* 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. [1. ROLL CALL] [00:00:02] UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING ON MARCH THE 17TH, 2026. UM, AT THIS TIME, COULD WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? MR. DOOLEY? HERE. DR. MOORE? HERE. MR. CHAVIS? HERE. MR. LEE. HERE. MR. EBRA BONNER. HERE. FIVE BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT. THANK YOU. AND AT THIS TIME, WOULD YOU STAND FOR THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE? NO. I'M SORRY. THE IN INVOCATION, THEN THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE. I'LL FOLLOW TO OUR IN HEAVEN. HOWEVER, YOU THY NAME THY KINGDOM COME. TH WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US TO STAY OUR DAILY BRAIN AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL FOR THS, THE KINGDOM TO POWER ON THE GLORY FOR AND EVER. AMEN. I PLEDGE, 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. ALL RIGHT. UM, [4. AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA] AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA? MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? UM, UNDER OUTSIDE AGENCY REPORTS, I'D LIKE TO, THAT'S NUMBER SEVEN. I'D LIKE TO ADD SEVEN. E VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND DR. ABDULLAH WILL BE HERE TO DO THAT PRESENTATION. SEVEN E. MM-HMM . THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER, UH, ADDITION. ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? RIGHT? UM, WE HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE NEED A APPROVE. I'M SORRY. CAN WE GET A MOTION PLEASE? SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL. MR. DOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER. AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. THANK YOU. [5. CONSENT AGENDA] UM, AND WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA, YOU HAD A CHANCE TO READ. ANY COMMENTS CONCERNS? MADAM CHAIR, IF THERE ARE NO, UH, CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS, I'LL MAKE A MOTION. WE ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. SECOND ROLL CALL. MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER. AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, [6.A. Virginia Department Of Transportation] AT THIS TIME WE HAVE REPORTS, UH, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, UM, NOT MS. SMITH, BUT . PAUL HENSON WITH VIRGINIA DEPART OF TRANSPORTATION. ALRIGHT. NICE TO SEE YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MADAM CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU HERE TODAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE QUICK UPDATES, THINGS THAT WEREN'T IN OUR REPORT, I WAS GONNA START WITH QUAKER ROAD. JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE'VE ISSUED OUR RIGHT OF ENTRY PERMITS SO THAT WE CAN START DOING A LITTLE SURVEYING OUT THERE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT RADIUS SO WE CAN DETERMINE THE, THE EXTENT OF THE PROJECT. SO WE'RE GETTING IT STAKED ON THE GROUND, SO THERE'S A VISUAL OUT THERE. AND THEN ONCE WE'VE MADE THAT DETERMINATION, WE'LL FINISH UP THAT SCHEDULE AND KEEP THAT PROJECT ROLLING. UH, THE ROUNDABOUT AT FERNDALE ROAD, IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD, SO IT'S GOING TO THE CTB THIS SUMMER AND CONSTRUCTION SHOULD START SHORTLY AFTER THE CTB AWARDS. THAT PROJECT, OUR ONGOING FOCUS IS POTHOLES. WE'VE BEEN FILLING AS MANY AS WE CAN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE REPORT ANY OF 'EM YOU SEE TO 1 804 ROADS OR GOOGLE V WORK ORDER. PUT IT IN THAT WAY, WE WILL GO TAKE CARE OF IT. ALL OF OUR SCHEDULED WORK IS ROLLING ALONG AS PLANNED. SO ALL OF THAT LOOKS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. OUR CAPE SEALING AND OUR, OUR OTHER LATEX PROJECTS, AND WE'VE GOT THE REESE ROAD RULE RUSTIC READY TO ROLL. IT SHOULD BE FIRING UP SOMETIME THIS SPRING WHEN THE WEATHER ALLOWS AND WE GET OVER ALL OF THE WINTER AND THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH THAT. AND THEN JUST, UH, WE DID HAVE A RECENT MEETING ON THE SIX YEAR PLAN AND WE'RE WAITING FOR INPUT ON THE COUNTY ON THE SIX YEAR PLAN. IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER 'EM FOR YOU. ANYTHING. I'M GOOD. I TRY. UM, I HAD A CITIZEN COMING IN ON MR. WITT AND, UM, HE WANTS TO SEE BY GETTING THE, UM, REQUEST TO REDUCE SPEED ON ASBURY ROAD. AND SO HE'S GOT A DOCUMENT AND, UM, SIGNATURES AND, UM, I THINK THE PROCESS THAT I NEED IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AND THEN IT'LL GO TO THE SAFETY COMMITTEE, UM, WHICH I THINK MEETS NEXT WEEK, [00:05:01] MAYBE NEXT MONTH, SOMETIME THE END OF THE MONTH. UM, AND START THAT PROCESS THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE. THAT IS A TYPICAL PROCESS, SIR. YES, SIR. ONCE Y'ALL HAVE INDICATED THERE'S A DESIRE, WE DO, UH, A CURSORY STUDY TO SEE IF THERE'S ENOUGH INFORMATION OR ENOUGH REASON FOR A FULL-BLOWN STUDY TO BE DONE. AND THEN THE BOARD REQUESTS THE STUDY AND WE'LL PREPARE THAT. NOW, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU THOUGH, ON SOME SITUATIONS, THE SPEED LIMIT WILL GO UP. WE DON'T, WE DON'T GO INTO IT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING IT'S GOING ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. WE GO BY THE DATA AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY WHEN YOU ASK FOR A SPEED STUDY, THE SPEED LIMIT WILL GO UP. SO I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO BE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT AS WELL. IT ISN'T A GUARANTEE, IT'S GOING JUST DOWN. OKAY. YEAH, WE LOOK AT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROAD, THE CURVE, THE GEOMETRY, THE, WE LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO DETERMINE THE SPEED LIMITS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SIR. MR. HENSON. I WILL, I WILL, UH, MAKE COPIES OF THIS AND DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND WE CAN TAKE NEXT STEPS AFTER THEY MEET. I'LL, I'LL LET MR. CLARK KNOW. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU, SIR. [7.A. Brightpoint Community College] AT THIS TIME WE HAVE OUTSIDE AGENCY REPORTS. UM, WE HAVE BRIGHT POINT COMMUNITY COLLEGE, MS. DR. BILL FIJI, THANKING. I'M SORRY, PRESIDENT. UH, NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. APPRECIATE IT. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. MASSING. UH, FIRST THING I HAVE TO SAY IS, UH, THANK YOU TAMMY COLLINS FOR SERVING ON OUR REAL ESTATE FOUNDATION BOARD PRIOR, UH, UH, CHAIR OF OUR, UH, COLLEGE BOARD. APPRECIATE HER SUPPORT. AND, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, I BELIEVE MORGAN INGRAM, UH, SERVES, UH, ON OUR, ON OUR BOARD NOW AS WELL. SO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND, AND SAY A FEW WORDS, UH, TO YOU ALL. FIRST, LIKE TO FOCUS ON OUR MISSION AND VISION. YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT INSPIRE STUDENT SUCCESS AND COMMUNITY VITALITY. COMMUNITY IS IN OUR MIDDLE NAME, BRIGHT POINT COMMUNITY COLLEGE. MM-HMM . UH, AND IT'S A KEY PART OF OUR MISSION TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES. UH, OUR VISION STATEMENT, A SUCCESS STORY FOR EVERY STUDENT THAT WE SERVE. THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO US. PART OF THE SUCCESS STORIES THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GRANDMOTHER WHO SERVES ON OUR PRESIDENT, STUDENT AND ADVISORY COUNCIL WHO JUST COMPLETED HER NURSING DEGREE, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAS A LIFELINE, LIFELONG GOAL. UH, AND NOW SHE'S GONNA BE ONE OF OUR COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS. THIS COMING MAY. VERY EXCITING TIME FOR HER AND HER FAMILY. CERTAINLY A WOMAN, HER IN HER THIRTIES WITH TWO KIDS, TWO AND UNDER ASPIRING TO BE A LAWYER AFTER SPENDING APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS IN PRISON DUE TO AN OPIOID OPIOID ADDICTION. SHE'S FIGURED OUT HER PATHWAY AND THEN SHE'S MOVING FORWARD THROUGH BRIGHTPOINT AND THEN WILL BE TRANSFERRING TO FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION. THE TRADITIONAL AGE STUDENT COMING TO BRIGHTPOINT, JOINING ONE OF OUR 30 PLUS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS, ENGAGING IN RESEARCH WITH THEIR FACULTY MEMBERS AND USING GUARANTEED ADMISSION AGREEMENTS TO GO TO THE WONDERFUL VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. , I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE A VIRGINIA TECH GRAD, SO THEY ALSO GO TO VIRGINIA TECH, UVA, ALL THE MANY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS IN VIRGINIA. WE SET THAT PATHWAY, UH, FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO FIND THEIR SUCCESS. YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S ABOUT VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, YOU COME TO BRIGHT POINT AND YOU CAN MAJOR IN ANY ONE OF 80 DIFFERENT, UH, MAJORS THAT WE HAVE AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT AREAS. YOU CAN GET AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE THAT LEADS YOU DIRECTLY INTO A WORKFORCE, COULD ALSO GET A CERTIFICATE OR, UH, A CAREER STUDY CERTIFICATE THAT GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE WORKFORCE AND OR AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE THAT TRANSFERS TO THOSE FOUR YEAR INSTITUTIONS THAT I JUST, UH, TALKED ABOUT. WE ALSO HAVE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WORKFORCE ALLIANCE, CCWA. IT'S THE WORKFORCE DIVISION OF BOTH REYNOLDS AND BRIGHT POINT COMMUNITY COLLEGES. AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER 35 FAST FORWARD PROGRAMS THAT THEY OFFER STUDENTS THAT DO THOSE ENTRY LEVEL CREDENTIALS WITH WHAT STUDENTS GET THROUGH A-C-C-W-A PROGRAM. OUR DATA SHOWS THAT THEIR WAGES INCREASE BY 50% AFTER COMPLETING ONE OF THOSE CREDENTIALS AND GOING INTO THE WORKFORCE. IT'S A PATHWAY TO UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY. AND ALL OF IT'S AT THE, AT THE BEST PRICE IN ALL OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA, APPROXIMATELY $170 PER CREDIT HOUR IS OUR, OUR TUITION. AND WE HAVE OUTSTANDING FINANCIAL AID OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT STUDENTS WHO NEED, UH, NEED THAT HAND. UH, WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE, UH, TO THEM. UH, FAR FEWER THAN HALF OF OUR STUDENTS, UH, PROBABLY LESS THAN 20% ACTUALLY EVEN SEEK A LOAN. AND WE KNOW THAT DEBT, UH, FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IS A, IS A, IS AN ISSUE IN OUR SOCIETY. BRIGHTPOINT CAN PROVIDE THAT PATHWAY TO SAVE FOLKS A LOT OF MONEY. UH, TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT CHEAP. WE FIND OURSELVES OF HIGH VALUE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL OF US. WE DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR KIDS. RIGHT? AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE [00:10:01] A PERSONAL EXAMPLE. BOTH OF MY DAUGHTERS HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN 30 CREDITS WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. ALL CREDITS HAVE GONE TO THEIR MAJOR AT THEIR FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY. UH, EACH OF THEM ARE ON A PATHWAY AS WE SHOOK ON THIS, TO GRADUATE WITHIN THREE YEARS, UH, SAVING $25,000 EACH FOR OUR FAMILY. SO IT'S SIGNIFICANT, UH, ECONOMIC SAVINGS THAT WE PROVIDE FAMILIES THROUGH THE PATHWAY THROUGH BRIGHTPOINT. SO A COUPLE OF ENROLLMENT HIGHLIGHTS. OUR FALL ENROLLMENT IS 10 WAS 10,200 STUDENTS. IT WAS AN INCREASE OF 8.71%, WHICH IS 817 STUDENTS IN TOTAL, WHERE THE SECOND HIGHEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM. AND WE REMAINED THE THIRD LARGEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OUR SYSTEM. 6,779 WERE ON CAMPUS ONLINE STUDENTS AND ANOTHER 3,400 STUDENTS WERE HIGH SCHOOL AGE 19 DINWITTY HIGH SCHOOL AGE STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUATE FROM BRIGHT POINT THIS SPRING, MAY 8TH, FOUR IN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICITY, THREE IN WELDING AND 12 IN RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY. THEY'LL GRADUATE BEFORE THEY COMPLETE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. 29 FIRST YEAR STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN CAREER STUDIES CERTIFICATES WHILE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. THEY'RE, SO, THEY'RE JUNIORS THIS YEAR. FIVE IN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICITY, THREE IN WELDING, NINE IN RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY, AND 12 IN NURSE AID. A NEW PROGRAM AT TI THAT WE'RE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT. AGAIN, NURSE AID, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY LEAD TO THE HIGHEST WAGE, BUT IT'S THAT PATHWAY INTO THAT HEALTHCARE PROFESSION AND GREAT UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATION IN NURSING AND OTHER MEDICAL, UH, FIELDS. SO OUR TOTAL HEADCOUNT FOR ALL DENWITTY RESIDENTS INCREASED 10.27% THIS PAST FALL. AND FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING, THE PRIMARY A AREAS WERE IN COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE AND MANUFACTURING. MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ARE PART-TIME, WHICH IS TYPICAL. UH, ABOUT ONE IN, UH, FIVE STUDENTS ARE, ARE ACTUALLY FULL-TIME STUDENTS. MOST OF OUR STUDENTS WORK AND ABOUT ONE IN FIVE OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ALSO PARENTING STUDENTS. SO WE'RE WORKING TO PROVIDE THOSE, UH, SYSTEMS. WE HAVE A FOOD PANTRY, UH, WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION, UH, TO OUR CAMPUS THROUGH SOME BUS LINES. UH, AGAIN, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SUPPORT OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT CAREER. AND WE HAVE A CAREER IN COLLEGE NAVIGATOR AT DINWITTY HIGH SCHOOL. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A, A VACANCY, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO FILL THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UH, OUR C WE'VE DONE A CTE LAB AND CAREER INVESTIGATION VISIT WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, 24 ATTENDED. WE'RE DOING A MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER EXPLORATION WHERE WE EXPECT OVER 200 STUDENTS TO ATTEND THIS SPRING. AND OUR CAREER IN EDUCATION CONSORTIUM, WHICH INCLUDES ALL CTE DIRECTORS AND SUPERINTENDENTS IN OUR REGION, UH, INCLUDING BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UH, THEY'VE SUPPORTED THE DIPLOMA SEAL REVERSE CAREER FAIR INTERVIEW DAY AND SIGNING DAY REGIONAL FBLA COMPETITION FALL INDUSTRY DAY EVENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL SPRING BUSINESS APPRECIATION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND CTE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, UH, WHICH INCLUDED DENWITTY FACULTY AND STAFF. WE'RE STARTING A NEW PROGRAM IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, UH, WITH THE CASINO AND OTHER HOTELS COMING INTO THE AREA. AND WE'RE ADDING AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING. SO WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOUR RESIDENTS, TO HELP THEM FIND A FULFILLING CAREER SO THEY CAN LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY RIGHT HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I FIRMLY BELIEVE WE'RE A BRIGHT POINT FOR MANY WHO CHOOSE TO BECOME TRAILBLAZERS, WHICH IS OUR MASCOT ON THEIR PATHWAY TO UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND CAREER SUCCESS WITH LIMITED TO NO DEBT. SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT THAT DENWITTY PROVIDES, UH, OUR INSTITUTION AND TO HELP OUR STUDENTS THRIVE. SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT, MADAM CHAIR. BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS, NOT QUESTIONS, JUST COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STUDENT IN ITY COUNTY, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY HAVE, WHETHER THEY'RE TO THE SOUTH, AT SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO THE NORTH OF VSU AND OR BRIGHT POINT, UH, AND RBC, WHICH HALF OF THE ACADEMIC CAMPUSES IN DIMITY COUNTY, IF YOU REACH OUT, IF YOU ARE CONNECTED, IF YOU START EARLY, THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE. UH, AND THAT'S WHEN WE WORK WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WITH THOSE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE AROUND US, THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE IF YOU REACH OUT AND YOU FULFILL THAT GOAL. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU, DR. MARK. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU. I WAS GONNA SAY MY NIECE, UM, ATTENDS BRIGHT POINT. EXCELLENT. AND YOU KNOW, SHE'S PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT. SHE SAYS SHE'S GONNA DO THAT. SHE WORKS A LITTLE BIT. UM, AND THEN, UM, AFTER SHE GRADUATES, I THINK SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS GONNA TRY TO GO TO VIRGINIA STATE AFTER THAT. AND I KNOW , IT'S A GOOD PATHWAY. WE UNDERSTAND RIGHT ABOUT THAT ABULA. YEAH. ALRIGHT. BUT SHE REALLY ENJOYS BRIGHT POINT. SHE REALLY DOES. AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. AND THANK AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. WELL, WE APPRECIATE IT. THEN YOU JUST, UM, WE HAD, UH, GOVERNMENT DAY TODAY AND I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, TALKING TO THOSE STUDENTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A FEW AT THE TABLE, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO, BUT THEN, UM, THERE WERE, [00:15:01] UM, TWO OR THREE THAT, UH, COLLEGE, UM, TRADITIONAL COLLEGE WASN'T THEIR PATH, BUT, UH, BRIGHT POINT, UH, SOME OF THESE CREDENTIALS AND THINGS, UM, A PATHWAY TO A, A REALLY GOOD JOB WAS, WAS VERY, UM, IN, IN, UM, APPEALING TO THEM. SO I APPRECIATE, UM, THIS PATHWAY THAT Y'ALL PROVIDE FOR, FOR THOSE STUDENTS. THANK YOU, MR. LEE AND MADAM CHAIR. I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE DEWY DELEGATION, IF YOU WILL, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GO FIRSTHAND AND VIEW, UH, BRIGHT POINT FOR A TOUR PRESIDENT FIGGY AND HIS TEAM WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. AND, AND IT'S KIND OF OUR SENIOR STAFF, MR. LEE. I KNOW YOU WERE ABLE TO TO ATTEND THAT AS WELL. UM, AND I'VE TOLD YOU THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU DYNAMIC PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS GIVEN, BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SEE IT, THAT'S RIGHT. AND, AND YOU, IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE WHAT, UH, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES EXIST. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THAT AND FOR THOSE THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, IF YOU, IF YOU EVER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GO LOOK AT IT. WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT. JUST LET US KNOW WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE THERE FOR YOU. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, [7.B. Greater Reach Community Services Board] AT THIS TIME WE HAVE THE GREATER REACH COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD. TERRELL STEWART, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. GLAD TO SEE YOU TODAY. YES, GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UM, HAVING US OUT TODAY, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. UH, THE LAST TIME I STOOD BEFORE YOU, WE WERE STILL DISTRICT 19. YEAH, WE ARE STILL DOING DISTRICT 19, BUT WE'RE DOING BUSINESS AS GREATER REACH. AND SO THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US TODAY. I WILL, UM, GO THROUGH THIS AND THEN LEAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I GOT SOME GOOD UPDATES FOR THE COUNTY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THIS IS JUST TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. UH, THE HOTSPOTS WILL BE SOME OF THE UPCOMING THINGS THAT, UH, WE HAVE GOING ON, AS WELL AS JUST MAKING SURE YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY IN THIS COUNTY. AND THIS IS OUR VISION AND OUR MISSION WON'T READ OVER ALL OF THAT. UM, OF COURSE WE DO COVER NINE LOCALITIES. THIS IS OUR CONTINUUM OF SERVICE. SO WE'RE SERVING ALL THE WAY FROM INFANT TO THE, UM, END OF LIFE CARE. AND IN ADDITION TO OUR CRISIS, MENTAL HEALTH, IDDD, WE DO A LOT OF THINGS ACROSS, UH, THE SPECTRUM FOR MENTAL HEALTH REGIONAL SERVICES. I LOVE POINTING THIS OUT BECAUSE WE DO SERVE INDIVIDUALS, UM, AT OUR REGIONAL JAILS. WE DO HAVE, UH, DETOX FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FREE OF COST. WE HAVE CSU AND OTHER CRISIS SERVICES FREE OF COST IF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE AN ABILITY TO PAY AS WELL AS HOUSING COORDINATORS AND NAVIGATORS THAT THE REGION HELPS US WITH ALL SEVEN CSBS IN THIS AREA DO PAY INTO, UH, THE REGION TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. SO ANYTIME WE GET THE CALLS, CALLS, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DIRECTING INDIVIDUALS THERE. ALSO, DENWITTY, UH, CITIZENS, UNFORTUNATELY, IF THEY DO HAVE TO GO TO UM, BE INCARCERATED, IT IS AT MEHERON. HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE SHARE, UM, DENWITTY COUNTY AND PETERSBURG, THE CCJB MEHERON IS INCLUDED. AND SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE INROADS TO GET SOUTHSIDE CSB ON BOARD WITH US SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH TO MAKE SURE DENWITTY IS COVERED EITHER WAY, IF THEY SHOULD HAPPEN TO BE DOWN IN MEHERON AS WELL. ALRIGHT. AND THIS IS, UH, OUR DATA FOR, UH, LAST YEAR. IT'S KIND OF SMALL SO I CAN'T SEE IT, BUT YOU HAVE IT UP THERE WITH YOU . ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN OUR FUNDING RATIONALE FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE ARE PROJECTED TO GET FROM THE STATE, WE WERE ABLE TO REQUEST LEVEL FUNDING. SO THIS IS THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT THAT WE ASKED FOR IN FY 26. WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. UM, IN THE PAST, UH, WE KNOW THAT OTHER CSBS WILL COME BACK AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING, SHOULD WE RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT OUR CSB HAS NOT DONE THAT AND UNTIL THEY MAKE US DO IT, WE WON'T BE DOING IT. SO WE ARE ABLE TO ASK FOR LEVEL FUNDING THIS YEAR. UM, ONE BIG THING THAT I DISCUSSED, I THINK WITH YOU GUYS BEFORE I WAS EVEN EXEC, UM, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A CRISIS RECEIVING CENTER IN OUR AREA. AND EARLIER THIS YEAR ON JANUARY 8TH, UH, THE GOVERNOR DID ANNOUNCE THAT WE WILL BE GETTING $13.7 MILLION TO BUILD THE CRISIS RECEIVING CENTER AND THEN $3.2 MILLION IN ONGOING FUNDING. ALL NINE OF OUR LOCALITIES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS CENTER. UM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF, UM, SUPPORT. WE HAVE BON SUPPORTS ON BOARD TO DO ALL OF OUR MEDICAL NURSING AND EVERYTHING. SO ONCE WE GET IT BUILT, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY, VERY BIG DEAL FOR OUR AREA AS WELL AS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CO-LOCATE OUR CRISIS, RECEIVING OUR, EXCUSE ME, OUR CRISIS ASSESSMENT CENTERS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO FOR 24 7 OPERATIONS. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO START MOVING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE CRISIS CONTINUUM OF CARE AT THE SAME FACILITY. WOW. YES. SO IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PHASES, BUT WE'RE EXCITED. UM, THE PRELIMINARY WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. IT WILL BE LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, UM, ON FOUR 60. UH, THE AGENCY DOES OWN ABOUT 7.5 ACRES OF LAND OUT THERE, SO WE'RE GONNA BUILD IT, UH, RIGHT THERE. [00:20:01] FOUR 60 AND, UH, 2 95 AND 95 ARE NOT TOO FAR, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE HARD TO GET TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. Y'ALL CAN COME THERE JUST LETTING YOU KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED YOU. BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU GUYS BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR THREE YEARS AND, UH, ALL THAT HARD WORK DID PAY OFF. GREAT. NEXT THING THAT WE HAVE IS WE ARE BACK IN DENWITTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROVIDING SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DENWITTY COUNTY FOR BETTER PART OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO GET THE FUNDING IN PLACE. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS, UH, PROVIDING THE FUNDING AND WE HAVE STARTED ENROLLING STUDENTS. SO WE ARE HAPPY, UM, TO SEE THIS. AND WE'VE BEEN PRELIMINARILY TOLD THE FUNDING SHOULD BE THERE FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS PROJECT INTO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AS WELL. ALSO, UH, WE ARE BACK ON THE MARKETS ALERT. SO BACK IN 2021 WE WERE SLATED TO GET READY TO GET OUR PLAN AND GO HOWEVER LEGISLATION CHANGED. SO WE PUT ALL MARCUS ALERT, ALERT WORK FROM THE CSB ON HOLD. WELL, OUR TIME HAS COME AGAIN, OUR PLAN IS DUE FEBRUARY, 2027. SO THIS COMING APRIL WE HAVE INVITED ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL PSAP PROFESSIONALS, EMS, FIRE AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE STATE TO DO ANOTHER KICKOFF MEETING. SO WE WILL DEFINITELY BE, UM, SENDING OUT INFORMATION FOR THAT. AND BECAUSE YOUR POPULATION IS LESS THAN 40,000, DENWITTY COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE TO ELECT TO EMBED ALL THREE PROTOCOLS. THE ONE YOU WILL HAVE TO DO IF IT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN DONE IS HAVE A VOLUNTARY DATABASE. SO CITIZENS WHO WANT TO SELF-REPORT THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE ARE ABLE TO DO SO. BUT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER ALL THAT AT THE MEETING AND GET YOU ALL, UH, WHERE YOU NEED TO BE BASED ON YOUR POPULATION SIZE. ALRIGHT, WELL THAT'S ALL I HAD. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? YOU ASKING SOME GOOD STUFF? YEAH, I TOLD YOU I HAD SOME GOOD UPDATES THIS TIME. , YOU REALLY DID. HAD SOME GOOD UPDATES. YEAH. UM, AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS THERE AND, UM, HOW YOU DOING? YES. ONE OF OUR PRINCE GEORGE MEMBERS MS. LEONARD AND DEWITT MEMBER. YES. YES. I MISS I MISS YOU ALL. YES. WE MISS EACH. YEAH. I'M GLAD YOU ALL ARE DOING GREAT. YEAH. MOVING MA'AM FORWARD. SO GLAD UH, GLAD TO SEE ALL OF YOU AND, UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY DEFINITELY BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU ALL AND UH, OF COURSE IF YOU NEED US, YOU CAN JUST CALL US. YES, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. DOING GREAT. ALL [7.C. The James House] RIGHT. UM, NOW WE HAVE THE JAMES HOUSE, UH, DOLORES JEFFERSON, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR. OKAY. OKAY. HELLO. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW ARE YOU? WE'RE BACK AGAIN. . UM, MY NAME IS DOLORES JEFFERSON AND THIS IS ANNA SMITH. UM, WE'RE CO-DIRECTORS, UM, ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS AT THE JAMES HOUSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE AND SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JAMES HOUSE AND THE IMPACT THAT WE'VE MADE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AS YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ADVOCACY, SUPPORT AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY SEXUAL VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND STALKING TO HELP THEM BECOME, SORRY TO HELP THEM, TO EMPOWER THEM TO BECOME HEALTHY SA SAFE AND SELF-SUFFICIENT. WE APPRECIATE THAT. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO MANY RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TRI-CITIES AREA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES. UM, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A FEW STATISTICS REGARDING WHAT WE SERVED IN DENWITTY OR WHAT WE DID IN DENWOODY. MM-HMM . UM, APPARENTLY, SORRY. WE MADE THE MISSION A REALITY IN DENWOODY BY PROVIDING THE FOLLOWING SERVICES. OUT OF THE 800 CLIENTS THAT WE ACTUALLY PROVIDED SERVICES TO IN 2025, 50 OF THEM WERE DENWITTY COUNTY CLIENTS. OUR AGENCY TOOK OVER 1000 HOTLINE CALLS. ALMOST A HUNDRED OF THOSE CALLS WERE FROM DENWITTY COUNTY. OUR AGENCY PROVIDED OVER 5,000 NIGHTS OF SHELTER IN 2025. WOW. OVER A HUNDRED NIGHTS OF SHELTER WERE FOR DENWITTY CLIENTS, DENWITTY RESIDENTS. UM, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXTEND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DENWOODY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THEY CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH US IN THE LAP LETHALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM. UM, AND THIS YEAR WE HAVE, AS A COMMUNITY GROUP PROGRESSED TO LAP 2.0. UM, SO WE'RE CATCHING UP WITH SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS IN THE STATE, AND DAN WOODY HAS BEEN ON BOARD WITH DOING THAT AND WE'VE NOT HAD ANY HICCUPS, SO WE APPRECIATE THEM. LASTLY, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO OUR OPEN HOUSE. IT'S ACTUALLY THURSDAY, THURSDAY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TODAY IS. UM, FROM THREE TO SIX AT OUR MAIN OFFICE. UM, IT'S 66 10 COMMONS DRIVE. IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN COMING, THERE'LL BE FREE FOOD AND DRINKS AND YOU'LL GET TO MEET ALL OF OUR STAFF AND YOU BE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TOUR THE BUILDING. WE, WE REALLY TAKE PRIDE IN OUR RESOURCE CLOSET. IT GIVES OUR CLIENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOP, AND [00:25:01] THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE LIKE TO EMPOWER THEM. SO IT'S NOT JUST GIVING THEM SOMETHING, IT'S ALLOWING THEM AND THEIR CHILDREN TO COME IN, VIEW THE SPACE, TRY ON THE ITEMS, TRY ON CLOTHES, FOOD, PICK OUT THE THINGS THAT THEY ACTUALLY LIKE. SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT MODEL WITH YOU. THAT'S GOOD. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? UM, JUST A QUESTION PERTAINING TO, UM, CLOTHING AND THINGS THAT CAN BE DONATED, CAN YOU, UM, WHAT DO YOU ACCEPT AND WHAT YOU DO NOT ACCEPT? CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT THERE? ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE ACCEPT GENTLY USED WOMEN'S, MEN'S AND CHILDREN'S CLOTHING, PREFERABLY IN SEASON. WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE STORAGE SPACE, SO IF IT'S NOT IN SEASON, IT JUST DOESN'T LEAVE OUR SHELVES. UM, WE ALSO ACCEPT GENTLY USED, UM, HOUSEWARE ITEMS FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S MAYBE STARTING OVER WITH NOTHING. UM, THE ONLY THINGS WE CAN'T ACCEPT ARE CAR SEATS, CRIBS, UM, AND USED PILLOWS AND BLANKETS. THAT'S A FEDERAL LAW. THEY HAVE TO BE BRAND NEW. THANK YOU. VERY GOOD. AND THEN, AND WE ALSO UPDATE, UM, OUR NEEDS LIST ON OUR WEBSITE. I TRY TO DO IT AT LEAST QUARTERLY DURING AS THE SEASONS CHANGE. UM, BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS MORE THAN WELCOME TO GIVE US A CALL AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE UP TO DATE LIST. A LOT OF THE TIMES THERE'S DRIVES GOING ON, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU THAT SUPPLIES LIST AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I, UM, I DO SIT ON THE BOARD FOR THE JAMES HOUSE. I WILL ALL SEE YOU ALL ON THURSDAY. I HAVE ONE MEETING I HAVE TO GO TO, BUT THEN I'M GONNA LEAVE THERE IN A RUSH TO BE THERE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR AND AT JAMES HOUSE, THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB. ABSOLUTELY. WONDERFUL JOB. GLAD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MIKE. [7.D. Dinwiddie Farmers Recognition] NEXT WE HAVE, UM, THE DENWITTY FARMER'S RECOGNITION, MR. MIKE PARISH, VIRGINIA CORPERATIVE EXTENSION BREEDS HIGHER . THAT'S ON MY PAPER. UH, WELL THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME COME IN HERE AND WANNA DO ONE FINAL ACT AS THE EXTENSION AGENT FOR DIMITY COUNTY. SO, AS YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY PROUD OF THE CLIENTELE THAT I WORK WITH AND ALL MEMBERS AND CITIZENS OF DENWOODY COUNTY. AND I HAVE A POWERPOINT PUT TOGETHER. I'M GONNA BE BRIEF, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I IF I CAN. UM, BUT I DO HAVE A POWERPOINT FOR EACH ONE OF THE FARMS THAT I'M RECOGNIZING AND I'M RECOGNIZING THEM FOR 30 YEARS OF, UH, VOLUNTEER SERVICE FOR EXTENSION. THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM RESEARCH PLOTS ON THE FARM WITH VIRGINIA STATE AND VIRGINIA TECH, OR WORKING WITH, UH, EVEN SOME OF THE, UH, WORK WITH, UH, VCU. WE'VE HAD SOME REQUESTS TO DO SOME FIELD WORK IN THE PAST WITH THEM AS WELL, BUT ALSO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY BY HELPING US WITH OUR FOUR H PROGRAM AND ANYTHING THAT WE NEED FOR FARM DAY. ALL THE FARMERS HAVE PARTICIPATED HERE. THEY ALSO HAVE SUPPORTED THIS COUNTY FAIR BY BRINGING THE MATERIAL IN TO SHOWCASE TO THE CITIZENS. UM, THEY'VE ALSO PROVIDED THEIR FIELDS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES FOR ME TO DRONE AND VIDEO, UH, FOR EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS FOR THAT USED THROUGHOUT THE STATE WITH THE, UH, AG TEACHERS AND HOMESCHOOLERS. SO I DID WANT TO THANK THEM TONIGHT FOR 30 YEARS OF THEIR SERVICE. AND I WILL, UH, I'VE GOT A CERTIFICATE TO GIVE OUT. IS THAT OKAY? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. SO OUR FIRST FARM IS, IS IT WORKING, IS UH, SPIRES FARM, UH, MARK AND ROBERT DOUBLE BRANCH AND, UH, SPIRES FARM. THEY, UH, HELPED US WITH A LOT OF TEST PLOTS. YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTO THERE, ALL THE DIVERSIFICATION THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE ON THEIR FARM. SO IF I CAN GET ROBERT TO COME UP AND GET HIS CERTIFICATE AND THEY CAN WAIT UP HERE. CAN WE GET A PICTURE OF HIM? SURE. MM-HMM . ABSOLUTELY. ROBERT. UM, MARK, HIS SON AND I WENT TO TECH TOGETHER AND WERE ROOMMATES AND ENDED UP BACK IN THE COUNTY WHERE HE LIVED AND THEY'VE BEEN BIG SUPPORTERS OF THE, OF THE COUNTY, SO I WANTED TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP. NEXT IS DOUBLE B FARMS, UH, WITH BILLY BAIN AND HIS GRANDSONS, UH, AARON AND AUSTIN. UM, JUST ALWAYS HAVE A HARD TIME DRIVING THIS THING, SO SOME OF THE MAJOR SLIDES, BUT Y'ALL MENTIONED IT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING ABOUT, UM, UH, WHERE WE HAD AG EXPOS. SO THERE'S SOME PICTURES THERE OF BILLY RIDING AROUND ON THE FOUR WHEELER NETWORKING WITH EVERYBODY. AND WE DID HAVE THE TWO LARGEST, UH, AG EXPOS THAT THEY'VE HELD IN VIRGINIA, HELD HERE SOUTH OF THE RIVER, UM, WITH BILLY AND HIS FARM. AND YOU [00:30:01] CAN SEE HOW INTRICATE IT WAS. AND WE WERE THE FIRST ONES TO HAVE A LIVE TEST PLOT AND A SOIL PIT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE. SO THAT WAS KIND OF INNOVATIVE, UH, FOR THEM. SO IF WE GET BILLY TO COME UP REAL QUICK, THANK YOU. SAY IT IS HONOR TO RECEIVE THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY A QUICK WORD TO THE BOARD. THANK Y'ALL FOR THE CONSIDERATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE FOR AGRICULTURE IN THIS COUNTY AND ALL THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO WORK WITH THE EXTENSION AGENTS AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KEEP THIS COUNTY RURAL AS POSSIBLE. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT IS CHAPEL FARMS. UM, THEY'VE DONE LIKEWISE WORKING WITH EXTENSION AND OUR SPECIALIST, UH, THEY'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT, I DON'T THINK WE, SO I'LL GIVE THEM THEIR, UH, CERTIFICATE LATER. UM, NEXT IS OLD HICKORY FARMS. UH, LANCE AND RANDY, UH, EVERETT. THEY'VE BEEN A BIG, BIG SUPPORTER OF EXTENSION AND LANCE WAS ALSO A FARMER OF THE YEAR AND, AND BILLY WAS TOO, UM, AND WANTED TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THEIR, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT THEY DO ON THE FARM. THEY DO ALSO HELP ME A LOT WITH TOURS. SO WE BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT. ALL, ALL OF THE FARMS HERE TODAY HAVE HELPED WITH EDUCATIONAL TOURS FROM EITHER K THROUGH 12 AND ON THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL AND FOR ADULT TOURS. AND WE'VE DONE OVER A HUNDRED IN THE COUNTY WITH EXTENSION. OKAY. SO NEXT IS THE MAINLAND FAMILY FARM, UH, RAMBLE'S HERE TONIGHT. UH, RAMBLE'S BEEN PRETTY INNOVATIVE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF 'EM. I GOT A LOT OF STUFF IN HERE WITH COVER CROPS THAT THEY'VE WORKED WITH, BUT RAMBLE'S WORKED WITH ME ON THE SOIL AND WATER BOARD FOR YEARS AS WELL, SO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR FARM. THANK YOU. UM, I THOUGHT I WAS COMING TO HELP RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MIKE. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS, UH, GLAD, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP THE COUNTY COME BACK, GRAN. THAT JUST GOES SHUT. DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING PEOPLE TELL YOU, RIGHT. ? YEAH. THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, WATKINS FARM. UH, LOOKS LIKE THE TYPE SET GOT CHANGED SOMETHING HERE, BUT WATKINS HAS BEEN A, A BIG HELP AND WE HIT A BIG LOSS WHEN MAXWELL PASSED. AND WANNA RECOGNIZE CODY AND, AND SUSAN FOR WHAT THEY'VE ALL DONE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, PAST 30 YEARS. BEEN OUTSTANDING. UH, AG PRODUCERS IN THE COUNTY, TURNER FAMILY FARMS. I DON'T KNOW IF JAMIE AND THEM WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT TONIGHT, BUT THEY'RE ANOTHER OUTSTANDING FARMER OPERATION. TWO SONS, UH, ARE COMING ALONG REALLY WELL. UM, JUST LIKE WITH THE REST OF THE GROUPS, IF YOU NOTICE IN THE FAMILIES THAT I HAVE RECOMMENDED, THEY HAVE A GOOD LEGACY GOING, UH, WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION, UH, WORKING IN AGRICULTURE. NEXT IS ADAM'S ACRES. UM, TODD'S 80 FIGURES DAUGHTER UP AT SCHOOL, AND THAT'S A PRIORITY. SO WANNA THANK ADAMS ACRES FOR ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE WITH US. IF YOU LOOK IN THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER, UM, THEY'RE SALTED HAMS. UH, ADAMS HAS PROVIDED ME SPACE FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS TO CONDUCT A HAM CURING PROJECT. SO THAT'S A LOT OF UNDERTAKING AND THEY ENJOY SMOKING THEM AS WELL WITH, WITH THE GROUP, BUT THEY'RE A BIG ASSET TO OUR COUNTY TO HAVE A A NICE PICK YOUR OWN LIKE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY. UH, GREEN MEADOWS, UM, HARRISON AND, UH, NICK MOODY HAVE BEEN VITAL ON RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY. I'VE WORKED WITH THEM SINCE I STARTED AND, UM, THEY'VE BEEN A, A, A, A BIG HELP FOR THE EXTENSION OFFICE. UH, BASQUE OIL FARMS. UM, THEY'VE WORKED A LOT WITH TOBACCO. I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THE SONS WHEN THEY WERE FIRST COMING ALONG A LOT WITH EXTENSION AND THEY'RE BIG VOLUNTEERS FOR THE RESEARCH STATION IN BLACKSTONE. UH, BARNES BROTHERS, UH, JASON AND RUSTY ARE HERE. I THINK BOTH OF THEM, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, BIG SUPPORTERS OF THE OFFICE AS WELL, AND BOTH THEIR, THEIR PARENTS AND THEIR UNCLE, BOTH HAVE BEEN BIG SUPPORTERS OF EXTENSION AND I DID WANT TO, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE THEM TONIGHT FOR BEING HERE. BIG SUPPORTERS OF THE OFFICE. GOT TOO MANY, HAVE . THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. YES, SIR. ANYTHING ALL? [00:35:01] YEP. THANK YOU REST. ALRIGHT. NEXT IS, UH, SLEEPY HOLLOW FARMS. UM, CHIP AND HIS SONS HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR OFFICE. YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER, UM, IN THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO. WE DID A DOCUMENTARY OF THE A HUNDRED YEARS OF EXTENSION IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. AND THE FIRST CLUB CORN CLUB WAS IN VER IN, IN WITTY AND CHESTERFIELD. SO, UH, IT WAS NICE TO SEE THE CHIPS BOYS HELP US OUT TO MAKE THE VIDEO, AND NOW THEY'RE GROWN UP TO BE, UH, UH, FARMERS THEMSELVES. SO I APPRECIATE THEIR TIME THAT THEY HELPED US, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE EXTENSION PROJECTS. THANK, THANK YOU, MIKE. YEP. THANK Y'ALL. APPRECIATE YOU'RE WELCOME. UH, NEXT IS PRESTON AND PD, UH, AND SON'S FARM. UM, PRESTON, UH, PASSED CHIP'S BROTHER. I DID WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO PRESTON ALL HIS WORK THAT HE DID TO HELP ME, UH, WHILE HE WAS FARMING. AND OUR SONS GOT AN OPERATION OF HIS OWN NOW AND WANTED TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THEM TO TOGETHER. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, NOT A FARMER, BUT HIS DADDY WAS , HE WAS, DADDY WAS A GOOD FARMER. AND TOBACCO HIS GRAND, HIM AND MY GRANDDADDY WERE REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. BUT O HICKORY, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING SUPPORTER. IF Y'ALL DON'T KNOW THAT, THEY PROVIDE SPACE FOR THE FARMER MEETINGS. UH, THEY GOT THE GRAIN EXTRACTION, UH, EQUIPMENT OUT THERE. UH, THEY'VE JUST BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER WITH EXTENSION AND I WANTED TO LET THE MEMBERS AND, UH, DONNY KNOW HOW MUCH EXTENSION APPRECIATES HIS SUPPORT. WE DO PEANUT POD BLASTING OUT THERE. WE'VE DONE FARM SAFETY PROGRAMS, WE'VE DONE PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CLASSES, AND WE'VE ALSO DONE, UH, PESTICIDE SAFETY TESTING OUT THERE AS, AS WELL. SO, THANK COMPANY FIVE YOU. YEP. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THAT'S, UH, MY LITTLE PRESENTATION. THANK Y'ALL FOR BEARING WITH ME. SOME OF 'EM COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE SPRING IS HERE, SO. ABSOLUTELY. WE GOT PAST THE, UH, STORM YESTERDAY AND THANKFULLY WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY DAMAGE FROM IT. AMEN. SO, AMEN. AMEN. DO THAT. REALLY BLESSED. WANTED. THANK Y'ALL. AND I'LL, I'LL SIT, SEE Y'ALL LATER TONIGHT. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. SEVEN O'CLOCK. YES, SEVEN O'CLOCK. WE'LL SEE YOU LATER FOR YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. MAY JACK, CAN WE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. GET THE YOUNGEST ONE UP HERE. THAT'S RIGHT. TIGHTEN DOWN. YEAH. SHORT TIME. HEY BILLY, YOU NEED TO GET DOWN YOUR KNEES. YOU'RE TOO TALL, MAN. . YEAH, I GUESS. THANK YOU, . CONGRATS. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. CONGRATS. YEAH, YOU CAN DO IT NOW. YOU COMING BACK AT SEVEN TONIGHT? ARE YOU COMING BACK AT SEVEN? NOT, YOU CAN, YOU CAN AT SEVEN, SEVEN O'CLOCK TONIGHT. MM-HMM . SEE YOU THEN. BILLY. ARE WE, UH, WE DO RE WANNA REMIND EVERYONE WE ARE DOING SOMETHING FOR, UM, MR. PARIS. IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK TONIGHT, SO IF YOU ALL, UH, CAN COME BACK SEVEN O'CLOCK TONIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, NOW WE HAVE, UM, DR. ABDULLAH FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. HE'S COMING FORWARD. GLAD TO SEE YOU. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UM, [00:40:01] I ALSO WANT TO WANNA SAY MY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WONDERFUL TIME OF SERVICE, UH, TO MIKE FOR HIS WORK IN COOPERATIVE EXTENSION FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. THANK YOU. UH, SIR. UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, I'M EXCITED THAT I GET TO GET TO DO THIS. I USUALLY, IN THE PAST, I'VE GONE FIRST, SO IT'S BEEN GOOD TO SEE OTHER PRESENTATIONS, INCLUDING THE ONE FROM BRIGHT POINT. UH, I WANTED TO ECHO SOMETHING THAT HE SAID. HE MENTIONED THAT HIS DAUGHTERS WENT TO BRIGHT POINT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS HUGE. UH, MY DAUGHTER WENT TO VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS ATTEND VSU. I'VE HAD A, A RELATIVE AT VSU THAT I'VE PAID TUITION FOR FOR 10 YEARS. AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THAT I'M NOT SELLING SOMETHING. I'M NOT BUYING. THERE YOU GO. UM, AND, UM, YOU PROBABLY KNOW, BUT OUR FOUNDER'S DAY, WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR FOUNDER'S DAY THIS WEEK. UM, THE MAN WHO WE CREDIT, UH, TO THE FOUNDER OF VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY WAS THE DELEGATE FROM DENWITTY, UM, ALPHA W HARRIS. AND SO WE WILL BE HONORING HIM. UM, AND FOUNDER'S DAY ON THURSDAY, UH, AND NOW I'VE GOT THE PLEASURE OF GOING THROUGH ELTON'S PRESENTATION. HE ENJOYS GIVING ME A PRESENTATION THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN. UH, SO HERE WE GO. I'VE GOT THE CLICKER, SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLICK IT. UM, OUR ENROLLMENT, UH, IS UP. SO WE'RE UP TO 57, 54, AGAIN, UP FROM A LITTLE OVER 4,000 STUDENTS, UH, IN 2020, UH, OVER THAT FIVE YEAR SPAN, WE ARE THE FASTEST GROWING UNIVERSITY, UH, IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. UH, AND IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THAT BRIGHTPOINT IS HAVING THAT KIND OF SUCCESS ALSO. UM, WE'VE MOVED UP IN NATIONAL RANKINGS. I GENERALLY DON'T. UM, I GUESS, I GUESS THE TRICK IS YOU DON'T LIKE RANKINGS UNLESS YOU GO UP. UH, SO WE WENT UP, SO WE LIKE RANKINGS THIS YEAR, . UM, BUT WE MOVED UP 11 SPOTS IN THE, UH, UH, HBCU RANKING NATIONALLY, UH, OF 12 SPOTS, EXCUSE ME, THE NUMBER 11, ALMOST IN THE TOP 10. UH, BUT ALSO RANKED HIGH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTH AND BEST VALUE INSTITUTIONS. AND SO WE'RE PROUD TO BE THE MOST AFFORDABLE FOUR YEAR OPTION, UH, IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. UH, AND THAT IS BEGINNING TO SHOW IN SOME OF THE RANKINGS, UM, OUR HARRIS HALL ACADEMIC COMMONS, OUR NEWEST BUILDING ON CAMPUS, $130 MILLION ACADEMIC, UH, BUILDING. MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE MPC IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO CAMPUS. THIS IS AS BIG AS THE MPC, ALBEIT FOR ALL ACADEMICS. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE BROKEN GROUND ON THAT NEW BUILDING FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND, UH, CONSTRUCTION IS NOT STOPPING. AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING UP A NEW RESIDENCE HALL NOW. UH, WE HAVE A NEW ADMISSIONS BUILDING THAT HAS A LEVEL OF SUBSTANTIAL CONSTRUCTION. THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN TODAY. UM, UH, THAT CRANE IS BRAND NEW. SO THAT'S HOW I KNOW IT'S BEEN TAKEN TODAY. UH, AND WE'VE GOT TWO OTHER BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, UH, TO BE BUILT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND SO, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY RECENTLY, UH, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO COME BY BECAUSE WE'RE CHANGING SO FAST. YOU MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE IT NEXT TIME YOU COME BY. UM, THE, THE WALK FOR PEACE, UH, YOU ALL, UH, OF COURSE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE MONKS WHO WALKED FROM TEXAS, UH, TO COME, UH, TO COME TO DC AND THEY STOPPED AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. UM, I'LL JUST COMMENT BRIEFLY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU KIND OF HEAR ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING, YOU THINK IT'S KIND OF A, A WALK FOR WORLD PIECE. UM, BUT THEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT TWICE AND YOU UNDERSTAND, UH, BUDDHISM, YOU REALIZE IT'S A WALK FOR INNER PEACE. AND SO I THINK THE MOST AMAZING THING WAS THIS, UH, AUDIENCE THAT THEY HAD WITH OUR STUDENTS. WE PROBABLY HAD 200 STUDENTS IN THE ROOM AND THE STUDENTS WEREN'T NOT ON THEIR PHONES AND THEY WERE PAYING ATTENTION. AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. IT WAS SUPER QUIET. AND SO WE, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN'T GET OFF THEIR PHONES. APPARENTLY THEY CAN. IF BUDDHIST MONKS SHOW UP, THEY DID A GREAT JOB. , UM, GOVERNOR SPAN BERGER VISITS, UH, VIRGINIA STATE, ONE OF OUR FIRST VISITS TO A HIGHER ED INSTITUTION. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, AS I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, WE'RE NOT, UH, RED OR BLUE AT VIRGINIA STATE. WE'RE ORANGE AND BLUE. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, WE ALWAYS WELCOME EVERYONE AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE HER ON CAMPUS AND TO GIVE A MESSAGE, UH, TO OUR STUDENTS. FOUNDER'S DAY. I JUST MENTIONED IT. I WAS NOT SURE THAT THERE WAS A SLIDE, BUT THAT IS THURSDAY. UM, OUR FOUNDER'S DAY SPEAKER, UH, WILL BE KIMBERLY POPE ADAMS. UM, WE WILL, PART OF THAT, UH, CEREMONY IS WE WILL ACTUALLY ASK HER TO READ THE SPEECH THAT ALFRED W HARRIS DELIVERED ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, UH, IN 1881. AND SO WE'RE PRETTY, PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT HISTORY AND, UM, SAVE, SAVE SOME DATES. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE THERE, OF COURSE, IS THE DENWOODY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. THAT'LL BE ON MAY 29TH. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU ALL AT THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER. UM, OUR GRADUATION ON MAY 16TH. UH, AND THEN WE HAVE A, A CONCERT ON MAY 20TH. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE TREY SONGS FANS? THAT WAS A JOKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH . UM, BUT THAT IS A CONCERT THAT WILL HAPPEN, UH, THIS WEEK BURG AND WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW, UH, THE BLACK COLLEGE INVITATION, UH, CHAMPIONSHIP. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT GET INTO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. AND THEN THERE'S THE KIND OF SECONDARY, [00:45:02] UH, TOURNAMENTS. UH, THERE'S THE NIT, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE CALLED THE CBI THAT ACTUALLY JUST WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. AND SO WE HAVE ONE, UH, WELL, A PROMOTER HAS ONE THAT'S HAVING IT ON CAMPUS. AND SO THERE'LL BE A NUMBER OF HBCUS PLAYING SOME BASKETBALL, UH, THE 26TH THROUGH THE 29TH. AND I'M ASSUMING THIS IS LAST, BUT SO NOT LEAST, BUT THERE IS A SCHOLARSHIP GALA ON APRIL 25TH THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU TO. UM, I HAVE BEEN AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOR 10 YEARS. WOW. AND, UH, SO THIS IS KIND OF AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THAT. IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT LONG, BUT APPARENTLY I HAVE GOTTEN 10 YEARS OLDER. UM, AND AT THAT GALA WE WILL HAVE, UH, BOYI MEN WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE GALA. AND SO IF YOU'RE A FAN OF GOOD HARMONIES, UH, WE'D LOVE TO SEE, UH, DEN WHITTY COME. AND I WAS CORRECT. THAT WAS THE LAST ONE. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR HAVING ME AND CONTINUING TO HAVE VIRGINIA STATE, UH, COME HERE, UH, TO PRESENT. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. OH, WONDERFUL JOB. I THANK ELDEN. HE WORKED FAST. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HAVE A GOOD DAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD, GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. MM-HMM . YEAH. [8.A. Contract Award: Used Vehicles] OKAY. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS. UH, CONTRACT AWARD USED VEHICLES, UH, MR. TIMMY CLARAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL SERVICES. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING SIR. UM, FAR AS THE BACKGROUND, GENERAL SERVICES PROCESS OF, UM, ASSESSING A LOT OF THE COUNTY FLEET MECHANICAL FUNCTIONS AND FIT FOR PURPOSE FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. UH, SOME OF THE VEHICLES ARE NO LONGER MECHANICALLY FUNCTION TO MEET THE COUNTY NEEDS AND WE'VE ALREADY SURPLUS SOME AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO SURPLUS. SO A LOT MORE. I THINK I LOOKED AT THE LIST, UH, I THINK IT WAS MONDAY OR TUESDAY. I THINK WE HAD 23 THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING UP AS THIS PLAN GOES THROUGH. NOT ONLY VEHICLES, LAWNMOWERS, TRACTORS, BUSH HOGS, IT'S A LOT OF EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP. AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE ARE NEEDING SEVERAL, UH, GENERAL USE IN MAINTENANCE VEHICLES. UM, YOU GET MUSIC FOR YOUR SPECIES, , DAIRY, UH, POMP AND SAM. SO WE RECENTLY FOUND, UH, A LOT OF SEVEN USED VEHICLES. FIVE OF 'EM MAINTENANCE VEHICLES, TWO OF 'EM, UH, BE COUNTY USE, GENERAL USE VEHICLES, UH, PRETTY GOOD DEAL. SO WE MADE A OFFERING WAS ACCEPTED FROM LUCA RESOURCES. UM, ONE OF THESE VEHICLES REALLY BIG. I TOLD KEVIN I'VE NEVER SEEN A MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, NEVER HAVE A WELDER. THIS ONE HAS A WELDER, HAS A COMPRESSOR. FLATBED DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE ESPECIALLY COULD DO A LOT OF WORK OUT AT THE BAND SITES. THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST DEAL OUT OF ALL OF THEM. SO YOU APPRECIATE, UH, TO, TO LOOK AT THIS 88, 800 FOR THESE SEVEN DIFFERENT VEHICLES FOR THE USE IN THE COUNTY. ALRIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENT AND CHAIR. JUST TO ECHO MR. CLYBURN'S COMMENT SOMETIME YOU GOTTA HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE. AND SO WHEN MR. KLEIN BROUGHT THIS TO US AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON IT, UH, WHAT A PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE, UH, WHAT HE'S TALKED ABOUT. TALK, JUST GAVE A REPORT ON, UM, TO ACQUIRE SEVEN AND, AND BE AT $88,000. THAT'S A MM-HMM . PHENOMENAL PRICE. MM-HMM . HE HAS SOME PERSONAL HISTORY WITH THESE VEHICLES AS WELL. UM, IT'S GOOD HAVING THE INSIDER KNOWLEDGE ON THIS ONE I THINK, BUT JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK TIMMY FOR BEING PROACTIVE ON THIS AND, AND PUTTING US IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THESE, THESE VEHICLES. MACHINE MONEY COMING FROM, IS IT OUT HIS BUDGET OR WE'VE GOT NO, IT'S GOING IN HIS BUDGET. SURE. WE DON'T NEED TO APPROPRIATE ANYTHING ELSE. SOUNDS LIKE THE TRUCK WITH THE WELDER AND ALL, THAT'S ALMOST WHAT YOU'RE GOING GET EVERYTHING ELSE FOR. YES SIR. I THINK WE HAD IT IN SOMETHING ELSE. UH, THAT, THAT TRUCK WAS PRETTY GOOD. IT'S A COUPLE OTHER ONES BUT YEAH, IT'S WELL NEEDED. I MEAN THE MAIN THING IS WE PUT THE SNOW PLIGHTS ON SOMETHING AND YOU GOT YOUR SAND DOG, YOU CAN'T USE THEM. AND THEN WE GOT MAINTENANCE GUYS RIDING IN THE SAME TRUCK. SOME OF THE TRUCKS ARE SINGLES, SOME OF THE OTHER VEHICLES, TRUCKS JUST, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF HAND DOWNS OVER THE YEARS. THEY WERE ALREADY WHITE BEFORE WE GOT 'EM, BUT LOOKING TO CLEAN 'EM UP TO PUT SOMEBODY IN A DECENT VEHICLE, GOING TO SEND HIM TO DO A GOOD JOB, GOTTA BE IN SOMETHING THAT HE APPRECIATES WHERE HE GOES TO DO A PM IT'S REALLY GONNA HELP AT DEMAND SITES, UH, WELDING IN THOSE AREAS, KEEPING HIM UP, UP TO PAR. WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YES SIR. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. SO MA'AM, CHAIR, WE JUST NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL. MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER. AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. THANK ALL Y'ALL. THANK YOU. [8.B. Employee Health Insurance Plan For FY 2027] UM, WE HAVE UM, EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE [00:50:01] PLAN FOR FY 2027. MS. ANN HAMILTON, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD. I'M SO SORRY MY COMPUTER WAS MAKING NOISES. , I DON'T KNOW WHAT I HIT. I SO IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE ALWAYS BRING OUR LOCAL CHOICE HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, OFF RENEWAL TO YOU ALL. WE HAVE TO, UH, GIVE THEM AN ANSWER AND SEND OUR INFORMATION IN BY APRIL 1ST. SO THIS YEAR WITH THE LOCAL CHOICE, UM, OUR INCREASE WAS 12.6%, WHICH WAS A LOT. AND APPARENTLY A LOT OF OUR, OUR OTHER NEIGHBORS AROUND US GOT A LARGE INCREASES AS WELL. FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM FOLKS, UM, WE DO HAVE TWO PLANS THAT WE OFFER OUR EMPLOYEES THE KEY ADVANTAGE 1000 PPO AND, AND A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN AS WELL. AND THEY, UM, HAVE A CHOICE OF TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF DENTAL THAT GOES WITH THAT. SO IN YOUR BOARD PACKETS, THERE'S A, A CHART OF ALL THE PLANS AND THE AMOUNTS THAT THE COUNTY IS, UM, PROPOSING TO PAY AND THE AMOUNTS THAT THE EMPLOYEES WOULD PAY FOR EACH PLAN FOR EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYEE DEPENDENT AND EMPLOYEE FAMILY. UM, SO WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF, OF THE RESOLUTION AND YOUR BOARD PACK TO GO, TO GO ALONG WITH WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES HEALTH INSURANCE. OKAY. COMMENTS? GO FOLKS. JUST A COMMENT. MM-HMM . MADAM CHAIR. IS IT IRONIC THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES WE'RE ALMOST AT THE SAME RATE OF INCREASE? IS THAT UNIQUE OR IS IT JUST JUST A COINCIDENCE? I THINK IT'S A COINCIDENCE, YES. I THINK A LOT, I THINK EVERYBODY IN LOCAL CHOICE WENT UP A GOOD PERCENTAGE THIS TIME. RIGHT. SO I'VE HEARD HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD. YEAH. UM, BUT YEAH, NOT A PRETTY PICTURE UNFORTUNATELY. YEAH. YEAH. MADAM CHAIR, I'VE, I'VE, UM, TALKED TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE LOCAL CHOICE AND NOT THAT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT 12%, BUT WHEN YOU START HEARING 18 TO 25% IN SOME JURISDICTIONS OH YEAH. YOU IMMEDIATELY FEEL BETTER AT 12. BUT STILL 12 IS A LOT. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR, YOU'RE OVER 20%. YES. INCREASE MM-HMM . IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, EVERYTHING'S GOING UP. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, ANY OTHER CONCERNS? UM, NOTE MOTION MA'AM? UM, MADAM CHAIR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT YOUR, UH, HEALTHCARE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. SECOND ROLL CALL PLEASE. MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER. AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHTY. THANK YOU MA'AM. UH, AT [8.C. Contract Award: Economic Analysis/Strategic Plan] THIS TIME WE HAVE THE CONTRACT AWARD, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, STRATEGIC PLAN. UH, KEVIN MASSENGALE, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. YEAH. MADAM CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. WE'VE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS DURING OUR, OUR BUDGET HEARINGS AND MEETINGS. UM, DEMEE COUNTY WAS SELECTED BY VIRGINIA TECH TO, UH, TO DO A TWO-PART STUDY, ONE, UH, TO DO AN ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS THE DIMITY ECONOMY. AND THAT, UM, FOUNDATIONAL STUDY IS GONNA GIVE US THE ABILITY TO THINK THROUGH WHAT IS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN, UH, ATTACHED TO THE THE COVER LETTER IS THE SERVICE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY PUT THERE, THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS WELL AS THE SCOPE OF WORK. UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE JUST ABSOLUTELY, UM, PHENOMENAL IN THIS FIELD. DR. UH, CHERYL BAILEY, PHD, UH, AS WELL AS STEPHANIE DAVIS, ANOTHER, UH, PHD. AND THEN DR. DAVID MOORE, UH, IS ALSO GONNA BE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR US. SO VIRGINIA TECH HAS BECOME VERY SELECTIVE OF WHO THEY, THEY, UM, WANTED TO WORK ON THIS TYPE OF WORK WITH. AND SO AGAIN, THEY PROACTIVELY KIND OF CONTACTED THE COUNTY. UH, THEY HAVEN'T DONE A COUNTY OUR SIZE YET. THEY'VE DONE SOME BIGGER LOCALITIES, ACTUALLY ONE SMALLER RURAL LOCALITY. AND SO THEY FELT LIKE THIS WAS A, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE A MID-SIZE COMMUNITY. UH, DR. BAILEY, UH, HAS ALSO SERVED WITH, UH, VACO FOR A FEW YEARS AND HAS BEEN A PART OF, UH, THE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM, THE VACO ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM. SO SHE, SHE HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THAT CASTS THE VOTE WHEN IT COMES TO BEST SMALL COUNTY THAT WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED NOW THREE TIMES FOR IN, UM, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. NOBODY'S COUNTING. BUT VIRGINIA TECH, [00:55:01] I THINK FOR THIS BRINGS A A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UM, ABILITY. 'CAUSE WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THEIR, THEIR PREVIOUS WORK. UM, IF, IF WE WERE TO JUST, JUST DO THE ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS, YOU WOULD BE ABOVE 1 25. SO THEIR, THEIR RATE OF ONE TWENTY FIVE, A HUNDRED TWENTY 5,000 TO DO THIS WORK AND TO DEVELOP THE NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE COUNTY. YOU'LL SEE IN THE, IN THE SERVICE AGREEMENT AND THE WORK, UM, WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO. AND, AND AGAIN, SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO I, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON IT. UM, BUT WE JUST SIMPLY NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. I'LL SECOND ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER. AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. THANK YOU. UM, AT THIS TIME WE HAVE UM, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS? MADAM CHAIR? WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP TODAY. ALRIGHT, [10. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR COMMENTS] THANK YOU. NOW WE HAVE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE COMMENTS. YEAH. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UM, FIRST THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT WAS, UH, GOVERNMENT DAY. 'CAUSE IT WAS JUST FRESH OFF OUR MINDS AND, UH, WE, WE TRIED TO CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT. WE'VE BEEN DOING GOVERNMENT DAY IN THE SAME SIMILAR FORMAT FOR YEARS NOW, AND SO THIS YEAR WE TRIED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. UM, I REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS, WAS IT WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. MM-HMM . MS. COLLINS AND I WERE ON THE, ON THE DRIVE BACK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVEN FOR NEXT TIME, SOME, SOME TWEAKS AND THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO EACH TIME. BUT FOR THE STUDENTS, I, I THINK FOR THE STUDENTS, AND I SAY IT EVERY YEAR, UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE CALIBER OF STUDENT IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR. BUT, UH, WE HAD 42 KIDS THIS TIME, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST GOVERNMENT DAY CLASSES THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD. AND AGAIN, JUST I THOUGHT THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB. UM, BRIGHT POINT. UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT REAL QUICK THAT IF, IF YOU WANT US TO, FOR THOSE THAT COULDN'T MAKE THE LAST TOUR, YOU WANT US TO DO THAT AGAIN? UH, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO DO THAT. FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T MAKE US PHENOMENAL. UH, TERRELL, UH, RIGHT LEADER FOR THE RIGHT TIME. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GREATER REACH AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT PARTICULAR AGENCY, IF YOU WILL, HAS STRUGGLED IN YEARS PAST, COVID REALLY HURT THAT ORGANIZATION. AND FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT, IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT. VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. AND NO ONE CAN SPEAK PROBABLY BETTER THAN THAT, THAN OUR CHAIR. UM, IT JUST, JUST SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY HAVE. SO SOMETIMES THE RIGHT LEADER AT THE RIGHT TIME CAN TURN THINGS AROUND AND TERRELL'S DOING A A PHENOMENAL JOB. YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THESE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS AND YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF YOU WERE TO COME TO ME AND SAY, HEY, KEVIN, I I WANT YOU TO, TO, TO TACKLE ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO I THINK ABOUT THE JAMES HOUSE WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO PARTNER FOR THE, THE AMOUNT THAT WE DONATE WITH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THE JAMES HOUSE GOVERNMENT CAN'T BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY AND WE CAN'T DUPLICATE THINGS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL. BUT WHEN WE PARTNER WITH REGIONAL ENTITIES LIKE THIS, WE TALK ABOUT FEED MORE AND CHASM AND SOME OF THESE OTHER OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS. UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTRIGUING TO LISTEN TO SOME OF THOSE STATS AND THE DATA OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR OUR, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY. AND AGAIN, WE KIND OF PUNCH ABOVE OUR WEIGHT A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE, WE PARTNER WITH THESE, UM, DR. ABDULLAH PHENOMENAL. UM, WHAT HE'S DONE IN HIS 10 YEARS AT VSU, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING HE'S EXTENDED HIS CONTRACT EVEN FURTHER INTO I THINK 2032. SO IF HE, IF HE DOES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WHAT HE DID IN, IN THE PAST 10, YOU KNOW, VS U'S GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO FLOURISH. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MIKE SAID IT GREAT. YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE FARMERS AND I HAD TO WRITE 'EM DOWN. IT'S LIKE, IF, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT NECESSARILY A YANKEES FAN, I'M AN ATLANTA BRAVES FAN, BUT IF I HAD TO, TO COME UP WITH THE STARTING LINEUP OF LIKE, THE ALL TIMES OF, OF DENWOODY, AND YOU READ NAMES LIKE BASKERVILLE, BAINS, BARNES, SPIS CHAPELS, EVERETT, MAITLANDS, WATKINS, TURNER, ADAMS, AND MOODY. I MEAN, JUST, JUST TO HEAR THOSE NAMES TOGETHER AND TO THANK MIKE. AND WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO PRAISE YOU A LITTLE BIT LATER AT SEVEN O'CLOCK, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF COALESCE THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE AND JUST WHAT A, I MEAN, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, AND THEN THE RIDE OUTS TOO, RIGHT? SO WHAT A, WHAT A TREMENDOUS GROUP. MADAM CHAIR, I'M GONNA BE BRIEF. UM, I, I DO WANT TO GET YOUR ACQUIESCENCE TO ADVERTISE THE, THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026 TAX RATES THAT WE ARE GONNA USE, OBVIOUSLY AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FY 27 BUDGET. AND SO, IF YOU THINK ABOUT OUR EXISTING TAX STRUCTURE, SO REAL ESTATE, MOBILE HOMES, [01:00:01] MINERAL LANDS, AND PUBLIC SERVICES AT 64 CENTS, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY AND IS AT $4 AND 60 CENTS. UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR VOLUNTEERS THAT QUALIFY AS 25 CENTS, M AND T MACHINERY AND TOOLS IS $3 AND 30 CENTS. HEAVY MACHINERY AT THREE 30, AND THEN AIRPLANES AT 50 CENTS. UM, WE ARE, AGAIN, YOU CAN ADVERTISE HIGHER ON THESE RATES AND COME DOWN AT A HEARING, BUT ONCE YOU ADVERTISE YOU, YOU CAN'T GO THE OTHER DIRECTION, RIGHT? SO IF, IF WE KEEP THAT, WE'RE RECOMMENDING, AND BASED ON WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT OUR LAST MEETING, MS. HOWERTON, IN ADDITION TO MS. PERKINS AND MS. STEVENS, WE, WE HAD A REVENUE CONVERSATION IN THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. AND WITH THAT, UH, WE SAW THAT THE REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY THIS YEAR IS GROWING DECENTLY. NOT, NOT OFF THE CHARTS BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, BUT WE'VE SEEN MUCH WORSE YEARS, AND WE'VE SEEN MANY BETTER YEARS. BUT WE ARE IN THE MID BETWEEN TWO, UM, REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENTS, REASSESSMENTS. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION TO YOU IS THAT YOU KEEP THE TAX STRUCTURE THE SAME FOR, UM, FY 27 OR CALENDAR YEAR 26. IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU ALSO, AS FAR AS THE ADD, THERE'S A, A SETTING OF THE P-P-T-R-A RATE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT 34 CENTS. NOW, JUST THE OPPOSITE, UH, AIN'T 34%. SO AT 34% YOU CAN ALWAYS GO UP, BUT YOU CAN'T COME DOWN. SO, UH, AT OUR LAST MEETING, THE, THE COMMISSIONER REVENUE RECOMMENDED THAT WE BE AT 35%, UM, NOT 34. SO AGAIN, YOU CAN ADVERTISE 34, OR IF YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU WANNA DO 35, YOU CAN DO 35. IF YOU GET TO THE MEETING AND YOU WANT TO GO TO 34, YOU, YOU CAN'T, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN ONLY GO UP, YOU CAN'T GO DOWN, UNLIKE THE CALENDAR YEAR RATES WHERE YOU ESTABLISH THE BASELINE, AND THEN YOU CAN COME DOWN FROM THERE. SO, UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY SOME DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS THAT PROBABLY NEED TO BE READ BEFORE WE GET SOME FINAL DIRECTION. I JUST NEED THE ACQUIESCENCE OF, UM, OF THE GROUP. BUT BEFORE WE, WE GET SOME NODDING OF HEADS, CAN WE HAVE THOSE DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS READ? MAY I HAVE? I GO FIRST. MM-HMM. UM, AT THE MARCH 17TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE DENWITTY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I MARK E. MOORE INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION AND VOTE CONCERNING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026 TAX RATES FOR DENWITTY COUNTY. THE TAX RATES WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR DI WITTY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MY WIFE IS EMPLOYED BY THE DI COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL. THE TAX RATES AFFECT ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES AT THE DIMITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL AS OTHERS. AND I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. MADAM CHAIRMAN, I'LL GO NEXT AT THE MARCH 17TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE DIY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. I, CASEY M DOLEY, INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026. TAX RATES FOR DEITY COUNTY TAX RATES WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR DEITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I'M EMPLOYED BY DEITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THE TAX RATES AFFECT THE EMPLOYEES OF DEITY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL AS OTHERS. AND I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. ALRIGHT, AT THE MARCH 17TH, 2026, MEETING OF THE DENWOODY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I, DANIEL D. LEE, INTEND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026 TAX RATE FOR DEWIN COUNTY. THE TAX RATE WILL DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY IS AVAILABLE FOR THE DEWINE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. MY WIFE IS EMPLOYED BY THE DEWINE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. THE TAX RATE AFFECTS ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEWINE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL AS OTHERS. AND I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSACTION FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY. AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, I AM EMPLOYED BY THE APPOMATTOX SERVICE, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. AS SUCH, I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO THE APPOMATTOX SERVICE, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION BOARD. THE ADDRESS OF THE DEWIN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, I GUESS THE ADDRESS IS RIGHT, ISN'T IT? UM, TYLER, IT SAYS SCHOOL BOARD, BUT IT, IF THE ADDRESS IS WRONG, WE CAN FIX IT LATER. 1416 BOYDEN PLANK ROAD, DENWOODY, VIRGINIA, 13,915 WARDEN PLANK ROAD, DENWOODY, VIRGINIA 2 3 8 4 1. IT JUST HAD A EXTRA SENTENCE IN IT. OKAY. SO, BUT VERY GOOD. WELL, MADAM CHAIR, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION AGAIN IS TO KEEP YOUR CALENDAR FY 20. I MEAN, YOUR CALENDAR 2026 RATES THE SAME AS YOU DID LAST YEAR, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOUR TAX RELIEF BE ADVERTISED AT 35%. SO AGAIN, THAT'S NOT A VOTE. I JUST NEED ACT, YOU [01:05:01] KNOW, KIND OF THE, THE BOARD NODDING OF YOUR HEADS THE RIGHT WAY. IS THERE ANY, ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WISH FOR US TO ADVERTISE IN THAT FORMAT? OKAY, WELL, SEEING NONE, MADAM CHAIR, WE'RE GONNA, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. ADS WILL GO AND HELP ME WITH THE, THE TOMORROW? YEAH, TOMORROW FOR, UM, NEXT TUESDAY AND THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY. OKAY. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A HEARING ON THAT. IS THAT THE SEVENTH? APRIL? SEVENTH. APRIL 7TH MEETING. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'LL ADOPT THE, THE RATES FOR THAT YEAR. MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. NO, I HAVE FOR TODAY. OKAY, COOL. ALRIGHT. [11. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS] UM, UH, LET'S SEE. DR. MOORE, UH, SURE, I'LL START THIS AFTERNOON. UH, LET ME START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO EVERY DEPARTMENT, EVERY STAFF MEMBER, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE THREE DAY SUMMIT THAT WE HAD WITH EVERY DEPARTMENT COMES BEFORE THE BOARD AND SHARES WITH US BOTH THEIR VISION, THEIR CONCERNS, AND AND THEIR NEEDS. UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EACH OF THEM FOR ALLOWING THEM THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO COME AND, UM, TO, UH, FOR THEIR REQUEST. AND IN PARTICULAR STAFF, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER A BUDGET FOR US TO MASSAGE AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE GO IN 2020 FOR THE 2027 BUDGET. SO THANK YOU TO THEM. ALSO, WE'RE GONNA DO A SHOUT OUT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, OUR DUAL MEETING THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK. I WANNA THANK DR. WESTIN, HER STAFF, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS FOR, UM, UM, BEING TRANSPARENT IN A LOT OF WAYS. SOME THINGS WERE SHARED WITH US THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN THE PAST. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THEM FOR THEIR, THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY TO, TO, UH, FULFILL THAT REQUEST THAT THEY PUT BEFORE US. UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE ECONOMIC, UH, ANALYSIS, UM, BY DR. BAILEY AND VIRGINIA TECH, I DON'T THINK WE REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT OF A SITUATION THAT THIS IS AND HOW, HOW IT'S GONNA DEPICT OUR COUNTY AND, AND, AND US THOSE OF US MAKING DECISIONS GOING FORWARD OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND THE THINGS THAT WE MAY AND WILL NEED, UH, AS WE MOVE THE COUNTY FORWARD. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, THAT REPORT AND, AND HOW IT WILL BE DONE. AND, UH, WE ARE TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE, UM, THE VIRGINIA TECH, UH, HELPING US IN THAT PROCESS. IT'S NOT JUST BY FLY BY NIGHT THAT THEY PICK YOU TO, TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOUR COMMUNITY. SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A KUDOS TO DENWITTY COUNTY AND THE PEOPLE AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WORK HERE. AND, UH, THE GOVERNANCE OF THE COUNTY FOR THAT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE VIRGINIA GATEWAY REGION ANNUAL MEETING LAST WEEK, UH, WAS A GOOD MEETING. I THINK WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. UH, WE BROUGHT ON OUR TWO NEW MEMBERS, UH, BRUNSWICK AND GREENSVILLE, I GUESS IS, IS GREEN NEW MEMBERS COMING IN MM-HMM . UM, VERY EXCITING THINGS. UM, AS FAR AS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMICS OF OUR GREATER TRI-CITY AREA GOING DOWN BOTH 85 AND 95, WE NOW GO DOWN ALMOST TO NORTH CAROLINA IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. UH, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, A LOT OF LAND OPPORTUNITIES, AND A LOT OF INTER INTERSTATE OPPORTUNITIES. AS WELL AS, UM, JUST PROMOTING THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IN THAT SOUTHERN CORE, UH, WHICH GATEWAY DOES. AND, AND THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY SEND OUR WAY THAT LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN DENWOOD COUNTY. UM, SO THANK YOU TO THEM. UM, VSU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT BRIGHTPOINT, BUT VSU FEELS IS A GREAT PARTNER TO DENWITY COUNTY, TO DENWITY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AG DEPARTMENT, THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE, UH, THAT GO TO, UM, VSU AND GRADUATE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UH, HELPS OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY PROVIDE, SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE. AND GRADUATION, BEING IN THE CONVOCATION CENTER OVER THERE IS A VERY NICE PLACE. AND SO I JUST WANNA THANK THEM FOR THAT, THAT PARTNERSHIP THAT THEY GIVE. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THIS COUNTY WAS BUILT ON FARMERS AND AGRICULTURE. AND I WANT TO THANK EVERY FARMER THAT WAS IN THIS ROOM THAT WAS RECOGNIZED. MIKE, WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU TONIGHT. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. BUT WE ARE WHO WE ARE TODAY IN A LOT OF WAYS BECAUSE OF THE AGRICULTURAL CONTENT OF OUR COUNTY. UM, WE ALL LIKE TO EAT. WE ALL, UH, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, GROW THAT PRODUCT AND, UH, MAKE US A BETTER COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT'S THE FAMILIES WE WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE ARE SEEING THAT NEXT GENERATION, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THE SECOND GENERATION, BUT NEXT GENERATION THAT'S COMING ALONG, UM, TO PICK UP THAT BATON AND CARRY US FORWARD. SO THANK YOU TO EVERY FARMER IN DENWITTY COUNTY FOR WHAT YOU DO IN YOUR FAMILIES, HOW YOU PARTICIPATE AND MAKE DENWITTY A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. OKAY, HOW DO I FOLLOW [01:10:01] THAT? YOU NEED TO START ON THAT SIDE NEXT TIME. MR. CLYBURN. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING, BRINGING THE COUNTY FROM WHEREVER IT WAS, GETTING THE THINGS THAT WE NEED. I APPRECIATE THAT MR. PARISH. YOU, UH, DID A GREAT DAY, UH, PRESENT PRESENTING THE FARMERS, UH, SOME RECOGNITION THAT THEY NEED. UH, I MEAN, FARMING, I WAS RAISED UP ON A FARM, BUT NOTHING LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW. I MEAN, I WALKED BEHIND A MULE, SO THAT WAS NOT LIKE THEY DO NOW. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I APPRECIATE THE FARMERS AND, UH, WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HELP 'EM GET TO WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND RECOGNITION IS A NUMBER ONE THING. UM, AND ALSO WITH THE, LIKE YOU SAID, MARK SAID, EVERYONE THAT PRESENTED THE BUDGET LAST WEEK, THAT'S A LOT OF WORK. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DID THAT, AND TODAY WATCHING THE KIDS DO THE PRESENTATION THEY DID WAS AWESOME TOO. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT HAS BEEN. THE WAY THEY CHANGED IT AROUND AND EVERYTHING WAS, UH, JUST GREAT. IT WASN'T BORING, YOU KNOW, I HATE, I'M LIKE MY FRIEND OVER THERE. BUDGETS ARE NOT MY FAVORITE THING, . SO IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, BUT MARK, UH, SAID A LOT OF THINGS THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BUT I'M, I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT IT, BUT I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID, SIR, I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ANYTHING SIR? UH, MAN, I THINK I SAID IT LAST TIME. DITTO, MARK. WELL, WELL DONE. . YOU GONNA DI NO, I WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS, IT WAS FUN TO GO TODAY AND, AND TALK WITH THESE STUDENTS. A YOUNG MAN, UH, KIND OF SHOCKED ME WHEN HE KIND OF TURNED THE TABLES ON US AND ASKED YEAH, A VERY MATURE BEYOND HIS YEARS QUESTION. AND IT WAS, WHAT DOES THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP EXPECT FROM US THAT ARE GETTING READY TO BE CITIZENS, UH, ADULT CITIZENS IN, IN OUR SOCIETY? AND I, I WISH MORE PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT WAY. WHEN I THINK OF GOVERNMENT, I THINK THAT GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE TO YOU, NOT FOR YOU. MM-HMM . UM, THERE IS AN EXPECTATION IN SOCIETY THAT YOU STEP UP AND YOU DON'T BECOME JUST A CONSUMER OF GOODS. YOU BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE. AND I THINK IT WAS SHOWN TONIGHT OR TODAY IN LOOKING AT OUR FARMERS, THAT THAT GAVE SO MUCH TO THIS COMMUNITY. THEY, THEY DIDN'T JUST SIT BACK AND CONSUME, UH, COUNTY RESOURCES. THEY PRODUCED RESOURCES TO OUR COUNTY. AND THEY TOUCHED EVERY ASPECT OF EVERY LIFE HERE. AND THEY CONTINUE TO, AND THEY'RE BUILDING GENERATIONAL INFLUENCE. AND MIKE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CON CONTRIBUTION TO THAT. UM, I, I THINK WE HAVE GOOD THINGS ON THE HORIZON. AMEN. I THINK WE SEE GOD'S FAVOR IN SO MANY WAYS, INCLUDING JUST MISSING OUT ON STORMS LAST NIGHT. AMEN. AND FINDING GOD'S FAVOR IN THAT. AMEN. WHEN, WHEN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS WERE NOT QUITE AS LUCKY. UM, SO I CONTINUE TO POINT TO CHRIST AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND HE CONTINUES TO LET HIS FACE SHINE UPON US. SO I PRAISE GOD FOR THAT. I PRAISE GOD FOR THE LEADERSHIP HERE, UH, AND BUDGET SESSIONS WHEN YOU COULD COME IN AND ASK FOR THE WORLD. BUT OUR LEADERSHIP REFLECTS, UH, IN THEM AND THEIR ASK FOR, FOR THINGS THAT THEY NEED, NOT JUST WITH, NOT THINGS THEY WANT. UM, SO WELL DONE WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCE AND OPERATIONS, AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. KEEP IT UP. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU DO SO MUCH MORE THAN CITIZENS ARE AWARE OF. I WISH, WISH WE COULD DO MORE WITH CITIZENS SO THAT THEY COULD SEE WHAT OUR KIDS ARE SEEING EVEN. AND I KNOW THAT MARIE'S DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THAT, WITH CITIZEN ACADEMY, BUT, UH, MAN, I WISH MORE COULD SEE WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES HERE. SO THANK YOU ALL THAT'S GREAT, MR. . UM, WELL, I'M GONNA START WITH GOVERNMENT DAY TODAY AND, AND, UM, WE HAD THE VALEDICTORIAN AND THE SALUTORIAN. UM, I DIDN'T SAY THAT RIGHT, BUT ANYWAY, WE KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT AT OUR TABLE. AND THEY WERE FOCUSED, THEY KNEW IT KNEW THEY ARE. UM, VALE VICTORIAN HAD BEEN ACCEPTED TO WEST POINT, SO THAT YOU JUST, WHEN YOU SAY THAT, YOU KIND OF WAKE UP A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN THERE WAS A GIRL SITTING AT THE TABLE THAT SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WANT TO DO. AND IT'S NOTHING. YOU, YOU ARE 16, 17 YEARS OLD, DON'T, IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, THEN DON'T DECIDE YET. EXACTLY. AND THEN THERE WAS A GIRL THAT WANTED TO BE A TRAVEL NURSE AND TRAVEL THE WORLD MM-HMM . AND IT'S NOTHING IN THE WRONG WORLD WRONG WITH THAT. YOU BETTER SEE IT WHEN YOU GET WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG. AMEN. BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET OLD, THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU DONE. AND SO THOSE ARE THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES. AND THEN [01:15:01] WE WENT ON A TRIP TO MYRTLE BEACH THIS WEEKEND, AND IT GOES BACK TO SOMETHING I SAID A WHILE BACK. YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WALK IN A ROOM OF PEOPLE. IF YOU GOT A FROWN ON YOUR FACE OR YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ANYBODY, NOBODY'S GONNA TALK TO YOU. BUT IF YOU PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND SPEAK TO EVERYBODY, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE MOST POPULAR PERSON IN THAT ROOM BECAUSE YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE. MM-HMM . AND I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE AT WAKE UP IN THE MORNING WITH A CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDER AND THEY CAN'T BE HAPPY BECAUSE OF THE CHIP. AND MAYBE YOU SPEAKING TO THAT PERSON HELPS. MAYBE IT DOESN'T, I DON'T KNOW. BUT I, I THINK SOMETIMES WE JUST GET CAUGHT UP IN ALL THE NEGATIVITY AND, AND THOSE KIDS WERE JUST REFRESHING TO ME. YEAH. THEIR HONESTY OF NOTHING ELSE. UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE OTHER THING ABOUT TODAY, UM, WELL THESE WERE MY PEOPLE IN HERE, THE PHARMA. SO IT, IT'S, I DON'T EVEN NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN THIS COUNTY AND WE SPEND A LOT WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES. AND WHEN THOSE OUTSIDE AGENCIES COME IN AND GIVE US AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THAT SORT OF THING, IT, IT HELPS. AND I, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE AND IT, UM, IT HELPS. IT REALLY DOES HELP. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE DONE. OKAY. . ALRIGHT. UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, THE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DENWOODY, UM, EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY, NA D THEY WERE RECOGNIZED BY SENATOR, UM, CHERICE AIR AND THE FULL SENATE LAST MONTH. STUDENTS TRAVELED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH THEIR PROGRAM MANAGER, UH, NETTE NICHOLAS, AND SPENT THE DAY MEETING WITH STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, AND TOURING THE, UH, THE CAPITOL, WHICH WAS GOOD. UM, THE, ON SATURDAY I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL FIRE AND EMT AWARDS AND, UM, THAT WAS, UM, WELL, UM, ATTENDED AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD JUST SEEING ALL THE AWARDS THEY, THEY RECEIVED. AND, UH, SOME OF THE, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE THAT WERE OUT ON THE ROAD, THEY TALKED ABOUT THEM, TALKED ABOUT, UM, HOW THEY SAVED SOME PEOPLE EVEN WHEN THEY WERE OFF DUTY PASSING BY AND SAW SOMETHING, UM, A CAR GOING DOWN INTO A RAVINE, UM, OFF THE ROAD AND, AND HELPED OUT. SO THEY TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE AND THEY SHARED THEIR STORIES, WHICH WAS REALLY GOOD. SO, UM, AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I ENJOYED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING THERE AND, AND JUST, UM, TALKING TO THE FAMILIES AFTERWARDS AND TALKING TO, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM. THEY DID A GREAT JOB. AND IT WAS, UH, GOOD ON A SATURDAY. UM, I'M NOT GOING TO, I'M, UH, I GUESS LIKE MR. DEWEY TALKING ABOUT DITTO TO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY SAID TODAY, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT DAY WAS FUN. YOU KNOW, I, I LOVE GAMES, SO WE WERE, YOU KNOW, HITTING THE BUZZERS AND EVERYTHING AND THEY WERE RUNNING BACK AND FORTH. THEY, AND THEY HAD A GOOD TIME. THEY SAID THEY HAD A GOOD TIME TODAY. SO GOVERNMENT DAY WAS, UM, A BIG SUCCESS. UM, THE, THEN WHAT THE TEEN EXPO WAS COMING UP ON APRIL THE 18TH, IT'S STILL TIME TO SIGN UP. SO IF, YOU KNOW, SOME STUDENTS, I DID ASK A COUPLE OF STUDENTS AT MY TABLE. THEY SAID THEY WERE COMING. ONE STUDENT SAID HE HAD TO, HE HAD AN APPOINTMENT, HE HAD TO ATTEND OTHER, OTHERWISE HE WOULD, HE WOULD GO. UM, SO IT'S APRIL THE 18TH AT RICHARD BLAND COLLEGE. AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE FUN. YOU KNOW, WE, UM, WE'VE BEEN GOING, I THINK DR. MOORE AND I HAVE BEEN THERE, DR. MOORE ABOUT 10 YEARS. A FEW, A FEW . SO WE GO AND, UM, AND IT'S, UM, UH, SPENDING THE DAY THERE WITH THE STUDENTS AND SPEAKERS AND THINGS. AND IT'S, IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL THING. AND I, I THINK THE SPONSORS WHO GIVE, I KNOW ONE TIME THEY GAVE, UM, LAPTOPS AND ALL KINDS OF NICE, UH, PRIZES FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE. SO, UM, IT'S REALLY GOOD. AND I KIND OF TELL THIS STORY ABOUT THE YOUNG LADY, UM, WHO WAS THERE AND SHE WAS ALL UPSET, CRYING 'CAUSE SHE HAD $20 AND SHE LOST THE MONEY. AND SHE SAID, I'VE LOST MY MONEY. AND I SAID, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE AND NOBODY'S GOING TO TELL HER ABOUT 20 BUCKS. YOU KNOW, IT'S GONE. SO SHE WAS REALLY UPSET AND I, WE JUST KIND OF CALMED THE DAMN, BUT AT THE END, UM, WE HAD A GRAND PRIZE AND IT WAS A BIG, A LARGE SCREEN TV AND SHE WON THAT. SO SHE WAS REALLY EXCITED. HER [01:20:01] MOM WAS HAPPY, EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY. SO, UM, SHE DID WIN THE GRAND PRIZE AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY FITTING FOR HER SINCE SHE LOST HER $20. OF COURSE THE TV WAS A LOT MORE THAN $20. AND, UM, AND, AND JUST, UM, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS AND EVERYTHING TOO. IT IS A LOT THREE DAY PRO THREE DAYS THAT WE ATTEND. THEY ARE LONG DAYS, BUT THEY ARE REALLY GOOD BECAUSE, UM, WE, UH, GET TO SEE PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T, UM, SEE ALL THE TIME. SO THAT'S A GREAT THING TOO. UH, TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGETS, TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN WORK WITH, WHAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO THAT WAS GOOD. AND THANKING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS FOR THAT. HARD WORK FOR THAT. AND OF COURSE, UM, ALL THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES, BRIGHT POINT, UM, VIRGINIA STATE AND, UM, UH, THE OLD DISTRICT, 19 GREATER REACH, THEY ARE DOING WONDERFUL. I SAT ON THAT BOARD FOR LIKE EIGHT YEARS AND THEY ARE DOING SO WELL NOW AND MOVING FORWARD AND EVERYTHING. AND ALSO THE JAMES HOUSE IS DOING WELL. UM, AND, UH, SO I HAVE TO MAKE MY WAY BACK TO SEE THEM ON THURSDAY AS WELL. BUT, UM, UM, IN, IN THIS FIELD, YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT. YOU HAVE TO SIT ON A LOT OF BOARDS SOMETIMES. AND, UM, MR. UM, MIKE PARISH, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, RETIRED, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA SEE HIM PROBABLY SITTING AND MAYBE DOING SOME FISHING OR SOMETHING AT THIS TIME. I KNOW HE'S GONNA MISS HIS JOB. WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU TOO. AND WE'RE GONNA, UM, SEE HIM AGAIN AT, UM, AT SEVEN O'CLOCK THIS EVENING. AND WE, UH, WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO COME BACK, UM, AS WE HONOR HIM THIS AF UH, THIS EVENING. AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE FARMERS, UM, SOME OF THE FARMERS HAVE ALREADY LEFT. BUT I, I ALSO LIKE BILL, I GREW UP ON A FARM. I DON'T TALK ABOUT IT A WHOLE LOT, BUT I DID GROW UP ON A FARM. WE HAD, YOU KNOW, CHICKENS AND PIGS AND TOBACCO. AND, UM, I REMEMBER ONE TIME MY UNCLE TOLD ME TO SIT ON THE TRACTOR. I DIDN'T DO THAT. I PUT IT IN MOTION AND WE HAD A FISH POND. AND I WAS GOING, YOU KNOW, THE LORD IS GOOD 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, HE WANTED ME TO BE SITTING HERE TELLING THE STORY I WAS GOING TO TOWARDS THE FISH POND ON THE TRACTOR. AND THEY, UM, NOT KNOWING THAT YOU CUT IT OFF, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED. BUT HE, HE GOT ME AND STOPPED ME AND OF COURSE GAVE ME A GOOD TALKING TO ABOUT THAT. BUT, UM, FARMING IS, IS GREAT. AG IS GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND I, I JUST REMEMBER ALL THE STUFF, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO. BUT I WAS GLAD WHEN I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO GET A JOB AWAY FROM THE FARM, I'LL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT WAS THAT. BUT ANYWAY, WE, UH, WE'LL SEE YOU LATER ON AT SEVEN AND THANK, UH, THANK ALL THE FARMS THAT CAME AND MR. TIMMY DOWN THERE TO FIND ALL THOSE VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE GREAT FOR US AND EVERYTHING. SO AT [12. CLOSED SESSION] THIS TIME, WE WILL BE GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION. THE BOARD WILL CONVENE INTO A CLOSED SESSION UNDER 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A ONE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT. APPOMATTOX RIVER WATER AUTHORITY, SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER AUTHORITY, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, DIMITY COUNTY AIRPORT AND INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY, DIMITY COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, DIMITY COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION, 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 WHEN 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 PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION ON NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY. ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR GOVERNMENT COMPLEX. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSE PLEASE? SO MOVED. SECOND ROLL CALL. MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER? AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. OKAY. AND WE WILL BE BACK AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. GOOD EVENING [13.A. Resolution: Mike Parrish- Virginia Cooperative Extension Office] AT THIS TIME. UM, WE HAVE A SPECIAL PERSON THIS EVENING AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING A, UM, SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO, UM, MR. MIKE PARISH, VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE, AND WE HAVE A RESOLUTION FOR HIM. SO YEAH, MADAM CHAIR, IF THE WHOLE BOARD, WE CAN JUST GO DOWN. YES. [01:25:30] ALL RIGHT. SO GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS, UH, KEVIN MASSING. I'M THE PLEASURE TO BE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HERE IN IN DEN COUNTY. ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE TO DO THE MOST IS RECOGNIZE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE JUST GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND, UH, IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO, SO MIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS DAY'S BEEN COMING FOR, FOR SOME TIME. UM, QUICK STORY REAL QUICK. 'CAUSE I'M A STORYTELLER. UM, I GET TO DIY IN 2002 AND ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I GET TO MEET, UM, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, I GREW UP IN DENWOOD COUNTY. AND, AND SO I, I KNEW THE COUNTY PRETTY WELL, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T KNOW EVERYBODY. AND WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2002, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT I RAN INTO WAS MIKE PARRISH. AND SO THE GOOD THING IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES OUR REPUTATIONS PROCEED US. AND SO I, I HAD, EVEN BEFORE I ACCEPTED THE POSITION AS THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAD TALKED TO WENDY RALPH AND GLENYS TOWNSEND, AND, AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE OFFICE DYNAMICS OVER THERE, MIKE, IF YOU REMEMBER. AND WE WERE MOVING SOME THINGS AROUND AT THAT TIME AND, YOU KNOW, JUST NOTHING BUT, BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY. AND SOMETIMES YOU GET TO KNOW PEOPLE AND YOU, YOU COME TO FIND OUT THAT THAT REPUTATION IS REAL. AND SO OVER THE YEARS, SINCE 2002, 2006, WHEN I GOT NAMED AS AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HERE, AND THIS MAY WILL BE 20 YEARS, UM, I'VE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH, WITH MIKE. AND SO WHEN IT, IT CAME UP TO LIKE, HEY, WHO'S GONNA ARM WRESTLE TO BE THE ONE, TO SAY SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT MIKE PARRISH, I ASKED IF I COULD BE THE ONE TO, TO DO THAT. UM, SO EARLIER TODAY, WHICH I THINK WAS VERY FITTING, WE RECOGNIZED OR MIKE WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UH, A LOT OF OUR FARMERS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UM, AND I, I APPRECIATED THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE SOME LEGENDARY NAMES ON THAT LIST OF INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT I THINK HAVE STAND AND STOOD FOR WHAT DIMITY COUNTY IS REALLY ALL ABOUT AS AN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY. UM, THERE'S A LITTLE HALLWAY OUT HERE CALLED OUR FARMERS' HALLWAY. AND YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE INDUSTRIES THAT SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S ALL BUILT ON THE FACT OF AGRICULTURE, WHICH HAS BEEN A, A TREMENDOUS ASSET FOR US. AND MIKE, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO KIND OF RECOGNIZE YOU TONIGHT. UM, AND IT'S BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR. I KNOW ALL THE LONG NIGHTS, WEEKENDS. UM, YOU KNOW, IIII LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT. I WON'T GET INTO A WHOLE LOT OF DETAIL, BUT, UM, THERE'S SOME THINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. ONE OF 'EM WAS ALL THE INSECTS AND BUGS THAT ARE AROUND. AND I, YOU KNOW, SO I GOT TO, WHEN, WHEN I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT MIKE WAS PRETTY GOOD AT THAT KIND OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, I WOULD START TAKING PICTURES AND SEND IT TO HIM AND BE LIKE, HEY, WHAT IS THIS THING? AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST SO MANY WONDERFUL STORIES, MIKE. AND, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, DIMITY IS PROUD OF ITS AGRICULTURE AND, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR HARD WORK. UH, THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE IS, IS SECOND TO NONE. UM, SO IF IT COULD GET ANY BETTER, THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT IT, IT DOES, RIGHT? AND WHEN I LOOK IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM HERE, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE'S IN BRIGHT IS GONNA BE VERY BRIGHT AND REALLY CAPABLE GOOD HANDS. UM, SO AT THIS POINT, UM, I'D LIKE FOR OUR CLERK TO READ INTO THE OFFICIAL RECORD THE RESOLUTION THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, MADAM CLERK. WHEREAS MICHAEL J. PARRISH HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED THE CITIZENS OF DEITY COUNTY AS UNIT COORDINATOR AND AGRICULTURAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES EXTENSION AGENT FOR THE DIMITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE. AND WHEREAS PRIOR TO BEGINNING HIS SERVICE IN DEM WITTY COUNTY IN 1996, MR. PARISH SERVED AS THE AGRICULTURAL AGENT IN GREENSVILLE COUNTY BRINGING VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS DURING HIS DISTINGUISHED 30 YEAR CAREER INDEMNITY COUNTY, MR. PARRISH HAS BEEN AN UNWAVERING RESOURCE AND TRUSTED ADVISOR TO THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY, SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS WITH EXPERTISE, DEDICATION, AND INTEGRITY. AND WHEREAS MR. PARRISH HAS ALSO SERVED AS THE DIMITY MASTER GARDNER PROGRAM ADVISOR, [01:30:01] PROVIDING LEADERSHIP AND GUIDANCE THAT STRENGTHENED COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND HORTICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP. AND WHEREAS MR. PARRISH DEMONSTRATED COM COMMITMENT TO YOUTH THROUGH HIS WORK WITH OFFICE ON YOUTH PROGRAMS IN THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, AND HIS ONGOING DEDICATION TO COORDINATION OF THE ANNUAL FARM DAY EVENT FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, COUNTYWIDE HELPING GENERATIONS OF YOUNG LEARNERS GAIN AN APPRECIATION FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE VITAL ROLE IT PLAYS IN DIMITY COUNTY. AND WHEREAS MR. PARISH HAS BEEN AN INSTRUMENTAL IN SHOWCASING VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION INDEMNITY'S EXTENSION PROGRAMS AT THE DIMITY COUNTY FAIR AND STATE FAIR OF VIRGINIA PROUDLY SHOWCASING THE COUNTY'S AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE AND ACHIEVEMENTS. AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, MR. PARRISH HAS EXEMPLIFIED PROFESSIONALISM, PUBLIC SERVICE AND A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO THE CITIZENS OF DIM WITTY COUNTY. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE DENWOODY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEREBY EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE APPRECIATION TO MICHAEL J. PARRISH FOR HIS THREE DECADES OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE, DEDICATION, AND LEADERSHIP, AND CONGRATULATES HIM UPON HIS RETIREMENT AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD EXTEND ITS BEST WISHES TO MR. PARRISH FOR A RETIREMENT FILLED WITH GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ALL FUTURE ENDEAVORS. SO WE ALL GET TO THIS POINT OF RETIREMENT, WE WANNA LOOK BACK ON IT AND SAY, DID DID IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IT IS WHAT I DID EVERY DAY WHEN I GOT UP PROFESSIONALLY. ARE WE BETTER FOR IT? UM, AND I, I GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT TO MIKE, BUT WHEN I LOOKED ACROSS THE ROOM EARLIER TODAY WITH ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THERE, IT CAN NEVER BE QUESTIONED THAT IT COUNTED THAT IT MATTERED. AND SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. IF YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD. THREE GO HOKEY , CAN YOU SPEAK? YEAH, I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS AFTERNOON RECOGNIZING MY FARMERS. UM, THEY'VE BEEN MY MENTORS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. UM, AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN EXCELLENT SINCE I STARTED. UM, I'D ACTUALLY WORKED WITH A LOT OF OTHER AGENTS IN DIFFERENT COUNTIES ON PROJECTS AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE SUPPORT THAT I'VE HAD HERE IN DENWITTY, THEY'RE LIKE AMAZED AT HOW EFFORTLESS IT IS FOR EXTENSION TO WORK WITH OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. UM, EVEN VACO, WHEN THEY GO TO VACO, I GET CALLS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO Y'ALL OH, FROM DENWITTY AND PICKING THEIR BRAINS ON HOW THINGS WORK IN THIS PART OF THE STATE. AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GROUP THAT STILL VALUES THE GREEN SPACES, THE OPENNESS AND THE AGRICULTURE THAT'S HERE IN DENWITTY. THAT'S A TRUE, UH, NATURAL RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY. I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO TO COMING OUT HERE. WE'VE GOT A LITTLE ELBOW ROOM, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT A SMART BOARD THAT DOES GOOD THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS. IT'S MEANT A LOT TO MY FAMILY TO BE IN DENWITTY. UM, I'VE HAD SOME CALLS TO LOOK AT OTHER THINGS AND I DIDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I WASN'T FINISHED HERE. NOW THAT I GOT A GRANDBABY ON THE WAY AND GOT 33 YEARS IN, I THINK IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. BUT A PART OF MY HEART WILL ALWAYS BE IN DEWINE COUNTY. THANK Y'ALL. APPRECIATE IT. [01:35:23] I APPRECIATE IT. UM, AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE, UM, OWE NEW BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS AT THIS TIME WE, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION FIRST. OH, I'M SORRY. YEAH, WE HAVE TO DO SO, SO MOVE. YOU GOT IT MR. LEE. SECOND. THAT'S THE EASY ONE. AND ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU . UM, [14.A. Appointments] NOW WE'LL DO ALL THE NEW BUSINESS APPOINTMENTS. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE HAVE A, A NEED TO MAKE, UM, AN APPOINTMENT TO THE APPOMATTOX RIVER WATER AUTHORITY AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER AUTHORITY. UH, MADAM CHAIR WOULD LIKE TO APPOINT FRANK HALTON, UM, AS THE ALTERNATE FOR THE, UM, WATER AUTHORITY AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER. UM, TREATMENT ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE THE DIMITY AIRPORT AND INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY. I CHAIR I WOULD LIKE TO REAPPOINT DR. MARK MOORE TO THE DENWOODY AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY EXPIRATION TWELVE THIRTY ONE TWENTY SEVEN SECOND ROLL CALL MR. DOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE ABSTAINED. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE AYE. MS. DEBRA BONNER AYE. FOUR AYES. ONE ABSTAIN. ALRIGHT. FOR THE DENVER AIRPORT INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY, I'D LIKE TO UH, NOMINATE TYLER RAGSDALE FOR AN APPOINTMENT FROM 1 31 26 TO ONE THIRTY ONE TWENTY NINE. SECOND ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE AYE. MR. CHAVIS AYE. MR. LEE AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. AND MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO APPOINT MR. RICHARD TAYLOR FOR A TERM THAT WOULD EXPIRE FEBRUARY 25TH, 2029 TO THE DIMITY AIRPORT AND INDUSTRIAL AUTHORITY. SECOND ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE AYE. MR. CHAVIS AYE. MR. LEE AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. AND MADAM CHAIR, THE LAST APPOINTMENT TONIGHT IS TO THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION. MA'AM, CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO APPOINT FRANK HOLCOMB, UH, TO SERVE ON THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION COMMITTEE. ROLL CALL MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING? AYE. MADAM CHAIR, NO OTHER APPOINTMENTS? MAYBE I MISSED IT. WAS THERE ONE MORE? DID YOU APPOINT TWO TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY OR THREE? THREE? IT WAS THREE. THREE, OKAY. I JUST MISSED ONE OF THEM. SORRY. MOORE RAGSDALE TAYLOR? YEP. GOT IT, GOT IT. I MISSED ONE OF THEM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. [15. CITIZEN COMMENTS (3 MINUTES)] AT THIS TIME, UM, CITIZEN COMMENTS, DO WE HAVE ANYONE? YES. MADAM CHAIR, WE HAVE JUSTIN GOODMAN. IS THERE A TIMER THAT WORKS? OH, COOL. YOU HAVE IT UP ON THE SCREEN. THANK YOU. DAMN. VERY CONVENIENT. UH, MY NAME IS JUSTIN GOODMAN. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. FIRST I'D LIKE TO START OUT AND THANK MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THOSE WHO DON'T GET A CHANCE OR MAY NOT HAVE THE TIME. UM, TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD UNITE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, AND THAT'S PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN. THE REALITY IS THIS HARM DOES NOT COME OUT OF NOWHERE IN MANY CASES. THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS, PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR, RED FLAGS, THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT ARE TOO OFTEN IGNORED, DISMISSED, AND EXPLAINED AWAY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOUNDARY VIOLATIONS, INAPPROPRIATE [01:40:02] FAMILIARITY, PRIVATE COMMUNICATION WITH MINORS SITUATION WHERE ADULTS PLACE THEMSELVES IN POSITIONS OF TRUST WITHOUT PROPER OVERSIGHT. THESE ARE NOT SMALL THINGS, THESE ARE EARLY INDICATORS. AND WHEN THOSE INDICATORS ARE MISSED OR WORSE OVERLOOKED, THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE DEVASTATING AND PERMANENT. THIS IS WHERE RESPONSIBILITY COMES IN BECAUSE WHEN AN INSTITUTION, WHETHER IT'S A SCHOOL, A LIBRARY, A CHURCH OR A COUNTY AGENCY PLACES SOMEONE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY, THEY'RE TAKING ON A DUTY, A DUTY TO SCREEN, TO SUPERVISE AND TO ACT WHEN SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, NOT LATER, NOT AFTER THE DAMAGE IS DONE, BUT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF CONCERN, ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT ABOUT BLAME, IT'S ABOUT PREVENTION. IT'S ABOUT CREATING SYSTEMS WHERE BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE THOROUGH, COMPLAINTS ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, PATTERNS ARE DOCUMENTED, AND NO ONE IS QUIETLY MOVED OR IGNORED WHEN CONCERNS ARE RAISED. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO PRINCE GEORGE WHEN SURY WITH THEIR TEACHER. YOU KNOW, WE, WE PROBABLY ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE ALREADY, UM, IS ABOUT CREATING SY UH, BECAUSE SILENCE AND INACTION ARE WHAT ALLOW PROBLEMS TO GROW. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE REACTIVE, WE MUST BE PROACTIVE. IF WE TRULY CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTY, THEN WE MUST COMMIT RIGHT NOW TO RECOGNIZING RED FLAGS, RESPONDING IMMEDIATELY AND HOLDING OURSELVES TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF ACCOUNTABILITY. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE QUESTION IS SIMPLE. DID WE DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO PROTECT THEM? AND THAT'S THE CHILDREN. BEFORE I CLOSE, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE. FOR ANY CHILD WHO HAS BEEN HARMED DUE TO THE MISSED WARNING SIGNS OR FAILURES AND ACCOUNTABILITY, PLEASE PAUSE AS IT IS WRITTEN IN MATTHEW 18, SIX. BUT WHOEVER CAUSES ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES WHO BELIEVE IN ME TO STUMBLE, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR HIM TO HAVE A GREAT MILLSTONE FASTENED AROUND HIS NECK AND DROWNED IN THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SCHOOL ON FRIDAY IS AN EXTREME RED FLAG. IT WAS EXTREMELY PERVERTED WHAT WAS SAID. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD. I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU LOOK INTO IT BECAUSE IT'S OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT TOWARDS THE SCHOOLS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. MAY I LEAVE THIS? YES. AND MR. UH, GOODWIN, DO YOU MIND, UM, DID HE, UH, DID YOU, UH, TELL THEM YOUR ADDRESS AND EVERYTHING? GOODMAN FAMILY FARM. OKAY. YEAH. SO SHE CAN RECORD THAT? YEP, ABSOLUTELY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YOU YOU'RE WELCOME. MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP. ALRIGHT. UH, BOARD MEMBER [16. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS] COMMENTS. UM, START WITH ME. YEAH, WE CAN START WITH YOU. UM, I JUST THINK TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY WITH, UM, THREE O'CLOCK, UM, MEETING. UM, I WAS GONNA TELL A JOKE ON MIKE, BUT I, UM, PROBABLY, UM, MOST OF THE ROOM WOULDN'T GET IT, SO I'M NOT GOING TO, NOT GOING TO SAY IT, TELL IT. BUT, UH, ANYWAY, UM, MIKE IS, IS, UM, ALL YOU GOTTA DO THAT IS WALK DOWN THERE AND ASK HIM FOR HELP AND HE'S RIGHT THERE TO HELP YOU. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT FARM DAY AND, AND HOW F COOK ICE, UM, HE WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER HE NEEDED TO DO TO HELP US. AND SO WE'RE GONNA MISS HIM NOW. AND, UM, AS A PERSON THAT'S CLOSE TO RETIREMENT, I, I'M ENVIOUS OF RETIREMENT. I KNOW. DON'T STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT A GAME OF GOLF AND A FISHING TRIP HERE AND NOW WON'T HURT ANYTHING. SO, UH, SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, MIKE. OKAY, DR. MOORE. MIKE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO DWIN COUNTY. WE'RE ALL IT, IT'S, WE'RE A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE YOU WORKED HERE AND WE'RE BETTER PEOPLE FOR KNOWING YOU. THANK YOU, MY FRIEND. AMEN. MIKE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A PLEASURE, UH, MEETING YOU. MY WIFE ALWAYS, UH, ENJOYED HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE IN THE TENTS AND ALL AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS, AND YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE TO IN LIGHT HER ON, UM, WHAT SHE ASK YOU. SO WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU, BUT I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME. AND LIKE MR. LEE SAID, YOU KNOW, FISHING AND GOLFING, I TELL EVERYBODY, I HOPE YOU DON'T GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU LAY AROUND TOO MUCH, YOUR BODY'S LIKE CONCRETE. WHEN YOU QUIT MOVING, IT SETS UP. SO I JUST PRAY THAT YOU KEEP ON MOVING AND DOING THE THING YOU'RE DOING AND, AND ENJOY THAT BEAUTIFUL LADY YOU HAVE NEXT TO YOU THERE. UM, I'LL ECHO WHAT, WHAT THEY SAID. UM, ONE THING THAT HANNAH BROUGHT WAS WHEN SHE WAS DOING SOME [01:45:01] PRESENTATIONS, SHE, SHE BROUGHT KIND OF THE, THE UNKNOWN WAYS THAT YOU AFFECT NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE IN, BUT THE COMMUNITIES AROUND YOU. AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR TIME HERE IS IMMEASURABLE. UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BECAUSE OF YOUR HAND IN FARMING COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, DAN SAID, THOSE ARE MY PEOPLE. MM-HMM . UM, MIKE, WE KNOW THEY'RE YOUR PEOPLE AND WE KNOW THAT YOU STOOD ALONGSIDE THEM IN THE HEAT, IN THE COLD, IN THE RAIN, IN THE SLEET, AND LOOKED AT CROPS THAT WERE RUINED IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD. AND, UH, MR. MAITLAND STOOD UP AFTERWARD AND AFTER, I DON'T, WERE YOU STILL HERE? I, I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT WHEN MEN GET UP AND, AND TALK GOOD ABOUT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK AND PROBABLY BAD TO YOUR FACE, THOSE ARE YOUR GOOD FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, UM, YOU HAVE A GROUP OF FARMERS THAT YOU TOUCH THEIR LIVES IN A GREAT WAY. AND OUR COMMUNITY'S ALL THE BETTER FOR IT AND IT'S GONNA HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT FOR A LONG TIME TO COME. THANK YOU. I'LL SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITIZENS THAT CAME TONIGHT TO THE BOARD MEETING. ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS WE REPRESENT YOU. UM, WE WANT TO HEAR GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP, TAKING THE TIME OUTTA YOUR DAY TO BE PRESENT AT THESE MEETINGS. UH, MADAM CHAIR, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. YEAH. OKAY. UM, I, I JUST WANNA JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THEN WITTY. AND I KNOW WHEN WE GO TO VACO, THEY'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT YOU AGAIN AND THEY ALWAYS TALK ABOUT YOU WHEN WE ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, SAYING WHAT A GREAT PERSON YOU ARE. AND THEY'LL SAY, DO YOU KNOW MIKE PARIS? I SAID, OF COURSE. I, AND, UM, SO, UM, AND JESSE, HE'S A REALLY GOOD GUY. I SAID, YES. WE THINK THAT ALSO, UM, ENJOY YOUR, I THINK YOUR GRANDBABY, YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA OH, MM-HMM . . SO DON'T SPOIL THE BABY TOO MUCH AND EVERYTHING AND ENJOY WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR, WITH YOUR LOVELY WIFE. AND THEN JUST ENJOY RETIREMENT AND, AND, UM, EVERY NOW AND THEN, IF I SEE A CREEPY BUG, I MIGHT HAVE TO CALL YOU. I DON'T KNOW , BUT, SO DON'T HANG UP THE PHONE ON ME AND, UM, AND JUST, UM, JUST, JUST, UH, WELL WISHES AND JUST ENJOY, ENJOY YOUR LIFE AND THANK YOU AGAIN. AND I'M GONNA ASK KEVIN IF HE, UH, HAS ANYTHING ELSE HE WANTS TO SAY BECAUSE HE ALWAYS HAS A JOKE OR SOMETHING IN, WELL, NOT, NOT A JOKE THIS TIME, BUT, UM, MR. MASS, CAN I SURE I WOULD. MS. PARIS, THANK YOU FOR SHARING HIM WITH OUR COMMUNITY FOR SO MANY YEARS AND BEING A SUPPORT SYSTEM AT HOME THAT NONE OF US PROBABLY REALIZE. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK YOU FOR SERVING ALONGSIDE HIM AND BEHIND THE SCENES. AMEN. ALRIGHT, SO MR. DOOLEY TOOK WHAT I WAS GETTING READY TO SAY. SO KNEW YOU WERE NO, I GUESS WHEN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WORK ALONG SOMEBODY FOR AS LONG AS MIKE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER, I I THINK ABOUT, UM, OUR LOVED ONES AND SOME OF THE STRUGGLES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR TREMENDOUS GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN. UM, WE'VE SHARED THAT OVER THE YEARS, UM, SOME OF THE PRAISES AND SOME OF THE SORROWS THAT, THAT COMES WITH WORKING ALONGSIDE INDIVIDUALS. UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WAS GONNA SAY, THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I SHOULD HAVE WROTE IT DOWN, MIKE, BUT I WANT TO COME FROM THE HEART. UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT MIKE SAW MR. LEE HAD MENTIONED YEARS BACK WAS, HEY, WE WE'RE LOSING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BEST OF THE FARMERS AND SOME OF THE STORIES THAT ARE GETTING LOST. AND, YOU KNOW, MIKE STARTED THIS PROGRAM WHERE JUST HE AND HIS, HIS CAMERA, UH, SITTING DOWN AND DOCUMENTING SO WE WOULDN'T LOSE OUR HISTORY. UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK A LOT ABOUT CONGRESSMAN FORBES ONE TIME THAT THAT TALKED ABOUT WHEN WHEN WE LOSE OUR HISTORY, WE LOSE OUR IDENTITY. AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, AGAIN, ITY COUNTY AND HOW, HOW ROOTED WE ARE IN AGRICULTURE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE STORIES THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO, TO BE CAPTURED THAT WILL LAST NOW FOREVER. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT MIKE IF IT IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR ABILITY TO DO THAT. UM, AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, HE DECIDED TO DIGITALLY PUT HIMSELF OUT THERE. AND, UM, I'VE ALREADY KIND OF TOLD HIM THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE MIKE PARISH CONSULTING COMPANY NEEDS TO BE LIVE AND WELL, 'CAUSE I'M, I'M SURE THAT, UH, IT COULD DO A TR A TREMENDOUS BUSINESS OUT THERE. UM, BUT MIKE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THREE DECADES, THREE DECADES OF, OF, YOU KNOW, JUST TREMENDOUS WORK. WE, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU, AND AGAIN, MR. DOOLEY TOOK IT, BUT I TOOK IT FROM ME, BUT I APOLOGIZE. BUT I, I CAN TELL YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN ARRIVED TO HIM TREMENDOUSLY OVER, OVER THE YEARS. SO JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US AND, AND WE DO NEED THAT PERSONAL CELL NUMBER BEFORE [01:50:01] YOU LEAVE. THAT'S THE LAST ORDER OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OKAY. GOOD. ALL RIGHT, WELL THEN WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THEN. YEAH. SO BRENDA, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT. UM, MR. GOODMAN'S STATEMENT, UM, STATEMENTS THAT HE MADE, UM, WE, WE HEARD WHAT YOU SAID AND, AND WE APPRECIATE, UM, THAT WE KEEP A THUMB ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DENWOODY AND, UH, THE SCHOOL SITUATION. UM, THE TWO EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT THE SCHOOL, UM, THEY ARE IN FACT SCHOOL PRO, UH, SCHOOL PROBLEMS THAT AT FIRST THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH. AND I KNOW ONE'S AN EMPLOYEE ISSUE, SO THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WITH HR AND, AND THAT WHOLE SITUATION. BUT, UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD, EVERYONE KIND OF NEEDS TO STAY IN THEIR LANES WITH THINGS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, IS IN CHARGE OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENED AND THAT PROCESS NEEDS TO WORK THROUGH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE PEOPLE HERE WITH YOU AND, AND WE APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE COME AND, BUT UM, I DID WANT TO SOMEBODY TO ADDRESS IT THAT, UH, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S A SCHOOL BOARD ISSUE, SO THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? AND, AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, ALSO FOR SHARING THAT WITH MR. GOWIN AND THAT IS, UM, ALSO TRUE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT WE DID HEAR YOU AND YES. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO DO KNOW THAT WE HERE AND WE DO TRY TO, UM, LOOK INTO ANYTHING THAT'S PRESENTED, UH, TO US. SO THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING AND, UH, NO CONCERN. YES. OKAY. UM, AND AT THIS TIME, OKAY, WE WILL, I'M JUST READY TO GO. I WOULD NEED A, A MOTION FOR ADJOURN. MOVE. SECOND ROLL CALL. MR. DOOLEY. AYE. DR. MOORE? AYE. MR. CHAVIS? AYE. MR. LEE? AYE. MS. EBRA BONNER AYE. ALL VOTING AYE. MEETING IS ADJOURNED. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR COMING. * 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.