Big ticket items

The county budget process is  never-ending. The supervisors adopt a county-wide budget for the next fiscal year in April and approve tax rates for the calendar year. Budgets are best estimates of expenditures and assumptions that conditions will not change during the fiscal year. Accurate prediction is an oxymoron, but the goal is to get as close to a moving target as possible.

Goochland is a relatively small county, but its budget is still complicated. (To see the FY 2020 budget on the county website go to  http://www.goochlandva.us/ and click on the budget and capital improvement program on the left.) It is comprised of an operating budget and a capital improvement plan.

On Wednesday, January 22, the supervisors and school board held a joint work session focused on the capital improvement plan. There were five new faces at the table, three new school board members: Sandra Barefoot-Reid, District 1; William Quarles, Jr. District 2, and Mike Newman, District 4; and two new supervisors, Neil Spoonhower, District 2 and Don Sharpe, District 4.

New boards discuss CIP

County Administrator John Budesky began the session with background information. The capital improvement plan, he explained, is a strategy to fund items with a useful life of generally more than five years whose cost typically exceeds $50k.

While the school division adopts its own CIP, said Budesky, the supervisors are charged with balancing the collective needs with available revenue, and debt capacity based on the real estate tax rate, which is currently 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

He explained that that, two years ago, using growth projections, the county and schools developed a  25 year CIP—something unheard of most jurisdictions look out only five years—that included schools, fire-rescue stations, a courthouse, and major improvements to existing facilities like cyclical replacement of HVAC and computer systems.  This revealed, to no one’s surprise, that the county’s cliff of needs” was falling behind the five-year CIP.

“This is a plan. Things change, priorities can be different,” said Budesky. Some of the amounts are placeholders, not locked in stone, to plan long term. Some projects can be moved forward into the five-year window, some must be pushed out. This helps to address the impact of new “rooftops” on county services. “My hope is that we can have a robust decision to set in motion criticality on this for the next five years.”

Right now, there are significant challenges. For instance, our three elementary schools were built 50 years ago and need replacing. Going forward, Budesky, the county tries to “smooth “out major funding challenges by not buying everything at once.

The county said Budesky is cautious about incurring debt and pays cash whenever possible. “We do a great job of cash funding our ongoing needs.” Going forward however, greater needs make that difficult if not impossible. The CIP is the recommendation of the staffs of the county and school division. Both boards set policy. There will be lots of discussion about the CIP and operating budgets in the coming months.

Budesky contended that the county’s ability to deliver major construction projects successfully to the community, even if money is no issue, must be considered. Project management, including procurement process, and project oversight should not be underestimated as part of a capital improvement plan.

On February 18, Budesky will present his recommended budget for FY21, which will include changes from the FY20 five-year CIP. He said that there needs to be a robust discussion about important projects not included in the five-year CIP window and what steps may be necessary to address them.

A new Goochland Elementary School and a new circuit court house are at the top of the facilities list. Details will be forth coming and available online in a few weeks, including the justification for the priority.

Construction of a new courthouse, estimated to cost in the range of $25 million, has been pushed beyond the five-year plan. Budesky suggested that a phased approach to replace the courthouse could move the project forward with a “more digestible” funding schedule.

Public safety needs are the top priority on the county side, said Budesky. A new $1.4 million ladder truck for the eastern end of the county has been moved into FY21 while the West Creek public safety facility has been pushed out beyond FY25.  Manakin Company 1 can accommodate the new ladder truck, and existing stations can be “upstaffed” to provide additional service in the rapidly growing east end, contended Budesky.

A new ladder truck to complement Ladder 5 (pictured)  is part of FY21 CIP.

Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr., said that his agency has been successful obtaining grant funds to replace ambulances, which have quarter million-dollar price tags, but competition for that money is robust. The average mileage for Goochland ambulances is 122,000. Currently, three ambulances are “in the shop” for maintenance. Ferguson reported that a grant application for devices to remove diesel exhaust, a known carcinogen, from fire-rescue stations was not successful.

Budesky said that conservative budgeting practices have served the county well, but things could change if the economy dips. A slide of debt illustrated pay down of current debt before incurring new debt, which keeps indebtedness relatively stable. The “red line” on the chart is the goal.

Chart of county debt. The goal is not to exceed to red line.

The new Goochland Elementary School is the highest priority, said Budesky. Changes in the construction market will increase costs. Last year the new GES, with an increased capacity of 650, was estimated to cost north of $36 million and its accompanying road projects more than $4 million. Since last year, that projection increased to approximately $6 million.

The new GES will be built on this site on  Bulldog Way.

School Superintendent Jeremy Raley said he is thankful for the county’s transparent collaborative approach to the budget process. The new GES is the focus of the school division and a legacy project for the community.  Other projects related to the ongoing needs of the school division, “including those yellow school buses that transport precious cargo,” also need funding. These are high dollar “ordinary” costs for roof, HVAC systems and other items to create a safe and comfortable learning environment.

Raley said that the secondary complex has become the entertainment and cultural hub of the county. GHS was built in 2001 and needs interior renovation, roof, and system upgrades.

John Lumpkins, Jr. , District 3 cautioned against over building schools and asked about school enrollment, Raley said that there has been a modest drop in enrollment but contended that the new GES would extend the life of BES and RES to the point where the county can afford to build new schools.

“We want to have a quality project that gives citizens value for their tax dollars being mindful that we are stewards of county money,” said Raley.

Budesky said that there will be “a lot more rolling up of the sleeves” before the budget is finished. “There is room for modification up to its approval.” He thanked Barbara Horlacher and Debbie White, finance directors for the county and schools respectively, for their efforts in preparing the information.

School Board Chairperson John Wright, District 5 said he would like the supervisors to review the schools’ CIP, which was approved last November, to see what items were eliminated. “This process is meant to be inclusive of everybody here,” said Wright.

The five year CIP of the school division includes  $20 million for an addition to GHS, renovations to GMS and routine costs including replacement of school buses (go to school board CIP November 2.)

Chatter about the need to raise the tax rate to fund services and facilities as Goochland grows has been around for a while. It is doubtful that the FY21 budget will include an increase in the tax rate, but next year is another matter. “There need to be conversations about needs beyond the five-year plan that cannot be funded with the current 53 cents per $100 of valuation tax rate” said Budesky.

The county is expected to use its excellent bond ratings to borrow a substantial amount of money in the next few years. Just how much the county will borrow and what sort of tax rate will service that debt remains to be seen.

Let’s hope that the constructive collaboration between the supervisors and school board continues as they seek to meet Goochland’s financial challenges.

Broadband update

The internet is an essential part of daily life. Its absence is a hardship. Far too many homes all over Goochland County have no “on ramp” to the information super highway.  

Eight years ago, a newly elected board of supervisors created a committee comprised of citizens knowledgeable in the information technology field, the Goochland High Speed Internet Committee (GHSIC), to investigate the issue, identify the obstacles, and make recommendations to solve the problem. The GHSIC soon learned that deployment of broadband to all corners of Goochland is not a one size fits all proposition, and that any solution would be complicated and expensive.

The county, however, continued its quest for ways to expand broadband. For complete information go to http://www.goochlandva.us/1012/Goochland-County---Broadband-Internet. This includes a history of the issue.

Over the years, more county residents have gotten access to “cable”, often when neighborhoods deal directly with Comcast, and pony up hefty sums of money per household to extend infrastructure above and beyond any connection fee.

The charm of rural character—large lots and distance from neighbors—is also a curse as related to broadband, especially when provided by cable or fiber in the ground. The more connections per mile of cable or fiber, the more cost-effective deployment is for the provider. Discussions on local social media pages seem to indicate that a variety of methods, including wireless options, have been successful in some places, not so much in others. Even cell service, sometimes a precursor to wireless internet availability, is wretched in places.

Advances in technology bring new ways to provide or improve broadband access. These include tower based wireless, satellites in geosynchronous orbit, tethered high flying balloons that supply signals to a particular area, use of abandoned white space on over the air television spectrums, and cable or fiber in the ground.  The last is perhaps the most expensive to deploy where homes are far apart.

Last September, Goochland County announced a ten-step initiative to jumpstart efforts to expand broadband internet county wide. In the short term, the county will make all six fire-rescue stations and the administration building hotspots beginning February 3. Space will be set aside inside the administration building for internet access. This is a short-term measure to tide people over until there is broadband everywhere.

On January 7, Administrative Services Manager Paul Drumwright presented a high-level update to the Sept 9 announcements.

Drumwright encouraged everyone to download the NACo (link available at the above site) test app to compare your speed with that defined by the FCC. It automatically shares information with NACo for nationwide comparison. That snapshot goes into an open source database run by Measurement Labs to document speeds reported over recent months. It is all anonymous. This confirms the location of needs for service.

An interactive broadband “needs and issue form” on the county website will help the county to work with residents to resolve problems with providers.

Drumwright said that the county is investigating the possibility of piggybacking on internet infrastructure being built by Dominion power and submitted a request for further information. This would be “middle mile” infrastructure, not the last mile to homes, which tends to be the most expensive piece.  Dominion plans to focus its internet expansion on economic development sites, business parks, schools, fire stations, etc. Broad Chair Susan Lascolette, District 1, said that Midpoint Industrial Park in Hadensville would benefit from this, but homes should be included too.

Currently, private providers, operating independent of any county financial support, are making inroads into the digital drought.  Port 80 Internet recently pulled fiber along River Road West from Crozier to Maidens Road.  This is a local ISP that worked with customers along the route, who paid a connection fee, to make the installation possible. Installing cable and fiber is an expensive proposition. Providers need a reasonable return on investment to stay in business. There is no free lunch.

 Another ISP, BOIP, has connected homes using wireless options since last summer. Central Virginia Electric Coop is building fiber in the Cartersville area and hopes to hook up its customers there later this year. No timetable for CVEC to extend service in the Hadensville and Shannon Hill area has been released.

Thanks to these new players in Goochland, Drumwright said, Comcast is reviewing targeted expansion in the county. “Not everywhere we want them to go but it’s nice that they’re making additional investment. “

County Administrator John Budesky explained that the county cannot become an internet provider. It could create an authority to do so, but this has drawbacks.

A January 16 article in The Central Virginian reported that Louisa County supervisors, who created an authority to expand broadband by contracting with a private ISP, are having buyer’s remorse as the provider did not perform up to expectations and declined to share its customer list to enable Louisa County to see what it received for a more than $1 million investment.

Goochland prefers to create a supportive environment to attract private investment. It is working with the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VaTI) and any other source with the potential to make broadband for all a reality in Goochland.

In the meantime, full citizen participation in surveys for signal speed and availability of service is vital in this effort. Please visit http://www.goochlandva.us/1012/Goochland-County---Broadband-Internet.

New year new faces

The Goochland Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of 2020 on January 7 with two new faces, Neil Spoonhower, District 2, and Don Sharpe, District 4. Choosing leadership for the calendar year was at the top of the board’s agenda. Susan Lascolette, District 1, was elected as board chair and John Lumpkins, District 3 as vice chair. This will be the second time that Lascolette, the first woman ever to lead Goochland’s supervisors, has served in that capacity. 

John Lumpkins and Susan Lascolette

Annual housekeeping followed including adoption of the board’s code of ethics, standards of conduct, rules of procedure, and approval of the meeting calendar for 2020.

After far too many public hearing marathons that lasted well past midnight in 2019, the board unanimously adopted new meeting times as part of its rules of procedure. Afternoon sessions, starting February 4, will begin at 2 p.m., and at 6 p.m. in the evening. The supervisors also approved language that expresses the intent not to begin public hearings after 11 p.m. and limit public hearings to one hour.

This was a good move and long overdue. No one makes good decisions after midnight. It is unfair to county staff and, most important of all, citizens, who take time from their busy schedules to attend board meetings to express their opinions about agenda items. The policy can be waived by a majority vote of board members as circumstances warrant.

Third Tuesdays are now designated as a reserve date.  “Any public hearing originally publicized for that month’s regular meeting may be carried over or moved to the Reserved Date without further advertising when the date and time of the reconvened meeting is publicly announced at a preceding meeting” The Chair may cancel any meeting because of inclement weather. This is prudent and will help to accommodate and encourage citizen participation in local government. Cancelled meetings may also be moved to the reserved date.

Chair comments

Lascolette thanked her fellow supervisors for their confidence in her and pledged to fulfill the duties of chair to the best of her ability. She welcomed Spoonhower and Sharpe to the board. “Our commitment to excellence has not changed and we live by that.”

Don Sharpe District 4

Neil Spoonhower District 2

She also welcomed new Constitutional Officers, Treasurer Pamela Duncan and Sheriff Steven Creasey as well as three new school board members. “We look forward to working with you.”

The Virginia General Assembly is in session, observed Lascolette. “We are keenly aware of existing proposed legislation that can seriously impact the county and our citizens. We will continue to be diligent in monitoring and working on legislation as appropriate.”  Lascolette urged everyone to stay engaged in the legislative process and make their views known to our General Assembly delegation: 

Sen. Mark Peake (district22@senate.virginia.gov; (804) 698-7522; Del. Lee Ware DelLWare@house.virginia.gov (804) 698-1065; and Del/ John McGuire DelJMcGuire@house.virginia.gov (804)698-1056. Go to https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ for complete information including live streaming and recorded videos of both chambers and committee meetings.

.

Honors

Lascolette congratulated County Attorney Tara McGee for being named a 2020 fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation, a group of nearly 500 of best and brightest legal practitioners in in Virginia committed to the highest deals of law and the concept of citizen lawyer. Fellows, who are nominated anonymously, are recognized for leadership both in their practice of law and their communities. Local government lawyers make up 13 percent of the 2020 class. (See https://www.virginialawfoundation.org/ for complete information.)

Goochland County Attorney Tara McGee

County administrator comments

“These are exciting times,” John Budesky said as he welcomed the new supervisors, who have already spent “a substantial amount of quality time” with county staff during an almost full week of orientation. “There were a lot of questions and solid information shared. We look forward to working with you,” Budesky said.  He echoed Lascolette’s sentiments about the current General Assembly “long session” with the need to be vigilant about the many bills submitted.  Administrative Services Manager Paul Drumwright works with McGee and Budesky to monitor bills for their possible impact on Goochland and its citizens in many ways and act accordingly.

The budget season is well under way, said Budesky. He will present his recommended budget in February. This is a balanced set of expenditures and revenues for fiscal year 2021, which begins on July 1. As the largest expenditure in the county budget is education, Budesky works closely with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeremy Raley and county and school division financial staffs also collaborate on the final product. One of the largest commitments this year will involve the capital improvement plan, which includes funding for the new Goochland Elementary School.

Budesky said that all budget meetings are public and encouraged citizens to be engaged in the process and make their views known on the matter. In addition to workshops there will be public hearings and three town hall meetings before the budget is adopted and tax rates set in April.

Citizen Comment

Sheriff Steven N. Creasey thanked the board for its support and said he looks forward to working with them in the future. He introduced some members of his team: Chief Deputy, Major Mike East; Lieutenant Jason Behr; and newly promoted sergeant Ryan Leabough.

East began his law enforcement career as a Goochland 911 dispatcher, then became a deputy and investigator before serving seven years with the CSX Railroad Police as a Supervisory Special Agent. In that capacity, East supervised agents in seven-state territory and interfaced with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. He brings this wide range of experience, including a master’s degree in criminal justice, to his role as Chief Deputy.

Maj. Mike East

Baehr comes to Goochland from the Henrico County Police Department where he was a lieutenant familiar with the most innovative and up-to-date law enforcement training. His knowledge and experience will further enhance the excellent skills of our LEOs. Behr also has a strong background in accreditation of law enforcement agencies.

L.t Jason Baehr

Newly promoted Sergeant Ryan Leabough, has been a Goochland deputy for 7 years, serving most recently as a school resource office “keeping watch over our kids for us.” He is a Goochland native, coach of the Lady Bulldogs varsity basketball team, and holds a criminal justice degree from North Carolina State University at Charlotte.

Sgt. Ryan Leabough

Wendy Hobbs of Sandy Hook reminded the supervisors that the elections are over, and they represent all citizens regardless of political affiliation. She mentioned that Dominion Power s upgrading its area internet and urged the county to investigate partnership with Dominion to expand Broadband. She said that appointees to boards and commission should be selected based on their willingness to serve rather than party affiliation.

Hobbs said that the December 3 public hearing on gun control was “scary” and contended that people the room were hostile. She said that people have differing views but do not have the right to impose their views on others. Hobbs also commended Ken Peterson, District 5, for stating during the discussion, that we do not have the right to pick and choose which laws we will follow.

VDOT

Routes 250 West Broad Street and 288 World War II Veterans Memorial Highway Signals; advertised October 8, bids opened December 18, four bids received, Curtis Construction was the apparent lowest bidder with low bid within budget.

VDOT Ashland Residency Administrator Marshall Winn said that construction is expected to begin in March and be complete by Thanksgiving. This will mean more construction in the area in the near term, but hopefully it will make the area safer.

Assessments

Real estate assessments for 2020 will be mailed on January 15. Property owners have until February 18 to appeal assessments. Rates for calendar years 2020, which are used to calculate real estate property tax bills, will be set by the supervisors in April. See http://www.goochlandva.us/318/Real-Estate-Assessments for more information.

Public hearings

The supervisors approved a conditional use permit filed by Cellco Partnership d/b/a/ Verizon Wireless to build a 229-foot lattice wireless communication tower near the intersection of Forest Grove Road and cozy Acres Lane in District 1. This tower will complement the signal propagation of a tower approved last year, which has not been built, and is expected to improve the wretched wireless service in the area.

A rezoning application filed by Patrick and Lorraine Clifford to create an additional residential lot from a ten-acre parcel on Whitehall Road west of Dogtown Road was approved.

Centerville’s Broadview Shopping Center will soon include an Enterprise Leasing outlet to rent cars and small trucks thanks to approval of an application for a conditional use permit. The Enterprise sales office will be located on the western “corner” of the shopping center. A detailing facility will be built facing the self-store and use state-of-the art filtration system to contain fluids and prevent them from entering groundwater.

2020 Goochland

Here we are in yet another bright and shiny new year. What is on tap for Goochland County in the coming months? New faces on the board of supervisors and school board will bring new ideas and perspectives to local government. Our new sheriff and almost new fire-rescue chief will continue to improve our already stellar public safety agencies.

Here are some thoughts on what the new year will bring, in no particular order.

Land use

A vote on the applications to create a mixed-use enclave behind Essex Bank in Centerville was deferred until February 4 at the request of the applicant. This has been “in the pipeline” for several years. A decision is past due

A decision on the rezoning of commercial property on Rt. 6 adjoining the Creekmore subdivision was also deferred until later in the year.

Transportation

Long overdue improvements to the hazardous intersection of Broad Street Road and Rt. 288 should be completed some time this year. Hopefully, this will remove the opportunity to play chicken when traversing this stretch of road.

The roundabout planned for the intersection of Fairground and Sandy Hook Roads is still on track for completion in or after 2022.

New Construction

The Sheltering Arms rehabilitation hospital, under construction at the north end of West Creek, is expected to open later this year.

Also scheduled to open this year is a Residence Inn near the hospital.  Goochland’s first real hotel should help the county benefit from tourist dollars. It is time for the site of the former Alley’s Motel, which has degraded into a derelict property, to be cleared. It is an eyesore in the entrance corridor.

Goochland’s new animal shelter is scheduled to open by late spring. When it is finished, an audit of the exact cost after construction snarls and setbacks is in order. Also, the county should review its policies for public-private partnerships.

Residential communities geared to senior citizens, both rental and single-family homes, will go into high gear if the weather cooperates. These include Tuckahoe Pines on Rt. 6; Avery Point in West Creek; and Mosaic near Hockett Road.

The census

In the spring, the 2020 United States decennial census will take place. Please participate for an accurate local head count. Redistricting will occur after the numbers are tallied, in early 2021.  The 2010 census revealed that Goochland’s growth was distributed in an even manner, with only a handful of census tracts moving from one district to another.

Next year, look for District 4, with lots of new residents, to shrink in area. As most of the new homes on the books will not be occupied when the census is taken, the real impact of east end growth will not be evident until after the 2030 national head count.

Going forward, the divide between exurban and semi-rural in the county will be more pronounced.

Government facilities

The supervisors approved a conditional use permit for the new Goochland Elementary School to be located on land owned by the school division near the intersection of Bulldog Way and Steeplechase parkway. This will be the county’s first new elementary school in about fifty years. It is hoped that the new school will open in 2024.

Plans for a West Creek Fire-Rescue Station are in the early stages. Initial discussions include a site off of Hockett Road north of Tuckahoe Parkway. This facility will augment, rather than replace, existing stations at Centerville and Manakin. There will be community meetings and ample opportunities for citizen input on this.

The county is looking for a site to build a fire-rescue station in District 2, and another to relocate Crozier Company 2.

Broadband expansion

Last fall, the county announced a new initiative to expand broadband. Innovations in technology and regulatory easing could make this happen sooner rather than later.

Tax rates

It will be interesting to see if the supervisors can retain the 53 cents per $100 of assessed valuation tax rate as the demand for county services increases.

Black swans

The new year will bring unanticipated events. May we work together to solve problems for the good of all.