The annual Goochland Christmas Tree lighting celebration
will take place on Friday, December 3 beginning at 6:30 at the intersection of Fairground
and Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse Village. I will include Goochland's version of a grand
illumination, music, treats. Santa will arrive at 7 p.m. Please bring canned
food for donation to Goochland Cares. Note: this may be the last time the county tree
is at this location because construction of the roundabout is expected to begin
next year.
Financial report
The Goochland Board of Supervisors met on November 23 to
formally approve the results the audit for FY 2021, which ended on June 30.
Mike Garber, a principal with PBMares, the firm retained by the county to
perform the audit, informed the supervisors that the report formerly known at
the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, shorted to the acronym CAFR, will
henceforth be called the Annual Comprehensive Financial report. "The GOFA
determined that the pronunciation of that acronym is offensive to a certain
group of people and made the change," reported Garber.
Otherwise, Goochland County's financials are sound, the ACFR
(akfer?) was clean, unmodified. As District 5 supervisor Ken Peterson pointed
out, this is the result of many people doing the correct thing every day in performance
of their job duties. He also commended
PBMAres for keeping an open line of communications with Goochland County
throughput the year.
This report is available in its entirety on the county
website goochlandva.us under the financial services tab. Perusing this document
is well worth your time.
Neighborliness
In the sprit of the season and tradition of small-town neighborliness,
the supervisors approved a memorandum of understanding with Cumberland County
for temporary shared building official and building official services.
Due to the unexpected and sudden death of Leland Leeds, who
had served as the building official for Cumberland County for 22 years, that
county was left without anyone to fulfill the duties of that office.
Goochland Building Official Gary Fisher, who serves as the
chairman of the regional Building Code Officials' Association, explained that Cumberland
had a two-man shop, the building official and a permit tech. Fisher took it
upon himself to coordinate with surrounding counties to keep the department
going until Cumberland is able to hire a replacement, which is a challenge in
the current tight labor market.
Building officials from Prince Edward and Buckingham
counties are doing Cumberland's inspections. However, they lack someone with
the authority to handle paperwork, including approval of permits and notice of violations.
This spurred Goochland, said Fisher, to offer to "lend" the services of
Casey Littlefield, CBO, MCP, to simultaneously serve as Goochland’s Deputy
Building Official and Cumberland’s Acting Building Official.
Fisher stated that this arrangement will not impact
inspections in Goochland in any way. Expenses for Littlefield will be paid by
Cumberland County. Other jurisdictions will backstop Littlefield to ensure that
Cumberland's work gets done. Littlefield will be considered to be an employee
of Goochland County.
"Foremost is we don't want the citizens of Goochland to
see any difference in our services. We thought it was the right thing to do
even if we're busy," said Fisher. Cumberland, he said, is much smaller
than Goochland with a lighter workload than us.
Littlefield and Fisher expect that the number of extra hours
involved in the arrangement will be low.
The supervisors unanimously approved the MOU. "We are
proud and grateful that you are stepping up," said Board Chair John Lumpkins,
Jr. District 3. The agreement will be in effect until the earlier of February
28, 2022, or the hiring of a permanent building official by Cumberland County.
The agreement may be extended by mutual agreement.
Reynolds Community College
Dr. Paula Pando, President of Reynolds Community College,
presented her annual report to the supervisors. Most of the programs she described
are at the Parham Road, Downtown, and The Kitchens at Reynolds on Nine Mile
Road campuses. (See her full presentation on the county website gooclandva.us
at the "watch county meeting" tab for the November 23 BoS meeting on about
the 18 minute mark)
Community colleges, explained Pando, fill a vital niche in preparation
of a workforce ready and able to fill 21st century jobs. She
contended that post secondary credentials are necessary for success in the job
market. Pando commended Dr. Steve Geyer, Goochland's Assistant Superintendent
for Instruction, who represents the county on the Reynolds Board, for his
contributions.
Covid played havoc with many Reynolds' students who were
juggling school, work, and other responsibilities before the pandemic hit, said
Pando. A concern is the percentage of students that drop out before completing
the programs in which they are enrolled, leaving them a rung short of climbing
onto the ladder of success. To deal with this need the Reynolds Foundation created
a Finish Line Assist program to pay tuition for students in good standing who are
a few credits shy of graduation. Some are
also insecure in food, and housing. Reynolds has partnered with FeedMore and is
now able to offer its students access to healthy food.
Pando said that a joint program between Reynolds and GCPS offers
a two-year degree in earl childhood education before high school graduation
that gives participants a two-year leg up on a teaching degree. The dual
enrollment advanced college academy program in Goochland is open to all who have
the ability to benefit and have a shot at doing something exceptional with
their lives. Reynolds is doing many great things to build our workforce.
The elephant in the room seemed to be what is going to
happen with Reynolds' Goochland Campus?
This 92-acre gem in the heart of Courthouse Village is largely unused.
though it has hosted several vaccine clinics during the pandemic.
Pando acknowledged the beauty of the facility, but said its
future remains something of a question mark. New programs at Reynolds' other
campuses tend to be partnerships whose sponsors require locations accessed by
public transportation, which does not serve Courthouse Village. Parham Road,
the closest campus to Goochland, is at least 30-mile drive for county
residents.
Pando said that community conversations about the future of
the Goochland Campus began in the spring with GCPS, the EDA, and some county
staff. Pando contended that she is excited to have conversations about the
future of the Goochland Campus with county leadership to maximize the use of
that asset in a way that aligns with a sustainable mission as stewards of
public resources, or something. Pando is
open to a wide range of suggestions for the campus. "Nothing is off the
table except selling it," she said.
Going forward, community input about possible uses for the
Goochland campus will be part of the larger "conversations" about Courthouse
Village that began in a workshop earlier this month. Meetings similar to those
help about the referendum questions are planned for early next year on this topic.
Please pay attention to these sessions to ensure that Courthouse
Village grows gracefully for the benefit of all.
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