* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [00:00:02]
I HAD LIKE TO CALL THE SPECIAL 
          [1. ROLL CALL]
MEETING OF THE EE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ORDER, UH, ON APRIL 29TH, 2026. 
          UH, COULD WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MR. DOOLEY? HERE. 
          DR. MOORE? HERE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? HERE. 
          MS. EBRA BONNER? HERE. 
          MR. LEE HERE. 
          FIVE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. 
          DO I HAVE THE WRONG YIELD? IS THAT WHAT YES, IT IS. 
          25. 
          YEAH. 
          LET'S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. 
          , BEFORE WE MOVE ON. 
          I WILL TELL EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE I CAN'T SEE. 
          SO I'VE HAD TWO EYE SURGERIES AND HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER EYE SURGERY. 
          SO THEY'VE GOT BOLD PRINT, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT, UH, GOOD ENOUGH. 
          BUT, UH, ANYWAY, I'M GONNA KEEP ON TRYING, BUT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND START OFF WITH, UM, THE LORD'S PRAYING, THEN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. 
          SO IF Y'ALL WOULD JOIN ME FOR THE LORD'S PRAYER, FATHER, JOIN HEAVEN, I'LL BE THY NAME. 
          THY KINGDOM COME. 
          TH THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. 
          GIVE US THIS DAY, OUR DAILY OF BREAD, AND FORGIVE OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASSED AGAINST US. 
          AND AT LEAST NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL FOR THS, THE KINGDOM OF POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER. 
          AMEN. 
          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. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL. 
          [2. PUBLIC HEARINGS]
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GONNA, UM, START WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND WE HAVE THE PROPOSED FY 2026 BUDGET. 
          UH, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. INGAL, MS. SCOTT, DO YOU READ THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN? DO YOU WANNA READ THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS FIRST? I, YEP. 
          AND I DID, FORGOT THAT TOO. 
          SO, MR. DO I'LL BE HAPPY TO START AT THE APRIL 29TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE DEITY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          IKM DOOLEY INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2026, BUDGET AND FISCAL YEAR OF 2026 THROUGH 2035, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR DEITY COUNTY. 
          THE BUDGET AND CIP WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR THE DEITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, INCLUDING FOR COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES. 
          I'M EMPLOYED BY DEWINE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE BUDGET AND CIP AFFECTS THE EMPLOYEES OF DEWIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. 
          DR. GOOD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AT THE APRIL 29TH, 2025, MEETING OF THE DIMITY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I'M MARK E. MOORE. 
          INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET AND FISCAL YEAR 2026 THROUGH 2035, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN FOR DIMITY COUNTY. 
          THE BUDGET AND CIP WOULD DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS APPROPRIATE TO THE DIMITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. 
          MY WIFE IS EMPLOYED BY THE DIMITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, THE BUDGET AND CIP AFFECT ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF DIMITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, AND I'M ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AT THE APRIL 29TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE ITY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I, DANIEL D. LEE, INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE FY 2026 BUDGET AND THE FY 20 26 20 35 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN FOR ITY COUNTY. 
          THE BUDGET AND CIP WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS APPROPRIATE TO THE ITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. 
          MY WIFE IS EMPLOYED BY THE ITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, THE BUDGET AND CIP AFFECT ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF ITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, AND I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY. 
          AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. 
          I AM EMPLOYED BY THE APPOMATTOX RIVER SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. 
          AS SUCH, I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO THE APPOMATTOX RIVER SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION BOARD. 
          ALRIGHT, MR. MASSENGILL? YEP. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU THE FY 26, UH, PROPOSED COUNTY BUDGET, UH, AND AS WELL AS THE CIP THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SEPARATE HEARING ABOUT, UH, AFTER THIS ONE. 
          UM, SO EVERY YEAR, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF REALLY EXCITING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT IS THE COVER PHOTO OF THE CA COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S, UH, PRESENTATION? SO THIS YEAR I DID THE, THE IMPROVED DEITY COUNTY SEAL. 
          AND SO AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE CHANGED THE SEAL THIS YEAR TO NOT A DRASTIC CHANGE, BUT WE VERY PROUD OF NAVY NATION AND FROM OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          AND, AND SO WE INCLUDED A LITTLE BIT MORE NAVY THIS YEAR ON OUR, OUR COUNTY SEAL. 
          AND SO, UM, I WAS GONNA SAY, AFTER EXTENSIVE 
          [00:05:01]
RESEARCH, WE FOUND THAT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DENWOODY LIGHT NAVY. 
          SO WE, WE MADE IT NAVY NATION FOR THAT REASON. 
          BUT, UH, NEW COUNTY SEAL IS OUR COVER PHOTO. 
          UH, SO THE, THE VISION OF DEWIN COUNTY, UM, HAS NOT CHANGED AS THIS ADMINISTRATION. 
          SO WE CHERISH OUR HERITAGE, EMBRACE OPPORTUNITY, AND OFFER AN EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY IN WHICH TO SPEND A LIFETIME. 
          AND WE, WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR MISSION, AND THAT'S TO, TO BUILD, UM, OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH A, A COMMITMENT, UH, OF, TO EXCELLENCE IN, IN PUBLIC SERVICE. 
          IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU GOTTA HAVE YOUR, YOUR CORE VALUES. 
          AND SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THAT'S STEWARDSHIP, TEAMWORK, RESPECT, UH, INTEGRITY, VALUE ADDED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND EXCELLENCE. 
          AND WE DO HIGHLIGHT INTEGRITY AS THAT'S THE HEART OF, OF OUR CORE VALUES. 
          AND AGAIN, IF YOU TAKE EACH OF THOSE FIRST LETTERS, IT SPELLS THE WORD STRIVE. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW THIS, THIS COUNTY HAS, UH, BEEN RECOGNIZED BOTH ON THE, THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS WELL AS THE, THE STATE LEVEL FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. 
          WE HAVE THE DATES HERE THAT WE WERE, WERE RECOGNIZED FROM NACO, ALSO THOSE FROM THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES FOR IDEAL MODEL PROJECTS, UM, AND INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT OVER THE YEARS. 
          UH, YOU'LL SEE FOR VACO, WE'VE, WE'VE WON NINE TIMES. 
          AND TWO OF THOSE IS THE, THE GRAPHIC YOU SEE THERE IN 2020 AND 2023. 
          WE WERE RECOGNIZED AS THE, THE BEST SMALL COUNTY, UM, IN, IN THE COMMONWEALTH. 
          AND WE'RE THE ONLY JURISDICTION IN THE COMMONWEALTH THAT'S RECEIVED THAT, THAT DESIGNATION TWICE. 
          UM, AND THEN, UH, WE ALSO, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, UH, MS. MS HOWERTON HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          SO IN 2015, WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST RECOGNITION, AND EVERY YEAR SINCE WE'VE, UM, WE'VE CONTINUED TO GET THAT. 
          THE HEAD OF, OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE HERE IS OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          AND SO AT THE TOP OF THIS, YOU HAVE OUR, OUR CHAIRMAN, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, UH, DAN LEE, UH, BRENDA E BONNER'S, OUR VICE CHAIR THIS YEAR. 
          AND THEN THE THREE, UH, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FROM DISTRICT ONE, TWO, AND THREE. 
          CAN'T DO WITHOUT OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. 
          WE'RE REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE A, A GOOD, A GOOD, UH, SET OF FIVE INDIVIDUALS HERE FROM OUR SHERIFF TO THE CLERK OF THE, OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, THE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY, COMMISSIONER, REVENUE, AND THE TREASURER ON THE EXECUTIVE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. 
          UM, IT'S, IT'S MY TEAM. 
          AND SO I, I CALL THIS OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM. 
          UH, MANY OF THESE FACES YOU'VE SEEN, BUT WE DID ADD ONE THIS YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVE CHIEF KISSINGER, THAT'S, THAT'S AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS GRAPHIC, UH, WHO'S TAKEN OVER FIRE AND, AND EMS, BUT WHAT A TREMENDOUS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT PUBLIC SERVICE IS ALL ABOUT. 
          JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, THE CODER VIRGINIA, UH, PROHIBITS THE, THE BOARD FROM ACTING TONIGHT. 
          YOU'RE TO, TO LISTEN TO ANY COMMENTS, ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF ME OR STAFF, UH, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS OF. 
          UH, FOR BOTH THE, THE, THE HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THE CIP, UH, THE THOUGHT IS THAT YOU'RE TO RECEIVE INPUT AND THEN YOU'RE TO REFLECT ON THAT INPUT, DELIBERATE ON IT. 
          UH, AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE ACTION. 
          THAT ACTION IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 6TH AT A SPECIAL MEETING THAT YOUR TYPICAL WORKSHOP MEETING AT FOUR O'CLOCK, SO MAY 6TH, 2025, SPECIAL MEETING, 4:00 PM HERE. 
          AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE ACTUAL ADOPTION. 
          AND YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES, YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES UP TO THAT, THAT FINAL ADOPTION CALENDAR YEAR, 2025, ADOPTED TAX RATES. 
          JUST AS A REMINDER, YOU WENT FROM 84 CENTS THIS YEAR TO 64 CENTS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE RATE. 
          YOU KEPT YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY, UH, M AND T AND HEAVY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND AIRPLANES. 
          THE SAME. 
          THE ONLY CHANGE YOU MADE FROM 24 TO 25, UH, WAS GOING TO 64 CENTS. 
          SO THE BUDGET, THAT'S BEFORE YOU RECOGNIZES THAT 64 CENT TAX RATE. 
          I'M GONNA TRANSIT TRANSITION NOW TO THE, THE, THE PROPOSED REVENUE BUDGET. 
          THE, WHERE DO THOSE TAXES GO. 
          UM, FIRST PIECE, YOU'LL SEE AT THE VERY TOP, THE FEDERAL BUDGET OF WHAT IT SUPPORTS TO YOUR, YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          THERE'S ABOUT $93,000. 
          UM, THAT'S IN THE BUDGET. 
          UM, YOUR STATE BUDGET REVENUES IS ABOUT $8.2 MILLION. 
          AND THEN THE LION'S SHARES YOU'LL SEE IS, IS THE LOCAL REVENUE AT 57.7, UH, TOTAL MILLION. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT ALL REVENUE, ALL REVENUE BY SOURCES, 
          [00:10:01]
WHAT THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS YOU IS THAT ABOUT 87% IS WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN GREEN. 
          THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR LOCAL REVENUE. 
          UM, ABOUT 13% IS FROM THE STATE, AND THEN THE FEDERAL AT THAT 93,000 IS NOT EVEN A STATISTICAL 1%. 
          SO IT'S A, A SMALL AMOUNT FOR US. 
          WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH THIS GRAPHIC IS KINDA SHOW WE'VE GOT ALMOST, UM, 27 LINE ITEMS OF REVENUE. 
          SOME HAVE BEEN COMBINED OVER THE YEAR, USED TO BE 31, BUT THE TOP 10, WHERE'S THE REVENUE COMING FROM? AND SO IF YOU LOOK KIND OF LEFT TO RIGHT, REAL ESTATE MAKES UP ABOUT $23.5 MILLION. 
          AND THEN PERSONAL PROPERTY AT 13.4, THAT'S YOUR THE TWO LARGEST ASPECTS OF YOUR, UM, OF YOUR TOTAL LOCAL REVENUE. 
          JUST THOSE TWO LINES ALONE IS 56% OF, OF THE REVENUE THAT'S BROUGHT INTO THE, TO THE COUNTY. 
          I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE OTHERS. 
          I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH THEM, BUT IT KIND OF JUST SHOWS YOU WHERE THE TOP 10, UH, REVENUE LINE ITEMS ARE COMING FROM. 
          WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH THIS GRAPHIC, AND, AND I ALSO NEED TO GO TO DR. MOORE, SO I GOTTA LOOK AT THIS ONE HERE AND VERSUS THE ONE ON THE SCREEN, BUT FOR THOSE THAT IN THE AUDIENCE, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THIS. 
          UH, THIS IS THE HISTORICAL REAL ESTATE TAX RATE FOR DENWITTY COUNTY. 
          SO I WENT BACK, UM, TO 1983 AND, AND LOOK, SO WE WERE AT 81 CENTS IN IN 19, UH, 83. 
          WE DROPPED DOWN TO 80 CENTS. 
          IN 88, WE WENT DOWN TO 74 CENTS. 
          IN 93 BACK UP TO 79 CENTS. 
          WE ESCALATED UP TO 87 CENTS. 
          AND ABOUT 2005 DROPPED BACK DOWN TO 68 CENTS, WENT TO 72, 79, AND MOST RECENTLY TO, TO 84 CENTS. 
          NOW, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE FAR RIGHT BAR IS 64 CENTS. 
          AND SO I JUST, JUST TO PUT IT TOGETHER, UH, IN THE, IN THIS THIS HISTORICAL REVIEW, WE'VE NEVER BEEN AT 64 CENTS. 
          THIS IS THE LOWEST TAX RATE THAT WE'VE HAD. 
          NOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT'S ALL PREDICATED ON THE FACT THAT HOME VALUES AND REAL ESTATE VALUES ARE MUCH STRONGER THAN THEY THEY'VE EVER BEEN. 
          SO THAT LOWER RATE, UM, JUST KIND OF SHOWS YOU A LITTLE BIT OF, OF WHERE WE'RE AT AT THIS POINT. 
          HISTORICALLY, WHAT I WANTED TO DO HERE IS JUST LOOK AT SOME OF OUR, OUR SURROUNDING LOCALITIES AND LET YOU SEE WHERE DEWINE COUNTY STANDS WHEN IT COMES TO THIS RATE. 
          AND IT, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION. 
          I CAN SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME ON THIS SLIDE. 
          UH, CITIES, AS YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMONWEALTH, UNLIKE A LOT OF THE OTHER, UH, STATES THAT, THAT IN, IN THE UNITED STATES, OUR CITIES ARE INDEPENDENT. 
          THEY'RE NOT WITHIN ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER COUNTY. 
          AND, AND CONSEQUENTLY, A LOT OF OUR CITIES HAVE HIGHER RATES BECAUSE OF THAT. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, THIS PARTICULAR GRAPHIC, PETERSBURG IS AT A DOLLAR 27, I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE COMMONWEALTH, UH, RICHMOND COLONIAL HEIGHTS AT ONE A DOLLAR 20, HOPEWELL AT ONE 17, UH, EMPORIA AT 92 CENTS CHESTERFIELD 89 HENRICO 83. 
          NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET INTO SOME MORE COMPARABLE TO DIM WHITTY. 
          SO PRINCE GEORGE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE LARGER THAN US, OR AT 82 CENT CAROLINE, WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE A COMPARABLE AT 78 CENT PEAN IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, HIGHER SOPHISTICATION, BUT 75 CENT LOUISA, MUCH LARGER. 
          UH, BUT IT'S 72 CENT CHARLES CITY COUNTY AT 69 CENT. 
          AND THEN, UM, YOU START TO GET THE DIM WITTY AT 64. 
          THAT'S THAT GREEN GRAPH. 
          SUSSEX IS AT 53, BRUNSWICK'S AT 48, AMELIA AT 46, AND THEN NOTTAWAY COUNTY. 
          AND THIS GRAPH IS THE LOWEST AT 45. 
          UH, MECKLENBURG IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COMMONWEALTH, AND THEY'RE IN THE LOW THIRTIES, 33, 34. 
          THEY HAVE THIS LITTLE BUSINESS CALLED MICROSOFT AND SOME DATA CENTERS THERE THAT'S ADDING SIGNIFICANTLY TO THEIR TAX BASE. 
          I DID HAVE A CHANCE YESTERDAY TO SPEAK TO NOTTAWAY COUNTY OFFICIALS, UM, AT OUR VACO MEETING. 
          THIS 45 CENTS DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO A PUBLIC SAFETY TAX. 
          SO THEY'RE CREATING A PUBLIC SAFETY FUND OF 10 CENTS OF THE REAL ESTATE RIGHT TO GO DIRECTLY TO FUND FIRE EMS, UH, AND THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THIS IS A BIG STEP FOR THEM. 
          SO THE TOTAL BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY FUND AND WHATNOT, AWAY, COUNTY OF 45 CENT WOULD BE 55 CENT. 
          UM, AND STEVE BOWEN THERE, THEIR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, INDICATES THAT THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THEIR PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEMS, WHICH I KNOW IS GOOD FOR CHIEF KISSINGER. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF MUTUAL AID INTO, INTO THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS 
          [00:15:01]
SOME CONSISTENCY, UM, OVER THE PERSONAL PROPERTY RATES. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, BACK IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, AND I THINK THIS WAS SOME OF THE REPUTATION THAT THIS BOARD AND SOME OF THE PAST BOARDS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT ONE TIME WE WERE ONE OF THE TOP FIVE 10 HIGHEST LOCALITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH AT $5 AND 40 CENTS ON PERSONAL PROPERTY. 
          UM, IT WENT DOWN IN 1988 TO FOUR 90. 
          IT STAYED AT FOUR 90 ALL THE WAY TO, TO THIS BOARD IN 2019, DROPPING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY RATE TO 4 75. 
          AND THEN YOU CAME BACK IN 2022, UH, AFTER COVID AND DROPPED IT AGAIN TO, TO FOUR 60. 
          AND WE REMAIN AT FOUR 60 TODAY. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION A LITTLE BIT TO OUR, UH, EXPENDITURE BUDGET. 
          SO, LIKE PAST YEARS, WE, WE TRY TO DEVELOP A CONSERVATIVE BUDGET, UH, EACH YEAR. 
          WE THINK THAT IT'S, UM, SHOULD BE REALISTICALLY ALIGNED TO THE, THE OVERALL ECONOMY. 
          AND THAT ECONOMY IS NOT JUST OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT JUST, UM, THE OVERARCHING ECONOMY. 
          THAT'S, UH, THAT IS THIS RICHMOND METRO AREA. 
          UH, AND IT NEEDS TO BE BALANCED WITH FINANCIAL RESOURCES. 
          SO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, REOCCURRING REVENUES SHOULD PAY FOR REOCCURRING EXPENSES. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PRESENTING A BALANCED BUDGET TODAY, AND THAT THAT DOES THAT. 
          UM, WHEN WE STARTED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE, WE WANTED TO AT LEAST MAINTAIN OUR, OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE. 
          WE ENCOURAGED YOU ALL WITH THE TAX RATE, THAT IF YOU WERE TO ADDRESS SOME THINGS IN THE TAX RATE, WE COULD PROBABLY ENHANCE THE DELIVERY OF CERTAIN SERVICES. 
          AND SO I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT, THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT IN, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          UM, BIG PART OF THIS BUDGET IS, IS AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT OUR WORKFORCE AND THE PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE THAT WE HAVE. 
          IT HAD BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE WE IMPLEMENTED A CLASS IN COMPENSATION PLAN. 
          AND AGAIN, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE AND, AND BE ABLE TO ATTRACT NEW, NEW EMPLOYEES WHEN NECESSARY. 
          UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN SOME STAFFING IS THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED SOME INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY THIS YEAR, SPECIFICALLY IN, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          YOU'LL SEE A TRAFFIC DIVISION THAT'S BEING CREATED IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. 
          ON THE FIRE AND EMS SIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME SPECIFIC, UH, POSITIONS THAT I WILL, UH, GO INTO DETAIL WITH. 
          AND IN ANIMAL CONTROL SPECIFICALLY, YOU'LL SEE A POSITION THERE. 
          AND THEN ALSO, I DIDN'T INCLUDE IT IN THE SLIDE, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT LATER. 
          UH, A KEY POSITION IN THE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS IN THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. 
          AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE BEST WAY WE CAN, THE DOE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          AND I THINK THIS BUDGET GOES A LONG WAY THIS YEAR IN, IN DOING THAT TOO GRAPHICALLY. 
          I JUST KIND OF WANNA SHOW YOU WHERE THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR TRANSFERS AND WHERE IT'S GOING. 
          SO YOUR COUNTY OPERATIONS, AGAIN, FROM YOUR GENERAL FUND, MAKES UP ABOUT 58% OF THE, OF THE OVERALL GENERAL FUND, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND OPERATIONS AND, AND CAPITAL WOULD BE 16.9, UH, DEBT TRANSFER TO THE COUNTY, DEBT TRANSFER TO THE SCHOOLS SOCIAL SERVICES, AND C UH, CSA CHILDREN'S SERVICES, THE OPERATING CAPITAL FUND, UM, WHICH IS A NEW FUND. 
          AND I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER. 
          UH, THE CIP FOR THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND. 
          SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT JUST OPERATIONS, YOU KNOW, OF YOUR OPERATIONS, WE'RE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS AND JUST THE, THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS PORTION OF YOUR OPERATION. 
          EXPENDITURES, UH, JUST OVER $26 MILLION OR 64%. 
          UH, SOME OF WHAT WE DO, AS YOU KNOW, IS NOT, UH, IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS. 
          THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 33% OF THE BUDGET. 
          AND THEN INTERNAL CAPITAL WITH THOSE, THOSE SMALL PURCHASE CAPITAL ITEMS THAT, THAT WE OUTLINED IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER. 
          SO AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT LEVEL OF SERVICE AND THE, THE PROPOSED 26 BUDGET MAINTAINS, AGAIN, THAT PRESENT LEVEL OF SERVICE, AND WE THINK TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, IT, IT ENHANCES IT. 
          UM, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE DOLLAR BILL, YOU'LL SEE THE UPDATED DOLLAR BILL HERE. 
          WE, WE THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND JUST SOME PUBLIC CONVERSATION. 
          AND, AND WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE, THE OVERALL PUBLIC HAS COME ACCUSTOMED TO CERTAIN SERVICES THAT WE, UM, THAT WE OFFER HERE, AND DON'T WANNA SEE SOME OF THOSE SERVICES BACK UP. 
          INSTEAD, WHAT, WHAT OUR, UM, I THINK COMMUNITY WANTS US TO SEE OUR SERVICES BE ENHANCED, AND THAT'S JUST NOT IN, IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES, BUT THAT'S ALSO THE, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND OUR NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS THOSE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS THAT, THAT WE PARTNER WITH. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU, WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE BUDGET IS THAT WE HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO KIND OF FURTHER MAKE AGAIN, AND WHEN I SAY ENHANCE, UH, YOU'LL SEE WHERE 
          [00:20:01]
WE'RE KIND OF MAKING SOME OF THAT INVESTMENT. 
          UH, BIGGEST AREA FOR US THIS YEAR, UH, ON THE GOVERNMENT PIECE OF THIS WAS OUR CLASS IN COMPENSATION PLAN. 
          I ENTITLED THIS SLIDE, YOU KNOW, WHY NEW PLAN WAS NEEDED. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO, TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 
          THE, THE CURRENT PAY STRUCTURE OF THE COUNTY, WE CLASSIFIED AS, AS OUTDATED. 
          ANYTIME YOU DO A CLASS IN COMPENSATION PLAN, YOU REALLY SHOULD LOOK AT IT ON A THREE TO FIVE YEAR BASIS. 
          AND SO IN 2019, BEFORE COVID, AND WE KNOW DR. MOORE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, THAT THERE WAS SOME WAGE INFLATION THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE TAKING PLACE. 
          AND IT CAME, IT CAME TO, UM, AND TO BE THE CASE, BUT IT WAS OUTDATED. 
          UM, 2019, GIVEN THE LAST ONE. 
          AND DURING THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES. 
          WE'VE HAD, UH, SPECIAL DIFFICULTY IN ATTRACTING SKILL CANDIDATES FOR SPECIFIC POSITIONS, FINANCE AREA, PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ANY PUBLIC SAFETY POSITION, UH, REALLY BECAME SOMEWHAT COMPLEX, UM, RETENTION CONCERNS. 
          SO WE HAD INCREASED TURNOVER. 
          UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING THE COVID YEARS COULDN'T DO CLASS AND COMPENSATION PLANS, SO THEY JUST WENT TO THE CLOSEST LOCALITY THAT DID ONE, AND THEN TOOK THE NUMBERS OF DIY COUNTY AND ESCALATED THOSE NUMBERS AROUND THE AREA. 
          'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T DOING CLASS AND COMPS, UM, DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME. 
          UH, AND THAT DID CREATE SOME RETENTION CONCERNS, UH, EVEN TO THE POINT THAT A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES WERE SPECIFICALLY BEING RECRUITED OR HEADHUNTED FROM OTHER LOCALITIES TO, TO TAKE POSITIONS THERE. 
          UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF INEQUITIES IN THE CURRENT PLAN, AND WE, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT TITLES THAT WERE SOMEWHAT INCONSISTENT. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT GRADE LEVELS THAT WE THINK SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGED. 
          AND THEN OVERALL PAY RANGES. 
          WE DIDN'T THINK MIMICKED OR REPRESENTED, UH, TODAY'S ECONOMY GROWTH AND COMPLEXITY. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE EVOLVED AND, AND I SAY SOPHISTICATED TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN COUNTY, UH, SERVICES AND, AND WORKLOADS THAT, THAT REALLY NEED TO BE CAREFULLY EVALUATED. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW, I RECOMMEND IT TO YOU IN THIS FISCAL YEAR TO DO A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE RESTRUCTURING. 
          AND THAT PAY NEEDED TO ALSO BE REFLECTED IN, IN OUR TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION. 
          AND WE KNEW THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION PLAN WOULD BE A WAY TO, TO ADDRESS THAT ON THIS LINE. 
          I JUST, JUST KINDA MORE HISTORY, RIGHT? SO IN, IN FY 25, THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'RE IN THE, THE BOARD, UH, AUTHORIZED A CLASS AND COMP STUDY FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          AND THAT WAS, UH, INCLUDING, UH, THE DIMITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTIONAL, UH, OFFICERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES. 
          SO AGAIN, ON THE, ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE OF THE HOUSE, ON JUNE 18TH, 2024, LAST YEAR, THE BOARD AWARDED A CONTRACT TO DO OUR CLASS IN COMPENSATION WITH A COMPANY CALLED AUTOSOL, LLC OR INCORPORATE IT. 
          AND, UH, BASICALLY THREE OBJECTIVES. 
          WE, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT EXTERNAL PARITY, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE WHAT THE MARKET WAS. 
          REMEMBER WE HAD SOME COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES. 
          WE WANTED TO LOOK AT INTERNAL PARITY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT ARE WORKING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND IN LIKE POSITIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED THE WAY, THE RIGHT WAY. 
          AND AS ANY GLASSING COMP, THE MOST EXPENSIVE PIECE IS LOOKING AT COMPRESSION OVER THE YEARS. 
          AND SO WE, WHEN WE WENT WITH AUTOSOL INK, WE JUST, THESE WERE OUR KIND OF THREE ESTABLISHED OBJECTIVES THAT WE WANTED TO TRY TO, UM, TRY TO ACCOMPLISH. 
          ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WITH THE COMPANY, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ON WHAT IS THE COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY OF DENWOODY COUNTY? AND WE, WHAT WE SAID WAS, IS THAT WE WERE EMPLOYERS AS THE EMPLOYER FIRST, IT HAS TO BE FAIR. 
          AND THAT, THAT PAY THAT IS EQUITABLE, UH, BOTH INTERNALLY IN THE ORGANIZATION AND EXTERNALLY TO, TO WHERE PEOPLE MAY, MAY WANT TO GO TO. 
          WE WANTED IT TO BE TRANSPARENT. 
          WE WANTED TO BEAR TO HAVE CLEAR CLASSIFICATION STRUCTURES AND COMPENSATION RANGES THAT WERE EASILY, UH, UNDERSTOOD. 
          AND THAT THAT'S, WE BELIEVE THAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT CONSISTENCY WAS IMPORTANT AND THAT IT'D BE UNIFORM, UM, APPLIED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE COUNTY. 
          IT NEEDED TO BE SUSTAINABLE. 
          SO WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING THIS, WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE A ONE-TIME ADJUSTMENT. 
          WE WANTED TO REALLY KINDA LOOK OVER THE UPCOMING FUTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEIR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL, UH, RESPONSIBILITY THERE AND THEN VALUE. 
          WE, WE, WE REALLY WANTED THE PLAN AND OUR, AGAIN, OUR COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY TO BE THAT WE, WE, UM, HAVE RECOGNITION OF THE FACT THAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTE AND THEY CONTRIBUTE IN A POSITIVE WAY, AND THAT IT'S OUR JOB TO RETAIN THEM AS BEST AS WE, WE POSSIBLY CAN. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMPLEMENTATION HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS, 
          [00:25:01]
AUTOSOL RECOMMENDED, UM, THAT WE BREAK THE UNIFIED PAY STRUCTURE WHERE WE PRESENTLY HAVE ONE PAY SCALE AND BREAK THAT INTO TWO PAY SCALES. 
          UH, A LOT OF THE WORK IS INHERENTLY DIFFERENT FOR THOSE THAT THAT WEAR THE UNIFORM AND THAT ARE IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY ENVIRONMENT COMPARED TO THOSE GENERAL OFFICE WORKERS THAT, THAT COME INTO WORK EVERY DAY. 
          WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE BOTH. 
          BUT THIS, THIS NEW PLAN SEPARATES THAT WE'LL HAVE A GENERAL GOVERNMENT PAY SCALE, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO HAVE A PAY SCALE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SIMILARITIES, BUT DIFFERENT STARTING COMPENSATION FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. 
          AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THAT PHILOSOPHY OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE, UM, WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO INCREASE THAT MINIMUM. 
          AND EVEN THOUGH, UH, MINIMUM WAGE IS SMALLER THAN THIS NUMBER, WE FELT LIKE IF YOU WERE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE IN DENWOOD COUNTY, THAT YOU AT LEAST NEED TO BE MAKING $15 AN HOUR. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, STARTING COMPENSATION IS, IS AT LEAST AT 15 AND IN MANY CASES, MUCH, MUCH LARGER THAN THAT. 
          UM, ALL POSITIONS THROUGH THE COUNTY WERE RECLASSIFIED BASED ON THEIR OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY, UH, HOW COMPLEX THAT THE POSITION IS, AND RECOGNIZING THAT, THAT SOME OF THIS NEEDED TO BE, UH, REALIGNED, UM, ACHIEVEMENT, UH, OR A ACHIEVE ACHIEVING THE INTERNAL PARITY BY MOVING EACH EMPLOYEE TO THE APPROPRIATE GRADE AND STEP ON THE NEW CREATED PAY SCALE. 
          SO AGAIN, WE, WE TOOK EVERY EMPLOYEE AND PUT 'EM IN THEIR APPROPRIATE, UM, HIERARCHICAL POSITION. 
          NO EMPLOYEE GAVE IT, BUT RECEIVED A PAY CUT. 
          AND WE COULD SEE THIS IN THE, UH, FINAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
          UH, THERE WERE SOME THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE MUCH OF AN INCREASE, BUT THE, THE LOWEST THAT WE, WE HAVE IS A 3% ADJUSTMENT. 
          SO EVERY EMPLOYEE CAN AT LEAST EXPECT A 3%. 
          AND WE, WE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO DO THAT. 
          WE DON'T HAVE MANY AT THAT SPECIFIC RANGE, UH, BUT 3% WOULD BE THE MINIMUM THIS YEAR. 
          UH, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS THEMSELVES, NOT THEIR STAFFS, BUT THEMSELVES HAVE THE, UM, ABILITY TO OPT IN OR OPT OUT. 
          SO WE, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS, IF YOU APPROVE THE BUDGET THAT WE WILL START HAVING WITH THE FIVE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS IF THEY WISH TO OPT IN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S FUNDS TO DO THAT IF THEY WANT TO OPT OUT. 
          THAT'S THEIR PERSONAL, UH, DECISION. 
          UH, AND ALSO, AS YOU ALL KNOW, YEAH, I, I SAID TO YOU ALL THAT AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE INCLUDED INTO THE CLASS AND COMP. 
          SO THE, THE DATA ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S POSITION WASN'T INCLUDED IN THIS. 
          UH, WE DID INCLUDE THE 3%, UH, JUST AS EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE MUCH OF AN INCREASE THERE. 
          BUT IT'S NO, UM, NO INCREASE ASSOCIATED TO MY SALARY AND MY REQUEST. 
          I MEAN, I THOUGHT THAT, AGAIN, THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT SO THAT THE STAFF HAS TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FOR ME TO BENEFIT FROM. 
          SO WHEN WE IMPLEMENT THIS, I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. 
          SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE TARGETED INVESTMENTS. 
          AND SO, ONE, WE TALK ABOUT ONE OF OUR OVERALL OBJECTIVES IS TO HAVE A SAFE AND SECURE COMMUNITY. 
          THIS YEAR, WE WERE APPROACHED AS, YOU KNOW, DURING BUDGET TIME BY SHERIFF ADAMS, WHO WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, SPEEDING THROUGHOUT THE 507 SQUARE MILES OF DEWINE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND IN LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY STAFFED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A TARGETED DIVISION FIVE DEPUTIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT SWORN THAT WOULD DO NOTHING BUT, UH, PROTECT THE SPEED LIMIT AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRAVELING PUBLIC, UM, IS AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY BE. 
          WE LOSE MORE PEOPLE IN AUTOMOBILE, AC AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS EACH YEAR, AND THEN WINY COUNTY THAN WE DO FATALITIES OR ANYTHING ELSE. 
          SO WE, YOU KNOW, BACK ROADS AREN'T MEANT TO DRIVE, BUT SO FAST. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, THAT WHOLE CONCEPT HERE IS THAT THE FIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPUTIES, THEIR SALARIES OF 279,000, THE BENEFITS THE VEHICLE AND THE EQUIPMENT YOU'LL SEE IS OVER ALMOST A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS JUST FOR THAT, TOTALING A, UH, AN INVESTMENT OF 741,000 PLUS. 
          UM, AND THEN I WILL TELL YOU THE ASTERISK HERE IS THAT THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE HOUSE THAT, THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING THROUGH ACTUALLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT IF, IF YOU'RE DOING YOUR JOB EVERY DAY, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TICKETS THAT WILL BE RIGHT, BE WRITTEN. 
          AND AS SUCH, WE CAN ASSUME REVENUE. 
          AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT REVENUE WAS ADEQUATELY, UM, PUT INTO THE BUDGET. 
          THIS NEXT IS, WE, WE HAVE TWO POSITIONS IN FIRE AND EMS, UH, ONE, UM, IN, IN, IN MORE OF THE FIRE SERVICES. 
          AND EMS IS A FIRE MARSHAL. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT UNDER, UH, CHIEF KISSINGER'S LEADERSHIP THAT HE RECOGNIZED THAT WE CAN BE A REACTIVE COMMUNITY TO FIRE SERVICES OR WE CAN BE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE. 
          AND SO THE APPROACH OF HIRING A FULL-TIME FIRE MARSHAL 
          [00:30:01]
ALLOWS US TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. 
          WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO AGAIN, BE REACTIVE. 
          WE, THERE ARE CERTAIN VISITS WE SHOULD BE MAKING AND ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. 
          AND SO I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED WHEN CHIEF KISSINGER CAME IN, HE GOT INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, STARTED VISITING SOME DAYCARES, UH, STARTED GOING TO SOME OF OUR EATING ESTABLISHMENTS AND WHATNOT. 
          BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THAT GOING. 
          AND A FULL-TIME FIRE MARSHAL ALLOWS US TO DO THAT. 
          WE HAVE THE SALARY HERE TO DO THAT. 
          WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE BENEFITS, THE VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          AND JUST THAT ONE POSITION IS NEARLY A, A $200,000 INVESTMENT. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW FROM LAST YEAR, OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG BOX PROGRAM AND HOW THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS RESPONSIBILITY SOMEWHAT BEEN SHIFTED, RIGHT, BEEN SHIFTED TO US. 
          UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I ACTUALLY HAVE ADDRESSED TO THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. 
          AGAIN, SHOWING, I THINK WE NEED TO SHOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HOW, HOW SOME OF THEIR DECISIONS LEAD TO THE LOCAL LEVEL HAVING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS. 
          BUT, HEY, IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE'RE GONNA DO IT RIGHT. 
          SO THIS WAS A CHIEF CAME TO ME AT BUDGET, CAME TO ANN AND I, AND SAID, LOOK, IT NEEDS TO BE A CAPTAIN POSITION. 
          IT NEEDS TO OVERSEE. 
          WE HAVE AN EMS ONLY STAFF THAT STAYS EXTREMELY BUSY. 
          AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT SPAN OF CONTROL WAS ALL, ALL OF THEM REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF. 
          YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY OVERSEE THE PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG BOX PROGRAM, THEY CAN ALSO BE THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THAT, UH, OVERSEES THE, THE EMS ONLY STAFF. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S NEARLY A $200,000 INVESTMENT THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. 
          ALVIN LANGLEY CAME TO YOU AT BUDGET TIME AND TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE AN ANIMAL CONTROL ATTENDANT. 
          UM, SO THAT POSITION'S BEEN INCLUDED INTO THE, INTO THE BUDGET. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S A A A $31,000 STARTING POSITION. 
          SO THIS, THIS IS THE POSITION THAT DOES THE APPROPRIATE CLEANING OF THE FACILITY. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE STATE VET'S OFFICE, THE CLEANING OF OF THESE SHELTERS ARE, ARE PUT ON A, A PRETTY HIGH, UH, SPECTRUM. 
          AND SO THIS, THIS ALLOWS US TO TAKE PLACE. 
          AND IT ALSO GIVES, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE SANDY WORK FOR US FOR YEARS, UH, IN ANIMAL CONTROL AND DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          BUT IT FINALLY, AFTER MANY, MANY YEARS, GIVES HER A LITTLE BIT OF HELP, UH, TO DO THAT. 
          THIS OPERATION DOESN'T STOP. 
          RIGHT? NEVER, NEVER STOPS, NEVER STOPS. 
          WHILE WE'RE IN PUBLIC SAFETY, I JUST WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE JAIL. 
          SO, MEHERON, AS YOU KNOW, IS A, UM, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S NOT ONLY DIY COUNTY, BUT BRUNSWICK AND MECKLENBURG. 
          THE INCREASE THIS YEAR IS ABOUT $124,000. 
          AS YOU'LL RECALL. 
          WE DO A THREE YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPED DIM WITTY TREMENDOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH OUR NUMBERS ARE JUST SLIGHTLY INCREASING. 
          WHAT THE, THE REAL STORY HERE, THE JAIL IS THAT BOTH BRUNSWICK AND MECKLENBURG COUNTY ARE SEEING A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INMATE POPULATION. 
          WHEN THEY DECREASE, THE OVERALL PERCENTAGE SHIFT TO US BECOMES GREATER. 
          IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THIS COULD BE CLOSE TO FOUR OR $500,000 IF THE TREND DOESN'T CHANGE. 
          UM, AND I WILL SAY WITH THE CREATION OF A TRAFFIC DIVISION, I WOULD DARE SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE ARRESTING, UH, HIGHER AMOUNTS OF INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MAKE THAT AVERAGE TRAFFIC STOP, YOU'LL SEE DRUGS AND YOU'LL SEE OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT, UM, OR ADDED CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. 
          SO I, I WOULD EXPECT THAT TO GO UP NEXT YEAR. 
          THAT SPECIFIC TARGET INVESTMENT IN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IS THE, THE ONE NON-PUBLIC SAFETY POSITION THAT WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. 
          AND, UM, I THINK EVEN AS OUR SENIOR STAFF AGREED THAT MS. LEE AND HER STAFF DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          UM, BUT WE, THERE IS STILL A LOT OF RECRUITMENT THAT'S NECESSARY. 
          AND THEN JUST THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT. 
          SO WE, UH, THE REQUEST WAS MADE THIS YEAR AND, UM, I, I'M RECOMMENDING IT, BUT IT'S A, A SALARY OF 51 8 STARTING SALARY BENEFITS AND, AND, UM, EQUIPMENT. 
          THIS IS JUST A SMALL, UH, COMPUTER UP, UH, COMPUTER TO GET THE OFFICE ESTABLISHED. 
          AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A $72,000 INVESTMENT ASSOCIATED IN, IN HUMAN RESOURCES AND WOULD ADD A LOT TO THE, THE HR TEAM. 
          WHAT ANOTHER INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS YEAR, AND AGAIN, THIS KIND OF FALLS UNDER A DIFFERENT CATEGORY. 
          IT'S THAT GOOD STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST. 
          AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUNDS THAT COME INTO THE COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, BUT WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO HEAR MORE OF, BUT THAT'S THE GENERAL REASSESSMENT, RIGHT? WE JUST SEEMS LIKE WE JUST FINISHED ONE BECAUSE WE DID, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OPTION TO RENEW WITH THE PRESENT COMPANY THAT JUST FINISHED THE LAST REASSESSMENT TO DO ANOTHER REASSESSMENT. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM OUR 
          [00:35:01]
COMMUNITY WAS, WE'RE NOT SO MUCH UPSET WITH THE MARKET. 
          WE'RE UPSET THAT IT TOOK SIX YEARS FOR YOU TO TELL US. 
          AND SO THIS, THIS TYPE OF TWO YEAR ASSESSMENT WOULD, WOULD LIMIT THAT, UH, OVERALL EXPOSURE. 
          AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS Y'ALL ASK THAT I LOOK AT AT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          SO THIS YEAR FOR FY 26, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S AN $86,400 INVESTMENT NEXT YEAR. 
          THE BALANCE OF THAT WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO YOUR FY 27 BUDGET, AND THAT'S THE $201,600. 
          SO THE TOTAL COMBINED, AND IT'S BASED ON PARCEL, THE NUMBER OF PARCELS IN, IN DEWINE COUNTY, THAT TOTAL PROJECT COST IS $288,000. 
          UM, I SPOKE EARLIER TODAY TO, TO GARY ENS. 
          OUR BOE FINISHED ITS WORK EARLIER TODAY. 
          I THANK THE BOE FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND HOW MUCH I APPRECIATED IT ON BEHALF OF THE, THE COUNTY, AND ALSO STARTED TO TALK TO MR. ESS THAT IF THIS BUDGET IS, IS MOVING FORWARD, THAT WE WOULD START THAT PROCESS. 
          IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THERE'S A, AN ACTION ITEM ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND THEN THAT NEW ASSESSMENT, IF WE'RE THINKING TIME-WISE, IS JANUARY 1ST, 2027. 
          THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD BECOME EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? SO THAT YEAR, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS AGAIN, THE TAX RATE, UH, ACCORDINGLY. 
          THIS IS NOT A INDIVIDUAL PARCEL VISIT. 
          THAT'S WHY THIS, THIS NUMBER IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE PREVIOUS REASSESSMENT. 
          WHAT THIS DOES IS IT LOOKS AT ALL THE MARKET DATA AND WE DO WHAT IS CALLED A, A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS REASSESSMENT. 
          SO THEY GO TO SPECIFIC AREAS AND THEN THEY TREND THE COMMUNITY AROUND THAT. 
          AND THAT'S BEEN A TESTED AND TRIED WAY OF DOING IT. 
          THEN YOU CAN DETERMINE WHEN YOU WANT TO DO YOUR NEXT ONE. 
          WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT. 
          THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE AN ACTUAL FIELD VISIT WHERE YOU VISIT EACH, EACH PROPERTY. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE NOW TO DEWINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          AND SO WHAT, WHAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT UNDER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, SO I'M GONNA BREAK THIS INTO TWO PIECES. 
          I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE THIS YEAR. 
          UH, THE REQUEST FOR AN OPERATIONAL INCREASE CAME IN THIS YEAR FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          AND SO YOU'LL SEE IN GEN IN SCHOOL OPERATING FUND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO DO THAT. 
          I BELIEVE THAT'S ABOUT A $500,000 INVESTMENT, UH, TO THAT, UH, SCHOOL DEBT FUND. 
          YOU'LL SEE THAT WE, UH, INVEST ABOUT $2.1 MILLION OUT THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT. 
          AND THEN THE SCHOOL OPERATING CAPITAL FUND. 
          THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE VERY PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THIS YEAR. 
          UH, JEFF WALTER IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE COUNTY. 
          UH, AS YOU ALL RECALL, PRESENTED AN OPTION THIS YEAR TO GO FROM 150,000 THAT HISTORICALLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN INDEMNITY QUITE SOME TIME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN 150,000. 
          BUT WHAT MR. WALTERS WAS ABLE TO PROVE THIS YEAR, I THINK VERY EFFECTIVELY, THAT WITH AN ADDITIONAL $150,000, WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IS WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT OUR, OUR MOTOR MOTOR FLEET WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BEING ABLE TO REPLACE THAT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE. 
          AND IF YOU RECALL, THEY TALK ABOUT THE, THE DISTANCE OF TRAVEL FOR SOME OF OUR, UM, OUR STUDENTS THIS YEAR. 
          SO YOU ALL INDICATE TO ME THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A GOOD PRIORITY. 
          SECONDLY, WHAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HERE WAS, UH, OR WHAT, UH, MR. WALTERS TALKED ABOUT WAS THE PAINTING SCHEDULE. 
          SO YOU HAD ASKED ME TO COME IN AND, AND, AND LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY TO FUNDS. 
          WELL, THAT, THAT $300,000 DOES THAT, IF YOU ADD THE, THE GENERAL OPERATING, THE GENERAL FUND TRANSFER IS 19.1 MILLION. 
          NEXT PAGE JUST GETS INTO SOME OTHER INVESTMENTS THAT, THAT, IN THAT WE INCLUDE BACK TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          UH, YOU HAVE A MEALS TAX TRANSFER. 
          AND THIS, THIS MONEY GOES TO HELP PAY SCHOOL DEBT. 
          SO YOU GOT SCHOOL DEBT THAT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, AND YOU ALSO HAVE THAT, THAT COMES OUT OF THE MILLS TAX FUND. 
          UH, YOU ALSO HAVE SCHOOL BUSES. 
          AND SO AS YOU'LL SEE WITH THE, THE, UH, REOCCURRING OPERATING FUND THAT WE CREATED, WE HAVE SCHOOL BUSES THIS YEAR AT 6 43, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, DR. 
          WESTIN CAME AND WE TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT SROS AND THE FACT THAT THOSE GRANTS WERE ENDING, AND WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO, TO KIND OF KEEP THIS MOVING FORWARD. 
          THAT'S NOW INCLUDED, UM, IN THE, IN WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING. 
          UH, WE'RE SHOWING THAT ON OUR SIDE OF THE HOUSE, BUT IT'S STILL ASSISTING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          WE HAD TWO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. 
          YOU'LL SEE THIS IN THE CIP, BUT ONE WAS A DEMO OF THE ANNEX, UM, AT THE HISTORIC SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, DIY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD A ROOF REPAIR. 
          UH, ADDING THOSE TWO PROJECTS TOGETHER IN YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU'RE AT, UH, 9 64. 
          SO YOU TAKE THE GENERAL FUND, YOU TAKE THE OTHER INVESTMENTS. 
          THE TOTAL INVESTMENT'S ABOUT 22 POINT $0.5 MILLION. 
          SO YOU, I MENTIONED 
          [00:40:01]
A FEW TIMES THE REPLACEMENT FUND. 
          UH, SO THIS, THIS IS A NEW, NEW, UH, JUDGE. 
          THIS WAS 5 CENTS OF YOUR 8 CENT INCREASE WAS JUST TO THIS FUND. 
          UH, SO WHAT THIS FUND DOES, IT REALLY, TRULY, AND JUST ENSURES THE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AND OPERATIONAL READINESS OF CRITICAL COUNTY ASSETS. 
          AND THAT, THAT'S A MOUTHFUL. 
          BUT IT, IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE PICTURES THAT YOU SEE FLANKED AROUND HERE REOCCUR EVERY YEAR. 
          AND, AND YOU ALL KNEW THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU ABOUT 1.8 TO 2.2 MILLION ANNUALLY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE REPLACEMENTS. 
          UM, SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE THIS DEDICATED FUND WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND ITS LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ITS BUSES, AS WELL AS FOR EMS AND FIRE, THE, THE APPARATUS THAT THEY HAVE. 
          AND IN SOME CASES THERE ARE SOME LARGE SCALE IT EQUIPMENT, WHETHER THAT BE THE COUNTY OR THE SCHOOLS THAT NEED TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THIS AND IT AS NECESSARY. 
          THEY'LL, THEY'LL COME ON TO THIS PLAN, BUT IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY BY SETTING ASIDE THIS FUNDING, THAT YOU HAVE A TRUE PLAN FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS ON HOW YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THIS REPLACEMENT. 
          AND I THINK THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CIP WORKING GROUP A COUPLE YEARS AGO WAS, IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET THIS OUT OF THE CIP, YOU CAN ACTUALLY START DOING SOME MEASURABLE PROJECTS AS DEBT STARTS TO COME OFF THE BOOKS. 
          AND WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME, ESPECIALLY IN THE DENEE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ARE COMING AS WELL AS, UH, FIRE AND EMS AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIRE STATIONS AND TRYING TO, TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF BETTER JOB WITH, UM, RESPONDING IN OUR RESPONSE TIME. 
          SO THIS, THIS FUND ALLOWS YOU TO, TO DO THAT, THE BUDGET. 
          SO IF WE, TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, AGAIN, REVENUE WISE, WE WERE AT SIX, JUST OVER 66 MILLION. 
          WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IN THE, UH, MIDDLE PART OF THE PAGE IS THE OPERATIONS, THE SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL DEBT, THE COUNTY DEBT, THE SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CSA TRANSFER. 
          YOU ALSO HAVE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND, THE COUNTY CIP TRANSFER, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO MORE OF THAT AT YOUR SECOND HEARING. 
          AND THEN THE OPERATING CAPITAL FUND, WHICH IS WHAT I JUST SPOKE ABOUT, THAT'S THE 1.8, UM, MILLION DOLLARS. 
          SO THE TOTAL YOU'LL SEE IS LARGER IN EXPENSES THAN THE REVENUE COMING IN. 
          SO I TOLD YOU, REOCCURRING REVENUES GOTTA PAY FOR REOCCURRING EXPENSES. 
          SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN THE YELLOW IS WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THOSE QUALIFIABLE ONETIME ONE-TIME EXPENSES. 
          YOU GOT YOUR CIP, YOU GOT THAT INTERNAL CAPITAL. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT POSITIONS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT POSITIONS AS IT RELATES TO FIRE AND EMS AND AS EQUIPMENT THAT WAS NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY VEHICLES. 
          UH, AND THEN THE GENERAL REASSESSMENT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A ONE TIME NOT EACH YEAR REOCCURRING EXPENSE. 
          AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT OUT. 
          IF YOU TAKE THOSE ITEMS OUT OF THAT 70 MILLION, YOU'RE LEFT WITH THE 66 MILLION. 
          SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE AT A BALANCE BUDGET. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THIS BOARD HAS ASKED FOR YEARS THAT I, I SPEND TIME ON. 
          UM, SO THIS IS AGAIN, THE DOLLAR BILL, AND I JUST WANTED TO GRAPHICALLY SHOW, UH, K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION AT, AT, UH, JUST OVER 30 CENTS. 
          THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT 17 CENTS FIRE AND EMS AT 16.40 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR GENERAL SERVICES IS THE NEW TITLE THAT WE CALL PUBLIC WORKS. 
          AND SO THAT'S AGAIN, MOSTLY YOUR WASTE MANAGEMENT BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT. 
          THESE ARE GONNA BE KEY GOVERNMENT OFFICES THAT DON'T FALL INTO PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          THEY DON'T FALL INTO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO THIS IS GONNA BE PEOPLE LIKE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, ACCOUNTING, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, SOME SPECIFIC CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES, UH, WOULD FALL INTO THIS PIECE OF THE DOLLAR BILL COUNTY DEBT THAT WE OUTLINED EARLIER. 
          UH, YOU HAVE JUDICIAL SERVICES AT, AT 3 CENTS, UH, PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT 3 CENTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE, WHICH IS MAINLY YOUR REC DEPARTMENT AND YOUR LIBRARY SYSTEM AT 3 CENTS. 
          AND IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS AT, AT 2 CENTS. 
          SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, CHRISTIE FLEMING PROBABLY HAS ME BEAT IN, IN THE ROOM WITH BEEN A PART OF MORE DEWIN COUNTY BUDGETS THAN I HAVE. 
          UM, BUT THEN THE, THE SECOND PERSON TO THAT IS GONNA BE ANN HAMILTON. 
          AND SO I GET TO TALK IT, BUT SHE'S THE ONE WHO REALLY HELPS US KEEP ALL THESE NUMBERS MAKING SENSE. 
          AND IF IT, IF IT WASN'T FOR ANN, UH, AND HER STAFF, WE, WE COULDN'T DO THE JOB THAT WE DO. 
          AND I WAS TELLING MR. DOOLEY EARLIER, WE SHOULD NEVER LOSE SIGHT THAT COUNTY FUNDS ARE OUR 
          [00:45:01]
FUNDS AND THERE'S NO PERSON I KNOW THAT, THAT THAT TAKES, AND, AND SOMEWHAT TO THE DISMAY OF OUR EMPLOYEES, HOW MUCH SHE TAKES THIS FUND AS, UH, HER FUND. 
          'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE COUNTY TAXPAYER'S MONEY. 
          SO WE TALK ABOUT BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST AND YOU GOTTA EARN IT. 
          YOU GOTTA PROVE IT. 
          UH, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT ANN, UH, HAS, HAS REALLY DONE A GOOD JOB AND AGAIN, WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HER FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE HERE. 
          AGAIN, I GET TO BE THE ONE TO TALK IT, BUT SHE'S THE ONE THAT EVEN AS OF TODAY, SHE'S LIKE, KEVIN, I THINK YOU NEED TO CHANGE THAT SLIDE. 
          SO I'M, I'M GLAD SHE CAN. 
          SHE KEEPS ME ON MY, UH, P'S AND Q'S THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE? IF I CAN'T ANSWER 'EM, I HAVE A FEELING THAT ANN CAN DO IT OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD TOO. 
          SO, QUESTIONS FOR ANY BOARD MEMBERS? I THINK WE ASKED THEM ALL BEFORE WE GOT HERE. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU REMEMBER DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND I KNOW MS. TIPTON WAS A PART OF THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT CUT OUT OF THIS BUDGET TOO, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU REMEMBER WHERE WE STARTED TO WHERE WE'RE AT, I MEAN, THERE WERE STILL MILLIONS THAT HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF, OUT OF THE BUDGET. 
          SO I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A STAFF THAT RECOGNIZES THAT, THAT NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE FUNDED, BUT TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A TIME ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, TRYING TO GET SOME THINGS FUNDED. 
          ALRIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING PART THEN. 
          UM, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? MR. CHAIRMAN? WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, OFFER IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD, UM, AND SPEAK ON THE BUDGET, UM, I WILL GIVE YOU THAT CHANCE. 
          AND I, I CAN'T SEE, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYBODY, SO NOBODY'S ASKING. 
          I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCHOOLS RUNNING, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PROPER HERE OR MAYBE UNDER THE CAPITOL EXPENDITURES. 
          WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL HEAR YOU BOTH WAYS, SO HOWEVER YOU WANT TO WELL, THEN I'LL WAIT TO DO IT AND BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE ON IT TONIGHT, SO THAT'S FINE. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M GONNA CLOSE THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING PORTION AND, AND I'LL, I OFFER NOW FOR BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE WE GET WITH THE CIP. 
          UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, THE PROCESS, UM, ANYTHING MR. DOOLEY? NO, I, I THINK I SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          UH, I'LL ECHO WHAT KEVIN SAID, MY THANKS TO, TO ANNE AND HER STAFF. 
          AND I MEAN, I SEE YOU GUYS ON THE WEEKEND ON SUNDAYS WHEN NOBODY ELSE IS HERE AND YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE QUIET, I GUESS, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO, THAT YOU COULD TELL PEOPLE JUST LEAVE YOU ALONE AND SHUT YOUR DOOR, BUT YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO DO THE OTHER JOBS THAT ARE REQUIRED OF YOU ALL ALSO. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          I KNOW THAT THERE WERE MANY ITERATIONS OF, OF THIS PLAN THAT YOU WENT THROUGH. 
          I MEAN, WE SPOKE EARLIER TODAY, UH, WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND THE 40 OR 50 SCENARIOS THAT PLAYED OUT TO, TO BALANCE THIS AND TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, ALL THAT, THAT EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT. 
          I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF FOR THAT AND FOR LISTENING TO OUR QUESTIONS AND OUR CONCERNS AND, AND TAKING THEM TO HEART AND, AND MAKING THE BEST OF, OF THE TAXPAYERS MONEY TO, TO MAKE IT WORK. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          AND I'LL ECHO THAT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, UM, TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          AND YES, THERE ARE SOME CRITICAL INVESTMENTS WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BUDGET. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE MADE A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT AS A BOARD AND AS AN ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE THINGS THAT WERE ANNUALLY WE WERE SPENDING IN A CIP AND SAY, TIMEOUT. 
          THESE ARE THINGS WE'RE GONNA BUY EVERY SINGLE YEAR, WHETHER IT'S FIRE TRUCKS, AMBULANCES, UH, SHERIFF'S CARS OR IT COMPONENTS. 
          UH, AND FUNDAMENTALLY PUT IT INTO THE BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN THAT'S 5 CENT OF THE 64 CENTS THAT WE HAVE NOW. 
          AND BY DOING THAT, IT ALLOWS SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE CIP SIDE TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME PROJECTS THAT HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY EVERY YEAR KIND OF SHIFTED. 
          AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME THINGS THAT THIS COMMUNITY'S GONNA NEED AS WE GO FORWARD, UM, THAT ARE GONNA BE IN THE CIP PORTION OF THE BUDGET. 
          SO IN ORDER TO TAKE SOME OF THAT PRESSURE OFF, WE AS A BOARD AND AS AN ADMINISTRATION, DECIDED NOW WAS THE TIME TO PUT THEM INTO THE BUDGET, UM, THAT WILL HAVE THAT REOCCURRING DOLLARS THERE FOR THAT INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          FOR THOSE THAT HAVE KEPT UP WITH THE BUDGET, YOU 
          [00:50:01]
KNOW, THAT WE'VE MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN OUR FIRE, UM, SIDE OF THE HOUSE IN PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UM, WITH THE SHERIFF'S REQUEST THIS YEAR, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE VISIBILITY ON THE ROADS. 
          I KNOW MS. BONNER AND I, SHERIFF FERNDALE, UH, WROTE, THAT'S ONE THAT CITIZENS HAVE HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT, UH, FOUR 60 ON THE WESTERN SIDE IN D WITTY COUNTY. 
          CASEY AND I SHARE THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS OUT ON FOUR 60. 
          UM, THERE ARE CONCERNS ON 85 AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED. 
          SO THERE'S AN INVESTMENT IS ALL I'M SAYING. 
          AND, AND SO THERE'S A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT OF TRYING TO SAY, LET'S TAKE THE THINGS THAT WE BUY EVERY SINGLE YEAR, LET'S PUT 'EM INTO THE BUDGET AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT REOCCURRING DOLLARS PAY FOR THOSE REOCCURRING EXPENDITURES AND FREE UP SOME OF THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL AS OTHER NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          ON THE CIP SIDE, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ANN PUBLICLY, UH, AND, UH, AS FISCALLY TIGHT WITH A DOLLAR AS YOU'RE GOING TO FIND AN ADMINISTRATOR IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. 
          AND, AND, BUT SHE KEEPS US ON TRACK. 
          SHE KEEPS MR. MASSING ON TRACK TOO, , UM, BUT SHE DOES A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          AND HER, THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT SHE PRESENTS TO US ON A DAILY BASIS, IT, IT GOES WITHOUT QUESTION. 
          THE CERTIFICATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT THAT SHE HAS GOTTEN IN THE, THE 13 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, UM, SPEAKS FOR THE QUALITY OF WORK AND, UM, OF WHAT SHE DOES HANDLING THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 
          UM, I JUST, MY HAT'S OFF TO ANN, SO THANK YOU AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO GETTING US TO THIS NIGHT THAT WE PRESENT A BUDGET THAT'S BALANCED AND HOPEFULLY MEETS THE NEEDS, UH, AS WE SEE IT. 
          AND THE ADMINISTRATION SEES IT FOR THE 2026 YEAR. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          THAT FOLLOW UP? OH YEAH. 
          WELL, DR. MOORE SAID A LOT , , AND I DO, I AGREE WITH BOTH, UH, THE GENTLEMEN AND, UM, I JUST KNOW THAT THE BUDGET TIME IS, CAN BE A STRESSFUL TIME BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT THINGS AND, UM, IT'S UP TO, UH, THE BOARD TO LOOK AT THINGS AND ALSO THE ADMINISTRATION TO SEE IF WE'LL BE ABLE TO AFFORD, UM, THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, I, WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAXES, PEOPLE ARE, THEY JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE TAXES. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY, UM, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THIS? OR HOW MUCH? OR, AND UNDERSTANDING, AND WHEN PE WHEN YOU PRESENT IT TO PEOPLE AND THEY UNDERSTAND IT'S BETTER, UM, THEY SEE IT A LOT BETTER. 
          THEY SEE A BIGGER PICTURE THAN BEFORE. 
          AND UM, SO I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL. 
          AND UH, IT JUST GOES TO SAY THAT, UH, WE, WE THANK, UM, THE COUNTY, WE THANK, UM, ANN, BECAUSE I CAN SEE ANN, YOU KNOW, UH, RUNNING AROUND WITH THOSE NUMBERS. 
          SHE SAID SHE LOVES NUMBERS. 
          I, YOU KNOW, I TELL YOU, YOU HAVE TO REALLY LOVE NUMBERS TO DO THIS JOB BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT, UH, AND I DO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE WORKING ON WEEKENDS WHEN YOU DO THAT, WHEN YOU COME OUT TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON, UM, THE BUDGET AND TRYING TO GET THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT, THAT'S A DEDICATION. 
          AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO THANK HER FOR THAT, FOR BEING DEDICATED INSTEAD OF, SHE COULD STAY AT HOME. 
          BUT SHE COMES IN AND AS MS. DOULA SAID ON SUNDAYS WHEN SHE COULD BE AT HOME WITH HER, HER FAMILY AND DOING THINGS, AND I KNOW SHE LIKES TO DO THINGS IN HER YARD AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING, SO, BUT, UM, SHE'S HERE, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THIS. 
          SO, UH, THANKING HER AND HER STAFF, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND, UM, AND OF COURSE KEVIN FOR JUST READING IT AND UNDERSTANDING AND, UH, PUTTING IT IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND THEY CAN SEE HOW THE DOLLAR IS SPENT. 
          SO IT'S, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK I EVERYONE FOR THAT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WE COULD JUST BALANCE THE BUDGET AND JUST MOVE ON AND TRY TO GET A LOT OF THINGS DONE. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. PI ALWAYS LIKE BEING LAST. 
          I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING SO , BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ANN AND KEVIN FOR ALL THE TIME YOU PUT IN TO MAKE THIS THING COME OUT. 
          I KNOW WE, WE, WE STAY A LONG TIME TRYING TO PUT IT TOGETHER, BUT YOU PUT THE NUMBERS TOGETHER FOR MAKE IT EASY FOR US, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          SO WITH THAT ON YOU ALMOST LAST, YEAH. 
          , I MEAN WITH THE BOARD, JOHN, WE KNOW YOU WILL BE LAST . 
          UM, WELL, I, AND OF COURSE EVERYBODY KNOWS I DON'T LIKE THE BUDGET PROCESS 
          [00:55:01]
AND, AND IT, THIS ONE, UM, MAYBE WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I DIDN'T STRESS QUITE AS MUCH THIS YEAR WITH IT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME TIMES WHEN Y'ALL WERE MESSING WITH NUMBERS THAT, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW. 
          UH, I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GONNA DO ANYTHING THIS YEAR. 
          UM, BUT, UH, IT, IT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THIS BUDGET DOES, I, I THINK IT, IT REALLY OFFERS, UM, COUNTY EMPLOYEES A LOT AND THEN HELPS US WITH FIRE AND EMS, UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          I FEEL LIKE WE, WE DID WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE MORE, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT I AND KEVIN PUT INTO IT. 
          UM, I DO, UM, HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THE INTERACTION THAT ANNE AND KEVIN HAVE WITH THIS BOARD. 
          THE THREE DAY, UM, EVENT REALLY PUT, PUTS US IN TOUCH WITH WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, AND TRYING TO GET A SOLUTION. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AWESOME. 
          SOME FOLKS THAT WANTED SOME THINGS IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR THAT DIDN'T GET FUNDED AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, UM, IT'S KINDA LIKE, UH, BASEBALL, IT'S ALWAYS NEXT TO YEAR TYPE OF MENTALITY, BUT, UH, THAT'S NOT EASY WHEN YOU DON'T GET FUNDED FOR THINGS. 
          SO, UH, SO AGAIN, I, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT STAFF DID ON, ON THIS BUDGET AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A GOOD BUDGET. 
          SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. MASSEN GUILD FOR THE, UH, 26 TO, UH, 35 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM. 
          MS. CAM'S PULLING THAT UP. 
          SO, AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY TWO PARTS. 
          YOU HAVE THE PEOPLE SIDE AND THE BUSINESS SIDE OF, OF YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THEN YOU GET INTO THE BRICKS AND MORTAR AND, AND SOME LARGER APPARATUS REPLACEMENT THAT'S NEEDED. 
          UM, WE REALLY CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT THIS, UH, SYSTEMATIC REPLACEMENT OR OPERATING FUND DOES TO HELP THE, THIS, THIS PROCESS. 
          I THINK FROM, UM, FROM MY POSITION DOWN, UH, WE'VE SEEN YEARS WHERE THERE ARE PROJECTS IDENTIFIED IN A CIP THAT JUST ALWAYS STAY ON THE CIP AND NEVER GET FUNDED. 
          AND IT'S, IT'S VERY DISINGENUOUS TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AND TO US. 
          'CAUSE WE, WE, WE KNOW SOME OF THESE PROJECTS NEED TO BE MOVED FORWARD. 
          AND I THINK THIS, THAT 5 CENT, UH, ABILITY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE REOCCURRING ITEMS ARE PAID OUT OF THE RIGHT PART OF THE BUDGET HELPS WHAT I'M GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT. 
          SO THIS, THIS PICTURE IS THE LAST MAJOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSE THAT YOU HAD OUR CAPITAL EXPENSE, BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT CIP AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT CS DO IS THEY OFFER THIS, UH, REALLY SYSTEMATIC APPROACH OF BEING ABLE TO FUND OUT OF WHAT WE CALL PAYGO AS, WHEREAS FINANCING, UH, CRITICAL ASSETS. 
          AND SO WE USE OUR COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN AS A GUIDE TO THAT. 
          I STILL THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF USING OUR COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN AS A PART OF THAT. 
          AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, DO THAT PLAN MOST RECENTLY, AN UPDATE, IT'S CALLED DIMITY FORD, UH, 2043 COMP PLAN. 
          UH, LAST YEAR WE DEVELOPED A PROCESS WITH WHAT WE CALL OUR WORKING GROUP THAT ADVISES ME TO BE ABLE TO, TO PUT FORTH THE CIP. 
          AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS THAT WE NEEDED A PRIORITIZATION SYSTEM. 
          SO THE FIRST YEAR, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE YOUR URGENT YEAR. 
          YOU, YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE FUNDING TO IT. 
          IT SHOULD BE URGENT. 
          IT SHOULDN'T, SHOULD BE ABLE, IT SHOULDN'T BE MEANT TO BE REPLACED IN THAT SPECIFIC YEAR. 
          YEARS. 
          UM, TWO AND THREE SHOULD KIND OF BE A HIGH PRIORITY. 
          MEDIUM YEARS FOUR AND FIVE, AND THEN LOW YEARS, WHAT WE CALL A SIX TO 10 YEAR LOOKOUT CAN CHANGE, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL IDENTIFIED ON THE PLAN. 
          A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS JUST DO A FIVE YEAR PLAN. 
          WE FELT LIKE WHEN WE WERE A FIVE YEAR PLAN, WE DIDN'T SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE COMING. 
          SO 10 YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS GREEN AREA, GIVES US AN ABILITY TO, TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY. 
          WHEN YOU, YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THE CIP WORKING GROUP, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY, THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE ALL THE PEOPLE AT THE VERY END. 
          UH, BUT WE WORKED WITH, UH, DAVENPORT, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, BEN WILSON CAME TO YOU ALL AND HAD A, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS AT A SEPARATE, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE REALLY LOOKED AT WAS THE, THE COUNTY'S OVERALL CREDIT RATING. 
          OUR PEER COMPARATIVES IN THE STATE AND NATION FOR JURISDICTIONS OUR SIZE. 
          AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE A, A GOOD BOND 
          [01:00:01]
RATING FOR A COUNTY OUR SIZE, AND THAT'S VERY HELPFUL WHEN WE NEED TO GO OUT AND, AND BORROW FUNDS. 
          UH, AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT OPERATIONAL, UH, OPERATIONS. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT PAY, GO AGAIN, WHAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY CASH FOR. 
          THAT'S PART OF THE RATING PROCESS. 
          THEY WANT. 
          THE RATING AGENCIES WANT TO SEE YOU PAY IN CASH. 
          THEY DON'T WANNA SEE YOU BORROWING EVERYTHING. 
          THEIR JURISDICTIONS, THIS IN THIS REGION THAT USE REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES JUST TO FUND OPERATIONS. 
          AND THIS, THIS COMMUNITY'S NEVER DONE THAT. 
          UM, AT LEAST NOT UNDER OUR WATCH. 
          UH, AND THEN FUND BALANCE. 
          AND WE, WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 
          AND AGAIN, SOME OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, UH, WHEN WE HAD DAVENPORT LOOK AT IT, THEY HELPED US WITH OUR KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS. 
          AGAIN, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES I JUST SPOKE OF. 
          AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE WITH OUR PEERS. 
          AND THEN WE LOOKED AT, UH, DEBT CAPACITY AND, AND AN AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS PIECE OF THAT. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK THEY, UM, THE GROUP REALLY DID A, A GREAT JOB WITH THE ASSIGNMENT, UH, AND ALLOWED US TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          AS YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO REVIEW THIS. 
          UH, THEY DID MORE THAN REVIEW IT. 
          THEY ACTED ON IT. 
          SO THERE, WHAT YOU SEE TONIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY ON APRIL 9TH, UM, ADOPTED. 
          SO THEY, THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD PLAN. 
          YOU'LL SEE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF PROJECTS THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT THE BIGGER PIECE OF THIS PICTURE IS, IT'S REALLY STARTING TO SET US UP TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME LARGER CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, TAKE PLACE IN 29 AND, AND 31. 
          SO, UH, AGAIN, PLANNING COMMISSIONS APPROVED IT. 
          SO WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? SO ON THIS, THIS PARTICULAR GRAPH, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING, UH, THE, WHAT WE THINK IS PROBABLY THE LARGEST NUMBER IS THAT TWO, BE DETERMINED THAT THAT'S A STUDY THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING KNOWN, UH, DONE AS, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT OUR, HIS, OUR COURTHOUSE, UH, AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE, WE CALL IT THE NEW COURTHOUSE, BUT IT'S 26 7 YEARS OLD, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          UH, SO IT, IT NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT. 
          UH, WE, WE HOPE TO HAVE MIDSUMMER OF THIS YEAR A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, MAYBE INTO THE SUMMER, EARLY FALL. 
          UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN COME BACK AND, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. 
          I MENTIONED, UM, THE HISTORIC, UH, SOUTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION CENTER. 
          UH, THERE WAS A, A ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECT THAT, UH, IS WHAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID IN THE EARLIER SLIDE. 
          NOT A DEMO, BUT THAT, THAT ROOF REPLACEMENT, UH, THERE IS ESTIMATED IS $760,000. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY USE THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN THAT PARTICULAR ANNEX, UH, BUILDING MCKINNEY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AS YOU ALL VISITED WHEN WE HAD THE DRIVING TOUR WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT PARKING LOT IS CONTINUING TO, UM, TO FAIL. 
          SO WE, UH, THE, THE WORKING GROUP FELT LIKE THAT WAS A, UM, A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. 
          UH, ENGINE REPLACEMENTS, YOU'LL SEE THOSE ARE IN THE, IN HERE THIS YEAR, A $950,000 INVESTMENT. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAD, RMS, UH, EMS, UH, UH, THE, UH, MDT SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S SYSTEM IS, IF YOU CALL 9 1 1, IT'S THE SOFTWARE THAT, THAT RUNS OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. 
          THAT'S A LARGE INVESTMENT OF A MILLION AND A HALF. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A ROOF AT DIMITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, PORTION OF A ROOF THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OVER THERE. 
          THE SECOND PART, THE RIGHT PART OF THIS GRAPH SHOWS WHERE WE'RE ANTICIPATING THE FUNDING TO COME FROM. 
          SO WE KNOW THE COURTHOUSE MORE THAN LIKELY WILL, WILL BE A BORROW. 
          SO THAT'S GONNA BE OTHER FUNDS. 
          UH, THE ANNEX ROOF REPLACEMENT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT. 
          BORROW, WE WOULD PAY CASH FOR, UH, THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IN MCKINNEY, THE PARKING LOT, THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. 
          AND THAT E 9 1 1, UH, UPGRADE. 
          ALSO, THE ROOF REPLACEMENT. 
          DIMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WOULD BE, BE PART OF THAT BORROW AS WELL. 
          SO TOTAL VALUE IS ABOUT 4.1 MILLION. 
          IF YOU ADD ALL THE PROJECTS UP, THE 3.16 MILLION IS WHAT WE, WE CONTEMPLATE TAKING OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND. 
          YOU SAW THAT IN THE BALANCING THE BUDGET SLIDE. 
          AND THEN YOUR, UH, OTHER FUNDING IS GONNA BE MORE OR LESS TO BORROW THAT. 
          9 64 IS A, UH, A KNOWN NUMBER. 
          AGAIN, YOU WOULD ADD TO THAT. 
          SOME OF YOU HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT THE, UH, SECOND, I GUESS THE, THE PART OF THE SCHOOL REQUEST THAT DIDN'T GET FUNDED, AND THAT'S SPECIFICALLY THE SECURITY SYSTEM FOR THE SCHOOLS. 
          UH, SO WE, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE VENDOR THAT WOULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICE. 
          MR. WALTERS AND I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME NEW NUMBERS ON THAT. 
          MY, MY, MY, UM, RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU IS ONCE YOU FIND OUT THE COST OF THAT COURTHOUSE, IF AND WHEN YOU WANT TO ADD POTENTIALLY FROM SOME 
          [01:05:01]
FUNDING, YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW THE COURTHOUSE FIRST. 
          BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW AS PART OF THIS, IF YOU DID WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT SECURITY UPGRADE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL, UH, AFTER WE KNOW THE KNOWN COST. 
          AND AGAIN, I'VE TALKED THAT THROUGH WITH MR. WALTERS TOO. 
          AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET THAT FUNDED, THEN UM, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM REQUEST WOULD BE MADE WHOLE. 
          AND AGAIN, THE, THE NOTED, THE VERY, VERY SMALL, UH, PRINT AT THE BOTTOM TALKS ABOUT, AGAIN, THAT THE FACT THAT THE, THE, UH, OVERALL COURTHOUSE, UH, FACILITIES CONDITION STUDY, AS WELL AS THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL BE DONE IN, IN, UH, LATE SUMMER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, PROGRAM. 
          THIS IS LIKE THE PRIORITIZATION CHART. 
          I'M USING THE SAME COLORS THAT I USED AT THE VERY BEGINNING. 
          WHAT'S URGENT IS THAT 4.1 MILLION, IF I LOOKED A YEARS, UM, TWO AND THREE, TWO AND THREE, UM, YOU'LL SEE A LOT BETTER NUMBER THAN YOU'VE SEEN IN YEARS PAST. 
          AND RIGHT. 
          A LOT OF THAT IS THE FACT. 
          NOW THINK ABOUT IF YOU WERE STILL PAYING THAT 1.8 TO 2.2 MILLION, WHAT THESE NUMBERS WILL LOOK LIKE IS, WOULD BE ALMOST UNATTAINABLE. 
          CORRECT. 
          FFY 29, YOU'LL SEE A LARGER INVESTMENT OF $24 MILLION. 
          THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS, AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN RUN ON THIS THROUGH, THROUGH DAVENPORT. 
          THIS IS THE YEAR THAT YOU HAVE SOME SUBSTANTIAL, WHAT I'M CALLING THE YEAR OF DEWINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          YOU, YOU COULD DO, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS, UH, AND, AND POTENTIALLY NOT HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY. 
          'CAUSE YOU HAVE DEBT COMING OFF OF THE BOOKS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE SEEING FY 29, UH, FY 30, YOU GO BACK DOWN TO THREE AND A HALF MILLION 31 IS THE OTHER DATE I MENTIONED TO YOU EARLIER, THIS, THIS COULD BE WHAT I CALL THE YEAR OF SCHOOLS AND FIRE AND EMS. SO THIS, THIS IS IF, UH, JUST TODAY JUST GOT A A A A CITIZEN TODAY ASKED ME ABOUT THE FIRE STATION IN SUTHERLAND AREA. 
          UH, SO I THI THIS IS THAT CONTEMPLATION THAT A FIREHOUSE AT SOME POINT WOULD BE NEEDED. 
          I KNOW THERE'S SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT'S GONNA BE DONE THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE REALLY GONNA TRY TO REDO SOME OF THAT MATRIX STUDY THAT WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY TO LOOK AT, LOOK AT ALL THAT ASSOCIATED WITH WITH THAT PIECE. 
          BUT YOU REALLY DO HAVE THE, OF THE PLAN. 
          I JUST WANT YOU TO SEE AGAIN, FY 29 AND FY 31. 
          THESE ARE REAL OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO SOME SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS INTO YOUR CIP. 
          IF YOU SEE FY 35 AND YOU SEE THE 65 MILLION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH PARKS AND REC AND THEIR FACILITY STUDY. 
          THIS IS BASICALLY ADDING, UM, IF YOU WERE TO, IF YOU WERE TO PARTNER, LET'S SAY, WITH LIKE A-Y-M-C-A, YOU KNOW, YMCA MODELS TODAY IS THAT YOU BUILD THE FACILITY, THEY RUN IT. 
          SO THIS IS ALMOST A FULL FLEDGED YMCA TYPE TYPE BUILDING. 
          AGAIN, IT'S IN THE FUTURE PLANNING YEARS AT THE TAIL END, WHETHER THAT PROJECT COME ABOUT OR WHETHER THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAPPEN IN THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING PLUS SOME OTHER PARKS AND REC TYPE PROJECTS. 
          UM, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME FACILITY USAGE AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT, WHEN I SAY FACILITIES, I'M, I'M, I'M MORE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE SPORTS COMPLEX. 
          UH, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECREATION, NEL HENDERSON, THAT'S GONNA BE COMING TO YOUR JUNE WORKSHOP. 
          AND WE'RE SPECIFICALLY TALKING, I KNOW THERE'S SOME CONCERN IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SOCCER FIELDS BETTER AND HOW WE POTENTIALLY DO WE NEED TO ADD SOCCER FIELDS. 
          AND SO I'VE ASKED THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TO BE AT YOUR JUNE WORKSHOP, AND WE'RE GONNA DIVE IN DEEPER ON WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. 
          THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE WORKING GROUP. 
          AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY THE BRAINS OF THE, THE CIP. 
          UM, I WOULD PUT THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WITH ANYBODY IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, A REALLY GOOD GROUP. 
          SO PLANNING COMMISSION, WE HAVE HUDDY TUS, WE HAD ROBERT SPIERS WHO REPRESENTED OUR IDA. 
          I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS MR. SPIERS LAST YEAR DOING THIS WORK. 
          AND HE'S BEEN A, A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. 
          I THINK HIS WIFE TOLD HIM WHEN HE GOT TO A CERTAIN AGE, HE COULD NO LONGER DO ANYTHING PHILANTHROPICALLY. 
          AND SO I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS HIS LAST YEAR. 
          BUT A TREMENDOUS JOB, UH, FROM OUR EDUCATION SIDE, DR. 
          WESTON SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOLS, JEFF WALTERS AND CHRISTIE FLEMING, PUBLIC SAFETY SHERIFF ADAMS MAJOR KNOT CHIEF KISSNER AND, AND HIS AND HIS TEAM. 
          ANN HOWERTON, TAMMY COLLINS WITH OPERATIONS MORGAN INGRAM. 
          AGAIN, EDDIE PEARSON WITH OUR WATER AUTHORITY, MARK BASSETT, STEVE EDWARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL. 
          AND THEN THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT, UH, THAT HELP ADD COMMENT TO THIS. 
          SO MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THAT'S YOUR PLAN FOR THIS YEAR. 
          WE NEED TO HAVE A, A HEARING TONIGHT SPECIFICALLY ON, UH, YOUR CIP AND IT COULD BE ANY PART OF THAT. 
          IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING YEAR OR OTHER ITEMS ON THE PLAN, 
          [01:10:01]
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO, UM, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO A HEARING, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE? OKAY. 
          NO, SIR. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU MS. MR. , UH, KAISHA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CIP, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. 
          OKAY. 
          MS. TIPTON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO? NO, I WOULD. 
          GOOD. 
          I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND THIS IS JUST FROM ME LOOKING AT NUMBERS, DEALING WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND COULD YOU PULL THE MIC DOWN? SO YES. 
          OKAY. 
          HELP ME OUT A LITTLE BIT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR THE DENWITY SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND I DON'T HAVE A CHILD IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF MONEY INVESTED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          I MEAN, I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS COMING OUTTA THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          THEY'VE GOT A $61 MILLION BUDGET. 
          THEY HAVE 3,975 STUDENTS IN ALL OF DENWITTY, WHICH IS ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $15,000 PER STUDENT PER YEAR. 
          WE'RE PAID. 
          IT'S A LOT OF MONEY PER STUDENT WHEN YOU'VE ONLY GOT A 70% GRADUATION RATE. 
          THIS IS PER THE SCHOOL NUMBERS, NOT MINE. 
          WE'RE PAYING SCHOOLS TO HAVE LUNCHES AND BREAKFAST FOR ALL THE STUDENTS, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE IT WAS $1.4 MILLION FOR FOOD. 
          THAT'S CONSIDERING THAT MOST SCHOOLS AT A POVERTY RATE OF 50% PAY FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL THEIR CHILDREN. 
          THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS US AS 2,493 IN POVERTY, BUT OUR SOCIAL SERVICES GROUP HAS ONLY 900 POVERTY STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY. 
          IT CONCERNS ME THAT WE HAVE 3,975 STUDENTS, YET WE'RE RUNNING SEVEN SCHOOLS. 
          WHY? THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. 
          I LOOK IN HERE AT YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND I'M LOOKING OUT ALL THE WAY TO YOUR 20 THIRTY'S, A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S GOING TO FIX BUILDINGS AND DO THINGS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS. WHEN WE ONLY HAVE 3,975 STUDENTS, IT'S A LOT OF SCHOOLS, A LOT OF UPKEEP FOR VERY FEW STUDENTS. 
          NOW ARE WE GONNA GET MORE STUDENTS? NOT ACCORDING TO THE STATISTICS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE GO BACK TO 2012 TO TODAY. 
          THE NUMBERS KEEP GOING DOWN, BUT THE BUDGET KEEPS GOING UP. 
          AS FAR AS SALARIES FOR OUR TEACHERS, WE PAY OUR TEACHERS QUITE WELL. 
          WE'RE IN THE TOP FOURTH OF THE AREA, COUNTIES THAT Y'ALL JUST LOOKED AT, ALL THE COUNTIES AND CITIES. 
          SO WE'RE NOT DOING BAD AS FAR AS PAY, EXCEPT WE'RE SPENDING $15,000 ON EVERY STUDENT. 
          SO MY REQUEST WOULD BE SERIOUSLY, LOOK, 'CAUSE ME AS A STUDENT GOING TO DENWITTY, I REMEMBER PEOPLE TRAVELING FROM FORD TO HERE OR MC, UM, THE OTHER PARTS OF THE FAR PARTS, BOSE AND ALL HERE. 
          SO I DON'T THINK THAT CLOSING DOWN SOME SCHOOLS AND SAVING THE MONEY IN THE COUNTY WOULD BE A TERRIBLE THING TO REVIEW. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST. 
          PLEASE SERIOUSLY, LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE PAYING OUT FOR SCHOOLS, HOW MANY WE'RE RUNNING AND HOW MANY STUDENTS, SMALL AMOUNT OF STUDENTS WE HAVE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. TIPTON. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? ALRIGHT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PART. 
          UH, COMMISSIONERS ALLOW TO Y'ALL THE SAME. 
          UM, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING, UM, I, I DO, UM, LIKE THE, THE APPROACH OF, OF THE CIP AND UM, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THINGS OUT THERE WHERE WE CAN, CAN SEE 'EM AND WORK TOWARDS 'EM. 
          I, I KNOW CIP IS ARE LIKE MY HOUSE. 
          JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING AHEAD AND YOU'RE GOING TO BUY THAT BOAT OR, OR WHATEVER YOU'RE GONNA BUY, UM, SOMETHING, UH, SOMETHING GOES HAYWIRE OUT. 
          SO, UH, AND YOU ALWAYS ARE GONNA HAVE THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IN A CIP THAT, UH, ARE GONNA JUMP UP AND BITE YOU AND, AND HAVE TO DO SOME D SOME DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          SO I DO THINK THAT'S PART OF, OF, UM, WHERE WE'RE AT GOING FORWARD. 
          BUT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT 
          [01:15:01]
IT WITH OUT OF BOTH EYES. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE BETTER PREPARED FOR, FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. 
          SO WITH THAT, MR. MATTHEW, YOU YEP. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          AGAIN, I JUST, JUST AS A REMINDER, MAY 6TH AS AGAIN THAT WORKSHOP 4:00 PM UH, BACK HERE. 
          AND, UH, THERE WILL BE AN ACTION ITEM, UH, AS IT RELATES TO BOTH THE BUDGET AND, AND THE, THE CIP. 
          AND JUST, JUST IN CONCLUSION, UM, I, I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH. 
          UM, AND, AND I WOULD, AND I KNOW THEY, I EVERYBODY TO A CERTAIN DEGREE IN GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALWAYS ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH ITS, WITH ITS RUNNING, UH, AS WELL AS SOME STAFFING ISSUES. 
          WE GAVE ANNE A WHOLE LOT OF PRAISE AND WE SHOULD, BUT ANNE TOLD ME ONE TIME THE REGION SHE LOVES NUMBERS IS THEY DON'T TALK BACK AND EITHER FOOT OR THEY DON'T. 
          AND SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF TRUTH IN THAT, RIGHT? BUT I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT, UM, AND WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THIS, THAT, THAT WE, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT DECIDE TO GET UP EVERY MORNING AND WORK IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. 
          AND SO FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES THAT DO THAT, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT A BUDGET AND A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT SUPPORTS THEM. 
          SO WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY USE, THE BUS, THAT TAKES PROBABLY THE MOST PRECIOUS LOAD OF ANY CDL DRIVER THAT I KNOW, OR THAT POLICE CAR THAT HAS TO GO UP TO CASE. 
          YOU PROBABLY CAN GO TO ONE 50 TO GET SOMEBODY SPEEDING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO DO THE WORK THAT OTHER PEOPLE WON'T DO. 
          THAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET TO DO BY SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THIS YEAR OUR TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ASKED THEM TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE. 
          YOU'VE, YOU'VE ARTICULATED IT WELL, WE HOPE THAT THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET IS EVERYTHING THAT IT SHOULD BE FOR THAT TYPE OF REVENUE COMING IN. 
          AND SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO THAT MAY 6TH VOTE AND THAT, AND THIS HAPPENS, RIGHT? AND I APPRECIATE IT. 
          IF Y'ALL LOOK THROUGH ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET AND YOU SEE ANY QUESTIONS, SOMETHING YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OR YOU GOTTA, YOU KNOW, CALL US, LET'S TALK IT THROUGH. 
          UH, SAME THING WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          I DON'T KNOW I'VE EVER CALLED DR. 
          WESTON AND SHE DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION. 
          SO IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING WITH THE SCHOOLS OR YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL. 
          AND IF IT'S A CIP AND WE DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ANSWER, I'LL GET THE RIGHT PERSON TO, TO DO THAT. 
          I THINK WE GOT A GOOD FEEL FOR IT. 
          UM, BUT MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR THESE TWO HEARINGS AND I DO BELIEVE YOU HAVE AN ACTION ITEM WE DID TO ADDRESS, BUT THANK YOU. 
          YEP. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I THINK THAT MAY 6TH MEETING, THAT'S BEEN NOTICED AS A SPECIAL MEETING. 
          THAT'S NOT A WORKSHOP MEETING, THAT'S A SPECIAL MEETING. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          DO WE KNOW? THANK YOU. 
          UM, ALRIGHT. 
          SO WE TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT SNEAK UP ON YOU. 
          UM, 
          [3. ACTION ITEM]
AT THIS TIME WE HAVE AN ACTION ITEM, UH, CONTRACT AMENDMENT BASKETBALL COURT SITE WORK, UH, STEVEN EDWARDS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATOR, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          UM, THE REASON FOR US COMING UP HERE FOR A CONTRACT AMENDMENT IS FOR THE, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT $200,000 FOR THE, UH, WEB DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT IS THAT THE CONTRACTORS, WHEN THEY STARTED TO WORK ON MAY 17TH, 2025 ON THE PARKING LOT AND THE SITE WORK FOR THE BASKETBALL COURTS, THEY BURIED ONE OF THEIR EQUIPMENTS IN THE SOILS. 
          UM, OUR, UH, GEOTECH ENGINEER THAT WE HAVE CONTRACT WITH THROUGH TOWNSIDE ENGINEER CAME OUT AND WE DID SEVERAL TEST PITS AND WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SITE IS NOT SUITABLE TO BUILD THE BASKETBALL COURTS OR THE PARKING LOT DUE TO PERCH WATER AND UNSUITABLE SOILS. 
          UM, SO THE ONLY WAY WE CAN FIX THIS IS THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO REMOVE ALL THE UNSUITABLE MATERIALS, WHICH IS ABOUT TWO TO THREE FEET OF EXCAVATED SOILS UNDER THE BASKETBALL COURTS AND THE PARK, UH, PARKING LOT. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PLACE STONE UNDER DRAINS AND FILTER FABRIC AND STABILIZE IT. 
          SO THAT IS THE REASON WHY, UH, WE'RE COMING HERE TONIGHT TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT. 
          'CAUSE WEB DEVELOPMENT IS OFFERED TO DO THE ENTIRE SITE AND COULTER IS, IS GONNA ALLOW THEM TO DO EVEN THEIR PORTION OF THE SITE TO FIX JUST THE SITE WHILE AND THEN THEY'LL BUILD THE, UH, BASKETBALL COURTS ON TOP OF IT AFTER THEY'RE DONE. 
          SO THAT IS, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT. 
          Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? 
          [01:20:02]
ANY QUESTIONS? DOING ALRIGHT? WHAT'S THE UH, WISHES OF THE BOARD? WE'VE GOTTA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT. 
          UM, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. 
          UM, I WILL SAY THIS PUBLICLY, I FEEL LIKE I GOT EGG ON MY FACE. 
          IT'S IN MY DISTRICT. 
          UM, I FEEL LIKE WE PROBABLY DIDN'T DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE. 
          THAT'S JUST ME TALKING. 
          UM, BECAUSE WE DID NOT DO SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE AND WE SHOULD LEARN FROM. 
          THIS IS THE BORING. 
          EVEN THOUGH THERE WASN'T WATER IN OTHER PARTICULAR SPOTS, THERE IS MORE WATER IN THIS PARTICULAR SPOT AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EXPENDITURE THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. 
          UM, AND PROBABLY IF WE HAD SPENT SOME DOLLARS AHEAD OF TIME TO INVESTIGATE AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS GOING FORWARD. 
          UH, IT IS A PROJECT THAT I THINK IS VALUABLE, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR, TO OUR REC DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT TO LEARN A LESSON FROM THIS, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE, UH, CONTRACT AMENDMENT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          DO WE HAVE A SECOND? FIX THE PROBLEM. 
          AND IT'S NOT GONNA COME BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GUARANTEE THAT THAT SOIL IS NOT GONNA HAVE PROBLEMS 10 YEARS AGO. 
          THE ROAD. 
          NO MA'AM. 
          WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THEY HAVE TO REMOVE, THEY REMOVE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SUITABLE SOILS PROCESS. 
          I UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PROCESS. 
          NO, THIS WILL FIX IT. 
          I'M JUST SAYING IT WILL NOT FIX IT INDEFINITELY. 
          THERE ARE GONNA BE PROBLEMS. THIS ISSUE OUT HERE WILL FIX THIS AREA. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU THAT'S WHAT THE PUR THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE UH, SCREENINGS AND THE FILTER FABRIC AND THE UH, UNDER DRAINS THAT ALLOW THE WATER IN THE PER DRAIN SO THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          THE DRAIN I WAS WEARING INTO THE DITCH THAT'S OUT THERE THAT FEEDS THE WE. 
          SO THIS WILL, THIS WILL FIX THAT SOLUTION. 
          THIS WILL BE SO RAISE THE WEAPONS ALSO? NOT NECESSARILY. 
          NOT NECESSARILY. 
          THAT'S, IT COULD BE, THAT'S NOT A DEFINITE, THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED. 
          YES. 
          BUT EVEN IF IT IS, IT'S STILL NOT GONNA IMPACT THIS AREA RIGHT HERE. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          IT'S THE BOARD'S DECISION, RIGHT? I JUST DON'T. 
          ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          WHO IS I'M? AND WE HAVE A SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, I'M SORRY. 
          WHO IS THE SECOND? I WE HAVE A SECOND NOW. 
          ALRIGHT, ROLL CALL PLEASE. 
          MR. DOOLEY. 
          AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. LEE? AYE. 
          ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT? SO ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVE. 
          SECOND. 
          HAVE A SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MR. DOOLEY? AYE. 
          DR. MOORE? AYE. 
          MR. CHAVIS? AYE. 
          MS. EBRA BONNER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. LEE? AYE ALL VOTING? AYE. 
          MEETING IS ADJOURNED. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. 
          MEETING ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.