Hail to the chief

The board meeting room was filled on the chilly afternoon of January 30 as people from near and far gathered to wish Goochland Fire-Rescue Chief Bill MacKay. His formal county service ends on January 31, after which he begins retirement and undergo knee surgery.

Chief MacKay (l) greets well wishers.

MacKay, a native of Long Island, came to Goochland from Niagara Falls, New York in June 2010. He spent 25 years with Fairfax County, retiring as a Battalion Chief in 2005 and responded to the Pentagon on 9/11. His career in the fire service also included certification as an instructor at the National Fire Academy; Operations Chief for the response to the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center; and emergency operations center manager for deployment to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

He led the department’s transition to a combination provider of life safety services, blending our amazing and intrepid, but dwindling, corps of fire-rescue volunteers with paid providers. Today, the Goochland Fire-Rescue Department is an all hazards organization that handles an ever-increasing demand for service.

Under MacKay’s leadership, response time standards were created. Insurance Service Office (ISO) rains were improved in parts of the county, lowering homeowners’ insurance premiums.

During his tenure, the first county owned and built fire-rescue station was completed in Hadensville. A career rank structure was put into place providing increased opportunities for leadership and responsibility.  Competitive pay for career providers to reduce turnover was also implemented. The supportive relationship between Goochland Fire-Rescue, the community, and elected officials was strengthened for the benefit of all.

District 2 Supervisor Manuel Alvarez, Jr, who is 2019 Board Chair, thanked MacKay for his service above and beyond running the department and responding to calls. “He’s attended hundreds of county meetings, including Town Hall sessions to be available to citizens,” said Alvarez. “He’s walked through the night at Relay for Life and was always available.” MacKay donned a Bat Man costume for last year’s county fall festival and impersonated a certain jolly elf in a red suit.

Alvarez also thanked Deb MacKay, the chief’s wife, for her sacrifices and all of the time—including holidays—that her husband missed to save lives and protect property.

Board Chair Alvarez thanks MacKay. In the background is a photo of the Chief and wife Deb.

MacKay said it was an honor and privilege to serve Goochland County, but after 42 years in the fire service, 39 of them as a career provider, it is time to “turn a page” and get on with the next phase of life. “I’m going to sleep for more than four hours at a time with no more 24/7 radio. It’s been a great ride and I don’t know what the future holds. I’m lucky to have had Deb at my side for more than 35 years; I’m not sure she realized what she was getting into at the beginning.”

MacKay said that Goochland Fire-Rescue will continue to build on its illustrious heritage with a bright future. He recognized Jay Cullinan, who began his fire service as a Hadensville volunteer as is now Chief of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management for Spotsylvania County. He is but one of many life safety service professionals in the region who began their careers in Goochland Fire-Rescue stations.

D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. Goochland Deputy Chief of EMS, thanked MacKay for bringing a businesslike approach to the department and addressing the human side of its function.  “He was always genuinely concerned with safety first. He was constructive, consistent, transparent and always ready to help.”

Anthony “Tony” Gordon, volunteer deputy chief thanked MacKay for everything he did for the volunteers.

Billy McGuire, President of the Goochland Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association Board of Directors said that MacKay did little things that showed he cared about every member of the department whether career or volunteer.  MacKay mentored beginners, teaching them how to make good, sound, rational decisions with limited resources. “We are a family, he’s been the glue,” said McGuire.

MacKay contended that citizens do not fully realize the dedication and commitment to community service made by Goochland Fire-Rescue. He recognized past Chief of the Department Tommy Carter, a volunteer for more than 55 years, who is still active at Courthouse Company 5 and responded to more calls than others in the past few years.

“Don’t take for granted the people who care about our safety and put their lives on the line, leaving the sanctuary of their homes and missing family holidays to save lives and protect property,” cautioned MacKay.

There is a deep and abiding goodness about people who devote their time and talents to go in harm’s way to protect the lives and property of total strangers. We meet them on the worst days of our lives and they always give us their best. Chief MacKay’s tenure in Goochland burnished a proud legacy and set a course for a bright future.  

Everything you ever wanted to know about zoning but were afraid to ask

Many hearty souls braved the frigid night of January 21 and trekked to Goochland Baptist Church for a workshop on the rezoning process. Organized by area resident Linda Moore and featuring Goochland Director of Community Development Jo Ann Hunter, the session demystified land development in the county. District 1 Supervisor Susan Lascolette and Todd Kilduff, deputy county administrator for community development and public utilities also attended.

The impetus for the meeting was a pending rezoning application for land between Manakin and Rockville roads to build a high-density residential community. This application was not addressed, just the way that land use—zoning—can be changed.

Hunter began by discussing the county’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, a broad vision for future development whose existence is mandated by state law. The Comp Plan must be reviewed at least every five years but can be revisited more often. Goochland’s Comp Plan was adopted on August 4, 2015 and revised last year to include new definitions for public facilities.

The Comp Plan is a tool used in making land use decisions. It is a broad, long-range—the current one is dated 2035—and serves as a guide on which to base land use decisions. The Comp Plan, said Hunter, provides a legal basis for land use decisions but does not regulate land use. The 2035 Goochland Comp Plan is on the count website http://goochlandva.us/ in its entirety.

Hunter recommended using the website to find information on a wide range of topics. The search box in the upper right corner will direct the user to the proper page. Hunter also suggested registering for notifications by clicking on the orange gear shape near the top of the page and scrolling down to “notify me” to receive notice of a wide range of county related information. The calendar on the county homepage lists upcoming meetings of board and commissions as well as community meetings for proposed zoning changes throughout the county. Yellow signs at the side of the road indicate proposed zoning actions. Go to http://goochlandva.us/833/Zoning-Signs for a map showing sign locations. Click on the yellow symbol for information about the application, including the time of upcoming meetings.

Goochland’s land use plan is based on a village concept to direct more intense residential into the eastern designated growth area and Centerville—served by the Tuckahoe Creek Service District—as well as Courthouse Village to keep 85 percent of the county rural. Courthouse Village has limited utility capacity but is also considered a logical location for residential growth.

The purpose of zoning, Hunter explained, is to protect the rights of property owners while promoting the general welfare of the community. It also ensures appropriate locations for certain functions. For instance, you would not want to build a cement plant next to an elementary school or residential neighborhood. All landowners have the right to request a change of zoning— ways they can use their property—but there is no guarantee that request will be granted, she said. Finding balance between community welfare and he property rights of landowners is a tricky undertaking.

Rezoning is a somewhat lengthy, complex, public process that, especially in Goochland County, includes several opportunities for citizens to offer feedback on the proposed change. These include at least one community meeting where the applicant, typically a landowner and or developer presents a proposal. While members of the county planning staff, planning commission, or board of supervisors may attend, the meeting belongs to the applicant.

The Planning Commission is charged with evaluating applications for zoning implications only and making recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, who look at the boarder impacts of the application and have the final say whether to grant or deny the request. Some applications, said Hunter, meet so much opposition at the community meeting or planning commission stage that they are withdrawn. If rejected by the supervisors an application may not be resubmitted for one year, at which time the process begins anew.

It should be made clear at the outset that the county does not rezone land for residential use. This happens only when a property owner, often in connection with a developer, initiates the action. Several people at the meeting seemed to believe that the county decides when and where homes should be built. This is not the case.

Another myth debunked is that the county wants more homes built to collect more taxes. Andy Donnelly, a former member of the Goochland Economic Development Authority, pointed out that the county’s annual per pupil expenditure—funding public schools consumes approximately half of yearly county real estate tax revenues—far exceeds the annual property tax generated by a say $400,000 home. Commercial development on the other hand, increases revenues and makes no demands on the schools.

Cash proffers, “voluntary” payments by developers to partially offset capital cost increases created by new homes do not generate significant funds to build new schools, fire-rescue stations, or parks either. To deal with unintended consequences of a hastily passed and poorly crafted law in the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly, Goochland created a capital impact model (CIM)based on a 25-year capital improvement plan. The CIM is used to calculate, on a case by case basis, appropriate cash proffers. This too is on the county website and well worth a look.

In Goochland, said Hunter, there are nine residential zoning categories ranging from R-R rural residential, with a minimum five-acre lot size to MPUD, mixed use planned unit development, that has no minimum lot size, and several in between. Currently, there is no property zoned MPUD, which can be used only in the Centerville Village. Zoning ordinances are also online at www.municode.com and list all uses and requirements for each.

The MPUD district was created to accommodate higher residential density in conjunction with commercial uses. RPUD residential planned unit development and MPUD must be served by public utilities, have open space and may be used only in the Centerville core between Ashland and Manakin Roads. An MPUD project behind Essex Bank could be in process. Hunter said that, as envisioned in Goochland, MPUD would be something like “West Broad Village light” with lower density. Use of RPUD and MPUD requires submission of a highly detailed master plan at the outset to show land use, density, landscaping, common areas and other features.

To change zoning, a landowner holds a pre-application meeting with county staff to explain the proposal. Staff reviews the request for consistency with the Comp Plan and assesses any discrepancies. Filing a pre-application sets the process in motion and makes it available to the public.

After the community meeting, the applicant must file a formal zoning application, whose deadlines are the first Wednesday of each month.  The minimum time for approval from filing to approval by the Board of Supervisors is 60 days.

Public hearings before both the planning commission and supervisors are similar in format. Staff presents the application, which includes an analysis of the request including maps and pertinent facts, but no recommendation. The applicant states its case for approval. Citizens then have a one-time opportunity to comment on the case, and the applicant gets time for rebuttal if needed.

The Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors discuss the case, and, at some point, motions are made. The final say on the rezoning is made by the supervisors who may or may not follow the recommendation of the planning commission.

Citizens do not need to wait until the public hearings to express opinions about proposed land use changes. They may contact county staff, member of the planning commission, or supervisors at any time by phone, email, or letter.

Hunter and Kilduff explained that the TCSD is not expected to grow beyond its current boundaries (See FAQs under the transparency tab on the county website for complete information and a map) or extend to Oilville. Courthouse Village utilities are supplied through agreements with the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Thanks to Jo Ann Hunter for taking the time to help citizens understand how land use decisions are made in Goochland.

If it ever stops raining

It’s official, 2018 was the wettest since the late 19^th century for this part of the world. The widespread dampness caused all sorts of aggravation from grass growing faster than it could be cut, tiny streams morphing into dangerous torrents, and seas of mud mocking construction schedules.

At its January 2 meeting, the Goochland Board of Supervisors received a report on county construction projects from Derek Stamey, Deputy County Administrator for Operations. He said that every county construction project has been negatively impacted by the wet weather.

Work on the new animal shelter, just off of Fairground Road near the central convenience center, is finally under roof but is only 62 percent complete, which, according to Stamey, makes it 71 days behind schedule.

The new animal shelter is under roof but well behind schedule.

"I’m not going to sugar coat this project at all,” Stamey told the supervisors. “Liquidated damages are currently being implemented on the general contractor. We have been in contact with the surety company and are meeting weekly with the general contractor to expedite this.”  (Liquidated damages are a sum of money specified in a construction contract that one party can recover if the other party breaches part of the contract.)

Ground was broken for the new animal shelter in the summer of 2017, with the expectation that it would be open for business in fall, 2018; completion is now hoped for May 2019, according to Stamey.  In the meantime, the animal shelter operates out of space at the Central High School Cultural and Educational Complex.

Phase 2 of the expansion of parking at the county administration building has also been mired, literally, in mud since it began. In addition to supplying 25 more parking spaces at the administration complex, the building which housed the extension office will be renovated for use by the General Registrar with a handicapped accessible entrance. The Extension Office will relocate to new quarters, almost complete, at the Central High School Cultural and Educational Complex.  Stamey contended that, while it seems nothing is going on at the parking site, required storm water management is underground and it’s hard to move mud. Stamey said that 40 percent of the days since this project began have been wet. The county is working with the contractor for a spring 2019 completion.

Muddy conditions hamper construction for new parking.

The vacated registrar’s office and the entire “522” wing of the admin building will be reworked to expand offices of the Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue. Stamey hopes this work will be under contract by summer and completed by fall but cannot start until the registrar is moved.

On a more positive note, Medicaid expansion required additional space for Social Services, which was accomplished by converting a storage closet to an office. Renovations for the Assessor and Information Technology departments in the administration building have been completed.

No, that’s not a catering tent outside the front door of the Circuit Courthouse, it is a temporary security screening area. A more permanent 1300 square foot structure, compliant with the Americans for Disability Act access, is out for bid. Stamey expects that it will be completed between August and October of 2019.

Paving of the parking lot at the Central High School Educational and Cultural Center was also delayed by rain and further complicated by the November onset of cold weather, which closed local asphalt plants early. Lighting and other touches to the outside of that building will be completed as soon as humanly possible, Stamey said.

Leake’s Mill Park is now complete. The volunteer mountain bike group, whose work created, at no cost to the county, nine miles of trails and expects to complete a few minor projects soon, if it ever stops raining. County Administrator John. Budesky said that Goochland is becoming a regional destination for this sport thanks to the Mountain Bike Team and school partners. Board chair Manuel Alverez, District 2, commended the volunteers who built the Leake’s Mill Park enhancements and opined that this makes Goochland great location for a bike store.

Thanks to volunteers and the Mountain Bike team, Leake's Mill Park, this is a common sight there.

A bridge to connect both parts of Tucker Park below the 522 bridge has been designed and will be put out to bid in the spring. Construction is expected to take between three and four months.

County dog parks are still in the discussion stage Stamey said that volunteer groups like Pet Lovers will be engaged.

 The East End trail initiative to create recreational opportunities along county utility rights of way and obtain easements from adjacent property owners is underway. A two hundred-thousand-dollar grant with a 20 percent local match was awarded to the county by VDOT for leg 1, which runs from the HCA West Creek facility and meanders in the general direction of Rt.6. It will connect multiple sites including HCA, the Bristol apartments, and Hardywood Park brewery. This is still in the early stages with the County Attorney’s Office engaged in the details.

Improvements to the Hidden Rock Park fields are ongoing with support from GYAA, including approximately $30,000 from community sources, to cover and light the batting cages. Stamey said these improvements will make that park one of a few in the region with those amenities. In 2019 and 2020, Goochland will host the regional and state championships. The county does provide some support these tournaments. Note to Economic development, this is a great opportunity to engage local businesses, which, in turn, could increase sales.

The Centerville streetscape will be expanded with additional grant-funded trees. The Oilville Park and Ride is working its way through design and easement issues.

New gateway signs to replace the dreadful brown markers of yore are also in the works. An architectural firm has been retained to develop concepts, which will be presented for citizen feedback. The design costs are about $20k out of the $150K budgeted for the project. The ultimate design will be something that the county can easily replicate for installation at other locations around the county. Stamey said that the county will build as many signs as possible with the reminder of the funds appropriated. Sign locations will be prioritized.

Matthews Park, said Stamey, is having a higher rate of visitation than anticipated. A volunteer group headed by Calvin Hopkins provides clean-up.

Other ongoing projects include upgrade of HVAC units, which should produce greater efficiency and ongoing cost savings from fewer repairs, but exact metrics are not yet available.

The year 2019 begins

Goochland supervisors began 2019 by electing a new board chair and vice chair at their January 3 meeting. Manuel Alvarez, Jr., District 2 and Susan Lascolette, District 1, were chosen respectively to fill those spots. As is also the custom of this board, it adopted a code of ethics and standards of behavior. There were a few changes to include the actual procedure used to deal with a complaint brought against Alvarez last fall.

Susan Lascolette and Manuel Alvarez, Jr. will lead Goochland County in 2019

County Attorney Tara McGee explained that the suggested changes clarify procedures to deal with complaints about members of the governing board. Going forward, complaints against sitting supervisors must come from Goochland citizens. “You serve the citizens,” McGee told the supervisors, “and it to them that you owe the highest state of behavior.”

The county attorney will review all complaints to determine if they violate policies. If so, the allegations will move to the Board of Supervisors for review; if not the county attorney can end the issue.

County Administrator John Budesky said that budget season for FY2020, which begins on July 1, is in full swing. He will present his recommended budget to the supervisors on Tuesday, February 19 at 3 p.m. The final FY 2020 budget will be adopted and tax rates for calendar 2019 will be set by the supervisors on Tuesday, April 16. In the interim, there will be a number of departmental presentations, budget workshops, and district town hall meetings to share information and gather feedback about spending for the next fiscal year. Budesky said that the more citizens are engaged the more spending policies reflect the will of the citizens.

Once again, the county has garnered accolades for fiscal reporting. The latest is the Distinguished Budget Award for the 2019 budget from the Government Finance Officers Association. Although this has become a regular occurrence, the importance of excellence and transparency in fiscal matters should not be taken lightly. This is a reflection of good stewardship of public funds, the most important task of government at any level. Those steps above Goochland should take note. (Next time you’re in the admin building, take a look at the awards the county has received. They are in display cases near the board meeting room.)

A public hearing is set for February 5 for a proposed ordinance to authorize the school division to install and operate a video monitoring system on school buses. This will capture images of vehicles passing buses when the stop arm is lowered and authorize imposition of a $250 civil fine. The purpose is not to raise revenue, but to provide a deterrent to this dangerous behavior. The need for this ordinance is troubling. Why are some people in such a hurry that they disregard the safety of children?

The supervisors did accede to the recommendation of the general registrar and electoral board to revise the boundary of voting precinct sin District 4 to better accommodate existing voters and prepare for new residents expected to arrive between now and May 15, 2021, when precincts will be adjusted to reflect the results of the 2020 census. Ryan Mulligan, Goochland Director of Elections, said that new voter registration cards will be mailed to all affected by the change well in advance of this year’s elections.

Voters in District 4 may have a new polling place following precinct boundary adjustments.

Authority was granted to Budesky to execute an interjurisdictional pretreatment agreement between Goochland County and the City of Richmond concerning wastewater. Sewage generated in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District goes to Richmond for treatment. See the board packet for details.

An ordinance amendment requiring conditional use permits for public assembly in excess of 1501 people in industrial zoned M-1 and served by public water and sewer—West Creek and the Rockville Commerce Center on Ashland Road—to address the impact that large crowds might have on the community was passed unanimously.

The impetus for this ordinance change was interest expressed in moving the Innsbrook After Hours concert series to a site in West Creek near the Strikers soccer facility. Larry Creeger, a principal in Event Makers, which sponsors the concerts, said that he looks forward to bringing central Virginia’s largest concert venue to Goochland in 2020. See
https://richmondbizsense.com/2019/01/04/innsbrook-hours-ponders-move-west-creek/ for an excellent report in Richmond Bizsense.

Creeger said that he understands that his organization must go through the CUP process, which requires a community meeting and public hearings before the planning commission and supervisors, in order to complete the move.

There are a number of rezoning actions that may soon begin “the process,” which starts with community meetings. These are announced well in advance on the homepage of the county website http://goochlandva.us/. Bookmark this page and check often to keep informed.

The supervisors approved a new handbook for county employees to provide a uniform system of personnel administration. The latest update helps to ensure consistency in procedures, incorporate best practices, and clarify ambiguous language in previous versions.

New this year is a provision to allow up to eight hours of paid leave for employees to engage in volunteer activities with eligible non-profit organizations in Goochland County. There was some discussion about this. Lascolette opposed the concept of paying people not to do their jobs. Others wondered if four hours might be preferable. Ken Peterson, District t5 contended that as the work of many local non-profits “relieve the load” on county services, there is a return on investment. The board voted unanimously to approve the eight our leave, subject to approval by department head. This will be looked at next year to see how well it worked.

The meeting agenda did not include an update on valuation from County Assessor Mary Ann Davis. Property assessment notices for 2019 will be mailed on January 15. Landowners may apply for review from January 15 to February 15. Go to http://goochlandva.us/318/Real-Estate-Assessments for details.

Invitations and a caution

Opportunities for citizen engagement and housekeeping

The following opportunities for citizen engagement were announced at the January 3 Goochland Board of Supervisors’ meeting:

District 3 School Board member Karen Horne invited citizens and employees of Goochland Public Schools to review textbooks and other instructional material dealing with four core subject areas. The material will be available on the lower level of the school administration building located behind the courthouse and Sheriff’s Office from 8 to 4:30 Monday through Friday between January 7 and 18.

Linda Moore invited everyone to a workshop about understanding the zoning process on January 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Goochland Baptist Church, 2454 Manakin Road. JoAnn Hunter, Goochland Director of Community Development will discuss land use topics including: the steps in the rezoning process; different zoning districts; how being in the Tuckahoe Creek Service District can affect land use; Chapter 2 of the county’s 2035 comprehensive land use plan; the Centerville Village; and how to access information about zoning applications on the county website. As Goochland will be in the cross hairs of growth for the foreseeable future, this will be a useful meeting.

Mike Caudill, Goochland Commonwealth’s Attorney issued an invitation to “Hidden in Plain Sight: Drug Awareness, Rural Trends, and Stories from our community” sponsored by the Rural Substance Abuse Awareness Coalition. This is an interactive awareness event for parents, care takers, educators, and youth workers to take a closer look at current drug trends, it will also offer strategies for starting “the conversation” with teenagers.

The event will also present “Hidden in Plain Sight,” an exhibit that explores how dangerous substances can be disguised as harmless items. This will be held at the Central High School Cultural and Educational Center on Dogtown Road from 10-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30. Coffee, donuts and lunch will be provided, but you must register at https://eventbritehiddeninplainsightrsacc.eventbrite.com.

Now some housekeeping matters to address what seem to be misunderstandings.

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Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Happy New Year!