Getting things done

On September 25, Goochland dedicated a new school bus maintenance facility. Located just north of Broad Street Road in Oilville, the building, which contains maintenance bays, storage, offices, a kitchen and conference room, has been servicing the county fleet since August.

After decades of fruitless searching for a replacement for the old facility on Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse, the new bus garage happened thanks to the wisdom of Maidens resident Lester "Buzz" Coe.

Noticing a for sale sign on  the site, Coe suggested that it would be an ideal, an immediate, solution to the bus garage problem to several supervisors before someone  realized that he was
 right.
H



 The county put an option to purchase on the property earlier this year while investigating its appropriateness for servicing county vehicles. After performing exhaustive due diligence, the site was declared a fit and was purchased.

Following some retrofitting and equipment installation, equipment and supplies were moved to the new site. Nice high ceilings mean that mechanics no longer need to let air out of bus tires to get them inside.  There is ample space for several buses and some smaller vehicles so no one needs to work outside in the elements any more!
Betty Thurston, head of transportation for the school division, said that the new facility was everyone's project. She thanked and praised those on county and schools staff for working hard to bring everything together.
Sonny Thompson, director of maintenance for schools oversaw the renovations and move of equipment and supplies into the new garage. He gave Buzz Coe a grand tour of the place.

Last weekend, two school board members painted over the logo of the previous owner and replaced it with a big red G.

This is what can happen when the supervisors and school board work together. Instead of saying " we can't" these boards operate on a "how do we make this happen?" vibe.

Cutting the ribbon: left to right: Susan Lascolette(District 1 supervisor), John Lumpkin District 3 School Board), Ken Peterson (District 5 supervisor and Board Chair), John Wright (District 5 school Board and chair), Mike Payne (District 1 school board), Manuel Alvarez(District 2 supervisor),  Bob Minnick (District 4 supervisor), Kevin Hazzard (District 2 school board), Beth Hardy(District 4 school board), and Dr. James Lane, Superintendent of Schools.

                   Lots of room to work (photo taken after hours.)

                Notice the ample space and high ceilings that provide a safe and efficient workplace.

Carol and Buzz Coe in one of the new offices at the vehicle maintenance facility.