Summer doldrums

Summer doldrums

Goochland County Treasurer Pamela Cooke Johnson, who has been recuperating from injuries sustained in a fall earlier this year, visited the August 7 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

Johnson thanked the Board, and everyone else, for their kind wishes for a speedy recovery. “Pride goeth before a fall, literally,” said Johnson explaining that she was too proud to let someone else paint her home suffered the consequences. She entreated seasoned citizens who have been doing their own work all of their lives, to either let someone else perform the trickier tasks—especially those involving ladders—or at least do not do them while home alone.

Johnson also thanked Goochland Fire-Rescue for transporting her between Martha Jefferson Hospital and Health South rehabilitation center, but said that, as a Constitutional Officer, she could not accept a free ride, and handed Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay a check for $865 to be deposited into the cost recovery account.

Board Chair Ken Peterson, District 5, said that the county’s recent designation as the most taxpayer friendly in the county would not have been possible without the hard work of Johnson and her staff. He presented her with a copy of the award. Madame Treasurer, may you soon be fully healed and back at work.

Jonathan Lyle, Director of the Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District announced that a well water testing program will be held in September. Details are forthcoming. Lyle said this is a good opportunity for those who have not had their well water tested recently to find out what’s going on and make sure that there are no issues.

Lyle also alerted the supervisors to “right to farm” legislation. In some places, he explained, after farmland is rezoned for residential use and homes built, new residents complain about noise, smells, and other features of agricultural uses and file lawsuits to stop it. If Goochland is to remain rural, agriculture must be protected.

Summer interns hosted by the county were introduced.

Makaila Pryor, a rising junior at Goochland High School, assisted county administration in the Assessor’s Office, Human Resources, and Children’s Services agencies on various projects.

Elizabeth Ross, a rising third year law student at the University of Richmond, assisted the County Attorney’s Office on projects in land use and real estate. She is also a licensed attorney in Russia.

Keshawn Brooks, a rising senior at GHS and the Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School. He spent his summer in the county’s information technology department installing software as part of the computer replacement cycle.

Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay reported that, once again, the call volume increased 16.19 percent over the same period  last year.  In addition to routine calls, Fire-Rescue responded to a high profile shooting; a multiple fatality accident on Rt. 288; a fatality wreck on I-64; an extend duration tractor trailer incident ton I-64; several river related events; multiple equestrian related events resulting in severe injuries that required helicopter assist; and industrial accidents on construction sites.

Tubers ignore the warnings about lengthy float times and call for help after dark requiring fire-rescue providers to deal with river hazards. MacKay said that fire-rescue is working diligently to ensure that river excursionists are made aware of the time/distance of their trips and that they are equipped with provisions to sustain them. This is a downside to tourism. It is unclear what benefits the county derives from these excursions versus the cost of deploying emergency responders in potentially hazardous conditions.

Housekeeping matters addressed by the Board included moving funds in the school budget, which does not change the overall amounts; authorization of the county administrator to execute a contract for the next phase of parking expansion at the administration building; authorizing the county administrator to execute “on call” contracts with three construction companies: Montgomery Consulting Services, LLC, Gordon  Brothers Construction, LLC, and Sermatt Construction Services, Inc., for individual projects not to exceed $100,000. These agreements will provide expedited construction services for various projects over the next four years as the county renovates and reallocates space in its buildings. (See full contracts beginning on page 88 of the August 7 board packet available on the county website (http://goochlandva.us/)

A National Night Out event sponsored by Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Caudill on the lawn of Broadview Shopping Center in Centerville and an open house hosted by Goochland Sheriff James Agnew with tours of the new emergency operations center in the Goochland Courthouse Complex took place between 6 and 8:30 p.m. Both were well attended. Maybe next year, there could be three community events, in Centerville, Courthouse Village, and Company 6 in Hadensville to provide an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, first responders, and interact with neighbors.