Coraggio Consulting
Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Meeting - May 27, 2026, Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Place: Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 10h 18m (video)
Official meeting video (CivicClerk): https://chesterfieldcova.portal.civicclerk.com/event/2026/media
Official agenda (CivicClerk): https://chesterfieldcova.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=4062,plainText=false)
Official minutes (CivicClerk): https://chesterfieldcova.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=4137,plainText=false)

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-23. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:01:58] Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the afternoon session of the May 27th Board of Supervisors meeting.

[00:02:15] Before I turn this over to Madam Clerk, I just want to mention that Dr. Hilton is in a family matter that he's dealing with right now, that he's attending to. He will be here as soon as he is able, and with that, Madam Clerk. Mr. Chair, the first item on the agenda is certification of 15-day closed session pursuant to sections 2.2-3711A1 and 2.2-3712B, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended, solely for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the position of county administrator.

[00:02:48] we need a motion to certify that to the best of each member's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under the Freedom of Information Act were discussed in closed session to which the certification applies and only such business matters identified in the motion by which the closed session was convened were heard discussed or considered by the board. Thank you madam clerk can I get that motion please. Second.

[00:03:13] All right can you go ahead and please call the roll. Mr. Engel. Aye. Ms. Schneider. Aye. Dr. Hilton is absent. Mr. Carroll? Aye. Dr. Miller? Aye. Item 2, approval of minutes for the April 22nd Board of Supervisors meeting.

[00:03:30] Thank you, Madam Clerk. Board members, is there a motion to approve the April 22nd minutes? So moved. All right, let me get that second. Second. All right, all in favor? Aye. Thank you. Item 3, request to postpone agenda items and additions, deletions, or changes in the order of presentation.

[00:03:48] Staff has no requests. Item four, everyday excellence, Dr. Casey. Thank you, members of the public and board and visitors that are here with us and those that are watching. We try to start every one of our meetings with what we frame as everyday excellence, and it's just recognizing an employee or a group of employees amongst the many who is just representative of what we stand for.

[00:04:10] Today is no different with Dr. Gay. You know, we talk about public safety taking oaths of office. You know, I believe that the medical profession, there's an oath you take to serve, and those words are just as powerful. And you live by actually almost two oaths.

[00:04:27] While you didn't take the public safety oath, you feel it and live it every day in being a servant leader. So as a county administrator on behalf of the workforce, I'm sincerely grateful. And just one other tidbit before I introduce Sheriff Leonard to further recognize Dr. Gay. One of the things that Chesterfield County is blessed with, we really have three doctors on staff and that if any one of them is away for any reasons, the other two can step in and help out as need be.

[00:04:54] So our three doctors are cross-trained and that's just something that's unique amongst local governments where there may be one doctor or no doctors actually to call upon in times of need. So with that said, I'm grateful for the service not only for the sheriff's office you provided but to the workforce of Chesterfield and the Fire EMS Division when they need a doctor.

[00:05:15] Thank you. Dr. Miller, honorable board members, Dr. Casey, I am honored to present Dr. Gay today for the everyday excellence. He epitomizes everything there is about patient advocacy, and that's his policy in the jail.

[00:05:31] When you cross through the threshold of his medical division, you're no longer an inmate, you are a patient. And he has his whole team focused on being patient advocates. He's been the medical director at Chesterfield County Jail for over 22 years. And I will tell you, to what you said, Dr. Gay, is really important.

[00:05:49] We are fortunate that Chesterfield County allows us to employ our own medical doctor at the jail. I will say that the majority, far majority of jails in Virginia and beyond employ contracted doctors. And like it or not, sometimes they work towards the contract, not towards the patient.

[00:06:07] Having Dr. Gay as a county employee has been a blessing to everybody he sees and addresses in the medical division because he's focused on patient care first. I can tell you this, not saving dollars. I'll say that again. He's not focused on saving dollars. But the cost of medical care is expensive, as we all know.

[00:06:26] He is an internal medicine physician, received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine, later did a fellowship at Medical College of Georgia where he focused on hematology and oncology. He's using his medical expertise to provide excellent care of our inmates who become patients. He is truly a patient advocate.

[00:06:44] In addition, he holds a distinction of being the longest tenured, non-sworn member of our organization, which will be a theme of my presentation later on today. He is our longest non-sworn employee in the Chesville Sheriff's Office. And he does a remarkable job. His team does a remarkable job because of the leadership.

[00:07:01] And we're blessed to have him here in Chesville County. Members of the board, sheriff, command staff, visitors, thank you very much. I really wasn't expecting this.

[00:07:17] I knew he was going to present something. I thought I was here to be his backup just in case he needed some information. So this is a really surprise. I didn't know that I would be here this long. But I am here this long because I really feel connected to the county, connected to the sheriff's office, and to my team.

[00:07:37] And I think we've done a really good thing with the medical care, and that's shown with people always looking toward us for advice. And so I just want to thank everybody, and I really, really appreciate being here. And I'm going to be here a lot longer.

[00:07:56] Dr. Gay, don't go leaving that fast, my brother. I just want to turn it back over to the board if anyone wanted to make any comments. Anyone want to make any comments?

[00:08:14] Ms. Schneider. Thank you for all that you do. you guys have an innovative wonderful program going on there and you're the huge part of that and i love the insight and the um experience not experimental but i mean you're willing to look at different opportunities um for treatment and i appreciate that because there's sometimes the the regular protocols don't you know do the best and there's other opportunities that you know might work better so thank you so much for doing that and being committed to the process

[00:08:47] The biggest thing I was clapping for is you said you're going to stay for a while longer. I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for your service to the Sheriff's Department and to the county and the citizens that you serve. Thank you. Yeah, I don't think I could say it better than them. Just thank you for everything you do. I think that it's part of why our Sheriff's Department of Public Safety is providing the best, certainly in my opinion, and I brag a

[00:09:25] a little bit in the country. If you look at, you know, what it takes, and that video, that presentation, the movie that we saw, all of that incorporated into all of this, it's just amazing stuff. And so thank you for your dedication to that. One of the things I've noticed of a pattern when it comes to everyday excellence and folks that come here is there are two things that each one of those individuals have in common. First is that it's a calling. It isn't a job. It's something that is part of your heart, and then also the passion of it all.

[00:10:00] About quality care, if there was ever a population that needs that quality care, it is the population that ends up in our jails. They show up, and they've been through a war. And now they're there, and now it's a time of healing. It's a time of being able to identify what comes next, how you can grow.

[00:10:18] And you can't do that if you don't have the basic underlying, which is good health. My grandmother used to say that all the time. If you don't have your health, you don't have anything. And that's what you're responsible for doing and couldn't be more grateful for what you do. So thank you.

[00:10:36] Item 5, Work Sessions. A, Sheriff's Office Annual Update. Sheriff Leonard. Hear anybody there?

[00:11:03] We'll start over. No, we won't. But thank you for the opportunity to provide the update. We are an organization of 325 of the most amazing people serving this county in our community. While the nation celebrates its 250th birthday this year, Chesville County Sheriff's Office has been serving for over 277 years now, not me personally.

[00:11:27] Today I want to focus on everything that is good with the Chesville Sheriff's Office, but I would be remiss if I did not highlight some of the negative external impacts we are dealing with. I will keep this just one slide as I would like to dedicate the rest of my time to focus on more of the stuff that is right in the Sheriff's Office, which is plenty.

[00:11:45] This slide consolidates everything we presented during our budget presentation several weeks ago. This is all information I know you are all familiar with. The short of it is, as this county continues to grow, our workloads are growing proportionally to that, and it results in more work demands, the need for more personnel, all at a time where we're seeing the cost for services increase at even a quicker pace.

[00:12:08] Through it all, we continue to deliver a high level of service without interruption to our customers or community members. I am joined, by the way, with Lieutenant Colonel Matt Wilkerson, the chief deputy. You got it? I got it. He's got control. So, you know, speaking of everything that's good with the sheriff's office, again, we did complete our main courthouse, Sallyport.

[00:12:30] That was a lengthy project that was much needed. Before, and if you look at that square right roof, everything there is brand new. Before that was there, we had a single garage entry to embark or disembark inmates going to court.

[00:12:46] We have dozens and dozens of people have to be moved to the courthouse every day for court appearances in our many different courtrooms. The new courthouse, as it is affectionately known, is 37 years old. The single bay created for the Sally Port that was there before this was designed for vehicles 37 years ago.

[00:13:08] The new vans we use today could barely fit into there. And everybody that pulled in had to back out. You couldn't fit two in there at the same time. That caused a backup of vans lined up in our parking lot loaded with inmates from various jails, including Riverside, Chessville, and across the state, all waiting to be unloaded.

[00:13:26] We had employees walking through the parking lot. The inmates in these vans would watch them, see where they parked the cars. It just was not a safe environment. We are fortunate the county supported the building of this. You can actually fit 16 vehicles in this alley port.

[00:13:42] We went from 1 to 16. It expedites the offload and onload of inmates. It creates a much safer environment for all employees, not just those at the sheriff's office. Next slide. One of the things we learned through that construction was a temporary fence was erected to stop people from going through the construction site.

[00:14:02] It proved to be such a great security barrier for us to create an intact zone behind the courthouse for our employees, especially judges who park out there, That when the project is over, we decided to go ahead and erect this permanent privacy fence around the parking lot.

[00:14:20] You can go to the next slide. You see this really segregates that area between the two courthouses for our employees to park in safety without concern of anybody coming through the two. We've had a lot of foot traffic between the two courthouses in the past.

[00:14:36] As you know, we just had somebody on foot the other night who did some damage to our courthouse walking through the front. It's not unusual to have people walking all hours of the days. After this was constructed, all the judges were in agreement that they felt much safer. This was a great needed addition for the courthouse, and we're happy to have it there.

[00:14:55] So I want to focus on our employees, a diverse group of individuals working together as a team, as a family, towards the same mission, to enhance public safety, providing a safe court environment, the service of legal documents, and comprehensive care of offenders through professional and unbiased performance. In this way, the Sheriff's Office fully supports and fosters Chessfield's efforts to be an extraordinary and innovative community in which to live, work, and play.

[00:15:23] And if you look at the map up there, that's all the different countries our Sheriff's Office employees come from, where they were born. And it is our diversity that makes us the great organization we are today. Speaking of our people, we look at our demographics here in Chessfield County compared to the demographics of our sheriff's office. As you can see in our sheriff's office, we really believe in diversity and we show that throughout our ranks and throughout our personnel in civilian and sworn alike. And sworn on the far right, you'll see the actual

[00:15:58] demographics for sworn personnel far exceeding what the county demographics are. And that's our goal is to be reflective or beyond reflective of the community we serve. Has anybody heard of the 30 by 30 initiative. This is a national initiative aimed at increasing the representation of women in law enforcement, sworn positions specifically, to 30 percent by the year 2030. Chesville County is well on its way to getting here. Next slide. Today we have 25 percent of our entire force is

[00:16:35] female, but I'm proud to say, go next slide, that 23 percent of our leadership positions are held by females at this point. So we're well on our way to reaching that 30 by 30 initiative, which we expect to be achieved long before 2030. Next slide. Keeping in the theme when we recognized Dr. Gay earlier today, I would like to solely focus on our civilian employees. Often lost in the mix and overshadowed by our sworn compliment, they are critical and crucial to our success as any other employees. And that's what I wanted to do for the rest of this presentation. And I'm just

[00:17:12] going to go through a couple of them really quick. Our criminal information unit, our records room, Handling all the papers that get issued, they all have to be entered, they all have to be filed. Behind them is a rack of 3,500 warrants to be served in Chesterfield County. There are a lot of papers that come through here. Their work is essential and critical.

[00:17:31] The timing, and the board a few years ago, if you recall, allowed us to staff a 24-hour, 24-7 operation. This is critical because we don't want to wait to enter a paper into the computer. So a police officer, a trooper in Texas stops a car for somebody who's wanted on a serious crime here, doesn't get that information timely.

[00:17:53] So now with having 24-7 operations, those papers are entered within minutes of us receiving them. They go into a nationwide database, hopefully providing a safer environment for everybody out there. The next is our mental health team. Again, we are privileged in Chesterfield County to have support of the board.

[00:18:11] Most jails do not invest in mental health. We are blessed to have the mental health team we have in our jail. They provide essential service to our folks. I was talking to somebody yesterday about our jail population having 70% population of people with mental illness.

[00:18:28] I was corrected. 90% of our population has mental illness in our jail. That's what we've become because of lack of other resources on the outside. To have those folks in our jail and not attend to their mental health needs, I think would be a disservice to all of them in our community.

[00:18:45] So, again, we're very blessed to have a mental health team that focuses on the mental health of our inmates. Next is our programs and rehabilitation team. You know, again, this is, HARP is just one piece of this. This includes a lot of other things they do from GED to other skills training, getting people into community colleges, which we do, and things like that.

[00:19:09] Our goal is to rehabilitate, get people the skills, abilities, and tools to succeed when they're released. And, again, this is a critical part of our organization. Next is our medical team. Dr. Gay there front and center. I know he's very proud of his team. I can't say enough about them. It's tough to be a nurse in any profession. But when you ask somebody to do their profession inside the confines of a jail, understand that they're locked up for their whole shift. You can't get in and out of the jail like you can any other job. So we're blessed to have a dedicated team on our medical staff.

[00:19:43] And then our security specialists are another civilian part of our program that's really been helpful to us. We are implementing more of these positions now within the jail so we can save having to hire more deputies, identifying more jobs they can actually do at their level without being sworn.

[00:20:02] They don't have the training that deputies go through. They don't get the equipment that deputies go through. But there's a number of functions that they can provide to us, which really provide a cost savings to everybody. And then our newest endeavor is COMPASS, Comprehensive Opioid Management and Patient Assistance for Substance Support.

[00:20:21] It's a long word. I think Dr. Gay came up with this acronym for us. You know, we have a lot of acronyms in our program. We have HARP, we have SMART, and now we have COMPASS. We're very excited about COMPASS. It just launched about two, three weeks ago. And, you know, it's a new and complimentary piece of Chesterfield County Jail's existing HARP and SMART program.

[00:20:41] SMART is Supported Medically Assisted Rehabilitative Treatment Program, another Dr. Gay acronym. It only serves inmates who serve from substance use disorder and have pre-existing prescriptions for MAT or MOUD. Where, you go to the next one, COMPASS will allow the Chesterfield County Jail to screen all incoming inmates for substance use disorder and support the full continuum of care for MOUD regimen and medically assisted treatment.

[00:21:10] Induction, withdrawal, and maintenance. it also allows us to fill the gap in services for those who enter the jail but are released within hours we're going to try to capture everybody who is in that short window and get them the help they need on an mat program substance use disorder is complicated disease with no one pathway to long term treatment or recovery it requires an individualized roadmap roadmap for care compass will also provide substance use support services to inmates in the general population of jail who who are not part of HARP.

[00:21:40] This allows for a multifaceted continuum of care per Title II of the ADA, requiring that correctional facilities provide MAT for inmates with opiate use disorder. Now to the challenges, I mentioned mental health before.

[00:21:56] We have what's called a one-on-one when somebody is a serious threat to harm themselves. We are seeing more and more of this. When we have a one-on-one situation, I have to put a deputy one-on-one with that individual with eyes on. They must maintain eyes on at all times.

[00:22:13] They can't leave to respond to an emergency. They can't leave to do anything else. They have to remain there one-on-one. This takes a deputy out of our rotation for all the other security needs we have in the jail while we're running operations. If you see the picture on the far right, that one particular incident, we had two people on 101s.

[00:22:31] That's two deputies off the shift who can do nothing but just watch the individual for their safety and concern. So mental health is the number one failure in this nation, and we have a long way to go to address it. And right now, jails, unfortunately, have been the collecting point for people suffering from that disease of mental health.

[00:22:49] We are trying our best to help them. So that's a big challenge for us right now. Next, you probably all have seen or heard or been inconvenienced by the HVAC overall at the jail. While the new courthouse is 37 years old, the jail celebrates their 20th birthday this year.

[00:23:07] As I always said to the board, jails age like dog ears. It's not a traditional building because of the way it's constructed. A 20-year-old jail really has seen the wear and tear of about a 60-year-old building. This HAC overhaul is much needed. It's well overdue, but it is causing a lot of interruptions with services.

[00:23:26] And unfortunately, a cost to our taxpayers in that, like right now, I have one entire side of the jail closed. That's over 100 inmates that have to be at Riverside at per diem rate we're paying for Riverside and not in our jail because all those beds are remaining open while they're doing the overhead work.

[00:23:47] That's unexpected costs I don't think we saw coming into this project. It's a two-year-plus project, supposed to be finished in September, but just like today when one thing that was supposed to finish on Thursday is now extended to next week, it's got a lot of pushback, and we're waiting to see where we go with this.

[00:24:05] The next challenge is back at the new courthouse, the main courthouse. Again, these are inmate movement elevators. There's only three of them in the entire building. All three are 37 years old. There is only one way to get inmates from holding in the basement up to the 10, 12 courtrooms.

[00:24:25] Keep adding courtrooms. I don't know where we are today. So I think it's 12 courtrooms currently. The only way to get inmates in custody up for trial is through these elevators. None of them work at this point. And when I say don't work, they do go up and down, but the security doors do not close.

[00:24:41] So now every time we put somebody on there, we have to put a deputy in there with them to ensure they don't do anything with that. The problem is later this year, all three are scheduled to be replaced. And when we shut these down, it's going to cause an interruption to court services for people that are in custody going to court trial.

[00:25:00] We don't know what that timeline is going to be. We don't have a plan right now, but it is going to be a challenge for us later on this year. And then shifting away from consolidated services has been a challenge for us for the last several years. We are continually running out of space, not just the sheriff's office, but all entities working at the new courthouse and running out of space.

[00:25:21] And it's a matter of robbing from Peter to pay Paul. And we're doing our share by moving to off-site locations. That, moving everybody out from being consolidated has helped hurt us with services, excuse me. And I will, you go to the next slide.

[00:25:36] This is just a picture of all the different facilities we operate out of now. The Cogbill building, the old Parks and Rec building, I forget what you call the other building, Clay, where civil process is, the remote work center.

[00:25:54] We're all over the map now with our personnel. We'd like to reconsolidate down the road. We know that that's possible when we get through this expansion, whenever that occurs. So right now it is a challenge for us. And then space inside the jail has also been hard to find.

[00:26:11] This is our compass crew. This is where they're operating out of. It's one of the indoor rec centers for our inmates. This is also where we do medically-assisted treatment. So we're using space dedicated for some other use. Actually, we have five desks in there, computers, and phones to operate out of this because we are out of space at the jail as well.

[00:26:30] And then the last challenge is going to be our hiring. We are struggling right now to hire deputies as well as civilians. In fact, we had an academy scheduled to begin on February 4th. We had to cancel that academy because we could not fill it.

[00:26:47] We cannot meet the minimum required by DCJS, which is five, to actually start an academy. We're having a little struggle hiring people right now, both on the sworn and the civilian side. We do fill a lot of civilian positions.

[00:27:03] They tend to stay for about two weeks and then leave for a private sector job. For instance, the transportation coordinator, we've been through three of them in the last three months. They keep taking a job and then leaving a job for other jobs. So right now hiring is a little bit of a challenge for us.

[00:27:20] But I will say that in the scheme of things, I do not stress over where we are. We are, I think, Captain Phillips, we're at eight sworn vacancies down right now. I don't like having eight vacancies, but when I talk to my peers, they would all love to have eight vacancies.

[00:27:39] Other jurisdictions are in the hundreds and beyond when it comes to personnel shortages. So to only have eight right now is a blessing, but we like to be fully staffed. And with that, we're just going to leave you with the faces of our sheriff's office, and I open it up for any questions.

[00:27:57] Board, any questions? I have just a couple in that you said you're eight vacancies down right now. I'm curious to know, have you done a count on how many people, I mean, kind of picking up on what Mr. Engel is saying, that are getting close to retirement?

[00:28:16] Yeah, we've done surveys on that. And I think right now we have over 30 people that could retire today, any moment. And we do a survey about every six months to assess that. And it's been pretty accurate. Like we had one that was scheduled to retire sometime before August.

[00:28:33] And sure enough, that came to fruition. And we're losing quite a bit of our command staff as well between now and into the year. And then what do you think is the barrier right now for hiring or sending someone through the academy or through the training?

[00:28:51] I don't know if there's a barrier. We're getting applications, but most of the applications are being disqualified before they even get anywhere into the process. DCGS has a list of automatic disqualifiers. It's beyond our control.

[00:29:07] The state controls that. There's a lot that we can't even move forward in the process because of some things in the past. So we do get a lot of applications. Unfortunately, they're not able to get through the background to move forward in the process. And I do want to say real quick, if I can take this minute, we are making some promotions August 1st.

[00:29:26] And behind you is Deputy Daughtry, who on August 1st will be Sergeant Daughtry. What you wish for. Any other comments from the board?

[00:29:44] Dr. Hilton, welcome to the party. Hey, thank you all. So, one, just thank you and your deputies. I know I've texted you a number of times and said thank you for the sheriff's for showing up, the deputies, excuse me, for showing up and just protecting us.

[00:30:03] I just want to have a moment of gratitude for what you've done for us. I know we talked about recruiting, but what about retention? Could you all give us maybe some things that we could do to help retain the people that you have and ensure that they're happy and that they're taken care of?

[00:30:23] I think the county has done a great job helping us with retention. We're not having any problem with retention other than they're aging out and retiring. You know, we're 277 years old. People like Lieutenant Colonel have been here for most of that. So what we're seeing is the losses we're seeing are retirements with 30-plus years, 25-plus years.

[00:30:46] So we're not seeing really deputies coming in and doing five years and out, ten years and out. If we can get them through the door and get them hired, for the most part, they're going to stay for a career. Okay. Yeah, that's good. You know, I'll be open to talking to you offline and that sort of thing.

[00:31:02] And if we can do anything to help out, you know, if it's a media blitz or anything like that to kind of help, I'm here to help. So, I just want to say I'm a big fan of what you all are doing and to continue to serve in the same capacity that you all do with integrity and dignity and honor.

[00:31:21] So, I just want to say thank you. Ms. Schneider. So, the people that you have at Riverside right now, how long are they going to be there? Do we know? I'm just... We're supposed to reopen the pods on Thursday.

[00:31:38] Where's Major Jones, my jail administrator? They moved it now until next week. so you're rotating in and out correct we we've from this whole process starting we've had to keep several pods empty to move people around because the section they work in has no air conditioning or heat at all uh so that's a burden on us because like i said we have probably 80 to 100 people at riverside who should be here the per diem we're paying for riverside we really should be born in that cost because of this project but we are okay and and for me it's more about the quality of care, I think.

[00:32:17] But yeah, because I don't know that I've heard a lot of good things about Riverside, but maybe I'm wrong. Well, I think it's changed. I think with Superintendent Dillman in place, he's only been there less than two years. He's making some really significant changes and I appreciate the direction he's going in.

[00:32:34] Good, okay, thank you. I appreciate it. Mr. Carroll. I just want to say thank you for all you do. I think you know where my heart lies with public safety. I do think that, you know, the pay plan that we instituted a couple of years ago and continue to fund has been a helper in retention for the Sheriff's Department.

[00:32:55] The civilian positions that keep turning over, do you have any clue as to why for the turnover for that? Is it a pay issue? I think for most of the civilian, I have Captain Phillips here, who's my HR director. I believe it's all because we can't compete with the corporate world, private world.

[00:33:14] And that's the problem, especially in these HR director positions, budget positions, things of that nature. It's hard to compete. Yep, that's what I figured. But it's good to get it out there so people understand that it's not a – I mean, I think from talking with the sheriff's department that I've talked with, morale is very good in the organization.

[00:33:35] And that's a hard thing considering that when you work in a jail, you're in jail for – you guys are working 12-hour shifts, right? Correct. So you're in jail for 12 hours. And so, you know, the fact that the morale in the organization is very high is an excellent good thing. And I think, like you said, public safety agencies across the country, especially law enforcement, are struggling to hire because the younger generation does not want to do this line of work.

[00:34:00] Correct. And I don't, you know, unless that mindset changes, I don't know how that's going to work. I mean, I know that the PSA program that the police department has instituted has been very helpful for them. And, of course, you're in a different situation than they are.

[00:34:17] But nevertheless, thank you for all that you do. And as Dr. Hilton said, you know, having the sheriff's deputies with us on many of the events that we do is, I think, a very good thing for us to have. And I really appreciate y'all's efforts in that.

[00:34:33] It means a lot. Yeah, and Mr. Carr, I would be remiss. Public safety pay plan has gone a long way in retaining people, but also attracts other officers from our jurisdictions across the river to come to us. That's been a big avenue of hiring for us.

[00:34:50] And then our security techs that we hire, some of them have transitioned into full sworn positions as well. So internally and what we get pre-certified is that's been a very good revenue, very good stream of people coming in and out, and I think a lot of it's because of the pay plan.

[00:35:09] So thank the board for continuing to support that. They're not okay when we say that they're valued. And with that, also, I think that there are a lot of intangibles that bring someone here, especially quality. And, you know, there is a secret sauce that I think permeates throughout the entire county, which is that the energy, the passion, everything that is here.

[00:35:34] And you see that in what's happening in our jail. The folks that are there, I'm just struck by all those pictures that are up and kind of going with Dr. Hilton saying how grateful we are for the kind of work that those folks do that you all do as a command staff what you do every day it does not go unnoticed so thank you thanks sir yeah the older

[00:36:09] older adults programs and partnerships update dr. worsley good afternoon mr. chair members of the board dr. casey minks we are happy to be back with you this year last year i think we had opportunity to come and talk about our programs during Older Americans Month, which is the month of May, and we'd like to change that up just a little bit, take them through the

[00:36:47] lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and call this Older Adults Month, if we could, because we recognize that not all older adults are maybe from America. Here with me today are some of our friends from around the region that support the programs and opportunities that we offer for older adults in our community and throughout the region. First, we have have Ms. Young Tucker from the Spann Center, Rachel Muradz from Lifelong Learning Institute, Tanya Lebo from Parks and Recreation, and Julie Carlton from Sportable, as well as Kim Grays from our very own CER Community Engagement and Resources. And they're going to take the opportunity to walk

[00:37:26] you through all the wonderful things that they do in their various prospective organizations and how it all ties together as we collaborate collectively here in Chesterfield County. So with that being said I'm going to move right out of the way because we have a very great comprehensive if you will presentation for the next 25 or so minutes. Young I believe you're gonna kick us off. Hi good afternoon and I'm Young Tucker thank you for giving us the opportunity to talk with you today. I'm the chief financial officer at the SPAN Center formerly known as Senior Connections

[00:38:03] And we are your area agency on aging, serving older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in the Planning District 15, including Chesterfield County. Our mission is to help adults remain independent, healthy, and connected to their communities for as long as possible.

[00:38:26] We provide a wide range of services, including care coordination, caregiver support, home-delivered meals, transportation assistance, Medicare counseling, legal services, health and wellness programs, volunteer opportunities, and so many more.

[00:38:46] And a lot of those programs are offered to Chesterfield County residents at no cost for those who qualify. And as many of you know, the need for aging services continues to grow rapidly.

[00:39:08] Chesterfield County currently has more than 93,000 residents over the age of 60, representing 24% of the total population. And in just the past year, the county added an estimated 2,400 additional residents 60 and older.

[00:39:27] And what that means for organizations like ours is that there's an increased demand for resources and assistance helping older adults remain safely in their homes and in the community.

[00:39:43] And that growing need is reflected in the services we currently provide here in Chesterfield County. Over the past year, 278 residents received one-on-one support through services like care transition the 30-day hospital home service options counseling caregiver support and care coordination the span Center provided more than 42,000 meals to from to Chesterfield residents through friendship cafes home delivered meals and we provided 2,500 one-way

[00:40:21] transportation rides for those cafe participants and provided dozens of residents with the health and wellness education classes and nearly 3,000 hours of in-home supports for caregivers through adult day supports respite and home services like personal care and homemaker services we provided 600 residents to receive medicare counseling and assistance through vicap which helps chesterfield

[00:40:57] residents navigate their coverage options and reduce fraud and scams and those volunteer vicap vicap volunteers and other volunteers supported 1800 hours into chesterfield residents and 138 residents receive free legal services and overall we supported 2700 Chesterfield residents with all the services that we provide but in addition to the providing services we work closely with

[00:41:31] the community to understand emerging needs and priorities and as part of the area plan process we hosted listening sessions and gathered feedback from residents across Chesterfield County and And residents consistently identify transportation, caregivers support, nutrition, affordable housing, and reducing socialization, isolation, and loneliness as a critical need, as well as a strong demand for Medicare resources and other aging-related resources.

[00:42:07] So as Chesterfield continues to grow, so does the importance of ensuring older adults and caregivers have access to the support services that allow them to age with dignity, independence, and community connection to the community. So we really appreciate the opportunity to work with Chesterfield County in serving the older adults, and we thank you for your

[00:42:37] continued support. Hope so. Just take one and pass. Good afternoon, Dr. Hilton. It's nice to meet you. Mr. Engel, Dr. Miller, Mr. Carroll, Ms. Schneider, Dr. Casey, Mr. Minx. Yes. Well, I'm thankful

[00:43:13] for this opportunity to share with you an update on the Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield. Some of you have heard this before, but just for a small history lesson, I can't help myself. The Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield is a non-profit organization that's been partnered with the county with Chesterfield County Public Schools and with VCU through the Virginia Center on Aging since March of 2004. Opened in March of 2004 with the inaugural 61 charter members and 18

[00:43:47] courses in that spring 2004 catalog. I know I only have five minutes so I won't share a deposition on the entire 22 years of history but this is our summer 2026 catalog which holds 283 courses and we have over 1500 active members so we've grown a little bit over the last 22 years and a lot of that is due to our partnerships the county is so supportive the schools and certainly vcu and you all support us in different ways and it allows us to stay laser focused on our mission which is to

[00:44:25] provide lifelong learning opportunities for midlife and older adults. And we do that through academic, social, and fitness activities. And our vision is to be a welcoming community of diverse members dedicated to lifelong learning and personal enrichment. And I'm so grateful to be able to walk in the doors every single day that we're open and see that mission and that vision alive and well, and that we're able to accomplish that on a weekly basis is something that's so humbling. And, uh, that's why I've been there for 12 years. I told everybody I hit my, uh, 12 year anniversary in March. And, um, I said, that's my first dozen. I plan to be here another one or two

[00:45:05] dozen at least. Um, so just a little bit more information about where we're at now. We, um, offered over 960 different courses last year. So in 2025 and one course could be a one-time lecture, like Dr. Miller, Dr. Casey come out and talk for 60 or 90 minutes and have a discussion.

[00:45:29] Or it could be a class that meets every week of the entire 16-week session. So that's how we count courses. It also includes our trips, any social activities, but 960, and that was a record for us. So I'm hoping to break 1,000. I don't know if it'll be this year, but next year I've got my sights set on that. I just thought I do love a spreadsheet. And so it's interesting to note that we have actually provided over 1.6 million classroom hours in the last 22 years for our

[00:46:03] older adult members. And that's a number I keep track of. Rachel, I just wouldn't interrupt with Dr. Casey retiring. He's willing to do the next, come up with 40 courses. Okay, excellent. And we'll go ahead and plan them out. 45 minutes each. Back to back. Thank you for that offer, Dr. Miller.

[00:46:25] And something that many people in this room are very familiar with is our renovation. I see Sheriff Leonard left. I'm grateful. I don't need to talk to him about HVAC renovations, but we're so grateful to Mr. Bowles and Dr. Worsley and all the support we've had throughout this process to get and of course for your support of the HVAC renovation. The learning cottages as we're calling them have been installed on the soccer field as planned. They're getting all those hooked up and we're planning to move in in August so that renovation can begin this fall and we're hopeful that it will take about a year and then we'll move back into the building

[00:47:03] next end of next summer. Another program that I think is just such a beautiful picture of public-private partnership is the transportation program that we were able to launch in September of 2022. We have provided over 15,000 rides for over 150 members, and that is through our strategic partnership with the county's program for all of our members who live in Chesterfield, but we have over 50 zip codes represented in our membership, and so even members who live outside the county, we've used Uber Business, their concierge service, to get them rides. And the program is

[00:47:42] unlimited, and it's free for members. And we've been able to accomplish that over the last three and a half years through grant funding from Genworth and Genworth Foundation. So we're really grateful that that continues to grow. And it's really been life-changing for those members who participate. Lastly, I just wanted to share, these numbers are in your handout, just show the growth.

[00:48:05] We call the COVID dip our valley, but we're looking for a new mountaintop there. And then this is, I do love a spreadsheet, but I love the impact on people's lives more. And so this slide just has some quotes and they're on the back of your handout as well as others.

[00:48:23] But just wanted to read two that I just feel tell a real story of how we're improving the lives of older adults in Chesterfield County. John Bennett who's a member and instructor says lifelong learning enables us to stay mentally physically and emotionally healthy it keeps us curious engaged and connected with others in meaningful ways and then Bev Brewster says LLI has broadened my horizons introduced me to wonderful friends and even helped me accomplish a lifelong dream of publishing my book I feel so fortunate to have found this community thank you so much for your time I'll be happy to answer any

[00:49:00] questions at the end. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Tanya Lebo. I am a principal recreation specialist with Parks and Recreation. I supervise the 50-plus and therapeutic recreation programs.

[00:49:19] And I'd like to start off with our recreation centers. We have four rec centers and one senior center, the Bensley, Beulah, Ettrick, and Stonebridge Recreation Centers, and then Chesterfield Baptist Church, which is off of Hall Street. All of them have senior programming, but Chesterfield Baptist actually focuses on seniors. Our department provided over 1,014 programs and had 28,945 attendees, not including special events or programs that weren't registered for for fiscal

[00:49:52] year 2025. We make adaptations to programs to meet the seniors' needs. It can be the highlight of their day and become part of their daily routine. There's community engagement and personal growth. We have participants that may attend at least one of our programs once a day or come to a special event, or they'll be there all day long.

[00:50:18] When they find out about our programs, they're surprised at how many that we actually offer. I always get a comment that I can't believe how many programs you have because at my locality we don't even have anything anywhere near this.

[00:50:34] So that basically makes us feel good about that. We've had participants that have come in, they're shy, their physical levels are low, but by the time they leave, they turn into a social butterfly and can exercise circles around me. We also collaborate with other organizations like the SPAN Center, LLI, Signature Tours.

[00:50:56] We have senior trips that we partner with them. Our department is also involved with Triad, where I serve on the board. Eula Recreation Center was the new host site for our senior day this year. A variety of programs that we offer are seminars, luncheons, arts and crafts, mahjong, which is pretty big now, cards, fitness and wellness, of course, pickleball and more.

[00:51:23] A few programs that we've had recently are Finding Hope, Helena Zim's story of survival and resilience, and recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day with the Survivor Speaker presentation. We had a Cinco de Mayo lunch at Chesterfield Baptist with a small performance by the Latin Ballet of Virginia.

[00:51:43] May 14th, we had our Chesterfield Senior Golf Tournament with 20 teams registered. So if you know anyone, please come out and y'all too, please. And then National Night Out during the day is coming up on Tuesday, August 4th from 11 to 2 p.m. at Stonebridge.

[00:52:01] it's a free event there'll be vendors hot dogs dj photo booth and speakers this is a time for the public to come out and mingle with department sheriff's department and police department along with the community during the day so they don't have to drive at night we really appreciate you all dr casey and board members when you come and visit us and attend our programs it makes us feel really good and parks and recreation has partnered with sportable to deliver our active programming for the 50 plus population. I'll now turn it over to Julie Carlton with Sportable to

[00:52:38] discuss those programs. Hi everybody. So like Tanya said we started a partnership with Cheshfield Parks and Rec last July and took over help facilitating and expand 50 plus health and wellness programs in January. We're also doing more adaptive programming with the partnership but since it's older adult month, you got me.

[00:53:05] Affordable is a local nonprofit. We have 20 years of experience making programming accessible to all participants that are interested. Our program mission statement is actually to create opportunities and transform lives for individuals with physical disabilities, visual impairments, and anything that needs a physical accommodation through sports and recreation.

[00:53:27] The partnership we're working with is to expand as well as facilitate the 50 plus wellness programming that, like Tanya said, you guys are already leaps and bounds ahead of other localities in the local areas. I'd like to highlight a few things. We're currently offering 34 fitness programs a week at the four rec centers and Trestville Baptist Church, the satellite program. We've added 10 new instructors since January and offering six new class formats that we weren't offering last year. Those are things that residents have asked me some more specialized things like bar and yoga that are coming into

[00:54:07] the building. We have served 1,470 registered participants since January. On top of the actual fitness classes that we're offering, we also offered 10 drop-in activities. It's really more like 18 because some of them are offered like Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but I just did per package um these are pickleball table tennis badminton which is becoming a big thing chair volleyball and then 50 plus volleyball um if you haven't tried chair volleyball put it on your calendar it is super fun and we are serving 760 participants right now in those five areas um with

[00:54:45] 10 weekly drop-in sports of the things many are participating three to four times a week in that it's we call it friendly competition pickleball friendly competition um we're going to keep it at that but um it's socializing it's activity those things um we also are offering pickleball instruction classes since pickleball is a really big deal especially in trustfield county we're offering pickleball 101 and 102 lessons it is six to eight person max so that you get real instruction and you're able to learn in a facility or in a park of 50 plus so that you're not

[00:55:24] competing with 25 year olds that are also trying to learn it you feel safe you feel valued in that class um and we have outdoor partnerships within the partnership with rock climbing with peak and we're going back to horseback riding for 50 plus specific in the fall yeah i'll i'll email you the details um when it opens in august for registration but to improve accessibility and participation we've added free demo classes before registration starts to kind of dip your toe in the water to see

[00:55:59] before you commit to a session of a class to make sure it fits what you're looking for we've launched the first savings discount where residents can bundle their classes together just like you would in your Amazon cart and get 20% off or 30% off. And many, many residents are saying they're not just doing one class now, they're doing two or three because of that savings. So they're not just going to yoga, they're going to yoga and a strength class or something like that, which we all know is very important for the overall health. What else do we got? We implemented a substitute

[00:56:33] system where we have been able to cover 30 classes instead of having to cancel those classes. That allows that those residents that are coming into the building to keep their consistent class going it also reduces the amount of time this wonderful anita in parks and rec does not have to spend refunding people hours of administration there and finally we've tried really hard to strengthen not only the participants that are coming in the building but the instructor support as well we are offering collaborative training we have a unified cheshield sportable logo that instructors

[00:57:09] are wearing so that when you walk into a classroom you know who the instructor is now we've offered free cpr first aid and ad training to all instructors and 13 of them have taken me up on it since january so that we are having a safe environment within the building and we've had a referral instructor program where we have found four new instructors from other instructors referring them so trying to keep the instructors happy so that they stay around um proud of the

[00:57:35] momentum and excited for the next two years of growth. Thank you. Kim. Good afternoon. My name is Kim Graves and I'm the manager for aging and disability resources. Our mission is simple but powerful to provide information, resources, programs, and engagement opportunities for residents age 50 plus. Individuals living with a disability, their families, and their caregivers helping them stay active, independent, and vital contributors to our community. Our vision is to

[00:58:15] offer leadership and direction as the county prepares for the needs of a rapidly growing older population. Each May, Chesterfield proudly celebrates Older Americans Month, a time when we recognize the enormous contributions and strength of older adults. This year, Aging and Disability Resources worked with partners such as Parks and Recreation, the SPAN Center, VCU Gerontology, and the Lifelong Learning Institute to offer a full calendar of events. One of our largest events was Triad Senior Day, which was held May 6th at the Beulah Recreation Center.

[00:58:52] We had more than 200 in attendance, and over 40 vendors came together to provide resources, education, and community engagement. We were honored to welcome speakers, including Attorney General Jay Jones, Heather Harris from the FBI Richmond, Vice Chair Kevin Carroll, and the event was emceed by the Honorable Commonwealth Attorney Aaron Barr. Attendees enjoyed presentations, food, entertainment, raffle prizes, and opportunities to connect. Triad Senior Day is made possible through a coalition of many county departments, including Parks and Recreation, Fire and EMS,

[00:59:28] Libraries, the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, Police, the Sheriff's Office, and Constituent and Media Services. This month, Chesterfield also hosted the Central Virginia Older Adult Luncheon and Vendor Fair, bringing older adults from across the region together for lunch.

[00:59:47] Speakers were Joseph Lugo with the Beard Center on Aging, Amy Streit with the SPAN Center, and the program was emceed by Dr. James Worsley. This year's theme was Champion Your Health and was sponsored by Centerwell. We're also excited about the Youth Storytelling Video Contest.

[01:00:09] Students ages 8 to 12 submitted videos honoring a senior who inspires them. Judges from the SPAN Center, CCPS, Community Engagement Resources, selected the winners, who will be recognized this evening. This contest is a partnership between Aging Disability Resources, Youth Engagement, the SPAN Center, and Chesterfield County Public Schools.

[01:00:31] We've also offered other important events, the Chesterfield County Senior Prom, which was held April 24th at the Manchester Family YMCA, the Chesterfield Council on Aging's Family Caregiver Panel and Resource Fair on May 19th at La Prode Library.

[01:00:48] Looking ahead, we will host the Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame on June 4th in partnership with Chesterfield Council on Aging, honoring seniors who have made extraordinary contributions to the community. Three nominees who volunteered their time after the age of 60 will be inducted this year. We are excited to have Dr. Casey as our keynote speaker for the program.

[01:01:11] Later this summer, we'll be joining our regional partners for the World Elder Abuse Awareness workshop. In addition, Active Aging Week will be held October with the Staying Strong at Stone Bridge Resource Fair. In September, we celebrate our Centenarian Recognition Program honoring residents aged 100 and older. We support families through kinship resources, helping relatives raise children or older adults navigate available support. We also provide year-round programs. Twice

[01:01:47] a year we host the senior law clinics offering income eligible seniors free access to essential life planning documents such as simple wills, durable power of attorney, and advanced medical directives. Finally, our telephone reassurance program connects trained volunteers with adults and individuals with disabilities who live alone or feel isolated. Fifteen volunteers make daily or weekly calls to help ensure safety and emotional connection. In all these efforts, our goals remain the same to ensure every older adult and every person living with a disability in Chesterfield

[01:02:25] County has the support, respect, and opportunities they need to thrive. We appreciate the board and leadership's continued support, as well as our dedicated partners and sponsors. Thank you for your time and your commitment to our respite. Dr. Worsley, do you have any closing comments?

[01:02:49] Closing comments there. Okay. Questions? Aboard. Ms. Schneider. Okay, so just Just to make it clear, it's 50 and older is considered a senior. Is that what we're saying here?

[01:03:05] Active adults. I don't know how I feel. It's a large gap. So one of the benefits of my job is that when we need a spot filler for one class before we find an instructor, I get to teach.

[01:03:24] I have 12 fitness certifications and a wide variety of things. But in one chair fitness class, I have a 53-year-old that loves chair fitness. She's more than capable to get up and run. She enjoys share fitness, and I have a 102-year-old as well. So it's a huge gap. So when we're trying to plan programming, yeah, there's a lot of layers into the levels, and we're trying to make it a diverse offering for that purpose.

[01:03:48] Now I know I'm going to have to look into this. And where does horseback riding happen? Oh, is that Hunter Stables? Yeah. They've done it in the past, and it's 50-plus specific. Again, there are other opportunities to do it outside of that 50-plus, but we have found that some older adults really enjoy knowing the age range that's going to be there, knowing that it's going to be similar faces and similar abilities.

[01:04:12] Okay. Yeah. Okay. And also it looks like I missed out on some visitors at the senior prom. I was only there to help set up this year, so it looked like a lot of fun was had by all. And we consider 50 like midlife.

[01:04:28] It's like in our mission statement, it's midlife and older adults. And we say if you self-identify as a midlife or older adult, come on over. Well, I'm 54 now, so I guess that's midlife. Mr. Engel. I was just going to say, Dr. Hilton's a little upset because he's the only one on the board that's not eligible to ride horses.

[01:04:51] I leaned over and told him that. It'll be here before you know it, my brother. Can you all make an exception? that was funny laughing very hard inside I'm curious I mean obviously from this presentation and we've known and it's good that you come before the board and hopefully people at home are watching all this but that there is a huge variety of opportunity within our community for

[01:05:28] people who are have my hair color right or maybe more of it i don't know but um i'm curious though have your organizations actually look to see if there's crossover in participants right so i could see where someone would go for parks and rec for something or for supportable for something or so i'm curious if there's any if there's if there ever been any look to see you know oh wait a minute that same person's over here at the lifelong learning institute on this day and then they're over here doing something here? Have you all looked at any of that at all? I don't think we

[01:06:05] have, but we do notice when they come in, they'll tell us, I go here on this day, I go here on that day. So they do participate with other organizations, but I don't think we've done like an official study. My follow-up question to that, Mr. Chair, is would you be interested collaboratively sharing with everyone that comes to your organization, the other organizations that are available within the county like you did in this presentation today so that there may be some people like from Ettrick who have no idea about any of this or may come travel from Ettrick all

[01:06:43] the way up to they may go to the Ettrick recreation center for something but they're not going all the way up to Melothian for something which I know that they would love to have the lifelong learning learning institute in that part of the county as well because if I've talked with people down there who are interested in that.

[01:07:00] Ms. Graves and then Dr. Casey. Ms. Graves? I was just going to say that definitely happens. We bounce around to different facilities doing different programs throughout the community. And I came from Parks and Rec, so I see a lot of the same participants from Lifelong Learning Institute, Stonebridge Recreation Center, and then in my programs as well.

[01:07:22] So it definitely happens. Dr. Casey? I think there is something to this and almost like a library card that the county may can help and issue to people who are 50 or whatever thresholds for age are, and maybe Dr. Worsley can work with Parks and Rec and CER, but I also say that the schools, you know, one of the things that wasn't mentioned that I'm participating more in now is when you're over a certain age, you get a passport to all school athletic and theater events, and so whatever that passport is that the schools issue, maybe we can attach our programs and your programs as nonprofits to that same one and just call the whole thing a passport to some

[01:08:02] degree or perhaps maybe we can make sure that we have somewhere on just for County website a link to all of these organizations that someone could go and click on and go oh I need oh I can go to this I go this I go this like a one-stop shop that then they can actually have access to all of them and I don't love that may or exist, may not, but it's probably worth looking into.

[01:08:30] Mr. Ingle and Mr. Ramirez. All right, Ms. Grace. So we are looking, we're doing a resource directory online on the ADR page, so you will have access, yeah, it's in the process. So at the Chester Y, we're looking to try to put together a program that's outside of having to be a Y member to have senior programming during the earlier part of the day and teen programming in the evening in the same space and some spillover to have the um seniors help the

[01:09:05] um younger citizens to learn how to be better citizens and to let the younger citizens teach the seniors how to use technology um are any of you doing any of those types of programs now we don't necessarily have that um we do have tech programs for older adults you know and things like that. But we do have a new youth division and we've been talking about a few things, kind of

[01:09:37] partnering within our department. But other than that. So we launched an inter-age program last year. Some would call it intergenerational, but that's too familial and too social construct for us. So we made up a word and call it inter-age. So people of all ages. And there's so much research about the benefits of that, so kudos to y'all for launching that. We've done a five to ten courses per session that we market as inter-age, so we invite people from the community of all ages to

[01:10:12] join us for those for free, and we've had some good success with people really enjoying those interactivity and also even just shared learning, so I think you're on the right track, and let me know if you need any perspective or any information um as a part of the vrps i'm on the senior committee there and so are three staff members from different park and rec recreation centers and last month our topic were you on that call was on um kim is also on it but

[01:10:49] not not that time it was also um brainstorming and sharing inter-age programs they have put into place at Parks and Rec. So I know it's on the radar for several of our rec centers. Anyone else from the board have questions?

[01:11:06] Just a couple of comments in that. Dr. Hilton, there you go. No, I was just going to just say, you know, thank you for everything that you all do. I attended the luncheon and realized just how important it is to have programs like this.

[01:11:23] You know, as we look at black and white numbers on a sheet of paper up on the screen, you don't really see the faces and the importance of a program until you go out and you see it. And so I was able to really marry those two ideas together, the black and white that we see and the funding that goes out, and then the impact that it has in the community, the room

[01:11:51] that was full of joy and happiness and laughter and what it meant for the 24 percent of our population. And so I just just want to say thank you so much for what you all are doing and the cross-pollination that happens between nonprofits and the government. You know, we can't do it alone. We need our nonprofit partners to help us out and to take care of our citizens. So just a

[01:12:26] moment of gratitude to say thank you and continue to do the great work that you're doing. Thank you, Dr. Hill. Yeah, I actually wrote down here, Dr. Hill, cross-pollinate in that we've just noticed how much you were mentioning each other as you're going through this process. So clearly you all are on each other's speed dial and getting in touch when you know if something that is needed from someone in the community that you're like, oh, I know exactly who you need to talk to.

[01:12:52] So it was kind of fun to watch that kind of ping pong ball around as you were doing that. One of the things I think that, two things, is that how important it is to take care of our most vulnerable. And that really is the measure of what a community is. And if we're taking good care of our most vulnerable, that is saying a lot about who we are.

[01:13:16] At the same time, I think that I've taught at LLI multiple times, and I adore it, and Dr. Casey's been there, too. It's something that, and Ms. Schneider's been there with me. It's been an incredible experience, but also how vibrant the whole community is.

[01:13:34] And when I was there the last time, one of the things that came up was they were really interested in fusion. And so we were able to arrange for someone from Commonwealth Fusion System to come out. And what was amazing to me in the room was that here's someone who's coming from Commonwealth Fusion Systems and is very aware.

[01:13:50] And she did a poll of the folks of what they know in the room. And I think there were four physicists that were in the room. And so it was, boy, they gave her a run for her money. And it just showed you how much wisdom, collective wisdom, is at LLI. And a lot of the classes that occur there are from fellow folks that are participating.

[01:14:14] and it just that adds to the vibrancy and it adds to the community um so seeing all that it just is very um it's humbling every time I walk in there to say wow the collective wisdom that's what it means to be a wisdom elder and that's what we get every day at least that's what I get when I show up at any of these is that you know these are the folks that have a lifetime of experiences and are available to share and so with that happening it just it's wonderful to see day in day out. So I had a question around one of the challenges, and it kind of got brought up, was

[01:14:49] when we're dealing with technology, is it's so easy for the folks that we have that are in our elderly that are so susceptible to scams? And I'm curious to know what you are offering as far as helping. I know at 61 that there, I mean, I'd like to think that I'm kind of up to date with what's going on which is proving not to be true because when I'm talking to my 23 year old and my 27 year old we're definitely speaking a different language and how easy it is even for me I'd like to think that I won't or can't be scammed it just simply isn't true because how clever so I'm curious

[01:15:29] to know what is available for those individuals to get that kind of support well the Chesterfield Triad does a good job of really honing in on that we have speakers each month at the Beale Recreation Center and different speakers from we have the credit union there the police department sheriff's office yeah we do emphasize that yeah yeah thank you yeah we at the span center we also provide similar webinars and classes and

[01:16:08] fly we send them out to all of our clients to make sure that you know fraud and scams are out there and kind of just ensuring that they know what is out there so I think just from our communications team all of that and also we have a designated senior Medicare fraud patrol team that also kind of helps with any fraud or scams that are out there so they'll go in and

[01:16:40] like really dig and um you know they talk about how uh sometimes you know medicare fraud is rampant and so they'll go in and really kind of dig deep and um erase some medical bills that you know older adults have a hard time navigating right and so um yeah i was trying to think about but yeah and mostly it's communication with our clients and i think that's the most important And, you know, STEP, you know, to get ahead of it, hey, you know, we have newsletters.

[01:17:18] We have social media posts. We have all sorts of communication that we try to get the information out there. Thank you. In LLI, we have courses that fall into economics and finance category or the life services or the computer and technology category.

[01:17:35] we typically have one to you know sometimes even five courses in each of those categories to make sure that people see them and we very often have full full classes so we do it through the for through that avenue and then through our newsletter which not just goes out to not just our members but about 3,000 what I call the LLI fans and we send when we include bulletins in there that come out from the Social Security Administration or, you know, different partners to make sure that the information is getting out there because we all know that it's running rampant

[01:18:11] and we can be, people trust our organization, so it's our responsibility to share that. Mr. Carroll, yes. So we get a variety of scams that come in all the time. They tried to get me a couple of weeks ago. Didn't work out so well for them.

[01:18:28] But the police department often does informational pushes on this. For example, this particular one was someone calling up and saying that there was something associated to my Venmo account and that they needed to verify, and then it went from Venmo to Zelle.

[01:18:43] And so we pushed these out, and I'm curious if your organizations are getting those. If not, perhaps you should work with the police department to make sure that when we push out these public notifications on these type of scams that are happening, because we do press releases to try and get it out to the community, And sometimes the television stations will pick up on it, but sometimes they won't.

[01:19:06] And so we're always trying. We push it out on our social media. We do a great job in that respect. And so I just want to make sure that your organizations are getting this information so that you can help share it. Because, unfortunately, the senior population is a target big time for a variety of scams, driveway paving scams, you name it.

[01:19:28] When I was a sergeant in the police department, we worked a variety of scams that we ended up having to investigate that were perpetrated on our seniors. So if you haven't gotten that information or you're not getting it, let us know, and we'll make sure we work with the police department for an avenue for that to happen.

[01:19:47] Any other thoughts? Well, thank you for all you do for our community. 93,000 folks are out there, and I'm sure they appreciate it every day, all the work you do. Thanks. You bet.

[01:20:08] All right, Madam Clerk.

[01:20:24] C, American Revolution 250th Commemoration, Ms. Conley and Mr. Luther.

[01:20:43] Ready to move on, Madam Clerk?

[01:21:35] Good afternoon, Ms. Conley. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Dr. Casey.

[01:21:54] I am Kimberly Conley, the Director of Community Engagement and Resources. In addition to wearing another hat today is co-chair of the America's 250th Committee. And today I have the pleasure of my colleague, Neal Luther, Director of Parks and Recreation, presenting along with me.

[01:22:15] Our 250th committee, Red War Committee, has been working and meeting for the last three years. I think prior to that they were meeting off and on before COVID and they relaunched meeting about three years ago. We're fortunate to have a number of community partners that stand in the gap with us for planning, programming, as well as our partner departments, as you see listed on the screen.

[01:22:40] Some of our partners couldn't be here with us today, but we do have a great team of the history section of Parks and Recreation that are here today that if I would like to just take a moment to recognize them, just stand up. They do a lot of great work. Brian Truzzi, David Hortel, and John Pagano.

[01:23:00] We couldn't do what we do without them making sure that we stay aligned and knowing our history as we move forward. So we're fortunate to have such a great, experienced team to be with us. We've had a number of past programs over the last three years that we've hosted as a county.

[01:23:21] And as I mentioned, this committee meets monthly to determine what type of programs we want to have and what we want to forecast. And in the last few years, we've had some great events that some of you all have participated in and attended. the first one that you see, and I'll just mention a few of these for the sake of time.

[01:23:38] The Baptist Preacher Trial Reenactment, that was held in 2023, and that was a great program where the Baptist preachers were arrested. The reenactment was where the Baptist preachers were arrested and tried for preaching without a license. In 24, we had the 1774 Resolves Reenactment, and one of our larger events that we had last year was the Shot Around the World at Eppington. That was a huge undertaking and a great event for our community. I know some of our board members and Dr. Casey came out and joined us for that event. It was just an, it was one event

[01:24:15] that we really, really cherished and glad we were able to host. That event was well received with living history, vendors, house tours, storytelling, and demonstrations. We also had the, last summer, we had the VA 250 Mobile Museum, which is a great opportunity for us to host. Our team would internally worked very hard to make sure that we had the right place and to actually market this event out to the community and students to participate. So we're glad to be a host of that museum. And I like the museum because it was air conditioned. It was hot in August. So everybody could go and you could get look at the beautiful displays, but also be in air

[01:24:55] condition at the same time. And then one other thing that we had is that we had the interpretive sign dedication at Castlewood last fall. So we've done a number of events throughout the last few years that have been very rewarding to our community and a good representation from the county. This event, we also partner, as you saw on our list of partners, the library. The library plans to host two events this summer in addition to working on additional events later on in the year, but the Common Sense Petty, the Common Sense, the Virginian Delegation, the Declaration of Rights is going to be held in June, and then the Petticoat Patriots of the American Revolution

[01:25:34] will be held in July. We'll definitely send you all information on these two events so that you can get those on your calendar. One of the exciting items I would like to share with you is that even though our circuit court clerk is not on our committee, planning committee, she and Judge David Johnson decided they wanted to create a video. And the video is really cool. They did an excellent job. And it's a commemorative video highlighting the civic duty of jury service.

[01:26:05] And it's called Your Role in Justice, Civic Virtue, and the Virginia State Seal. If you know Judge Johnson, if you've ever heard him speak and talk about history, he makes a point to let you know that it's your right to be a juror and to be responsible.

[01:26:24] And so he talks about that in this video. And if you have not seen it, we'll be sure to share it with you after this meeting today. One of our signature events that we're talking to you about today is that we're excited because the county's partnering with the Historical Society, and it's the Chesterfield Barracks Memorial Walkway, the Valley Forge of the South. Chesterfield Courthouse was one of the training sites for more than 1,000 Continental Troops during the Revolutionary War. Under General Steuben, soldiers were trained here and endured harsh winter conditions in 1780 and 81. Their

[01:27:04] preparation at this site played a key role in southern campaigns that helped change the course of the war. As part of the America's 250 celebration and noted as one of our signature events, the county, in partnership with the Historic Society, is creating a Chesterfield Barracks Memorial Walkway. This walkway will feature engraved bricks honoring Revolutionary War soldiers and will be located in the green space on Wagner's Way near the 1917 Historic courthouse. Each brick will be engraved with the soldier's name. The plaza will also include Daughters of the American Revolution, historical marker, benches for visitors to be seated as they

[01:27:42] read the walkway, and then a beautiful landscaping that will be created by our own General Services Department. This unveiling is planned for this fall. Thank you to the board for your intentional commitment for supporting this important project. We couldn't do this without you launching that effort. We encourage on behalf of the Historical Society, the community to honor a Revolutionary War soldier in a lasting way and join us for this event in the fall. If they're interested in being a part of this project, they can find more information on Chesterfield Historical

[01:28:17] Society's website, details commemorating this event as well. At this time, I will turn this presentation over to my colleague, Mr. Luther. Thank you, Kim. So I'm here to really kind set the stage on what we're going to be doing going forward. One of the things for us, and obviously we've got the history section within our department, so we have a focus on scholarship, but most importantly, living history. And as we look at the significance of Chesterfield in the

[01:28:53] Revolutionary War, really things here begin in 1778, 1779. So we've got a few years of planning ahead of us as we look to a long rollout of the storylines that play out at the national level but can be really told with a very personal and local focus. So the efforts that we're putting in here planning on the promotional side and the upcoming programming side are largely focused on telling those stories, identifying locations here in the county that have significance related to the

[01:29:31] Revolution and specifically to personalize and sort of tell a next level story about the role that Chesterfield played in the militia to the Continental Army leading up to Yorktown.

[01:29:48] And you'll see this over the next couple of slides. This is a video series that we're slowly trying to build to, again, personalize these vignettes. Really, for us here in Chesterfield, the courthouse, which was a mustering site, it's the monument that Kim spoke about, sort of referred to as the Valley Forge of the South. That's when in 1780-81, Washington needed more troops and had the edict to start enrolling militia into the Continental

[01:30:23] Army and the courthouse here was determined to be the location for the muster barracks and then of course the British came through and that Cornwallis sailed up from Charleston and was going to put a kibosh on all of those activities and moved up through Chesterfield.

[01:30:39] So that's really where in the Virginia campaign leading up to down at Yorktown where Chesterfield comes into the storyline. So at these locations that are relevant to this narrative, we're going to be doing promotional videos that personalize those stories in sort of a living history format.

[01:31:04] And then we have a little, this is one of the ones that was done early. Just to give you a flavor, they're short. I think it's 20 seconds or thereabouts. Do I hit play? name is elizabeth womack of chesterfield county the men of my family served several tours throughout

[01:31:33] 1781 defending virginia from the british and the hessian and the tory soldiers i did my work and theirs to keep this farm and the cause of independence going i was there so we have a number um thanks to the team over there working with with cms we're putting together right now working with them on how to take these pieces and work a promotional campaign.

[01:32:13] And again what we're trying to do here is take these locations that are of significance and really highlight for the residents and the community the fact that Chesterfield played a significant role in the Virginia campaign leading up to the Battle of Yorktown. So the sites we've identified we've done obviously Kim spoke about it we put a placard an interpretive placard out and did a little living history ribbon cutting to mark the the courthouse muster site the other locations that we're working on to physically put

[01:32:51] interpretive signage and create sort of a revolutionary trail if you will Rockwood Park the courthouse road was the the main line of retreat as the British moved up and knocked out the barracks here. And so Baron von Steuben, if I'm, is the correct pronunciation, I believe, he of Valley Forge fame led a strategic retreat that wound down what is now Courthouse Road. It went through the park. We actually have a section of the original Colonial Road that runs through the park. You can see it. It's probably about five feet sunken. So we have a

[01:33:28] plaque or a marker plan there. Robius Landing is where the retreat ended up. They were able to successfully cross really at Robius Landing across Tuckahoe Ferry to Tuckahoe Plantation across the river. That's where that part of the Continental Army that was in retreat from here at Chesterfield was able to connect up with Lafayette coming down from the north. Thickey Park, we had a community meeting. That's a small neighborhood park over not too far from Beulah, but it was the site of a very

[01:34:03] localized cavalry engagement. So Battle of Sudbury's Farm is something that our historians have put a lot of energy into finding a local history about. It was a cavalry engagement where a cavalry under Cornwallis basically was able to have a sneak attack at night on a group of Chesterfield militia. It didn't turn out very well for the Chesterfield militia but it really is one of the early indicators of conflict between Cornwallis and a detachment under Lafayette. And then finally

[01:34:38] up at the North Courthouse Library again during that time frame when Steuben was drilling here that was the site of a church along Falling Creek that was used as his headquarters during the retreat and it was also the site of some powder stores and uh you know things of that nature so we're going to pick these sites do some interpretation tell some more personal vignettes around them and then build some more signature type events off of those so uh coming up we are

[01:35:12] as you all probably know with the 250th um the the tall ships we are organizing a viewing party or a viewing event down at the point or the peninsula at Dutch Gap. We're trying to get an exact time frame of when the ships will be moving up the river from Norfolk.

[01:35:30] We're also trying to get permission to shoot cannons as part of that. So that event is coming up on the 24th of June, I think, is when the ships are supposed to be in transit, 11th. So that one is coming up quickly. How many ships are going to be coming up, do you know?

[01:35:45] Three, I believe. Is the Godspeed? The Godspeed is actually going to be at Yorktown. We also are going to do, Mr. Carroll, the next Eppington event. Eppington has proven to be a good platform for living history.

[01:36:05] The next iteration of the event at Eppington is going to focus on, I guess it's the time period of 1779 when they were trying to get troops desperate to get them and move them south.

[01:36:22] to reinforce the continental defense or retaking of Savannah, Georgia. So I think the working title for the next Epping event is Virginians on the Move or Virginians Marching to Georgia. People don't realize that we were kind of a congregating point to feed much-needed troops and materiel into the southern strategy as it was evolving.

[01:36:46] We're going to create, pardon me, That will be next spring of 27 is the time frame for that. So it's going to become that annual Eppington, part of that annual Eppington Living History event.

[01:37:02] One suggestion. Since we have all these great events coming up, I do think that you should probably work, or someone should work with communications and media and do video promos for all of them so we can start pushing them out sooner than later. We also are working on an event that will be done at Dutch Gap.

[01:37:22] Henrikus to, that's another site of local significance here where it was a naval engagement where British militia, again, detached under Cornwallis, were able to make a sneak attack and capture the entire Virginia Navy that was basically parked in an elbow on the James River right there at Dutch Gap and was able to capture and burn virtually all of Virginia's tobacco crop, which is going to be their cash source for future war fundraising.

[01:37:56] So that is in the plans for the following year, potentially, again, to coincide with the 250th. And then we're working on a series of more focused events, vignettes, called Revolutionary Saturdays, where we're going to do a more populated approach to bringing out living history to a variety of these sites.

[01:38:15] So we're in very much a targeted planning mode. Again, we're kind of at a pause. We do recognize that this, for the nation, this is the 250th of the original declaration, the original July 4th.

[01:38:30] So obviously for July 4th, our celebration is going to be heavily themed around recognizing that. We have some military music planned to lead in up to the national anthem.

[01:38:48] The sheriff, I think the honor guard, will be out there. So we're going to have an opening ceremony that's largely choreographed around early American military music and an honor guard. We're going to have a living history reenactments, reenactors on site.

[01:39:05] Obviously, a patriotic theme specifically around the 250th. And then we've also, and I'm speaking here, obviously, for the Fair Association, but they are going to, in a similar vein, partner along the same theme to make sure that the upcoming Fair, County Fair, at the end of August, beginning of September, is also similarly themed around this year's 250th Independence Ceremony.

[01:39:37] And then, again, leading into the fall was when we're going to restart these programs. Mr. Carroll, as you said, we're building a targeted campaign, marketing campaign, advertising campaign around it to build up some enthusiasm and honestly create some knowledge base for folks that really don't realize, and I didn't realize until I became part of this, how much of a national story you can tell here in Chesterfield at a very local level and make it very tangible and connected and create that accidental learning that really does move the needle.

[01:40:12] And with that, that's all we have for presentations. We'll be happy to take questions. Thank you. Any questions from the board? June 11th. It'll be a different time.

[01:40:41] It'll be probably a midday transit. All right. Well, Kim and Neil, thank you so very much. Thank you. That's awesome. Madam Clerk.

[01:40:56] D, Finance Update, Mr. Harris and Mr. Durkin. Mr. Chair.

[01:41:19] members of the board. Before we begin, I think Gerard would like a few minutes to respond, official British response to some of those inaccuracies that he noticed in the previous presentation. Later? Maybe. Okay. So this will be relatively brief. We did have an opportunity to cover all these topics in audit finance, so we'll run back through them. Just have a number of unique considerations on your agenda tonight.

[01:41:54] The first three are all set hold sequences. So you're set your public hearings in May, hold them in June, and then we've got an update on some budget actions that you're all walking through towards the end of the presentation. So I'll jump in if questions at any point.

[01:42:11] Some of these are, again, not things we deal with every day. First up is the creation or the potential creation of another community development authority. The county is down to one of these. We've used this instrument effectively in a number of places. The only one that's still in the books is Matt Green.

[01:42:29] It's a little bit of a different animal, I think, as you all recognize. It doesn't impact or use up any of our debt capacity in any way. It's simply an assessment that is paid by the landowners in these particular districts. And it's been very effective for the provision of road infrastructure in particular in that area, the straightening of Woolridge Road all the way back to the reservoir that was done via CDA.

[01:42:55] And so looking to replicate that success with a new zoning case, I believe, is on your agenda tonight. So obviously there's some interplay between the two. But in order to have them sequenced up, if approved tonight, from a zoning perspective, we do have the request to set a public hearing for June, the creation of a sawmill CDA.

[01:43:13] It's considerably smaller than MAGREEN, but would still provide $6 million of road work in the Hull Street corridor, Western Hull Street. So, again, it's just asking for permission to hold this next month.

[01:43:29] We've been talking to the developer. They are familiar with this kind of instrument and are comfortable with it. I don't believe that it will impact their ability to market product in the neighborhood. But again, the advantage here is you get all of the funds up front, and I think as you'll hear tonight, this case, the neighborhood is providing infrastructure funding in a number of ways, but this is on top of those other instruments.

[01:43:56] So a real win in terms of infrastructure provision out there in Western Hull Street where it certainly could use additional road funding. So any questions on that one? And again, this doesn't, sad enough, this doesn't have anything to do with our debt capacity.

[01:44:14] It doesn't count against any of our metrics, our ability to borrow for school or any other county projects. Mr. Chair. Matt, I mean, there may be some people watching who don't really understand how this works. Essentially, what would happen is there would be a monthly fee that would be added to whoever opens or builds a house there.

[01:44:36] they would pay an additional monthly fee, which would go towards paying off the bonds that are issued on this CDA, which in essence means that new people moving into our community would help pay for the infrastructure that their development is helping to create.

[01:44:52] And then on top of that, in this particular one, which we'll talk about later on tonight, is not only are they paying full proffers, but they're not getting credit. And, you know, there was a change in policy in the board before I got on where they used do this where they would pay full proffers and not get on-site credit or off-site credit which would negate the proffers in this case they're paying for those road improvements as well as full proffers in the case and then the CDA will help with some of the other road modifications as part of that development including widening Hull Street and putting turn lanes in is that

[01:45:29] correct yes sir yes sir thank you yeah in fact it's it it kind of serves as a is a HOA type payment in the neighborhood. It's sort of the simplest way to explain it. And there is some, it would only apply to the residential components of this development.

[01:45:44] There is some commercial, that would be prepaid by the developer up front. So everything would be subject to it, just be paid up in a little different way depending on what kind of property it is. Second topic, this is something that we've been looking at for a little while through the help of Mr. Bloomfield And the community enhancement folks, we currently have a program on the books that allows us to offer various tax exemptions for targeted rehabilitation work on all classes of property.

[01:46:22] This is a common program. You see it utilized throughout the Commonwealth. We haven't had a whole lot of utilization in this program. And one of Mr. Bloomfield's goal when he got here was to kind of take a hard look at this. Again, he was at the city of Richmond and saw this program kind of evolve during his tenure there and brought this to our attention and is recommending some changes.

[01:46:44] So, again, that same sort of idea, a set hold sequence for May and June. And the idea would be here, real estate assessors kind of administers it on a day-to-day basis and keeps track of it that way. Community enhancement helps with the marketing and sort of more of the boots on the ground end of it.

[01:47:05] So it's a cooperative venture between those two areas. But staff is taking a hard look at this, and the idea would be to really target this for a very specific slice of real property in the county. So we would remove all commercial considerations here and really focus it on residential properties with an assessed pre-rehab assessed value between zero and half a million dollars.

[01:47:33] So, you know, that's more or less what we're targeting is sort of our older neighborhoods. The properties have to be 25 years or older. So, you know, an example would be a Brander Mill, you know, falls within that range. But trying to give community enhancement a very targeted tool that can go into an older area like that and offer this up to try to incentivize some additional rehabilitation of housing stock in those particular areas.

[01:48:01] So there's a specific program criteria in terms of what counts and what doesn't, but some of the changes here, in addition to restricting it to that class of property, would be cleaning up the administrative process to make sure that it's very tight in terms of when you have to have your inspections, the time period of 24 months to complete the work, but really sort of making sure that all that works very smoothly.

[01:48:25] Again, remove all the commercial eligibility, $500,000 cap, And then in addition, or in return for that, if you have a 15% increase in your pre-rehab assessment, you get a 10-year exemption just on the increment.

[01:48:42] So whatever you were paying before, that stays in play. But if you had that 15% increase in your tax bill, you get 100% exemption for the first seven years, and then that slides down to 25% in the final year to kind of give you a nice downward slope back into picking that up at the end of the decade.

[01:49:01] So again, this is tested on some best practices around the state, but really trying to turn this into a very targeted rehab tool for some of our older residential areas. Doesn't preclude you as a board to deal with commercial incentive packages like this, but it would be on a one-off basis.

[01:49:20] They would have to come to you, apply, and we could consider those under similar criteria, But it wouldn't be automatic, you know, in terms of the code. In addition to what's shown on the slide, we would also incorporate into our financial policies a three-year review of the program.

[01:49:37] So sort of a mandatory bring it back. Here's the utilization of the program. Is it working? Is it not working? Do we need to, you know, take a look at some of these criteria? You know, we do that for other programs, tax relief for the elderly, for example. But we need to make sure that if we're, you know, we set this in motion, if it's approved, that would come back to you within three years to take a look at it.

[01:49:56] We can do it in less time than that, but it gives us that auto-check-in in our financial policy. So any questions on that program? All right. Third one for me, we have used a variety of tools over time for the provision of infrastructure.

[01:50:18] Back in 2006, the board at that time put a service district in place around the intersection to make improvements to the intersection of Poway Parkway and Charter Colony. Service section is a little different animal than a CDA.

[01:50:35] In this instance, it had a $0.15 increment on the real estate tax, and then the county pledged a certain amount of the incremental increase in real estate values in that particular watershed to the intersection as a funding source.

[01:50:52] The idea at that time, it was going to be downtown Chesterfield, And there was going to, you know, the pro forma was very aggressive. It was very commercial heavy. Of course, 2006 is sort of an unfortunate time period right in the beginning of the Great Recession and all the impacts that had on development and real estate in general.

[01:51:10] So it never really materialized in that way. And what you really have been left with is more residential in that space. They've been paying this, you know, some folks there for potentially up to 20 years. We did take a look at this back in 2019.

[01:51:26] there was some concern from the community we lowered it from 15 to 5 cents on the increment since that time we obviously have added cvta and some other funding sources that are helping to take care of these needs so we've uh you know kind of like we talked about the last topic we went back looked through this again and thought it would be on its 20th anniversary a good opportunity to remove the service district altogether and so but what we're talking about there really effectively is just that incremental five cent on those homeowners in the district we

[01:52:01] can still pledge the incremental piece which is the larger part of the funding source to the project and actually is beneficial from us and mr. Smith and his team because if we do that that's by again would be by financial policy would be something we do by choice so we would have more flexibility along the poet and for other causes outside of the intersection in particular all dollars that have been generated thus far through the service district and we've used it the the improvements that happened several years ago were funded by the service district everything that we have collected up to this point would be set aside reserved restricted for intersection improvements

[01:52:41] which we know need to come so you don't lose anything there and you really don't lose all that much before because we can again continue to reserve this uh at year end uh it would go into effect if approved for december bills obviously june is rapidly approaching and that's that will be on there but uh we have worked with miss longacre and her team that uh you know she's set up and ready to have the five cent removed if it is so improved and on your june

[01:53:09] agenda so with that i'm happy to take any questions about any one of those topics all right i'm so just a couple of budget topics. The first one being the bond financing update. I'm not going to walk through every step that's on the calendar timeline before you, but right now we are working with our financial advisor and bond council on getting the kind of legal documents drafted, especially the resolutions that will be coming before you next month at the meeting on June 24th. In the period of June, the main thing that we'll be doing as part of that is working through the rating agency process, meeting with all four agencies.

[01:53:50] In July is when we'll actually go to the market and price on the bonds with the closing anticipated to happen on August 13th. So just a reminder, that is for the school's component of $109 million. We are doing a major maintenance package for them that is approved as part of the 27 budget, as well as a major financing for us for the kind of facility modernization project that we talked about as part of the 27 budget as well.

[01:54:19] And just two other quick notes on this. likely bring to you in June a reimbursement resolution. I don't see that every single year when you pass the authorizing resolutions for us to go out and sell bonds. All that it does is gives us a look back period so that if we have spent money in the 45 days prior to the passing of that resolution for those projects, we can reimburse ourselves out of the proceeds. Usually when we're doing this, it's forward looking. The good news is a lot of these projects are rolling along. Ms. Carroll, you know that as well as anybody. So, you know, we don't want to slow them

[01:54:55] down on their progress and make them, you know, take some time off. So the reimbursement resolution is a standard tool. May or may not need it, but we will ask you to consider that when we bring that in June. Pretty, pretty standard package there. And then secondly, two different transactions Gerard talks about. The geo, that's from the referendum. 22 roll along on those projects. This is, again, a school package for the second consecutive year. The other piece, the sort of facility modernization for county and schools, you see up here as revenue bonds. Those will be

[01:55:30] sold through the Economic Development Authority. But I want to make sure that it's extremely clear because this is a point that gets people tripped up from time to time. It has nothing to do with the EDA. We are simply using them as a conduit to sell those revenue bonds. You do not have the abilities as as a governing body on the county side to have that kind of debt instrument but what the state does provide you is an economic development authority for us to go through and just facilitate the transaction so and on paper they are eda bonds they have nothing to do with

[01:56:06] any of their missions we are using them as as more like a financing desk you know per state code and By doing it that way, we also save considerably on the transaction by not having to go and shop that at another EDA or a bank deal or going through one of the state programs, other tools that might be available to us.

[01:56:26] So it's a more efficient way to transact business. But those dollars will be used to renovate your IST building, to facilitate the medical center and the other campus movements that we've described and school major maintenance package, similar to what you did back in the throes of COVID.

[01:56:46] So just a clarification on that point, but you will see that in some of the resolutions and the materials that are brought to you over the course of the next two months. But again, it's just a conduit instrument for us to be able to close those transactions. I have a hypothetical question for you, and forgive me for asking it, but how would the 1% sales tax that could potentially be coming forward through Virginia impact this?

[01:57:12] And the reason I'm asking the question that way is because the way it's written or the way it could be written is that it wouldn't be for any existing debt. It would only be for anything going forward. If the 1% were to ultimately be approved, then would it impact how we would do this timeline?

[01:57:33] It's possible, but I think as a more general rule, if it precludes us from paying existing debt service, then I think what you would be able to see, this is not the end of your major maintenance needs, that those revenue bonds would be something you would not have to necessarily see again.

[01:57:52] we would be able to use that as a supercharge our major maintenance package, pay for it completely with cash, and take that off of your debt load. And then for future GOs, which we know we probably have two or three more series to finish out the school package, we've got Milothian Middle, Dale Elementary, we've got a number of projects sitting outside the referendum.

[01:58:16] So we have plenty of needs outside of this. The timing on that, I guess, is up to Ms. Spillman. We'll fill in those gaps momentarily, but I think our timeline here is, you know, green light go. We need to get these projects moving along, but we would have multiple opportunities sitting right behind it to employ that tool, you know, if approved.

[01:58:37] Yeah. The main thing that is on your agenda this evening on the consent agenda is the FY2026 budget amendments. These are primarily related around the CIP projects.

[01:58:54] It's typical we do this at year end. where we go through our existing project balances. Some of them have scope changes, some of them still suffering from the inflationary environment they were in. So, we like to go in there and show those projects up. That's going to split into two components. 10.2 is asking the board for new appropriation.

[01:59:12] Now, I do want to point out that that is not FY2026 money in its entirety. The grand majority of that is actually coming from bond interest. From previous issues that we've done, as Matt referenced, it can take a while for projects to get up and running. We do earn interest on those bonds in the interim, so we always like to deploy those first before we use any other general fund dollars.

[01:59:32] And additionally, on the flip side, as well as we have projects that sometimes come in over, we do have projects that come in under. So we like to redeploy those balances to the projects that you see on the right-hand side of the screen. That's about $3.7 million. So that's the kind of CIP amendments that are on the consent agenda this evening.

[01:59:48] Second to that, there are some amendments to CCPS. That is just primarily related to two things, first being supplemental funding, which we've discussed before for the Falling Creek Middle School fields. And there is about a $4.4 million contribution from the county. Schools have identified $2 million in project savings on their side. They can be put towards that project.

[02:00:09] And then finally, there are some grant opportunities for the schools, primarily related to the school improvement grants that you see on there. Those total about $1.6 million. There's no local match to those. That is all pure grant funding. So we are asking the board to approve those this evening as well the the largest project on here is the fallen creek that's that was a planned outcome uh this is related to the going in and putting the the grounds the facilities outside the building after it's demolished and you know we've used those facilities very uh very wisely to sort of maximize existing resources we knew we wouldn't need these dollars for a little while so

[02:00:47] as gerard referenced uh we with miss long nigger's help we aggressively invest debt proceeds And we're able to take that interest and then redeploy it into these projects. So the fact that we didn't need these right away, we're able to keep those bond dollars working in those accounts.

[02:01:07] That's the flip side of the high inflation environment. We're still seeing some pretty good returns there. So in close coordination with the school division, we knew this was coming at year end, but by and large paid for by that investment energy on those existing proceeds.

[02:01:25] So that's a good news story for sure. Any questions on that slide? And then finally, just a kind of preview of things that are upcoming. Next month, we will be bringing forward the second year-end item related to fiscal year 2026 year-end.

[02:01:44] As we referenced with the bond sale earlier, you do have to approve resolutions for both the general obligation and revenue bonds that will be coming up at the June meeting. As part of the 27 budget process, you all did approve changes to the BPOL exemption and actually for elderly programs.

[02:02:00] Those do require some coat changes, so we'll be bringing those in the summer period for public hearing. We are working with the utilities department. They were planning to go to market in kind of late summer to fall time period. And then finally, this topic has reared its head again in terms of state-supported bonuses, one-time bonus for positions.

[02:02:18] It is not done in the most equitable manner. It puts a lot of the cost on the locality. And working with our departments, we have recommended that we don't participate in this program this year. Is this the $1,500 bonuses?

[02:02:42] No, this one is different. It's a percentage. Yeah, it's percentage-based. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm thinking of schools. Thank you. We don't have resolution on the school program yet. They're still waiting for guidance from the state. But this is similar to what they offered at the beginning of the year.

[02:03:01] We turned it down at that time and actually spent less money to increase the merit for all employees, which obviously hits VRS and has other benefits. So that didn't change despite the Spillman or her team advocating, you know, otherwise they have left the rule book just as it was last time.

[02:03:20] So our recommendation is to politely say no to that. No action needed on that, just, you know, just sort of making you aware. Not pictured up here, but you have one consent item that we wanted to note, very standard. By the time we have to put our budget in place for your home and CDBG allocations, we're going off the best numbers we have.

[02:03:42] HUD will send those down a little bit later. The final allocations, we have a few more dollars to invest there, and then also CHASM, as I think you know, has a ceased operation. So the consent item redeploys the CHASM dollars primarily to AXE for some rental assistance money.

[02:04:01] And then some of the federal true-up piece is recommended primarily to go into down payment and other purchase assistance programs on that end. So just really putting more resources into existing programs.

[02:04:16] But that happens, you know, pretty much every year where we always want to be conservative. We don't have to come back and take an allocation or something that was planned for one of those organizations. So small increase this year, but that will be on your consent item or consent agenda for the evening. Any other questions from the board?

[02:04:37] All right. Well, thank you all. Thank you. Okay, we're all done. All right. Thank you. E, state legislative update, Ms. Spillman.

[02:05:01] All right. Good afternoon, members of the board, Dr. Casey, Mr. Minx. Thank you for having me. Since I was last before you, the General Assembly gaveled back in on April 22nd to deal with the amendments and vetoes that the governor presented back to the bodies.

[02:05:17] And then since that time, the governor's action deadline was last week on the remaining bills back before her. Of the nearly 4,000 bills that were introduced this session, 1,132 were approved and signed into law. 442 have been continued to next session, and then 31 were vetoed.

[02:05:33] Of those vetoes included collective bargaining and the cannabis retail market bills. We're not shelving those topics yet, as the budget's still outstanding, and there's a possibility that we could see some language creep up in the budget. Despite, I think, Mr. Harris's comments, and I appreciate the confidence in me, I'm not sure how much ability we have to have the state take action on a budget.

[02:05:54] But here we are. Reminder, this is the beginning of a biennium budget. So in a governor's new term, this is the first year of a new two-year budget cycle. And without a budget in place come July 1, the state's certainly in a position that it could experience a government shutdown for the first time ever.

[02:06:10] So we're really hoping that doesn't happen. Senator Lucas last week at the money committee meeting suggested that we will have a budget come June 30, but then we read in the paper that House Appropriations Chair Delegate Torian has not had a conversation yet with her, so we are still waiting to see how that unfolds. They have 34 days left to get a budget together before June 30. That's correct. That said, we do continue to push for the funding priorities that we've outlined and sent and shared with the money committee chairs and budget conferees. Some of those include continued investment in K-12 education, the local 1% sales tax for schools construction, like you mentioned, Dr. Miller,

[02:06:50] clarification on the teacher and state-supported local bonuses, as it was just discussed. It's possible that the language in the caboose budget may actually have been worse than it was in the previous, and so we're asking for clarification in next year's budget in the year following.

[02:07:07] Opposing the CSA Private Day Special Ed Services rate cap, strengthening support for the program that is students with intense needs application, the CISNA program, support for additional staff positions in the public defender's office, asking enhanced competitive compensation for state-supported local positions, protecting against the unfunded administrative burdens related to SNAP administration cost, and support for the water infrastructure and regional water work group that would address the water enrichment issues.

[02:07:39] Now, further with more recent developments regarding Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's response to the Shoesmith Landfill, it's our understanding that the state will be requesting additional funding to close the landfill and construct an on-site water pre-treatment facility, and that process would deal with the leachate that's coming from the landfill.

[02:08:00] As defined by DEQ, leachate is the liquid that passes through a landfill. Between 2019 and 2023, the county observed increasing in fluent ammonia levels at its Procter's Creek wastewater treatment plant.

[02:08:16] Following a thorough investigation by our county officials, it was alleged that the Shoesmith landfill was both falsifying documents and pumping untreated leachate into the county's wastewater system. Shoesmith, like other landfills across the state, is required to treat the leachate before discharging it into a municipal water system, or wastewater system, excuse me.

[02:08:38] As a reminder, and to those listening in, DEQ is responsible for carrying out the purposes and provisions of the Virginia Waste Management Act. That's Chapter 14 of Title 10.1 of the Virginia Code, and is authorized to exercise supervision and control over waste management activities in the Commonwealth.

[02:08:58] That really boils down to the fact that DEQ is the regulatory authority that oversees all landfills in the Commonwealth. In 2024, Chesterfield revoked a permit for Shoesmith Landfill, and the operators subsequently stopped pumping any leachate into the county wastewater system.

[02:09:17] Instead, they began hauling leachate by truck to an off-site location for disposal. The Shoesmith landfill filed for bankruptcy in June of 2025. The court appointed trustees to oversee the landfill operations, which were utilizing surety bonds and insurance to administer post-closure remediation activities.

[02:09:39] The hauling of leachate off-site daily is very costly. It's our understanding the Commonwealth is considering taking over the management of this site. We have been in communication with DEQ Director Rolban, and it's our understanding that him, along with the Secretary of Finance and Secretary for Natural and Historic Resources, are meeting this afternoon to discuss the circumstances on this topic and the necessary funding to provide remediation on site.

[02:10:05] We remain committed to partnering with the state on seeking additional funding and ensuring appropriate legal actions taken against the alleged criminal activities that have occurred on site at the landfill. To that end, we encourage others in our community for folks to reach out to contact their legislators.

[02:10:23] Behind me is the website that you're unsure of to find who your legislator is. This area of the county is overseen by Delegate Cherry and Senator Sturdivant, I apologize, and is around the border with Senator Jones.

[02:10:42] I'd also like to thank the leadership of our Utilities Director and Environmental Engineering Director, Scott Smedley, on this matter. They are here for technical questions and support. With that, I'd like to open up if there's any questions on this particular topic. Mr. Engel.

[02:10:58] I think you left out one key point. We did ask the state for permission to co-have authority on inspections and on enforcement. And the state responded with a letter that said, no, thank you.

[02:11:14] This is completely the state's purview, and you need to stay out of it. I think it's very important for our citizens to know that we did actually take those steps to be able to have enforcement action, and the state has denied us of that. Dr. Casey.

[02:11:32] And Mr. Engel is absolutely correct. Just to clarify, that request was years ago, too. It wasn't just, right, it wasn't a part of this particular topic. but for all landfills in Chesterfield. Mr. Carroll. Yeah, so I'm the one who actually, on behalf of the board, made that request to the state and pushed it very hard.

[02:11:53] And really at that time, besides the landfill issue we had here, we had issues with the landfill in the western part of Hull Street, Skinport landfill, which we were trying to mitigate. The county actually hired our own people professionally who would be able to do this work, and our goal was to try and partner with them.

[02:12:13] My understanding is, and Natalie, you probably can't answer this, but my understanding is that DEQ only has two investigators, two people to monitor 30 counties that they oversee at one time. So we have two people to oversee 30 counties, including Chesterfield County, for this. So we were trying to do our best to be good partners, and we were told we had no authority under the state ordinance, which you just spoke to, and so that's where we left it because of that.

[02:12:41] So thank you. This is a great example of pay me now or pay me later. If they would have stayed on top of it and they had more than two investigators, now they're on the hook for so much more money. And because they weren't doing it, I think it's important for the community to understand two things.

[02:12:57] One, we were already monitoring this in 2019 is when we started to notice that there was something going on. That predates me for sure. But at the same time, this is another feather in the cab of George Hayes and staff to be able to recognize that something was happening and we're able to identify what it is.

[02:13:18] And you need to understand, as Dr. Casey has mentioned a couple of times, you kind of have to go upstream and figure out, okay, where did this all come from? And it's not as if it's a direct pipe from A to B. What's happening is kind of like a tree, and you've got to keep going and go back to this branch and go to that branch and figure out what's going on.

[02:13:34] And so once it went back to Shoesmith and we were able to identify, kind of was able to identify, then it's immediately being able to say, hey, let's report this and go from there. This is a DEQ issue. The other piece of it is that the water is not contaminated, meaning it made it sound in the article that, in RTD, that it was going into Swift Creek or it was going into our waterways.

[02:13:58] I've been getting phone calls left and right from folks saying, oh, my gosh, is our water contaminated? What's going on? This is the sewer system. They were dumping the leachate into our sewer system, and that means that it is going to have a big impact on what Dr. Casey likes to call the good bugs, the bugs that are getting in there and are eating what they need to be eating, and then when we're noticing a drop-off in the population of the quote-unquote good bugs, then what occurs is that it becomes a dangerous situation.

[02:14:33] But it's dangerous as far as making sure that what we're putting out into the James River and through Procter's Creek is where it needs to be. And that's what we were working on and George Hayes and now Matt, if Matt's still here, is working on.

[02:14:49] But I just want to communicate to the community that our water system is fine. What is an issue here is that the DEQ wasn't doing what they should have been doing. And as a result, here we are. And it's gonna cost the state a lot of money. Pay me now, pay me later, but you're gonna pay me.

[02:15:06] And what they're gonna get paid is they're gonna have to set up their own water treatment plant right there here at Shoesmith. And as Mr. Carroll is saying, is that we need to be paying attention not just to Shoesmith, but what's happening in other of the landfills in our community.

[02:15:22] So I don't know if you can tell from the community, from the board, is how upset we are about this. And now we need to move forward, we meaning DEQ, needs to move forward and remedy this. Any other comments from the board?

[02:15:39] Thank you, Ms. Spillman. I know you have other things to talk about. Just real quick, in closing, Mr. Minx will be back before you in June to review legislation that's going to need some action taken as it goes into effect July 1. And so with that, you know, how to find me, if there's any other questions that come up, and we'll be back in touch.

[02:16:04] F, consent agenda highlights, Mr. Smith. Almost broken a game of chair volleyball back there.

[02:16:24] It's been a while. My legs are not quite moving. Yeah, so a few things on your consent agenda that we wanted to highlight today. Safe Streets for All grant we're asking to apply for. That's $14 million in federal funds matched by about $2.8 million in local funds, primarily focused on pedestrian improvements.

[02:16:45] Don't have to tell anyone here. You know, we certainly have a challenge with pedestrian movements across the county. As an example, we're proposing to add lighting to 20 intersections on the high injury network. Each time we do that is $300,000 each, so quickly it adds up to about $6 million.

[02:17:00] So you can see how that money gets used, but for some really nice projects if we're successful. Another safety-related one is proposed improvements to the Curtis Street rail crossing. So that's one of the high liability crossings within the Commonwealth, asking for $2.9 million in federal funds with a $580,000 match.

[02:17:25] This would cover design, engineering, and figuring out what to do there. We would follow up with an application for construction funds. Out in Matulka, awarding a contract for more sidewalks, so out on River Road, $2.5 million dollars to build sidewalk from Hickory to Brickhouse. So another nice project out there, slowly chipping away at the pedestrian network. Then we have several requests to set public hearings for your June 24th agenda. So first is for eminent domain on Center Point Parkway.

[02:17:58] Again, this is a project where these two particular owners aren't objecting to the project, but we are just trying to work out final compensation for them. And then Western Area infrastructure. We have a whole suite of improvements going on to support development of the school campuses out in the western part of the county, so asking potentially for eminent domain there.

[02:18:20] We have been successful in signing a number of those folks up since we first put this on the agenda, so we are hoping that we will whittle those down and get those down to just a couple by the time it hits the meeting, and then also a request to consider changes to the stormwater management fees in Chapter 8 of your ordinance. So these were increased by the State Water Control Board, so this would generate about $150,000 in additional funding, which you all have already appropriated as part of your FY27 budget, but this would allow Scott Smedley and his team to convert

[02:18:58] two positions from part-time to full-time. Uh, and then lastly, I think we have the retirees, uh, Michael, there we go. Uh, so, uh, actually it's, uh, one retiree, it's AJ Evie. I think everybody knows AJ. Um, I know AJ, uh, if you've, if you've, uh, been to the first floor, you've seen AJ's smiling face. I will say that, uh, AJ and I actually have a love for Mustangs in common.

[02:19:27] We spent some time at a car show together. He had a gorgeous Grabber Blue, right, wasn't it, Mustang, that he used to show. We had an old 66 that we used to show. So we've spent some time together chatting around cars and other things. But he's always a smiling face down on the first floor, and everyone's very sad to see him go.

[02:19:46] We do have lots of, I assume your family with you. Oh, yeah, fiancé and parents and some folks from the treasurer's office as well. So this Longacre just popped up. So I do have his resolution here as well, but certainly, you know, anything that the board wants to chip in.

[02:20:09] Ms. Schneider. A.J. has let me up the elevator numerous times when I have forgotten my pass, when I changed my handbag and don't have it in my car. So you're always, again, a smiling face when you come in, and we will miss that.

[02:20:26] And so thank you so much. I'll have to hide a path somewhere to get myself up the elevator. Mr. Carroll. Congratulations. We appreciate everything you've done for the county all these years. We wish you the best of luck. I understand where you're going. You're going to be running quite the operation, and I think that your skill set is going to be really good for them down there.

[02:20:47] But we're going to miss you here. Dr. Hilton. Yeah, AJ, you know, we had a good time at your farewell and your retirement, So I just want to wish you the best and Godspeed as you move into another career.

[02:21:04] Thank you. Mr. Engel. Well, make sure the milk stays cold and the bread is fresh. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much, AJ. Madam Clerk.

[02:21:34] Gee, other informational highlights, Dr. Casey. Well, Janelle Beverly hasn't been here for 23 years, but she has made a 23-year impact upon us. So if she could just stand up to be recognized. The Women's Club of Chester has a citizen award program and she has won that award for 2026 for her role with the Davis Child Advocacy Center and being that leader.

[02:22:01] And Michelle Smith, our new director of juvenile justice services, is with her too. And they've been sitting as long as Jesse has. So I applaud them for coming to the entire meeting for this recognition. And again, as you know, it goes without saying to the board, but for the public, a child advocacy center provides a safe, centralized location that coordinates services to child victims of alleged abuse and neglect and their non-offending caregivers during investigative and prosecution issues of child abuse.

[02:22:32] And because of the facility design and the care and attention of the employees led by Janelle, it has made a difference in people's lives. We have done the right thing so I applaud her and and just one thing about the women's club of Chester as a non-profit You saw are there people caring for older adults earlier?

[02:22:51] This is also a an institution that's really helped out the community and helped out our child advocacy center by supplying a food pantry knitting scarves and hats for children And donating art supplies socks and hygiene products so again congratulations to the Women's Club of Chester, but more importantly right now, their recognition of Janelle Beverly.

[02:23:15] And I just had three other quick highlights to touch on. And for most of my career here, this is the eighth consecutive year I'm mentioning this, but our Fleet Services Division of the Department of General Services was recently recognized by the National Association of Fleet Administrators as one of the 100 best fleet operations in the country.

[02:23:41] That includes public and private sector. It's led now by David Cottingham, and again, this is their eighth consecutive year in doing this. We're only one of two locality fleet operations in the entire country to have won this award eight times in a row.

[02:23:58] And again, I think there's 38,000 public fleet operations across North America. So this is an example of the quality of work and the service that they provide to counties and schools. This is a joint collaborative operation. The third highlight is Mary Bowman, who's making an impact in our emergency communications center.

[02:24:18] They had 19 students graduate from the high school emergency telecommunicators course. It was the first class of its kind in the state where high school seniors could learn the daily operations of a 911 center and prepare for a career in emergency communications.

[02:24:35] The class was such a great success that there's already 18 students requesting to take the course next year. And the huge win for us is that nine of the 19 students who have taken this course and have graduated have decided to apply to our ECC for a full-time job.

[02:24:52] Win, win, win. And then last but not least, and you'll hear more from Dean Lynch from VACO at a future meeting in a more formal setting in the board meeting room. But we received three VACO Achievement Awards this year. VACO issued 100, received over 100 submissions and recognized 40 for excellence.

[02:25:12] Again, we recognize three of those, 40 for local government programs focused on addressing issues of public safety, community development, and health. Chesterfield is the all-time achievement awards cumulative winner with 63, winning in each year for the last 24-year history of the program.

[02:25:33] And as you may know, we have gotten the best large county award many times during your tenure. So, again, I want to thank all the departments who achieved those awards, but we'll do a more special recognition with them and then have a NACO awards recognition following that as well.

[02:25:50] That is my comment, sir. I am just going to follow up with some informational highlights. Just very quickly, Dr. Casey and I were thrilled to be at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Richmond-Chesterfield campus of Bryan and Stratton, which was just a spectacular event.

[02:26:13] following more than 30 years of the college's former hall street location the newly relocated campus aims to enhance access to career oriented education respond to increasing demand for health care professionals throughout central virginia this impressive 53 000 square foot facility is set to support hundreds of aspiring health care workers and it is anticipated to create a strong pipeline of graduates each year into high demand areas such as nursing and medical ASSISTING. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT FRANK POTROSKI, WHO IS MY PLANNING COMMISSIONER, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WASN'T FOR FRANK. FRANK REALLY WAS SO PROTECTIVE

[02:26:52] OF GATEWAY. AND AT ONE POINT, THE OWNERS THAT WERE IN PENNSYLVANIA, IN PHILADELPHIA SPECIFICALLY, WANTED TO TURN IT INTO MULTIFAMILY. AND HE SAID, WE HAVE CLASS A OFFICE SPACE HERE. AND HE WOULD ABSOLUTELY, HE JUST WOULDN'T RELENT. HE WAS LIKE, WE ARE GOING to find somewhere and that could move in there and he did a great job in being able to figure that out mr. Carroll we're just glad to be there with you and tour the facility it's absolutely amazing that's right you were there yep so thank you for that on with you there and then yeah yeah that's right but yeah that's true we were all that amazing facility yeah just incredible and very

[02:27:29] exciting and just a collaboration I mean I work at Bright Point and dr. Bill Figge was there too it just shows you the kind of collaboration we're all working together when it comes to workforce development and so to have Brian Stratton there and a partner of course with Bright Point is it just shows you the community that we work together in the other next is something that was very cool that was happening Rockwood Park and that of course is a mural that was put in there the inaugural create or Chesterfield Arts in the Action event of my fellow board members and I had the pleasure of unveiling a public art mutual you know I'm sorry mural at Rockwood Park just

[02:28:06] gets beautiful. It just is fantastic. Attendees enjoyed a vibrant atmosphere filled with live music, art demonstrations, and interactive activity booths for children. The newly renovated mural depicts Cole, the county mascot, engaging in outdoor recreational activities, all set against the backdrop of several incredible local landmarks, including, of course, the James River. And then finally, I want to just go ahead, my colleagues and I celebrate individuals AND GROUPS AT THE ANNUAL CHESTERFIELD VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION CELEBRATION WHERE WE PRESENTED THEM WITH THE 2006 CHESTERFIELD COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS AWARD.

[02:28:45] ONE OF THE HONOREES IS BRYCE WORSELEY. BRYCE WORSELEY, A REMARKABLE YOUNG MAN WHO DEDICATED AN IMPRESSIVE 280 HOURS IN THE COUNTY PARKS AND REC FUND IN THE SUN CAMP LAST SUMMER, DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, AND CONFIDENCE.

[02:29:03] by community engagement and resources, this program was initiated in 2020 to acknowledge residents who invest their time and resources in fostering positive change within their communities. And that is my informational highlights. Item six, reports. Are there any questions regarding the reports? Seeing no questions, the reports are approved. Item seven, 15-minute citizen comment period on unscheduled matters. We have no speakers. Item eight,

[02:29:37] closed session pursuant to section 2.2-3711A1, Code of Virginia 1950 as amended, to discuss prospective candidates for appointment to the position of county administrator and to pursuant to section 2.2-3711A3, Code of Virginia 1950 as amended, to discuss the acquisition by the county of real estate for a public purpose or the disposition of publicly held real estate, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position and negotiating strategy of the public body. Mr. Chair, we need a motion to go on a closed session.

[02:30:16] Thank you. Can we have that motion, please? I got to move. Can I get a second? Any discussion at all?

[02:30:21] All in favor? Aye. We are in closed session. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the evening

[04:01:40] session of the May 27th Board of Supervisors meeting. I have verified that all board members have received copies of the comments posted on the online comment portal, and that it's there for our consideration. We have received it all on matters before us tonight.

[04:01:57] These comments are part of the public record and will be attached to the meeting minutes. In a moment, I'm going to give an invocation, but I just wanted to mention that we have Matt Harris, Deputy County Administrator for Finance, who is pinch-hitting this evening for Dr. Joe Casey.

[04:02:14] He was unable to be here this evening. he is attending to family matters so if you take a moment and just drop into that looks within place there are a lot of people in this room this evening thank you all for showing up it means a lot to us

[04:02:41] there are many ways and prayers and religions that are out there and taking a moment to drop into that looks within place and recognizing that we are all sacred worthy luminous beings thank you great spirit for our lives. There's no guarantee at any time and we don't take for granted that we

[04:03:18] don't know what will happen. Time is the only commodity for which we don't know how much we have. With that, I want to take a moment and appreciate the life of Ginger Dodder-Prince, who joined Prevention Services and Mental Health Support Services in 2008. And for more than 17 years, she dedicated herself to promoting behavioral health and wellness across our community through

[04:03:51] early childhood consultation, parent and community education, and social and emotional programming for youth and adults. Ginger had an exceptional gift, and I saw that myself when I worked with her, for building trusting relationships and tailoring her support to meet individual needs. She was widely respected by partners, colleagues, and the many people who served

[04:04:21] for her knowledge, warmth, kindness, and absolutely unwavering encouragement. Her impact on this community was profound, and she's going to be deeply missed. I also want to appreciate the life of Mark Seaman, who was a teacher for 28 years. He was substituting an Ettrick Elementary School on May 19th when he experienced a medical emergency and passed away unexpectedly. Mark

[04:04:57] helped shape minds as an elementary and middle school teacher, and he had a special love for sixth grade science. The motto his mother instilled in him was, learn everything you can, because you never know when you might need it. He is survived by his wife, Shelly, also a teacher, and his daughters, Cassie, Hope, and Ella. I also want to ask that you keep former County Administrator Lane Ramsey and his family in your prayers while he faces what we hope will be a brief

[04:05:35] health challenge. And something that we just found out this evening, our thoughts and prayers are for the family of former Matoica District Supervisor Merlin O'Neill, the father of Lynn O'Neill, who recently passed away. He served on the Board of Supervisors from 1972 to 1982, and I had the opportunity to meet him while I was running for office and to sit with him and his son and one of the things that struck me about him was i knew when i was meeting with him

[04:06:12] that i was meeting with history and wisdom so great thank you great spirit for our lives we don't take anything for granted and we know that it is a gift we don't know how long it's going to last i also want to mention how important it is to recognize the space the sacred space between stimulus and response when folks push our buttons when we are in hard times when we are in emotional

[04:06:51] times that we have an opportunity before we respond to take a moment and breathe and know that we are all sacred worthy luminous beings that we are love and that we are loved and that love is forgiving and receiving may it be so madam clerk we would like to call forward deputy County Administrator Matt Harris to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance to

[04:07:30] the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Item 12, County Administration Update, A, Recognition of Older Americans Month and Older Americans Month Storytelling Video Contest

[04:07:55] winners ms graves welcome ms graves long time to see to see you again chairman miller honorable members of the board and dr casey sorry each may we celebrate older americans month chesterfield county is proud to honor the contributions and impact of older adults in our community this year's theme champion your health focused on wellness independence and community activities

[04:08:30] aging and disability resources partnered and or hosted five programs recognizing older americans month as part of the celebration youth ages 8 to 12 submitted videos honoring a senior who has made a meaningful impact in their lives a panel of judges from the span center chesterfield county public schools community engagement resources selected the top entries this effort was sponsored by CCPS, the SPAN Center, in partnership with Community Engagement and Resources.

[04:09:02] We will now share the videos of the winners. My name is Riley, and for 30 years, I've been driving by you every day of the week. At first, we called you the waving lady, but then we saw that your name is Ms. Patricia. You make every day so much better when you wave and make me smile.

[04:09:22] Next year, I'll be going to middle school, and sadly, you won't be part of our school. One, I hope you loved the flowers, but our time is almost up. Thank you so, so much for being so dedicated to coming out here every day.

[04:09:37] Rain or shine, you can be trusted to you. Oh, bless you. Thank you.

[04:10:12] Today, I want to talk about my piano teacher, Dr. Toby.

[04:10:44] He impacted my life by showing me that you can learn anything with dedication. With delegation, many things are not hard, but you have to trust yourself and you have to be interested in it. Bye.

[04:11:06] Please come forward as your name is called. We are pleased to recognize our first place winner, Riley Seitz. She's from Gates Elementary School. She's in the fifth grade and she is representing the Bermuda District. Our second place winner, Saruth Papaceti. He's from Watkins Elementary. He's in the fourth grade

[04:11:45] and representing the Midlothian District. Congratulations and thank you to Riley,

[04:12:02] Patricia. Oh, come back up. Congratulations and thank you to Riley, Patricia Bracey, Saruth,

[04:12:41] David Tovey, and their families for their meaningful contributions. I'd also like to thank our partners, Chesterfield County Public Schools, the SPAN Center, Constituent and Media Services. Thank you. B, Youth Advisory Board Annual Presentation, Ms. Carter. Good evening,

[04:13:19] Honorable Chair, members of the Board. I am excited to share with you the exceptional work that the Youth Advisory Board has completed this year. The Youth Advisory Board offers a unique opportunity for juniors and seniors from each Chesterfield County Magisterial District, along with up to eight at-large high schools outside of CCPS as well to participate directly in county government.

[04:13:46] This year, we're proud that we have 24 members, 15 who are graduating seniors, serving as youth voices for the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors and for county departments. Through focus groups, service projects, town halls, and more, these students provide valuable insight, develop leadership skills, and experience civic engagement firsthand.

[04:14:12] For their annual project, the Youth Advisory Board this year focused on environmental stewardship, specifically the role of composting in Chesterfield County and its impact on residents. This evening, you'll hear from two of our student leaders, Joseph Giucci, our board president, a 12th grader at Code RBA, representing the Clover Hill District, and Kira West, our board secretary, an 11th grader at Midlothian High School, representing the Midlothian District.

[04:14:41] Will you please come up now? - Hello, and thank you for having us. We began the year by spending five weeks learning about Chesterfield's decommitment to environmental stewardship.

[04:15:01] We explored systems to ensure we had clean drinking water, healthy air, and a thriving ecosystem. We learned about the county departments and the community partners that work directly to shape the environmental health of our county.

[04:15:19] We learned about the light pollution, recycling, Waste Management, Water Quality, and Reforestation. We want to extend our gratitude to the speakers who shared their enterprise with us. They include John Neal, the General Service Director, Jennifer Reynolds, E&HS Coordinator, Risk Management, Chandler Burwell, 4-H Associate Extension Agent from the Virginia Cooperative Extension, as well as Julie Buchanan, the Public Relations Director of the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.

[04:15:49] After learning the ways that Chesterfield protects its environment, we chose composting as the focus of our annual projects. Reducing food scraps and landfills conserves our resources and helps limit unnecessary waste to the community. We recognize that the waste management affects every resident.

[04:16:07] That compost is a simple, accessible practice that we can learn to start our individual habits.

[04:16:22] - All right, to expand a bit on what Joseph initially talked about, to help our community learn more about composting, we created a three-part project. First, we decided to educate residents at the Earth Day Chesterfield Festival held on April 11th. To prepare for this, we met with Baron Cheatham and Norbin Robinson from the Cooperative Extension Office who were able to teach us the science behind composting.

[04:16:42] With their guidance, we created an informational brochure to distribute at the event. Next, we toured the Southern Area Convenience Center, home to one of Chesterfield's community compost drop sites. There, we heard from Ryan Owenby with NOPE Composting Company. We're grateful to Mindy McKinney and the Waste and Resource Recovery Team for hosting us and giving us an inside look at the county's efforts.

[04:17:05] We also partnered with a constituent and media team to produce a commercial and two social media videos encouraging the residents to attend the Earth Day event and learn about composting. Finally, at the Earth Day Festival, Ms. McKinney and her team partnered directly with us to host a composting educational station where we handed out our brochures and distributed 100 free composting kits to Chesterfield residents.

[04:17:25] Thank you so much to every department and community partner who supported this project and a special thanks to our adult volunteers, Ms. Siobhan Pulley and Alicia Meredith. We hope our efforts inspired residents to see how small steps, like composting, can make a big difference in supporting environmental stewardship here in the great Chesterfield County. Thank you.

[04:17:49] As you can probably guess, I'm extremely impressed with this group of students and I will say this is one of the most impressive group of students. they took so much ownership over the project I merely gave them the tools and they ran with it and planned everything else step by step I'm just really just grateful to have known this group of students so if all of the youth advisory

[04:18:14] board members that are in attendance please come up and be recognized

[04:18:51] congratulations yeah did you already get a pin I'm giving to Midlothian. Which district are you in? Cloverhill? All right. You guys just want to run away. Quick as we can get back to Routy.

[04:19:08] All right. I want to come around. Which district? Midlothian. Gave him one.

[04:19:29] All right. So you all seniors? Is that who I'm looking at here? We've got some juniors, too. I've got a mix here.

[04:19:45] Okay. So congratulations for the energy and time you guys put into the Youth Advisory Board. I recognize that it is, I know we recognize as a board, that it is not a small undertaking. It's a big undertaking. And I'm not surprised that they went ahead and were able to kind of just take the ball and run with it.

[04:20:04] That was kind of my take when we met you guys the first time. I was like, oh, these are go-getters. They know what they're doing. So congratulations. thank you for the energy and time you've put into this. And for the juniors, who are the juniors? All right, so check it out. You guys are gonna be around for a little while.

[04:20:21] So that's fantastic. Other board members? - Well, where can we see the videos they did? - Can we see the videos that they did? - Someone in the audience or someone at home wants to see the videos that they did. How do they see them? - On the Chesterfield County social media. - Okay, all right.

[04:20:37] - Very good. - Okay, do you wanna say anything else? - I just want to say that I was at the Earth Day event and have one of these composting things on my counter. So thank you so much. I really appreciate it. It's easier than having to take things outside all the time, so it collects.

[04:20:54] So, yeah, it's nice. I thought Dr. Miller was going to say we know how much time it takes to dedicate to any particular activity as we get to do a lot of different things. So the amount of time that you basically donated to the citizens to come up with this idea and put it in place is greatly appreciated, and thank you for all your work.

[04:21:19] Just want to echo what my colleague said, you all are the future, so thank you so much for what you all are doing, and continue to do the great work in the future that you all are doing, and look forward to, if you all need anything from us, just please let us know as you all apply for college, or whatever, we're here to help, so thank you so much.

[04:21:44] - I just think it's important for community to understand that these young adults actually put in, to participate in this, they put resumes in, Letters of interest in, they were reviewed, and we were just thrilled that you did it. And not everyone does this.

[04:22:00] Not everybody puts in for this, right? And so it's really amazing, and you give me hope for the future, just telling you. If I may, I did just want to take a quick second to shout out our leader, Ms. Chloe Carter.

[04:22:16] She's absolutely incredible and has been so helpful and truly, genuinely supportive throughout this whole process. Thank you. Yeah, thank you for that. Kind of echoing what Kevin is saying is that I know in Midlothian, whose folks are from Midlothian?

[04:22:35] We went through a whole evening of interviews through Zoom and the whole thing, because it was a lot of folks that were interested in, and Ms. Carter knew that this is going to be a tough choice. And so you guys rose to the top, and that is true for all of you, that you all rose to the top.

[04:22:53] And again, the gratitude for what you're doing and the energy that you put back into the county, you know, what you put out in the world comes back to unfold. Hello. Here we are. So thank you. Oh, you can run back.

[04:23:13] Thank you. See other county administration updates. Mr. Harris.

[04:24:05] Some kind of hazing Michael Bowman's doing. i think this is one other quick note the grand opening of the park at river city sportplex will be held thursday june 11th coinciding with the international day of play to celebrate both the opening of the park and the day itself parks and rec is hosting a variety of activities and events at the site including demonstrations from rockwood nature center the event kicks off at 4 p.m with a ribbon cutting at 5 30 the community is invited to explore the park's many facilities including playground splash pad fitness equipment and the trail following the brief ceremony that

[04:24:45] concludes my report for this evening and a zip line don't forget the zip line madam clerk item 13 board member reports all right mr engel thank you mr chair well we're going to do one before that there we go we'll just stop right there for a second each year the folar board honors individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact on our community through

[04:25:19] exceptional service and philanthropy, all dedicated to conserving and protecting the Appomattox River for the enjoyment of all. This year, Chesapeake County proudly received this Government Partner Award.

[04:25:38] The full art relies on invaluable support of volunteers and community partners to achieve our mission as we genuinely and gratefully honor the efforts of individuals and organizations.

[04:25:56] From the onset, Chesterfield has been a proud partner of FOLAR, this is their words, playing a crucial role in the design and implementation of the Appomattox River Trail Plan. The Appomattox River stands as one of Chesterfield's most cherished treasures.

[04:26:12] It was my honor to stand in for the county and to be able to receive this award. Next. All right. A few of my board colleagues and I were delighted to attend the grand opening of the river. This development reflects the momentum that we are seeing throughout the area.

[04:26:32] With major employers expanding infrastructure and continued investment, communities like the river help ensure that our workforce, families, and young professionals have quality housing options in a place they are proud to call home. If you haven't been there, it's a great place to stop by.

[04:26:50] This is a great community, and that concludes my report. Thank you, Mr. Ingle and Ms. Schneider. Okay, so on the most recent episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, I had the pleasure of joining with Brad Franklin to discuss various updates regarding Clover Hill District, along with some county-wide topics such as enhanced supports and resources for survivors of domestic violence.

[04:27:17] We also might have talked about how great the brewers are doing, but I'm going to knock on some wood right now, So check it out if you haven't yet. I was honored to attend the 2026 YWCA Richmond's Outstanding Women's Award.

[04:27:34] I really wanted to go because Martha Schickel, who is the head of our MPO at Plan and RBA, was one of the award winners this year. But the YWCA Richmond recognizes eight extraordinary women for their significant contributions to greater Richmond area.

[04:27:55] This year's award celebrated these individuals inducting them into an esteemed circle of over 300 female leaders who are recognized for meaningful change they create within the local community. These women are nominated and chosen for their exceptional leadership and their influence in shaping the greater Richmond region.

[04:28:18] And then this past Sunday, the Pocahontas Project hosted the annual Richmond Natal Day commemoration. This event commemorates the significant meeting that took place on May 23rd of 1607 between the English and the Powhatan leaders on Powhatan Hill in Richmond City.

[04:28:46] It's a beautiful spot if you haven't been there, but this was a free community-focused gathering showcasing traditional drum blessings, displays of indigenous cultures and history, In a historic photo recreation ceremony led by tribal chiefs, the person that did the prayer, his drum was not working very well because of the moisture.

[04:29:12] So I actually happened to have my drum from my tribe that I practiced with in Wisconsin, and he used mine. So it was really a blessing to have that used on the day. So it was a great day. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Schneider.

[04:29:29] Dr. Hilton. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I had the privilege to join the community members and families at the ribbon cutting at Cobbill Park. The park boasts an exclusive playground, basketball, pickleball courts, and also has walking trails.

[04:29:54] The Cobbill Park marks the second new park and also a recreation facility to be open the Dale District in the last two years following the dedication of the James M. Holland Recreation Complex at Beulah in May of 2025. Additionally, there's an orchard there in memory of the late James Holland who passed last year and it was a passion project for him and so we're very grateful

[04:30:28] that he gave us that vision. Next is the Panda Express opened up at Courthouse Landing. This is an important project as a lot of residents want to, and also the county employees, want more eateries and more availability for food options around the county complex. So we're grateful for Panda come into the Dell District, and we hope that we have many more restaurants come to the area.

[04:31:04] So, so grateful for Panda, and glad I was there to cut the ribbon. That concludes my report, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Dr. Hilton. Mr. Carroll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, I was a little busy this last month.

[04:31:23] On May 6th, I had the privilege of speaking at the Chesterfield Triad Senior Day. This free event offers entertainment, safety programs, and vendor resources for older results, while also providing businesses and organizations a chance to engage with the senior community in Chesterfield. And it was a great event. We had a lot of vendors there, a lot of turnoff in the community.

[04:31:44] After that event, on May 6th, I then, as soon as I spoke, had to leave, and I attended the Chester County Public Safety Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which normally we would hold outside the building here where the memorials are, But that day, because of rain, it was moved inside at the Public Safety Training Center.

[04:32:08] And on that day, the police department and the sheriff's department recognized those officers that had made the ultimate sacrifice in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the last year. Today, May 27th, 27 years ago, Craig Rath was killed in a line of duty.

[04:32:33] His name is on that memorial out there. On May 28th, 2003, Ryan Capoletti was killed in a line of duty. and on May 4th of 2006, Gary Bureau was killed in line of duty. May has been a tough month historically for public safety in Chesterfield County and we honor those as well as John Thomas and Lamont Edwards, who are the five officers, as well as our sheriff's deputies that are on the memorial for the sheriff's department out there, which we're very grateful for the sheriff and staff for getting that research done and getting it added to our memorial site.

[04:33:10] For those who don't know, John F. Kennedy, when he was president of the United States in 1962, declared May 15th as Peace Officer Memorial Day for the United States of America, and it's something that has built over the years to now its National Police Week in Washington, D.C. And so although these some things are these tough things to talk about what happened in our community in the past, it's something that I would tell you the law enforcement officers, the sheriff's deputies, and the firefighters, and many of the people in our community will never forget the ultimate sacrifice that these officers made and so it was my honor to be able to appear on behalf of the

[04:33:49] board because the rest of the board was traveling that day Mr. Chair and I know that was off script but I think it was important to share that with the community I do also thank you next slide please well and then don't let me forget this too I'm sorry but I also had a great opportunity on the next day something more positive to actually speak at the police department's 91st basic police academy graduation on may 7th after nearly nine months of commitment discipline and hard work these recruits had officially graduated and are now part of the proud officers that serve

[04:34:29] Chester County Police Department and they're probably still I think in their field training program. Just to give you an idea how old I am, I was in the 13th basic, 91st. So there you go. But what a great group of young officers. And of course, we hired great people, and they're going to do a great job for the community. I also had the pleasure of celebrating the Learning and Performance Centers Class of 2026. This is an internal hub for professional development and It offers tailored workforce, education, training, consulting aimed at fostering both individual

[04:35:07] and organizational success for our county employees. This is a program that's grown throughout the years to help develop our employees so we can continue to provide the best service to the community that we can, and it's across all of our departments that participate in this.

[04:35:25] We take immense pride in our staff's dedication to their professional growth. It's a commitment that not only advances their careers, but also elevates the services, I said that they provide to our community and we commend all of them for all of the participation and all certificates and all of the time that they took there.

[04:35:42] And last but not least, Mr. Chair, yesterday all of us who were down at Virginia State University for the Athletic Club ribbon cutting, we were there eight months ago for the groundbreaking. This is a great project that the Athletic Club's new facility, they did a great capital campaign to raise the funds. The construction is impeccable on the building. The brickwork on the outside, the detail on the inside. For over 60 years, the athletic club has been a steadfast supporter of Virginia State University Athletics, successfully raising funds to establish this permanent space. It also serves as a gathering place and a lasting tribute for supporters

[04:36:21] of Trojan Athletics. And this is, this group of people is the number one raiser of funds for the athletes that participate in sports out of Virginia State University. And they they fly under the radar they don't ask for any recognition I told them they should because they do a great job to help funds so that children or the I say children the young adults who are participating in sports at Virginia State University can can be successful and so I was really grateful that the entire board was there yesterday I know that the community had a great turnout there yesterday and that concludes my report Mr. Chair thank you Mr. Carroll

[04:36:57] it was really quite an honor to be there yesterday with all of you for that ribbon-cutting Virginia State University is Chesterfield's University and it shows I mean we were all down there to support and continue to support Virginia State and they're just doing a great job there I got to tell you there is a part of me that's a little jealous Dr. Hilton because you graduated from there and every time we go down there I just get the energy it's it's impossible to miss mr. chair if I could if you've been down at Virginia State University

[04:37:33] according to dr abdullah more than three times you're a trojan so all right there you go i want a pin i don't have a piece of paper that says that but i'll take it um for my board report i want to start with uh kind of a fun picture uh this is i'm delighted to announce um the playground equipment at jb watkins um has been updated oh my gosh it was just falling apart and the pta reached out to me and said what can we do about this and the old playground, it definitely exceeded its lifespan and was in need of replacement. Thanks to the

[04:38:10] dedicated fundraising efforts, the PTA successfully achieved its goals for this project. The outcome is fully inclusive playground designed to accommodate children with special needs. If anyone knows me, I spend a lot of time working with folks with disabilities and to see the kids playing on this playground. Oh my, it just doesn't get any better than that. Also, I want to appreciate Dr. Hilton and I had the privilege to speak at the annual Memorial Day program held at Justville County Fairgrounds. We were all there for that. A heartfelt event dedicated

[04:38:48] to honoring military personnel who lost their lives in service of our country. This year's theme, Remembering Our Fallen Heroes on America's 250th, paid tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our nation. The program featured a stirring address from captain vernon marshall jr of fort lee along with uplifting patriotic music performed by the talented bonfire uh trombone uh ensemble and man they were really good and lastly uh the board

[04:39:23] reports uh web page includes this was just a little sampling i mean we're talking just an appetizer of what we do throughout uh the month it includes updates shared at each meeting featuring district highlights community involvement and recent accomplishments you can subscribe to our district updates list to receive board reports in your inbox or scan the qr code no kidding there was a time we were going through and it would take us 45 minutes to an hour just to go through everything and for everybody's it was a suggestion to someone in the community they said we love you and at the same time we appreciate what you're doing and is there another way we can learn

[04:40:01] without it taking as much time as it does. So please take a moment to look and see how dedicated and how much we are in the community. We love what we do, and it's truly an honor. And that concludes my report.

[04:40:16] Madam Clerk. Item 14, resolutions and special recognitions. A, recognition of George Hayes for General Assembly, joint commending resolution. Delegate Cherry and Ms. Pyshaw.

[04:40:30] The man of the hour should be right up here in the dead center of us.

[04:41:06] One of the awesome things we get to do as members of the General Assembly is to take moments and bring recognition to people who've earned distinction by some action or something they've done or accomplished. And it was my high honor to partner with Senator Jones to carry a joint resolution that just honors what you've done.

[04:41:27] And by doing this, now everyone who comes after you has to live up to this. Matt Rambold, where are you, buddy? And so now your accomplishments are recorded in the annals of Virginia history, always to be looked back upon by everyone who comes behind you to say this is what they did, this is what they accomplished, and it was my pleasure to do that.

[04:42:02] You know, as I was preparing my remarks for this, I was drawn back to Scripture and the idea that in the Bible we're told that we are all one body and all of the body has different roles. And many times we see certain parts of the body, like our boards of supervisors and others that are public, that we see out and we think they're more important sometimes because we see them. But how often can you live without a heart? Not very long. And so it's those things that are unseen many times that are more valuable even than what is seen and

[04:42:40] what we have in front of us and you're certainly one of the unseen ones and so if you've drank clean water for the last 28 years I there's the guy to say thank you to because he he kept our infrastructure he made sure things were done and done well and we're grateful for your quiet service to our community and to the Commonwealth of Virginia and just like the body reference sometimes when you lose a limb you get a prosthetic and sometimes the prosthetic is better than the original and so with that senator jones couldn't be here tonight and so uh we're gonna we're gonna

[04:43:15] let her speak for him much better looking prosthetic i assure you than senator jones so thank you i appreciate it delegate jerry and so i was just going to read briefly from uh what our resolution says very briefly i promise um so whereas george b hayes served as director of chesterfield county department of utilities for 10 years and retired on january 1st 2026 whereas he led major infrastructure and environmental improvements including upgrades at the falling creek and procter's creek wastewater treatment plants while safely

[04:43:49] providing water and wastewater services to more than 389 000 residents and whereas george hayes helped lead the region through the Richmond water crisis in 2025 when Chesterfield County remained the only large utility in the area with potable water. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate of Virginia that George B. Hayes hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement and be it resolved further that the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George Hayes as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for his contributions to the commonwealth and best wishes for joyful and fulfilling retirement

[04:44:27] so before we really get started i'm going to actually pass the mic over to dr hilton and we'll work our way around so uh george you know you and i had a long ride one day we went on a field trip and i got to learn a lot about you that was a few years ago and um what you hope to do in retirement and all that i won't i won't say anything about that but you um you definitely

[04:45:04] have a heart for people um as you talked about what you hope to do in retirement and things that you want to do and make sure that the next generation not only is prepared educationally but just through your experience um that was something that really stuck out to me and then your upbringing uh attributed to a lot of that so I just want to say thank you for what you've done for Chesterwood County I love coffee but I don't want anything in it other than some some beans from the coffee so we appreciate what you did to make sure that you know we had clean water

[04:45:38] and also want to just take a moment to acknowledge Tucker from Delicate Gardener's office too so we're just just glad that we could stand here in this moment and say thank you to you and your family for the many years you put in and we hope that you enjoy retirement and you have godspeed and whatever you do george you've heard so many thank yous from us i don't know how to say thank you anymore but um what i will thank you again for is um your leadership your leadership

[04:46:14] in a crisis that made decisions that really saved our water system which people have heard many times but um honestly more importantly since you've retired i want to thank you for um bringing up such a wonderful team behind you to make sure that we'll continue to have good water and we'll get it cleaned before it goes back to the river for so many more years to come, which is a legacy to you.

[04:46:41] So thank you for that. I just want to say congratulations. We miss you, George, but Matt's pretty good, too. Thank you, and thank you guys for recognizing him.

[04:46:59] That's great. We appreciate it so much. What did you say the replacement part is? I don't even get that. I'm not calling you that, Matt. I don't know what he said it was, but I'm not doing it. Look, George, one of the testaments to you that really the communities understand is there are some times when you're in leadership that the people are below you and the command below you, they have to listen to what you say.

[04:47:26] It doesn't mean they have to like you, right? Not only did your people listen to what you had to say and implement everything, they really liked you a lot, too, and that is a trick to be able to do that because we all know that in the community not everybody gets liked that's just the way it works so uh thank you for everything that you did you're you're you were an inspirational leader and you were quiet about it you're you're not a boastful person um but what those but the other board members have already said is absolutely true you saved our bacon especially on that day when you made the call to cut that water off so we wouldn't get bad water in Chesterfield County and and that's just

[04:48:04] one example of when you saved our bacon and we could sit here all day and talk about a bunch more But Godspeed, and you know if you have anything from us, so you need to pick up the phone wherever you're traveling to. We'll try and help you out. George, I've said this before, but hey, folks, if you ever wanted to make a movie of someone's life and his career, it would be George Hayes.

[04:48:29] And you would be at the edge of your seat the whole time in anticipation as to what was going on because Kevin's absolutely right. Saved our bacon. and that moment when the moment came and he said stop the water coming from James River it was one of those seminal moments we were listening to it and we could read the transcript of what was going on and when he said turn it off and the person on the other said what and he said turn it off and it was just one of those moments where it was you knew exactly how to do the job and what

[04:49:07] needed to happen in that moment, and you're the one that made the call. And that is exactly what's happening now in everything that's occurring with what's happening with Shoesmith. You were the one that noticed that something was wrong. You were the one that said, wait a minute, we need to figure out where this is coming from. You were the one. And that is just another example of a movie scene all unto itself. So it's absolutely true. Matt has stepped in and has done a great job and we're in really good hands but your

[04:49:41] your staff fantastic when we're doing some sort of utilities event a year all five are showing up it's that kind of thing so again thank you so much and I want to turn the mic over to you my brother mr. chairman members of board thank you coming back here five years into retirement excuse me five months into retirement. It does go fast. But it feels like I'm coming back to family. And I do appreciate,

[04:50:15] I do want to thank Delegate Cherry and also Senator Jones for being the patroness of the bill and all the General Assembly who supported the resolution. Thank you very much. It means a lot to me, more than you will know. And I will treasure it. It will sit in my home office.

[04:50:35] I also wanted to thank the board for your support in me to run such a great department. My name is all over this resolution, but I can tell you the accomplishments in this resolution are from the utilities employees that every day for the 20 years I served worked hard to find ways to improve our business and operational processes so that we could provide high-quality water and wastewater service at the most affordable rates and ensure that your service was uninterrupted.

[04:51:03] I also want to commend the board for selecting Matt Brimbold as the current director of utilities. I had the pleasure of serving with Matt for eight years. He's extremely intelligent. He's dedicated, and he's a true leader, and I'm confident that he's going to bring the utilities department down that path of excellence into the foreseeable future, and I want to thank Matt and the entire management team for coming out here tonight for this resolution.

[04:51:26] Thank you very much. It means a lot. Also, I want to recognize my wife, Karen, to my left. Throughout the 20 years, when you work for a 24-7-hour operation, there's a lot of phone calls after hours. There's a lot of phone calls during family vacations.

[04:51:44] There was a lot of 2 a.m. phone calls during the Richmond Water Crisis for months, and not once did my wife complain. She realized that we needed to put aside family matters temporarily so that we could fulfill my commitment to public service. And for that, I truly thank you.

[04:52:00] Thank you. Thank you. All right.

[04:52:22] Do you? Yeah. Well done. that's great take care b chesterfield county recertification as a crime prevention community

[04:52:42] major breeden do we need these yeah madam clerk major breeden did you want to introduce do you

[04:53:29] have any okay sure uh chair members of the board uh community just want to thank everyone for coming out this evening but more importantly miss fisher who's from department criminal justice Services Board. She has something to say before she gives us our recertification. Good evening.

[04:53:48] My name is Taylor Fisher with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. I'm honored this evening to stand before you to present the County of Chesterfield with the certification as a certified crime prevention community. Before I present the certificate, I'd like to give you a brief history of the certified crime prevention communities program.

[04:54:07] The certified crime prevention communities program was developed by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and approved by the commission in 1998 after an executive order from Governor Gilmore that charged the commission with the responsibility of advising him on new initiatives to promote community safety, particularly youth and family safety. The commission asked the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services to recommend programs that fostered the development of community safety initiatives at the local level. From the 1993 Crime Commission study, the Certified Crime Prevention Communities Program was designed and

[04:54:44] approved. Of the hundreds of eligible communities throughout the Commonwealth, the County of Chesterfield is one of 17 certified crime prevention communities. To obtain this certification, the County of Chesterfield Police Department submitted an application for certification, which was required to meet 19 community safety elements. This is not an easy task, and it takes a tremendous amount of dedication, not only from the County of Chesterfield Police Department, but from the entire community. This is an accomplishment that the police department and your community should be very proud of. Throughout the review, it became clear that the

[04:55:21] success of the Chesterfield County prevention efforts was due to four factors. Community interactions, the dedication of the police department personnel, not only to the police department, but to the whole community, program development, and finding ways to bridge the identify gaps within the community. I would like to share some of the highlights from the Chesterfield County application. Between August 2022 and August of 2025, community engagement personnel presented crime prevention and related programs such as active shooter response, workplace violence, security for places of worship, realtor safety, shoplifting response,

[04:55:58] child care worker safety, and scout programs to businesses and organizations. Within the Chesterfield County, and over 66,000 individuals in a three-year period received those efforts. In response to a spike in pedestrian-related accidents, the Community Engagement and Traffic Units launched a safety initiative along Routes 1 and 10, where officers visited 70 businesses and distributed pedestrian safety awareness materials to provide reflective vests at-to-at-risk pedestrians. Community Engagement officers participated in the Kids in the Garden

[04:56:36] day with more than 550 attendees where presentations and interactions focused on senior and internet safety, the promotion of Citizens Academy, and child safety through fun educational materials. The Chesterfield County Police Department continued to successfully maintain the Crime Solvers Program. 1,344 tips were received and 279 crimes were solved between December 2022 in December 2024. The Chesterfield County Colonial Heights Crime Solver Scholastic Program continued to reach capacity over the last three years and

[04:57:11] consisted of ten schools. This program educates students about law enforcement, civic duty, and how students have a vital role in keeping safe schools and communities. During the 2023-2024 DMV grant fiscal year, through the partnership with SAFE, the Substance Abuse Free Environments, Inc., 1,863 individuals received drug- and impaired driving prevention education through 35 in-person and virtual outreach events.

[04:57:39] And lastly, the Youth Delinquency Program, through a partnership with CCPS, saw 395 students earn 390 credits in night school during the 2024 and 2025 school year. On March 19, 2026, the Chesterfield application for recertification as a certified crime prevention community was presented to the criminal justice services board and approved on behalf of the secretary of public safety stanley meter and the director of dcjs ashaki mcneil i would like to present the county of chesterfield with the certified crime prevention community certificate and i would like to thank you the board of supervisors and the chief

[04:58:17] and his staff for their dedicated dedication to the county of chesterfield congratulations that one oh that's for them right okay okay there you go wow that was a lot um it's one thing to just sit back and wait and respond to a call after it comes in it's another

[04:58:52] to be proactive and be out in the community and take steps to be preventive to stop crime before actually takes place and this award shows that DCJS recognizes the efforts of the police department to keep our citizens safe and although it's the police department and that's where DCJS does in Chesterfield County it's the police department the fire department and the sheriff's department together that truly keep our citizens safe but for the part that you play thank you for all the work that you've done this is really a wonderful

[04:59:31] remarkable acknowledgement of your work. I kind of jokingly say what do we not have in Chesterfield in terms of awards because I mean is every department is award-winning and I believe it's one place online that I think we have all the awards we have but it's just so interesting and so encouraging to see all the awards that we have. Awards are one thing though but then have the

[05:00:06] feeling that you live in a safe community is different um and i feel like we're safe i feel cared for in our community and i want to be a part of continuing that so thank you so much um not just for the award but for the feeling of being safe here so thank you we have a lot of things going on tonight but thank you so much for being here and one out of 17 in how many hundreds in the in the state is an awesome awesome accomplishment so thank you so much um i think what you said is absolutely true. I mean, I think if you don't have public safety, your community

[05:00:44] isn't worth living in. So I do want to say one thing. I want to thank the community. I want to thank the citizens in Chesterfield County. You guys pay taxes. You're the ones who pay the money in that funds the government, along with all the businesses, which allow us to then hire really great people in all the different departments that we fund. But we have a tremendous public safety in Chesterfield County, tremendous police department. I'm a little biased because I work there, but not anymore. But they do a fantastic job, and they continue to do a fantastic job. And

[05:01:19] because we have taken steps to make sure that we can hire and retain the best workforce we can, both in our sheriff's department, we heard about that earlier today from the sheriff, for our fire department and our police department. They're the people, the men and women that are out there every day responding on the calls for service, whether you're in a car crash, someone breaks in your house, you name it, they're doing it every day, even taking barking dog calls, plenty of those too.

[05:01:47] And so it's a great accomplishment for the police department, and it's well-deserved, as usual. Just keep up the great work. Thank you. Over the last six months or so, we have been looking for a new county administrator. And 40 people applied from across the country.

[05:02:07] And every time we connected with each one of them, they said the same thing, which is that I wasn't looking for a job. until I found out that I could be the county administrator in Chesterfield. The word that came up all the time was premier county in the country.

[05:02:25] And that is because of what we do, because we know that our water system is clean. It's because our sheriff, because of the Government Citizens Academy, and it's, of course, because of our public safety. And it's because of our public safety that it is a premier county, and it's because of all the work that you all do.

[05:02:46] And I'm going to echo what Kevin said, which is that it's because of what you all do as a community, in that when you look at our org chart, the org chart is very, very clear. Our constituents, the folks that live here, they're at the top. And you all are so dedicated to our community, and we are, as public servants, so dedicated to you.

[05:03:09] And that's what this award and recognition is about. Thank you so much for it. we know the kind of work that goes into pulling this even together and for us to be recognized and to be seen as one of the premier counties and with premier public safety it says a lot

[05:03:26] so thank you for that thank you where did you have to come in one more see recognition of james m

[05:04:01] holland dale district scholarship recipients miss height and our students and their family Hi, good evening. Thank you so much. Thank you supervisors. It's really an honor to be here and I just want to say I'm really sorry that Dr. Casey can't be here. It's great to see you, Mr. Harris, but because I know this is so near and dear to his heart, so you just need to take the feeling and convey it to him, okay, that we miss him.

[05:04:26] So I'm Laura height. I get to be the executive director of Chesterfield Education Foundation That's a privilege because I get to support our great public schools in Chesterfield County Our mission is to invest in equitable education opportunities and increase classroom innovation for Chesterfield County public school students We've got over 64,000 of them and growing thanks to this being a premier county So thank you one of the things that we do at the foundation is we manage scholarships And this year we had a very special new scholarship, the James Holland Dale District Scholarship, and that was created.

[05:05:02] I mentioned Dr. Casey because he was really the champion that made it happen this year on the logistical side. We got it all together thanks to Dr. Casey and thanks to our school leaders helping out so much. And this scholarship is very special because it's in memory of a beloved leader that many of us admire and miss and hold closely in our hearts.

[05:05:26] And so this scholarship is special. It is for a student who lives in the Dale District, but they can go to any school, and they demonstrate the core values that he showed us every day. integrity, service to others, taking care of people, showing up for your community, being responsible, and doing it all with grace and dignity. So that's a lot to live up to. We pushed this scholarship out. We got more applications for this scholarship than we've ever gotten for any other one. And I think that's a testament to Mr. Holland's legacy.

[05:06:03] It's also thanks to our school leaders. So before I go any further, I want to say thank you to our Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Lisa High. She's here tonight. I wanna say thank you to Elsie Byrd's principal, Adrienne Blanton, she's here this evening.

[05:06:18] Our Matoika principal, Elizabeth Baber, couldn't be here this evening, but we thank her and all of our school leaders because scholarships don't happen in a vacuum, they happen in our schools. And they happen with the administrators and the counselors who take the time to talk to students and tell them about opportunities.

[05:06:37] Most importantly, I would like to thank Mrs. Judith Holland, who's sitting over there, without whom this would not have happened. It's a Holland family tradition, I think, to support schools.

[05:06:58] They love teachers. They love students. They love the Chesterfield community. And so Mrs. Holland had the difficult task of going through all the applications and choosing a recipient. And bless her, she chose two, which is really, really wonderful.

[05:07:17] We have two students that we get to honor tonight, which is just double the love and double the fun. And I'm so happy about it. And if you don't mind, I'd like to introduce them now. So from Matoica High School, we have Ms. Sinai Harris. She's right here.

[05:07:34] And then from Elsie Bird High School, we've got Ms. Kendall Cherry. And I just want to tell you both, we're so proud of you.

[05:07:51] We're so excited for you, and if the board doesn't mind, I'd like to ask them each just to tell us real quick what they plan to do after they graduate. I'm Kendall. I plan to go to North Carolina A&T State University to study biology.

[05:08:08] I'm Sinai, and I'm going to JMU in the fall. I'll be majoring in kinesiology with a minor in sports management. Thank you both.

[05:08:27] They're just an example of the incredible students that we have in Chesterfield, and a lot of that is thanks to Mr. Holland and his years of investing in education. I have a QR code right there. We're going to have the scholarship again next year. Applications will reopen, and we're taking donations.

[05:08:44] So if you'd like to make a donation in support of the scholarship, you can do that there too. But thank you all so much for making this possible. And I want to say our Board of Supervisors was there at the scholarship ceremonies. That was very special. We really appreciate that you came out to help present those.

[05:09:00] So thank you.

[05:09:37] D is recognition of the Economic Development Department, Ms. Terry Cofer-Byrne.

[05:09:56] Thank you for coming, Mrs. Holland. Do you want me to handle some stuff?

[05:10:18] Okay. Yes, sir. Come here, Garrett.

[05:10:38] Mr. Chairman, members of the board, I'm Terry Byrne, and I have the distinct pleasure of serving as the chair of your Economic Development Authority, and I thank you for that opportunity. On behalf of the board, we're here tonight to announce the three organizations that have given the Chesterfield Economic Development Authority recognition recently.

[05:10:57] I have three slides. The first, the Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate, their 2026 real estate awards they recognized in the new office project department, Springline at District 60, phase one of it. And the second is their land sale transaction, and the winner of that was Project Lock, which is more commonly known as Google.

[05:11:20] The second award is from the Richmond Real Estate Group, their Impact Awards this year. And in the category of non-profit public development, also phase one of Springline was recognized as the winner. And I'm also pleased to announce the Chesterfield projects that have recently won awards from Virginia Business.

[05:11:42] The first is their top project, which is also Springline at District 60, phase one. And the second is their top real estate deal, which is the Google land transaction. And since he became our Economic Development Director 15 years ago, Garrett Hart has received many awards, and I'm here to mention another one that he's getting tonight.

[05:12:02] Virginia Business has announced that Garrett has been selected as their 2026 honoree for the C-Suite Awards. So congratulations to Garrett. He's the only local government employee to receive the award this year. And you'll remember that Dr. Casey received it last year.

[05:12:18] So please join me in thanking and congratulating Garrett. He didn't want it.

[05:12:37] That's why I'm here, because he doesn't like to talk about it. I wanted to say that just as George came up here, nobody accomplishes anything by themselves. We have a great team. I have to thank the board for its support for these projects and their vision to get them done and the EDA for working and getting it done.

[05:12:58] And then the entire community development department who assisted in getting these projects done and the vision and adopting that as what could spring like, what could urban mixed use look like in Chesterfield?

[05:13:14] So it was a group effort. And as far as the C-suite award is concerned, you recall, as you said, Dr. Casey got it last year. I nominated Dr. Casey for it because I thought he deserved it. I think Dr. Casey now needed me this year as a payback.

[05:13:29] That's all. But thank you all, and we'll look forward to continuing having award-winning projects in Chesterfield County. I'm tempted to just share, if you've noticed, that there's a pattern this evening.

[05:13:51] And that is that, I mean, Garrett is letting us know that you're going to be retiring. And so what Chesterfield is going through is a pretty big transition time. with Dr. Casey, with George Hayes, with Garrett Hart, planning with Andy Gillies.

[05:14:11] There's a lot going on in Chesterfield County, and what we're seeing is that transition. But what we're noticing, and if you haven't noticed it already, is that we're in really good hands from really hard work done over many decades. And Garrett, we are so much better today than we were when you arrived.

[05:14:31] and um there are so many things that you brought to this county um that uh our citizens are going to benefit from uh for decades to come so thank you don't retire me yet until the end of the year no end of the year we'll get to keep you for a little bit longer yes very good thank you thank you uh yes we'll load you up

[05:14:56] we have three more recognitions all right all right we're still doing the work is recognition of 2025 to 2026 future community leader certificate recipients miss carter hello again and good evening honorable chair members of the board i have the honor tonight of recognizing

[05:15:36] the Future Community Leader Certificate Recipients. This certificate provides Chesterfield County High School students with the opportunity to learn about local government, interact with government officials, and engage in volunteerism to support their community.

[05:15:52] The requirements of this certificate are as follows. Students must complete the Chesterfield 101 program that was developed with Chesterfield County's Learning and Performance Center. Participants are also required to attend a board of supervisors meeting, observe a meeting, observe the meeting operations, identify the representatives, and learn about community-related issues.

[05:16:13] And then the final component of the program is the volunteer service requirement, where each participant must complete 25 hours of community service within the greater Richmond area, 10 of which have to be completed in Chesterfield County. We have four recipients this year.

[05:16:32] These students completed the program together and have bright futures ahead. The future community leaders, when your name is called, please come forward to receive your certificate. Tiffany Chen, 11th grade students from James River who volunteered doing weekly tutoring for the Youth Life Foundation of Richmond.

[05:16:52] She cannot be here with us tonight, but we celebrate her. Hattie Hungate, an 11th grade student at James River, go Rapids, who volunteered with the Chesterfield Food Bank. Madison Jones, a 12th grade student at Midlothian High School who volunteered for Jack and Jill, Feed America, Children's Museum, and the Chesterfield Food Bank.

[05:17:17] And then last but not least, Hinoch Nebwi, 11th grade student at Clover Hill High School who volunteered with the Watkins Elementary School STEM Camp. Congratulations, Future Community Leader Certificate recipients.

[05:17:40] So before I get going, I want to just – I'm definitely going to reach out to the board to see what you all want to say. Got one. Well, since you're future community leaders, we want to make sure that you come back and do that here in Chesterfield County.

[05:18:03] So take what you've learned. Whether you go to college or you do something else, we hope you end up here for your permanent job. So thank you, and we look forward to you being leaders in the future. We appreciate you taking the time to do all this because I know it's not always fun to sit through a meeting when you don't have to.

[05:18:26] But I hope you learned things that you didn't know and volunteerism will sustain you through your whole life. It's something that hopefully because you're engaged in it now, maybe you'll continue to do it throughout your life. It's such a wonderful thing that gives back to everybody.

[05:18:43] So thank you so much. Yeah, I just want to say thank you very much for everything you're doing. And like Jim said, hopefully you'll consider staying here in chesterfield and and because it's a great place to live work and raise your family and you're the future so good luck and you give me hope yeah i just want to say you all are the future and it definitely looks bright so thank you so much for what you're doing now continue to do it um because we're not going to be here for a really long time we want you all to come back and we want to retire and we need people to hand over the county to and so this will be a good pathway to that so

[05:19:21] we look forward to the opportunity to retire and hand over the reins to you all one day not to oversell we have an internship program that's pretty fantastic and we're it's over the summer and so keep an eye out for it as you're going through college and all the rest just you know keep an eye out and see what's there the question is what is a leader what does that mean to you and it means different things for different people I can say for me I tend to be more of a quiet leader, someone who's paying attention. But I think it's about having vision

[05:19:59] and showing up. And so that's what you all have done, is you've shown up. And that is a big part of what it means to be a leader, is to be able to be paying attention. You don't have to be the person who gets the attention all the time. It's more about paying attention and showing up. So thank you all for showing up. Thank you for doing this. And we look forward to see what great things come reach out to us it's our job so if you have any questions concerns worries or whatever

[05:20:25] please reach out to us thanks f resolution recognizing david w rob robinson chesterfield county senior deputy county attorney upon his retirement will mr robinson and his guests please

[05:20:49] join the board on the stage yeah i appreciate you all are going to be center of attention You can go over there, because you know.

[05:21:25] Hey, how are you? Thank you. Yeah. Hi, Captain. Hi, Captain. Oh, boy. Hey, stop on me. We'll put you in the center. I know.

[05:21:42] So we're going to go forward and read the resolution. I'm going to give this to you, Rob, and we're going to have Madam Clerk. Whereas David Rob Robinson, Senior Deputy County Attorney, will retire from the Office of the County Attorney on July 1, 2026, after representing the county of Chesterfield and a multitude of county officials, employees, boards, and commissions with distinction for over 27 years.

[05:22:08] And whereas Rob joined the county attorney's office in 1998 after a successful legal career in private practice in a downtown law firm specializing in the area of construction litigation. And whereas, due to the needs of the office at that time, Rob quickly transitioned to handling the substantive areas of zoning and subdivision law, environmental engineering, workers' compensation, code prosecutions, real property, and utilities.

[05:22:37] And whereas, in fairly short order, Rob became one of the most knowledgeable and respected land use attorneys in Virginia and became a mentor to other attorneys in the county attorney's office, as well as a resource to other local government attorneys throughout the Commonwealth.

[05:22:54] And whereas for almost three decades, Rob has been a valuable, creative, and resourceful advocate for and counselor to the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Historic Preservation Committee, and innumerable members of the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Preservation Committee, providing accurate, insightful, and practical legal guidance.

[05:23:18] Members of these bodies have consistently sought out Rob for advice and know that they can rely on his advice with the utmost confidence. And whereas Rob's unwavering commitment to professionalism and ethics and his dedicated work ethic as both an advisor and a litigator has earned him promotions over his career to the positions of Senior Assistant County Attorney, Deputy County Attorney, and his current position of Senior Deputy County Attorney.

[05:23:49] And whereas Rob has successfully litigated cases as diverse as the Shoesmith Quarry Landfill case, scores of workers' compensation cases, the Dominion Power Plant litigation, the Falling Creek Dredging Contract litigation, and the Gateway Baptist College Zoning Injunction litigation, to name just a few, he is equally effective at the trial and appellate levels and will not settle for anything other than an excellent result for the county.

[05:24:17] And whereas throughout his career, Rob has taken on some of the more sensitive issues which the county has had to face, such as the regulation of massage parlors and nightclubs, and he is currently working on a proposed ordinance to regulate vape shots. And whereas Rob's easy manner, his calm demeanor under fire, and his excellent sense of humor make him extremely approachable to his many clients and disarmingly effective with his legal adversaries. And whereas, when not working for the county, Rob is a dedicated and active member of his church, a rabid fan of the Maryland Terps and the Arsenal soccer team, a voracious reader,

[05:24:57] and a scholar of politics and naval history, actually all history. And whereas, and most importantly, Rob loves his family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren, and spends as much time with them as he can whether at the beach in nags head or elsewhere now therefore be it resolved at the chesterfield county board of supervisors this 27th day of may 2026 publicly recognizes the invaluable service of rob robinson expresses the appreciation of the board for his many contributions to the county and extends heartfelt congratulations to rob upon his

[05:25:33] retirement and be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to rob and that this resolution be permanently recorded among the papers of this board of supervisors of chesterfield county virginia thank you madam clerk i'm going to turn the mic over to our oh good point let's go ahead and make a motion to approve the resolution can i have a second any discussion whatsoever all right all in favor say aye aye so thank you now it's been approved thank you vice chair thank you mr chairman um i really i can't say enough about rob so i'm not

[05:26:11] going to. Rob, when Rob joined the office, to say that he transitioned into the job that he had, he was thrown into the job that he had. We had a need to cover a bunch of areas and Rob absolutely embraced all of that. And truly, in a very short period of time, he became the leader in his field throughout the state of Virginia.

[05:26:39] Rob is the best. He is so easy to deal with. Rob is the guy in the office, and every law firm has to have one of these people. And Rob is this guy, and that is the person who always tells you why you're wrong, that is always negative.

[05:26:59] And he tells you all of the problems that you have. Because I've got to know the problems that we have. But Rob also then goes to how do we solve these problems. And that is what the real, I guess the real gift that Rob has.

[05:27:18] Rob has been a very good friend to the county of Jesterfield, a very hardworking friend of the county of Jesterfield, and all of his clients. And he has been a good friend of our office and a very good friend to me. And I just appreciate everything, Rob.

[05:27:36] Rob, this is my job. But first and foremost, I appreciate you trying to explain the rules of soccer to me for the last 10 years. I'm not sure I got much of it, but I enjoyed our conversation endlessly.

[05:27:55] And hopefully some of your emails are coming up. I don't know who I'm going to turn to for those things. But my main job here tonight is to present you with a copy of this commemorative brick. That will be a copy to be placed outside, but it's a nice memento on behalf of the county administration and the board.

[05:28:11] So I appreciate your service. Mr. Engel. Well, honestly, I think that's the first time I recall your family being mentioned in the resolution.

[05:28:33] I think that's awesome that you're known well enough to have the family life and work balance, that have that in your resolution and it shows with all of your family here on stage so you've done a good job for the county and clearly you've done a good job with your family congratulations enjoy your retirement I'm going to be quiet to allow Mr. Laquan here to say something because I know he worked with you a lot on the commission absolutely Rob you you know we work closely together you were one of those guys that no matter what type of meeting I was in if I

[05:29:13] saw your number come up on my caller ID I needed to excuse myself because I knew it was important and and I say that to underscore what you did for the county you did some very important work as we looked at our zoning and as we went through our zoning cases you were there to help guide us to make sure that everything we did was legal and ethical I did appreciate you calling and telling us what was wrong uh with with cases and with with different policies that we were thinking about um but i also appreciate the solutions that you had and the way that you protected the county

[05:29:53] to make sure that we did the right thing and that we didn't get sued or anything like that that was very important um and and i know we we've shared a bunch of jokes about history and the military and all kinds of stuff and i hope that you continue to possibly watch the history channel or read more books and uh call me anytime i love talking to you probably one of the one of the people i love talking to a lot of staff but we would always find ourselves kind of off topic sometimes and talking about different things and historical stuff and i appreciate it because

[05:30:32] if if you don't know your history you're going to be doomed to repeat it and that's what you really reminded us on the planning commission about was what had historically happened and how we needed to avoid that and make better decisions for the county and you reminded us that every time we talked so i just want to say thank you it's a pleasure working with you for six years on the planning commission and um very sad to see you go but i hope that you find time uh more often now to spend with your family i know how much you love them i've i've heard a lot of stories about your family over dinner and everything. So just want to say thank you and Godspeed to you.

[05:31:12] Just briefly, look, if you listen to what was read in that resolution, what you heard about the different cases that he litigated, is this guy saved the taxpayers millions upon millions upon millions of dollars, millions upon millions of dollars in lawsuits that were filed against the county falsely. And you litigated them successfully. And one of them, quite frankly, that's in the news right now is the Shoesmith Landfill. They wanted to put a landfill into a very deep quarry, which would have failed just like Bristol's did. The previous Board of Supervisors

[05:31:47] said no. They sued. They lost. It came to us. We said no. And if you're not paying attention to anything, if you want to talk about something that would have been a danger to your water supply and your groundwater in Chesterfield County, if they had allowed for that landfill to be put in a liner that deep into the ground, it would have failed, just like Bristol's did, and it would have contaminated our water supply.

[05:32:14] So thank you for all that you've done. Thank you, your family, for sharing you with us. And I know it's a team effort in the office in a lot of these things, but you took the lead and, again, saved the taxpayers of Chester County. I can't even calculate how many millions of dollars were saved with all the litigation that you defended us for.

[05:32:33] So thank you, and I wish you the best of luck. But you're not done yet. You've got at least, like, a couple more days. Thank you. We didn't get a big chance to work together until ZOMOT came about. And I remember our first meeting with ZOMOT, and I had lots of questions.

[05:32:54] I just had no background in zoning. And then as the questions came up and I started asking you the questions, it dawned on me, oh, now I see why everyone says how smart he is and how good you are at your job and what you know.

[05:33:11] And it became obvious almost immediately to me why you're in the position you are, why you've saved millions and millions of dollars for the county. And in this job, for folks that are looking from the outside in, it's very easy to oversimplify the job and oversimplify what it means to run a county.

[05:33:30] You don't know until you know. And when you're on this side, then you start to realize that there is such a concert of folks that are involved, and that ensemble that comes together is quite impressive, and you are a really important part of that ensemble.

[05:33:47] So congratulations on your retirement, and like many folks that have been retiring recently, I'm trying to still get some sort of a vote that has to come, you know, 5-0 vote from the board to allow these retirements, because it's a loss.

[05:34:07] at the same time knowing how much it's just deeply appreciate you so thank you is this on all right well then I want to express my deep thanks to the board of supervisors not only for the resolution but more so for the kind words that each of you have offered tonight I've had the opportunity to work with each of you over the years and it has been not only an honor but a pleasure and I found

[05:34:44] that working at the county generally has been a pleasure and it's a pleasure because this is the this is the best local government around and it's the best local government around because of the people you have people that know what they're doing and you have people that are devoted to doing their best for the citizens of Chesterfield County with solid ethics to accomplish that which brings me to my office, the county attorney's office. Jeff Minks has been the best boss that

[05:35:22] I've ever had in my entire life, and he is an incredible lawyer, the best lawyer that I've ever encountered, either working with or against as an adversary. He's intelligent, beyond belief, he's creative he's knows what he's doing and most important of all is his ethics are bedrock solid he wants to do the right thing and he's instilled that in the entire office that is the goal of the

[05:36:00] county attorney's office find out what the right answer is legally and then do the right thing And I greatly appreciate being able to work all these years under those conditions. I couldn't have done any of this without my wife, Debbie, who I love desperately.

[05:36:23] My son, David, who played soccer and is in the current situation he's in for having played soccer.

[05:36:39] My daughter, Sarah. Dad. My daughter, Catherine. And my future son-in-law, Curtis. So, thank you so much, and I'm deeply appreciative.

[05:36:55] Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you.

[05:37:12] I think we have one more.

[05:37:57] Welcome, everyone, to a May meeting. A lot of business to do. There's a lot of business to do in the county this big.

[05:38:18] All right, Madam Clerk. G, recognition of 2026 Spring Government Citizens Academy graduates. Ms. Dale. Yes, you guys get to sit after this.

[05:38:35] Don't lock your knees. You might pass out. Good evening, Mr. Chair. members of the board. I'm Kelly Dale, the Community Engagement Coordinator for Chesterfield County. On March 12th, the spring session of the Government Citizens Academy began, hosted by Community Engagement and Resources. The Government Citizens Academy provides a hands-on learning opportunity and is designed to enhance and grow the county's communication efforts and increase citizen engagement. Citizens learn about their local government and interact with a wide variety of departments and programs, and most important, provide us with feedback. Today marks the completion of the county's 12th session, Academy since began in 2017 we offer two sessions a year one in the spring and

[05:39:13] one in the fall today we've graduated almost 300 participants so that's pretty exciting including the 22 that we're graduating today I want to thank you all for your participation as you always speak at the sessions thank the participants for their commitment to it as well and Dr. Casey isn't here this evening but I want to thank him for bringing the Academy to Chesterfield County so I think it's a very huge beneficial Academy that we offer our citizens. So now I'm going to invite Pat Brockford. He's going to talk about his experience with the Academy. Good evening. I know there's like 40 more business items, so I'll be as quick as I can.

[05:39:53] No, no, no. Over nine, sometimes long sessions, what did we learn and why is it important? In answering these questions, I feel that the board already knows much of this. So what I'm about to say is really for my fellow citizens out there, whether they're here in the room or out in the virtual audience. What we learn generally falls into two categories, awareness and practicality, and sometimes they fall into both. First, awareness. I was not aware of the depth of the programs in the Sheriff's Department or in the mental health that went to better the lives of

[05:40:28] our citizens they need, even in a complex way. I believe awareness was also raised to the disparity just in our county by the relationship of longevity and locale of one's abode. Assistant Chief Chambers and the water people explained in detail their own way and in their own ways how long-term development is tied to service availability and meticulous planning that goes with it.

[05:40:54] There were also several practical things we learned, among them the insurance rating codes for where we live, the impact of environment and stormwater management, the long-term vision for the county where school resources are being applied throughout, which programs are mandated, which are unfunded mandates, and the rest. What was clear, whether it was learning something practical or awareness raising, was the incredible passion each person brought to us in their presentations. In the hall on break, several of us were in awe of just how much each presenter cared about what they do for the

[05:41:32] citizens in our county. I'd like to conclude this first part with, it comes down to not just learning about what the county does, but across all the different departments' activities, they're simply integrated towards improving the lives of our residents the revenue commissioner the treasure the budget people and even the librarian remind us reminded us that it wasn't free but rather included it brings me to my last part why is the government citizens academy important selfishly i learned about a lot of things and what the county does altruistically it's something more

[05:42:08] there are lots of functions that county employees do that i simply cannot i can't fix someone's tax record. I can't single-handedly rezone parcels. I cannot arrange homes and beds for patients completing treatments. What I can do, though, is help others connect the dots when they're in need.

[05:42:26] I can provide some of the history. I can even explain a little bit about why the county does something in a certain way. Importantly, my classmates, though, and I are empowered to help someone else get closer to what they might need, and I think that is worth all the time the academy is. There is something else that I'd like to highlight. Judge Johnson spoke to us about the rule of law and our rights and inseparable responsibilities. I agree with what he laid out for us, but I also couldn't help but reflect back to the lesson with the Sheriff's Office and what

[05:43:00] they do, what they and others do to ensure that just because someone encounters the full arm of the law, it doesn't mean that there cannot be a measure of compassion in addressing the whole person. On behalf of my cohort, I would like to thank the board for their continued support of the Academy. Further, we wish to thank Kelly Dale and her team and the countless county employees that rearranged their schedules for us. I know that it's a lot of work to pull off, but the value is there. We live in a great place because of the passion of so many caring and motivated civil servants, and my wish is that together we continue to make Chesterfield a

[05:43:37] great place to live. Thank you. Okay, now I'll call up the graduates. Melody Anderson, Keisha Andrews, Pat Brockford, Ann Marie Burks, Darren Chapman, Eddie Clark, Janet Clark, Sondra Donahoe, Alan Foulkes, Leticia Guzman, Derek Lewis Jr., Jesse Mitchell Sr., Aaron Phelan, Gene Pittman, Jack Potter, Javon Pooley, and Karen Tigner.

[05:45:12] - More efficient for a picture.

[05:46:04] - Yes. - Mark, can you get us all in? - Yeah. - Yeah. - Do we need to take a vote?

[05:46:35] - Before we let you go, we want to take a moment. I suspect the board may want to say a few things, but I don't want to, Ms. Steiner. - Well, congratulations. I think I'm the only one that's taken all three of the county citizens' academies, right?

[05:46:58] The only one of us? Yeah. So I, before I ran for office, I decided to take all of these and it was just amazing the things that you learn. See, now you're all qualified to run for office now. But it's just amazing. It's a great, I know it's a lot of time and a commitment, but it's great to be involved and get yourself involved with your community and find out all the things that are out there so you can share with your neighbors. And so thank you so much for that commitment. Yeah, thank you very much. I actually taught one of the academies, the Citizens Police Academy, way back in the day. But

[05:47:37] thank y'all. Y'all ask great questions. And we know that if they had to give us the hook because we would have stayed and talked a lot longer in your class. But great questions. Now you're ambassadors for the county. And hopefully you can help facilitate and answer questions for people in the community and direct them in the right way when they need an answer to something. So thank you for taking the interest in educating yourself and helping us to get the message out about how wonderful Chesterfield County is. I was trying to go before he did, but one of the reasons we gave

[05:48:12] y'all county pens is because now we consider you ambassadors, as Mr. Carroll said, and with so much misunderstanding, miscommunication, and discommunication in the community, you now are an arm of the county to help share what you've learned with people so that they can actually get the right information and it's so important for our citizens to get informed to understand and to truly understand where and why things take place and who to contact when you need help with

[05:48:48] something so thank you all for taking the time to go through this program to learn more about the community and now to be an ambassador for the community i just want to highlight civic engagement for a moment because we had a community meeting earlier this week we probably had the largest number of people to attend it was probably about 20-25 people that attended typically I only see about three or four people at community meetings but then when things happen and people have issues then you have a lot of people in the room and so I just challenge everybody to stay engaged

[05:49:26] If there's a zoning case, if there's a, as it was earlier this week, a park that we're looking to get feedback on. I actually asked staff to go back and have a community meeting because I want to understand what citizens wanted.

[05:49:42] And so I was glad that so many people showed up. But I would challenge you all to continue to show up, get your neighbors, bring your friends. One of my friends always says, bring your enemies too. And but it's really true that we really want to hear from everybody in the community about the things that we're trying to decide.

[05:50:03] And so we welcome, at least I do, welcome the emails, the phone calls, the text messages, because I may not understand it the way you understand it or see the perspective that you see. And I want to see it your way so I can make the best decision. So continue to be engaged. Thank you.

[05:50:19] I just wanted to add that our job is we interact with the community all the time. And I remember saying to one individual who was always standing in judgment and cynical and angry and, frankly, mean, I said, you know, if you want to learn more about the county, get involved with the Government Citizens Academy.

[05:50:40] At least then you'll have a sense of what it is to complain about or to understand where the cynicism is coming from. And his answer was, I went to so-and-so college, I did this for 25 years, and I don't have to learn about anything. - Oh, thank you very much for giving me all that information.

[05:50:59] I now understand where you're coming from. And so, I mentioned earlier about showing up, but education and learning provides that kind of broader understanding that to run a county with 400,000 individuals and to make sure you have cleaning drinking water and that you have public safety and you have quality schools and you have parks and rec it goes on and on and on and so you all got to see firsthand and mentioned perfectly uh about passion and what is what we've mentioned here is that secret sauce of what chesterfield county is

[05:51:39] and you are a big part of it so thank you for showing up thank you for being part of it uh

[05:51:45] we as a board couldn't be more grateful thanks madam clerk item 15 new business a appointments

[05:53:14] mr chair we have one appointment to the parks and recreation advisory commission and that is morgan danner from the clover hill district could i please get a motion so moved thank you second all right any discussion all in favor aye and she's here right she is she here yeah that's why i had susan name her so she decided to come tonight so thank you thank you for willingness to serve.

[05:53:44] Yeah. Madam Clerk. Consent items. Mr. Chair, there have been no requests from board members to remove items from the consent agenda for public comment. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Do any board members have items that they wish to remove?

[05:53:59] If not, I need a motion to approve the consent agenda. So moved. Thank you. Can I get a second? Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. All right. Madam Clerk. Item 16, 15-minute citizen comment period on unscheduled matters.

[05:54:17] This time is designated for citizens to talk to the Board of Supervisors. It is not a time for dialogue with the board members and it is not a question answer period. Those conversations can easily occur with individual board members outside of the board meeting. As a reminder, the board's procedures state no citizen shall speak on any matter of business that is a subject on the board's agenda for that day and each speaker shall have three minutes to address the board.

[05:54:43] We have four speakers, if they'll please come forward and speak in this order, Catherine McMahon, Mary Finley-Brooke, Bakura Shabazz, and Ian Richards Karamarkovich. Hi, thank you so much.

[05:55:07] So my name is Catherine. I am a lifelong Chesterfield resident, and I'm attending this meeting as one of the more than 57,000 Chesterfield residents whose homes will be within three miles of the new Google data center campuses that are being built in our county. Data centers permanently change the communities that they enter. In addition to the destruction of local character, they impact water availability, change utility rates and property values, and threaten public health through air, water, light, and noise pollution. To the board and to the economic

[05:55:43] development authority, you are making decisions that will forever alter the quality of life in our county, and you're doing it without meaningfully engaging your citizens. A non-disclosure agreement with Google has been used as justification to withhold information about water usage, electricity demand, and the operations of these centers from the communities who will be forced to share their access to these essential resources. In limited public meetings, residents have been told their questions could not be answered because of proprietary information. When the board approved a 30-year tax incentive for Google, the vote was placed on the agenda only six days in advance,

[05:56:20] and the public was not given the opportunity to comment. You have not provided your constituents with a full accounting of the cost and the consequences of these 11-plus data centers you're developing in their backyard. So we've launched a petition that has a very simple message.

[05:56:38] Your taxpayers deserve to know the impacts of these developments before they proceed. You owe your constituents full disclosure around the agreements and financial commitments made and a meaningful opportunity for community input, including community information meeting and a public hearing. Within eight days since the petition was launched, we've received more than 1,000 signatures And I want to be really clear, that is not 1,000 signatures from anti-data center advocates from across the country.

[05:57:05] That is 1,000 of your constituents here in Chesterfield. Chair Miller, after the vote on the tax incentive, you told community members in an email that you knew your constituents would be unhappy with an NDA, but you hoped that when the information about these developments came to light, there would be a collective sigh of relief.

[05:57:27] That's a quote. I'm here to tell you, we're in that moment now. this is not a sigh of relief. This is a cry of outrage. We deserve a say in the future of our own community. The board has an obligation to honor your responsibility to your constituents, and we want you to do that now. Thank you. Good evening. I've been a Midlothian resident for two decades. I am also an academic researcher at the University of Richmond. My current research

[05:58:05] seeks to understand the impacts of Chesterfield data centers. While there are other Chesterfield data center proposals in negotiation and the number keeps going up, I'm specifically referring tonight to eight proposed Google data centers and Teresa's two existing data centers plus six more in the approval and construction pipeline. Sustainability planning requires looking at these proposals cumulatively. We have not seen anywhere the total amount of electricity and transmission needs for these 19 hyperscale data centers and each hyperscale facility may require between two and eight million gallons of water daily.

[05:58:42] How can we assure water withdrawal for these sites without placing at risk residential uses? What about after the addition of dozens of proposed data centers also planned in other parts of the greater Richmond area? Technology that could be used to lower water input in data centers requires higher energy input.

[05:59:03] Since water is needed to cool thermal generating stations to provide this additional power, total regional water use stays high, and energy use stays high, even under data center conditions labeled as eco-efficient. The county has not established adequate social safeguards given this large infrastructure build-out. Google's Peanut Campus and Teresa's Digital Campus are in close proximity to polluting sites, including the proposed Chesterfield gas-fired peaker plant near the former coal plant. Was this intentional targeting of an already burdened vulnerable

[05:59:39] population. Another concern I have is that large amounts of wastewater are discharged from data centers. Even closed-loop systems are flushed regularly. Have you protected our water resources from the range of anti-corrosion additives, fungicides, antibacterial, and anticoagulant chemicals that data centers use? This can be challenging information to come by as it is often hidden as proprietary secrets, and the water systems praised tonight will not remove these dangerous toxins. Economic safeguards are also insufficient, given our high county investments

[06:00:17] in the tech industry. What if the chip shortage continues or other supply chain challenges emerge? What if developers pull out of the county's technology hubs supported with taxpayer funds? If tech sites are completed, how long until they become obsolete? Have commissioners planned for decommissioning these toxic tech facilities? How can you assure Chesterfield taxpayers are not going to get left holding the bag. We ask you to be transparent about what you have promised data center developers. You must openly explain the benefits and trade-offs you are proposing and

[06:00:52] listen to feedback from residents before signing any future contracts. Thank you. Good evening, Chair, members of the board, and fellow residents of Chesterfield. My name is Bakura Shabazz, and I am a Chesterfield resident here to speak in opposition to data centers period, but the proposed peanut data station and raise serious concerns about its long-term impacts to our community.

[06:01:29] We are told that projects like this represent innovation and economic growth, but the real question is growth for who and at what cost? Virginia is already home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world. According to Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, electricity demand in the state can increase dramatically over the next decade with data centers identified as a major driver of that growth.

[06:01:54] This raises serious concerns about long-term strain on the power grid and the potential for increased infrastructure costs that residents will ultimately bear. While data centers are often described as clean industry, they still rely on large-scale energy use and industrial backup systems.

[06:02:12] Many facilities use diesel generators for emergency power, which can emit pollutants that affect local air quality. We are already experiencing the effects of climate change, stronger storms, heavier rainfall, flooding risk, and more extreme heat.

[06:02:28] Communities like ours should be investing in resilience, not increasing vulnerability. That brings me to tree loss and land disturbance. Trees are not cosmetic. They are critical infrastructure. Mature tree canopies absorb stormwater, reduce flooding, cool neighborhoods, improve air quality, and stabilize soil.

[06:02:48] When large areas are cleared for industrial development, we lose that natural protection. Less tree cover and more impervious surface means more runoff, more localized flooding, and higher heat retention in surrounding neighborhoods. It also reduces the land's ability to naturally absorb water during major storms.

[06:03:08] This has direct implication for housing infrastructure. Tree loss and excessive land disturbance can also affect housing infrastructure. Trees and natural vegetation help stabilize soil, absorb groundwater, and reduce erosion. When large areas are cleared and replaced with pavement and industrial development, stormwater runoff increases and soil conditions can change over time.

[06:03:33] Increasing flooding, soil saturation, and erosion can place additional stress on roads, drainage systems, and even residential foundations in nearby communities, especially during major storm events, which we know are coming. That means the long-term costs of these projects are often pushed onto residents and local governments rather than the corporations benefiting from them.

[06:03:56] Environmental impacts are not separate from the quality of life. They directly affect housing stability, infrastructure maintenance, insurance costs, and public safety, which you all talked about earlier. We also cannot ignore water resources. Data centers require cooling systems, and while usage varies by design, large facilities can place significant demand on water systems across Virginia.

[06:04:19] You all said we were on the top. Make the best decision. My name's Ian Richards-Karamarkovich, and I'm a resident of the Bermuda District.

[06:04:39] Since I last gave comments asking you to reconsider the county's use of Flock Safety's AI-enabled automated license plate readers to monitor everyone on our roads, a lot has happened. Responsible city councils across the country have continued debating and canceling their contracts. Residents in Dunwoody, Georgia, learned that FLOC representatives had been providing demos using cameras in sensitive areas, including a children's gymnastics room, a playground, a school, a Jewish community center, and a pool.

[06:05:09] FLOC held a propaganda session for law enforcement on how to talk to people, concerned citizens like myself at these meetings. And our grassroots petition to cancel the FLOC contract is grown to 240 signatures as residents slowly learn about the effort. Predictably, the intended use of these cameras has also continued to creep. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has reported cases of FLOC data being used to verify residency for school systems, conduct background checks, and investigate noise complaints. FLOC has also rolled out a new gunshot detection feature called Raven. Setting aside the very real possibility of the algorithm creating false alarms, these microphones have also been

[06:05:48] touted for their ability to pick up distress noises such as screaming. Funny how these license plate readers inch closer and closer to monitoring not just vehicles, but people themselves and likely their conversations. A reminder that none of this data requires a warrant to access. And I'd be remiss if I didn't, I'm sorry, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the environmental crisis unfolding right here in Chesterfield County. Leachate from the Shoesmith dump has been spilling into nearby waterways, including the cherished Appomattox, and is projected to cost $173 million to fix.

[06:06:24] Residents have been raising concerns about the dump for years. Meanwhile, the county has been preoccupied with setting up 140 cameras worth of mass surveillance infrastructure that treats all of us like potential criminals. When you factor in the proposed drone first responder program and new full-time positions to help run the real-time crime center, the actual cost of your surveillance program for the next year could be about a million dollars. ALP errors have no place in Chesterfield, and people all over the country are starting to recognize they have no place in a free society. I implore you again to cancel the contract. That million bucks would be a great start on a

[06:07:04] down payment towards cleaning up the environmental catastrophe that developed on this board's watch.

[06:07:16] Madam Clerk. Item 17, deferred items from previous meetings. We have none. Item 18, zoning requests. Mr. Chair, you have eight zoning requests on your consent agenda for this evening. For the benefit of the public, consent items are those cases where the applicant accepts staff's recommendation, and there is no previous opposition.

[06:07:36] With all the cases tonight, staff has received written confirmation from the applicants that they agree with the conditions being imposed and that all proffers are offered in compliance with state law. First is 23SN0124 in Matulka Magisterial District.

[06:07:53] Taylor Ridge rezoning and exceptions is a request to rezone from Agricultural A to Community Business C3 with conditional use to permit townhouse and multifamily uses, plus conditional use plan development to permit exceptions to ordinance requirements fronting approximately 1,360 feet on the north side of Hull Street Road, 450 feet east of Doss Road.

[06:08:17] Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Everyone, this is a public hearing on case 23SN0124, Taylor Ridge Rezoning and Exceptions. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? If so, please come forward and state your name.

[06:08:42] Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. This case is in the Matoika District. Mr. Carroll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do have a question for staff. Someone can come forward?

[06:09:07] Do you know, based on the county's current comprehensive plan, what this particular parcel would have been allocated for, for amount of units per acre, based on the county's comprehensive plan?

[06:09:22] It's a minimum of 20 units an acre. So if it was 20 units an acre at 116 acres, there could have been a lot more units proposed to be built on this piece of property? Correct. Without doing the math, the numbers that are being proposed is significantly lower than what the county's comprehensive plan called for.

[06:09:46] Yeah, 5.8 units an acre. 5.8 units an acre. So it's three times lower, basically, than what could have been. You said it was 20 units per acre. Now, the comprehensive plan, that particular number had been put in place quite a long time ago, actually. I think it has not been amended since prior to 2019.

[06:10:01] I think that's the last time that the entire county comprehensive plan had been looked at. So again, this proposal is significantly lower. In this case, there's something different too that's being done. The developer is being required to pay full proffers.

[06:10:21] Is that correct? That's correct. And in other cases previously, the county, because of a change that took place, I think, in 2017, allowed for developments to get credit for off-site road improvements, kind of equaling out what the proffers would be right that's correct that's not the case in this case correctly right so not only do they have to pay for the the off-site improvements that they have to do but they're also paying pool full cash proffers for the case that correct that's correct all right thank you as

[06:10:58] applicant here good evening mr. chairman members of the board my name is Kim Lacey I'm here on behalf of the applicant and Mike Lang from the developer team is also here um why don't you have mike step up okay i have a couple questions for

[06:11:34] you and i think it's it's really about um the community understanding how some of the development process works and how costs get passed along to the consumer because i think there are some misnomers about how all of this works and so i want to clarify a few things so when you all look at a piece of property for development and you look at how many units break or what it's going look like from a commercial point of view you have to calculate all of that in what the cost would be to go through the zoning process to get you where you are today but what it would cost to put the roads in what it would cost to put the sewer lines in what it would cost to put the

[06:12:12] sidewalks in the water lines all of that is that right that's correct we have to do a lot of those calculations up front when we really don't know exactly what they're going to end up being and all the engineering associated, all the costs associated with that, and then after all of that's built, you turn the roads over to VDOT, because they're public roads in this case, and all of the utility system gets turned over to the county.

[06:12:40] Correct. And you're going to get reimbursed for that, right? No, sir. Okay. So how do you pay for it? We sell houses. You sell houses. We sell lots. So when you calculate the cost of a lot, what do you, give me some things, for example, what actually gets calculated in to calculate what the actual base cost of a lot is before you even put a shovel in the ground? Well, it starts with the land. So we have to buy, but we have to find the land and competitively bid and get a contract on the land. So there's the cost of land is a huge cost. Then there's all the soft costs involved with all of the planning,

[06:13:15] going through the approval and regulatory process through the zoning process. And then if you get zoning approved, you have to go through the, you know, construction plan approval process, you know, going through the municipality itself, Chesterfield, as well as state agencies and federal agencies um and then once you get through all the approvals um then when you actually break ground you're paying the contractors and and and various you know various contractors to actually build the infrastructure to get it to a finished lot go to take a piece of raw land to a finished

[06:13:48] lot that a builder can then buy the lot and build the house on so when you're calculating all that and the county puts a proffer on it do you guys just eat the proffer or does that get passed along to the consumer well really it gets passed on the consumer i mean we as a builder just like any business that's trying to make a profit we're trying to maintain our margin that we make on our product just like anybody does so as those costs you know everybody's wondering why the cost of housing has gone up because all the inputs to that to that cost have gone up so a lot of that

[06:14:23] yes gets passed on to the consumer and that's why you're seeing house housing costs going up so much So when you have to put a third lane in on Hull Street, and you have to put the throughways road in there, and you have to put turn lanes in on Hull Street, all of that gets calculated in. Sure. Then the county, we add proffers on top of that, right?

[06:14:41] And so how much is it per unit in this, do you know? As far as the cash proffers? Yeah. It's for the age-restricted ones, it's $2,914 a unit, and for the non-age-restricted, it's like $5,900-some a unit.

[06:14:59] right so do you have to pay a fee for connection to water and sewer absolutely what does that cost i don't have the figures in front of it usually a tap fee is going to be you know 10 or 12 000 somewhere around 13 000 if i'm close i think someone from staff or utilities could probably say i'm pretty close i got a thumbs up from matt so i'm pretty close on that right so the reason i asked you to come up here for this exercise and this is on consent we didn't have to do any of this i think it's important to educate the community on what goes in um to actually the whole process of doing a development most people end up they come to a zoning case or they go to a community meeting but they don't hear how it happens they don't hear it gets here and some

[06:15:37] people believe that that the developer needs to pay for everything which you are but the truth of the matter is the consumer pays for it whoever's buying that house when you calculate the cost of a lot if it's 120 000 which i think is to go and rate for a townhome lot now which is small that gets calculated in before you even put a shovel in the ground as to what it's going to cost to actually build the structure itself. So and I'm doing this not to be mean to a developer because the truth of the matter is Chesapeake County is lucky that there are companies or residential

[06:16:14] developers who want to invest in our community and actually provide new homes for people to live in. We could be in a worse condition where in other parts of the state that no one wants to build there no one wants to live there um and so um it's important for the community to understand that if we if we were to raise the proffers for example from we'll say three times what they are or we could do we could even and by the way proffers are voluntary right you actually have to volunteer as part of your zoning case you pay them yes right as opposed to impact fees which we

[06:16:49] could do but we couldn't do proffers we'd have to put set an impact fee but no matter whether you do impact fees or you do proffers the developer has to pay it but it gets passed along to the consumer correct it's a it's a it's a you're trying to manage that because you're trying to make the housing to the point where people can afford it and that's getting harder and harder to do because of all the inputs and the rising costs well it i think when jim made a good point when the ceo gets issued that the builder actually has to pay the proffer right i think that's how

[06:17:24] works with it yes but that gets it could also go into the negotiation between that developer and that builder on the lot on the lot cost that's right so the builder has to pay it then but it's already been negotiated in the cost of the lot so I say this because when people look at why housing is not affordable uh in in Chetseville County it's because there are a lot of costs that are baked in including the taxes even though it's a proper it's a tax that we require you to pay for development fees um it's but all of that gets passed along and some people believe that what we need the developer doesn't is the one that has to pay it well they're paying it but it's getting

[06:18:03] passed along to the customer and so i wanted to make sure that the community understands how this because i think it's been a long time since we've actually gone over this um but you could have brought a case forward with a lot more units on this absolutely we could have at 20 to the acre Here for 116 acres, it could have been 2,300 units and, you know, really an infinite amount of commercial space.

[06:18:28] But this has also got commercial on the front, which is going to provide opportunities for businesses to come in to service this community, a bunch of different business types, for example. Right. Whether it be a Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks, I don't get commission for that, and I'm not saying they're going to come out there, but there are a bunch of variety of businesses that could be approved to come in here.

[06:18:47] Is that correct? Correct. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate your time. Sure. Mr. Chair, I appreciate your indulgence in giving me the opportunity to bring some information forward to the community. I think it's important, you know, that this case is well below what could have been proposed for a development out here.

[06:19:10] They are being required and have volunteered to pay the full proffers on this case, and it meets, it's way below the comprehensive plan. it meets it. And there was no opposition at the Planning Commission nor at the community meetings that I'm aware of. So, Mr. Chair, the one last thing I would like to talk with Mr. Minks on is this. Mr. Minks, one of the things that I think is important about development in every instance that it can, that it does help to pay for infrastructure, which it is in this case. But if I wanted to, I know I can't impose it as part of the zoning case,

[06:19:49] But what I would like to suggest is that any of the tax revenue that's generated by this development be dedicated to the transportation shed in this area of the county until Hull Street is widened, which we have a widening project that's proposed.

[06:20:06] We have it funded from Woodlake to Ottendale, and we need to now fund it from Ottendale to the terminus of the Poway Parkway. What would I have to do to impose that on the county for the future so that if someone else is sitting in a seat in the future to assure that tax revenue that's generated from this development goes into the transportation shed so we can improve the roads out there that we need to do?

[06:20:30] Actually, to just generally say the tax revenue goes to that particular purpose, there is not a mechanism set up to do that under state law or anything. That actually is not available. It is available to you to take the transportation money, the transportation profits, and spend it within the shed.

[06:20:51] So that part is actually available to you. But the general tax revenue, not so much. You can always, through the budget process, put in your appropriation resolution every year that you have a commitment to that, and you can sort of express that on an annual basis with your appropriation, but it won't necessarily carry over to a new board or a new budget situation.

[06:21:19] Well, I know Mr. Ellswick, when he was on the board, when the summit at Magnolia was approved, he made a similar request for that development. It hasn't come out of the ground yet, but I was here when he made that motion. So if I need to do it in a budget resolution in the future, then we will do that.

[06:21:37] But I want to make sure that any tax revenue generated from this is utilized in that part of the county to make the road improvements that we need on Hull Street. Yeah, and I think perhaps the way, and we can certainly talk through that through the budget process, but I think the way to do that is to show that as the priority expenditure, and then your tax revenues will necessarily go in that direction.

[06:21:58] So, I think that's something we can talk about during the budget process, for sure. Okay. Mr. Chair, I make a motion to approve case number 23SN0124, subject to the conditions in the staff report. All right, do I have a second? Second.

[06:22:15] All right, we got a second. Any discussion? I just want to add in that, Mr. Carroll, I realize what a challenge it was for this particular development and the energy and the heart that you put into pulling this together.

[06:22:33] This is another example of how it's so easy to simplify how something like this comes together, and it doesn't come together by accident. It's no different than when folks say, why can't we put in more sidewalks, and don't realize it's more than just putting cement into the ground.

[06:22:52] It means moving utilities. It means getting the easement. It means all those kind of things. So I just wanted to appreciate you for the kind of work and energy and time, and frankly, love that you put into this particular development. So with that, all in favor?

[06:23:09] Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. Next is 24SN 1306 in Matulka Magisterial District. Phillips Landing rezoning is a request to rezone from Agricultural A to Rural Community RC for property fronting approximately 1,350 feet on the south side of River Road, 975 feet west of Riverway Road.

[06:23:35] The 336.5-acre property is proposed for a maximum development of 50 dwelling units. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Everyone, this is a public hearing on case 24SN 1306, Phillips Landing Rezoning.

[06:23:55] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? And if so, please come forward and see your name. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is William Schumach. I'm an attorney with Woods Rogers, and I represent the adjacent landowners to the west, I believe the south.

[06:24:15] Prior to the Planning Commission meeting, we had tried to schedule a meeting with the applicant. We were not able to do that, but they made a commitment, which they fulfilled at the Planning Commission meeting, to meet with us. We had a very substantive discussion. We're generally supportive of this.

[06:24:32] what we had come to agreement on is their commitment in the form of conditions or commitment to one that you'll see that their connections to the south, connection to the south and connections to the west. Those are very important connections in terms of the overall development of the area and my client's property. They'd made commitments with approval of the county to build those connections to the property line they'd also discussed with us there were there were issues and challenges for them to get necessary right-of-way access for

[06:25:09] full left turns and right turns that where they're locating the entrance to their property would not inhibit my clients ability to the west to have a right in right out access I know that they were willing to put conditions in by given the procedural status of the case I don't think that might be possible tonight, but we would want to emphasize how important they're building those connections to the property line and the location of the entrance are for the orderly development of the area. So I appreciate your consideration. Thank you. And I appreciate their working with us.

[06:25:48] Is there anyone else who would like to speak to this case? Good evening. Jerry Turner. I go to a lot of meetings, community meetings on a lot of these developments, and it's always the same complaint. Transportation, schools, and I keep telling everybody, I encourage people to come in. If we got people here tonight, it's just not the three of

[06:26:26] us that's usually here. There's a lot of people that are here. The biggest thing I tell them, until the board learns how to control growth, you're not going to stop building. And until we get somebody sitting in these seats that are willing to do that, they're just going to keep building going to keep letting these developers keep building i'm not going to oppose this because it's not going to do any good because y'all going to build that building's going to build something

[06:27:03] the roads are going to get worse the schools are going to get more crowded and y'all going to get more complaints the good thing about this may not happen for another four or five years so by that time somebody else may be in there but it'd be too late so bottom line is y'all got to learn how to say no and i'm going to keep saying that every time one of these comes up thank you thank you

[06:27:36] Anyone else would like to speak to this case? With that, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. This is in the Matoaka district. Mr. Carroll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, we actually, it's interesting. This case is the first of its kind in Chesterfield to actually look at reducing densities in preserving green space in the county.

[06:28:10] instead of having two units an acre or four units an acre or or even what was proposed one unit per two acres this is one unit per five acres which is a significantly lower than the previous case we heard and when this was originally proposed it was proposed for the same amount of units I think utilizing smaller lots but when I've had community meetings in this part of the county what people have said is we don't mind development as long as it's like what we have which is five acre plus

[06:28:44] lots agricultural uses now to speak to what mr turner said there's a problem called the state we live in a dylan rule state and if you don't know what that means it means that the state sets laws and we have to follow them so if a zoning case comes before the board and it meets our comprehensive plan and there's not a public safety issue we can't deny a zoning case for example if we don't if we have insufficient infrastructure it's in state law if we have

[06:29:18] If we don't have capacity in schools, if we said, well, the schools are too crowded, we don't have room for students, you can't deny a zoning case for that, and if you do, you're going to get sued, and you're going to lose. The county actually got sued in 2010 for a zoning case.

[06:29:36] Someone wanted to do seven one-acre lots, agricultural, on seven acres, and actually, back then, our zoning ordinance allowed for it. The Board of Supervisors denied the zoning case, the person sued, and they won, because it was actually allowed for in our ordinance.

[06:29:59] We, as a board, and I personally, asked multiple times, and it was carried, legislation, in the General Assembly to give us the ability to deny a zoning case for insufficient infrastructure. And they killed it three times.

[06:30:17] Never even got out of subcommittee. General Assembly killed it. They make the rules. And any law that we want to pass in Chesterfield County has to conform to a law that's authorizing us to do it from the state. We can't violate Virginia's Constitution. We can't violate the Constitution of the United States.

[06:30:35] And we can't violate the laws of Virginia. If you do, you get sued and you lose. And there are several other jurisdictions in the Richmond area right now getting sued for that reason. Florida passed it. Florida passed a law called school concurrency in 2022.

[06:30:52] which basically said if you don't have capacity in the schools for a new subdivision to be built, you can deny the zoning case or you can approve the zoning case, but they can't put a single house in the ground until there's capacity in the schools. That's in Florida law. You can look it up.

[06:31:11] Wish we had that in Virginia. We don't. If it was a public safety issue, for example, if a zoning case comes before us and even whether it's staff or police or VDOT or CDOT comes forward and says, there's a safety issue in the alignment on the roads here that are going to cause a problem.

[06:31:31] We've had multiple crashes, you can name it. If there's something to that effect and it's a public safety issue, that's a legitimate legal reason that you can deny a zoning case. And so far, in my time on the board, I haven't had a single case come before me where they have actually said, this is a public safety issue where we can't provide fire service, we can't provide police service, or it's a road safety issue, which gives you the ability to deny a zoning case.

[06:32:00] This case, to speak to this case, is probably the lowest density case that I've seen since I've been on the Board of Supervisors. One house per five acres. And I can tell you that they were very close to not being in a position to get this case passed because they had to negotiate to get the right-of-way to make sure they could put proper turn lanes in for safety reasons on River Road, which they did negotiate, they did get the right-of-way.

[06:32:27] So I don't have a legal justification by law to deny this zoning case, even if I wanted to. But I actually think it's a good case. I think it's going to provide a nice neighborhood down there with nice houses and lower density, lower density than other neighborhoods that are in that area now, like Second Branch or River Ridge.

[06:32:53] There are other neighborhoods with much higher density on Riverway Road. This is actually lower. So until the General Assembly decides that they're going to allow us and pass legislation that gives us the tool we're asking for, When someone brings a zoning case forward and it comes before us, if we don't have a legal justification, we can deny it and get sued, and they're going to get what they want anyway.

[06:33:18] And then we waste taxpayer dollars fighting a lawsuit that we know we're going to lose before we even cast a vote. So, Mr. Chair, I make a motion to approve case number 24, SN1306, subject to the conditions in the staff report. Thank you. Do I have a second?

[06:33:33] Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Madam Clerk. Next is 24 SN1353 in Motoka Magisterial District, Sawmill Station. Mixed-use rezoning and adjustments is a request to rezone from Agricultural A to Corridor Commercial CC for 24.47 acres, 14 acres to Transition Residential TR, and 92.5 acres to Alternative Residential AR.

[06:34:07] The case includes adjustments to ordinance requirements for development standards on the entire development plus conditional use on 8.22 acres to permit townhouse dwellings. The 130.97 acre property is located on the north side of Hull Street, approximately 2,150 feet west of Magnolia Market Avenue on property known as 18900 Hull Street Road.

[06:34:33] The property is proposed for a maximum development of 860 units. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Everyone, this is a public hearing on case 24, SM1353, Sawmill Station, Mixed Use Rezoning and Adjustments.

[06:34:51] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? If so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. Thank you. Sorry about that, Mr. Turner.

[06:35:16] No problem. Yeah, Jerry Turner. If this is the one I'm thinking about, and like I said, I go to a lot of these, it's right there on Hoyle Street and Otterdale?

[06:35:33] This is not that one. Not that one. Okay. Anyway, you still need to say no. And you can say, put all the mumbo-jumbo you want to on it. But Cumberland said no, and the reason, the roads couldn't handle the traffic.

[06:35:52] Now, I'm not sure what Cumberland can do, the Chutchfield can't, but they said no. Y'all need to learn how to say no. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Turner. Is there anyone else who would like to speak to this case?

[06:36:09] With that, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. This is in the Matoka district. Mr. Carroll. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to point out in this case, it's the same scenario that they will be paying full proffers and not getting credit for their other road construction projects that they have to do as part of this, which was truthfully part of the county's proffer policy.

[06:36:37] So they have to not only do the off-site construction process, but they also have to pay the proffers. Matt, earlier today, you talked about a CDA. Could you step up for a minute? So part of what was proposed for this development was a CDA.

[06:37:00] Can you speak a little bit to the community about what a CDA actually is? Yes, sir. So on your consent agenda tonight, you set a public hearing for June. I'm somewhat contingent on the outcome of this case. But the idea would be to replicate the success we've had at Magnolia Green.

[06:37:17] CDA stands for Community Development Authority. It's an overlay on top of a neighborhood or a district that provides specific funding. Not terribly dissimilar to what you were suggesting, you know, in the previous case.

[06:37:32] So in MAG Green, the property owners there pay an annual special assessment. It's not in their rate. It's above and beyond that. The county's role is to facilitate and collect those funds. And then we used that in the Magnolia Green instance to pay debt service on the Woolridge Road straightening, widening project that's been completed the last couple years.

[06:37:54] We wouldn't have been able to do that even under the profit model because that's more of an accumulation, you know, approach, whereas the CDA has the avenue to provide that funding up front and get those improvements in in a much more coordinated fashion. So taking the lessons learned and, again, the successes of the MAG Green, it's a smaller scale in this instance, but we've been talking to the developer.

[06:38:17] They're familiar with the concept. They've used it elsewhere and are comfortable with it. We're comfortable as well. So this would put between $6 and $7 million. It's going to depend on interest rates at the time we would go to market, but $6 to $7 million of infrastructure in the ground on Whole Street Road primarily with some signal improvements, some sidewalks, and some other things, but in an immediate fashion, and also So the developer feels like it will not hurt the marketability of the neighborhood.

[06:38:48] So going back to, we'll talk about MAG Green for a minute. MAG Green was a zoning case that was passed in 1991, correct? Originally proposed in 89, passed in December of 91? Yes, sir. That was prior to the county's proffer policy, correct? Yes, sir. And so the previous boards instituted the CDA in order to generate revenue that they would have not gotten from proffers.

[06:39:12] to utilize that CDA to use those bonds to widen Woolridge Road, which we've seen, and also the fixed Autodale Road from Woolridge to Hull Street. Is that correct, is what those funds were used for? That was the permission associated with that funding, yes. And what this developer wants to do with it, you know, they have to make improvements along Hull Street.

[06:39:32] They also have to make improvements inside the commercial growth. And part of what the CDA does is it makes new people moving into the community have to pay a little bit to help pay for the infrastructure that's being created by their new development. Is that a simplification of what it does?

[06:39:50] No, that's absolutely right. And the advantage we talked about this afternoon is it's not a financial obligation of the county. We are simply a middleman in that particular transaction. That doesn't count against or fring upon our debt capacity, our ability to put other facilities on the ground.

[06:40:07] So it's really sort of a multiplier, amplifying effect in terms of our ability to provide infrastructure and it's targeted to that specific neighborhood so it's uh it's been success and i think would be a success in this instance as well i mean good bad or indifferent i mean i think if you ask people live in magreen they're not thrilled that they had to pay the the cda that they had to when they moved in or over the course of their time there but essentially magreen when it was approved in 91 there was no way uh based on that huge development to increase and fix the infrastructure that needed to be fixed to service that this isn't a large-scale production like

[06:40:43] mad green not even close as a matter of fact based on again the comprehensive plan they could have done a lot more units on this it's actually proposed again for 20 units per acre it could have been and I think their number is down to five six point five seven units per acre I think is what that what it it shows here again I wanted just to point out to the community that again If you read the staff report, there is nothing in here from all of the reviews that were done that would give a legal justification to deny a zoning case.

[06:41:23] But they are being required to pay additional proffers, which will go into the transportation shed, that can be used for road improvements above and beyond what they're required to do here in order to do the widening of Hull Street in the future. Thank you.

[06:41:40] Mr. Chair, I make a motion to approve case number 24, SN1353, subject to the conditions of the staff report. Thank you, sir. Do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? Ms. Schneider.

[06:41:55] Do we know what the prices of these units are going to be about, or no? Do we have any idea? That would be a question for staff. We'll put the developers. Do you have anyone who's available that can answer that question?

[06:42:24] Ms. Schneider, that question? They're coming. Good evening, Mr. Geiger. How are you? Good evening, Chair Miller. Jeff Geiger here on behalf of the applicant.

[06:42:39] I appreciate the excellent question. You don't know the answer. And I know there's lots of different things. I'm asking what the high, low, where we're at. Yes, ma'am. Yeah. Cottages. We have a unique product that we appreciate the planning staffs working with us to get it in a smaller house.

[06:43:01] We're starting those $350. Single-family houses, $399. As you noted, that is a base price. People can add options on top of that. I would like the board to, Mr. Chairman, if I may have a minute, I'd like to elaborate a little bit more.

[06:43:25] We just had a very good discussion on how policy of decisions on how we finance things can help us with the price of the house. The proffers here are $9,400 per unit.

[06:43:42] No discount, no credit. Full cash proffers. So first, because we have the ability to do that using the CDA and then the power, the market power of this applicant.

[06:43:59] This applicant will also bring another important market power to help people afford homes in this community, and that is to buy down the interest rate. You come and come to buy a house in Chesterfield that's for sale today, a new construction.

[06:44:16] You're going to have to get a mortgage from a bank, a mortgage broker, 7%. This home builder has a program using its power in the marketplace to offer it to homeowners at 3.9 or 4.9%, depending on which program you qualify for.

[06:44:37] So I would submit to you, as you have heard earlier this evening, the cost of construction, the cost of building these homes gets passed on to the buyer. It is true, 100%.

[06:44:53] We, as a builder for this applicant, are stepping up and finding a way to get that cost lower for your residents. We appreciate the board's willingness to consider the petition for the CDA as well as another step in that direction.

[06:45:15] So the cost that you're, and does that include the CDA fees that they'll be paying or any other HOA fees on top of that? That would be, so as you, that's the price of the home. Yep. And then when you pay your mortgage, the mortgage as you come in and are factoring it, you're factoring in the price of the home, interest, the mortgage payment, sorry, the homeowner's payment, and then the insurance with the special assessment added on top of that.

[06:45:46] Now, I would like you to consider one thing. When you, as you heard from Mr. Lange today, all the infrastructure that has to get paid for gets paid for by the first homeowner.

[06:46:02] First one, price goes up. If I shoot that price up high and pass that cost on to the first homeowner, that means homeowners who are buying later on don't pay that cost.

[06:46:18] They do through the market value adjustments a little bit because we started real high. But if I don't have to pass that full cost on and I use the special assessment, I'm asking homeowners who are buying it later on to contribute to the roads that they're paying, that they are using later on in time.

[06:46:40] The other advantage is if I am pushing the price of the home up really high today, where are the assessments going for people like Mr. Turner? They're going up. But if I can reduce that pressure, then we aren't going to climb as high.

[06:46:59] Because I would like, if I could take another moment, just to say, everybody who lives in Chesterfield County today lives in a home that was built as a part of growth. every conversation we are having today was had when their house was built for those who were seeing new housing come around them so i would again just like to if i've answered your question i know i've talked a lot uh but would like to just say that we're here trying to put tools in place to try and lessen that cost as best we can i know the industry is open to more conversations on how

[06:47:37] we can do it thank you mr geiger appreciate that any other questions mr chair yeah mr carroll i I think if your price point is starting at, you said $350 and $399, is that right?

[06:47:53] Yes, sir. That's today's value. That could go up in a couple of years based on inflation, based on market pressure, based on cost to put roads in and infrastructure. Is that correct? Yes, it can.

[06:48:08] So you're basing it on today's numbers, not two years from now. That is correct. Best I can do. I think it's the best anybody can do. But I use that as an example. We have other neighborhoods. I'm not going to point them out in my district where years ago when they started the neighborhood, the houses were selling for $350,000.

[06:48:30] Now they're selling $1.2 million. That's the market. That's the value of people coming in wanting to buy a house that drives the cost up based on what it actually costs. Look, I built my house myself. I was my own contractor. I knew what I paid for when I built it.

[06:48:47] Now it's valued based on assessment, not even on market value, twice, more than twice of what I put into it to build it. That's just time that does that cost for two by four. So, thank you. Mr. Chair.

[06:49:04] Yes, sir. You know, as we talk about housing affordability, one of the things that I think about is, especially for ownership, people that own houses, you have principal interest, taxes, and insurance. It's made up of four things.

[06:49:20] And so as interest rates go up, you know, that creates even more people that are seeing housing become unaffordable. And so I think that, you know, we've got to figure out long-term strategies to work on bringing the interest rate down, whether it's buying down points or doing some other things.

[06:49:41] You know, great question, you know, Jessica, on this case, you know, in terms of affordability. And I'm right with you, but I think that that points to even a greater concern of creating a housing trust fund and maybe trying to figure out how to buy down points and get smart about long-term sustainable affordability strategies for us.

[06:50:09] But, you know, in terms of this case, you know, I think it's a case that, you know, we need to have more housing stock in the county. And hopefully that's what this can create. And maybe by the time this comes out the ground, maybe we'll have the housing strategy, you know, solutions out there.

[06:50:33] And maybe one of them is a housing trust fund where we can maybe buy down points and make developments like this more affordable. So just want to share my sentiments and my alliance to Jessica and others about affordable housing.

[06:50:50] So I just really appreciate what you all are talking about now because I can tell you in 2010, when I was doing my dissertation, people were saying, we don't have an affordability issue. And now, 15, 16 years later, people are saying, yeah, we got an affordability issue.

[06:51:11] so I'm glad we're having the conversation about it. Thank you, Dr. Hilton. Any other discussion? Mr. Chair, I just, I appreciate what you just said in Laquan. I just, and I mentioned it to Kevin before, between this one and the one next door, it's like 1,600 units of housing on a road that isn't finished, and I know there's a lot of proffers that are supposed to be finishing those things. I'm just, I think I agree with Mr. Turner sometimes that sometimes we got to say no, but I

[06:51:48] don't know i mean i just think about our fire and our police and i know that they don't say that they have any problem but that's a lot of units out there so i think we got to start looking at making some new firehouses or something out there and hiring some more people because this is unsustainable at the rate that that's that's just my opinion thank you any other discussion all right all in favor aye aye anyone opposed yes i'm opposed you're opposed to it okay madam

[06:52:24] clerk. Next is 25 SN 1072 in Matulka Magisterial District. Oasis transportation amendment is a request to amend zoning approval case 20 SN 0608 to modify roadway improvements and phasing plan requirements in a transition residential TR district on 44.04 acres on property located in the northeast corner of Fox Club Parkway and Cosby Road. Planning Commission and staff

[06:52:56] recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Everyone, this is a public hearing on case 25 SM 1072, Oasis Transportation Amendment. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? And if so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. This case is in the Matoka District. Mr. Carroll. Mr. Chair, I think this is an important clarification for the

[06:53:33] community this case the original Oasis case was approved I think back in 2020 or 2021 and when we when that case was approved which by the way I voted against it when it was approved we imposed the requirement for them to put a stoplight in at the intersection of Cosby Road and Hull Street as the cases moved forward and they went through site development and they got they started

[06:54:03] building, VDOT refused to allow for the developer to put a stoplight in at Cosby and Hull Street. They said that there was not enough signal warrant of traffic that would be coming out on Hull Street to justify the light.

[06:54:21] Well, because we put it in the zoning case that they could not build more than 100 units without putting the traffic light in, as they approached 100 units, the rest of this development was going to come to an end because they couldn't put a stoplight in.

[06:54:40] And of course, they had already cleared all the land and prepared everything. So we held a community meeting with the community out there again to discuss this with the community, to let them see what other improvements the developer was going to do in lieu of putting the stoplight in to fix the roads out there.

[06:54:59] And we met with the community, and it was very well received from the community. They understood completely, and they welcomed the changes that are proposed to fix this case. We fought for 14 months with VDOT, met with them multiple times, and they basically said, nope, you can't put a stoplight in, even though we had the developer on the hook to do it and to pay for it.

[06:55:24] I was not a happy camper because I felt like, especially the people who live in Dogwood Trace right next door, trying to get out on the whole street. They were one of the biggest proponents wanting that. And there are some intersection improvements now that are going to make it safer for them to get in now.

[06:55:43] And so, Mr. Chair, it's because it's an amendment to this case that's going to fix it. I make a motion to approve case number 25SN 1072 subject to the conditions of the staff report. Thank you, Mr. Carl. Can I just have a second? I hear a quick second. Any discussion?

[06:56:01] All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. Next is 25 SN 1234 in Midlothian Magisterial District. Professional Road Amendment and Exceptions is a request to amend zoning approval, Case 78 SN 0160, relative to buffers and development standards for a proposed office building with conditional use plan development to permit exceptions to ordinance requirements in an agricultural A district on 0.79 acre located in the northwest corner of Forest Hill

[06:56:36] Avenue and Professional Road. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Everyone, this is a public hearing on case 25 SN 1, 2, 3, 4, Professional Road Amendment and Exceptions. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case?

[06:56:53] If so, please come forward and state your name. Good evening, Mr. Turner. Jerry Turner. This had to get up tonight, so I'm not against everything. I really do agree with what they're trying to do here. They probably need more office space there, but what I drove over there, it was full, so they probably do need some more offices in there. So letting everybody know, I'm not against development in this county. It's just certain kinds of development. Thank you.

[06:57:34] Anyone else would like to speak to this case? With that, I'm going to go ahead and close the hearing is back before the board this case is in the Midlothian district and Mr. Turner you and I agree this is it's called professional road for crying out loud this is exactly right place right I mean I'm a big fan of when it fits it fits and this is exactly for that it adds to the community it adds to the the professional office space available it totally works for me with that I'm

[06:58:09] I'm going to go ahead and move for the approval of case number 25 SN1234, subject to the conditions in the staff report. Could I please have a second? Mr. Chair, I'll second it with comment. Yes, sir. Discussion?

[06:58:25] I think Mr. Turner likes you more than me. Any other very important observations, discussions? All right. All in favor. Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. Next is 25SN1338 in Clover Hill Magisterial District.

[06:58:45] Lee Accessory Dwelling Unit is a request for conditional use to permit an accessory dwelling unit detached in a suburban community SC district on property known as 4800 Blackbird Drive. Excuse me.

[06:59:05] The 3.2. 0.32 acre property is developed with one single family dwelling, and this request proposes one accessory dwelling unit detached. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Madam Clerk. All right, everyone,

[06:59:43] this is a public hearing on case 25 SN 1338 LI accessory dwelling unit. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case, and if so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing.

[07:00:00] It's back before the board. This case is in the Clover Hill District. Ms. Schneider. Thank you. I think accessory dwelling units are an awesome use of land for your backyard if that's what you want to do.

[07:00:16] And so, therefore, I move to approve case 25SN1338, subject to the suggestions of staff in the case as well, the conditions. All right, the conditions in the staff report?

[07:00:33] Yep. Okay, just want to check in. Second. I hear a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Madam Clerk. All right, let me try this again. All right. Next is 25SN1353 in Midlothian Magisterial District.

[07:00:52] Lit Farm Animals is a request for conditional use to permit a farm keeping of farm animals in a suburban community SC district on 4.1 acres on property known as 1504 Black Heath Road. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report.

[07:01:12] Thank you, everyone. This is a public hearing on case 25, SN1353, Lit Farm Animals. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? And if so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing.

[07:01:29] It's back before the board. This case is in front of the Midlothian District. Is there staff nearby? I'm curious to know what the animals are. We're just going to let... with? I'm asking Steph. I'm asking Steph. Good evening. It's two miniature horses and 18 chickens.

[07:01:52] Okay. And how big are these horses? They're miniature. I don't have a weight limit. I don't know if the applicant is present, who could speak to that, but they're relatively miniature and small. Right. This isn't something we need to worry about, correct? No, they've had zoning approval since 2020 and had the farm with no zoning complaints so they're not big enough to be rideable correct no okay sir yeah all right with that I'm going to go ahead any other discussion yeah I'm going to go ahead and make a motion what's that no roosters no roosters no roosters

[07:02:30] roosters the bane of my existence at times with that I'm going to go ahead and approve case number 25 SN1353, subject to the conditions of the staff report. Do I have a second? Second.

[07:02:46] Thank you. All in favor? Aye. All right. Anyone opposed? All right. We'll move on. Madam Clerk. The last case on your consent agenda is 26 SN2014 in Dale Magisterial District. Footprints Child Care Family Day Care Home is a request for conditional use to permit a family daycare home in a suburban community SC district on three-tenths of an acre of property known as 3800 Windy Creek Drive.

[07:03:15] Planning Commission and staff recommend approval subject to the conditions in your staff report. Thank you. Your voice sounds wonderful. You're hanging in. All right, everyone, this is a public hearing for Case 26, SN2014, Footprints, Child Care, Family Day Care, Home.

[07:03:31] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? If so, please come forward and state your name. Good evening, Mr. Turner.

[07:03:48] Good evening, Jerry Turner. I try to treat all y'all the same, except for Dr. Hilton, since I'm in the Dale District. So I have no problem with what's going on here. I just want to let you know, I don't like any of you.

[07:04:06] Okay, thank you for that. Never have I heard such an expression of love in my whole life. It's a good thing Wanda loves us. Yes. Anyone like this to speak on this?

[07:04:22] With that, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. This is in the Dale District. to the man who's the most loved, Dr. Hilton. Hey, so just want to say that this type of use is very important. As we talk about affordability, the second highest bill I can tell you from my household is child care.

[07:04:45] And hopefully with uses like this and the rise of the need for it, hopefully the prices will fall for affordable child care. So with that, subject to the conditions and the staff report, I'll make a motion that we accept this case, approve this case.

[07:05:07] Can you just tell me the numbers so that we're all on the same page? Yes, Mr. Chair. 26SN2014. Thank you, sir. Do I have a second? Would that be subject to the conditions and the staff report? Yes. Did you say that? But I'll say it again. Subject to the conditions and the staff report.

[07:05:24] I was trying to be proactive, Mr. Minks. I almost got you there. All right, I hear a second. Any discussion? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. Mr. Chair, that concludes your consent items for this evening. You have three discussion items on your agenda this evening, the first of which is 24SN 1115, Walton Station, rezoning and adjustments.

[07:05:47] Mr. Ellis. Good evening. Welcome, Mr. Ellis. Good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Mr. Harris. 24SN 1115 in the Midlothian District, Walton Station, rezoning and adjustments. is a rezoning from the suburban community, agricultural, and neighborhood business districts to the transition residential district with adjustments to ordinance requirements.

[07:06:11] Subject property is outlined in red above and is located along the west side of Coalfield Road south of Midlothian Turnpike and is there, as I mentioned, zoned suburban community agricultural and neighborhood business.

[07:06:26] The property on these above is outlined in white. As illustrated on the aerial photo, the property is mostly undeveloped with a few existing single-family homes. For reference, Watkins Elementary is directly across from the property on Coalfield Road and Midlothian High School abuts the property to the west.

[07:06:44] The land use designation for the property is Residential Neighborhood 4. This is the applicant's proposed conceptual layout plan, which illustrates 157-lot age-restricted residential development.

[07:07:01] single-family townhomes and single-family and townhomes are proposed, 111 townhomes and 46 single-family dwellings. The density of the proposal is 3.93 dwelling units per acre. As illustrated on the plan, primary access to the site is provided from two points along Coalfield Road. A third point of access is provided from Bluegrass Road, which will connect to the adjacent subdivision in Carriage Hill. Staff reviewed the proposal for compatibility with that adjacent residential subdivision and determined that the mean lot size within Carriage Hill is approximately

[07:07:35] 1.03 acres. In contrast, the minimum lot size permitted within the requested transition residential district is 4,500 square feet, consistent with the semi-urban neighborhood standards for single family development. Although the applicant has proffered a 50-foot buffer along the northern property line adjacent to Carriage Hill, staff finds that substantial disparity in and lot sizes cannot be adequately mitigated, and as a result, the proposed development is not considered compatible with the existing adjacent subdivision.

[07:08:08] The applicant has also proffered language indicating the subdivision proposed will be age-restricted. As mentioned, the property is located across Coalfield Road from Watkins Elementary and adjacent to Midlothian High School. Given the proximity to those schools, the property is especially well-suited to accommodate families with school-aged children.

[07:08:27] These are proposed elevations for the single-family product being proposed, And the elevation on the left is a conceptual elevation of the home type proposed along Coalfield Road. And the elevation on the right is a conceptual elevation of the proposed townhouses.

[07:08:44] Staff is unable to support the request due to the concerns previously stated. The proposed lot sizes are not compatible with those adjacent and adjacent Carriage Hill. And the property's proximity to Midlothian High School and Watkins Elementary make it a prime site for families with school-aged children.

[07:09:00] The Planning Commission recommended denial for those reasons at the April meeting. staff also recommends denial. I'll be happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

[07:09:16] Good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the board. My name is Jeff Geiger here on behalf of the applicant. I want to thank Mr. Ellis for the review of the request that's before you. I'd like to spend a little bit of time on how we got here and why we got to the request that's before you. As some of you may know, this site was originally considered for a site for the new

[07:09:51] new middle school. Those conversations ended at about 2023. At that point, my client put the property under contract, and we started working on this request. We had a total of three community meetings. First one was held at the end of 2024, and then in the beginning of 2025, and then we had a bit of a gap because we were waiting to see if the school site might return back to this property we received word that wouldn't and so we went back to the community and explained to them

[07:10:30] the request and kind of how we saw this property its land use moving forward given the conversation that was occurring around the school site this layout here shows the first layout we showed to the community uh townhouses are located along coalfield road and then single family detached are located throughout the property behind the townhomes, kind of about one-third into the property. We have a small kind of village green that was the center. We were proposing three-story

[07:11:07] townhomes and then larger kind of single-family detached homes. What we heard from the community was that they did not like the three-story. We heard from planning they didn't like the townhouses up on coalfield so they both the planning and the community challenged us to go back and try again so we held the second community meeting and we presented them with two options so that we could really show that the community our neighbors that they were listening to we were listening to what they were

[07:11:46] telling us at the first community meeting you can see here we have increased the amount of green space in the middle. We have switched the townhouses to the side towards the high school off of Coalfield. We now have homes fronting on Coalfield. We did say to the neighbors, we would really like to keep the three-story townhomes if we have this type of development. The second option we gave them was all age-restricted. Why? They asked us.

[07:12:26] They feel that their neighborhood on the north is a naturally occurring, age-restricted community. We heard from them that folks from the Grove will downsize, buy homes in their neighborhood, and they wanted our community to match the homeowner profile of those who have naturally been selecting houses located between two schools.

[07:12:56] The market was naturally selecting households without children. So we showed them this layout. They said, we really like the age restriction. We really like it too much. We really would like to see some townhouses, and we want to see single-family because our homes are single-family.

[07:13:17] We did show them the pictures on the left. You can see now we are no longer doing, on this option, not doing a three-story. Obviously, a three-story product would not work with age restriction. We went back at the third community meeting. Again, you can see we have the single-family detached fronting on Coalfield.

[07:13:35] Again, continuing the planning design that the planning staff wanted. We continue to maintain a central green area. And then we have town-attached cottages or townhouses that are designed for single age-restricted living with first-floor masters.

[07:13:58] And then bedrooms up on top for family to go to when they come and visit. So I'd just like to kind of reiterate that what is before you is really born out of what the community asked us to do, guided by the comp plan, but really focused on what they wanted to see.

[07:14:24] So we were asked to age-restricted, no school-age children. We heard from the PTA that this was something that was important to them, not just to the neighbors to the north, but to the PTA as well. We did that. We were asked to increase that buffer adjacent to the existing single-family and to the north from 20 to 50 feet.

[07:14:45] We did that. They asked us to maintain single-family in addition to the, or to place single-family detached next to the existing single-family detached along the north.

[07:15:02] No three-story townhomes, we did that. And then we've consistently listed to your planning staff in terms of keeping single-family detached fronting on Coalfield. I think another important part of this request are the improvements to Coalfield.

[07:15:22] One, in my mind, one that I think is important is we will be adding a dedicated left. That's not a left into our property. That's a left into the elementary school. They need that left for the buses to get out of the through lane to then make the left into the elementary school.

[07:15:41] We will also provide our required right-turn lanes, and then our required left-turn lane things there. Another key component is we will provide a crosswalk from our community across Coalfield to the elementary school.

[07:16:03] Theoretically, students who want to walk from the elementary school to high school will be able to cross Coalfield, use the sidewalks in our community, and then reach the high school property. Parents who might live in the area could safely cross through this community as well, or high schoolers could cross through this community as well.

[07:16:31] We think this use represents kind of the best in terms of least amount of impact. As I mentioned, it was originally considered for a school site, which would have generated a significant number of daily trips. Our original proposal that was market rate, not age restricted, brought that number down significantly. And then by age restricting it, we brought it down even more so that the amount of vehicles that will be on this road, we can influence by the land use

[07:17:06] decisions for this property. I would like to take a minute. Planning has indicated some concerns with the request. We are in compliance with the comprehensive plan. We are below the unit per acre that is designated for this property. It's two to four units. We are under four. The comprehensive plan calls for one to two stories of height on this property. We are at one to two stories.

[07:17:46] We're also in line with the comprehensive plan in a significant number of ways. As you remember, this is part of the special area focus plan and here are some comments or some ways that we comply with what that plan is looking for on this property. As part of it, we are in the village core and we are to be designed to standards that are intended to promote a mix of housing. New development within the community should support a diverse range of needs and income levels. New development should

[07:18:21] support a mix and variety of housing choices, just type, size, price, and style to accommodate a wide range of housing needs at all stages of life. So the plan recognizes that this property can and probably should have a mixture of types of housing and can accommodate an age-restricted type of use. Neighborhoods should be compact and pedestrian friendly. That's exactly what you have before you uh sidewalks throughout compact development um encourage small lot development

[07:19:01] that's exactly what we did um we're going to provide a variety of residential types as i've mentioned age restricted and single family single family detached housing and townhouses um and then the other aspect is while they were encouraging um buildings to front midlothian turnpike as i mentioned repeatedly staff wanted that to also occur along coalfield so we did that along coalfield And we are using alleys in order to accommodate that.

[07:19:37] One of the other items that staff raised concerns about is whether or not this project was compatible to the existing lots to the north. That comment comes out of note 24 in the small area plan. Note 24 encompasses the area outlined in lime green.

[07:19:57] The project before you is not within that lime green box. So I would submit to you that when the property to the north is redeveloped in accordance with the plan, that is where that note applies. I'd like to conclude my presentation kind of summarizing the benefits of this request.

[07:20:22] It's a proposal that's designed around your constituents' desires. No school-aged children, the lowest vehicle generation, and we will pay for the road improvements, not the taxpayers'.

[07:20:41] Now, I normally come before you and ask you to do one thing, which is to recommend or to approve my request before you. But I'd actually like to ask if you would consider two requests from me.

[07:20:59] If you think age restriction is not appropriate here, I'd ask that you consider accepting the proffers without accepting proffer two. That would then satisfy planning's objection on the age restriction.

[07:21:21] Alternatively, if you're good, we want to match the households that have naturally occurred within the neighborhood to the north, and please approve the request before you, subject to all the profit conditions.

[07:21:41] With that, I'll be glad to answer any questions that you may have. Board members, are there any questions for the applicant? Thank you, Mr. Edgar. Thank you. Everyone, this is a public hearing on Case 24, SN1115, Walton Station Rezoning and Adjustments.

[07:22:02] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? If so, please come forward and state your name. Good evening. I'm Arielle Green, and I know the age restriction, it sounds like, isn't completely decided if it would be an age-restricted community, so I am going to speak to children as part of the issue.

[07:22:27] I'm a parent of three children who in the fall will attend J.B. Watkins Elementary, Midlothian Middle School, and Midlothian High School. All three schools have been impacted by the rapid influx of new developments in and around this area. I am not someone who is opposed to new townhomes and apartments, but I am opposed to the board approving new zoning for higher density housing in an area that is already over capacity, particularly when existing infrastructure concerns have yet to be adequately addressed.

[07:22:55] In a relatively short time, J.B. Watkins has grown from approximately 800 students after Old Hundred Elementary was built to over 1,000, and Midlothian Middle School has increased from around a thousand to fourteen hundred students. Both schools are adding trailers this summer and I know both administrations are concerned about having enough space and resources to accommodate these students. In addition to school overcrowding, traffic conditions in the surrounding communities have worsened considerably, causing a new public safety issue. As a resident of the Grove, which is very close to this area, I have personally observed a large increase in

[07:23:33] congestion and a concerning rise in serious traffic accidents, particularly when entering and exiting our neighborhood. Additional housing, regardless of whether it is marketed as a 50 plus community, will inevitably add to these existing challenges. I have been to a few community meetings about this issue, and in one meeting, Mr. Geiger, who's here tonight, noted that we needed to reach a crisis point before, in his view, Chesterfield County would do what is needed to address the overcrowding in nearby schools. We are already at a crisis point. No one who lives in

[07:24:09] the communities around this area wants more housing here, and they would be extremely upset if it were approved. I think we need to give the Board of Supervisors, the School Board, VDOT, and CVTA time to address all the infrastructure issues we currently have prior to approving any new residential development in this area. Responsible growth requires careful planning. Thank you for time thank you hello my name is britney hair and good evening and thank you for the opportunity to

[07:24:47] speak i am here tonight to strongly oppose residential development across from jb watkins elementary i'm speaking to you as a community member longtime pta board member at watkins and a mother this project raises serious concerns regarding traffic student safety and school overcrowding issues that are already impacting our community today the elementary school directly across from this proposed development is located on a narrow two-lane road that already experiences significant congestion during arrival and dismissal times. Parents, buses, staff, and children navigate this roadway daily, and adding additional residential traffic to this area will only

[07:25:26] increase the risk to student safety. More cars, more congestion, and longer backups on an already strained road create dangerous conditions for families and children simply trying to get to and from school safely. In addition to the traffic concerns, the school itself is already operating beyond a sustainable capacity. While projections estimated enrollment at 981 students, current roll-up numbers for next year already exceed that projection. We currently have over a thousand students enrolled and the division is responding by adding four single trailers along

[07:26:02] with a 10 classroom mega trailer to accommodate growth. Not to mention there was a mega trailer added this year holding the entire fourth grade student base. That alone demonstrates the reality of the situation. The infrastructure is already beyond struggling to keep pace with existing development. Additional housing project zoned to this school are already underway and continuing to add students to an already overcrowded environment. These include the continued expansion at Coalfield Station, the new sections of Charter Colony, Midlow West, and the new apartment complex at the top of North Otterdale. I know there are others that I'm leaving out. Each of these developments brings

[07:26:41] additional families and students into a school system that is already beyond capacity. The concern is no longer limited to one elementary school. Continued residential growth is placing increased pressure on the entire western Chesterfield school system, including future middle school capacity needs. Development in this part of the county is severely outpacing infrastructure investments responsible growth should mean infrastructure comes first not after roads school capacity and public safety should be adequately addressed before continued residential housing developments are approved right now those systems are already stretched thin I respectfully

[07:27:19] ask the board to consider the long-term consequences this development would have on our children our schools and the safety of the community before approving this proposal thank you for your time Sorry. Good evening. My name is Amber Rhodes. You've already heard tonight about how this rezoning would compound the pressures across the whole area. I want to use my time to zoom in on JB Watkins Elementary where I'm a parent and an active PTA member. The numbers in the trailers

[07:27:57] can sound abstract from up here but they are not abstract for the children inside. JB Watkins already operates with a mega modular sitting in the back of the school. This coming year it will add four more trailers and a second mega modular. That changes what the school day actually looks like for our kids. This is a public safety issue. Children and trailers are physically separated from the main building which complicates lockdown procedures, severe weather response, and even getting a child quickly to the nurse or office. In an emergency, a tornado warning, an intruder, a medical issue, every additional trailer is another structure to secure and another group

[07:28:37] of children outside the main walls. The more we rely on trailers as a long-term fix, the more we accept the risk as normal. What happens at J.B. Watkins' dismissal is also a public safety hazard. J.B. Watkins can no longer run a standard car rider line. There is no room. The school parking lot fills to capacity every afternoon, so families also park across the street at the church and next door at the library and walk over to the school, many of them with toddlers in hand or babies and strollers. The result is hundreds of children plus younger siblings moving through an

[07:29:12] active parking lot and road and crossing the surrounding streets every afternoon alongside cars searching for spots and crowds of adults. There is no controlled lane, no protected walkway, no buffer between children and moving vehicles. It only takes one driver who doesn't see a child for this to become a tragedy. That same congested parking lot is also a barrier to emergency response.

[07:29:35] A fire truck, ambulance, or police vehicle responding to J.B. Watkins or to a neighboring address during dismissal would have a real problem getting in or out. And if J.B. Watkins ever needs to fully evacuate for a fire, gas leak, or threat, more than 1,000 children spread across a main building, mega modular, four trailers, and a second mega modular have to be accounted for.

[07:29:58] Young children moved safely by just three administrators. every additional student makes that math harder and the margin per error thinner i also want to address the obvious response that because this is a 55 plus community it won't add students to jb watkins that's true on paper but age restrictions are d-level limitations that can be lifted modified or sunset after a community is built if the project can't be filled at a 55 plus the developer or future hoa can move to reclassify and at that point the housing is already in place the board's decision tonight is permanent the age restriction is not this also comes down to sequencing new

[07:30:37] housing fills in 12 to 24 months a new elementary school takes four to six years from approval to opening day ms roach your three minutes are up thank you you're welcome to finish up okay um and if this rezoning moves forward now two or three more cohorts of children will spend their entire elementary years inside an overcrowded building before any relief arrives that is the costs paid by kids who are five and six and seven years old today. I'm not asking the board to stop all development. I'm asking the board not to approve more high density housing in the J.B.

[07:31:12] Watkins zone until the county has addressed the overcrowding that already exists. Build the school capacity first, add the staff, and then talk about rooftops. These are not inconveniences. They are public health, safety, and welfare concerns. The very grounds Virginia law gives this board to deny rezoning requests i'm asking you to use that authority tonight thank you thank you sir good evening mr chairman members of the board of supervisors my name is jeff foster i live in

[07:31:50] midlothian in the clover hill district a couple miles away um listening to the first part of the meeting it was a lot about why everybody wants to move here because we do have all the amenities we have the public safety we have the clean drinking water um so i get you have two competing problems here we have people coming in and we have the schools to to house all the kids and the fire stations and whatnot in this case i think if it's not going to be a middle school that this is the

[07:32:25] perfect place for a 55 and older community it's not going to add to the school system i've had kids three kids through the chesterfield county school system in crowded elementary schools overcrowded middle schools so i really don't want to add to what they already have going in the school system. And I think an age-restricted community would be the proper use of this area.

[07:32:49] Thank you. Back up to speak again. Okay. My name is Janet Lohoski, and I want to introduce myself and our group to a little bit of a history. We are all people who have worked, lived for generations

[07:33:21] in this land, in this spot, and I think that as much innovation as I'm hearing in Chesterfield that it's rare that you have a group of people, a group of neighbors come together, work on this project for seven years, and still be together. So I'd like to say that. I am Janet Lohosky. I am specialist in treating so I'm a specialist in treating young children with autism seven years ago my neighbor Barbara Wiles and I realized that we were

[07:33:59] looking at retirement soon rather than later that's the idea came together to be able to work together as a group we thought that if we put a little larger acreage together we might find buyers that were more interested in fact we did. We did this, we invited our neighbors to join us, and it came to a little over 40 acres when we did. Basically the highest, flattest lab left in Midlothian Village. Soon thereafter, the county

[07:34:34] let us know that they wanted to build a middle school on our property. Mary Ann Gent and I thought that would be a fine idea. Mary Ann worked for Chesterfield County in special ed for over 20 years and i had the first um school for autism using aba clinic and school in the chesterfield area and only the second one after phase on and i brought this to chesterfield and it really helped so many people i fought for the insurance coverage for it while i was there i spent a lot of time

[07:35:14] more time than i wanted to in the legislature but you know with everybody's help we got it through and now parents aren't calling me constantly saying we can't afford our child's treatment. We started negotiating with the county, and a lot of promises were made to us, and there were staff changes, but not many or any have really been fulfilled.

[07:35:38] We stuck it through COVID. We stuck with the county with Leslie Haley's abrupt leaving. Joe Casey made an offer that was acceptable to our group, 90 percent of our group i should say a few people in our group wanted more miss jett believes in part that the stress of dealing with this cost her husband's fatal stroke dr peter jett a leading physician in chesterfield mr hoskey your three minutes are up go ahead and finish up thank you

[07:36:14] you're welcome i've been at this a long time just two more minutes just got a little bit more but i think it will help you see where we're coming from okay so that didn't work so we were reorganized with five families with the most land 28 acres we asked the county if they were still interested and on four times they said no and we were advised by joe casey and i think dr miller that we should sign with the developer which we did three years ago so we're following all the

[07:36:49] things that you suggested. We have not gone up on our rates, even though three years and huge inflation has happened, and we're using the base rate that the county offered us. We signed with Stanley Martin in good faith for the exact amount county offered, which was three years ago. We chose Stanley Martin, who has been consistent, ethical, and communicative working with us. Stanley Martin and set up a plan that would meet all the zoning requirements, Dr. Miller, and have Dr. Miller's park with the berm for the railroad.

[07:37:25] Then the community was worried about the traffic, as you heard, and so we changed the plan. Dr. Miller called me and asked me, said he would never allow housing on our land a few years ago, and for this reason, he offered-- I'm confused on what it is you want to put there.

[07:37:48] A high school, all fields, a middle school, help us understand. It's been seven years. When I started out, I was pre-retirement. Now I'd really like to have a few years of retirement. I put so much into my school and trying to make it work that I had to sell it early because this deal had not gone through.

[07:38:13] In the recent Chesterfield County planning meeting, Mr. Patowski said that even though our plan met all of the laws and rezoning regulations, he could not vote to pass it because it did not allow children and families.

[07:38:29] And what I would like to say to Mr. Patowski after that is, what makes you think no families with members who are 55 and over have children at home or grandkids or helping out with the children? you want it you you don't want to buy it you're stopping us from using it nobody wants to negotiate um want the group to break up i'm confused how is this functionally not like imminent domaining

[07:39:03] a property i can't sell it can't develop it even though when i look across the street i see town homes not up at carriage hill with a large space i see them 10 feet across the road um i'm going ask you to finish up though huh go ahead and finish up oh thank you um i thank you for your offer of wanting to buy just our land for a road and your loyalty to me but i am part of a group right now and it's been a group for a long time um if we decide to sell does that mean that our

[07:39:43] neighbors would get less if you just bought ours so we're kind of in the middle what is this this is our retirement and I think we've earned it. I strongly urge you to vote yes today so that we can all move on. Find another site for Midlothian Middle or act like an honest and above board negotiator and buy the land from Stanley Martin. Stanley Martin has invested large amounts of time and money. They have been honest, ethical, consistent, and when working with us, the kind builder I would think you really want to last two sentences okay the kind of

[07:40:21] builder I would like you I would think you would want to have continuing to develop homes in your area and the last thing I want to say is I looked around at all these apartments and thought who's gonna fill them I live in the city where there's tons of them and I looked up and 30% of America is looking currently at becoming climate refugees guess where Richmond was on the list it was 12th and 13th. So I know who's going to live in those houses. Thank you so much for listening

[07:40:54] and thank you for the extra time. You're so very welcome. My name is Joseph Beauchamp. That was my wife. I'm also the owner of 400 Coalfield. In the spring of 2019, my wife and I and our friends began the process of attempting to sell our properties to Chesterfield County as a site for Midlothian Middle School replacement. It is now May of 2026. We have been trying to sell these properties for seven years. We negotiated through the COVID pandemic. We negotiated through

[07:41:31] the abrupt resignation of Leslie Haley, and yet the county is no closer to securing a site for the school than they were seven years ago. I have the time and the patience to recount the torrent of misleading statements that we, the constituents of Dr. Miller's district, have been subject to in this matter. On December 12, 2022, at the dedication of the Midlothian Fire Station, I personally offered these properties to you, Dr. Miller, and I was told, quote, County has no further interest in these properties.

[07:42:04] We think the traffic from a new school there would be too much. I suggest you seek out a developer to sell to. I also made that same offer to Joe Casey, and I was told to go away. Stop bothering him in this manner. We followed your advice, and we found Stanley Martin.

[07:42:20] After spending thousands of dollars to negotiate a contract, they began the lengthy process of trying to rezone these properties for residential use, a use which is permitted under the comprehensive plan. They submitted numerous plans and revisions. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying vainly to meet the ever-changing requirements of the county.

[07:42:42] But now, according to our conversation of April the 30th, you stated that you would never had any intention of ever allowing any homes to be built on these properties under any circumstance. Why did you send us off on this lengthy and expensive wild-use chase?

[07:42:59] I believe that you encouraged us to pursue this pointless effort at rezoning simply to place additional financial pressure on us and to keep our properties off the market for three years in order that the county could then purchase them at less than market price.

[07:43:17] If that is your plan, I am here to tell you it will fail. We will not be bullied into giving away our largest asset. We will not sell at less than market price, the price the county set four years ago with its original offer.

[07:43:32] The price Stanley Martin contracted with us for. The result will be children of your district will continue to go to school in a building, parts of which are over 100 years old. So, the real question is, what are the voters of Midlothian going to think?

[07:43:50] You ran and were elected on the promise of replacing Midlothian Middle. But due to your gamesmanship and backroom shenanigans, this will not happen. As of today, the county is no closer to finding a site for Midlothian Middle than they were on the day you took office 1,288 days ago.

[07:44:11] Mr. Bischoff, your three minutes are up. Thank you. You're welcome. And you will have to explain that to your voters. So in summation, the request before you meets all the requirements of the comprehensive plan, a plan which the county spent a great deal of time and money to develop.

[07:44:28] It is the full support of the local community from our community meetings, and it is the course of action you recommended that we take. You have the opportunity here to either allow this project to proceed or negotiate with Stanley Martin to get the contract so the county can finally acquire these properties and proceed with this desperately needed project.

[07:44:51] We look forward to a positive resolution in this manner. Thank you for your attention. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Jamie Galanti, and I'm a realtor.

[07:45:10] I represent two-thirds of the coalfield landowners. I'm here in support of the project. I want to let you know, you have a very difficult job, and I don't take that for granted. You all make difficult decisions all the time. You have to weigh pros and cons of each decision. And I'm here because of this seven-year process.

[07:45:27] I've gotten to know these landowners, and I've gotten to care about them. I have a lot less hair back here, a lot more gray hair than I used to seven years ago. Many of us do. But I've gotten to know these people. And these are not just, this is not 43 acres of vacant development land. You know, people have raised families here.

[07:45:43] People have lived here, and people have died here. Some of their legacy families, I mean, we've got, you know, Kevin, I know that you are a former Chesterfield police officer. Two of your former officers are landowners here, Ned Morris and Brad Ellis. So we're talking about, you know, Janet Likoski, who started a school for needy children, contributing to their community.

[07:46:04] They're great people. So I would encourage you to do what's right. My father, I don't know if you knew this, my father was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven years. Respect all of your service, those of you who served, particularly the officers here. Ned Morris is an officer in Atlanta or Brad Ellis is an officer in Atlanta or one thing my father taught me was to always do what was right I don't feel like what is happening here I think you know it seems like we know where this is headed but I don't feel like this is right you just kind of know what's right and and I guess I would just encourage you that if you won't allow

[07:46:40] them to sell it to a developer or won't approve this project we'd like to talk to you about a school. It just makes sense. We've got some land. Obviously, we're here for a rezone request for residential, but we've got 40 acres. My folks want to sell, and part of it, I mean, these are really good people. This is part of their retirement plan. I would encourage you to support this project, but you know where to find me, and it's not the appropriate venue to engage on this, but we are

[07:47:10] willing to have a conversation. That's it. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good evening, Dr. Miller and fellow board members my name is Patrick Riley I am a real estate broker who represents the rest of landowners over here first want to start with Mr. Carroll I appreciate you explaining the whole process and the how you have to adhere to the comprehensive plan which

[07:47:43] this plan does right Jeff so all that said these are the facts at our April 21st rezoning hearing we received zero opposition from the public with the exception of the gentleman who's here this evening. 24 people wrote in and said, this is fantastic. Age restricted, excuse me, an age restricted community will be a huge value for the neighborhood. We all know it takes a village to live, work and play and raise a family. And one of your podcasts, sir, you talked about Midlothian

[07:48:17] being the midpoint between Maine and Florida. Why not have our older, your constituents, give them an opportunity to live, work, and play, stroll down Coalfield Road, and enjoy all the amenities that Midlothian has to offer. Based on one of the conversations that you had, Mr. Miller, earlier this week with one of your constituents, you told him you would never approve the Midlothian Middle School on that site. You don't want the Midlothian Middle School on Coalfield Road. You

[07:48:49] want it on Otterdale. This is not fake news. This is the reality. At this point, my folks need and want to be able to sell their land. And we need the board to please get on board and allow them to either let Stanley Martin move forward, A, or Stanley Martin has graciously offered to assign the contract to Cheshire County so that you guys can put the middle school there. It makes sense.

[07:49:25] Hanover did it. Elementary, middle, high. Stagger the buses. It's easy. It's not rocket scientists. excuse me rocket science you are impacting their future my clients are elderly and they can't retire because they can't sell their asset we all know a home is your nest egg and as joe mentioned a moment ago he's been they have been locked up since 2022 so please do the right thing don't deny the zoning let the age community which is 55 and up only one member has to be 55 just so

[07:50:03] everyone understands that we're not talking about a nursing home or buy it for a little bit what you offered more than in 2022 and everybody's happy i know these folks would be happy it just makes sense so thank you for your time and i look forward to hearing from you how are you my name is ned morris and uh i'm a disabled veteran and like mr galanti pointed out i'm not an officer i

[07:50:38] was a deputy sheriff for chesterfield and i retired several years ago and we have been as you've heard, going through this process for seven years, and my life has been put on hold for that seven years. This piece of property that I'm on now, my parents bought it in 1964, and I've lived there my whole life, and this is a huge thing for me to undertake, actually selling what's left of my family property, and we were under contract. Well, the schools turned us down, and we were told

[07:51:12] the developer. We went under contract in our section with the developer. The county shot them down, and it was actually housing that would have been families. So we came back, and we are with Stanley Martin now, who has offered us a fair price, nowhere near the price of what Randolph Pond sold for across the street. That sold for $8.71 million for 20 acres, and it's across the Street. We're at a reasonable price now, and all we are asking is for y'all to allow this

[07:51:48] development that is within what the comprehensive plan has required, or you can take over the contract, assume the contract from Stanley Martin, and purchase it for whatever the county deems would be best, a park or recreation ball fields or school. But at this point, I feel like we've been drug along long enough by the county and we need to get to a finalized point i found mr carroll i found it interesting that you brought up the dylan rule and that you need a legal reason for

[07:52:27] denial of a planning or a zoning change i'm not sure what the legal reason to deny this plan is but it seems to me that there isn't one there and again I'm just a dumb retired cop that wants to be able to enjoy my retirement somewhere other than where I've been boxed in at. Thank you for

[07:52:54] your time. Mr. Chair, members of the board, I have lived in Midlothian, Virginia since 2003 and I'm not originally from here. I'm originally from southwest Virginia but I have chosen Midlothian to be my home. I am also in the construction industry, which is my livelihood, since 2013.

[07:53:23] I work for CD Hallway Services and Construction. We have over 200 employees, and during snow season, which Mr. Ingle is very aware of, we have 300 employees. I am asking you to approve this.

[07:53:39] I want to be able to stay in Midlothian and retire and enjoy my church and my family. It's important to grow. I spend money in Chesterfield and in Midlothian. I rarely go downtown.

[07:53:57] So I think it's important to approve this so we all can keep enjoying our lives. I appreciate your time, and I hope you will support Walton Station. Will you please state your name for the record?

[07:54:13] Cindy Brown. Thank you so much. Good evening. I guess there's benefits to going last, or near last, because I get to wear many hats.

[07:54:32] My name is Brooke Selden, and I'm a home buyer and owner in Midlothian, right off Coalfield Station. I'm also a mother of three boys, and tonight I come to you with the hat of being in the home building industry. I have, too, been on the PTA board. I have three children in the school systems, and I'm very heavily involved in the community.

[07:54:51] The community is incredibly special to my family, and I want my children to have the opportunity to stay there and build their futures there as well. Like many families here, I know firsthand, Midlothian Middle School needs help. My kids' clothes smelled every day when they came home. They didn't drink water out of the water fountain, and it was not fun to do car drop-off in the morning.

[07:55:10] But I'm here to tell you, I, too, went to a Cheshireville County school. I, too, talked about trailers. I had fourth grade and fifth grade in a trailer. Actually, I went to Robius Annex, if any of you have lived here long enough to know about that. And I think I turned out okay. I mean, some might think so.

[07:55:27] My kids might not, but I might think so. I work in residential construction. My family has deep roots in the industry. My dad was a builder. And my son, who's come back home to Chesterfield County after going to college, also works for a home builder. One of the biggest challenges that my son is facing today is being able to stay in a county that he loves so much.

[07:55:45] He played sports here, he has friends here, he wants to stay here. Future generations won't be able to do that if we don't create housing for them. I'm someone who truly lives local. I walk to coffee, I walk to dinner, I shop here, I support here, and I spend my money here.

[07:56:03] The business that I work for also purchased a very large Midlothian vacant building not too long ago. We brought tax dollars and workers to the community so we could keep Chesterfield healthy, but that depends on the building industry for us.

[07:56:19] What many people don't realize is how many jobs home building industry supports beyond the builder itself. Flooring companies, electricians, plumbers, suppliers, installers, truck drivers, local restaurants, countless small businesses all have a ripple effect. A housing industry touches everyone, and we are hurting that in Chesterfield, which is so upsetting to me.

[07:56:43] If a large manufacturing plant announced as many layoffs as you were getting ready to impact, it would be front-page news, and you would have to answer to everyone in this room. But instead, you stand up here and say no to development. That's not an answer. Give me a better answer than that.

[07:56:58] Midlothian is a great place. If you don't grow, you're standing still. And look what's happened to the other parts of the county that have stood still. Nobody wants to live there. Don't do that. We want to help them too, but we want to be able to keep our property values, our kids in school, and everybody in the community still growing.

[07:57:17] Because the reality is, if we stop growing and we don't move forward, we stand still. And those communities that stand still, they lose options. And when you lose options, you lose everything, including your people. Ms. Seldon, you're three minutes around. Thank you. Do we need a new, can I finish?

[07:57:32] Yeah, go ahead. Thank you so much. Do we need a new Midlothian Middle? Absolutely. but I believe that we can also support schools, building, and all of your communities at the same time. Housing and schools are not a competing priority. Any builder who is in this room, any trade that is in this room, is happy to listen and help.

[07:57:51] We donate time, we donate money, we live here. We are all investing in Chesterfield County. It's important to us, so I appreciate you so much.

[07:58:07] - Hello, my name's Leah McEldry, and I actually was not on the list. I'm a new resident, newer resident. I moved from Wisconsin four years ago. And I was just wondering if I could speak. I know I was not on the list, but if I could have a couple of minutes to-- - You don't need to be on the list.

[07:58:23] - Oh, well, look at that. - Yeah. - Great. - Public hearing. - Fabulous. So why I came to speak and why I felt inclined to do this very scary thing and get up in front of everybody is that I've always been told if you don't stand up and stand up for your values, that you're going along with the crowd of whatever everybody else is saying.

[07:58:41] So I have to come up and I have to share what I'm feeling about the data centers that are proposed for the area. - But this public hearing is for, I apologize. We've already, we're talking about right now this particular development and not, that's what the open hearing is, the public hearing is about, not the data centers.

[07:58:59] - I am sorry, can I wait 'til the end and speak? I just didn't know that I could come up so I went and asked the officer. - Let's do this. After the meeting is over, definitely get with the clerk and she'll be able to sort out a time you can speak about the data centers because that was something that was happening earlier in the meeting. I apologize. So no, nothing to apologize for. You're new and welcome to Chesterfield.

[07:59:20] Thank you. So we'll, we'll figure that sort out, but thank you. But we'll, we'll figure that out. Thank you. Yep. Chairman, board members. My name is Russell Wiles. I've been a residence in Midlothian for going on 66 years. Went to J.B. Watkins, Robius, Midlothian. I got a few things I want to mention. I do support the 55 plus community. The project solves two major issues

[07:59:55] for our county. It provides vital housing options for aging residents like myself, getting old. You want to stay local and protect their county budgets. Senior communities are net positive revenue generators. They contribute heavily to a property tax base while placing zero burden on public school system, which is our highest expenditure. Furthermore, traffic studies show that these developments produce significantly less peak hour traffic and traditionally subdivisions.

[08:00:32] By approving this, you allow grandparents and retirees to downsize safely, which naturally opens up starter homes for young families. I remember back in 19... Chibi-Watkins was built in 1966.

[08:00:48] I went to school there in 67, And I think in 1968, we were learning to play the violin in a trailer. Since 1968, this trailer's been coming and going, coming and going. Went to Robius, we had trailers.

[08:01:05] Went to Midlothian, graduated in 80. Plenty of trailers in the back. So nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. Thank you all for your time. Thank you. Stand in front of the microphone there.

[08:01:31] Perfect. Good evening. My name is Peggy Gilberts. I'm a landowner. My family's been out there since the first people came to Coalfield Road. I just have a couple things I'd like to say. I understand how people are upset about wanting to put housing out there because of the schools, but with the 55 and older, there really aren't going to be any more kids, and that's what we and Stanley Martin, you know, everybody complained they didn't want any more kids, so that's the whole thing, and Stanley Martin, I think, has done an excellent job with what they've done,

[08:02:06] they're proposing um i would like to say something about the um planning department i saw on the video when i watched it i didn't get to come but that they were talking about um carriage hill wasn't liking the fact that you know it wasn't like them or planning department wasn't liking the fact that carriage hill we weren't going to be like carriage hill because it would be more compact well if you look across the street from carriage hill you can't compare us to that randolph pond we cannot be compared to that so that's like a moot point so we're nowhere near that

[08:02:46] we're not even four four units on an acre and you know like i said they've done everything they can and as far as the middle school you know i'm all for the middle school that'd be a great thing to put the middle school out there but when are you going to do it and how long do we have to wait we we're you talked about time we all don't have that much time we're older than all of you probably So, that's just my thoughts, and I'm all for Stanley Martin, you know, because they've done a great job, and I know you have a hard decision, but, you know, maybe you all can

[08:03:22] get together with Stanley Martin and make a decision that's great for all of us. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else would like to speak at this public hearing? Okay, with that, I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing.

[08:03:42] It's back before the board. This case is in the Midlothian District. Mr. Geiger, give me just a second. This is in front of the Midlothian District and I have a question.

[08:04:01] Let's begin with staff, Mr. Ellis. Thank you. I want to begin by saying thank you for everyone that showed up this evening.

[08:04:17] You're absolutely right. This is a complicated issue and believe me this is something that I'm wrestling with as we've gone through this process. Mr. Ellis, I want to get a feel for this and there may be something that you might not be able to answer it. Maybe I'll need to bring Jesse Smith up here. I want to, I inherited a very challenging situation. Let me just begin with that. My understanding is, and what had happened

[08:04:48] was, prior to my election, there was an offer that was made to the property owners, which is not the same property owners that we are seeing today, meaning it's not the same piece of land.

[08:05:06] or it's different than what it initially was. My understanding is, and are you aware of what was the offer at that time that Chesterfield County gave to the property owners that is different than what it is today?

[08:05:25] So I see Jesse coming up, so let me walk through that for a moment. Sure. Yes, sir. We did put an offer to this. Actually, Mr. Galanti was part of that group and representing some of the landowners. The difference back then when we first started the negotiations is it actually included some of these right here as well.

[08:05:49] So it was slightly larger. Okay. How much additional acreage is that? I want to say it's about five acres additional. What would be the total acreage including that? It was around 45 acres. 45. So at that time, what is the minimum space that you could put a middle school on?

[08:06:09] Yeah, typically you look for at least 40. Right, you're looking for at least 40 acres. Would you say that even if we were to consider a middle school there now, is it possible with that piece missing?

[08:06:27] It would be tight, sort of. when we've looked at that, you start to really get constrained on the usage of the site when you really, because it would be under 40 acres at that point. So, you know, you would probably have to look at having maybe less ball fields or, you know, things that were smaller than we do in our prototypical. Tight fit. Even at the time it was a tight fit, correct? Yes, sir. Okay. So how much was offered to those landowners, including that property? It was 10 million. How much did they counter with? So there were several counters. I think we ended up at 12 is where they were

[08:07:03] countering. They came down to 12? Yes. Who were they initially at? 15-5. They were at 15-5, went to 12. When it went to 12, again, prior to my election, what was the decision at the county at the time with regard to the 12? Yeah, so we stopped at 10. That was top of the mark. That was At the time, you know, really all that we felt comfortable that we could justify spending taxpayer dollars on for a public facility like a middle school based on, you know, appraisals.

[08:07:36] We even did a layout of a subdivision. So we looked at multiple ways to justify the offer. Ten million dollars is the highest that we could support. OK. And at that point, it fell apart. The negotiations fell apart. Yes, sir. We could not go up to what they were asking.

[08:07:51] So then the next step was to see if they could move forward with selling, getting with someone and with a broker or whatever and try to figure out what could be done with that land. In the intervening time, can you give me a feel?

[08:08:10] If you were to use as the boundaries, Midlothian, Coalfield, and Woolridge, okay, how many homes have been built in that area in the past, let's say, they've said seven years?

[08:08:28] Midlothian, Coalfield, and Woolridge, you've had the development across the street would be the most proximate one to that. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head.

[08:08:44] I'm aware. Thank you. Yeah, so Randolph Pond is what's across the street. A couple of hundred. Not just that. I'm talking about the whole area, if you were to use the boundaries of Coalfield, Woolridge, and Lothian.

[08:09:02] Yeah, I don't know that answer. Okay, how many homes, townhomes, were added to Coalfield Station? Coalfield Station is... Coalfield Station. Sure, that is several hundred. Several hundred. Yes, sir. Okay, so what has occurred in that area is you have a concentrated area of energy there.

[08:09:26] It was quite a challenge. Now, I go through there every morning as someone who works at Bright Point, and the combination of J.B. Watkins, the Midlothian High School, and all that additional, it has become gridlock in that area.

[08:09:43] It's been really challenging to get through. In that intervening time, one of the things that has occurred also with the CVTA is that for $30 million to Mr. Carroll's credit with the CVTA is that now the northern part of Woolridge is going to connect to the southern part of Woolridge.

[08:10:06] What is the purpose? Why are we connecting that road? Yeah, so the plan for the connection for Woolridge from all 100 to 288 gives you another north-south movement through the county. You know, right now we don't have a lot of north-south movements, But certainly it'll connect, you know, 60 Midlathian Turnpike all the way down to sort of the, you know, where the Magnolia Green part of the county is.

[08:10:32] So my job is to not just look at what is there, but also what's coming. And so we have a piece of land that is in a very unfortunate place in that it was initially considered to be a middle school.

[08:10:54] Unfortunately, the homeowners walked away from that and now they're saying, well, we change our mind. We want the middle school. We want it for the same price. It's not the same piece of land and now we have other options that weren't on the table seven years ago.

[08:11:13] Would that be accurate? Yeah. Things have changed since then. For sure. Things have fundamentally changed. A lot have been approved and the traffic has become substantially greater in that area. And I've watched it to become that way.

[08:11:29] So now we have a situation between a rock and a hard place. Meaning if you put in 55 plus your challenges there continue to be all the additional traffic even though I hear you and Mr. Geiger it would be less traffic but it is a situation going back to Mr. Turner's point if I could Mr. Turner if you're still here.

[08:11:52] It is hard to say no because of the pressures that are here, and so the planning department said that this is something that we are going to deny. The planning commission has said we're going to deny it, and here we are, and my responsibility is to look at the big picture, what is coming, what it currently is.

[08:12:21] So with that, I know we're going to have some more discussion. I want to go ahead and move to the next step. I'm going to move to deny the case 25SM1254 as it currently stands.

[08:12:40] I am going to ask for a second. I know that Kevin's not here, so I know we're missing Kevin. Mr. Chair? Yes? Can we clarify the case number? I'm sorry, I'm reading the wrong one.

[08:12:57] I apologize. Hold on for just a second, please. Hold on for just a second. Yeah, 24SN 1115.

[08:13:16] Thank you for the clarification. And I'm going to approve at this time to deny it. And we continue to work on what we're going to do here, but we have not come to the right place yet. I know that Kevin's not here.

[08:13:32] Could I please get a second? I still have some questions and comments. Okay, let's go ahead and ask questions. Yeah, I do too, Mr. Chair. Okay. Mr. Ingle. So I'm probably not going to make anybody in here happy.

[08:13:56] I just want to address some of the things that were said from both sides of the thought process on it. Go back to the first thing I heard, and I understood the sentiment behind it, but just to be clear, Mr. Geiger said that no taxpayers would have to pay for the road improvements, but the future taxpayers that will buy those homes will be paying for that and they will be taxpayers so i just want to be clear that taxpayers will be paying for it but not the

[08:14:30] current taxpayers so just clearing that up um i heard 55 plus only one person has to be 55 if it is age restricted it is accurate that only one adult has to be 55 but um no child 18 under the age of 18 can have residents there, meaning that they could visit a grandparent for the summer or overnight on the weekend, but they cannot actually be a resident of a neighborhood

[08:15:05] if it's age restricted. If it's age targeted, there's not that restriction. But if it's age restricted, even though there could be a second adult that's under 55, they still have to be over 18. So I just wanted to clear that up. The school, A.M. Davis, is at 104% capacity. But the schools in the area, there's four elementary schools in the area, and the capacity of those four schools combined is only at 86%. I get very frustrated because we talked about many people have said

[08:15:44] trailers, trailers, trailers, trailers. But then they also say, no, don't redistrict me, and they sue the school board, the school board tries to use the actual open capacity that we have to move some kids around. And we have to be fiduciarily responsible. We cannot build new schools or open up new schools when we have other schools that are at 76, 75, and 87 percent capacity that are relatively close to 104 percent capacity school. So that's a deal that school board has to deal

[08:16:24] with. It's tough though because we opened up a brand new school and we moved people from a school that was at 130 percent capacity over to a school that was brand new. Great school opening up. School board got sued over that. Now when we opened up that new elementary school that left a school that I was at 130% with 12 empty classrooms right now.

[08:16:50] Tomahawk Creek was busting at the seams. I'm sorry. Well, it's still a school that it's still the same. We opened it up and we actually went to 12 empty classrooms.

[08:17:06] We have less students in school today than we did last year. We do have more students overall over a period of time. But in my district, which I've been accused of overloading my schools, I actually have 400 less students K through 12 today than I did when I was elected in 2019.

[08:17:32] I have the data. We have, but I do also have a couple schools in my district that they're looking at putting trailers in. This is crazy. We all need, we're hearing both sides of this in the community today.

[08:17:50] Don't build anything else. Fix the schools. but we actually have capacity in schools. We just can't fix, we just don't have capacity in every single school because some of them are over because they're afraid to redistrict. We gotta have real conversations on how to solve these issues as a community.

[08:18:08] In this case, leaves us in a bad spot. I heard the applicant's lawyer say that this project substantially complies with the comp plan, but I didn't hear that it absolutely 100 percent complies with the comp plan and um to mr turner's point um sometimes we have people that are in elected positions in different jurisdictions which make false statements even from the dais about what they can and can't do but they know they can't

[08:18:45] get sued because the comprehensive plan or something else that was never discussed during the case from this from the dais but the county attorney has the ability to argue that case with all the information not just what was discussed at the dais so what mr carroll said is true but what i didn't hear is does this completely comply with the comp plan and does it completely comply with that not only the densities but everything else in the comp plan

[08:19:17] um and again even the the attorney said substantially complies we're in a tough situation you heard the room you heard the community there's people that are right if you don't build anything else that the county is going to die look at petersburg look at hopewell they're not in good positions at the same time we can't just grow everything everywhere as mr Turner would probably stand up and clap for. And we have to figure all this out. None of these cases

[08:19:53] are easy. Like I said, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do on this case yet. What I'm telling you, though, is that this is really tough. And the people that think that we're just willy-nilly going through these cases are just absolutely approving everything, or some people here tonight, we're not going to prove anything like the both sides have said that tonight this is a tough case yeah we'd make an argument i um thank you mr engel um there are quite a few um developments that i have approved um i have approved north halsey i have approved what's happening over

[08:20:31] on westview i've approved steimard festival i've approved um i mean it did continue to make these approvals um but some of them just don't make sense so really what i think we have here um just speaking to the board, we have a land issue. That's the problem. And that's the challenge here.

[08:20:51] And what the land issue to me is that somewhere along the line, we are going to need to rebuild Midlothian High School. And Midlothian High School, Mr. Smith, let me ask you a quick question, if I may, again. How many acres is Midlothian High School on today? I want to say it's 60.

[08:21:15] What is the number of acres of a prototypical high school built today? If we were to build a high school today... Yeah, 80 acres.

[08:21:34] 80 acres. So we know that's... I mean, how old is Midlothian High School right now? I want to say that was 70s era, about that. It's how old? It's from the 70s. Right, okay, so... I didn't say that, man.

[08:21:49] Yeah, so it's somewhere 40, 50 years old, right? So really what my vision on this is that we need, as a county, need to think about the purchase of this land for future use when we need to rebuild the high school.

[08:22:11] And it's similar to what we did with A.M. Davis. With A.M. Davis, we had enough land there. But ultimately, when we need to build this high school, we're not going to have the space that we're going to be in the same situation that we're in right now with Midlothian Middle.

[08:22:28] So my reasoning behind this is that this is a poor use for the land. There's a public safety issue with regard to the traffic that's around there. It's the wrong use. We are on the right track when we were thinking the middle school prior to me, but it's the wrong use.

[08:22:47] And I'm going to recommend the denial of this for now. And then, as I mentioned to Mr. Geiger a month ago, is that I think that the landowners need to come together and give us a price that makes sense that we are able to, and this board can approve.

[08:23:07] Now we need to remember that we still need to build, purchase the land for Midlothian Middle. And I believe that the site for that, and I think there are others on this board, agree that the right place for Midlothian Middle is Otterdale.

[08:23:23] The idea being that we might be able to get to a win-win with these families and with this community, but we need to get the right use for this land. And the right use is to be forward-thinking enough that we're thinking about taking care of when we need to ultimately build a Midlothian high school, or I should say rebuild a Midlothian high school.

[08:23:47] This is a tough situation, Mr. Ingalls, right on. This is a tough situation, and we need to figure it out. And I'm going to go ahead. I really would like a second on denial at this time.

[08:24:04] then if I learned in when I was going through and growing up in high school and when you solve a math problem when you get to the final solution a simple question needs to be asked what did you get does it make sense and this doesn't make sense but I think we can get to a place where it does make sense so I'm going to respectfully ask the board for a second to deny this at this time unless there's more discussion and then we can move on to figure out what we do. So I'm asking the board

[08:24:41] for a second. Do you have discussion? Yeah, we've been discussing, if you want to continue the discussion. Well, Mr. Chair, I just wanted to know if you would maybe even entertain the instead of denial, a deferral. I don't have a problem with the deferral.

[08:25:05] Maybe it might give you, might give, you know, the applicant in the county some more time to kind work through it and yeah i like to see i like to see it handled uh civilly okay um so i just think that that might give you and uh staff just some time to kind of work through it maybe you know if if each other's is 30 or 60 days just to kind of work through um or even 90 days to to work through that uh those hurdles you know and and we can let the time run on the county side so it's no uh charge to the applicant, if that's something that you're willing to consider.

[08:25:44] I am willing to consider a deferral and to defer for, I think we're going to need a minimum of 90 days for a deferral. I'm willing to work with a deferral and then let's sit down and figure out if we can come up with a price that makes sense and that feels comfortable with the support.

[08:26:03] I mean, I just think that, you know, whatever I do, I want to do what's best for the county. And I think that some time and space will just allow the situation to maybe, you know, work itself out and parties to come together.

[08:26:22] And then, you know, it allows us some more time. I'm open to that. And I say that respectfully. Yeah, no, no, I get it. So with that, I'm going to change my motion instead of...

[08:26:38] Yes, sir. I'm doing a little research just to make sure we're accurate in what we're saying. and Lothian High School opened in 1984, '84, '85. That's when it opened. So it's not as old as we thought, but what I would say, Mr. Chair, is that one of the things that the county, that we're trying to do better,

[08:27:14] and I'm not trying to be critical of other boards prior. And sometimes it was a financial issue that constrained them for looking forward on securing land and infrastructure for future infrastructure improvements within the county.

[08:27:35] And I remember when this was brought up as a discussion initially for this land to be purchased by the county. I remember the negotiations that took place. I felt then we probably should have bought it when we settled on the number.

[08:27:52] It's not my district, but I thought we should have bought it. And looking at the zoning case that was presented tonight, I understand both sides of the people who don't want it, and I understand the sides of the people who do want it.

[08:28:09] I have to look in on the merits of the case, and I would tell you that this is a close one for me because I understand that staff is recommending denial based on the type of product, and that's the only reason to deny it.

[08:28:26] And in reading the staff report, I couldn't find anything else. So if we were to divert this case, then I would say that as some of the people in here spoke, if we're going to do it, we need to do it.

[08:28:47] If we're going to buy it, we need to buy it. Period. And then that solves the problem of the people who don't want new development. And it solves the problem of the people who are trying to sell it.

[08:29:03] And it solves my problem because I don't want to oppose the chair on his development case, but I find myself in a position based on all of the things that I explained to the public earlier about how you can deny a zoning case and how you can't, that I would have trouble voting over this.

[08:29:23] And so I think deferral is an appropriate motion. If you make that, I'll second it and give us time to seriously make a consideration. But if it comes back before this board, I think you know which way I got to vote.

[08:29:39] So if you make a motion, I'll second it. Yeah, Jessica. I guess I'm just a little, so deferring isn't really going to do us much good if you're not wanting to go forward with this development.

[08:30:00] I guess I don't, wouldn't you have to renegotiate a different thing? I don't know. Well, I think if I could, Mr. Chair. I think that a deferral right now, probably a 90-day deferral, and then decide where you want to go with the purchase or the continuous of the case, it seems like you're not willing to maybe continue the case.

[08:30:30] But as part of the sale, you could ask that they withdraw their case. So, and I think that's really where you're trying to go, or where I'm just kind of synthesizing what I'm hearing, where we're trying to go, potentially.

[08:30:47] Yeah, I put out the possibility of withdrawing the case. That was not something that was considered. They wanted to bring it in front of the board, and I get it. Jessica, and Ms. Snyder, to answer your question, what we would do in the deferral timeline would be to then, And as I have asked from Mr. Geiger on multiple occasions is give us a number, and then we can figure it out from there.

[08:31:24] And this has been the situation for some time, and I would like to see it solved as much as everybody else. So Ms. Schneider, I think that, if I'm reading my board correctly, is to do a 90-day deferral and see if we can come to an agreement on a price and then let's see if it's something

[08:31:55] I'm going to put out to the owners that we are still also looking for where the middle school is going to go. The middle school here is no longer an option.

[08:32:12] However, I do think that it can be used in a way that could be quite attractive to Chesterfield County looking through the vision of what we're going to do long term with Midlothian High School.

[08:32:32] So my point is that this board would have to identify the dollars to do something like this and and that would be a challenge and we would rely on staff to be able to help us figure out what that would be so I I will move forward with I will move for a 90-day deferral on case 24 SN 1005 second mr. chair I hear a second all in

[08:33:10] favor? Aye. Opposed. Madam Clerk, thank you. Next is 25 SN 1254, Robius Road rezoning and adjustment, Mr. Saunders. Good evening, Mr. Harris, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. Thank you. Case 25 SN 1254. What's that? In the Milwaukee Magisterial District, Robius Road rezoning and adjustment is a request to rezone about three and a half acres from agricultural to transition

[08:33:46] residential. With an adjustment to project size, the applicant would like to develop a townhouse community with up to 27 dwelling units at a density of 7.8 units per acre. Here's the existing zoning map. The comprehensive plan designates the property for residential neighborhood 8, which suggests the property is appropriate for residential development at a density of up to 8 units per acre. The design of this community is addressed through the proper conceptual plan, which is shown in this slide. The concept plan details

[08:34:24] the general intent of the community layout, buffers with a screening fence along the northern property line and amenity space. The development would have its sole vehicular access to Robius Road and will include a shared use path along Robius Road as required by the bikeways and trails plan, as well as providing sidewalks and street trees along both sides of the internal street. This slide shows conceptual elevations that have been proffered by the applicant.

[08:34:49] The applicant is requesting an adjustment to the minimum project size. The zoning ordinance requires a minimum project size of five acres for suburban townhouse development. The applicant's requesting that the minimum be reduced to 3.45 acres to mirror the size of the property. Mitigation is being provided through the creation of a focal point in the development that will provide a hardscaped area with seating and other amenities that accommodate and facilitate gathering among residents. Planning Commission and staff recommend approval of the request. The proposal offers high quality infill townhouse development that is consistent with other residential development

[08:35:27] along Robius Road and proximate to commercial uses along Hull Street or Huguenot Road and Lothian Term Park, excuse me. Adequate transition to lower density residential properties to the north has been provided through buffering and fencing. The proposed uses in density are supported by the comprehensive plan, and the requested adjustment has been sufficiently mitigated by the inclusion of the focal point. And that concludes my presentation. Board members, are there any

[08:35:57] questions for staff? Is the applicant present? Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the Board supervisors. If I may, I think we might all need a deep breath after the heaviness that we're, you know, we saw in the last case. And I do not at all envy you all. I think every single case

[08:36:35] you go through is difficult and has a lot of combating factors in it. And you all are trying to make your best decision. So appreciate that. And I'm going to take a deep breath if you guys don't want to, because I could feel the stress in the room. So my name is Brady Deal. I represent At Main Street Homes, I'm honored to be here to present Case 2-5-SN-1-2-5-4.

[08:36:58] Prior to my presentation, I must acknowledge Cheshawil County staff, specifically on this project, Deputy Director Jesse Smith, Steve Donahoe, Ryan Ramsey, Rich Saunders. The level of intentionality, professionalism, and onus that Cheshawil County staff puts on their work, particularly as they shepherd these zoning cases, is profound.

[08:37:20] We do work in the six or seven counties in the Richmond area, and it's bar none, the level of professionalism, and they deserve all the credit in the world for that effort. Prior to diving into the details and the key principles of Case 25S and 1254, I wanted to share a quick celebration.

[08:37:42] Main Street Homes is celebrating 30 years of business this year in 2026. We were founded in 1996 in Chesterfield County. To this day, we're owned and operated in Chesterfield County. were located in Westchester Commons, our office there. We did transition to an ESOP in 2024. I'm one of 85 employee owners. This past year, we were voted best home builder for the ninth time.

[08:38:05] We're a nighttime award winner by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. And as I described the key principles of this case, I also want to, I'd be remiss if I didn't iterate, our core purpose at Main Street Homes is building value in our community. Everything that we do, we vet through that core purpose is how how do we build value in our community and then of course how do we then bring forward cases and projects that adhere to the standards and regulatory framework that is set before us. The case before you this evening is for 11230 and 11240 Robius Road as Mr. Saunders

[08:38:40] outlined. This property has residential uses to the north, south, east, and west. This is really the last infill parcel other than a small two-acre parcel which is also under rezoning across the street that's available for development. The owners of this property are here this evening.

[08:39:01] They have owned the property since 1976 and of course we've been working with them on this request for about on this project for about 18 months now. As we vetted this case internally and began working through this case with staff, we try to make sure that our cases satisfy the three key principles that are outlined in Virginia Code. Good zoning practice, public necessity, serving the public necessity, and complying with public convenience. If you can hit these three things, and if at Main Street Homes we can achieve our core purpose of building value in our

[08:39:37] community, we bring forward a project that serves the general welfare and does well for the county. Breaking down those three principles, good zoning practice is alignment with the comp plan compatibility with surrounding uses. Public necessity is what's the need for this project in this area. It's not just does it comply, it's is there a need for this type of product in this area. And we have to look at the existing and projected as Dr. Miller mentioned, we have to look at that development in queue, what that big picture is. And that really fades us into public

[08:40:13] convenience. Public convenience is really capacity, capacity and safety. And most of the time when When Mr. Turner's commenting or anybody else is commenting at this podium here, a lot of times the public is speaking to that public convenience portion of these three principles.

[08:40:31] They're talking about traffic safety or impact on services, utilities, schools, or they're talking about development in queue and potential overdevelopment of an area. Sorry about that. Starting with good zoning practice, the first key part of that principle is alignment with the comprehensive plan.

[08:40:52] This case, case 25SM1254, completely, absolutely, 100%, Mr. Engel, aligns with the comprehensive plan. It is not just an appropriate use, townhouse-wise, is the appropriate density, and it meets the appropriate standards in particularly providing a soft transition from single-family residential homes to a major corridor.

[08:41:17] So this request is in alignment with the comp plan designation. Now, the current comp plan designation, I put medium high density residential, I'm still an old comp plan guy here. I should be using residential neighborhood eight as we transition those definitions into plan mod.

[08:41:33] And I wanted to show that because I think that's important. If you look at the projected future land use map that was released last month at the planning commission, what you see for this property is still residential neighborhood eight. So not only does the use that we're bringing before you today comply with the comp plan as it stands, It also complies with the proposed future land use maps that you see before you.

[08:41:56] The second element of good zoning practice is compatibility with surrounding uses. And this map here I've prepared for you so you can sort of see our subject property, highlighted in orange, and the uses that currently surround it.

[08:42:13] You have the single family to the north, which I don't have outlined. You can tell that single family to the north. Everything in red is multifamily. There's about 1,000 market-rate multifamily units surrounding in the vicinity of our project. Outlined in purple are senior living facilities.

[08:42:31] You have Sunrise at Bonaire to the west of our site, and you have the Barclays at Midlothian to the east of our site, both of which are roughly 16 units an acre, so twice the recommended density of the comp plan. But they are senior living facilities. As you'll see, South Arobius Road, and then also north on that western side, a budding Huguenot, Outlined in blue, you have commercial.

[08:42:54] There's a significant number of commercial uses in this area. Everything from daycare to grocery stores to self-storage, tons of businesses, office space. Of course, this is just north of Johnston-Willis and the other commercial uses on Route 60.

[08:43:11] The only other large vacant parcel that you see in the vicinity of our project is a 22-acre parcel that is a forested wetland, according to the National Wetlands Inventory. So the entire parcel is impacted and registered with the National Wetlands Inventory as a wetland.

[08:43:30] With that being said, we feel this use, this transition residential use, is compatible with the neighboring uses. It's actually a softer density and intensity than the surrounding uses, which the neighbors to the north, when we had a community meeting, we had two neighbors from the north, were much appreciative of, and therefore were not in opposition to the project.

[08:43:51] It also is not a competing use to those uses to the east and west. And when we reached out to both senior living facilities, the facility to the east in particular mentioned that a lot of their employees are driving from 25 to 30 minutes away to get to work.

[08:44:07] And that they felt their employees would be interested. And they even asked us for our VIP list once we got to that point so that they could potentially share it with their employees. The facility to the west, we weren't able to engage in discussions. They have their general manager directed us to the maintenance director who was more concerned with just development impact.

[08:44:28] However, they did not voice any opposition to the project. In essence, we feel this case, we believe this case is good zoning practice. It aligns with the comprehensive plan fully in terms of use, standard and density, and it complies and it's compatible with surrounding development.

[08:44:45] This is a 3D rendering here just showing those future three-bedroom townhomes and what they would look like and how they would be buffered landscaping-wise, the green space they would maintain in comparison to the more intense uses to the east and to the west. The second principle is public necessity.

[08:45:04] This is what really got me as I began looking at how does Main Street Homes build value in this part of our community. As I mentioned, there's approximately 1,000 market-rated units in immediate proximity to our property. Of those 1,000, there's three main facilities, complexes, Belvedere, Claremont, Summit at Bonaire.

[08:45:26] Of those facilities, there's only two three-bedroom units available, two three-bedrooms. So out of 1,000 market-rate apartments that have one, two, and three-bedroom options, there's two three-bedroom units available. And in general, there's about a 2% to 3% vacancy.

[08:45:41] When we looked at new home construction that's available for sale, from Huguenot to Powhat, north of Robius, there's two new construction homes in that vicinity for sale. One's $900,000, one's $1.18 million. So the new construction homes for sale in that vicinity are extremely high-priced, and the thousand market-rate apartments that are there, there's two three-bedroom units available.

[08:46:07] So we right away knew that our product could fill a dire need here, that this is a pinpoint project. It's a targeted approach to meeting the comprehensive plan. To expound on that, our units here will be, as you see from a street view, will be three-bedroom, two to two-and-a-half bath.

[08:46:26] And that's the starting price point that we'll bring will allow FHA and conventional loan recipients to have comparable payments to the rental rates for the apartments in the area. So those individuals that are currently in three-bedroom apartments could transition into homeownership and have a comparable payment.

[08:46:44] FHA and conventional loan recipients have a comparable payment. And that's something we're very excited about providing. In addition, with all the commercial uses and the feedback we receive from the adjacent senior living facility, we know that there's employees that are traveling to this area that could also use this housing type.

[08:47:03] The third principle is public convenience. I'm going to start with public convenience looking at development in queue, and that's the capacity question. This map is the pending planning cases that are shown by Chesterfield County through one of the GIS software options that's available to look at. When you look at this map, anything orange is zoning, anything green is plan review.

[08:47:26] You have some other plat-related items here, too. What you see here, only two of these are residential in nature. There's a rezoning case off of Old Bonaire Road that's a single-family detached case, and then there's our rezoning case.

[08:47:47] The other cases are all commercial. They're all commercial uses. So what you see in this area around that intersection, there's not any pending development according to the Chesterfield County pending planning cases. And there is no active development there right now that's not showing up on this picture. Largely with public convenience, more important than development in queue and the most important thing when you really look at the case and the merit of a case is safety.

[08:48:14] And that's ultimately how you build value in your community is you make sure it's safe. This is a snippet screenshot from the High Injury Network that we were provided by staff. Thankfully, the westbound portion of Robius Road in front of this property, as you see, is not identified on the high entry network.

[08:48:32] All of our traffic will be using that westbound lane. We're going to have very minimal trips on the eastbound lane. And I can provide that information because even though we only have 27 lots here before you all, we completed a traffic impact analysis, which is usually only required for projects, 4,000 vehicle trips a day and above.

[08:48:52] Yeah, 4,000 vehicle trips a day and above. We were at 180 vehicle trips, but CDOT requested a traffic impact analysis of that Mall-Cranbeck-Robius intersection. We did that traffic analysis. The analysis is showing that the intersection is operating at an acceptable level of service.

[08:49:13] There is one issue that I will iterate. However, safety-wise, we did a subsequent crash analysis, and it is showing that it's operating well below the federal benchmark in terms of when an intersection becomes not safe or well below that benchmark at 0.64 million entering vehicles, crashes per million entering vehicles, there's been one fatal crash at that intersection in five years. And the individual, sadly, was driving a motorcycle twice the speed limit, ran a red light, and collided with cross traffic. And so that unfortunate driving event

[08:49:48] is the one fatal event there at that intersection. So we feel that intersection, based on that traffic impact analysis and the information that it provided is safe. Now, there is one issue there. In the PM peak hour, there's a queuing issue in the westbound left-hand turn lane. That westbound left-hand turn lane, even though Google Maps must have taken this picture at 12 o'clock midday because there's only one vehicle shown, in the PM peak hour, that westbound left turn lane is 73 feet over the 200-foot storage capacity. At full build-out of our project, it's going to be 74 feet.

[08:50:27] We're going to add one foot of additional traffic impact to that storage. However, we've proffered to extend that turn lane 100 feet. That will result in there being not just an accommodation for the 73 feet.

[08:50:44] Because of the improvement of through traffic, it would reduce that to 245 feet of storage of queuing, which would leave 55 feet of additional capacity. So we're going from 73 feet of incapacity to 55 feet of additional capacity with the improvement that we proffered with this case.

[08:51:08] With that being said, I believe the case, I believe it's clear that this case is good zoning practice. It serves the public necessity. It complies with the public convenience. And because of its targeted nature and really solving a housing problem in this area, it will build value in our community.

[08:51:24] It exceeds the standards that are established. Mr. Deal. For the rezoning request. Yes, ma'am. You're 15 minutes are up. All righty. And we would request your approval of the case, 25SM-1254, subject to the proper conditions outlined in the staff report, as supported and recommended by staff and recommended by the Planning Commission.

[08:51:43] Thank you. If you have any questions for me, I'd be glad to answer them. Board members, are there any questions for the applicant? Okay. Mr. Chairman, if I could just interrupt. It's 1050 right now. Yes, sir. And you have a board rule that you will not go past 11 unless you suspend the rules to continue.

[08:52:04] you passed 11. Okay, so I think what you're doing is you're asking for a motion for me to suspend the rules to go and move beyond 11 o'clock. Correct, and it needs a unanimous vote. Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and make that motion to suspend the rules to be able to meet beyond 11 o'clock if I can get a second. Second. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? I have, but I wanted to discuss it first. You know my discussion is right right you take the you take time my tie comes off yeah after 11 o'clock if that's what you wish to do um i i can go ahead and um that works for me okay okay thank you mr

[08:52:43] engel um all right um were there any questions for the applicant all right everyone this is a public hearing on case 25 sn1254 robius road rezoning and adjustment is there anyone who would like to to speak to this case, if so, please come forward and state your name.

[08:53:09] I'm more enthusiastic about that. I don't even remember now. Whatever the last thing you said was, I think it was a yes. I wasn't really going to say anything on this because I haven't really looked at it hard, but watching the presentation, the only thing I can say are these.

[08:53:33] These are three-bedroom units, which means three cars, no matter how you cut it. Kids are not going to be in here. This is not a place people want to buy to have children. Three bedrooms, three cars. I don't know what the parking looks like in here, but there is literally nowhere else to park except for in this place.

[08:54:00] So if you're going to approve it, it needs to make sure that it has adequate parking. Because, I mean, unless they walk over to the Costco, which Costco might not even like, This is going to be their only means of parking.

[08:54:19] There's nowhere else around there to park. We'll talk more about it. Mr. Turner.

[08:54:39] Chair Turner, if there was any project that should be 50 or older, this is one. Because on both sides of it are assisted living facilities. And like Renee said, you're not going to want to have your kids growing up in a place like this.

[08:55:03] This really should be set up so you can only have 55 and older. There's no room there for kids to do anything other than play in the street. And the people during the virtual meeting on the, what is it, Crambeck, they were all complaining about the traffic, them getting out of their neighborhoods because of the traffic.

[08:55:37] Because that road is used for a cut-through to get to Costco. If you look at it, you don't have to go coming down with a Huguenot and you just make that shortcut through there to get to Costco or to get on to Midlothian rather than go that way.

[08:55:57] So it's very congested, and it doesn't matter what time of the day it is, it's going to be a lot of traffic on there. But this is not a – you're going to build something there, but I think this would be better if it was tailored to more of the older generation.

[08:56:16] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Anyone else would like to speak to this case? Seeing no other speakers, I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing. It's back before the board. This case is in the Midlothian District. And as you can tell, I am not giving my fellow board members a break this evening.

[08:56:37] Mr. Turner and Renee, I am completely in agreement with you. I know that this came through the planning, and it came through the Planning Commission.

[08:56:54] But this is a very ill-advised use of this land. Brady, I just want to mention to you, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you through this process. You're a very gifted attorney, and I just want to mention that it's been a pleasure working with you.

[08:57:17] And at the same time, this is not something I'm able to support. Let me kind of walk you through it. I'm going to rely on Jesse again to kind of speak to the right around the corner, right where the Aldi's is.

[08:57:37] We're talking right there, Aldi's and the Lowe's that's right there. Yes, sir. We are zoned for apartments there currently, correct? Prior to me. Correct.

[08:57:53] How many apartments are zoned there? Yeah, I think we have those. So you could see all the exhibits, just under 500 is that red. Okay, so another 475 apartments have already been zoned right at that corner.

[08:58:12] Correct, yes. So we have a situation where I have to again look at the big picture and say, okay, what has already been zoned? I think that Midlothian is in a unique situation. When I was elected, I asked the question, how many homes, townhomes, condominiums, multifamily have been zoned and approved but had not yet come out of the ground?

[08:58:40] And the answer was 13,000, okay, for just the Midlothian district. So what's occurring now in the Midlothian district is there are these pockets of land that are now it's like, can we stick something in there?

[08:58:58] and that's what's happening now on this property. And so we have the challenge, and then we are disagreeing, Brady, let me just disagree with you, in that this has been identified as a part of the high-injury network in the county.

[08:59:16] And so this is a challenge. You're correct in that Costco is right there. If you come out of that property, board members, you can only make a right-hand turn. you can't make a left. So by making that right-hand turn, you're gonna force a lot of cars to now be making U-turns to be able to go the other way on Robius.

[08:59:39] And as has already been described, these are three-bedroom townhomes. So now you have a lot of kids, nowhere park, and you're gonna have school buses that are gonna be stopping there to pick up these kids. And this is a recipe that, again, where I feel very uncomfortable shoehorning this in.

[09:00:03] Now, Jesse, can you give me a little bit of background, not to put you on the spot, and I apologize for that. Why weren't these things taken into account when it was coming through planning? - In terms of the apartment unit?

[09:00:20] - The parking, it being a high injury area. - Sure, yeah, but a couple of things. I do think the parking, the board worked hard to adjust some of those standards through ZOMOD. I'm comfortable, at least, that there would be adequate parking for at least these particular units.

[09:00:40] In terms of the high injury network, that's something that part of the Safe Streets for All program that we generated fairly recently. It's a tool that we have. It's not one that we've really used from a policy perspective with the board.

[09:00:58] I think should the board want us to start taking a harder look at cases that are on the high injury network, then certainly, you know, if that's your suggestion as part of this case, we would start doing that on future cases as well, is look to see, well, you know, that's on the high injury network, you know, we ought to think twice about recommending approval of that one.

[09:01:20] I would also caution the board that there are a lot of roads on the high injury network simply because of, you know, 400,000 folks, volume and traffic that you get. There are quite a few on there. I want to talk a little bit about the Barclay, which is next door.

[09:01:36] Are there any plans there as far as future development? So we have seen expansion plans, the project to the east. Right. So what are they planning there? An expansion of what they have, but I think it's a slightly different type of unit.

[09:01:55] And yeah, I'll let Harold tell you. Welcome back, Mr. Ellis. Thank you. Nice to see you. So with that case, we've had some preliminary meetings or a preliminary meeting with the Barclay to develop an independent living facility product.

[09:02:15] I think it's about 30 units that would be to the east of this that would be just that independent, but also be able to go to the Barclay for whatever amenities they offer the residents that live in the primary facility there. Right. So they're going to be developing additional cottages there for independent living consistent with what are the clientele that the Barclay works with, which is with the elderly.

[09:02:42] That's what we've met with them about, yes. Right. And again, how many additional cottages? I believe it's approximately 30. The plans are very preliminary at this point. No. So again, another opportunity to be looking at it from the big picture. we see here that there is something that's going to be going on there I'm on the same page with Mr. Turner around if you're going to do 55 plus this is the place to do it and so we may be in

[09:03:13] a similar situation that we were in with the other case where we may be doing some sort of a deferral come back to this board and let's think about a 55 plus um would that be something brady that you would be willing to consider you know i know i was asking initially please go ahead and withdraw it and let's talk this through and you said no um but is that something that you would be willing to continue that conversation i am going to ask that if we are going to do something like that

[09:03:47] the density has to come consistent with what the comp plan says um my understanding is that it's a little bit over it is is that accurate we're under the recommended incident you're under it but okay um if we can come up with a reasonable um uh level for for the 55 plus i i would feel comfortable with that um is it something you'd be willing to work on i think we'd be willing to consider it um on behalf of the property owners we've put as i mentioned 18 months into this so we want to bring forth a project that the board supports what i would caution is there's several hundred senior

[09:04:24] your living units in that area not just the neighboring uses but in that area and what this area really needs and in line with the comp plan is a another diverse housing option that's not present um and that's what we're trying to bring here right that's not available there and to real quick on the parking we're the requirements 2.2 spaces per unit we're offering two and a half spaces per unit but i provided a rich a layout that showed an additional eight spaces so it'll be almost three spaces a unit really so we we've we're well above parking um and then the property

[09:05:01] you showed that was zoned for apartments that entire property is a forested protected wetland which is why it hasn't been developed um that's that's why it hasn't been developed today i i hear what you're saying if you can get them to withdraw their plans to put um to put in six almost 500 apartments there it's not under pending planning review right now i that's my point is that But still, it's been zoned that way.

[09:05:28] And so that has to be part of my calculus. For me, Dr. Miller, and with all due respect, just because it's been zoned, if it's undevelopable, then it's not going to create an impact there. And it's a 22-acre wetland. Right now, wetland credits are $200,000 to $250,000 per acre.

[09:05:47] That would be $4.5 to $5 million just to impact the wetlands. And DEQ and the Army Corps are not going to let you impact those wetlands you can't impact wetlands just for residential use it has to be like a road connectivity there's other aspects so it's just it's not developable parcel right uh let me ask jesse a question about that would you agree with that summation we would have to look into it i mean you know you're correct the property's been zoned we've seen plans for before um but yeah we would have to go back and look at it to be able to verify but that's something we could do relatively

[09:06:24] quickly and be happy to do that, you know, should the board decide to defer. Okay, so let me open it up to the board, I think, Mike, I'm able to do that, Mr. Minks, without making a motion, just to. The board can always discuss the case with that motion.

[09:06:41] All right, so let me, let me open it up to the board. I'd love to get what the board is thinking. Thoughts, Mr. Engel.

[09:06:58] There are a significant number of parcels that we show on our website as a available to build on because they've been zoned that are not buildable and I have been trying to get to a place where we can get the home building community and the staff to be able to work together but it's going to be a daunting task for either side and I think that's why it hasn't been done but there's i want to say there's like 27 000 units that are out there on um that have been

[09:07:36] zoned that haven't been built um and if you talk to the home building industry probably um over half of them are close to half of them will never be built because when they were zoned they were zoned under different standards that no longer exist today and that they'll never be able to get a site plan approved. It would be unfair to judge a property based on something that could never be built close by. My struggle will go back to where Mr. Carroll was earlier, which would be I'm not

[09:08:16] sure what the legal justification is to deny the case. And if there is one, I mean, I'm hearing that It completely complies with the comp plan.

[09:08:32] I'm not positive that that's the case. I'm not saying that you're wrong. I just haven't heard that from our staff specifically, but I haven't heard anything to contradict that. The density is in line. They have garages, and it looks like they have a two-car driveway in front of the garage, which between that and the parking that they could get that's in the cul-de-sac or at the end and just in the very beginning, they could probably get three spaces per unit.

[09:09:10] I don't know. I hear you and it's your district, and I really don't want to go against you, but I really don't know what the legal justification is to deny it. Let me just answer your question. I asked Mr. Minks that question as to what it was, And it is located, I'm just going to read to you what Mr. Banks wrote for me to answer that question.

[09:09:35] It is located in a section of Robius Road that has been identified as part of a high injury network in the county, which are the roads where a disproportionate number of severe crashes resulting in fatalities or serious injuries occur. In line with the county's commitment to safe streets for all, I'm having difficulty supporting an additional traffic generated by this request under the safety issue that has been addressed.

[09:10:01] In addition, the applicant is requesting an adjustment to the minimum project size, reducing it from five acres down to 3.45. I don't believe this adjustment is justified or has been properly mitigated. Instead, the proposal is being shoehorned into a property that is too small to allow appropriate development of the site.

[09:10:23] I'm not opposed to development. I'm going to say that up front of this property, but the proposal is not something that I'm having a lot of difficulty supporting. To clarify, Mr. Chairman, I reviewed that statement. I actually did not compose that statement, but I did review it, and that would be a basis for a denial motion.

[09:10:46] Thank you. Let me ask Ms. Snyder's acquaintance. Ms. Snyder? I was just going to say that I agree with Jim And that I think of all places, this is, I mean, again, there's a lack of affordable housing.

[09:11:10] I talked with him about the pricing. It sounds like it's starting on similar where we're talking about what we were talking about earlier tonight, about the $350 to $399. Again, this is a great infill project, if you ask me.

[09:11:29] And the fact that they're doing, they're extending the turn lane, I don't know. I don't think that's something that they have to do when they're doing it. But this is not an empty lot. I mean, when you're saying infill, I mean, I understand what you're saying, but there are a ton of trees in that area.

[09:11:47] It's wooded. I know. Yeah. But they're, okay. So it's, they're going to clear cut all those trees. Well, and I, well. Yeah. So, infill, I define infill as when something has already been built there, and now we're, like, for instance, Steinmart Festival, or maybe in your district, what's on the corner of Hull Street and Courthouse, where it was an empty mall, strip mall, where the...

[09:12:15] That's his district, that's okay. Okay, it was, okay. So, I mean, that's kind of what I'm thinking about when I think about infill. Maybe an example of that would be other places on Hall Street where things have been considered. So, Mr. Engel, you had a question for staff?

[09:12:34] I do. We've heard one side say that there's been one fatality in this area. We're hearing the county side is that this is a high-injury area.

[09:12:52] What's the definition of a high-injury area, And how do we rectify whether or not there's only been one accident with that standing? I didn't say who would answer.

[09:13:08] I just said I had a question for staff. Okay, so first question is, what is the definition of a high-injury network? We developed a Safe Streets Fall Action Plan, and that action plan took all the crashes that occur on the county roads and overlaid four different crash metrics on top of each other on a map based on those crashes.

[09:13:35] Those four metrics focus on crash frequency and crash rates for severe crashes and fatal crashes. So it eliminates property damage only. Based on the overlaying of those four different metrics, and the metrics are crash density, crash rate, the crash rate ratio, and the potential crash savings, those four metrics are all overlaid.

[09:14:00] And the links that pop to the top have been identified as our high-injury network. That is a tool, as Jessie said. It wasn't referenced in the staff report because it's a newer tool, and we've been considering how to use it as part of zoning evaluation.

[09:14:19] So we are moving towards being more consistent in noting it in our staff report. So I'll say that. The goal is that this high-injury network accounts for 10% of the roads in the county have been identified as high-injury network roads, but they represent two-thirds of all the severe and fatal crashes.

[09:14:43] So that's meant to help us prioritize funding and where to start to address the most severe crashes in the county. So that said, we, CDOT, in our staff report, actually supported this case. But it is also true to say that because they are mitigating their traffic at their site, they're extending their turn lane.

[09:15:06] I mean, they're adding a taper to their site and extending the left turn lane. But it is also true to say that this is in the middle of a high-injury network corridor. There have been over 125 crashes in the section of Robius between Huguenot and Route 60.

[09:15:22] You have four high-crash intersections, particularly Huguenot and Robius. This traffic will go through Cranbeck at Huguenot, and then Mall Drive and Dunbrook. I have the crash data for those as well. So we supported it because they were adding 180 trips a day, 13 or so trips in the peak hour, but they were adding an extension to the turn lane to facilitate U-turns and tapers.

[09:15:54] But it is also true that any traffic that you add to a high-injury network road is adding more risks that additional crashes could occur. So that's kind of where we are with high-injury network and our recommendation on the case.

[09:16:15] Thank you. Sure. That helps me because now I'm good with you. Okay. I'm going to talk to the applicant for a second. Yeah, there was, I had one fatal that occurred at the Mall Drive intersection, and there was another fatal that occurred on the corridor east of the, yeah.

[09:16:38] Can I talk to the applicant for a second? I believe that Dr. Miller has given us a legal reason to be able to say no. It sounds like he's open to discussions about a 55-plus community right there.

[09:17:05] At this point, I think your best bet would, and you don't even have to do it on your time, we can do it on our time, But I think the best bet is to go ahead and take the deferral and see if y'all can work something out that we can pass. Because I was very reluctant to go against him in his own district, but I didn't have a legal reason to say no, and now I do.

[09:17:26] So I think you should probably spend some more time with Dr. Miller. I appreciate that, Mr. Engel. I would say that even if we restrict these, the traffic volume is going to be the same. the seven trips per unit for the townhouses will be the same senior living-wise.

[09:17:44] So the concern, and CDOT can, of course, check me on that, but the uses to the east and the west are generating both 120 to 150 trips more a day than what we're projecting. That's 300 trips a day. You're not helping your case.

[09:18:00] Right, I know. So that's what I'm struggling with. Because when we bring it back, they're going to have the same, it's going to be the same item. So just being completely clear, we're not solving the traffic issue. We're just changing the unit component. Here's my thought on it. One of the challenges I think that we have is that when someone is in a position where they want to sell their land, they turn to a developer and they say, how much can I get for the land?

[09:18:24] As much as I possibly can, I want to maximize that. And one of the challenges or one of the conversations I usually have with Frank Petroski, my planning commissioner, is around that folks, when they're going to sell their land, they don't come to the county, for instance, and say, what would be a good idea for the use of that land?

[09:18:45] I have another idea for that land. I don't know if we've bounced that off. That I think would be a great use for that land. That would solve the home issue, the car issue, the traffic issue, and I think would solve a problem or a challenge that we have here in Chesterfield County.

[09:19:05] And what my take on it is that, you know, Frank and I will say it's like, Well, very rarely does anybody come to us and say, what would be a good use for my land? They want to maximize profit. Everybody does. And that's the whole idea of, you know, when it comes to development.

[09:19:24] But I do think there's another use for the land we need to talk about. I appreciate that sentiment, Dr. Martin. So I'd like to have that conversation with Mr. Ingle in that we can defer. And I would like to have the conversation with my board as to an idea that I think would work there.

[09:19:45] I'm unsure as to whether you, I would like you to be involved with it, if it's something that you're, a project that you're interested in working with. But I don't know. I want to also make a point that I got an email from Vernon McClure, who is the, I think, the president of Main Street Homes.

[09:20:06] And I want to speak to him and say to him the challenges, I think, with Main Street Homes, because they're an A number one builder. I mean, I have high opinion of Main Street Homes. This is the wrong project, but there are other places that I think that I will support.

[09:20:28] But this one, given where it is and the situation with it, I think there's another high or higher best use for this property, I do, that I think will support the community and solve a problem with Chesterfield.

[09:20:45] So I'd like to have that conversation with the board. I haven't had that yet, given that this was in front of us. Right. Yes, sir. So are we going, I'm asking the board, are we heading toward a deferral for this property also?

[09:21:01] Well, I don't know. I was thinking that you said that if he went to age restricted, you would actually be supportive of the project, but I don't know legally that if we're supportive of that project and not this one, I don't know if that puts us into a dilemma or not.

[09:21:20] No, no, I think that the other project was one that would not generate the same kind of traffic. But that's a new proposal. It's not before you right now. It is not before us right now. So then that means moving to a denial? No, just if you're going to defer, you need a motion to defer it.

[09:21:38] Right, okay. But I hear what you're saying, Mr. Ingle. I would love 55, but as the conversations unfolded, it wouldn't solve the problem because we would still have the issue around public safety. Am I hearing that correctly?

[09:21:55] Again, I'm not going to speak for the applicant, but I think you were proposing perhaps another idea that would not generate as much traffic as a restricted. That's right. And if there was going to be that discussion with the applicant, then a deferral may be appropriate.

[09:22:14] Gentlemen, if I could just speak to it. I feel like we brought a really great case. It aligns with the comprehensive plan. It provides a desperate need. It actually enhances the capacity of the area. Their zoning case on the south side of Robius is projected, that's right now, is projected to generate 73,000 more vehicle trips a day than our case, and CDOT did not make any mention in the staff report that passed the Planning Commission agenda on consent of a traffic safety issue at this corridor. I do not think that's a real issue. I would like you all to vote and approve the case

[09:22:50] as requested. Thank you. Thank you. I want to add also, we have another variable in all of this, which is that the mall has been sold. That's a block away, and with it being just a block away, I suspect that that ultimately will look, I mean, I think a mall will continue.

[09:23:11] We're still in conversation with the new owners, with the EDA. But I suspect if there was ever a place that we're going to be putting high-density housing, I think that's going to be it. Ms. Schneider, that would be an example of infill because we just have a big sea of parking lots right now over there.

[09:23:32] So that's just going to compound the kind of traffic that's already over there with the Costco, with the potential of 600 apartments, and just the folks that, as I think, Brady, you mentioned, even the folks that are living behind this property, being able to make a left-hand turn to cram back, it's a real challenge to be able to get out over there.

[09:24:02] So if you're pushing for an approval this evening, which I think you are, then I'm going to go ahead and make that motion to deny. And I'll make it in the full so that we're all clear as to what we're voting for.

[09:24:20] I'm going to move to deny 25 SN 1254. The proposal is located on a section of Robius Road that has been identified as part of a high injury network in the county, which are the roads where a disproportionate number of severe crashes resulting in fatalities or serious injuries occur.

[09:24:42] In line with the county's commitment to safe street for all, I can't support the additional traffic generated by this request until the safety issue has been addressed. In addition, the applicant is requesting an adjustment to the minimum project size, reducing it from 5 acres down to 3.45 acres.

[09:25:04] I don't believe this adjustment is justified or has been properly mitigated. Instead, the proposal is being shoehorned into a property that is too small to allow appropriate development of this site. I'm not opposed to development of this property, but this proposal is not something I can support at this time.

[09:25:27] So I'm going to ask for a second. Mr. Chair, it's your district, and I have tried very hard, and you've given me a legal reason to support you on this.

[09:25:48] I will second your motion. Thank you. Any further discussion? Mr. Chair. Yes, sir. Would you consider another deferral on this?

[09:26:04] He is not asking for a deferral, nor is he willing to. But I think you can impose a deferral, and it will be against the county that I don't think he'll charge. I don't think it's a cost to him associated.

[09:26:21] I don't think we're, I mean, Mr. Engel is shaking his head. Doing a deferral means that there is a doorway for a change that makes sense at this time, and there isn't. Is that what you're thinking, Mr. Engel? am I reading your mind? Unfortunately, I would love a deferral. I really don't want to vote against this case, but it's your district. You gave me a legal reason. I'm not going to go against you in your district, but I really don't want to vote against this case. Mr. Chair, you know,

[09:26:57] with all due respect, I just say, you know, take some time, kind of think through it with the applicant, sometimes a deferral lets the applicant know that they have to work with this a little bit harder as they know that they're going to potentially be denied. And then if they're denied, they have a, I think it's what, a year or so where they can't file a zoning case. And so they'll put that all into consideration. And so that's just my request of you. But it's

[09:27:35] your district, and I respectfully will vote the way we need to vote tonight, but just as a last-ditch effort to work this out in some civility.

[09:27:53] Right. So let's do this. I'm going to withdraw the motion, and I'm going to name it. Okay. I'll withdraw my second. Okay. So withdraw the first and the second, and let's defer this also for 90 days. So I'm going to move to defer case 25SN1254 for 90 days so that we can take a look at this and see what other options are available.

[09:28:22] Could I please have a second? Do I have a second? I'll second. Okay. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Well, Mr. Chair, if I could. Yes, sir. The other option that is always at the disposal of the Board of Supervisors is to remand the case back to the Planning Commission.

[09:28:41] But that's something that if we're ever in a situation where we need to, I think a deferral, a remaining in the case back. And I mean, even when I was on the planning commission, I got a few cases that I got remanded back. And it just gave more time to work through it.

[09:28:57] So just something for consideration as we work through it. Happy to have the 90-day deferral also. Let me check in with that for just a minute. Just think about that for a moment. Jesse, can I ask you a question? One of the things that I kind of got when you and I were having this conversation about this case was that it wasn't a case that planning itself felt 100% comfortable with.

[09:29:30] Is that an accurate assessment? No, I think that's fair. I mean, it's a tough site. You're just three and a half acres sort of wedged in between two other lawns and narrow. So it's a hard site to really develop.

[09:29:46] So, yeah, it's a tough one. Let me ask a question of the board. What's your thoughts on if we were to send this back to the Planning Commission? Can I just get some feel for that?

[09:30:04] Mr. Chair. Yes, sir. I think even if you send it back to the Planning Commission, you're really putting it back to square one to determine what they can actually do with the property. And depending on what you're proposing, it may not be something that Main Street Homes is interested in doing.

[09:30:26] It may not be something that their company does. I don't know what the proposal is. So that's something to consider. When I look at this case, it is, I understand the legal justification as described for it.

[09:30:45] But what's more concerning to me than this is the parcel across the street that's considered to be wetlands that is approved for apartments. And I'm just racking my brain to find out what year did we do that? I don't recall it, so I don't recall it, but nevertheless, it is concerning.

[09:31:15] So, I mean, that's certainly a discussion to have with them if we think deferring it back is a product that they're interested in looking at. But if not, if you deny or defer for 90 days, they have the same option to do that, and they could tell you that that's not something they're interested in.

[09:31:38] The landowners may tell you it's something they're not interested in, and then we're back to where we are tonight, which is even based on what was said earlier, if you convert this to over 55, you still have the same traffic issues. At least I think that's right, Chesa.

[09:31:55] The number's identical. We're pretty close. So you end up with the same traffic issues, and you still have the same problem with the case. So I'm not sure what it solves to send it to the Planning Commission. A deferral gives them an opportunity to find out what they can and cannot do, and then they make a decision whether they want to come forward or not.

[09:32:16] They may come back and say, we still think it's a great case. So that's my thoughts, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Carroll. Any other thoughts? Ms. Schneider. So, again, I reiterate that I think this is a good use of whether you want to call it infill.

[09:32:36] These trees that are here, I don't know how many times I've driven past that and seeing all the vines and grossness along those trees. It's not a healthy woods, if you ask me, but that's beside the point. They're taking the time to fill in, and I mean, they're putting their detention pond underground.

[09:32:55] I mean, this is a very well-thought-through process here. They're maintaining large buffers at the back. They're putting in berms and plantings. I think that a lot of people don't want... I mean, there are people that they work a lot.

[09:33:15] They need a house. They don't need a lot of amenities. And I think there's a huge gap of people that this would fill. But that's just me personally. I don't know. That's where I'm at. Thank you. Other thoughts from the board?

[09:33:33] I want to just make the comment for those folks that actually think that when we show up to do these kind of development, that we've already made the decision before we sit here, that this is the kind of work that we do together as a board all the time.

[09:33:50] And I'm just appreciating the board this evening for the work that we've done around these cases in Midlothian. So thank you for that. Any other comments before I make a motion? All right, so we have a motion and a second for a deferral?

[09:34:07] A deferral for 90 days. Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and take that vote. All in favor of a 90-day deferral, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Madam Clerk. The last discussion item is 26 SN 2016, Ramey Rezoning Adjustments and Accessory Dwelling Unit.

[09:34:39] Ms. Gibson. Good evening, Mr. Chair, members of the board, and Mr. Harris. Case 26 SN 2016 in the Matoka Magisterial District is a request to rezone from agricultural to agricultural with adjustments to ordinance requirements relative to road frontage plus conditional use to permit an existing attached accessory dwelling unit. The property owners would like to subdivide the property to create a total of four residential parcels. Three of these parcels would be for the property owner's children with the fourth being retained for the owners.

[09:35:14] The property contains 104.5 acres, and a zone agricultural. Surrounding properties to the north, south, east, and west are also zone agricultural. The property is currently occupied by one single-family dwelling and one accessory dwelling unit.

[09:35:31] Access to the property was given through a variance for no public road frontage in 2014, using a portion of dedicated but unimproved right-of-way from Bundle Road from point A to point B, as shown by the red dotted line. private access easement from point B to point C as shown by the orange dotted line. In 2016, conditional use approval was granted to allow an accessory dwelling unit on the property for family members to occupy. The comprehensive land use plan designates the property for rural agricultural uses. The property is accessed by a private access easement and dedicated but

[09:36:09] unimproved portion of right-of-way from Bundle Road to the east. The property owners would like to subdivide the property into four residential parcels. The zoning ordinance states that in agricultural zoning districts, you must have 250 feet of state-maintained road frontage for each parcel in order to subdivide. The property owners are proposing to subdivide the property with each parcel having zero feet of state-maintained road frontage. Access to the proposed subdivision would be extended from Bundle Road across the existing dedicated but unimproved right-of-way and private access easement that was recorded as part of the approved variance in 2014 as shown on this slide.

[09:36:47] The dedicated but unimproved right-of-way is shown as the dotted orange line and the private access easement is shown by the red dotted line. Although the proposed subdivision will be able to meet the required conditions listed in the agricultural district in the zoning ordinance for parcel size and width, the proposal does not meet the road frontage requirement of 250 feet of required road frontage for each parcel. The property owner's proposal represents a private road subdivision that will not have the benefit of being served by a state-maintained road.

[09:37:18] Any subdivision of the property should occur once required and for structures in place to provide orderly development and safe access from a public road. Although staff is unable to support this request, the Planning Commission recommended approval at their April 21st meeting. Should the overall request to be approved, the applicant has proffered conditions to help mitigate potential impacts of the proposal on surrounding properties. That concludes my presentation.

[09:37:45] Thank you. Four members, are there any questions for staff? Is the applicant present? Thank you. I know it's been a long night.

[09:38:04] Thank you for your patience. I will take it off, too. We're the applicants, and we have been living here on Bumble Road since 2013. We absolutely love it here, and our children have come to love it here, and they would like to be able to stay with us.

[09:38:23] 11 o'clock is late for us. We're getting older. And so we love the idea of our children being within the property. The fact that it does not have state maintenance has always been an issue since the road was created in the 1700s. The dirt road has had four or five houses on it since then, and it's always been maintained by the private owners.

[09:38:44] We're the first non-family people to own it since the 1700s. So when it got sold to us, it went out of the original land grant ownership. So we're happy to maintain it. My husband's been maintaining it for fire and rescue. And so we have had a fire truck come down there.

[09:38:59] We have had Amy Somerville come down and take pictures at least once or twice since we've lived there to verify that fire and rescue can get to us. We're 100% willing to make sure fire and rescue can get to us and that we can get out if we need to. So we've been doing that, happy to be audited on that.

[09:39:16] Our children obviously are significantly younger than we are and are willing to, you know, back us up as we age in helping us with that. I'd just like to also add that the planning, when we were approved by planning, they really were in favor of us doing this.

[09:39:37] It wasn't close. One spoke up, said he grew up on a situation just like this. Thank you. Board members, are there any questions for the applicant? Hi, everyone.

[09:39:55] This is a public hearing for case 26 SN 2016, Ramey Rezoning Adjustments and Accessory Dwelling Unit. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this case? If so, please come forward and state your name.

[09:40:14] Jerry Darner, this is one of those cases, you don't need to talk about it very much. It's time to stand together, keep them together. Thank you.

[09:40:29] I think Jerry loves me again. I grew up off Bundle Road, Beachwood Forest over there. This is super wholesome. I'd much rather see that land stay the way it is and have a family that's been there and loves being there stay there, so full support from somebody who grew up there and still has parents there.

[09:40:52] Thank you. Anyone else would like to speak to this case? With no one else, I would like to go ahead and close the public hearing. It's back before the board. This case is in the Matoika district. Mr. Engel. I'm sorry, Mr. Carroll.

[09:41:08] I'm just waiting a second. I don't even think we need discussion. I'm just waiting a second. It's late. It's the other bald guy. Mr. Chair, I understand staff's position and why they recommended denial. I actually think this is an absolute appropriate use for this when I met with them.

[09:41:28] And they talked about wanting to keep the family together. They will have to sign an agreement as they have before. They continue to maintain the road. And actually, in the county's long-term throughfare plan, there is a proposed road that could be in the future built. However, knowing everybody who owns the land around there and their non-willingness to want to sell for any type of development, I'm not sure that road will ever get built, but I do think this is a great use for this land.

[09:41:56] I think it's a great opportunity to keep the density low there, and that's why I make a motion to approve case number 26SN2016, subject to the conditions in the staff report. Second. Any discussion? All in favor?

[09:42:13] Any closer discussion? I just wanted to say that any family that wants to be together, I guess. Who are we to keep them apart? Fair enough. All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. Thanks for sticking around. Sorry. Item 19, public hearings.

[09:42:30] A, to consider adoption of an ordinance establishing a local animal cruelty registry. Major Breeden.

[09:42:45] Oh, I learned a lot. Good evening, Chair, members of the board. On behalf of Colonel Carpenter, who can be here tonight, special thanks to Mr. Minx, Clay Bowles, and Dr. Casey for their input as we went through this.

[09:43:01] So this is to consider an option of an ordinance establishing a local animal cruelty registry. The state legislature in 2024 passed a law allowing us to do this as a locality. What is it? Basically, if someone has been convicted of a felony for animal cruelty, then the locality can host that as a local registry.

[09:43:24] Currently, Henrico has a registry, Richmond has a registry, and those are the ones that I'm aware of around. That's basically what it is, depending on your questions. Mr. Chair, I've got a question. Yes, sir. Will these be able to work in tandem with each other so that if it's on one, it's on all three if we choose to?

[09:43:46] Are we just making an independent one for Chesterfield County? It's just an independent one, sir, for our locality. Now, what we're planning on doing is there will be a link to a state judiciary website where someone can search for somebody's name, like any of us can do for anybody, right?

[09:44:08] But that would allow someone to look for something like that from our page. I'm just trying to figure out if somebody moves from one jurisdiction to try to get out from under it, if there's a recourse, if they move into another jurisdiction.

[09:44:27] There's no recourse other than we're making sure people know that this is happening. This is just a resource available to our community members that they can go to real quickly and look at. The registries are public information, so I mean they're available, but there's not, right now it's not set up under state law to have that interconnection yet.

[09:44:48] It may get to that, yeah. That bill has been killed for several years. Yeah, correct. To make the interconnection. I just know Henrico asked us to link to them, and I was just trying to figure out if we can't do that. So you've answered my question. I'm good. Thank you. Mr. Chair?

[09:45:04] Yes, Ms. Schneider. But you're saying that if they're on someone else's list or if someone was looking for our list, they could see the same name if they were in a different locality correct? If they were on another list or no? No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that we will have a link to a state judiciary website where they could go look for Mike Breeden on that website. You have to know somebody's date of birth, and you'll have to know a little bit more

[09:45:37] information about where they're from. But this is just for our locality, for our residents, that will be on our website for us.

[09:45:53] You're not going to be able to look them up. Nobody's going to know all that information. Any other questions for Major Breeden? Everyone, this is a public hearing to consider the adoption of an ordinance establishing a local animal cruelty registry.

[09:46:10] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this issue? If so, please come forward and state your name. Renee Aldred. I think this is a great idea. I think they need to work hard to get it all linked together. So if you're in any locality, you can look at, see if somebody's moved and where they went.

[09:46:31] I mean, over the years, I've seen way too many abandoned animals coming down Route 1 that clearly have been mistreated, and they ought to actually see if they can up the ante for punishment for people who do mistreat animals.

[09:46:52] So I'm in favor. Thank you. Ian Richards, Karamarkovich. - My wife and I have two dogs, both adopted.

[09:47:08] One is a rescue pit bull that is highly reactive, bounced around two or three shelters, probably would have been put down had we not adopted or didn't know that at the time, but it's given me a very soft spot. Other dog has one eye, probably from abuse or from being just out running around.

[09:47:29] All of that said, vehemently oppose a registry of this nature. ASPCA opposes registries like these because they've proven ineffective. They can be costly, they're difficult to maintain and stay on top of. Beyond that, you know, when we talk about punishing these people further, we're talking about people who already have a felony on their name. I don't think what we need in today's society is another type of registry that further tries to make pariahs out of people who are just trying to re-enter. I realize this is a highly

[09:48:02] emotional topic. And as an animal lover, as an adoptive dog dad, I get it. But I just can't support something like this. I think it's overreach. I think it's over policing. I think it's over punishing people who have already gone through the legal system and had justice served against them. So I just want to vehemently oppose that. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Any other folks would like to speak to this? I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing. It's back before the board. Is there any discussion? Ms. Schneider. Are we going, is this, so, okay, I understand you

[09:48:42] can't search. Are we going to be providing this information to any of our local adopting agencies that would be able to cross-check as far as if someone comes in to adopt an animal? Would their name show, I mean, would you, would you be able to, like RAL, I mean, could you give a list of people so that when you come, if they come in to try to adopt an animal? I mean, That's what I'm more concerned about is people that have already been identified as animal abusers coming to adopt somewhere else and not being identified.

[09:49:16] I mean, you guys could easily do it at the shelter, but... Well, this makes it for those organizations to be able to go to the county, to go to our website, and to look and see... So all the names will be on the website. Correct, yes.

[09:49:31] Okay. Now, those are the ones that have been convicted of a felony, not misdemeanors. They're the only felonies, which most likely they can't own an animal anyway, hence felonies.

[09:49:48] Okay. Thank you. Chair. Yes, sir. I think it's important to talk about the fact there are provisions in here that someone would be removed from the registry. So if their conviction has been reversed or pardoned, they'll be removed.

[09:50:10] If 15 years more have passed since the violation that warranted inclusion in the registry provided they have had no additional felony convictions of an offense, they can be removed. And so there are provisions that if someone has paid their debts to society and no longer is considered to be convicted because it's been reversed or pardoned or the other instances, they can be removed from this.

[09:50:39] But I do think that it's an important tool to safeguard animals from being adopted out by someone who's not supposed to have them. And that's really what we're talking about, is preventing further abuse here.

[09:50:58] But if someone has paid their debts to society and they meet these criteria, then they should have an opportunity to get removed from the list and have an animal. But I support this, Mr. Chair. I make a motion to approve. Any other discussion before we move to?

[09:51:15] Okay. We have a motion to approve. Can I get a second? Second. All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? Madam Clerk. B, to consider an ordinance to amend County Code Section 19.2, zoning ordinance relative to setbacks from electric transmission lines and self-storage.

[09:51:32] Mr. Jenkins. Good evening, Mr. Chair, board members, Mr. Harris. I'm here presenting a code amendment to the zoning ordinance regarding setbacks from electric transmission lines and the permissibility of self-storage. This is a two-part code amendment, so I'll begin with the electric transmission line setback.

[09:51:50] Before I dive into the content of the amendment, I thought it would be helpful to describe exactly what we're talking about. Transmission lines are the high-voltage lines that connect power-generating sources with substations and traverse great distances. Hold on one second. Wait a second, sir. I'll just ask Mr. Minx.

[09:52:09] I think we can do that. Right. I think what we're thinking about doing is I wanted to check in with you, Mr. Minx. As far as the electric transmission line setbacks, the idea was to defer that for 30 days. And so we don't need to necessarily go through this process as far as that's concerned.

[09:52:28] However, it sounds like we have two things going on here, not just the electric transmission lines, but also the self-storage. So my thinking is that we could go ahead and entertain a motion to, as far as the electric transmission lines are concerned, to go ahead and defer that for 30 days, and we can move forward with a conversation around the self-storage.

[09:52:51] Right. You can do that. I mean, it is separable. That's possible to do that. The thing is, you still need to hold a public hearing on the deferral of the electric line portion and then a public hearing on the substance of the storage.

[09:53:09] Got it. Okay. So that would mean, of course, that he would need to continue his presentation, correct? I could skip these slides. it's just he wouldn't have to can we just make sure yeah he does not have to he can he can go he's got a he's got a separable presentation let me ask the question this way in that when we're opening up a public hearing they um we i they're going to need all the information necessary for that public hearing correct not necessarily for the deferral okay not necessarily okay so that's it's where they check on. Right and you have you have often on other zoning

[09:53:45] matters you have have oftentimes if if the board is sort of inclined to defer you have not had a presentation you have just held a public hearing on the deferral then voted on that. Okay okay so just we're clear we're going to be deferring just with the electric transmission lines correct? You can do that. Okay and then thank you we're going to go ahead everyone this is a public hearing to consider an ordinance to defer the setbacks on the electric transmission lines and we're going to hold off on the self-storage. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this issue? If so, please come forward. This is to speak to the deferral on the matter dealing with the electric

[09:54:25] lines. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing with regard to the deferral on the public hearing, I'm sorry, on the ordinance with regard to the setbacks on the electric transmission lines. Could I get a motion?

[09:54:41] That's a 30-day deferral. To defer. So moved. Can I get a second? All in favor? Aye. All opposed? All right. So now we can go on and have a conversation on the self-storage. Very good.

[09:54:57] Currently, self-storage is a use permitted with restrictions in the corridor commercial district and a permitted use within the warehouse and distribution WD district. This is indicated by the R&P and the use matrix, respectively. The amendment proposes to change this to a conditional use with additional guidance in both the corridor commercial and the warehouse distribution districts, as indicated by the C with an asterisk.

[09:55:21] Because this amendment would change self-storage from a use permitted with restrictions to a conditional use with additional guidance, the existing restrictions for self-storage would become recommended guidance for future conditional use applicants to follow. The guidance also contains a clause that says the use shall not front on an arterial road.

[09:55:39] This amendment also proposes to reword that clause to say that the use should not be located on a parcel with frontage on an arterial or collector road. Of course, this could be modified during the conditional use process, but it is clear guidance to applicants that uses that have frontage on a thoroughfare plan road would be heavily scrutinized in the zoning process.

[09:56:00] Lastly, in the prior ordinance, Chapter 19.1, the use was called mini-storage slash mini-warehouse facility, and because it was a permitted use in the C-5 and I-1 districts, it is eligible to be continued for five years on properties that were C-5 or I-1 under the prior ordinance.

[09:56:16] This amendment would add mini-storage slash mini-warehouse facility to the list of uses that are not eligible for this five-year continuance. That list includes things such as data centers, auto sales, motor vehicle sales, et cetera. amendment was initiated in March, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the amendment following the public hearing at their April meeting, and if approved, this amendment would become effective immediately. Any questions for staff? Anybody come out at the public hearing and speak against the change? No.

[09:56:53] Ms. Schneider? Okay. Any other? Okay. Alright, we're going to go ahead and open a public hearing to consider the ordinance to amend the setbacks with regard to self-storage. Is there anyone who would like to speak to this issue? If so, please come forward and state your name. Yeah, why not? I did speak at Planning when they did this, but I was in favor of this, and I actually asked if you could go a little bit further and put some distance between

[09:57:28] these things, because it's kind of like the chicken joints in Chester. The storage units are everywhere, and I'd really be curious to know if they actually are even full. I support this one. Thank you. Any other comments?

[09:57:50] All right, I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing. It's back before the board. Is there any discussion? Let's go ahead and make a motion. Who would like to make that motion? So moved. Let's be clear on what the motion is. I'd like to make a motion to approve this zoning ordinance amendment.

[09:58:11] Okay. Could I get a second? Second. All right. All in favor? Aye. All right. All opposed? Madam Clerk. I'm going to wake everybody up up here.

[09:58:27] We're working it. C, to consider FY 2027 to FY 2032, Secondary Road Six-Year Plan, and FY 2027, Secondary Road Improvement Budget, Appropriation of Funds, and Authorization to Proceed.

[09:58:44] Ms. Walker. Thank you. Before we continue, Ms. Walker, I want to kind of check in with Mr. Minx. We are pushing midnight. I'm curious to know, do we have the option to defer these cases to another meeting?

[09:58:59] yes you don't have to hold these public hearings tonight you can you can make a decision to defer is that we're curious to know how the board feels I speak very fast I I can roll either way I count one you've got three three public hearings there are two citizens that are here yet also this evening yeah I know that Jerry Turner is still here.

[09:59:32] Miss Tom Watson is still here. Mr. Chair, there is one of these public hearings I definitely want to have taken care of tonight, so I'd rather move forward. So it's the sentence of the board. Okay, we're going to move forward.

[09:59:48] All right, Miss Walker, rock and roll. Okay, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Minx, Matt, thank you. Too long. Rebecca Worley, y'all know her, love her. VDOT residency engineer is still here. Thank you, Rebecca. We develop this budget every year with her team, and she has been a trooper to hang in here tonight with us.

[10:00:11] So it is that time of year, public hearing to consider the secondary six-year plan. At a minimum, our board is required to update the plan, the projects in the six-year plan, and to adopt a budget annually.

[10:00:27] Again, this is a small source of funding dedicated to go towards our secondary roads. it's less than a million dollars a year and then there's some some very small money to put towards paving state maintained gravel roads and you can see the list of projects that are not there now come on in you can see the list of

[10:01:03] the eligible types of projects that we use there again small in nature type projects paving paving minor widenings bike ped projects spot drainage improvements we also include our revenue sharing projects in case we need to bridge the gap we can use this as a source if needed to advance some of our revenue sharing projects so those are listed in the plan and the plan this year we're adding two new projects courthouse road at ob gates elementary school

[10:01:38] paving the shoulder. Parents stack along the shoulder. It's pretty beat up. So our department is administering that project. We plan to get to that beginning of next year. We're adding Winterpock and McAnally Road pedestrian crossings. That roundabout, it's a roundabout there that was constructed before VDOT made a shift to a standard that says if you have a multi-lane approach to a roundabout and you have a peg crossing that you should have rectangular rapid flashing beacons on the approach so we're going to clean that up and make that consistent with all of our other

[10:02:18] hybrid roundabouts so we're adding that to the plan those are the two new projects to the plan we're appropriating some additional funds to the bellwood road turnaround we did the signing improvements but we ultimately need to get the turnaround for the trucks at the end of that industrial corridor 100 plans are into vdot for review we hope to get to a plan to get to construction with that early next year so we need to need a little bit more funding there we're adding more money to the river road winter park creek bridge repair that's one of the weight restricted bridges

[10:02:54] that we've been permitting to allow trucks to go over but we're going to be completing a bridge repair that would allow us to remove that restriction we are taking over the administration at the plans have been designed and it's under permitting but we're taking over the administration of the construction vdot was going to do the construction under their on-call but the type of bridge repair is a bit of a specialty if you will and their on-call contractor it's a little bit different than what was typically covered in their on-call bridge repair contract so we're

[10:03:33] going to go ahead and pick up the construction get it advertised and get the bridge repair done and then we are appropriating funds to the new project to pave the shoulder at courthouse road ob gates and then we need authorization to proceed with the bridge project I just mentioned and the and the shoulder paving projects. So those are a summary of the plan. And then just highlighting the blue box shows the FY27 budget we're asking you to approve and the projects where this year

[10:04:10] dollars will be moving towards. Belcher is just paving an unpaved road. I mentioned courthouse at OB Gates. Old gun, intermediate improvements. We've been moving, that came out of the safety audit that was conducted along the corridor. We've been moving forward with the short-term improvements. We did the tree survey, been working with Rebecca's team. We just notified all the property owners about which trees in the right-of-way and on their properties are being flagged to be removed. The ideas will be cleaning up the clear zone along the road and Rebecca's team is going

[10:04:45] to be clearing the trees for us. But this project in the FY27 budget is now to advance the shoulder wedging project that is under design we are focused on wedging in some additional pavement through two high crash curves where people are running off the road the idea is that that additional width would give some recovery pavement for folks to be able to recover should they start to veer off the road and then we've got otterdale road roundabouts pedestrian crossings we don't have crossings at those modular roundabouts it's a little bit you see the two million

[10:05:24] dollar cost that's because we actually have to build out some curbing a little island to put the rectangular rapid flashing beacons on so that's under design and then you see some other miscellaneous items so that is the fy27 budget question uh my board is there any questions for staff for chessa yeah so i know that i've spoken possibly with rebecca about um swift creek

[10:05:58] elementary school okay is that somewhere in there yes they are that is being um i spoke to adam and that's being targeted this year yep thank you paving the shoulder between the along the frontage of um oh my gosh swift three it's well it's actually genital road but genital road and like filling in is is there going to be any filling along like the sides of the road where it's like washed away because parents are like breaking their tires on the edge of the road when they're lined up there i'm just asking well if it's a law if it's the shoulder that will be all paved and

[10:06:33] cleaned up yeah okay all right any other questions for staff want to go ahead and move forward with opening all right so we're going to go ahead and move forward with opening a public hearing to consider the fy 2027 to fy 2032 secondary road six-year plan and fy 2027 secondary road improvement budget appropriation of funds and authorizations to proceed is there anyone who like to speak to this issue, if so please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It's back before the board. Is there any discussion?

[10:07:10] I'll make a motion approved, Mr. Chair, and I have just one comment. Yes, sir. I really want a new bridge at Winnipeg Creek, just saying that I don't know what the improvements are going to do. I know it'll make it past the weight restrictions, but the angle Mr. Engel I know drives across that bridge.

[10:07:30] I do. The angle-on approach is dangerous. It's been dangerous for a long time, especially with the amount of truck traffic on River Road that goes through there. I understand the repair, but we really need to look at replacing the bridge. I've said it before, and I'm going to continue to say it until we get the bridge changed. Thank you, Mr. Carroll. Any other comments?

[10:07:54] All right. Let's go ahead. All in favor? Aye. Aye. All opposed? Madam Clerk. D, to consider amendment to a lease of county property adjacent to the Meadowville Wastewater Pump Station at 1398 Bermuda 100 Road. Ms. Snow. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Mr. Harris, this is a public hearing to consider an amendment to a lease of county property adjacent to the Meadowville Wastewater Pump Station at 1398 Bermuda 100 Road with American Towers, LLC.

[10:08:24] The tower existed when the county acquired the property and the board approved to continue the lease in 2024. The description of the property in the original lease was illegible. American Tower has surveyed the property and is requesting that the lease be amended to reflect the description of the site as surveyed.

[10:08:43] A public hearing is required to amend the lease. An approval is recommended. My board, is there any questions for staff? All right. Everyone, this is a public hearing to consider an amendment to a lease of a county property adjacent to the Meadowville Wastewater Pump Station at 1398 Bermuda 100 Road.

[10:09:03] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this issue? If so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It is back before the board. Motion to approve. Any discussion? I hear a motion to approve. I hear a second. All in favor?

[10:09:19] Aye. All opposed? Madam Clerk. E, to consider the vacation of land dedicated as part of the Talley Family Subdivision. Ms. Snow. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Mr. Harris, this is a public hearing to consider the vacation of land dedicated as part of the Talley Family Subdivision.

[10:09:36] Robert E. and Jerry L. Talley have requested the vacation of two strips of land that were dedicated for future road widening but are no longer needed. A public hearing is required to vacate the property. Approval is recommended. Thank you, Ms. Snow. Any questions for Ms. Snow? Everyone, this is a public hearing to consider the vacation of land dedicated as part of the Talley Family Subdivision.

[10:09:56] Is there anyone who would like to speak to this issue? If so, please come forward and state your name. Seeing no one, I'm going to go ahead and close this public hearing. It is back before the board. Is there any discussion? Mr. Chair, I'll make a motion to approve, and I have discussion after we get a second.

[10:10:11] Second. All right. You got a second? All right. Discussion? I want to thank the board for supporting this request to return this land back to Mr. Talley. I understand when we look at doing subdivisions and large subdivisions that the county is going to negotiate with those people to get road frontage.

[10:10:27] In this case, it was a family subdivision, and in part of that negotiations, this person believed that he had no choice but to give up the road frontage along Woodpecker Road, which took him out of land use and was not compensated for it.

[10:10:43] So, we have changed that policy, but I'm very happy that the board has chosen to give this man back his land. We shouldn't have taken it in the first place. Thank you for that. Any other discussion? All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed?

[10:10:59] Madam Clerk. Item 20, 15-minute citizen comment period on unscheduled matters. This time is designated for citizens to talk to the Board of Supervisors. It is not a time for dialogue with the board members, and it is not a question-answer period. Those conversations can easily occur with individual board members outside of the board meeting.

[10:11:17] As a reminder, the board's procedures state, no citizen shall speak on any matter of business that is a subject on the board's agenda for that day, and each speaker shall have three minutes to address the board. We have two speakers, Tom Watson and Jerry Turner. Welcome, Mr. Watson. Thank you for sticking around on such a late evening.

[10:11:42] I've been to longer meetings before. In fact, I'll talk about it. My name's Tom Watson. I live in the Tollocks 100 subdivision off of Bradley Bridge Road, and my eyes aren't working very well, so bear with me. I moved with my family here, my family of eight, to Cheshawil County in 1988.

[10:12:05] Lest we forget, I am here tonight to recognize some of your former supervisors who preceded you, specifically those serving in 1997, when Art Warren, Harry Daniel, Ed Barber, Rennie Bush Humphrey, and Jack McHale were involved in a controversial decision to allow Jack Shoesmith to open a new landfill adjacent to the original landfill.

[10:12:36] This also included the possibility in the future of using the quarry next door to store trash. Needless to say, the Shoesmith request was met with significant opposition, so much so that the typical meeting place here had to be moved to the auditorium at Byrd High School to fit the crowd of people that were there.

[10:12:59] I'm a chemical engineer from college. At the time, I had over 20-plus years of service in the chemical industry. Along with the opposition, I raised many concerns and arguments which, unfortunately, were ignored by the Board of Supervisors.

[10:13:25] I hate to say I told you so, but I told them so. Concerns over air quality and water contamination were expressed. With little, if any, support from anyone in the other four districts at the time, we were not immediately, the other four districts that weren't impacted by the new landfill, four of our supervisors, and you can pick your four, voted to approve the request, only because it was from Jack Shoesmith.

[10:14:06] Jack McDowell voted no, and he was in the right position. This was in spite of the rapid residential growth in the area and around the proposed site. Unfortunately, the county has continued this rush to build residential areas around the landfill.

[10:14:32] And by the way, my memory of the meeting in 1997, although the public comment period was much longer, the supervisors spent a whole lot less time discussing it than y'all did for 40 acres over in Midlothian. It was that quick a decision. Mr. Watson your three minutes are up. I'm sorry I'm slow with my vision. Because of a poor decision made in 1997 many if not all of the original concerns have come to fruition around the landfill. The chickens have come home to roost.

[10:15:09] The only consolation that I have, while small, is that those of us physically impacted by the landfill will be joined in the possible financial burden, possibly about $200 million, by those who in 1997 allowed this landfill to happen in the entire Chesterfield community.

[10:15:32] My request is that Chesterfield County look at the procedures for opening up new residential areas around the landfill. I understand that there's one already in progress across the street from the landfill that's going to have about 120 residences there.

[10:15:56] It's really pretty stupid to put many more people in the close proximity to that landfill because it is dangerous. It smells bad. It has been smelling bad, and we look now that we've contaminated Swift Creek, and all of these things were readily visible in 1997, so I appreciate if y'all could do anything to alleviate the expansion in that area. Thank you very much.

[10:16:32] Self-deferral. I like it. I love it. All right. Madam Clerk. Item 21, closing announcements.

[10:16:49] Anyone want to speak to anything, Mr. Engel? Well, I was going to say that my anniversary was tomorrow, but it's today. So I love my wife, and even though she's asleep, I just want to thank her for marrying me over 20 years ago and putting up with me through all this time, and I hope she's sleeping well, and maybe I'll get a little bit of sleep.

[10:17:14] Thank you. Any other comments? Mr. Carroll? Happy anniversary. Yeah. Mr. Schneider? A little tired. Any other comments?

[10:17:30] All right. Again, I want to thank this board for your commitment to Chesterfield County. I absolutely am so grateful for all of you and what you do for us. And with that, I'm going to go ahead and I need a motion to adjourn. Motion adjourned, Mr. Chair. Second. The regularly scheduled is on June 24th at 2 p.m. on Room 502 in the county administration.

[10:17:51] I got a motion. I think I heard a second. That was me. All right. All in favor? Aye. We are adjourned. See you.

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