June supervisors' meeting

Taking care of business

At their June 1 meeting, the Goochland board of Supervisors dealt with the usual laundry list of government business.

The most important item on the agenda was the final audit report from KPMG, which has been looking at county finances for almost a year. The comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for 2009 is on the county website. Earlier this year, county administrator Rebecca T. Dickson promised that the report, in its entirety, would be posted on the county website. Before the report began, Dickson announced that the report had already been posted.

There will be a separate post devoted to the audit in the near future. In the meantime, go to the county website www.co.goochland.va.us and take a look for yourself. There is a lot to digest.

The board started its day at 1 p.m. with a brief workshop.

Leigh Dunn, county environmental planner, explained the concept of green infrastructure. By identifying environmentally sensitive areas, the county can establish guidelines to encourage their protection and use of conservation easements, which prohibit development in perpetuity.

This would create a template connecting these areas creating natural corridors for wildlife movement and passive recreation. If developers are aware that the county favors this strategy, Dunn contended, they are more likely to include connectivity of green areas in their initial development designs. A green infrastructure strategy would be a guide, not a mandate, Dunn explained.

This would be an improvement over existing zoning ordinances that simply require that a portion of a parcel be dedicated as open space with little regard for how that open space relates to open space on adjoining parcels. It will be interesting to see this discussion unfold.

Rudy Butler District 4, raised concerns about loss of tax revenue when putting the easements in place. Dunn explained that, so far, land placed under these protective easements has been mostly taxed at land use rates, which remains unchanged after the easement is in force.

He also asked if areas required for riparian buffers and other open space could be placed in land use taxation, which would further reduce revenue from real estate tax.

The board asked county staff to further study the details, including taxation, of the concept. One collateral benefit from green infrastructure that Dunn did not mention, is that the value of property adjoining protected areas tends to increase in value because it is free of the specter of unknown future development.

Curbside recycling, enjoyed by many residents of eastern Goochland for 20 years, was a casualty of budget cuts. Dickson reported that the county is investigating retention of the recycling by charging participating households $25 per month. To make the proposed system viable, 750 households must commit to the service and be willing to pay a year of costs upfront. Dickson said that the county has received indication of interest in continuing the service from about 600 household represented by homeowners’ associations. The $25 fee includes an administrative fee, which would make the service self-supporting.

The current service will end on June 17. Implementing the alternative service could take a few months. Dickson said that some people have indicated a willingness to take their recycling to the central convenience center on Fairground Road in the meantime.

One of the further cuts that Dickson recommended for the county budget is closure of the central convenience center for one day per week.

County attorney Norman Sales presented a detailed report on local effects of legislation handed down by the Virginia General Assembly. To ensure that county laws mirror state code, changes in zoning laws will be referred to the planning commission and the supervisors will hold public hearings before changing other laws.


The afternoon session began on a bittersweet note as the board bid farewell to Doris Elderman executive director of the Goochland Chamber of Commerce for the past five years. Family concerns forced Elderman to change the focus of her energy. During her tenure, the Chamber took a giant leap forward in encouraging business in the county. She will be sorely missed, but she pointed the Chamber in the right direction.

Members of GEPA (goochlandparents.com) commented about the additional $317,099 of cuts to the school budget proposed by school superintendent Dr. Linda Underwood. Jane Christie contended that Underwood manufactured the appalling situation that has pitted parents against school administration. The supervisors voted unanimously to approve the cuts as proposed.

Paul Costello of Centerville contended that county’s upcoming work with a VDOT consultant to craft plans for an urban development area (UDA) in the Centerville area are contradictory to a proposed expansion of the 623 Landfill just north of Interstate 64 on Ashland Road. Costello urged the board to postpone any discussion on the landfill expansion until the UDA work has been completed. (Later in the meeting, the board voted to refer the 623 Landfill requests to the planning commission for review.)

While this does not mean that the requests will be approved, it will provide ample opportunity for public comment on the matter before both the planning commission and supervisors.

Maj. Don Bewkes, speaking on behalf of the sheriff’s department told the supervisors that county law enforcement activity was up in May. Goochland deputies responded to 2,350 calls up from the 2,200 of a “normal” month.

The calls included a motor vehicle fatality in which the deceased was not wearing a seatbelt; 11 DUI arrests; mutual aid response by the county’s tactical team; three burglaries on Riddles Bridge and Chapel Hill Roads and a car left on railroad tracks that was hit by a train. Bewkes said that the track incident resulted in neither injuries nor derailment, which could have escalated into a significant incident.

Bewkes also reported that the Goochland tactical team recently completed DEA training on clandestine drug labs. In addition to learning new skills, the DEA provided, at no cost to Goochland, $2,800 worth of equipment for each team member. Goochland fire-rescue also provided self contained breathing apparatus and related training to the tac team.

The board voted 4-1 to pay the five percent portion of employee contribution to the Virginia Retirement System for those hired after July 1. Jim Eads, District 5, cast the dissenting vote and cautioned the board that this practice would soon be too expensive for Goochland to continue.

Butler contended that surrounding jurisdictions pay the five percent and if Goochland does not follow suit, we will be unable to hire the best people.

The board also approved a proposal for the Economic Development Authority to contribute up to $250,000 for extension of TCSD water lines to the Alligator Fuels convenience store and car wash planned for a parcel of land on Pouncey Tract Road. It also approved rebating up to nine sewer connection fees, not to exceed $510,000, in return for Alligator Fuels funding the extension of the sewer line to its property. This includes no guarantees to Alligator Fuels that there will be additional sewer connections made. This is a very good deal for the county and a most economical way to extend these utility lines, which should act as a catalyst for future TCSD development.

Referral of zoning change from A-2 and B-1 to B-3 for land on the east side of Oilville Road was finally referred to the planning commission as the first step in preparing this area for some economic development. This zoning should have been in place at least 10 years ago.

In the evening session Jonathan Leon Sadler and Larry James Leabough were inducted into the Goochland County Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame in recognition for their years of serving as role models and mentors for the youth of Goochland. Both men have given countless hours of their time to recreational programs and are to be commended for living good citizenship.

Dennis Simms, Sr. was given a three-year extension to a conditional use permit to operate an automobile graveyard at 3505 Appaloosa Lane in western Goochland. Simms promised to have all vehicles removed from the property within three years.

The board adjourned until July 6 at 8:30 a.m. at which time it will meet at the Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station for a strategic planning session, which is expected to focus on economic development issues.