Sorry this is a bit late—lots of other things going on.
Interns- Goochland supervisors recognized this year’s
summer interns—rising seniors Makaila Pryor, Demond Morris, and Jack Williamson
from Goochland High School, and Wesley Morgan, from the University of Richmond
Law School. They all had the opportunity to get a look “under the hood” of
local government. Pryor and Morris assisted and shadowed a variety of county
functions. Williamson, whose specialty is information technology, worked in
that area. Morgan, who plans to practice real estate law, undoubtedly gained
important insight, and perhaps a new perspective, about the workings of local
government, especially in the area of land use. He was an active part of the
team that found legal foundation for clarifying the county boundary between
Goochland and Louisa. We have not heard
the last of these talented young people and wish them the very best wherever
life’s journey takes them.
VDOT- Marshall Winn, Administrator of the Ashland VDOT Residency, which
includes Goochland, reported that the deck resurfacing of the Maidens Road
bridge is underway. He said that the hoped-for date of completion is October
31. A $600 per day incentive, with a maximum of 30 days, is in place to speed
completion. Go to https://youtu.be/arbUgSSkMd8
for a look at the bridge construction. Thanks to Doug Kinney of Legacy Video
for sharing.
Advertisement for the long-awaited improvements to the
treacherous Broad Street Road/Rt. 288 interchange is scheduled for October, not
nearly soon enough. Construction is expected to start sometime in the new year.
This deadly malfunction junction, another masterpiece of wretched design from
VDOT—the state agency whose motto is “Oops”—has been a disaster since it opened.
The blame for this mess lies with VDOT. The sheriff declared this the most
dangerous intersection in Goochland years ago. As the county does not “do”
roads, the supervisors begged VDOT—their only recourse—to fix the mess and make
the area safer. The project was approved and funded, a few years ago, while people
continue to be injured and die there waiting for construction to begin.
A public hearing on the Fairground Road extension to Route 6
will take place on September 12 from 5-7 p.m. in the county administration
building. The roundabout at the Fairground/Sandy Hook Roads intersection has
been approved with construction expected sometime in 2022.
Contracts- The supervisors authorized County
Administrator John Budesky to execute a contract with Berry Dunn McNeil &
Parker, LLC for transitional project management services for Phase 2 which
includes the Human Resources and Payroll modules of the Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) System, for up to $99,433. This is the multi-year project to
update county electronic systems.
The Board set public hearings for leasing space on the
Centerville water tower to New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC (AT&T) to accommodate antennas and
equipment; and a lease agreement between the County and Central Virginia
Blacksmith Guild (CVBG) for space at the Central High School Cultural and
Education Center.
Budesky was authorized to execute an agreement license
agreement for a Community Garden at the Central High Cultural and Educational
Complex. The agreement outlines the establishment of a community gardens
concept to be located at Central High and operated by The Shrine of the Black
Madonna Sanctuary.
Details about these agenda items are in the agenda packet
available on the county website http://www.goochlandva.us/
under the supervisors’ tab.
Year End Results-Director of Finance Barbara
Horlacher presented the preliminary year end results for FY 2019, which ended
on June 30. The supervisors approved assigned uses and appropriated funds
including $50,000 for an updated inclusive Broadband study; $490,000 for
Fire-Rescue self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and tanker replacement;
$500,000 for space study and renovations; $20,000 for IT replacement cycle; and
$60,000 transfer to special welfare for foster care expenses.
Broadband funds, set aside in 2016, will be used for a
comprehensive deployment plan and gap analysis, to craft a strategy to attract
private providers in underserved parts of the county. Additional details about
this will be presented later in the year, Budesky said.
Public hearings-
The supervisors approved renewal of a conditional use permit
for storage of recycled asphalt chips and gravel at 2100 Quarry Hill Road filed
by Quarry Hill Estate, LC, where Lee Hy Paving has been in operation for years.
When this item was before the planning commission earlier this year, Henrico
residents, who bought homes close to site, complained about noise and lighting
at the facility. To his credit, the owner of the Quarry Hill property agreed to
mitigate noise and lighting as much as possible, even those the land has been zoned
industrial for many years.
River Road Property, LLC was granted a rezoning from B-1,
business general with proffer, from B-2 to allow a church and office use at
3009 River Road West, the original Bank of Goochland Building that has been
vacant for years. No mention if the site is exempt from property tax if
considered a place of worship.
An ordinance amendment to remove the requirement to publish
request for proposals (RFP) in a local newspaper but to post them on the
Virginia Department of General Services’ central electronic website. County
Attorney Tara McGee explained that the county has been following this practice
for years; the amendment brings county law into sync with state code.
An ordinance amendment to add sections 7-81 through 7-87
regarding regulating weeds and garbage was deferred until the board’s October
meeting. These sections were inadvertently removed during an earlier adoption
of an ordinance rewrite. The proposed ordinance sections provided a mechanism
for the county to deal with high grass, weeds and excess garbage that might
pose a threat to health safety and welfare on land in platted subdivisions or for
commercial use. The county could fine the property owner for failure to
maintain the site or, if the property owner is unknown, perform the clean-up
and vegetation cutting placing a lien for the cost of these actions against the
property.
Board Vice Chair Susan Lascolette, District 1, vehemently
opposed the amendment when it was first introduced and declined to support it
this time around. Ken Peterson, District 5 pointed out that all property is not
equal, and that high grass and refuse could detract from property values in
other parts of the county. The former Alley’s Motel site on the south side of
Broad Street Road just east of Ashland road, could be a case in point. Until
very recently, it gave new meaning to the term eyesore, especially as it sits
in a prominent place in the Broad Street Road corridor. The overgrown vegetation
there was cut back without a local law regulating weeds and garbage.
Board Chair Manuel Alvarez, Jr., District 2 asked if the ordinance
has ever been enforced? McGee explained that the enforcement officer discovered
that the ordinance was missing. Notices, she said, have been sent. He asked how the county manages this in areas
not developed.
McGee said that the ordinance is complaint driven, grass and
weeds must be more than 12 inches tall. If a complaint is made, a notice is
sent to the property owners who has the responsibility to bring it into compliance.
Budesky said that most people have complied at the notice level.
Alvarez said he is seeking the opportunity to correct and error
he made voting for it the first time. Garbage, he said, is a health issue, but
high grass not as troubling.
Lascolette said that, as previously adopted, regulation of
weeds was added to garbage. She said she is steadfastly against regulation of grass
and weeds, leaving the garbage language in place.
McGee asked for leave to clear up the proposed language. Bob
Minnick, District 4, said there have been several complaints in RPUD areas, and
he opposed eliminating the process in residential neighborhoods where owners of
undeveloped properly plotted lots have the responsibility to prevent overgrown conditions
and police unsightly areas.
John Lumpkins, District 3, said that he has received complaints
about overgrown property in Courthouse Village. He said that he does not believe
that asking people to keep their grass at less than 12 inches is an unfair burden.
Ken Peterson said that, as written the proposed ordinance is
too broad and leaves the door open for unintended consequences in both rural
and developed area. He would like to see something to address both situations.
McGee said that there are two distinct areas of state law
addressing the matter under different conditions.
The board voted to defer a decision to its October meeting to
allow McGee to redraft the proposed ordinance with greater detail and clarification.
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