The people's business

At its regular monthly meeting on February 5, the Goochland Board of Supervisors: held budget a budget workshop for human services agencies; granted a ten year conditional use permit to Portico Restaurant on River Road; heard about plans to create a second voting precinct in District 4; authorized County Administrator Rebecca Dickson to execute memoranda of understanding for the benefit of county parks; and announced the schedule for spring town hall meetings.

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In her comments, Dickson recognized Lisa Beczkiewicz, administrative assistant and deputy clerk, for her outstanding work preparing the minutes of the January 2 meeting, which included approximately five hours of public hearings. Ms. Beczkiewicz does an outstanding job each and every day to serve the citizens of Goochland. v     Unless it’s holding a leprechaun and his pot of gold captive, the board will be faced with tough decisions when crafting the FY ’14 budget.   v   Many residents of River Road took time from their busy schedules to attend the public hearing on the CUP for Portico Restaurant. Indeed, speakers tried to outdo each other as they heaped praise on their neighborhood upscale eatery. The supervisors voted to grant a CUP for ten years after addressing concerns about noise generated by putting trash into a dumpster raised at the planning commission hearing. v   Goochlanders like to vote. For the second presidential election in a row, we led the Commonwealth as 13,441 of 15,482 registered voters cast ballots. County Electoral Board Chair Herb Griffith commended Frances C. Ragland, the best registrar in Virginia, and all Goochland election officials for their fine work.   District 4, as those who waited in line, albeit not all that long, to vote last November can attest, has far too many people for one precinct. Griffith said that the new facility built by Grace Chinese Baptist Church on Broad Street Road just west of Three Chopt Road, has been identified as the probable location of a second precinct for District 4. A public hearing on the matter will be scheduled later in the year. The electoral board must also obtain approval for creation of the new precinct from the U. S. Department of Justice. If all goes well, the new precinct should be in operation for the November election.   v Beth Moore, President of Friends of Goochland Parks, updated the Board on developments at Tucker Park at Maidens Crossing. A CarMax Foundation grant to build a performance stage is the latest in efforts to improve the 36 acre park, located on the banks of the James River adjacent to the Rt. 522 bridge. Moore also announced that the Friends of Goochland Parks—she stressed the plural because the intent of the organization is to support all county parks—is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity.   Keep an eye out for more information about this innovative organization, which is using a public-private model to leverage resources for the benefit of the community.   The Board authorized Dickson to execute memoranda of understanding concerning the parks. (For full details, see the February 5 Board packet on the county website www.co.goochland.va.us.)   v In March, a town hall meeting will be held in each District. Supervisors and School Board members will be on hand to discuss the upcoming budget and any other matters of interest to citizens. The schedule is: District 2, March 13, Goochland Library; District 1, March 14, Byrd Elementary School; District 3, March 18, Company 5; District 4, March 25, Company 3; District 5, March 28, Company 1. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m.