August 3 Board highlights

 

The August 3 meeting began at 2 p.m. and adjourned a bit before 11:30 p.m. 

·        Once again, Goochland was recognized by the Government Finance Officers’ Association for excellence in financial reporting for the FY2019 Certified Annual Financial Report (CAFR) These are available on the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ under the financial services tab. CAFRs have a lot of interesting information about the county and are well worth a perusal.

·        Board Chair John Lumpkins, Jr., District 3 reported that a July 27 spill of approximately 300,000 gallons of raw untreated sewage from a ruptured Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD) force main near River Road west of the Henrico County line occurred. Repairs had been completed and the county retained an environmental contractor to remove spillage from behind a containment berm. Paving activity in the River Road corridor was previously scheduled by VDOT and has no connection to the sewage spill.

·        Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson, Jr. presented his bimonthly report (see board packet for August 3 available on the county website for detail.) He reported that area hospitals are “saturated” with patients and that regional hospitals are operating in “diversion” mode. This means that people transported by Goochland EMS may be directed to a hospital wuth beds available rather than that chosen by the patient. Ferguson commended all hospital and emergency room staffs for their hard work under these circumstances.

·        Director of Human Resources, Jessica Rice, introduced 18 new employees. Rice said that may be a record for new hires in one month. They are working in the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office, Sheriff’s Office, and Treasurer’s Office, and in the General Services, Parks and Recreation, Fire and Rescue, Community Development, and Finance Departments. This cohort included: 4H Youth Development Agent Kayla Walker; seven recruit career fire-rescue providers; a deputy currently in the law enforcement academy; a court security officer; a new director of financial services; and assistant director of community development.

·        The consent agenda—items that require a board vote with little discussion—included: authorization for the county administrator to execute a contract with G. L Howard to build the Hickory Haven Sammary Forest sewer line for just under $1.5 million. The work is expected to be complete by October, 2022, almost a generation after homeowners there began paying TCSD ad valorem tax; termination of  lease for county owned property in front of the Courthouse. This resulted from the unexpectedly early retirement of Dr. Bain.

·        Adoption of a resolution authorizing execution of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Fund and Settlement Allocation Memorandum of Understanding was also part of the consent agenda. County Attorney Tara McGee explained that, with board authorization, she hired outside counsel, which represents approximately 50 Virginia jurisdictions in lawsuits against opioid manufactures and distributors. The MOU provides a mechanism for Goochland to obtain money from judgements against these parties to fund local programs for Goochland residents struggling with opioid addiction. (See board packet beginning on page 62 for details.)

·        Year end projections indicate, according to Deputy County Administrator for Finance Barbara Horlacher, that Goochland will finish FY 2021 with a surplus of about $8 million. After deductions for “pay go” capital projects, fund balance will grow by approximately $1 million. This budget, adopted in April 2020, featured dramatic reductions from that proposed two months earlier to anticipate unknown fiscal impacts of Covid lockdowns. Results were so much better than expected, that the budget was revised many times before the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2021.

 

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