Paying for stuff

 

           

           Governments spend money on two categories, people and stuff.

            Given the ups and downs of our world over the past two years, crafting responsible, and balanced governmental budgets is more important, and far more complicated, than ever. When shadow of the black swan of Covid hovered over the world in 2020, Goochland pared its budget with a scalpel, anticipating drastic revenue shortfalls that never materialized. In 2021 an influx of federal relief dollars, most of which had strings attached, made wise spending decisions crucial, lest one-time funds be used for recurring costs.

            Real estate assessments swelled by an unprecedented 13 percent this year, generating more operating revenue.

            The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on the proposed FY23 budget next Tuesday, April 5 at  6 p.m. A vote to adopt the budget will take place on April 19 at which time tax rates and the fee schedule for calendar year 2022 will be set.

            The proposed FY2023 county budget includes increased employee compensation to help Goochland compete with the "big boys" in the region to attract and retain the most qualified staff. People are the most important component of effective and responsive government.

            Paying for the "stuff" is far more complicated. A capital improvement plan (CIP) is used to fund major expenditures including buildings, equipment that costs more than $50 k, and replacement of life-cycle systems including HVAC and technology. A few years ago, the county undertook the massive task of crafting a 25-year capital improvement plan that listed everything the county needed until 2045. The total was several hundred million dollars.

On March 15, the supervisors wrestled with CIP numbers to be included in the FY 23 budget. (Go to https://www.goochlandva.us/DocumentCenter/View/8619/FY2023-GOOCHLAND-COUNTY-LONG-TERM-CIP-WORKSHOP for details.)

            The annual budget process includes funding that year's portion of the CIP and looking ahead five years. This annual realignment of the CIP can move an item forward or back in priority as circumstances change.

For instance, a replacement for the nearly 30-year-old ladder truck at Courthouse Company 5 and a new fire tanker were in the FY 23 CIP but will probably be included in current (FY22) year's budget. Fire-Rescue Chief D. E. "Eddie" Ferguson Jr.  told the board that apparatus prices will go up as of May 1 and have a two-year delivery time. By placing orders before May 1, the county can save "just under $200 k" on the purchase of this equipment. Deputy County Administrator for Administrative Services Barbara Horlacher said that there is enough money in the current year's budget to cover this cost.

            The fire-rescue CIP consumes a large piece of the 2023 CIP pie, which includes the West Creek station to be built on the east side of Hockett Road, just north of its intersection with Tuckahoe Creek Parkway.

            In past years, some smaller projects have been cash funded with end of year budget surpluses and removed from the CIP.  

            Earlier this year, Goochland County issued bonds, made possible by the blessing of voters last November, to build a new Goochland Elementary School, the fire-rescue station, and a new courthouse complex.

            The school cost as initially designed has come in significantly over budget reflecting the rampant inflation in construction.  The school board will hold a special meeting tonight, March 29, at 6 p.m. to address Goochland Elementary School construction. (Go tohttps://www.goochlandschools.org/page/school-board-meeting-live-stream to watch a live stream of the meeting.)

            The supervisors' March 15 CIP workshop discussion veered toward the philosophical as they addressed not only methods of funding big ticket items, but ways to ensure that the county adheres to its careful fiscal policies to prepare for the unknown, achieving the delicate balance of spending enough without becoming overextended.

            Supervisor Ken Peterson, District 5 raised concerns that, as the county budget grows each year, the amount of money kept in its revenue stabilization fund remains unchanged. He contended that fund should grow in line the annual general fund budget. This, he said, could lead to troubling consequences should yet another black swan event, like the 2011 earthquake that destroyed schools in Louisa County.

            Peterson contended that the projected cost increase on the new GES is a "big number" for a small rural county like Goochland, but "decimal dust" for a large jurisdiction like Henrico. Dipping into reserves to make up the difference, he cautioned, could negatively impact our superb credit rating.

            Crafting a balanced and responsible annual county budget is a delicate task. Planning for capital projects is necessary, but subject to change in a future replete with unknowns.

           

           

 

           

March 15 public hearings

 

            Aside from basketball, in Goochland, March sees many government meetings, mostly dealing with the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1. On March 15, the Board of Supervisors held public hearings in the evening following an afternoon workshop on the capital improvement plan (CIP). The CIP is detailed and complicated.

Electoral Redistricting

            Following a public hearing, the board unanimously approved the final electoral redistricting map. It will become effective 30 days after adoption.

 Regardless of the non effective change in district boundaries, all elected officials will continue to represent the districts from which they were elected in 2019. (See the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ and select the redistricting for complete information.)

Director of Elections Ryan Mulligan will mail new election cards indicating voting precinct to all registered voters in Goochland County well in advance of 2022 elections.

Markel Eagle Rezoning

Whippoorwill Road and Broad intersection red lines indicate improvements

           A decision on this rezoning application was deferred from February 1 to allow residents neighboring the "Gilman Property," a 72.988 parcel of land to the east of Reader's Branch and south of Whippoorwill Road, to establish some common ground with the developer. The applicant proposed rezoning most of the land to residential planned unit development (RPUD), to permit the construction of 122 single family dwelling units including a maximum of 32 "attached" dwelling units, AKA townhomes.

            Access to the property in question would be through both Reader's Branch and Whippoorwill Drive, which connects to Broad Street Road. Construction traffic will access the site from Hockett Road.

            Most of the opposition to the application came from Whippoorwill Road residents, who lamented the loss of their rural enclave and contended that their narrow neighborhood street will become a "short cut to Short Pump". Whippoorwill Road is well east of the Hockett/Broad Street Road intersection, so it seems likely that residents of the proposed homes and Reader's Branch will use this connecting route to literally cut a corner.

            Traffic trips per day, contended Whippoorwill residents, would increase by nearly 700 percent if the proposed homes were built. They argued that using their road as access for the new enclave would be neither safe nor rural. The application includes improvements to Whippoorwill Road, including turn lanes at its terminus with Broad Street Road, but it will remain a two lane road.

            The applicant made overtures to the Whippoorwill residents to build sidewalks, but residents were not receptive to discussing the matter or granting easements on their land for this. A sum of $50,000 was proffered to build the sidewalk or be contributed to the county's east end trail system.

            Reader's Branch residents contended that they were told their community would consist of just 303 homes, but its HOA documents, perhaps received after closing, reference the Gilman property as the completion of Reader's Branch. Perhaps this is why the application lacked a name for the proposed residential enclave. Reader's Branch folk contended that townhomes would degrade the character of their community.

            Both Whippoorwill Road and Reader's Branch are located in the Centerville Village, which is designated by the comprehensive plan for higher density suburban residential growth, which can be supported by public utilities there.

            Land to the east of Gilman property is designated for commercial use, and to the south of Reader's Branch for light industrial use, neither of these parcels as yet have road access.

            The supervisors acknowledged concerns of the Whippoorwill residents, but said that, even though the area was rural when the homes there were built decades ago, now it is in an area destined for growth. They unanimously approved the application on March 15 after a second public hearing.

            Going forward, the county needs to find a way to encourage, if not demand, that developers indicate their long-term plans. If indeed the Gilman property was destined to be part of Reader's Branch, that should have been mentioned so that people buying homes there had a clear idea of what they were getting into.

            Another example of this is Reed Marsh in Courthouse Village, which was zoned for approximately 39 homes on cul-de-sacs. Soon thereafter, the same developer sought rezoning for Rural Hill, a more than 120 home subdivision between Reed Marsh and the James River, whose main outlet will be through Reed Marsh. People who, in good faith, bought homes in Reed Marsh believing they were in a self-contained enclave, now learn that they will living on the main route for all construction traffic to the new homes behind them for several years.

            Both Centerville and Courthouse Village are undergoing small area plan studies to grapple with growth pressures. These will give little comfort to those who have lived in these places for years and cringe at changes brought by growth.

           

           

           

           

No left turn

 

A metaphor for Goochland

Much of the citizen comment at the March 10 spring Town Hall Meeting for Districts 4 and 5, held at the exquisite Tuckahoe Pines Retirement Community on Patterson Avenue, focused on traffic control at the facility. More specifically, the prohibition of left turns from its parking lot onto eastbound Patterson Ave (Go to the county website https://www.goochlandva.us/ click on watch county meetings and select District 4 and 5 town hall to view the entire event)

When Tuckahoe Pines  (https://rlcommunities.com/virginia/tuckahoe-pines-retirement-community/) was zoned a few years ago, there was a great deal of discussion about the impact of vehicles exiting the facility onto a busy stretch of road, especially left turns into 55 mph oncoming traffic at the top of a blind hill. This resulted in a provision that only right turns be permitted onto Patterson Avenue. Eastbound traffic would need to make U turns at the traffic signal by Hope Church.

Concerns were raised during zoning discussions that the median in front of the entrance to Tuckahoe Pines was too narrow to permit a single car to wait for eastbound traffic to clear and turn safely. Some planning commissioners contended that the senior citizens who would live at Tuckahoe Pines would not have fast enough reflexes to execute this maneuver safely.

Left turns onto Patterson Avenue from the Creekmore subdivision, a bit west of Tuckahoe Pines, was already experiencing similar issues, causing crashes and, according to Creekmore residents, many near misses.

Residents of Rivergate, whose access point is directly opposite Tuckahoe Pines, supported the right turn only requirement. A Rivergate resident commented during the 2018 planning commission public hearing that, had the right turn only element not been part of the proposal, his neighbors would have flooded the board room to oppose the rezoning application. They also claimed that they use the river Road exit from their community when traveling east.

Tuckahoe Pines opened last August, complete with a right turn only lane and signage at its entrance clearly in place from day one.

New residents expressed outrage at the prohibition of left turn, demanded a traffic signal be installed there because of the heavy high-speed traffic. They claimed that people from Rivergate cut through the median to turn west. They also contended that making a U turn at the traffic signal is a dangerous maneuver for the facility's bus.

They seem to believe that the supervisors and our general assembly delegation could demand a traffic signal at the entrance.  VDOT has final say on the installation of traffic signals based on traffic counts.

The no left turn provision was part of the rezoning case, which is county law. A change would require an amendment to the zoning ordinance. No representative of Tuckahoe Pines' management participated in the discussion.

The no left (east) turn is a metaphor for Goochland. How many of you reading this routinely travel west, rather than toward Henrico? It seems like a lot, if not most, of new residents sleep here and live their lives to the east.

Currently, there are two "small area" studies underway for the Centerville and Courthouse Villages to look at growth strategies and ways to brand and build the community.

These areas are very different. Courthouse Village, the county seat, has the feel of a community. People live in and near the center of the village and participate in its life. Centerville, which far too many people call Manakin because of its zip code, is a different matter.

Clearly, Centerville has a branding problem. No one talks about the Richmond Mall—the Short Pump Mall has a Richmond address—or the Trader Joe's or Walmart that, according to the post office are in Glen Allen. Why is Centerville different?

Centerville, Courthouse Village, and Goochland in general have an image problem. Gathering input from those who already live here is a good first step but getting a clearer picture of how those outside Goochland view us might be more helpful. Many people who live to the east seem to think that Goochland is almost to Charlottesville, too "far out" i.e., west of "civilization", to matter.

It would be nice if newcomers realize that they've moved to a special place and participate in the community. Turning right, to head west, and see the many things Goochland has to offer would be a good start.

 

 

 

 

Other March 1 actions

 

Redistricting

On February 22, the Board of Supervisors reviewed citizen comments about the proposed redistricting map and held a public hearing. The board then voted to proceed with the map presented by the redistricting team in late December.

The 2022 redistricting map

County Attorney Tara McGee addressed the three comments—change the boundary between District 4 and 5 to place all of Kinloch and Broad Run in the same voting district; change the boundary between Districts 1 and 2; and due to growing population, add a third voting precincts in District 4.

McGee explained that the redistrict team looked at ways place both Kinloch and Broad Run in the same district. When adjusting voting district boundaries after a census, said McGee, localities are only permitted to move census blocks as established by the federal government. She contended that, based on the April 1, 2020 federal head count, it is not possible to combine the two subdivisions in the same district with a legally acceptable solution.

Adding a third polling place to District 4, again to deal with increased population, is, at this time, difficult. The only possible location would be Salem Baptist Church, located less than one mile from the precinct boundary, but physically in a different house of delegates district.

According to County Director of Elections Ryan Mulligan 32 percent of the county's registered voters cast their ballots via early voting significantly reducing the number of voters at the polls on election day. He expects this trend to continue this year.

McGee said that while the Board of Elections believes District 4 precinct will be needed by the 2024 presidential election, and the county should prepare for it, adding a third polling place outside the redistricting process is somewhat easier. The proposed fire-rescue station on Hockett Road would be an appropriate place, said McGee because it will be a county-owned building.

Don Sharpe, District 4, said that moving polling places confuses voters and should be done as little as possible.

A request to adjust the boundary between Districts 2 and 2, made by someone who would not be affected by the change, was also rejected. Among other things, the suggested boundary change would require some voters to drive by polling place at Byrd Elementary School to get to their voting location.

The Board voted to hold a public hearing and take a vote to adopt the redistricting map on March 15 at 6:30 p.m. The map becomes effective 30 days after the vote, well before any spring primary elections. All registered voters will receive notice of their polling precinct in the mail.

Please go to https://www.goochlandva.us/1191/Redistricting for complete information.

More debt for the TCSD

The supervisors voted to issue a county water and sewer bond to be sold to the Virginia Resources Authority to "fund certain sewer public improvements in the maximum amount of $7,040,000." The money will be used to replace 11,000 linear feet of Tuckahoe Creek Service District (TCSD) wastewater pipe from the county pump station on the north side of Patterson Avenue west of the Henrico line. (See the March 1 board packet, beginning on page 99 for the entire document.)

Ken Peterson, District 5 explained that the county is using VRA bonds—more expensive than the general obligation bonds—because, unlike the county, which has a "triple triple bond rating, the TCSD does not have its own credit rating.

Service on the VRA debt, estimated at $450,000 annually, will come out of utility rate collections. The county also made a "moral obligation pledge" on the debt, essentially promising to cover any shortfalls. These are 20-year bonds, callable after ten years.

Last summer, the line in question ruptured, dumping 300,000 gallons of raw sewage into Tuckahoe Creek, which drains into the James River. This caused the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to close the river downstream for recreation. Cost to repair the breach was about $300,000. The cost of clean up and repair was $130,000, said Longshore. Another break a few years back created a geyser of raw sewage on River Road. The pipe is made of fiber reinforced material that caused a great deal of heartburn and litigation when the TCSD trunk lines were installed. The replacement pipes will be made of ductile iron, a suitable material for a pressurized sewer line.

A ruptured line closed River Road last summer

During his annual departmental budget presentation, Director of Public Utilities Matt Longshore said that the growth in the public utility customer base has been so robust over the past few years that a slowing of the rate of increase in utility rates is built into the FY 23 budget.

In 2018, Longshore reported, it was determined that year over year rate increases—five percent for water, six for sewer— were needed to keep the department solvent. A recent review of the rate structure indicated that paring the increases to three precent for water and four for sewer will achieve the same financial goals.

Connection fees—one-time charges paid by all utilities customers—fund capital improvement projects. In FY222 there was a five percent increase in connection fees, none for FY 23 and another expected in FY24.

Due to very robust increases—approximately $230 million—in assessed valuations in the TCSD, the ad valorem tax levied on its users will stay at 32 cents per $100 of valuation. Proceeds from this tax pay the debt service on bonds taken out by the county about 20 years ago to build trunk lines. Recent refinancings saved the county several million dollars. Growth in the TCSD has fueled optimism that this debt will be retired in the next ten years ending the ad valorem tax.

Utilities, Longshore explained, is an enterprise fund, meaning that it is financed by user and connection fees. The rate structure pays for operation of the system and also contributes to an R&R— rehabilitation and replace— fund to cover the cost of recurring repairs and upgrades.

Goochland's public utilities department operates and maintains all of its assets, including 162 miles of pipeline; nine sewer pump stations; three water tanks, ad two water booster tanks.

 

 

 

Mask free March

 

The longer days of March are filled with lots of county meetings starting with the regular board meeting on the first.

Board Chair Neil Spoonhower, District 2 made a brief state of the county report.

"The state of our county is strong because we have engaged citizens. We have hundreds of citizens who volunteer to serve in the county, whether on boards or committees, or at the animal shelter or picking up trash on the side of the road, and many more.

"We have the most engaged voters in the state, year after year, we have the highest voter turnout. Our county is strong because of our amazing staff. We have the highest caliber professionals serving their citizens tirelessly around the clock. As noted by Mr. Alvarez being on the phone with me last night at 12:30.

"Our county is strong because of our dedicated Constitutional Officers and elected officials who put our people first and our hearts are dedicated to service.

"We're strong because of our sound financial practices on the tail end of a global pandemic.

""We're looking to lower personal property taxes, making significant investments in personnel for public safety, education, and staffing to make sure we meet the demands of our citizens.

"Goochland is strong, not because it sees itself as a county and a great commonwealth, but because it sees itself as a community, a community that I am proud to be part of."

 

Town Hall meetings

Spring town hall sessions are scheduled for Districts 4 and 5 on Thursday, March 10 at Tuckahoe Pines Retirement Community at 1230 Patterson Ave, (the post office thinks its in Richmond, but we know it's in Goochland); District 2& 3 on Tuesday, March 22 at Central High School Cultural and Educational Center on Dogtown Road; and District 1 on Thursday, March 31 at Byrd Elementary School 2704 Hadensville-Fife Road. All sessions begin at 6:30 p.m.  The county budget will be explained and matters of countywide and district interest will be discussed.

Fees for brush disposal will be waived at county convenience centers until April 1 to help residents cleaning up after the January storm.

 

 

VDOT

 Marshall Winn VDOT Ashland Residency Administrator reported that the contractor hired to clear storm debris from Goochland roads worked for nine days before walking off the job. Bids from other companies to do the work have been reviewed. Winn was optimistic that another firm will undertake this task soon. He said that this work is different from clearing I64, which is overseen by the Culpeper and Richmond Districts.

Work on the Fairground/Sandy Hook Roads roundabout is expected to begin sometime in late spring. The extension of Fairground Road to Rt. 6 does not have sufficient funding to proceed at this time.

School budget

As the budget for FY23, which begins on July 1, and tax rates for calendar 2022 are adopted by the board in April, the supervisors hear departmental and agency budget presentations during March.

School Superintendent Jeremy Raley Ed.D.  presented the budget for the school division approved by the school board. As approved by the school board, the amount for FY 23 is $24,500,000. This includes an increase of $1 million in county transfer from FY 2022. Our schools serve approximately 2,500 students, a number that has been stable for the past few years. See the document at https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Q6OckSUjv4aW_LKKVPfL4cvmLbo_gh0/view.

Of core services funded by the county—law enforcement, fire-rescue, and education—education consumes the largest piece of the pie. Raley began his talk with a brief overview of the some of the many accomplishments of our schools. According to Niche.com. Goochland has the best teachers in the Richmond region and Goochland Schools are rated first in the Richmond region.

"All decisions are based on the best interests of our students," Raley said, declaring that the school budget is based on needs, not wants. This includes expanded programs to mitigate the "summer slide" fall off in reading and math skills, and most important of all, improved salary and benefits for the teachers and staff that make the accomplishment of the division possible.

The success of Goochland schools, contended Raley, is tied directly to the talent of the people who work in the organization. "We have the best teachers. It is our goal to make sure that we continue to attract and retain the best so we can be successful well into the future." He said that the 85 percent vote in favor of the education bond referendum at last November's election indicates strong citizen support of the great work that our schools are doing.

Raley's remarks echoed those made last week by the Sheriff and Fire-Rescue Chief about the challenge of competing with neighboring jurisdictions, especially those with deeper pockets than ours, to attract and retain the best employees. While Goochland provides an excellent work environment, salary plays a big part in where people choose to work.

Expenditures in this budget, contended Raley, are dedicated to the recruitment and retention of employees including a competitive salary and overall compensation package. He said our school division is comprised of many moving parts. If some of those parts are not strong, they have a negative impact on the rest of the organization.

As noted in last week's workforce report, less than half of county staff lives in Goochland. Raley reported similar results for our teachers as part of his report on salary scales as compared to other school divisions in the region. The data shows that 171 out of Goochland's 272 teachers live outside the county in areas with higher teacher pay scales. The average distances they travel to school range from 23 to 31 miles.

If a teacher drives by four other middle schools, with higher pay scales, to work at GMS, how can we compete? Raley asked. As inflation rears its ugly head—especially escalating gas prices—keeping up becomes more difficult.

Touting the advantages of working in Goochland Schools—small classes; quality of life; employee friendly practice; teacher autonomy; focus on growth over achievement; technology and networking resources; and community support—versus practical considerations of travel time; child care; salary; benefits; and housing prices puts GCPS in a competitive vice, contended Raley. He said there are more openings today than there have been since he came to Goochland in 2016.

The schools are recommending a 6.41 percent year over year salary increase. That would still place our pay behind our neighbors, but not as much as before. Raley also recommended increases for substitute teachers and the lower wage earners who are "the backbone of the school division". This translates into $1.8 million directed at compensation. Salary and benefits account for more than 80 percent of the school budget.

School funding includes revenues from federal and state sources. (See the budget summary for details) Federal Covid money from the American Relief Plan will be used to mitigate pandemic learning loss.

To see all school budget documents go to https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/budget-and-finance.

People

 

For all the talk about machines replacing people, current widespread staffing shortages prove that there is no substitute for the real thing.

Attracting the most qualified employees to serve the citizens of the County is an ongoing challenge. Being able to offer compensation—salary and benefits—packages in line with neighboring jurisdictions with deeper pockets is important to Goochland's success.

On 22222 Director of Human Resources Jessica Rice presented her annual county workforce report to the Board of Supervisors.

As of the end of calendar 2021, Rice reported, there were 159 full time and 39 part time county employees: 99 full time and five part time Constitutional Officer employees for a total of 302.

Average salary was $60,610, up from $56,031 in 2020. The average age was 43 with 181 males and 116 females. Minorites comprise 15.2 percent of the county workface up from 14.2 percent in 2020. The percentage of employees who live in Goochland is 42.1 up from 40.4. Rice said this is low, it tends to be upwards of 60 percent in other counties.

Rice said that 2021 was a record-breaking year for county employment, with the number of jobs posted almost doubling from 2020. Forty-seven jobs were posted, attracting 536 applications, of which 18.5 percent were from minorities, fewer than in the previous year. Of the 70 new hires, 21.4 percent were minorities, down from 25.6 percent in 2020. There was a 13.2 percent turnover rate. Rice explained that some of the postings are for more than one position, which explains how 47 postings yielded 70 new hires.

There will be no increased costs for health insurance in FY23, said Rice. She said that the Goochland health benefit plan is "one of the richest" around and is an effective recruitment tool that has brought good candidates onto county staff.

Requested positions that were not able to be funded include a part-time general administrative assistant; a full-time assistant county attorney; a human resources manager; two motorist assistants for the Sheriff's office; two fire-rescue providers; one animal protection officer; a groundskeeper; a marketing coordinator for parks and recreation; and an environmental planner.

The county raised its minimum wage to $12 an hour as of January 1, 2022, in anticipation of state mandates, which kick in on July 1. As proposed, the FY 23 budget includes a three percent merit increase. However, a compensation benchmark study is in process that could change salary increases. This, said Rice, will look at surrounding jurisdictions and some private sector employers to determine if pay band adjustments are needed and if some positions should be salaried or have overtime pay.

Rice expects the results of the study sometime in April but will be able to work with the compensation in the proposed budget.

Goochland is fortunate to have a high caliber workforce and must seeks ways to retain these fine individuals. They have mortgages to pay, children to educate and should be adequately compensated for the skills they bring to serve our citizens.

This report did not include data from the school division.