHIVES ARE INTRODUCED ONTO THE SITE.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS, YOU KNOW, I JUST TALKED ABOUT 30 ACRES OF CROP LAND THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROJECT THAT WE'RE MAKING UP FOR OFFSITE.
THIS GUARANTEES THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD RESULT IN A NET INCREASE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN DENWOODY COUNTY.
AND JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOLAR, SOLAR SITES, UH, THEY'RE IDEAL FOR ANIMALS LIKE SHEEP.
THERE'S LOTS OF, UH, FOOD SOURCES FOR THEM ON SITE AND WATER SOURCES FOR THEM ON SITE.
SAME THING WITH, UH, POLLINATORS.
UM, WE, POLLINATOR MEADOWS ARE PART OF THE DESIGN.
SO IT'S PERFECT FOR, UM, BEE BOXES SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL POLLINATORS IN THE REGION.
MENTIONED THE ENHANCED SETBACKS AND VEGETATION.
UH, DINWITTY, UH, ORDINANCE SUGGESTS 75 FEET SETBACKS.
WE'VE INCREASED THAT TO 150 VOLUNTARILY.
AS YOU NOTICE FROM THE SITE, THERE IS, UH, THAT THAT'S A MINIMUM.
THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS WHERE IT'S GONNA FAR EXCEED 150 FEET.
UM, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS.
WE'RE PRESERVING EXISTING VEGETATION AND WHERE THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF VEGETATION, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLETELY SCREEN THIS FROM THE NEIGHBORS, I DID, I FRA TO MENTION VOLUNTARY LANDSCAPING BOND, WHICH I KNOW
[01:35:01]
MARK MENTIONED THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT AS A VOLUNTARY CONDITION AS WELL.SO I MENTIONED 150 FOOT SETBACKS.
SO THIS IS A PICTURE RIGHT HERE OF PAM AND SOLAR.
THIS IS TAKEN FROM ABOVE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, ANY HEIGHT THAT YOU'RE GONNA STAND AT, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT'S PAM AND SOLAR THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
AND WHEN I PRESS PLAY, YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHAT'S BEHIND THAT TREE.
THAT TREE LINE THAT'S A 50 FOOT SETBACK AND A 50 FOOT VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
AND THAT'S HOW EFFECTIVELY 100% SCREENED.
PAMPLIN SOLAR IS FROM THE OUTSIDE.
SO AGAIN, THAT IS A 50 FOOT SETBACK AND A 50 FOOT BUFFER.
SO THREE TIMES THAT WHICH WE JUST DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVELY SHIELDS THE PROJECT.
SO A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SETBACKS AND VEGETATION.
UH, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE FROM, UH, REAMS DRIVE.
THERE'S A 1500 FOOT SETBACK FROM REAMS DRIVE TO THE FIRST PANEL LOCATION.
SO AGAIN, FAR EXCEEDING THAT 150 FEET.
SO I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, VIEW SHED LANDSCAPING, IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERY LOCALITY WORRIES ABOUT AND, AND AS THEY SHOULD.
SO JUST GOING A LITTLE BIT AROUND THE, THE PROJECT.
THIS IS A VIEW FROM, UM, PARCEL 61 8, THE DANCE FAMILY PROPERTY.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP THAT IS THE VIEW WITH THE EXISTING VEGETATION.
UNDERNEATH OF THAT IS THE VIEW WITH AN USING AN X-RAY VIEW OF WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FROM A, WITH THE SOLAR SITE THERE, WE HAD TO USE AN X-RAY VIEW TO SHOW WHERE THE PANELS WERE BECAUSE THE TREES COMPLETELY BLOCK THEM.
AND IN FACT, ALSO THE, JUST THE NATURAL TOPOGRAPHY OF THE LAND.
YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE HIGHLIGHTED, UH, THE HIGHLIGHTED COLOR OF THE PANELS MOVING AROUND TO PARCEL 62 28 B, THE WINK FAMILY PROPERTY IN BRICK ROAD.
UH, WE HAD TO, IN ORDER TO SHOW DEPICT WHERE THE PANELS WOULD BE, WE HAD TO USE AN X-RAY VIEW BECAUSE THE EXISTING VEGETATION THAT WILL REMAIN FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE PROJECT COMPLETELY SHIELDS THIS FROM VIEW.
SO HERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION.
SO THIS IS, UH, UH, VIEW FROM PARCEL 62 9 2, THE PULLEY FAMILY PROPERTY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS VEGETATION THERE, THERE'S EXISTING VEGETATION, BUT IT IS INSUFFICIENT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A DEPICTION OF HOW WE WOULD CREATE A, AN EFFECTIVE SCREENING FROM A FROM AN AREA LIKE THAT.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE, UH, LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS MAP, I'M TRYING TO POINT A LASER UP THERE, UH, IN, IN THE MAP YOU CAN SEE ON THE NORTH, UH, WEST CORNER OF IT, THERE'S A AREA THAT IS, THAT IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST IS AREA THAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO NOT DISTURB.
SO WE'RE SETTING THAT ASIDE AS NON DISTURBANCE AREA.
THE AREA IN THE BLUE, UH, IS CONSERVATION EASEMENT FOR THE PROJECT DURATION.
AND THE AREA IN THE RED IS AREA THAT WILL BE PERMANENTLY DEEDED OVER FOR CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR WITH THEM.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
THE ONE IDEA THAT WE'VE KICKED AROUND IS DOING INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE BECAUSE WE DO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THIS AREA IS.
SO MAYBE INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE EDGES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE SOME INTERACTION WITH THE SITE AND TELL THE STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE MORE APPROPRIATELY.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA HEAR, AND WE'VE BEEN HEARING IT FOR MONTHS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW THIS IS GONNA DAMAGE HOLLOWED GROUND.
THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE UNKNOWN GRAVES ON THE SITE.
WELL, AS MARK POINTED OUT, AND AS I'M GONNA POINT OUT NOW, AFTER TONIGHT, HOPEFULLY WITH AN APPROVAL AFTER TONIGHT, WE WOULD GO THROUGH THE STATE PERMIT BY RULE PROCESS.
AND THAT INCLUDES GOING THROUGH ALL THOSE STATE AGENCIES WITH EXTENSIVE STUDIES OF THE SITE, OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE SITE, DOING THINGS LIKE GROUND PENETRATING RADAR, SHOVEL TESTS, MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON THE SITE THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED IF THERE ARE SOMEBODY LIKE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN OR HISTORIC RESOURCES FOR VIRGINIA, IS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MITIGATE ANYTHING THAT IS FOUND ON THE SITE.
SO WHETHER THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL AVOIDANCE AREAS OR, UH, RELOCATION OR, OR INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL SIGN OFF ON, NOT US.
THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET THIS TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHEN AND WHERE THIS ALL GOES.
DHR WILL PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN
[01:40:01]
MAKING SURE THAT NONE OF THAT NO NO IMPACTED NEGATIVELY BY, BY THIS PROJECT.SO DECOMMISSIONING, UH, MARK MENTIONED THE DECOMMISSIONING BOND AND THE EXTENSIVE DECOMMISSIONING PROGRAM.
IT IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIMPLE PROCESS.
THE, THE PANELS GO UP, THE PANELS COME DOWN, THE PANELS ARE REMOVED, THE RACKINGS REMOVED, EVERYTHING ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND IS JUST REMOVED.
AND THIS IS A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE TO EVERY ONE OF OUR LANDOWNERS.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION WE HAVE TO DENWITTY COUNTY.
AND FURTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE A SURETY BOND THAT WILL GO INTO PLACE TO ENSURE AT ANY POINT THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE COMMISSIONED, THE MONEY'S THERE TO, TO DO SO.
ONE, ONE OTHER POINT THAT YOU KNOW I'LL MENTION IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK ABOUT PANEL SAFETY, YOU KNOW, THE PANELS WE'RE USING, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, BACKED UP BY 50 50, UH, RESEARCHERS IN MORE THAN 10 COUNTRIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEIR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE THE PANELS SAFE? YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, BUT THE BEST EXAMPLE IS 250 MILLION.
FIRST, FIRST SOLAR PANELS HAD BEEN DEPLOYED WORLDWIDE.
NOT A SINGLE INSTANCE OF CONTAMINATION.
THE LONGEST LASTING, OR ONE OF THE LONGEST LASTING INSTALLATIONS IS THAT THE NATIONAL RELU RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY IN COLORADO, IT'S THERE TO TEST THE EFFICIENCY, BUT ALSO TO TEST THE SOIL IN THE WATER SURROUNDING THAT, THAT FACILITY, OVER 25 YEARS, IT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE, IT'S STILL OPERATIONAL, IT'S STILL EFFICIENT, AND THEY'VE FOUND NO ADVERSE EXAM ADVERSE IMPACTS TO THE SURROUNDING VIOLENT.
SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT IS THAT THE PROOF IS IN THE REAL LIFE ON THE GROUND SCENARIOS.
AND THEN ONE HIGHLIGHT, ONE THING THAT WE ALWAYS LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST FAR OFF UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCHES THAT HAVE DONE IT, BUT THE VIRGINIA CENTER FOR VIRGINIA TECH CENTER FOR COAL AND ENERGY RESEARCH, THEY ALSO DID EXTENSIVE STUDYING ON THESE PANELS AND, YOU KNOW, FOUND THAT THEY ARE SAFE, THEY POSE NO HARM.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING ON DECOMMISSIONING THAT I, THAT I WANTED TO MENTION AS PART OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION IS THE PANELS CAN BE RECYCLED.
OUR CONTRACT WITH FIRST SOLAR INSURERS, NOT ONLY ARE OUR PANELS SOURCED DOMESTICALLY, BUT WHEN THE, WHEN THE PANELS ARE DONE BEING USED, THEY GO BACK TO FIRST SOLAR AND FIRST SOLAR RECYCLES THEM IN THEIR OPERATIONAL FACILITY.
RIGHT NOW, THEY, THEY HAVE ONE IN OHIO, UH, 45 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE MULTIPLE SITES TO DO THIS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, TO, TO THE REASON WHY IS THE COMPONENTS OF EACH PANEL, OVER 90% OF THEM CAN BE REUSED FOR ADDITIONAL PRODUCT PRODUCTS.
AND THE, THE SEMICONDUCTOR ITSELF CAN BE RECYCLED AND TURNED INTO NEW PANELS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A, A SCARCE COMMODITY.
SO THAT DECOMMISSIONING IS SOMETHING THAT IS GUARANTEED BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO, FISCAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS, I KNOW THIS IS A LAND USE DIS DISCUSSION, A LAND USE DECISION, BUT EVERY LAND USE HAS IMPACTS ON ITS COMMUNITY.
AND THE HOLISTIC PICTURE OF A LAND USE IS ALSO THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON A COUNTY BUDGET.
SO LILY POND SOLAR WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT MASSIVE IMPACT ON COUNTY BUDGET.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SHOWN BY, YOU KNOW, THAT GRAPH 94 TIMES 90 AN INCREASE OF 94 TIMES.
WHAT YOU'RE REALIZING OFF OF THAT SAME SITE TODAY, THAT INCLUDES, UH, LONG-TERM REVENUE, BUT ALSO THE VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS.
YOU MENTIONED VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL RECENTLY HAD TO WRESTLE WITH A TAX INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THAT VOLUNTARY PAYMENT STRETCHED OUT OVER 10 YEARS COULD OFFSET THE NEED FOR MORE TAX TAX INCREASES LIKE THAT.
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE MADE THIS OFFER BECAUSE WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT DINWITTY COUNTY.
WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT TO OUR LANDOWNERS AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF HELPING DINWITTY COUNTY PROSPER.
SO ON AN ANNUAL, AN ANNUALIZED BASIS, UH, THIS IS STRETCHED OUT TO TAKING 45 YEARS, 635,500 $9,509 ANNUALLY.
UH, THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO TWO AND A HALF CENTS OF ON THE REAL ESTATE TAX VALUATION.
UH, SO THIS PROVIDES LONG-TERM RELIEF FOR THE NEED TO, UH, FACE ADDITIONAL HARD CHOICES ON TAX INCREASES.
SO TO SUMMARIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, TOTAL OF OVER 20, 28 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, 14 OF WHICH IS VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS.
SO I MENTIONED THE 10 MILLION UPFRONT, BUT ALSO THERE IS, UH, 4 MILLION OVER THE LIFESPAN OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE WE'VE COMMITTED TO WHAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, WHATEVER IS HIGHER M AND T OR REVENUE SHARE, WE WILL PAY WHATEVER, WHATEVER IS THE HIGHER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UH, THAT 10 MILLION AT THE START OF CONSTRUCTION THAT CAN
[01:45:01]
BE USED FOR ANY COMMUNITY NEED.ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE THAT IS LISTED AS A COMMUNITY PRIORITY THAT CAN GO TOWARDS NEW BUSES, NEW POLICE CARS, AMBULANCES, PUBLIC SAFETY OF ANY SORT.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, OVER 4 MILLION ADDITIONAL VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS IN ADDITION TO JUST THE, THE RAW TAX DOLLARS.
UH, THERE'S ALSO CONTRACTING NEEDS THAT WE, THAT WILL BE PART OF LILY POND SOLAR, UH, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS SORTS OF ENGINEERING TO THINGS LIKE ROAD AGGREGATE.
UH, EVERY EVERY FACILITY NEEDS A FENCE.
AND I, I'M SURE WE CAN FIND FENCES IN DI WITTY COUNTY NURSERY AND LANDSCAPING.
THAT'S BOTH A, AN INITIAL, UH, CONTRACT AND THEN LONG TERM CONTRACTS.
BUT THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, DURING, DURING CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED 300 CONSTRUCTION JOBS, THE HOSPITALITY LODGING INDUSTRIES IN DINWITTY COUNTY WOULD SEE A SIGNIFICANT IN IMPACT FROM THOSE WORKERS BEING ON SITE.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, YOU KNOW, I I I FIRST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME AND I THINK, UH, ENERGETICS LILY POND, WE'VE SHOWN CONSISTENTLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN ISSUES WERE RAISED, WHEN, UH, CONCERNS WERE RAISED BY THIS COMMUNITY, WE, WE STEPPED UP AND MADE CHANGES TO THE PROJECT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
WE'RE STILL CON WE'RE WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, INSERTING VOLTA INTO IT.
UM, WE'VE VOLUNTARILY DOUBLED THE SETBACKS ON THE SITE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS INVISIBLE.
SO AT THE END OF CONSTRUCTION, THE ONLY THING THAT, THE ONLY IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON DINWITTY COUNTY IS HELPING YOUR BUDGET, UM, AND AGAIN, ILLUSTRATED THE POSITIVE, UH, ECONOMIC BENEFIT.
AND WITH THAT, I, I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? NOT AT THIS POINT.
AT THIS TIME, THE, UH, SIGNUP SHEET WILL BE CLOSED AND I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAVE FAYE DONAHUE, I, OOPS.
FROM JAY DONAHUE, 26 5 10 RES DRIVE.
UM, CHAIRMAN CHAVIS SUPERVISORS, MR. MASSENGALE, UM, OTHERS, REPRESENTATIVE KNIGHT, UH, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023, I BELIEVE DEY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DENWOODY FORD.
I QUOTE FROM THAT DOCUMENT, WE CHERISH OUR HERITAGE, EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY, AND OFFER AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS BEEN A LIFETIME.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WHOLEHEARTEDLY IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE.
AND WHAT YOU HEARD FROM PARTICIPANTS WAS, RURAL CHARACTER IS CONSIDERED THE COUNTY'S MOST VALUED ASSET.
AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU MY DEFINITION OF RURAL CHARACTER DOES NOT EQUAL LILY PONDS RULE, CHARACTER, AGRICULTURE, HISTORICAL CHARACTER.
THAT'S WHAT WE BRING TO AS A BENEFIT FROM DEWITT COUNTY.
UM, AND AS A STATE OF DIRECTION, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO ACTIVELY PURSUE, UH, PRESERVATION OF CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS.
WE CHEERED LOTS OF DOCUMENTS OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS ASSOCIATED WITH FACTS AROUND THAT BATTLE AND THE LIVES LOST.
AND THIS HALL GROUND OF 3,400 PLUS, UM, SOLDIERS, PLEASE DON'T ALLOW LILY POND TO DECIMATE THOSE GRAVES.
AND MASS GRAVES WERE COMMON DURING THIS TIME.
AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES SOLDIERS WERE BURIED WHERE THEY FELL.
AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME WE'RE NOT GOING TO IMPACT THOSE GRAVES.
AND IT'S NOT 63 HISTORICAL A ACRES, IT'S 746 ACRES OF HISTORICAL LAND.
THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS FOUGHT IN THIS AREA.
AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT YOU CAN FIT 10 TO 20,000 SOLDIER SOLDIERS IN 63 ACRES.
SO LILY POND ALSO RESPONDED AT ONE TIME THAT SOLAR PANELS ARE NO WORSE THAN AGRICULTURE USE OF THE LAND PLOWING, ET CETERA.
I TO DIFFER WHEN IT WAS SHARED THAT METAL SPIKES ARE GONNA BE DRIVEN EIGHT FEET DEEP INTO THIS GROUND FOR EACH SOLAR PANEL ERECTED ACROSS 500 ACRES.
THAT'S GONNA DISTURB A LOT OF THESE GRAVES THAT, THAT THEY WON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
IT'S LIKE BUILDING A SOLAR FARM ON A GRAVEYARD.
[01:50:01]
AND I, I RECENTLY HAD SOME ENLIGHTENED CONVERSATIONS VIA PHONE AND EMAIL WITH DR.MARY BURROUGHS, DIRECTOR OF VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTAL STATION, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF RESEARCH, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES, VIRGINIA TECH, AND WITH RYAN STEWART, WHO IS PART OF HER STAFF, UH, THAT HAS WRITTEN A LOT OF DOCUMENTS THAT WENT BEFORE THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATION RECENTLY.
AND YES, I'M NAMEDROPPING, DR.
BURS AND HER STAFF HAVE PROVIDED LOTS OF RESEARCH REGARDING SOLAR INSTALLATIONS AND THE IMPACT OF SOIL.
AND MOST OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE WAY OVER MY HEAD.
BUT THERE ARE SOIL SCIENTISTS LOOKING AT THIS FROM AN AGRICULTURE PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IT'S RUINING SOIL THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA.
THEY RECENTLY WERE GIVEN A 3.4 MILLION GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
AND THE TAKEAWAY FOR ME IS THAT IF VIRGINIA TECH IS SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY ON RESEARCH OF SOIL IMPACT, WE OUGHT TO PAY ATTENTION.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S AREAS BEING RUINED AROUND THIS, THIS, UH, STATE WITH SOLAR FARMING.
AND LASTLY, IF YOU HAVE THE FINES THAT THEY HAVE AGAINST NOT ADHERING TO SOIL PRESERVATION AND RUN OF TIMES MARCH, 2023, YOU KNOW, QUOTED THESE VIOLATIONS ARE EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL REGULATION ISSUES.
CAN WE REALLY VALUE A CONTRACT THAT HAS ALL THESE FINES ISSUED AGAINST IT? THEY'RE MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO WILLINGLY PAY FINES WHILE DESTROYING LAND.
AND PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU VISIT YOUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES DOCUMENT THAT YOU'VE PUBLISHED FOR DI COUNTY, PROTECTING OUR COMMITMENTS TO PROTECT OUR HISTORY AND OUR RURAL NATURE OF THIS AMAZING COUNTY WE CALL HOME.
AND PER, UH, THAT THERE'S A LETTER THAT WENT OUT FROM CHAIRMAN CHAVIS, IT SAID, ABOVE ALL ELSE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF OUR CITIZENS.
WELL, IF YOU REALLY TAKE THAT TO HEART, VOTE NO AGAINST THIS IN INDUSTRIAL SOLAR FARM.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M PATTY CHAPEL MUTUAL FROM BRICK ROAD IN CARSON.
UH, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT DENWOODY COUNTY NEEDS.
WE NEED MORE DEPUTIES, WE NEED MORE SAFETY VEHICLES, WE NEED MORE FIRE TRUCKS.
WE NEED MORE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS.
WE NEED UPDATES TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THINGS.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS IN THE DENWOODY BUDGET THAT HAS TO BE PUSHED TO A YEAR AND AWAY, TWO YEARS AWAY, THREE YEARS AWAY, BECAUSE THEN WITTY DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GETTING THE TAX INCREASE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE DID NOT THINK ABOUT LIGHTLY.
WE DIDN'T ENTER IN THIS LIGHTLY WHEN WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS.
MY MOM IS 87, SHE'S NOW IN A WHEELCHAIR FULL TIME.
MY HOUSE, I'M THE FIFTH GENERATION THAT'S LIVED IN THAT HOUSE.
I HAVE A FAMILY CEMETERY IN MY BACKYARD.
WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR FAMILY HISTORY AND LOSE THE FAMILY FARM, TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THINGS.
WE WANT TO KEEP OUR FARM FOR NEXT GENERATIONS.
JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR ANCESTORS BEFORE US HAVE KEPT IT AND WE STILL HAVE IT NOW.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE WE HAVE WOULD BE TO DIVIDE AND SELL, BUT I WAS TOLD WE CAN'T DO THAT EITHER WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL, BUT THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
FAMILY HAS PAID TAXES ON THIS LAND FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS.
BUT NOW DENWOODY CAN TELL US WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO WITH THAT LAND THAT WE'VE OWNED FOR, FOR MANY, MANY, MANY GENERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK MATT ENGLISH.
GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL LETTING ME SPEAK.
I'M REPRESENTING THE EASY ENERGY SOLUTIONS.
IT'S AON TAX, UM, BUSINESS THAT WE JUST STARTED RECENTLY.
UH, I SEE Y'ALL'S FLAG RIGHT THERE, HAS TOBACCO ON IT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN TOBACCO FARMERS FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS.
UM, TOBACCO WENT ON THE DOWNHILL SWING OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
UM, I DON'T MISS PICKING SUCKER LEAVES THAT HEAT, LIKE GUESS
[01:55:01]
UH, WE SWITCHED OVER TO CATTLE AND SHEEP AND UH, WE'VE GOTTEN VERY LARGE OPERATIONS IN THAT.UM, I LIVE UP THE ROAD JUST UP FOR 60 AND FARM BOY AREA AND I MANAGE A PAM AND SITE THE, UH, PICTURES THAT YOU SAW ON THE UH, TV SCREEN, THEY WERE MY SHEET.
UH, I WAS APPROACHED BY ENERGY X SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE PROJECT AT PAMPLIN WAS GOING UP AND JUST LIKE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD, I HADN'T MIXED EMOTIONS ABOUT IT ON MY AVID OUTDOORSMAN, UH, BIG FARMER.
AND, UH, ANYWAY, I LOOKED AT ENERGY X AND I WATCHED IT BEING BUILT AND I RODE DOWN THE ROAD AND I KEPT TURNING AROUND AND I WASHED THIS GRASS GROW AND GRASS GROW.
AND, AND UH, I SAID, MAN, THAT'D BE GREAT TO PUT LIVESTOCK ON.
AND UH, I CONTACTED THEM AND UH, WE WENT BACK AND FORTH FOR A COURSE OF A TIME AND, UH, LO AND BEHOLD, THEY GAVE ME THE CONTRACT TO MANJE SITE.
I WENT FROM RAISING ABOUT 60 TO 70 SHEEP A YEAR TO NOW ALMOST 300 THANKS TO THE PAMPA SITE THIS YEAR.
MY NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP SO MUCH LAST YEAR, EVERY SHEEP I HAD HAD TWINS, WHICH IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
IF YOU'RE IN THE SHEEP INDUSTRY, THAT'S LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY.
THIS YEAR WE HAD A 222% AVERAGE.
THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY HEALTHY, THEY'RE THRIVING, THEY'RE HAPPY.
WE HAVE NO HEALTH ISSUES LIKE WE HAD ON THE FAMILY FARM THANKS TO ENERGY X AND THAT SITE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANDING TO OTHER SITES.
I'M TALKING TO LOCAL FARMERS THAT I HAVE TIES AND RELATIONS WITH.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA.
I PLAN ON TEAMING UP WITH THEM.
AND THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ANYWAY FOR THE DENWITTY FOLKS, I PROMISE YOU.
AND UM, LASTLY, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT LIKE TO HUNT AND ENJOY THE OUTDOORS, I'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY QUAIL AND TURKEYS AS IT IS ON A PAMPHLET SITE.
SOMETIMES I HAVE TO BLOW THE HORN TO GET THE TURKEYS AT THE ROAD.
QUAIL, I'M A MEMBER OF THREE HUNT CLUBS.
I DIDN'T SEE NO QUAIL THIS YEAR.
WE GOT TWO COVES ON THAT SITE LAST WEEK.
I WAS AT A MEETING SIMILAR TO THIS.
HE'S WORKING WITH, UH, QUAIL UNLIMITED AND THE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, NATURAL RESOURCES ON PITTING SOME SPECIAL SEED MIX UNDER SOLAR PANELS.
AND WE'RE FORMING A BOARD TO WORK WITH THAT.
I WENT WITH ENERGY X EARLIER AND SPOKE WITH THEM PRIVATELY ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID, YOU LET US KNOW WHAT YOU NEED.
UH, LASTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO TO END WITH THIS.
WHEN I WENT PUBLIC AND IT HIT THE NEWSPAPERS AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WE PARTNERED UP.
I HAD THE LARGEST POWER COMPANY REACH OUT TO ME AND THEY SAID, WE WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH YOU.
THEY SAID, WE WANT YOU TO CRUISE THREE SITES, BUT WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR YOU TO COME DOWN.
AND IT WAS IN THIS AREA, THE FIRST SITE, IT WAS GARBAGE.
THE SECOND SITE WAS JUST ABOUT THE SAME.
THE THIRD DEFENSES WAS SO BAD.
IT WAS BEARS AND COYOTES IN THERE.
THEY SAID, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I SAID, I THINK I'M GONNA STAY WHERE I'M AT.
EVERYTHING I NEED THESE PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF ME.
THEY TAKE CARE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY'VE SUPPORTED MY COMMUNITY.
I THINK THEY'RE DOING THE SAME HERE.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO AND I THINK FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW MY BUSINESS AND MY FAMILY FARM, 'CAUSE WE COULD NOT FINANCIALLY DO IT WITHOUT MGX.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MY NAME'S BLAKE COX.
I'M ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF A NONPROFIT CALLED ENERGY, RIGHT? AND THE WHOLE GOAL OF ENERGY, RIGHT, IS TO EDUCATE AROUND ENERGY BEING DEVELOPED THE RIGHT WAY ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, FOCUSED ON CONSERVATIVE IDEALS LIKE PROPERTY RIGHTS AND ALL OF THE ABOVE APPROACH TO ENERGY.
IT'S OUR HOPE TO BE A COMMON SENSE VOICE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL WHEN WE'RE HAVING THESE REALLY IMPORTANT ENERGY DISCUSSIONS.
NOW, AS YOU ALL CONSIDER PROJECTS IN THE COUNTY, I HOPE YOU YOU ALL WILL, UH, KEEP AN EYE ON PROPERTY RIGHTS.
MEANING THAT SOMEONE CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT WITH THEIR LAND AS LONG AS THEY AREN'T NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THEIR COMMUNITY OR THEIR NEIGHBOR.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL ALSO KEEP IN MIND THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME ALONG WITH CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS.
WE BELIEVE THAT SOLAR PROJECTS SHOULD PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE IN TAXES AND LIKE WE'LL DISCUSS TONIGHT, CITING AGREEMENTS CAN BE A HELPFUL WAY TO OFFSET COUNTY EXPENSES, UM, OR PAY FOR MUCH NEEDED, UH, COUNTY PROJECTS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT TAX REVENUE FROM SOLAR PROJECTS DON'T STRING PUBLIC SERVICES LIKE OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT MIGHT DEMAND.
AND THESE TAX DOLLARS CAN HELP TO GO LOWER TAXES ON CITIZENS, AS WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER VIRGINIA COUNTIES LIKE HALIFAX OR CHARLOTTE COUNTY WHERE THEY GO TO REPAIRING OUR ROADS OR FUNDING OUR VERY IMPORTANT POLICE OFFICERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS
[02:00:01]
WHEN DONE RIGHT, SOLAR IS A QUIET ODORLESS OUT OF SIGHT OUTTA MIND, LAND USE AND NEIGHBOR THAT CAN GENERATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A COUNTY.AND NOT ONLY CAN THESE PROJECTS BE, BE A BOOST FOR YOUR LOCAL TAX BASE, BUT ALSO BE A HUGE BENEFIT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UM, I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF A GROUP CALLED THE SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA BUSINESS ALLIANCE.
MATT'S ACTUALLY A MEMBER AS WELL.
UM, AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THE S-C-V-B-A IS TO HELP CONNECT LOCAL BUSINESSES WITH THE SOLAR INDUSTRY.
UM, IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHEN WE CAN TELL THIS ECONOMIC STORY THAT WE CAN INCLUDE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING BUILT IN SUBA, WE LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS FROM YOUR LOCAL LAWN CARE BUSINESS, A HARD, A LOCAL HARDWARE STORE OR EVEN A FOOD TRUCK.
AND SO PASSING S SMART AND RESPONSIBLE PROJECTS DOESN'T JUST MEAN ONE PERSON IS BENEFITING FROM YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO THE CITIZENS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THEY ALL STAND, UH, TO BENEFIT FROM SEEING SOLAR PROJECTS DONE THE RIGHT WAY.
SO IF YOU, I WOULD URGE YOU ALL TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE CONSIDERATION APPROVAL OF SOLAR HERE IN THE COUNTY SO THAT THE BENEFITS CAN BE FULLY REALIZED.
IF WE CAN EVER BE A RESOURCE TO YOU ALL, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO SO.
CHRIS RIZZO, CHRIS RIZZO, DRIVER ROAD NORTH DE WOODY.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK YOU TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF DE WITTY COUNTY.
THIS IS NOT JUST A CASE ABOUT LAND USE, THIS IS ABOUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR DEM WITTY COUNTY.
WHEN THIS BOARD, UH, REZONED FOR THE APARTMENT PROJECT OVER A MUCH STRONGER OBJECTION, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE COUNTY MUST CONSIDER THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OF A PROJECT AT YOUR BUDGET HEARINGS LAST MONTH.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF HARD CHOICES THAT WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS YOUR BEST CHANCE TO OBTAIN THE FUNDING FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FACE CUTS IN RESPONSE TO SAM HAYES COMMENTS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT ENDORSING POLITICS, IT'S ABOUT MEETING THE INCREASING NEEDS OF THE POWER GRID.
IT'S ABOUT USING PROVEN AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY TO SAFELY DO THAT.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO REAP THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS FOR DI WITTY COUNTY.
I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT IF ANY OF THE CONCERNS AGAINST IT THAT I'VE HEARD WERE BASED ON FACTS.
I DO THINK FARMING HERITAGE IN DIMITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
MY WIFE GREW UP ON A DIMITY FARM AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE FARMING IN DIMITY COUNTY.
MY WIFE ALSO OWNS LAND AT MAXWELL WATKINS' FARM FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
IF I FELT THAT THE FEARS OF THOSE OPPOSED UP TO THE PROJECT WERE ACCURATE, I'D BE OPPOSED TO IT TOO.
BUT THE, LIKE I SAID, THE FACTS SHOW OTHERWISE.
NUMEROUS STUDIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY HAVE SHOWN THE CONCERNS ABOUT SOLAR PANELS.
LEACHING ACADEMY ARE UNFOUNDED.
I'VE HAD SOLAR PANELS ON MY ROOF FOR SIX YEARS.
I PUT THEM IN SOLAR FOR ECONOMIC REASONS JUST TO SAVE MONEY.
IT'S UM, IT'S PAYING FOR ITSELF FASTER THAN PROJECTED AND IT DOES WORK.
THE WATER RUNOFF FROM MY ROOF ALL GOES TO ONE LARGE DRAIN PIPE, WHICH I DIRECTED TO EMPTY OUT OVER MY WELL YEARS AGO.
I RECENTLY HAD THE SOIL AND WATER TESTED, THE RESULTS CONFIRMED THE VIRGINIA TECH STUDY.
AFTER SIX YEARS OF CONCENTRATED RUNOFF FROM MY SOLAR PANELS, NO TRACE OF CADIUM WAS FOUND.
THE AMERICAN BATTLEFIELD TRUST IS SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT AND THEY'RE, AS THEY EXPLAINED BEFORE, THEY, BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING, THEY HAVE TO USE GROUND PENETRATING RADAR TO CONFIRM THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN AIR THAT THEY CANNOT DISTURB.
ALL THE CRUCIAL LAND OF THE BATTLE WOULD BE PRESERVED IN PERPETUITY.
THIS SITE WON'T CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF DIMITY COUNTY WITH THE BUFFERS THAT ARE OFFERED.
YOU WON'T KNOW IT WAS THERE UNLESS YOU FLY OVER IT.
AND IT IS A VERY SMALL PERCENT.
IT'S A VERY SMALL PART OF 1% OF DI MOODY COUNTY.
IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE THE, THE DIMITY PART OF DIMITY THAT WE ALL LOVE.
EX HAS MADE MANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROJECT TO ADDRESS ALL THE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS OF THE COUNTY.
THEY'RE MAKING THE BEST OFFER THAT YOU'LL EVER GET ON A SOLAR PROJECT.
SOLAR MAKES MORE ENERGY IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE DEMAND ON THE GRID IS THE HIGHEST.
IT'S VERY EFFICIENT AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE CHEAPEST FORM OF ENERGY.
IT'S USED TO SUPPLEMENT OTHER FORMS OF ENERGY NOT TO REPLACE THEM.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU GIVE THE LANDOWNERS WHO WANT
[02:05:01]
TO USE THEIR LAND TO PROVIDE THIS NEEDED ASSET TO DIM WITTY COUNTY.PLEASE VOTE YES BASED ON THE FACTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU IN REFERENCE TO THIS.
I LIVE AT 1 4 7 1 6 HALIFAX ROAD, CARSON, VIRGINIA.
I AM A LIFETIME RESIDENT OF DENWOODY COUNTY.
MY PARENTS HAVE OWNED THIS LAND OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AND I HAVE ACQUIRED IT.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 67 YEARS AND I HAVE ADORED ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAS DONE THUS FAR WITH THE GROWTH AND THE INCREASE IN THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE APPROVED ON THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE THAT GROWTH BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO NEED MORE ENERGY IN ORDER TO CONTINUE WITH THE GROWTH THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING.
THE PLANTS, THE NEW STORES, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ENJOY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO KEEP THE ENERGY GOING.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE A BLACKOUT PERIOD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO SUPPORT EVERYBODY NOW.
LIKE MANY HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME, I HAD GREAT REGRETS AND CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT MYSELF FOR MANY YEARS.
BUT AFTER THE PERIOD OF YEARS OF UNDERSTANDING AND SEEING THIS PROJECT BEING SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER AREAS, I FELT THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP THAN WOODY COUNTY, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TAX PURPOSES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD.
WE CANNOT AFFORD CONTINUOUSLY INCREASES OF TAXES.
AND THIS COULD HELP WITH THOSE TAXES.
AND ALSO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER, I WAS AT THE MEETING WHERE YOU SAID WE NEEDED TO INCREASE IN TAXES AND SOME OF THE THINGS WOULD NOT BE COVERED.
WE ARE THE ELDERLY PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY.
NOW IF WE DON'T HAVE A EMERGENCY CREW THAT CAN COME WHEN WE NEED IT OR FIRE THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD IT, THEN WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO SUFFER BECAUSE WE NEED THAT.
WE ARE NOT THE YOUNG FOLKS ANYMORE.
SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE THIS PROJECT APPROVED BECAUSE WE ARE LAND OWNERS AND YOU SAY THAT IN THIS COUNTRY WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE WANT WITH OUR LAND.
IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERED THIS, HAVE NOT CONSIDERED EVERY OBSTACLE THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE CONSIDERED THAT MY FATHER WAS A FARMER.
MY HUSBAND STILL PLANTS A GARDEN.
WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT FARMING IS.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT PROGRESS IS NECESSARY.
AND I ASK THAT YOU WOULD VOTE YES FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS MAN JUST HAD KNEE SURGERY THIS MORNING.
BUT LISA CHAFFIN, I LIVE AT 1 4 8 2 5 HALIFAX ROAD, CARSON.
UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, LIVED IN DEITY FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
OUR SON WAS BORN AND RAISED IN DENWITTY.
HE IS NOW RAISING HIS SON AND FAMILY IN DENWITTY COUNTY.
THIS PROJECT WILL HELP US TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR LAND AND TO BE ABLE TO PASS IT DOWN TO GENERATION, TO GENERATION AND SO ON.
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ALMOST 400 ACRES.
BUT IN ALL MY YEARS OF PAYING, I'VE NEVER HAD ANYBODY COME AND OFFER TO HELP ME PAY MY TAXES OR TO HELP UPKEEP OR MAINTAIN MY PROPERTY, BUT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN DO WITH IT.
SO I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE SOLAR PANELS AS MY NEIGHBORS INSTEAD OF MORE HOUSES OR APARTMENTS OR MORE PEOPLE.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT, YOU CAN'T SMELL IT OR WHATEVER.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE MONEY THAT IT WILL BRING TO THE COMMUNITY, TO OUR COUNTY.
IT WILL HELP TO, UH, FINALLY BRING BROADBAND IN SOONER THAN LATER.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY, WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE RESOURCES AS FAR AS RESCUE SQUADS.
MY, UM, WE CALLED YEARS AGO AND WAITED OVER 50 MINUTES FOR ANY HELP TO COME WHILE MY AUNT PASSED AWAY.
SO WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE RESOURCES IN THIS COUNTY TO HELP US.
I YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIND A COMPANY THAT'S WILLING TO DO AS MUCH AS THEY ARE WILLING TO
[02:10:01]
DO, TO JUMP THROUGH THE HOOPS AND BEND OVER BACKWARDS TO TRY TO MAKE EVERYBODY HERE HAPPY.SO I URGE YOU TO PLEASE VOTE YES TO HELP SUPPORT OUR COUNTY, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
UM, OUR FARM, UH, BORDERS THAT HOLD ABOUT APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A MILE OF WHERE IT STARTS TO WHERE OUR FARM ENDS, UH, BORDERING THEIR PROPERTY THAT IS GOING, UH, THEY WANT TO PUT THE SOLAR PANELS IN.
MY DAD DID, AND WE'VE BEEN THERE OUR WHOLE LIFE.
UM, MY PROBLEM IS THAT, UH, WE'RE BRINGING IN SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT.
UH, THE WATER ALL DRAINS BACK ON, TWO BRANCHES GOING ON US.
UM, WE ALSO, WE'VE SPENT A LIFETIME OUT THERE OF IMPROVING AND DOING WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AND ENJOYING IT.
AND, UM, MY KIDS AND MY GRANDKIDS, I LOOK FORWARD TO THEM BEING ABLE TO EITHER MOVE OUT THERE AND BUILD OR HAVING IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT IS COMING IN.
UH, THEY'LL SAY 45 YEARS, UH, THAT WOULD, I'LL BE GONE, MY SON POSSIBLE, BUT MY GRANDKIDS WILL BE STILL STUCK WITH IT.
THE VALUE OF MY PROPERTY IS GOING TO GO DOWN ALL THOSE YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE TO IMPROVE AND TAKE CARE OF IT, UH, FOR WHAT ALL OF A SUDDEN, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS JUST IN CHAOS.
I'M ASKING, I'M AGAINST IT AND I'M ASKING ALL YOU TO VOTE.
MY NAME IS, UH, TIMOTHY LES LIVE AT 2 6 7 3 1 PERKINS ROAD, UM, NORTH END WHITTY.
BORN, UH, FORTUNATE ENOUGH, WE FARM FULL-TIME.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT CONCERN ME MORE, I GUESS AS I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS NOT EVEN INTERJECTS.
IT WAS A WHOLE COMPANY THAT MADE THE PANELS ITSELF.
THEY WERE GO PRODUCER PANELS, PUT 'EM UP, ONE SHOP THERE THAT GOT SHOT DOWN, INTERJECT, STEPPED IN.
I GUESS WHAT'S MORE CONCERNING NOW IS THE ORIGINAL INTERJECTS PEOPLE.
IF YOU LOOK AROUND NOW, MR. DOOLEY, I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE TABLE LONG ENOUGH, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD, THE ONLY ONE THAT'S GOT A FAMILIAR FACE IS PROBABLY THE LAWYER.
45 YEARS WE'VE BEEN DEALING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, WE CHANGED HANDS.
I UNDERSTAND THIS BIG COMPANY, YOU GOT SEVERAL PEOPLE WORKING FOR YOU, BUT IF YOU GO START A PROJECT, THE PEOPLE THAT STARTED IT NEED TO FINISH THE PROJECT, IN MY OPINION.
SECONDLY, OUR NEIGHBORS IN SUSSEX THAT WERE IN LOVE OR SOLAR.
NOW LOOK WHAT THEY'RE FIGHTING.
I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WHY THEY KEEP COMING BACK EACH TIME.
BECAUSE WHAT, YOU CAN'T GET OPTIONS SIGNED.
NOBODY WANTS TO SIGN AN OPTION ANYMORE, BUT THE MONEY'S STARTING TO LOOK GOOD.
'CAUSE I THINK NOW THEY'RE OWN UP TO $2,000 AN ACRE FOR SOLAR OPTIONS.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HEY, HOLD THAT LONG ENOUGH.
I CAN'T BRING YOU 14 MILLION, WHATEVER.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I'M IN DISAGREEANCE TO IT BECAUSE THAT, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS JUST LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE LONG TERM OR 45 YEARS IS GONNA BE HERE.
I APOLOGIZE IF I UPSET OR, UH, P**S OFF ANYBODY.
UM, BUT IT'S JUST LIKE I SAID, I'M GOING TO BE HERE IN 45 YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY, HOPEFULLY IF GOD'S WILLING.
AND, UH, SO I WILL GET TO SEE IF THEY MAKE IT TO 45 YEARS IN THE CLEANUP PROCESS.
MOST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WILL NOT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE LANDOWNERS, EVERYBODY'S GOING ON THE, YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY LAND AND ALL I CAN PROMISE YOU,
I SAID, AND IT IS CHECKS AND BALANCES AND ALL.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THE COUNTY'S DENYING IT, IT'S JUST IT'S TRYING TO LOOK FOR THE BETTERMENT FOR EVERYBODY THERE.
BUT, UM, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I GOT IN A NUTSHELL.
[02:15:01]
I SAID, I I, I'VE BEEN HERE, LISTENED TO THIS.I I KNOW AT LEAST THREE YEARS, DEFENDANT JACKSON.
I THINK IT'S FOUR, SAME THING.
THE OTHER THING DOESN'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
AND LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I, I'M COLLEGE EDUCATED, BUT I'M SURE AIN'T NEARLY AS SMART AS EACH FOLKS.
IF ALL YOU NEED IS 500 ACRES FOR PANELS, YOU CAN'T TELL ME YOU CAN'T FIND THE 550 ACRE TRACK.
SET YOUR SETBACKS ALL IN ONE SPOT.
LET'S NOT DISTURB THE WATERWAYS, ALL THIS STUFF, THE TIMBERLAND, THE, UH, CIVIL WAR GROUND, ALL THAT.
AND ONE, ONE MORE THING IS I DO GOT A GOOD BUDDY IN TIMBER.
I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO SEE WITH THE TIMBER THAT HAS TO BE LOGGED, WHERE IS IT GOING? 'CAUSE MOST MILL NOW WILL NOT TAKE LOGS IF IT'S COMING OFF OF SOLAR GROUND.
SO AS IT COULD BE PUSHED UP AND BURN AND WE'RE WASTING THAT RESOURCE, OR I'M SURE Y'ALL GOT A PARTNER THAT Y'ALL GOT TAKE EVERY STICK THAT THEY CUT.
BUT, UH, THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS WHETHER IT'S WORTH ANYTHING.
BUT, UM, IF YOU COULDN'T TELL, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF IT, SIR, LIKE I SAID, BUT I, I APPRECIATE THE TIME SPEAKING.
I HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
I CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING TIME.
DOES ANY BOARD HAVE ANY NO, NO.
YOU WANNA SPEAK AGAIN, MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THAT WAS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE REZONING.
RIGHT? SO I JUST A COUPLE QUICK COMMENTS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO REITERATE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT THE RURAL CHARACTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED EXTENSIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS NOT VISIBLE AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS THE RURAL CHARACTER OF DIN WITTY COUNTY IN A NEGATIVE WAY.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO EASE CONCERNS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE GENTLEMAN MENTIONED PROPERTY VALUES.
UH, WE'VE DONE SEVERAL, SEVERAL STUDIES WITH INDEPENDENT, UH, APPRAISAL GROUPS AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM COMES BACK WITH REAL DATA FROM THE FIELD.
NOT, NOT EMOTIONS, BUT REAL DATA THAT SHOW PROPERTIES NEAR SOLAR FACILITIES HAVE NO ADVERSE IMPACT IN TERMS OF PROPERTY VALUE.
IN SOME SITUATIONS, THEY, THEY GO UP BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEHIND THE TREES A QUIET NEIGHBOR THAT'S NEVER GONNA TURN INTO, YOU KNOW, A FEW HUNDRED HOMES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME COME BACK UP HERE.
ANYONE, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT.
HOW DOES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I'M GONNA USE FORT BARFOOT AS AN EXAMPLE, THAT HAS THOUSANDS OF ACRES.
HOW DO THEY VIEW SOLAR PANELS AND, AND YOUR INDUSTRY? SO I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
YEAH, I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, AN EFFORT TO, UH, OPEN UP ADDITIONAL FEDERAL LANDS FOR MM-HMM
BUT IN TERMS OF THE FACILITY THAT YOU MENTIONED, I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M CURIOUS IF, IF, IF THAT HAS, IT'S AN ADJACENT PROPERTY TO WITTY COUNTY, THOUSANDS OF ACRES NOT IMPACTING ANY HOMES, ANY FAMILIES, ANYBODY HAVE, HAS THAT BEEN AN OPTION FOR INTERJECT? SO CLEARLY THE ATTORNEY HAS, THE ATTORNEY CAN ANSWER IT.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
UH, AS IT RELATES TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS MM-HMM
THE FF THE F, NOT F-F-A-F-A-A LOOKS AT ALL THESE FACILITIES AND DOES A DETERMINATION OF, OF NON HAZAR.
SO IF, IF, IF THE QUESTION RELATED TO THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ON FEDERAL FACILITIES, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY ANSWER.
BUT I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE ACTUAL QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING.
SO ANOTHER THING JUST TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LOCATION, IT, YOU CAN'T JUST PICK UP AND MOVE A PROJECT LIKE THAT.
THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A DEFINED INTERCONNECTION POINT THAT MM-HMM
THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS TO BE ADHERED TO.
THE, THE GRID IS A COMPLICATED BEAST.
SO DO YOU VIEW THE LAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, PUTTING THESE SOLAR PANELS, FIRST OF ALL, HOW MANY SOLAR PANELS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SOLAR PANELS ON THE 500 GIVE OR TAKE OR ACRES? IT'S ROUGHLY A HUNDRED TO 150, A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND WE'VE, I KNOW WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT HAS SOLAR PANELS ON HIS ROOF.
I'VE BEEN TO HIS HOME AND HE'S PROBABLY GOT 20 MM-HMM
[02:20:01]
ARE UP THERE.AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A USE IN FOR DOMESTICALLY, THAT TYPE OF THING.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THE LAND IN WHICH YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING THESE SOLAR PANELS ON, I LOOK AT THAT SYMBOL RIGHT THERE AND THINK ABOUT THE HERITAGE OF DENWOODY COUNTY.
UM, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT IS IN THAT GROUND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DISTURBING.
AND THAT'S JUST A COMMENT PERTAINING TO THE PARTICULAR, TO THE LAND.
UM, I'LL SAY MY OTHER COMMENTS AS WE GO FORWARD, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS A COMMENT, BUT WOULD, WOULD IT, WOULD, COULD I MATCH? SURE.
SO AS WAS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW WE CAN'T GO DISTURB THE GROUND.
THERE ARE EXTENSIVE TESTING THAT THAT TAKES PLACE ON, ESPECIALLY ON A SITE THAT YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT DOES, BECAUSE IT IS PRO, THERE IS A PROXIMITY TO CIVIL WAR ACTIVITY THAT, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY ELEVATES IT FOR ADDITIONAL SCREENING, ADDITIONAL TESTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEA THAT SOMEHOW THROUGH ALL OF THOSE TESTING, THROUGH ALL THAT TESTING NDHR REVIEW, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT'S IN THAT LAND.
IDHR WILL MAKE SURE THAT AT THE END OF THIS, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS THERE AND IF THERE ARE MITIGATION MEASURES THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN, THEY WILL OVERSEE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE EFFECTIVELY PERFORMED.
IS THAT IF AND WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING IN THE GROUND, HOW DO YOU MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE LAND THAT MAY HAVE TO COME OUT OF YOUR PROJECT TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE? IT DEPENDS, REALLY, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT IS, WHAT IS FOUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE, IF THERE IS RATHER A A A A, A MASS BURIAL AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THAT THAT AREA WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATELY, YOU KNOW, CORDONED OFF, LIKE CORDONED OFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE NON DISTURBANCE AREA AND THERE WOULD BE A BUFFER AROUND IT AND IT WOULD BE INCUMBENT UPON US TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR, OUR PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT LAYOUTS THAT THAT CAN BE DONE TO MAXIMIZE SPACE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO THE SITE AND, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S EXTENSIVE TESTING THAT NEEDS DONE.
ALONG THOSE LINES, HAVE YOU RUN INTO THIS AT ANY OF YOUR OTHER SITES? YES, SIR.
AND HOW IS THAT, UH, SO MITIGATED? SO IT'S, UH, I, I WOULD SAY, ALRIGHT, THE ANSWER'S YES.
UH, IN GENERAL, UM, THERE NO TWO SITES ARE A, ARE EXACTLY ALIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOME ONE WE HAVE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF JUST DOING THOSE STUDIES TO FIND OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PUT TOGETHER A PLAN TO MITIGATE IT.
UM, SOMETIMES THERE IS, YOU KNOW, JUST RELOCATION OF, OF RESOURCES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S JUST ARTIFACTS.
SO, SO YEAH, WE'VE RUN INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, ARTIFACTS JUST RECOVERED AND, YOU KNOW, CATALOGED PROPERLY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? UH, YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, NOW THE PROPERTY, IS THIS A LEASE OR FOR THE OWNERS, OR ARE YOU ACTUALLY BUYING THE PROPERTY? IT IS A LEASE, SO, YES.
SO AFTER I THINK IT'S LIKE 45 YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU WILL, UM, IT WILL GO BACK TO THE OWNERS TO USE AT THEIR WILL.
IS THAT, WELL, THEY COULD, THEY COULD CONTINUE THE USE.
OR THEY COULD SAY, GET YOUR PANELS OFF OF OUR LAND.
IT'S, IT'S UP TO THEM THAT IS, THEY ARE THE OWNERS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I THINK IT'S A BETTER MODEL BECAUSE IT KEEPS THE MONEY IN, KEEPS THE OWNERSHIP IN LOCAL HANDS, UH, AND KEEPS THE MONEY IN THE COMMUNITY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND DISTURBANCE WITH THIS PROJECT BECAUSE PANELS WILL BE PUT ON, ON BASICALLY FLAT SURFACE.
UM, SO THERE'LL BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GRADING AND, AND, UH, UM, WATER RETENTION PONDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS WITHIN THE WHOLE,
[02:25:01]
UM, CONSTRUCTION SITE.I, I WOULD IMAGINE SO THE LAND DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FLAT.
IT, IT CAN GO UP TO, UH, 15 TO 20% SLOPE THAT WE CAN, WE CAN UTILIZE.
SO THERE, ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS SAY IS WE, WE NEVER DO UNNECESSARY GRADING BECAUSE ONE, IT'S HARD ON THE LAND TOO.
IT'S JUST EXPENSIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULD MUCH RATHER KEEP THE LAND EXACTLY HOW IT IS.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR SITES, YOU KNOW, IT'S QUITE AMAZING HOW THE, THE PANELS JUST ROLL WITH THE TERRAIN.
SO, SO, BUT TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, YES.
BEFORE ANY, BEFORE SIGNIFICANCE CONSTRUCTION TAKES PLACE, STORMWATER RETENTION, PONDS EROSION, SEDIMENT CONTROL MEASURES WOULD EXTENSIVELY PUT IN, BE PUT INTO PLACE ON THE SITE.
YOU'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATION.
SO WHAT IS OUR, DO WE HAVE A, WELL, I'M, I, GO AHEAD.
I'D LIKE TO KIND OF GIVE MY OBSERVATIONS.
UM, REALLY THREE THINGS, UM, TOUCHING ON, UH, LAND DISTURBANCE AND, AND I THINK, UM, ONCE IT'S DISTURBED, I DON'T THINK IT'LL EVER BE BACK, EVER LIKE IT WAS, UM, OR IS NOW.
SO, UM, 45 YEARS FROM NOW, IF, IF, UM, THE USE CHANGES IN 10 YEARS, I DON'T THINK IT'S, YOU CAN PULL THE, PULL THE, UH, PANELS UP, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS LAND WOULD EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, THE SECOND, UM, TALK, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I WAS A, A, A LAND RIGHTS OWNER RIGHTS, UM, PROPONENT GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WITH YOUR LAND, BUT ALSO THERE'S A HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR YOUR LAND.
AND SO THAT'S TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULDN'T EXPECT, UM, TO PUT A SUBDIVISION WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY OR A WALMART OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR THIS LAND FOR THE LAST 200 YEARS OR MORE HAS BEEN FOOD AND FIBER.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, THAT USE, UM, IT IS WHAT, WHEN SOMEONE MOVED TO THIS AREA, THAT'S WHAT WHAT THEY SEE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY EXPECT.
UM, THE LAST THING, UM, I THINK, UM, THE, THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THIS COUNTY, UM, IS WHAT HAS, UM, KIND OF HELD THIS COUNTY TOGETHER.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE USES FOR THE RURAL PART OF, OF THE COUNTY, UM, FROM HUNTING TO, UM, JUST OUTDOOR RECREATION, UM, COMMUNITY BASED THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AFFECT EVERYONE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING TOO IS, IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT POINTS OF CONFLICT, UM, AND, UH, MR. BULA TALKED ABOUT ONE 500 ACRE TRACK IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF, UM, WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE MANY POINTS OF CON CONFLICT.
I THINK THAT'S A BETTER OPTION THAN THE WAY THIS ONE IS SPREAD.
I OVER REALLY THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT ROADS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT AFFECTS A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
ANY MORE COMMENTS I'LL GO NEXT.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK BACK OVER TIME AT WHAT THIS, HOW THIS PROJECT STARTED, UM, IT'S AMAZING HOW IT'S EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS.
AND I'LL BE FIRST TO GIVE INTERJECTS CREDIT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE OVER THE YEARS, UM, TO, TO MODIFY THE PROJECT.
WHAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IS CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THE ROADS AND HAVE BEEN THERE MOST OF
[02:30:01]
THEIR LIVES.UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE IS NONE OF US IN THIS ROOM KNOW WHAT CAN AND WILL HAPPEN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
30 YEARS FROM NOW, WHATEVER, WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
SO YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT IS THE THOUSANDS OF PANELS THAT ARE GONNA BE PUT UP 10 YEARS FROM NOW.
EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE FINE BECAUSE MR. HURRICANE COULD COME ALONG AND SOMETHING, A NATURAL DISASTER CAN OCCUR.
AND WE'VE ALL SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN DENWITTY COUNTY IN SOME SHAPE, FASHION OR FORM.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THAT PANEL OR WHATEVER DURING THAT TIME.
UM, THE OTHER IS, IS THIS AN AN INDUSTRIAL PROJECT OR IS IT AN AGRICULTURAL PROJECT? WHICH, WHICH ONE IS IT? I DON'T VIEW IT AS AN AGRICULTURAL PROJECT PROJECT.
IT'S AN INDUSTRIAL PROJECT GOING IN AN AGRICULTURAL AREA, 500 ACRES OF IT.
AND IT PROBABLY WILL BE JUST THE BEGINNING GUYS, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE LANDSCAPE OF WHAT CAN AND COULD COME TO DENWITTY COUNTY IN THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, IS THIS THE TRUE, UM, FUTURE OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED FOR ENERGY IN THE UNITED STATES? OKAY.
I THINK IT'S A STOP GAP TO THE NEXT FORM OF ENERGY, WHICH DOMINION ENERGY IS ALREADY TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU TALK TO PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THEM, THIS IS JUST A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE TO GET TO THE NEXT PARTICULAR FORM OF ENERGY THAT'S COMING.
UM, THAT'S AT A, IT HAS A MUCH SMALLER FOOTPRINT IN PLACES AND GENERATES A LOT OF ENERGY.
UM, SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT USING THOUSANDS OF ACRES, NOT JUST IN DITY COUNTY, BUT THROUGHOUT, IS THAT A REAL GOOD USE OF LAND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE? PERSONALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT IT IS.
UM, AND THEN WE JUST FINISHED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, AND THAT IS, I LOOK AT THAT SYMBOL RIGHT THERE IN THE RURAL INTEGRITY OF DENWITTY COUNTY.
DOES THIS FIT WHERE IT'S GOING? THE RURAL INTEGRITY OF DENWITTY COUNTY? I DON'T THINK THAT IT DOES.
UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO EVERYONE AND, UM, WITH, UM, THE COMPANY AND REDOING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ASKED OF THEM AND THEN GOING EVEN FURTHER DOING WHAT YOU, UM, WERE ASKED TO DO, UH, YES, SOMEONE SPOKE ABOUT THIS IS MY LAND, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I WANT WITH MY LAND.
UM, BUT ALSO I AGREE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE SAYING, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, OKAY, WELL THE BEST USE OF YOUR LAND, YOU KNOW, AND THIS KIND OF THING, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE A RIGHT.
I THINK IT WILL ALSO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I'VE GOTTEN SOME CALLS ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY SAYING, WELL, YES WE ARE.
WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, THIS PROJECT AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT AS WELL TO CALL AND LET, LET, UH, US KNOW.
UM, I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF LAND AND I, WE DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT 45 YEARS, WE TALK ABOUT 10 YEARS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW'S GONNA DO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LANDOWNERS TO HAVE THIS DONE, I THINK THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, SOLAR, A LOT OF PEOPLE USE IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE, UM, THE PANELS, THEY LIKE WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN AND, AND SO FORTH.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE.
WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE, THEY HAVE SPOKEN SOME AGAINST SOME FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT, UM, I JUST THINK THAT, UM,
[02:35:01]
SOMEONE ALSO MENTIONED, UM, THE, THE CIP THEY ALSO MENTIONED PUBLIC SAFETY.PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, WE, WE HAVE 527 MILES OF, UH, DENWITTY AND IF YOU LIVE WAY OUT, SOME, SOME, UM, IN AN AREA, AND I THINK SOMEONE MENTIONED THE MINUTES IT TOOK TO GET THERE, IT IS A CONCERN.
AND I'VE HAD, UM, INDIVIDUALS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR THE COUNTY.
AND, UM, WE ARE HERE AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE FOR EVERYONE.
THEY'RE HARD WHEN WE ARE UP HERE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A BALANCING ACT FOR EVERYONE, BUT LEASING YOUR LAND TO DO, UM, SO MANY THINGS THAT CAN NOT ONLY HELP YOURSELF BUT OTHERS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST THINK THAT, UM, THAT IS A RIGHT THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY, UM, WE CAN WORK TO, UM, TO THE GOAL.
OKAY, I'LL, I'LL SAY NOW, UM, BEING MY FIRST TERM IN THIS POSITION, AND WHEN I WAS PRESENTED WITH BILLY LEE POND PROJECT, I WANTED TO SEE FIRSTHAND WHAT, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
SO I TOOK A TRIP DOWN TO SUSSEX.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE BACKSTORY OF THE HISTORY OF THIS.
AND THE, THE QUESTION IS, IS WHERE DOES ONE PERSON'S RIGHTS BEGIN IN ANOTHER PERSON'S ENDS? UM, AND SPEAKING TO, UM, THE FOLKS FROM INTERJECTS, THEY'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THE IDEAS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THEM.
AND I TOLD 'EM GOING IN THAT MY JOB WAS TO BE IMPARTIAL AND TO EXPRESS WHAT I WAS TOLD, WHAT I SAW, WHAT I EDUCATED MYSELF ON, AND THE INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY OTHERS TO MY CONSTITUENTS.
AND RESOUNDINGLY WHAT I HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE FROM DISTRICT ONE IS WE DON'T WANT ANY OF IT.
UH, I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP, UM, OUR PART OF THE COUNTY RURAL.
WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT, UH, WITHOUT RESIDENTS.
THEY SAID, GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN SOLAR OR OR HOUSES, WE TAKE SOLAR, BUT WE REALLY DON'T WANT EITHER.
UM, AND SO I SEE THAT AS OUR COMMUNITY SAYING WE WANT TO KEEP WHAT WE'VE HAD IN RURAL AGRICULTURAL HISTORY THAT WE'VE HAD.
WELL, THIS HAPPENS TO BE IN MY DISTRICT AND I'VE, UM, I HAD A HARD TIME WHEN IT FIRST CAME TO ME AND LIKE MR. DOOLEY SAYS, YOU KNOW, I WA I, I WROTE AROUND AND ASKED AND TALKED TO MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT IT, AND THEY TOO, WE HAVE SOMEONE, SOME IN MY DISTRICT, UH, THAT WANT IT, BUT THE MAJORITY DON'T WANT IT.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO? I WAS, UH, VOTED IN TO DO FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND, UH, SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.
SO I'M LIKE, MR. DOOLEY, ALL OF US.
IT IS A BAD, IT'S A HARD DECISION.
THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB, BUT SOMEBODY, UH, HAS TO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR THE COUNTY AND UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
SO IT'S THAT TIME, MR. CHAIRMAN, BE, IT RESOLVED THAT AN ORDER TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 15.2 DASH 2 2 8 6 A SEVEN.
IT IS STATED THAT THE PUBLIC PURPOSE FOR WITH THIS RESOLUTION IS INITIATED IS TO FILL, FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF PUBLIC NECESSITY, CONVENIENCE, GENERAL WELFARE, AND GOOD ZONING PRACTICE.
I MOVE THAT REZONING P 24 DASH ONE AS PRESENTED, BE DISAPPROVED BY THE BOARD SUPERVISORS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER? UM, I VOTE, UM, YES, MR. DOOLEY? AYE.
[02:40:02]
FOR THE, UM, WHERE I'M AT, UH, THE REZONING, UH, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GO MR. CHAIRMAN, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY COULD, I GUESS IN, IN THE SENSE THAT THE REZONING DOESN'T PASS.SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT BEING THAT, THAT THE REZONING HAS BEEN DENIED AND ACTION'S BEEN TAKEN ON, THAT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND CITING AGREEMENT PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE, ARE MOOT AT THIS POINT.
ALTHOUGH THEY WERE ADVERTISED WITHOUT, WITH A DENIAL OF THE REZONING.
UM, THERE'S NO POINT IN, IN HEARING THOSE TONIGHT.
SO THAT, THAT TAKES CARE OF, I BELIEVE IT'S 14 B, C, AND D ON YOUR AGENDA.
AS WE GO TO, UH, CITIZEN'S COMMENT TIME.
UM, OKAY, I, PATTY RELL, OH, WAIT A MINUTE.
WHEN WE WERE, WE WERE VOTING FOR THE REZONING? YES.
SO, UM, AND I SAID YES, I MEANT NO, I MEANT, NO, I'M SORRY.
IF, IF EVERYONE BY JUST CONSENT, WE'LL LET MS. BONNER CHANGE HER VOTE THEN, THEN THAT IS FINE.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE OUTCOME? NO, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE OUTCOME.
UH, SHE MEANT TO VOTE YES FOR THE PROJECT AND NOT YES.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO CHANGING HER VOTE TO NO.
SO FOUR TO ONE AND I STAND CORRECTED.
IT WAS ITEM 12, B ONE, TWO, AND THREE AT THE CORRECT.
BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS? I DON'T HAVE IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOTION IS NOW FOR ADJOURN.
SECOND ROLL CALL MS. EBRA BONNER.
ALL VOTING AYE MEETING MR. ADJO JONES.
THANKS EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.