Coraggio Consulting
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Place: Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 1h 58m (video)
Official meeting video (Prince William County, Granicus): https://pwcgov.granicus.com/player/clip/3806
Official Board of County Supervisors page (Prince William County): https://www.pwcva.gov/department/board-county-supervisors

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 2026-10-28. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:02] It is 2.02 on Tuesday, March 17th. I'd like to call this meeting to order, and I would like to begin with a moment of silence.

[00:00:25] All right. Thank you. All rise, if you are able, for the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:00:47] All right. Thank you very much. Before I move on to agenda item number three, I just want to welcome, we have a new member of the Board of County Supervisors. Representing the Woodbridge District, we have Supervisor Jeannie LaCroix. Supervisor LaCroix, would you like to say a few words?

[00:01:07] Sure. Hi. And thank you so much to all the people that voted for me. But more importantly, I'm looking forward to being a part of this diverse board and working as a team. I've watched each and every one of you, and I can't wait to learn from each one of you.

[00:01:27] You all have your own styles, and they're very cool and different. And I hope to be an active part of making this community better. So thanks for having me. It's an honor. we are now going to move on to agenda item number three that's approval of the minutes can i get a motion second so moved we've just seconded any discussion all right let's go ahead

[00:01:58] and take our votes vote unanimous supervisor bode absent from vote all right thank you very much we are going to agenda item number four that's accommodations and proclamations for i begin did anyone have anything that they wanted to for me to pull aside if not i'd like to entertain a motion for 4a through 4d so moved madam chair all right it's been moved and properly seconded

[00:02:35] let's go ahead and take our votes vote unanimous all right thank you so for 4a we are going to be recognizing the um potomac shores middle school at our seven o'clock meeting and uh for those for proclamation um for social work appreciation month if you can meet me again that's going to be

[00:03:07] half of board chambers 4b and as a resolution proclaiming march 2026 is social work appreciation

[00:03:45] Month. March is Social Work Appreciation Month, a time to honor and celebrate the dedicated professionals who transform compassion into tangible action every day. This year's theme is Social Workers Uplift, Defend, Transform. This theme honors the prime mission of the social work profession to enhance human well-being, meet the basic human needs of all people, and put special attention on the needs of empowerment of our most vulnerable neighbors. In Prince William County, family service workers have been at the forefront of public efforts to meet the needs of all county

[00:04:21] residents they work day in and day out to maintain families to create permanency for children and to protect aged and disabled adults therefore today the prince william board of county supervisors hereby commends all 140 family service workers in the protective homeless and family support services divisions of the prince william county department of social services and recognizes their contribution to the community and to residents all throughout Prince William County. Would you

[00:04:52] like to offer some remarks? Good afternoon, Madam Chair Jefferson, Vice Chair Angry, members of the board and county exec, Mr. Shorter, Phyllis Jennings-Holt, Director of Social Services. Today with me, I have a number of my DSS leadership team, and also I have Lori Wilson, who is the chair of the DSS Advisory Board. For my assistant directors, I have with me Van Washington, Lena Purifoy, Jessica McCauley, and Tony Turnage, my program managers, Karen Etheridge,

[00:05:31] Diane Gestrick, Tanya Golden, Brenda Nolan Patton, Jean Grant Green, Janine Gravett, and Candace Stencil, and also our Senior Business Services Administrator, Dana Carey. On behalf of the Department of Social Services, I am honored to accept this recognition and to acknowledge the incredible work of the DSS social workers and human service professionals.

[00:05:56] Every day, they serve children, families, and older adults and individuals who are unsheltered in our community with compassion, professionalism, and dedication. Their dedication helps ensure that our community remains strong, resilient, and they provide support to residents when needed.

[00:06:16] Again, the National Social Work Month theme for this year is Social Workers Uplift, Defend, and Transform. Our social workers uplift individuals and families, defend the well-being of vulnerable residents, and work to transform lives through safety, support, and self-sufficiency.

[00:06:36] We are grateful to the boards for the board's continued support for the work that we do and recognizing the impact of social workers across our county. And lastly, thank you for the proclamation. All right, we're going to come over here.

[00:06:56] We're going to have two rows, tall people in the back, less tall people up front.

[00:07:04] All right. Procurement month.

[00:08:50] Shana, if you and your crew can come forward.

[00:09:09] And this is for C to reclaim March 2026 procurement month. March is designated as National Procurement Month, recognizing the vital contributions of purchasing professionals and sourcing, contract negotiation, cost optimization, and supply chain management.

[00:09:25] Our Office of Procurement Services, the Virginia Association of Governmental Procurement, the National Institute of Governmental Procurement, and other professional associations throughout the world participate in events throughout the month to raise awareness of the vital role that procurement professionals play within the public and private sectors.

[00:09:47] Separately, I would like to commend our procurement team on their third annual procurement fair earlier this month. This year's theme, Empowering Innovation, Upholding Integrity, and Driving Impact, reflects the county's commitment to transparent and competitive procurement practices and a forward-looking approach that focuses on upcoming procurement needs and active engagement with potential suppliers.

[00:10:14] So today, therefore, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby proclaims March 2026 as Procurement Month in Prince William County, Virginia. Would you like to offer some remarks? Thank you, Madam Chair, Vice Chair Angry, our county attorney, our county executive, and acknowledging our deputy county executive.

[00:10:39] Thank you all so much for this proclamation. It is an honor to serve the county. We thank the board for all of your investment in the Office of Procurement Services by way of funding for staffing and training.

[00:10:55] And most importantly, I would like to acknowledge this Procure with Purpose team and acknowledge everyone here that supports the county every day, whether they are actively engaged in procurement, solicitations, contract management, contract compliance, vendor outreach and engagement, and just the engine behind our office helping us run efficiently and smoothly.

[00:11:24] So I like to call them out by name. I have our Deputy Director, Keishla Perez, our PCARD Manager, Mike Clark, Senior Procurement Officer Lorna Moon, Senior Procurement Officer Trenise Allen, Procurement Officer Candace Dunn, Senior Business Services Analyst Laura Cotton, Vendor Relations Coordinator Marcus Crew, Procurement Officer Lyndon Ong,

[00:11:54] Capital Procurement Officer Ronald Peterson, and Mustafa Arbizad, our Capital Procurement Officer as well. So thanks to all of them for all of the work that they do.

[00:12:10] And thank you all so much for this proclamation.

[00:13:27] And we are now on to 4D. Rabbi, if you can join me.

[00:13:45] And this is 4D to proclaim March 29, 2026 as Education and Sharing Day. In 1978, a joint congressional resolution designated Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's birthday as the National Education Sharing Day to recognize and pay tribute to his efforts for a better education for all American residents. Rabbi Schneerson's efforts underscore the importance of a quality education that encourages a spirit of loving kindness and generosity and building a better future together. This day is proclaimed every year on the anniversary

[00:14:25] of his birthday in accordance to the Hebrew calendar to honor his achievements. It is also a day to pause and reflect on our responsibility to ensure our youth have the foundation necessary to lead lives rich in purpose and fulfillment through service and good works. Therefore, today, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby proclaims March 29, 2026 to be recognized as Education and Sharing Day in Prince William County and calls upon government officials, educators, volunteers, and residents to work to create a better, brighter, and more hopeful future

[00:14:59] for all. Would you like to offer some remarks? So just first of all, thank the board for doing this proclamation. And I also want to welcome and congratulate some new faces since I've been here last. So it's an honor to be here. The Education Sharing Day is observed nationally and honors the life and legacy of the Chabalabab at Sherebi, but it's also a message with very deep local meaning. Education is also discussed probably on this board more when it comes to budget, but with textbooks, grades, career readiness.

[00:15:39] But education and sharing day challenges us to look at the why behind the what. Reminds us that a person can be the most brilliant scholar in the world, but if they lack a moral compass, their skills are merely tools without a craftsman.

[00:15:55] We're approaching the holiday of Pesach, Passover, in just about two weeks. And if you've ever seen any kosher aisle in any store around here, probably the most largest item they have year-round is matzah. So while somehow it gets associated with every holiday, it's really for Passover.

[00:16:12] And the matzah holiday itself is a holiday that celebrates freedom. We try to have meals like royalty, but yet the food that we have is actually referred to as the poor man's bread. The dough doesn't rise, and we actually have a custom of cracking a matzah, and it's over the broken matzah that we tell the story of the redemption.

[00:16:32] And the symbolism behind that is that the beginning of a true education and a true beginning begins with humility. If a person is full of themselves or their own ego and opinions, there's no room for anything new to enter.

[00:16:50] Our blessings in this county and the country come from a reminder of that humility. We break their bread to remember that we are incomplete without our neighbors. We teach our children that personal success is futile if it doesn't lead to making a difference for someone else. You can have all the bread in the world, but if you don't share it, it provides no soul nourishment.

[00:17:09] The organization that the Rebbe led, Chabad, derives itself from the Hebrew words of Chachma bin Adas, which is wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. The core principle of the Chabad belief is through education we make change minds. But education is about refining and being a good human being.

[00:17:28] The first talk that the Rebbe delivered as the leader of the movement, and perhaps his most radical, was this world is not a jungle. When we look at the news or scroll through social media, it's easy to see chaos. It's easy to feel like we're in a wilderness where only the loudest or strongest survive.

[00:17:44] The Rebbe taught they're actually in God's reality. The world is not a jungle, it's a garden. In a jungle, you can run hide. In a garden, you tend, you plant, and you nurture. Every single person you encounter, regardless of their background, is a divine creation as deserving of kindness.

[00:18:02] Perhaps also why the Founding Fathers felt it so important to put in God we trust on all our dollar bills. When we teach our children to see a garden instead of a jungle, we replace their fear with responsibility. There is a phrase from Psalms, which is often quoted, throw your worries upon God.

[00:18:19] In our context today, this means something very practical, means that instead of carrying the weight of the world's opinions and anxieties of things we cannot control, we should ask ourselves one simple, grounded question, what act of kindness am I doing today? We have the responsibility to educate our youth that we are never victims, regardless of the challenges they face, they possess the agency to do kindness and to live by a moral code.

[00:18:46] We want them to graduate from our schools, not just as productive people, but purposeful human beings. So as we mark education and sharing day Prince William County, I want to leave everyone with a little challenge. Education is most effective when it's shown by example, not just taught. So if all of us, as we approach education and sharing day, think of a specific act of kindness or goodness that you can add to your day and put it on your to-do list. Speak with your family about principles and morals and what's really important in our life. And most importantly, see the world as a garden. Look for the potential of goodness and kindness in ourselves and those

[00:19:25] around us and make that be our focus on our day to day. And if we do this, I can almost promise you we'll build a community that doesn't just function but flourishes and we'll see a garden in Prince William County, growing for many years. Thank you.

[00:19:41] Let's take a picture.

[00:19:58] All right, thank you so very much.

[00:20:29] We're now moving on to a consent agenda. Before I ask for a motion, is there anything anyone would like to pull off? Supervisor Vega. Madam Chair. All right, Supervisor Bode, you may begin.

[00:20:47] Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, before the board considers items 5E and 5G to transfer budget and appropriate funds to the schools and approve the athletic field and facility use manual where county and schools' athletic fields and facilities I need to declare a personal interest in these matters. My wife is a school's employee.

[00:21:04] As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which are affected by these matters. I will be participating in these matters because I am able to do so fairly objectively in the public interest. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, before the board, it considers items 5E and 5G to transfer budget and appropriate funds to the schools and approve the athletic field and facilities use manual for county and schools, athletic fields, and facilities.

[00:21:28] I need to declare a personal interest in these matters. My wife is a school's employee. As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which is affected by these matters. I will be participating in these matters because I am able to do so fairly, objectively, and in the public interest.

[00:21:44] Thank you, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you so very much. Right now we have two items, 5A and 5E. Is there anyone else? All right. I would like to get a motion for 5B through 5D, as in David, 5F through 5G.

[00:22:00] So moved, Madam Chair. Second. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion on those items? Supervisor Cordy. Thank you, Madam Chair. On item 5C, the smart scale round pre-applications, really want to appreciate Megan Landis, our transportation grants coordinator, and our entire transportation team on working to try to get, you know, other people's money to help us fund some critical transportation needs and improvements throughout the county, and really appreciate the work that they're doing on that.

[00:22:37] On 5G, the athletic field and facility use manual governing the allocation of use of Prince William County and Prince William County Schools athletic fields and indoor facilities, one of the issues in this manual is related to amplified noise within the parks.

[00:22:57] And I know in my district, in Brentsville District, we've had some issues over the past few years with people creating a lot of problems for neighbors around parks through amplified sound, people using, basically doing play-by-play, yelling into microphones for soccer games, and it's really creating problems within the community.

[00:23:22] So I just want to recognize our parks director for working to resolve that to help us make sure that while people can enjoy the parks, it's not at the expense of the people who live around the parks and their quality of life.

[00:23:37] And so I want to thank Seth and his team for helping us come up with a solution on that. That's all I have, Madam Chair. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Supervisor Bode. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to ditto a lot of what Supervisor Gordy just said, but I wanted to also highlight in 5C a couple of projects that are important to my district.

[00:23:56] So we have the Old Bridge Road and Gordon Boulevard, Route 123 intersection improvements, and one that I share with Supervisors Angry and Vega, the Hoadley Road corridor improvements in two phases. You know, those are some really vital, important improvements. You know, Hoadley Road, we've been talking about it quite a bit lately.

[00:24:15] I'm really glad to see that Megan and Rick Canizales and his team are really leaned in trying to get more support and more funding for that corridor, as there's a lot of folks that traverse that corridor every single day and they really need support and help getting through there safely. Thank you. Supervisor Bailey.

[00:24:32] Thank you, Madam Chair. Excuse me. As my colleague said, I want to ditto what Supervisor Gordor had mentioned. But I also want to say thank you to Mr. Canizales and his team for the Van Buren extension. It's in progress. It's a gift that keeps on giving.

[00:24:49] We keep talking about it. But I wanted to lift up the fact that this was a project that we thought was going to be in jeopardy in the past because we were negotiating and talking about how we would support Supervisor Vega with her Route 28 decisions. And so we were able to do both.

[00:25:05] And so I'm really very pleased that, you know, when a plan comes together like this for the good of the community, it's very, very important that we see all sides. And so just thank you to Mr. Cronasalas and his team and NVTA for keeping this in the forefront of their minds.

[00:25:22] Thank you. All right. Thank you so very much. We don't have any other speakers in queue. Let's go ahead and take our votes. Vote unanimous.

[00:25:39] All right. Thank you very much. 5A, Supervisor Vega, did you want to call Mr. Villarreal to the front? He's already here, Madam Chair, while he formally makes his way up. I just want to flag for my colleagues on the day as we are going through the budget process, There are big asks in regards to expanding our facilities, and this is where we have to be paying attention to every detail and read in between the lines.

[00:26:03] And so, Matt, I have a few questions for you. Can you remind me what the term of this lease is for? Matt Villareal, Director of Facilities and Fleet Management.

[00:26:19] The term of this lease is for 10 years. It's for 10 years. How does this impact our county facility expansions? It does not impact these organizations that would have tasked to go in here currently are not slated to be in the new building.

[00:26:38] Okay. And so aside from the $261,000, let's just say $262,000 that would cost annually for the rent, the county is also responsible for paying $640,000 to... That's for build-out costs.

[00:26:53] And that's new furniture, IT connectivity, and some other communications, and security improvements as well. That's a pretty high price tag in my opinion. And so the next question that I wanted to ask, you know, I know that there are mixed feelings in regards to the possibility of teleworking.

[00:27:13] You know, for me personally, if it makes more sense and if it's going to be more cost-efficient, I'm not sure if the county has conducted a study, Mr. Shorter, or if perhaps in the future there might be one in the works to see how we can try to save some money. I do understand that there is a portion of the workforce that does get to telework a few days throughout the week.

[00:27:32] But if we have departments who, you know, would benefit better from working from home and would reveal that we can save money, I would suggest that perhaps we explore that. I understand that we're spending a lot of money on leases outside of the county into the city, which is why we're looking at expanding our facilities here in the county.

[00:27:54] I would like to keep that money here in the county, but I understand that right now space is limited. But as these requests keep coming before this governing body, I think it would be in our best interest to have additional options to see how we can reduce costs. Because when you really start looking at the contract, whether it's the early termination right clause, other things, it adds up.

[00:28:17] And we don't know where we're going to find ourselves five years. 10 years down the road, and I just want to make sure that the county is in the best position possible to make set decisions when the time comes and that we're doing it in a fiscally manner. And so I'm not sure if you wanted to respond, or Mr. Shorter, in regards to the telework situation or a possible study in the future.

[00:28:38] I'm happy to start, but I do want to allow Matt to sort of address this as well. I'll say, as a county, we are always evaluating telework opportunities, agency by agency. There are a number of agencies that are taking advantage of that because of the nature of the work that they do.

[00:28:55] With, for example, an agency like the Area Agency on Aging, there's a lot of face-to-face service. Many of our agencies that do those kinds of touch points, we want to have them in the office, not necessarily Center County.

[00:29:11] It might be appropriate for them to be in another off-site location, But telework does not become as much of an option for them. I'll also say with an agency like or a department like DSS, they have definitely taken advantage where possible, where a lot of their, not a lot, but some of their work for some of their teams is virtual by nature.

[00:29:35] They are doing a lot of the administrative processing, and we've definitely taken advantage. I don't know, Matt, if you wanted to add to that. Sure. So something that we always particularly do, we don't designate space for employees unless they're here at least three days a week. Since COVID, our growth was going gangbusters up to 2019.

[00:29:56] And then COVID hit and we started having a lot more employees that were teleworking. And so some of the growth that we needed to have was we were able to do with our internal facilities. So CES grew quite a bit. Social services started teleworking a lot more. So we were able to grow CES into social services spaces.

[00:30:14] So we always are looking for opportunities to best utilize our space as best we can. We are starting to get to the point now, though, that trick is no longer available for us as a tool for us in our bag of tools. So that's where we're at right now. I know that with DOIT, it's one of the groups that's moving to the space.

[00:30:32] We are reducing their footprint because they do have a portion of their group that does telework. So the size of what they have now to what they're going into is smaller. So we're taking into account the teleworking that this agency does. Okay, thank you. Supervisor Bodie. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:30:48] Supervisor Vega, I appreciate the questions on that. Matt, county exec, could you talk also about how some of those changes have occurred as we've opened new facilities like the CRC, how CS folks have gone there, with Homeless Navigation Center East, how social services folks may go there. Can you talk about how that may evolve a little bit?

[00:31:05] Sure. Sure. As these agencies go into these new buildings, we evaluate the space that they're leaving behind. Is it an opportunity for somebody else to move into these spaces, or is it an opportunity to reduce a lease if that's the case? So we're constantly doing that. In CS's example, their growth has been so much that they're not giving up any additional space.

[00:31:26] They're growing into the additional space that we've given them. But we are constantly looking at that. That is a goal that we have internally within Facilities of Fleet Management is to reduce our lease footprint. so we're always looking for that opportunity this is not something that we take lightly we understand that the um you know the burden it puts on to the county to take on additional leases but it gets to a point where in order just to do county business sometimes we have to make these investments i have a couple quick questions um roughly how many employees are going to be in

[00:31:56] this space i believe it's about 45 and 33 i can find out for sure okay 33 per square foot is that industry standard for office space right now because i know for housing prices that's pretty darn cheap but that's we're comparing apples to mangoes i believe for that type of space that is on par i believe it's the class it's class a so that is that's on par yeah all right i don't have anything else thank you so very much thank you can we go ahead and get a motion for 5a so move

[00:32:30] manager second it's been properly moved and seconded any further discussion all right i'd like to go ahead and call for the vote vote unanimous all right going on to 5e supervisor vega thank you Madam Chair. I see Leslie making her way up. Hi. So back in February, early February, my office had

[00:33:09] requested any details about unencumbered school funds, and I still do not have a response. I was just curious if we've gotten an answer. It seems to be a trend during the budget cycle. Every time we ask, there's a delayed response in getting those figures to us, so I'm not sure if they've shared that with you all, because they certainly have not. I haven't received a response. I have share that question with the superintendent I will I will make sure that we connect again today I will say obviously the schools are they will be

[00:33:48] here on September April 7th the evening of April 7th hopefully before then we'll be able to get to get that information over to you understood it's just a little frustrating we do this every single year and it seems like it's the same show every single year they know what that number is I don't understand what the delay is um but as you stated they'll be here and i'll take that issue on um with them the um last point that i wanted to make was um just for um clarification this is not a needs it's just a decision a transfer that is being made out of policy correct that is correct okay um again we're going through the budget process as we talk about the revenue share agreement there

[00:34:26] is no specific need um this is strictly based on that revenue share agreement policy that was enacted in 1998 which is 28 years ago I think it is long overdue I'm going to keep making a pitch every single time I get a chance for us to have a real serious conversation about that revenue share agreement and what that means in regards to the school actually needing funds or we're just doing it purely based out of policy I will not be voting in support of this madam chair and I will not be moving it forward but I'm sure somebody else will thank you all right can I get motion for 5e so move madam chair second it's been properly moving a second at any further

[00:35:01] discussion all right I'd like to go ahead and call for the vote motion passes five to three supervisors Gordy Vega and LaCroix voting no all right thank you very much we are now moving on to agenda item number six and that is public comment time yes we're there no one no one in person we have no one in person who wants to speak before this lovely board all right you go over there

[00:35:39] sir oh and can you do me a favor when you're done speaking go over there and sign up just so we have everything on the record but just name magisterial district three minutes look at the clock got you um just wanted to say hey i wanted my my proceedings in my little town are a little bit smaller uh i came out we had a motion 5b is for the company that i work for uh for the for the public hearing for the easement um i'm actually the mayor of the town of remington um out in fall care county we're about 647 people i look at your consent agenda and i would just it's a lot

[00:36:15] it's a lot larger than mine so i appreciate what you guys do and i just wanted to say thanks for for hosting me and having me here and uh have a wonderful day wow thank you coming out from fuck here i feel special just go put your name on the sheet over there thank you sir we didn't get his name madam chair all right my name is davida allison all right thank you sir all right and we're going to move on to remote public comment time supervisor angry looks like i got one possibly good afternoon vice chair and the board that is correct we have one speaker our speaker is steve

[00:36:54] amato all right steve go ahead so the floor is yours good afternoon board and madam chair i'm from the occoquan district and i'm bringing up a an issue i brought up before back in december and then again in January. Recall on December 16th, 2025, that at the 2 p.m. Board of County Supervisors meeting, the Adopt Local Foundation and Soil Management Fund ordinance countywide was voted on. Three supervisors and Madam Jefferson voted in favor of the ordinance,

[00:37:32] and three supervisors had the courage to not vote in favor of this ordinance. The ordinance did pass, And I want to put on the record that I still have not received a response, Madam Chair, from you or your staff about my request asking for an explanation as to your rationale for supporting this particular ordinance.

[00:37:54] And in a review of the timeline, I originally asked the four individuals who supported this particular ordinance on December 20th, 2025, in an email to please explain to me, a constituent of the county, as to why it was voted in favor.

[00:38:12] On January 5, 2026, I did call Madam Chair, your office, spoke to a staffer, they said they would get back to me and they never have as far as a response. And then on January 13th, I again presented to the board seeking why these individuals had voted in favor and I did get responses from two supervisors.

[00:38:40] So thank you very much. Again, on February 15th, I sent another email, Madam Chair, to your email asking about an explanation, and I have not heard back, neither from your staff, regarding this. To date, it's been 88 days, and I still have not received an explanation as to the rationale for supporting this ordinance.

[00:39:03] So why do I keep bringing this up? What's the importance of bringing this up? Well, as a reminder, you all on the Board of County Supervisors, as elected officials, have an obligation to respond to your constituents, whether it's a constituent directly from your district or countywide.

[00:39:22] You're not a volunteer. Volunteers do not have an obligation to respond, but elected officials do. So I look forward to a response from Chair Jefferson or your staff.

[00:39:37] I would appreciate that to explain why the rationale to support this particular ordinance. Thank you, everybody, and have a wonderful day. And thank you, sir. I believe that's it, Madam Chair. Floor George. All right.

[00:39:53] All right. Thank you very much. We are now going to move on to agenda item number seven. That is the public hearings. So I would like to go ahead and open the public hearings for 7A and 7B. do we have anyone signed up all right then i would like to turn it over to supervisor angry for remote public hearings i do we have any remote public hearings you know okay thank you all right we do not have anyone in public i'm sorry in person or remote for 7a and 7b so i'm going to

[00:40:26] go ahead and close the public hearings for 7a and 7b um before i move well i'm going to go ahead unless there's any objection from anyone on the board i'm going to go ahead and um open these together for a motion can i get a motion for 7a and 7b so moved second it's been properly moved and seconded any discussion all right i would like to go ahead and call for the vote vote unanimous

[00:41:02] all right thank you so very much we are going to move on to agenda item number eight um and that is county executive time mr shorter the floor is yours thank you very much madam chair members of the board uh good afternoon before we uh move to item 8a i just wanted to go over a few uh quick announcements in that I wanted to start off with directives. There was one directive issued during your March 3rd meeting. Staff was directed to prepare resolutions and accompanying recommendations to initiate a small area plan for both Potomac Mills and Tackett's Mill

[00:41:38] to guide the strategic revitalization and redevelopment of these key areas in the Occoquan District in Prince William County. The directive was assigned to the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Planning, our planning office. There were no directives closed. During that time, I've also shared information to the board regarding the transition of the former Arts Council events, the closure of the landfill on Saturday, April 5th, the mailing of the real estate assessments notices, and finally, the online real estate assessment database

[00:42:14] has been updated with the 2026 property values. Also want to, you may recall that there was a member of the community that came out to our last board meeting earlier this month to talk to the, during public comment time, to talk to concerns related to a mobile home park.

[00:42:34] You may recall that I sent a memo to the board shortly thereafter that meeting outlining staff's work with the mobile home park owner to keep the 28 mobile homes on the site. I really want to just acknowledge and thank Lisa Fink Butler and really the entire team for taking the initiative and for helping to find a better solution for all involved.

[00:42:58] A big thank you to Lisa and the team there. Madam Chair, you mentioned earlier this afternoon about the phenomenal third annual procurement expo that was held on March 4th. Absolutely incredible numbers.

[00:43:14] 20 departments, 13 partner organizations participated, 222 vendors attended, an 11% increase from the second year or second annual, and 142 matchmaking sessions were held during that session.

[00:43:33] A phenomenal activity and work on behalf of the procurement office. I really just want to commend Shana and her entire team. Great that they were actually here celebrating Procurement Month today. Very innovative, very creative.

[00:43:49] Certainly three years ago when they first brought this forward, we commended it then and want to say now that this is a great way to be transparent and to do outreach to entrepreneurs who want to do business with Prince William County.

[00:44:04] So very, very thankful and proud of the work that Shana and her team have done there. With item 8A, Madam Chair, members of the board, we are asking for your consideration to end the declaration of a local emergency declared in January.

[00:44:20] This was, you may recall, the snow ice storm. This is an administrative process, typically when we are getting reimbursement from FEMA. Not sure that reimbursement will come for this event, but we are in need of closing the declaration.

[00:44:38] All right, thank you. Can I get a motion to move forward? Second. We moved and seconded. Any discussion? All right, let's go ahead and take our vote.

[00:44:54] Unanimous. All right, thank you very much. Do you have anything else? That is all for me, Madam Chair. Thank you. All right, agenda item number nine, County... I'm sorry. I didn't see... Oh, Supervisor Bailey. I'm sorry. I was looking at Madam Chair.

[00:45:10] I just want to... In closing out this item, I just wanted to give an applause, kudos to VDOT. This time we keep getting gooder and gooder with our relationship with VDOT. And in this really bad snowstorm, the coordination from your team and VDOT really showed through.

[00:45:34] We still have some more opportunities, you know, but it really keeps getting better. And hopefully it will get gooder. But it keeps getting better with the relationship with VDOT. So I just wanted to – we call and we – our citizens call and we call you.

[00:45:49] but I just want to let you know that it has been a vast improvement. Supervisor Angry. Thank you, Madam Chair. And not to make any extra work for anyone, I know last week I think I mentioned about an after-actions review on really things we can, lessons learned.

[00:46:09] So I have some e-mails from citizens that I'll forward to you. I would recommend that if you all have received those or you've got some constituents that have some real concerns and have some ideas about things that we could do better, I would just ask if you send them over that we can at least compile this and really try to put something in the toolbox because these things happen, seem to be more frequently, and as they do, we don't really have a true plan in place.

[00:46:37] And once it's all gone and life's back to normal, we just kind of move on, and we don't do anything about the horrors of what we just experienced. So I've got some emails I forwarded them to you. I hope we can put something together and really have a discussion about the effects of that, some things that we may have to invest in later.

[00:46:56] So I just want to keep that on the radar, on the spotlight for folks. And to be clear, you mean public sidewalks? Yeah, and also not just public sidewalks. But, I mean, it was really horrible to watch people walking down probably all of your roads. I'll just use Dale Boulevard as a classic example because those bus shelters, the buses ran.

[00:47:14] They did a great job of getting the buses out, but no one could stand in the shelters. That's an omni-ride issue. think we may have to like have a discussion about that but also no one could walk on those sidewalks so they were walking in the road and unfortunately we know this was such a freaky year with with how it happened but that could happen again and we keep having weird stories like this in our bad season so i just think it's worth at least investing in a conversation to see what it will look like what we could potentially invest in and then you know if it happens again we just kind of have something prepared all right thank you manager all right thank you so very much we're now going

[00:47:52] to go on for real for real to agenda item number nine county attorney time miss roville the floor is yours thank you madam chair members of the board this afternoon in closed session there will be consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members regarding legal advice and personnel discussion regarding the following pending internal audits on employee timekeeping and cash proffers where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the litigating posture bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

[00:48:19] We will have consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members regarding plans to protect the public safety as it relates to cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities with briefings by staff members, law enforcement, emergency services, officials, and legal counsel concerning actions taken to respond to such matters or related threat to public safety, discussion of the information subject to the exclusion of subdivision 2 or 14 of the Virginia Code 2.2-3705.2, where discussion in an open meeting would jeopardize the safety of any person or the security of any facility, building structure, information technology system or

[00:48:54] software program, or discussion of plans and reports related to the security of any governmental facility, building or structure, or the safety of persons using the building, facility or structure. We will have personnel matter regarding the appointments to the Board Audit Committee, the Finance and Budget Committee, the Legislative Committee, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Planning Coordination Advisory Committee, the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, and the Prince William Parkway Transportation Improvement District Commission.

[00:49:24] In consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members pertaining to discussion or consideration of the disposition of publicly held real property for an economic development matter where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the litigating, posture bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body these items are appropriate for closed session pursuant to 2.2-3711 a 1 3 8 and 19 of the code of virginia move for

[00:49:48] approval madam chair second all right thank you let's go ahead and take our votes unanimous all right thank you everyone we're moving on to agenda item number 10 um one of this and i just want to say this 10b was deferred um miss tarazia martin unfortunately there was a passing in her family So I ask that this be deferred to give her a little bit of time.

[00:50:26] But with that, I would like to get a motion to move forward with 10A. So moved. Second. It's been properly moved and seconded. Let's go ahead and take our votes.

[00:50:45] Vote unanimous. All right. This is a point in time where we go around the dais. And so we have to say, I don't know. I am going to start with you, Jeannie. I normally like to give people, you can listen to end, or if you just have a few words you want to say, I'm actually going to give you a choice.

[00:51:04] Do you want to go first or do you want to go last? I go last. But, all right, I am going to start with your next-door neighbor, Manning Green, Tom Gordy. Thank you, Madam Chair. So last evening I joined with Supervisor George over there with the Prince William County Conservation Alliance and the Protect Prince William, who hosted a community conversation about development in Prince William County.

[00:51:33] I appreciate the opportunity to have an open dialogue about the future of development, particularly in the rural parts of Prince William County, and appreciate the opportunity to be part of that conversation. A couple of weeks ago, Supervisor Angry discussed traffic situations over, you know, on Cardinal Drive.

[00:51:59] Well, once again, this weekend, we had a single vehicle high-speed fatality in Noakesville. This now makes the fourth of these in two years. Absolutely unnecessary. These roads are not built for high speed.

[00:52:16] They have no shoulders. They are bumpy. They're curvy. A lot of driveways on them. Sometimes they're deer. Sometimes there are goats. You never know what you're going to confront on some of these roads. And just, you know, just encourage people to drive safely on rural roads, particularly.

[00:52:36] And if people think they can go for joyriding on these roads and they are not built for high speed. And so please, please be more careful on our roads and drive the speed limit. Also, we over the last couple of weeks, we've been made aware of another economic loss within Prince William County.

[00:52:58] An industrial park that, on the corner of Limestone in Wellington, has been sold to data. Numerous businesses that include audio company, home audio company, an indoor swim training facility, as well as some banks and other child development programs are now losing their facilities, and we don't know where they're going to go.

[00:53:27] And so just once again, pound the table. It's time for the data center overlay to go away. This is killing our businesses. And so, and I'll just wrap up with mentioning the passing of Dr. John Perkins this past weekend.

[00:53:45] Dr. John Perkins was a civil rights leader. He was a spiritual leader who really fought for racial reconciliation within the United States of America. And his motto and his thought was love is the final fight. And it really boiled down to this is that the Christian church is known by how it loves one another.

[00:54:09] And as Christians, brothers and sisters, regardless of our race, regardless of our ethnicity, regardless of the language that we speak, that we are to love one another. And that was really his passion. And I really appreciated the work that he has done as a Southern Baptist to bring about that in this denomination that does not have the best history as it relates to race, but really has worked hard to bring that reconciliation within this community and within Christ Church.

[00:54:39] So he will be tremendously missed, his leadership and the work that he has done to bring about that reconciliation. So that's all I have, Madam Chair. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Supervisor Bailey? Thank you, Madam Chair. Good afternoon to everyone.

[00:54:56] I want to thank my staff for attending the Women's Empowerment Conference theme, Stronger Together, as my colleague just said. Two great speakers, Nicole Washington and Madison Whitbeck. And so thank you to the staff on March 11th for attending.

[00:55:12] And then I want to thank Chief Newsham and his wonderful officers for attending the Potomac Shores community meeting to listen to constituents regarding the recent shooting that we had in our community as well. Saddens my heart. That was in Potomac Shores, so Chief, thank you for just being there for the community.

[00:55:29] On the 12th, I had the honor and privilege of attending Trustee Timothy McLean's home-going service. It was very saddened. Timothy was a citizen in this community for over 50 years.

[00:55:45] He was 99 years old, and we will be celebrating him inside of the chamber as well. But to his family, my condolences. On the 14th, I had the fun time with my colleagues as we helped Mike Riley and Mayor Davis Younger celebrate St. Patty's Day.

[00:56:03] We had a good old time, all of us together, and the parade was wonderful. The day was wonderful. And then later on that evening, I had the pleasure of attending the seventh annual Crown with a purpose, hosted by top ladies of distinction in the Dell City and Prince William chapter area. And they had the honor of presenting the crown.

[00:56:21] I had the honor of presenting the crown to my pastor, Dr. Sandra K. James. I was the inaugural winner, and then to have crowned her really warmed my heart. And then on the 15th, I attended later on, on that Sunday, church anniversary for Pastor James Parker, one of the community pastors here in our community for Great Faith Christian Church.

[00:56:42] It was his eighth anniversary, but still he's working in the vineyard here in Prince William County. There was a prayer visual on Sunday for our very own Louis Anthony Boone that we lost in Potomac Shores on that Sunday afternoon.

[00:56:58] It was beautiful. The community came together. A very diverse community came together to honor his parents and his legacy at 18 years old. So keep them in prayer. Upcoming events on the 18th, I'll be with the Read Across America celebrating with Covington Harper with their second graders.

[00:57:18] I hope they embrace me to bring in Read Across America for this month. Lastly, I'd like to give a notice of intent for Russell Young, who will serve as my Human Rights Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission.

[00:57:37] Thank you to Victor Genova for his excellent work in the past six years. And to Patrice Summers, I'd like to give a notice intent for her to participate as my appointee for persons with disabilities on that board. And thank you, Patrice, for standing in the gap on that one. And let me just ask my colleagues, did you receive my e-mail in reference to the directive?

[00:58:00] If you did not, I just want to give you a heads up. You probably did not. You probably did not. Most of you, did you get it? We've got to listen today. Okay, that's fine, that's fine. We've done that before, but it's okay. I want to give you an opportunity, especially our new member, to read it and to digest it.

[00:58:16] But know that it will be forthcoming. It's in reference to human trafficking. It will be a directive to that. And it will also be a directive that's related to asking the county exec and the county attorney to look at maternal health care.

[00:58:32] So please, if you would, just take a gander and read, and I'll announce it next week. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Supervisor Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just realized these microphones light up for St. Patrick's Day today. So first of all, I want to welcome Supervisor LaCroix.

[00:58:55] Congratulations on your election and really, really looking forward to working with you and welcome. Yeah, so to delve in, so also attended the Women's Conference also with Supervisors Bailey and Supervisor Angry.

[00:59:20] I want to send a shout-out to Sia Sampath. She's a 12-year-old 7th grader from Ronald Reagan Middle School. She won the 48th Annual Prince William Regional Spelling Bee. This was her third win.

[00:59:36] She won previously in 2023 and 2024 at Albee Elementary School. And she's now going on to represent the region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. So congratulations to her. I also want to give congratulations to Evan Nichols from Haymarket.

[01:00:00] He is now an Olympic gold medalist for the second straight time. as a member of the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team. He's a graduate from Battlefield High School, and his teammates defeated Canada Sunday 6-2 in the gold medal game at the Winter Paralympics in Milan.

[01:00:30] So I want to send out congratulations to him as well. Thank you. Supervisor Bode. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple quick things for me. One is a request for the county exec, not a direct request. General Assembly passed HB 159 and Senate Bill 94, which deals with site assessments for high load users, users that use over 100 megawatts of power.

[01:01:02] That will have implications on us being able to do or require site assessments for those. Instead of us waiting until it's signed by the governor, then moving on it and adopting something later, just wanted to put the request in now. We were already tracking those bills. There's no reason why anticipating the governor's going to sign them.

[01:01:20] We start working on it now. I know there's, I hate to say it, quite a few more data center applications working their way through the process. Would rather us have that in the work now as opposed to being retroactive with it. So that was a request. Also, kudos to the county exec for you and your team responding so quickly to that issue on the mobile home park just down the road on Minnieville Road.

[01:01:41] I think there's still a couple other challenges there that that issue unearthed in regards to that SUP. That's for another day. But I just wanted to also say kudos on that. And finally, lastly, but not leastly, welcome to Supervisor LaCroix.

[01:01:56] Good to see you. Welcome aboard. And Supervisor Stewart, you're no longer a newbie. And for everyone else, happy St. Patrick's Day. All right, and Supervisor Ingrid. Thank you, Madam Chair. We'll start with happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody.

[01:02:14] Welcome, Supervisor LaCroix. Looking forward to working with you. All right. So I want to congratulate Dogs Unlocked. That's our latest firefighter class. They graduated, I think it was 36, 32, 30.

[01:02:30] It was a big class. There was a lot of them. So congratulations. And also the parade, the St. Patrick's Day Parade. That was very nice. Also, I attended a few basketball games this weekend. So Park City Dreamers, they play consistently at Potomac Senior High School.

[01:02:51] If you're ever there, they play on the weekends. I think it's Sunday. Stop by and check them out. Use that support. I think it's great what they're doing. And building out future leaders through sports, really learned a lot from that. So really good. Also today, just before this, we went and toured the Quartz District.

[01:03:10] Very, very exciting project. It's coming up very well. The homes are coming in. If you've gone through there now, you will see that that intersection is starting to detour. So they're starting to actually create the spooey. So just want to let you know that's happening.

[01:03:26] And also to say that this Saturday, the 21st, from 11 to 1 p.m. at Fire Station 13, which is on the corner of Dale Boulevard and Hillandale, We're going to be having our second update to the Courts District, as well as the Spooie and construction and what's going on around there.

[01:03:46] I know this is frustrating for a lot. I'm hearing you already. I've been preparing you for this for some months, and I'm happy and probably sad to say we are now here. And so we're going to be going through this for a couple of years and hopefully get this thing expedited, get it done, and get back to life.

[01:04:05] So anyway, thank you, Madam Chair. Great. Thank you. Supervisor Vega. Thank you, Madam Chair. It was 35 recruits. Supervisor Angry. So I'll start where you left off because it was a fantastic graduation. I recall back in May of 25 when I went to the signing day of William Beckel. He is, at the time, was a rising senior and he actually partook in this program that is in partnership with the fire department and our school division, which I think is fantastic. So if you're a parent of a rising junior and or senior, This is probably a program that you want to look at.

[01:04:39] It was just very nice to see him finally completing the 30-week academy process. And I just want to make an emphasis on the fact that we had other firefighters that currently work for the county whose sons were graduating from that session.

[01:04:57] I think that that speaks to the value and the testament of the fire department, not just the fire department, but the police department. and that when we truly say that it is the best in the nation, we don't say it to say it. We say it because we mean it. And so to the staff, to Chief LaBelle, and to the rest of the academy team, thank you for the folks that you all are hiring and to see the joy in their children's faces, their parents.

[01:05:21] I mean, you name it. It was really one of the most touching ceremonies that I've personally been to. So congratulations to William. Also attended the CARE First grand opening location in Dumfries. This is an organization that helps both men, well, no, let me rephrase that, women who are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy but who also come in there with their husbands, boyfriends, seeking support.

[01:05:47] So I just want to congratulate my dear friend Becky Sheets for this ministry and the vision that they've had. And congratulations to Mayor Derek Wood, Supervisor Bailey, you were there. He was a great host, as he always is. I call him my travel buddy because whenever I go to conferences representing the county, I always bump into him, and I'm like, I'm not a mayor, but I always bump into you.

[01:06:07] And so it's always a good time with Mayor Derek Wood. I also want to remind folks that on March the 28th, we're going to be having our Easter Egg Hunt, our annual Coles District Easter Egg Hunt will take place at Fairmont Park at 10 a.m. So please come out, bring the family.

[01:06:23] Each year it gets bigger. It's a great time, and looking forward to seeing everyone on the 28th at Fairmont Park. And lastly, I do want to go ahead and congratulate Ms. Jeannie LaCroix, Supervisor LaCroix. Congratulations on being elected. I know that you've worked really hard, and I know that your heart is in it for the right reasons and that you're eager to represent the folks in the Woodbridge District.

[01:06:44] So I look forward to working with you. And I want to close up by also highlighting the, I would say, warm reception from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I'm pretty sure that almost everybody reached out to me asking for Jeannie's number.

[01:07:00] I know that at a time where the political divide is great, you turn on the news and everybody's, you know, not getting along and whatnot, and although we have very spirited conversations on the dais from time to time, which is good for a healthy debate, I do, you know, want to thank my colleagues, you know, for being welcoming and genuine, and also want to thank Ms. Pam Montgomery for all of her years of service and for deciding to enter the political arena.

[01:07:26] it's not easy but I believe that it's a calling and so to those that have done it thank you and those that are doing it thank you and Jeannie I think that it's evident that everybody here is eager to help you out so congratulations and thank you to my colleagues also that's all madam chair all right Jeannie I typically go last but I as you hear people give various different types of updates what we're doing what we have going on since you're new I don't know if you want to talk a little bit about some of the things that you care about within Woodbridge um the floor is yours you've got five minutes. Well first of all I want to tell everybody that the first thing I did was

[01:08:03] take a picture of my name on here because it is very surreal that I am a part of this. I've been a part of the audience and I've talked to all of you. I want to not just thank the supervisors that have all reached out and all offered. I actually feel a bond with each one of you and I don't think there's going to be anything we can work as a team to get to a yes all the time um I also want to say thank you to Mr. Shorter who took his time on Saturday to go or you know let me know if you need anything and I picked up the phone I was like I don't know what I'm doing I lucked at that budget

[01:08:40] oh my gosh but he uh he assured me that um he's only a phone call away and that he is willing to help me as well so it's not just the people on this board that have been so gracious with me but it's also been the staff and I thought oh my gosh I did not realize that the county was running so efficiently with people that are just so amazingly nice and supportive and pretty much anything I need they they're on it right away but I do want to mention that during the campaign

[01:09:13] I made a promise to a lot of people that felt that they were marginalized or not heard from and if anybody's been to Woodbridge you know that it is a district that really deserves somebody to prioritize it and I'm not thinking that it's been prioritized in maybe decades and decades and there are some pockets that need revision and I'm going to ask every single person here that does know that it's true to lend me a little grace so that you can help me

[01:09:48] do more for the people that have been here all their lives and that can't afford it anymore because of some of the big decisions we're making. And I promised them that I was going to try really hard to represent them and the people of Prince William County. And I'm going to be listening to every single one of you of what your important issues are. I don't mean to leave you out.

[01:10:13] And I'd like everybody to please give me that same grace knowing that my heart is in it to do better for Woodbridge. And my goal is to make an imprint and make a difference on this board, but also in the county, in the district where I am appointed.

[01:10:33] So thank you again. I just feel like it's such an honor. And I do want to leave with a shout out to my granddaughter, who's five, who thinks that I want a special collection. And I might just be handing around a basket for a collection, but tomorrow if you're going to be here, I hope you all are.

[01:10:58] You're going to meet my family, and I'm going to try to keep it so that you get to know me a little bit better so that when we work together, you know where my foundation is. So thank you. Now, just to say, unfortunately, because of the weather yesterday, we had to reschedule Supervisor LaCroix's swearing-in.

[01:11:21] So it will be tomorrow at 4 o'clock outside of board chambers in the atrium. It is open to the public. So I'm hoping that people come out to celebrate and to get to know our new Woodbridge supervisor. I just want to say also because of the weather, I had a packed Monday.

[01:11:40] I was going to do the swearing-in. I was going to go whole up in my office because I had a virtual town hall. But we weren't sure what the weather was going to be like. Would we lose power? Of course we did. Now, if I had that town hall still scheduled, bad things would happen. But, no, anyways, we are rescheduling our virtual budget town hall.

[01:11:58] So we are going to make an announcement via Facebook and our newsletter. We are also going to be doing an in-person budget town hall on Thursday, March 26th, from 6.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the McCork building. come one, come all, I really want to hear from people. We have a lot of tough decisions ahead of us. You know, there are certain things that, you know, I'm really laser focused on, like the meals tax. Maybe other people want to talk residential tax. Love to have a discussion. I really want to hear from people. If my office hasn't already, we're going to advertise it because if there are

[01:12:36] any other supervisors who just want to pop in, say hi, listen, certainly welcome to do that. I don't have much else, so with that, we are going to go into closed session. I'm going to give everybody, I swear, Supervisor, I guess I will have a time clock on this time.

[01:12:54] Ten minutes. Ten minute break before we go into closed session. Thank you. We are back from closed session.

[01:13:12] All right, first, I would like to get a motion to certify our closed session. Move to certify, Madam Chair. Tom was actually faster, so can I get a second? Okay, second. All right, that was easy. All right, let's take our vote.

[01:13:37] Unanimous. All right. I would like to move on to our new supervisor, LaCroix, for a motion. I'd like to make a motion to accept the following internal audit report, employee timekeeping, and cash profit.

[01:13:55] Second. She's a second. We got multiple. All right. I'd like to go ahead, call for the vote on that, and give it to Gordy. Gordy. Gordy, not Bordy.

[01:14:19] Drama. Vote unanimous. Madam Chair, I move that we authorize a public hearing to consider approving the sale agreement with General McClellan Land Holdings LLC for county-owned property located at 7741 General McClellan Road, Manassas, Virginia, 20109, and consisting of 4.6210 acres in the Brentsville Magisterial District.

[01:14:45] Second. Bailey Beecher, bro. But I'll have the Michael. It's St. Patrick's Day. It's St. Patrick's Day. It's been moved and seconded. let's go ahead and take the vote vote unanimous all right Supervisor Bodie yes thank you madam chair I move that the Board of County Supervisor hereby appoints Woodbridge Jurisic Supervisor Jean LeCroy to the following boards committees and commissions the Board Audit Committee as an alternate Finance and Budget as a regular member Legislative Committee as a regular NVTA Planning

[01:15:22] Coordination Advisory Committee as a regular Potomac Rappahannock Transportation Commission Commission as an alternate, and the Prince William Parkway Transportation Improvement District Commission as regular. Second. Wow, y'all are like perfect in sync. All right, I'll give it to Stuart. All right, let's go ahead and take our vote. Vote unanimous.

[01:15:51] All right, thank you so very much, everyone. We are going to be in recess until our 7 o'clock meeting. Thank you so very much.

[01:16:06] Welcome back. It is 7 o'clock. Before I move on with our agenda, we are going to honor Potomac Shores Middle School.

[01:16:24] So, Supervisor Bailey, if you'd like to join me at the front for the proclamation commendation, all right.

[01:16:52] Thank you, Madam Chair.

[01:17:08] Good evening, everyone. It gives me a great pleasure to commend and recognize a legacy of greatness honoring the Potomac Shores Middle School Boys basketball team. Yes, 100 victories, five years undefeated.

[01:17:27] It is with great pride and admiration that the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors recognizes the extraordinary achievement of the Potomac Shores Middle School basketball team. Go Seahawks! Since 2021, they achieved a historic milestone, a 100-game undefeated winning streak, A powerful testament to their dedication, their discipline, their teamwork, their dreamwork, and perseverance.

[01:17:59] Their success would not be possible without the support of the school's administration and coaching staff, including Principal Kanika Dorsey, who couldn't join us this evening, but yay, Principal Dorsey, and head coach Marlon Marshall, who's here with us this evening, yes, whose commitment to excellence fosters an environment where students can thrive both academically and athletically.

[01:18:28] Therefore, today, the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors hereby commends and congratulates the Potomac Shores Middle School Boys basketball team on 100 consecutive victories and five years of being undefeated. Amazing job. Congratulations.

[01:18:48] Let me just first thank you guys for inviting us. This is really an honor for us and for our kids. I just wanted to let you know who's representing us. We have the JV team. We have members of the JV team as well as the varsity. I'm Coach Mark Marshall.

[01:19:03] I coach the JV team. Coach Marlon Marshall coaches the varsity team. Again, I want to thank you guys for inviting us. The kids were super excited to come here. Although I would like to sit here and just stand and say, hey, I'm the greatest coach in the world, it's all about the kids.

[01:19:20] The kids are excellent, and not just on the court, but off the court. So I want to thank you, okay? Yes, we would love to thank you. And we also would want to give a gift to Ms. Bailey for having us. She's now a part of the 100.

[01:19:37] Thank you for having us. Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. We have our budget here in tonight.

[01:20:03] We can do if you guys want to send it. Sorry. We're going to talk to the parents. So, we will do the group photo later when more students are here.

[01:20:18] All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. All right.

[01:20:46] Before we go on to the public hearings, a couple of my colleagues, I'm going to give Koya statements, and I just want to say, while Supervisor Yesli Vega isn't here presently, she is listening remotely. We didn't do the electronic voting to let her participate because there's no votes taken tonight.

[01:21:04] So, Supervisor Bode. Thank you, Madam Chair. Before the board holds the public hearing to obtain public input on the proposed budget, I need to declare a personal interest in this matter. My wife is a school's employee. As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which is affected by this matter.

[01:21:20] I will be participating in this matter because I'm able to do so fairly, objectively in the public interest. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right, Madam Chair, before the board holds the public hearing to obtain public input on the proposed budget, I need to declare a personal interest in this matter.

[01:21:37] My wife is a school's employee. As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which is affected by this matter. I will be participating in this matter because I am able to do so fairly, objectively, and in the public interest. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you so very much.

[01:21:53] We are going to move on to the public hearing. There is no presentation for today, right, Mr. Shorter? So, correct, yep, no presentation. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. But what I'm going to do is I'm going to go ahead and open the public hearing.

[01:22:08] I see a lot of new faces. I see some familiar faces. What we are going to do, or what I'm going to do, is I'm going to call people up in groups of five. And you'll go to the back. Please start by saying your name, where you generally reside. Look up at the screen up there.

[01:22:25] It will do a countdown for time. This is also, just so people know, this is separate than public comment time. We will also have public comment time. So with that, I'm going to call up the first group of five. I have George Dodge, Barbara Dodge, Noel Schott, Ruben Chavez, and Adriana Alvarez.

[01:22:51] If you can please go to the back.

[01:23:02] All right, sir. And please also, too, I ask that people adjust the microphone so that we can make sure that you, yeah, it has to kind of come close so that we can hear you. All right, you may begin. Okay, good evening, members of the board. My name is George Dodge, and I live in the Coles District.

[01:23:20] It is encouraging to see that the data center developments have significantly boosted county revenue. For example, in fiscal year 2024, data centers contributed $166 million in tax revenue, a 50% increase from the previous year.

[01:23:37] I agree with Supervisor Vega's suggestion to use these funds to ease the cost of living in Prince William County, allowing residents to keep more of their hard-earned money. The board has talked for years about the advantages of bringing in the construction of data centers, with one of those benefits being the ability to freeze, reduce, or offset county real estate taxes with the revenue produced by the data centers.

[01:24:06] But that has never happened. Perhaps this budget would be a good place to start. I am concerned about the expected $276 increase in the average taxpayer's bill due to rising home appraisals, even without a tax rate hike.

[01:24:26] Additional taxes, such as the fire, livy, and the new state taxes and fees, along with rising electrical energy rates, will further increase costs. If you are going to run on the theme of affordability, let's be serious about it and make Prince William County more affordable for everyone.

[01:24:46] I urge you and the board to explore ways to reduce the tax burden on residents by leveraging the increased revenue generated by the data centers. This approach can help us to continue investing in essential services such as education, public safety, housing, and infrastructure without adding financial strain on families.

[01:25:11] I thank you. May God bless Prince William County, and congratulations to Supervisor LaCroix. Thank you. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Good evening, members of the board. I'm Barbara Dodge, and I live in the Coles District.

[01:25:31] I'm here this evening to express my deep concern regarding the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which anticipates an average residential tax bill increase of $276 due to the rising home appraisals.

[01:25:49] In these times of economic uncertainty and with increasing electricity rates, along with increasing state taxes and fees impacting household budgets, it's imperative that we avoid imposing additional financial burdens on our principal and county residents. Many families and senior citizens on fixed incomes are already struggling to make ends meet. Notably, data centers have become a significant source of revenue for our county. The increased revenue generated by data centers can support vital programs without necessitating higher taxes. I urge the board to

[01:26:27] consider the following actions. One, maintain the current real estate tax level by reducing the tax rate to absorb the increased home value appraisals. Avoid increasing the tax burden on residents by keeping the tax level steady. Two, utilize data center revenue effectively.

[01:26:49] Allocate the substantial revenue from data centers to fund essential services and offset potential budget shortfalls. And three, conduct comprehensive review of expenditures, identify and eliminate wasteful and redundant programs to ensure efficient use of taxpayer money.

[01:27:09] By adopting these measures, we can uphold our commitment to fiscal responsibility while ensuring Prince William County remains an affordable and desirable place to live. Thank you and may God bless Prince William County and many congratulations to Supervisor LaCroix.

[01:27:28] Next speaker, please. Hi, I'm requesting five minutes. I'm with the Prince William SPCA. And can I also have the projector on, please? Ready?

[01:27:45] And when you speak, please adjust the mic. Okay. Hi, I'm Noelle Schott of the Occoquan District, and I am here on behalf as a volunteer of the Animal Services Center. I also serve as Vice President of the SPCA and Secretary of the Animal Advisory Committee. I first want to start by saying the Animal Services Center, everyone that works there, does an outstanding job.

[01:28:03] To meet minimum care standards and fulfill this county's mission to serve the community, it is necessary for the FY27 budget to increase the Animal Services Center FTEs. And we are requesting the county develop a comprehensive phasing plan to hire and resolve the disparity in staffing levels compared to our neighboring counties.

[01:28:20] The chart on the screen illustrates that Loudoun County handles 40% fewer animals annually, yet has 49% more FTEs. Fairfax County handles 31% more than Prince William County, yet has 168% more FTEs. And over the past two years, Prince William has continued to rise their intake, reaching levels comparable to Fairfax.

[01:28:39] And please notice that the staffing plans that you can see, they grew over a couple of years. This chart on the screen illustrates the services both Loudon and Fairfax provide the community because they are staffed appropriately. These vital services support pet owners and reduce owner surrenders.

[01:28:56] The last year, over 1,200 animals were owner surrendered in Prince William County, which equates to $171,000 in annual expenses. A dedicated foster care coordinator expands the walls of the shelter by reducing overcrowding.

[01:29:12] Today, the Animal Services Center only has one FTE performing their job. You can see that from the chart. They do an amazing job, and they've done an amazing impact. This is a critical role, especially for kittens and puppies, that require care quickly. I can tell you from personal experience, last week when I fostered a puppy, the coordinator was arranging pickup and logistics even while on vacation.

[01:29:32] Nationally recognized, objective is to have a save rate over 90% or greater. Behavior issues are a leading cause of euthanasia in shelters, Both Loudon and Fairfax have one. Over half the animals coming into our shelter have behavior issues. Reducing the length of stay can equate to $189,000 in cost avoidance.

[01:29:53] I know firsthand as a volunteer at the shelter, it takes time to sanitize kennels and provide enrichment. The Animal Services Center only has 11 FTEs, working four shifts a week, 10-hour shifts. That means only six work per day. The math doesn't math. To meet the National Animal Care Control Association minimum care standards, our ASC should have at least 16 per day.

[01:30:17] The Pet Resource and Humane Education Coordinator helps to deliver services described earlier in the brief. By raising awareness about animal welfare issues, they help reduce cases of neglect, abandonment, and animal cruelty. This will help to reduce the number of abandonment and strayed animals, increase pet retention, and reduce animal cruelty cases.

[01:30:39] The disparity of the ASC-FTE positions in Prince William County directly affects the quality and availability of services for our community and animals. The FY27 budget should be revised to include three positions. The estimated cost is $225,000, and the county should develop a comprehensive hiring plan to fix the disparity.

[01:30:58] There are potential cost offsets and avoidance described previously that could be recouped in the out years by reducing owner surrender, retention rates, and length of stay. In addition, in FY27, the Animal Services Center will begin pre-adoption spay and neuter on site. That means adoption fees could be increased starting in FY28 to further additional cost offsets.

[01:31:18] Immediate action is required to bring our Animal Services Center into alignment with national standards and with our neighboring counties. Thank you. Next speaker, please. I'll also be requesting five minutes since I'm with Tenants and Workers United.

[01:31:42] Come a little closer and begin by stating your name. My name is Ruben. Ruben Chavez. I am a resident from the county who also, can I start? Yes, but what magisterial district? I was asking if I can request. Yes, you can, but what magisterial district are you?

[01:31:58] I'm here in Neabsco. Okay. Yeah, here in Neabsco. Yeah. We good? Okay. Thank you so much. So my name is Ruben Chavez. I'm a resident from the county who's also grown up here. And I'm also the new community, Prince William County Community Organizer with Tenants and Workers United.

[01:32:16] TWU is a 40-year-old grassroots community organization. and our mission is to directly organize working-class communities of colors. Those of you who are aware know we work with a range of impacted groups like immigrants, women, youth, and low-wage workers to build power so folks can become engaged and active participants in their community.

[01:32:38] Our organization has worked here in the county for over 10 years now. Today, I'm here on behalf of those communities to speak on the concerns we have in our ask for the 2027 budget. First, we want to thank you for dedicating funds to the Housing Trust Fund. However, we're still behind, y'all, and our communities continue to struggle, which is why we're asking you to please continue dedicating funds to the Housing Trust Fund and fund the housing staff through fiscal year 2030.

[01:33:07] We need more housing for all types of families, and we must create policies to increase the housing supply for everybody. A lot of families are burdened by the high cost of living, especially those who earn less than 40% of the area median income.

[01:33:23] such as those working minimum wage jobs, who are cleaning homes, doing child care, and other essential jobs, as you know. In Prince William County, we also have residents and families who live in mobile homes.

[01:33:39] We need you, as our leaders, to take into consideration these families and to set aside funds for mobile home parks. Knowing that these communities are some of the most vulnerable communities in this county and country at large, We'd like you all to start thinking about the livelihood of these communities that include working-class families.

[01:34:00] We all have the right to live in a safe, dignified, and affordable home. Housing is a human right. Let's continue creating an inclusive county where we can all live, work, and thrive with dignity. So please take our asks into consideration for this budget, and thank you.

[01:34:17] Thank you for having me. I guess I didn't use up all the time. Thank you. Before I call the next speaker, I'm going to have my next group, Patty Bright, Steve Amato, Susan Tibbs, and Arlene Woodkins. And to the clerks, do we have anyone else who signed up?

[01:34:37] Thank you. You may proceed. All right. Hello. My name is Adriana Alvarez-Castro. I'm also here with Ruben Chavez for Nebraska District.

[01:34:56] I live here in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the Bel Air community, mobile home community since 2014. And it's a place that means a lot to me and my family. It's where I grew up, where I work, and where my hardworking families are simply trying to build stable lives.

[01:35:13] I currently work at elementary school as a speech therapist aid, helping students who need extra support with their community and learning. Being able to work in my community and help children grow is something I'm very proud of. I'm here today not just for myself, but for families like mine.

[01:35:31] I was raised by a single mother who worked very hard to provide for us. Watching her sacrifices taught me the values of hard work and resilience. I've been working since I was 15 years old to help support my mom and contribute to our household.

[01:35:47] Like many young people in our community, I stepped up early because of family matters. But even with years of hard work, the rising prices of rent and utilities have made life increasingly difficult. Sometimes because electric and water bills are so high up top of rent, my family struggles just to barely afford rent itself.

[01:36:10] Constantly worrying about whether everything will get paid is not only financially stressful, but mentally draining. As a U.S. citizen who works hard and contributes my community, it can feel discouraging to know that even when you are doing everything right, stability can still feel out of reach.

[01:36:30] Many families in this area rely on mobile homes because there are one of few affordable housing options left. Mobile homes may seem small to some people, but inside of them are families, memories, and people working hard every day to build a better future.

[01:36:48] They're real communities where people support each other and try to create stability for their families. For me personally, having stable and affordable housing also means having the opportunity to grow. One of my goals is to go back to school and graduate with a degree so I can help and build a better future for myself and continue supporting my family.

[01:37:08] But it becomes much harder to pursue education and opportunity when housing costs keep rising and stability feels uncertain. That's why I strongly support investing more funds into the housing trust fund. Investing deeply in affordable housing is investing in people and families who work hard every single day and simply want the chance to live with dignity, stability, and hope.

[01:37:32] I also want the county to invest to protect mobile home parks, to look for ways to create protection for their tenants' rights. I hope you will remember that the decisions made will directly shape the futures of families like mine who are working hard and simply asking for their share.

[01:37:51] Thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi, my name is Dr. Patty Bright. I live in the Occoquan District. I serve on the Prince William County Animal Advisory Committee as a veterinary representative, but I'm actually here speaking as an individual today.

[01:38:07] So I wanted to just follow up on the earlier... Can you move the microphone closer? Sure. Thank you. I wanted to follow up on the earlier presentation that Noelle Schott from the ASPCA did. I fully support what she is requesting. You know, it's very sad for me as a veterinarian to see pets lose their home. But fortunately, we have a fantastic Animal Services Bureau here.

[01:38:26] And so when pets do lose their home and they do end up in the shelter, we know that they are safe, they are secure, they will be medically evaluated and receive medical treatment as needed. What's way sadder to me is when we see animals that are being dumped because they are not getting to the shelter.

[01:38:42] We know that today the shelter is at capacity, and that's true for shelters across the United States as well as rescues. The shelter, the wait list at our shelter is typically three to four weeks to be able to drop off an animal. For those people who aren't willing to wait, they're dumping their animals in the streets and in parks and in forests.

[01:39:02] And I know this because I've done research on feral cat populations, and as a matter of fact, earlier today I spoke with several feral cat colony volunteers who told me that they are seeing these animals consistently dumped. We know that there are spay and neuter programs out there, however, these populations are not dropping.

[01:39:18] The reason they're not dropping is because animals continue to be dumped. What the ASPC was asking for is to support our shelter by bringing in more staff that will reduce the length of stay for the animals that are there. By reducing the length of stay, we can also reduce the wait list for animals to get to the shelter. And I think that will help us to move more animals through and will help us to really support this community in a way that is going to have a long-term change, particularly when it comes to these feral animals. As a dog lover myself and as a cat lover, you know, I look at the brutal weather we just recently had. No animals should be out on the street. No animals should be dumped. And so I think, you know, this

[01:39:55] board has been fantastic when it comes to supporting our animal services bureau in the past you guys have helped us to get a state-of-the-art veterinary suite a state-of-the-art shelter for these animals and to continue to provide for them so i'm asking again that you know you continue to provide that support and help the welfare of the animals in this county thank you very much all

[01:40:16] right next speaker please good evening good evening chair jefferson and border county supervisors I'm Steve Amato from the Occoquan District. Madam Chair, thank you for the email earlier today.

[01:40:53] It's budget season. The data that I will present to you this evening is a result of various Freedom of Information and Privacy Act requests that I've submitted to various county representatives, which I appreciate them responding back to me.

[01:41:09] In fiscal year 2027, we, Prince William County property owners, expect some tax relief. 51.1% of the county budget is from real estate tax.

[01:41:26] 24.6% is from personal property taxes. So 75.7% of the county revenue is generated from these two huge tax burdens. We need tax relief. Based upon the data that I've obtained by the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, you can see on the far right column the various surpluses over the approximately eight fiscal years, totaling over a third of a billion dollars in surpluses. None of that has been reinvested back

[01:42:05] to taxpayers. And the growth of the county full-time equivalents has gone up over 19 percent, the middle column. That's huge. A lot of government growth. Maybe we need to look at certain services we need to tailor back so we don't get to the breaking point where we cannot fund certain parts of this budget. And on the far left column, you see by fiscal year,

[01:42:37] the growth of those FTEs. That is a high cost that is not going to go away unless the position is reduced. So I encourage all supervisors to assess how to reduce taxes on Prince William County citizens, especially the property owners. The Virginia General Assembly, this past and most recent session, has made it unaffordable to live in Virginia with the number of taxes that they are

[01:43:07] proposing. So please reduce our real estate tax rate to at least 0.85 per hundred dollars. Make fiscal year 2027 the true track tax relief for Prince William County citizens. And again, the surplus just shows that we are generating a lot of tax revenue that can be reinvested back

[01:43:38] to taxpayers with a less real estate tax rate. Thank you. All right. Before I call up the next speaker, we have one other person who signed up online, Laura Hafler, if you want to also go and stand in the back. And then the next speaker, you may proceed. Hello, my name is Susan Tibbs. I'm from the Brentsville District. Tom, hi. I would like to thank Chair Jefferson for her outstanding leadership. I've enjoyed watching you. You're amazing. And I want to actually direct my

[01:44:16] comments to the presentation that Noel shot from the SPCA presented in favor of funding for the Prince William County Animal Services Center. In terms of what the shelter offers and what our county goals are, we share the same goals, improving outcomes, improving services, and reducing costs. Animals in the Prince William County Animal Services Center are the responsibility of all of us. I concur with the analysis prepared by Noelle and increasing services and an increase

[01:44:53] in staffing is necessary. Valid comparisons can be made to Loudoun and Fairfax County in both standards, staffing, and services. We should be leading and not following. The increase in animals brought into the shelter has increased each year, and we need to improve the services, improve the staffing in order to do better. The request for additional staffing, the request is specific and well-grounded. The foster care coordinator would improve the services provided

[01:45:33] to both the volunteers and to the animals themselves. The services that are provided are substantially different from those in other counties. I volunteer at the shelter, and I show dogs in the lobby, and I talk to a lot of the residents.

[01:45:53] The top questions that we get as volunteers are questions around services that are provided in other jurisdictions, programs like a foster to adopt, the pet pantry, training, and youth engagement opportunities. These are all things that can be easily addressed, but there needs to be staffing to be able to do that. The dedicated foster care coordinator is essential to make sure that longer-stay animals and those that need more specialized services, those that need more attention and can't survive in the stressful shelter environment are able to go out to home

[01:46:32] care more quickly. The animal behaviorist is also essential. We need to know how to help specific animals and we need to know how to help people who are adopting them and reduce the rate of returns for animals. It's quite heartbreaking to see an animal happily going home with a family and to be brought back in the next day or two days later because they just couldn't find the right fit and they couldn't work out their differences.

[01:46:59] A behaviorist meeting with this family beforehand could change that outcome. And volunteers, staff, everyone involved with the animals could use better training, and that would be a great way to do it. I'm out of time, and I would just invite you all to come into the shelter.

[01:47:18] We'd love to see you. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Next speaker, please. Hello. My name is Arlene Watkins, and I'm in the Coles District. First off, I want to say happy St. Patrick's Day.

[01:47:34] I see a lot of people are wearing green, some of you are not, which is sort of sad. I also volunteer at the animal shelter, and it has been possibly the best thing I've ever decided to do. To be around the animals is amazing.

[01:47:49] The team that works there is absolutely overworked, and I don't have anything else to say about that. They have several volunteers, which is great, but volunteers are limited in some of the things that we can do. So it's important to make sure that there's enough staff available to ensure that the animals get their care.

[01:48:09] And as Susan pointed out, I've only been there since November. And to see some of the animals get happy because they get adopted, and then two days later, a week later, even as much as three or four months later, they get returned.

[01:48:25] And the poor animals, they just get scared, and they don't like being there. No one would want to be in a cage. So it's very important to me to make sure that we have enough support to keep the animals happy, healthy, and attractive for people to take them home and give them a nice, happy home.

[01:48:45] One thing I've noticed since I've been there is some of the equipment is not maintained properly. A washing machine has been broken now for probably two months, and there was a virus that went through the kettle, or I'm sorry, the shelter. And they had to shut off people seeing the animals because they were sick.

[01:49:05] And I just guess, because I clearly don't know, that it was because there was no soap getting to the washing machine. So the washing machine has been down for at least six weeks because that's one of the things I thought I can do to help as long as the animals have clean blankets and towels and that type of stuff.

[01:49:22] That's key. It's very important. The team that's there that cleans the kennels does a phenomenal job. It's actually kind of cool. I mean, I don't want to do it, but it's neat to watch them go around, and they sterilize everything, and the animals are so excited to see them.

[01:49:39] I've never done the cats. I don't do reptiles, and they have some bunnies. But it is a really neat place, and I really hope that you all can find funding to ensure that it's maintained. So thank you for your time. All right, and next speaker.

[01:49:56] Good evening. Could I have the projector, please? And please make sure that you speak into the mic. and for the team when we are done with after we have the in-person speakers we go to the remote i will do a photo we'll do photos with you guys before we go into public comment time so thank you guys for sticking around sorry about that um okay that's visible my name is laura haufler

[01:50:34] and um i am a citizen tonight uh even though i am a representative uh vice chair of the animal advisory committee the reason for me being here tonight is twofold first of all I fully support the request that some of my colleagues in the animal advisory committee requested tonight for more funding for the shelter I'm completely on board with that but I have a suggestion beyond just supporting the shelter because that is one good way to support the animals but there are other ways in which we can increase

[01:51:12] the availability of resources of owners to help their animals before their animal hits the shelter. So I mentioned I'm a Kenan Behavior Consultant, so this is kind of my domain. Before an animal hits the shelter, there are lots of things we can do, and one of my proposals would be to create a specific design of a trail.

[01:51:37] So it's a trail model that has an enriched environment for the dogs, and this can be placed in any of our parks here in Prince William County. We would really be a pioneer in this. There's nothing in northern Virginia that has anything like this.

[01:51:53] The trail model basically would attract tourists, dog lovers, to our county. It would provide safety and enjoyment for senior residents of our county. Sometimes they cannot go on walks because the dog pulls. Well, this would stop that.

[01:52:09] If the dog is too crazy because he gets triggered by other animals, this would block the view and the dog would be able to safely walk peacefully without dragging anybody down. These are main reasons why people surrender their animals, because they cannot control them.

[01:52:25] So this would also provide safety, enrichment, and calming for people that have animals in condos and apartments. And these people do not have gardens, and gardens typically are the number one way for an animal to come down and call it zen, right?

[01:52:47] To come down and to use the rational side of their brain. So if we can provide something like this, this would also support our efforts in helping animal owners in our county beyond the shelter. So sorry that this thing kind of went away, but I will put it back.

[01:53:05] And I emailed everybody, each one of you, with a little drawing of that. And, yeah, and this would create great synergies between girl and boy scouts, master gardeners in the county, parks and recreation. So we could really create a great project for this to support the animals and support children and help them learn about animals and so on.

[01:53:26] So my request to you is not only support the animal shelter with what was already asked, but also create some other opportunities where we can support the owners before the animal reaches the shelter. Thank you so much. And can you just state where you reside, your magistral district?

[01:53:42] Currently, it is Acaquan. Okay. All right, thank you. Laura, do we have anyone remote? All right, Supervisor Angry. Thank you, Madam Chair. Do we still have one online?

[01:54:02] I'm sorry, can you hear me? Yes. Good evening. We do not have any person online. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you for that. All right. So I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearing on the budget. Supervisor Bailey and all the team members from Potomac Shores, if you can join us up front.

[01:54:21] Are there any people in the atrium? Okay. So we will take that photo, and then we're going to go into the public comment time. Thank you.

[01:56:14] All right. It is always wonderful when we have children present.

[01:56:29] So we are going on to agenda item number 13, public comment time. I'm told we have no one in person. Do we have anyone online? All right. We have no one in person, no one online.

[01:56:47] So then I'm going to go ahead and move to agenda item number four. Move to adjourn. Second. Y'all can't even wait. All right. So actually, no, Bordy is only when you go first and then he.

[01:57:08] Cody. While we're voting, our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 7th. - Okay, motion passes, vote unanimous.

[01:57:25] Supervisor Vega is absent from vote. - All right, thank you everyone. Have a good evening, get home safe. - All right, let's go.

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