Coraggio Consulting
Henrico County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting, Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Place: Henrico County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 1h 57m (video)
Official meeting video (Swagit): https://henricocountyva.new.swagit.com/videos/299682
Official agenda (Henrico County): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2024/031224ag.pdf
Official minutes (Henrico County, regular meeting): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2024/031224regmins.PDF
Agend-O-Gram, Mar 26, 2024 (records the Board's approval of these minutes): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2024/3-26-24Agend-O-Gram.pdf

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 2026-10-26. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:11:44] Good evening. Thank you and welcome. Thank you for being with us and welcome to the Enrico County Board of Supervisors public meeting for March 12, 2024. We are not just in person, but we also are sharing this meeting remotely and virtually. And so we want to welcome you.

[00:12:09] And if you are doing a public comment section, giving comments, then we're going to ask that you go to the lectern in the back. In particular, for those of you who are watching the live stream of tonight's meeting on the county website, you can participate remotely in the public hearings and public comment portion of the meetings. How do you do that? You go to the Board of Supervisors webpage at Henrico.us Supervisors, you click on Guidance for the Board of Supervisors meeting, and then you scroll down and click on WebEx Event. A moderator will let you know when it

[00:12:45] is your turn to speak. I'm going to ask that at this moment we stand for our Pledge of Allegiance and our invocation tonight will be given by Miriam Lon Nguyen with the Daughters

[00:13:04] of Mary Immaculate Religious Order. Thank you especially for this wonderful opportunity

[00:13:36] to be here today. We are asking for your guidance and wisdom as we begin the Henrico County Bar of Supervisors' Meeting. May the Holy Spirit guide us, those who speak, those who listen and participate in this meeting.

[00:13:56] And may we open our heart, our mind and our will to God in responding His call to love and to serve others. In our thoughts, in our words and our actions, we thank you and we praise you. Lạy Chúa, chúng con cầu xin Chúa ban thanh thần và ơn khôn ngoan của Ngài xuống trên các nhà lãnh đạo đặc biệt ở quận Henrico County này để họ phục vụ tốt hơn trong tình yêu, công lý và hòa bình và xin cho ý Chúa được thể hiện dưới đất cũng như trên trời

[00:14:32] và cho mọi người được nhận biết Thiên Chúa là cha chúng con cầu xin nhờ Đức Giê-xu Kỳ-tô, Chúa chúng con in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit, Amen

[00:14:48] Chairman, we have a request for approval of minutes

[00:15:25] from february 27th both the regular and special meetings so moved motion made by mr smith second by mr roger all in favor say aye any opposed motion passed mr manager next mr chairman i do have two comments for the board and those in attendance this evening i'm going to ask ann win to come forward and so ladies and gentlemen ann is a henrico resident who is a trailblazing

[00:15:58] entrepreneur as owner and director of the kuman math and reading centers miss win also is an ambassador for my henrico academy and a leader in the vietnamese american community as we celebrate march as women's history month under the theme of empowering women entrepreneurs it is fitting that we hear from miss win whose innovative spirit and leadership exemplify the essence of this Celebration. Enrico County is proud to recognize her and all her female

[00:16:35] entrepreneurs for their innovation, resilience, and leadership. Attending with Miss Wynn or Leslie Bell from Kumon North America and her daughters Kennedy and Berkeley, Jennifer Tran, Carol Sleight, Nock Gwynn, and Kim Tron from Kumon Math Reading Center of Richmond Libby, Noah, Nora, and Noel Wynn and son and daughters, who are also representing the Vietnamese Eucharist Youth Movement, and Sister Mai and Sister Miriam, who also provided the invocation. So, Ms. Nguyen, thank you for

[00:17:13] joining us tonight. The floor is yours. And if you all would all come forward and wrap around, Ms. Nguyen. Respected Henrico County Manager, Mr. Fatokas, and honorable members of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, my name is Ann Nguyen, and I am honored to stand before you as both intrapreneurs and instructor at the Kumon Math and Reading Center of Richmond Libby, right in the heart of Henrico County. I extend my sincere gratitude for granting

[00:17:53] me the opportunity to address you today. As a Henrico County-based intrapreneur and my Henrico Academy Ambassador, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the profile impact immigrant women entrepreneurs have had on our community. These remarkable individuals bring a unique perspective, unmatched resilience, and an unwavering determination to succeed. Their story

[00:18:26] resonates not just as tales of business success, but also as a narrative of overcoming adversity, breaking barriers, and inspiring others. Immigrant women entrepreneurs in Henrico County are leading the charge in driving innovation, creating jobs, and enriching our cultural tapestry.

[00:18:50] They bring a wealth of diverse skills, talents, and experience that contributed to the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Henrico County. From launching tech startups to establishing small businesses in our neighborhoods, their contributions evaporate throughout our community.

[00:19:13] As an entrepreneur myself, I intimately understand the challenges and triumphs that comes with building a business. However, for immigrant women, these challenges can be compounded by language barriers, cultural differences, and systematic obstacles.

[00:19:37] Yet, despite these huddles, they persevere with grace and determination, carving out their place in the entrepreneur landscape. In my capacity as my Henrico County Ambassador, I'm deeply proud to amplify the voices of immigrant women entrepreneurs and advocate for policies and initiatives that bolster their growth and success.

[00:20:08] By fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, we can unlock the full potential of immigrant women entrepreneurs and ensure they will continue to thrive, making invaluable contributions to our community and economy.

[00:20:28] The impact of the immigrant woman entrepreneur in Henrico County cannot be overstated. They serve as catalysts for change, driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and inspiring us all with their tenacity and resilience.

[00:20:49] As we celebrate their achievement during Women's History Month, let us all recommit to creating a more inclusive and equitable ecosystem where all entrepreneurs can be flourished.

[00:21:06] Thank you for attention to my remarks and for your unwavering dedication in making Henrico County a place to live, to learn, and to grow. Thank you. Thank you all.

[00:21:31] Next, Mr. Chairman, I'm going to ask our Director of Finance, Ms. Sheila Miner, to come down. The board heard portions of this during our work session earlier, but for the residents that are here and that are watching, this is another milestone for the county, as I'm happy to share with the board and the public that all three bond rating agencies, last week, Fitch, Moody's, and S&P, reaffirmed the county's triple AAA bond ratings.

[00:22:02] In fact, in conversations with one of the rating agencies, Ms. Minor and her group did such a stellar job in presenting financial information that we were told if there was a fourth A or rating that we would be eligible, of course there's not.

[00:22:22] So ladies and gentlemen, this is a milestone not only because we are one of 13 when you consider the fact that our water and sewer operation is also also has the highest ratings but the fact that this county is rated higher our bonds are rated higher than the parent who is the state the Commonwealth of Virginia and the parent of the parent who is the United States of America it puts these ratings a little bit into perspective as just as what you have done and what this board has demanded as far as financial excellence but the story

[00:23:02] continues because today you sold those bonds so why don't you tell that story to our residents thank you mr. manager and thank you mr. chairman members of the board today at our bond sale we were able to secure a 3.075504 percent true interest cost on these bonds we issued about 121.355 million and for that we received proceeds of 136 million point five million dollars so it truly was a good day for the residents of Henrico and I would be remiss if I

[00:23:39] didn't thank the team I get to stand here at the podium but it truly was a team effort on behalf not just finance but multiple county agencies that pulled this information together and put our best foot forward for this. So we had a really excellent day financially in Henrico County today.

[00:24:00] Chairman, I have no other comments this evening. Mr. Manager, the board would like to thank you and the incredible staff of people that you have working with you, Sheila, and your finance team, and all of you for, you know, doing the hard work that continues to make us such a financially viable place to do Business in and business with and it saves us money as we continue to try to fund the many projects that we that we fund and so

[00:24:39] Today is a huge day and we just want to say thank you any of my colleagues have any comments board of supervisors comments All right hearing none Media then is there no media with us?

[00:24:55] We did have some media with us doing work session today But none with us now. Mr. Manager. We turn it back over to you. Yes, sir. Mr. Chairman members of board we move into public hearing rezoning cases and provisional use permit the first item out of the three chop district agenda item 115-22 is markel eagle advisors with a conditional rezoning a deferral is requested mr emerson in this case again to april the 9th 2024 yes yes sir that is correct is anything you'd like to add regarding this case other than this is number 18 mr chairman

[00:25:36] So is there a maximum amount of times you can defer a case? No, sir, there isn't. As long as the board's willing to continue it, the applicant can continue to ask. In this case, there's some concern between the seller and the purchaser.

[00:25:58] Okay. And I think they're working very diligently to try to resolve that, but it just continues to carry out. You have had cases in the past that have gone longer, but normally the deferrals requested would be for, say, six months at a time.

[00:26:15] And this one has just come in every 30 days. All right. Thank you. Colleagues, any questions for Mr. Emerson? Relatively small financial fee that the county collects with the deferrals, right?

[00:26:32] That is correct. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. All right. Any other questions? This is still a public hearing. Is there anybody here to speak to this particular case? Anybody on WebEx? there's no one to speak to this item there's their motion z2022-00002 markel eagle advisors llc be deferred to the april 9th 2024 meeting at the request of the applicant second all right motion made by miss whitehead second by reverend cooper all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank

[00:27:10] you mr manager next mr chairman out of the verona district is agenda item 86-24 with harsh Thacker, Dorado Capital, LLC, with a conditional rezoning request from A1 to R4C, piece of property that contains just over 30 acres, properties located between Orems Lake and Westover Avenue near its intersection with Nine Mile Road.

[00:27:36] A single-family subdivision is proposed, and the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval for the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Emerson. Thank you, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Before you is a request to construct no more than 85 single-family homes on a 30.4-acre site located between Orems Lane and Westover Avenue north of Nine Mile Road.

[00:28:01] This request is to rezone the property from A1 to R4C. The surrounding area is residential in nature with single-family homes and townhomes located to the west, south, and east and undeveloped residentially zoned land to the north.

[00:28:19] The new bridge fire station is under construction to the south, and Robinson Park is to the east. The proper conceptual plan that you see in front of you now reflects all lots accessed via internal roads, which connect the development to Orem's Lane to the west, Westover Avenue to the east, and then to Nine Mile Road to the south.

[00:28:44] Traffic calming devices would be implemented on all internal roads with ADA ramps installed at all intersections and you can't can't really make out the road notations on those maybe you can if you can look closer than i can but with installed at all intersections that are denoted as roads a and f pedestrian connections to robinson park are included and you can you can see those on on your conceptual plan with that being the park and planted buffers would be created along portions of orams lane and westover avenue you can see those denoted with the green in the property

[00:29:23] line adjacent to the fire station included is five foot wide sidewalk and widening of orams lane adjacent to the subject property sidewalks will also be placed along one side of each internal road as well as along west over along the west over avenue frontage other proffers address floor area garages street trees building materials landscaping and construction hours you do have elevations of the homes which you'll see there they're nice quality homes and will blend into

[00:29:57] the neighborhood creating new opportunities for housing in the community proposed use and density is consistent with the 2026 comprehensive plan and supports the plan's goal of encouraging new development in areas with existing services and infrastructure the proposal is also compatible with the overall character and residential nature of the surrounding area staff supports this request

[00:30:34] and the planning commission at the february 15th meeting recommended approval if you have any questions i'll be happy to try and answer them colleagues any questions for mr emerson i do have questions and comments but i'm going to wait until after the public hearing hearing no no questions comments from uh colleagues this is a public hearing is there anyone here who would like to speak to this particular case if so i'm staying and head to the back microphone all right seeing

[00:31:12] no one is there anyone on webex to speak to this particular case there's no one to speak to this item all right mr emerson generally 12 years i don't do this nobody speaks to it i just go ahead move it but I do want to just in case somebody goes back um I do want to there is a couple there are a couple of things I know one um one resident who lives on um Natchez I think is how you say it

[00:31:45] uh well actually a couple persons who lived on um Natchez and Natchez were concerned about oral and I know that there are some uh improvements on oral room that the developer will do I know um I think Mr. Baker, Mr. Baker, is Mr. Baker here?

[00:32:07] Yes, sir. You don't need to come. Yeah, I just want to. But you, Mr. Baker, spent considerable time with this particular resident. Yes, sir. So he sent me an email, you know, letting us know that there were some things, some conversations.

[00:32:24] I think he did make her feel a little better. Yes, sir. But the biggest concern that the residents have has nothing really to do with the case. The case adds at a max 85 homes, which will, I think, traffic will roll out on...

[00:32:47] It will go down west over and down Orems to Nine Mile. Yeah. So off of Nine Mile onto Orem, there was concern that the road is not wide enough. Yes, sir, that's correct. So is that DPW, have we had any discussions on what we will do?

[00:33:10] Of course, right now, as you know, there are traffic calming efforts underway for both Westover and Orems. Mr. Hughes and I have briefly talked about this today. He may have some ideas. The improvements that the developer is obligated to make begin and end along their shared property line, and they have agreed to make those improvements.

[00:33:34] So you're correct that the concerns lie at the intersections that are outside the development. So Mr. Hughes may have something to add to that. Mr. Hughes, can you come up for a second and just talk about that? Now, while he's coming up, the applicant is widening the west side of Orems and putting the sidewalk there.

[00:33:59] It's going to be landscape buffered, and the landscape frontage actually will block the view of the new housing development, so you're not looking directly in people's backyards, I guess, as deep as the buffer.

[00:34:15] Yes, sir, that's correct. It's a 15-foot transitional buffer, and that's a substantial buffer for a residential home. Right, and so the street network, sidewalks, all of that will fall into our public road network.

[00:34:32] Yes, sir. Okay, all right. Mr. Hughes, Orem, are there any plans for us to do anything? So traffic calming is a part of the applicant's proposal, but what else can we do so that residents can feel comfortable about this new neighborhood on this road?

[00:34:59] Mr. Chair, so we've had some preliminary conversations. believe traffic calming will help with speed cushions so our traffic group will be putting some speed cushions along the corridor that will help slow traffic down because I think that's that's a big factor in the comfort but as you may you're probably aware but others may not be we're actually working on a working with a new technique on paving that we've been that we've been implementing in the eastern part of Henrico for the most part but we're starting to roll that on some other streets including subdivision streets that's taken these

[00:35:33] narrower you know 16 18 foot wide roads and turning them into more of a 20 22 foot wide road so we're we're currently looking at that along Orym's for treatment so I think that will help alleviate any additional traffic as well as a provide some more comfort for drivers along the road all right so we're going to start with traffic calming Orym's will be on the list to look at for road widening and um we'll just continue to you know stay um in conversation with the um with

[00:36:09] the community about that um all right thank you that's all i had now mr baker i don't want you to come up here and talk yourself out of a um recommendation do you do you really want to talk or if not i can move us forward all right all right i move that we follow the recommendation of the planning commission and approve rez 2023-00041 hartstacker dorado capital llc with the proffers dated february 21 2024. all right motion has been made by myself second by

[00:36:44] ms whitehead all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr manager next mr chairman members of board uh agenda item 87-24 also within the varanda magisterial district before you is maggie walker community land trust with a conditional rezoning from b1 business district to b1c business district and r60 general residence district a parcel that contains just about 6.7 acres of parcels located at the intersection of north airport drive and east washington street in this case the applicant

[00:37:21] is proposing an education facility commercial uses multi-family residential and townhouses once again the planning commission did recommend approval on this project mr emerson thank you again mr manager mr chairman and members of the board this proposed development would include three residential and commercial uses with primary access on east washington street the site site is currently wooded with both evergreen and deciduous trees and generally slopes downwards towards north Airport Drive. Surrounding uses include single-family residential, retail, a

[00:37:58] physical rehabilitation facility, and across North Airport Drive vacant RTH or townhome zoned properties. Opposed development would include three main uses with primary access on East Washington Street. As reflected in this conceptual plan, a community center and early childhood education school would be located on the western portion of the site adjacent to north airport drive uses for the

[00:38:31] commercial building would be limited to daycare educational office recreational and civic uses in the center of the property would be two charitable residential facilities operated by the children's home society of virginia and the richmond ywca these residential uses are limited to no more than 45 units also proposed adjacent to the existing single family residential here to the rear of the property our ownership townhomes limited to no more than 22 units the orientation

[00:39:06] of the townhomes will place their rear and side yards with a landscape 35 foot buffer along the adjacent single family development so it's designed to have as little impact as possible on the existing single family. The conceptual plan reflects shared parking towards the center of the property away from the existing single family and provides for secondary access connecting to the southern adjacent property. We do have some exhibits that that reflect the structures that

[00:39:42] will be on the property and proffers submitted address use limitations, dedication of land for future bus stop along north airport drive construction requirements for private roads storm water construction hours building materials and of course the elevations you just saw landscaping sidewalks the conceptual plan that you just viewed and many many other items because of previous county ownership the site's future land use recommendations for governmental uses this the proposed uses would be operated by private organizations and therefore would

[00:40:19] be generally consistent with the government recommendation opposed owner occupied townhomes are an accepted transitional use for the single-family neighborhood to the east submitted proffers assure quality a high quality of development staff supports this request and the planning commission recommended approval at their february meeting if you have any questions i'll be happy to try and answer them questions from my colleagues uh joe the um the commercial building again yes sir was there a committed use to that building is is that i know the sprout school

[00:40:57] um that's the that's the piece for kids five and under right yes sir that's a pre-k type program all right so what's the uh the first building was for for what my understanding is it's going to be offices community center and then possibly some other support commercial uses yet to be determined all right and so again the middle the middle section that's housing one building for ywca the other building for children's society and then the stuff on the where the east side the

[00:41:35] way i'm looking at it um is um market markets i mean market townhouses ownership townhomes these would be would be owned but they would be part of the maggie walker land trust which of Of course, you understand that program and how it works.

[00:41:54] And, of course, the two center buildings are apartments, but, of course, they're YWCA and children's services types of units, and they're limited to no more than 45 units. At the plan of development phase, are elevations up for conversations then or what?

[00:42:18] Yes, sir. They have to be submitted, and we will review them and determine whether or not they're reasonably consistent with the proffers and with the elevations submitted. I know the applicant's attorney is here. I don't know how I just missed it. I don't like the elevations, but I won't hold the case up.

[00:42:37] Sure. The buildings don't look good, but Jeff will take care of that, I'm sure. When we get to plan and development, I'll make a note. We'll coordinate with you and sit down and see what we can do to get those in the proper order for your acceptance. All right. Thank you.

[00:42:55] This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here to speak to the case? All right. Seeing no one. Is there anyone on WebEx? There's no one to speak to this item. All right. I do have a question, Jeff, for you. Can you just go to the mic, just specifically talk about the ingress, egress?

[00:43:15] I know that was one of the concerns for some folk in the community meeting about a second interest, and I know you're working on that. Yes, Mr. Chairman. For the board, my name is Jeff Geiger, here on behalf of the applicant.

[00:43:32] We had some good conversations with the Planning Commission about the access point that you see illustrated on the layout. Good conversations with the neighbors after the meeting to help them understand the project.

[00:43:49] And then we have been in contact with the owner of the property to the south. We have a meeting scheduled with them tomorrow. We would like, we have put a proposal in front of that owner to have what we call cross-access easements, where they would get an easement on our property, we would get an easement on their property to access the public roads.

[00:44:11] They're also interested in understanding how their workers might be able to communicate with Maggie Walker and have the opportunity to live in close proximity to where they work. Selfishly, we would also like the opportunity to talk to them.

[00:44:28] we may have residents who would enjoy an opportunity to become employed with that business. So the entrance right now, entrance exit right now is where? On the north side on Washington, where Mr. Emerson is pointing.

[00:44:46] Okay. All right. Thank you. Anything else you want to add? No, sir. All right. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Did I ask public hearing? I did ask that already. Yes, sir. You did. All right. So before I make a motion, I'm going to ask Carrie Tatina to come. This is such a unique piece.

[00:45:04] You don't really see, you know, I can't remember many, if any, over the course of my decade or so of service where we've had this kind of combination of uses being brought forward. So can you just kind of talk, just tell us how we got here.

[00:45:22] Yes, Mr. Chairman, thank you. So the manager and I and Eric Lebo on community revitalization along with Real Property, Curtis Anthony, have been working on this for the better part of two years. looking at our non-profit partners. So, this project really touches on what the region has been talking about in terms of housing affordability. We need ownership and we need deeply affordable homes for those who are trying to build back up their lives from certain traumas or other unfortunate life events. And this captures everybody, adults and kids transitioning from

[00:45:58] foster care. It also provides childcare, which we all know right now is truly an area of need, particularly with certain federal funding drying up. And so making sure that this consortium of nonprofits had a site that not only was going to be supported by the government, but we could also help buy down the cost for not only the ownership piece through the Mackie Walker Land Trust, but just for the project in general, because this is -- there were For many steps, the board has already entered into an MOU with Maggie Walker at a previous

[00:46:32] board meeting, but this is all going to be fundraised, essentially, because it's a consortium of nonprofits. And so there are also many other private partners that are working pro bono behind the scenes to make this work because they believe in the mission.

[00:46:47] They believe in giving people the opportunity to get -- to maximize life's opportunities and housing is a critical component of that. So we're very excited about this project, personally been working with RUPA for a number of months to get this to this point.

[00:47:04] But it's also going to provide services, not just childcare, but the commercial use that you spoke is going to have wraparound services for not only the youth coming out of foster care, but also the individuals that participate in the YWCA and Safe Harbor programming as well.

[00:47:24] So really excited. It's just the first days there will be a number of fundraising activities moving forward, but this checks a lot of boxes for the region, sir. So who was the landowner? We were. And how did the land, did we sell the land, or what did we do?

[00:47:42] We donated it and transferred it to the Maggie Walker Land Trust, and there's an MOU that we established with them, and the board approved that, I think, a couple meetings ago. Eric Lebo typically brings those forward in collaboration with Real Property. So I just want to make sure that the community understands that that was our land.

[00:48:00] We gave it so that it could be used for the building of affordable housing. Perpetual affordability. And you're going to continue to hear efforts that this county is going to be undertaking as it relates to making the housing affordable over the next year or so.

[00:48:18] Absolutely. So excited about that. Children's Home Society-wide WCA reps, you hear, can you just wave? I'm honored that this is in our district, and I hope that this will just be the start and we can have more cases come forward like this.

[00:48:36] Absolutely, sir. And I move, thank you, Carrie, I move that we follow the recommendation of the Planning Commission, and our Planning Commission chair is here. He comes to every, I think you might be the first Planning Commission, are you the first Planning Commission chair that comes to every meeting of the Board of Supervisors?

[00:48:52] I mean, you're just, you're such an incredible Planning Commission chair, I tell you. all the way from the varana district i appreciate you i move that we follow the recommendation of the planning commission and approve rez 2023-100260 maggie walker community land trust with the profits dated february 29 2024 second motion has been made by myself second by reverend cooper all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you case passed mr manager next mr chairman uh we have a provisional use permit 88-24 in the tuckahoe magisterial district diamond communications

[00:49:28] with a request for a telecommunications tower that would be located at the intersection of patterson avenue and mayberry drive mr emerson this uh the applicant has requested a withdrawal yes sir that's correct so no action is necessary well what so do we still need to um vote on this or what do we need to vote on this mr chair members of the board no action is necessary whatsoever you can move to the next item all right mr manager public comments next mr chairman members of the board i'll move into public comments i do have several individuals that have signed up to

[00:50:05] speak uh this evening and uh you can do so from the back of the electorate at the back of the room mr manager before the first person comes up um i know that there are some persons here who want to speak or i would assume want to speak to the um to 92-24 it's a resolution it's the substantiability substantially in accord with comprehensive plan for the tuckahoe creek

[00:50:37] park boardwalk connection generally we do not allow public comments for resolutions so i will ask that if you are here and you want to give comment, that case is not a public hearing. So now is the appropriate time for you to make those comments. When we get to the resolution, I don't want to set a precedent for this. So when we get to the resolution, there won't be a public comment, period. But I know some of you are here. You want us to hear you. We want to hear you. So now is the

[00:51:12] time to give your public comments on whatever going forward for the rest of this agenda there is no more public comment after the public comment is closed all right hopefully you understand that if you have public comments now is the time to do it once the public comment period is closed it will not be reopened okay we have someone that is at the podium if you would just begin your remarks by stating your name and address for the record that would be appreciated My name is Jamise Vinson, and I live in the west end of Henrico County.

[00:51:53] The last time I was here, I asked the police to include items in a police report because my home had been burglarized, and the police were refusing to include the items. I also asked that they patrol my street, and it took them a long while, and I kept calling, and they finally said, well, what we're going to do instead is we're going to change the police report and say that there was no burglary, and then you sent like six officers to my house, and one of

[00:52:28] them asked to see where the burglary occurred, and I said, well, I've had it fixed. It occurred six months ago, and this was Officer Anker, and he was the one that said that he would have the police report changed to say there was no burglary to prevent me from being able to file a claim with my insurance company anchor was totally dismissive of me and should have and should not have even been at my home in the first place because i asked him why he wasn't in a uniform and he said oh i handle people in distress and i said i'm not in distress i'm just asking you

[00:53:06] to include the items in a police report and patrol my neighborhood my home has now been broken into 10 times and this last time I saw them running from my house and they got into a truck and drove away. I then went into my house and my wi-fi had been jammed and I told the police about wi-fi jammers and that that was how they were breaking into my house because I have an ADT security system. They're disengaging it and then robbing me blind and I want the police to do something

[00:53:44] about this. And they keep saying, oh, I'm making up Wi-Fi jammers because they said they never heard about them. But they do exist. And federal law says if you have one, you're committing a felony because people are not permitted to have them. And they keep coming back to my home. So I brought something I wanted the Board of Supervisors to read, and it's about Wi-Fi jammers. It just came out in the newspaper USA Today at the end of February of this year. So I'd like to give that to you and the only thing i'm asking now is to have the police patrol my neighborhood because

[00:54:23] they they're not um can you make sure uh i don't know if you said your address we yeah miss uh miss vincent just tanya's going to come back our clerk is going to come back and get that information from you can you just um share your address one my full address no no no i don't want you to do publicly just share it with her and she'll get it to the chief and we hear you and we'll we'll do what we can to up that patrol of your neighborhood thank

[00:54:57] you all right thank you thank you for coming okay my name David Goodall 54 year resident of Fairfield district my wife didn't necessarily want me to appear tonight to bring to your attention what I'm about to disclose but I feel

[00:55:34] like i'm a lonely person out in the wilderness i feel it's my obligation to come before the government of the county in which i'm a taxpayer and law-abiding citizen first i applaud the county manager and the board for giving property owners a one-time tax credit on the real estate taxes and reducing the real estate taxes to 85 cents per 100 of assessed value thank you however few citizens felt that this credit did not help everyone and the county manager published

[00:56:11] correspondence to the board dated march 2nd 2022 he indicated that the real estate tax rate has been reduced seven times during the past 44 years while not having been increased a testament to henrico's commitment to permanent tax relief however the board of supervisors is not obligated to adopt the proposed tax rate, but may increase or decrease them as deemed necessary.

[00:56:40] Mr. Chairman, with the tremendous growth in the county, I know the board has the authority to reduce the real estate tax. Mr. Chairman, Hanover County has reduced their real estate tax to 81 cents per 100.

[00:56:56] I know Henrico County can do better than that, so I hope the board would establish goals to reduce the real estate tax for Henrico County homeowners, such as reducing the real estate tax rate by $0.02 for $0.01 to assess value for the year 2025, followed by another reduction in the year 2026.

[00:57:22] Each year, the reassessments are increased. The real estate estate tax rate should be reduced. Mr. Chairman, it has been said that when it comes to property taxes, retirees often find themselves in a unique position, While home assessment continue to increase, their income does not.

[00:57:42] I'm aware of the Real Estate Advantage Program, REAP, and the new Real Estate Cap Program, RCAP. With regards to the Real Estate Advantage Program, REAP, these programs helped a few citizens. In fact, as of 12-31-2021, over 5,000 citizens participated.

[00:58:05] My other concern, Mr. Chairman, I think the county should take proactive measures to provide additional crosswalks on busy Main Street to help prevent pedestrian injuries or fatalities in the county. Likewise, the county should take proactive measures to remove potentially hazards of tree limbs hanging close to and over streets. For example, Brook Road, Route 1, heading north from Interstate 95 overpass to Hilliard Road, and section of Wickelson Road,

[00:58:39] heading west from Interstate 95 Underpass to Brook Road and Lakeside Avenue from Brook Road to Hilliard Road. Lastly, most of Richmond Henrico Turnpike from the racetrack going north to Isaiah Avenue. Thank you. Mr. Goodall, thank you for coming. We know you are a long-time active citizen.

[00:59:03] I do want to ask you to speak to, so first of all, let me say we have our legislative budget hearings next week and then over the course of the next several weeks we will continue to hear from the public and we'll vote sometime in April I think toward the end of April. In the meantime I'm sure my colleagues have heard your request and who knows you know they may or may not you know try to push for your reduction. I challenge challenge you you know we provide a lot of resources in

[00:59:42] in RICO. So, Hanover does not have the level of service that we provide here in RICO, but we definitely have a great conversation. We do have some good stuff going on with recap though. So, Sheila, if you don't mind, can you just go, there is in the manager's budget an expansion of recap that you may fall into.

[01:00:04] And so, she'll share that with you. And then, Mr. Hughes, if you don't mind, can you Mr. Goodall, can you just meet these two individuals out in the hall you say it a lot of places where we need to do some work yeah so let them tell them exactly where you just say it so they don't have to go back and watch the video to get it okay all right thank you sir mr manager all right um i also have ron melanson it's from melanson are you on webex he is not sir all right do you have anyone on webex miss davis no sir there's no one to speak

[01:00:42] on Webex. Okay, then I'm going to ask you all to just line up and just go through your comments. Thank you. I do appreciate your time. My name is Jeff Brubaker. I've lived at 1420 Westshire Lane for the last 31 years. This is the fourth meeting I've been to on the Tuckahoe Creek Park issue.

[01:01:02] There's one common denominator with all these meetings that I've been to, and it's the passion of the people who oppose this project. I bought my house when I was 24 years old. It was my first house. It was supposed to be my last house I ever bought. As soon as I saw the big swamp behind the yard, I knew I was home. That was where I was going to be. It was awesome. A home is the largest financial investment that any of us will make. A home is where you celebrate a birth. It's where you mourn a death. A home is where you retreat when you need to recharge. A home is where you

[01:01:36] do life. Passion naturally comes out when it comes to protecting the quality of your home life. I believe any of you all would do that. There will be many more people in favor of this project because they're not giving up anything to see this project go forward. I am asking that you find this request from Henrico County Parks and Rec to be not in accord with the county's comprehensive plan for 2026 on the basis of not being cohesive with chapter 8, page 121, which states land use include land use includes areas identified as environmental protection areas which are

[01:02:15] encouraged to remain in their natural state. A boardwalk is not natural in an environmental protection area. And per the 2026 future land map, this exact area behind Lakewood Manor is designated as environmental protection area and not as an open space recreation area and it should not be developed as a recreation area. I do appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

[01:02:41] Thank you. Hi, my name is Lauren Toyvow. I am a lifelong Varina resident. I was born and raised, I was born in St. Mary's, but born and raised in Varina. And now I was away at school and in training with my husband, but now we've brought our family back to the Varina area. I had two young children um that are my oldest is enrolled in varina mayford elementary schools um and uh one of the big reasons that we came back is because of the growth and amenities that we're

[01:03:18] seeing in varina we're very particular as varian and varine virinians about how development is happening so i can tell you i just want to say thank you first off before i get into my what i came to talk about talk about um uh thank you for your efforts to uh get the varina library built um it is it is within two minutes of my home it's one of the most um i think impressive amenities in the county um also we're so excited about the taylor farm park um that's being built so i appreciate um the effort that's being put in there um we want to have nice things but are particular about how it's developed and it's exciting to see the news about um mixed-use

[01:03:58] development and attention to affordable housing and also it's been spoken of but walkability just as I I drove on 895 which is an exorbitant toll that I hope will come down soon so that it could be used by more residents but as I drove on 895 and then came on West Broad Street to get here I passed three separate individuals on Broad Street that were walking well-worn grassy paths and one One was in a motorized wheelchair, and it's just not safe.

[01:04:30] I also happen to live on Osborne Turnpike, or off of Osborne Turnpike, where Ms. Holland unfortunately lost her life last fall, and it was very traumatic for our community. And I've sent separate emails about that incident and the need for improved bike lane and walkability in that area also.

[01:04:52] So I hope that'll come to fruition eventually. The reason I actually came to give comments tonight is my first public comment and it'll be an unorthodox comment. I hope you'll humor me as I am learning the ins and outs of local government.

[01:05:07] I actually have given comment on this topic at city council a couple of weeks ago. And I don't know how siloed governments, local governments are. I imagine they're pretty siloed, so I don't know necessarily how much communication you have with them. My purpose in being here tonight is to speak on my concern as a U.S. citizen and more locally, you know, and that trickles down to Henrico about how my tax dollars are being used.

[01:05:35] Yes, federal tax dollars to fund what I believe to be a genocide in Palestine, occupied Palestine. My daughter, my oldest daughter I mentioned, is a kindergartner at Mayford Elementary School in Baraina. Her classmate is a Palestinian whose family came here from the West Bank, and they also have family that's in Gaza, relatives that they pray for every day whose safety they cannot be assured of.

[01:06:04] And I want to give a preface before I continue speaking that I know that I'm not going to solve any issues of the Middle East by being here and by giving comment, but I hope you'll humor me by I can ease my conscience by being here and not letting the false notion that people in Henrico County don't care about this issue or care about how their tax dollars are being used.

[01:06:32] After giving comment at city council, they have respectfully held off on this issue because they see it as divisive. They see it as non-local, so irrelevant to the business of the city.

[01:06:49] I take issue with that. They are a federal tax dollar, the 3.6 million, and you can look this up, but some stats that I found are that $3.6 million of Richmonders' federal tax dollars have gone to this, have gone to funding Israel and the IDF.

[01:07:12] And again, I want to say as a, sorry, it's kind of emotional, and also I'm lightheaded because I'm uncomfy, but I want to say that I don't know of any relationship that our country has with another country that is like this. In my research in the last few months since October 7, which was over 160 days ago, I've learned that over 250 people, individuals, mostly civilians,

[01:07:47] are killed every day. I've learned that our country has a contract with Israel to train police with the idea. I've learned that there is a Virginia-Israel advisory board that meets and receives funding as a lobbying group. I know there are lobbyists that work with AIPAC where our representatives receive money. I don't know of any other country that has a relationship with our country like this that is privy to our tax dollars in this way.

[01:08:23] I know there's a long history of anti-Semitism that goes back to the Ku Klux Klan and prior to that, and I want no part of that, and I think that's reprehensible and disgusting. What I also think is disgusting is that now I'm being implicated because my tax dollars are going to fund bombs raining down on my kindergartner's classmate's family.

[01:08:47] I am, and I know there are time constraints, so please bear with me as I get through some of the other things I wanted to speak to. and I'm going to speak from the heart, but basically for the last 160 days, I've been very plugged into the news on this issue. I know it's easy for a lot of us. The pace of the news is so incredibly backbreaking that we can't keep on top of everything, but I've been very plugged into this issue, and I've seen the most horrific violence I've ever seen in my entire life. I feel

[01:09:22] like I have PTSD, and it feels like our news and media and elected officials are asking me to pretend like I don't have eyes, like I can't see what's happening. It's, I feel like I'm in topsy-turvy world. What I'm asking for and what I'm hoping in my presence here is that you will understand that there is agitation for this in the county, that we care about this issue. I know this is a hyper local meeting and I appreciate you giving me the microphone to allow me to say these things.

[01:09:54] But this is an issue that's important to a lot of people. It's an issue that is becoming soul deadening to a lot of people we feel like we can't we don't have accountability so what i see the reason i'm here is this is a trickle down rage issue i've called my representatives for the last almost 160 days asking them to call for a ceasefire to stop my tax dollars from going towards this conflict um there's been equivocation there's been both sides and but i see them receiving money from AIPAC lobbyists. I see them wearing blue in support of Israeli victims,

[01:10:31] which I understand, but then it's becoming convoluted, the both sides argument. I don't think there's any universe in which the killing of over a thousand people in Israel on October 7th justifies the killing and displacement of 30,000 plus more people, mostly most of which are women and children um ma'am yes i'm gonna have to usually we do five minute max i'm giving you an extra three and a half minutes if you can just take the next minute and wrap up appreciate

[01:11:07] that um supervisor nelson um what i would like and my purpose in being here is um i'm not sure how siloed you are with city council um i've been working with a group to excuse me to try and have Richmond joined over 75 other cities in the U.S. that have already called for or have already put place a ceasefire resolution. I'm asking you to consider the Henrico residents that might not have as much pull with those city council members and let them know that there is support for this issue

[01:11:41] in Henrico and that a ceasefire resolution happening and being passed in Richmond would do a lot to ease my mind in terms of this being an election year this being something that would put pressure on our elected officials with arguably more power all the way up to the president to see the end of this bloodshed thank you thank you hello how are y'all doing tonight

[01:12:18] my name is Christopher Lawrence 1424 West Shire Lane my mom owns the property but I've lived there my whole life 35 years jeff is one of my neighbors great friend ed's one of my neighbors um that's the other thing is that what jeff said we lived there my mom bought it because of the property was the swamp protected land and everything we knew it was never going to be touched we love animals we love nature all of that stuff so it breaks our heart one of the other biggest things is that me and my brother and all of the neighbor's kids we all used to walk back in there that's how we made friends we walked the swamp all of that kind of stuff made our own little things and stuff

[01:12:56] people won't be able to do that anymore my niece comes down from florida every year just to walk back in the swamp and everything and do nature and stuff and okay so y'all put the pier back there when y'all have to fix it again and it ruins my shop in my backyard are y'all gonna pay to fix it every time and what about all the drugs what about the animals the owls all of that stuff they're going to move away and that's all of that stuff my pet cemetery behind my house that all of my kids all of me my brother all of that stuff's going to be ripped up my grandmother's flower bed

[01:13:35] is right there where y'all gonna put it she died like 10 years ago that was her thing that was her whole insight y'all just gonna rip it up why can't we and where it's gonna all the parking gonna be but you can spend two million dollars but you can't pay my street for the last 30 years and behind my house is not a good place. It scares me to have that. I would have to put more security.

[01:14:05] That is a big thing. And in my own words, me and my mom would never accept this. It's just not fair. No one in the neighborhood wants this to happen. Anything else to say? I'll sit out back and protest it the whole time y'all build it. I'll put a cane around me. Thank you. Thank you for Hello, good evening. My name is Richard Tucker, and I'm from 1510 West Shire Lane, same neighborhood.

[01:14:40] Same concern, and I know that there's going to be a public meeting coming up on April 17th at the Deep Run Park Pavilion, or whatever that would be called, that building in Deep Run Park, where we will all be able to address our concerns more.

[01:14:57] So I'm looking forward to that meeting. What I want to say, the only thing that I consider relevant to this meeting tonight is you're discussing whether to accept a change of the land, and I just don't think that we need to change anything. It's already protected land.

[01:15:13] There's nothing back there. There's no reason to change it. I can tell you in my – I've only lived there three years. Some of my neighbors have been there for decades. I've never seen the creek as high as it is right now, especially after this rain this last weekend, and I'm very nervous about driving thousands of pylons.

[01:15:31] Into the muck what that's going to cause for those of us upstream and there's and there's thousands of us So it's pristine now because it hasn't been touched in 50 years. That would be my request to this board tonight It was my request to the planning board a month ago Just leave it pristine just say it's fine the way it is and we're not going to change it That's my only request. Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it And I'm looking forward to the meeting on the 17th. Thank you, sir. Good evening. I'm Ken Pollack I live on Hollandale Road. It's It's, I guess, the next neighborhood down the creek.

[01:16:09] My concern with this, you're reviewing to see if this land is in accordance with the 2026 plan, and everybody's kind of focused on the fact that it's a boardwalk through, like, a vacant area. This is a utility easement.

[01:16:28] This is going to be pilings pounded into a utility easement that has a four-foot sewer main. You're kind of setting a precedent by this that says that the 2026 plan is going to allow for structures to now be built in utility easements, and I think that's concerning, and you should take that into consideration.

[01:16:49] Thank you. Thank you. Sir? My name is George Smith, and I've been a resident of the Fairfield District for over two decades. Genocide is the worst crime you can commit, literally.

[01:17:08] It's the worst thing you can do. And some people say that what's going on in Gaza is not a genocide, But genocide is the denial of the resources upon which life depends.

[01:17:24] Food, water, power, medicine. And that is what's going on now. But why am I talking to you about this? It's thousands of miles away.

[01:17:43] It's because opposing genocide is always the right thing to do. Adding your voice to the growing list of governmental entities that do oppose what's going on is always the right thing to do.

[01:18:09] Someone, a famous person said, I don't remember who said this, but the only thing required for evil to triumph is for good people to remain silent. So I hope in the near future you decide to take this up, and I hope you decide to oppose evil.

[01:18:35] Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else that wishes to address the board this evening? My name is Susan Spencer.

[01:18:54] I live on the next street over from Westshire, Carolwood Court. I'm at the very end of the cul-de-sac, so I'm right in the flood zone, if you want to call it that. Last time I was here, I spoke of the hardwood buffer that is out there that's being flooded.

[01:19:13] In this past month, two trees have come down that are very tall hardwoods. Fortunately, they went towards a creek. A concern that I have, even with what's already been built, there's only one trash can at one end of the creek walkway.

[01:19:35] So guess where people are throwing their trash that are going away from the main area? So we're cleaning up trash from people. It won't be pristine. You add more area to that, it will not be pristine.

[01:19:52] There's no bathroom out there. So parents that are bringing their children to the shelter, where are they going to the bathroom? That's a thought. Where is the sewer going to go? And like this gentleman said, what about the utility barriers?

[01:20:09] What about us? We've been there for 24 years and we have seen a lot of change. Every time it rains now, that water comes in my yard. I'm now a flood zone where I wasn't one before, so I'm having to pay more taxes for that. Some of my neighbors up the street may be all for this, but they don't live in my house. They don't see the trees fall. The wildlife that's coming up into my yard now, the wildlife that's disappearing because they have to move to an area that's not flooded.

[01:20:48] My concern for my grandchildren is the sanitation that is going to be ruined back in that very pristine area and the lifestyle change that it's going to bring out for each one of us who has enjoyed living back there because no one could build behind us.

[01:21:12] And now you may. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else before we move on? All right. Good evening.

[01:21:32] I'm Ed Damerle. I live at 1410 West Shire Lane, and I won't rehash what everybody else said. But Sunday I went to the park area, the boardwalk that is already in place, and tried to see who was using it, what the parking situation there is.

[01:22:00] Parking is prohibited, so you're forced to, if you want to get there by car, you have to park in front of somebody's house. Now, the proposed area is supposed to have some parking areas.

[01:22:19] That brings on a new set of problems. There is a board that tells you what you should do while you're there, not to ride bicycles on it. Fishing is allowed.

[01:22:35] It's great to have the sign there, but I saw two sets of bicycles there. It was a nice day. I enjoyed the walk. So I'm pro the use of the creek, but there's a lot of differences between what is now in place, the buffer that is behind the houses where the boardwalk presently is, and what they proposed down the creek toward Patterson.

[01:23:08] That's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Scott Spencer. i live at 2310 carolwood court previously you heard from my wife i just have a couple concerns that the board should uh addressed why they're there safety if you build a pier that long what happens if a person gets injured in the middle of it it's going to take your sponsors at least five to ten minutes to get out on that pier are you going to tell the person just later than die

[01:23:47] i don't think so also what about on the fourth of july this year or last year correction last year for the jai we have had some celebrators go out there and set fire to up here of course i don't think they've told you guys that but if we're gonna have that kind of a company coming out to the pier maybe we should build a pier out down there i mean that's bringing the wrong element into the far into the next to a concert uh conservation area in tucker creek and the

[01:24:25] reason it is a conservation area that we have one two we have four endangered turtles there They only breed naturally in the wild here in Tucker River Creek and in Rico. We should be proud of that. We should be proud of the coal mines that went under there.

[01:24:45] No telling how many people died in those coal mines, and we are going to build a walkway above their graves. It's just something to think about. It would behoove me for you all to approve the Tucker River Creek boardwalk now after knowing the facts.

[01:25:06] Have a nice day. Thank you. All right. Is there anyone on WebEx? there's no one to speak on web a all right thank you mr manager oh that's um yeah so if mr roguish mrs whitehead if you guys want to speak in response we still can't vote until later right gotcha well i just want to first of all thank you to all the folks from west shire from hollandale etc that came out tonight um you all spoke very very well i spoke to three or four people on the

[01:25:45] phone today as well on this i want to be very clear we have and and mr zanino is going to speak a little bit later on this we have zero plans right now of anything until ms whitehead and i having this community meeting on april the 17th we feel it's very important to hear everyone's concerns on that day we appreciate you guys today but we have zero plans right now to do anything as far as building we don't we don't know we have no idea if we will access it from the north to south the east the west if we if we even do anything so i want to be clear about that tonight the SIA as being presented. We'll go over that, but I just want to make sure that you know that

[01:26:23] from my perspective on Tuckahoe. I don't know, Ms. Whitehead, do you want to say anything from 3CHOP? Push the little button there. Hopefully you guys can hear me. Oh, there we go. Echo the comments of Mr. Rogish, and I do look forward to hearing from folks at that meeting. I do have a question and charge this to my rookie status folks. So, Mr. Newby, if you can explain the,

[01:26:58] and perhaps for others as well the substantially in accord um i guess the the concept of that what is the the practical ramifications of that um is that a step in the process of eventually you know moving forward with it if you could just kind of layman's terms ms whitehead members of the board substantially in accord is a process required by state law when a public piece of infrastructure like a park which this would be is not currently showed on the comprehensive plan the 2026 comprehensive plan was adopted in 2010 mr. Emerson 2009 excuse me and of course

[01:27:38] didn't envision at that time that there would be the possibility of a park in this location the sole purpose of the state substantially in accord review is for the Planning Commission frankly to make a determination of whether introducing that park in that area would in fact be in accord with the comprehensive plan it's a frankly a matter of routine it's just one step very early in the process it does not signify that a park is there tomorrow or that there's funding or that there's plans or anything of that nature it just is a step in the process to allow a project to potentially proceed and the timing of doing this proposing this resolution now is that is that fairly

[01:28:15] standard where we are in the timeline of this particular project yes I would say so and so just so I'm clear if we move forward with the resolution of adopting which sounds to me to be what the Planning Commission has studied and concluded. Is that a fair summary?

[01:28:31] The Planning Commission has already found this to be substantially in accord. Okay. So if we adopt this resolution this evening, we still have every option open to us to completely stop any further development of this or process of the park or to proceed.

[01:28:49] We still have all of those options. Correct. It locks you into nothing. Okay. Thank you. All right. That concludes public comments. Mr. Manchin. Mr. Chairman, we would move into the general agenda. I'm going to ask our budget director, Mr. Justin Crawford, to come forward.

[01:29:07] So for those in attendance and those watching, tonight is the introduction of the proposed budget for the fiscal year for the general government and the school system. Mr. Crawford and his group have been very busy putting this together.

[01:29:26] I want to also thank Deputy County Manager Brandon Hinton for his work, and as well as Sheila Minor on the tax side. So without further ado, Mr. Crawford does have a brief presentation for the board, and then next week we have a week's worth of budget hearings for your consideration.

[01:29:45] Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Manager, and good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. It's my honor to present the manager's proposed budget for fiscal year 25. This begins the public portion of budget development that, in some respects, has probably been years in the making, but in earnest has been underway since September with preliminary revenue estimates, the recalculation of employee salaries, and the assessment of fixed costs, as the manager noted,

[01:30:23] in both general government and Henrico County public schools. Switch off. so in looking in preparing for tonight the you know i guess uh what i would say is that you know the overarching theme the fiscal 25 budget is really you know the county taking care of business and i want to take a minute to kind of explain uh you know kind of what that means as far as the

[01:31:02] budget that uh this board is going you know will receive tonight or has already received tonight and then that it will take the next week to review uh and that is that you know really had four pillars in mind with uh putting this budget together the people who serve or the employees of this county the people we do serve the residents uh throughout whether they you know come out to let their voices uh be heard at these public meetings or just go about their everyday lives you know living and playing in henrico the businesses that uh we serve uh that provide you

[01:31:41] the positive contributions to our community and then finally the kind of uh linchpin to what makes henrico successful really is the fiscal discipline that's required to put to provide the best service at the lowest tax burden for our residents so with that the uh get to the quick numbers portion of the presentation uh fiscal year 25 budget balanced at 85 cents per 100 dollars of assessed value reflects an increase of 8.4 percent uh when compared to the fy uh the current year of

[01:32:20] fiscal year 24 budget however i and now you'll hear this uh particularly in the overview uh presented on monday uh when you look at the revenue streams across that the county has we are projecting that those fiscal year 24 revenues we're actually going to meet or exceed the estimates that we're presenting uh for fiscal year 25 so keeping us about a a year ahead um on you know or giving us a year to help us respond to any sort of economic downturn or and give the

[01:32:58] board the flexibility it needs in order to address any any unforeseen issues that may presented present itself throughout the fiscal year on the expense side you see the total there 1 billion 255 million this budget continues to allocate the lion's share of resources to what this board's highest priorities have historically been education and public safety of the total but growth in the budget nearly 75 million dollars of that growth is dedicated to

[01:33:38] those two areas and a number of uh different efforts but you know again 80 to 90 percent of the budget is uh is uh salaries and benefits for our employees so in the frame of taking care of our people and the fact that you know the employees are essential to every service provided by this county the proposed budget recommends a 4.8 percent salary increase for all eligible

[01:34:11] employees in addition nearly 17 million dollars is set aside for adjustments where the county is experiencing critical employee shortages so the county has a number of vacant positions throughout well over 500 and nearly half of those are in our public safety agencies that's just on the general government side on the t as far as teachers and the schools you're looking at close to this same level of same level where they have about 600 over 600 vacant positions of which well over 300 are

[01:34:50] teachers so now while with teachers they've been filling those classrooms with uh long-term substitutes uh you know this budget will look to give them some assistance to be able to attract and retain the best and cool best teachers that uh for the children of this county and sticking with the in the area of schools and i will note that the budget request of the school board has been fully funded for uh fiscal year 25 but this budget uh yeah in addition uh also begins the

[01:35:27] implementation of the henrico cares initiative that was presented to the public on this past Friday. So, over the next five years, there were growing -- through growing partnerships between Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico area mental health, and private providers.

[01:35:47] It's the goal to expand access to mental health care to all children in Henrico. The total fiscal year 25 cost is around $1.7 million, and that's between HCPS and mental health. The five-year total is going to be somewhere around $5 million.

[01:36:04] In terms of infrastructure maintenance and expansion, the proposed budget includes, in the capital portion, is $327.2 million.

[01:36:21] Over $110 million of that is for projects approved by voters in the 2022 referendum, including the replacement of Koyakis in middle school, the renovation of Johnson Elementary, also firehouse the replacement of firehouse one the start of funding for the animal adoption center and then continued funding for drainage improvements in it additionally there's 120 million dollars for water and sewer infrastructure along with 30 million dollars for road and pedestrian

[01:36:58] improvements now back to the operating budget this budget recognizes the operating costs for four new parks the law the largest of the new parks being the taylor farm park that will open this summer so full funding for its operation and maintenance is provided it also includes the final the final phase of funding the new firehouse 23 the bungalow city fire station and then the also operating costs for the new police station and then you

[01:37:34] know a lot you know and of course miss minor noted the reaffirmation of our triple triple a bond ratings and really a lot of what we do on the capital side you know is helped by that on the tax relief side 1.5 million dollars has been added to the budget for real estate tax relief that's twofold one is the acknowledgement of the new recap program and it also this budget proposal

[01:38:05] will also expand the eligibility parameters to 125 000 for income and then 750 000 of net worth and that does exclude the primary resident of the applicant this budget also proposes the doubling of the business license tax deduction which is currently at 500 000 we're the proposal to the

[01:38:36] board is to make that a million dollars this would add 1300 businesses to the to the number of that do not pay a business license tax that would bring the the percentage of businesses that have to register for the business license tax to 86 that wouldn't pay and would leave just 3 000 businesses and we're talking you know our fairly uh sizable retail operations that would be the

[01:39:13] ones paying that tax so with that um just a few uh calendar pointers uh if you know this resolution is approved the the advertisement and of the budget and the tax rates would appear this sunday march 17th but and as noted earlier the budget rebutes will start monday march 18th for the week well hopefully just through thursday we do have friday available as a makeup the public hearing for the

[01:39:48] budget would be on march 26th with the adoption of the budget and then the tax rate public hearings for april 9th with that as a fairly brief overview because as noted we will be discussing the budget in much further detail over the next week and a half i'll be happy to answer any questions the board has at this time thank you sir um questions comments concerns colleagues sir i just one quick one mr chair two quick ones one i just want to call the public attention the folks that are dialed

[01:40:22] in today the folks that are here um i heard a 704 million dollar number for education yes sir um i believe that that's like 50 something million more than it's more than it was almost 50 almost 54 million i just think it just it's incredible to be able to fit that in this budget mr manager i applaud you for i can't wait to look at it during legislative review it's a commitment this county continues to show it education i'm sure it's 56 57 of our overall i'm sure um you know the public should be aware we're going to sit in legislative reviews for budget next week go through you know

[01:41:00] line by line and then i guess that brings me to my final point mr chairman this it's a little It strikes me as ironic today that we heard from our director of finance this afternoon when we first started about an incredible bond rate that we got. 16 competitive bids that were all within striking distance to show how competitive it is to this county and that they want our business.

[01:41:22] I think we heard the results back from our AAA bond evaluation, the excellent work that's being done here, the prudent conservative approach. The irony that strikes me, Mr. Manager, is tonight we're handed a 735 page budget to do it all over again and to start that process again.

[01:41:38] And so to the residents that are tuned in here tonight, please know that I will speak for my colleagues at this point. The work is being done. The staff work is incredible. I know we all are looking forward to getting the budget here next week. But just the irony of hearing the bond ratings and hearing the competitive bids that came back as we're staring at a 735-page budget that was handed to us.

[01:42:02] Mr. Chairman, that's all I have. I just want the public to understand and really hear that this is how the prudent, careful decisions are made of this county. That's kind of what's embodied this county's service to its residents for years. And I look forward to doing it again with my colleagues next week.

[01:42:17] Thank you, sir. Colleagues. So next week we will start on Monday at like 9 o'clock, and we'll go into early evening.

[01:42:35] And then Tuesday is like a half a day. Wednesday and Thursday could be four days. um we see line by line but technically we hear from departments and they departments pretty much tell us they share the story the narrative of who we are and where you where you spend your money a lot of times you can determine what's important so um this is one of the main functions that we do

[01:43:07] which is approve the budget and 1.2 billion dollars that um projections lay in those pages so we look forward to hearing i look forward to going through my first um budget hearing with my with this board so should be pretty exciting and i'm looking forward is there a resolution i mean is there a motion to approve this resolution sir so moved second all right motion made by mr smith second by mr rogers all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr mantel next mr chairman

[01:43:42] members of board i'm going to ask mr newby to cover agenda item 90-24 mr newby yes sir mr chairman members of the board this is a housekeeping measure to move the public hearing on the budget to march 26th as we just heard for those in attendance or those who may be watching that public hearing will take place at 5 p.m not the regular start date of start time of 6 p.m so for those wishing to come on march 26 that's 5 p.m and april 9th which was the originally scheduled date for the budget hearing will now begin at 6 p.m and sir that's the overview of the resolution

[01:44:14] any questions hearing none is there a resolution i mean is there a motion second all right motion made by reverend cooper second by miss whitehead all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr manager next mr chairman 91-24 is a resolution this is consent to assignment a solar power purchase agreement and lease for the eastern henrico recreation center which is in the fairfield district mr massey thank you mr manager mr chairman members of the board this board paper authorizes the county manager to execute a consent to the assignment of the solar power purchase

[01:44:53] agreement associated lease for the eastern henrico recreation center from sun tribe solar llc to henrico pv1 llc a madison energy affiliate entity madison energy will assume all of sun tribe's rights and obligations under the power purchase agreement and lease and the assignment will not otherwise affect or alter the terms or conditions or obligations or provision of the power purchase agreement the directors of general services recreation parks recommend approval this board

[01:45:30] paper and the county manager concurs both madison and i'd be happy to answer any questions you may have questions motion all right second i mean motion made by reverend cooper second by mr smith all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr mantra next mr chairman 92-24 is a resolution And this is for substantial in accord determination with the comprehensive plan for Tuckahoe Creek Park.

[01:46:03] Mr. Emerson. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. As you've already discussed somewhat this evening, before you is a substantially in accord study to determine whether a proposed site for use as a boardwalk for the Tuckahoe Creek Park trail system is substantially in conformance with the county's adopted comprehensive plan.

[01:46:29] The analysis was requested by the Henrico County Division of Recreation and Parks. It should be noted this is a substantially in accord review, and if the proposed use is found to be substantially in accord with the comprehensive plan, additional reviews, approvals, and public hearings and meetings will be required.

[01:46:47] The site is located southwest of Quietwood Court in the south of Lakewood Manor Retirement Facility and is approximately 8.32 acres in size. The subject site is designated Environmental Protection Area on the 2026 Comprehensive Plan.

[01:47:13] The proposed use and overall function of Tuckahoe Creek Park is consistent with the EPA designation and is not anticipated to negatively impact the environmentally sensitive characteristics of the area. With proper design and impact mitigation measures, proposed use could be compatible with the surrounding area.

[01:47:32] After reviewing the proposed location in the context of the existing and recommended land uses, adjacent existing and planned development, transportation system, and other critical site characteristics and considerations, staff concludes the proposed use of this site for the continued Tuckahoe Creek Park presents no apparent conflict with the intent of the adopted 2026 comprehensive plan.

[01:47:55] For these reasons, the proposed use is deemed to be substantially in accord with the goals, objectives, and policies of the 2026 plan. The Planning Commission found the proposed site for use as a boardwalk for the Tuckahoe creek park trail to be substantially in accord with the 2026 comprehensive plan during the february 15 2024 planning commission meeting you do have the analysis that you received earlier does have comments from all the agencies who have provided input on it including utilities in regards to the utility easement that was brought up earlier this evening and of course

[01:48:33] the fact that we do have to recognize that that's there and designed accordingly with that said if If you have any questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them. Questions for Mr. Emerson. First question, Mr. Emerson, thank you. Just on the picture that you're showing, the distance between the far right of the red dotted line and Hollandale Haven, the far right, all the way.

[01:48:58] Take the hand the other way, on the dotted red line. From what I looked at on the map, we're looking at about 100 yards there. That's about what that is, that 300 feet or so?

[01:49:14] Yes, sir. Is that just three to four feet from, again, just this piece? And I just wanted to put that in perspective. Is that right? That's correct. Okay. My only other comment is, again, and I'll just reiterate to, I apologize.

[01:49:30] I'm going to call you Jeff and your friends. But, you know, there are no plans right now. Again, we will talk about this in further detail on the 17th. I certainly, you know, we want to listen to everybody. And, again, appreciate you guys coming out and speaking here tonight.

[01:49:47] Any other comments? Um, no, no other comments, sir, unless Ms. Whitehead. Is there a motion? Mr. Chairman, I do move that we follow the recommendation of the Planning Commission and approve the resolution for the SIA 2023-00005, Tuckahoe Creek Park, Lakewood Manor, finding the proposed boardwalk connection to be substantially in accord with the county's comprehensive plan.

[01:50:16] Second. All right, it's been moved and second. Moved by Mr. Rogan, seconded by Mr. Smith. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Mr. Manager. Next, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Zanino has a paper, Agenda Item 93-24, which is an application for the Virginia Dam Safety Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund.

[01:50:39] The project is actually in the Three Chop District. Mr. Zanino. Thank you, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. This board paper authorizes the Director of Recreation and Parks to apply for grants from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Dam Safety, Flood Prevention, and protection assistant fund the fund allocates grant funds for dam safety and floodplain projects such as updates to emergency action plans professional engineering inspections and engineering analysis including dam break inundation studies and precipitation impact studies grants

[01:51:14] are administered as a reimbursement and require a 50 county match the county has identified potential dam safety projects at echo lake park that are eligible for grant funds one professional design and engineering to dam restoration and three spillway low-level drain drain device replacement the projects are required to maintain compliance with the virginia dam safety and pounding structure regulations the director of recreation and parks recommends approval this board paper and the county manager concurs happy to answer any questions i will note

[01:51:48] the total product total cost of this project is anticipated to be around 150 000 questions from mrs. zanino if not is there a motion mr chairman i move to adopt the resolution second motion by ms whitehead second by reverend cooper all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr manager next mr chairman as mr chan comes forward 94-24 is an introduction of ordinance this is to charge utility charges by amending certain code sections of the county all to conform with the utilities

[01:52:25] component of the proposed budget which you received just earlier thank you mr manager mr chairman members of the board good evening this is an introduction for advertisement and a public hearing on april 9 2024 for a proposed ordinance to change utility fees and charges to be effective july 1st 2024 the ordinance would increase by monthly service and volume charges for water and sewer the total increase in water and sewer charges for the median residential account holder using 10 CCF or around 7,500 gallons of water every

[01:53:03] two months will be $6.95 or approximately 11 cents per day for context the from a volume perspective we charge less than one cent about half a a cent per gallon of water delivered to your house and so if you were to purchase a two dollar bottle of water you could get 341 gallons from us at your tap the changes would be effective July 1st

[01:53:38] 2024 and are recommended to support annual operating debt service and capital costs associated with water and sewer projects with that I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have we're still impressed we just yeah we're just impressed about your maths mathematics any uh questions for mr chair hearing none is there a motion yes sir move the introduction to the ordinance second motion made by mr smith second by mr rogers all in favor say aye aye any opposed thank you mr manchester next mr chairman 95-24 is the resolution for award of

[01:54:17] contract this is the param road pedestrian and transit improvements in the brooklyn district mr hughes thank you mr manager mr chair members of the board this board paper awards a contract for four hundred and forty six thousand dollars to liquid incorporated for the param road pedestrian and transit improvements project the project consists of two locations on the westbound side of param road first location consists of construction of approximately 425 linear feet of five foot wide sidewalk with curb and gutter and drainage improvements beginning at

[01:54:55] hungry spring road and extending to the west the second location consists of construction of approximately 160 linear feet of five foot wide sidewalk beginning at the main entrance to parham doctor's hospital and extending to the west with the bus platform and shelter it is anticipated the work on this project is set to begin in april 2024 and be complete within 180 calendar days the county received eight bids and based upon a review of these bids liquid incorporated was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder funding to support the contract is available within the project budget the director of public works and the purchasing

[01:55:32] director recommend approval of the board paper and the county manager concurs so one thing i will add on this is uh this project came in about 160 000 under budget and we did receive about 537 000 in state smart scale funds so it's largely funded with outside sources happy to answer any other questions on this good stuff thank you questions motion yes sir mr chairman uh before i move the resolution this is i heard some things in here the grtc bus stop things our residents have asked about you sit on the board as well you know this is a key spot we talked about sidewalk connectivity just today in our work session um eight bids i'm glad to see it a hundred thousand

[01:56:10] plus dollars under budget glad to see the market coming back uh mr hughes thank you it's a good connectivity project at a good spot serving a lot of good folks so move the resolution motion made by by Mr. Smith, second by Reverend Cooper. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion passes.

[01:56:30] Mr. Manager, do we have any more business? No, sir, Mr. Chairman. Colleagues, do you have any more comments? I'll just make the comment, Mr. Chairman, we all have at our seats here a flyer for Women's History Month handed out. So if anybody here would like them, I'm sure we have more copies to distribute there in the back. And if anybody is watching or listening on WebEx, please take advantage of these great great resources people take a lot of time to create quality programming for the benefit of our citizens so there you go thank you miss whitehead any other comments all right have a good evening

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