Highlights of Goochland Town Hall meeting

 

The fall, 2020 Goochland County town hall meetings concluded on October 22 with the session for Districts 4 and 5. Spring town halls were cancelled by Covid. (“slides” of the presentation are available at https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/7215/Goochland-County-and-Goochland-County-Public-Schools---Fall-Town-Hall-October-2020---District-4-and-5) For the first time, these meetings were both live-streamed and available on Facebook.

Ken Peterson, District 5 supervisor thanked Salem Baptist Church for generously offering their building as a site for the meeting.  Peterson was joined by: District 4 supervisor Don Sharpe; J.D. Wright District 5, Chair of the School board; Mike Newman District 4 school board member: Karen Horn District 3 school board member; Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeremy Raley; and our new county administrator Kenneth “Kenny” Young.

Following the March resignation of the former county administrator John Budesky, the supervisors, explained Peterson, launched a nationwide search for his successor. Young’s qualifications, temperament, and recent experience in government in Loudon County, a jurisdiction in northern Virginia grappling with rapid growth, preservation of rural areas, and broadband expansion challenges set him apart from a field of highly qualified applicants.

Goochland’s strategic plan, said Peterson, is based on core values, one of which is courage. Since the start of the pandemic county staff has provided all county services reimagined to deal with Covid. Deputies and Fire-rescue providers answered calls. The schools rose to the challenge delivering both education and meals under very trying circumstances.

Goochland ended fiscal 2020 with a surplus, which was used in part to fund capital items including a new “ladder truck” to enhance fire-rescue resources in the east end of Goochland.

Peterson explained that the latest refinancing of the Tuckahoe Creek Service District debt saved the county $12 million dollars. Taming this debt, incurred by the county in 2002 to build public water and sewer trunk lines in the east end of Goochland, is critically important to sound fiscal management.

Improvements to the Rt. 288/250 interchange are done, earlier than the 2022 initial completion date due to constant pressure placed on VDOT by county official and members of our delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.

Young said Goochland has a great staff that works hard very day “...to make sure that your local government is the best in Virginia.” He thanked the community for warmly welcoming he and his family. “It’s an exciting time to be in Goochland because of our hard-working staff.”

Derek Stamey, Deputy  County Administrator for Operations listed new and improved county projects including the business center; the history center; the animal shelter “probably the nicest in the Commonwealth”; courthouse security building; new registrar’s office; and river’s edge pedestrian crossing at Tucker Park. Stamey’s department also made many Covid-related modifications to county buildings including drop boxes for documents and plexiglass shields.  It also is responsible for sanitizing everything and kept the convenience centers operating as home bound residents “decluttered” during lockdown. The gateway sign project will soon deploy a welcome sign on the Route 6 eastern boundary with one on Broad Street Road to follow.

The east end trail system, planned to ultimately connect Broad Street Road and Patterson Avenue, is” picking up steam,” Stamey reported. The first phase, a trailhead near the West Creek Emergency Center leading to a 1.5-mile trail to the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery hugging Tuckahoe Creek, is in the design process. The trail is partially funded by VDOT transportation alternative grants.

Todd Kilduff Deputy County Administrator for Community and Economic Development added that the east end trail is ahead of schedule. He listed new economic development projects including Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Institute. The Kiddie Academy day care in West Creek was full when it opened. The Shed (https://richmond.ished.com/) provides a unique take on the sharing economy.

The Tuckahoe Pines Retirement Community on Patterson Avenue west of the Henrico County line is well on its way to completion. Avery Point, a continuous care retirement community of 1,400 units, is in early stages of construction in the Notch south of Broad Street Road. A sophisticated automated greenhouse, which will grow leafy greens—the legal kind--hydroponically is being built by Greenswell Gowers on the east side of Hockett Road.

Kilduff said that Goochland is using some CARES Act funds for a “back to business” grant program to help local businesses impacted by Covid. (See All  http://www.GoochlandForBusiness.com/241/COVID-19-Business-Information, or call Goochland County Economic Development at (804) 556-5862 or email them at GochlandForBusiness@goochlandva.us to learn more about how the Goochland Back to Business grant can assist their business.)

Paul Drumwright Administrative Services Manager, who runs point on the county’s broadband expansion, gave an update on the issue. In the short term, 19 external hot spots throughout the county were deployed in February to provide immediate access to the internet while long term efforts continue.

Since April, the county has applied for three different broadband expansion grants. Two focus on the west end with Firefly Broadband and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative. These could have 2,691 locations connected to broadband.  A third grant through the Virginia telecommunications initiative (VATI) to run fiber south of Rt. 6 in Crozier and in Oilville north of I64 to provide internet access to 774 locations.

Drumwright explained that accurate data about access and speed of broadband connections in all parts of Goochland is vital to secure these grants. He urged all residents of the county to participate in by going to https://arcg.is/1X9nz40. This can be completed on a phone from another location.

Wendy Hobbs asked if the county had any economic development plans to bring a grocery store to western Goochland, which is considered a “food dessert” due to lack of places to obtain healthy food. Kilduff said that the county engages with all businesses who want to move to Goochland and encourages them to locate here. There has not been much interest in the west end, he said.

Peterson said that the county has staff to attract businesses to Goochland and educate them about needs here. Enterprises, however, typically look for a minimum of nearby rooftops to give them a better chance of profitability.

Local government has the most impact on our daily lives, but few residents pay it any mind until, as a wise man once opined “their ox is being gored.” Goochland government values transparency and citizen engagement. Please visit website for the county, goochlandva.us, and our school division http://goochlandschools.org/ often. Both sites contain a wealth of useful and interesting information about our community.

Wright said that, in spite of the tremendous challenges posed to schools by the pandemic, he is excited about the level of community engagement in education. “I couldn’t be prouder of what everyone has accomplished in the most difficult circumstances—with a smile on their face. They are incredible heroes. I believe that we have the best school division in the region, and we could not do that without the buy in on everyone involved at all levels.”

Raley said, we are a strong division, the result of “the 468 employees who put on their badges every day and do amazing work in the face of significant adversity. WE have answered the bell since March.”

He outlined some of the many recognitions Goochland Schools have received. See https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/7215/Goochland-County-and-Goochland-County-Public-Schools---Fall-Town-Hall-October-2020---District-4-and-5 for details.

“You should see what’s happening in elementary school both for those attending in person and using distance learning. I am most proud of our preschool employees who have been seeing students since October 5. They are truly the tip of the spear,” Raley declared.

He praised everyone for working together to keep education going. Enrollment has remained steady, said Raley.

Transition to in person learning is moving along. Maximizing learning standards with an emphasis on safety are principles used to make decisions in the best interest of the students. Raley said that families have a choice about attending school to do what is best for the students. He contended that whatever families choose, students will receive a high-quality education.

He praised the innovation and creativity of teachers and staff to educate our kids. “I am proud to serve this amazing community and look forward to what’s next,” said Raley.

Only a few people attended the meeting in person, hopefully more watched online.