Into fall

Goochland supervisors began their September 4 meeting celebrating the people who make local government run—county employees. Following a luncheon honoring employees marking five year increment service anniversaries, those able to attend the afternoon Board session were recognized. Director of Human Resources Kelly Parrish made the introductions of 35 employees, with a combined service to Goochland of more than 325 years.  The list included recent retirees, Myrtis Quarles, who served in the Finance Department for 30 years and Robin Ellis, who retired from the Assessor’s Office after 25 years with the county.

County administrator John Budesky added his congratulations and thanks. “Goochland receives awards and recognitions for excellence in many areas,” he said. “This would not be possible without the daily support of our people, who work well together to provide quality service to our citizens. I am grateful to everyone for their commitment.”

The supervisors then approved a resolution marking the 30^th anniversary of golf legend Arnold Palmer’s last major tournament victory, The Crestar Classic, at Hermitage Country Club in 1988. On September 20, Hermitage plans to dedicate a plaque commemorating this event. Bob Minnick, District 4, said that Hermitage Country Club is one of the county’s major employers and provides much support to the community.

September 11 remembrance services will be held at Courthouse Company 5 fire-rescue station at 9:45 a.m. and Manakin Company 1 Fire-Rescue station at 7 p.m. All are welcome.

A rabies clinic will be held at the corner of Fairground and Sandy Hook Roads on Sunday, October 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. A fee of $10 per animal will be charged.

The traffic signal at the intersection of Route 6  and West Creek Parkway by Hope Church is under construction. Marshall Winn, VDOT Ashland Residency Director said that once complete, the signal will flash for 30 days before going “live”. He expects some tweaking of signal intervals to best handle traffic there.

Mark your calendars; the next round of Town Hall meetings will take place in October as follows: Districts 4 and 5, Wednesday, October 3 at Hermitage Country Club; District 1 Tuesday, October 23 at the Hadensville Company 6 fire-rescue station; and Districts 2 and 3 at the Central High School Cultural and Educational Complex on Monday, October 29. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. Each  gathering will feature an update on county wide issues with time for questions and discussion about district specific concerns. Supervisors, school board members and county staff will be available to engage with citizens. This is a great opportunity to find out what’s going on in county government and engage with elected and appointed officials

Director of Finance Barbara Horlacher presented a preliminary look at the results of fiscal year 2018, which ended on June 30. Thanks to greater than anticipated collection of personal property and bank stock taxes, actual revenues are expected to exceed budgeted revenues by $4.8 million. Expenditures came in less than budgeted by approximately $1.446 million, for  preliminary excess of  approximately $6.2 million. Horlacher said that these amounts have not been audited. Estimated fund balance for the year end is $35.989 million.

Amounts assigned from the excess funds include: $100,000 for a Tucker Park Bridge; $40,000 for Route 6 sidewalks; $450,000 for Courthouse security building; $20,000 for the Oilville park and ride; $200,000 for additional space study and renovations; $100,000 for emergency medical dispatch software. (For the complete report, see page 219 of the September 4 Board packet available on the county website http://goochlandva.us/) This money must be formally appropriated by the supervisors before being spent.

Goochland Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeremy Raley celebrated the success of “our elite school division”, whose classes began on August 20. “Relationships matter,” said Raley. “The time and resources you( the supervisors) share with us play a major role in our mission to maximize the potential of every learner.”

Raley said that Goochland Schools were rated the number one school division in the region by Niche.com.; the 8^th best for special education (up from 10^th last year); the 6^th safest, among other distinctions.

Raley said that the “portrait of a Goochland Graduate” includes imparting our students with skills and values above and beyond academic material  that are transferable to college, the military, or the world of work for successful living after school. These include “soft skills” of communication, respect for others, and  teamwork. (Visit http://goochlandschools.org/ for details about this initiative and the impressive accolades earned by Goochland Schools. The schools website is a great place to see how your tax dollars are spent to equip each student with the tools they need to grab their piece of the American dream.)

Todd Kilduff, Deputy County Administrator for Community and Economic Development presented an update on his departments. To no one’s surprise, Kilduff reported that growth has come to Goochland, especially in the east end.  He presented statistics illustrating that Goochland had one of the highest percentage growth rates in the region burgeoning from a population of 14,163 in 1990 to a 2016 estimated population of 22,312, a 58 percent increase. However,  adding 9,149 people to a county whose land mass is slightly larger than that of Henrico County, whose population is more than 300,000, is still not a lot of people.

Keeping pace with necessary permitting and inspections for new buildings and as well as maintaining the county’s public utility system, which, Kilduff said, has 1,700 meters is keeping staff very busy. New commercial and residential customers are being added to the Tuckahoe Creek Service District as a result of east end growth. This will make the system work better and stabilize debt service funding. Agreements between the county and Virginia Department of Corrections will enable modest expansion of pubic utilities in the Courthouse Village area.

On September 11,the annual legislative luncheon, where our delegation to the Virginia General Assembly meets with county officials to discuss possible legislation and other issues on the state level that may impact Goochland, will be held at the Central High School Complex beginning at noon. It is open to the public. Our GA representatives are: Del. Lee Ware, 65^th District; Del. John McGuire, 55^th District: and 22^nd District Senator Mark Peake.