Coraggio Consulting
Henrico County Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting, Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Place: Henrico County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 1h 34m (video)
Official meeting video (Swagit): https://henricocountyva.new.swagit.com/videos/335874
Official agenda (Henrico County): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2025/022525ag.pdf
Official minutes (Henrico County, regular meeting): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2025/022525regmins.PDF
Agend-O-Gram, Mar 11, 2025 (records the Board's approval of these minutes): https://henrico.gov/pdfs/manager/meetings2025/3-11-25Agend-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 2026-10-25. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:07:50] everybody sorry for the two minute delay welcome to our meeting tonight the february 25th 2025 meeting of the ryan county board of supervisors as we always do we'll begin in a second with a pledge of allegiance and invocation but before we do i just like to remind everybody that public comments tonight will be taken from the lectern in the rear for everyone who is watching on live stream tonight please note that you can participate remotely in this public meeting and in the public comment portion of the meeting. To do so, please go to Board of Supervisors webpage at Henrico.us

[00:08:25] backslash supervisors. Click on guidance for Board of Supervisors meeting. Scroll down and click on the WebEx event and a moderator will help you out and let you know when it is your turn to speak. Please join me if you're able to rise for our Pledge of Allegiance and stay standing as our invocation tonight is read by Bobby Mead, chaplain for Henrico County Police Division.

[00:08:46] Let us pray. Father God, we just thank you for this time. As we come together, Lord, as our leaders are guiding us in this time, our board of supervisors, I thank you for their wisdom and discernment.

[00:09:13] Lord, as the decisions are made today, for the places that you have put them in to be leading us, we thank you, God, for them. We thank you for Henrico County. The blessing it is to be a part of this incredible county and those involved in it. Lord, we just pray as this meeting goes forward, a time of just decisions made to just improve and better those around us and those who get to live here in this great place.

[00:09:33] I would pray for those out right now, patrolling the streets, those firefighters, keeping us safe, and first responders, that you keep them safe in this time. And thank you for the hearts of all those here who are gathered just to show their love, appreciation, and to continue seeing the betterment of our county. In your name we pray. Amen.

[00:09:57] We appreciate you.

[00:10:16] Mr. Manager. Mr. Chairman, we have a request for approval of minutes from February the 11th, 2025, both regular and special meetings. Thank you, sir. Is there a motion to approve the minutes? So moved. Motion made by Mr. Cooper, seconded by Mr. Rogish.

[00:10:31] Those in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion carries, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Chair, members of the board, members of the audience, I have two comments this evening. The first one was actually delayed by a meeting that the board had on a snowy day, the first meeting of February, and so it is delayed, but actions have been underway for our National Black History Month celebration.

[00:10:55] This is an occasion to honor the contributions of so many black Americans who have indelibly helped to shape our nation's history. This year's theme is African Americans in Labor, with a focus on the various and profound ways that the work of all kinds intersects with the collective experience of black people.

[00:11:17] There's not an industry or profession that has not been impacted by an African American worker. It is with great pride that I look across our Henrico workforce And I see not only African-American, but I see Hispanic, Asian, and a growing number of Afghan employees and those with intellectual and physical disabilities.

[00:11:40] But most importantly, I see extraordinarily talented people, the best people to do the jobs they were hired to do. People who reflect the communities that we serve. People who are committed to innovation, creative solutions, and going above and beyond their job duties to make Henrico the best place to work, live, and play for our residents.

[00:12:09] We will never apologize for being diverse and inclusive as an organization, ensuring that all employees and every resident in this county feels a sense of belonging and that they are represented in our workforce as well as in our programs, services, and events.

[00:12:31] You can learn more about this month's Black History Programming at henrico.gov, and I want to thank our libraries, our rec and parks, and our school system for everything that they have done to make this promotion a success.

[00:12:46] But continuing the theme of extraordinary talent intersecting with history and culture, it is with great honor, and I see Hezekiah Baylor here, sir, if you would come forward, that I invite Hezekiah Baylor, who is a creative principal and partner of Brown Baylor.

[00:13:06] Last week, for those in attendance and that may be watching, the county unveiled a mural at the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Complex that was created by this talented man and honors the life and legacy of the late, great Arthur Ashe.

[00:13:24] Zakiya, sir, welcome, and thank you for being here to share your inspiration for the creation of Arthur Ashe's journey. The floor is yours, sir. Yes, sir. Thank you, Board of Supervisors, Ms. Callahan, and all of the Henrico residents and leaders.

[00:13:45] I just want to say, as a product of Henrico County Public Schools, growing up, going to Brooklyn, going to Hermitage High School, right across the street, it's just a full circle moment for me.

[00:14:02] A good friend of mine, David Harris, which is Arthur Ashe's nephew, we were tapped to come up with an idea to kind of celebrate his uncle, which is Arthur Ashe Jr.

[00:14:15] And from that, my trade as a graphic designer, now I would age myself more, trying to be more of a creative consultant now, but I had an opportunity to share this creative talent and creative artwork to really shed light on the first and the, I would say, a lot of the first things that Arthur Ash really accomplished.

[00:14:45] Knowing David, most of my life, I didn't really know about his uncle until maybe 2018. And just to honor him with this mural, this mural depicts his journey. Being a first was part of this journey, and we see it in certain blocks, which he became a first in a lot of categories.

[00:15:11] I mean, it's extraordinary on the court and off the court. He was an extraordinary person. The design and inspiration primarily that kind of resonated with me was the theme of a quote that he had written years ago, start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.

[00:15:35] And that resonates with everyone, whether it's your upbringing, your degree, talent, your gifts, you are at a certain place in life because of it. And Arthur Ashe really nailed it with this quote.

[00:15:53] And to, you know, just to look at this thing, you know, I'm seeing the photographs, you know, to work on it is different. But to see it presented is it gives a special, I would say, spirit to to why we're doing what we're doing. So in hopes that children in our great county would resonate with this quote and really expand their boundaries and do what Arthur Ashe has done.

[00:16:22] So in that honor, I really thank you and appreciate Henrico County. Appreciate it. I want to thank also Reverend Cooper and Reverend Nelson. They were involved as well. But thank you for the opportunity of sharing this piece.

[00:16:39] A second comment, Mr. Chair, members of board, involves performance and service.

[00:16:55] So I'm going to ask Deputy County Manager Steve Yob, Terrell Hughes, Paul Smith, Jeff Sadler, if Mario Sims is here. Don't know if Oscar's here. And I'm also going to ask Joey Woodfin and Suzanne Abbott to come forward.

[00:17:14] So y'all don't be bashful. I know that sometimes our folks really don't want the recognition, but I think the board will appreciate this comment. So over the years, Henrico County has had a vacuum leave program, and I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for instituting some changes this year that I think you're going to be pleased with the outcome.

[00:17:39] If there was a most improved award in Henrico, it would be for the vacuum leaf program this year versus what we had last in the prior year. This effort, obviously, would not have been possible without Deputy County Manager Steve Yob, Director of Public Works Terrell Hughes, Paul Smith, Jeff Sadler, Mario Sims, and then Oscar Knott in Purchasing for helping us find a way to provide this service by thinking outside of the box.

[00:18:09] They took a critical look at the program, identified areas for improvement, and brought forward an innovative solution. And this is where Joey Woodfin and Suzanne Abbott with Really Clean Streets come forward. We contracted out vacuum leaf administration, collection, and disposal.

[00:18:27] Public Works was able to focus on other services. So as a result, we welcomed Really Clean Streets as our partner, and they have really exceeded expectations. I want to personally thank Joey Woodfin and Suzanne Abbott for their outstanding delivery of this program.

[00:18:46] Their team has demonstrated operational efficiency, excellent customer service, and a strong commitment to honoring their promise to residents, which was vacuuming leaves in 10 days, even in the face of winter's inclement weather and holidays.

[00:19:03] So consider this. This is more amazing when you consider that nearly 7,000 orders have been completed this year, and not a single order, not one, this probably won't make the headlines tomorrow, exceeded the 10-day window, which is an absolutely remarkable achievement.

[00:19:22] And then there was a survey of residents who used the service. One out of five responded to this survey, 20 percent response rate, with an average rating of 9.9 out of 10, an incredible testament to the program's success.

[00:19:40] I may be bragging a little, but I truly believe Henrico County now has the best vacuum leaf program in the Commonwealth and quite possibly the best in the country. So I'm going to ask Joey, Suzanne, if you would come forward. Terrell, I don't know if you have any comments, but I want the board to be able to recognize you all, see you, and say thank you for what you did this year.

[00:20:03] Yeah, thanks for the kind comments. So definitely want to shout out our team here, Paul, definitely Steve, Jeff, and Mario for really helping. And also give a shout out to some of our folks in DPU. So they were also involved, Bentley, John Clary, really trying to figure out what we could do to bring the program forward.

[00:20:21] But since they're here, I really want to thank Joey and Suzanne. They really made this happen once they were given the keys to the program. So I want to thank them for that. So I'm going to hand it over to them. We appreciate you all recognizing us.

[00:20:40] We're not fixing or doing anything that is curing cancer, but we're grateful for the recognition. When you're in the leaf business, you don't get a lot of that. I know you have a full agenda. We're going to get out of your way and keep you moving.

[00:20:56] Again, I'm Joey, and that's Suzanne. We own really clean streets. We're missing our vice president of operations tonight. He's on a plane inbound from another country, but he's really important on our side because he makes sure those leaves get picked up and they get where they're going for recycling.

[00:21:12] But we'll fill him in on the recognition when he returns, and I'm sure he'll be very proud, as we are. We're grateful for the kind words and you guys to have the confidence in us to take this on. It's a risk, and, I mean, you guys took it, but I've got to tell you, we're a family business.

[00:21:31] We've been in business in Chesterfield for decades, and my family's lived in the area for generations. It's important to me to get this right for you guys. It's important to my team. My family works there. Gosh, my mom still keeps the books.

[00:21:47] And so we know what a family business is like, but we do have the resources and the oomph to get what you guys needed done, and we're just overjoyed that you would let us do that. And the family sort of extends with our help, and you guys, these guys behind me are incredible.

[00:22:04] People talk about government employees can or can't or don't. I'm going to tell you something. They're jaw-dropping. They do not play. And they interacted with, gosh, parks and rec and whoever the heck it took. And it's amazing what they got done.

[00:22:19] We could not do it without those tools. They are jaw-dropping. And so we have visibility into a ton of America's municipal leaf programs. And we see what their equipment is. We help them pull stuff together and have good programs. So we know what a good program is.

[00:22:35] I can tell you, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chairman, the entire members of the board, you now your residents here have the best vacuum leaf program in the united states so your point to the commonwealth is good it's bigger than that though we see them we know them it is operating very smoothly and it's because of your guys so i'm gonna turn the compliments around to these folks because it wouldn't happen without that we're just folks getting it done on on our end and we're grateful to you so is there anything you should add just real quickly i know you guys are busy but i would echo everything joey said and also just express again how grateful we

[00:23:11] are for the opportunity to work with you and your teams on this program and joey spoke to this it truly was a group effort i mean and you know we had folks from obviously all across henrico county we had our internal teams we pulled in external partners um and they were all critical in helping us pull this off and oh by the way in a really short period of time and to be honest it was fascinating to watch it was super exciting so again we appreciate the opportunity we weren't necessarily surprised that we nailed this because we knew we would and but we are thrilled that the

[00:23:50] county and your residents share our enthusiasm for the program and for the outcome that we were collectively able to deliver so this recognition means a lot to us we really do miss chair i have no other comments this evening thank you sir any uh comments from my colleagues good jody good all right seeing none um i'd like to recognize a member of the uh of the media that joined us today linden linden german i think you're down there good to see you sir thanks for being here

[00:24:27] with with vpm and i also want to thank you and some other of your colleagues in the industry for the outstanding coverage that this county received today at our press conference in the beautiful fairfield library so thank you all for the wonderful coverage of that mr manager Mr. Chair, members of the board, first item on the agenda under resignation, item 67-25 is a resolution for resignation of a member from the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen Foundation Board of Directors.

[00:24:55] This board paper would accept the resignation of Arbar Azamuddin from that body. Mr. Chair? Thank you, sir. Is there a motion to accept the resolution? So moved. Motion made by Mr. Cooper, seconded by Mr. Rogish. Those in favor say aye.

[00:25:10] Aye. Any posts? Motion carries. Next, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Agenda item 68-25 is a resolution for amendments to the fiscal year 24-25 annual fiscal plan for the month of February 2025. Now, Mr. Chair, members of the board, I have for your consideration a substitute resolution for these budget amendments.

[00:25:33] The substitute resolution removes an appropriation of $333,360 of federal funding that was eliminated for electric and hybrid vehicles. The county has not received the grant from the Department of Energy, and I have labeled the substitute resolution 68A-25.

[00:25:58] Thank you, sir. For my colleague's convenience that is listed on page four, I believe, in the minutes that we have in front of us, I'll entertain a motion to accept the substitute. Second. Motion made by Ms. Roundtree, seconded by Mr. Nelson, that we substitute item 68A25 for item 6825.

[00:26:23] Those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. I'll now accept a motion to approve the substitute item. Second. Motion made by Ms. Roundtree, seconded by Mr. Nelson. those in favor say aye. Aye. Any post? Motion carries. Mr. Majer. Mr. Majer, I'm sorry to interrupt. I believe this was a public hearing item. Is that not the case? Oh, is it? The whole item, Mr. Newby, is a public hearing item. Would you like to, because this amendment is substituted?

[00:26:52] Yes, I apologize for not intervening sooner. It just struck me that this is on the public hearing agenda, so it would be right to call for public comment and then take the motion on the final one. So, Mr. Newby, if it's okay, I was going to have Mr. Crawford do the overview and then have the public hearing comments that's very good I just I know that the board has just taken a vote to approve but we can move that to the side and do the okay all right so Mr. Crawford if you would provide the overview yes sir Mr. Manager and good evening Mr. Chair members of the board this amendment was introduced at the February 11th board meeting and has been duly

[00:27:29] advertised if approved it would increase the current the fiscal year 25 budget by 84.2 million dollars with the substitute that the board has accepted of that total 75 million dollars would be for the department of public works 66.4 million of that is from the virginia department of transportation for various capital projects and then nine point three million dollars is the true up of the highway maintenance or gas tax payments

[00:28:04] that goes towards public works operating efforts repaving snow removal efforts and other items that are eligible the other highlights within the requested amendments include 2.7 million dollars for storm recovery efforts and then uh an additional eight positions uh for the department of social services and i would note that um the budget that we spoke to earlier today uh will include would include these positions uh if this amendment is approved

[00:28:39] thank you sir any questions for justin on this item mr chair just one question you said 2.7 million dollars that was just for the storm in early january right yes that for a longer period correct okay thank you any other questions from mr crawford all right seeing none this is a public hearing item anyone in the room wish to speak to this agenda item seeing none anyone on webex there's no one to speak to this item all right thank you ma'am i want to be really clear about the motion according to what mr newbie mentioned that there's uh the board has amended the amendment

[00:29:16] amended the resolution when removing an item struck an item from the full amendment list and Mr. Newby you satisfied with the public input on that Mr. Chair yes that's correct and again apologies for not intervening but now that public comment has been had you may take a vote on the substitute resolution thank you sir is there a motion to approve the substitute resolution motion made by Mr. Nelson seconded by Mr. Rogus those in favor say aye any opposed motion carries next mr. chair members of the board agenda item 69-25 is an ordinance for vacation of building

[00:29:51] line this is the brookley acre subdivision 10751 brookley road which is in the brooklyn district we have mr hughes presenting mr hughes i'm told mr anthony is watching so mr anthony is actually out this evening and mr hughes is presenting the real property papers if you would mr manager Mr. Chair, members of the board, good evening.

[00:30:14] This ordinance would vacate the 50-foot building line on the front of the property of 1,751 Brooklyn Road. The homeowners wish to build a detached garage, and this improvement would slightly encroach on the existing building line. The Real Property Division processed the requested vacation through the Departments of Planning, Public Works, and Public Utilities without objection.

[00:30:35] The Director of Real Property recommends approval of the board paper, and the county manager confers. Thank you, sir. any questions from mr. Hughes seeing none this is a public hearing anyone in the room wish to speak to this this item this ordinance anyone on Webex there's no one to speak to this item thank you very much mr. Hughes just for the record I'd like this I just want to make these comments on this particular property as you may be familiar with I know our deputy county manager is familiar with this property the county's been involved in this property for several years as there's been some floodplain issues right across the street between

[00:31:14] Berkeley Park, Jackbourne Park and this property. So while I'm supportive of this vacation of property to the homeowner so that they could make the adjustments and changes they want, I just want to note for the homeowner and please make the homeowner aware that the added additional impervious objects on this area could have negative ramifications to the work the county has done to protect that erosion and the floodplain area.

[00:31:47] And, you know, for the record, I wanted to read this in for the benefit of my colleagues. Mr. Manager, I think you're familiar with this property. Mr. Hughes, I know you are. The county has expended dollars to protect that bank, and we're going to be real cognizant of continuing to protect that bank. So while I'm supportive of the land change, I would imagine, Mr. Manager, Mr. Hughes, maybe a question for Mr. Emerson, a person we need to come forth with a plan of development to add this garage, right?

[00:32:12] All right, so I would just ask that the county be real cognizant about the impact on the environment and the wetlands right across the street. Okay. Thank you, sir. I'll make a motion to accept this ordinance as it lies in the Brooklyn District. Is there a second? Second. Seconded by Mr. Cooper.

[00:32:28] Those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Chair, members of the board, Agenda Item 70-25 is a resolution for condemnation. This is right-of-way an easement for the Fall Line Trail, which is in the Fairfield District. Mr. Newby, I'm told that this item has been settled.

[00:32:44] Yes, sir, that's correct. Mr. Chair, members of the board, this item can be withdrawn. No vote needs to be taken. No public comment needs to be heard. The matter has been settled between the property owners and the county. All right. So, Mr. Newby, this is a unique one. So correct me if I'm wrong here.

[00:33:00] This is a public hearing. So I'm guessing that we take public input and then we accept a motion to withdraw the item. No, sir. I would approach this like you would a zoning case that's been withdrawn. no need to take public comment. The case is simply a null. At all? Just withdraw it? Yes, sir. All right.

[00:33:16] Thank you very much. Mr. Chair, we would then move into public comments. There are a number of individuals that have signed up for public comments, and I'm going to ask you to come forward as I have you listed in my notebook. I'm going to ask that anyone that is speaking public comments wise this evening adhere to a five minute time limit ask that you speak from the back lectern and that you start your comments by stating your name and address for the record so the first

[00:33:52] individual that has signed up is beth kridatis thank you so much um my name is beth kridatis i'm a resident at 2104 winwood road henrico virginia um good evening supervisors um i've been a resident of henrico county since 2007 i'm the mother of two henrico public school students

[00:34:27] and my family and i reside in the fairfield district tonight citizens from across henrico county would like to request that this board initiate and fully endorse climate action planning many henricoans have joined me here tonight to show their support for this idea and i'm hoping if you're here tonight to show the support would you stand up thanks everyone um the recent water crisis demonstrated the importance of local planning for environmental and infrastructure

[00:35:02] challenges these challenges are growing more severe as climate impacts accelerate tragically we are not seeing the essential leadership from federal or state officials to protect our community from climate impacts. Addressing the climate crisis is going to require urgent leadership.

[00:35:22] It will require bold action, significant collaboration, and a lot of thoughtful planning. Local governments like Henrico can and must lead. Local policies have a significant and visible role to play in addressing climate change, and local leadership is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of their residents.

[00:35:46] We hope to see a climate plan that will set and meet ambitious goals in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. We need a plan that will keep Henricoen safe from the escalating effects of climate change, things like extreme heat, dangerous storms, flooding, spiking energy costs, and infrastructure challenges, among many other issues.

[00:36:13] We need a plan that addresses disparate environmental impacts and centers equity so we ensure that all residents are protected and included. We need a fully funded and staffed sustainability office to implement the plan.

[00:36:31] And finally, the most successful climate plans are ones that are built with wide community participation and based on science and research. So we'll need to call together diverse community groups, advocacy organizations, experts, and neighborhood groups and community members from across the county and ensure that Henricoans have a chance to work together to build a plan for a safe and healthy future.

[00:36:59] Thank you so much for your time tonight. Mr. Chair, may I respond? So, and I'm going to, this is a little bit unusual. I'm going to make some comments here now because I know that a lot of you all are here and certainly want you to take your time at the lectern, but five minutes is not a long period of time, and so to the extent that me making comments now might be helpful as you craft your comments, I want to say this.

[00:37:31] You're preaching to the choir. You know, there are several of us sitting up here that certainly explicitly campaigned On a lot of what was said, specifically, you know, consideration and implementation of a climate action plan.

[00:37:47] I sit before you today affirmatively stating I am in support of Henrico adopting a climate action plan. And contrary to what some may have, some of you believe, we have not been inactive in this, right?

[00:38:06] There have been very concrete and deliberate steps that we have been taking, and quite candidly, I was focused on this upcoming Earth Day in April, which is just a couple of months away, so I'm making these statements a little salty because I wanted to time Earth Day.

[00:38:24] I actually happened to be a board meeting night, but I just say that to say that there has been a concerted effort by several of us to bring this issue to the forefront. And if there are those who are trying to convey that that is not happening, they're just simply not informed.

[00:38:44] And I cannot speak to what motivations may be to that, but I can tell you that we are, I am sitting here committed. There is information that we have been working on gathering, and when I say we, I'm not trying to speak for anybody I know, specifically myself and Reverend Nelson, have been deeply engaged in communications and obtaining information.

[00:39:06] As you said, it takes a lot of input, and we're receiving that from various sources. I actually personally met just a couple of weeks ago, I believe it was, with our Director of Sustainability. We have a Director of Sustainability who is on staff, Samantha Hudson, and she's got a great resume and background in this. She's got ties with Plan RVA and other groups. I know that ideally we would be working as a region collaboratively so that we're not doing it piecemeal locality by locality. I'm inclined to believe that as we are hoping and waiting for a more regional response that we as a locality do have an obligation to do as much

[00:39:45] as we can individually as well. And so those conversations are not just happening but are happening with intention, with the goal of bringing something for debate and consideration. As you all know, we've had a lot of -- a lot of surveys go out as part of the comprehensive plan, and I know that some of the dissatisfaction is feeling that baking in some of these concerns into the comprehensive plan in and of itself is not -- is not robust enough, and I share that feeling.

[00:40:16] believe that this is a big enough issue that having it stand on its own is important. And so that is the approach that I'm taking with it. But that being said, a lot of the information that we have gleaned from those surveys and the town halls and the meetings that we've had with the community on the comprehensive plan are informing and speak directly to this issue of a climate action plan.

[00:40:40] So we're trying not to reinvent the wheel. And I understand the frustration and you used the word urgency. I share that sense of urgency while also recognizing more so than ever as I sit in this seat for just a little over a year that things don't always move as fast as we want, especially when we want to do it right. And now we find ourselves in a frustrating position of not knowing, for example, the future of regional organizations like Plan RVA that rely very heavily on federal funding. So we are working within the context of a lot of things that are outside of our control. However, I just want to say, and certainly

[00:41:19] everybody that has comments to make, by all means, let your voices be heard. But please know that we hear you, I hear you, I share your goals and your concerns, and I am incredibly optimistic that we are going to make real, lasting progress on this that shows that the commitment is real.

[00:41:43] Next speaker that is signed up is Sarah Ramsey. Ms. Ramsey?

[00:41:53] Let's talk about community water fluoridation.

[00:42:28] People used to think that metals found naturally in the ground, like lead, mercury, and fluoride, were safe to use simply because they occur in nature without understanding their potential toxicity until much later through scientific advancements.

[00:42:45] Adding fluoride chemicals into the public water supply is as idiotic as bloodletting is for the purposes of ridding the body of evil spirits. The county of Henrico still believes to this day that ingesting toxic fluoride chemicals is safe.

[00:43:06] Today, the county is poisoning more than 300,000 residents. Furthermore, nonprofits are working with the Virginia Department of Health to peddle nonsensical propaganda such as fluoride is natural, so therefore it's safe.

[00:43:24] A lie that any first grader can comprehend. Virginia Department of Health attempts to manipulate your thoughts by showing you pictures that show beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers. They try to bend your mind into associating a beautiful picture such as a river in the mountains with fluoride instead of the reality, which is that the type of fluoride that's added into the community water supply is a dangerous poison and a toxic waste product from the fertilizer industry.

[00:44:02] In a recent presentation put on by Virginia Department of Health, they spoke about the realities of the toxic flora chemicals that's added into the public water supply. Here's what's actually being added into the water.

[00:44:21] Notice the label at the top that says danger, poison, toxic by ingestion, followed by the targeted organs, which are the heart, kidneys, bones, central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and my favorite, teeth.

[00:44:40] Yes, fluoride targets the teeth. We all know this simple fact, but did you know that the fluoride will make those teeth yellow and even brown, a condition known and called dental fluorosis?

[00:44:58] Did you know? Did you know that not only does fluoride target your teeth, but it also targets your heart, kidneys, bone, and brain? With that being said, I am now going to speak for those who cannot. I have a neighbor who wanted to speak tonight but was too tired because she has an underactive thyroid.

[00:45:19] Her doctor told her not to ingest fluorinated water because it worsens her thyroid. But the problem is she cannot afford to buy distilled water every single day. A second neighbor has a baby, and her pediatrician told her not to give the baby fluorinated water because it can damage the baby's developing teeth and brain.

[00:45:43] But the problem is that she, too, cannot afford to buy fluoride-free water. And lastly, my childhood best friend is told by her dentist to lay off the tap water. The dentist told her that she has severe dental fluorosis from ingesting too much fluorinated water.

[00:46:08] The problem is that my best friend can't afford to buy bottled water. You see, Henrico's community water fluoridation program is harming my best friend, newborn babies, my neighbor, and even my cousin who has kidney damage.

[00:46:27] I believe that Henrico is better than this. Please allow the public to have individualized medicine instead of this barbaric, unlawful practice of mass medicating the entire public with toxic fluoride chemicals.

[00:46:44] Ms. Ramsey, you have 15 seconds. Let us come out of the dark ages and get the hydrofluorosilic acid, commonly known as fluoride, out of our community water supply today. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Nashra Cherry. Nashra?

[00:47:07] Hello, everybody. My name is Nashra Cherry. I live in 4200 Cordy Lake Drive, and I'm a VCU student.

[00:47:28] And my main concern, one of my concerns, is the availability for recycling. Based on my experiences, I did not see a lot of places to recycle. And I think that increasing the amount of places to recycle would help the environment.

[00:48:04] And we all know that recycling is an important action, but some people do not have easy accessibility to those recycling places.

[00:48:23] Increasing the accessibility of these recycling centers would encourage people to recycle more. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Cherry. If you have a moment after the meeting, the gentleman who's going to raise his hand is our Director of Public Utilities and he can he can answer some of your questions, but

[00:49:02] they're also recycling centers throughout the county. He can show you. All right, Next is Dana Flaherty. Dana, okay. Hi, I'm Dana Flaherty.

[00:49:21] Address 9109, Springbrook Lane. I'm in the Tuckahoe District, and Mr. Broguish is in my district. I'm here, along with Beth Cretidas, to talk about the need for sustainability action, and we appreciate what you're doing.

[00:49:37] We do really appreciate what Henrico is doing, and we know that sometimes you need to know that we back you, That we citizens back you, and we are giving you our support. And also, at times when you need to make a call, a judgment call, know that you have us in your back.

[00:49:55] You've got political cover, so to speak, because we will come and speak and appreciate what you're doing. And part of the things that I've been looking at lately is that we've got some interesting energy situation coming up.

[00:50:17] You know, you've had people protesting different utility plants because we've got data centers coming in, and these can be hot-button issues. And we also, there are some oil industry execs, Matt Randolph, long-time Shell oil exec, And now an oil industry analyst, he predicts natural gas prices will be rising.

[00:50:42] And so everything that we can do to bring our energy needs for the county down will help protect the budget. And as a retired CPA and corporate controller myself, I appreciate everything that our county manager is doing. John Fetulka says the hardest job on the planet.

[00:51:00] Your budget is huge. And so back when I was running a business that I grew it to a billion dollars before stopping to have kids, I didn't have to look at rising energy prices. We could pretty much do a budget and say 1.03 for the next year, just adding everything up by a 3% increase, and we'd be fine.

[00:51:26] I don't know how you're doing this because if you've got rising natural gas prices affecting your county buildings and operations, and then you've also got citizens affected by this, it's a dicey situation. The more buildings that you can put solar on the roofs and the more times that if you've got your new Samantha Hudson, Director of Sustainability, if she can set up a plan and tell you how much you could put on every single county municipal building and give you rough cut costs, then the next time that you've got a data center

[00:51:59] coming to town that wants to woo the county to allow them to allow them to get another parcel developed, then you can ask them to place solar panels and an updated roof on county municipal buildings.

[00:52:15] You know, there are things like that that we can use this as a way for us to help our budget, to protect the budget. Also, there are some things that sound sometimes kind of hippy-dippy, and I would have thought this three years ago before doing a program at Virginia Tech, that composting sounds super hippy-dippy to me. And yet, food waste accounts for about 8 to 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. What? And when you do have municipalities that have county collections for food scraps separate from trash, it doesn't go into your landfill. Your landfill doesn't

[00:52:55] get filled up as quickly. And methane does not get created at that landfill. Methane Methane is 80 times as more potent of a greenhouse gas as even CO2 is. And methane is what is created when food rots in a landfill.

[00:53:11] So when you instead have a county collection service and a county composting service, like what is done at Arlington County, Virginia, then you can turn around the food scraps to soil, sellable soil, within five months.

[00:53:29] And so the county gets the revenue from that. and also a longer-lasting landfill. So there are things where, just as Ms. Whitehead mentioned, that we don't have to recreate the wheel. We can follow the best practices of other counties who have been aggressively working on these issues, and this is already a two-year-old program in Arlington County, and talk to them, follow their lead, and get it going here.

[00:53:52] So we appreciate everything that you're doing, and we just want you to know that everything and more, we are backing you on all of this. Thank you for your time. next is uh diona gibson miss gibson you here chairman uh and members of the board uh my name

[00:54:28] is diana gibson i live at 120 cedar fork road richmond but i'm like uh i'm a proud resident of the airfield district and i had a whole speech prepared but uh thank you uh chair um supervisor roundtree i've like been crossing out my whole speech because i'm so happy and so relieved to know that you guys are on top of it but honestly i'm not surprised because i remember when you ran and several of you and you're right this is what you said you were going to do and i'm very happy to know that you are going to be doing what you said you were going to do so yeah um just the only

[00:55:07] thing i want to say is um just to kind of piggyback off of what dan was just speaking about with the composting and everything um i'm sure you guys are going to be working on this but i think a big part of what we, us moving forward with the climate plan is going to be community education.

[00:55:25] I think a lot of people in the community, you know, there are some that know everything, that know all about this stuff, and then there are others that I literally just found out what composting was three weeks ago. Thank you, Beth. We had a very long discussion, and she told me all about it, and it's like, wow, I live within three miles of the dump, and food waste is a real thing, just like Dana was just talking about, the whole methane gas that occurs from the food waste and it's like I live right there I'm right by the dump and I was so excited when you guys expanded the recycling program I'm from New Jersey I'm old

[00:56:00] enough to remember when they made it like mandatory statewide and when I first moved here in the 90s it wasn't really a thing yet but or it wasn't as accessible as it is now so I was so excited when you guys expanded the program and gave everybody the big trash cans and so I thought I was doing my part and now I find out there's a whole another component called composting that you know I could be doing as well and like Dana said there are you know governments that are already doing it and we have local companies that do it for like 20 bucks a month they'll come pick it up so but you know I know that can be a barrier for some folks but I'm just saying I do think we should educate the

[00:56:36] community more about the issues and the small things that you can do to impact change and make big change yeah that's it thank you thomas good evening chair schmidt members of the board mr vitulcas and the rest of county staff my name is melissa thomas and i'm a community organizer with

[00:57:14] mothers out front and a resident of fairfield district in henrico county my address is 6812 lynn brook drive i'm a lifelong resident i'm raising my family here and i appreciate the opportunity to speak with you tonight i also want to thank each of you for your accessibility every one of the board members up there has had either one-on-one meetings with me or i've been part of community meetings where you've engaged with with folks who have questions for you so i really do appreciate that for many years i worked alongside others in henrico including members of this board to strengthen our county and advocating for improvements and i know when we work together we make real progress and i do totally appreciate and support that mr baylor left who we we

[00:57:53] recognized for the arthur ashen mural i just wanted to compare gray hair with him and try to figure out when we both graduated from hermitage high school in the 90s because I'm sure it's the 90s, but I have a deep roots here, and I know you all do, too. I've been encouraged to hear about the work that you're already doing on the climate action plan and about the promises that you made when you were running to get elected, so I'm sure that we can get from where we are now to where we want to go and really want to advocate for that to be a community-driven approach, and Ms. Roundtree, it sounds like that's what you're aiming for, so I do appreciate that.

[00:58:26] I also want to add that the first Climate Action Plan in Virginia was introduced in 2008, so it's been quite a while, and right now 60% of Virginians live in a locality with a Climate Action Plan. And what this will do is build on the momentum and strengthen our resilience in the face of increasing challenges from extreme weather, rising energy costs, and worsening air quality and flooding.

[00:58:48] At the regional level, we know that Plan RBA is developing the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant effort and a Regional Climate Action Plan that's funded by the EPA. So we really appreciate and support the regional efforts. We just also know there's no local authority to implement. And so a lot of these regional plans across the country are done best when the localities already have taken positions.

[00:59:08] And then when they're working together, they already know that they stand in the same place. So a strong plan in Henrico will protect Henrico families from rising air pollution that worsens asthma and respiratory diseases, extreme heat that threatens public health and raises energy costs, Severe storms and flooding that damage homes and infrastructure.

[00:59:28] And more important than that, this plan is an opportunity to foster democratic participation and equity by ensuring that those most effective have a say in shaping solutions. We can create policies that reflect the needs of all Henrico residents, especially those most impacted by the climate change incidents.

[00:59:45] A strong plan will protect our environment, but also strengthen our resilience and prepare us for future challenges. And then we are asking for a few specific requests in the document. So as we're working toward it, some folks in this room came together with some specific asks, and one is a lot of it's in line with what's happening in other counties and localities like Richmond City.

[01:00:05] So committing to 45% emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2045. Establishing a fully funded Department of Sustainability. So it's amazing that we now have a person who is leading the charge on that, but to give her staff and more resources so that we can get more done. Transitioning county operations to 100% renewable by 2028.

[01:00:24] Expanding public transit, bike infrastructure, and EV support, already on top of all of the good work that you're already doing. Increasing energy efficiency programs, especially for affordable housing, and restoring tree cover and protecting green spaces. So, Henrico has the opportunity to lead. We lead on so much. I'd really appreciate your time.

[01:00:45] Next is Michael O'Brien. Michael, are you here? Are you on WebEx, Michael? He's not, sir. next is gray montrose graham montrose uh is miss montrose on webex she is not sir

[01:01:12] next is eileen rivera good evening my name is eileen rivera and i reside in 1200 doughtson road the henrico varina district um thank you for the opportunity to meet on be able to speak on this issue. In early 2023, residents of Henrico County, in collaboration with Henrico Conservation Action

[01:01:47] Network, started a process of writing a climate action plan, what would look like for a climate action plan for our county, considering that the county didn't have one, and concerns with excessive development and lack of planned use of our natural resources were growing. We set out with community meetings to ensure that anyone interested in the subject could participate and have a voice what resulted seemed like a very positive and growing conversation not just with residents but also with candidates at the time some of our and some of our already elected officials

[01:02:24] this was in 2023 now in 2025 under a new federal administration that has brought chaos into environmental agencies. We need the county to take the lead on this very serious issue and to put on the front burner because the health and wellness of our residents and the economic well-being of our county is at stake. As you know, on day one of the new administration, there were nine executive orders targeting climate solutions, from renewable energy development to terminating environmental justice programs to redefining energy resources among a few.

[01:03:04] Enrico County residents have benefited greatly from all the grants that were provided for conservation and sustainable programs and solar programs and many more in the last four years. I'm asking the Board of Supervisors to act promptly now that we are in the process of the comprehensive plan review to adopt the Climate Action Plan as part of the Com Plan to ensure the best practices of sustainability for our residents' future.

[01:03:31] We need to set standards of development for all and any development coming into our county. We need to hold companies and developers accountable for the cost of infrastructure, like transit, for the cost of water usage by companies that need to, that have high water usage.

[01:03:47] Water conservation should be on the forefront of the climate planning. We know that there is a world water crisis and we know that west of us and south of us there is a crisis already. Water is already a commodity and we must protect it.

[01:04:04] Please act immediately to protect the water resources we have. As we experienced last January with just a little hiccup in the system, it ensued great chaos. Imagine if there really was a disaster. I hope this Board of Supervisors is serious about their commitment to climate action plan.

[01:04:22] same plan that many of you committed to working on in various interviews and forums we have given many examples and models and ideas throughout the last two years that can be enacted right away through our comprehensive plan which the comprehensive plan now is on phase three and we still haven't seen anything but i'm thrilled and happy to hear that something is on the works and hopefully we'll be able to see some of it in the next community meetings with um along the com plan. I appreciate the efforts from some of the agencies in the county to recycle, grow trees and

[01:05:00] some of the schools with solar panels, but it isn't enough. We haven't been able to get enough work done. We have to convince the county to do even simple steps sometimes like changing the LED bulbs. I know you've heard this for like the last eight years and or taking the styrofoam out of the cafeterias or something like a plastic bag tax that are simple steps that we can take we need meaningful actions I'm counting on your commitment to the residents of the county I thank you for all

[01:05:38] the work I hope we can help we can get a little better communications this is the first time I hear about this thank you Supervisor Brown Tree for following through on that and I hope that communications are better I don't think any of us we're aware that this is happening even though we have been involved in conversations but I hope we can have better communications and you know that we're always here to collaborate and to help in anything we can so thank you all for all your help Mr. Chair those are all the speakers that have signed up is there anyone else in the audience

[01:06:15] that wishes to address the board if you would raise your hand anyone okay so if you two would line up. Three, four. Do we have anyone on WebEx that has signed up to speak? There's no one to speak at this time, sir. Okay, so we have four speakers. All right, ma'am, if you would begin.

[01:06:39] My name is Ann Gibbons. I'm a member of the Fairfield District 2307 Clark Street, Henrico, Virginia. I'm here to support the Climate Action Plan and the Sustainability Plan, but I'm actually going to be reading a letter from Nicole Anderson Ellis. She prepared this statement to be presented at the January 28th meeting, which was canceled due to the weather, and regrettably she could not be here, but I promised that I would speak on her behalf.

[01:07:06] Henrico County Board of Supervisors, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts tonight. For 17 years, I taught my VCU students that any time we're asking people to listen to our ideas, we should know our audience. So as I drafted this letter, I was picturing this room.

[01:07:22] I pictured each member of the board, I pictured the county manager and the planning staff and legal, and I was surprised by how it made me feel. I felt optimistic, which is not common in most discussions about climate change. Over the quarter of a century I've lived in Verina, I've had countless conversations with the people in this room, and you are an impressive group.

[01:07:45] Your collective experience, your skills, your training, and not just those being paid to be here tonight. There's also notable expertise and an inspiring work ethic on the public side, and that's good news because we're going to need all of us to protect Henrico County from climate change.

[01:08:04] I got my undergraduate degree in environmental studies from UCLA, and last month I watched that city burn. It was horrifying to witness, but it was not surprising, not to the experts whose job it is to study the impacts of climate change, and not to those of us listening to their warnings.

[01:08:21] My daughter goes to school in North Carolina, and last fall I had to drive down and evacuate her when Hurricane Helene turned the mountain slopes into mudslides. And those are just two climate fuel disasters that touched my life in the past six months.

[01:08:38] Climate change is upon us, and it's everywhere. Henrico has been spared mudslides and fires, but we know drought and we know flooding. And this year we got a lesson in how it feels when our drinking water is impacted. We now know that our daily lives and our businesses are more vulnerable than we may want to admit.

[01:08:59] So tonight, I have a simple request. Please be responsible. I believe that the first responsibility of any government is to analyze threats to its citizens and proactively mitigate the harm. The threat of extreme weather is dire.

[01:09:15] Fortunately, Henrico County is rich in resources that will safeguard us if we safeguard them. We have underground water supplies, which proved critical last month when citizens using well water opened their homes so friends could shower and fill up on drinking water.

[01:09:32] We need to protect those groundwater resources. We need to protect our fertile soils. I think we all have a clear understanding that China and Mexico may be unreliable at filling our grocery shelves. Luckily, we have thousands of acres of prime agricultural soils in the county.

[01:09:50] We need to protect them. We have forests which cool our summers and absorb floodwaters, and we need to make decisions about rezoning that protect them. I am asking that we all change our patterns of thinking to reflect our new reality. It's a big ask, but I'm optimistic.

[01:10:07] So thank you in advance for doing what it takes to protect all of our families from this known threat and for making hard decisions today, for which we'll be deeply grateful tomorrow. Thank you, Ms. Gibbons. Next.

[01:10:22] Good evening, members of the board. My name is Sambi Goraschetti, and I reside in 4941 Willows Green Lane, Henrico, Virginia. I'm a junior at Freeman High School, a part of the Leadership Government and Global Economic Center.

[01:10:38] We are here on behalf of Green Teens RBA, a youth-led organization dedicated to environmental advocacy. But tonight, I'm not just speaking as an advocate, I'm speaking as a member of this community, as someone who cares deeply about Henrico and the people who call it home. Growing up here, I've always loved snow days.

[01:10:54] For many of us, a snowfall means a day off from school, a day to relax, or extra time with family. But for others in Henrico, snow isn't a day of relaxation. It's a challenge. It's the small business owner losing a day's worth of income, the hourly worker who has to choose between missing a shift or risking dangerous roads.

[01:11:12] It's the families without reliable heating struggling to stay warm. And these extreme weather events and unprecedented shifts in recent seasons, whether it's snow, heat waves, or flooding, are only getting worse. Our community is already feeling the effects of climate change.

[01:11:28] Summers are hotter, and for families that are air conditioning or those struggling to pay their energy bills, extreme heat can be a health hazard. Flooding is becoming more frequent, damaging homes, closing roads, and making commutes dangerous. Core air quality is leading to higher rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses, especially in children and seniors.

[01:11:46] These aren't hypothetical threats. They're happening now, affecting real people in our neighborhoods. A climate action plan isn't just about the environment. It's about making sure families don't have to choose between keeping their homes cool in the summer or putting food on the table. It's about preventing the next major storm from devastating our infrastructure and forcing costly repairs.

[01:12:04] It's about ensuring that every child in Henrico can play outside without having to worry about the air they breathe or feeling safe. As young people, we're often told that we are the future. We need to act now if we're going to have a future worth looking forward to. Green Teens RBA and so many other young people in the county are ready to be part of a solution.

[01:12:22] But we need leaders, and we're glad we have them, that are willing to take bold steps forward. The cost of waiting is far greater than the cost of acting now. We want to make sure that years from now we can look back at this moment in time and know that Henrico chose to lead. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Korshaw.

[01:12:38] Good evening. My name is Sanbi Ganti, and as Sanbi said, we are both here on the behalf of Green Teens, which works towards environmental advocacy here in the Henrico area. I want to start with a heart-wrenching proverb from the Cree Indians, which states, When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money.

[01:13:03] This is a harsh reality, but one we have to face as a community. As the effects of climate change make their presence known with growing intensity, it is up to us to take action to protect our beloved Henrico County. One of my favorite memories growing up here in Virginia is the joy of getting to appreciate the beauty of every season.

[01:13:23] However, the changing climate has given us unpredictable weather, with days jumping from 60 degrees to below freezing, followed by devastating snowstorms, all within the same winter. It is evident that a climate action plan is necessary.

[01:13:39] While many of us have the privilege of enjoying the snow days with our families, taking the time off to play outside and forget about our responsibilities, many families are left completely stranded. Just recently, Richmond City and its surrounding counties suffered a boil water advisory due to a snowstorm.

[01:13:56] Some of my own friends were left with no running water, relying solely on the handouts of water bottles at designated handout locations. Some families lack that luxury, living in areas where the snow buildup, flooding, and power outages leave them unable to get the resources they need.

[01:14:12] It cannot take another crisis like this for Henrico to take the action it needs. By developing a strong climate action plan, we can ensure Henrico is prepared for any incoming natural disasters, including emergency management for floods, snowstorms, and heat waves. The families that live paycheck to paycheck and shift to shift are always hit the hardest in these environmental crises, and they deserve better than wondering where their next meal and reliable source of water and electricity will come from.

[01:14:39] This plan also helps to put Henrico ahead in managing its emissions, making sure that as a county, we are more efficient in our waste management, transportation, and overall energy use. Additionally, it will help protect our air quality, ensuring that all our citizens can enjoy the beauty of Henrico without worrying about their health.

[01:14:58] In order to build a future where we prioritize success and progress, we cannot overlook the importance of protecting our environment and accounting for climate change in all that we do. So hearing Chairwoman, Roundtree, and the rest of the board's statements make me really optimistic that this is a goal that we can reach.

[01:15:15] As teenagers, we often feel as though we have no say in policymaking or that our opinions lack validity. Through green teens, I am able to make an impact in my community, whether it's through cleanup days, civic engagement nights, or speaking at events like this, urging Henrico to recognize and take the initiative to protect our natural environment.

[01:15:34] We cannot grow as a society without respecting the planet that supports us. In 20 years, let us share the pride that today we had the courage to fight back against climate change. Thank you for your time. Yes, sir.

[01:15:53] Michael O'Brien, 4300 Eanes Lane, Verona District. Sorry for being late. I, too, am here to speak in favor of a climate action plan, but not just the fact of having a climate action plan, but making sure the climate action plan is created in the right way with the right comprehensivity.

[01:16:11] First of all, we can look to our neighbors in Richmond City. This is a 556-page document that was created with input from 120 citizens of Richmond City, not just in terms of providing comment, but as part of working groups, iteratively, to create this document that came forward.

[01:16:29] All told, over 200 people were involved, and that includes staff from the locality itself and from state agencies located in Richmond, but throughout the state. I would expect that we would provide nothing less than such a comprehensive document to help guide what we are going to do moving forward in terms of climate.

[01:16:48] Because while for a lot of times we're able to sit here and say, well, climate is a problem for the future. It's for someone else to solve. I think that increasingly we're all noticing that climate change, the effects of climate change, are not something that are coming. They're something that are here. And so by waiting longer to issue a comprehensive document, guiding our principles here in terms of anything from development to defensive investments is incredibly important.

[01:17:14] A recent study came out and said that for every 100 acres of land that is not fragmented, it reduces the temperature of the surrounding community by 5 degrees Fahrenheit. And that increases the more that you have unfragmented land put together.

[01:17:30] This really can be put a little bit more into context when you think about high humidity summers. You put that into heat index, that's 10 degrees Fahrenheit difference between a community that is next to a large portion of green space that has been created by a conservative effort than one that is without.

[01:17:50] Now this goes to not just being good neighbors for ourselves and our fellow neighbors, being good neighbors for our community with a larger built environment. The fact that Varina and large farmland exists next to Richmond City lowers the temperatures of Richmond City by approximately one degree Celsius.

[01:18:07] So making sure that in our comprehensive plan moving forward, that we can have what climate strategies mean to us, mean to our locality, in terms of how we are going to build, what we are going to do moving forward, is very, very, very important.

[01:18:23] and having a strategic plan about how that goes into our locality in terms of moving forward and also in terms of recognizing our past and where we've come from. And having a more systemic approach to that, I hope, is what is put forward and what I understand to be 60 days.

[01:18:41] So thank you very much. Hi, everyone. Gray Montrose, 4300 Eanes Lane, and thank you all for your time and for listening to folks tonight to talk about the importance of a climate action plan.

[01:19:00] I guess I'm batting clean up here to bring it home and to say that, like everyone else in this room, we're worried about the future. And we are hopeful that a climate action plan in Henrico is something that will make it a safer, cooler future with air that is easier to breathe.

[01:19:18] Something that I would like to call your attention to with two pieces of recent legislation. First, our very own delegate, Rodney Willett, brought forward legislation called Liam's Law that would allow localities to institute basically tree regeneration plants.

[01:19:35] Developers cut down trees, we plant some back. Well, Henrico basically already does this. And that's one of the things I think is important because we're saying we're going to cut down trees and replace them not with a one-to-one replacement, but cut down an acre, replace with one.

[01:19:53] I don't know the exact numbers, but it's significant the difference of mature trees that we're cutting down. And then we're saying, oh, well, we're simply replacing them. And the second piece of legislation I would call your attention to was brought forward by Senator Warner with bipartisan support from none other than Mitch McConnell.

[01:20:11] and it is the White Oak Resilience Act of 2025 because they realized that this strategy of cutting down trees, specifically white oaks, which are the state tree of Maryland and have many, many valuable impacts on Virginia's economy, notably the whiskey industry, which is why Mr. McConnell was so concerned. This bill, they realized that we're cutting down so many white oak trees that take 50 years to be able to produce acorns. So they're not able to make more trees for 50 years.

[01:20:46] So we're cutting down the adults, we're cutting down the ones that are reproducing, and we're not able to put them back. So I give you those two examples to illustrate how dire this situation is that Henrico is chewing through between 1,000 and 1,200 acres a year, much of it forested.

[01:21:05] we are bulldozing and clearing over a thousand acres a year, most of it forest. We are cutting down the very trees that our own senators are trying to protect in the name of economic growth and economic development. And we're implementing programs that sound good, but the devil is in the details. So I urge you with this climate action plan to be careful of the details, to not make it a nod to climate planning or climate protection, but to take meaningful, purposeful, and drastic

[01:21:40] steps to protect what we have left in Henrico, because I'll tell you right now, it doesn't make a bit of difference to our financial bottom line, whether we preserve what we have or we build in the same way that we've been building, which is already costing us so much.

[01:21:56] So thank you all for your time and attention. We look forward to the community engagement that we are certain will be part of this plan, and we look forward to the plan itself. Thank you. Chair, is there anyone else that wishes to address the board this evening?

[01:22:15] Anyone on WebEx? There's no one to speak on WebEx. Thank you, sir. Mr. Chair, no, I just, I was going to say something, but I'm not now, I'm not going to go. I'm just going, I just want Misty to know that she's not by herself.

[01:22:31] So all the things that she's talking about we're doing, we are in the formulation and working through that. So I want to be the second board member to go on record and just say that I don't want anybody to leave out of here just saying that it's Ms. Roundtree by herself on the Board of Supervisors because it's not several of us up here who are working.

[01:22:58] And when we, Ms. Rivera, you were talking about community update, when we get to the point we have something to really bring to the community, involve the community, then we will. We just aren't there yet. But just know that we are working. So I have more to say, but I'm just going to stop right there.

[01:23:13] Can I just add a point of clarity because I don't want there to be any confusion. And a statement was made by one of the gentlemen that spoke and specifically expecting something in 60 days. So understand that we don't have to be chided or chastised into doing what we said we knew was the right thing to do.

[01:23:36] And when I said we're trying to do it the right way, I mean that. And so what I don't want is somebody walking out of here. Yes, I referenced Earth Day. And I said that sort of anecdotally because in speaking with the folks that I have been speaking with, it seemed like a cute thing to do, right?

[01:23:54] Earth Day is April 22nd. We had a board meeting April 22nd. I was discussing a way to tie that in together to make the statement, Eileen, as you say, that, you know, you guys didn't know what we were doing. It's because we're working, right? And there is, I think, some frustration of this assumption, for whatever reason, that we're not. And I don't understand why the assumption is that we're not when we -- the assumption should be if you elected us for good reasons, you know, trusting in what we said, then assume we're doing the right thing. And so, just definitively, I am not saying

[01:24:31] that on Earth Day of 2025, we are going to present a climate action plan. What I am saying is I put that out there out of, again, a little bit of -- well, now we're making this statement or I feel the need to make a public statement today because all of you are here, and I don't want you to feel like your voices are being heard or that you're having to, you know, hit us with the chastening rod to get us to do something.

[01:24:52] I want to reassure you we have been working on this and want to give you a quality, robust, intentional product that is crafted for Henrico County. And we may not all five be on, you know, exactly the same page with it, but that is part of this process as well.

[01:25:11] And so I'm gathering my own information, and I know Reverend Nelson is gathering his own information. We're five individuals, and then we'll come together and we'll have discussion, and it will involve community members, and it will involve information we've already obtained. What we're saying is, don't beat us about the head and try to make it seem like we're not doing something when we know that we are, and this process is happening.

[01:25:32] We talk about children. My child is in school. He's in this audience right now. I don't need to be chastened to say, protect the environment in the future for my 10-year-old that is here as well. We share this. We don't need to be told that equity is important when three of us are of color and we've lived lives knowing that equity is important. So, continue, please, to trust and know that we are working. There are those that we are relying upon to give us information that we feel safe and that is credible. But I also just, you know, I just wanted to clarify, because what I don't want coming out is, Supervisor Roundtree said on April 22nd, this is what we're going to

[01:26:09] have, and now it's April 23rd, and we don't have it, and, you know, then the onslaught begins. But I do look forward to having ongoing conversations with those of you that are interested in collaborating with us in a productive way. So thank you for being here and making your voices heard. Thank you for all being so respectful and kind in your words. I am especially so heartened to see the young people that are here today. It takes a lot of tenacity and courage to speak in front of an audience like that, and you as well. I know you felt a little nervous but just know that we were cheering you on up here as well continue to use your voices you are being heard and we are working with you. Mr. Chair 30 more seconds. Yes sir go

[01:26:48] ahead Mr. Nelson. I want to give the I want to give two examples but I pray that with maturity no one leaves out of here takes this 30 seconds and then go and post something or send an email out and say this is the only thing we're doing. I just want to give two examples. Young lady that came up and gave the examples about if we approved a data center case take x amount and use it for solar we did have a case and one of the main things that we talked about was money committed

[01:27:24] to affordable housing regardless how you feel about it that was something but out of that case one of the things that we don't talk about is a five million dollar commitment that came from qts to go towards solar panels for residential communities.

[01:27:43] And we are, I think, close to that for residents that are able to, they have to apply and then able to whatever the, and Kerry, I don't want to put you on the spot, but up to 200 homes you can apply and get solar and you don't have to pay for it on your home.

[01:28:09] So that came out of a case. One of our deputy county managers just came to me today, and Steve, tell me if I'm wrong, 7,500, 7,000 new trees this year, next year, this spring, 7,000 new trees planted in the Verona and Fairfield District.

[01:28:29] So these are just small things. They're small things, but they are things. And there are many other things that we could point to that we do as a county that make up some of the efforts that we're doing. I know it's not a plan, and we're working on that.

[01:28:45] But just know that your county has been, is, and will continue to do things that protect me about it. Thank you, sir. Thank you all. Mr. Manager. Mr. Chair, you would move into the general agenda. Agenda item 71-25 is a resolution.

[01:29:03] This is for a donation of surplus school bus to the Henrico Police Athletic League. Mr. Massey. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Mr. Chairman, members of the board. This resolution would authorize the donation of a surplus school bus to the Henrico County Police Athletic League.

[01:29:19] To support a non-profit year-round seasonal sports programs, after school educational programs, summer camps, which are offered to Henrico County youth, the school board superintendent approved the donation, the directors of general services recommend approval of the board paper, and the county manager concurs.

[01:29:39] We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you, sir. Any questions for Mr. Massey on this item? Is there a motion? So moved. Second. Motion made by Mr. Cooper, seconded by Mr. Nelson. Those in favor say aye. Aye. Any post? Resolution carries. Mr. Manager. Next, 72-25 is the resolution.

[01:29:56] This is the Verizon Cable Franchise Renewal Proceedings under the Federal Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984. Mr. Massey. Thank you, sir. This board paper authorizes staff to conduct proceedings and negotiations related to the renewal of the county's cable franchise agreement with Verizon Virginia Inc.

[01:30:16] current agreement took effect on july 1 2022 and will expire on june 30th 2027 the directors of general services and the county attorney recommend approval of the board paper county manager concurs would be happy to answer any questions you may have thank you sir any questions for this it seems uh we do this do we do this every year mr mayor um there was a letter that came to the board mr newby last week they went to the board on this yeah i read that it was just uh mr manager mr. chair this is nothing that comes every year it is becoming more frequent though it was commonplace that we would have 15 year franchises the last time verizon went out for renewal was

[01:30:55] only five so it feels like it's coming back quickly because it is that's cool that's what i thought i thought i felt like we had done that before thank you sir is there any questions for mr massey or a motion on the item so moved motion made by mr nelson seconded by miss roundtree those in favor say aye any opposed resolution carries next mr chair 73-25 is the resolution for award of contract. This is for annual engineering services at the Henrico County water treatment facility. Mr. Chan. Thank you, Mr. Manager, Mr. Chair, members of the board. Good evening.

[01:31:30] This is an award of a contract to Whitman, Requard, and Associates to provide annual engineering services for water treatment facility projects to include professional engineering services to support the facilities to support the facility and projects included of projects included in the capital improvements program as well as projects for operational and emergency conditions the contract term is for a period of one year the county may renew the contract for

[01:32:05] three additional one-year terms uh the project fees for the contract shall not exceed 2.5 million for any single project or 10 million in any one-year term uh with that i'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have any questions for mr chan family i just have one it's the same provider or are you switching uh same provider they've been with us uh for some time now awesome thank you sir any other questions for bentley is there a motion motion made by mr cooper second by Mr. Nelson. Those in favor say aye. Any post. Resolution carries. Next, Mr. Chair. 74-25 is the

[01:32:44] resolution for award of contract. This is for the Greenford Drive Stormwater CMP Rehabilitation Project. This is in the Brooklyn District. Mr. Hughes. All right. Thanks, Mr. Manager. Probably wondering what a CMP is. I'll explain. This board paper awards a fixed price contract for $372,400 dollars to prism contractors and engineers incorporated for the greenfield greenford drive stormwater cmp rehabilitation project the project consists of repairing and sealing approximately 1080 feet of 60 inch diameter corrugated metal pipe that's cmp mr hughes yes

[01:33:22] similar to resolution mr hughes we appreciate your presence and we also appreciate you always being last and i guess you're second to last so um i've received a motion from mr nelson a second by mr roundtree those in favor say aye and you pose fix those pipes sir next mr chair's resolution for signatory authority agenda item 75-25 for an agreement with the cvta for the fall line trail wayfinding project this is in the fairfield district this is a great project actually i'm

[01:34:00] glad to see this continue i got a motion from mr cooper and a second from mr nelson those in say hi any opposed motion cares thank you sir mr manager any other business mr chair no other business this evening any closing comments from my colleagues seeing none y'all have a wonderful rest of your evening thank you

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