The way we were

 

 

During the April 1 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors, Robin Lind, president of the Goochland Historical Society https://www.goochlandhistory.org/ and Goochland Geographical Information Systems Director Jon Worley introduced a new addition to the county website, a historic map viewer that provides a glimpse into Goochland’s past. 

Lind said that, for the past five years, he and Worley have been collaborating to add a historical map viewer to the GIS system. “The impetus for making this public is the exhibit now at the Library of Virginia, https://www.lva.virginia.gov/,  called “mapping the Commonwealth 1816 to 1826”, said Lind.

This new tool overlays current conditions with a choice of historic maps, from 1820, 1863, 1880, 1916, and 1932, when county roads were taken over by VDOT, and the most recent from 1961. Many roads in the county have changed, disappeared, or moved over the years.

In 1816, Lind explained, Virginia Governor William Cary Nicholas retained surveyor John Wood to survey the entire state, which then had 146 counties, as West Virginia had not yet separated. The final product, completed by Herman Boyer in 1824—Wood died in 1822—was almost 44 square feet in size.  The room in which the final map was displayed required a 14-foot ceiling to accommodate its size.

Faint handwriting on the eastern edge of Goochland on this map indicates the presence of granite, which Luck Stone, headquartered in Goochland, has quarried more than 500 tons of granite in the past century, said Lind.

The 1863 Gilmer map, created by John Gilmer, a member of the Confederate States Corps of Engineers, is highly detailed showing roads, mills, taverns, and churches. The map viewer lets you zoom into the image for a closer look.

The 1880 map, created by topographical engineer John George, a member of the family who gave their name to Georges Tavern, shows geological formations of coal in the east, gold in the west, and iron and plumbago—also known as graphite—in the middle. It also indicates landowners, some of those names are still familiar. Faint red lines, said Lind, show roads that were abandoned over time or moved. The George map estimated the county’s size as 320 square miles, a little larger than today’s 290, and indicated that it marked 160 square miles of cleared land, 80 square miles of original forest and a similar amount of secondary growth. The map also reports a school population of 3,581 students in 35 schools, 24 churches, and 19 mills.

On VDOT’s 1932, the road we now know at Rt. 250, was labeled 41. Since then, VDOT adopted a numbering protocol that used even numbers for east-west routes and odd numbers for north-south roads.

Lind expects that the historical map viewer will be an important tool for residents, planners, and historians studying Goochland County’s development as it grows.

The tool is available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

Rural is as rural does

 

At the April 1 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors, Keith Burgess  District Manager, Conservation Specialist, and Freedom of information act officer for the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District (https://www.monacanswcd.org/) astutely observed the value and role of institutional knowledge. This can be defined as the collective memory of an organization that forms an operational blueprint formed by the collective experience, skillsets and knowledge of employees gained over time.

Transmitting this knowledge to people as an organization evolves prepares people to adapt to situations as they arise, avoid repeating past mistakes, and wasting time bringing new employees up to speed.  This, said Burgess, takes years of conversation and teamwork to transfer the collective operational memory of an organization between leadership and staff. Too often, when experienced employees leave an organization, their institutional knowledge goes with them, creating an operational void.

Burgess welcomed The Hon. Manuel Alvarez as interim county administrator, whose deep knowledge of county operations will get things back on track.

The MSWCD does more than any other organization to keep Goochland rural by supporting agriculture and protecting the environment.

Among its functions are working with local farmers to help them implement best management practices that both increase their productivity and protect the environment. The MSWCD administers the Virginia Cost Share program that helps farmers fence livestock out of streams and build alternate water sources for their animals. See the website for details.

Burgess reported that the MSWCD, like many agencies, is working on its budget as governmental funding sources remain in flux.

According to GIS, Burgess said there are 16,000 parcels of land in Goochland County, 11,000, or 89 percent, of which, are zoned agricultural. Of those “ag” parcels, only 3,300 are larger than five acres, 1,700 of which are enrolled in the land use valuation program. Currently, there are approximately 155 conservation easements—which preclude development in perpetuity—some of which have an assessed valuation of zero.

A 30 plus year employee of MSWCD, Burgess contended that he has probably forgotten some of MSWCD services and projects completed over the years for the benefit of Goochland County. These include serving as environmental inspector; reviewing plans of development and providing unbiased environmental comments; conducting land use seminars; and being recognized at the state level for multiple projects. Innovative ideas crafted by the MSWCD have also gotten national and international attention.

More recently, MSWCD staff, which is headquartered at the Central High School Cultural and Educational Center in Sandy Hook, found a water leak that had eluded county staff which lead to a fast and economical repair without hiring outside contractors.

Thanks to Burgess and the staff and directors of MSWCD for their part in keeping Goochland rural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking it on the road

 

 Spring District town hall meetings were held at the end of March. Attendance at the District 1 meeting on March 24 was sparse. Districts 4 and 5 had a more robust turnout on the 27^th., however, attendance at the final one for Districts 2 and 3 on the 31 was lackluster, but perhaps attributable to the county being under a tornado watch at the time. All sessions were livestreamed and archived on the “watch county meetings” tab on the Goochland website https://www.goochlandva.us/. Please take a look at one or all of the presentations.

The Hon. Manuel Alverez, Jr., former District 2 supervisor, currently serving as interim county administrator while the supervisors recruit for that position, presented an update on county matters. This included an overview of the proposed county budget for FY26, which starts on July 1. The supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget 6 p.m. on April 1 and approve the FY26 budget and set county tax rates for calendar year 2025 on April 15.

Alvarez outlined where the county plans to spend tax dollars, highlighting revisions to the proposed budget the former county administrator presented in February on his way out the door. These include funding for six new fire-rescue employees, up from none in the February proposal, but fewer than the 12 initially requested.

Using graphs and charts, Alverez illustrated changes to local government expenditures in the past few years. The most dramatic increase has been in public safety, especially fire-rescue, as the department adds employees to operate new stations and replace volunteers who, for decades, gave freely of their time and talents to save lives and protect property in the county. The increased costs give a true picture of the value of volunteer contributions.

Goochland’s real estate tax, rate 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, has remained unchanged since 2007. Increased valuations, however, have also increased tax bills. The “revolution board” that was elected in 2011 and included Alvarez, used a conservative approach to county funding to avoid repletion of bad fiscal policies that put Goochland far too close to bankruptcy. He reviewed revenue sources, including state funding. Goochland receives only 20 percent of school funding from the Commonwealth.  Alvarez contended that this is a good thing when the state cannot pass a budget because it’s relatively easy to make up for the shortfall.

The county budget is crafted being mindful of the impact of external factors, including recession and inflation, over which the county has no influence. Then there are unfunded state mandates. Alverez used the state mandated five percent salary increase for teachers, of which Goochland gets just 20 percent and has to scramble to make up the difference as an example.

He referenced some of the capital—big ticket items with a long useful life—that will be funded this year, including a $1.77 million “chiller” for the high/middle school complex. If this part of the HVAC system goes kaput, the school cannot operate, school windows don’t open anymore, and the lead time for a replacement could be years.

The school division’s presentation outlined its many accomplishments but contended that there is more to do. Goochland students’ “pass rates” on English and math were 82 and 83 percent, the numbers need to be higher, a goal being actively pursued.

Sara Worley, Director of Economic Development, gave an update on business activity. She announced the creation of the Rockville Opportunity corridor https://goochlandva.us/1396/Rockville-Opportunity-Corridor . This includes the Project Rocky Amazon Distribution Center and the Axial warehouse/office complex, both under construction.

Temporary road improvements to the Ashland Road/I-64 area that include a traffic signal at the eastbound on ramp and additional turn lanes at the westbound turn ramp will soon be in  place. Completion of the diverging diamond interchange, which includes a second bridge over I64, is expected in 2029.

Other projects in the county include HG Meats, a small local USDA regulated meat processing facility near Hadensville. This will enable local meat producers to have their animals prepared for marketing closer to home, reducing costs, and supporting local agriculture. HG Meats will not be open for retail sales and hopes to be in operation later this year.

Goochland is a land of contrasts. Residents have very different outlooks and concerns depending on their location.

Broadband expansion has many people in the upper end justifiably frustrated at the glacial pace of connectivity there, which was slowed by winter weather. People in the east end which has greater connectivity, not so much. They are concerned about growth and traffic. Those in the middle raised concerns about rumors of a battery storage facility proposed for Old Mill Road near Crozier.

While Goochland’s real estate tax rate has remained unchanged for decades, burgeoning assessments have resulted in larger tax bills. Contrary to social media posts, the supervisors have no role in property valuations, which are performed by the county assessor.

Todd Kaufman, who lives in Manakin Sabot and is a financial professional, spoke at all three town hall meetings advocating for a change in the methods used to assess property. He contended that the county could reduce the tax rate and still pay the bills.

He will explain his approach at the public hearings on the FY26 county budget tonight, April 1, beginning at 6 p.m.

Citizen engagement, beyond social media ranting, is vital for the success of local government. These meetings are a good first step, but more residents need to pay attention.

 

 

A walk in the park?

 

Ballfield at Hidden Rock Park that hosted the 2021 Dixie Youth Baseball State Tournament

  

The Goochland Department of Parks and Recreation is in the process of updating its 2018 master plan. Two sessions about the update have been held, one in January at the sports complex in Courthouse Village, the second on March 18 at Salem Baptist Church in Manakin Sabot. Mike Svetz with Pros Consulting https://prosconsulting.com, the firm retained by the county, to help with the update made presentations at both sessions.

Attendees at the January meeting seemed to be mostly from the central and western parts of the county, where all of Goochland’s recreational facilities are located. Their “wants” included more playing fields, pickle ball courts, and programs for senior citizens.

The March 18 meeting was lightly attended, perhaps because it’s hard to get the word out and there are no county recreational facilities east of Maidens Road.

Tom Cocke, Director of Goochland Parks and Rec, gave a brief overview of existing programs and facilities. Go to https://goochlandva.us/1352/Parks-Facilities for a full list. He explained that the county maintains fields at the Reynolds Community College complex in addition to all county buildings and fields.

Walking trail at Tucker Park

Svetz explained that the goal of is work is to craft a master plan that is implementable, feasible, and financially sustainable. He will be deploying a statistically valid survey to obtain feedback from 375 respondents county-wide used to determine recreation needs for Goochland.

He remarked that, for a small rural county, Goochland has “more robust offerings” than its peer counties.

Svetz acknowledged the disparity of recreational resources in the east end versus the rest of Goochland. He opined that people who live in the east may go to neighboring counties for recreational opportunities. A statistically accurate random sampling of residents from all parts of the county will be conducted to obtain a clearer picture of the kind of recreational resources people who live in different parts of the county want.

Time and distance access these is also a factor. Leakes Mill Park, for instance, has athletic fields, a playground, picnic area and regionally renowned mountain bike trails, but it is a 30-minute ride from the east end.

The Central High School Educational and Cultural Center on Dogtown Road is also a bit of a hike for most people who live east of Courthouse Village.

Svetz discussed various types of recreation on March 18. A show of hands indicated that many people in the room walk or hike for exercise and would like more opportunities for this closer to home.

Matt Brewer, a former planning commissioner, said he is the coach of the Goochland Mountain Bike team, a 501 c-3 youth interscholastic cycling team whose members compete statewide. The organization has sent “two kids to college on cycling scholarships” thanks to the Leakes Mill trails.

bike trail at Leakes Mill

He explained that Leakes Mill Park nine miles of mountain bike and hiking trails were built by volunteers with a bit of help from the county for signage, gravel, and bridges. His group has restored seven miles of private single track at Westview on the James installing seven bridges and an additional five miles of trail.

Brewer said that it would be nice if the county had another public trail system where the Goochland Mountain Bike organization could practice and host group rides and practices. He contended that land at Reynolds Community College in Courthouse Village is an underutilized state asset and would make a great “proper” cross country running and mountain bike cycling course. He said that while athletic fields are great, they require significant capital to build and recurring upkeep that can be taxing on the environment due to the monoculture of grass and chemicals, fuel, equipment and manpower to maintain them.

Single track trails on the other hand, contended Brewer, are low impact, low cost, and provide a great return on investment while preserving our rural character. He said that his team is willing to help with design, build, and maintenance of a new trail system when Goochland is ready. “Trails support the local economy, provide an important connection to nature that improves physical and mental health and bring the community together.”

Most March 18 attendees expressed support for more walking trails. Fenced safe playgrounds for special needs children should also be part of the plan.

The first phase of the East End Trail system, from the West Creek Emergency Center to Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, was mentioned. This is Goochland’s version of Lucy and the football, as it has been an on again off again project since 2019. Cocke seemed to indicate that it might be built. We’ll see.

Members of the Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild https://cvbg.org/ headquartered at Central High School advocated for completion of an artisan studio complex to encourage and support local crafters and artists. This too was in the works before Covid.

Virginia Blacksmith Guild facility

A suggestion was made to use the 87-acre parcel on the west side of Hockett Road opposite Greenswell Growers that the county has owned for decades for a park. The need for more open and green space in new development was also mentioned.

Newer subdivisions tend to include walking trails as amenities in their designs.

Recreation master plans evolve with a community, said Svetz. Facilities need to be built, maintained, and changed as community interests change. The plans must be implementable and sustainable, and affordable.

Public facilities are funded in two ways. Construction falls under capital improvement plans, which fund one-time big-ticket expenditures. Ongoing maintenance and repair come under operating expense.  

Several speakers commented that major sporting events, including mountain bike meets, youth baseball and soccer tournaments attract people from out of the area who buy food, gas, and bolster the local economy.

Cocke said that completion of the plan is expected around November and community input is welcomed. Send your thoughts to Cocke at tcocke@goochlandva.us. Please share your thoughts about recreation in our community.

 

 

 

Hungry birds

 

We still need a bigger worm

About a year ago, GOMM opined that the county needed a bigger worm of revenue to feed all the hungry county agencies. This year is not different, and maybe more complicated.

The Goochland County budget for FY26, which begins on July 1, is still in the sausage making stage. The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on April1 and adopt a budget and set tax rates for calendar year 2025 on April 15. Time is short to iron out the wrinkles.

Townhall meetings expected to focus on the budget have been scheduled as follows: District 1 on March 24 at Byrd Elementary School; District 2 and 3, on March 31 at the County administration building; and Districts 4 and 5 on March 27 at the Residence Inn in the Notch, opposite the Wawa on Broad Street Road. All meetings begin at 6 p.m.

On March 4, Goochland Superintendent of Schools, Michael Cromartie Ed. D., presented the school division budget approved by the school board. Go to https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/budget-and-finance for details.

As adopted by the school board, the FY26 school budget is $45,467,414, representing an overall two percent increase from FY 25 and a 4.7 percent increase in county transfer from last year. School funding is the largest expense in the county’s proposed $148.6 million budget. Cromartie’s presentation was comprehensive and did an excellent job of justifying proposed expenditures. He also mentioned items that were not funded in the school board’s adopted budget

 At a March 11 work session between the school board and supervisors, Cromartie prioritized unfunded items by tier. Go to “watch county meetings at https://www.goochlandva.us/  to hear the entire discussion.

The superintendent said that the holdover funds budgeted but not spent from the FY24 budget was used for teacher salary market adjustments to make Goochland more competitive with its deep pocketed neighbors.

Unfunded items for FY26 include stipends for middle school coaches, including those who work with its excellent robotics team were estimated at $32k.

The need for “weapons” detectors that are also able to recognize “vapes” was discussed. Due to training requirements, these could not be deployed before the start of the 26-27 school year to allow time to collaborate with the Sheriff’s Office on their use. Goochland is still in a “discovery” phase for this equipment. Louisa County has expended about $500k on a system.

Items in the capital improvement plan to be funded in FY26 include a new chiller for the high/middle school complex, which is now more than 20 years old. Should this device fail, the school could not be used for an extended period. A $2 million item for architectural and engineering fees for the Career and Technical Education and arts addendum at the high school was also proposed for the CIP. Schools contended that this was part of the 2021 bond referendum. Capital improvements are one-time expenditures for big ticket long lived items like buildings and equipment. The operating budget funds recurring expenses.

The 2021 referendum authorized issuance of general obligation bonds to fund a new fire-rescue station and badly needed courthouse in addition to the elementary school whose cost was about $15 million more than anticipated.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2, taking part remotely, said that the county is exploring what $26 million will “buy” in a courthouse. The final cost may be higher, but the available sum is the starting point.

The supervisors and school board got into the weeds about educating Goochland students. To hear the entire discussion go to the county website goochlandva.us, and find the video under the BoS March 11 on the “watch county meetings” tab.

There was agreement that, while Goochland schools are doing well, they can do better to help students struggling to meet achievement thresholds. Schools contend that this requires more staff, supervisors pointing out that the county budget must fund the needs of many departments.

Spoonhower summed up the budget situation. He contended that the county is in a unique position. “We’ve been presented, for the first time in 11 or 12 years with a budget that isn’t balanced. It would be helpful if we could have a quick discussion of what are the expectations of both boards, our superintendent, and county administrator.” He said the supervisors could fund specific items or decide how much money can be carved out of the budget to give to the schools and other county departments who also have pressing needs and let them decide how to allocate the money.

Interim county administrator The Hon. Manuel Alvarez said that in the past, during the budget process, the supervisors would determine, using expected revenues, to propose an amount to the school board on which to build its budget. Until this year, that worked well.

“I think we did that this year with a “keep it flat” (from last year) approach except for a 3 percent salary increase for employees. Then we ask what are your other needs and see if we can make it happen.”

Alvarez said that the proposed budget presented on February 18 was not balanced. The former county administrator “left some money on the table and said you guys figure it out when I’m gone. Now we have to balance the needs of the county and the schools. There were a lot of needs that were not considered in his proposal.”

Finance Director Carla Cave and Alvarez have been sifting through the numbers and have some ideas but “we’re not there yet,” said Alvarez. “Requests from schools, fire-rescue, the sheriff, and county departments are probably twice the amount available.”

Charlie Vaughters, District 4 supervisor, said the meeting offered good insights into school funding.

The “revolution” board elected in 2011 worked very hard to fund schools with available resources. Let’s hope we do not revert to the bad old days when a former superintendent metaphorically waved her doctoral degree at the supervisors, inferring that they were intellectually incapable of understanding a school budget after refusing to justify expenditures. She then demanded an additional million dollars for unspecified purposes to prevent Goochland schools from “circling the drain.”

During its March 4 meeting, the Board of Supervisors voted to change its financial management policy by reducing the target percentage of the general fund kept in reserve from 60  to 35 percent of the total annual adopted general fund budget of the subsequent fiscal year plus the non-local portion of the school operating fund budget. It is unknown if this change will have any impact on the FY26 budget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping us safe

 

Goochland Fire-Rescue trains on ladder truck and pumper

Headline grabbing devastation caused by Hurricanes Helen and Milton and Los Angeles fires seems far away. The recent water crisis that briefly affected some Goochland residents was over quickly. But if something more serious happened closer to home is Goochland ready to respond?

Local disasters tend to be weather related like the 2022 ice storm. In general, local emergency response opened shelters for residents without power, worked with VDOT and power companies to clear fallen trees, and closed flooded roads.

As our county grows, emergency response becomes more complicated. The contribution to both public safety and fiscal prudence made by the dedicated intrepid fire-rescue volunteers from all walks of life, who, for more than 70 years, gave freely of their time talents, and treasure to save lives and protect property in Goochland County cannot be overstated.

However, times change.  Fewer people are willing or able to undertake essentially a second unpaid job as a fire-rescue volunteer. In 2009, the county began hiring career personnel to staff our fire-rescue stations and supplement volunteers, especially during weekday, daytime hours. Minimal 24/7 staffing of all stations only began last year. Goochland still has well-trained and dedicated fire-rescue volunteers whose contribution to public safety is a treasure. Sadly, there are not enough to meet the ever-increasing demand for service.

At their March 4 meeting, Goochland supervisors heard from D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. Chief of Fire-Rescue and Emergency Management about the needs of his department.

Ferguson’s presentation begins at about the 4-hour mark on the archived video, which is available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under the “watch county meetings” tab.

He outlined the functions of the department, which includes emergency medical services, fire suppression, all hazard response, as well as response, mitigation, and recovery from disasters.

The past year, reported Feguson, his department responded to 4,867 incidents, about an 11 precent increase over the previous year. In addition to the county population of approximately 27k, fire-rescue services care for those who work and travel through Goochland. Incidents on Interstate 64 and state route 288, as well as new commercial development including and especially Project Rocky, the Amazon distribution center under construction on Ashland Road, add to the workload.

Ferguson spoke to the increasing call duration. The average EMS call logs 45 miles. Wall time, the period an EMS crew waits to transfer a patient to a hospital emergency department, has continued to increase making the crew unable to respond to other calls. In the past five years ambulance transports have increased 56 percent. A few months ago, a fuel tanker truck overturned on I64 resulting in an eight-hour incident, preventing fire-rescue personnel on scene from responding to other calls.

Goochland fire-rescue trains to respond to a wide variety of emergencies ranging from farm equipment mishaps to hazardous spills on roadways to water rescue on the James River, which forms the county’s southern boundary.

Ferguson said, knowing what is coming in the way of development, that in FY25 he requested 36 positions, 12 of which were approved. During the FY26 budget process, Ferguson requested authorization of 24 new positions, 12 to be funded by Goochland, the remainder by a SAFER (staffing for adequate fire and emergency response) grant from FEMA. As presented on February 18, the proposed budget included no new people despite the addition of another station to the department. He also asked for funding of officer positions. All to prepare for the future as it takes about a year to fully train new hires.

He also asked for salary stipends for advanced life support providers, whose retention is vital to the success of the organization. “Our paramedics and intermediate EMS providers operate with the most advanced patient care protocols made possible by (Goochland emergency medical directors) Drs. Anderson and Lloyd. We have an advanced airway protocol that other jurisdictions, who pay more, that call us to perform. I want to make sure that we can retain our intermediate (life support providers) and paramedics because there is no other specialty service that is in more demand than advanced life support.”

The goal is to have five firefighter EMTs on duty at each station except stations 2 and 8. Crozier does not have the septic field capacity to support more than two people, station 8, currently under construction, will be able to accommodate more when finished.

Currently, fire-rescue has 84 providers, but, due to vacation, leave, and training, all are not available for duty all the time, so a relief factor is built into staffing. Ferguson explained that OSHA has minimal staffing requirements for structure fires if no rescue is involved, which also increases the need for more positions.

He said that due to multiple calls, a Goochland engine, with a sole firefighter, recently responded to a fire alarm call at Avery Point where hundreds of people were evacuating a building. This could lead to a false perception that fire-rescue is unable to adequately respond when needed.

Most of Goochland is not served by fire hydrants, so every drop of water used in fire suppression must be transported to the scene via a water shuttle operation, which requires a lot of people.

Residents complain about finding stations, whose duty crew is responding to a call, empty when they go there for help during a medical emergency.

Ferguson explained that larger, complicated buildings require more people to adequately address fires.  He said that at buildout Avery Point will include a skilled nursing care facility, which will add at least one call per bed every year, to the 80 to 100 calls per year currently being generated there.

Ferguson said that he and his staff recently toured an Amazon facility in Henrico. The Ashland Road facility is expected to be 3.1 million square feet, 105 feet high with five floors and a thousand workers, equipped with robots powered by lithium-ion batteries, and accessed by hundreds of trucks daily. He said, after talking with agencies in places with similar facilities, that Project Rocky by itself will generate another 100 calls annually, 75 for EMS. He also said that because of the size of the building and number of workers, any fire needs to be caught early.

“I could not find a department that sends less than 29 firefighters on a first alarm to an Amazon facility, more than we have on duty county wide.” He contended that Project Rocky is larger than many other Amazon facilities and that Goochland needs to be ready.

Ferguson said he believes that the Amazon structure will include “the absolute best fire protection features” in building construction to catch or prevent fires.

In response to a question about fire blankets used to extinguish lithium-ion fires, Ferguson said the department has two car sized blankets and that essentially smother the fire. Capital One has deployed several of the devices in the parking deck at its West Creek campus.

Ferguson explained that an issue with lithium-ion batteries is “thermal runaway” that these batteries burn extremely hot. When asked about a proposed battery storage facility on Old Mill Road near Crozier, Ferguson said that he has serious concerns about the site, which has no water and is in an agricultural area.

He said that if those batteries were to catch fire they could burn for an extended period of time, from hours to weeks, and that those blazes must be watched to ensure they do not spread. Fumes would be toxic and runoff from fire suppression could be more damaging to the environment than letting it burn.

Ferguson said he believes that battery storge facilities do not catch fire often but still has serious concerns about the proposal.

The absence of new fighter EMS positions in the proposed FY26 given the type and extent of new construction on the horizon is a mystery. Hopefully, this will be addressed at town hall meetings later this month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March begins

 

A new and familiar face graced the dais at the March 4 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors as the Hon. Manuel Alvarez, Jr. began serving as interim county administrator.

Neil Spoonhower, District 2, was present virtually. He said that, while away, he has had perfect attendance at all meetings, county wide and regional and a 100 percent reply rate to all phone calls, emails, and texts.

Alvarez commended Goochland Fire-Rescue for being recognized by Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin for excellence in fire services for the new live fire training structure put into service last summer. Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1243 or GOMM post  “Put the wet stuff on the red stuff” for details.

Town Hall meetings

Board chair Tom Winfree, District 3, reminded all of the upcoming town hall meetings. They are scheduled as follows: District 1, Monday, March 24 at Byrd Elementary School 2704 Hadensville Fife Road; Districts 4 and 5 Thursday, March 27 at the Residence Inn at the Notch, opposite the Wawa in Centerville; and Districts 2 and 3 on Monday, March 31 at the county administration buildings 1800 Sandy  Hook Road in Courthouse Village. All sessions begin at 6 p.m. Supervisors, school board members and staff will be present.

Please try to attend one of these meetings to get details about the county budget for FY26, which begins on July 1. A proposed budget presented on February 18 seemed to indicate that despite increases in property values, there will be no funds to fill vacant and needed positions unless the tax rate is increased. At their March 4 meeting, the supervisors approved a change to finance policy to reduce the percentage of funds that must be held in reserve. Except for a workshop with the supervisors and school board on March 11, no further budget work sessions have been scheduled. Hopefully, information presented at the town hall meetings will clarify the county’s fiscal position.

A second community meeting about the update of Parks and Rec Master Plan is scheduled for March 18 at Salem Baptist Church starting at 6 p.m. Given the alleged budget constraints, it seems curious that the county is spending money on a consultant to update the plan with initiatives for which there is no funding.

 

Pamunkey Regional Library

Trustees of the Pamunkey Regional Library representing Goochland, current chair Barbara Young and Barbara Slone, presented a library update. They asked the supervisors to approve the request from King William County to exit the library system effective June 30, 2025, which they did at part of the consent agenda. Hanover, the other PRL member recently approved of the withdrawal.

Recruitment for a new PRL director continues. Audits of PRL, which had been in arrears, are current and the next is in process.

Young reported that hotspots, devices that enable locations not served by broadband to access the internet, are still in great demand and generate a waiting list. Hotspots from the King William libraries will be added to the PRL supply in the summer. Charlie Vaughters, District 4, asked about the cost of hotspots and if more could be added to help Goochlanders without broadband access.

Digital access to the Richmond Times Dispatch is also available. “Just for kids” a streaming service that allows parents to select from thousands of videos and storybooks for children from 2 to 10, is another new PRL service. Go to https://www.pamunkeylibrary.org/ for details. Library cards are free for all residents of Goochland.

PRL trustees, said Young, are reviewing all library operations and policies to ensure that services and staffing meet the needs of patrons. Young thanked the supervisors for funding additional hours at the Goochland branch, which is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

A used book sale will be held at the Master Gardeners’ April 26 Garden fest at Reynolds Community College.

Library lockers have been deployed in Goochland that allow patrons to pick up materials at their convenience outside of regular library hours. Vaughters asked if these lockers could be placed in the east and western portions of the county to expand library access. He contended that while building brick and mortar libraries is challenging, installing library lockers might be simpler.

Jonathan Lyle, District 5, asked if proffers earmarked for library capital projects, which he estimated at $75k, have been used. Proffer funds, which can only be used for capital projects, have an expiration date, so use it or lose it pertains. New carpet in the Goochland branch will be installed later this year.

 

Broadband

A virtual town hall meeting will be conducted by Firefly for residents in the Tabscott and Caledonia areas on Thursday, March 13 at 4 p.m. Holding a virtual town hall to discuss broadband deployment to people without internet access seems contradictory. Go to https://www.fireflyva.com/town-halls/ to register.

Gary Wood, Persident and CEO of Firefly Fiber Broadband, said that work connecting Goochlanders was slowed by winter weather. Damage to a cable in the Carterville area required repair. Wood was optimistic that the pace of connections would pick up going forward. Go to https://www.fireflyva.com/partners-goochland/ for details about work progress in Goochland.

Wood reported that the initial “take rate” the percentage of people able to connect to Firefly has been about 60 percent, higher than the expected 35 to 45 percent. People who have other internet services may wait until their current contract expires to connect. Some people may not be interested in internet connection, or homes that are not occupied year-round may not want the service.

Homes up 2,500 feet from the road will be connected at no charge when Firefly is working in the area. Wood said that low income homes at a greater distance would not be charged for hook ups. Otherwise, the fee is $1.10 per foot. So far, only a handful of customers in the 14 county Firefly territory have been charged.

There are no connection charges for Firefly. The initial $49.99 bill includes the router. “We work hard to keep our prices as affordable as possible,” said Wood.

May their work proceed smoothly to connect all of Goochland to the internet.