May flowers

 

A new 2,500 gallon tanker that will be stationed at Courthouse Company 5 was on display before the May 4 Board of Supervisors' meeting. 

             

  The May 4 meeting of the Goochland Board of Supervisors was almost like old times. Public hearings lasted well into the evening as masked citizens, kept out of the board room until their hearing began and socially distanced, made their views known. May we soon gather at will with faces fully on display to share viewpoints on important local issues.

               New Swagit video software was used to record the meeting. In addition to a video, Swagit has a transcription feature. Speakers were encouraged to remove masks and enunciate. Meetings of the Planning Commission, School Board, and Economic Development Authority will be recorded using this software. The initial transcription requires a bit of interpolation. For instance, a speaker’s address came out as Mannequinn Sabath.

               Covid County Administrator Kenneth Young updated the Board on local Covid vaccination efforts. Beginning this Thursday, the weekly walk-in clinic at Central High School Educational and Cultural Center will operate in the afternoon only. Om May 6, Walk-in hours are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the first dose of the Moderna vaccine only for individuals 18 and older who live or work in Goochland County. Proof of age will be required. For other vaccination opportunities, call the Chickahominy Health District at (804) 365-3240, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

               Food Drive Following the Board’s adoption of a proclamation recognizing May 16-22 as hunger awareness week, John Aaron of Goochland Rotary announced that his organization will lead a county wide food drive scheduled for May 21 and 22. Non-perishable food will be collected at both Food Lions and distributed to county food banks.

               Noise Ordinance Goochland now has a noise ordinance. During lengthy discussion, the supervisors tweaked the proposed ordinance. All forms of legal shooting were exempted as were complaints from apartment complexes overseen by a management company.  Rationale for the apartment exemption is that they have policies in place to deal with noise, including possible eviction, that could resolve these situations more quickly than wading through the courts. Penalties of the ordinance are civil rather than criminal. A required first step is notification of the alleged offender via certified mail.

               Goochland Sheriff Steven Creasey expressed concerns that use of the terms “unreasonable and substantial” could force deputies to interpret the terms detracting from their efforts to build sound relationships between local law enforcement and citizens.

               The intent is to provide a relief mechanism for residents suffering from the actions of unreasonable neighbors. Expect this ordinance to be tweaked in reaction to its use.

 

               Bond referendum A resolution to petition the Circuit Court to place bond referendum questions on the November general election ballot was adopted. Approval of a bond referendum by voters gives the supervisors the power to authorize issuance of general obligation bonds to finance xx in capital spending. This does not mean that the board will issue bonds, or issue bonds in the full amount. It adds another financing option to ensure that the county borrows money on the best possible terms to spend tax dollars wisely.

               As Supervisor Neil Spoonhower, District 2, observed during the audit committee meeting held earlier in the afternoon, bond referendum approval is akin to receding preapproval for a mortgage. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to borrow the full amount.

               Polling places The Board set public hearings for its June 1 meeting to consider changing voting precinct locations as follows:  Fife precinct in District 1 to Second Union Church. Goochland Courthouse precincts 1 and 2 to the sports complex at 1800 Sandy Hook Road. The county administrator was authorized to execute a license agreement for a polling place with St. Mary’s Church on River Road in order to relocate the Blair Road precinct, which was formerly at the Collegiate School facility. The board voted to relocate the Hadensville precinct in District 1 to the Hadensville Company 6 Fire-Rescue Station and the absentee voting precinct to the General Registrar’s Office located behind the administration building. As election day is now a state holiday, which would close the administration building, relocation of the absentee precinct allows it to be open on election day, which is a working day for the registrar.

               Broadband A resolution accepting a 2021 grant from the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) in the amount of $567,557.98. Goochland will partner with Port80 to construct 18.9 miles of fiber backbone and 10.36 miles of fiber drops connecting 218 serviceable units, including 10 businesses. Goochland County’s pledged match of $100,000 towards the project has been assigned, but not appropriated. Port 80 Internet Services pledged $247,707.40 in cash and in-kind services towards the project. The overall project total is $915,265.38. This will be in the Crozier area. Details about this project will be presented at a future supervisors’ meeting.

               Emergency Shelter The board accepted grant money from the state in the amount of $207,061 to supplement $138,040 in local assigned fund balance to install generators at the Central High School and Cultural Center to create a second emergency shelter in the county. Goochland has a cache of cots and other emergency equipment supplemented by the Red Cross should the need arise.

               Public hearings The Board approved all items subject to public hearings. The only dissenting vote was cast by District 1 Supervisor Susan Lascolette on a conditional use application filed by Kimberly Hill for a campground and place of public assembly on approximately 97 acres in the western part of the county.