Road show

The latest round of Goochland’s district town hall meetings ended on March 28 with a combined session for Districts 2 and 3 at the Central High School complex on Dogtown Road.

Manuel Alvarez, Jr. District 2 began the meeting by explaining how the board of supervisors’ vacancy created by the March 10 passing of incumbent District 3 supervisor Ned Creasey will be filled. A special election will be held on November 6 to fill the seat for the remainder of the current term. In the meantime, an interim appointment will be made by the board.

The following notice about the interim appointment is posted on the county website:

http://www.goochlandva.us/formcenter/boards-and-commissions-13/boards-and-commissions-application-56  

All individuals seeking consideration are invited to submit their application by 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 2, 2018. Applicants must live in District 3.

In addition to the written application, candidates may express their interest by addressing the Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday, April 3, 2018 meeting, at either the 3:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. session. That meeting will be held at the County Administration Building, 1800 Sandy Hook Road, Goochland, VA in Board Meeting Room 250. Candidates are not required to address the Board in order to be eligible for consideration.

The interim appointment, explained Alvarez,  could be made on April 17, but must be made by April 24.

Moving on, Alvarez recalled that his first town hall meeting about six years ago, was held also held at Central High School, which  had been vacant since May 2007. The strong odor of mold  ended the meeting early. Alvarez explained that the renovations cost less than razing the structure.

County Administrator John Budesky gave a condensed update on the proposed count budget for fiscal year 2019, which begins on July 1. He said that although the proposed budget includes an increase in public safety funding, it was unable to address requests for additional deputies and fire-rescue employees that will be added in future years.

Budesky declared that there is no truth to the rumor that the county is trying to prevent expansion of broadband coverage. That, he said, could not be further from the truth. He reported that the county had received an unsolicited proposal to deploy broadband in underserved parts of the county late last year. He expressed hope that additional proposals will follow and expects to be able to share more information by summer.

He also said that the proposed budget contains the first money for a fire-rescue station in District 2.

Sekou Shabaka asked why county staff is not more diverse. Budesky said that the county is “agnostic” in its hiring practices and wants the widest possible pool of qualified applicants.  To that end, he said, the county is reaching out to churches and colleges.

A concern about the lack of  affordable housing was raised. Budesky said that the county is not in the housing business and that, given the high cost of land in the county, developers build more expensive homes. He characterized the issue as “push pull” because neighbors don’t want higher density options that could lower housing prices.

School Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Raley began his remarks with a short video highlighting the accomplishment of our school division. Education is not a burden on a county that sees it an investment in the future, he said.

He announced that the proposed school budget contains significant funding for security improvements. A strong collaboration among the schools, Sheriff’s Office, and Fire-Rescue is an important component of school safety. Arming teachers is not a part of “the conversation” about enhanced security measures, Raley said.

In 2022 Goochland Elementary School will be replaced. Its site has not yet been chosen, but it is expected to be in the same general vicinity as the existing building.

“Student voices are important to me,” said Raley who has listening sessions with students at all schools. He believes that good policy decisions can come from student input.

Raley promised to look into a comment from a parent that the schools rely too much on technology. Finding a balance is important, he said.

Goochland Sheriff James L. Agnew said that there is a lot going on in Goochland. More people moving into closer proximity tends to generate conflict, which requires the presence of a deputy to sort things out.

Goochland Sheriff Jim Agnew discusses call volume.

It is 33.4 miles from the northwest to southeast corners of the county and more cars on the road makes the trip take longer and generates more accidents. The highest number of calls come from the northeast quadrant of the county, generally the Centerville area.

The incidence of calls from people threatening suicide is also rising. All deputies ow receive  crisis intervention training to deal with these situations.

Crime is still an issue. Agnew reported that a man was arrested on a charge of attempted murder that morning at the Goochland library. The investigation into the August 31, 2017 murder of a man near Sandy Hook continues. Agnew explained that building a strong case leading to a conviction takes time.  Increasing the felony threshold from $200 to $500 could raise the incidence of car thefts. Agnew also said that emergency medical dispatch, which provides over the phone help on 911 calls until a ambulance arrives, should be in place by the end of the year. This is made possible by three new dispatch positions in the proposed budget,

A citizen thanked Agnew for the incredible job his deputies do every day.

District 2 Planning Commissioner Matt Brewer remarked that he was last in the building for a hunter safety class taught by then game warden, Jim Agnew. He also said that the nearly seven miles of mountain bike trails at Leake’s Mill Park, built entirely by volunteers, are like nothing else in the area.