Budget public forum in Campbell County; Amherst Supervisors asked to fund new landfill workers; Danville to approve new salaries for manager, attorney
Plus: Goochland to consider $15.75 million in cost overruns for new elementary school
Welcome to the first newsletter of the year produced by Town Crier Productions. If you’ve not seen one before, this newsletter seeks to educate myself and the audience on the workings of local governments inside of Virginia’s relatively new Fifth District. For now, this mostly takes the form of meeting previews but I’ve been slowly adding other information since beginning this journey in May.
This particular edition comes out before a recognized holiday moves all Monday meetings to Tuesdays. I began the year earlier this morning looking at nine meetings on January 3. To make any sense of that, I thought I should get to work!
I’ll begin with the meetings I won’t be covering in the first Week Ahead of the year on Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m very excited to begin my work in 2023 exploring places I don’t yet know. My hope is to visit every single jurisdiction this year and get to know public officials. Thanks for being with me on this journey.
This time around, information from Amherst, Campbell, Danville, and Goochland. More tomorrow from Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa, Pittsylvania, and possibly Albemarle.
Happy New Year!
Goochland Supervisors begin 2023 with seven public hearings, including additional $15M in funding for new elementary school
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Goochland County get straight to work with a meeting that begins at 2 p.m. at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Goochland. County Administrator Vic Carpenter will be the one who calls the organizational meeting to order. They will elect a chair and a vice chair, adopt a code of ethics and rules of procedure, and a meeting schedule. (agenda packet)
After presentations and the citizen comment period, there will be several reports. These include an update on planning and development activity, a report on the Planning Commission’s activity in 2022, and a progress report on broadband installation.
Under new business, there will be a presentation and adoption of the tourism strategic plan as well as appointments to boards and commissions.
“Goochland County’s location, recreational amenities, access to natural resources, and history provides a solid foundation to market tourism offerings to residents and visitors alike,” reads the opening lines of the strategic plan. “Home to a wide variety of craft beverage companies, corporate headquarters, healthcare providers, and construction services create a successful corporate environment. The unmatched natural beauty of rolling hills, long standing farms, access points to the James River, and established amenities have helped establish a solid foundation for a successful and growing tourism industry.”
There won’t be a closed session according to the agenda before the dinner break.
There are seven public hearings:
The FY23 Goochland County budget will be amended to add additional funding for a new elementary school. Bids were opened on November 17, 2022 and the four received ranged from $46 million to over $51.7 million. Supervisors met with the School Board on November 29 to discuss how to proceed. Supervisors had set aside $40.35 million for the project and the School Board has asked for another $15.726 million to cover the difference. (page 191)
The zoning ordinance is being amended to “change when sidewalks and street trees need to be installed in residential developments” as well as other other changes. These include a requirement to maintain certain improvements. (page 196)
Another amendment to the zoning ordinance seeks to clarify the height of buildings in the M-2 Industrial district. (page 212)
Another zoning amendment would allow contractor storage yards in agricultural districts as a conditional use. (page 217)
A fifth public hearing is on changes to county procurement rules including increasing the threshold for Board approval for capital purchases from $150,000 to $200,000. (page 227)
The sixth hearing is on amendments to the fire code to require fire hydrants to be painted silver, to increase fire-related parking violations to $150, to decrease the cost of emergency service vehicle permits. (page 233)
A seventh would add restrictions on open burning in Residential Planned Unit Developments and Mixed Planned Unit Developments. (page 241)
Supervisors will next meet on January 11, 2023 for a joint meeting with the School Board at 9 a.m. followed by a joint meeting with the Planning Commission. These will both take place in Conference Room 270.
All seats are on the ballot this year. Take a look at those details in the December 8, 2022 edition of this newsletter.
Amherst Supervisors to consider $107K for two new landfill operators
Interim County Administrator Jeremy Bryant will be the begin the meeting of the Amherst Board of Supervisors when they convene at 3 p.m. in the public meeting room at 153 Washington Street. They will elect a new chair and vice chair and adopt a meeting schedule and rules of procedure. (agenda packet)
Under new business, there is a request for two new landfill operators at a cost of $107,000. The county landfill had been expected to close but additional capacity was discovered and it’s now believed additional dumping can occur for five years. Last year, new equipment was ordered to replace what had aged. The idea had been to try to only have two employees working the landfill but that has proven to be inefficient.
“Having only two landfill employees has not allowed staff to keep up with the demands of unearthing up to 20 feet of cover, moving the dirt away, receiving loads of trash safely and burying all solid waste daily,” reads the staff report from public works. “If continued, this lag in oversight will likely result in penalties being assessed by the DEQ, who oversees all aspects of the landfill and Transfer Station permits through quarterly audits and inspections.”
Additionally, the permit with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is not in compliance and the additional personnel will help rectify that situation.
Then various committee reports.
Three of five seats are on the ballot in November. Details in the November 29, 2022 edition of this newsletter.
Danville City Council to consider allowing single family homes in Tobacco Warehouse district
The inaugural 2023 meeting of the Danville City Council will meet at noon with City Clerk Susan M. DeMasi presiding. After the invocation from assistant city attorney Ryan Dodson, the oaths of office will be taken. Then there will be the election of the Mayor and the Vice Mayor, followed by drawing of Council seats. (meeting info)
The regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. (meeting info)
There are several public hearings:
A developer is seeking a change to the zoning code to allow single family homes in the Tobacco Warehouse Commercial District by special use permit. This pertains to a one-story garage that the developer wants to convert to a residential unit, but cannot do so under existing zoning. (staff report)
Next, the special use permit requested above at 820 Lynn Street. (staff report)
The owner of a proposed automobile repair shop on North Main Street wants to amend the zoning to remove conditions imposed in 2011. (staff report)
Council will also vote to approve a salary increase for City Manager Ken Larking and City Attorney W. Clarke Whitfield Jr.. Larking will be paid $238,068.38 and Whitfield will make $169,656.98. (staff report)
In the only work session item, Council will review a request from a property owner on Newton Street to vacate 0.03 acres of public right of way. (staff report)
Campbell County kicks off 2023 with a budget public hearing
Campbell County Administrator Frank Rogers will begin the meeting of the seven-member Board of Supervisors when they begin 2023 at 6 p.m. in the Haberer Building in Rustburg. They’ll first pick a chair and vice chair and formalize meeting times as the first and third Tuesday of the month. (agenda)
After approving the minutes and hearing from Administrator Rogers, the Supervisors will hold a budget public forum.
“Residents are invited to share recommendations on budget planning priorities for the upcoming year,” reads the agenda.
There’s no additional information in the budget, but Rogers presented a snapshot of local revenues at the December 13, 2022 meeting. At that time, staff anticipated an additional $874,393 in revenues for FY24 from property taxes over FY23. This meeting also featured a presentation on potential capital needs such as renovations to Brookville High School as well as a new EMS crew. (read the slides)
There will also be a discussion of the audited financial report for FY22 from Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates. Print copies have been made for Supervisors but it is not available online. After that discussion, Supervisors will continue a discussion of the proposed legislative agenda for the 2023 General Assembly.
“Since that time, staff has received one additional item for inclusion on the legislative agenda under State Partnerships,” reads the agenda. “Specifically, language supporting the strengthening of election laws to provide for secure and fair elections is proposed.”
Next, Supervisors will discuss a developer’s plan for sewer service to a new multifamily development to be known as “The Allure.” A first plan failed due to geological conditions and a second one involves a sewer easement across land owned by Hyland Heights Baptist Church. The church will also benefit from a service line being extended to the their youth center at the developer’s cost. However, the church will have to pay to connect to the Campbell County Utility Service Authority service. Supervisors are being asked to waive the $14,600 cost.
After that, Supervisors will be briefed on the recent award of a GO Virginia grant for a due diligence study for the Airport Commerce Park. Campbell County’s match is $52,000. The idea is to bring the Airport Commerce Park up to a Tier 3 site.
There will be a closed session to discuss an economic development item that goes by the name Project Sort.
Then there will be public hearings.
First, there’s a request from a developer to rezone the site of an industrial warehouse on Timberlake Road. Specifically the request is to change nearly 23 acres from “Business - General Commercial” to “Industrial - General” as well as 13.5 acres from “Business - General Commercial” to “Residential - Single Family.” The industrial portion currently consists of two warehouses and that use would continue.
“The rezoning to Industrial – General would allow for the existing uses to continue as by-right uses and allow for warehousing and manufacturing as by-right uses by future tenants,” reads the agenda.
The residential section had been rezoned to business in 2015 and now the applicant wants to change it back. This would extend Callaway Court.
The second public hearing is for a request to rezone 1.188 acres on Sunnymeade Road from agricultural to residential.
“The units would be four contiguous townhomes of approximately 1,000 square feet each for long-term rentals,” reads the staff report. “Each townhome would have two bedrooms and two bathrooms.”
The third hearing is for a special use permit to operate a wedding and special events venue at 3200 Sunnymeade Road.
Four of seven seats are on the ballot in Campbell County this election. Details in the December 1, 2022 edition of this newsletter.
Appomattox Supervisors to select chair
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Appomattox County meets at 6 p.m. in the meeting room at 171 Price Lane in Appomattox. This one will begin with County Administrator Susan M. Adams holding the gavel before a vote for chair and vice chair. This is the first step in the annual organizational meeting, which also sees the adoption of meeting times, Board rules, and confirmation of the clerk. (agenda)
And that’s it! Supervisors will next meet on January 17 for a regular meeting.
This year, three of the five seats are up for election. Details in the November 29, 2022 edition of this newsletter.
In other meetings:
The Halifax County Board of Supervisors will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Halifax County Administration Building at 1050 Mary Bethune Road in Halifax. The agenda is not posted online but I’ll have a summary in the next installment if I can get item in time.
Reading material:
(Opinion) Uniquely Pittsylvania, Eric Dotterer, Master Conservation Police Officer, Chatham Star-Tribune, December 28, 2022
Lynchburg vice mayor proud to have served hometown, reflects on four years on council, Bryson Gordon, Lynchburg News & Advance, December 28, 2022
(Opinion) Lynchburg’s new Republican majority set to deliver on its pledge — elected school board, more police, tax cuts, Chris Faraldi (Opinion), Cardinal News, December 29, 2022
State commission to announce sculptor to make statue of Barbara Rose Johns, CBS19 News, December 29, 2022
Danville’s White Mill project awarded $5 million grant, Sydney Jaxtheimer, WSLS, December 29, 2022
As she prepares to leave city council, Tweedy looks back at more than a decade of public service, Bryson Gordon, Lynchburg News & Advance, December 29, 2022