Stewardship

On Tuesday, November 28, Goochland’s Board of Supervisors got some good news. It held a special meeting to hear the presentation of the  county’s certified annual financial report for fiscal year 2017, which ended on June 30. Mike Garber, a principal of PBMARES, of Harrisonburg, the county’s auditor, announced that this year’s CAFR was clean. One more audit without any material misstatements, and Goochland will no longer be considered a high risk auditee.

Fiscal anomalies discovered nine years ago in the county’s utility department were the first revelations of abysmal disregard of proper internal controls and generally accepted accounting practices. The CAFR for fiscal 2010 contained 40 material restatements. The following year, the county treasurer was convicted of embezzling county funds and went to prison.

In January 2012, the current board took office and worked with County Administrator Rebecca Dickson to dig Goochland out of the hole in which it found itself. A reworking of the massive debt incurred to build infrastructure for the Tuckahoe Creek Service District utility project helped to stabilize county finances.  By 2015, Goochland had earned a AAA Standard and Poor’s bond rating, a rare achievement for a jurisdiction with fewer than 25,000 people.

The county and school division have also received awards for the high quality of their budget documents during the same period. No more wondering what local government is doing with our tax dollars. Budgets, CAFRS, check registers, and credit card statements are all on the county website for inspection.

The 2017 CAFR represents an untold amount of hard work and dedication by officials elected and appointed, and all members of the county and school division staff  every day. All of this effort has helped restore public trust in the management of  local government resources—stewardship—perhaps the most important task of elected officials.

Available in its entirety on the county website http://goochlandva.us/ under the financial services section of the “your government” tab, the 2017 CAFR, and those of the previous five years, are well worth a look. Even if you are not interested in the “weeds” of the numbers, they all contain a great deal of interesting information about the county and its finances.

Engaged citizens are a vital component of good government. 

Not your father's fire service

Before we go any further, please check your smoke alarms to make sure they work. If you do not have at least one smoke alarm in your home, preferably near bedrooms, put them on your next shopping list. They are inexpensive and save lives.

In recent months, there has been a  great deal of discussion about the amount of growth, especially residential, that Goochland can “digest” without placing a serious fiscal burden on all taxpayers. The county is in the process of crafting a model to help the supervisors evaluate the cost—if any—of new development.

Each year, county department heads address the Board of Supervisors about the achievements of, and challenges facing their departments. (The “slides” of most of these are now available on the county website http://goochlandva.us/ under the “transparency” tab. These files contain lots of good information and are well worth perusing for a better understanding of the many functions of county government.)

Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay gave the supervisors an overview of his department at their November 8 meeting. He began his remarks with “..it’s not your father’s fire service.”

The duties assigned to fire-rescue, which in Goochland includes emergency medical services (EMS), are very different than they were even a generation ago. Today, contended MacKay, fire-rescue is an “all hazards” mitigation service.

Fire-Rescue’s job is to identify anything that threatens the health, safety, and economic well-being of citizens and businesses in Goochland. Things are changing rapidly. “We don’t know what’s coming next,” said MacKay.

Education to prevent incidents is ongoing  and important. “The best (fire) is one that never happens,” the Chief declared.

Recent hurricane devastation illustrated the importance of assistance during disaster, but, just as important, MacKay said, is recovery. “Fifty percent of all small businesses never recover from a disaster,” he said.  “We want to prepare the citizens and business of Goochland  to respond to and recover from them.”

Goochland fire-rescue providers, whether they be career (paid) or volunteer are all well-trained professionals who “treat all people with compassion, dignity and respect when we meet them on the worst day of their lives.”

A wreck on the interstate can easily morph into a hazardous materials incident if leaking fuel or mechanical fluids threaten groundwater. Goochland firefighters  are trained to contain those spills before the reach streams.

Even your basic house fire can be a toxic situation as many of today’s building materials are derived from hydro carbons, which MacKay has described as “solid gasoline”.

Saving lives and protecting property is an expensive proposition. Gone are the days when the alchemy of community spirit could translate spaghetti and chicken dinners; Brunswick stew sales; raffle; and Bingo into ambulances and fire engines.  A fully equipped ambulance costs approximately one half million dollars, fire vehicles, especially ladder trucks, multiples of that. Aging, high mileage ambulances are out of service for repair for longer periods as parts become more difficult to find.

MacKay said that Goochland Fire-Rescue seeks to performs its functions “in a fiscally sound manner respecting the citizen investment made in our department”.

Early ambulances were little more than a means to get a patient to the hospital quickly while performing advanced first aid in the back. Today, they equip our well-trained and  highly-skilled EMTs and Paramedics with sophisticated live-saving tools, including telemetry to transmit vital data, like EKGs, to hospitals while en route.  This enables immediate delivery of appropriate treatment when the patient arrives at the emergency room.

Life safety services are a risky business. In addition to the obvious dangers of entering a burning structure, or stabilizing an overturned vehicles to free entrapped occupants, more subtle perils plague providers.

Cancer, said MacKay, occurs at a rate six times greater in firefighters than in the general public due to contact with toxic substances. Steps being taken to protect our firefighters include a ventilation system at the new Hadensville Company 6 station to vent diesel fumes. Washing machines to clean turnout gear after fires also reduces exposure. Upgrades of the self-contained breathing apparatus (air, not oxygen, bottles and filtering mask units)is vital for the health, safety, and welfare of firefighters.

The emotional toll of responding to serious incidents is also a concern.

MacKay sang the praises of our amazing fire-rescue volunteers who work as equal partners with the career staff. Currently, said MacKay, four of the county’s six fire-rescue stations are manned 24/7 with at least two people.  Extra resources are deployed in the more heavily populated east end of the county. All stations are now equipped with dormitories, kitchens, and showers to enable round the clock shifts.

Calls for service increased 5.13 percent in the past year. Overall, response times are shorter. MacKay explained that a typical EMS call involving transport takes approximately three hours or longer. Our ambulances log many miles taking patients to hospitals in Henrico, Richmond, and Charlottesville, so they wear out quickly. Maintenance of aging fire-rescue vehicles, that takes them out of service is a concern. The average mileage of the ten unit Goochland ambulance fleet is over 128,000, said MacKay.

Creative leveraging of available resources to enhance coverage includes creation of a “flying truck” where volunteers from different companies form crews to respond whenever and wherever they are needed. The county is able to access the Med Flight air ambulance thanks to D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Deputy Chief—EMS, who serves  as an air medic with Med Flight.

Volunteer EMS hours are declining at a precipitous rate—23.82 percent in rescue duty hours in the past 12 months for instance—and have been for some time. The reasons for this include increased training and certification requirements and demands of daily life. Fewer people are willing or able to commit to a rigorous schedule of training in addition to  being on call to respond to emergencies.   This has  created a leadership vacuum in most of the county’s six companies. Volunteers who run calls—many of whom live outside Goochland—show little interest in serving as company officers.

Newcomers to Goochland show little interest in becoming fire-rescue volunteers. They have neither the time or inclination, or somehow feel that this most vital of local volunteer opportunities is beneath them. Not that long ago, a daytime weekday EMS Centerville crew was comprised of “country club” ladies from Broad Run who wanted to serve the community.

MacKay praised members of the fire-rescue team, both volunteers and career who continue the tradition of saving lives and protecting property begun in 1952. We cannot underestimate the contribution that these volunteers have made by freely giving their time, talents and treasure for the well-being of the county.

Fire-rescue is just one core service impacted by growth. The supervisors must ensure adequate resources to protect the health, safety, and welfare of all.

November in the Board Room

Items on the Wednesday, November 8 monthly meeting agenda for the Goochland Board of Supervisors ran the gamut from grappling with growth issues to expansion of by-right chicken keeping. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Emergency Operations/ Communications center that included tours, preceded the supervisors’ meeting.  During opening remarks, Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew Board reported that he and others from county administration attended the 28^th Annual Valor awards ceremony in Richmond where Cpl. Harrison Hankins received the Bronze award for actions taken during a December, 2016 motor vehicle crash. Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay noted that this is the first time anyone can recall that a  Goochland responder has been recognized this way.

Visit the Facebook page for the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office to view the body- cam footage of the incident.  The county is blessed to have officers like Cpl. Hankins. He also served in the United States Marine Corps, and is another veteran whose skills, experience, and integrity strengthen our community.

Board Chair Ned  Creasey, District 3, an early supporter of the state-of-the-art communications facility, missed the event due to ill health. Creasey also lobbied successfully for the inclusion of area Ham Radio operators in the emergency communications mix as a belt-and-suspenders measure should the metaphorical fan turn brown.

The new EEC/EOC came to be as the result of the vison of Maj. Don Bewkes, who translated ideas into a cardboard model that became reality. After Hurricane Isabel blew through Goochland in September 2003, it became apparent to Bewkes that the county needed an EOC that  is a self-contained nerve center for the county in the aftermath of widespread emergency. Bewkes oversaw all facets of the design and construction of the facility, which was completed on time and on budget.

Maj. Don Bewkes explains new equipment at EEC/EOC

Large enough to house  representatives  of all county agencies involved in disaster response and recovery for extended periods of time, the new center was built with an eye towards expansion as the county grows. The facility includes many ingenious touches, like paint that permits walls to serve as whiteboard, and raised flooring for easy access to electronic cables.

The exterior of the new building blends into existing structures so well that some people do not believe it is new.

Back in the board room, the afternoon supervisors’ session began with County Administrator John Budesky congratulating Goochland native Justin Verlander for his Houston Astros’ victory in the 2017 World Series. Budesky said that the county would be honored to have Verlander and his new bride, Kate Upton, visit a board meeting. Kathy and Richard Verlander, parents of the star pitcher, live in Goochland and chair fundraising efforts for Goochland Pet Lovers.

Budesky thanked everyone who participated in the county’s fall festival for making it successful. He said that annual Christmas tree lighting will take place on Friday, December 1, starting at 6 p.m. The tree is located in the field opposite the intersection of Fairground and Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse Village.

On November 28, the audit committee will receive the certified annual financial report (CAFR) in a meeting at 1:30. Following the supervisors will hold  special meeting to accept the CAFR. After that, the supervisors will hold a workshop with the school board to discuss their facility study, which is a part of the 25 year capital improvement plan, currently in progress.

Budesky said he is pleased with the turnout at this year’s town hall meetings and engagement of our citizens. “This is a great opportunity for us to hear what we need to hear and not what we want to hear,” he said.

During the monthly VDOT update, Marshall Wynn said that there is still no word on “the year” in which improvements to the Rt. 228/Board Street Road interchange will be advertised. Dates for upcoming gas line work on Manakin Road are not yet firm as no permits have been issued. Wynn opined that this is the wrong time of year for gas line work.

Beth Parker Ferguson, 2017 Goochland Christmas Mother, spoke to the supervisors about the program, which as been brightening the holiday season for the less fortunate in our community since before she was born. The Goochland Christmas Mother provides food, new clothing, toys, books, and other essential items to qualified Goochland County families with children, seniors age 60 and older, and disabled adults during the holiday season. 

Ferguson, who has taught at Randolph Elementary School for 13 years and a lifetime member of the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue, is the embodiment of community service. She personally knows many of the families who qualified for the means tested program “I’ve taught many of their children and see them at Food Lion. I had no idea they were struggling,” she said.

The Goochland Christmas Mother organization is grass roots compassion at its finest. Visit http://www.goochlandchristmasmother.org/ to find out how you can volunteer. If you have an extra bean or two, this 501 (c) (3) organization accepts donations year round.

District 4 Supervisor Bob Minnick vented his frustration at the statutory straight jacket the county find itself in thanks to the revised proffer law passed during the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly.

Following the public hearing on a rezoning case for a handful of lots near the intersection of Hermitage and Manakin Roads, whose fiscal impact on the county is still unclear. The rezoning application would create subdivision with two different zoning districts. GOMM has listened to the applicant’s presentation and still has no idea why it should be approved.

“The GA did us no significant favor with the new proffer law, and in fact did a tremendous disservice to county staff  that wrack their brains to fit round pegs into square holes and does no favors for the developer community or our constituents. Based on the strict constrict of how I’m supposed to look at this, I have no idea how to judge the long term capital impact of this on the county.”

The board voted unanimously to defer action on this case until its March meeting, by which time, hopefully, the development impact model has been finished and adopted. It seems likely that action on the two major subdivisions forwarded to the supervisors by the November 2 tie vote at the Planning Commission will also be deferred.

Director of Community Development Jo Ann Hunter said that the goal of the capital impact model is to ease the burden of crafting development impact statements and speed the process.

Later in the evening, the supervisors unanimously approved expansion of by-right chicken keeping in R-1 zoning districts, which are predominantly  in Districts 2, 3, 4, and 5. It precludes roosters and permits up to six female chickens, which shall not be permitted to trespass beyond the property line and must be kept in an enclosure of some sort—a fenced a yard would qualify. Coops and other enclosures must be behind dwellings and kept clean at all times. Trespass will be enforced by complaint to the planning staff.

Nancy Simpson contended that chickens provide an infinite amount of laughter. “There’s this sense of being back in nature and what Goochland is all about. They remind us that there are good things in our world. This is a good things for kids and all the way up to grandparents, to grow high quality protein.”

Nobody told me

A recent report of the sale of  the ten acre parcel of land behind Satterwhite’s Restaurant on the northwest corner of Manakin and Broad Street Roads to build a shopping center and hotel has some citizens up in arms. The parcel in question is in the CENTERVILLE village, Manakin is on Rt.6.

They are furious that there was no notice of the development. Well, there was, in 2009. A for sale sign, indicating that the land is zoned B-1, which permits shopping centers and hotels and fast food by right, has been there for a very long time.

(See https://goochlandomm.blogspot.com/2009/06/citizens-in-action.html for GOMM’s take on a community meeting before the rezoning application went to the  planning commission.)

The Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning in August 2009. That was a turbulent year for the county.  Local government was reeling from irregularities in the utility department, the abrupt “retirement” of the county administrator and the impact from the economic downturn, which brought a significant decline in property values and real estate tax revenues.

According to county property records, NOVA Hotels, LLC, with an eastern Goochland address, purchased the parcel for $1.7 million, far less than the current assessed valuation of $2.65 million on November 1, 2017.

NOVA Hotels’ alleged plan for the site includes 100,000 square feet of retail and office space and a 100 room hotel. Design standards included in the rezoning and the Centerville Village overlay criteria are rigorous.

Since 2009, the state imposed stringent storm water runoff control regulations,  which could reduce the amount of developable land. A traffic light was installed at the corner of Manakin and Broad Street Roads, which could alter road access to the site. At the time of rezoning, the widening of Broad Street Road was in process and completion of turn lanes for the project was postponed until its completion. It would seem that VDOT would need to sign off on access points for this parcel, which could also add to development costs and delay its completion.

The timing of the sale was also interesting. November 1 was the day before rezoning applications for two large subdivisions, that if approved, could increase the number of homes county by ten per cent, were heard by  the planning commission. Tie votes on both proposals moved them to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

At their November 8 meeting, the supervisors voted to defer another residential rezoning application until  their March meeting in the hopes that the Development Impact Model, currently under construction, is complete and adopted.  That would seem to indicate that the two large subdivisions will also be deferred until the supervisors have a better handle on the fiscal impact of more homes.

Conventional wisdom among developers is that “retail follows rooftops” and the advent of those 800 or more homes may have been interpreted as an opportunity. The thing is, new folks coming to the Centerville in the past decade are not all that likely to shop there, especially with the delights of Short Pump so close. If this developer expects residents of the new subdivisions, as well as those currently around Centerville, to patronize his center, he may be disappointed. For whatever reason, new residents tend not to go west of where they live to a burger doodle. If those rooftops do not materialize, will there be enough traffic to support the new businesses and make it economically feasible?

Goochland has a high employment rate. Where will the employees come from to staff the new businesses?

Success of the commercial portion of this project could depend on the tenants. There is a need for new office space in Centerville. If the fast food options are brands like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and/or Panera objections will fade fast.

Adding a hotel to the mix seems odd, but it is permitted in B-1 zoning. The notion of a hotel on that property never, to GOMM’s recollection, came up  during the rezoning application discussions. But back then, a hotel in Goochland seemed as likely as a flying saucer landing pad. Times change.

The parcel should never have been included in the Centerville village—Manakin Road is a natural boundary—but it was.

People say that they understand growth is coming to Goochland, especially in the Broad Street Road corridor, but object to anything new. When asked what they would rather have in a particular place, the response is too often, “I don’t know, but not that.”

Private dollars fund development. Landowners pay taxes while hoping to shape their property for its highest and best use.  They take a risk that their land may never sell at a profit. Some go broke. A lot of hard work and expense is involved in successful development of  a piece of property.

The supervisors have the power to reject a rezoning or conditional use application if they believe it is not in the best interest of the county. They did not decide that there would be a McDonald’s rather than a Burger King in Centerville, or any fast food for that matter.

Please keep an eye on the county website goochlandva.us and its Facebook page for announcements of community meetings and public hearings for land use issues.

Come to the meetings and learn what it’s all about when your opinion can make a difference. Tell your supervisor what you think, they really want to hear from you. Pay attention, be engaged at the start when things can change, don’t wait until it’s too late and whine that nobody told you.

Punt

Goochland’s Planning Commission deadlocked—Commission Chair Tom Rockecharlie, District 5, was absent— on two major rezoning applications at its November 2 meeting, opted to send the cases to the supervisors noting the tie vote. The Commissioners were frustrated at the dearth of data on which to base sound decisions.  They voted, in both instances, 2-2 with John Shelhorse, District 4 and John Myers, District 1, in favor and Derek Murray, District 3 and Matt Brewer, District 2 in dissent.

The commissioners voted to suspend the provision in their by-laws that automatically defers tie votes to the next meeting to secure an up or down vote. Both applications began the rezoning process early in 2017, and, by statute, needed planning commission action by the end of December. According to County Attorney Tara McGee, the supervisors then have a year to act on the applications.

As Commissioner Vice Chair John Shelhorse, District 4, observed, these are landmark cases. If approved as submitted, they could, together, add more than 800 new homes to Goochland, the equivalent of one tenth the number of homes currently in the county. It is believed that other larger subdivisions may follow.

Realizing that the county does not have a clear picture of the true cost of significant residential growth over the next 50 years or so, consultants have been retained  to provide detailed criteria for evaluating the impact of residential growth on county facilities. This model is expected to be completed and adopted by February, 2018. An updated thoroughfare plan to address actual county growth is also underway.

The cases, an application filed by HH Hunt Land  (HHH) for 207.839 acres to build a 520 home senior residential community named Mosaic, and an application filed by Readers Branch Partners, LLC, and Hockett Road Partners, LLC, to rezone two subdivisions, Reader’s Branch and Swanson Ridge “on the books” creating a single community, Reader’s Branch, were the first large enclaves to run the gauntlet created by the new state proffer law.  Both are located on or near Hockett Road south of Broad Street Road. 

Major areas of impact that cash proffer calculations may address are: schools; public safety—law enforcement and fire-rescue; transportation; and parks.

Transportation—roads—was perhaps the biggest concern to citizens and planning commissioners for both cases.

Traffic Engineer Erich Strohhacker, who worked on both communities, explained that Hockett Road is currently capable of handling 12,000 trips per day (TPD) and has traffic of 2,000 TPD, according to VDOT. Neither proposed subdivision would add sufficient traffic to Hockett Road to exceed the 12,000 TPD threshold. (It would seem that these numbers are based on 24 hour days and that most of the trips happen during morning and evening rush hours, further clouding the issue.)

The problem with Hockett Road traffic, contended Strohhacker, is its intersection with Broad Street, which is currently at a failing service level. A short term solution to this is the addition of a right turn lane at the intersection. The Reader’s Branch application seemed to $100 thousand to build the turn lane. However, as it does not own the land, it cannot build the lane on its own, so the county and VDOT—glaciers move faster—need to be involved. Strohhacker said that the ultimate solution to the bottleneck at Hockett and Broad is the rerouting of Ashland Road to connect with Hockett further south.

Director of Community Development Jo Ann Hunter took great care to explain the restraints of the new proffer law before presenting each case. As handed down by the Virginia General Assembly, the statute governing cash proffers is vague. The county adopted a revised proffer policy to adhere to state code as best it could, but dealings between the county and developers remain as delicate at a porcupine mating dance.

Hunter said that residential development that fails address its fiscal impact on community facilities could create a financial burden on the county.

It seems like both sides want to deal in good faith without giving away the store. The county is very wary of approving hundreds of new homes without a clear cost/benefit analysis. Developers want to maximize profit, which makes them capitalists, not evil. The search for balance between the two remains elusive.

As described by Kim Kacani,  of HHH, Mosaic will add a new housing option for long time older Goochlanders to downsize and remain in the county. It will provide a wide range of amenities for active seniors. As no residents under the age of 19 will be permitted to live in Mosaic, it will have no impact on schools—the most expensive county service—but adding at least 500 older people  will further stress emergency medical services.

HHH retained the services of a consultant to determine Mosaic’s impact on Goochland EMS using call volume statistics supplied by the county. Perhaps a more meaningful metric is the number of hours that Goochland EMS is in a condition known as NUA (no units available), meaning that if you call 911 for EMS, no crews are available to respond.

Another issue plaguing the Mosaic case was what seems to be a “false flag” objection by adjoining property owners who contended that Mosaic must provide connectivity to main roads in West Creek and not block a conceptual interconnective road. Hunter indicated that this issue does not involve Mosaic.

Kacani said that an eight year build out if envisioned for Mosaic. It offered  a cash proffer of $1,471 per home for public safety. This is about $750 thousand over eight years (proffers are paid when certificates of occupancy are issued), roughly one and a half fully equipped ambulances at today’s prices.

Scott Gaeser presented the rezoning application for a new improved Reader’s Branch.  He contended that since Goochland began accepting cash proffers in 2000, the county has collected about $300 thousand per year, which is  approximately one half of one percent of the annual budget. He further contended that the effort put forth by developers and county staff dealing with the new proffer legislation may not be worth the effort. The supervisors have shown little interest in unwinding Goochland’s proffer policy.

The Reader’s Branch application included cash proffers of $1,585 per lot, $1,506 for public safety, $79 for parks and zero for transportation and schools. According to its development impact statement (DIS), Reader’s Branch is expected to generate 93 school-aged children. Gaeser contended that these students would not increase enrollment at any county school in excess of capacity, therefore no school proffer can  be justified. The Planning Commissioners metaphorically scratched their heads over that one.

Both applications touted the increased real estate tax revenue that will be generated by their communities as well connection fees and ad valorem tax revenues for the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.  The message implied is that the increase in real estate tax revenue will more than offset the cost of the development.

Comment on the applications was somewhat mixed. Several people support the Mosaic application, agreeing that Goochland needs a dedicated senior enclave. Others were appalled at the number on homes on small lots, contending that they will bring Short Pump to Goochland. Shelhorse contended that both proposed communities in an area designated for growth that will keep the rest of Goochland rural.

Joe Lacy, former District 3 supervisor and planning commissioner, characterized the cases as  the most significant land use decision since the creation of West Creek more than a generation ago. He contended that jamming as many houses as possible on to small lots is not what Goochland is about. Adding traffic generated by these projects, he said, will make Hockett Road a disaster. He also observed that Rt. 288 is already at a standstill around 5:30 p.m. He urged deferral until more impact information is available.

See the planning commission packet for its November 2 meeting at: http://goochlandcountyva.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx for complete details on both cases.

Mosaic will be a good addition to Goochland housing options, if it does not swamp EMS. If Reader’s Branch can find a way to build the turn lane at Hockett and Broad and help the Hickory Haven subdivision, which has been paying TCSD ad valorem tax since its inception, connect to sewer lines, it could be a win for the county. But, we still need much more data about the burden, if any, that large subdivisions will have on county facilities. Stay tuned.

Conservators of the peace

Attendees of an alumni reunion for the  25^th anniversary of the Goochland Sheriff’s Academy were treated to a tour of the county’s new emergency communications center on October 25.

Deputy Shawn Creasey, who organized the reunion, kicked off the evening with a screening of a public service announcement video created by students at Goochland High School reminding people not to leave valuables in their vehicles and to lock the doors. Larcenies from cars, when people take things from vehicles, especially those left unlocked, have increased dramatically. 

Sheriff James L. Agnew presented a brief update on activity. The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for law enforcement in Goochland. That includes traffic response; criminal apprehension; patrol; answering a wide variety of calls for service; extended investigations of serious crimes; providing court security; and transporting prisoners from Department of Corrections facilities throughout the state for court appearances.

Last year, the  H&K 45 mm firearms carried by Goochland Deputies were replaced with Sig Sauer P320s. These guns, said Agnew, are smaller, lighter, easier to shoot, and have a ten year life span.

Our deputies are now equipped with body cams. “We know our guys are doing a fantastic job, now it’s confirmed on video,” the Sheriff said. As more lawyers are requesting these videos, especially in car crash cases,  FOIA  requests have skyrocketed.

Goochland, said Agnew, to no one’s surprise, is growing. A hotel, hospital, major subdivisions, and apartments are coming to the east end of the county in the next few years. More people bring more traffic accidents and opportunities for criminal activity.  When people live in close proximity to one another, the potential for violent interaction escalates. All of these factors have an impact on service delivery.

More deputies will be needed to handle increased calls, said Agnew. Finding new people with the proper skills, and personal integrity is a challenge in Goochland as it is with other law enforcement agencies. The current social environment, contended Agnew, discourages seeking careers in law enforcement. Agnew believes it is better to have a vacant position than to hire someone lacking the necessary attributes to make a good deputy.

Agnew presented some statistics from the past few years.

Traffic is a high priority concern. The most dangerous intersection in the county by far is the Rt. 288/Broad Street Road interchange. VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops!”—has promised improvements there, but not until 2020 at the earliest. Poorly designed and overburdened roads are only part of the cause of accidents. Distracted  and drunk drivers contribute to the problem.

For patrol purposes, Goochland is divided into six beats. The northeast beat, which includes Centerville and the Broad Street Road corridor to the Henrico border, generated the lion’s share of calls during 2016. County geography, said Agnew, presents a major challenge. It is about 36 miles from Randolph Square in the county’s southeast to Shannon Hill in the northwest. Given the road network and ever increasing traffic, Agnew said is it impossible to travel the distance in 35 minutes.

Calls estimated for the last quarter of 2017

While every effort is made to have deputies in all parts of the county, when someone needs backup, officers will be diverted to help.

For more detailed information about the operation of the Sheriff’s Office, enroll in the next Citizen’s Academy, which is expected to start next year.

The group then toured the new combined Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Emergency Communications Center (ECC).

Grafted on to the back of the Sheriff's Office, the new facility will serve Goochland well for many years.

Grafted on to the back of the Sheriff’s office, this spacious state-of-the-art facility brings emergency communications in Goochland into the 21^st century. The new facility, said Agnew,  is the brainchild of  the vision of Chief Deputy Major Don Bewkes, who shepherded it from vision to reality.

Dispatch, the county’s nerve center, where phones are answered by a real person 24/7/365, is better equipped to help deputies and fire-rescue respond to emergencies than ever before.  No longer will dispatchers work their 12 hour shift in quarters so cramped they almost sat in each other’s pockets.

The new EOC/ECC has ample room for many large monitors.

Thanks to a new $10 or so million county-wide communications system mandated by the Federal Communications Commission, which includes new towers around the county, the “dead spots” where deputies, who typically patrol alone, were unable to radio for back up, are a thing of the past.

“We can hear what they’re saying, clear as a bell,” said Tammy Witt, who has more than 20 years’ experience as  a Goochland dispatcher.   Poor signals sometimes garbled transmissions between dispatch, deputies and fire-rescue providers, a cause for concern in emergences when every second matters.

Banks of computers, radios, and wall mounted monitors displaying security camera feed, give the dispatchers real time eyes on the courthouse complex, including holding cells.

Real time security camera feed gives dispatchers eyes on the courthouse complex

While Witt explained the new equipment, Dispatcher Tammy Harmon answered 911 calls. A large electronic map of Goochland helps dispatches visualize the real time locations of incidents and deputies.

 

Tammy Witt, left, explains the new equipment, while Tammy Harmon, right answers 911 and non-emergency calls,

The floor in dispatch is raised so that cables beneath may be easily accessed for repair or upgrades.  Sound absorbing  panels on the walls prevent unwanted noise. The ceiling is high enough to accommodate expansion to a second floor without raising the roof. The server room, like the rest of the new ECC/EOC has lots of room for expansion.

 

Ample room for expansion in the server room for new equipment to keep pace with demand,

In addition to dispatch, the facility includes a large conference and smaller break out rooms;  a full kitchen; shower and laundry facilities and a large generator able to provide power for several days.

When Hurricane Isabel visited Goochland in 2003, the Sheriff’s Office was used as the EOC, where representatives from many county agencies including fire-rescue, administration, schools, and social services were crammed into a small room for many hours. 

The new ECC/EOC will equip Goochland to deal with increasing demand for law enforcement and other public safety services and  challenges of the next disaster be it man made or weather related and expand to meet the needs of a growing county.